Posts Tagged ‘training’
NFL Offseason: 10 Things We’ve Learned So Far in 2010
June 24th, 2010Top 10 Most Intriguing Story Lines Of Miami Dolphins Training Camp
June 24th, 2010Chicago Bears Preseason Preview: Quarterbacks
June 24th, 2010It’s finally that time of year again.
Time to take a look at the positions on the Bears and see how they look as they head into training camp towards the end of July.
Many fans are expecting big things out of the Bears now that they appear to have filled a lot of holes and have the players and coaching staff to make a much bigger splash than they did in 2009.
Speaking of 2009, as the team headed into the season, hopes were high, thanks to the acquisition of former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. Fans hoped he would finally bring the Bears back into the playoffs.
However, thanks to his pension to take risks, and the lack of experience in the Bears' wide receiver corps, Cutler ended up throwing a ton of interceptions and helped take the Bears out of games much more than he helped keep them in (and win them).
So will all of this change in 2010?
The answer is a resounding yes.
The Bears brought in offensive coordinator Mike Martz to help improve their offense, and even though some have struggled with the kind of offense that Martz puts forth, he has never had the kind of quarterback that he has with Cutler (you could argue that Kurt Warner is the best quarterback that he has had, but he doesn’t have the arm or the intangibles that Cutler has).
So, with Cutler and his receivers playing better this season, he could have a huge season. He just has to curb the mistakes and get good protection from his offensive line. Granted, that is a lot to ask but it’s not impossible and the Bears could be on their way up.
Will there be a battle for the number two spot in training camp this summer?
You can bet on it.
Both Caleb Hanie, the veteran backup who has very little experience, and the rookie Dan LeFevour will battle it out for the number two spot this summer, as long as the Bears don’t bring in any veterans at the position.
So who has the edge?
Right now it’s hard to tell.
LeFevour has a lot of intangibles and the Bears didn’t draft him to cut him. They obviously saw something in him that got them to spend a sixth round pick on him, so he’s going to be around for a little while.
Hanie hasn’t seen a lot of time under center in regular season games, but when it comes to playing in the preseason, Hanie has been very good. But just how good would he be if he got thrown into a regular season game following an injury to Cutler?
The Bears would be in world of trouble if Cutler got hurt, so the Bears may want to ensure that whoever competes for number two would be at least a little game ready.
Who would be game ready?
Hanie would be the Bears best bet for being game ready in that situation.
So look for a battle for the second quarterback spot to develop during training camp and it should be an interesting battle to watch.
Things are looking up at the quarterback position heading into the 2010 season, and as long as the new system can be learned, and both Cutler and his receivers are on the same page, it could be a big year.
Keeping Cutler upright and healthy will be huge, so all parts of the offense need to be working well in order for this to be a successful year for Cutler.
If Cutler ends up getting hurt then the Bears will have a serious problem at the position.
Unless they sign a veteran quarterback, they will have just Hanie and LeFevour in there to play, and that could spell disaster for the Bears when it’s all said and done.
UFC 116: Brock Lesnar Is Back, Should Be Better Than Ever
June 23rd, 2010Brock Lesnar hasn't had a professional fight in nearly a year, having suffered through a severe case of diverticulitis.
For most fighters, that kind of illness and layoff would lead to questions about ring rust, and whether he's returning at 100%.
In Lesnar's case, that won't be an issue.
In fact, he'll probably be better than ever.
Diverticulitis
While much of Lesnar's illness still hasn't been discussed publicly, Dana White has said Lesnar's doctors believe that the intestinal illness has been one that had been around and getting worse over the past few years.
As White said, Lesnar probably already wasn't fighting at 100 percent last year when he fought Frank Mir, as a result of diverticulitis.
Now that he's had proper care and treatment from the best doctors in the world, chances are likely that he'll actually be in better physical condition.
White claims the doctors said Lesnar had only been functioning at 60 percent.
If the Lesnar who fought Mir was only at 60 percent, imagining the 100 percent version is mind-boggling.
Ring Rust
For most fighters, a return to competition is often difficult, even when the preparation has been adequate, because there is something different between sparring in the gym, and actually fighting in front of thousands of people.
Having been back in training since January, Lesnar has had plenty of time to get back into peak condition.
What people might forget, is that he's also only ever had five professional fights.
His dominant performances over Mir and Randy Couture were such that they provided him with instant legitimacy as a fighter.
Yet it's ridiculous to think that a fighter would have peaked after only five fights.
More important than any possible ring rust is the time Lesnar had to continue training, and actually improve upon his skill set.
Even having been sidelined by illness, Lesnar has had at least eight more months of training since his last fight, including the six months since his recovery.
That amount of time is huge for a fighter who only been in the fight business for three years.
The Carwin Problem
I expect that when Lesnar steps in the Octagon against Shane Carwin, he'll be doing so in better physical condition than before, and his overall skills as a fighter will have improved leaps and bounds.
The problem is that none of that will matter if Carwin catches him on the chin with just a single big punch.
