On Broadway: Freshmen making an impact
In today's Roundtable, we each were tasked with picking one defensive player that may be flying a bit under the radar heading into this fall. I chose cornerback Tevin Madison, as I think he's really developing into a great young leader for this Red Raider football team and should have a prominent role as the nickel corner in David Gibbs' defense. Obviously, Madison was one of a number of true freshmen that really stood out and played significant snaps last fall.
I believe Tech could have a number of true freshmen that legitimately contribute to the Red Raiders' success this season, too, so I decided to pick five different newcomers from the 2015 class that could have an impact of some kind right away. Here goes:
DT Breiden Fehoko - This is a pretty 'duh' answer. While I don't believe he'll be a starter, I do believe the youngest member of the Fehoko clan will be a valuable member in the defensive line rotation, coming in to give guys like Rika Levi and Keland McElrath a rest. The freshman is strong as a bull, but he still needs to develop a very raw overall skillset. He has all the talent in the world, though, and I see him contributing both in the rotation and as a pass-rush specialist in 3rd down situations right away.
WR Quan Shorts - From the first time I put on his film and watched him play, I've thought this fella had something special going on. He's only played two years of football, he was an excellent track runner at Atascocita, and his skillset screams Joel Filani. Shorts will contribute, IMO, in some shape or form on the outside at either X or Z this fall. Depth is an issue at both positions, especially with Devin Lauderdale being the only scholarship player at X coming out of the spring. Shorts has more upside than anyone else in this freshman wide receiver class, and once the light bulb comes on, watch out.
DB Jamile Johnson - Tech was absolutely ecstatic to pick up Johnson on signing day, and it's easy to see why. He's got the size and athleticism to excel in David Gibbs' defense at either safety or corner, and he was one of the best DB's in the entire state of Texas. He's one of only a few players currently in the secondary that really fits the mold of what Gibbs and the rest of the staff wants out of their DBs right now, so look for him to contribute in some way early on.
DT Broderick Washington - From what I know about Washington, Red Raider fans may soon be calling him bad, bad Leroy Brown. The coaching staff loved his athleticism and nasty streak in high school, so they decided to take a risk on him as a D-linemen instead of a guard. Well, from all early accounts, they done good. He's already one of the strongest players on the team, and he's meaner than snot, as my dad would say. Look for Washington, like Fehoko, to be a rotational player that sees playing time early and often.
WR KeKe Coutee - Coutee was one of the most electric players in the entire state last fall out in East Texas, zigging and zagging his way up and down the field all season long. He's got the speed and quickness to make defenders look dumb, and he does it similarly to the player he'll be backing up: Jakeem Grant. Yes, Coutee will have to fight Cameron Batson for both the punt return and backup H positions, but it's something I think he'll do several games into 2015.
Now, some of you may be wondering why I left out the offensive linemen all together. I think Cody Wheeler, Madison Akamnonu, and Conner Dyer could all certainly get some playing time this fall, but they won't play much if the O-line remains healthy. Other names that might see some early playing time this fall include receivers Tony Brown and Jonathan Giles and linebacker D'Vonta Hinton.
Link Me, Bro
Lebron James has agreed to a new two year contract with the Cavs, but it sounds like he could opt out again next summer
Rejoice, Ye Nerds: Comic Con 2015 is officially underway, so here's a schedule of when there could be big superhero, Star Wars, etc. news this weekend.
It sounds like Roger Goodell may make a final ruling on Tom Brady's suspension appeal in the near future
Grantland waxes poetic about how bad Terminator: Genisys really is, especially compared to the rest of the summer slate at the movies
A Canadian man punched and shot a cougar that tried to eat his dog. *Insert cougar joke here*
Power Rankings: Favorite things from the 90s
I'm a child of the 90s. I grew up around things such as Nickelodeon, boy bands, and a whole lot of eerily similar Harrison Ford movies. These were my formative years, and when I think back, there are things that really get my nostalgic juices flowing. So, here are my top five favorite things from the 1990s.
5. Moon Shoes - These are like the holy grail of all children's toys from the 90s. They're basically a plastic oval with snowboard foot mounts attached to rubberbands, but hey, anyone who's willing to build portable trampolines for your feet is alright in my book.
4. Cartoon Network - Kids watch a ton of cartoons, myself included. My afternoons after school were filled with Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd, & Eddy, Dragon Ball Z, Batman: The Animated Series, and more. The CN was pumping out cartoon gold when I was in elementary school.
3. Discman - The eternal struggle of walking at just the right pace without having your Discman skip was real. The first way I really started listening to music. Now that we all have iPhones and other android devices, think about how wild it is that we once had to load a CD with maybe 13 songs on it into a portable, donut-sized player, one at a time.
