NFL hits and misses

Sexy is fun to look at but not always what you need

The Carolina Panthers showed how and why most NFL teams stay bad year after year by drafting Cam Newton #1 overall Thursday night. Newton definitely was the headline grabber amongst all the players entering the draft making him the sexy pick for a team going nowhere. Newton was the second quarterback drafted by the Panthers in the past two years. I understand they may not be happy with Jimmy Claussen, the quarterback they drafted in the second round last year, but doesn’t this set your team back a couple of years? Even if Newton goes on to be somewhat successful in the NFL, he is years away from being productive and a couple of miracles or Christmas letters short to Santa from having an NFL arm.

Didn’t you used to be the Detroit Lions?

I like what they’re building in D-Town… and I’m not talking about the cars. Since Matt Millen was ran out of town, the Lions have drafted well and appear to be putting together a NFL team for the first time in years. I’m not sure they needed another running back as opposed to another offensive lineman to help keep Stafford healthy. Either way they are building a winner there and I like it.

#1 on the board that mattered

The NFL draft’s biggest snub had to be University of Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett. His rating going into the draft was anywhere from the 2^nd best quarterback to the 5^th best according to “draft experts”. When the dust had settled he was the 7^th quarterback drafted. Despite playing in the best conference in Division 1 (SEC), with one of the best offensive coaches in Division 1 (Petrino), having one of the best seasons in college football, and having the best arm and size in the draft, NFL brain trust picked according to media draft boards and recommendations as opposed to NCAA game film. Mallett’s fall to the New England Patriots has left the rest of the NFL scratching their heads and left themselves wondering what they were thinking by passing on Mallett; especially the Miami Dolphins.

How can the most successful coach in the NFL be the only talent evaluator in the NFL to have Mallett ranked as the #1 quarterback on their board? Again, this shows why most NFL teams are bad year after year and the elite teams remain elite.

#6 Jerry Rice’s 208 NFL Career Touchdowns

The Sporting News recently came out with their Top 10 “Great Records” written by Steve Greenberg. In an 11 part series, I will breakdown each record, why the record is impressive (or not), and if the record could ever be broken.

#6 Jerry Rice’s 208 NFL Career Touchdowns

Rice’s record is impressive but not a record that can’t be broken. Emmitt Smith ended his career scoring 175 touchdowns, 33 touchdowns behind Rice. Depending how one looks at the difference, this could be two years worth of great production away from Rice’s record. Smith played for 15 years in the NFL. Rice played for 20; granted his last full year in Seattle, most will not remember nor his attempt to keep playing in 2005 with the Denver Broncos when he retired before the season began. Point being, the record could fall.

I’ve compared the two most prolific offensive players to ever play in the NFL. Most people thought Walter Payton’s all time rushing record would not be broken, but Emmitt Smith broke it. The game keeps changing and another great one will come along with the ability to break our heroes’ records.

What type of player could break the record? With the rule changes made over the past few years in the NFL to the benefit of the offense, another wide receiver could break Rice’s record. The league has gone pass happy and some wide receiver(s) will reap the benefit at some point. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are the only active players that are fairly close to Rice yet they are sitting at 153 touchdowns. Both of their careers seem to be winding down and neither player is likely to catch Emmitt Smith much less Rice.

Our record breaker would need to have the luck to play at least 15 years and average 14 touchdowns per. One would need the benefit of not being injured and playing with a quarterback that can get him the ball consistently. Rice was not a speed burner but it wouldn’t hurt if our guy had “game breaking speed”. While our guy is young, perhaps he could run back punts or kick returns. Anything he can do to get extra opportunities to score while on the field. Remember this is career touchdowns not career receiving touchdowns. Rice was a perfectionist and had a great will to win; our guy will need the same.

Choosing a running back to break the record seems foolish and near impossible. Smith was as durable as they get and played on a team with a prolific offense. One could argue if Troy Aikman had not been the victim of 10 concussions during his playing career and retired at the end of 2000, Smith may have squeezed out a few more touchdowns (not 33 more but who knows?). Other elements our guy will need beyond luck, consistency, and longevity is a healthy team and continued parity in the NFL.

I take exception to one part of Greenberg’s piece. He states, “The record is more impressive because Rice wasn’t a running back, meaning there were no easy 1-yard plunges into the end zone. He had to run routes, get open and make catches for his scores.”

Does Greenberg really understand the game of football? Did Rice ever receive the “benefit” of a defender slipping so he could run by him? I’ve never seen an entire goal line defense slip as to the “benefit” of the running back being able to score that “1-yard plunge”. A wide receiver gets to work in space, typically one on one against a corner back and possibly a safety 15-20 yards away. I’ve never seen a running back have only one defender lined up across from him. The defensive alignment for most plays will put 7-8 defenders on the other side of the running back or “in the box”.

Rice didn’t have to take the grueling hits play after play by running between the tackles like running backs do; 3 NFL receivers have caught more than 20 passes in a game while a typical starting NFL running back will average 20 rushing attempts per game. To Rice’s credit, he was not afraid to go across the middle but that is another issue. Any running back that has played in the NFL will tell you that there are no easy touchdowns. Chances are the running back is the reason a wide receiver has opportunities in the red zone, because he dragged the defense 80 yards down field to put them there. Everyone knows a good running game opens up passing lanes for the quarterback and his receivers.

Give Rice his due Greenberg put don’t sell the running back position short in the process. Greenberg, you missed on this one.  

Just to clarify, is Jerry Rice the best pro football player with the greatest pro football record… debatable? There is no doubt that he is one of the greatest. Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record of 18,355 yards is amazing as well. Both men had great careers; our guy will need to do the same.

#7 Wayne Gretzyky’s 215 Point National Hockey League Season

The Sporting News recently came out with their Top 10 “Great Records” written by Steve Greenberg. In an 11 part series, I will breakdown each record, why the record is impressive (or not), and if the record could ever be broken.

#7 Wayne Gretzyky’s 215 Point National Hockey League Season

The “Great One” set the NHL single season scoring record (goals plus assists) during the 1985-1986 season. The small irony is he didn’t even score the most goals in the NHL that season nor on  his team. That honor belongs to his Edmonton Oilers teammate Jari Kurri at 68 goals scored. You can guess who was passing him the puck that season.

Before Gretzky skated his way into the NHL hockey books, great scores like Bobby Hull through the late 1960’s and then Phil Esposito through the mid-70’s racked up points by scoring 58-76 goals per year. Then Gretzky comes along for the Edmonton Oilers and shattered all preconceived notions of single season scoring and points totaled. His single season high for goals scored was during the 1981-1982 season when he racked up 92! That’s 16 more goals than Esposito’s, then, single season record. During the 1990-1991 NHL season Brett Hull, for the St. Louis Blues, gave Gretzky a scare when he totaled 86 goals. Still the Great One skates on.

Gretzky sits well atop the NHL scoring record book with 2,857 at a pace of 1.92 points per game and 1,963 career assist. Mark Messier is in second at 1,887 at a pace of 1.07 points per game. That’s a difference of 970 career points. The current players with a possible shot include Sid “the Kid” Crosby with an average of 1.364 points per game and Alexander Ovechkin at 1.336 points per game. Sorry guys, you’re still a long way off.

Just to clarify, knowing how great of a scorer he was, he was still unselfish and passed the puck. His willingness to set up his teammates says a lot about his character. Winning tends to take care of individual statistics if you do it the right way game in and game out. This is another record that will not be broken.

#8 Pete Rose’s 4,256 Career hits in Major League Baseball

The Sporting News recently came out with their Top 10 “Great Records” written by Steve Greenberg. In an 11 part series, I will breakdown each record, why the record is impressive (or not), and if the record could ever be broken.

