Hey Everybody I am a Communist!

I recently received this comment to the post I wrote about the suicide of Tony Dungy's son, James. I have been trying to think of a way to respond to someone calling me a communist because anyone who knows me can state that I am anything but a communist. I find it interesting, though, that someone felt so strongly, about what I wrote, that they resorted to name calling and questioning my intellectual capacity. While it is true that I only finished the 3rd grade he didn't have to go and call me a communist. So before I go any further I want you to read what anonymous wrote, in response to my post:

"When the media reports on a death, yes, it is important to report the cause. What are they suppose to say, "sorry, but the coroners office told us cause of death, but we're not going to pass that information on to our viewers, even though thats our job." The kid killed himself, hate to break it to you, but that does qualify as news. I for one dont want my news censored because it my hurt someones feelings. Give us the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. I think your post might be the dumbest thing Ive ever read in my life. With all the things wrong with ESPN, reporting on a cause of death is not one of them. If you don't like freedom of the press, China is always looking for some cheap labor in their gulags".

I say that the media should leave the Dungy family alone and I suddendly become dumb and someone who doesn't beleive in the 1st amendment. In today's society if you have a different opinion on a subject, people feel it necessary to resort to name calling and character assination. I guess that the days of intellectual debates are over? The zeitgeist of the times calls for people to be lumped into groups and pigeon holed into certain beliefs. People from the South are no longer Southerners, we are Red Staters. As if every Southerner is a Republican. If you believe in God than you a Religous Right Wing Zealot. And if you are a Sourtherner, who is religous, then you are a Southern Right Wing Republican who voted for Charleston Heston as your President, because don't you know all Southerners own guns (Another Favorite). We are not free thinking adults we have become labels. Labels that have been conveinently defined by popular media outlets, who need content to fill the pages and airwaves that we consume only a daily basis. And this is why I feel that the media outlets should leave Tony Dungy and his family alone. Content! ESPN does not have to rely on another TO story because now they can dig into every minute detail of James Dungy's life. I watched yesterday, ESPN made James Dungy's funeral into star watch. Who was at the funeral? How will this effect the Colts chances of winning the Super Bowl? How will this effect Peyton's ability to read a defense? Lets go to Sal Palintonio to see how this will effect Marvin Harrison's ability to fart. It wasn't about James or Tony Dungy and the issues that caused this tragedy it was about Warren Sap, Herm Edwards et al who showed up to the church. This is what I have a problem with because ESPN is going to milk this through the Playoffs but they will be nowhere to be found 20 years from now when Tony Dungy is tromented by the thoughts that he could have done more for his son. But they don't have a problem taking advantage of someone's death in order to fill air time but what do I know all I want to do is piss on the Constitution because I am a Communist. Well I am off to buy my Che Guevera shirt, a copy of Marx's Communist Manifesto, a sickle and sledgehammer, and a one way ticket to China. Talk to you later Comrads.

Does It Get Any Better Than This?

Since I have been a Memphis Tiger fan I can't remember two better days than these past two. Yesterday we won our second bowl game in three years in which Deangelo had one of his average games in which he only rushes for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns and tonight the basketball team comes from behind to beat #8 Gonzaga by 11. For a program that is trying to position itself to get in a BCS conference in 2008 we are doing some good things. The TV exposure alone has been priceless.

Tony Dungy

I just read an article that dealt with the death of Tony Dungy's son. I really feel for him because of his loss and I hope that ESPN and other media outlets leave him alone. This is not a time to park a reporter in Tampa and in Indy watching the every movement of the Dungy family. Let this family greave in peace. It is not a story that sports fans or celebrity watchers need to know, it is a personal issue. When I saw this story I was a little shocked because the media is so quick to report that it was an apperant suicide. Have they no shame? Is this really something we need to know? Couldn't they have just reported that he died and been done with it? In reporting that it was a suicide, it makes things worse for the family because the parents feel even more responsible for the death of their child . They are going blame themselves because they will think that there was more they could have done or they should have noticed that something was wrong. With the media coverage these emotions will only be intesified because of the attention that the story has been given and will receive. I wish that the executives, at the media outlets that are reporting this, lived under the same microscope that athletes and coaches operate, maybe then they would see that somethings should be off limits. As a society have we no shame?

Well Folks We are #4!

The last time the Memphis Tigers were ranked in the top 5 was in 1996. Thanks to one of our most hated rivals , Loserville, the Tigers moved to #4. I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for beating Loserville saturday. Go Big Blue!

Why Is ESPN Trying To Sell Me Madden 2006?

I was flipping through the channels the other day and came upon a show,on ESPN, that centered on guys playing Madden 2006 while wearing certain players NFL jersey. This has to be the most blatant scam I have seen in a while. All this show was a a more stylized version of the infommercials that come on late at night. The problem that I have is that ESPN tried to pawn this off as entertainment as oppossed to a commercial. The whole purpose of this show is to sell video games, much like the And 1 Mix Tour and tapes are meant to promote the shoe brand. How dumb do the ESPN executives think that we, as viewers, are? As consumers become tried of the constant barrage of advertisements companies are looking for new and creative ways to sell thier products. Hence the creation of the Madden 2006 competition show. I would really like to see the Neilson ratings for this show. I truly wonder if there were people who fell for this show?

