Ahh, The Gifts That Keep On Giving...

Thanks for Nothing Brett!

Brett, you've done it to me again. And this time, I can only hope it is the LAST time. I think I continued my losing streak of predictions yet again when you announced you were going to stay retired from the NFL and not join my beloved Minnesota Vikings. Well I would like to tastefully respond by saying "Good, and good riddance!"

You have been a thorn in my side ever since becoming the mayor of Cheeseland in Green Bay. I've watched countless 4th quarter comebacks of you and the Packers overcoming certain defeat only to pull it out in the waning minutes against us citizens of Vikings Country. And to think I was actually somewhat pulling for you to say you'd join our organization for the simple fact it was going to improve our offense and our overall team chemistry. Well to hell with that! I should have known you would go out on your own terms and wait until the last possible second before training camp opened up to spurn me again. You leave us with Sage "I-like-to-fumble-while-doing-a-helicopter-spin-in-the-air-against-the-Colts" Rosenfels and Tarvaris "Gingerbread Man" Jackson. Well, that's just fine by me. Sure I'd take Michael Vick in a heartbeat for the same reasons I would have chosen you to be our starting quarterback this season. But now, I will take my chances with the two we have battling it out for the starting job right now. We don't need your gunslinging attitude or your left handed underarm throws while you're about to get sacked either. Who knows? We might be like the Baltimore Ravens several years ago and let our defense win us a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer is a Super Bowl winning quarterback of yesteryear, so why can't Rosenfels or Jackson???!!!

Now that that's out of the way, let me say that I partly blame Brad Childress and the Vikings front office for letting the drama of #4 go on for as long as it did. Why are we letting Brett decide when HE is going to tell us whether he wants to play for us this season?? Instead, why aren't WE setting the deadline as to when we need his decsion?? After all, one man is not bigger than entire team...is he? But, unfortunately, that is the way things played out. We treated Brett Favre like the spoiled little girl named Violet in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory". We let him have his way and that was something that should never have happened. He took advantage of us and then bit us in the ass right when he knew it would hurt us the most. It truly would not hurt my feelings if I never saw his ugly gray bearded 40-year-old face again. And that includes those dumbass Wrangler commercials. Geeeeeeeeezzzzz.....

In closing, you would probably refuse to sign with the Detroit Lions since they don't have a chance in hell at winning the division this season, so who knows, maybe you'll root for the Bears and Jay Cutler on Sunday afternoons?? In the words of PTI (Pardon The Interruption on ESPN): Happy Trails Brett (not really, but don't let Roger Goodell's commissioner's door hit you in the ass on your way out!

30 Years...And Still Counting

It has been thirty years since the horse racing industry and the entire world has witnessed a Triple Crown winner. And, rest assured, you can bet on that number increasing to thirty-one years after Saturday's running of the Preakness Stakes.

A couple of weeks ago, Mine That Bird pulled off one of the greatest upsets in thoroughbred racing history by winning the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. He didn't necesarily dominate the competition, but he turned on the jets coming down the stretch and won the Kentucky Derby by several lengths. At a near 50-1 odds when the starting gate opened, Calvin Borel rode Mine That Bird just as perfectly as he did Street Sense two years ago. He waited until the time was right and chose the right openings in between horses late in the race to steal the garland of roses. Today, people are comparing Calvin Borel to the legendary Pat Day. Now winning aside, I never recalled Pat Day celebrating after a victory the way Borel did when he pulled off the upset of upsets on May 2nd. I will give him credit where credit is due, as he knows the track at Churchill Downs probably better than he knows himself. But just like any good athlete, Borel has his weaknesses. It's certainly no secret that his strategy is to hug the rail whenever possible and, if he hasn't found it by the time he hits the home stretch, he goes hunting for it if it's the last thing he does. How the other trainers do not relay the message to colse off the rail before these races even begin is beyond me. Given the fact Borel has proved himself to be deadly when given an opening on the rail, you would think it would be priority number one for trainers and jockeys to close that gap whenever they are the opposition. My point here is that if there was no room on the inside rail at the Derby in 2007 and 2009, Borel would never have won.

