ONE MORE BIG NAME RUMORED TO BE AT THE PARTY, DANARIO TO GET HIS SHOT, INITIAL HELMET TESTS & T.O. SAYS NO TO CHIEFS(BOO-HOO)
The fallout from this party held at San Francisco running back Frank Gore's home in Miami just keeps getting worse. Now, Big East co-defensive player of the year, DE Greg Romeus, has now been linked to this party. Since Romeus is a Florida native, he could've made the party without an agent's cash for airfare, but he is going to be investigated with the rest of those already named as possible party guests. Romeus is my second highest rated senior defensive end. Marvin Austin(highest rated DT), A. J. Green(#1 rated Jr. WR) & Alabama DE Marcell Dareus(top-5 at his position) are currently under NCAA scrutiny for being at this party. There's no law against being at a party, but if you can't prove how you paid for your airline tickets, limo, hotel etc. you're in a helluva lot of trouble. I expect any & all of those nabbed in this investigation will be stripped of their college eligibility. Since the NFL's supplemental draft was last week, if any of these guys lose their eligibility, they won't play any kind of football until August of 2011, more than a year & a half since they last played. It will definitely hurt their draft stock.
Lane Kiffin is back in the news & per his usual, he's done something rather underhanded. He snatched Tennessee Titan running back coach Kennedy Pola 4 days before training camp opens & he did it without asking for permission from the Titan G.M. or head coach. Jeff Fisher, a USC alumni, is livid not only about the timing but the lack of respect shown the Titan organization."I am very disappointed in their approach" Fisher was quoted as saying. "The normal way it's done is to ask permission to speak to an assistant or at least giving the head coach a 'heads up', maybe he doesn't know any better" Fisher added. Pola had been offered the running back coaching position after the Trojans declined to renew the contract of the embattled Todd McNair but he refused a lateral movement for the same money. Kiffin called Pola last night & offered him the offensive coordinator spot, which was accepted. I sincerely doubt Pola will have this job very long because Kiffin likes calling the plays & I question how long he'll last coaching under Pat Haden, a guy who's "by the book" at all times.
Danario Alexander is going to get a shot at playing NFL football this fall. The Mizzou career receiving yards leader has finished his rehab from January knee surgery. The Rams have already said they want to have Alexander come in for a thorough physical & the Bears will have their top scout, Marty Ballard, at Wednesday's workout. Alexander's agent said yesterday his client had recorded forty times of 4.41 & 4.44 on Thursday, which probably means he ran 4.51 & 4.54, agents......well they don't always tell the truth. While at Mizzou, Alexander recorded the all-time best vertical jump at 46 1/2" & coupled with his size, 6' 4" 221 lbs & extremely reliable hands, when healthy, he can be a nightmare running in the secondary. But the four operations on his left knee could keep Alexander from ever playing a single pro snap. I'm a total Mizzou homer & as much as I want to see him make it in the NFL, I have to be completely honest in my evaluation of his skills. He is neither quick or sudden, it takes him 3 steps to get going, he gears down going into his breaks. Alexander rounds off a lot of routes & he's been wearing a balky knee brace for over two seasons. A long strider with the speed to run away from defenders & as I said, very dependable hands, catches the ball away from his body showing good ball security. A pretty decent blocker & a prospect who has endured four knee surgeries & four rehabs, he's plenty tough physically & mentally. I'm really pulling for this kid, he's been thru a lot.
Michael Vick continues to amaze, he's going back into federal bankruptcy court to answer some new allegations regarding the financial 'free for all' he had right before he claimed bankruptcy. It seems Vick wrote & cashed 67 checks from 31 different accounts, all made out to 'cash'. This money was given to family & friends. It also seems he prepaid the extensive legal fees for his 3 co-defendants in the dog-fighting trial, the same 3 co-defendants who rolled over on Vick, prompting his guilty plea, yeah those 3 co-defendants. No wonder somebody shot Quanis Phillips, one of the co-defendants, at Vick's birthday party, I'm guessing his popularity with Vick's friends is at an all-time low. The whole group is truly pathetic.
