Trading Block

I was informed a couple days ago that I'm on the trading block. The Jaguars are trying to trade me. Professional sports is a business and no one is exempt from the business aspect, not Hall of Famers, not star players. Fred Taylor, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison are just a few household names who were let go by teams they had spent 10+ years with.

I have already been very fortunate. I am living the dream. I just finished my 6th year in the NFL (Not For Long) with the same team and I'm on my second contract. The average career is only 3 years. So far I have had a few seasons cut short due to injury but I am 100% healthy now. I am committed to maximizing my potential and being one of the best tight ends in the league, now that I am healthy, that is very possible. 

I want to thank the Jaguars fans and all of the people who have supported me and followed my career through college and NFL. So many people have supported me when things were going well, but most importantly when they weren't. Thank you so much.  I'm excited to get a new opportunity and a fresh start but nervous to leave the only team and fans I know. 

Looking forward...I have prayed about this situation and I have peace because everything will work out for the better. I am healthy and I will give everyone more highlights, more catches to cheer about, and continue to be a good role model, just in a different uniform.

Give me $14,000 instead

OMG!!! This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my whole life. Nissan has the nerve to be charging $14k for this thing. They should be giving this thing away. If you want to give away $ email me and I'll give you my routing and account number. The designers need to be drug tested because they were obviously "Half Baked" when they finalized designs on this. Whoever told them this was a good idea probably thought Alicia Keyes wig and lipstick were good ideas at the Oscars. (sorry Alicia you are still beautiful and talented but its true)

If this car was an electric I would get it, but it's not. This car should be "green" like the smart car or be used as a golf cart.

If the American automakers need a bailout, foreign automakers are gonna be next in line because of ideas like this. Wow.

OMG!!! Are they serious...LOL!!!

I have HOPE.

In my 27 years, I have NEVER watched an entire Pres. Address to Congress. I know everyone didn't vote for President Obama, but we must look in depth at the social impact of his Presidency. More young people voted in this election than ever before. That means the youth of America who have gone astray from being socially conscious are taking our country back.

My confidence has been reassured in our country and our leadership. If you watched and listened to yesterday’s address yours is too. In this time when banks are failing, businesses are drowning, and millions are losing their homes, decisive action must be taken. Since Pres. Obama has been in office, Congress has worked as efficiently and as timely as it has in a long time. Congress spent so much time in the last couple years investigating and wasting resources on steroids. That time could have been spent on issues that matter 1000 times more like alternative energy, health care, and education.  America’s leaders have allowed "politics" and self interest to cloud their judgment and their decision making which  puts us all at risk.

 People will read this and say I’m a professional athlete and I'm not affected at all. Wrong. Like so many other people I have seen my investments and 401k crushed. So, that led me to look outside and think, if I'm affected by this so heavily, I can’t even begin to know how people who are hardworking, tax paying Americans who have lost or are losing their homes feel.

Our leaders, banks, and crooked people on Wall Street are at fault, but the reality is that we the people have to stand up and take some responsibility ourselves. As Pres. Obama said we knew we couldn't afford some of the houses and cars that were bought. It is time for us to stop trying to keep up with the Jones' or live like the Combs' (Sean "P.Diddy" Combs) when our income, savings, and financial plan don't allow it. If no one else will do their jobs, we have to take responsibility for ourselves and secure our futures. That means saving money and educating ourselves about investing, and investing in our most valuable resource, our children. We must invest our time, energy, and values into our children. Children need to be mentored and have POSITIVE male role models and be taught about God.

My car was just broken into a couple days ago. I am angry.  But I'm concerned more for the future because crime spiking now is just the tip of the iceberg if we don't get this system fixed. I believe it is a result of us not investing in our children. I know there will always be crime, but these times are tough and people are up against the wall. Children see their parent(s) struggling and they want a way out. Kids feel like they have no hope because of absentee parents and the educational system is failing them.

There is good news. Since Pres. Obama has been in office there has been decisive action. You may not agree with everything and every bill that has passed or the amounts the government is going to spend, but the government is working.  We will recover. The President and government doing something right is not going to be the answer to all our problems. It's time! It's time for us to stand up and be accountable. We have to help ourselves by investing in ourselves and families. Read a book, join a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, spend more time building your relationship with God, go to school, do something that incorporates learning and fun with your family, and love one another as you want them to love you. Lastly, but most importantly, never compromise doing what you know in your heart is right for anything.

"Don't be afraid to stand on a mountain of "No's" for 1 "YES"." -B. Smith

Very Athletic

Who can do this? This is clearly impressive. And people say lineman aren't good athletes.

Lucky shot

Is Devin Harris lucky or just that good? LUCKY for sure!!! The ball got knocked out of his hand before he shot it.  This is not just your typical half court shot, it was a game winner. He couldn't do that again if he had 1000 tries, but it's great non the less. The 76ers look so defeated after they are informed by the refs the shot counts. Watch Andre Iguodala as soon as he sees the shot go up, he starts to jump and celebrate then his bubble is burst quickly.

It's great to be the Nets...It sucks to be the 76ers!!!

The Tiger Effect

He's Back!!!!

Wednesday is the day the world has been awaiting for 10 months. It's the return of your favorite golfer's favorite golfer. Tiger Woods is back. Golf on TV is relevant again. The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship will be the site of the return of the "greatest golfer ever". In his last tournament, he played with a torn ACL on a broken leg (with one hand tied behind his back. j/k) and WON a major against able bodied PROFESSIONALS. LOL!!! And to make the legend of Tiger even bigger, guess who is still the #1 raked golfer in the world after months of surgery and rehab...if you guessed Tiger you are correct. 

