The Night Before the Super Bowl.... A Frank Hoaglin Original.

T'was the night before the Super Bowl
Silent in the Hoaglin household, it's like the anti-rock and roll.
Everyone was asleep, but one
The Seahawks-crazed writer, with a story to be told.


It's like Christmas, he thought, sacrilegiousness aside
What a football season it's been, quite a wild ride
One game left, excitement cannot be described, cannot be spoken
More giddy than a child whose currently watching Frozen.


I, in my beanie, my eyes full of hurt.
I sit here warm in my old school sweatshirt
Can't sleep! I'll sleep when I'm dead!
With visions of pigskin dancing in my head.


When a familiar sounds appeared on the television.
The volume went up, it was not a decision!
It's Marshawn! Doing an interview with such precision.
Haha, it's like the media thinks his quotes need revision!


The dude's a beast, truth be told
This "schtick" as they call it will never, ever get old!
As a running back, he truly breaks the mold!
People just hate him for the journalists he's trolled.


When what to my tired eyes do appear?
More garbage about deflate-gate, nothing to fear!
Pats can deflate all they want, Pete and the boys will make this quick.
Another Seahawks championship; Pete Carroll the new Belichick.


Now Michael! Now Clifford! Now Russell and Kameron!
On Richard! On Kenneth! On Douglas and Marshawn!
Touchdown Seahawks! Over and over all game long!
One more win, Seattle's partying like Cheech and Chong!


Is it un-patriotic to hate the Patriots, he thought in his head.
Oh well, don't care, they're more weak than French Bread.
Go Seahawks, he thought, as he finally fell asleep.
Head hits the pillow and I'm out, no need to count sheep.

Three keys to the Seahawks game tonight

Three keys tonight for the Seahawks

 A common misconception going into this game would be that the fate of the Packers passing game lies in the hands of the Seahawks secondary. Not the case in the slightest this evening, as the Seattle defensive line will ultimately need to set the tone up front and early. Green Bay is playing without their starting center (his replacement is a rookie who is making his NFL debut tonight) and Seattle could easily overmatch tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga via their pass rush. Watch for Michael Bennett and KJ Wright to have big games.

Speaking of offensive line, rookie tackle Justin Britt will have his hands full in his first start in the NFL. He will likely line up across from Julius Peppers and/or Clay Matthews at any point in the game, which will be a huge test for the youngster. Having a solid game would be a big boost for Britt, who offensive line coach Tom Cable has talked highly of all offseason.

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  Tonight’s matchup against the Packers will mark the first game at punt returner for safety Earl Thomas. Speed and athleticism are the names of the all pro’s game, both of which will play a big factor into the field positioning game. If Thomas can remain uninjured in the punt return game this season, count this as another coup for the Carroll regime.

Beavers defense answers the call in the second half.

It was truly a tale of two halves yesterday as far as the Beavers defensive unit is concerned, and in post-game press conference senior defensive lineman Dylan Wynn had a perfect take on their performance.

“On the first half there were some obvious struggles and things that we need to work on as a unit. I like to think of it as a little bit of the first game jitters going on. The defense started to get where we should be when it comes to how we want to execute stuff.”

After giving up 223 total yards, including 102 yards on the ground to PSU quarterback Paris Penn, the Beavers locked down the Vikings offense to a tune of 40 total yards in the second half en route to a 29-14 victory.

Two quick interceptions in the third quarter by senior safety Tyrequek Zimmerman led to six points for Oregon State, putting them in the driver’s seat and ended up being all the defense needed as they shutout Portland State for the remainder of the game.

“We just had to focus and keep the game mentally simple,” Zimmerman said after the game. “We already knew what we were doing wrong so by keeping it simple we stopped making mistakes.”

The two interceptions (the first two of Zimmerman’s career) were out of five total takeaways the Beavers forced in the second half, three of which resulted in points.

