Goodell Says NFL May Consider Ending PAT's

In a recent report by ESPN.com, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the NFL Network that the league’s competition committee could consider abolishing the PAT.

On NFL Network’s “Total Access,” Goodell told host Rich Eisen that “one of the issues that has happened is that the extra point is almost automatic.” Goodell is obviously right. In the 2013-2014 regular season, the NFL saw only five missed extra points in 1,267 tries - the misses coming from Cincinnati, Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit and Jacksonville.

But if the committee actually did do away with the extra point, the question becomes what would happen after a touchdown?

One proposal that Goodell mentioned would involve a touchdown being worth an automatic seven points instead of six, and the potential for another play from scrimmage that could result in an eighth point. However, “if you fail, you’d go back to six,” Goodell explained.

This is certainly a very interesting idea that could affect the way coaches prepare and approach certain game situations. Goodell, however, did mention that there are still various roadblocks to any such change.

With the commissioner stating that “you want to add excitement to every play,” it wouldn’t surprise me if something that has become nearly automatic and flat out boring becomes obsolete in the near future. 

Philadelphia 76ers' Shooting Woes Continue

Back-to-back games, back-to-back blowout losses for the Sixers against two tough Eastern conference teams in Miami and Chicago. What's lacking you ask? It's not Philly's defense, that's for sure.

Unfortunately, the Sixers cant seem to hit a shot from anywhere on the court.

Playing the Heat who were looking for redemption after being shocked by this young Philly squad on opening night, the Sixers just couldn't seem to get anything to go. The Sixers shot just 36.9 percent (31-84) from the field, and a pathetic 10 percent (2-20) from three point range. Yes folks, 10 percent, with the two three's being made by bench players.

The Sixers starters were 0-10 from three point range, leading me to believe that the issue here is simply too much outside shooting.

In Saturday night's 25 point blow-out loss against Chicago, the Sixers offense yet again couldn't hit from anywhere. Philadelphia shot 35.1 percent (34-97) from the field and only 10.5 percent (2-19) from three point range.

Point guard Michael Carter-Williams was 5-22 from the field with 10 points and 5 assists, while Thaddeus Young was 6-17 shooting with 12 points, going 0-5 from three point range.

The Sixers' inability to shoot the three is one of their main issues. Philadelphia's leading three point shooter is Spencer Hawes, a CENTER! While it's awesome that a center can shoot the three, it proves that this team is in desperate need of an outside shooter when their best shooter is the man that should be doing most of his work in the post.

Its unfortunate that Philly's big men, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes, have to settle for jumpers rather than using their size to their advantage. Until the Sixers can find a way to get Hawes and Young the ball down low and limit their outside shooting, their losses will continue to pile up, and their shooting percentages will continue to plummet.

"Best" & "Worst" awards: Sixers vs. Bobcats

This is my take on some of the best and worst performances from the Philadelphia 76ers' 95-92 win over the visiting Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. 

Best Performance: This is a tough award to give out, considering how well the Sixers starters played. After weighing all of the options, i'd have to give this award out to Spencer Hawes for his monster game. Hawes was on triple-double watch all night. Although he never quite got there, Hawes still managed a double-double, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. The big fella also shot 50 percent from three point range, going 3 for 6 from downtown.

Worst Performance: This goes to the Charlotte Bobcats' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Gerald Henderson. Kidd-Gilchrist was returning from an injury so ill be nice and cut him some slack, but he still had a miserable game. He played on 17 minutes going 0-2 from the field scoring a mere 1 point. Henderson's performance was even worse. Henderson couldn't find his touch all game, going 2 for 14 from the field scoring only eight points. Both played very poorly for starters in this game.

Best Statistic: This one goes to the Sixers rebounding efforts in the game. The Sixers out-rebounded the Bobcats 50-42 in the game, largely in part to newly signed Dewayne Dedmon.

Worst Statistic: There's no way around it, this award certainly goes to the Sixers and their turnover issues. The Sixers turned the ball over a whopping 24 times - that's just unheard of. Somehow they managed to come out of this one victorious.

Best Surprise: The best surprise in this game was the performance of newly signed 7-footer Dewayne Dedmon. In only 14 minutes off the bench, Dedmon came in and gobbled up 7 rebounds, chipping in 2 blocks. Dedmon was very active on defense, doing a great job staying with Al Jefferson, and even ran the court well during the fast break. If Dedmon continues to provide the interior help that the Sixers need, look to see his 10-day contract be extended.

