Heyward-Bey has strong showing at combine

Former-Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was in Indianapolis over the weekend to participate in the 2009 NFL Draft Combine along with many fellow players.

Heyward-Bey had the fastest offensive 40-time, breezing though in 4.30 seconds. He also finished ninth among receivers in the bench press by lifting 225 pounds 16 times. Finally, he finished in the top 5 in the vertical jump (38.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 6 inches).

The Terp standout seemingly has secured 1st round status among the elite receivers in the draft. Many draft experts like Todd McShay and Mel Kiper list Heyward-Bey as the 4th best receiver in the draft. Here are the guys he is behind:

1) Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech - Without a doubt the best receiver prospect in this draft in a longshot, despite the depth. Last year, he was named the Biletnikoff Award winner for the second consecutive season. He had over 1,800 yards receiving and 21 touchdowns two years ago. Crabtree has awareness of his surroundings, very elusive, and can snatch the ball out of the air whenever. He rarely drops a catch that he should make. He reads defense and understands his routes. At 6'2", Crabtree is a match up nightmare at times.

2) Jeremy Maclin, Missouri -Maclin hauled in 13 touchdowns and over 1,200 yards last season for the Tigers as their go-to threat. At 6'0", 200 pounds, Maclin has adequate size for an NFL wideout. What stands out to most, though, is Maclin's breakaway speed. He has great instincts and knowledge for breaking away from tackles. He jumps of the line very fast and isn't afraid to go across the middle. Maclin did, however, a season-ending knee injury in June of 2006.

3) Percy Harvin, Florida - At 5'10", Harvin does not present an intimating build whatsoever compared to his fellow receivers, but he presents explosiveness that trumps all. He had over 600 receiving yards with 7 touchdowns and then got 70 carries, over 600 yards, and 10 touchdowns on the ground last season for the Gators. Harvin has crisp route-running and has rare breakaway speed like Chicago's Devin Hester. The biggest knock on Harvin is his combination of size and durability: Has missed practice time with a hip pointer, tendinitis in knee and tendinitis in Achilles tendon, as well as heel surgery and ankle problems.

4) Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland - On the surface, Heyward-Bey presents the ultimate package for a wide receiver: possessing prototypical height, prototypical bulk and elite top-end speed. He is willing to go over the middle and up top in order to grab a pass. He is, however, an unpolished route runner and hasn't garnered enough elusive talents, despite his speed. At Maryland, he failed to catch many balls that he should have. In 2008, he had over 600 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns, as he failed to get the ball enough.

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Williams plays large role in upset

If you did not see on ESPN this past Saturday, the Maryland Terrapin men's basketball team upset then-No. 3 North Carolina at the Comcast Center, 88-85 in overtime.

The game itself was remarkable as the Terps battled back from 16 points down to tie the game and force overtime, eventually winning. Their was an enormous atmosphere that would get any recruit to sign their commitment form right then and there.

Greivis Vazquez played the game of his life, accouting for the third triple-double in school history. He finished 35 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

While I know you may already have the gist of the game and sifted through loads of analysis, I will present one point: Gary Williams.

The main reason why Maryland won on Saturday was because of the large differential in coaching between the two schools. North Carolina is easily a much more talented team from top to bottom, with at least six potential NBA players.

The Tar Heels were also one of the nation's hottest teams coming into the game. They were riding a 10-game win streak against the likes of Clemson, Miami, Florida State and Duke. North Carolina also got back 7-foot freshman phenom Tyler Zeller to add to its immense depth.

For some reason, though, the Terps played an entirely better game than the Tar Heels. They played with more passion, moxie, and heart. Sure their skills or size weren't comparable, but the Terps did not dwell on that fact.

The reason for all of this is head coach Gary Williams. Williams simply out-coached his ACC counterpart, Roy Williams.

"The best team won today," Roy Williams said after the game. "The stronger team, the tougher team, the better-coached team. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the way it was."

Vazquez also added, ""Every Maryland fan should be grateful because that man right there can coach."

