CATCH THIS

Week 12: Playoff Push

2011-11-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day games have not been good recently, but I expect different this year. There are three good match ups. TheLions, Packers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Ravens, and 49ers are all respectable teams. This week, divisional races will become more convoluted. Especially the NFC East. No one wants to win, so the Eagles will come and snatch it.

Green Bay vs Detroit- The unstoppable Packers roll into Detroit for Thanksgiving dinner. Aaron Rodgers is a human. Last week vs Tampa Bay he looked frustrated at times, but then he was spectacular when it counted. The Lions looked terrible in the beginning of the game but thanks to three Cam Newton interceptions they came back and won by 14. Detroit's offense is iffy at best. Stafford has to play better for this team to make the playoffs. The Packers will leave Detroit with two dinner plates. Their own and the Lions.

Winner: PACKERS

Miami vs Dallas- Do not adjust your television, the Miami Dolphins are a good football team. They play 10 different running backs but they get the job done. Matt Moore is not playing break but he is not turning the football over. The Cowboys were a missed kick away from losing to the Redskins last week. This game will not need snow or Leon Lett for the Dolphins to win. Upset.

Winner: COWBOYS

San Francisco vs Baltimore- For all you people who do not think the 49ers are for real, we will find out this week. The Ravens are a good football team and will be a good barometer to judge the 49ers. These two teams are a near mirror imago of each other. Great linebacker, great running back, and, decent wide receivers. They both want to run the football and play great defense. This game will be about who executes the best.

Winner: 49ers

Minnesota vs Atlanta- The future of Christian Ponder is still up in the air. At times he look like he may be a franchise quarterback, but other times he looks like he is back at Florida State. No Adrian Peterson. Big problem. The Falcons got a gift with this game, rookie quarterback and no running game. If the Falcons cam keep Jared Allen away from Matt Ryan this will be an easy win.

Winner: FALCONS

Carolina vs Indianapolis- Superman has been Clark Kent for the last few weeks. These are the breaks of a rookie NFL quarterback. He started off cooking with Crisco, but hit the rookie wall. I think Cam will get some of momma home cooking this week and rebound for the end of the season. It does not hurt they are playing the Colts this week. There is nothing good happening in Indianapolis right now. Well, Pat Anger is leading the league in tackles.

Winner: PANTHERS

Tampa Bay vs Tennessee- Tampa Bay was very impressive even with loss to the Packers last week. LeGarrett Blount decided he didn't need any blockers to run to the ball last week. He easily broke 20 tackles in the game. If he runs like that this week the Bucs have a chance to turn their season around. The Titans will be very motivated to win this week because they still have a chance to win the AFC South with Matt Shaub out in Houston. Chris Johnson had what we thought was a breakout game two weeks ago. Then, last week he was under 15 yards. Expect another low output from him.

Winner: BUCCANEERS

Arizona vs St Louis- This is a NFC West showdown. Yes I said that with a straight face. Kevin Kolb should be back this week for the Cardinals. Hopefully his time off helps him play better. I expected the Cardinals to have a few more wins at this point in time. Boy are they disappointing this year. The Rams expected to have a couple more wins too, but injuries have been mean to them.

WInner: CARDINALS

Cleveland vs Cincinnati- I told y'all Cleveland was going to max out at 14 points last week. Where did they end the game?...14. Please listen to the Cleveland radio host go crazy on his Browns. That is 10 minutes audio that will make your day better. The Bengals lost to the top two teams in their division (Ravens, Steelers), but they are still for real. They have a chance to pick up another game of their division leaders and possibly sneak in the playoffs.

Winner: BENGALS

Houston vs Jacksonville- I picked Jacksonville last week and they let me down. This week, they play a better team with a question mark at quarterback. I worked out this summer with Matt Leinart and I think he is ready for his opportunity this year. The Texans control their own playoff destiny, and won't fall short. I think Jaguars fans are wondering if Blaine Gabbert is really the answer at quarterback. They are also wondering where is the pro bowl tight end they gave 35 million to this offseason. Maurice Jones-Drew cannot win games on offense alone.

Winner: TEXANS

Buffalo vs New York Jets- Am I the one who said the Bills had 9-7 written all over them? I was wrong. Make it 7-9. Now that they have lost their bell cow Fred Jackson, their playoff chances are out of the window. The Jets just came off losing a game everyone expected them to win. New York should rebound this week vs the exploding Bills. The only person who can change the outcome of this game is Mark Sanchez. If he plays terribly, the Jets may lose.

Winner: JETS

Pittsburgh vs Kansas City- Pittsburgh is a good football team and potential Super bowl team. Even though the Chiefs have added Kyle Orton, this game will be a mere speed bump for the Steelers.

Winner: STEELERS

Denver vs San Diego- Do you believe in Tebow yet? John Elway isn't sold long term either. The Broncos defense is fierce and fast right now. Rookie Von Miller is a nightmare off the edge and has been a force against the run and pass. WTH is going on with Phillip Rivers? Seriously, he is awful right now. He leads the league in interceptions and is the main reason for the Chargers struggles. Ryan Matthews gets hurt every game so if Tolbert is out they are down to a guy they didn't expect to get more that 20 carries on the season. I believe in Tebow and definitely do not believe in Rivers (this year).

Winner: BRONCOS

Washington vs Seattle-The Redskins put Rex Grossman back at quarterback, and guess what happened? They played well and would have beat the Cowboys if Gano could make a FG. They have to make a long trip to the West Coast and home of the 12th man. Seattle has been playing well they last couple weeks and should continue this week.

Winner: SEAHAWKS

Chicago vs Oakland- The Bears were looking like the second best team in the NFL. For weeks I have been saying I was waiting for Cutler to lose games and blow the season. Well he is going to indirectly do both now that he is out for the season. The Bears front seven can't play quarterback. Haine will have a chance to prove himself and save the Bears season. Carson Palmer looks like the QB who took the Bengals to the playoffs. Oakland is running the ball well and playing great defense.

Winner: RAIDERS

New England vs Philadelphia- Philadelphia is likely entering a second game in a row without Vick at quarterback. Can Vince Young win 2 games in a row? Not throwing three picks again he can't. The Patriots do have the last rated pass defense in the league so that should help him out. Expect the Phily defense to press across the board and blitz Brady anytime they line up in empty. That recipe was successful for the Steelers. Another good sign for the Eagles is that the Patriots don't have a real running game so they should be able to pin their ears back and get after Brady some.

Winner: EAGLES

New York Giants vs New Orleans- This is a great matchup for Monday Night. This game means so much to both teams. They are both leading their closely contested division. A loss would muddy divisional waters and open up the door for chaos. I still have the Eagles making the playoffs. So that is influencing my pick for this game. New Orleans is getting hot at the right time. Brees and the offense are becoming the high powered team we are used to seeing.

Winner: SAINTS

NFL WInners/Losers: Week 11

2011-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

This week in the NFL features some great games. One of the biggest questions is "Can Tebow beat the Jets?". A win would give the Broncos a chance to win the AFC West. If the Eagles beat the Giants who will win the NFC East? The Detroit Lions are on a slippery slope right now. A couple more losses and the season that started out with such promise will be lost. The Bills, Bengals, Falcons, Jets, and Cowboys all have question marks surrounding them and their season. It's time for teams and players to put up or shut up.

As usual, don't be mad at me, the facts are the facts. I just simply state them. Leave a comment!

New York Jets vs Denver- You can hate on Tim Tebow all you want, but the Broncos are 3-1 since he has taken over as the starter. It doesn't look pretty or traditional, but wins are wins. It is almost inexplicable that the Broncos won last week with Tebow only completing 2 passes. Now the Broncos will add another degree of difficulty to winning. Their top two running backs (Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee) are out for the season. This week the Jets come to town. Could Tim Tebow have any more adversity? There is NO reason the Broncos should win this game. But guess what...?

Rex Ryan is growing increasingly critical of his quarterback he "loves" so much. When the Jets miss the playoffs, Ryan and Sanchez will be on the hot seat.

WINNER: BRONCOS

Tennessee vs Atlanta- Look who showed up and decided he wanted to start playing football, Chris Johnson. He had a season high 130 yards last week and is starting to look like his old self. The Falcons defense will be on red alert to know where CJ2k is at all times. Last week Atlanta handed the Saints a victory so how will they respond against the Titans? The Titans will also be playing inspired because the Texans have lost Matt Shaub for the season, and may have given Tennessee an opportunity to win the division.

WINNER: FALCONS

Oakland vs Minnesota- Jacoby Ford and Darren McFadden are both questionable for this weekend. Carson Palmer played pretty well and won last week. It didn't hurt that the Raiders have one of the best backup running backs in the league in Michael Bush. Last week he rushed for 157 yards and should have another good rushing game against the Vikings defense. Christian Ponder has been showing some signs of promise since he took over the starting job in Minnesota, but Adrian Peterson is the key to their offense. Teams stack the box to stop Peterson because they don't think Ponder can beat them with his arm. If you stop AP, you stop the Vikings.

WINNER: RAIDERS

Dallas vs Washington- Dallas Cowboys fans were jumping around, pounding their chest after they beat down the Bills like they are not 5-4. Tony Romo did play his best game of the season, but in reality what did he do? He did what he always does. He gets you all excited only to set you up for a huge fall later. Romo is a great QB, but he and Phillip Rivers will be the Drew Bledsoe and Boomer Esiason of this decade. Great QBs, no championships.

Washington recently made the move back to Rex Grossman to start at quarterback. I still cannot figure out why Shanahan benched him in the first place. He played one bad game. In the NFL, you can't plat QB shuffle and expect to win. The Redskins will play better now they have Grossman back in the lineup.

WINNER: COWBOYS

Carolina vs Detroit- I am starting to think Matthew Stafford is not anywhere as good as we thought he was. He is inaccurate lately, and looked confused and frustrated against the Bears. Stafford can't get Calvin Johnson the ball enough and Brandon Pettigrew drops too many passes. The Lions offense is like the stock market, high highs, and low lows. You never know what you are going to get from week to week. One week they score 35 points and look like they are ready to make the playoff run. The next week they score 3 and look like the Lions that went 0-16. If the Lions want to win they have to start running the football and not have Stafford throw the ball 63 times.

Carolina fans, do not be alarmed. Cam Newton just hit the rookie wall last week. It happens to everyone. He will be ok either this week or next week. The Cam Newton express will explode this week vs the Lions. Steve Smith and Olsen will have a big game.

The Lions are on the road to missing the playoffs right now.

WINNER: PANTHERS

Seattle vs St Louis- After a shootout with the Browns last week (12-13), the Rams should be poised to put up at least 14 points this week. The Rams running game should have a good day against a defense that allowed 139 yards to DeMarco Murray two weeks ago. I have been very critical of Tavaris Jackson this year so I must give him credit now. He made some great plays last week to beat the Ravens. The Rams are only allowing 220 ypg through the air so we will see if Jackson can keep this up.

WINNER: RAMS

Kansas City vs New England- Kansas City showed us their true colors vs the Dolphins. The Chiefs will have a little extra energy because the game is on Monday Night and will put up a fight. Matt Cassel does have an opportunity to put up some big numbers against the last ranked pass defense in the league. The student battles the teacher. This game will come down to one player, Tom Brady.

WINNER: PATRIOTS

Cincinnati vs Baltimore- The Bengals hung tough with the Steelers last week and showed they are not pretenders. This young team is hear to stay. Andy Dalton has played himself right into serious conversation for NFL offensive rookie of the year. If the Bengals were in a different division they would have an opportunity to win it. I predicted the Ravens would lose to Seattle last week. If you pay attention to the patterns and the pulse of this team, you get a good idea for the result of the game that week. This week, if A.J. Green plays at at least 85% it will be another tough game for the Ravens.

WINNER: BENGALS

Buffalo vs Miami- Boy, has the Buffalo train lost steam or what? I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Again I say, the Bills are a 9-7 team and will have something to build on for the future. The Bills defense started the season getting takeaways at a feverish pace. That has since slowed, and so have their wins. Fitzpatrick is a good QB but with his cast of wide outs his job is tough against great corners. The Miami defense is less that stellar, so I do expect Buffalo to put on a better showing that they did against the Cowboys. Miami has surged the last two weeks, but they are not powerful enough to stop Fred Jackson and the Bills offense.

WINNER: BILLS

San Diego vs Chicago- This is a game featuring two teams that are going in completely opposite directions. Phillip Rivers is just a step above awful this season. All his receivers numbers are down and his interceptions are up. Chicago, on the other hand, is turned up to max. This team could not play any better right now. It seems like Devin Hester runs a kick back every game, and is the stark plug for this Bears team. Chicago's front seven will give Rivers hell all game. I am waiting on Jay Cutler to be the Jay Cutler we all know, but we may have to wait until the end of the season or playoffs.

WINNER: BEARS

Tampa Bay vs Green Bay- The better you finish the season before, the tougher your schedule is the next season. The inability to run the football plus the schedule is the reason for the Buccaneers struggles. Josh Freeman has 13 interceptions this year and his receivers lead the league in drops. It won't get any easier this week when they head to Lambeau. Aaron Rodgers is playing so well over the last two seasons it is scary. I do not think the Packers can be beat while he is playing like this. He is throwing the ball over 30 times per game, completing over 70% of his passes, and is only hitting guys in Packer helmets with the football. The Packers are an unstoppable force right now.

WINNER: PACKERS

Jacksonville vs Cleveland- Recently I was asked if I had something against my former team because I rarely pick them to win. Reality is, they have only won 3 games. The game against the Ravens no one expected them to win and the Titans was a a 'pick em' in week 1. I don't have anything against the Jags. I just call it like the facts tell me I should. In this game vs the Browns, the facts say there are only 2 elite offensive play makers on the field. One being Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, and the other Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. I'm going with the guy who can actually score touchdowns.

