SportsNet - January 2013

The Cowboys are headed into the 2013 offseason with a lot to prove in the coming year. Though this is certainly nothing new for the entire franchise, times are getting tighter and the blame is becoming broader. Jason Garrett managed to avoid the axe after losing his second straight win-or-go-home season-ending game in a row. The blame was mostly shouldered by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who was fired almost immediately after the season ended.

Since then, owner/general manager Jerry Jones has revamped the coaching staff by bringing in Monte Kiffin, who was defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 12 years (winning Super Bowl XXXVII). In addition to that hire Jones has also brought in former Tampa Bay assistants Rod Marinelli and Rich Bisaccia for defensive line coach and special teams coordinator, respectively. Furthermore, the Kiffin hire means that the Cowboys will be switching to the 4-3 defense after having run a 3-4 since the Bill Parcells era.

Here are the 5 pressing needs for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason:

Reassign Play-Calling Duties

Despite grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and forcing 15 turnovers, Wichita State couldn’t shoot their way out of a paper bag on Tuesday night as Indiana State knocked off the 15th ranked Shockers on the road, 68-55.

Known for their stingy defense, Wichita St. had trouble containing the Sycamores offensive attack, which relied heavily on slow, methodical offense, waiting for the best scoring opportunity. Junior forward Manny Arop had a game-high 17 points on 7-11 shooting for the game, with the dagger being a breakaway slam off of a steal in the closing minute. 

As a team, the Sycamores shot 53 percent (24-45) compared to the Shockers 27 percent (16-59) from the field. Wichita State had problems figuring out a way to get Carl Hall, the team’s second leading scorer and primary post presence, the ball as Indiana State had backside help and double-teams ready for Hall at every turn. 

Because the Shockers couldn’t get the ball in the paint, they shot 28 three-point attempts, making nine of them. Cleanthony Early led the Shockers with 15 points on 3-10 shooting, two of which were early first half three pointers .

It’s been 20 Premier League starts for Robin van Persie since the Dutchman joined Manchester United during the summer transfer window.  The shock move caused some controversial opinions about the arrival of the former Arsenal player at Old Trafford, but all of them were set aside after the first few months of RvP playing for the red devils.

Van Persie’s adaptation to his new club was extremely fast. The partnership with Rooney, of course, is the big factor that makes Manchester United the team with the most goals scored in the Premier League. "We are both 9.5" said the Dutchman about him and Rooney sharing the role of creating and scoring most of United goals. But we all know what  van Persie is. A legitimate goalscorer, and everything else that comes from him is just an additional evidence of a classy top striker.

Even without a squad full of world-class players in every role, van Persie can still be considered the icing on Ferguson’s cake. He was the solution to the red devils problems since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo – a goal machine who can always be relied upon.

 

In what is already being referred to as the East Coast BALCO, the Miami New Times has published a bombshell of a report revealing that Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic not far from the University of Miami campus, has been supplying steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to athletes in numerous sports.  The list of athletes to have visited this clinic included several prominent baseball players, including future Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez and suspended stars Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon.

We're already at the Half-Way point of what is proving to be a fascinating NBA season. We've had some surprises, some devastating injuries and some outstanding Basketball. However, as we look at the race for the Most Valuable Player award we see some all-too familiar faces fighting it out for the most coveted individual prize in Basketball. 1. LeBron James (Miami Heat) 26.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 7.1 APG - I think we take LeBron James for granted at times. His exceptional all-round play has become expectant of the great man. His stats are off the charts this year, his assists and rebounding are up and his scoring remains in the top ten in the league. He is playing like a man with the weight of the world off his shoulders this year, having finally attained that elusive ring last season. His speed, power and ability to take over a game on any given night make him the front runner for another MVP title this season.