One thing the NFL & the NFLPA are on the same page about, head injuries. The two released a joint report yesterday regarding the findings of recent helmet testing. This is "just the initial step" in research to reduce concussions & their severity. Two points were made in this report: "no helmet can prevent concussions & the results of these tests can't be extrapolated to college, high school or youth football." I've said for years, the players should be required to wear properly fitted helmets, often they're too big. A helmet shouldn't allow your head to move around inside the helmet. When you see a player cock his helmet back on his head with one hand, it's too loose. In other injury prevention news, the league & the players association are coming together on some possible rule changes. One would be mandatory mouthpieces, something I never understood, it's been proven a properly fitting mouthguard can prevent concussions to say nothing of keeping your teeth attached to your jaw bones. Position sensitive pads could become mandatory, knee pads, thigh pads & hip pads have become virtually extinct in the NFL. Their mandatory use at all of the non-professional levels should tell you how much protection they provide. NFL players have shed these pads over the years in an effort to be quicker & more flexible. Look for testing in this area as well, Commissioner Roger Goodell is convinced returning to more padded uniforms will make the players safer & he's more concerned about that going forward.
If you haven't already seen it, go to www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/ & look right in the center of the page for "Chiefs unveil new Arrowhead Stadium." That link will take you to a page that has a 64-page slide show. I have to say, it's pretty impressive. We're looking forward to see the newly renovated venue soon.
But one guy who doesn't care about playing for the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium 2.0 is your guy, my guy, Mr. Wonderful, Terrell Owens. He's had zero luck finding someone willing to let him into their locker room & onto their sidelline so far this off-season. Owens does a couple of interviews a day because, well because that's who he is, a guy who knows the world just can't live without hearing from him on a daily basis. Plus he's getting a little verklempt without a job this close to the opening of training camps. Asked about the possibility of reuniting with Todd Haley, once his position coach in Dallas, T.O. was adamant regarding that possibility. "Me & Todd Haley, we don't get along" Owens said in a radio interview. He added "he doesn't respect me & I don't like him, I don't trust him." So Chiefs' fans, there you have it, we'll have to suffer thru with just one colossal knucklehead in the receiving corps, we won't be adding another.
A music-loving reader who knows I write this blog while listening to music & he asked what's playing from time to time. Today's post was written while "Best of Bill Withers" & "The Doors" their debut album, played. Yesterday it was Luther Allison's "Songs from the Road" & Santana's "Sacred Fire." I've ripped over 500 albums onto my computer, so there's always something to listen to, I'll keep you informed from time to time.
Lane Kiffin is back in the news & per his usual, he's done something rather underhanded. He snatched Tennessee Titan running back coach Kennedy Pola 4 days before training camp opens & he did it without asking for permission from the Titan G.M. or head coach. Jeff Fisher, a USC alumni, is livid not only about the timing but the lack of respect shown the Titan organization."I am very disappointed in their approach" Fisher was quoted as saying. "The normal way it's done is to ask permission to speak to an assistant or at least giving the head coach a 'heads up', maybe he doesn't know any better" Fisher added. Pola had been offered the running back coaching position after the Trojans declined to renew the contract of the embattled Todd McNair but he refused a lateral movement for the same money. Kiffin called Pola last night & offered him the offensive coordinator spot, which was accepted. I sincerely doubt Pola will have this job very long because Kiffin likes calling the plays & I question how long he'll last coaching under Pat Haden, a guy who's "by the book" at all times.
