HE SAID WHAT?
“Too much, too much. Every day it’s new news.” — German rider Markus Fothen after another Tour de France rider tested positive for testosterone and was carted off by police.
TODAY’S BEST ON TV
Check out dueling aces (Roy Halladay and Mark Buehrle) and the reception for Frank Thomas at U.S. Cellular Field. 7:05 p.m., WGN
TWT FIVE ” BEST SEPTEMBER COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES
1. Sept. 8, Miami at Oklahoma — New coach Randy Shannon can restore order at the U in first meeting since 1988 Orange Bowl.
2. Sept. 8, Virginia Tech at LSU — A national title knockout game will be overshadowed by recent tragedies at both schools.
3. Sept. 15, Southern Cal at Nebraska — The first test for the Men of Troy juggernaut could mark the Big Red’s return to national relevance.
4. Sept. 22, Penn State at Michigan — Nittany Lions are back in the Big House. Michigan needed a few extra seconds last time.
5. Sept. 29, Florida State vs. Alabama in Jacksonville, Fla. — Two storied programs, both trying to rekindle their glory, meet for the first time.
NFL ONLINE ” EXCERPT FROM REDSKINS 360, OUR WASHINGTON REDSKINS BLOG AT WASHINGTONTIMES.COM
The pro football bible has arrived. This week, I picked up one of the most valuable resources for a “stats guy” like myself: The 2007 Pro Football Prospectus, the brilliant statistical book spearheaded by Aaron Schatz and the folks at footballoutsiders.com.
I don’t use this book for fantasy football, but its data — the book is 515 pages this year — provides statistical evidence with which to prove theories and pursue story angles.
Each team is thoroughly dissected. Here are a few interesting Redskins-related nuggets about their 2006 train wreck:
• The Redskins defense was the seventh worst on third down since 1996. A complicated formula was used to back up the theory. But let’s face facts: The Redskins were wretched on third down last year.
• The offense led the league in first-half runs (53 percent) and were seventh overall in first-down runs (59 percent). It shoots down the theory among some inside and outside the organization that the Redskins didn’t play “Joe Gibbs Football.” They tried. But when a defense can’t stop anybody, Al Saunders has no choice but to try and pass more often.
• Showing how good the offensive line’s pass protection was, the Redskins used “max protection” (when the blockers outnumbered the rushers by at least two, such as seven blockers for five rushers) on only nine percent of the pass plays. And still the Redskins allowed only 19 sacks.
— Ryan O’Halloran
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