New segment

I will be adding a new segment to my blog, in the upcoming weeks. I plan to interview sports business professionals, in order to help those that are thinking about making it a career. I want people to understabd what they are getting into before they get thier hopes up and then have the dashed that working in the sports field is not what they thought. Now I have made it my career but I was a bit naive when I started graduate school thinking it was going to be fame and fortune. I am trying to counteract stories people see played out on TV and the movies, i.e. Jerry Maguire. He is a character in a movies and he is pure fantasy. Now I had some really great professors who taught me alot but your education while only get you so far. That is why I have decided to do this so people don't make thier decision blindly. So if there are any questions or certain fields/specialties you want explored please leave a comment and I will do my best to get you an answer.

Deangelo Update

In the last week Deangelo has been named to the Walter Camp 1st team All American Team and today he was named to the AP 2nd team All American team. While I am still disappointed that he didn't win the Doak Walker Award, he is being recognized for his acheivements by others.

BCS Bias

Last night I was disappointed that Deangelo Williams didn't win the Doak Walker Award but such is life. After thinking about the award I have come to the conclusion that the Non-BCS schools should create their own seperate league that could be comparable to Division 1 AA. In this league you would have the WAC, The Mountain West, CUSA, the MAC, and the Big Sky conferences. You would play all of your non-conference games against these teams and you could compete for the Non-BCS national championship. In doing this you could also have a playoff system that would lead to the champion being crowned. You can use the bowls as playoff sights and have the championship played in a warm climate city. This would only hold true for football because there are a few of these schools could compete for a national championship in basketball. In doing this you can invigorate the programs by creating a viable incentive to play for. If the BCS won't let us in maybe it is time to create a new system. There are the haves and the have nots, and non-BCS schools are the have nots so maybe this system will change that image that these schools have.

Memphis and the Graduation Rate

Well I some good news and bad news Memphis fans. The Memphis Football team ranks in the top ten in graduating football players but the bad news the graduation rate of the overall student body. I have to say that I am trully embaressed, as an Alumni of the Uof M, that Memphis only graduates 33% of the overall student body. I repeat 33%. 1 out of every three students attending Memphis will graduate. To me this is mind boggling. What is going on that they cannot graduate more people? I truely am afraid what I will find if I dig any deeper.

BCS and collusion

To say that the BCS system is unfair is a understatement. There are 117 D1 college football programs and a majority of them do not have a chance to play in a BCS bowl before a game is even played. Last year was a beautiful sight when Utah crashed the party and won the Fiesta Bowl but that was a once in a while occurrence. The big six BCS conferences have colluded to keep the "smaller" conferences out of the BCS picture. It is a situation of the haves and the have nots.The have nots have their bowl ties ins and the haves have the national championship, as well as the money that goes along with it. The way it is now we will not have programs like Miami or Florida State, teams that built a program from nothing and have become BCS powers. The BCS has made provisions for "smaller" schools to be able to play into the the bowl picture but it is not enough. What is enough is that BCS schools can schedule the smaller schools, as non conference games, beat them and leave. Every so often you have surprises such as UT-Memphis(1996) and Southern Miss-Nebraska (2004). What is the choice the non-BCS schools have but to play along because they need the buy games to support thier athletic budgets? So here is a compromise, allow the smaller schools to have thier bowl games and allow the BCS schools to have the playoffs. It is not like the smaller schools are even going to considered for the playoff in the first place, so think outside of the box. I see this as a win/win situation where everyone wins.

Memphis's Bowl Game

It looks like the Tigers are going to play another MAC team but instead of Mobile it will be played in the US's favorite tourist destination, Detroit.
That's right the Tigers will play the Akron Zips, on December 26 at 3pm, at Ford Field. So Tiger fans get out your shorts, beach towels, and hand guns because we are going to Detroit, Michigan.

Trite Language

I have had it with these half-wit football announcers and their language. I have to believe that their is either a book or a school that these sports announcers have access to because they all use the same trite language. Where are the modern day Grantland Rices? Why have networks dumbed down sports broadcasts to extent that a flee would feel smarter than the sports announcers? It amazes me that pundits say that US citizens are becoming smarter but our entertainment outputs are absolutely mind numbing. The sad thing is there is a trickle down effect in terms of sports presentation. It flows from the top. National broadcasters to local sports talk radio hosts. There is no end to absolute simple analysis being delivered by simple people. Here are some of the phrases that make wish that music would be played rather than having announcers:
Barn Burner
Duck( meaning a bad pass)
Call Off the Dogs
Get on a Roll
Any type of BCS debate
Frozen Rope
Clicking on All Cylinders
Trickeration/Tickery : There is no such thing as a trick play
Physicality
Big body/Big Boy/Big Fella
Good Hustle
Take It To Them
HeartBreaker
Battle In the Trenches
Quit Giving Up So Many Big Plays
Well Covered
Feel free to participate.

