Surprise Season

The Cleveland Indians who surprised so many people with their extremely hot start have a chance to finish in second place in the AL Central Division when many people predicted them to finish last.  Nobody expected them to play well this year especially with a young roster.  Then after a 30-15 start people began to think playoffs but that quickly vanished after a few horrible months for the Tribe.  They began to battle with the Tigers for the division lead but that quickly vanished as the Tigers got hot for the last few months of the season.  The Indians still are battling through this season and although playoffs are out of the picture, they have a chance to finish second and also finish with a winning record.  A winning record for a team that was predicted to finish dead last with a bunch of young prospects.  I would say that the Indians were the most surprising team in baseball and should be a force to reckon with for the next few years.  Get ready Cleveland fans, the Indians should be in the playoffs very soon.

Top Pick Worthy?

After Cam Newton's bumpy road through college, was he worthy of being the top draft choice.  With scandal right at his doorstep, Cam Newton has seemed to put the past behind him and has surpassed all the expectations with flying colors in his first two games as a professional quarterback.  Cam Newton has thrown for 400+ yards in his first two games, most for any rookie quarterback in their first two games.  After his troubles at Florida, and his pay for play scandal at Auburn, he seems to be unfased as he continues to impress all the experts watching him.  If Cam Newton continues his incredible production this season, it would seem that the Carolina Panthers selected a winner with their top pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

The Worth of Peyton Manning

After Peyton Manning had surgery on his neck, him playing this season was in doubt.  In an act of panic the Colts quickly signed the retired Kerry Collins to run the complicated Colts offense.  Now it's two weeks into the season and the Colts have started 0-2 for the first time since Peyton Manning's rookie year (1998) where they finished 3-13.  Before Peyton Manning had neck surgery, the Colts were expected to compete for a division title.  So now the question is, how valuable is Peyton Manning?  Considering the Colts are off to their worst start in 13 years, Peyton Manning could be proven to be the most valuable player to his team.  This is only proving his worth to the Colts and how much they need him.  Without his presence they look like a team competing for the top pick in the NFL draft.  The Colts better hope for a speedy return otherwise their season could be in serious jeopardy. 

Chris Johnson Overpaid?

Chris Johnson may be one of the best running backs in the NFL but did he deserve to be the highest paid running back in the NFL?  After holding out the entire preseason the Tennessee Titans gave Chris Johnson a six year 56 million dollar contract with 30 million of it guaranteed.  Granted Chris Johnson is an electrifying player but does he deserve this huge contract?  I do not believe so because running backs in the NFL today are a dime a dozen.  Chris Johnson said that last year he'd rush for 2,500 yards.  After coming up about 1,500 yards short, why make him the highest paid running back?  Running backs in the NFL don't last very long and hit their prime very early in their careers.  Chris Johnson's first game after receiving this contract had 9 rushes for 24 yards (a disappointment to say the least).  Hopefully for the Titans sake, this isn't a sign of things to come otherwise they will be spending a lot of money on a very unproductive player. In my mind, this is a bad deal for Tennessee and should have used that money to fill up their roster with other talented players.

Introduction

My name is Nick Ebright and I am currently a sophomore at Slippery Rock University.  My dream always was to play professional baseball for the Cleveland Indians.  When I came to realize that I would never achieve this goal, I created a new goal and dream.  I now want to become the General Manager of the Cleveland Indians.  I like to think big and dream big.  I will push myself and hopefully achieve my life goal.