By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

In a quarterback-driven league, watching football on Sunday can be a case of watching a maestro conduct a symphony in front of 70,000 people. Other times, watching a quarterback who’s over their head, treading water and just waiting for their lifeline to be pulled. Great quarterback play can lift a team devoid of talent into a contender, and a great quarterback with with the proper supporting cast can have Super Bowl aspirations.

The five quarterbacks listed below fall into one of the two categories mentioned above, and as we reach the quarter mark of the NFL season, some teams will only go so far as their field general will take them.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

I promise I can get through this piece without mentioning his name. You know who I’m talking about, and I’ve already talked about him too much. Anyway, I watched the entire New York Jets contest versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Not on purpose, as I was at a sports bar and there were 11 televisions going on at the same time. It was overload for me, but a friend insisted I go watch the game there. By far, it was sensory overload and I couldn’t handle it. However, the Jets/Dolphins game was the closest in view and there were a few takeaways I had from the contest. Most notably…

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

I drafted Ryan Mathews with my first pick, 11th overall, in my “ETSF Fantasy Football League” draft five weeks ago. We hosted our draft on August 8th, and there had been a total of one preseason game played in the entire league. We had to draft so early because I was boarding a plane to move across the country a few days after and the 8th of August was the only day available for drafting. So, when Mathews was sitting there on the board at No. 11 as the preseason rankings told me he’d be, I took him. 

Then Mathews broke his collarbone in his first carry of the first preseason game of the San Diego Chargers. I believe the kids would say something to the effect of, “FML.”

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

The 2012-13 NBA season opener is just 60 days away.

Just think about that for a second. Just a few weeks ago, we were putting the final touches on Team USA beating up on Spain in the Gold Medal game of the 2012 Olympics in London. About six weeks before that, we had the 2012 NBA Draft as Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were introduced to The Association. Three days before that, LeBron James led us on a roller-coaster ride of an NBA playoffs that finished off with his Miami Heat winning a five-game series over Kevin Durant and the young guns of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 2012-13 NBA season opener is just 60 days away.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

Somehow after enduring a frenetic finish by Manchester City triumphing in the literal final seconds of the last match of the season, Didier Drogba and Chelsea’s dramatic victory in the Champions League final and the bombast of Olympic soccer, I am not worn out at all from the greatest game in the world. The amount of chicanery and tomfoolery that has taken place before the 2012-13 Premier League has had a chance to even start yet is dumbfounding, and as the season prepares to kickoff on Saturday, I’ve got five things on my mind.

1. Does Champions League success transfer to Premier League destiny? Somehow, a club that always makes headline-worthy signings, (which they did) won Europe’s biggest competition (Champions League trophy) and come into a new season with lofty expectations (title or bust) have flown under the radar in stellar fashion. Such is life for Roberto di Matteo and Chelsea.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

It’s an analogy I’ve heard pundits and prognosticators lean on all the time when analyzing a team’s chances in an upcoming game…

“If (insert favored team here) players their ‘A-Game’ then they’re sure to win.”

Other than being a lazy analysis, its also problematic to thoroughly comprehend what in the heck exactly is someone’s A-Game. It reminds me of when Bobby Knight used to talk about showing a “gameface” then making funny contortions of his face. Cracks me up every time.

You know what didn’t crack me up? USA’s offensive explosion on Nigeria, as their 156-73 victory was as preposterous as the final tally looks. Here’s “The Five” from Thursday’s trouncing.

1. That Might Be The Greatest Shooting Performance From A Team Ever: Sometimes there’s nothing that needs to be said. This is one of those times. I’ll just let the stats tell the story.

Team USA’s field goal shooting: 59-83 (71.1%)

Team USA’s three-point shooting: 29-46 (63.0%)

Team USA’s free-throw shooting: 9-14 (64.3%)

Only 9-14 free-throwing shooting? That’s just unacceptable USA. *kicks an empty soda can in anger*

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

On Thursday the NBA schedule for the 2012-13 season was released. It is a moment where the event itself is hyped but I get zero excitement out of it. Not that the event doesn’t matter, but I got things to do during the summer.

However, once things slowed down I did peruse the schedule. Come and take a walk with me and check out these five games that truly matter early on the schedule.

Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks - November 1, 2012: Let the darby begin with the Nets and the Knicks. Brooklyn residents will be torn over witnessing a team in the Nets land in their hometown burrough and their long-term allegiance towards their city representing Knicks. Its sure to be star-laden affair, as the Knicks big three of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will now be matched by the Nets big three of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez….and that’s the just stars that’ll be on the court.

Jay-Z vs. Spike Lee? *cues up Empire State of Mind on the iPod*

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

1. USA Defeats Argentina 86-80: In a game where USA went on extreme runs of hot and cold, the Americans were able to fend off the Argentinians for a 6-point victory in Barcelona. Led by Kevin Durant’s 28 points, USA seemed to live behind the shortened three-point line, and KD kept filling it up from range. Kobe Bryant chipped in 18 and LeBron James put up another 15 points to carry Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad.

Argentina’s 3 biggest NBA stars also did well in pacing the attack, as Manu Ginobili was the team’s scoring leader with 23 points. Carlos Delfino and Luis Scola put in 15 and 14, respectively.

2. Argentina Wasn’t Concerned About Winning, I Think: There was still time for Argentina to win at the end of the game, as they were only down 6 with 35 seconds left and they ran a half-court set play and drained the majority of the shot clock. It was weird. Of course, it was an exhibition, so maybe Argentina wasn’t really interested in winning the game. Which is something totally Un-American.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

For five days, I’ve been fortunate to travel with Team USA Basketball and Nike as they put on the spectacle known as the World Basketball Festival in Washington, D.C. For something that started back in 2010 in NYC, this event has evolved into a celebration of performance and culture that surrounds the game of basketball. Now in 2012, the World Basketball Festival has expanded the circuit to London, Paris, Barcelona and D.C.

WBF 2012 in D.C. featured the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams as their training and practice was open to the public, especially the service men and women in the DMV area. Nike and Converse held community events at Barry Farms and Banneker  Park that included refurbished basketball courts, free concerts and brand experiences with the general public. Good times were had, connections were made, and now we’re ready to see if Team USA can bring home the gold in a few weeks.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported to the world over the weekend that the Philadelphia 76ers will use the amnesty clause on Elton Brand to clear the remaining $18.2 million from his contract. Brand was entering what would have been the final year of his egregious five-year, $79.8 million contract Philadelphia signed the former Duke Blue Devil power forward to in July 2008.

(That sound you hear is all Philadelphia 76ers breathing a sigh of relief.)

Since Brand finally got his walking papers while still being able to collect his handsome paycheck in the process, I figured there are surely 5 other players in the league that should get amnestied…immediately, right?
Of course I can.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

During the 4th of July festivities, I was out doing what everyone would expect me to be doing while celebrating America’s independence. Drinking Corona’s, eating grilled food and enjoying fireworks illegally in front of my buddies house. Good times were had.

Of course, when I was leaving my partner’s house I decided to check Twitter. I’d neglected my timeline for a few hours and I figured I’d check and see what was going on. Then I saw my buddy Phillip Barnett, Lakers fan extraordinaire tweet the following:

Nash/Kobe/Shooter/Pau/Bynum is a nearly unstoppable offensive lineup. — Phillip Barnett (@imsohideous) July 5, 2012

I figured the man was just making a joke, but he kept talking about Steve Nash….and kept talking about Nash. Repeatedly. Did the Lakers really trade for Steve Nash? I called the man to confirm.

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By Eduardo Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

For FOX Deportes

For a team that is as flashy as Spain is, some have labeled them boring. A captivating statement indeed, especially since I felt myself nodding a bit during the final between Spain and Italy. All the possession in the world along with the French Toast I ate for breakfast caused me to nod off for a few seconds. When I closed my eyes the score was 2-0, when I awoke it was 4-0. I rewinded my DVR and watched the mastery displayed again on my big screen. Beautifully boring, stunningly simple.

Over an 8-hour workshift gone without giving up a goal to close Euro 2012, Spain completed their championship journey with the biggest margin of victory in a Euro final ever. Spain are now winners of three consecutive major international tournaments and have put the rest of the world to bed. Wake up.

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