Danario Alexander is going to get a shot at playing NFL football this fall. The Mizzou career receiving yards leader has finished his rehab from January knee surgery. The Rams have already said they want to have Alexander come in for a thorough physical & the Bears will have their top scout, Marty Ballard, at Wednesday's workout. Alexander's agent said yesterday his client had recorded forty times of 4.41 & 4.44 on Thursday, which probably means he ran 4.51 & 4.54, agents......well they don't always tell the truth. While at Mizzou, Alexander recorded the all-time best vertical jump at 46 1/2" & coupled with his size, 6' 4" 221 lbs & extremely reliable hands, when healthy, he can be a nightmare running in the secondary. But the four operations on his left knee could keep Alexander from ever playing a single pro snap. I'm a total Mizzou homer & as much as I want to see him make it in the NFL, I have to be completely honest in my evaluation of his skills. He is neither quick or sudden, it takes him 3 steps to get going, he gears down going into his breaks. Alexander rounds off a lot of routes & he's been wearing a balky knee brace for over two seasons. A long strider with the speed to run away from defenders & as I said, very dependable hands, catches the ball away from his body showing good ball security. A pretty decent blocker & a prospect who has endured four knee surgeries & four rehabs, he's plenty tough physically & mentally. I'm really pulling for this kid, he's been thru a lot.
Michael Vick continues to amaze, he's going back into federal bankruptcy court to answer some new allegations regarding the financial 'free for all' he had right before he claimed bankruptcy. It seems Vick wrote & cashed 67 checks from 31 different accounts, all made out to 'cash'. This money was given to family & friends. It also seems he prepaid the extensive legal fees for his 3 co-defendants in the dog-fighting trial, the same 3 co-defendants who rolled over on Vick, prompting his guilty plea, yeah those 3 co-defendants. No wonder somebody shot Quanis Phillips, one of the co-defendants, at Vick's birthday party, I'm guessing his popularity with Vick's friends is at an all-time low. The whole group is truly pathetic.
One thing the NFL & the NFLPA are on the same page about, head injuries. The two released a joint report yesterday regarding the findings of recent helmet testing. This is "just the initial step" in research to reduce concussions & their severity. Two points were made in this report: "no helmet can prevent concussions & the results of these tests can't be extrapolated to college, high school or youth football." I've said for years, the players should be required to wear properly fitted helmets, often they're too big. A helmet shouldn't allow your head to move around inside the helmet. When you see a player cock his helmet back on his head with one hand, it's too loose. In other injury prevention news, the league & the players association are coming together on some possible rule changes. One would be mandatory mouthpieces, something I never understood, it's been proven a properly fitting mouthguard can prevent concussions to say nothing of keeping your teeth attached to your jaw bones. Position sensitive pads could become mandatory, knee pads, thigh pads & hip pads have become virtually extinct in the NFL. Their mandatory use at all of the non-professional levels should tell you how much protection they provide. NFL players have shed these pads over the years in an effort to be quicker & more flexible. Look for testing in this area as well, Commissioner Roger Goodell is convinced returning to more padded uniforms will make the players safer & he's more concerned about that going forward.
If you haven't already seen it, go to www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/ & look right in the center of the page for "Chiefs unveil new Arrowhead Stadium." That link will take you to a page that has a 64-page slide show. I have to say, it's pretty impressive. We're looking forward to see the newly renovated venue soon.
But one guy who doesn't care about playing for the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium 2.0 is your guy, my guy, Mr. Wonderful, Terrell Owens. He's had zero luck finding someone willing to let him into their locker room & onto their sidelline so far this off-season. Owens does a couple of interviews a day because, well because that's who he is, a guy who knows the world just can't live without hearing from him on a daily basis. Plus he's getting a little verklempt without a job this close to the opening of training camps. Asked about the possibility of reuniting with Todd Haley, once his position coach in Dallas, T.O. was adamant regarding that possibility. "Me & Todd Haley, we don't get along" Owens said in a radio interview. He added "he doesn't respect me & I don't like him, I don't trust him." So Chiefs' fans, there you have it, we'll have to suffer thru with just one colossal knucklehead in the receiving corps, we won't be adding another.
A music-loving reader who knows I write this blog while listening to music & he asked what's playing from time to time. Today's post was written while "Best of Bill Withers" & "The Doors" their debut album, played. Yesterday it was Luther Allison's "Songs from the Road" & Santana's "Sacred Fire." I've ripped over 500 albums onto my computer, so there's always something to listen to, I'll keep you informed from time to time.
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