Let's shift to the Preakness. Unfortuantely, I'm going to have to put blame on Borel right here, right now for choosing to ride aboard Rachel Alexandra instead of Mine That Bird. Of course having a filly beat the boys in the Preakness would be great headlines, but wouldn't winning the second leg of the Triple Crown be even greater? If Mine That Bird were to win at Pimlico on Saturday it would do nothing short of enhancing his underdog status and establish him as one of the craziest and astounding stories in horse racing.

Instead, Mine That Bird will be ridden by veteran Mike Smith. This move alone almost seals the fate of the current Derby winner to finish middle of the pack at best. Calvin Borel is looking for the money on Saturday and that's clearly why he's taking the irons with Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra. Borel knows he can be successful with just about any horse at Churchille Downs, but anywhere else he'd rather increase his chances at winning by riding the FASTER horse. Without saying it, Borel knows in his mind that Mine That Bird has no chance at all at pulling the upset twice.

As for me, I'm sticking with my pick from two weeks ago in Musket Man followed by Pioneer of the Nile and Rachel Alexandra finishing a close third. Our fearless Mine That Bird, as much as I hate to say it, will hardly be mentioned when it comes to the high class finishers on Saturday. Is there anyone left, trainer or jockey, who is afraid to turn away the cash in return for some Triple Crown gold? I can only hope we as fans do not have to wait another grueling thirty years to find out.

NBA Playoff Predictions

So, as we are already several weeks into the 2009 NBA playoffs, and some teams have been eliminated, I thought I would use this post to shed some light on my predictions.

First and foremost, the Cleveland Cavaliers are my pick to run the table and be crowned this year's champs. Why you ask? Lebron James of course. Why Lebron over Kobe you ask? Time. Meaning it's King James' TIME to shine. Kobe has clearly had his time to shine when Shaq was in LA, but now it's time for a new breed. I'm not saying that in a game of 1-on-1 Lebron could shut down Kobe and take him to the cleaners or vice versa. This post isn't about who could beat who in a game of 21 on the blacktop. Rather it's about which player does more for their team and gives them a better chance to win on the hardwood. The Cavs have yet to lose a playoff game and are on the verge of sweeping their second straight team in the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, last night, Lebron went for 47, almost half of the team's points. In my opinion, he is the most athletic and gifted athlete on the court. Kobe only had 15, in the Lakers 12 point loss to the Rockets. That type of performance is unacceptable when you're an all-star who has clearly shown you can produce during the regular season. Now is not the time to fizzle out. So my position here is that Kobe is showing some inconsistency while Lebron still has the pedal to the metal and the trophy in sight. Not to mention Kobe has much better role players on his squad than Lebron does which makes James more of a standout. #23 has to bring it every night because he knows if he doesn't, that's all she wrote and the Cavs will be wondering if LBJ is headed to the Knicks next season!

Needless to say I'm picking the Cavs to come out of the East and play the Nuggets in the Finals come next month. Denver is much like the Cavs minus Lebron. They are a team that is peaking at the perfect time and playing great basketball out west. Sure they have Carmelo Anthony, but these guys play as a team and don't let one player be the focal point. I said in a previous post that Chauncey Billups would do nothing but make this team better, and it turns out I was right. He has been racking up the points, minutes and assists and has been a very important piece to this team's success. If the Nuggets and Lakers were to hold a series right now, my money would definitely be on Denver.

There is still much to be determined in these playoffs. But I think it's safe to say the Cavs and the Nuggets in the championship would make for some good matchups and would, quite frankly, be an NBA Finals that no one expected.

Not Again!!!

The old...and I do mean old...#4 is at it again. Brett Favre cannot make up his mind on retiring. What a shocker?! The last time we saw Favre was when he was gun slinging the pigskin in the Big Apple for the New York Jets. Of course, that came after all of the drama that was induced when he was reportedly going to bow out of Green Bay, where he had spent his entire NFL career and won a Super Bowl, and cross state lines into Minnesota and sign with the Vikings. The Packers were in an uproar and even filed "tampering" charges (whatever that means in the world of football) against the Vikings organization. If you were a Packer fan around this time that would sound like Brett was going to stay in Green Bay right? WRONG! He ended up having his bags packed and went to New York instead to play for Eric Mangini.

