Micro Takes

There is a lot going on in the world of sports. The dozen of you who have read the Hat Trick before know that I have no problem discussing a sports topic at length. Today, however, The Daily Hat Trick is going to experiment with a new angle. I only have a few words to say about the following, among the laundry list of hot sports topics.


The involvement of LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, among others, in a bar fight that led to the arrest of Jefferson and another LSU football player –

Kids, don’t fight. Fighting is bad, m’kay? And if you fight, you could go to jail. Jail is bad, m’kay?

Fighting is BAD! M'kay? 1

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, whose petition to legally change his name to “Metta World Peace” was delayed because of Artest’s failure to pay outstanding traffic tickets –

No justice, no “Peace”

The Clerk of Court to Ron-Ron: "Peace!" 2

The three grand slam performance of the New York Yankees, yesterday, the first ever in the 142 year history of Major League Baseball, in a comeback from a 7-1 deficit against the Oakland Athletics –

My message to any of the fans who left early, either because of the 7-1 score or the 89 minute rain delay following the third inning: “You know you done f____d up, right?”

"Now, you see there? You know your done f____d up, right?" 3

The Texas A&M athletic program seeking greener pastures than the Big XII conference –

1) Shouldn’t the conference have swapped names with the Big 10 after the it lost two members and the Big 10 gained its 12th member in former Big XII school, Nebraska?

2) If A&M leaves, would the remaining schools be “seventy five percenters”?

3) Perhaps the Big XII should become the “Dear John Conference”, with its rash of breakups with long time member universities.



Jim Thome accepting a trade from the Minnesota Twins back to the Cleveland Indians –

I am assuming Thome’s goal is to get into the playoffs. The way the Indians are playing, and the way the White Sox have juuuust missed turning the corner, several times this year, I think he is returning to the wrong former American League Central team.


Criticism of team captain Fred Couples adding Tiger Woods to the President’s Cup team –

If any of you have ever bought a lottery ticket, you have no room to criticize. The odds of Tiger catching lightning in a bottle and catapulting the team is far greater than anyone winning a lottery prize. He did just finish fourth in this year’s Masters.


Ohio State University quarterback Terrelle Pryor, embattled in a scandal that resulted in Head Coach Jim Tressel’s resignation and pressure on Pryor to leave school and enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, selected by the Oakland Raiders –

Can anyone think of another franchise that could better embrace Pryor, given his situation?


Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Tandon Ross, who broke up a fight on Thursday afternoon in which a restaurant manager was attacked by two other men at a restaurant, one of which produced a knife and cut the manager –

Ross caught two balls later that evening in a game against the Washington Redskins. Two balls…coincidence? I think not!


Danica Patrick joining NASCAR full time –

I’m looking forward to the champagne baths when she wins.

Get your minds out of the gutter, fellas! 4

Don’t forget to vote in the fan polls!


To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrrick.info.

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1) Image from jimsfear.blogspot.com
2) Image from vlsportssexycoll.com
3) Image from xbox360gamersforlife.blogspot.com
4) Image from indystar.com

Putting the “Fight” in Fighting Tigers

Every now and then, at the Hat Trick, I have to get my homer on. All three of you that read The Daily Hat Trick regularly know that I live in Louisiana and went to LSU. Typically, when a story involving a Louisiana team gains national interest or is of unusually heightened local interest, I may throw in my two cents on the subject. The recent brew ha ha at a Tigerland bar, Shady’s, last week involving several members of the LSU football team, including starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson, fit both criteria.


BEATING A DEAD HORSE?
Even so, I was hesitant to comment on this topic. I thought, “How much is there to really say? A bunch of jocks got into a fight and people were hurt. Facts will come out and the appropriate steps will be taken.” It happens all the time in every major college football town in America, sooner or later.

Here we go, again. Last time it was Ryan Perrilloux. Now this. 1

Instead, I would like to discuss the attention and speculation that this story and others like it receive. A fight is a fight is a fight. Almost every man, at some point in his life, as been in one and most of us have been on the receiving end of an ass whipping at some point, myself included. What makes this interesting is that it involves the rock stars of our “little town” of Baton Rouge, LA (metro population of 800,000) and the “lead singer” of the band, the starting quarterback, senior Jordan Jefferson.

Having lived in Baton Rouge for more than half of my adult life, this situation is not new. At the same time, it seems just as sensational and interesting as the legend of the first time I heard about a football team flap that went around town. I also could not tell you what that first flap was. This, too, shall pass, but I digress.