Yes I did use a picture of myself...*shrugs... I like it! It was the game winning TD.

WINNER: JAGUARS

Arizona vs San Francisco- People will look at this at this game and say, "the Cardinals beat the Eagles, so they can beat the 49ers". I will tell those people, slow down. The Eagles constantly make terrible mistakes and turn the ball over. Now the 49ers on the other hand, do not beat themselves. They run they ball, and don't turn it over. Alex Smith looks like a #1 overall pick. San Fran is not 8-1 by accident. They are playing winning football.

Arizona needs another play maker on offense to open it up for Fitzgerald. They also need a quarterback to play well because Kolb has been hurt, and even when healthy hasn't produced great results. The Cardinals best scoring weapon other than Fitzgerald is CB Patrick Peterson. He has 3 punt returns for touchdowns this year. No rookie has done more to help their team win this year.

WINNER: 49ers

Philadelphia vs New York Giants- Call me crazy, but I still have not given up on the Eagles making the playoffs! The NFC East is going to get very muddy going down the stretch. I can't wait to see who rises to the occasion and who fades by the wayside. This game and every other game this season is a "must win" for the Eagles. There is no room for slipping. The biggest problem with this Eagles team is the Eagles. They turn the ball over, drop passes, and just make bonehead plays. You can't win football games like that. The Eagles secondary will be tested by Eli, Nicks, and Manningham. Whoever wins this match-up will win the game.

WINNER: EAGLES

NFL Week 10 WInners/Losers

2011-11-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of the Cowboys, Jaguars, Ravens, Bears, or Jets be prepared to throw your hat on the ground in disgust. Week 10 will be headlined by upsets. Can Ben Roethisberger fend off the young Bengals? You cannot argue against facts, and these are the facts. Leave a comment!

New York Giants vs San Francisco- I am still a huge skeptic of the 49ers. Alex Smith is playing like Trent Dilfer. He is not winning the games, but more importantly, he is not losing it. The 49ers are playing good offense, good defense, and good special teams. When you don't have an elite QB,you win football games by playing great defense, running the ball, and not turning the ball over. Eli Manning is having what could be his best season. With no Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants won't run the ball well against this defense. Eli won't be able to pass his way out of this pickle. San Francisco is going manage the game to a tee. 49ers

New England vs New York Jets- What is going on with the New England pass defense? They are terrible. What is going on with the Jets run defense? They are terrible? We are so used to seeing Tom Brady playing like there is no defense on the field that we are calling his play bad right now. He is still rated one of the top QBs in the league. He is only a man, he cannot shatter the record books every season. The guy he is facing, Mark Sanchez, is never confused with an elite QB. Even if the Jets allow Sanchez to throw the ball 40 times, he still cannot shred the Patriots defense. The Jets will try to run and control the game, but it won't happen. The Patriots are going to score early and get a few picks off Sanchez passing to catch up. PATRIOTS

Denver vs Kansas City- The Chiefs pulled to 4-4 and fooled some people with a win over the Chargers. I didn't fall for it. They only have wins over the Vikings, Colts, Raiders (week after losing Jason Campbell), and Chargers. Last week they showed their true colors against winless Miami. I am rooting for Tim Tebow, but in 3 starts it has been a mixed bag. 2 wins, but less than stellar play at the same time. At the end of the day the NFL is judged in wins. I give you the baby "Tebowing". BRONCOS

Arizona vs Philadelphia- When this season started, the Cardinals thought the trade for Kevin Kolb would be what they needed to make a playoff run in the NFC West. The Kolb-to-Fitzgerald combo is not producing wins right now. This game will be open season on the Cardinals meager defense. If the Eagles can keep from shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers, they will win going away. The Eagles will still finish 10-6 and make the playoffs. EAGLES

Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati- When the season started no one could have predicted this game would actually have playoff implications. Cincinnati has piled up wins due to a favorable schedule and great play. Now in the home stretch of the season it's time to play the big boys. It's put up or shut up time for the Bengals. The AFC North is a tough division headlined by the Ravens and Steelers. Pittsburgh just came off a heartbreaking loss against the Ravens and looks to rebound against the new look Bengals. This game has upset written all over it. I will say, in big games the Steelers have done the exact opposite of my prediction. So... BENGALS

New Orleans vs Atlanta- This is another huge divisional game this week. Barring injury to their quarterback, the winner of this game will win the NFC South. Drew Brees has to stop throwing the other team the ball. Matt Ryan has to win a big game against an elite QB. The Saints have a couple players out on defense so the Falcons should run the ball pretty well. FALCONS

St. Louis vs Cleveland- This is the game we have all been waiting for all season... not so much. This game will come down to playmakers. Cleveland has virtually NO offense playmakers except Joe Thomas. Unfortunately for the Browns he plays left tackle. St. Louis on the other hand has a few at running back and receiver. RAMS

Buffalo vs Dallas- The Bills ruined a golden opportunity last week against against the Jets to prove they were for real. Buffalo still has 9-7 written all over them, but are a good team. Fitzpatrick has to play better for them to continue to win. The Cowboys are schizophrenic. They are good and terrible at the same time. In the first half they look like Super Bowl contenders, but in the second they look like the team that is going to miss the playoffs. The up and down trend will continue this week. BILLS

Jacksonville vs Indianapolis- What a difference Peyton Manning

makes. 3 years ago, this game was critical in deciding who would win the AFC South. 1 year ago, this game was critical to the Colts getting a first round playoff bye. This year, this game is critical in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. The Colts pass rush is going to give young Blaine Gabbert all he can handle. If the Jaguars can't get Maurice Jones-Drew going the Colts are actually going to look like a good team and ruin their perfect season. COLTS

Detroit vs Chicago- The Lions march into soldier field to further prove they are ready to take the next step and make the playoffs. Detroit's offense has been inconsistent all season. To make the playoffs and actually win a game, they have to be consistent. The best thing Chicago has going is their defense. Jay Cutler is inconsistent and erratic. He has played too many good games in a row. A disaster is on its way. LIONS

Tennessee vs Carolina- Cam Cam Cam. Cam Newton has shown up in impressive fashion every week this season. Sunday will be no different. If Chris Johnson gets off the bus with his game face on, this game could be full of big plays and superstars. Matt Hasselbeck is playing at a high level, but without Kenny Britt their passing game has lacked a go-to receiver. If Chris Johnson shows up, Titans win. If not, the Carolina Cams will win. TITANS

Houston vs Tampa Bay- Last year, the Bucs ran the football to a 10-6 record , and Josh Freeman looked like the next best thing. This year Freeman looks like he ate the same thing Phillip Rivers did. He just does not look like the same guy. On the other hand, Matt Shaub looks like Matt Shaub, one of the leagues better quarterbacks. Arian Foster is running wild on the league again. No Andre Johnson, No problem. TEXANS

Baltimore vs Seattle- Good news Ravens fans... You are coming off two consecutive emotional comeback wins. Bad News... This week they face the Seahawks in Seattle. Every time I look at this game I see Baltimore vs Jacksonville on Monday night. Upset. SEAHAWKS

Washington vs Miami- Washington has dropped 4 straight. With no running back or quarterback the Redskins are on a paved road to nowhere. Reggie Bush was a couple yards away from his second consecutive and third career 100 yard game. He should get 100 yards this week and Miami pull out back to back wins. MIAMI

Minnesota vs Green Bay- The best team in the NFC North and best team in the NFL faces the worst team in their division. Guess who is going to win this one? PACKERS

Shocking finish: Pacquiao vs Marquez III

2011-11-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

When you hear the name Manny "Pacman" Pacquaio the first thing you think is; will he and Floyd "Money" Mayweather ever fight. Pacquiao has a fight on Saturday November 12 vs Juan Manuel Marquez. All this Mayweather talk needs to stop until this fight is over. Am I the only person who thinks Juan Manuel Marquez has a chance to beat Pacquiao? I will remind you , these two have fought two 12 round blood fests that could have gone either way on the score cards. The first fight they fought to a draw, and the second Pacquiao won by a narrow split decision. This fight will not be a cake walk.

Manny has won his last 14 fights, and the last 7 he has been spectacular. He is at the top of his game, how could he lose? If you have tuned in to HBO's 24/7 about the fight, you will notice that a lot of training has changed in the Marquez camp. Marquez has added a strength and conditioning coach to improve his speed. Most notably, he has stopped drinking his own urine. When you add the positive changes, and the history of their epic duels, you realize this could be a disaster for Pacquiao. This is a guy who can take Pacquaio's power and continue to dish out punishment in return. In boxing, "styles make fights". Pacquiao is fast, powerful, aggressive, unconventional, and sometimes careless. There are times he takes punches, but he has an iron chin. Marquez is strong, tough, a good counter puncher, and has a heart the size of Mexico. When you add those things up it means one punch can change this fight. All you people who want to see Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight should be happy. This fight will bring the tickets prices down just a little bit.

Prediction: Pacquiao loses by KO or TKO.

And after Pacquiao losses, guess what he wins... a drug test and a date with "el diablo". LOL. That will be two consecutive losses and will end the discussion about who is really the "pound for pound" champion.

Guess who is #1? Top 10 QBs All-Time

2011-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Top 10 Quarterbacks list took a lot of time, hard work, dedication, and study. If you do not agree with the list you are wrong. There are a couple players who are playing their way on this list right now (Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees). I'll start with the honorable mentions and work my way to number one.

Dan Fouts- Hall of Famer and an Oregon Duck. He was the first quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards three consecutive seasons, was selected two times All-Pro, and two times 2nd team All-Pro. He passed for over 40,000 yards and also won NFL offensive player of the year.

Fran Tarkenton- The proof is in the pudding. Tarkenton passed for 47,003 yards and 342 TDs. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls, was league MVP in 1975, and was All-Pro two times. Only one problem, no championships.

Doug Williams- First Black QB to win Super Bowl MVP. The QB was looked at as a white man's position and for a long time and he helped change that. Doug gets on the list simply because he changed the game by breaking ground and paving the way for a new era of players.

10. Warren Moon- He amassed over 49,000 passing yards and 291 touchdowns in the NFL alone. When you add his CFL and NFL career together, you see how truly great he was. He amassed over 70,000 yards 400 touchdowns. Moon was clearly an NFL quarterback, but was forced to the CFL because black quarterbacks were not given the same opportunity to lead NFL franchises as they are today. He was selected to 9 Pro Bowls, and was NFL league MVP in 1990. Moon, along with Doug Williams and James"Shack" Harris proved that great quarterbacks have no color.

9. Brett Favre- He played at a high level until he was 40. The season before his last with the Vikings could have arguably been his finest if he had reached or won the Super Bowl. He is one of the best to play the position, but his stats are a product of inevitability with the number of years played. If it were not for a 1.5:1 touchdown to interception ratio he would be in the Top 5. But I will say, if he was not one of the greatest he could not have done it for this long at such a high level. He won't WOW you with completion percentage or accuracy but he has everything you ask for in a great QB: Toughness, Leader, Winner, MVP, and Champion.

8. Dan Marino- Marino piled up a ton of stats but couldn't stack them on top of a championship. People will argue that his unbelievable numbers make him the best of all time, but they don't. Kareem Abul-Jabbar has easily scored the most points in NBA history and 3rd all-time in rebounds but we don't call him the greatest of all-time. I cannot put him in the Top 5 because he has no championships. The reason he has no championships is because he never had a running game. His philosophy was why run the football when he could throw it further than they could run each play.

7. Kurt Warner- This Arena League QB who went undrafted out of college has turned into one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever seen. He bagged groceries for $5.50 per hour to earn money for his family and lived with his in-laws to keep his NFL dream alive. Now, Warner is a future Hall of Famer and owns the three highest single game passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. He also earned the NFL league MVP twice and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV. Warner has cemented his place in NFL history; all you have to do is check the record books.

6. John Elway- California boy from Granada Hills HS (which is minutes from my house, FYI). When you hear "The Drive" you already know what game they are referring to (Jan. 11 1987 Denver Broncos vs Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship game). He has championships, wins, played in five Super Bowls, and basically invented the 4th quarter comeback stat! Not only was he selected to nine Pro Bowls, he is also a two-time Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and 1987 league MVP.

5. Steve Young- If "Montana to Rice" was a good combo "Young to Rice" was even better. He helped revolutionize the position to what it is today. Teams only wanted a "pocket" passer until Young showed how much a mobile quarterback could help the offense. Three time Super Bowl champion. Two-time NFL MVP. Young holds numerous NFL records including highest career passer rating (98.6), and most rushing touchdowns by a QB (43). And he did it all with a disability, he's left-handed. Joke. LOL

4. John Unitas- Innovator of the passing game. He revolutionized the QB position therefore he changed the game. There would be no Jerry Rice or Randy Moss without Unitas because there would be no Young, Montana, or Brady. I would not be acknowledging history if I left "Johnny U" off the list. Its like Michael Jordan. A better/more talented player may come along but he will always be regarded as the man who changed the game; the original QB. He was league MVP three times and still owns the NFL record for most consecutive games with a TD pass (47) which has stood since 1960!

3. Tom Brady-This man has three championships. Brady, aka the "Check Down King" is calm, cool, and collected. In big game situations ice water runs through his veins. All he does is, "win, win, win, no matter what". When I first made the Top 5 list last year I had him as an honorable mention. He has since assaulted the record books and won another league MVP. Brady has 3 championships and 2 Super Bowl MVPs. That said he is still clearly one of the best QBs of all-time. Some might even argue that he should be above Manning, but I give his team and head coach Bill Belichick higher marks than Manning's supporting cast. Brady missed a season and his team still won 10 games. Manning is missing a season and the Colts are the worst team in the league.