It's amazing that this man is head and shoulders above everyone else in his sport. He was off for 10 months...10 months and no one could over take the top spot. TV ratings for golf are in the toilet when Tiger isn't in contention. Golf on TV almost folded without Tiger. I bet the president of the PGA Jim Remy had sleepless nights when the news broke of Tigers' injury, but now he is having sleepless nights from the anticipation of the return of GOLF. (TIGER)

Tiger is the reason so many young people and minorities play golf today. Black kids, White kids, Latino kids all want to be Tiger Woods. I started playing golf over a year ago and I honestly have to say it's partially because it's now cool for a young black man to play golf. He is one of the most influential figures EVER in sports because of his social impact. He does not speak out on politics and is at times ridiculed for that, but he does speak out loud with his time and his wallet, committing millions to give inner city youth an alternative to destructive behavior. There are so many negative influences on the youth of today, especially with the absence of God in school and the absence traditional family values that kids feel like they have very few options. There are a lot of athletes trying to give back as they should, but some are special. Look up the Tiger Woods Learning Centers and the Tiger Woods Foundation and you will learn many things you did not know about him and who his charity helps. He visits the places that his foundation supports and shows that kids are important and that it's not just good PR.

When the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship starts on Wednesday remember it's not just a comeback for Tiger Woods, it's a come back for golf and hope, hope for another youth in a bad situation to see an alternative.

We look up to so many people in our culture who are not a symbol of the right way to do things. We need to take time to appreciate the real Heroes who are doing the right things and doing things the right way. Kids need more Tigers. 

Asian Lady

Has anyone seen this video on YouTube?

I only wish I knew what she was saying. (Can anyone translate?) Apparently she missed a flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Did her life depend on being on that flight or is she just a dramatic mess? I'm gonna assume the latter and get my laugh on... 

That is someones mother, sister, daughter... maybe yours and you just don't want to admit it. This video is the reason I take my iflip (thanks Dave for the Xmas present) everywhere with me. I pray one day I can catch something on video that is a YouTube "instant classic" like this.

Cattle Call

Imagine this...

There are 100s of NFL coaches and front office executives sitting in big comfortable chairs facing a stage like they are gonna watch a concert, equipped with note pads in hand, waiting for the show. On the sides of the stage are men who have been doing nothing but getting their bodies in shape and preparing themselves for this week.

One by one the men await their chance to parade across the stage with nothing but spandex on. As each man takes his turn, you see whispers among the crowd and occasionally you hear loud commotion as an unusual herculean man walks across the stage. Its the most bizarre thing you would ever see. Men who coach such a macho sport and teach toughness basically drooling and wooing over men with their shirt off. LOL!

The funniest thing is when its your turn to walk across the stage you look into the crowd and its the most uncomfortable feeling ever. You think..."this is wierd, why, why, why are these men looking at me like I'm a woman walking in front of a construction site or like I'm a gazelle and they are lions on the pride lands".

But that's the combine. 5 days of being poked, pulled, prodded, xrayed, MRI'd, measured, drilled, and timed. This year 328+ college players are vying for about 224 spots in April's NFL draft. After playing football for most of your life, it is one of the most important weeks of your life and little of it has to do with playing football. Sometimes players dont perform as well as they can or as well as they thought they would. Therefore, dreams come true for some players with a good showing but sometimes lifetime dreams are broken with a bad one. And the only way to recover is to hope you are picked up as a free agent and get an opportunity to show you can play.

Millions of dollars are at stake, jobs and livelihoods are on the line, and millions of dollars go into the process of finding the best players. After all this, plus watching tape, coaches still manage to draft players who cant play. You can do all the measuring and timing and interviewing you want, but the combine cannot measure the size of a mans' heart, his will to win, or his commitment to being the best.

Naked Skin

I have naked skin!!!! I am one of the few professional athletes with no tattoos. Lately Ive been thinking about getting one, but then I wont be able to stand up as one of the people bucking the trends and being an individual. (I cant wear skinny jeans cuz my knots don't fit!!!)

Me and my sisters agreed to get a similar tattoo as an outward expression of our bond and love. This was a couple years ago. They both have theirs already so now they are looking at me out of the corner of their eye so I'm feeling the pressure. LOL. I want to get it but then I feel like ill be like everyone else then, but I told them I would do it. Tough decision! But if I do get the tat it must be top notch so I need help with designs. GAM with a little 3 either super/subscript on the G.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people with tattoos and the number of tattoos those people have in the last few years. So many people, especially athletes have full sleeves, half sleeves, one sleeve, necks, backs done. Are people who have so much of their body tattooed at 18-29 gonna want those same tattoos when they get 40-50 and they get wrinkled or will they regret having all of them?

What's with all the tats?!!!

Traitor/ Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle is one of the best actors of our time. If you have seen the movie Traitor it is a masterful performance. He embraced the role totally and the movie is just great. Did anyone like this movie as much as I did or think he did a great job like I did?

Level playing field

Does anyone but me think that 10 hrs a day of steroid talk on TV is ridiculous? These reporters are trying to get to the "bottom" of who was doing steroids and who wasn't. It's completely impossible to know who was doing it and who wasn't over a course of 15-20 years. And it's completely unfair to crucify those who you know did it when you cannot possibly find out all the people who were using.

Everyone needs to just chalk it up and let it go. The whole truth will NEVER be found so why search for parts. Only a small percentage of players who used get blamed and kept out of the hall of fame where they belong. The playing field was level. The majority were using so it was fair. Records should stand, memories of greatness will remain, nothing should be erased.

I hope we learn from this that what the Bible says is true...what is done in the dark will come to light. And that a blind eye should never be turned to wrong doing while its going on.