Deangelo Update

This week Deangelo Williams garnered two more awards when he was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Year for the 3rd time and he was named to the AFCA ALL-American Team with Reggie Bush sharing the backfield with him. Deangelo is the 1st player from Memphis to be named to this team. While we know that he isn't going to win the Heisman it is the hope, of all Memphis Fans, that he get invited to New York for the ceremony. While he won't win the Heisman he is in the running for the Doak Walker Award, which he is one of two backs that will win it, Reggie Bush being the other. We will keep our fingers crossed.

Liberty Bowl

Well folks we well not have a marquee matchup in the Liberty Bowl like the one we had last year. Boise State vs. Louisville was a great matchup but this year we have Fresno State vs. Tulsa, two teams that met when they were in the WAC. Ah, let me rush out and buy my tickets now because I want to see this match up. I want to see a team that brings a three game losing streak, Fresno State, play Tulsa, whose star player is a Tight End. Now you will never hear me say that Memphis should be in the Liberty Bowl this year but I believe that they jumped the gun when they invited Fresno State. Since they were invited, Fresno has lost to Nevada(38-35) and LaTech (40-28), this does not bode well for the City of Memphis or the Liberty Bowl in terms of fans and visitors to the city. Think about it you have two teams that will have to travel from Oklahoma and California and neither of these teams draw well at home. Fresno averages 39,307 and Tulsa averages 22,826.The Memphis Tigers drew 23,000 when they were consistent losers. So for the fan, who does not have a rooting interest in these teams what is the draw? Neither of these teams have ever had a following here or a true national following, so why were they chosen? Tulsa was chosen because of the CUSA contract but couldn't they have waited to choose another team to play Tulsa? Last year the Liberty Bowl drew a record crowd and it is yet to be seen what type of interest this year match up will generate. I know one thing is for sure they will not even come close to last year's crowd when Boise and Louisville played.

Unbelievable

Dixie Carter, a fellow Memphis alumn, once said that "In the South We Don't Hide Our Crazies, We Bring Them Out of the Closet For Everyone to See." Well ladies and gentlemen I want to introduce you to one of our crazies, Phyllis from Mulga. I came to know Phyllis via a link on Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer blog. Phyllis is a character that frequently calls the Paul Finebaum radio show, which is out of Birmingham Alabama. I have to say that she is truly one passionate lady in terms of her hate for Phil Fulmer and her love of Bama football. So folks if you want to know how people in the South feel about their football, then you need to click on the link and listen to Phyliss. I have to say is that this is some really good radio.

An Important Rivalry

In my family the Army-Navy game has always been an important event because of my family's involvement in serving the country in the Naval Services. Growing up in a Navy family and on a Naval base I have a really hard time rooting Army, under any circumstances. Rooting for Army would rank right up there with rooting for the Russians. When the game is over Army is okay but while it is being played I just can't say anything nice about them.

All kidding aside, tomarrow's game is what college athletics once were. The Army/Navy game is an example of what college football was once in terms of the pangentry, the importance, the athletes, and the amateurism; all things that are slowly disappearing from the other 100 plus Division 1 A football programs. Tomarrow's game is about something more than TV ratings, merchandise sales, bowl games, or butts in the seats, it is about pride. While there hasn't been a truly relevant Army/Navy since Staubach, in terms of a National Champion, the one constant has always been pride. These men aren't playing for the scouts and many of them will never play football game again. They are playing for each other and for you, the citizens of the US. So tomarrow you will hear one chant at my house "Go Navy beat Army!"

Fulmer Apologizes

Today Phil Fulmer sent an email apologizing for the 5-6 season that the Vols finished with.

"I assure you that no one is happy about our season - especially me, and I know that our fans deserve better than what we produced this year."

The problem with this apology is that he does not apologize for the off the field incidents that took place during the off season. How many of his players were arrested? How many of them left the program? No matter what you say or how you try to spin it their season was lost in the spring and summer. You cannot have that much controversy and it not affect your team. So he can apologize for the Vols record all he wants but until the off the field issues are dealt with nothing will change.

Apologize, only at Tennessee!

Fuel For The Fire

Today the blog Everyday Should Be Saturday wrote a peice that delved into the problems surrounding ESPN, today. Well I recently came across an article in Fast Company Magazine that deals with ESPN's marketing. I had been saving this for a companion to what I wrote about ESPN a couple of weeks ago. Since we currently have a wave of change I decided to post it today.

Fast Company's August 2004 issue, page 41. Interview of Lee Ann Daly, Executive Vice President, Marketing ESPN Inc.

We take sportsvery seriously, but we don't take ourselves very seriously. That goes back to ESPN's roots. Our founders were bohemian sports fans in the same way that poets and pianters and jazz musicians believe in what they're doing in a passionate way. They really just wanted to create a 24-hours sports, news, and information network to share with other fans.