2. Peyton Manning- We are watching him rewrite history. He is the fastest QB in history to reach 4,000 completions and 50,000 passing yards. Manning is an 11 time pro bowl selection, and has been voted all-pro 8 times. There isn't a throw he can't make or a receiver he doesn't hit in stride. Peyton is the consummate perfectionist, but you could never tell by his pre-play antics. At first glance he looks like a mad man in disarray, but after the whistle blows and the clock has all zeros you know Peyton is the Chess Master. Defenses try to throw everything at him: blitzes, zone dogs, and every other scheme, to no avail. He will be #1 on this list while he is still in uniform with one more championship. Do I really need to list ALL his stats to qualify this? Peyton has missed most of the 2011 season, and the Colts are 0-8. He is clearly the most important player to his team in the league, and one of the greatest to ever wear cleats.

1. Joe Montana- The best QB of all-time. Four time Super Bowl champion. Three time Super Bowl MVP. Two-time league MVP. He holds postseason records for most career passing TDs (45), games with over 100.0 passer rating (12), and games with 300 passing yards (6, recently broken by Manning). The most important stat of them all, 0, that's the number of interceptions he threw in four Super Bowls! What more can you say? He is the very definition of what a coach, owner, or teammate could ever ask for in a QB!

NFL Week 9: Facts are Facts Again

2011-11-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Week 8 gave us some good games and allowed us to learn more about the teams that might make a run at the Super Bowl. This week features key divisional games in the AFC East, North, and West. The NFC also has big games, just not within their divisions. The cream will rise to the top in some divisions, while others like the NFC South and AFC West, the waters will stay murky for another few weeks. Fans of two AFC teams be prepared to grab your tissues because the Super Bowl season you hoped for is on it's way down the tubes. As usual the Facts are the Facts. Leave your comments, I want to read them.

New York Jets vs Buffalo- This game is a big for the over overachieving Bills. I said they have 9-7 written all over them. The division lead is at stake, and a chance to create a gap between themselves and the Jets. The Patriots will continue to win, so it will be a dogfight to win the AFC East. If Buffalo wants any chance of making the playoffs, these are games they have to win. The Jets are coming off a win and a bye, so expect this defense to play better. Rex Ryan is a defensive mastermind, but the defense has been terrible against the run this season. Did they make some changes and find a solution during the bye? We will find out Sunday. The Jets run defense will be tested by one of the league's most complete running backs, Fred Jackson. Bills QB Fitzpatrick will have a heck of a battle against Revis and Cromartie. The Jets corner backs are better than the Bills receivers. Any pass that is not in the perfect spot will be incomplete or will be intercepted. Expect a shocker. BILLS

Baltimore vs Pittsburgh- Terrell Suggs has not stopped talking all week. He may have a good game against the Steelers but the outcome will be different. The greatest growth of an NFL team is between week 1 and 2. The Steelers were embarrassed by a Ravens offense that has since been sporadic. Ben Roethlisberger has changed the face of what Pittsburgh is on offense. Traditionally, the Steelers have been a run first, smash mouth offense. No más, those days are over. Big Ben is throwing the ball 30-50 times per game. The Ravens on the other hand must run to win. Even without outside linebacker Lamar Woodley out, the Steelers should give the Ravens offense trouble. This will be an intense AFC North match-up, but the Steelers will be dominant. I picked against them vsthe Patriots last week, I wont make that mistake again. STEELERS

Green Bay vs San Diego- After struggling on offense and finding ways to lose the last two games, the Chargers will have to find ways to beat the Packers. Will the Phillip Rivers we used to know show up, or will the 2011 campaign struggles continue? The Chargers will break out on offense with the pass game, but that won't be enough to top the Packers. The '72 Dolphins need to keep that Champagne in the chiller, it could be a long time before the Packers lose, if they lose. PACKERS

Denver vs Oakland- This is one of the games I want to see most this week. This game comes down to one thing, quarterback play. If Tebow plays like last week, and the Raiders QBs play like their last game, the defenses could score more points than the offenses. I refuse to pick a winner, so you know what that means, you get a present.

Seattle vs Dallas- While Indianapolis and Miami are leading the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks have their eye on a different prize. Matt Barkley. I knew Tavaris Jackson was not the answer, but i did drink a couple sips of the Charles Whitehurst kool-aid. He played well at the end of last season, so I did think he could possibly, maybe, be the answer. Uh...yeah... I was wrong. Seattle is a quarterback away from the playoffs. This week the Seahawks visit the most entertaining and volatile team in the NFL, the Cowboys. Watching the Cowboys is like watching an episode of Jersey Shore. You want to look away, but you just can't because you might miss something. You literally never know what you will get. Tony Romo may win the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones might fire Jason Garrett at half time and coach the team himself. It's really weird because the Cowboys are good enough to beat any team in the league, but bad enough to lose to anyone. After getting jumped by the Individuals (Eagles) on Sunday Night Football, I imagine they will come out swinging against the Seahawks. I still expect Dallas to miss the playoffs, but they should handle Seattle. If by chance the Cowboys lose, the wheels will come off of their season. COWBOYS

San Francisco vs Washington- Washington looks like they are free falling without a parachute. They started off the season looking like they would contend for the NFC East crown, but now, not so much. After an embarrassing shutout loss to Buffalo, the Redskins look to regain some footing against the 49ers. The biggest question for the Redskins is, who is the QB of this team? Rex Grossman had a nice start to the season, but was promptly benched after a 4 int game. Washington is not a bad team. Some players are having a good season (i.e. Brian Orakpo, Fred Davis, London Fletcher), but their play is not turning into wins. San Francisco on the other hand is 6-1. After the meltdown that occurred in the Bay Area last season, no one could have predicted this start. The NFC West is nothing near a powerhouse conference, but only Nostradamus could have predicted the 49ers to finish above second. 49ers

Chicago vs Philadelphia- This Monday Night game is huge for both the Bears and the Individuals (Eagles). It's beginning to look like all the Individuals who took their talents to Philadelphia are becoming a team. With all that Asante Samuel noise coming from the locker room last week, I was unsure if the Eagles would let the season slip away. They rallied together and took the Cowboys behind the woodshed with the whole football world watching. Andy Reid is still undefeated coming off a bye week. Now the question is, can the perform like that on offense for consecutive weeks. The Bears have arguably the best front 7 in the NFL, but can they contain Vick? The Bears defense has a tough task with the Phily offense, but the Individuals defense has a bigger task in front of them...Matt Forte. He is the league's best dual threat running back (rushing/receiving). If Phily can't slow down Forte, this could be a Monday Night massacre. The "Dream Team" will get back to .500 this week and will be one step closer to catching the Giants in the race for the NFC East. EAGLES

Miami vs Kansas City- I predicted the Chiefs would lose to the Chargers last week. They were 3-3 with victories over the Vikings, Colts, and crippled Raiders. I still do not believe in the Chiefs because they have too many injuries to make the playoffs. The Monday Night game was more about the Chargers losing than the Chiefs winning. Well, the Chiefs sit at 4-3 and host the Dolphins this week. With 4 straight victories, and another game vs a struggling team, all signs point to a Chiefs victory. Miami, on the other hand, dodged a bullet last week vs the Giants. They almost won and lost a tie for the lead in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. I know teams don't really "throw" games, but somebody in the Dolphins organization is secretly hoping they go defeated (0-16). With Reggie Bush having his 2nd career 100 yard game it seems the Phins are picking up some steam. Miami has been close in a few games this season and they will end up winning a game or two. CHIEFS

Atlanta vs Indianapolis- I know there are upsets in the NFL every week, but guess what, this ain't it. Do not expect a repeat of the Saints/Rams game from last week. The Falcons will score a lot of points and win going away. Even though Curtis Painter is the quarterback, Pierre Garcon is 9th in league in receiving yards and Reggie Wayne is 18th. The Colts literally have no chance in this game, but may get a leg up on drafting Luck this week with a Dolphins win. FALCONS

Cleveland vs Houston- Well... make another mark in the win column for the Texans. The Browns have been outscored by 33 points this season. This may be due to the lack of a running game because the Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis is out. The Texans have one of the top offenses in the league and feature the NFL's reigning rushing champ Arian Foster. In addition to one of the league's top offenses, Houston has the 3rd ranked defense. What a difference a year makes. This defense was much maligned last season. Experts called them the "worst pass defense ever" last season. The Houston coaching staff did a great job in free agency, and with the transition to the 3-4. Jonathan Joseph headlines the secondary that is not only no longer laughed at, but are now respected. Colt McCoy and the Browns will show up and give a good effort, but will fall short in Houston. TEXANS

Good News Tennessee Titans, you are firmly in the middle of a race for the AFC South, and a playoff spot. Matt Hasselbeck has been a great free agent pick-up and the pass game is nice. Last game, Tennessee finally got some production out of the running back position. Bad News, the guy who you just gave $30 million guaranteed (Chris Johnson) is not the one producing. After three seasons of great production, his lack of production is inexplicable.

Cincinnati vs Tennessee- One would think losing Carson Palmer, T.O., and Ocho Cinco would be a sign of many tough rebuilding years for the Bengals. Welp, good thing one doesn't get paid to think, lol. Cinci sits at 5-2 and has a chance to win the division over the Steelers and Ravens. Andy Dalton and Aj Green are playing like seasoned veterans. We could be looking at the premier QB/WR combos of the future. This week they take their talents to Tennessee. This should be a good match-up even though the Titans don't have two of their best offensive weapons (Kenny Britt, Chris Johnson). Chris Johnson will be considered "out" until he shows up for a game. BENGALS

The good news for the New York Giants is Eli Manning is playing his best football and is an MVP candidate. The bad news is they have lost their leading rusher, Ahmad Bradshaw to a broken foot. Eli will have to step up his game.

New York Giants vs New England- New England is playing great offensively, their pass defense is just abysmal at times. If Eli can shoulder more of the offensive load until Bradshaw come back, the Giants will have a chance to maintain their lead in the NFC East. The Patriots should make the playoffs, but the chances of them winning the Super Bowl is low due because their pass defense is terrible. GIANTS

Tampa Bay vs New Orleans- When you add in the Atlanta Falcons, there is only one word to describe the NFC South, GRIDLOCK. With a loss to St. Louis last week, New Orleans proved they do not want to run away with the division. Tampa Bay has stated the season slower than they had hoped but lack luster play from the Saints and Falcons has them right in the thick of things. This game is crucial to both teams because tie breakers will likely decide the winner of this division. If Drew Brees plays well, Saints win. SAINTS

St. Louis vs Arizona- Both teams look to get their season back on track and build for the future. The Rams had an impressive win over the Saints last week. Expect them to keep that momentum going. RAMS

Madden Curse: Fact or Fiction

2011-11-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

In 2011, the company Electronic Arts (EA) who produces the Madden video game series, decided to take a new approach to choosing the cover athlete for Madden 12. There was a 32 man single elimination playoff that allowed the fans to vote on who they wanted to see on the highest selling sports game cover. Truth be told, EVERY NFL PLAYER WANTS TO BE ON THE COVER OF MADDEN. Anyone that tells you they don't is a lie. So why did LaDainian Tomlinson turn down the cover in 2008? Why would a player turn down being on the cover, and the big marketing dollars that come along with it? The answer is, the infamous "The Madden Curse". LT is the rare, superstitious exception, not the rule. Every year us players actually talk about the curse like it is a real and living thing, but are willing to take the chance of being hit by the curse to grace the cover. As an athlete, one of the highest honors is to be on the cover of the most popular video game about your sport. The whole video game universe plays Madden and knows who is on the cover.

When you look at the bracket, and assess who will win, certain names stick out. Aaron Rodgers, Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Vick, Adrian Peterson, and DeMarcus Ware all look like favorites. Who is Peyton Hillis and how did he win the cover? Blame the Curse. This fan voting was not about "who the fans wanted on the cover". It was about who the fans didn't want on the cover. NFL fans are die hard and serious, and don't want their season ruined by the Madden Curse. If you are a fan, what do you do to save your season? Vote for the other guy. The reality is Peyton Hillis is a running back who has only eclipsed 350 yards one time, and that was last year (1177). So you might say, "he became a fan favorite last year so he won the cover". Wrong. Neither in 2010 or 2011 was Hillis amongst the Top 25 in jersey sales. Jersey sales are a clear indication of popularity in the NFL. Regardless of the reason, Hillis won the cover, the money, the popularity, and most importantly, the Madden curse. Hillis rushed for over 1000 yards last year, and will need a near miracle to make it again this year. Through 8 weeks of the 2011-12 season, Peyton only has 200 yards rushing and has only played 4 games. It is obvious the cover boy has been hit hard by the curse. Still not a believer in the curse? I'll give you more history:

2011, Drew Brees: Threw a career high 22 int, and lost to a 7-9 team in the first round of the playoffs.
2010, Troy Polamalu/Larry Fitzgerald: Polamalu only played five games due to knee injuries, Steelers missed playoffs; Fitzgerald wasn’t affected much (97 receptions, 1,092 yards, 13 TD, Pro Bowl). Troy was sacrificed for Larry's success.
2009, Brett Favre: Feuded with Packers, traded to Jets, horrible down the stretch (lost 4 of last 5).
2008, Vince Young: Missed 1 game with quad injury; led Titans to first playoff appearance in four years. The curse waited a season to take effect. In '09, he only played in 3 games and begun his exit from Tennessee.
2007, Shaun Alexander: Fractured foot, missed six games; fewer yards and TDs in '06 AND '07 than in '04 OR '05.
2006, Donovan McNabb: Sports hernia in first game, missed seven games; feuded withTerrell Owens all year; had been to five straight Pro Bowls, hasn't been since.
2005, Ray Lewis: Broken wrist, missed one game; first season without interception; missed 10 games next year with thigh injury.
2004, Michael Vick: Fractured fibula one day after video game was released, missed 11 games.
2003, Marshall Faulk: Ankle injury, missed two games, never rushed for 1,000 yards again.
2002, Daunte Culpepper: 4-7 record before season-ending knee injury. Never been the same since.
2001, Eddie George: Career season, but fumbled in playoffs as top-seeded Titans lost first game to Ravens.
2000, Barry Sanders: Retired one week before training camp.