Towson Football: A year of firsts

Everyone expected Towson football to be good this year. From the coaches to the players to the students, each and every tiger expected great things from this football team. But very few believed that they could get as far as the FCS National Championship game in Frisco, TX.

Starting off the season against an FBS school is always a challenge. It is a chance for an FCS school to get some much needed money for its program, and isn't always looked at as an opportunity to claim an opening win. When Towson traveled to Connecticut to take on the UConn Huskies in their season opener, it wasn't a game they were going to take lightly. Sure, they were mainly there for the $275,000 that they were getting from the game, but they were also there to prove a point. Towson wanted to be known as an FCS dynasty - the next big thing.

Towson not only defeated UConn, but they embarrassed the Huskies on their own turf. Not only did Towson receive a large sum of money from the game, but they also had a HUGE win against an FBS team to start of the season.

This win capped off week 1, a week in which seven FCS schools defeated FBS schools, the most wins over FBS schools in a week since 2000. But the tigers weren't done there. Towson won its next 5 games, getting out to an amazing 6-0 start on the year before losing to Villanova at home. Still, the tigers kept fighting, hoping to reach the postseason.

In the regular season finale against their rivals James Madison, Towson relied heavily on the man who has carried this team ever since he stepped onto the field, Terrance West. West rushed for 100 yards and 3 scores on 22 carries, propelling this Towson team to a spectacular 10 win season, the 7 seed in the FCS playoffs, and a first round bye.

In the second round, Towson faced a Fordham squad who had only 1 loss on the season. However, behind the tiger faithful, Towson finished the game with a 20 point blowout, winning easily 48-28. Next up, Towson faced a tough Eastern Illinois team, led by Walter Payton award winner Jimmy Garoppolo.

Battling through snowy conditions, Terrance West proved why he is the best running back not only in the FCS, but in all of the NCAA. West truly put the team on his back and when he needed it most, had the best game of his star studded career. West carried the ball 39 times for an outstanding 354 yards and 5 scores. Along the way, West set a new FCS record for rushing yards, something he had no idea he'd done until he was asked about it after the game. West's understudy, Freshman Darius Victor, also had a nice game, finishing with 80 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, leading the tigers to a spot in the football subdivision semifinals against the No. 2 seed Eastern Washington.

Traveling to Cheney, Washington was nothing new for the tigers, seeing as they had been traveling for all of the playoffs. But facing off against Walter Payton award finalist Vernon Adams wasn't going to be easy. With a 21-7 lead at halftime, Towson looked to be in control. All until quarterback Peter Athens went down with a right shoulder injury and would not return, meaning backup quarterback Connor Frazier would have to take over. Although Towson scored the first 21 points of the game, they then gave up 31 straight. With 1:35 left in the game, Towson took over on its own 29 yard line. The tigers moved the ball down to the 1 yard line with 25 seconds left before West was stopped on a run. Then, Frazier scored on a quarterback run with 17 seconds left, securing the win and the upset for Towson, sending them to their first ever FCS National Championship.

North Dakota State, the tigers knew, would be their most challenging game yet. Traveling to Frisco would be no walk in the park for this Towson squad. Facing off against the two-time defending champion Bison would take all that they had. Towson students traveled in packs to the Texas to support their tigers, but the stadium seemed like it only held Bison fans.

The first quarter ended with Towson and NDSU tied 7-7, the tigers still seemingly in this one. However, things went from bad to worse for the tigers as they just couldn't slow down this Bison offense, eventually losing the game 35-7. Still, it was a major step that Towson even made it to the National Championship game. Heck, we were playing against the two time defending champions, what did ya expect?

Towson (13-3), the first school to play in championship games at the FCS and NCAA division III levels, was 1-10 only three years ago in Ambrose's second season. This tiger squad finished with its best record ever under Ambrose and just proves that maybe, just maybe, Towson is the next up and coming dynasty at the FCS level.
Terrance West finished the season with 2509 yards - the most ever by an FCS player. Just days after the game, West declared that he would forgo his senior season and enter his name into the NFL draft. West is a projected third to fifth round pick. He could become the highest drafted player out of Towson since Jermon Bushrod was drafted in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2007.