#8 Pete Rose’s 4,256 Career hits in Major League Baseball

This is another record that will more than likely never be broken but… (gulp) yes, I can see it being broken. Baseball purists reading this article have either closed my page or think I’m completely crazy. Allow me a few more minutes of your time to see if I can convince you why this is possible.

Ichiro Suzuki! Yes the Japanese hitting machine covering “Area 51”, also known as right field, for the Seattle Marines. I’m not saying Ichiro will break Rose’s record but I’m saying a player of his ability could.

Ichiro broke into professional baseball at 18 years of age in Japan (NPB) for the Orix Blue of the Pacific League in 1994. He was not an everyday player until 1994 at 20. Once the new manager of the Orix Blue let Ichiro play, he assaulted the entire individual hitting records in NPB. Within 7 years he had compiled 1,278 hits at a .353 per year average. That’s 182.57 hits per season. Mind you they only played 130 games per season in Japan at that time compared to our 162 games.

Over Rose’s 23 seasons in MLB he averaged 185.04 hits per season. My man Ichiro hits per season average is close already at 32 fewer games per season. When Ichiro hit the states in 2001 at 27 years of age, he dominated MLB pitching racking up 242 hits that year. In 2004 he broke MLB’s single season hits record by collecting 262. Through his 10 years in Seattle, Ichiro has accumulated 2,274 hits. That’s a blistering pace of 227.4 hits per season. At Ichiro’s current pace, in 18 ¾ seasons he would reach Charlie Hustle’s record.

Just to clarify, Ichiro is still 1,982 MLB hits away from Rose’s record. Combing his NPB hit total 1,278 and his MLB total of 2,227, Ichiro is at 3,552 career hits. That leaves him 704 hits shy of Rose. 704 hits should be within Ichiro’s grasp within 4 years. This still does not give him the MLB record but hopefully helps prove my point. A player with his ability at the plate and speed could give chase to this record.

Thoughts along the Way

The Vest is a “Goodfella”

If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you know I’m no fan of The Vest. Everyone has heard about the NCAA cracking down on him for lying. I can rationalize what he did and why. I have to look at it as he was protecting his players not covering up because he thought they could win a national championship with that team.

The main part of this story that really makes me mad, other than the fact that everyone involved should not have been allowed to participate in the Sugar Bowl, is Tressel’s blackmail job on those players. His Henry Hill mob tactics of coercing them into committing to play for Ohio State in 2011 and not declare for the NFL Draft or he would suspend them for the Sugar Bowl is a crime unto itself. I can only imagine his sales job on them included “I’ll do anything I can to keep the suspension length down and help you get drafted for the 2012 NFL Draft otherwise you are on your own”. He’s an adult, they are children. He knows better.

Welcome to the league but not really

As of today the lockout is over but the back and forth surrounding the NFL lockout is too much to keep following. The NFL is looking for a temporary stay or injunction on the judge’s ruling. Collective Bargaining could wind up being the downfall of pro sports in America.

Anyway, leading up to Thursday’s NFL draft the Player’s Union requested that the rookies-to-be not walk their “draft graduation” from NCAA football to the pros because of the lockout. So what did the rookies-to-be and ESPN do? They’re making it a rookie draft record attendance as 28 are scheduled to appear. Take that NFL Player’s Union and the Rookie Salary cap you’re putting on us as well.

Draft experts? More like draft idiots

If you’ve been following my draft comments online, you know I do not think highly of the abilities of talent evaluators in the NFL. IF they were so great, why are there so many busts? If that doesn’t work for you, then why are there so many undrafted players making major contributions in the NFL, some of them are All-Pros?

I’m interested to see what NFL fool drafts Cam Newton in the first round this year. I can go down the list of draft busts at the quarterback position that ran a similar style of offense as Newton in college: Alex Smith, Tim Couch, Andre Ware, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington (any Jeff Tedford QB!). I will never understand why the NFL is so brash to think they are the coaches that can turn this kid around.

If you get a chance, look up Dave Razzano. He’s a former NFL scout for the Rams, Cardinals, and 49ers. He speaks his mind and knows what he’s talking about. That may be why he’s a former NFL scout not a current NFL scout.

Raiders get a new stadium name

This scenario has punch lines written all over it… and not just the punches thrown in the stands by their fans. When the Raiders take the field next season, whenever that may be, they will be running out under the banner of Overstock.com Stadium. The name is funny enough by itself considering the “under stock” of talent on the field. Overstock.com has the right to change the stadium name to O.com should they rebrand their business name in the future.

Just to clarify, this has to stop. I have come to terms with the fact that all new stadiums and arenas will sell out their stadium name rights for revenue. It’s a sign of our times right along with the fact that reality stars get paid millions for doing nothing… what can we do? But the naming of some of these stadiums has to stop. I hope Tampax gets the naming rights to one of the NFL stadiums in the future. I’ll leave you to add your own jokes from here.

#9 Bill Russell’s 11 NBA Championships

The Sporting News recently came out with their Top 10 “Great Records” written by Steve Greenberg. In an 11 part series, I will breakdown each record, why the record is impressive (or not), and if the record could ever be broken.

#9 Bill Russell’s 11 NBA Championships

This is a simple record to breakdown. Simple because it will never be broken, in any sport. Certainly not football, unless a kicker jumps around to different teams over the course of his career and gets REALLY lucky. Most NFL careers don’t last two years and parity in the NFL will never allow this to happen.

In recent years the closest thing to a baseball dynasty has been the New York Yankees. Seems like they win it all every year? Well they don’t. Derek Jeter and company have won 5 championships since he won Rookie of the Year in 1995. A great accomplishment for the Yankees by all means, but not great enough to pass Mr. Russell. They had the opportunities, I will say that.

This leaves the sport in question. Could anyone beat Russell’s 11 NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics? Again, no, this record will not be broken. It takes a lot of luck and a lot of skill to win a NBA Championship. The Celtics were dominating before the NBA became the NBA. Not to take anything away from their success but the game did change when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the NBA. Michael Jordan just took it to the next skill level and then the talent left the building. His “Air-ness” only won 6 Championships. Yes he did lose 2 ½ years to baseball when he left the game the first time when he was in his prime. But that’s not our fault. Would his Bulls have beaten the Houston Rockets during those two years? I think so but that still leaves Jordan at a possible 8 Championships. Would his desire to have his Bulls teams being mentioned with Russell’s great Celtic’s teams kept him going without retiring? Maybe, but we will never know. He was obviously bored with the game and had achieved everything he wanted.

With “Big Shot” Robert Horry retired after winning 7 Championships with three different teams (2 Houston Rockets, 3 Los Angeles Lakers, and 2 San Antonio Spurs) in 16 seasons, the current players that are worth mentioning include Kobe Bryant with 5 and Tim Duncan with 4 wins. Not even close.

Just to clarify, the team concept has been lost due to free agency, the “Me Generation”, and ESPN highlights. Teams do not stick together anymore as players seek their fortune instead of their wins. Allen Iverson rants about “practice” and Latrell Sprewell says $6 million a year can’t feed his family thus it’s not worth playing another year in the NBA. Throwback teams like the Spurs make basketball fun to watch but they are slowly fading into the past. The NBA has been lost with one on one players and no defense. Rest easy Mr. Russell your record of 11 NBA Championships in 13 seasons will never be tested much less broken.

The Sporting News, The Great Records

The Sporting News recently came out with their Top 10 “Great Records” written by Steve Greenberg. In an 11 part series, I will breakdown each record, why the record is impressive (or not), and if the record could ever be broken.