Is that enough proof? Do you believe in the curse now? I am not superstitious at all , but this cannot be ignored. One, two, even three times is a coincidence. This has happened EVERY year. If it is not a curse, what do you make of it? If EA decides to let the fans vote again, just remember, vote hard for the other guy.

NFL Week 8 Facts

2011-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Finally, we are here, at the meat and potatoes of the NFL season. This is the point in the season where the cream rises to the top, and the rest fall by the wayside. In the first few weeks of the season, the standings are muddy. All the teams are separated by only a game or so. Now you will see glaring differences between contenders and pretenders. There is a lot of football left. I will let you in on the key match ups to watch out for, and players who will have a direct impact on the playoff picture. If everything about your team or favorite players is not flattering, don't be mad at me. Facts are Facts. Leave your comments below.

New England vs Pittsburgh- The game of the day! This game will rest on the shoulders of both teams defense. There have been serious questions raised about both defenses. The much maligned New England run defense will get a test this week when they visit the steel city. Old, long toothed, aging, and gray haired are just a few of the adjectives used to describe the Steelers defense. The Patriots defense showed up tough at the end of the Cowboys game, so I know they can play D when they need to. Since their week 1 shellacking by the Ravens, the Pittsburgh defense has ranked 3rd in the NFL. They are giving up 107 yards per game on the ground which is not typical, but the Patriots are not exactly rushing juggernauts. The Steelers defense is great but the Patriots have the great equalizer... Tom Brady! I'm excited to watch this game, but I think we will see a rematch in the AFC Championship game. PATRIOTS

Dallas vs Philadelphia- Big rivalry games in college football have nicknames. Dallas vs Philly. The Individuals were supposed to become a team and make the playoffs! Asante Samuel is making me doubt everything I said. There is an obvious fracture between him and the front office and coaches. I'm afraid his issues will spill into the locker room and destroy my prediction of the Eagles being the first 1-4 team to make the playoffs. I have Dallas missing the playoffs this year and Eagles making it, but who knows now. I will not pick the winner of this game, but I will say, whoever wins this game will make the playoffs. Since I didn't pick a winner, I gave you a Cowgirl instead!

New Orleans vs St. Louis- Sean Payton will be coaching from the booth but don't expect this game to be a repeat to Jaguars/Ravens on Monday Night. The Saints will cruise to victory. Which player playing in this game has 45 rec 674 yards 5 TD? I'll wait... Tight End Jimmie Graham. SAINTS

Detroit vs Denver- I wish these two teams weren't playing this week. I have been very vocal on my twitter about being a Tebow supporter. I also said that Detroit Dougies were in for a reality check after all that dancing on Monday Night Football. The Dougies dropped two games in a row, and I think they rebound this week. So if Detroit wins, I'm right, but Tebow loses. Ugh! If Stafford plays... Detroit wins. DETROIT

Minnesota vs Carolina- Cam...Cam...Cam! I did not expect this at all. The Panthers have had an opportunity to win every game this year. In the preseason, it looked like Cam would lean on his tight ends more and his receivers could struggle. Wrong! Newton is throwing for a lot of yards, and Steve Smith is on pace for a career year. Reality is, for now, Cam is a rookie and middle of the road passer. He has only 8 touchdowns vs 9 ints, but to his credit, he is 2nd in the league in rushing touchdowns. With the exception of Adrian Peterson, where are the running backs who got paid this year (i.e. Chris Johnson, Deangelo Williams)?

I'm really excited about this game, Christian Ponder vs Cam Cam Cam. Neither team will make the playoffs this year, but there is hope for the future in both places. I will watch this game and won't care who wins because I know I'm in for some excitement from Cam, Peterson, and Harvin. Superman is in the building! PANTHERS

San Diego vs Kansas City- This a battle between one of the most explosive offenses in the league vs one of the NFL's worst. The Chiefs had the potential to be a very explosive offense, but the loss of speedy running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moleaki have put a dent in the Chiefs offense. With wins over the Vikings, Colts, and the blowout of Oakland last week, 3-3 KC is very deceiving. San Diego already beat KC in week 3, but neither team had any outstanding performances. Fantasy owners: Vincent Jackson, Phillip Rivers, and Dwayne Bowe will produce this week. CHARGERS

Indianapolis vs Tennessee- I can only give you one good reason to watch this game: Chris Johnson. He has to get going soon... right? This could be the game. Johnson is on pace to rush for a whopping 716 yards on the ENTIRE season. This is why he is not on the top running back list right now. Back to the game. If tennessee hass any chance to win the division and make the playoffs, this is a must win. The Titans were looking good before Kenny Britt got hurt. They are now playoff pretenders. Indy is in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes vs Miami, but this is a game they could accidentally win. TITANS?

Jacksonville vs Houston- Andre Johnson may play against the Jags. Fantasy owners wait to start him until next week even if he does play. Jacksonville played their best game of the season against the dismal Ravens offense. Even though the Jags have a good defense, expect either Matt Shaub or Arian Foster to have a big game. The Jaguars have a really good defense, but the Texans offense will be too much. The Texans will have the inside track to the playoffs in the AFC South after a win Sunday. TEXANS

Arizona vs Baltimore- This is the perfect game for the Ravens to bring their offense back to life. Expect Ray Rice to have a big game vs the Cardinals 26th ranked defense. Larry Fitzgerald got the QB he wanted, the contract he wanted, but did not get the results he wanted. With no real running game, and no #2 receiver, the Cardinals are not looking good this season. Hopefully they draft well. With all that said, I'm not sold on Joe Flacco as an elite NFL QB. If the Cardinals can get a couple turnovers and Kolb can have a good game vs Haloti Ngata (Go Ducks) and company, this could be another shocker. RAVENS

Good News Seattle, you have one of the toughest stadiums for opposing teams in the league. The 12 man is serious. After a 6-3 "shoot out" loss to the Browns, this seems like exactly what you need to get a win. Bad News, Seattle does not have a quarterback. Last week, your running back Marshawn Lynch didn't even make it out of warmups. Cincinnati is a young team with a nice schedule that could end up 10-6 with a wildcard spot. Yes I said it... but don't quote me just yet. Expect AJ Green, Andy Dalton, and Gresham to all have a nice game. CINCINNATI

Remember planking? New trend! #Tebowing

Miami vs New York Giants- Ill watch the highlights. GIANTS

Washington vs Buffalo- For some reason, I do not believe in the Bills yet (Don't be mad at me Drayton). Buffalo has 9-7 written all over them. Compared to the recent past, that is a drastic improvement and fans should be proud. The Redskins look a mess. Quarterback issues, runningback issues, and injuries are piling up. BUFFALO

Cleveland vs San Francisco- With the combination of being in the NFC West and a schedule like this, it would take a major meltdown for the 49ers to miss the playoffs. 49ers

Best House EVER!

2011-10-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

I decorate my house for the holidays with an obnoxious amount of lights but this is taking it to a whole new level. I am inspired! 1Up next year!

Who is the Best RB in the NFL?

2011-10-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

A great running back does more than just runs the ball. He has to be a receiver and the QBs last line of defense in pass protection. You have to take who is the best in the league on a year by year basis? Players have great seasons and establish themselves elite, some have bad years and make us question their greatness. You will notice the league's 2000 yard man Chris Johnson is not on the list. The list is not built on potential. It is built on performance and he very well might finish the season under 1000 yards. Here is the list: Facts are Facts

8.Darren McFadden- He started the season at a great pace and could be higher on the list, but this guy just can't stay healthy. You can't make the club in the tub. How long will he be out with this foot sprain?

7. LeSean McCoy- When people talk about the best RBs in the league McCoy is not a name that first rolls off your tongue. However, he is one of the best. He has 8 total touchdowns and as long as he stays healthy will eclipse 1500 all purpose yards.

6. Ray "Fried" Rice- His stats wont WOW you because he has not had a lot of carries this year. Between rushing and receiving he is a big impact player and most important player to the Ravens offense.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew- a.k.a. "Scooter" (by Falcons LB Mike Peterson) The best running back in the league is a year by year assessment but this man is consistent. Every year he combines Top 5 rushing yards and high receiving yards. The most impressive part is he continuously does this without another real offensive threat.

4. Fred Jackson- He is averaging better than 100 yards per game and averaging over 50 yards per game receiving. He had shown flashes in the past but, now as the featured back is proving himself among the elite.

3. Arian Foster- This guy came out of nowhere last year. He is a prime example of what players can do when given an opportunity. He rushed for over 1600 yards last year and had over 2200 all purpose yards. On the heels of a 100/100 game he is clearly high on the list.

2. Matt Forte- Forte is on pace to be only the second player in NFL history to rush and receive for 1000 yards (Marshall Faulk). If he is able to accomplish this feat he will be the best RB in the league, unless Peterson reaches 2000 yards. PAY THE MAN HIS MONEY!

1. Adrian Peterson- A beast. Now that he has stopped fumbling the ball and become a decent receiver, he is a complete running back. "All Day" may be the best combination of speed, power, and elusiveness for a RB in NFL history.

Jaguars possible blackout: Move to LA?

2011-10-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

As a NFL player one of the worst feelings is when you have a big game and the stadium is not full or when the other team has more fans than you. When I played for the Jaguars this was a frequent occurrence. Once the Pittsburgh Steelers came to town for Monday Night Football (MNF) and there were so many 'Terrible Towels' waving that it looked like we were in Pittsburgh. Even when we were winning and went to the playoffs (2005, 2007) there was still frequent blackout talk. Los Angeles is in the process of building a stadium to bring a NFL team to the city. The naming rights to the stadium have already been solidified by State Farm. There probably won't be any expansion from 32 teams due to the current divisional format, so someone has to move. Guess what Jacksonville, it's looking more and more like you every day!

It's Friday, and if the team does not buy roughly 3000 tickets there will be a local blackout on MNF. A local blackout on Monday Night? That would be embarrassing. The Jaguars fans say they do not want the team to move but don't support the franchise. Wayne Weaver has always been vocal about his desire to keep the Jags in Jacksonville. I wonder how much longer he can withstand the pressure of the big city calling with its big dollars. If the Jaguars do move to LA I wonder what the new nickname will be? Cougars? Blaze? Ligers (Napolean Dynamite would be happy)? Spiders? Sabers? Or maybe this will be the first team with a full corporate takeover, the Los Angeles State Farms?

Week 7: NFC Power Rankings

2011-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

NFC Power Rankings

As the season goes on, there will be some movement on this list. Expect the Individuals (Eagles) and possibly the Buccaneers to enter the Top 5 at some point in time. The 49ers will stay simply based on their division. The teams to that are most likely to fall are the Saints and the Bears.

Only an injury to Aaron Rodgers can take them out of the #1 spot.

The Giants don't "WOW" you in any one area except the win column.

This team could end up anywhere. Jay Cutler is a ticking time bomb for turnovers.

Offense. Defense. Special Teams. Good Football.

How will this offense play with their head coach and offensive coordinator in the booth?

Week 7: AFC Power Rankings

2011-10-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

AFC Power Rankings

I have two words for you... Tom Brady!

Great defense and a running game will carry them.

With the recent injury to Jason Campbell, the Chargers won't get much of a fight in the AFC West

The Steelers are good but not great. They should stay on the list all season

Don't expect them to remain on this list for long.

Week 6 Review: They are who we thought they were

2011-10-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well, what do we have here. The Eagles won ugly, Cowboys game didn't end well... for them, the Lions reality check has started, Bills lost, 49ers continue their run to the playoffs, and the AFC South is still weak. Don't be mad at me... Facts are Facts!

The Giants are a dangerous team

How do these guys keep winning? They had players dropping like flies in the beginning of the season but they have not missed a beat. Eli has been Eli... good but not great. With 3 TDs vs Buffalo, Ahmad Bradshaw has emerged as the featured back now that he has stopped fumbling. Nicks is clearly one of the best young wide outs in the league. He combines nice routes with an excellent pair of hands. While the Giants are winning they are not doing anything special. One player steps up each week and has an amazing game and they pull out wins. I still cannot buy them as Superbowl contenders. The G-mens defense gives up a lot of explosive plays. Buffalo had a couple LONG touchdowns. The Giants are a team that is not dominant, but if they get hot in the end of the season could be a nightmare out in the playoffs.

The Aluminum Foil Curtain

The Steelers defense is not what it was. They are giving up more rushing yards than usual and were embarrassed against Baltimore. Big Ben is a good quarterback but without a defense to clean up his mistakes I'm afraid Pittsburgh is no longer a Superbowl contender. Roethlisberger is a 2 time Superbowl winning QB, but he can hardly carry the team with his arm. Unless they find a fountain of youth, the Steelers are going to have a tough time getting into the playoffs this year.

Yea... So... Uh... About the Raiders!

Remember last week I said the Raiders would make the playoffs. That's probably out the window now. Kyle Boller is my guy and I've known him since high school, but I don't think he can lead the Raiders in the same fashion as Jason Campbell. All you Raiders fans thinking that Terrell Pryor will be Cam Newton part 2, I got some ocean from property in Wyoming to sell you too. Darren Mc Fadden has emerged as one of the top backs in the league. The defense is playing great, but without a good QB not even the ghost of Al Davis can save them.

Is it 2000 or 2011?

The Ravens defense is playing lights out right now. They are fast, physical, rough, tough, and nasty! This defense looks like it has the makings to be even better than the 2000 Superbowl winning team. Haloti Ngata (Go Ducks!) is the engine that makes this aging defense go. I'm not sure what is in the water in Baltimore but Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are 100 years old and still playing great. Ray Fried Rice went over 100 yards for the 25th time in his short career which makes him tops in the league during that time. This running game plus this defense are making the Ravens frontrunner's in the AFC. If Flacco can manage the game, and make the occasional big play, you could be looking at one of the teams to play in the AFC Championship game.

