HBO+AUBURN COULD BE HUGE STORY, SAM HUFF SPEAKS HIS MIND & I'LL GIVE MY 2-CENTS ON CHIEFS' DRAFT POSSIBILITIES
I don't subscribe to HBO, we felt their programming had really gone downhill in the past two years& couldn't see paying the $11 a month to see non-stop vampire shows or Bill Maher. One show we loved that was still a part of their regular schedule, Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, had quite a show tonight & even if you didn't see it, you're going to hear a lot about it in the near future. One of their segments was about college recruiting & players being paid for playing. They focused on Auburn, LSU & Ohio State in the 20-minute piece. They got 4 ex-Auburn players to admit on camera they had received cash payments not only to attend the school, but kept receiving "cash handshakes" from boosters during their time playing for then coach Tommy Tuberville. He's now the head man at Texas Tech. The "cash handshakes" amounted to a booster offering a congratulatory handshake after a game & when the player broke the handshake, he had $300-500 in hundred dollar bills. One kid said he received $4,000 cash during the recruiting process from Auburn boosters. The ex-Buckeye stated he was given oral sex on several occasions from OSU coeds during his recruitment. Now I'm not naive enough to believe this hasn't gone on for decades, because it has. Sadly, it continues today & I think there's something to these player's on-camera testimonials. Unfortunately for Auburn, LSU & Ohio State, because this was on HBO & done by a high-profile reporting team with impeccable credentials, the NCAA will begin looking into these allegations. They have to, ignoring this story will only cause them more trouble than actually investigating it. College football is under fire right now. People want a playoff system, the pressure to win has never been higher & the integrity & honesty of players, coaches & administrators is sagging unfortunately. Real Sports has stirred up a hornets' nest.
Sam Huff, a Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker & all-around tough guy, has some advice for quarterback Drew Brees. When the Saints signal-caller said retired players "should have managed their money better, they might still have some" he struck a nerve. Huff said "Drew Brees should keep his mouth shut." I agree, Brees' comment definitely was made without examining the facts. What money is Brees talking about? Players in Huffs era made about double the national average in yearly income, all of them had off-season jobs, selling cars, insurance, peddling beer. Huff worked on radio doing hourly sports reports & also worked as a salesman for Marriott Hotels. I don't have the exact figures at my finger tips but I know current players make more than 10-times the national income average. I also know for a fact less than 50 current players have off-season employment of any kind. Brees' former backup quarterback, Mark Brunell, recently filed for bankruptcy, listing $5.5 million in assets & $25 million in liabilities. Plus former players from the 50's & 60's are still living in today's economy with a pension that is little more than a stipend & a pathetic health care plan. These retirees just want a livable pension & a better health care plan, they're not asking for anything like what current players have. A fifth-year NFL player's base pay in 2010 was $470,000, which is $23K more than Sam Huff made in his entire Hall of Fame career.
Sam Huff, College & Pro
Football Hall of Fame member
A pair of rookies have RSVP'd their appearance at the NFL Draft. Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn & Alabama WR Julio Jones were 2 of the 20 players invited, along with their families, to New York for Draft weekend. Expect more to say yes to the league's invitation.
Warren Moon is charging "racial bias" in the scouting reports on Heisman winner Cam Newton. I'm growing tired of this charge as it is used both in sports & in politics. Newton should be drafted ahead of every other quarterback with the lone exception possibly of Blaine Gabbert, that's it. What exactly is wrong with Newton being first? Should he have been higher? Jeez Warren, you can't go any higher. Let's examine the facts shall we?
1. Newton has a checkered past that has nothing to do with his race. He left Florida before he was thrown out of school for theft of a laptop & academic fraud for turning in another student's paper with his name on it & for copying another paper off the internet.
2. A full scale investigation was launched into his recruitment & his father's request for $170,000 in cash from Auburn in a play for pay scheme.
3. Newton had one great season in college, one. Yes he earned the Heisman Trophy, but it was his only signature season in college.
4. Newton threw poorly at the combine, he missed receivers by 10-yards. He interviewed poorly at the combine, many teams removing him from their draft board altogether.
Any racial bias in anything I said? These are facts, they aren't a reflection of the young man's race. I won't go into Warren Moon's checkered past, you know those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Warren shouldn't be hurling anything at anybody. Moon was the best-ever run & shoot NFL quarterback but he never won anything after his career in the Canadian Football League. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2006, the gaudy passing stats he accumulated in the run & shoot punched his ticket to Canton. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but in this case, it's simple to shoot holes in Moon's accusations.