2. Super Soakers - The water gun market in the 90s was the golden age of liquid weaponry. I can remember going to Wal-Mart and looking up and down the aisle like I was trying to buy illegal weaponry out of a van in the black market. Super soakers were just the best.
1. Nintendo 64 - Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Super Smash Brothers, Goldeneye Mario Kart 64. The Nintendo 64 may be the most fun video game console ever created, and it was the first fully realized 3D gaming console. My friends and I all started off playing a lot of games on the 64, and it's one of the biggest reason that gaming is a huge thing now with adults in the 20-30 age demographic. In fact, I had several buddies who either still had their old console or found one while we were in college.
Off The Reservation: Grow up, DeAndre Jordan
I rarely get upset about free agency, whether it be the NFL or NBA. It's a business, and I understand that players and agents are making business decisions when deciding on where to take their talents. That's why - even as a Mavs fan - I didn't think it made a lot of sense for Jordan to sign with the Mavs in the first place. Why leave a team that just signed Paul Pierce and is capable of making a Finals run next year? Sure, I see the appeal of wanting to be THE super star for the future in your home state, but the Mavs aren't prepared to make any kind of legitimate run.
Well, apparently Jordan got the same idea some time on Monday. And honestly, it doesn't upset me that he decided to go change his mind and go back to the Clippers. We all make mistakes that we regret, and if we can change them before they're permanent, don't we all attempt to do so? Sure, it looks bad to go back on a verbal agreement, but hey, go where your heart desires, because life is too short.
I'm ok with all of that. What I'm not ok with is going full on turtle by withdrawing into a shell behind a wall of Clippers executives and players to avoid having to tell Mark Cuban and the Mavs the bad news. Jordan is a full two years older than I am, but he made a decision that a 13 year old would and wouldn't step up to the table. Be a man, DeAndre Jordan. It takes you a 30 second phone call to tell Cuban you've changed your mind, and while he would be upset with your decision, at least he would respect you for calling him and fessing up.
But no, he decided to lay low while Banana Boat Paul and Doc Rivers essentially stood there as a shield for him to hide behind. It's simple courtesy. Grow up.
I think it's also an example that my generation is terrible at legitimate communication. We've learned to hide behind our phones, cameras, and keyboards instead of create legitimate, meaningful conversation and interaction with people in person. It's a problem, and it's getting worse.
In today's Roundtable, we each were tasked with picking one defensive player that may be flying a bit under the radar heading into this fall. I chose cornerback Tevin Madison, as I think he's really developing into a great young leader for this Red Raider football team and should have a prominent role as the nickel corner in David Gibbs' defense. Obviously, Madison was one of a number of true freshmen that really stood out and played significant snaps last fall.
I believe Tech could have a number of true freshmen that legitimately contribute to the Red Raiders' success this season, too, so I decided to pick five different newcomers from the 2015 class that could have an impact of some kind right away. Here goes:
DT Breiden Fehoko - This is a pretty 'duh' answer. While I don't believe he'll be a starter, I do believe the youngest member of the Fehoko clan will be a valuable member in the defensive line rotation, coming in to give guys like Rika Levi and Keland McElrath a rest. The freshman is strong as a bull, but he still needs to develop a very raw overall skillset. He has all the talent in the world, though, and I see him contributing both in the rotation and as a pass-rush specialist in 3rd down situations right away.
WR Quan Shorts - From the first time I put on his film and watched him play, I've thought this fella had something special going on. He's only played two years of football, he was an excellent track runner at Atascocita, and his skillset screams Joel Filani. Shorts will contribute, IMO, in some shape or form on the outside at either X or Z this fall. Depth is an issue at both positions, especially with Devin Lauderdale being the only scholarship player at X coming out of the spring. Shorts has more upside than anyone else in this freshman wide receiver class, and once the light bulb comes on, watch out.
DB Jamile Johnson - Tech was absolutely ecstatic to pick up Johnson on signing day, and it's easy to see why. He's got the size and athleticism to excel in David Gibbs' defense at either safety or corner, and he was one of the best DB's in the entire state of Texas. He's one of only a few players currently in the secondary that really fits the mold of what Gibbs and the rest of the staff wants out of their DBs right now, so look for him to contribute in some way early on.
DT Broderick Washington - From what I know about Washington, Red Raider fans may soon be calling him bad, bad Leroy Brown. The coaching staff loved his athleticism and nasty streak in high school, so they decided to take a risk on him as a D-linemen instead of a guard. Well, from all early accounts, they done good. He's already one of the strongest players on the team, and he's meaner than snot, as my dad would say. Look for Washington, like Fehoko, to be a rotational player that sees playing time early and often.
