MARTY'S BACK, CHIEFS ADD A PICK, "DEZ NEEDS HELP" & PLAYERS CONTINUE TO CREATE BAD P.R.
They say you can't keep a good man down, so to that, I give you Marty Schottenheimer, new head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL. The UFL, a 5-team league with ex-NFL head coaches(Dennis Green, Jim Fassel, Ted Cottrell, etc.) & mostly ex-NFL players. They play a a short schedule(8 games in '11) & are trying to build the league slowly, but building it to last. Unlike the Arena League, the United Football League plays outdoors. The Las Vegas franchise(Locomotives) has won the league both seasons. Marty has a tall order, his teams currently is without a quarterback on the roster. Could be an issue, especially since the team kicks off it's season in September. The Destroyers were formerly the Florida Tuskers, but they folded their Florida operation & moved it to Norfolk Virginia.
In Wednesday's scrimmage, Mizzou redshirt freshman Tyler Gabbert, continued his sparkling QB play. He completed 16 of 21 for 211 yards while his main competitor for the starting QB job, James Franklin, completed 13 of 20 for just 89 yards. Gabbert is 4 for 4 outperforming Franklin this spring.
We're getting close to "torches & pitchforks" time in Columbus Ohio. Embattled Ohio State coach Jim Tressell had more evidence of his bad judgment splashed all over the front page back home today. Tressell contended at his news conference he had kept the news of "Tattoo-Gate" from school officials because of "concerns for confidentiality" for the person who notified him of the possible infractions. For those who don't know/remember, Five Buckeye players were suspended the first 5 games of the upcoming season for trading various OSU memorabilia for cash & tattoos. The Columbus Dispatch reports in Friday's edition Tressell emailed copies of the emails he received regarding the infractions to Ted Sarniak, a recruiting guy who was supposedly quarterback Terrelle Pryor's mentor. He didn't notify his athletic director or the university president,as he is required to do, choosing instead to try to clean up the mess without it seeing the light of day. Sarniak confirmed to the newspaper he had received two emails from Tressell with copies of the emails that alerted him of the possible infractions. So much for "confidentiality concerns" huh? You forward the email to an outsider, OSU quickly pointed out today Sarniak is not affiliated with the university in any way, but you keep the people required to police such infractions, totally in the dark. I expect the NCAA will increase Tressell's self-imposed 5-game suspension & it's justified
One player I'm pretty high on I somehow neglected to tell you about the other day, North Carolina State linebacker Nate Irving, had a whiz-bang pro day on Wednesday. He ran 4.68 & 4.73 forty times, jumped 33 1/2" in the vertical & did 27 reps in the bench press. He looked great in the linebacker drills & appears to have healed from his devastating car accident that kept him out the entire 2009 season. Irving suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, shoulder separation & a compound fracture of his left leg. He underwent 4 operations & has really fought an uphill battle to get back to middle-round consideration. Before the accident he had elite speed, now he's just slightly better than average. He was third in the nation amongst linebackers with 21 1/2 tackles for loss & he had 7 sacks in 2010. He most likely will be moved inside at the next level. After looking at his vehicle, you wonder how the kid even survived the crash.
June 29th, 2009
September 16th, 2010 vs. Cincinnati
I didn't discuss this incident at a Dallas area mall that occurred earlier in the week because I thought it was a ridiculous story. Dez Bryant, Dallas wide receiver, was expelled from a mall for wearing his pants "too low, in a gang-like fashion" which is apparently taboo in one of the finer shopping destinations in North Texas. Dez has another version of what happened, but hold onto your hat, that version doesn't jive with anyone else. Anyway, he has gone on a number of Dallas TV stations decrying the treatment he received at the mall. Several North Texas media outlets have contacted Deion Sanders, also a North Texas resident & former mentor to the troubled Bryant. Deion wants nothing to do with Bryant anymore, "Dez needs help, he really needs help & I'm not the guy to give it to him, I've had all of Dez Bryant I want or need." Deion is apparently still angry over Bryant lying to NCAA investigators about having lunch at Sanders' Dallas-area home, like it was something to lie about. The NCAA could care less where Bryant ate his lunch, but the fact that he lied to them about it is what got him suspended for 8 games of the 2009 season. I thought at the time the penalty was really excessive, but lying is lying to the NCAA. Deion went on to say "Dez is close to being Pacman Jones, that how far gone this kid is." Damn, that's pretty far gone.
