Some hidden storylines

I just wrote this article for BleacherReport.com about a few stories that are not really being covered by the media. Take a look: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/223113-baltimore-storylines-few-are-talking-about

Suggs Will Gain Even More Respect

All this crazy stuff going on in RavensLand the last week! I choose not to fully comment on Mason's retirement because it seems so bizarre. I don't have any idea his intentions (or lack thereof) for announcing it so quickly, but I obviously hope that he will change his mind. If he does, I am going to go on record as calling him Brett for the rest of the season. Mark my words!!!

But what I find interesting is Suggs new deal. It seemed obvious that the amount would be somewhere in the ballpark of where it eventually landed. Terrell was looking for Dwight Freeney money, and that's what he got. I was opposed to such a huge contract at first, but I have come to accept it for two reasons.

1. Suggs has been completely reliable for us. He has never missed a game in his career. His skills at outside linebacker are as wide and talented as there is in the league. Where I once wondered about his pass-rushing ability, I am now content that he is not a pure defensive end. His repertoire is extraordinary, and we are a perfect team to utilize it. Plus, his performance last year, even when clearly injured, was completely impressive. His play on the field warrants a large contract, and no longer can I deny that.

2. Suggs pretty much fits the mold for a Ravens defender. No matter what people say about our defense's success, it has always boiled down to the personnel. We continue to be a top defense because we have some of the best players. Coordinators come and go, players come and go, head coaches come and go. But whenever those things change, our players are still always top notch, hence the success. Well Suggs is another example of Baltimore continuing that tradition. The history of Ravens' first round picks has been clear. We keep the guys that are worth building a team around. We kept Ray, we kept Reed, we kept McAllister. All of those guys received huge deals after their rookie contracts and became the building blocks to great defenses. Look at the people we let go: Starks, Baxter, Sharper, Hartwell. All of those guys were great position players, but none of them were worth spending big money on. And we were proven right in that situation, with most of them receieving big money from other teams only to be considered flops. So what I am saying is that we give our great first-round picks big contracts and use them as the rocks of defense. With those guys in place, we find great position players who will do their role and be reliable. We are saying to Suggs that he will be one of the 3 most important players on our team for six years. That is something that I can certainly feel comfortable about because of Suggs' presence as well as our previous success in big contracts. Besides, big, long contracts always seem to look good 3 years down the road when 15 other contracts have already been signed that are longer and bigger than that.

Get ready to see Suggs on every List of Top Defenders in the League now, however. Though he is already known as a very good player, he was never listed as a top 15 or top 30 defender. The players that receive big contracts somehow always end up on these lists the year after. I don't know why that is exactly, but maybe it's just because of the attention that the player gets because of the big numbers. Either way, watch out for Suggs name everywhere this year, whether his lay warrants it or not.

One more note. This contract frees up a lot more cap room for the Ravens. Let's see them continue signing first rounders big money by laying a huge contract in front of Haloti Ngata's agent sometime this offseason. If you are talking building blocks of a defense, I don't know if there is a better candidate than the multi-talented beast known as Haloti.

Incredible Stuff

The last two Wimbledon finals have truly been classic matches. While both involved Roger Federer and both went 5 sets, they could not have been different. What made last year's final so great was its sheer emotion. The ups and downs of the match were overly-dramatic. A 2-set lead, giving away to a giant comeback, only to lead to another switch of momentum. It was a 5 set match that took the viewer through three signifcant changes, all while watching the two best players of a generation play their hearts out. It has been called the greatest match ever played, not just by me, but by columnists and writers as well. To think that their level of physical and mental stamina could be matched the following year would have been unthinkable.

Well not only was their stamina matched, it was exceeded. The 2008 final had major sways in momentum, displaying the sheer fight within the players. The 2009 final was simply an unrelenting slug-fest. The unflinching nature of today's match is something I have never witnessed in tennis. A total of 3 games were broken between the two players. So in a span of a 5-set, 77 game match, only twice until the end was the server not in control. It would have been boring tennis if it weren't for the sheer quality of the service games. Roddick was serving at 140+ mph with a 70% rate. Federer ended up with a staggering 50 aces. On top of those unbelieveable serving statistics, both of them averaged about a 1/2 an unforced error per game. Those stats alone prove that the level of tennis was something rarely seen. And that fifth set! 30 Games in the set alone?! That's an incredible display of stamina, something it had in common with the 2008 final.

But Federer came out on top, much like he has so many times in the past. His record 15 Majors is even more proof of his GOAT status. Even with that, the story of the day was the resurgence of Andy Roddick. Anyone watching the match would come to the conclusion that he outplayed the eventual champ. Like noted, his serve was historic. Along with that, his backhand was dominant and he made very few mistakes. His new style of play is the culmination of potential that Roddick has possessed for almost a decade now. His mental makeup seems to have made the final leap. He was calm, cool, collected, and clutch throughout the match. Whenever he needed a big point he seemingly willed himself to a monster serve or great volley. But Federer is as crafty of a player as there has ever been. Even with being outplayed, he won two tie-breaks and the final break chance of the match. His victory really doesn't take anything away from his opponent though.

Hopefully this Roddick 'breakthrough' is not an abberation. I would love to see a three-way battle for supremacy on the grass and hardcourts for a year or two. With the healthy return of Nadal, the US Open is poised to be the most compelling tournament in recent memory. Federer is certainly at the top of his game. Nadal is the rightful #1, with recent success against Federer on the hard court. And hopefully Andy Roddick will be there to disrupt the dominance of both of them. Here's to that thought.....