#10 Pete Maravich’s 44.2 Career Points Per Game in College Basketball

The most impressive word mentioned in the line above is career. Yeah, I know 44.2 points per game is a lot, that’s why I am hung up on the word career. Pistol Pete played at such high level for three years at LSU, as freshmen were not allowed to play in 1966 when he enrolled, that his career average was 44.2 points per game. Not for one season, over three years. This was without the benefit of the three point line, making his mark even more impressive. Who knows what he would’ve done had the NCAA adopted the three point shot before his college career began? We see it all the time, college shooters tend to creep behind that line when they can.

Maravich’s ability to score was unheard of, still is. His silky smooth style and quick release made him a player well beyond his years with moves that school yard kids wish they could do in today’s game. Even when the other team knew he was going to shoot, they couldn’t stop him! To this day no one has come close to his career point total of 3,667; the closest person was 400 points away. The closest person to his career average of points per game was Austin Carr at 34.6. 

Could Pistol Pete’s record ever be broken, yes it can. I think it could even be broken in a power conference, not just in a mid-major conference or lower. The question at hand is what type of player would be able to do so? A point guard with a great three point shot? He would have to be able to get to the rim and draw fouls on his off shooting nights. To beat Maravich’s per game average, one would have to hit 15 three pointers per game alone. That just happens to be the Division 1 record for most threes in a game. If he can dribble penetrate and get to the rim to draw fouls and add points courtesy of the free throw line, we may have a winner.

The other type of player I see with the ability to make a run at the record is a true center, a David Robinson, Tim Duncan, or Patrick Ewing type. He would need to have an 8-10 foot jump shot and be willing to pound the offensive boards for loose change. He would also need to step into the paint with a mean streak on offense. If our big man has an 80% or better free throw attempt average, making 15 points per game from the charity stripe, that leaves him with 15 field goals made to come close. This all seems so daunting but possible. Would it be too much to ask that he has a couple of developed low post moves before stepping foot on campus?

The key to either of these players having a shot is their coach and their team. His teammates would have to be supportive of him and be willing to play without the ball. At the bare minimum our guy will be shooting 15 times a game to hit the mark, a reasonable amount of shots to take, not reasonable is hitting all 15 shots without a miss. Thus we are looking at about 25 shots per game or more. Our big man would need the offense to run through him down low and our point guard would need to have the green light to shoot at will.

Just to clarify, the career point per game average could fall if a player did it over one season but I don’t see the career total points falling. With all of the “one and done” players coming through NCAA Division 1 basketball, that holy record will never be touched. This two part record is worthy of a top 10 placement.  

ESPN Ranks Top 10 #1 Pick NFL Draft Busts

I don’t have a problem with ranking individuals that are a disappointment in sports. Right now Jim Tressel is my #1 guy, who needs the other 9 people when he’s around? But I always have had a problem with how the media categorizes professional busts. Not meeting expectations is a great way to get on the list, but I have never agreed with putting a guy on the list that was injured while playing. Who can control that? At least the guy was on the field when he got hurt!

ESPN has a few busts on the list that I don’t like. Checkout their list and my thoughts.

10. David Carr, QB, Texans, 2002

I don’t agree with him being on the list. Granted he did not put the Texans on his back and lead them to the playoffs during his 5 year career there but how could he put anyone on his back when his back was on the ground after each passing attempt? The Texans are still struggling to put a winner together in Houston. Not sure how he is a bust? After the abuse he took, he should be considered a football hero.

9. Alex Smith, QB, 49ers, 2005

When will the NFL learn… perhaps never as Cam Newton is being touted as a 2011 first round draft pick? Alex Smith was a product of Urban Myer’s spread offense. When Smith was running that offense in 2004 for University of Utah, the spread offense was not widely used thus defenses had a hard time preparing to play against the Ute’s each week making Smith look like a QB god. Smith was a product of the system he ran. To his credit, Smith is still in the NFL and hanging tough. It’s not like the 49ers have faired well in putting talent around Smith.

8. Aundray Bruce, LB, Atlanta Falcons, 1998

This University of Auburn alum was “The Freak” before Jevon Kearse was “The Freak”. At 6’ 5”, 255 lbs, running a 4.5 40 yard dash, his physical ability was awe inspiring. His rookie year he recorded 70 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions; not a bad year for anyone. But that’s where the train comes off the track. Either for a lack of interest or who knows what, Bruce never seemed to invest in learning the game and preparing for his opponents. This is where expectations get the best of a pick. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, just never on the All-Pro level he was seemingly capable of playing.

7. Courtney Brown, DE, Cleveland Browns, 2000

Another top pick with a great rookie season (70 tackles and 4.5 sacks) and then a lack of interest and injuries became his story. Brown, a Penn State alum, blew out his knee in 2005 which ended his career.

6. Tim Couch, QB, Cleveland Browns, 1999

Couch had the big body, great arm, and he was a product of a Run and Shoot offense at University of Kentucky; essentially a form of the Spread Offense. The knock on Couch was he never learned to read defenses nor adjust to the complex offense they ran in Cleveland. My problem with this is the coaching staff. It frustrates me to no end seeing a player in a scheme, in any sport, that they do not fit. Peyton Manning does not run a complicated offense with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have 15 plays that they run over and over and they run those plays really well. Why have a “Mike Martz” style offense with a 100 plays to learn if your team may only run 4-5 of those plays really well?

5. Ki Jana Carter, RB, Bengals, 1995

How is this guy a bust? His 3^rd pro carry in his first preseason game he tears his ACL. He never regained his speed after the injury. Carter, another Penn State alum, played 7 years in the NFL. Again, not sure why he’s a bust as the average playing career for running backs in the NFL is 3 years. So he’s not going to the Hall of Fame. It’s unfortunate that he was a number one pick. It’s even more unfortunate that he was injured in a meaningless preseason “money” game.

4. JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders, 2007

#4?!?!? How did he slide to #4? At least Couch, Smith, and Carr tried. It didn’t seem like Russell, the one year LSU wonder, gave much effort on the field much less read his playbook or study film off it. I would put Russell higher on the list due to the money paid to him after his holdout, $61 million with $32 million guaranteed. Russell finished his career with Oakland 7-18 as a starter before being released in 2010. 3 years, #1 pick, and done!

3. Tom Cousineau, LB, Buffalo Bills, 1979

This #1 pick didn’t like the contract offer he received from the Bills and took his talents to the Canadian Football League. After 3 years in the CFL, Cousineau joined the NFL and ended his quiet career with the 49ers in 1987. The Bills traded O.J. Simpson for the right’s to pick Cousineau to the 49ers. When Cousineau choose to join the NFL in 1982, the Bills then traded his rights to Cleveland, a pick they used on Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. All worked out in the long run for the Bills. Not so much for Cleveland. Moral of the story, don’t draft what you can’t sign. I hang this one on the Bills not on Cousineau.

2. Terry Baker, QB, Los Angeles Rams, 1963

Baker was an amazing athlete for Oregon State University playing both football and basketball for the Beavers. His NFL career is deserving of his #2 ranking. His stats after 18 NFL games, 21 passes attempted with 0 touchdowns. Ouch!

1. Steve Emtman, DL, Baltimore Colts, 1992

Emtman was an unbelievable stud player coming out of University of Washington. He was the real deal until injuries ransacked his pro career. He finished his first 3 seasons on the Injured Reserve list, first blowing out his left knee then his right knee twice. After making several attempts to comeback, Emtman then hurt his neck. His pro career was done at 27. Injuries not his talent made him a bust… if you view him that way.

Just to clarify, there are only two legitimate busts on ESPN’s list, JaMarcus Russell and Terry Baker. The unfortunate players whose careers were marred by injury don’t deserve the moniker of a bust. Nor do the players whose coaches couldn’t adjust to their player’s talent or have the players adjust to their schemes. That’s an ESPN list for bad evaluation of talent by NFL coaches, which is something that happens WAY too often in the NFL.

Do they run a double reverse prejudices on that team?