After one season, the former Southern Miss alum began playing the Rock Band III version of (in Frank Sinatra style no less) "Start spreading the news, I'm leavin' today! I want to be a part of it...MINNESOTA!" Come on, you know the tune! It just so turns out that by the end of this week Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress will be meeting with Brett, whose last name is spelled nothing like its pronounced, at an undisclosed location to discuss putting retirement on hold and signing as the newest quarterback with the Purple People Eaters.

I see this as something that's been planned for quite some time. No, I don't mean a conspiracy to get Favre to play in a town that has rivaled that of Green Bay for many-a-year in the good old black and blue division also known as the NFC North. But rather a plan to acquire one of the biggest names at quarterback in the history of the game to help improve the Minnesota Vikings football team. A lot of people don't know, in my opinion, that Brad Childress tries his damnedest to be sneaky with his quarterback moves and is, quite frankly, unsuccessful every single time. At the beginning of last season he named Tarvaris Jackson as his starting quarterback for the entire season and said there were no doubts that he was his go-to-guy at QB. After losing multiple games as a starter to begin the season, Childress yanked Jackson, put him on the pine, and gave the car keys to veteran Gus Frerotte as his starting quarterback for the remainder of the year. Turns out Jackson returned and still saw playing time before all 16 regular season games had been completed. Obviously you can point out that Childress' bold statements aren't so bold. Oh and by the way, this off season, the Vikings head coach brought in Sage Rosenfels to battle Jackson before all of this Favre hoopla surfaced. Let me get this straight. In less than two seasons, Childress has planned to go with either Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte and/or Sage Rosenfels to lead his team and the city of Minneapolis to a Super Bowl ring?!?! Brad: Bill Belichick just called, he said thanks for sharing your team's revenue this season and he'll see you at the NFL Draft combine next April. Geez, what a moron! And speaking of the draft, WHY didn't the Vikings grab some prospect at quarterback from the draft a couple of weeks ago? Do you think its because the organization believes Jackson and Rosenfels will be the future of Minnesota football? Absolutely not! The team has strategically placed itself in a position that makes it structurally ready for a guy who has torn them apart for the past several years. Unfortunately for me, I firmly believe Brett Favre will stay out of retirement and play football for the Vikings this season. The Green Bay fans will love him simply because he's brought that franchise its only Super Bowl victory since Bart Starr did it more than 40 years ago. Favre will also be loved by the folks in Minneapolis because he automatically will make the team better. He will create motivation for the team, serve as a mentor to its players and increase the value of its mediocre receiving core. I, on the other hand, WILL NOT support #4 with the name Favre on its jersey in Minnesota. I have too much pride and too many years of loyalty stocked in this team that I so gratefully love to watch on Sundays and that occasional Monday or Thursday night. Too many times have I watched this arrogant S.O.B. quarterback make 4th quarter comeback drives one after another against my beloved team. I will never forget that nor will I ever forgive that. I refuse to cheer for him. He may soon dawn the purple and gold. But in my eyes and in my heart, he will never, EVER, be a Minnesota Viking regardless of the accolades he may go on to achieve.

Finally, I will say this: I blame you, Brad Childress, for getting our team to where we are today. We might be a good football team, but we are not a great football team. And good luck trying to circle the wagons this season, Brad. Your back is against the wall. Somewhere along the line I heard a rumor coming from the west coast. And you may have heard it too. Its subtle whispers are calling to you, Brad. "If they build it, you will lose..." There is a stadium that is going to be built in Los Angeles. So go ahead and take your gambles. It won't matter once the dust has settled. And in my opinion, you've already buried us in Minnesota. The end is near, and you know it as well as I do. But look on the bright side, Brad. Once the Vikings franchise is embedded in Los Angeles after your impeccable legacy, you shouldn't have a problem finding a new job there. I hear its the second largest city in the country.