Offensively speaking, OSU gets the Larry David “pretty, prettttttty, pretttttttttty good” stamp of approval, ammasing 502 total yards, including 125 on the ground from Storm Woods.

“They looked great,”said quarterback Sean Mannion, when asked about the offense’s performance. “Our o-line set the tone up front all day with very physical play. The backs ran well and finished a lot of their runs.”

Aside from being sacked three times, it was a typical day at the office for Mannion, whose 328 passing yards put him at 12^th all time in the Pac-12. Expect him to continue to surpass several infamous names as the season progresses.

Oregon State travels to Hawaii next Saturday; check back later this week to see who and what I will be watching in this Beavers/Warriors matchup.

Running QB, penalties give PSU the lead at halftime.

Defensive miscues and penalties on the defensive side of the ball have been the tale of the tape thus far for the Beavers. Portland State holds a 14-13 lead at halftime, being led by backup quarterback Paris Penn, who has rushed for 102 yards on five attempts, including a 58-yard run early in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 7-6 lead.

Two big penalties (roughing the passer, late hit out of bounds) gave Portland State the ability to prolong another scoring drive later in the quarter, one that again gave them the lead at the score it is here at halftime.

Oregon State, offensively, have had a solid game thus far, with Sean Mannion completing 72% of his passes for 197 yards and running back Storm Woods taking five rushes for 66 yards. The points will come if the offense is given the chance to attack, but the defense cannot give up the penalties they gave up in the first half.

The defensive line and linebacking core need to better read the quarterback counter that has allowed Penn to lead the Vikings to two touchdown drives. Watch for someone like Obum Gwacham to make a big impact for the defensive unit in the second half.

Best/worst case scenarios for one Johnny Football

With the 2014 NFL Draft just a few hours away there remains dozens of unanswered questions. The biggest one of the lot pertains to former Heisman trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel. Coming off a career at Texas A&M that included plenty of controversy and highlight reel plays, Manziel is slated to be drafted anywhere from the #1 overall pick to outside the top ten, with some draft pundits predicting he will last until the 20's, something that seems to happen to at least one quarterback prospect every year.

Some experts have predicted a 'Russell Wilson-like" impact on the league, while others, among NFL owners and scouts, have already predicted him to bust. At the end of the day, however, it all depends on which organization sinks it's claws into Manziel. Some teams in the top ten are better suited to insert him into the starting lineup than others, with a few others still in the midst of a rebuilding process, one that could easily take a few years off the youngster's career.

Here's a look at some of the best and worst scenarios Manziel could face this evening..

The good:

Houston Texans (#1 overall) - Every team at one point or another wants to take a hometown kid, and if you say otherwise, I apologize, but you're a liar. The Texans new head coach Bill O'Brien comes from the Belichick school of witchcraft and wizardry and knows precisely what it takes (in a coaching and athletic standpoint) to produce a quality NFL starting quarterback. Add in an all-pro wide receiver in Andre Johnson, former Pro Bowler Arian Foster in the background, a pretty darn good offensive line in front of him and the Texans are at the top of the list as far as Manziel scenarios go.

Minnesota Vikings (#8 overall) - Norv Turner is a brilliant offensive mind and is now the offensive coordinator in Minnesota. Adding Manziel to the fold could spell danger for the rest of the league if handled and taught correctly. He would hypothetically have arguably the best running back in the league (Shady McCoy says hi!) in Adrian Peterson, a solid safety valve in Kyle Rudolph at tight end, one of the youngest and most explosive playmakers in the league (Cordarrelle Patterson), and a solid offensive line, to boot. The purple and gold could become a very fun team to watch next season if this Manziel scenario fell into place.

St. Louis Rams (#2 overall) - Much debate and turmoil in the mind of this writer with the fear that if it's written it might come true, but for commentary's sake.. Jeff Fisher turned the late Steve "Air" McNair into an AFC winning quarterback, imagine what he could do with a highly touted prospect and an already installed/explosive offense? The Rams are missing only a few pieces, one of which being a healthy quarterback as Sam Bradford just hasn't been able to stay on the field the last few seasons.