And in reality, both of them are right. Without Gary Williams, the Terps would not be 17-9. They would not be 14-2 at home. They would not have beaten Michigan State. And finally, Maryland, without Gary Williams, would have beat North Carolina on Saturday.

All of this with a undersized 6'6" center as the teams lone senior.

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Bud Selig "Doesn't Deserve Blame"??

I do not understand how Bud Selig, the MLB Commissioner can come out and make a comment to the media stating, and I quote, '"I honestly don't know how anyone could have done more than we've already done."'

Here's one thing you could have done, kept it quiet. Why did everyone have to hear about it before there was any real proof? The media blew this whole situation way out of proportion as soon as it got wind of steroid use in baseball. The media didn't really have any solid facts at the time, it was just taking up rumors it had heard around and expanding on them. You could have done the investigating quietly with a small group of trusted MLB officials and only let the word out when you were sure you had absolute proof that someone had taken steroids.

Here's another idea, contact the player before they have to hear about it from their wife calling saying, "Hey honey, you were just on TV. Guess what? They said that you do steroids." All it takes is a phone call to Bonds to tell him that you are investigating him for possible steroid use and ask him if he has anything to say. If not, continue your investigation until you have solid evidence and then go to the media with your findings.

How about not letting the government getting involved? Since when does Congress not have anything better to do but investigate the use of steroids in baseball. The Mitchell Report was a joke and has only damaged baseball more and wasted the taxpayers' dollars. Here's the thing in my opinion, no one has been "convicted" of using steroids yet, so the Mitchell Report has not done anything. There is no solid proof, yet, from anyone saying that a MLB player has taken steroids. This is MLB's issue, not the government's.

Although it is true that Selig doesn't deserve all the blame for steroids since obviously, any player who takes steroids is at blame. Also, we cannot forget the fact that the Player's Union was very tough to deal with when Selig tried initiating steroid testing early on. However, for the Commissioner to come out and say that he doesn't deserve blame is just plain dumb. Of course he deserves blame. He has ruined the sanctity of America's Pastime. He certainly did not do all he could to curtail the situation and stop it from spreading to the media. He certainly has not handled the situation well with any player who has been accused of steroids. He distastefully said that A-Rod (or A-Roid as he will know be known at Fenway Park) has "shamed the game" of baseball. Whether or not that is the case, it is unprofessional for the Commissioner to say something like that when you look at the past decade of MLB and all that the Commissioner has done to shame the game (remember that 2002 All-Star game that ended in a tie). In my opinion, when the entire game is turned upside down in a situation such as this steroids issue, the Commissioner should be taking responsibility for his actions, whether or not he is at fault, and taking the blame that comes with being the highest authority in baseball.

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Franklin named Freidgen's successor

Last Friday, athletic director Debbie Yow and football head coach Ralph Friedgen announced that offensive coordinator James Franklin would take over the reigns when Friedgen decides to step down.

Many high profile assistant coaches have been given the decision to accept a “head coach in-waiting” position, rather than leave for a head coaching job elsewhere. Franklin, like others, will be receiving a pay raise, but not necessarily increased duties.

On the national landscape, the successor title was recently given to Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Current head coach Mack Brown, though, still has eight years on his contract and doesn’t seem close to retiring.

The move allows Texas to have the same defensive system in place for years to come, as Muschamp is the fourth defensive coordinator in the last five years and was already fielding head-coaching offers from the likes of Clemson and Tennessee.

Maryland, while not on the prestige level of a team like Texas, just got Franklin back a year ago and do not want to see him leave for another school.

In Tallahassee, the Florida State Seminoles seem to be in the same position as the Terps when they appointed Jimbo Fisher as Bobby Bowden’s successor. Bowden, 79, may be stepping down sooner than later.

The move is one that has become increasingly popular over the past year because of the changes in the college football landscape. Along with FSU and Texas, Maryland joins Oregon, Kentucky and Purdue as teams that have designated successors.

