Thursday, April 3, 2014
Bye Bye Jackson
Earlier this week the Philadelphia said sayonara to DeSean Jackson after recent reports about having gang ties. I'm not here to say DeSean is a bad person, or to say he is apart of these so called gangs. I'm here to give you the perspective of an organization and coaches. Someone like Jackson, whether he's doing those things or not, the team knows better than any of us, but, he becomes a "cancer" in the locker room that can spread to other teammates. I coach high school football and I've seen this happen. One person who does negative things can bring others down with them. This kind of player is not something that you want to build a championship team around. Sure, he's a good football player, he makes plays. The only case anyone can make about the Eagles cutting him being a bad decision is the fact that he produced on the field for them and they will not be able to replace that, which is true. I was extremely bothered when I saw an espn.com article that had Richard Sherman trying to bring up the "race" card again, which is completely bogus. He compared Riley Cooper's saying of the N word to Jackson being released by the birds. Sorry Mr. Sherman but Cooper was drunk and at a concert, Jackson is hanging out with people that murder people and carry weapons, and he himself owns weapons. These are two completely different things Mr. Sherman. I agree with the decision to get rid of him, if the team has more information about these so called gang ties, then yes, it was the right move.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Roger Goodell back at it again...
Mr. Roger, the man who's completely ruining the NFL, passed a new rule that players cannot dunk on the field goal posts after a touchdown. Is it just me or is this another one of those things that is bringing the sport down. The NFL is a form of entertainment that is viewed by millions on national television. Apparently Goodell wants the players in "his" league to perform like zombies and not have any fun at all. I coach high school football and one of the things I preach is to have fun. Just because these athletes are being paid to play the game does not mean they shouldn't be allowed to have fun playing the GAME that they learned as kids to be fun. Soon enough the NFL's players will look like zombies on TV, no big hits or no celebrating? This guy needs to go, anyone else agree?
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Former West Chester University Football Player Saves a Life
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/24923786/wc?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9926251#.UxyYdMAhmUx.facebook
This story is amazing. Jared, a friend of mine, saved a man's life who was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Sleckus was suffering from cancer, but the bone marrow transplant saved his life. Through the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation the two were finally able to meet face to face. This story is a true inspiration, if you have the time, check it out.
This story is amazing. Jared, a friend of mine, saved a man's life who was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Sleckus was suffering from cancer, but the bone marrow transplant saved his life. Through the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation the two were finally able to meet face to face. This story is a true inspiration, if you have the time, check it out.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thor: The Dark World movie review
By: Sean Breen
Thor:
The Dark World, sequel to the first movie Thor has been a box office hit thus
far. The
Dark World made over $85 million in the opening weekend of its release and grossed
over $150 million since then. The
opening weekend numbers defeated the first Thor
by over $20 million and is on pace to defeat the lifetime gross of $181
million.
A problem with making a sequel in the movie industry
is that it has to be better than the first or it will be considered a
failure. Thor: The Dark World did not have those expectations to live up to
as the first movie was not what everyone had hoped it would be. The first movie lacked action for a movie
about a superhero that has god-like powers.
Do not worry folks, Thor: The Dark
World was an exhilarating action packed eye popping success.
Chris Hemsworth returned in his role as Thor and was
asked to do more in this movie than previously.
Besides the action sequences, which he was brilliant in and resembles
Brad Pitt from the movie Troy, Hemsworth
shined in the scenes that brought, sadness, love and sincerity to the big
screen.
Thor is back in Asgard where he has become the
protector of all the realms. Wherever
there is turmoil, Thor and his men show up to put an end to it and lay peace to
the land. These scenes took place early
in the film and one of the most memorable was when Thor took on a monster made
of stone that was twice his size and defeating him with a twirl of his
hammer. Being protector of the realm Thor
and Jane Foster who is played by Natalie Portman have not seen each other for
quite some time. The two are only
reunited when Jane makes the discovery of a weapon known as the Aether which is
absorbed into her body. Concerned for
her health Thor brings her to Asgard.
Bringing Jane to Asgard has put the whole universe in danger as the main
antagonists; the Dark Elves led by Malekith pursue to obtain the Aether weapon
from Jane. This led to scenes that
looked like something out of Star Wars movies,
only better as the Dark Elves took to an aerial assault of Asgard. Upon landing on Asgard epic hand to hand
combat scenes between Asgardians and the Dark Elves broke out as a mini war
started within the castle walls. Without
giving away too much detail, that is the main plot, Thor must defeat the Dark
Elves, something his ancestors did thousands of years ago to protect the realm.
The main characters Thor and Jane were perfectly
depicted throughout the movie. Thor is clearly
as powerful as a god, but also as loving and caring as a normal human being.
Dr. Jane Foster an intelligent woman who uses her knowledge for science but
also shows the courage of a goddess. One
of the characters that did not play as big of a role was the brother of Thor,
Loki played by Tom Hiddleston. This was
disappointing because of the role that Loki played in the first Thor and in The Avengers. He was
involved in somewhat of an important scene but that is only one scene of a
movie that was almost two hours long.