Following the game, Coach Rob Ambrose said that his team was on its way to being a national power but "they're not there yet." The University wants Ambrose to stick around to see that happen, so much that they offered him a 7-year contract extension, keeping Ambrose in the black and gold through 2020.

As a student, fan, and fellow tiger, I look forward to the things this team can do. Victor is a tremendous back who can do great things after learning from West. I truly believe Towson is here to stay, and that soon enough the tigers will be back in Frisco, hopefully writing a different ending to their season the next time around.

Benimon, Damas erupt in a win over Drexel

Although the rain may have stopped just prior to game time in Philadelphia, seniors Jerrelle Benimon and Marcus Damas made sure it kept pouring in the John A Daskalakis Center against Drexel on Tuesday night.

Benimon exploded for his eighth straight double-double (11th on the year) with 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Damas tied his career-high with 26 points to lead the Tigers (11-6, 2-0 CAA) past the Drexel Dragons. This win caps a pair of  back to back victories for Towson, both coming against conference opponents.

Sharp shooting was certainly a major key to Towson's success on Tuesday, as the Tigers shot 55.3 percent from the floor with Benimon going 10-14 and Damas 8 for 10. The Tigers also shot 50 percent from 3 point range, with Damas hitting four three-pointers while Benimon added two.

Drexel (9-7, 1-2 CAA) could never find their shot, going 23-72 (31.9 percent) from the field. Drexel Guard Chris Fouch had 28 points on 8-27 shooting. Guard Frantz Massenat had 21 on 8-19 shooting. The rest of the team failed to get involved, with no other player scoring more than 6 points, and the bench only scoring 4 points.

Towson will look to stay undefeated in conference play when they travel south to take on the College of Charleston on January 19th, before returning home on January 22nd to face Northeastern.

Sunday's tip-off  is scheduled for 3:30 pm at TD arena.

Sixers to sign Dewayne Dedmon to 10-day contract

Help is on the way!

The Sixers, in need of some interior help, plan to sign center Dewayne Dedmon to a 10-day contract on Tuesday, a league source has confirmed. 

The 7-foot, 239 pound center out of USC was averaging 15.2 points and 13.5 rebounds with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Developmental League. 

After going undrafted, Dedmon, 24, had a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors before being sent down to the Santa Cruz Warriors. Dedmon was in Philadelphia on Monday (1/13/14) working out with the Sixers. 

A roster spot became available for Dedmon after the recent release of reserve center Daniel Orton.

Sluggish Sixers lose in Cleveland

Sub-zero temperatures swept through Cleveland on Tuesday night, but didn't seem to affect C.J. Miles at all. Miles hit a Cavaliers team record 10 3-pointers and scored a season high 34 points while leading the Cavaliers to a 111-93 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

The Cavaliers went into the half with a 25 point lead, their highest of the season, with C.J. Miles leading the team with 8 first half 3's. The Sixers sluggish defense continued to let Miles shoot 3 after 3, refusing to defend the perimeter even after he had proven himself shot after shot.

The Sixers crushing defeat came largely in part due to Thaddeus Young's worst performance of the season, going 0-7 from the field and not scoring a single point in 21 minutes. Evan Turner, the Sixers second leading scorer, wasn't much help either, scoring only four points on 2-13 shooting. Hidden by the blowout was rookie Michael Carter-Williams' tremendous night. MCW scored a season-high 33 points and added 6 rebounds and 5 assists, but couldn't stop Miles' hot shooting.

Miles didn't necessarily have to work very hard to get open. By the time was swung in his direction, a defender would attempt to put a hand up, but it was too late- his shot was already on its way into the basket. Leaving Miles unguarded was one of the key factors contributing to this loss.

The Sixers simply couldn't find a rhythm in this match up, shooting a poor 39% from the floor, and only 21% from 3-pt range to the Cavaliers 49% from the floor and an astonishing 46% from 3-pt range. The Sixers allowed Miles to finish the night going 10-14 from 3-pt range, setting a team record for three's. He finished the night with 34 points.

The Cav's also welcomed back NBA all-star Kyrie Irving, who had missed the previous three games with a left knee bruise. Irving contributed 16 points and 8 assists.