From the police blotter, Tampa cornerback Aqib Talib turned himself into the Garland Texas police & was released on a $25,000 bond. No word if he was accompanied by his mom, also wanted for squeezing off 3 rounds at her son-in-law. Green Bay defensive lineman John Jolley was again denied bail on Wednesday, it's now doubtful bail will be granted before his arraignment. David Wells, the slimy agent who procured jewelry & provided cash to Dez Bryant while he was still in college at Oklahoma State said Wednesday "Dez is in a very dark place, he needs help." Wells is part of the reason Bryant is in that dark place, God what a parasite.
Taylor of Baylor will make a trip to Kansas City for a private workout & interview with the Chiefs. Phil Taylor, Baylor nose tackle, is one of my 3 choices for Kansas City in round one next month.
Phil Taylor, Baylor nose tackle
My pal over at Fantasy Football Mastermind(ffmastermind.com), John Cooney, sent me his initial mock draft for Kansas City & asked my opinion on his picks. I love having this debate with people who not only understand the fundamentals of the draft but have an intelligent grasp on just how well a player can fit into different schemes. Let's examine John's selections for the Chiefs.
Round 1-Gabe Carimi-offensive tackle-Wisconsin 6'7" 314
I have no problem with this pick, in fact I listed Carimi, a 49-game starter for the Badgers, as one of my three choices for round one. The other two would be Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo & Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor. At pick #21, there isn't a WR to take & the best pass rush prospects for OLB will already be gone as well.
Round 2-Sam Acho-outside linebacker-Texas 6'2" 262
Sorry John, not a fan of this pick. But I will say Acho is Pioli's kind of guy, a brilliant student, team leader & good athlete. But Acho just didn't make enough happen. He has few pass rush moves, at the Senior Bowl he went O-for-the week in the man-to-man pass blocking drills, he didn't win a single battle. Acho has a good motor & very good pass/play recognition, but he has trouble disengaging when a blocker gets onto him. My second round choices would include OLB Bruce Carter of N. Carolina(like Acho, a former DE), C/G Rodney Hudson of Florida State & WR's Randall Cobb of Kentucky or Jerrel Jernigan of Troy.
Rodney Hudson, FSU
Round 3-Kris O'Dowd-center-USC-6'4" 298
Not a fan, saw him walked back into the quarterback too many times, has trouble holding his ground & was mauled at the Senior Bowl. I doubt O'Dowd will go before the middle of round four. My choices here would include Tandon Doss, a WR from Indiana, Marcus Gilbert, a right tackle from Florida or Iowa QB Rickey Stanzi.
Round 4-Ian Williams-nose tackle-Notre Dame 6'1" 319
If the Chiefs don't tab Taylor in round one or trade up in the 2nd round to grab Oregon State's Stephen Paea, I'm with John. Williams was one of my choices from last week's post for a 4th round selection. I like him, tough, physical, non-stop & fundamentally sound. If K.C. does select Taylor or Paea let's consider WR's Cecil Shorts III of Mount Union or Boise State's Austin Pettis. If that need has already been filled, ILB's Nate Irving of North Carolina State or Oregon's Casey Mathews could fill a real need.
Round 5-Greg Salas-wide receiver-Hawaii 6'1" 210
I like Salas a lot & he did himself a huge favor in the post season. Big, physical, sure-handed possession receiver.
Round 5-second pick-Alex Green-running back-Hawaii 6'0" 225
A solid runner who finishes his carries falling forward. Ran out of a pass-happy spread, so he had major gaps to attack, he won't see anything like that in the NFL. I do like this kid tho, he breaks tackles & had an outstanding stiff arm in the games I caught. Good pass protector(a must in the NFL) & a decent route runner.
Alex Green, Hawaii running back
My alternate picks in round five would include Mizzou center Tim Barnes, LSU RB Stevan Ridley, Nevada RB Vai Taua, Idaho QB Nathan Enderle & Rice OLB Cheta Ozougwu.
Round 6-Scott Tolzien-quarterback-Wisconsin 6' 2" 209
Played in a run-first offense behind a great college offensive line. Smallish with a 3/4 to sidearm motion. Took most snaps under center which is a plus but was little more than a game manager in the Badgers' system. I prefer one of the following: Missouri State guard David Arkin, Michigan ILB Obi Ozeh, West Texas A&M WR Stephen Burton or Stanford nose tackle Sione Fua.