Ground zero of the latest scandal. You won't find me there on a Thursday! 2 


JUST THE FACTS...NOT!

Since this story broke last Friday, the public has been given very few facts, but has been exposed to rampant speculation. I have heard every rumor from Jordan Jefferson kicking a guy while he is on the ground to Jefferson’s father saying that his son told him he left before the trouble started, to a variety of eyewitness accounts and everything in between.

Four players involved in the incident, Jefferson, wide receiver Jarvis Landry, offensive tackle Chris Davenport and linebacker Josh Johns, were interviewed by the Baton Rouge Police Department earlier today with their attorney, Nathan Fisher, present. I am confident that more facts will be made available to the public soon, once the players have given their side of the story. Until then, LSU football fans will get to go through the experience of the rumor, speculation, and “what if” games.

This story is interesting because of the individuals involved, though the extent of the involvement is unknown. It is interesting because there was a fight. And it is sensational because of the number of people involved and the amount of information that is unknown. I have no problem with sports fans having fun and playing the speculation game. It is a seedy element, but nonetheless an element that makes following sports fun. I do caution against rushing to judgment without any facts. I also urge fans to keep in mind that there are human beings and very young men, not supermen, and robots, and not saints. Last, I urge LSU fans to throw their support behind the team, regardless of the outcome.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Let's hope this is the sight we see on September 3 in Dallas. 3

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from uncyclopedia.wikia.com
2) Image from theadvocate.com
3) Image from al.com

LSU Does NOT Have a Quarterback Controversy

The Fighting Tigers of LSU are off to a 2-0 start and are ranked in the top 20, with one win in conference play. On paper, this sounds fantastic. But in a town that has been treated to two BCS National Championships in the past 7 seasons, expectations are high and simply having the higher final score is not good enough. It isn't just winning, but how the LSU Tigers win.

Only is a football town like Baton Rouge, Louisiana could a head football coach like Les Miles, who has won nearly 80% of his games and is now in his sixth year as head football coach, be on the hot seat. Tiger fans expect the team to contend for a National Championship very year, can accept an SEC Championship as a consolation prize, and some fans might put the tar-and-feathers, intended for the head coach, away until next season if the team can land in a BCS bowl game or finish in the top 10.

LSU has two quarterbacks on its roster that are serviceable, at any level: the starter, junior Jordan Jefferson, and redshirt junior Jarrett Lee. Jordan Jefferson struggled badly in the first half of the Tigers' game at Vanderbilt this past Saturday, finishing with an unimpressive 8 for 20 performance. And, in Tiger Country, any time the starting QB lays an egg, it's a rotten one. Many fans on message boards and talk radio shows have called for Coach Miles to make a change at the QB position, which Miles is, correctly (I believe), refusing to do on Saturday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Tigers' home opener.

First and foremost, you do not play musical chairs with your starting quarterback and expect to have a consistent offense. One bad half of football, which is all any rational person using facts can come down on Jefferson for (especially in light of an efficient year last season - just look at the numbers), is not justification to shake up your entire offense and risk shaking the confidence of your starter. Lee trashed the entire 2008 season and when he was allowed behind the wheel last year, he looked exactly the same. Why would Les Miles want Lee doing anything not involving a mop (for mop up duty) unless Jefferson in injured?

A common evaluation that I hear about the LSU quarterback personnel is that Jordan Jefferson is a better athlete, but Jarrett Lee is a more effective leader. I completely disagree with the athlete/leader labels. Lee is the better athlete; look at him - big guy...cannon for an arm. But Lee is no leader on the field; he never has been. That is why he is not playing. LSU won the Vanderbilt game and was comfortably ahead when Lee entered the game. I cannot put any stock into the one meaningless attempt and completion that Lee had, except to say I am glad it wasn't to the other team. The rest of the 2010 season has had Jefferson at the controls.

LSU defeated a team ranked higher than they were in North Carolina. Suspensions or not, LSU could not have expected UNC to be a pushover. LSU blew a 20 point lead and did not secure the victory until the final play of the game. There was PLENTY of blame for the blown lead to go around in that game - especially coaching and playcalling, but not a QB who completed over 70% of his passes, 2 TDs and a meaningless INT on 3rd down at the end of the first half that functioned as a punt. What was the problem with the QB in that game? There was not any.