The week that was, was a really awkward week in the sports world. A pitcher gets caught stealing, a high school prospect says no to UGA’s scholarship offer but yes to his potential teammates iphones and ipads, Real Madrid throws their soccer trophy under the bus, and a stripper that took down a Duke Lacrosse team falls way off the pole and lands on her boyfriend… with a knife. If that wasn’t enough IQ flashing for you, the NFL showed they are still living in the ‘50’s… or where education and common sense is lacking and prejudices still run amuck.

While the NFL owners and players are battling for our recreational dollar, and letting us know how little they truly care in the process, NFL general managers and coaches are preparing for the draft. This yearly event inspires hope for fans of their perspective NFL teams, beginning with the combine for most teams and ending their hopes by the 3^rd quarter of their first game for the others.

During the evaluation process of college football players leading up to the draft, any die hard fan can and will tell you who their team should draft and why. They will also tell you why their GM is an idiot and who they would’ve drafted in previous years; hindsight makes winners out of all of us. Some fans are right on target; they can’t be any worse than what ESPN rolls out (hello Matt Millen, Todd McShay, and Mel Kiper Jr.). While others don’t have a clue and they will painfully regurgitate the same rhetoric they heard from the above cast of characters. Through all of this back and forth bantering, I’ve never heard one person ever mention that they couldn’t take a player serious on the field or in the locker room because they were a red head! Not until this week anyway. I have to repeat this… I’ve never heard one drunken idiot or rambling bozo say they wouldn’t draft a guy because of the color of his hair! I had to hear this from an NFL evaluator of talent?

An anonymous NFL source said, “He wonders if players will be able to take Andy Dalton, an aspiring NFL quarterback from Texas Christian University, serious in the huddle because of his red hair.” Really??? Who are these people?

Even with a helmet covering Andy’s head they are worried? It’s not like he looks like Pittsburg Steelers’ Troy Polamalu with his long hair flying everywhere; everyone knows his hair style and color has not diminished how talented he is as a player. I would think that would scare coaches before a redhead being the quarterback of their team. NFL teams don’t seem worried about their players having too many tattoos, a drug problem, or a police wrap sheet. Now they’re worried about someone having short red hair?

What’s going to happen in that huddle with Andy Dalton during a game? If they’re getting beat will one of the linemen say “We are getting beat like a redheaded stepchild out here? Andy, I now understand how you feel?” I doubt it, but who cares if they do? Will the team breakdown and no longer run the plays that are called? That’s up to the coaches to instill desire and toughness into their players. That’s drafting heart not comedians. Is their ability to coach lacking so much they’re already looking to blame someone else for their shortcomings?

Just to clarify, I understand that Andy Dalton may not be a fit for many NFL teams out there. Because the source of this quote was anonymous, I have no idea what ethnic background they may have. I would assume that this person would not want to be objected against based off their heritage. Hopefully the decision to draft Andy Dalton or any other player will be based off of his talent, not the color of his hair or the color of his skin!

Uhh, help please!?!?!

1) Maybe he should’ve been a Pirate?

23 year old Mike Leake, a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Red’s and former University of Arizona State player, was caught shoplifting on Monday. Leake was caught “red handed” (had to do it) at a downtown Cincinnati department store stealing 6 shirts. The total price of his booty was a whopping $59.88. If you’re curious as to how much this professional baseball player will make this year, it’s $425,000. Something is not adding up with him???

Just to clarify, Leake, the 8^th pick of the 2009 MLB draft, is a young and talented pitcher for the Red’s; their 5^th starter. Obviously he needs personal help if he’s willing to throw his career away by removing tags off of shirts to save $59.88 and possibly pass up on millions. I hope he can get whatever problem(s) he may have straightened out.

Quick note, Leake is only one of 21 players since 1965 to go straight from MLB’s draft to the pros. That’s saying a lot about his talent!

2) Benefits that UGA didn’t mean to give… this time!

The University of Georgia (at Athens) football locker room bandits have been found. I’m not going to trash these kids in my blog nor name them, as I don’t see any reason to do so. But, come on? Three seniors to be were taking an unofficial visit to UGA earlier this month. All three snagged goodies before leaving, goodies belonging to their potential teammates and current UGA football players. Their loot included iPods, iPhones, etc… The total damage was around $2,000. One of the kids caught is considered a top recruit and listed as part of Georgia’s top 10 high school players for next season.

Just to clarify, I don’t understand why one would throw away a chance to attend a great school, for free, earn a college education, and have your physical talent developed so you can potentially become a millionaire over a $200 iPod or iPhone? I understand this recruit’s family may not have the money to buy him these items, but he may have just cost himself and his family more than he will ever know. For their sake, I hope not.

3) Will Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson show up for this? This time they should!

Back in 2006 race tensions grew across the country over an alleged rape case in Durham, North Carolina. Many of you may remember that stripper Crystal Magnum, now 32, falsely accused 3 men’s Duke Lacrosse players of rape after one of their parties. Her accusations divided the country racially in ways the U.S. had not seen in years since, perhaps, the O.J. Simpson case in the mid ‘90’s.

Just a reminder of the fallout from her accusations: 1) the Duke Lacrosse team immediately cancelled the rest of their season; they had a really good team that year 2) the Duke Lacrosse coach was fired because of lack of control over his players 3) in a disgusting play for national attention Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson rallied around “this poor girl” and promised they would financially support her and her legal fees through this situation against the white Lacrosse players 4) another headline grabber, then District Attorney Mike Nifong (looking to up his political status), rushed to accuse these 3 players before gathering all of the facts; he eventually would be disbarred over his handling of this case 5) the 3 players accused will always have their reputation and status in their respective communities questioned and 5) the most important fallout, the unnecessary racial tension that was placed back into our society. All for not!

Crystal has made another legal appearance, perhaps putting her behind bars for good. She has been arrested on a charge of 1^st degree murder and 2 counts of larceny for stabbing her 46 year old boyfriend and killing him. Just a year ago she made headlines for catching her house on fire, with her 3 kids inside, while burning a different boyfriend’s clothes in a jealous rage. Her rage in that incident included her threatening to stab and kill her boyfriend at that time.

Seems like Crystal’s current situation was inevitable but maybe it could have been stopped somehow? Not only has she ruined her life, but she has ruined the lives of the many people that have crossed her path; I’ve just mentioned the lives I know about. Perhaps Sharpton and Jackson should’ve tried to help her a little bit more; even without all of the headlines they may have received for doing so. Situations like this sicken me when our “leaders” rush to the aid of the “down trodden” but leave as soon as the media crews are gone. This girl needed help. What will become of her three children now that she’s in jail?

Just to clarify, I understand that each of the mentioned individuals in the above stories made mistakes, mistakes on different levels of severities. These mistakes will unfortunately shape the rest of their lives. What help will they receive?

A Mighty Wind blows, skipping the record books

He was robbed!!! No other way to put it. Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai ran the 26.2 mile Boston Marathon on Monday in record time, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds. But his record run does not count. Why you may ask? Due to a strong tailwind on part of the course, the record will not count on the international books. The tailwind was not throughout the course mind you, but just on a stretch of the course.

I can understand not allowing running records with a tailwind during sprinting events, but this goes beyond Tea Party logic to me. Give the man his record. He just ran 26.2 miles in just over 2 hours! You can’t drive 15 miles in LA in over 2 hours!

USA has strong showing in Marathon:

Ryan Hall, a U.S. runner, finished fourth in the race and posted the best time for a U.S. runner ever at 2:04:58. Must’ve been the tailwind.

U.S. female runner Desiree Davila finished second, just two seconds behind the winner Caroline Kilel of Kenya (2:22:36). That’s a bitter bill to swallow. Winners in the men’s and women’s division get $150,000 each. Two seconds difference… I’m grabbing someone’s jersey for $150,000 after running for 2 hours straight.