Repeat?

The Green Bay Packers are scary. Normally teams this good you say, "if they can stay healthy", but not the Packers, they won the Superbowl without some of their best players. There's nothing to say about them good or bad they blew out the Rams.

It's gotta be the coach

What a difference a year makes. Jim Harbaugh has Alex Smith looking like the player the 49ers expected to get when they spent a 1st round pick on him. San Fran is running the ball well, playing good/tough defense, and making plays on special teams. As a fan of the game of football I really appreciate watching good football. The 49ers are impressive right now, but the jury is still out. Their potential and growth will be judged as the season grows longer.

The Monsters of the Midway are back...Not so fast they were playing the Vikings

Why is Matt Forte never in the discussion for the best running back in the league? This guy is just the 2011 version of Marshall Faulk. I'm rooting for him to reach 1000 yards rushing and receiving. No matter how well Forte plays, the Bears will only go as far as their QB allows them. Jay Cutler aka Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a walking time bomb. The Chicago offense may be shaky and unreliable but this defense sure isn't (except last week against the Lions). Julius Peppers, Israel Idonije, Urlacher, and Briggs could be part of the best front 7 in football. Lovie Smith benched his starting safeties this week. If they can get the safety play together they could make a run at the Ravens for the best defense in the league.

On a side note, Devin Hester returning kicks is nothing short of breathtaking. Every time he catches a return all eyes are on him. Every man, woman, and child holds their breath because they know a touchdown is likely to happen. He is appropriately nicknamed "Anytime"

The Cowboys will start this segment. The good news for Dallas fans is Tony Romo did not throw the game away. The bad news is he didn't win the game either. The Cowboys defense forced Tom Brady into mistakes and stoned the Patriots high powered offense, which is more good news. The defense only lasted 58 minutes and surrendered the game winning TD, which obviously is the bad news.

The New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton broke his leg and tore a ligament and could not finish the game. They proceeded not to "Win one for the Gipper", and lost a divisional game to the Bucs. Obvious bad news. You are probably wondering where the silver lining is. The good news is next week they play the Colts and advance to 5-2.

Weakest division update

AFC South... 0-3... Still the weakest division. Jaguars, Texans, and Colts all had a rough Sunday.

Power Rankings will be out on Wed.

The much maligned Patriots defense actually showed up when it mattered this week. It was about 3:30 on the clock and they had to force a three and out to give Tom Brady a chance to win the game. The Pats defense got the stop and Brady took his team down and scored without a hiccup.

I don't know why I am mentioning the Colts for the second straight week. Call me crazy, but for some reason I can't see them going 0-16.

Just when you started to believe the Redskins were for real Rex Grossman had a flashback to his days in Chicago. If he doesn't get this under control quick there will be a permanent John Beck sighting.

The NFC East is the hardest division to pick a winner. The Individuals (Eagles) are still down even after a victory, but will come off their Bye and string together a bunch of wins. The Cowboys have the talent to beat anyone, but they rarely play four quarters. The Redskins, at the end of the day, just don't have it.

The Cincinnati Bengals could have a promising future with the Dalton-to-Green QB/WR combo.

The Detroit Dougies (Lions) have started their "reality check" I predicted. They just lost to the 49ers and the trend will continue this week when the Falcons come to town.

Too many injuries to key players for the Houston Texans right now. Unless the Titans lose a few games this season will be like every other, no playoffs.

Ladies and Gentleman... Those are the facts!

The Fact Is: Week 6

2011-10-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

It's Week 6, and Facts are Facts!

Eagles are still The Dream Team... In your dreams!

There is no 'I' in team, and there's no 'D' in Philly either. This collection of Individuals called a defense "can't stop a nose bleed" (Bart Scott voice). Even with the horrendous play by The Individuals defense, Philly still could be 4-1, or 5-0. Dropped passes, poor pass protection leading to interceptions, fumbles, and bonehead plays are the headlines for Eagles highlights. With all this said, call me crazy but The Individuals still have a good chance to make the playoffs. They will scrape a couple ugly wins together and make a serious playoff run.

The Eagles locker room is in disarray right now. There are a lot of people talking and not a lot of people listening. Everybody wants to stop the underachieving, but they have only been together a short period of time. With the whole off season missed due to the lockout, the leadership they need to pull themselves out of this funk has yet to emerge. You have players yelling at each other, cussing, and talking under their breath. They all want to win and have ideas on how to win, but until they establish a leader and buy in to the plan the Eagles will be The Individuals.

This week: at Redskins - Individuals win

I want to give Detroit a nickname but I refuse to contribute to foolishness!

I predicted Detroit would take a huge leap and make the playoffs this year. So far I look like a genius, but I saw something on Monday Night Football that concerns me. When you heard Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Suh talking in the off season they expected to play well and make the playoffs. I understand most of the players on their team are used to losing, and were excited to win on MNF, but did you see all the dancing after the game? It was ridiculous! Players were doing the dougie, the running man, and cranking that soulja boy. You won a regular season game in the beginning of October, that's all it was. This reminded me of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic a couple years ago. A bunch of young talents...All Flash...No Finish. Detroit fans, buyer beware. These guys should still make the playoffs, but are in for a reality check. Hopefully it doesn't cost them the season when it happens.

Ok I changed my mind, the Lions are now the Detroit Dougies

America's Economy > America's Team

The US economy is more stable than the Cowboys. One half it's high fives and elbows and the second half it's tears and tissues. I hate to blame 1 person for all of a teams struggles, but Romo has to take blame for this. He has literally thrown 2 games away (Jets, Lions). Watching a Cowboys game with a fan is a hilarious experience. I liken it to watching the day trader analyze the Dow Jones ticker for 3 hours. My sisters fiance' is a Cowboys fan and he swears Romo is a Top 5 quarterback and the Cowboys are a Top 5 team. He thinks they should blow everyone out and it's hilarious to watch his hopes and dreams crushed every week. It's virtually impossible to predict the Cowboys games or seasons, but they are must see TV. You would be a fool to turn a Cowboys game off early. Whether they are up by 24 or down by 17, the game is NEVER over.

The Cowboys are the most consistent team in the NFL. They are consistently inconsistent!

This week America's team travels to Foxboro - Patriots win (this won't end well)

What is going on with the Bills and 49ers? Good News/Bad News

I hate to be the barer of bad news.... but, the Bills are going to finish 9-7 or 10-6 and miss the playoffs. The good news is this is a step in the right direction, and Bills fans finally have hope for the future. They have played from behind in every win, and that's not a good sign. You cannot keep winning games with a young team playing from behind. Fitzpatrick is proving himself a quality QB but don't drink the kool-aid until the ink is dry on his new deal.

Good news 49ers fans, unless you have a major injury you will make the playoffs! This will be the best season since Jeff Garcia to T.O. was the go-to combo. Keep your Superbowl dreams in your dreams for now though. The NFC West is still the NFC West.

Is the NFC West really the worst division in football?

As a former member of the AFC South it really pains me to say the NFC West is no longer the worst division in football. The AFC South is not very good right now, an 8-8 or 9-7 team will win this division. We all now know Peyton Manning is the most important player on his team. When Brady went down a few years ago the Pats still won 10 games. The Colts will be LUCKY (pun intended) if they don't go defeated (0-16). Jack Del Rio has imploded the Jags again and with no WRs and a rookie QB they don't stand a chance. The Tennessee Titans are looking ok right now with Hasselbeck at QB but the Chris Johnson who wanted a huge payday is nowhere to be found. I think the loss of Kenny Britt for the year is going to be this teams achilles heel. At the start of the year my money was on the Houston Texans to win this division, but injuries to Mario Williams and Andre Johnson have opened up the door for the Titans to steal.

It's really scary how good Cam Newton can be. I hope he continues to work for years because I want to watch!

Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFL. #ThatIsAll

Indianapolis Colts- trying to figure out how they are going to draft Andrew Luck without making Manning mad.

New York Giants- have a ton of talent but too many injuries to make a serious run at a championship.

New Orleans Saints- least talked about 4-1 team in the league and we will keep it that way for now.

New York Jets- Rex Ryan has some serious work to do with that defense. They were talking Superbowl at the beginning of the year, now they talking about "Playoffs...playoffs..." (Jim Mora voice)

Ladies and Gentlemen... Those are the Facts!

Guess Who is back?

2011-09-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

The hiatus is over... Your favorite bloggers favorite blogger has returned. I will be taking topic suggestions on my twitter @georgewrighster . I will be a voice for fans and players here. I want/need your comments. Join the discussion whether you agree or disagree.

Top 10 Names in NCAA Tournament

2011-03-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

The NCAA tournament always brings me joy in so many ways. The drama, buzzer beaters, heartbreak, and the NAMES. There have been times I have wanted a player to score simply so the announcers can call their names. Some of the greatest names in NCAA history are God Shammgod (Providence), Scientific Mapp (Florida Atlantic), Majestic Mapp (Virginia), Baskerville Holmes (Memphis), World B. Free (Guiford), Stromile Swift (LSU), Exree Hipp (Maryland), Chief Kickingstallionsims (Alabama State).

Here are the 2011 best names in the NCAA tournament. My Favorite is Ivory White. (For obvious reasons. LOL)

Chris Bosh Flopping Application

2011-02-25T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have been silent on my blog for a while now. I'm back. Inspiration has arrived in the form of Chris Bosh. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Laker fan. As a Laker fan I have seen some of the best "flops" of all-time. Vlade Divac, former Laker center and G.O.A.T., was a unanimous first ballot selection for the Flopping Hall of Fame and has recently opened a school specifically dedicated to the art of flopping. They recently started a very exclusive program, "Acting To Get A Whistle: Defense". Here is my letter of recommendation for Chris Bosh.

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take the opportunity to offer a formal recommendation for Chris Bosh. Recently, I learned of your "Acting To Get a Whistle: Defense" program and I am confident Chris has the tools to be an exceptional student. As you probably already know, he recently joined Dwyane Wade and LeBron James and took his talents to South Beach to form the "Big 3" in Miami. Although Chris is one of the best big men in the NBA he has not been met with the same celebration from fans as Wade and James. Admission to your ATGAWD program will give Chris the skills necessary to change his image as a soft player and be loved by his hometown fans. I was watching the Heat vs Bulls game last night and saw Chris Bosh flop. I immediately knew he had the raw talent and intangibles to be one of the flopping greats. He successfully pulled off the worst flop in NBA history. The work your program has done with some of the future Flopping Hall of Famers like Anderson Varejao, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili, Raja Bell, Andrei Kirilenko, and Derek Fisher has been nothing short of incredible. An education at your esteemed school will help him reach that level, while increasing his career opportunities. I highly recommend Chris Bosh for your program and thank you for your careful consideration of his application.

Application Video:

Week 4: Winners and Fantasy Top 5

2010-10-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

I had a nice blog all done for Week 4 filled with witty banter and great write ups on this weeks games. I logged on to post it and it was gone, erased and nowhere to be found. I'm very upset right now so I'm just posting my picks and fantasy players. I went 7-9 last week which puts me at 24-14. That sucks but I will return to form this week.

WINNERS:

JETS, BENGALS, TITANS, SAINTS, PACKERS, SEAHAWKS, FALCONS, RAVENS, TEXANS, COLTS, EAGLES, CHARGERS, GIANTS, PATRIOTS

QBS: Carson Palmer, Vince Young, Matt Shaub, Peyton Manning, Kyle Orton

WRs: Chad Ocho Cinco, Austin Collie, Brandon Marshall, Desean Jackson, Brandon Lloyd

RBs: Chris Johnson, Arian Foster, LeSean McCoy, Darren McFadden,

TEs: Dustin Keller, Jermichael Finley, Dallas Clark, Antonio Gates

Def: Jets, Packers, Bengals, Colts

NCAA turns a Blind EYE

2010-09-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

The NCAA is punishing schools like USC, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and investigating numerous others for "improper benefits" received by athletes. There are rules that must be followed by student athletes and the schools that they attend. The NCAA has recently suspended players, put schools on probation, restricted scholarships, and banned teams from bowl games for violations regarding agents. Schools that are accused of wrong doing are cited for having "lack of institutional control", but the NCAA's definition of "lack of institutional control" baffles me. I think Bryant Gumbel said it best on Real Sports (full article):

"I’m no legal expert, not by a long shot, but I do believe that driving drunk, robbing a convenience store, and hitting your girlfriend are all worse offenses than dealing with an agent. Most people would agree with that I think, except, it seems, the folks in charge of college football.

How else to explain the fact that the USC Trojans are currently on NCAA probation while the Florida Gators are not, even though Florida’s program has seen 27 different players arrested during the short tenure of Coach Urban Meyer. That’s right, by NCAA standards, 27 arrests merit not so much as an official reprimand. But dealing with a prospective agent prematurely, as former Trojan Reggie Bush did, gets your program punished for four years.

"It’s not just about USC. NCAA investigations are ongoing at the Universities of Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina for the same kind of premature conversation with agents that Bush had. And it’s not just about Florida. Players at Pittsburgh, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Southern Mississippi, UCLA and elsewhere have also been arrested this year. But all of those programs are, by NCAA standards, in full compliance."

I do not think that Universities should be allowed to run freely just because no players are being arrested. I do think it is a BIG problem when you are paying so much attention to a couple hundred dollars here and there when there are much bigger problems. How do u ignore so many players being arrested at one place? If anything is a "lack of institutional control" 27 players arrested is. College kids are not going to be perfect but the NCAA needs to step in and do something effective, not just putting a bandaid on a gash. Some of the fault does fall on the universities shoulders, but the schools have so much money at risk with their programs winning that they cannot always be trusted to do the right thing to insure "institutional control".