Stability is one of the main factors for choosing a successor and also becoming more important in recruiting. This stability that has been jeopardized by the shuffling of college coaches around the country.

While recruits are being scrutinized for opting out of their commitments, sometimes it is for good reason. Many high school players commit to a program because of the relationship they have built with a coach.

When that coach leaves for another program or gets fired, the recruit is left to deal with a situation that he did not plan for.

Franklin is an obvious choice because of his recent success for recruiting in the area. He led all assistants this season, being credited for grabbing 11 of the 24 recruits for the Terps.

The haul included four 4-star recruits according to Rivals.com: DE DeOnte Arnett, DE David Mackall, RB Caleb Porzel, and OL Peter White.

If and when Franklin does take over, we will hopefully see a peaceful transfer of power like the United States just saw with President Barack Obama.

eckarddbk@gmail.com

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The Future of the MLS

David Beckham was supposed to revive Major League Soccer. In that he was successful, somewhat. He was a bit of a spark-plug in his first year although he spent most of the season riddled with injuries. Opposing attendances rose as people wanted to get the chance to see the amazing David Beckham and hoped to see a free kick he could bend. Although David Beckham now is trying to get a full transfer to AC Milan, I believe that his time in the MLS is not over.

When he is too old to play competitively in Europe, he will be welcomed back to the MLS with open arms, where he will still be better than most. The man who is revered around the world for his tremendous free kick abilities has not fully made his mark on the MLS yet. However, his presence, even if it is only for a few short years, has slightly rejuvenated the MLS. Now the MLS participates in the North American SuperLiga, a tournament that combines the top 4 MLS teams and 4 top teams from the Primera Division de Mexico. This tournament between the two rival soccer nations offered the largest winner's purse in North American soccer history and was a great way to add more heat to the fire between the rivalry of the two nations when it comes to qualifying for the World Cup in 2010. This tournament caused a great deal of excitement and will be a thrilling tournament for years to come because of the intensity that the players approach the games with.

Now back to Beckham for a second. I, for one, am not thoroughly convinced that he is one of the greatest soccer players of his time. There is no question that he is one of the best free kick takers in the history of soccer. There is no question that the English national team saw something in him at a young age when he started playing with them and was eventually named captain. However, in my opinion, he is not a complete soccer player. He simply doesn't play defense and doesn't have a whole lot of pace. He seems to me to be a role player who can elevate a team but cannot be the sole provider. With that said, in the MLS, a league well below the level of European leauges, he is one of the top players since most good American players now play overseas with European teams. Therefore, you will see Beckham back in the MLS, whether it is this season, or in a few years when he cannot keep up with the level of play in the Serie A. But he will be back, and will again rejuvenate the MLS.

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"Born Ready" visits Maryland

Five-star recruit Lance Stephenson was in attendance during Maryland's 73-68 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night. Stephenson is a 6'6" combo guard/forward from Lincoln, New York and is high school teammates with Maryland-bound center James Padgett.

After lots of conversation about Gary Williams recruiting tactics, he was able to successfully lure Stephenson to College Park to take his first official recruiting visit.

Stephenson from the outside looks like a phenomenal prospect. He has superb size for his position and is extremely athletic. He loves to attack the basket and is known for his toughness. Rated as one of the highest prospects in the nation, Stephenson would rejuvenate the Terrapin basketball program quickly.

He is 7th overall on Scout.com, 9th on Rivals.com, and 8th on ESPN.com. Many "experts" are penciling him in for the 2010 NBA Draft already.

The recruitment of "Born Ready" brings up two important questions for Maryland and coach Williams.

The first would be about whether or not Williams is becoming desperate or not. Stephenson is an amazing prospect, but he has a checkered background that should raise some questions. In the past, Williams would not continue recruiting a player with that past.

In early October, Stephenson was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year old girl at his own school. While the charges and implications have not been made clear since then, his recruitment has taken a hit.

The other important question about his recruitment is about his impact on the roster. Currently, Maryland has two commits for 2009, and has one senior graduating: Dave Neal. With those changes, Maryland will have the NCAA maximum 13 scholarship players. Maybe Gary is hoping Vazquez will go pro, or someone will transfer.