Although ESPN has grown into 40 different businesses [ 25 television networks globally, a radio network, a magazine, ownership of the professional bass-fishing and extreme sports tourneys, a chain of sports bar/resturants, etc.], what hasn't changed is our conversation with fans. It's almost like a club. So all of these extensions of the original ESPN must serve our relationship with each fan. When we expand, the most important thing to me is whether we can transform the business that we go into by better serving the fan. If it doesn't, you'll make money for 10 minutes, and then the fan will be disappointed and you won't be making any more money.

I think it's very difficult to put up with us if you don't love sports. What I'm talking about is a fundamental respect and understanding for just how important sports are in people's lives. Even though many people don't consider themselves to be sports fans. when you delve a little beneath the surface, most people are. To some degree, I don't think you can call yourself an American if you're not a sports fan.

This just points out how clueless that the executives at ESPN truely are. They truely have taken their viewers for granted. Compare and contrast her version and what has been written on EDSBS.

Deangelo Williams

I would like to begin this by saying thank you to Deangelo Williams. When I started at Memphis State, in 1992, the football program was a mediocre 6-5 and followed up that season with two more 6-5 seasons. Now these teams were severe underacheivers due to the fact that there were 10 players, off that team, that went on to play in either the CFL or NFL and one of those players was Isaac Bruce. Well after that last 6-5 season they fired Chuck Stobart and we didn't see a winning season until you came along. We had 1 big win beating #6 ranked Tennessee, who had Peyton, in 1996 but beside this things were extremely bleak. Bleak, meaning 10,000 fans a game bleak. Bleak meaning people began to say "Well there is always basketball season" after the second football game bleak. Now I know that you are one player on the team and that there are many people who are responsible for the success that has happened in the last 4 years but you were a major player. You have generated enormous publicity for the school and the football program, due to your play on the field. You have lit the spark on a dying football program. You have given Memphis fans something that they have been longing for and that is pride. We, as fans, can now say that we to have a football team. We no longer have to listen to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee fans put our program down. And for the first time in history Memphis is going to a bowl and those three schools aren't. We no longer have to set and watch SEC teams come into Memphis and raid the talent pool because we are now competing for those players. We no longer have to say that we are a basketball school because now we have two successful programs.

So as I was watching the clock tic down to zero on Saturday, I became very sad because I knew that I would not get the chance to watch you play in the Liberty Bowl again. In a small way this is what parents go through when their children go off to college. You watch someone grow and succeed and then it is time for them to move onto bigger and better challenges. It is bittersweet to say the least but I have plenty of good memories of watching you play. So with this said, I hope that you acheive all your hopes and dreams because you have helped many Tiger fans fulfill theirs.

Ladies and Gentlemen....

It is with great pleasure to be able to sit here and write something that makes feel all tingley inside. The University of Memphis has finished the season going to it's 3rd straight bowl and they have a better record than the University of Tennessee, that mighty football power to the East of Memphis. I have waited 13 years to be able to say that and it has finally arrived with great joy.

UT, a school with a truck load of blue chippers, finished the season 5-6 after starting the season #3 in the country. It really goes to show you that Karma works. Their arrogance has finally caught up with them and has made it clear that you need more than talent to win at football. To win at football you need chamraderie, luck, heart, and a work ethic. It became very clear before the season started, up on the hill, that these were missing. UT fans saw a program run amuck with countless behavior problems and a coach who failed to take control.Therefore no one should be surprised that the Vols finished the season as they did.

While Memphis finished the season 6-5, they didn't give up. They had four different quaterbacks, they lost the majority of their defensive line ( ending the season playing a two man d line), they lost 16 starters to injury, and they had to go from a passing team to a running team to fit quaterback Maurice Avery, who was a converted wide receiver. They had every opportunity to quit and no one would have blamed them if they had but the kept fighting. They wouldn't allow themselves to feel sorry for themselves. They walked on the feild with head up and played as if they had their full compliment of players. They adopted their coaches never say die menatlity and the they played like a team. A team that will forever be remembered by it fans, not for it's record for how they played the game: with heart.

I know I speak for all Tiger fans when I say Thank You. Thank You for making us proud to say that we went to Memphis. Thank You for being good citizens. Thank You for bringing a 3rd straight bowl to a program who had only been to 2 in it's 90 year history. Thank You for giving us great memories. And finally thank you for never quiting.

It's over it's finally over!

Today the arbirtrator upheld the suspension of Terrell Owens, and it couldn't have come soon enough. Now maybe the media will focus in on what is really happening on the feild in the NFL. Since the season started it has been TO overload and it has been non-stop. I know that it will be more TO this upcoming weekend but lets hope that the insanity will stop there. Gives us a little break would you, because as soon as the free agent signing period starts it will be TO watch again. The more that he is talked about, in the media, the more his ego is stroked and he has an outlet to act the way that he does.