Round 7-Mario Harvey-Inside linebacker-Marshall 5'11" 250
Only saw him in two games but he appears to be a solid tackling, downhill hole plugger with a decent burst to the quarterback. No Senior Bowl or combine appearance to grade, so I can't argue with John on this one. I had already suggested Central Michigan center Colin Miller or nose tackle Blaine Sumner of Colorado School of Mines. Any small school kid who can do 52 bench press reps & run a sub-5.20 forty carrying 338-pounds will always get my attention. This late in the 7th round is truly a crap shoot.
I picked a bunch of nose tackles, upgrading this position is imperative to significant defensive improvement. They'll only pick one, but they need to draft one without fail. The Chiefs were gashed by teams that could run between the tackles. The other positions that really require younger or upgraded players would include OT, C, OLB, WR, ILB, RB & QB.
Sam Huff, a Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker & all-around tough guy, has some advice for quarterback Drew Brees. When the Saints signal-caller said retired players "should have managed their money better, they might still have some" he struck a nerve. Huff said "Drew Brees should keep his mouth shut." I agree, Brees' comment definitely was made without examining the facts. What money is Brees talking about? Players in Huffs era made about double the national average in yearly income, all of them had off-season jobs, selling cars, insurance, peddling beer. Huff worked on radio doing hourly sports reports & also worked as a salesman for Marriott Hotels. I don't have the exact figures at my finger tips but I know current players make more than 10-times the national income average. I also know for a fact less than 50 current players have off-season employment of any kind. Brees' former backup quarterback, Mark Brunell, recently filed for bankruptcy, listing $5.5 million in assets & $25 million in liabilities. Plus former players from the 50's & 60's are still living in today's economy with a pension that is little more than a stipend & a pathetic health care plan. These retirees just want a livable pension & a better health care plan, they're not asking for anything like what current players have. A fifth-year NFL player's base pay in 2010 was $470,000, which is $23K more than Sam Huff made in his entire Hall of Fame career.
Sam Huff, College & Pro
Football Hall of Fame member
A pair of rookies have RSVP'd their appearance at the NFL Draft. Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn & Alabama WR Julio Jones were 2 of the 20 players invited, along with their families, to New York for Draft weekend. Expect more to say yes to the league's invitation.
Warren Moon is charging "racial bias" in the scouting reports on Heisman winner Cam Newton. I'm growing tired of this charge as it is used both in sports & in politics. Newton should be drafted ahead of every other quarterback with the lone exception possibly of Blaine Gabbert, that's it. What exactly is wrong with Newton being first? Should he have been higher? Jeez Warren, you can't go any higher. Let's examine the facts shall we?
1. Newton has a checkered past that has nothing to do with his race. He left Florida before he was thrown out of school for theft of a laptop & academic fraud for turning in another student's paper with his name on it & for copying another paper off the internet.
2. A full scale investigation was launched into his recruitment & his father's request for $170,000 in cash from Auburn in a play for pay scheme.
3. Newton had one great season in college, one. Yes he earned the Heisman Trophy, but it was his only signature season in college.
4. Newton threw poorly at the combine, he missed receivers by 10-yards. He interviewed poorly at the combine, many teams removing him from their draft board altogether.
Any racial bias in anything I said? These are facts, they aren't a reflection of the young man's race. I won't go into Warren Moon's checkered past, you know those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Warren shouldn't be hurling anything at anybody. Moon was the best-ever run & shoot NFL quarterback but he never won anything after his career in the Canadian Football League. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2006, the gaudy passing stats he accumulated in the run & shoot punched his ticket to Canton. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but in this case, it's simple to shoot holes in Moon's accusations.
From the police blotter, Tampa cornerback Aqib Talib turned himself into the Garland Texas police & was released on a $25,000 bond. No word if he was accompanied by his mom, also wanted for squeezing off 3 rounds at her son-in-law. Green Bay defensive lineman John Jolley was again denied bail on Wednesday, it's now doubtful bail will be granted before his arraignment. David Wells, the slimy agent who procured jewelry & provided cash to Dez Bryant while he was still in college at Oklahoma State said Wednesday "Dez is in a very dark place, he needs help." Wells is part of the reason Bryant is in that dark place, God what a parasite.
Taylor of Baylor will make a trip to Kansas City for a private workout & interview with the Chiefs. Phil Taylor, Baylor nose tackle, is one of my 3 choices for Kansas City in round one next month.