Furthermore, Stephenson plays guard/forward, a position where the Terp's have considerable depth. If he were to go to Maryland, I would assume that Stephenson would be a starter, but how?

At guard Maryland currently has Greivis Vazquez, Eric Hayes, Adrian Bowie, Sean Mosely, and Cliff Tucker. With all of those players back next year, who will be riding the pine?

As a Maryland fan, it would be great to see Williams snag a recruit like Stephenson, because it would bring in lots of media attention from across the country. What I do not know, is how he fits in with this team.

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Super Bowl Mayhem

Kurt Warner almost got his second title and probably his second Super Bowl MVP yesterday but it was stolen right out of his hands, literally. The second to last play of the game he was stripped trying to deliver a downfield pass after scrambling to evade the onrushing Lamarr Woodley. Unfortunately for the Cardinals and Warner, Woodley got his hands on the ball and knocked it out of Warner's hand temporarily. It looked to some that Warner regained enough control to continue to move the ball forward for an incomplete pass. But not to the eyes of the refs or the men in the booth upstairs who quickly and quietly reviewed the play and saw nothing to overturn the call on the field.

When looking at a play such as this one, people need to understand the pressure that refs are under and the speed at which these events take place in real time. It is hard for viewers to see calls like this when slowed down to super speed so take a second and imagine what it would be like to call the play on the field. I am not saying that the refs and booth do not deserve some fault, there should have been a more in depth look at the play. However, it is unfair for fans to blame the Cardinals' loss on the refs.

The refs didn't force Kurt Warner to throw an interception in the end zone to James Harrison. The refs didn't shut down the Arizona running game. The Steelers did those things and deserve credit for the win. The Cardinals played strong, except for those first two drives of the game, and fought hard to the end. I wanted to see Kurt Warner on the 30-second drill go down the field for MVP #2 but it wasn't in the Cards.

On the other side, great credit must be given to one of the best developing young wide receivers in the league, Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. The man was phenomenal, catching balls all over the field and running past many Cardinals defenders. Plus, that game winning catch was an okay grab, I guess. For a young receiver, Holmes showed last night that he has what it takes to take the place of Hines Ward in the near future as the premier receiver for Big Ben.

The Steel Curtain of the season showed up last night, but not nearly as they had done throughout the rest of the season. On the one hand, Harrison had the 100-yard pick-six and Woodley forced the fumble that sealed the game for the Steelers. On the other hand, although they held the Cardinals running game to 33 yards (not a big accomplishment this season) they gave up big yardage to Warner's arm. The Curtain contained Fitzgerald for most of the game but was unable to stop him on the second Cardinals' possession of the fourth quarter when Warner went 7-7 for 87 yards and a touchdown with 3 of those passes to LFitz, including the incredible TD reception. Then two drives later, Warner hooked up with LFitz again, this time for a 64-yard touchdown.

All in all, it was a rewarding experience to watch this year's Super Bowl. Normally a quiet defensive struggle, this game broke the norm and was interesting to watch and an all-around solid game of football, what you would expect from two teams with elite players on both sides of the ball.

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To Roger Goodell: Referees are crushing the game

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay, Florida on Sunday night in one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all-time.

Wait, didn't we say that last season when the immortal Patriots lost to the Giants of New York? It's hard to find a better game than last season's, but the Steelers and Cardinals certainly provided enough story lines and action.

The game itself was amazing to watch, kudos to the Pittsburgh Steelers for leading an unbelievable winning drive. Santonio Holmes is now a household name among receievers, while Larry Fitzgerald also didn't disappoint.

I do, however, have one major knock on the game itself: officiating.

I beg you to find a bigger game than the Super Bowl. There is a reason that commercials sell for $3 million for 30 seconds, the Super Bowl is the most anticipated game annually.

