Face-off
Do you agree with the Patriots' punishment?
Daniel: If Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Patriot head coach Bill Belichik or forced New England to forfeit that game, he would have forever marked the history books with this event. The media would have continued to cover the "suspension" and the entire incident would have never died. By fining the team and coach, and taking a draft pick, the entire scandal easily fades into the background. Major League Baseball should take a lesson from Goodell because people will always find ways to cheat, but you can't let that place a black cloud over your sport.
Paul: Anyone who thinks that this kind of spying isn't normal in the NFL is na've. Teams will do anything to gain an advantage. This type of thing is done all the time, only the Patriots got caught. It is never okay to cheat and New England should have been punished for their actions, but I do think that Roger Goodell was a little harsh with his punishment. The $750,000 total fine to head coach Bill Belichick and the New England front office is appropriate, but draft picks too? Draft picks shape entire franchises and allow teams to build with fresh, new talent.
Did the Blazers make the wrong draft choice?
Daniel: Greg Oden's injury was a blessing in disguise for a Portland team that wasn't going to contend for a title this season anyway. The loss will increase the likelihood of a high draft pick again next season. Yes, Greg Oden could potentially be the Sam Bowie to Kevin Durant's Michael Jordan, but for every Bowie there is a Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, or David Robinson waiting to be drafted. Only a complete fool would turn down a chance to grab a dominant true center, which is a rarity in today's NBA.
Paul: I am not going to say that Greg Oden is going to be Sam Bowie because I do believe that Greg Oden is going to be a great NBA player, but I still believe that Portland should have chosen Kevin Durant in this summer's draft. Portland did not need a big man. They already had all-star center Jamaal Magloire and young forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Had Portland selected Kevin Durant, he would have stepped right in and started at small forward. That would have allowed Portland to move Brandon Roy to shooting guard instead of having him be an undersized forward.
I understand the rationale behind drafting Greg Oden, but I would not have made the same choice considering the team's weaknesses.
Should Charlie
Weis be fired?
Daniel: I'm completely biased here because I was heated when Notre Dame fired former head coach Ty Willingham for going 6-5 back in 2004. I'll bet a record above .500 is looking better to the "Flailing Irish" than an open parking space to a Towson commuter. Weis proved he could win with Willingham's players, but now that they've all graduated, his recruits have earned themselves the second 0-3 start in school history. If there's one thing that Norte Dame will not stand for, it's losing, and no amount of money will be spared in fixing the problem. Those folks would fire their own mothers if it meant winning a national title.
Paul: Before officials up in South Bend do anything too hasty, they must first consider what Charlie Weis has little to work with. When Weis first arrived at Notre Dame, he inherited great offensive talent. Quarterback Brady Quinn flourished in Weis' offensive system and was able to put up big offensive numbers before graduating last spring. Notre Dame also lost Brady Quinn's go-to receivers Jeff Samardzija and Rheema McKnight. Now Weis' offense is full of talented players with absolutely no experience. Yes, Weis' reputation is taking a big hit and he is on thin ice, but Notre Dame has to be patient and have faith that he'll turn things around.
What must football fix before UD next week?
Daniel: The Tigers simply cannot continue to turn the ball over off of interceptions and botched snaps if they want to make a playoff run this season. Mental errors cost the team a potential upset of No. 3 UMass Saturday and it allowed both Morgan State and Central Connecticut State to nearly knock-off the Tigers in the first two weeks of the season. No one plays perfect games and I have no doubt in my mind that Towson is one of the best teams in the CAA this year, but if they don't clean it up soon, none of that will matter.
Paul: Towson's offense sometimes resembles Steve Spurrier's old fun 'n' gun style by spreading out the defense with three, four, or five receivers out on the field. For the Tigers to have more success, they need to develop more of a rushing attack. Against Morgan State last week, Towson rushed for 101 yards, but on 40 carries. Against Massachusetts this Saturday, the Tigers ran the ball 33 times for only 22 yards. When a team cannot run the ball, opponents can put an extra defensive back in on each play to defend against the pass. If Towson can't establish a better running game, then expect to see more games like the UMass loss.
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