The Chiefs picked up an additional draft pick as the NFL handed out compensatory picks for free agent losses. They awarded 23 in all, the Chiefs received a 6th round choice, the 34th in the round & 199th overall. Carolina was awarded a 3rd round selection for losing Julius Peppers & the Packers & Titans both receiver additional 4th round picks. The Chiefs didn't currently have a 6th round pick, having trading it to Tampa in the Alex Magee deal last year.
On the labor front, the players continue shooting themselves in the collective foot. ESPN's Tedy Bruschi warned incoming rookies to stay away from the draft telecast & yet current, active players continue to appear on The NFL Network, which is in fact, owned by the NFL. Any hypocrisy there? I keep hearing Bruschi & others say versions of the following quote "you don't think Demarcus Ware won't go the extra mile to knock your block off if you appeared on the draft telecast shaking the commissioner's hand?" So what you're saying is Ware will play harder against some players & not others? Are you saying Ware is liable to take a cheap shot in an effort to injure someone, which will penalize his team? I think it's a friggin' joke the NFLPA is already telling rookies what to do a full 6 weeks ahead of the draft, like they know there will not be an agreement before then. This is a case of bullying & as I've always said, "if you think something might look bad to someone else, it probably does."
The beat goes on. Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy failed to show for an autograph session at a Philly-area restaurant. He was paid $2,500 in advance, half his fee, but failed to show up or call. The eating establishment had sold tickets in advance & had a long line in anticipation of McCoy's arrival. When after 2 hours had gone by, the restaurant, Bentley's, began issuing refunds. McCoy Tweeted around 11:15PM he had suffered a flat tire, but no one was buying it, he was supposed to be at Bentley's around 7PM. How about he returns the $2,500 deposit & signs for two hours for free? Sorry, I lost my head.
And the beat goes on. Packer defensive end, Johnny Jolly, was recently reinstated to Green Bay's roster when coach Mike McCarthy said they were welcoming Jolly back with open arms. He was being welcomed back from a 1-year suspension for drug & firearm violations. Jolly missed out on a Super Bowl ring last year, missed out on everything. But he was welcomed back, with "open arms." Jolly repaid the trust of McCarthy & the Packers by being arrested last night in Houston. He was pulled over for a traffic violation. Jolly produced a state identification card instead of a driver's license, because, of course, his operator's permit had been not only suspended but was listed as "ineligible for renewal." Now it was on, get out of the car & under the seat, 600 grams of codeine. That's the stuff Jolly & others in his posse use to produce "Purple Drank." This drink, popular with gangsters & their affiliates thruout the south, is made with powdered codeine, Dr. Pepper & Jolly Rancher candy. Not as good as Crown Royal Special Reserve on the rocks IMO, but to each their own I guess. He was already in a 1-year "diversion program" instead of being imprisoned for a previous codeine & firearms bust. Jolly is currently being held in Harris County jail without bail. Now Jolly has effectively flushed his pro football career down the drain, his probation will most likely be revoked & it's a cinch both the Packers & the NFL will rid themselves of Mr. Jolly.
Jolly after his 2010 arrest.
A season ticket holder & PSL(personal seat license) owner of the Cleveland Browns has sued the Browns as well as the rest of the 31 teams for taking his money for the PSL, holding it while failing to provide anything for his payments. He's kinda jumping the gun filing this lawsuit way before the season is scheduled to start, but he's anticipating the season won't start on time & since the Browns have his money he feels he's been wronged. Some teams refused to ask for season ticket payments while others did. But for a team that sells PSL's they had better be careful with their fans, they already feel screwed by this ridiculous system. For those of you who don't know about the PSL system here's how it works. A premium is put on say two-thirds of a team's seats. It varies from a couple of hundred dollars to five-figures. A prospective season ticket customer must first, pay the PSL & this entitles him to be able to buy the season ticket. The PSL fee is a 1-time charge, the team keeps your money as long as you pay for the season tickets, they get the interest on all the PSL money, the season ticket holder gets nothing. Well except the luxury of being able to buy a season ticket(s). If you decide to give up your seats, your original PSL fee will be returned to you, but as I said, without interest. At Dallas' JonesMahal, PSL's ranged from $300 all the way up to $75,000.