Take A Good Look At This Picture...

I should have blogged about the NCAA tournament sooner than this. As a matter of fact, there probably should have been a post published shortly after the pairings were released to show the world my picks for this years bracket. I'm thankful that I held off because, now that the first two rounds are in the books, one of my Final Four predictions has already bit the dust. That's right. Take a good look at the logo you see at the top of this post. That's about how my face looked on Friday night when the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest were utterly embarrassed by Cleveland State in Miami. That teeth-clinching, angry looking smirk has yet to leave my face even a few days in the aftermath.

I know. I'm my own worst enemy here, and my friends at home and work let me know about my horrible prediction of putting Wake Forest in my Final Four as soon as I informed them I penciled in the Demon Deacons over Louisville. "What?! Are you crazy?!" the voices rained down on me as I returned to work on Monday morning. But all I could do was bow my shaking head in remorse knowing I'd just blogged about the Cardinals' greatness just a week after they won the Big East Tournament outright.

I try not to mix passion with money and sports. Deep inside (and I know most of you know what I'm talking about here) I felt as though if I picked Louisville to go all the way and cut down the nets on April 6 in Detroit, they would somehow stumble in the opening rounds of the tourney, and somehow I would blame myself for it. Sometimes that's just how my luck rolls when it comes to pools and fantasy leagues. Speaking of pools, I'm currently in one run by friends that also includes family members. This pool has about 20 entries, if not more, and the winner will be paid out almost $300 in cold hard cash. See why I'm pouting now???

I still have Memphis, Pittsburgh and North Carolina still alive to make it as three of my Final Four teams. But, then again, so does everyone else in America along with their pen pals in foreign countries. So there is no ground to be gained here.

I thought Wake Forest would have been a decent pick to come out of the Midwest Region and make it to the Final Four. Heck, Seth Davis from CBS predicted the same. Of course he also had Virginia Commonwealth upsetting UCLA and, well, we all know now how that turned out. Sorry Seth. But apparently we both suck this year and so does Wake Forest. My chant from here on out will be to bring on the upsets and GO CARDS!

Muchas Gracias, NCAA Tournament Committee

Signed,
Randy Burns

(Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, March 17th)

Tournament Selection Committee: Do Your Job

Okay I will openly admit it. Loud and proud. I'm a University of Louisville Cardinals fan. I should be. I mean after all it is my alma mater and I have lived in this town my entire life. But whether anyone associated with the Men's Division I Basketball Tournament has ever stepped foot on the Derby City is irrelevant. The bottom line is, after taking down Syracuse last night in Madison Square Garden, the Cards deserve an overall #1 seed in this years NCAA tournament.

Of all the "projected" number one seeds, North Carolina, UConn, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Oklahoma (the list could go on and on), Louisville was the only school to win their conference tournament and the regular season crown. Let's not forget the fact that the Big East was without argument this year the most talented conference in all the land. Tune in to ESPN's Bracketology show tonight and Dick Vitale will explain to you exactly what I'm talking about. If he says anything less, it will be due to the fact he is still pouting about the Tar Heels loss to Florida State yesterday. It wouldn't surprise me if he even hyped up Duke for a #1 overall seed if they win today simply because he is in love with the ACC.

Let's get back to the Cardinals for a moment. In the last few games, they may not have performed up to par in the first half, but they have certainly finished strong and were never faced with nail-biting two or three point losses. Rather they have dominated their opponents in the second half and Pitino has been a March Mastermind when it comes to coaching. But then again, what else is new. Kentucky fans will hate me here, but, this years Louisville squad reminds me of the 1996 Wildcats when they won the National Championship. I'm not saying the Cards are loaded with unbelievable talent or even multiple future NBA'ers, but they arguably have the same amount of depth. That's a credit to Pitino's recruiting over the years which has now allowed him to swap players in and out to suit the game's tempo. You want offense, keep in Sosa and Smith. You want defense, put in McGee and Knowles. Couple that with the superstars of Terrence Williams and Earl Clark and its easily seen that Louisville is, quite simply, locked and loaded for the tournament which begins this Thursday.

Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes peeled and your ears open. Grab your closest anxiety medicine and put the remote down. March Madness is finally upon us....GO CARDS!

Take 2: Shame On You Jerry Jones!

In order to find this post amusing, you must read the comment that follows the initial post entitled "Shame On You Jerry Jones!" Interestingly enough, the author of that comment, Billy Ottman, just happens to be a life-long Buffalo Bills fan! So now it appears he will be eating his words as Terrell Owens has signed on for a one year deal to play in Buffalo. Good for the Bills because, in the event Owens mis behaves, they can release him from the team or use him as trade bait. Bad for Billy because the man who he claims is the "Team Obliterator" is now going to be the thorn in his side (according to the response to my post).

I will finish by saying this: T.O. will produce and flourish in Buffalo. He'll be a nice compliment to standout Lee Evans and be a nice compliment to the Bills' wide receiver core. He won't win a championship by any means, but he can end his career on a good note should he choose to do so. But Billy, for your sake, I only wish you could be in the locker room when Owens gets into a ruckus with quarterback Trent Edwards if the Bills get eliminated from the playoffs before season's end.

A-Rod = The $275 Million Coward

Call it what you want to call it but the latest in the Alex Rodriguez saga has turned out to be a pure cover up. A-Rod is now so ashamed to take the field on opeining day, he has opted for hip surgery that will keep him out of the Yankees lineup until May. This comes just weeks after he confirmed reports to be true that he had indeed taken steriods while playing for the Texas Rangers about 8 years ago.

I don't mean to single out A-Rod in this blog as the only player with this type of behavior. After all it has been going on for quite a while in across all sports. When an athlete is ashamed about their actions, and hasn't been labeled a "bad boy" of the sport by the fans, they'll simply go into hiding by blaming their absence on a physical injury. The reason players, and Alex is certainly no exception here, sit out for weeks and/or months at a time after their inexcusable behavior is because it allows time for fans and the media to remove focus from them and their situations.

I can sometimes be a conspiracy theorist, as some of my friends and family will tell you. Sometimes I create these conspiracies for the sheer entertainment and thought of "what if...". But listen, if you signed a 10 year $275 million contract with the most successful franchise in the history of sports, you need to man up to it. A cist on your hip? Are you kidding me?! A-Rod might as well have said he was going to have surgery because of a hang nail.

Manny Isn't Worth The Money

I know I talked him up before in past blogs but "Manny being Manny" just isn't worth the money here. The Dodgers decided to keep Ramirez on their roster after inking him to a 2-year $45 million contract. Bad move by the boys in blue. Los Angeles is putting all of their eggs into one basket expecting one man to make all the difference. Why not try restructuring that contract and spread the wealth by trying to attract better pitching prospects or even a few key utility players to beef up the depth on the bench?



Now I agree that I hopped on the bandwagon when L.A. first landed the spectacular outfielder, but to pay this guy this much money over a short span of time is not the brightest of decisions no matter what sport. Unless of course we are talking Michael Jordan. And Manny is not the MJ of baseball. Never has been in my opinion.



When the Dodgers grabbed him from the Boston Red Sox last year, I thought for sure he would have made a huge impact on a team managed by Joe Torre. I even predicted them to make it to the World Series. That didn't happen. And neither should this contract. At best, look for the Dodgers to win the division but will run out of gas in the divisional playoffs come October.

Shame On You Jerry Jones!

Let me make one thing clear before I get into this post. I'm not making a case to better the star logos that reside on the Dallas Cowboys' helmets. In fact I despise the Cowboys almost as much as the Green Bay Packers. Rather this post is intended to point out the wrong doings of owner Jerry Jones after releasing Terrell Owens. Sure TO made for a chaotic locker room. But who cares? He put points on the scoreboard and put butts in the seats. After all, isn't that what Jerry Jones has always wanted as the team's owner?