The bad: 

Cleveland Browns (#4 overall) - The Browns have a top ten wide receiver in Josh Gordon, a top ten tight end in Jordan Cameron and a pretty decent offensive line, but that's about it. New head coach Mike Pettine needs to prove himself as an NFL head coach before I trust him with any franchise quarterback.

The ugly:

Jacksonville Jaguars (#3 overall) - The Jaguars starting running back next season will be Toby Gerhart. Not much else to see.. moving along, folks.

Oakland Raiders (#5 overall) - Do you want Matt Schaub as the tutor to your future franchise quarterback? Me neither. The Raiders brought in 29-year old running back Maurice Jones-Drew, but he's not nearly the producer that he used to be. Daaaaaaa Raaaaaidaz still have a ways to go.

It will be quite interesting watching each storyline unfold over the next few hours, just don't be surprised if Manziel is at the center of each and every rumor.

Update: Texans head coach Bill O'Brien went on the record this morning saying he wants to take Manziel #1.. so there's that, but the name of the game up until the draft beginning is smoke and mirrors, so take whatever said up until then with a grain of salt.

Blazin' trails into the 2013 offseason, FMHreport-style

Not even a week into the offseason and the Portland Trail Blazers have already been the front and center subject for numerous rumors, hypotheticals, and the like. One thing is for sure, prized power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is still rocking a Blazers uni and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. Seeing as how the direction of this team depends on the ability of Aldridge and fellow franchise player Damian Lillard continue to gel and develop.

            Not all Blazers fans, writers and pundits are as optimistic going into the 2013 NBA draft; Aldridge turns 28 in less than two months. Nicolas Batum, who was handed quite a bit of money last offseason, continues to show up one game then disappear completely the next. Wes Matthews is the one player (save for Aldridge), who has improved his overall game each year, not to mention you know what you get from him as a defender (solid as a ROCK!). Meyers Leonard, Will Barton and Victor Claver showed some flashes last year, but their road is just beginning as NBA talents.

            Needless to say, this could be a make or break offseason for the Blazers, beginning with tonight’s Draft. This year’s class might be one of the least memorable in the last decade, but with the ways the dominos could fall tomorrow there are plenty of opportunities for Portland to strengthen their roster. The following is yet another hypothetical; straight out of this writer’s noggin.

-         POR sends 2013 1^st rounder (#10), PF Joel Freeland, SF Victor Claver to UTA

UTA sends 2013 1^st rounder (#14), 2013 1^st rounder via GSW (#21)

- Why it makes sense for POR: Consolidation of assets, maximize capspace (call it the Olshey Roundabout). As previously mentioned, this is not a deep draft by any means, which gives Portland the versatility to move their pick. Freeland and Claver are role players at best, and dead weight in this hypothetical.

            - Why it makes sense for UTA: Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson will probably walk this offseason and when they see Cody Zeller sitting there at ten they will not be able to pass up the potential of a Zeller/Derrick Favors/Enes Kanter frontcourt rotation. Add the fact that Freeland and Claver provide them warm bodies (I think they have six players under contract next year?) and this is a win for both sides.

- Pick #14: Shabazz Muhammad, SF/SG, UCLA. Boo this pick all you want, Blazer fans, but if he slips this far there is every notion in my mind that Olshey goes BPA in this situation. Muhammad’s scoring ability, youth, versatility and athleticism gives him a high ceiling and Portland needs all the rotational help it can get, which leads me to the next pick..

- Pick #21: Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke. Plumlee is a player that just SCREAMS Rip City, but that’s one writer’s opinion. Athletic, hard worker, high basketball I    Q and comes from a great pedigree of basketball as far as Duke is concerned. Think a poor man’s JJ Hickson, which is perfect seeing as how Hickson will be commanding a good amount of money this offseason; not the contract for this situation.

