St. Louis Looks to Ram Their Way into Prominence Once Again

Jeff Fisher says he is ready for the challenge of turning around the St. Louis Rams. Fisher appreciates what the team's ownership is trying to do and he said that "My decision was very, very simple. It was based on a shared collective vision in restoring this franchise to a place of significance. It was that vision that made my decision very, very easy." Fisher inherits a Rams team that has finished 3-13 or worse four of the past five years. However, the one other year (2010), the team finished 7-9 and was a Week 17 win away from making the playoffs.

Fisher took a break from coaching during the 2011 season after a 17 year coaching stint, the longest-tenured head coach, with the Tennessee Titans. During his time in Tennessee, the Titans won three division titles, made six playoff appearances, and fell one-yard short of forcing overtime in Super Bowl XXXIV against his new organization, the St. Louis Rams. Fisher hopes to bring the same time of success to a once proud Rams franchise.

Many people thought the Rams were a team on the rise following their turnaround in 2010, but 2011 was a total flop for the team. They finished 2-14 due in large part to a tough schedule and a number of key injuries. The most obvious one was to second-year quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford came off a great 2010, in which he won NFL Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Bradford regressed in many experts' eyes as he threw only six touchdown passes. However, he was never fully healthy for the majority of the season due to a lingering high ankle sprain.

The first priority for Fisher is to hire his coordinators. There are reports out already that Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has agreed to the same role in Fisher's new staff. This comes as no surprise Williams and Fisher are close friends from their time together in St. Louis. As for the offensive coordinator position, Fisher has reportedly interviewed former New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and former Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson. It is important that Fisher hires someone who will be able to aid Bradford in his development.

Bradford isn't the only cornerstone piece the franchise is looking to build upon. Running back Steven Jackson is showing no signs of wearing down. Jackson is coming off his seventh consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season. Two of the Rams' young defensive stars are defensive end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis. Long has become one of the NFL's top pass rushers, while Laurinaitis has led the team in tackles in all three of his seasons.

Additionally, the Rams have the second overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. While the team has many possible openings, I expect them to take USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil. The Rams could use the upgrade in protection for Bradford and help in the rushing attack. Kalil would provide both. It will be interesting to see what Fisher will do with the offseason decisions he has to make. He chose the Rams because he liked their vision. Now, it is time to see what his coaching vision will do for the team.

Oklahoma City Thunder Continue Their Thunderous Start

Everyone questions and debates whether or not Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can coexist. All this team seems to be concerned with is winning games. They're off to a league-best 12-2 start. They may not be blowing their opposition out of the water or putting up big numbers, but they are doing what they have to do to win.

Tonight, Oklahoma City played a Boston Celtics team that was desperate for a win in Boston. The Thunder refused to back down. Kevin Durant came out and scored 28 points and had seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook hit two clutch threes late in the game to seal the win. He finished with 26 points on the night. Westbrook wasn't the only one to come up clutch late. Thabo Sefolosha, who is traditionally known for his shutdown defense, scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Boston fell behind early and could never recover, losing the game 97-88. The Celtics have now lost five straight for the first time in the New Big 3 era.

The leader of the Thunder both on and off the court is clearly Kevin Durant. Everyone knows he is a great scorer, but it is more complex than that. Durant is a complete player, who his teammates can turn to for the leadership they need. Russell Westbrook is a fiery point guard, who is content shooting the basketball. While he infuriates some commentators and analysts, Westbrook is talented and plays hard, even if he doesn't fit the traditional point guard mold. He is still relatively young and has some growing to do. As long as his teammates know how he plays and what to expect, I don't see any problem with him playing in Oklahoma City with Durant.

The rest of the Thunder team fills out nicely. Center Kendrick Perkins came over in a trade from the Celtics. At, power forward they have a raw talent in Serge Ibaka from the Congo. Ibaka is still only 22 and showed some fabulous potential in the playoffs last season. His specialty is shot blocking, but with some quality coaching and maturing, I think he has a chance to be an All-Star in the future. The last starter is Thabo Sefolosha at the two guard. As was aforementioned, he is a top-notch defender.

The bench has some fine talent as well. Guard James Harden is one of the best sixth men in the league. He is averaging 17.4 ppg this season off the bench. Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammad are the big men coming off the bench first. Guard Daequan Cook has seen an increase in his minutes since Eric Maynor was injured. Maynor, a promising second-year player, might be done for the season.

As far as the Oklahoma City Thunder are concerned, the media can keep bringing up problems with their team. They seem to be too preoccupied winning games to care. As long as everyone keeps maintaining their roles and maturing as the season progresses, this will be a very dangerous team come playoff time. For Kevin Durant and the Thunder, the time to take off to the next level seems to be now.

Aussie Your Way Down Under

The Australian Open is about to get under way, and I have your men's and women's previews right here.

Men

Novak Djokovic is the #1 seed in the tournament, but that should come as no surprise. The world's #1 ranked player is coming off an incredible 2011 where he won three out of four majors. Djokovic wore down at the end of last year, but claims he is healthy and ready to go, which makes him the oddsmakers' favorite. Two former number ones, #2 seed Rafael Nadal and #3 seed Roger Federer, want a shot at him, but first they need to put aside their own off-court spat. #4 seed Andy Murray has finished as the runner up the past two years. Some sleepers to keep an eye on would be Argentinian Juan Martin del Porto and Frenchman Richard Gasquet. In my opinion, it is Djokovic's tournament to lose. Personally, I think it gets the job done once again.

Women

The women's field is much more wide open. Caroline Wozniacki got the #1 seed ahead of Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, who is seeded 2nd. It comes as a bit of a surprise as Wozniacki is still looking for her first major title. Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is the #3 seed and crowd favorite Maria Sharapova is #4. The last two Australian Open champions, Kim Clijsters (hip) and Serena Williams (ankle), were both injured last week in the Brisbane International. They are seeded #12 and #13 respectively. Williams is always among the favorites in this tournament, but it remains to be seen how healthy she is. Some sleepers to keep an eye on would be Estonian Kaia Kanepi and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Kanepi is coming off a win at the Brisbane International. I'm picking Petra Kvitova to win. She is quickly closing in on Wozniacki's world #1 ranking and already has one major win to her name. I think she will make a statement by winning a second.