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“Aztecs Football-Showdown Saturday”

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The biggest games of the season, against what has become a pretty good rival, but the Aztecs will be without three key people on offense.

And they are going to Boise State to face one of most productive offenses in college football, the Broncos and their big time QB-Brett Rypien.

Coach Rocky Long had lots to say about his team, and the game.

Rocky Long comments

..Start 8-conference games in a row
..Boise State-toughest part not stadium-but how good they are
..Both teams will try to do what they do best
..They are explosive on offense..good QB-lots WRs
..Average lots points and lots of yards
..We have to keep them off the field

..Brett Rypien playing really well..4th year starter
..Rypien most experienced QB in league
..Put too many guys in coverage-they run the ball

..DT-Noble Hall will play this week

..Broncos very successful for very long time in conference
..Boise State recruits with personality and success
..Not surprised what Boise State became…
..They were moving up when they had everything built in place…money-facilities…
..No guess work involved…done everything right…very good resources
..We’re not vest of Group of 5-teams this year…Boise State is one of best from Group of 5

..Rypien-really smart-accurate-he’s best QB played against this year so far
..3WRs-catch ball-make you miss…can run by you too
..Aztecs-Broncos-true rival-have to play every year..
..Blue Turf-great home record..great fan base…good team.
..Players get a strange feel when they walk on the field-blue turf-first time
..Once game starts-no one pays attention to it.

..Not decided yet on who is backup running back
..Christian Chapman-playing some quarterback of scout team ..
..Chapman-doing some jogging-with knee brace
..Chapman-no one told us he is ahead of schedule to play.
..FB-Issac Lessard won’t play-he has a neck injury-no idea how long he’ll be out.
..Aztecs secondary-game experience help them get better

..The key-worried about number of formations-different personnel groups
..Run a ton of formations…can throw-run out of all of them.

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“Padres-Leader Speaks About Last Place Team”

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The Padres have stumbled into another off season, as the on-going rebuilding plan continues under General Manager AJ Preller

Since Preller took over in August of 2014, his franchise is 90-games below the .500 mark, with a (279-369) won-loss record.

Since he hired Bud Black as manager in his 1st full season as GM, the franchise is (247-337)….some 90-games under that .500 mark.

His hand picked manager Andy Green is (205-271) on the job.

But there is hope ahead, with a massive expenditure of moeny over a 3-summer span, and a major rebuild of the farm system. The Padres had 8-minor league farm clubs in operation this summer, stretching from the PCL-El Paso, to 2-Arizona Summer League teams, and 2-teams in the Dominican Summer League.

Progress is being made. Preller put a wrap up on the season, commenting about his team:

..We have to climb out of the developmental mindset, the bottom part of the standings, and look to compete.

..I am looking and open to every situation to get pitching for us

..Teams have reached out to us about our minor league talents

..I want to build longer-get us away from being average

..I want to build a base to win 90-games a year for the next 5-years.

..All of our hard work is designed to go somewhere soon.

..I will find our stating pitching rotation internally

..I may have to supplement this pitching staff from the outside

..Not going to short circuit 3-years of building by trading away young players.

..We will inform Wil Myers of his future position shortly so he can prepare off season.

So the off season begins with the Padres having at least 9-potential starting pitchers coming to camp next spring training, all from within the organization.

The team has to decide on the big money contract to re-sign SS-Freddy Galvis.

They have a decision to make as to where Wil Myers fits, or whether a trade to an American League team makes sense.

Only next spring will determine whether 2B-Luis Urias and SS-Fernando Tatis are ready for the major leagues.

They have a roster overload in the outfield, with Franchy Cordero rejoining the mix after in season surgery.

And the future of utilitymen Corey Spangenberg, Christian Villanueva and Travis Jankowski have to be decided.

We saw 6-months of 96-loss baseball. The next 4-months will be a critical juncture in Preller’s reign as GM.

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“Padres End of Season-Good-Bad-Indifferent”

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Another lost season of baseball, bad baseball is over.

Manager Andy Green’s team finished with another 90-loss season….there’s not much joy in (66-96)

But this may be a different 90-plus -loss season as compared to the misery in Baltimore, Kansas City or Detroit.

The Padres spent the summer, losing yes, but getting answers on a lot of young players, some of whom will be the foundation for better days ahead.

Andy Green’s comments on what he saw-what he experienced, in this third losing season in a row under his helm.

“Our young pitchers tried tone too fine around the plate in early starts. Now they are pitching with more conviction-confidence. Next year I was more swings and misses when Lauer-Luchessi are on the mound”

“Freddy Galvis has been special, his approach to leadership, game prep, dealing with your young players. When a ground ball goes in his direction-you know what happens, and I can’t say that has always happened in the past here at shortstop. We will talk about his role, him staying for next season.”

“Manny Margot, though the stats don’t show it, I am encouraged. His gap to gap defense has gotten better. He will bounce back from his struggles this year. I like the way he is wired. He competes”

“Hunter Renfroe-Franmill Reyes have learned a lot the second half of the year. They know the strike zone, they choked up on the bat, they put the ball in play. Hunter’s HR growth is because of better home plate discipline. Franmill is becoming a complete hitter, using all the field. They are no longer going up there with their “A” swings each pitch, not just taking hacks”.

“Biggest priority is to add pitching, the right pitching. We need to see about starters 3-4-5, and if they can become a 1-or-2 on our rotation. Can they pitch as front end starters?”