If you are into superhero movies or even action
movies Thor: The Dark World is an
enjoyable film. The action is almost nonstop,
and the computer-generated imagery (CGI) is top notch for this generation which
will keep your eyes glued to the big screen.
Overall the movie gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Shawn Leo, West Chester University football team's placekicker
By: Sean Breen
West Chester University football place kicker Shawn Leo is
currently in his final season as a Golden Ram, the senior graduating in
December has left his mark on and off the field during his career.
As a red shirt freshman, Leo who attended Souderton High
School was given the opportunity to earn the starting place kicking job, and he
has not disappointed. In just his first
year, he set the single season record for his accuracy making 9 out of 10 field
goals (90%). During the same season he
tied a school record with three field goals made in a game against
Shippensburg, a double overtime nationally televised game that the Rams ended
up winning 44-43. “The 48 yarder was
early in the game and that was my career long, and then I came in with about 25
seconds left and kicked a 42 yard field goal to send it to overtime” Leo
recalled humbly.
Also during the same season, Leo was nominated and was a
finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award.
This award recognizes the nation’s top place kickers from more than 750
football teams for their excellence on the gridiron and in the community. Although he did not win, Leo was among 42 finalists
and was 1 of 5 freshmen to be chosen. As
Leo succeeded on the field, he did not shy away from jumping at the
opportunities to give back to the community.
He actively participated in The Relay for Life, Autism Walk and the Bone
Marrow Donor program on campus. Taking
it upon himself he also volunteered at home.
“I also volunteered back home, I do some baseball and football camps at
Souderton. I help umpire and I work with
the kickers at Lauren’s First and Goal camp which is up at Lafayette
College”. Leo said with a sense of candid
satisfaction.
The modest kicker did not stop there. He continued to rewrite the record books in
the 2011 campaign. Leo was 15 of his 20
field goal attempts, breaking the record for most field goals in a single
season. That is not the only record he
broke that season. In the season opener
against nationally ranked New Haven he set the school record by making four
field goals in a single game. Another
season highlight was his astounding 80 total points which led the team in
scoring.
The Souderton High School product continued to do what he
did best in 2012, kick field goals and break school records. Once again, Leo broke another record, of his
15 field goal attempts he converted 13 setting a new record for career field
goals made of 37 breaking John Marotta’s record of 30 set in 1990. “I remember
distinctly it was against Cheyney, Coach Zwaan actually pulled me from the game
at halftime because we were up so much, and I wasn’t really planning on going
in again but when he called field goal he told me to go back in, I think Coach
knew I was close to the record” Leo said with a vibrant smile. By the end of the 2012 season, he was also
able to nab the record for highest career field goal percentage (82.2
percent).
Thus far this season, with one regular season game remaining
Leo has added 9 field goals to his record.
Leo has been a consistent player for the football team. Some would say field goal kicking goes
unnoticed. The program has made sure
that his effort has been recognized. For
three years in a row they have awarded him with the Bill Vansant Memorial Special
Team Award for most outstanding special teams player.
Learning to master the profession of kicking has taken many
years of practice. Leo did not start his
football career until he was in 10th grade. He started to learn how to kick when he was
in 7th grade by his mentor and brother Jason Leo. Shawn was a soccer player until 9th
grade which may be some sort of explanation for his strong leg. His brother, Jason, would take time after his
practice to teach his younger brother the fundamentals of kicking. “My brother
taught me how to do everything, he would spend like 20 minutes with me and he
basically taught me everything I know” Leo explained. His brother Jason went on to have a solid
kicking career at Lehigh University going 36 for 55 on field goal attempts.
Not every person would want the job of being a place kicker
on a football team. The job can be nerve
racking at times, especially when the game is on the line. Leo explained that consistency with form and
approaching a kick the same each time is a key part to being a kicker. “It’s all you gotta do, consistency, when you
mess something up that’s when you miss, when you do something out of
sync”.
Leo graduates in December with an accounting degree and
plans on pursuing a job as an accountant.
He is unsure as to whether or not he will attempt to try out for a
professional football team, but did not exclude that as an option.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Week 12 NFL picks
| Thu Nov 21 | 8:25 pm | New Orleans Saints | Atlanta Falcons |
| Sun Nov 24 | 1:00 pm | Carolina Panthers | Miami Dolphins |
| 1:00 pm | Chicago Bears | St. Louis Rams | |
| 1:00 pm | Jacksonville Jaguars | Houston Texans | |
| 1:00 pm | Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers | |
| 1:00 pm | New York Jets | Baltimore Ravens | |
| 1:00 pm | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cleveland Browns | |
| 1:00 pm | San Diego Chargers | Kansas City Chiefs | |
| 1:00 pm | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Detroit Lions | |
| 4:05 pm | Indianapolis Colts | Arizona Cardinals | |
| 4:05 pm | Tennessee Titans | Oakland Raiders | |
| 4:25 pm | Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | |
| 8:30 pm | Denver Broncos | New England Patriots * | |
| Mon Nov 25 | 8:40 pm | San Francisco 49ers | Washington Redskins |
My picks to win are highlighted in green.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Review
Earlier this month Infinity Ward released the newest
edition to the Call of Duty series, Call
of Duty: Ghosts. For those of you
who may get confused there are two different companies that continue to make Call of Duty games, Infinity Ward is the
maker of the modern warfare games, Call
of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern
Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
The counterpart companies are Activision and Treyarch which created the
Black ops games and World at War.
