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?