Phil Taylor, Baylor nose tackle
My pal over at Fantasy Football Mastermind(ffmastermind.com), John Cooney, sent me his initial mock draft for Kansas City & asked my opinion on his picks. I love having this debate with people who not only understand the fundamentals of the draft but have an intelligent grasp on just how well a player can fit into different schemes. Let's examine John's selections for the Chiefs.
Round 1-Gabe Carimi-offensive tackle-Wisconsin 6'7" 314
I have no problem with this pick, in fact I listed Carimi, a 49-game starter for the Badgers, as one of my three choices for round one. The other two would be Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo & Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor. At pick #21, there isn't a WR to take & the best pass rush prospects for OLB will already be gone as well.
Round 2-Sam Acho-outside linebacker-Texas 6'2" 262
Sorry John, not a fan of this pick. But I will say Acho is Pioli's kind of guy, a brilliant student, team leader & good athlete. But Acho just didn't make enough happen. He has few pass rush moves, at the Senior Bowl he went O-for-the week in the man-to-man pass blocking drills, he didn't win a single battle. Acho has a good motor & very good pass/play recognition, but he has trouble disengaging when a blocker gets onto him. My second round choices would include OLB Bruce Carter of N. Carolina(like Acho, a former DE), C/G Rodney Hudson of Florida State & WR's Randall Cobb of Kentucky or Jerrel Jernigan of Troy.
Rodney Hudson, FSU
Round 3-Kris O'Dowd-center-USC-6'4" 298
Not a fan, saw him walked back into the quarterback too many times, has trouble holding his ground & was mauled at the Senior Bowl. I doubt O'Dowd will go before the middle of round four. My choices here would include Tandon Doss, a WR from Indiana, Marcus Gilbert, a right tackle from Florida or Iowa QB Rickey Stanzi.
Round 4-Ian Williams-nose tackle-Notre Dame 6'1" 319
If the Chiefs don't tab Taylor in round one or trade up in the 2nd round to grab Oregon State's Stephen Paea, I'm with John. Williams was one of my choices from last week's post for a 4th round selection. I like him, tough, physical, non-stop & fundamentally sound. If K.C. does select Taylor or Paea let's consider WR's Cecil Shorts III of Mount Union or Boise State's Austin Pettis. If that need has already been filled, ILB's Nate Irving of North Carolina State or Oregon's Casey Mathews could fill a real need.
Round 5-Greg Salas-wide receiver-Hawaii 6'1" 210
I like Salas a lot & he did himself a huge favor in the post season. Big, physical, sure-handed possession receiver.
Round 5-second pick-Alex Green-running back-Hawaii 6'0" 225
A solid runner who finishes his carries falling forward. Ran out of a pass-happy spread, so he had major gaps to attack, he won't see anything like that in the NFL. I do like this kid tho, he breaks tackles & had an outstanding stiff arm in the games I caught. Good pass protector(a must in the NFL) & a decent route runner.
Alex Green, Hawaii running back
My alternate picks in round five would include Mizzou center Tim Barnes, LSU RB Stevan Ridley, Nevada RB Vai Taua, Idaho QB Nathan Enderle & Rice OLB Cheta Ozougwu.
Round 6-Scott Tolzien-quarterback-Wisconsin 6' 2" 209
Played in a run-first offense behind a great college offensive line. Smallish with a 3/4 to sidearm motion. Took most snaps under center which is a plus but was little more than a game manager in the Badgers' system. I prefer one of the following: Missouri State guard David Arkin, Michigan ILB Obi Ozeh, West Texas A&M WR Stephen Burton or Stanford nose tackle Sione Fua.
Round 7-Mario Harvey-Inside linebacker-Marshall 5'11" 250
Only saw him in two games but he appears to be a solid tackling, downhill hole plugger with a decent burst to the quarterback. No Senior Bowl or combine appearance to grade, so I can't argue with John on this one. I had already suggested Central Michigan center Colin Miller or nose tackle Blaine Sumner of Colorado School of Mines. Any small school kid who can do 52 bench press reps & run a sub-5.20 forty carrying 338-pounds will always get my attention. This late in the 7th round is truly a crap shoot.
I picked a bunch of nose tackles, upgrading this position is imperative to significant defensive improvement. They'll only pick one, but they need to draft one without fail. The Chiefs were gashed by teams that could run between the tackles. The other positions that really require younger or upgraded players would include OT, C, OLB, WR, ILB, RB & QB.
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