Former Oakland Raider center, Barret Robbins, was sentenced to 5-years in prison for repeatedly violating the terms of his parole. He was originally busted for coke possession & whipping up on three police officers. He's failed several drug tests mandated by his parole, so it's back inside he goes. Robbins was the Raiders' center when they played Tampa Bay in the 2002 Super Bowl. If you'll recall he disappeared the night before the game & was arrested in Tiajuana early Sunday morning, completely out of it, missing the game. Robbins suffers from a bipolar disorder & drug addiction. He was said to be very happy to be going back to prison for 5-years. What a truly sad character, he wants to go to prison..
In Wednesday's scrimmage, Mizzou redshirt freshman Tyler Gabbert, continued his sparkling QB play. He completed 16 of 21 for 211 yards while his main competitor for the starting QB job, James Franklin, completed 13 of 20 for just 89 yards. Gabbert is 4 for 4 outperforming Franklin this spring.
We're getting close to "torches & pitchforks" time in Columbus Ohio. Embattled Ohio State coach Jim Tressell had more evidence of his bad judgment splashed all over the front page back home today. Tressell contended at his news conference he had kept the news of "Tattoo-Gate" from school officials because of "concerns for confidentiality" for the person who notified him of the possible infractions. For those who don't know/remember, Five Buckeye players were suspended the first 5 games of the upcoming season for trading various OSU memorabilia for cash & tattoos. The Columbus Dispatch reports in Friday's edition Tressell emailed copies of the emails he received regarding the infractions to Ted Sarniak, a recruiting guy who was supposedly quarterback Terrelle Pryor's mentor. He didn't notify his athletic director or the university president,as he is required to do, choosing instead to try to clean up the mess without it seeing the light of day. Sarniak confirmed to the newspaper he had received two emails from Tressell with copies of the emails that alerted him of the possible infractions. So much for "confidentiality concerns" huh? You forward the email to an outsider, OSU quickly pointed out today Sarniak is not affiliated with the university in any way, but you keep the people required to police such infractions, totally in the dark. I expect the NCAA will increase Tressell's self-imposed 5-game suspension & it's justified
One player I'm pretty high on I somehow neglected to tell you about the other day, North Carolina State linebacker Nate Irving, had a whiz-bang pro day on Wednesday. He ran 4.68 & 4.73 forty times, jumped 33 1/2" in the vertical & did 27 reps in the bench press. He looked great in the linebacker drills & appears to have healed from his devastating car accident that kept him out the entire 2009 season. Irving suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, shoulder separation & a compound fracture of his left leg. He underwent 4 operations & has really fought an uphill battle to get back to middle-round consideration. Before the accident he had elite speed, now he's just slightly better than average. He was third in the nation amongst linebackers with 21 1/2 tackles for loss & he had 7 sacks in 2010. He most likely will be moved inside at the next level. After looking at his vehicle, you wonder how the kid even survived the crash.
June 29th, 2009
September 16th, 2010 vs. Cincinnati
I didn't discuss this incident at a Dallas area mall that occurred earlier in the week because I thought it was a ridiculous story. Dez Bryant, Dallas wide receiver, was expelled from a mall for wearing his pants "too low, in a gang-like fashion" which is apparently taboo in one of the finer shopping destinations in North Texas. Dez has another version of what happened, but hold onto your hat, that version doesn't jive with anyone else. Anyway, he has gone on a number of Dallas TV stations decrying the treatment he received at the mall. Several North Texas media outlets have contacted Deion Sanders, also a North Texas resident & former mentor to the troubled Bryant. Deion wants nothing to do with Bryant anymore, "Dez needs help, he really needs help & I'm not the guy to give it to him, I've had all of Dez Bryant I want or need." Deion is apparently still angry over Bryant lying to NCAA investigators about having lunch at Sanders' Dallas-area home, like it was something to lie about. The NCAA could care less where Bryant ate his lunch, but the fact that he lied to them about it is what got him suspended for 8 games of the 2009 season. I thought at the time the penalty was really excessive, but lying is lying to the NCAA. Deion went on to say "Dez is close to being Pacman Jones, that how far gone this kid is." Damn, that's pretty far gone.
The Chiefs picked up an additional draft pick as the NFL handed out compensatory picks for free agent losses. They awarded 23 in all, the Chiefs received a 6th round choice, the 34th in the round & 199th overall. Carolina was awarded a 3rd round selection for losing Julius Peppers & the Packers & Titans both receiver additional 4th round picks. The Chiefs didn't currently have a 6th round pick, having trading it to Tampa in the Alex Magee deal last year.