Just to clarify, that's not cheating, that's just being smart.

Rambling Rumblings

Higher Learning? Can’t be that much higher!

Frustration reigned supreme as yours truly did a little pregame research to go see #22 UCLA play #24 University of Arizona in baseball on Friday. During my research for game tickets, parking, etc… I was stumped when I could not find the address to the “beautifully renovated Jackie Robinson Stadium” anywhere on the website. NOWHERE on the website was the address to be found. They bore you with countless pieces of useless information and leave out a truly important piece of information, the stadium address.

Granted they did have a map and directions coming from two different locations around Los Angeles which is great, if you’re coming from one of those two directions. Here’s hoping that UCLA’s medical program is a little bit better than their IT program.

You can add another thing to the list of potential things to catch at the Playboy mansion.

In February the Playboy Mansion hosted a party for 439 unsuspecting people. Shortly after the party, 123 people became ill with a fever and other symptoms. The diagnosis for their illness was Legionnaire’s disease which also leads to Pontiac fever. This is old news. The new news released this week is they traced the virus back to the hot tub.

I know what you’re thinking, of all the things to “catch” at the Playboy mansion Legionnaire’s disease would not be on your top 20. Not to pass up on Pontiac fever, again, of all the fevers to “catch” at the Playboy mansion Pontiac fever would not be on your list either; isn’t Pontiac fever a STD that originated from Studio 54 during the ‘70’s?

Just to clarify, I hope I did not ruin a childhood dream for any of my readers with this story. The Playmate dream with caviar wishes in the infamous hot tub are now gone forever, and for that I am sorry. One would think that Hef and company would clean the hot tub out every now and again; dare I ask when they cleaned it last… and who was the last one in there? Furthermore, my understanding of Legionnaire’s disease is it is a viral disease, meaning one did not have to enter the hot tub to contract this disease. That’s some nasty…

For those of you on the short list to the next Playboy mansion party, be ready to tell your honey waiting at home for you why you got Pinto fever and Sailor’s sorrow at the Playboy mansion when you get home.

Football Quick Hits

He’s still a classy guy after all these years?

We can argue into the wee hours about how good of a coach Bill Parcells was or was not. The phrase, “the company you keep”, applies to him. Anyway, in a recent interview Parcells was asked about mistakes he may have made while overseeing operations with the Miami Dolphins. Instead of coming up with a smart-ass comment, something he always did to reporters trying get information (even annoying as a fan), he answered this question. But why would he do that? What does he gain from answering this question?

Parcells had to throw Pat White, former college quarterback for the University of West Virginia, under the bus. Parcells stated that he regrets drafting White in the second round of the 2009 draft. To pile on, he said “they” got caught up in the hype around White. I guess “they” thought he could be a Michael Vick type of player?

Just to Clarify, Pat White is a great athlete but was not a great quarterback. He was an electric player for WVU racking up accomplishments like being one of only 9 players to run for 200 yards and pass for 200 yards in the same game. He finished his college career as the all-time leading rusher in the NCAA from the quarterback position and holds many WVU all-time records for rushing and passing. He was a headache for any team’s defense to game plan against and fun to watch as a fan. Problem is pro football is the same game, just on a whole other level of skill and ability.

White’s size, listed at 6’ ¼ and 197 lbs at the 2009 NFL Combine, was part of his downfall. His height makes it tough for him to see over his offensive lineman’s helmets, being 3-6 inches shorter. His speed at the Combine was not great either, 4.55 in the 40 yard dash. Granted he could’ve had a bad day, slipped when he took off, had a cramp, or any other thing in the world that slowed him down that day; he could be faster than that, who knows? Bottom line is the physical stats don’t add up but he was a player on Saturday.

Parcells, having been a football coach since 1964 and a NFL coach since 1979 (he became head coach of the New York Giants in 1983) should have known better. He was honest and said he wished they would have drafted someone else with their second round pick… fair enough. But why mention Pat White? Pat White played one year in the NFL and then tried his hand at pro baseball signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals in 2010. After he played in the fall instructional league he promptly retired from baseball as well. Easy for Parcells to step on White when he’s down; and Parcells obviously missed really badly on this draft pick. I still do not understand why he had to say the player’s name? He gains nothing by doing so and tramples on White… again.

The Devils get new threads.

The Arizona State University men’s football team will wear a new uniform this season. Just to clarify, they do look sharp but I don’t think that will help them win any games. New threads, same result!

I’m sure that recruits will like the new uniforms more than the previous ones; maybe they will snag a recruit or two that they wouldn’t have signed with the new uniforms? But polish a … and its still a … I have nothing against ASU. I wish them success. I also wish for them to get a coach that will recruit the talent rich PAC-10 land and get them back to a winning program.

Will he just play and then be quiet???

Anyone tired of Tim Teabow? I am, and have been for five years now. He has a ridiculous commercial running for the sports drink FRS. Throughout the commercial he’s working out and letting us know that “everyone said he couldn’t play quarterback in high school. Everyone said he couldn’t play quarterback in college. Everyone said he couldn’t play quarterback in the NFL.” And so on… he then “thanks everyone”. This commercial is ridiculous because who said he couldn’t play in high school? He was a top recruit coming out of high school thus, who the hell said he couldn’t play on the collegiate level? I get the comment on the pro level. He was a first round draft pick but the coach that drafted him is long gone. We will see about him continuing to play on the pro level.

Just to clarify, I’m not wishing anything hateful on Teabow. I’m sure he’s a great person to be around and if he is successful on the pro level than so be it. I don’t see it, but so be it. After all, we all love an underdog. An underdog that was a top recruit coming out of high school, a Heisman Trophy winner in college, and a first round draft pick in the NFL.

Welcome Back NBA Fans

Spring has sprung and all casual NBA fans are coming out of their cocoons and being welcomed back to pro basketball. You remember the NBA, the thing you hate to admit that you have some interest in during the regular season and claim to only watch games during the playoffs, “when the games count”.  Somehow these same fans will tell you what each team needs to win and why that team sucks, but again, somehow they did not follow the NBA during the regular season. How does that happen?

For those of you still holding on to the mantra that you did not follow the NBA regular season, here is what you missed leading into round 1 of the playoffs starting on Saturday.

The Michael Jordan-less Chicago Bulls are the best team in the NBA per their regular season record. For the first time since 1998 the Bulls are going into the playoffs with home court advantage throughout. They have a young athletic team headed by their MVP candidate, Derek Rose. Youth aside this team has depth, size, and play tremendous defense. A match up against the Miami Heat appears to be imminent in the conference finals.

For those of you waking out of a 10 year comma, the San Antonio Spurs are still a relevant team having taken the second best record in basketball and top seed in the West; yes that same team with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli. They still grind the ball out with great defense and a half court game that is difficult to stop. The Admiral’s ship has sailed but his crew continues to get it done.

The team to beat out of the West is still the 2010 NBA champs, the Los Angeles Lakers; still feel like you haven’t missed much in the NBA over the past ten years? The Lakers exploded out of the gates after the All-Star game being the NBA’s hottest team until the end of the season. Their 2-5 record at the end of the regular season is a sign of the grind not a reflection of the team. Their hopes will hinge on starting center, Andrew Bynum. He hyper extended his knee on the second to last game of the regular season. If he can produce in the later rounds, the Lakers appear to be headed to another finals appearance.

The offseason acquisition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh appeared to be a mistake early in the season for the Miami Heat. Limping out of the gate and enduring a 5 game losing streak during the season, all haters were ready with torches and pitchforks to chase the brash team out of the NBA. But as the season wore on, they found their niche. Stabilizing and improving along the way, the Heat captured the second best record in the East. Their second round match-up with the Boston Celtics should be a thriller. The Celtics are battle tested for the playoffs but are starting to show signs of their age.