I mean here is an experienced receiver who has been to a super bowl and even caught 10 touchdown passes last season. Not to mention he was paired with a great complimentary wide out in Roy Williams who was aquired midway through last year. By taking TO out of the mix, Williams is now left vulnerable to the always dreaded double coverage as he will without a doubt become the team's new #1 option at the position. Production through the air will definitely be lost.



I even heard on the radio that Jones wanted to make it "Tony Romo's team". Are you kidding me?! That guy is more worried about where Jessica Simpson is sitting in the stands and what colored #8 jersey she has on than caring about his teammates. Much less getting his club to the Super Bowl!



I'm not defending Terrell Owens here either. I've never been a fan of him nor do I believe I ever will be. But fact is fact. The guy can put up solid numbers. And solid numbers on the football field is what you need when competing in the NFC East.



Better land you an above average wide receiver through free agency, Jerry. Otherwise Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder is going to take over the starring role of Diet Pepsi Max commercials!

Finally Stephon is Gone

The title of this post could not have anymore appropriate for the way I feel about the artist formely known as Starbury. I was a huge fan of this guy even when he started his college career at Georgia Tech. So I'm sure you can imagine how great I felt when he came to my beloved New York Knicks. He became part of a star studded backcourt when he was paired with Steve "Franchise" Francis. Needless to say that didn't pan out. Then again neither did Marbury's relationship with Mark D'Antoni when he landed the head job in New York.

Personally I thought Stephon would have flourished under D'Antoni's run-n-gun system. But for whatever reason the coach felt otherwise and gave most of the point guard minutes to Nate Robinson. Don't get me wrong, Nate is my guy and is a great fit under his coaching style, but utilizing Marbury would have given the team more depth.

My respect for Stephon went out the door when he was reportedly given the call from D'Antoni to enter a game and refused to get his muti-million dollar butt off the bench. That type of behavior is simply unacceptable. It doesn't matter whether you're a professional athlete or a high school player. You don't let down your teammates or your coach under any circumstance. Marbury's actions that day led to further frustrations and escalated the animosity that already existed between him and his teammates. He suddenly became the thorn in the side of the Knicks. And for that reason, I was ready to get Stephon out of The Big Apple at all costs. I got my wish as he finally had his contract bought out and signed with the Celtics. Thank the lord!

This transaction actually worked out well for both clubs. Marbury is now reunited with his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Kevin Garnett. Those two were phenomenal together in Minnesota and should produce just the same in Boston even if Stephon comes off the bench. Not to mention Marbury is also joining the defending champions of the NBA that stars Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Marbury is also eligible for the playoffs this year despite not playing this entire regular season. And with the Knicks trailing the lead by more than 20 games in the standings, and no one in the Celtics' rear view mirror, they are a shoe-in for a possible showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers when it comes down to the Eastern Conference Finals.

As for the Knicks, freeing up the money on the team's salary capby getting rid of Marbury, the table is set to lure LeBron James away from Cleveland and acquire him in 2010. Seeing as how he's my favorite player in the league, I can't wait for this to happen. "King" James would be the best addition to the organization since Patrick Ewing and would without a shadow of a doubt make my Knicks the KING of the NBA....

Congrats on Your 800th Jim Calhoun

I can promise you this post will be short winded. I'm a die hard Louisville Cardinals fandishing out props here to rival Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun. So let me express my bitterness before due respect is given. UConn may be the better basketball program this year and Huskie fans could even argue the better program for the last ten years. But I can assure you that the University of Louisville has more historic prestige in college hoops to this day. At the end of the day, sports teams, college or professional, will be judged on the number of championships they've captured, not the acheivements accumulated in a 10 year time span. For the sake of Cardinal nation I hope Calhoun"s squad crashes and burnes in the final games of the regular season. I want a #1 seed damnit! Sorry, had to get that off of my chest. Thanks for staying with the post. Please read on.



