Heart of the Defense

Ehsan Azad

Heart of the Defense

                The Dallas Cowboys are trying desperately to outplay their mediocre status they have in the 2012 NFL season. It will be harder without their playmaking linebacker Sean Lee.

                Sean Lee was lost for the season when he sustained a severe form of turf toe in the victory last Sunday against the Panthers. Now, the world seems to be lost as the Cowboys face the defending champions tomorrow at Jerry’s World. The pundits from National to the local media have all said that with Sean Lee it would have been a struggle. Without him, the season is lost and that cowboys fans should get ready for the draft in April.

                Kind of an overreaction don’t you think?

Sure, it hurts to lose one of the best players on your team. Sean Lee was not only an athletic linebacker that made countless game changing plays, but he was also a savvy player who had incredible football IQ and instincts that you can’t coach. He was born to play football. But, look at what you have behind him. Bruce Carter is no slouch. The North Carolina product is a great linebacker that has all the athletic skills that Sean Lee has and maybe more. He can make plays all over the field and could be due for a breakout game against the Giants. 

                Some worry that he lacks instincts and that the defense will suffer without Lee’s leadership, and I think yes it will a little. But, you still have a player than can make plays in the middle of the field and with the talent surrounding Carter; I see this defense playing up to its potential.  I’m not saying Bruce Carter is a hall of famer, but let’s wait until Sunday night to judge if the Cowboys’ season is lost because of the injury to Lee.

  

Antlers Sawed Off

Ehsan Azad

Antlers Sawed Off

                You know that feeling when you go out with a really hot girl for the first time? It’s really fun and exciting at first. You love showing off the girl to your friends and brag about her all the time. She’s hot, fun, smart and your family loves her. Then her flaws kick in and you seem ready to break up with her, but she still has something about her that makes you stay. Then you wake up one morning and that pretty face is gone and the fun girl you knew is just flat out psychotic.  That is what Rangers fans have been going through the last two years with their team

Earlier this week, the two time defending American League champion had three chances to close out the streaking Oakland A’s. They had the division lead since April 9^th, so they definitely were going to close out it out.  In reality, they were swept by Oakland and lost the division on the last day of the season. If it weren't for the new rule in baseball where two wild cards were allowed in the postseason, the rangers might not make the playoffs. Thankfully they have a sudden death playoff game today with the Baltimore Orioles to get in. But, ask yourself this, do they deserve to be in it at all?

                After one of the most explosive starts in franchise history, the Rangers were a roller coaster all season. Never really playing to their full potential and allowing the division lead to shrink and expand multiple times. It was just a really off year for most of the players. Josh Hamilton after leading the April and May as one of the hottest players has slumped for the majority of the season and brought up effort concerns towards the end. Outside of Yu Darvish and Matt Harrison, the pitching has been sub par and sometimes laughable. The clutch gene that helped the Rangers go to two straight World Series appearances has disappeared. And add on one of the biggest collapses in Baseball, by losing the division on the last day helps make the point on why they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

                Bud Selig helped the Rangers out this year by adding a second wild card team to the format. They have a chance to erase this bad regular season by just beating Baltimore tonight at home. They do that, that claw and antler swag well return and they could be a threat to anyone in the Postseason. If they lose, begin sawing off the antlers for next year.