Talk about ten years ago… The AARP cardholding Celtics will wheel out a lineup that includes Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Shaq! Will this group be one and done? The newly recharged New York Knicks could make it interesting but I only see them winning one game against the Celtics. The Celtics should push the Heat in the second round. An early exit in the playoffs could be the end of the run for this group. Barring an off-season pick up, this lineup does not have the energy to contend anymore.

Looking for a new team to follow? The Oklahoma City Thunder is your team. Led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, this team has all the pieces to make a run and steal a series or two. They took the Lakers to 7 games last year. The addition of center Kendrick Perkins will add interior toughness and rebounding should they face the Spurs and/or Lakers.

The most puzzling team of them all is the Orlando Magic. Talk about talent and ability with no direction. They have enough to make another run to the finals but they seem to lack that “it” quality. Their second round matchup with the Chicago Bulls will end another year of frustration for that team and fans alike.

What’s an opinion without a prediction?

In the East my heart is telling me Bulls vs. Celtics but my mind is telling me Bulls vs. Heat. I think the Celtics will pack the paint and make “King” James and his court mates a jump shooting team, something they are not the best at doing. Experience and talent over talent and attitude, I’m going Celtics vs. Bulls with the Bulls winning the East. The rest of that bracket plays out as seeded even though the Atlanta Hawks won the regular season series over the Orlando Magic.

In the West things are a little bit more difficult. Spurs and Lakers have playoff ready made teams. The wild card is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On with the picks: The Dallas Mavericks are upset by the Portland Trailblazers in the first round. The Thunder and Nuggets have a shootout in the first round but the Thunder prevails in 6 games. The Lakers are pushed to the limit vs. the Trailblazers, if Bynum is healthy, but squeak out the series to face… the Thunder! Spurs lose in the second round this year leaving a 4 seed vs. 2 seed Thunder vs. Lakers West finals. If the Lakers are healthy it’s hard to pick against them. With the playoffs being dragged out over a couple of months, this poses an advantage to the older teams like the Lakers with multiple days rest between games. I think the Thunder pushes the Lakers 7 games after a tough series against the Trailblazers.

The worn out Lakers vs. the fresh Chicago Bulls is your NBA finals this year folks. The Lakers will not have enough gas in their tank for their third straight series against a younger team. The Bulls win this one in 6 games.

Just to clarify, the ten year comma in the NBA is real… but more like the 30 year comma. Only 8 different teams have won a NBA title in the past 30 years… yes only 8! The Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Spurs, Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons are your eight teams. Talk about a Groundhog Day effect in the NBA. This year appears to keep the streak alive. Here’s to hoping the Oklahoma City Thunder can crack the code next year.

The Weight of a Season Balances on One Word

The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans may find out how important one word can be to an entire season and perhaps ending this teams dynasty run.  

After all that the Lakers have played for this season, last night Kobe was ejected from a game against the San Antonio Spurs for calling a referee a gay slur. Kobe felt he was fouled on a play in which he was called for a charge. Upset by the call he yelled the slur at the referee and was promptly kicked out. The Lakers won the game, even though Bryant did not finish nor did Andrew Bynum due to a knee injury (hyper extended knee).

What’s so important about Kobe being ejected? Several things. First the Lakers are fighting for the second seed in the NBA West. If the playoffs were to start today they would be matched up against the New Orleans Hornets, whom they have a 4-0 record against this season. A team they can win a series against without Bynum thus allowing him to rest until their next series. Bynum figures to be a key player for the Lakers if they are to defend their title and make a deep push into the playoffs.

Secondly, if Dallas wins their next game and the Lakers lose, the Lakers will get the third seed. Their first round opponent would be the Portland Trailblazers. Portland has been Lakers killers over the past few years and has a 2-2 record against them this season. Simply stated, this is a really tough match up for the Lakers.

Due to NBA rules for being ejected, Kobe may have to set out the Lakers final regular season game for that one word. If Bynum is unable to play due to his knee injury, the Lakers road to the NBA Championship just became that much more difficult as they have a must win game with two starters out. Think every game in the regular season doesn't count anymore?

I understand Kobe’s passion for winning which got the best of him last night, but why call the referee a gay slur? Sports fans know that there are just certain things players can never say to referees, umpires, etc… Did Crash Davis not teach us that lesson in “Bull Durham”? That was 25 years ago, and here we are today. Furthermore, Kobe knows better. He’s been in the league for 14 years. I’m sure he’ll get a hefty fine for that one word but what will be the ultimate outcome for the Lakers after that one word?

Just to clarify, I don’t care if the Lakers get the second or third seed. Dallas has not done much with the talent they have collected over the years thus I don’t see them doing much in the playoffs one way or another with that second seed. When they had the best record in the NBA a few years ago, they squandered it and were swept; fun to watch them play but they seem to lack heart or passion at times. Like them or not, at least the Lakers win and play with passion. All in all this looks like a nice ride for the Spurs into the NBA Championship. They better watch out for fresh legs coming out of Oklahoma and Denver.

Quick hits

Good news bad news for University of Tennessee and their men's basketball program. Their first baskebtall recruit commited to coach Martin this week. The bad news is this was a player Martin was recruiting for his Missouri State team. I don't know one thing about this recruit but I do know that the talent level in the SEC is a little bit better than the Missouri Valley Conference; at least it used to be. If that's his recruiting strategy he should be able to stock pile lower mid-major recruits left and right! As an Arkansas Razorback fan I hope this strategy continues for UT.

Randy Moss to the J-E-T-S?

Randy Moss is a free agent looking for a team. Smart money would be for him to join the New England Patriots again. Brady knows how to work the underneath routes and Moss can clear the way for him to do so, as Moss only knows how to run one route... straight down the field. What other team would allow him to run only one route each play throughout the entire season? He played for three teams last year and none of those stops went well for him. But the Jets are interested. Is this a move to stop him from going to their rival or is this just another head case to join the J-E-T-S? Should be interesting either way.

Baseball’s early season money pit(s)

Derek Jeter, 36 years old, is just two years removed from one of his best seasons in his prolific career for the New York Yankees (he should have won the MVP that year!). After his media battle with the Yankees during the off season for a big money contract, which he won ($51 million over 3 years), Jeter is showing signs of slowing down… way down. In his first 34 at bats of the season, Jeter is hitting a paltry .206; that’s 7 total hits so far for those of you like me that can’t do quick math in your head. Of those 7 hits only one has been a line drive that has left the infield. What’s truly alarming about this stat is of the 29 balls he’s hit into play, 23 have been grounders. The lion’s share of his grounders are weak dribblers to the second baseman.

Some MLB players take a month or so to “warm up” at the plate. Why have Spring Training if it takes a player another month or so to start hitting? That’s an excellent question and the reasons have always eluded me. Back to the point; after a 100 regular season at bats one can gauge how that season will go for a hitter. Some guys are slow in the first half of the season and have a dynamic second half, making for a well rounded season. The unfortunate thing about second half dynamos as a fan, manager, or general manager is your season could be over by then. If you’re on a winning team and still in playoff contention then a hot hitter in the second half of the season is what you need to ride into the playoffs as everyone else is wearing down. What will Jeter’s story be this year?

After giving you the “its okay to start slow background” why am I possibly pulling the ripcord on Jeter so soon? This is what statistics can’t tell you. In the Yankees last series against the Red Sox, Jeter only saw fastballs and cutters, no breaking pitches. This means that other teams feel that Jeter’s bat speed is no longer quick enough to get around on 90 plus mile an hour pitches. When teams know how to pitch you, this makes you an easy out. Jeter has now become a liability hitting at the top of the order for the Yankees… with two years left on his contract!