Congrats Jim. You've now joined some of the elite coaches of the past, and in some cases present, by becoming the seventh coach in Division I college basketball to reach 800 wins. Some notable names on this short list include the likes of Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and Bob Knight. And so now, Jim, welcome to the company of coaching geniuses. You'll be pressed by fans, alumni and faculty alike to perform at the highest level of coaching. You've raised the bar for yourself and your program. If that bar wasn't set before your celebratory win last night over Marquette, it will certainly be seeen bright and shining right in front of your very eyes.



Oh, Jim. By the way. GO CARDS!!!

Forget the Combine, Crabtree will be a Star

Although former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree has declined to be a part of the NFL combine before this year's draft, mark it down, he will be a Sunday-star at the next level. As a matter of fact, I think by not participating it's one of the better moves a college athlete can make. I mean think about it. Have you ever seen the coverage of that multi-day event?! The drills those guys are told to simulate are absolutely ridiculous. Are the players showcasing talent? Or are they doing what is asked of them just to show they belong in the NFL and are attempting to increase their draft status?

This Indianapolis-based event might be the make-or-break chance of a lifetime for incoming rookies, but Mr. Crabtree does not need to impress any team or any scout. I'm a fan and don't be surprised to see him on my fantasy roster by the end of the summer. Sure the combine can be fun to watch and to day dream what it would be like to have that amazing athlete who runs the 40 yard dash with blazing speed and could potentially be lining up in your favorite team's backfield. But the combine, in my opinion, is a hyped up creation by the NFL to highlight the could-be stars of next season or seasons to come. This event is geared towards players who know they are going to be late 1st round picks all the way down to guys who are just trying to make a spot on any team's roster, waterboy included. I agree its fun to watch the drama unfold between two or three quarterbacks who are definite top ten overall picks battle head-to-head and see who can out-sling the other. But let's be clear about one thing, do you recall seeing Tom Brady at the combine after playing at Michigan? Didn't think so. His super bowl rings tell me he could have rookies at the combine bowing down at his feet if he wanted to. Now I'm not a Brady fan by a long-shot so don't get the wrong idea. Just stating fact here.

Crabtree is heads above the rest when it comes to wide receivers in the draft this year and rightfully so after he showed in college what it takes to be successful on the grid iron. After all, #5 in the red and black Under-Armor attire posted NCAA record setting totals as a freshman in Lubbock, Texas. How many NFL greats that you know of have those kind of accolades on their resume'?! He is a definite #1 overall pick at the wide receiver position this year and does not need to prove himself. Just ask any of the former Big 12 Conference defensive backs who had the luxury of covering Crabtree and they'll tell you: I'm right on the money.

In closing, let me make a bold prediction that he will be one of the best receivers the game has ever seen. Someone in Canton, Ohio should be molding his face as I'm writing this blog for the sculpture that will be on display at the Hall of Fame. This is a guy who has the size, speed and route running of Jerry Rice. Their catching abilities mirror each other as well. So a word of advice to NFL teams' War Rooms on draft day: don't pass on Michael Crabtree if you desperately need a wide receiver come April. I don't care if he's skipping the combine due to a doctor's diagnosis of a stress fracture. If anyone thinks he is a risk, just take into consideration one of the most talented yet risk-based wide receivers still in the league today who just happened to be selected as the 22nd overall pick some 10 years ago...Randy Moss. Need I say more?

Arizona Trip (Look Honey, CACTUS!)

Call it my blogging off-season. I realize I've been out of order as long as that rugged bathroom stahl at your local bar. But I will blame my neglect for sports. writing to the holiday season. That's what normal businesses and large corporations do anyways. Simple things just don't seem to get processed the. way we want them to between November and February. In any event, I'm back and ready to talk about the wild and wacky sports world and somewhere along the line I will attempt to cover the lost grounds of what I haven't written about the past few months.

Around mid-November of 2008, my fiancee and I traveled to Phoenix to visit her brother. Although he and I had only hung out one weekend when he came to visit us a few months before here in Louisville, I can easily say without a doubt that I'm proud to have him as my future brother-in-law. He really knows the meaning of a good time and it showed as he was nice enough to let me and Mallorey crash at his place in Gilbert, Arizona, which is just right outside Phoenix. This happened to be my first time to that region and Mallorey's third to Arizona.