Then LSU blew away Vanderbilt in their own house. THAT is the goal in any SEC game. Much like in the NFL, an SEC win is a win is a win. Southeastern Conference football is not a video game. If the coach jerks the starter without a good reason (and I do not believe one ineffective half on the road is a good reason) more harm than good will happen to the team. Lee should get as many mop up reps as as the coaching staff can get him, just in case there is an injury to the starter, but Lee, to this point, has earned no more playing time than that.

Many fans have suggested that Lee may give LSU a better chance to win in spite of the (glaring) statistical differences. Supposedly, Jordan Jefferson has played "poorly" in both of his starts as he played "poor;y" last season. ‎Not looking up stats is another way of intentionally blinding one's self to facts to promote one's (likely weaker) position. If someone can make a case for a QB completing more than 70% of his passes with 2 touchdowns and an efficiency rating over 150 (which is what happened in the North Carolina game), I'd love to hear it.

Tiger fans and their perception of Jefferson (and QBs in general) have been skewed, for years, by the overall performance of the team. In the mid-2000s, too many Tiger fans, in my opinion threw former first-overall NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell under the bus while he was at LSU. Yet he broke nearly every single season and many career LSU passing records (and a couple of SEC records). To some, Russell was good enough to be picked #1 overall in the NFL but not good enough for Tiger Town. Makes no sense.... It is not rational.

There are very few that would attempt to argue that Jefferson's performances have been much better than "average", on the whole, since he has been the LSU starter. Some have argued that Matt Stafford (also a top pick in the 2009 NFL draft) has a touchdown to interception ratio of nearly 1 to 2 in his freshman season at the University of Georgia. If Stafford recouped to become a great SEC quarterback, maybe Lee could too. But Matt Stafford's freshman numbers are still golden compared to those of Lee over Lee's entire collegiate career, especially considering the TDs Lee threw to his opponents (interceptions returned for touchdowns). Stafford's story after his freshman year was "success, success, success". Lee got a break and earned substantial playing time against the University of Alabama and started at home against Louisiana Tech in 2009. It looked like he hadn't learned anything since his freshman year. It was the same old story. I thought it was Groundhog Day!!!

If Jordan Jefferson hasn't done enough, based on his record since last year (6-3 in the SEC, 60%+ completions and a 19-9 TD-INT ratio, over a 130 efficiency rating) and in the first game...WHAT IN THE WORLD has Jarrett Lee done to not warrant yanking his scholarship? I understand why people who want to see Les Miles get fired want Jarrett Lee to play. That makes sense. Playing Lee might, no...will get him fired sooner.

That's RIGHT! Jarrett Lee is THE MAN!!!

I have seen absolutely nothing from Lee to instill me with any confidence...NONE...that he can LSU win any non-rent-a-win games, ever. Jefferson has lost four SEC games as a starter. How many has Lee WON? The answer is three - Auburn, MSU, and South Carolina  during the 2008 season- that's it. Not only did LSU lose every other time this black omen set foot on the field, but the Tigers were blasted by 14 or more points in three of those games.

Even in 2009, when Lee came on in relief against Bama...remember that LSU was up by four points at the half and was WINNING by five points when the 4th quarter started. Enter Jarrett Lee...exit LSU. Fortunately, Lee made up for the loss the following week in Tiger Stadium in that thrilling second half comeback by nipping 3-7 WAC juggernaut Louisiana Tech with that clutch 7 for 22 performance, overcoming the halftime deficit. Tongue planted firmly in cheek....

I have heard a lot of "what" from many Tiger fans, which is, "Bench Jefferson." I have heard very little "Why." Statistics are not everything in football and the QB is not solely responsible for wins and losses. But Jefferson's stats are far superior, his winning percentage is far superior. Jefferson's losses are nowhere near as embarrassing as those suffered by LSU when Jarrett Lee was the starting quarterback. Jefferson's worst game as a starter, Saturday, ended in a 24 point drubbing on an in conference opponent in their own house in which he regrouped and completed 63% of his 2nd half passes. After 18 starts, everyone deserves a clunker.

So...WHY would Les Miles be motivated to bench the superior producer and superior result-achiever (winning) for one who, just two years ago, had fans saying, "Hmm... a $19 million buyout? Well it's only money!" and, last year (along with the replay officials), contributed to costing us a shot at a BCS game by blowing a second half lead against Alabama. Why would Miles risk his future and reputation on the same young man that put the excitement back into home games against in-state rivals like Louisiana Tech?
 
Thanks for your interest in regaining the starting job, Mr. Lee, but, "Have a nice day!"

All LSU player photos from the media gallery of lsusports.net. Georgia photo from onlineathens.com.