The good thing that came from this is that the owners and the league have taken control and said that they were not going to allow one man disrupt the whole league. The league by far is bigger than one player and that is why the NFL is so successful. It doesn't put the spotlight on one player, i.e. Michael Jordan and the NBA, rather they havedeciced to keep things organic and moving forward. You are not going to see a decline in ratings and interest when one player retires, like they saw in the NBA after Jordan. Look how long it has taken the NBA to regenerate itself. They are a players league and the NFL is a team and organization league. It is about the team not the player. That is why today's ruling is so important for the NFL. In ruling the way in which he did, the arbirtrator made a statement to the NFL players: You will not hold the NFL and the teams hostage, so you can get your way.

TO failed to realize that he signed a contract and in the US if you sign a contract, then you have to live by it. If I sign a contract I have to live by it and I am not afforded the same lee-way that he has, because he can catch a ball. Maybe TO learned a few lessons today, one don't hire Drew Rosenhouse as your agent and two when you sign your name to a contract you have to honer because that is what being a man is about. What am I crazy? I am sorry I just had a momentary lapse in thinking. We are talking about the man nicknamed Me O.

It is time for a change!

Lately I have been seeing commentary on the web on the poor quality of ESPN, and I believe that it is time to slay the dragon that is ESPN. This notion was solidified in my brain when I noticed that they have begun to create events and pawn them off as sports news. What am I talking about exactly? Steve Phillips. Steve Phillips acting as the general manager of the Chicago Cubs during a fake news conference. To me this is akin to Will Ferrell, pretending to be George Bush, talking about foriegn affairs. What does Steve Phillips know about what will happen with the Cubs? Does ESPN believe that there are Chicago fans setting at home waiting to hear what is going to happen in the off season? To me this is ESPN's attempt to create entertainment, and disguise it as real news. It is not bad enough that we have to put up with the "news anchors", and I use this term very losely, shitck but now we have to suffer through this unbarable programing. It they had a true solid competitor we would not be seeing the things that we see on the channel that are currently there. I love that they have college football on all day on saturday and I love the majority of the college basketball coverage but these to, have serious problems. When Dick Vitale is talking, not yelling about, basketball he is tolerable but when he gets into his act it is like watching a clown at the circus. Another issue that I have are the brain dead announcers that have bastardized the English language. If I hear the word trickeration one more time, I will be at the local Wal Mart buying a new TV the next day. How about when they say intercept instead of interception? To me these guys are all trying to be different and they are so uncreative that they copy each other. What happened to the days when it was about the game instead of the announcers. It has taken me two decades to finally agree with Howard Coselland and his criticisms of former athlete sports announcers, i.e. Don Meredith. Lets hope that CBS can upgrade CSTV enough in order to compete with ESPN.

Who are the good guys in sports?

The last couple of weeks we have been bombarded by the media coverage of Terrell Owens and the Eagles. With all of this negativity welcoming itself into our homes I began to wonder who are the good guys in sports? What I would like is to hear from people about the positive experiences they have had with athletes, on a personal level.

Growing up my hero was Ed "Too Tall" Jones. I thought that he was the coolest guy on Earth. This was not a popular hero considering that I grew up in Southern Maryland. All of freinds wanted to be Joe Thiesman or John Riggins but not me man I dreamed of playing for the Dooms Day Defense wearing Ed's #72. He wasn't the most popualr player on the team considering they had Tony Dorsett, Danny White, Randy White, Drew Pearson, and Harvey Martin; But to me there was just something special about Too Tall. Well move ahead 20 years and I am living in Memphis, 100 miles away from Too Tall's hometown of Jackson Tennessee. My meeting with him wouldn't take place in a bar, a stadium, or a card show, no it would take place at a Carnival Shoe store, where he he was doing an autograph signing. Now I have met alot of professional athletes, coming in contact through my jobs or personal contacts, but the nicest of them all was Ed "Too Tall" Jones. At the time I was 27 but when I went up to meet him I turned in to a 5 year old blabbering idiot. Although I digressed in age when I did get to meet him, he was patient and kind two things I haven't experienced from other athletes. Now I will say that I am not an autograph whore but he was one autograph that I always wanted. What is even cooler is that he took a picture to with me which made my year. While he wasn't the most famous player on the Cowboys he was and is my hero. Thanks Too Tall.

Now I want to hear stories like this in order to show that athletes aren't always ego driven jerks.

Along these lines there is a book that is an excellent refernce for this topic and It is called "Confessions of a Hero Worshiper" by Stephen Dubner. This read will really make you reflect about heros.