College athletes need to make better choices and not do anything they know to be against the rules, or will jeopardize their eligibility and embarrass the program. But the reality is, teenagers with little money and a lot of needs are not always going to and shouldn't be expected to always make good decisions when tempted with money and gifts by agents. Sometimes adults don't even make good decisions when faced with temptation to receive money or "extra benefits" so how can you expect college kids to? If you want players to stop taking gifts from agents, punish the agents. If agents are heavily punished by the NFLPA for giving student athletes "extra benefits" I guarantee you will see this problem virtually eliminated.

This is not a Florida Gators bash session. I'm just wagging my finger at the NCAA. They sometimes draw a hard line on things that don't seem to be a big deal, but turn around and ignore glaring problems staring them right in the face.

WEEK 3: Winners & Top 5 Fantasy

2010-09-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Two weeks in a row I have been your one stop shop for picks and fantasy football heros. So far my record is 27-5. Very impressive start, but this week will be one of the toughest this season. The Steelers are having QB problems and are playing a young, hot Bucs team. The Dolphins Wildcat does well against the J-E-T-S. The Saints don't have their biggest wildcard to ground the Falcons. The Texans are 2-0 but are they poised enough to take over the state of Texas? Only a student of the game and a person with a keen eye for trends and forecasting the games could see these things happening. Good thing you got me. I wont let u down. If you need fantasy football help earlier in the week hit me up on my twitter.

Titans v Giants- Chris Johnson gets back on track to get to the 2500 yards that he won't get to this season. He should win the rushing title again this year with about 1871 yards. Fantasy owners: Vince Young will finish this game. TITANS

Cowboys v Texans- It's hard to even think about the Cowboys 0-3 after all the preseason hype but this is a make or break game for both teams. The Texans must show they are or real and are ready to take the next step to being an elite team. The Cowboys on the other hand must win if they are to have any chance of making the playoffs. This should be a close one. TEXANS

Steelers v Buccaneers- The Steelers are on major league "Upset Alert" right now. With no Dixon, no Big Ben, 1/2 Leftwich, the Steelers turn to Charlie Batch. Batch is a quality backup, but he gets hurt every time he plays. With an iffy QB situation and a much improved Bucs team at home, this could be the perfect storm. BUCCANEERS

Falcons v Saints- Can the Saints offense find a way to get kick started and win without Reggie "The President" Bush? Yes, only because they are playing at home. SAINTS

Raiders v Cardinals- The Commitment to Excellence is not quite excellent but they will win. Fantasy owners: Jason Campbell will be back, maybe not this game but he will be back and play well. RAIDERS

Jets v Dolphins- The Jets couldn't stop the wildcat last year. What makes you think they will stop it this year? Nothing. DOLPHINS

Monday Night Football

Packers v Bears - This game features two of the leagues best young gun slingers and should prove to be a Big Time shootout. PACKERS

Other Winners: 49ers, PATRIOTS, RAVENS, VIKINGS, REDSKINS, EAGLES, CHARGERS, COLTS, BENGALS

QBs: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick

RBs: Frank Gore, Rashard Mendenhall, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice

WRs: Randy Moss, Steve Smith (NYG), Santana Moss, Steve Breaston, Terrell Owens

TEs: Heath Miller, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark, Brent Celek

Def: Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Diego, 49ers

Week 2: NFL Winners/ Losers

2010-09-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

If you followed my Twitter Sunday then you know I gave everyone my picks for the NFL games and fantasy football players to watch. The smart thing to do is check with me every week to make sure you are on top of your game. I took a lot of heat for a few of my picks, but as you should expect, I was right (13-16. That's 81% but who's counting)! People told me I needed to be committed for picking the Colts, Cowboys, Broncos, and Falcons to lose. Arian Foster, Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Hakim Nicks were all starters on my fantasy teams last week. He who laughs last laughs hardest! Enough of my resume, here are my Week 2 picks and fantasy studs:

Ravens vs Bengals- I hate to say it but the Bengals will start the season 0-2. They will rebound later in the season but the Ravens have one of best Defenses and Offenses in the league. RAVENS

Bears vs Cowboys- Dallas will rebound this week. Chicago had trouble scoring against Detroit. Don't expect much better against the Cowboys. COWBOYS

Eagles vs Lions- No Matthew Stafford. No win. The Lions D will be hard pressed to lay a finger on Vick. EAGLES

Dolphins vs Vikings- Expect a big rebound by the Vikings on the back of Adrian Peterson. He may get the 40-50 carries he wants. VIKINGS

Patriots vs Jets- Randy Moss will build a mansion on Revis island and have a BIG game. The Jets offense can't score enough to beat the Pats. PATRIOTS

Giants vs Colts- Colts get back on track and Peyton Manning continues his assault on the NFL record book. COLTS

Other Winners: Falcons, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders, Texans, Chargers, Packers, Saints, Buccaneers, Steelers (My heart will not allow me to pick against the Ducks, go Dennis Dixon!)

QB: Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Shaub, Drew Brees

RB: Adrian Peterson, DeAngelo Williams, Jamaal Charles, Reggie Bush, Ray Rice

WR: Eddie Royal, Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings, Randy Moss, Brandon Marshall, Miles Austin

TE: Antonio Gates, Jermichael Finley, Vishante Shiancoe, Jason Witten, Vernon Davis

Def: Eagles, Cowboys, Patriots, Raiders, Packers

Guess Who's Back? #84

2010-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

The slate is clean. I control my own destiny. It's time to start over and start fresh. This is a new beginning to my football career so I'm taking it back to my roots. I changed my number from 87 to my high school number 84. They say "It's only a number!", but after 6 years of being number 87 I feel attached to it. Email accounts, phone numbers, my signature, nicknames, and everything else has been attached to a number. I have jerseys hanging on the wall, and countless pictures with me rocking the 87. It's only been 3 weeks but I miss it already. Changing numbers is kinda like giving Linus from the Peanuts comic strip a new blanket. It would be hard for him until he found out his new blanket was more comfortable than the old one. That is how I felt. The first day I put the 84 on it felt funny but then I looked in the mirror and thought, "Oh yeah, this 8-4 looks good on me". LOL. All the memories of my high school glory came flooding back and I liked it.

Just the thought of playing for Sylmar High in my navy blue 84 makes me smile. I remember the smell of the fresh cut grass, the band playing, and the Friday Night Lights! Every football player will tell you that high school was the most fun they ever had playing football. I can hear the Sylmar High School fight song in my head as I write. The game was still innocent then and you played solely for the love of the game, dreams of winning a championship, and hopes that your picture would be in the Saturday morning paper. I was dedicated to playing well and earning a scholarship to play in college but that was the least of my concerns. Every Saturday when I woke up, my first move was to check out the sports section of the LA Times and the Daily News. If I didn't make the paper I was HIGHLY upset and next Friday somebody was in trouble!

I'm back in the number I started with and I will make it back where I want to be - in the NFL, and being considered one of the best. When I close my eyes I see my team winning a Super Bowl and me being the first TE Super Bowl MVP. I still dream and visualize being the best. If you don't dream it, you will never achieve it. I love this game, but the innocence of playing football is long behind me. Professional football is a business and not for the faint of heart. Now football is about being the best player I can be, winning a championship, and supporting my family. My passion and love for the game never left, but finally all the fun in football is back. I have been blessed to live my dream of being a professional athlete and I will never take that for granted. I have my 84 back and I'm in love with football all over again!

Football Season x2

2010-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ladies, Gentleman, Boys, and Girls it's that time of year again, tailgates, face painting, flag flying, chest bumping, and end zone celebrations. Yes, it's the start of the UFL 2010 season... Wait, what??? You mean the NFL right? No, I mean the UFL (United Football League). No it's not arena football, no it's not played in Canada and no you don't need a passport to go to Europe to see it. It's played right here in the States, with the same rules as the NFL & most importantly it has NFL caliber players. Many of which have had NFL careers and are trying to restart their career after injury or hoping for a rebirth and a fresh start in the UFL.

You may have heard of Jeff Garcia (4 time pro-bowler), Daunte Culpepper (3 time pro-bowler), or even Head Coaches Jim Fassel & Dennis Green, two coaches that have respectively won 177 NFL games as head coaches in the NFL.

Last year was the inaugural season for the UFL that featured 4 teams. This year the League has added 1 more team. The league consists of the Florida Tuskers, Hartford Colonials, Las Vegas Locos (defending champions), Sacramento Mountain Lions, and the newest kids on the block the Omaha Nighthawks.

The UFL is not just a bunch of ragga-muffin players, has-beens and draft busts. It's a league that has quality talent. Over 40 UFL players have signed with NFL teams in just one season of play and this year it's looking like even more will take that leap. The UFL prides itself on putting out a great product for the fans. The teams are becoming heavily involved in local communities and games are a great family atmosphere. So in the words of my boys T.O. & OchoCinco "Get your popcorn ready & Kiss the Baby" this season is going to be great!!

UFC 117: I'm torn... Not so much

2010-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday August 7, UFC 117 Silva v. Sonnen, is "supposed" to be the fight that pushes Silva to his limit. Sonnen has been talking a lot of trash in promotion of this fight. Silva has no choice but to leave the gimmicks at home and put on a show and win all his fans back. (Sidebar: While looking up Sonnen's UFC record I kept wondering why the name Chael Sonnen sounded and he looked familiar. Man this dude went to Oregon, who knew? I root for all Ducks, but Silva is my favorite MMA fighter. I'll root for him against anyone else.) If this were a war of words Sonnen would have a first round knockout. He said this will be Silva's "retirement party" and he will "dominate him". That's big talk coming from a guy I've barely heard of, against a guy who is undefeated in the UFC and hasn't lost since 2006.

When you look at Anderson "Spider" Silva and hear him talk you get no indication that he is pound for pound the most dangerous athlete on the planet. A squeaky voice and a slim frame without bulging muscles are a perfect cover for this venomous fighter. If you have watched a Silva fight lately, you have felt like you are watching a Floyd Maywheather fight. A one sided, technical master piece, full of showmanship that Silva walks away from without a scratch and barely a sweat. In UFC 112 Silva fought Demian Maia and dominated him from the opening bell, but after he beat Maia to a pulp he literally danced around the ring and even got into a sprinters stance. Spectators wanted a knockout, Anderson did not deliver. These displays of showmanship and apparent lack of a competitive fight have gotten under the skin of UFC President Dana White. White has threatened to kick Silva out of the UFC if the antics happen again. Who believes White would do this to his best fighter? Not me, not anybody. That's like the NFL banning Favre because he is stringing us along. Yeah Right!!!

I predict a fight that will, when it's all said and done, will be one sided. Silva will knock Sonnen out before the end of the 3rd round, or get a submission by the end of the 4th. Either way, Silva should emerge the victor and Sonnen will be left bloodied and defeated. However, Sonnen is getting in the ring so he does have a chance. He can win, if he is fortunate enough to connect with a "Tarver Punch" (referring to the eyes closed head down punch that Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy Jones with).

I know fighters have to talk trash to promote the fight, but I think you need to keep it to a minimum when you are fighting THE BEST and your credentials don't say the same about you. Unless you win of course. If Sonnen does win, what else would you expect? He's a Duck!!!

And The Oscar Goes To....

2010-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

And The Oscar for Best Dramatic Actor Goes To.... Brett Favre

He got y'all again. I refused to fall for it the 3rd time again. You didn't really think Brett Favre was gonna let us off easy this year, did you? Compared to the last 3 off seasons, this year was quiet with Favre talk so everyone assumed he would just quietly come back. "Not so fast my friend" (Lee Corso voice). You have to think about the reason Favre gave us a pass until now; he couldn't dominate the news all summer because of the LeBron sweepstakes. He knew he couldn't compete with the LeBron drama. Maybe Favre should have a two hour special on ABC called, "The Decision 2". But now it's August and the spotlight is his alone. All he had to do was pull his cell phone outta his wranglers and send a couple text messages to teammates and he was alone at the top! Every news channel and social network is focused on him. I imagine Brett is at home sitting on his couch, with his feet propped up, drinking a beer smiling inside and out while he is listening to "Encore" by Jay Z.

I don't know if he will retire, but I won't believe it until he is not under center week 1 of 2011 season. Yes 2011. That's a long way away but Favre has a flair for the dramatic.

Masoli: Sports Illustrated

2010-08-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to Sports Illustrated and Michael McKnight for doing a great job researching this information and shedding light on the facts involved with this situation. Far too often, reporters and writers are quick to demonize athletes more frequently than they tend to sensationalize them. It's front page news for days when someone is accused of wrongdoing, but a retraction or reprint of the story with the facts rarely happens.

When news first broke about Oregon Ducks QB Jermiah Masoli being arrested for theft and subsequently pleading guilty I was shocked and embarrassed. From all accounts I had heard from coaches and players from U of O Masoli was a good, intelligent kid with a degree in Sociology and a good leader for the football team. This is proof that the pen is truly mightier than the sword. The media was coming at him full force but he could not juke or run over these defenders. Far too often, we as readers take what we read as fact instead of doing our own research. I am guilty so I immediately went on the attack. I was pissed because we had a dumb, thug, punk, knucklehead kid ruin our chance at a National Championship. I wanted to know why could he be so stupid , but who cares how great of a player he is; good riddance to these bad apples bringing the program down.

Is Jeremiah Masoli a thug or a victim of circumstance and a bad decision? After reading this Sports Illustrated article and reading court documents my opinion dramatically changed. Evidence points to the only thing Masoli is guilty of is bad judgement in the robbery situation. He was one of the most recognizable students on campus so lying about his whereabouts was a terrible idea. Then everyone asked why did he plead guilty if he was innocent. In a perfect world you should never admit guilt when you are not guilty. If you were faced with the possibility of 2-4 years in prison because Oregon has mandatory minimum sentences, a District Attoney with a high conviction rate, and you knew you lied; what would you do?