The Sixers look to rebound on their poor performance Firday at home against the Detroit Pistons.

Chip Kelly: Offensive Mastermind

When looking at the Philadelphia Eagles, it is hard to look past the tremendous success that first year coach Chip Kelly has had in one short year with the team. After an embarrassing 4-12 last place finish in 2012, the Eagles fired longtime coach Andy Reid and hired Chip Kelly, the offensive mastermind out of Oregon.

Chip Kelly not only transformed the Eagles, but he also became the first ever rookie head coach to win a division title (10-6, NFC East Champs). The success that the Eagles had was in large part due to the breakout performance of second year quarterback Nick Foles.

After Michael Vick went down with a Hamstring injury, Nick Foles became the starter and simply put on a show, ending the year with 29 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions. He also tied Peyton Manning's single game record of 7 touchdown passes in a game (vs. Oakland 11/3/13). Foles threw for 2,891 yards with a passer rating of 119.2.

The Eagles' offense was also led by all-pro running back LeSean McCoy, who had his best season since 2011. Under Kelly's new up-tempo offense, McCoy ran for 1,607 yards with 9 touchdowns, capturing his first rushing title. McCoy had 314 rushing attempts, 41 more than his previous high of 273 in 2011.

Foles also had two very talented wide receivers to throw to, being sixth year pro DeSean Jackson and second year pro Riley Cooper. Cooper became a breakout star in this offense, largely because of an injury to star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in training camp. Cooper hauled in 47 receptions for 853 yards and 8 touchdowns, making him the Eagles second leading receiver. Jackson, like Cooper, had the best season of his career, ending with 82 receptions for 1,332 yards and 9 touchdowns. He had 20 more receptions than his previous high of 62 in 2008 and 2009.

Jackson has made recent headlines with a request for a raise in his salary after his tremendous performance this season. If you want my opinion, I say he is being a selfish player. He had a breakout year due to the up-tempo offense that Kelly brought to the table. He is set to make $50 million in the next 4 years, and should want his team to use the extra money to go out during free agency and help out the defense.

Chip Kelly is largely responsible for giving this Eagles team new life and making them one of the most exciting teams to watch in football. I am excited for what is to come in the next few years under coach Kelly. Look for the Eagles to be at the top of the NFC East each year.

DeSean Jackson wants a raise

Even after signing a five-year deal worth almost $50 million dollars in 2012, including a $10 million signing bonus,  Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson says he feels he deserves a raise.

Jackson is set to make $10.5 million, including a workout bonus, in 2014, and made $7 million this season, per ESPN.com.

Jackson was the Eagles leading receiver in a re-vamped offense led by first year coach Chip Kelly,  hauling in 82 receptions for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. The Eagles offense also featured breakout wide receiver Riley Cooper who saw action as the Eagles number 2 wide out due to the absence of Jeremy Maclin who suffered a season ending ACL injury in training camp. The Eagles also had the NFL's leading rusher in LeSean McCoy.

The real question for the Eagles this off-season: Is Jackson's performance worthy of a raise, or was his performance simply the product of Chip's new high-powered offensive system?

Florida State wins national title on last second td

Trailing in a game was not something Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles were used to. And trailing by four with just over a minute to play was simply unheard of.

On the brink of a crushing defeat, Jameis Winston did what any other Heisman Trophy winning quarterback would have done in that situation- he put the team on his back and put together a game winning drive, capping it off with a 2-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.

Winston struggled much of the game, going 20/35 with 237 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. However, he was near perfect when they needed him most, going 6 of 7 with 77 yards on the game winning touchdown drive.  Winston capped off his Heisman Trophy season with an MVP award and a National Championship win.

Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason did all he could for his Auburn Tigers, rushing for 195 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries- but it wasn't enough to overcome Winston and the Noles.
"It would be a lot better if I was holding up that crystal ball," said Mason, after breaking Bo Jackson's school record of 1,786 rushing yards.

Mason finished with 1,816 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, and the Tigers finished the season as the first SEC team to lead the nation in rushing.

Florida State, however, was voted a unanimous No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25. Auburn finished second.

"Only thing is we're victorious and glad to say Florida State is the national champion again, and I guarantee you we're bringing that swag back," Winston said. "You'd better believe it"