Joe Pa

I am really happy that John Saunders gave Joe Paterno a chance to clearify his statements on the black athlete. Fisher Deberry opened a can of worms that had been closed since John Entines book "Tabboo", both of these gentlemen believe that there are physiological differences between white athletes and black atheletes. When Joe Pa made his comments, they were lumped in with these two until his interview with John Saunders. Joe Paterno stated that he didn't believe that there are physiological differences between white and black athletes rather there is a sociological tangent to this equation. Paterno, as do I, believes that the reason that there has been an influx of black athletes into college and professional sports is due to the fact that is a way out of the situation that many of these athletes come from. Athletics has been used as a way out for the poor and working class since their inception. Do you beleive that the gladiators who faught in Rome came from the ruling class? Why was the NBA made up of mainly Jewish players during it's early years? Same could be asked about football both college and pro in the 20's and 30's? Just as it was then it is today athletics is a way to a better future for many kids growing up below the poverty line. Is it right? No but that is the way things have always been. Many coaches will tell you that the ideal situation, to coach in high school, is either in a rural community or the inner city because the kids playing in these areas want out. Clear and simple, these areas are dying and there are no jobs left. Farming communities are being taken over by mega farms and the jobs that were once availible to people who live in the inner city, light industry and telemarketing, are now being outsourced to countries such as India and Mexico. This same discussion is being had about baseball and the number of Hispanic players now playing here in the US. I heard Reggie Jackson talking about the need for the RBI (Returning Baseball to the Inner City) because there isn't much interest in baseball amoung young African American kids. Why is this? Why are there so many Hispanic players now in MLB? Could it be because they are superior athletes? Or does it have to do with the fact that is the only way that many of them have to get out of the situation that they live in. We are talking about guys who grew up playing baseball using card board for gloves. Look at MLB and it's teams baseball academies in places like the Dominican Republic, it is unbeleivible. They like the poor kids, who grow up in the US, know that sports is there way out. It is not because they have physiological differences that make them better athletes it is because it is their way out and they want it more.

A Few Thoughts

I have to say that the Kansas City Chiefs Coach made one gutsy call this weekend when he decided to go for the win instead of the tie. Coaches are not the most daring people when it comes to making these types of decisions, because there is so much on the line. That is what makes that call so refreshing, he had the nerve to take the chance. In doing this he showed the utmost confidence in his players. Loved the call!

The Tennessee Volunteers came into the season ranked number 3 in the country and have literally fallen off the face of the BCS map. While they may have top 5 talent, you can tell that there is real problems there, I noticed this when I watched the Phil Fulmer Coach's Show. While watching this I noticed how dejected that Coach Fulmer was while he was watching the tape of the Notre Dame game. He was making comments under his breath and he sounded really depressed when he spoke. I wonder if the season wasn't determined before it ever started, due to the off the field issues that surrounded the team?

The BCS dodge a major controversy this weekend with Virginia Tech losing to Miami. Lets hope that Alabama wins out so they can throw a monkey wrench into the miss that is the BCS.

Lets hope that the media's focus on the Eagles and Terrell Owens will be over soon. This relationship has been shady from the outset. How can a guy get traded to the Ravens, refuse to go and then go to the team that he wanted to? We can't blame TO for his behavior because it has been accepted by the NFL and fans for years. People laughed at his antics, when the teams he played on were winning, but when things start to go bad TO is just fuel for the fire. I respect the Eagles for the stand that they are taking because he was an integral part of their passing game. What is interesting from this is that it shows you how much damage one person can do to a team. While I have always hated the Eagles I now will root for them, except when they play Dallas.

Obsession

Lately I have been reflecting upon my behavior and the one thought that I keep wondering about is, how did I become so obsessive? How did I get to the point where I actually believe that if I wear the right shirt my team will win? As I have grown older this behavior has mellowed a bit but I still believe that I have jerseys, hats, and tshirts that have magical powers that when worn will affect the outcome of the game. How does an educated person, with a degree in psychology, get to this point? I know there are other people out there like this but I still can't figure out how people get caught up in this type of thinking.

Thoughts

There has always been rumors that the media is biased against the Dallas Cowboys, but I always had a hard time believing it until now. The Dallas Cowboys success has brought them both fans and detratcters. The detracters seem to be disguised the media. Example, I went to the Cowboys game this weekend and then drove 10 hours home. On my way home I flipped several sports stations on my XM radio. While listening to the wrap up of games, with John Clayton, every game was mentioned but one: Cowboys Cardinals game. This happened time and time again on all of the stations. Now I know that this is not a scientific study by any means but maybe it should be. This bias is usually brought to light during Super Bowl weekend when the Hall of Fame inductees are announced. Last year Michael Irvin was the only candidate in the last group that was not inducted into the Hall of Fame. Currently the Dallas Cowboys franchise is the winningest franchise in NFL history but it only has seven members of the Hall of Fame and two of those are not players. Why isn't Bob Hayes in the Hall? He truely is responsible for the modern day passing game. Where is Rayfeild Wright, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvey Martin, Lee Roy Jordan, Chuck Howley, Drew Pearson? If Lynn Swann then Drew Pearson. Fair is Fair. Drew had better numbers. Now I know there will be at least 2 players going in next 5 years, Troy and Emmitt but there are several more that need consideration as well: Irvin, Larry Allen, Woodson, Jimmy Johnson, Charles Haley, and Dieon Sanders? The last two will probably go with 49ers and Falcons respectively. With this my question still remains is there a bias? It sounds like a future research study.