As soon as I entered the parking lot of the Phoenix airport the hot dry desert air hit my cheeks and forehead faster than Hasim Rahman knocked out Lennox Lewis in South Africa. Damn, it was hot! Don't misunderstand me. I'm not attempting to bad-mouth the climate by any means. This change in weather was like a dream come true. In fact, Mallorey and I had been used to the normal temps of about 40 degrees back in the Ohio Valley just several hours ago. For anyone who has been to Las Vegas before, such as myself, Phoenix is comparable. Sure over the course of the next 4 days my chapstick was my lifeline due to the lack of humidity in the southwestern air, but who can say they went swimming during the middle of November?!?!

Anyhow, the atmosphere that the greater Phoenix/Tempe area held was that which resembled a college town. Its easy for me to spot this characteristic given the fact that I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Louisville. While we really never spent much time in Scottsdale, it was explained to me that they hold more of a pro spirit and lean toward the professional teams like the Suns, Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Coyotes. What really shows that Tempe is a true college town, was when Saturday night a man was killed from getting run over by a Hummer at a bar called the Salty Seniorita. The ironic part was that we had left that exact same bar just hours before. Needless to say, we didnt attend there twice while on our 4-day mini vacation.

After a night of partying on Saturday, we attempted to watch NFL football on the Sunday Ticket via Directv. Mallorey and her brother along with his roomate and friends were decked out in their Bears gear (being from the Chicago area). Meanwhile, I was the only poor sole who was sporting my beloved purple and yellow personalized Vikings jersey. After they got the heckling out of the way, her brother and his roommate were kind enough to put Minnesota on whenever the Bears were at commercial. Such nice guys. Mallorey and I barely made it through the third quarter of the first games before having to return to our upstairs air mattress for a much needed nap to help in our recovery. We didn't miss much. There was hardly anything to root for. The Bears got slaughtered by the Packers and the Vikings lost to the Buccaneers of all teams. It was a rough weekend so far I tell you!

So now on to the campus of Arizona State University. Coming from a guy who is used to grass as his playground, ASU's campus definitely pulls off beautiful scenery without it. The campus area is very large (larger than UofL, I'd say) and pays great homage to its southwestern heritage with native statues and fountain fixtures throughout. Two of the neatest features that intrigued me the most were the campus' underground library and the 100 or so snakes native to the state of Arizona housed in one of the college buildings. It was like being at the zoo! Of course the students walked by like it was nothing probably because they see the exhibit everyday. So here I am, this Kentucky boy in Arizona, tapping on this rattlesnake's glass teasing it with a smile on my face. It's a wonder why no one stopped to ask "dude, what the hell are you doing?"

Did I mention there was a sale right outside of the bookstore? How can you beat that?! I'm talking everything from t-shirts for $5 to hooded sweatshirts that were $10. You certainly don't see that everyday. If that won't stimulate our economy I don't know what will.

But nothing beats a nice football stadium within walking distance on campus that really tops off an outstanding college environment. That's the case with ASU. Sun Devil stadium can be seen as soon as you leave the airport and it sits right next to a small river and what the student body calls "A" Mountain. I felt stupid when I asked her brother why they refer to it as such. When we drove to the opposite side he clearly pointed out the enormous A on the side of the mountain that could probably be seen by the MIR space station. Come to find out her brother had actually climbed this mountain before he graduated. Not me. Let's just say I need to keep my feet on the ground so my hand can still write these blogs.

All in all, Arizona State was a great university with an even greater college atmosphere. Anyone who hasn't seen it should check it out. I'd venture to say its probably one of the finer colleges in the country regardless of how old or young you are. You can even see a few cacti along the way if you're lucky. Oh, and the winter season is quite mild for the average American.

PS - I learned a new phrase while hanging out with my future brother-in-law: "That's what she said....". I will leave that to your imagination. Or Google it if you'd like.