- Pick #39: Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky. A luxury pick of sorts, Goodwin is the youngest player in the draft and a project kind of like Elliot Williams was a few years ago. Due to an inconsistent freshman year the jury is still out on Goodwin and what kind of upside his game brings. Skepticism is Portland’s reward, as Goodwin could make a fine player one day given development and patience.

- Pick #40: CJ “LezGod” Leslie, PF, North Carolina State. The long, versatile three year starter could develop into a defensive weapon. A 6-9 SF could do damage in this league; Leslie has the quickness and ability to slide to the 3. While his offensive game is fairly suspect there are players that have come into the league with less and made a name based on their defensive IQ.

- Pick #45: Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville. All Siva does is win; a mantra that will help the atmosphere in Portland moving forward. The most recent National Champ hit his ceiling his sophomore year when he became a full-time starter, but his basketball IQ and court vision are two assets that will make him an NBA player.

Now we move into free agency, which begins July 1^st. In this hypothetical the Blazers go into this portion of the offseason with +/- $15M due to the Freeland/Claver deal with Utah. This is not the star-laden free agent class that next summer’s will be; but that’s not to say this class isn’t full of depth, talent and a couple superstars.

-         - Andrew Bynum, C, four years-$52M with all sorts of yearly percentage increases, playing/performance bonuses and the like. I fully expect to get ripped to shreds due to this idea, BUT: this is the sort of deal that Blazers owner Paul Allen can afford to make, but in all fairness, when recently, has this organization been known to take risks in free agency? This is the sort of risk/reward scenario that could push a team to the brink of contention or push their rebuild back a couple of years. There’s no disputing what kind of effect a healthy Bynum can have on the game; with the firing of long-time trainer Jay Jensen this writer feels the writing is on the wall as far as a move like this is concerned. A new staff won’t fix the hurt that Greg Oden and Brandon Roy’s knees have left, but optimism that a new training staff will handle the players better can do wonders with the team moving forward.

-         - Chauncey Billups, PG, one year-$2M. Lillard can learn all sorts from a savvy veteran who has won championships and been on several winning teams. This move would allow Billups to rotate in with Matthews and Lillard, giving the Blazers a floor general for the second unit and a player our youngsters can learn from this season.

     - Bring in Euroleague MVP Kostas Papanikolaou (who we own the rights to from last year’s draft) and BOOM! Your roster for the 2013-14 Trail Blazers is completed. Now let us take a look at the potential depth chart after this hypothetical is said and done:

            PG: Damian Lillard/Chauncey Billups/Peyton Siva

            SG: Wesley Matthews/Shabazz Muhammad/Archie Griffin

            SF: Nicolas Batum/Kostas Papanikolaou

            PF: LaMarcus Aldridge/Mason Plumlee/CJ Leslie

            C: Andrew Bynum/Meyers Leonard

If 100% healthy (basketball God’s willing), this team has the upside of a #5, perhaps even a #4 seed out West if both the starting and second units gel during the offseason, workouts and training camp. Lillard and Aldridge will provide the scoring as the #1/#2 options and Batum, Matthews, Bynum will lock down the perimeter and paint, respectively. Perhaps one day this writer will be able to whisper ideas like this into a general manager’s ear, but until that day comes I will continue to hypothesize and dream.

Merry Christmas, basketball fans!

Joe Saunders, it's been real.

Going into the season I thought it was a nice experiment bringing Joe Saunders into the rotation. After five starts and today's abysmal showing (Five innings, ten hits, eight runs, two home runs), however, it's proven that his best days (if he actually had any) are far behind him.

Granted, Saunders and Aaron Harang could just be filling space until Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen are fully MLB-ready. With the offensive woes the Mariners have been suffering thus far in their 2013 campaign they will be hard pressed to keep up with the six-eight runs a game Saunders and Harang will be consistently giving up.