Does Anyone Care?

Yesterday it was announced that Sheryl Swoops was a lesbian. The question that I have is who cares? Honestly why do we need to know this in the first place. I really don't understand why celebrities, in general, want to reveal all of their lifes secrets and thoughts to us, the public. Take Tom Cruise's beliefs on psychology and mental health treatment, anyone with a lick of sense should know that he has an agenda that he is trying to inindate the world with, that being the teachings of the Church of Scientology. I don't care. There are more pertanent issues that people are dealing with than the need of Sheryl Swoops to tell people that she is gay. The thing that bothers me about this is the attention that it is being given in print, the internet, and on ESPN. The only thing that this story accomplishes is it reinforces the stereotype that many people have about female athletes, that the majority of them are gay. You can decide whether this is a pertanant issue but from my point of view: I could care less.

Trends

I don't know if anyone noticed the two trends this past weekend in the world of football. In college, there was the trend of teams scoring 50 or more points and in the NFL the number of games that had a team winning on the final play.

A ethical question arose on saturday night, while watching some of the Penn State Illinois game: How does Joe Pa play in the second half after scoring 56 points in the 1st? When playing a conference foe you don't want to run the score up on them because it might come back to huant you one day. But when you are playing a team, as bad as Illinois, how do you make it look as if you aren't running up the score? In the second half Penn State had their 3rd string in and they still could move the ball. This is a tough question for a coach unless your name is Steve Spurrier.


Quote of the week:
I think the nature of man is to be aggressive and football is a violent game. But I think the very violence is one of the great things about the game, because a man has to learn control. He is going to go in to knock somebody's block off, and yet he must keep a rein on it. I can't think of any other place that demands such discipline.
Vince Lombardi

Simply The Best

Many, around the country, believe that Reggie Bush is the best running back in college football, right now, but I beg to differ.The best running back plays for the University of Memphis and his name is DeAngelo Williams. Yesterday he surpassed Herschel Walker and several others to move into 7th place in total rushing yards. While there have been a few others, from non-BCS conferences, to do this DeAngelo is extremely special. Coming into the year Memphis fans were very excited about his pontential Heisman bid but those hopes were dashed when he rushed for only 85 yards against Ole Miss. The untold story about this is that on the first offensive series the starting quaterback broke his leg and the coaching staff had to scrap its game plan. Since this game the Tigers have had to chnage their offensive philosophy because of injuries. Memphis is now using it's fourth different staring quaterback of the season, converted wide receiver Maurice Avery. In this time Memphis has lost its second string qb to a broken leg, used a true freshman who is 5' 11' and weighs 185, and have used Deangelo at qb in the single wing. Added to the problems at quaterback is the fact that the Tigers have a completly brand new offensive line that frequently rotates players in and out of the game. With all of this uncertainty Deangelo has step up his game and is averaging 187 yds a game. In his seven games he has rushed for 85 yds: Ole Miss, 205:3 tds: UT Chattanooga, 223 yds:3 tds: Tulsa, 236 yds:2 tds: UTEP, 136 yds: UCF, 198 yds:2 tds: Houston,and 226 yds:2 tds:East Carolina. Mind you all of these defenses are lining up in 8 man fronts to stop him and he is still gaining yardage. He is putting up remarkable numbers in spite of this. This is why I beleive that DeAngelo is better than Reggie Bush; Reggie Bush has not had to face the adversity that DeAngelo has this season. While I am realitic that DeAngelo will not win the Heisman, my only hope is that he is invited to the ceremony. If this happens it will be a huge boost of self esteem to a football program that was a perenial loser until he and Tommy West arrived. You can vote for the Heisman @ http://www.voteforheisman.com. All I can say that while Reggie Bush will get the hype in college, DeAngelo will get the check in the NFL.

No Love Lost

Phil Fulmer makes his long awaited return to Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday. The Alabama faithful have been waiting with baited breath for the kickoff at 2:30 tomarrow. Why, you ask? Well many Alabama fans hold Phil Fulmer responsible for the last five years of probation and controversy surrounding the Alabama Football program. Reports, out of Tuscaloosa, say that fans have his effegy ready to burn. I have even heard stories that the stundents plan to throw dounuts at him when he runs out of the visiting lockerroom. Well lets hope that is all that they throw at him, i.e. whiskey bottles. Well the last thing that I want to say is "Roll Tide Roll".

Spammers

I am writing this to let the spammers, who like to piggyback your advertising through my comment page, to stop. While I want this page to be an open forum, people like you make this hard. If I have to I will shut down the comments link. I am not getting paid by you, so don't think that you will get away with your free advertising.