Part of me feels bad for Jeremiah Masoli because he is getting a bum wrap as a thug and a thief, but the weed...he is on his own for that one. Even after he got in trouble he was going to be reinstated if he met the terms head coach Chip Kelly set for him. He should have been walking a fine line.

All in all, Jeremiah Masoli you still have love from the Ducks. I hope he does well at Ole Miss and can do enough to repair his image when the NFL comes knocking.

Should he have been kicked out of school? Let me know what you think!

Spirit Airlines

2010-08-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Spirit Airlines is now charging fees up to $45 for people bringing carry on bags that are too big to fit under the seat or in storage bins. Are they kidding me? This is robbery, but Spirit says it's to save time. They want to charge you a fee for everything. What's next? A seat belt fee, a breathing air fee, or maybe a bathroom fee. There is one fee I wish they would charging, a $50 farting fee. If you fart and stink up the plane, you should have to pay. lol.

What happened to Onterrio Smith?

2009-12-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

Countless people have asked me "What happened to Onterrio Smith?".

I have heard every "Wizzinator" joke possible. They were funny to so many people, but not to me. Onterrio was my college roommate, good friend, and one of the most talented football players I have ever seen. Now, he is a legend in Sacramento High School football, and infamous for his fall from grace. His is a story we have heard many times, but its different because he is MY friend; star athlete with everything it takes to be a professional athlete falls victim to violence, drugs, or tragedy.

If you ever wonder what football coaches dream about I'll tell you. They dream about players who are fast, powerful, elusive, strong, hard-working, tough, quick, mentally strong, with great hands, understands the game, leader, and a passion for being the best. They dream about Onterrio Smith. He was the best running back in the 2003 draft (even better than Willis McGahee), but slipped from a high 1st round pick to the 4th round because of "character issues" stemming from drug use. Mike Tice, former Minnesota Vikings head coach and current assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, said Onterrio was the best running back he had ever coached, and that he could have been great. That is high praise coming from a man who played in the NFL for 14 years and has coached for longer than that.

Onterrio came from a broken home in the projects of Sacramento to be a football star at Grant High School. After an illustrious High School career he accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee. It was clear from his first day at school that he was a star both socially and on the field. The Volunteer fans only got to witness his amazing abilities for one season before he was kicked out for marijuana use.

Onterrio then transferred to the University of Oregon where we met. From the moment everyone met him they fell in love with his magnetic personality. "O- Smith" would light up the room with his smile. He is one of the most likable, giving, caring, and charismatic people I have ever met, and quickly became a loyal and trusted friend. His fall hurts me so much because I know how he grew up. I know his family, his kids, and his story.

I remember the day I realized everything had changed like it was yesterday. Onterrio returned home after being gone for 3 days wearing the same clothes he left in. That same day I got a phone call asking if he was ok because the night before he had been waking up in cold sweats. Something about those events and his behavior just didn't sit well will me, so I asked both 'Terrio (as we called him) and our other roommate about it. They both told me I was trippin', but in my heart I knew I wasn't. Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the beginning of the end.

Addiction has no socio-economic or cultural bias. It can happen to any family. It can happen to people who may seem to be on the top of the world and have everything to live for. Darryl Strawberry, Stanley Wilson Sr., Ken Caminiti, Michael Irvin, Eddie Griffin, and Len Bias are a short list of athletes who have been victims of addiction. O-Smith, who had the potential to be one of the best running backs in the NFL, is another sad example of how drugs can ruin a life and career.

I watch a show on A&E called Intervention, which is a video documentary about addicts and their struggle with addiction. A camera crew follows alcoholics, drug addicts, and people with OCD, eating disorders, and other addictions. Those featured on the show do not know that they will soon face an intervention by their family. After the intervention, the addicts must either elect to enter a treatment facility immediately, or face alienation from those they love. It is a great show but it's very sad to see how addiction affects not only the addict, but the toll it takes on their families and loved ones as well. Addiction has struck in my own family, but somehow Onterrio's struggle hurts worse because unlike my family, I witnessed it happening. I talked to him, prayed for him, and helped him through rehab, but it feels like I failed. One thing I learned from this is for an addict to get clean he or she has to want to do it more than anything else in the world.

No one wants to be a drug addict. People like using drugs and alcohol because of the feeling they get from it or to escape their problems, but no one wants to be like the people on Intervention. Those featured on the show are at rock bottom or near it. When people begin using drugs they never think they will end up meth, ecstasy, crack, heroine, cocaine, prescription pill or alcohol addicts. After watching Intervention, seeing famous people fall victim to addiction, and watching my friend's life and career tailspin out of control, I have but one thing to say: Just say no!!! However cliche it may sound, fact is that making one bad decision can shatter your dreams, ruin your life, and/or kill you.

One day I hope I can update this story with one of triumph, redemption, and recovery.

The Not So Civil War

2009-12-02T01:26:00.000-08:00

Breaking news: It is being reported that Oregon State head football coach Mike Riley will only be able to dress twenty players for the Oregon game. The rest of the players will have to get dressed by themselves!!

Eugene and Corvallis are separated by one highway, but the separation between the Green/Gold and the Black/Pumpkin Orange is much greater. In Eugene we have a saying, if you see a Beaver with a Championship ring, call the Police, He's a thief!!

The Civil War, Ducks vs Beavers, is not so civil!!! There couldn't be bigger differences between the two schools that are only about 47 miles apart. The rivalry is like Big Brother vs Little Brother, the Haves vs the Have-Nots, or the popular vs the unpopular kids. The Beavers look at themselves like blue-collar, hard workers who are the meat and potatoes of this country. They feel they earn everything they get, but we get everything handed to us on a silver platter. So when the Beavers play the Ducks they have a big chip on their shoulder, because they live in the humongous shadow of the "O". If the Beavs feel the Ducks look down on the kids that play for Corvallis, they should. We do! OSU is a team to be respected and never taken lightly, but Duck players and fans feel we should never lose to "little brother". The guys from Corvallis take our hand-me-downs and left-overs. We didn't want Orange so they took it. We get the newest uniforms, they get what is left. We get nationally televised games, they get the occasional regional broadcast plus radio. The Ducks are striving higher for National Championships while the Beavers are trying to climb fast to where we currently are.

Why is my disdain for the Beavers so great? Simple. I'm a Duck. During my four years at Oregon the Beavers beat us twice!!! That includes a 45-24 Shellacking in Corvallis my last year at Oregon. Until 3 days ago I had blocked that memory out of my mind. Honestly until I was reminded I really thought we won (I'm blocking, I know lol). It still haunts me. So yes, when we get a chance to knock off the Beavers for a Pac-10 championship and a Rose Bowl Bid, I'm going hard.

Classic Civil War story: One time during the week of the civil war Samie Parker, Onterrio Smith and I were in Red Robin and I saw TJ Housh "Your daddy" (OSU wide receiver) sitting there with his wife and daughter. I had our waitress deliver him a note that said we were gonna beat the breaks off of him. TJ is a friend of mine now and a great guy. I was talking to him about that before the season started and he said, "man, I thought I was gonna have to fight ya'll with the family there". LOL, it was all done in good fun. TJ got the last laugh tho, Oregon State won the game.

What makes the "Un"-Civil War so great? You never know who is gonna win. What's on the line in this game? BRAGGING RIGHTS! Two great programs competing with their whole heart and soul to represent the state of Oregon. If you win no one can say a word to you, if you lose you have a year of heckling to deal with. Both schools alumni have so much pride and love for our perspective schools that a loss is devastating. In addition, we want to be the team to represent the Conference of Champions (Pac-10) in the Rose Bowl.

This is the Biggest game in recent UO/OSU history. Winner goes to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks haven't been to the Rose Bowl since '95 (We did go to Fiesta Bowl in 02' though). The Beavers haven't been since 1965... That's a long time for both schools. And the intensity in Autzen Stadium will be nothing less then ELECTRIFYING!!!!

The Man Spa

2009-11-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

I love going to the Barber shop (when I call ahead because I hate waiting), the comedy relief and insight you get when you are there is priceless. I go to a shop called Blades (formerly 818) out in the valley and this shop has "characters". There is Dave my Guy, who is like the cool Urkel (Stephon Urkel, if you watched Family Matters you know the difference). It's like he wears glasses, but he sags. Then there is Chitown. He is from Chicago and no matter what the conversation is about somehow he will end up saying "so what Michael Jordan is the best ever, say he ain't". Umh, Chi-town, we were asking if you wanted something from the store (confused face).

Then there is the Light-skin homie Mo who cuts my sons hair. He is cool, but light-skin dudes with curly tops always remind me of Tobey Bailey & Al B Sure. He does a good job on my little man's hair (especially his mohawks). Except the time D got a little excited and turned his head 2 quick and ended up w/ a slit in his eyebrow like he was the 3rd member of Kriss Kross. Hey, he's 3!!

The Barber Shop is the Man's spa. It's how we relax. No conversation or topic is off limits in the Shop. If you are looking for insight into a city or a particular community, just make your way into a popular neighborhood barbershop. You will find out the latest rumors in everything from sports to politics to the last story on 20/20. A question or topic is brought to the floor then the debate begins. Topics are discussed with the passion and fervor of a Presidential debate.

"Ok, who would you marry and who would you just want to have a 1 night stand with, Halle Berry, Beyonce, or Alicia Keys?"

"Did you hear President Obama speech about the stimulus package?"

"Man, did you hear about that kid that got kidnapped?"

"You know who looks good.... The Lakers!" This topic always starts here and ends up everywhere.

The barbershop is a place where feelings can get hurt, egos can be bruised and is the epitome of "Free Speech" at its highest level. If someone walks in w/ a fine girl, the minute they leave every barber & customer in there will be talking about "ahhh man, did you see the cakes on her". Vice Versa if they walk in w/ Lassie on their arms, trust there will be plenty of Barks once the door closes.

On a side note, until a couple months ago my nephew AK had never been to the barbershop, and D always go to the barbershop together, but AK wheres the curly fro. D always walks in to the shop confident and knows what is going on. D is used to seeing all the guys, music, and TVs going on at the same time, but not AK. As he was walking in for his first time he froze, looked around like he had no clue what goes on in there. Everyone stopped and laughed! It was hilarious. You would have thought someone was gonna cut his hair or something! Don't worry, we didn't cut his hair.

I won't say I get all my great ideas from the Shop, but I will say it is definitely one of my places of inspiration. The Shop is a think-tank. You can never get too full of yourself because the minute you walk into Blades you have to check your ego at the door. Not checking your ego will result in a barrage of jokes brought on by everyone holding a pair of Clippers. 20 bucks gets you a lesson in humility, a great time, and a fresh cut. I choose the Barber Shop over the spa any day!

Pac-Man Will Beat Cotto

2009-11-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Reasons Pacquiao will beat Cotto

* Experience- Pacquiao has had more "big fights" and against better opponents. He has stopped great fighters like: Ricky Hatton, Oscar De la Hoya, Erik Morales, and gone the distance with Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.

*Defense- Pacquiao is one of the most aggressive fighters in the game and lays it on the line time after time, but in his last few fights there has been a noticeable change. Freddy Roach has taught Manny how to control his aggressive nature and minimize his risk of getting knocked out or hurt by a good punch from an inferior fighter. The combination of Cotto's wide looping punches and average defensive skills will be a recipe for a Pacquiao knockout between the 7-9th round.

*Antonio Margarito- Cotto was fast on the rise when he stepped into the ring with Margarito. Margarito beat Cotto to a bloody pulp that required him to leave the arena in an ambulance. When it comes to boxers, ego and confidence are everything. Once you lose that feeling of invincibility you will never be the same. There has been many questions raised regarding the Maragrito/Cotto fight in light of Margarito being suspended for a year for attempting to use "plaster of paris" in his hand wraps against Mosley.

*Philippines- Both boxers respectively have their entire country behind them and are depending on their hero to bring home a victory. Pacquiao has the most riding on this fight. The Philippines have been ravaged by typhoons and Pac-Man knows the people need a morale boost.

*The Entire Boxing World- This is a big fight, but everybody who loves to see great fights will be rooting for Pac-Man. Why? "Pretty Boy" Floyd "Money" Mayweather. The only chance a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather will take place is if Pac-man wins. The #1 "Pound for Pound" fighter vs the real #1 "Pound for Pound" fighter. You can pick which one is which, but it's hard to go against the guy with 0 losses!

Cotto is a great boxer and is worthy of a lot of respect and can win this fight with a well executed game plan and some vastly improved defense. The grumblings amongst Pacquiao camp members is that the typhoons could actually serve as a distraction and open a window for Cotto to get a huge win. I'm hoping this fight will be 7-9 rounds of entertaining action. The "Sweet Science" of boxing needs a great fight that will lead to another Super Fight.

Week 7: The Blowouts

2009-10-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

I decided to watch a Fantasy Football show on ESPN for a few minutes while the pre-game shows were on and I have come to this conclusion, they are clueless. I should come out with my own Fantasy predictions, I couldn't possibly be more wrong than them. After the games were over and all the statistics collected, so many of the players they predicted to have bad games had excellent games, and those who they said would show up big were Fantasy sleepers. There were 13 games this past weekend, 8 of them were decided by 16pts or more. The schedule gave us a lot of lop sided games this weekend. Hey, it happens, but we have to look at the positives. It could be summer time between the end of NBA till football starts, a.k.a. purgatory.

Week 7 Recap:

Jets v. Raiders- Mark Sanchez won easily with another sub 150 yd performance. Rex Ryan must have read my week 6 review, K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple Sanchez). Ryan kept the plan basic and held his young QBs hand so he could not make a mistake. He even let him bring a sack lunch to work with a hot dog in it. Tough defense and running the football wins games, especially against the Raiders. Remember, the Ravens won a Superbowl with NO offense and Trent Dilfer at QB.