WR KeKe Coutee - Coutee was one of the most electric players in the entire state last fall out in East Texas, zigging and zagging his way up and down the field all season long. He's got the speed and quickness to make defenders look dumb, and he does it similarly to the player he'll be backing up: Jakeem Grant. Yes, Coutee will have to fight Cameron Batson for both the punt return and backup H positions, but it's something I think he'll do several games into 2015.
Now, some of you may be wondering why I left out the offensive linemen all together. I think Cody Wheeler, Madison Akamnonu, and Conner Dyer could all certainly get some playing time this fall, but they won't play much if the O-line remains healthy. Other names that might see some early playing time this fall include receivers Tony Brown and Jonathan Giles and linebacker D'Vonta Hinton.
Link Me, Bro
Lebron James has agreed to a new two year contract with the Cavs, but it sounds like he could opt out again next summer
Rejoice, Ye Nerds: Comic Con 2015 is officially underway, so here's a schedule of when there could be big superhero, Star Wars, etc. news this weekend.
It sounds like Roger Goodell may make a final ruling on Tom Brady's suspension appeal in the near future
Grantland waxes poetic about how bad Terminator: Genisys really is, especially compared to the rest of the summer slate at the movies
A Canadian man punched and shot a cougar that tried to eat his dog. *Insert cougar joke here*
Power Rankings: Favorite things from the 90s
I'm a child of the 90s. I grew up around things such as Nickelodeon, boy bands, and a whole lot of eerily similar Harrison Ford movies. These were my formative years, and when I think back, there are things that really get my nostalgic juices flowing. So, here are my top five favorite things from the 1990s.
5. Moon Shoes - These are like the holy grail of all children's toys from the 90s. They're basically a plastic oval with snowboard foot mounts attached to rubberbands, but hey, anyone who's willing to build portable trampolines for your feet is alright in my book.
4. Cartoon Network - Kids watch a ton of cartoons, myself included. My afternoons after school were filled with Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd, & Eddy, Dragon Ball Z, Batman: The Animated Series, and more. The CN was pumping out cartoon gold when I was in elementary school.
3. Discman - The eternal struggle of walking at just the right pace without having your Discman skip was real. The first way I really started listening to music. Now that we all have iPhones and other android devices, think about how wild it is that we once had to load a CD with maybe 13 songs on it into a portable, donut-sized player, one at a time.
2. Super Soakers - The water gun market in the 90s was the golden age of liquid weaponry. I can remember going to Wal-Mart and looking up and down the aisle like I was trying to buy illegal weaponry out of a van in the black market. Super soakers were just the best.
1. Nintendo 64 - Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Super Smash Brothers, Goldeneye Mario Kart 64. The Nintendo 64 may be the most fun video game console ever created, and it was the first fully realized 3D gaming console. My friends and I all started off playing a lot of games on the 64, and it's one of the biggest reason that gaming is a huge thing now with adults in the 20-30 age demographic. In fact, I had several buddies who either still had their old console or found one while we were in college.
Off The Reservation: Grow up, DeAndre Jordan
I rarely get upset about free agency, whether it be the NFL or NBA. It's a business, and I understand that players and agents are making business decisions when deciding on where to take their talents. That's why - even as a Mavs fan - I didn't think it made a lot of sense for Jordan to sign with the Mavs in the first place. Why leave a team that just signed Paul Pierce and is capable of making a Finals run next year? Sure, I see the appeal of wanting to be THE super star for the future in your home state, but the Mavs aren't prepared to make any kind of legitimate run.
Well, apparently Jordan got the same idea some time on Monday. And honestly, it doesn't upset me that he decided to go change his mind and go back to the Clippers. We all make mistakes that we regret, and if we can change them before they're permanent, don't we all attempt to do so? Sure, it looks bad to go back on a verbal agreement, but hey, go where your heart desires, because life is too short.
I'm ok with all of that. What I'm not ok with is going full on turtle by withdrawing into a shell behind a wall of Clippers executives and players to avoid having to tell Mark Cuban and the Mavs the bad news. Jordan is a full two years older than I am, but he made a decision that a 13 year old would and wouldn't step up to the table. Be a man, DeAndre Jordan. It takes you a 30 second phone call to tell Cuban you've changed your mind, and while he would be upset with your decision, at least he would respect you for calling him and fessing up.
But no, he decided to lay low while Banana Boat Paul and Doc Rivers essentially stood there as a shield for him to hide behind. It's simple courtesy. Grow up.
I think it's also an example that my generation is terrible at legitimate communication. We've learned to hide behind our phones, cameras, and keyboards instead of create legitimate, meaningful conversation and interaction with people in person. It's a problem, and it's getting worse.