“Improvements we need to see, getting on base, getting moe starting pitching.”

“90-loss seasons are painful. We knew what would be involved in this process. No one wants to lose 90-again. We set goals we did not get to, but then we found young players we needed to find out about. I expected growth this year. Some players did grows, others did not. Now the off season evaluation to get some of these players to play better. We did not have success, but it is part of the process”

Team owner Ron Fowler preaches big picture. Co-owner Peter Seidleer is selling patience. GM-AJ Preller is dissatisfied but knows development takes time.

The city, oddly, threw drew 2.168 M this year, a slight bump up form last year. Even the community has bought into a hopeful future.

“Next year, a .500-team and go from there.

The season ends.

Good-they found out about a host young players.

Bad-the record-the starting pitching-the up and down seasons of big money people like Will Myers-Eric Hosmer.

The Indifferent-continued decreasing fan support, compared to what they drew just a couple of years ago.

When you see what Boston-Houston are, what the Dodgers and Rockies have done, and know that Milwaukee and Atlanta got to the postseason pretty quick, you wonder how long it will take.

The Padres seem miles and miles away from being equal to those teams, and I’m not talking geographical miles, but baseball talent miles.

Season over. Next year has got to be better.

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“Golf’s Biggest Story”

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Pick a word to describe what we have witnessed the last two months on the PGA Tour.

..Reinvention
..Resurrection
..Comeback

It all fits and it will be on view again today at Paris-de-National in France with the opening day of the Ryder Cup Golf Tourney.

That Tiger Woods is here might not be a surprise, considering his heritage globally.

The way that Tiger is playing is the surprise story of this golf season.

He tees off today in 4-Ball play coming off a win at the Players Championships at Eastlake-Atlanta.

His 80th win of his career, a remarkable accomplishment, considering the darkness he has been in the last five years.

The blackhole that was his personal life. The pot-bunker demise of his career because of four back surgeries in 19-months.

No one could have predicted this, himself included.

The stress on his back. The limitations he must now impose on himself in practice rounds. The changes to his once awesome power game. The battle to rediscover his putter.

An occasional hot round was replaced by a good couple of days. Then that was replaced by being in the hunt for much of the week. Then being in the lead a couple of times. Then the sparkling win on the Eastlake Course.

TV ratings are up when he is playing well. The loss of his credibility, sponsors, and fan following has been regained too.

We truly will likely never be able to forget his arrogance, the stain on his created reputation, the lies, the denials.

His biography includes so many things, the wins, the majors, the personality, the popularity, the dominance.

But is also includes adultery, a horrible divorce, his addiction to sex, painkillers, alcohol, the rehab center stays, the loss of all his sponsorships, and the disdain so many showed towards him after his years of lies.

So today becomes a possible high point in his comeback, granted not equal to the wins at the British Open or the Masters, but a tremendous accomplishment none-the-less.

After putting his life and then his career into the biggest pot bunker of all time, Woods is hitting out, making shots, getting competitive, winning, and hoping to finish up his career on a positive note.

Tiger Woods-forgiven for what he did, absolutely not. Forgotten-no never, not for those who remember his greatness. Fans favorite, definitely so,now that he is back on his game, personally-professionally.

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“Aztecs Basketball-Can It Continue to Be Good?”

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It’s a changing of the guard at San Diego State. A new season has begun with preseason workouts, and Coach Brian Dutcher faces a different set of challenges.

He has a young team, and maybe the youngest bench ever, as his team tries to find answers to questions.

He returns 1-big man, with NBA hopes, a couple of 3-point shooters, and a bench full of green freshman.

Comments from his camp press conference quotes..

Aztecs open practice with healthy team
42-workouts scheduled-all hands on deck

Biggest questions…how quickly the freshman come along
We 8-freshman or sophomores on roster…3 are experienced
We have 3-really tested veteran players

Freshman need to get experience and grow their IQs
Our freshman have to play in non conference games
We want to build our resume-but we want to win games

Need to teach young players how to play within our offense
We have to do a lot of teacihng
Defense for freshman is tough learning curve
Come to college-game is all physical-have to learn to do it-not play egg shells
Freshman excited to play against guys with same size.

Excited to have Jalen McDaniels back-he got noticed a lot last year
Want him to take more 3’s this year
Great went thru NBA draft workouts…knows what competition is like
He got a lot of nuggets from NBA coaches

He has to play within our system and his abilities
He has worked hard on his skill level…he plays with great energy-emotion
Will run more plays for him this year as a sophomore

Confidence with young players is huge-we teach that
Unfair to compare anyone to Kawhi Leonard-our guys watch him put work in

Matt Mitchell-good first year…need turnovers go down-assists up
Needs to play like Trey Kell-grow as a player

Hemsley-Watson could both be in starting lineup this year
We need good ball-handling guards on this team
Our ball skills with guards really strong.
We will spend a lot of team on our defense…defense travels all games
Expect Hemsley to have great senior season-started-off bench-knows game

Changes in coaching staff makes this a different team….need them to spread wings

I promised guys we’d play big games…ACC-Big 10-Big 12-
We get Duke-Xavier-get chance with Arizona-Gonzaga-in Maui Classic.

Philosophy of team of young players-share the ball-play the right way.

We have a lot of jumping jacks and athleticism-not worried about not having bulk in the big man department….we will be strong at defensive end.

Have not appointed a defensive coordinator yet-Rod Palmer handled that at Long Beach State.

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