On the labor front, the players continue shooting themselves in the collective foot. ESPN's Tedy Bruschi warned incoming rookies to stay away from the draft telecast & yet current, active players continue to appear on The NFL Network, which is in fact, owned by the NFL. Any hypocrisy there? I keep hearing Bruschi & others say versions of the following quote "you don't think Demarcus Ware won't go the extra mile to knock your block off if you appeared on the draft telecast shaking the commissioner's hand?" So what you're saying is Ware will play harder against some players & not others? Are you saying Ware is liable to take a cheap shot in an effort to injure someone, which will penalize his team? I think it's a friggin' joke the NFLPA is already telling rookies what to do a full 6 weeks ahead of the draft, like they know there will not be an agreement before then. This is a case of bullying & as I've always said, "if you think something might look bad to someone else, it probably does."
The beat goes on. Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy failed to show for an autograph session at a Philly-area restaurant. He was paid $2,500 in advance, half his fee, but failed to show up or call. The eating establishment had sold tickets in advance & had a long line in anticipation of McCoy's arrival. When after 2 hours had gone by, the restaurant, Bentley's, began issuing refunds. McCoy Tweeted around 11:15PM he had suffered a flat tire, but no one was buying it, he was supposed to be at Bentley's around 7PM. How about he returns the $2,500 deposit & signs for two hours for free? Sorry, I lost my head.
And the beat goes on. Packer defensive end, Johnny Jolly, was recently reinstated to Green Bay's roster when coach Mike McCarthy said they were welcoming Jolly back with open arms. He was being welcomed back from a 1-year suspension for drug & firearm violations. Jolly missed out on a Super Bowl ring last year, missed out on everything. But he was welcomed back, with "open arms." Jolly repaid the trust of McCarthy & the Packers by being arrested last night in Houston. He was pulled over for a traffic violation. Jolly produced a state identification card instead of a driver's license, because, of course, his operator's permit had been not only suspended but was listed as "ineligible for renewal." Now it was on, get out of the car & under the seat, 600 grams of codeine. That's the stuff Jolly & others in his posse use to produce "Purple Drank." This drink, popular with gangsters & their affiliates thruout the south, is made with powdered codeine, Dr. Pepper & Jolly Rancher candy. Not as good as Crown Royal Special Reserve on the rocks IMO, but to each their own I guess. He was already in a 1-year "diversion program" instead of being imprisoned for a previous codeine & firearms bust. Jolly is currently being held in Harris County jail without bail. Now Jolly has effectively flushed his pro football career down the drain, his probation will most likely be revoked & it's a cinch both the Packers & the NFL will rid themselves of Mr. Jolly.
Jolly after his 2010 arrest.
A season ticket holder & PSL(personal seat license) owner of the Cleveland Browns has sued the Browns as well as the rest of the 31 teams for taking his money for the PSL, holding it while failing to provide anything for his payments. He's kinda jumping the gun filing this lawsuit way before the season is scheduled to start, but he's anticipating the season won't start on time & since the Browns have his money he feels he's been wronged. Some teams refused to ask for season ticket payments while others did. But for a team that sells PSL's they had better be careful with their fans, they already feel screwed by this ridiculous system. For those of you who don't know about the PSL system here's how it works. A premium is put on say two-thirds of a team's seats. It varies from a couple of hundred dollars to five-figures. A prospective season ticket customer must first, pay the PSL & this entitles him to be able to buy the season ticket. The PSL fee is a 1-time charge, the team keeps your money as long as you pay for the season tickets, they get the interest on all the PSL money, the season ticket holder gets nothing. Well except the luxury of being able to buy a season ticket(s). If you decide to give up your seats, your original PSL fee will be returned to you, but as I said, without interest. At Dallas' JonesMahal, PSL's ranged from $300 all the way up to $75,000.
Former Oakland Raider center, Barret Robbins, was sentenced to 5-years in prison for repeatedly violating the terms of his parole. He was originally busted for coke possession & whipping up on three police officers. He's failed several drug tests mandated by his parole, so it's back inside he goes. Robbins was the Raiders' center when they played Tampa Bay in the 2002 Super Bowl. If you'll recall he disappeared the night before the game & was arrested in Tiajuana early Sunday morning, completely out of it, missing the game. Robbins suffers from a bipolar disorder & drug addiction. He was said to be very happy to be going back to prison for 5-years. What a truly sad character, he wants to go to prison..
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