Just to clarify, I hope Jeter can turn his season around at the plate. The Yankees need him if they are going to be serious contenders in the AL East and make a run in the playoffs. Will they drop him in the batting order? I doubt it. He is 67 hits shy of 3,000; a time honored benchmark for enshrinement in MLB’s Hall of Fame. Jeter will need to hit at the top of the order to get more at bats so he can reach 3,000 hits around the All-Star game. A marketing machine the Yankees can cash in on.

One more thing about his hitting troubles that worries me is MLB just had the Yankees stop their scouts sitting in the stands from making hand jesters to the players before and during their at bats. The scouts were using a radar gun and letting the hitters know how fast a pitcher is throwing and what type of pitches that have been thrown. The hitters still have to hit, but if one has a little more information on the pitcher they are facing in seconds time, that leads to an advantage for the hitter. Other teams complained that this was a form of cheating. So Jeter and company are no longer allowed to use their scout’s information. I’m not sure this is the reason why Jeter is struggling but it does raise another interesting question.

Maybe he should’ve signed that contract?

Albert Pujols is off to an even more troubling start to his season than Derek Jeter. Pujols is hitting .150 through 10 games and 40 at bats; that’s 6 hits on the year one being a home run. Conventional wisdom says that the 31 year old, career .330 hitter, will snap out of his slump before long. But what if the stress of not having a big money contract for next year is bothering him?

Before the age of vitamin supplements and other performing enhancing supplements, most MLB players had past their prime by their early 30’s. Is this the case for Pujols? Again, I doubt it. I hope he has another 4-5 good years left in him. But one has to wonder. I hate to be the one to say it, but not all power hitting Hispanic players have played the game cleanly in the last few years. For that matter, very few players have played the game cleanly over the past 20 years or so.

Anything you wish to clarify?

Thoughts along the way

So you think your new neighbor sucks?

If, more like when, the Sacramento Kings head south down interstate 5 to Anaheim before the start of the next NBA season their move will cost Dr. Jerry Buss (owner of the Los Angeles Lakers) $250 million in TV revenue. A clause in the Lakers’ TV contract stipulates that if a third team moves into the southern California market they have to forfeit that money.

And you thought your neighbor was bringing down your property value!

Does having longer hair brings out one's sensitive side?

How and why is Tom Brady still crying over being picked 199^th in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft years ago? In an upcoming TV show called “The Brady Six” a show which will breakdown the six quarterbacks that were drafted before Brady, Brady is interviewed and starts to cry over the frustration he and his family felt while waiting to be drafted. Scouts and his agent said he was a lock to be drafted in the second or third round. So when his name wasn’t called during day one or the start of day two, they started to panic.

Just to clarify, I can understand the frustration, nervousness, and disappointment he and his family must have been going through at that time. He waited his turn to be a starting QB at the University of Michigan, not starting until his senior year. He didn’t have a lot of time to show his ability nor grow as a quarterback for NFL scouts to see leading up to the draft. That would make me nervous as well. But from the outside looking in, I would think a lot of those wounds would’ve healed by now. The only thing he could really be upset about now is that the New England Patriots did not draft him sooner. Had he been drafted by any other team, there is no telling how his career and life would’ve turned out. He can thank Drew Bledsoe, the previous starting quarterback for the Patriots, for getting injured as well. No telling how his career would've turned out had that not happened as well.

I guess this goes to show that one can win three Super Bowls, be named league MVP twice, hold NFL single season passing records, have your name bantered around with the greatest NFL players of all time, be a future first ballot lock for the Hall of Fame, earn millions of dollars, have a super model wife, and still life sucks because we weren’t drafted in the first couple of rounds of the 2000 NFL draft??? Nah, I don’t believe that. Please stop pissing and moaning about a trivial situation from years ago. If that is as bad as your life really is, you should count your lucky stars.

I’m waiting for him to break out a guitar during an upcoming interview. “I’d like to play a melancholy ballad I wrote. It’s about the pain and suffering of being a 6^th round draft pick and having a super model wife.”

Poor Tiger??? More like poor sports fans!!!

I'm glad Tiger didn't win the Masters today. Not because I didn't want him to win for personal reasons becuase I could really care less about him winning one way or another, but because all us sports fans would hear about for a week is how GREAT Tiger is!

Note to all sports media outlets (ESPN): You are the only one's still interested in Tiger Woods. Maybe if you let up on the coverage you give him, he would find his way back to greatness without all the pressure thus giving you a reason to overhype him all the time. He is no longer an elite golfer. He is still a great golfer and he may find his elite form again, but he's no longer the best. Please stop stuffing him down our collective throats!

Just to Clarify, with Tiger in contention all weekend and losing at the end, if we are lucky we will only hear about him through Tuesday. Here's hoping something bigger and better happens in sports over the next couple of days to cover up this story!!!

No Longer Watered Down, A Splash of Water Only?

The NBA’s new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) could add some much needed changes to incoming player’s eligibility requirements. Since 2005, players with NBA Hoop Dreams must be 19 years old by the end of that calendar year’s draft and one year removed from high school to be eligible. A new rule change being floated around would add a year to those requirements; two years removed from high school and 20 years of age by the end of that year’s NBA draft.

The possible new rule change is upsetting parents and players currently in high school (It’s all about the Benjamin’s). Opposition to the current rule cites that it is unfair for an individual that feels they are NBA ready to be banned from playing due to age restrictions. They list current NBA stars to support their cause: LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, etc… as players that went straight from high school to the pros and made an immediate impact in the NBA.

Advocates for the new rule agree that LeBron James and company did make an immediate impact in the NBA even though they skipped the college ranks, but they are the rare exceptions to the NBA dream. Fewer and fewer college players make NBA rosters each year much less under developed high school talent. The addition of European players being drafted closes that window even more for speculative high school players. FYI, the NBA draft only has two rounds and teams have a total of 15 roster spots each season.

The new provisions can help these children and their families more than they realize by allowing their children to get a college education thus having a better chance to provide for their families over their earning careers. Furthermore, the time in college allows them to mature both physically and mentally before becoming instant millionaires with international fame.

There are two interesting sides to this issue. College is about setting up an individual for success later in life. Who’s to say how long that time should be for each individual? At the same time, high school players and their parents need a dose of reality. Yes their child is talented. Yes their child could make a NBA roster and possibly bring much needed money to their family. If that child is that talented now, in two years he will still be talented with a much better chance of making a NBA team (see Corey Brewer, Univ. of Florida).

The final ruling should come from the NBA owners as they write the checks for their player’s salaries; just to clarify, two thirds of the NBA owners support this new rule change. Those owners should continue to listen to their fans as their fans are the reason owners have a profitable NBA team to operate. In an extremely scientific “Just to Clarify” poll (not worth questioning… ever), 98% polled thinks the new rule should be adopted (take that Gallop), and I couldn’t agree more.

I hope all of these kids are able to follow their dreams into the NBA and make millions of dollars. I also hope these kids get a couple of years in college basketball and learn more about life than just “hardwood lessons”. The NBA product is watered down which leads to a watered down NCAA college basketball product. How many times did you have this conversation with your buddies, “Imagine if LeBron was in college, he would be a senior this year. No telling what he would do at this level.”

If that old story doesn’t work for you, imagine if Derrick Rose was still in college. He would’ve been a junior this past season (NCAA rule violations aside). Rose appears to be a lock for the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA this year. Take his counterpart under Coach John Calipari, John Wall. He’s in his second NBA season and struggling some in the NBA. Rose is the exception, Wall is the rule.

To satisfy both parties maybe the NBA should adopt Major League Baseball’s eligibility requirements? MLB’s requirements allow players to go pro once they have completed high school. Should a player not get drafted or choose to go to college, they can go into the college ranks but cannot come out of amateur status until the end of their junior year of college. This would put the onus on the NBA to STOP drafting high school players based on projected talent and start drafting based on proven ability.