Great Time of Year

I have to say that this is the best time of year for sports. Just about every night you have either NFL, College Football, baseball, and coming soon college basketball. If you love sports, as I do, then you are in seventh heven. With that said I want to have me say on the Greatest College Game Ever Played: USC vs. Notre Dame this past weekend. I have to say that the next big game is will be the next greatest game ever played. I am willing to bet that the UCLA vs. USC game will be the next greatest game ever. Can we please stop with the lists and hype that surrounds sports. I know that they can be fun to talk about but when is enough enough, in terms throwing the term greatest around. Is Peyton Manning the greatest of all time? How about Vick? Barry Sanders? Emmitt Smith? The media has weakened the term "the greatest" so when their is truly a great game we won't recognize or it's status has been cheapened. According to ESPN we have the greatest sporting event at least once a week. What about the games of the past or the players for that matter. Where does Jim Thorpe fit in to the greatest equation? At least he has the credentials to back it up? What about Red Grange and his accomplishments? Here is a man who is responsible for the modern day NFL. Do we still hold Sammy Sosa's and Mark McGuire's accomplishments in the same light as we did two years ago? Are they still two of the greatest home run hitters ever? What about Carl Lewis and his accomplishments, aren't they pretty great? What I am trying to say is that the greatest athlete or sporting event is subjective. If you ask 700 people this question you will probably receive 700 different answers.

High School Football

Since the movie Friday Night Lights, shoe companies and media companies have infiltrated the world of high school football. Have you noticed the Nike commercials that feature the NFL stars while they played high school football? This is an attempt to ambush market Reebok and their deal that they signed with the NFL.NFL athletes that have deals with Nike cannot use the marks that they wear on the feild so they so footage of them playing in high school. While I don't have a major problem with this, I do have a problem with the reality tv show "Bound for Glory". ESPN is clearly taking advantage of these kids in order to find content for their channel. It would be one thing if Dick Butkus was really the coach but he wasn't; the real coach was Coach Lou. The show is total hype, all the while promenantly displaying the Reebok logo. Ray Crokett and Dick Butkus come in and say they are going to change things then they quit before the season is even over, after the team starts out 1-6. What message are you sending to these kids? Get ready kids you will be used and let down time and time again all in the name of trying to keep a old athletes name in the public eye. Maybe if he would have played to the camera more, when he was announcing XFL games, maybe the league wouldn't have failed. Better yet maybe he should have worked harder at acting then his saturday morning tv show, on NBC, wouldn't have failed. I guess the problem that I have is that he quit on the kids. In today's society if you quit on a kid than nine times out of ten that kid will not ry again. Rather they will devote more time to playing video games.

The Quick Out

I might be in the minority but I have to say that I am really tired of Fantasy Football. The arguement in favor of it, is that it brings an added level of excitement to the games, on both saturday and sunday. I don't need the added excitement, I am the type of person who can find a team to root for in any game, even if it is Temple vs. Florida Atlantic. What I don't need is the information overload that takes place on the scrolling ticker giving me fantasy stats, I don't care. I don't care if Adam Vinateri went 6 for 6 and score a touchdown on a fake fieldgoal. What is sad is that this insanity has now infiltrated college football. Why? Why do we need college fantasy football? We have to deal with sports wagering infommercials weekly now we have to deal with fantasy football updates and weekly handicapping shows. What really kills me about fantasy experts is that these are guys who have never stepped on a field or has thrown a pass. Instead they are stats nerds who are obsessed with YAC's or how many TDs Deon Branch had against the Bengals. These guys don't care about the game, the integrity of the game, or the history of it. Instead they have brought an annoying aspect to our weekly viewinf experience. You know I hear freinds say all the time that betting on games brings an exciting aspect to the game also.

The Slant

There are a few stories that I want to discuss that happened this weekend, the first being the 60 Minutes interview of Bill Romonowski. I have seen some intense people in my life but the look in that man's eyes was something else. After watching that interview my opinion changed in favor of him, because for once I could really relate to what an athlete was saying. I knew what he was talking about when discribed hurting people on the bottom of the pile and the intense nature in which he played the game. While listening to his interview I was reminded of interviews with former NFL stars, that are now hailed as great players but played with same intensity, such as Chuck Bednarick and Deacon Jones. Except for the issues with steriods I have to say that Romo was a true throwback player. Compare his antics with what Chuck Bednarick did to Frank Gifford or LT did to Joe Thiesman, there really isn't much differecnce except time. These guys are now seen as heroes of the hall whereas Romo is seen as a dirty player who took steriods.

The other important note to take away from the interview is the damage that Romo has had to his cognitive functioning. He should be the poster child for Post Concussion Syndrome. If you really payed attention you would have noticed his slurred speech and response time to the answers of the questions. The sad thing is that during his career he paid an enormous amount attention to his body and what went into it but he neglected the one thing that he would need after his career: His brain. He will be an interesting case to watch as he ages, to see if he developes Parkinson's like Ali has.

I have to give recognition to one of the nation's less heralded players, that being DeAngelo Williams. This weekend he surpassed Archie Griffin on the all time leading rusher list. This year Deangelo has had one game in which he didn't rush for nearly 200 yards, that being against Ole Miss in which he rushed for 85 yards. In the last five games he is averaging over 200 yards a game.