There are two major downfalls for the referees, though, in this game. The first late in the fourth quarter, when Arizona stalled and were forced to punt the ball. On the coverage, Arizona player Aaron Francisco went to cover the punt return when Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison got in the back

Harrison, the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, began to punch Francisco to the ground. Right when Francisco began to stand up, Harrison threw him back to the ground not once, but twice. It was an ugly display of what the NFL should not stand for.

The referees obviously saw this, as they called a personal foul, but they did not make the obvious call: ejection. Harrison should not have been allowed to come back and play in the game for the Steelers after totally going against the NFL rules.

The second infraction against the referees came in the second to last play of the game. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner was scrambling in the pocket trying to find an open receiver, stepped up, and then was hit as he let the ball go.

The officials called this a fumble and gave the ball to the Steelers, who went ahead and kneeled to seal the game.

There were no official reviews. In the final two minutes of an NFL game, only the booth can call for reviews. In this case, they for some reason did not. The play was definitely controversial. Too many fans and viewers across the country, Warner looked as if his arm was coming forward, meaning an incomplete pass.

While I am not saying that Arizona lost the game because of this call, I am saying that it is a horrendous job by the referees to fail to look over the play. An extra five or ten minutes is all it would have taken. In arguable the biggest game of the year in any of the major sports, the referees just got lazy.

It is ridiculous that an official review was not called for. Arizona players and coaches were desperately pleading for a chance, but they were not given it.

It's a real shame that one of the Super Bowl's greatest games will be tainted by poor officiating.

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Resurgence of Mediocrity

Yes, the Terrapin men's basketball team finally won another game last night. Yes, Gary finally gave Sean Mosley a start. Hallelujah it's about time. After a series of solid first halves and abysmal second halves, the Terps finally played for a full 40 minutes last night against Miami. The Terrapin defense was smothering holding Jack McClinton to only 5 points at halftime and for most of the second half. They also forced 16 turnovers and scored 20 points off those turnovers.

It was good to see the team play with some passion in the second half for a change. The Terps always come out firing in the first 20 minutes of home games and whether or not they have the lead, they play with passion and excitement. Then it seems they lose all that momentum at halftime and can't seem to grasp it once again. Also, it helps when people start scoring again. Landon Milbourne led the Terps with 17 points, mostly in the second half. Dave Neal chipped in 11 and it seems Eric Hayes may have relocated some confidence in his shot that has been missing of late. Jin Soo Kim added a spark off the bench after being reinstated by the NCAA and Sean Mosley provided his usually spark with more solid play. Oh, by the way, Jin Soo Kim can dunk a basketball...that skinny frame does actually have enough muscle to reach the rim.

Greivis Vasquez was one assist shy of a triple-double which would have been the first since 1987 finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Although Greivis didn't score as much as his average, he certainly brought some much needed passion in the second half to a team that has been lifeless in the last 20 minutes recently. Greivis had his signature no-look pass when it was completely unnecessary and hopefully it landed him on a highlight reel somewhere so he can be happy. With that said, Greivis played well, clearly, and he deserves some credit for getting the team pumped up and ready to play again. Hopefully for everyone's sake the team will continue with this passionate play and win some more ACC games in an attempt to reach the Big Dance, which they still have a good shot at.

However, we must take all this with a grain of salt. Yes, the Terps won and everyone is happy that they finally saw another win. Yes, the Terps played a full 40 minutes of fundamental, passionate basketball. Yes, Greivis was an assist away from only the third triple-double in school history. Yes, even Jin Soo Kim got into the game and fired up the crowd with a dunk. Don't forget however that the Terps shot just 5-19 from behind the arc, an abysmal 26.3%. Not to mention the fact that they are shooting just over 30% from 3 point land on the season, good for the bottom third of Division 1 college hoops. Also, we did just beat Miami, not even close to being good in the ACC.

So take from this win that we have found a little bit of confidence in our shooting and we still have a shot at the tournament. Just remember that this game in no way, shape, or form means that we are back to where we should be this season and there is still a lot of work to be done. Now that we have some momentum hopefully we will be able to achieve our goals for the season.

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