Just to clarify, I will welcome the new rule and look forward to seeing the positive changes that it brings as "two and done" will be better than "one and done". Being able to have a vested interest in different pro players due to the colleges they attended, watching them develop as a player in the college ranks, and remembering the impact they made in the NCAA tournament will help the watered down version of both the NBA and college basketball. The one negative this may bring... you can say goodbye to the VCU's and Butler's of March Madness.

My Friday morning cup of coffee

Heralded freshman basketball player Kyrie Irving has declared to go pro. The University of Duke basketball player appeared in only 11 games for the Blue Devils this season due to injuries.

How lame is the NBA that a freshman in college, who only played in 11 total career college basketball games, feels he’s ready for the NBA; after only 11 games! Still think the NBA product isn’t watered down?

Big Pious Ben… Who knew?

Ben Roethlisberger, the starting quarterback for the Pittsburg Steelers is engaged to be married to his “on again and off again” 25 year old girlfriend. Their wedding date is set for later this summer, a week before his training camp begins. A few things bug me about this story. 1) “Big Ben” said he would not live with his fiancé before they are wed due to his religious beliefs. If this is true good for him. My question is where was his religious beliefs when he was exposing himself to women at bars and allegedly forcing himself on at least two different women? I would hope that would be against his religious beliefs as well.

2) He is getting married a week before his NFL training camp starts, assuming that the NFL is not still locked out at this time. Who gets married a week before they start their job again? Seems that one would get married, go on a week long honeymoon (if possible), spend sometime getting moved in and adjusted (due to his religious beliefs she would not be moved in at this point), and then go away for training camp. Not get married, go on vacation, and then take a vacation away from your new bride by going away to training camp. Something is rotten in Denmark.

Another point, why even mention his religious beliefs to the public. Seems like a media ploy to help his image. He can claim “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” on this. Either way this is his doing.

Turning Two, Losing One:

Minnesota Twins lost their second baseman, Nishioka, yesterday when New York Yankees Nick Swisher slid into second base to try and break up a double play. Nishioka broke his left leg on a legitimate slide by Swisher. That’s truly taking one for the team!

Entertainment news:

Please stop giving updates on the “Three Stooges” film until the movie is in the can, edited, and ready to be released. Each week the old cast has backed out of the film and a new cast has been added. This movie will go down in history with Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster! We always heard rumors about it but never actually saw it.

This war is brought to you by...
Has anyone been watching the Libyan “conflict” on the news? The clips seem like a product placement agreement has been made by Toyota trucks and Evian water. Check it out and see if you can spot what I'm seeing.

Anything you wish to clarify? Let me know…

Points along the way

To add to the story of problems with fans, a Chicago Bull's fan spit at Grant Hill after last night's NBA game. A game which the Bull's won. Two things here, 1) Grant freaking Hill??? come on. He is the poster child/adult for what one would hope their kid would grow up to be. A well respected and highly educated adult that contributes to society. 2) It's Grant freaking Hill!!!!

The fan was so cocky and sure of himself that he ran off after spitting at Grant Hill; sounds like a real winner. Fortunately security caught up with the poor aiming saliva spitting bandit. I hope he is not allowed at another Bull's game ever!

To add to the stupidity of the situation, the Bulls are close to wrapping up the top seed in the East while the Phoenix Suns are fighting for the last playoff spot in the West. The Suns are no threat to the Bulls. Why oh why are fans so stupid?

More on the NBA, Shaq is hurt again... shocker!

More on basketball: Has anyone seen the commerical for cashcall.com? Did University of Connecticut's women's basketball coach, Geno Auriemma, dye is hair for this commerical or is that someone else?

More idiot's in basketball: University of Northern Arizona's men's basketball coach, Mike Adras, did not rank University of Connecticut as his number one team in the final ESPN/USA Today Men's Basketball Top 25 Poll (long title again!). He stated that he thought Ohio State and University of Kansas had better seasons than UConn thus he did not rank them #1. I guess his goal for each season is to not make the NCAA tournament and win it all? If his team was not ranked in the top 10 all season but made an improbable run to the national championship does his team not deserve to be #1?

If a team had won the Maui Invitational, the Big East tournament, and the NCAA championship would he rank that team #1? Oh wait, UConn did all of that!

I get his point, kind of. I don't think VCU deserves to be the #4 ranked team in the nation at the end of the year but they did make the Final Four so it's a difficult point to argue. But isn't that what the tournament is all about? Finding out who is truly #1, unlike college football!

I'm loving the unbeatable Boston Red Sox are 0-4! Anyone out there still think they're going to win over 100 games this year?

Where is "To Catch a Predator" when you need them?
A Miley Cyrus blow-up doll has hit retail stores. If that wasn't creepy enough, the "Finally Mylie" doll sold out in 48 hours. I'm guessing law enforcement could track the customers by their credit card purchases to a whole mess of basement pedophiles. Didn't she just turn 18? Beware of the neighbor that watches their kids live action shows too often with them!

Anything you wish to clarify? Let me know...

What happened to just going to a game?

This week has reminded me of what an ugly term the word fan can mean. After all fan is short for fanatical. Fanatical means having extreme enthusiasms or zeal. This typically is a good thing for an individual, a family, and/or a city and state. Being a fan can inspire, motivate, and bring communities, race, creeds, and cultures together. Being fans of different teams can lead to tragedy, loss, and sometimes, death.

This is not a new story in the world of sports; unfortunately. A visiting fan goes to his team’s away game for opening weekend. Excited about what the new season may bring and ready to cheer on his beloved team. Wearing a jersey supporting the visiting team, said fan is greeted by multiple jeers and slurs. Nothing one cannot live through but something one does not need when attending a game; this is supposed to be a family atmosphere is it not? After visiting team beats the home team, said fan is taunted all the way out of the stadium by the home team’s fans. This fan is taunted to the point that the home team’s fans beat him to the point of brain damage while other fans of the home team watch. How and why does this happen?

For those of you unfamiliar with the background of this story, during Major League Baseball’s opening weekend a Giants fan was beaten to the point of having brain damage outside of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Living in Los Angeles and having attended too many games to count, what happened does not surprise me. I witnessed a St. Louis Cardinals’ fan being picked on and then ultimately punched several times for no reason other than wearing a Cardinals’ jersey; and yes I did something about it other than just watch. Not that it would matter, but these attacks did not take place during the playoffs with the season on the line. This was not during the last game of the World Series with an entire season balancing on one game. This was one of 162 regular season games. One meaningless game out of 162 games. This was a fan that thought it was safe to support his team without harm at a visiting stadium.

The Dodger’s have to take accountability for the actions of their fans in this altercation. Where was their security and local law enforcement during this altercation? This is a well known rivalry! It’s well known that fights breakout between Giants’ and Dodger’s fans, seemingly, all the time. Still in the midst of a recession with soaring prices on everything, why would one want to subjugate themselves to this kind of environment?

Having attended games at places like Yankee Stadium, security is omnipresent. One gets the feeling that stadium security is everywhere. If a fight were to take place, security is there to help keep people (gulp)… secure if needed!

To further the point of accountability on the Dodger’s part, their marketing department has a commercial airing to promote 2011 Dodger baseball. The commercial features an apparent “LA” gang tattoo on the bicep of one of their fans. Is this the image that the Dodger’s really want for their ballpark and fans? Is this the underlining theme of “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” sung during the seventh inning stretch of every game?

Just to clarify, I will always love going to sporting events. Will something like this keep me from going to future games... of course it will. The thought will always be hanging in the back of my mind. After all, who wants to get into a fight over a team that will not make the playoffs again this year?!?!