The new Call
of Duty: Ghosts is part of the Modern Warfare series from Infinity Ward,
but what is most interesting about this game is the fresh start they have
made. The campaign no longer interacts
with the characters known as Cpt. Soap and Cpt. Price, characters that the
followers of Call of Duty have become familiar with through the years. Infinity Ward has created a brand new story,
following new characters. It follows a
family of three including their German shepherd. Army Cpt. Elias Walker, the father of his two
sons Logan and David “Hesh” Walker and their dog, Riley go to war after the
Federation starts a war with the United States. Most of the game you play as
the younger brother Logan who teams up with his brother Hesh for most of the
missions. The end of the game has also
left it open to continue this same story of this family.
Although it is a story that is new to the series, it
is exciting and entertaining for any Call
of Duty player. Two scenes in
particular come to mind, there is a mission that has you and your brother
underwater scuba diving and the graphics were amazing. The coral reefs and the sea creatures were
incredibly detailed that made it look realistic which was quite shocking. The other mission had you as the player,
controlling the dog Riley and completing certain tasks which were fun and
amusing. These are just two examples of
how Infinity Ward has implemented new ideas to their game to allow the player
to partake in something that has never been done before within Call of Duty. Although the downfall of the campaign has
and still is the length of the gameplay, it only takes about 5-6 hours to
complete, and that is if you watch all the cut scenes. Also they do not allow the player to make
decisions that would alter certain situations; you have to do everything the
game tells you to do, with no alternate scenarios. Regardless of the length of the campaign, it
was still awesome for any gamer who enjoys first person shooters. The campaign
gets 4 out of 5 stars.
As for the multiplayer, much of the same has
returned. Most of the favorite game
modes have returned, Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Search &
Destroy and Free-for-all. It was
disappointing to see that Capture the Flag did not return, after being included
in many of the most recent Call of Duty games. However they did add new game modes. The new modes included are Cranked, Blitz,
Search and Rescue, Infected and Hunted. Two
of the most interesting ones are Cranked and Search and Rescue. In Cranked upon getting a kill of an enemy
player a timer pops up on your screen giving you thirty seconds to get another
kill or you will yourself explode. Also
upon getting a kill or multiple kills, your soldier becomes faster and can move
swiftly around the map, hence the name of the game, Cranked. This game mode is most intriguing because
many Call of Duty players complain
about “campers” and in a sense this particular game has almost eliminated the
ability for a player to camp, but instead encourage players to run around and partake
in fast paced action.
The other game mode that stood out was Search and
Rescue. For years Search and Destroy has
been a highly played game type. Infinity
Ward has created Search and Rescue by combining Search and Destroy and Kill
Confirmed. Upon dying in Search and
Rescue your tags are dropped and you teammates have the opportunity of reviving
you if they recover your tags, the enemy has the opportunity to remove you from
the round by recovering your tags. This
was a creative way to eliminate the spawn deaths that haunted the Search and
Destroy game mode.
The other new game modes Blitz, Hunted and Infected
were not all that impressive or thought out.
Blitz will remind any Call of Duty
player of the old Headquarters game type which seems to be filled with
explosives and too much confusion. Infected
and Hunted are too slow paced and do not consist of enough action as the other
game types.
Multiplayer allows you to customize the look of the
soldier you play as in game kind of like how Halo did back in the day.
Unlocking these custom outfits is a hassle which requires the player to
put way too much time into the game.
Some of the maps seem to be oversized, as though you are playing a game
like Battlefield. Some of the maps could legit be cut in half
and they would be more enjoyable to play.
Also the killstreaks are not as fun as they have been with Modern
Warfare 2 and 3. Overall the multiplayer
has taken steps backwards. The
multiplayer gets 2.5 stars out of 5.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Going to start picking the NFL games
I've been pretty busy recently, with school and coaching high school football. I will try to start picking the NFL games each week. Here is this week: Winners are highlighted in green
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Who else is excited to see Patrick Chung in Philly?
In just the first day of free agency the Philadelphia Eagles have snagged Safety Patrick Chung. This is a huge upgrade to this defense. Chung brings not only great special teams play but a leadership role. Chung plays with intensity on the field, which is something we haven't seen from the defense in quite some time. This guy will make a huge impact this season.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
James Harrison free agent?
The Steelers released James Harrison today. Could he possibly land in Philly? Philadelphia would be a great place for James Harrison. With the new 3-4 defense being implemented, he would fit perfectly into the scheme and bring leadership and intensity back to a city that has missed that in their defense since the Trotter and Dawkins days.
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