On a side note, in a post game interview JaMarcus Russell said, "I really don't think it's me personally...I really don't think it's me, do you?" ROFLMBO, is he serious? The team is bad but really..."I really don't think it's me"? (I'm almost in tears laughing)

Saints v. Dolphins- The Dolphins jumped out the gate like stallions while riding the back of Ricky Williams (Pause). Everyone who thought New Orleans Saints were front runners were silenced. This week they were the comeback kids after trailing for the first time all season. The Saints looked like "sinners" in the first half down 24-3. Everything that could go wrong for the Saints did, until :05 left in the 2nd quarter when the Dolphins called timeout and let Drew Brees talk Sean Payton into going for it instead of kicking the field goal. The score was 24-10 at the half and I was watching the game thinking, "Hmmm, the Dolphins better hope the "sinners" come back out for the second half because if the Saints show up it's gonna be trouble, trouble."

And as I predicted, trouble showed up.... Who dat say dey gon' beat dem Saints??

Bills v. Panthers- Did T.O. play? Buffalo has not been impressive this year and their offense has been awful, but you know who is worse on offense, The Panthers. They have to be one of the top 2 most disappointing teams of the season (Tennessee Titans). There are a lot of teams less talented, that you don't expect much from, but the Panthers have a dynamic backfield (D. Williams, J. Stewart go ducks) and WR Steve Smith, and they have defensive end Julius Peppers. FYI Bills DB Jarius Byrd had 2 interceptions in the game and is second in the league with 5 (Go Ducks!).

Chargers v. Chiefs- Nickname of the week goes to Vincent "Up Top" Jackson. He is not going to lead the league in catches but he leads the league in deep ball catches. Deep balls require so much athleticism, concentration, and a great pair of hands. If the route is not over 20 yds he wants no part of it. Oh yea, the Chargers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-7

Falcons v. Cowboys- Atlanta had a big win last week against the Chicago Bears, but this week didn't quite go so well. The Falcons are hurting at corner back right now and Romo took advantage of it. Miles Austin made this week look like a carbon copy of last week. He broke tackles and made big catches to get to his second consecutive week over 170 yds with 2 TDs. The Cowboys grounded the Falcons air attack and hogtied Michael Turner. This game was more about the Falcons not playing very good defense than the Cowboys playing great offense.

The Titans did not lose this week. They didn't play either.

Bengals v. Bears- There was so much commotion due to the launch of the OchoCinco News Network and iPhone application the Bengals were wondering whether they would cancel the game or not. They decided not only to play, but play EXCELLENT and blew out the Chicago Bears. Everybody played well, Carson Palmer 5 TDs, OchoCinco 10 receptions 2 TDs, Cedric Benson 189 yds rushing TD. Which leads me to ask where was the Bears D?

In other news, the Colts played Steven Jackson. We didn't have to watch this game to know what happened. Manning continued his assault on the NFL record book and ascension to Greatness. Unless the Rams can manage to beat the Detroit Lions this week, chances are high they will finish the season "Defeated" (0-16), and tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the longest losing streak of all-time (26). Stephen Jackson could lead the league in rushing on a 0-16 team. How incredible would that be?

Packers v. Browns. Green Bay is quietly playing some really good football. I'm not gonna be the one to let the cat out of the bag and ruin their season. If they beat the Vikings this week the cat will be out of the bag.

In what could turn out to be a rematch of the Superbowl, the Steelers played the Vikings.

*Note to all NFL Players, in case you didn't know, Adrian Peterson is a Grown Man. If you are going to attempt to tackle him bring everything you got, or you will be left looking "Gay" (Before you start trippin on me, he ran over William Gay).

Back to the game. Roethlisberger...smerger...erger was very accurate and impressive. He showed great touch and fit many passes in small windows. Both Defenses looked impressive, especially the Steelers who scored twice on defense. Neither running game really got too far off the ground but you just have to love the way Peterson plays the game. The game was very physical and very closely contested, the way football should be.

Monday Night: The game looked like a horror film "Attack of the Quarterback" starring Jason Campbell and Donovan McNabb. Campbell was sacked 6 times, and hit countless others. McNabb was sacked 3 times and hit many more. Jason Campbell limped around the field and I felt sorry for him. He has come under much criticism in the past few weeks, but how can anyone deliver the ball effectively when they are getting hit that much?

The Eagles offense didn't impress much, but Desean Jackson and the Eagles Defense shined. Jackson is a threat to go to the house every time he touches the ball. Punt Returns, Wildcat, Receiving, Reverses, if he can get his hands on the ball, he might just get to the endzone. The Eagles defense was very opportunistic, bringing pressure and forcing turnovers. Where was this last week against the Raiders?

What did we learn this week? If it looks like a blowout on paper, it will be. Please don't try and use this logic next week. It is for sure to backfire on you in a bad way. I have some games Highlighted for week 8. St Louis @ Detroit, someone has to win, right? Favre vs the Cheese Heads at Lambeau Field. The "Uniforms" vs the Ravenous offense. And the NY Football Giants vs the Eagles.

Please keep Leon Washington in your prayers. He suffered a really bad compound fracture. I'm praying he has a speedy recovery & rehab!! Keep ya head up Bro!!!

Delorean, Only the Greatest Car Ever

2009-10-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

My trainer, Travelle Gaines, is one of the funniest guys alive. I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with him, but that's another story. He will never win a pop culture quiz, but he's really really strong! Travelle eats dumbbells and could single-handedly raise a million dollars in a Jump-A-Thon! He is very intelligent and knowledgeable, weird combo! Apparently he is one of 12 people born in the US in the 80's who has not seen Back to the Future. SMH. Back to the Future!! I mean that's a classic. It's like growing up and not watching The Cosby Show, Transformers or eating Fruit Loops, just odd. So the other day we were out and I saw a "Delorean", when I pointed it out, he had no clue what I was talking about.

Travelle Gaines, "What's a Delorean"

My response, "Only the greatest car ever"

Travelle, "What does one of these Deloreans you speak of look like"

Me, "Haven't you seen Back to the Future"?

Travelle, "Is that a movie"?

By this time, I realized we were getting nowhere, and I couldn't get him to sit down (I'm convinced he has ADHD) and watch the movie, so I made it my mission to find one on the streets of LA. Just my luck the other day while going to my son's tee ball game I saw a Delorean!!!! So for anyone else who had a deprived childhood and missed Back to the Future, here is a Delorean. Your life is now complete, don't thank me!!

Actual Delorean I saw!

Imitation Back to the Future Delorean.

Actual Back to the Future Delorean... Replica

Week 6

2009-10-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend of football is EXACTLY why I don't and would never bet on sports (also I don't wanna be Pete Rose'd). NFL games are one of the most unpredictable things, but everyone tries to predict them. Every week there are no shortage of office pools, fantasy leagues, and sports books taking bets. This week on paper looked like it would have a few good games, Giants v. Saints, Ravens v. Vikings, and a few locks like Eagles v. Raiders and Bills v. Jets, but "That's why they play the game".

I can never just watch 1 game at a time so I'm frantically station hopping trying not to miss anything. I need more TVs!!! I've never been home to watch this much football and I don't want to miss a minute of it. I have friends on nearly every team and I hate missing plays. I loved watching Mike P get a sack on Jay Cutler, I cringed when Brian Williams came down wrong & hurt his knee, seeing "Baby" aka Marcus Stroud bouncing on the sidelines makes me laugh because I know that means he is about to go out there and ball. I must start playing soon or get more TVs.

Week 6 Recap:

I thought the Saints would beat the Giants simply because they were playing at home, but I didn't expect the game to be so lopsided. The Saints were having a party in the end zone and everybody with a fleur de lis was invited. Every time I changed the channel someone new was scoring a TD.

The Vikings/ Ravens proved to be a very good game. Favre has the keys to a high powered sports car of a team. The Ravens used to have the most feared defense who at times would win games by out scoring the other team without help from its inept offense. Boy have the tables turned. Blame it on whatever you want, the D just ain't what it used to be! Flacco still managed to lead them back from a big hole to have and opportunity to win the game, but they had a Ray Finkle (Ace Ventura) moment, wide left.

Bills v. Jets- The T.O. show has not gotten off the ground and they have scrapped the "no huddle" offense but some how managed to win in OT. The top passer in the game was Mark Sanchez with 119 yards. LOL seriously? Thomas Jones almost single handedly had more offense than both QBs combined. The Jets defense is looking real good this year (boy do the Ravens D miss Rex Ryan and Bart Scott). Sanchez threw 5 ints (Wow, welcome to the NFL) and they still held the Bills to 16 points. Wait, is the Bills offense that bad or Jets D that good? On the heels of back-to-back weeks of shaky play by Sanchez the Jets know they better find a way to simplify things and slow the game down for him or they will be watching playoff games at home.

Detroit v. Green Bay- I honestly did not watch 1 second of this game! Who did?

Kansas City v. Washington- I did not watch 1 second of this game either. I knew KC would win because the Redskins just have too much extracurricular stuff going on there right now. Coaches, owners, and players are all going in different directions. Washington has way more talent than KC but we all know talent alone does not win games. And anytime you hand your play calling duty over to a guy who was making Starbuck's runs, you are in trouble.

I had no clue what to expect from the Jacksonville v. St Louis game. I was not sure if the Jags would rebound from the bruising they took last week or let the win less Rams come into D-U-V-A-L and get a victory . Mark Bulger made his return this week, but the Jags got the win. It was not impressive at all considering they were playing the Rams, who after Avery went down early were down to 2 receivers that you have never heard of. The Rams were left with Stephen Jackson, who the Jags couldn't stop, even though he was the only weapon on the field. The Jaguars players and coaches have been quoted numerous times this year saying "We are looking for our identity as a team". I Know the Jags Identity! From now on they will be known as the "Hyphens", because their most effective weapons are Sims-Walker and Jones-Drew. The Jags will only win if they get the ball to the "Hyphens".

Titans v. Patriots- To the delight of "Hyphen" fans everywhere the Titans where DESTROYED by the Pats during intermission of the Ice Capades. That's about how long this game was competitive. The Titans lost Haynesworth and went from last seasons penthouse to this years outhouse. I think I saw Jeff Fisher at Snyder's door trying to write him a check for Haynesworth.

Eagles v. Raiders- How, Why, What Happened??? Russell has a quarterback rating on the season that looks like Albert Pujols batting average, and the Raiders have a pigeon playing special teams defense, but they still managed to win . This game is exactly why I would never bet money on sports. The Eagles have looked brilliant at times this season and made you think they could possibly make a run. How can you possible explain this? Maybe it was the Cali weather.

The Monday Night Football game proved to be a good matchup. The "Uniforms"(Broncos) v. Chargers. FYI, I really like the Uniforms throwbacks, especially the socks. My two standouts of the game were Tony Scheffler and Eddie Royal a.k.a. Eddie Royale "Mc Cheese" (in Paris the 1/4 pounder at McDonald's is really called that), had a spectacular game. He had a stellar rookie year but has been virtually invisible this season until Monday night where he made special teams "Special". Scheffler made a couple big time catches. If you didn't know who he was before this game, you do now. Very impressive. Darren Sproles is not one to be left off the highlight reel and he showed exactly why with his very own special play, a punt returned 71yds for a touchdown. This was a Great Game to watch.

Week 7 is on the way and what did we learn this week about this season? Absolutely Nothing and I can't wait for next week's games. I'm looking forward to watching the Terrible towels take on the Unbeaten Purple-people eaters, Bears vs Ocho-Diablo's Bengals & Drew Brees vs Miami's wildcat offense. It should be another great week of football.

S'mores....hmmmm good

2009-10-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

I'm 28yrs old and I had never had a S'more until last night. I mean I've heard of S'mores from my days of watching the movie The Sandlot (which is where I got my recipe from) everyday, but I had never actually had one. I love doing stuff with my family so last night we decided to give this S'mores thing a try. I went to the store grabbed some Marshmallows, Graham crackers and of course Godiva Chocolate (only the best for my first experience). Trying to get the perfect fire going is not as easy as it looks, but you know your boy is something like Man vs Wild, so I had no problem adapting to the harsh conditions of the 75 degree LA night. Once the fire was nice and blazing, I gave the boys their sticks, put some 'mellows on them and began to toast. Getting the 'mellow the perfect brown w/o burning it was a task I couldn't quite master until I brutalized 12 marshmallows. The sad thing is, the son and nephew are 3 and their s'mores were way better than mine. It was a great time. They love S'mores almost as much as I do now!! I highly recommend S'more night for everyone. Its an inexpensive way to have some good family time and satisfy your sweet tooth.

Rush Limbaugh NFL owner: Hell No!

2009-10-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

I know we as NFL players are supposed to be quiet about certain issues but I MUST speak for my peers/brothers who go to work and lay it on the line every week. Everyone knows that the NFL owners, commissioner, and players are all charged to "Protect the Shield". The commissioner and owners have made it glaringly clear with the frequent suspensions of players that the NFL will clean up its image. It is important for everyone associated with the NFL to maintain a high level of integrity including owners. I love the game of football and the NFL for all that it has given me and opportunities it has afforded me. This is exactly why I MUST say what my peers want to say but most feel like they cannot.

Rush Limbaugh, voted the most influential person in talk radio with over 13 million listeners per week wants to become an NFL owner, specifically of the the St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh is partnering with Dave Checketts, owner of the St. Louis Blues (NHL) in a bid to buy the team. Approving Limbaugh, even though he would not be the sole owner of the team, would be a Gigantic step back for the league as a whole and compromise the "Shield". He is a racist, bigot, and an idiot for so many of his comments that are spoken from the heart. Here is a brief list:

“Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream.”

"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in the country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."

"They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?"

"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it"

With these type of comments can you image how he would run a franchise? How would he treat his players and employees both white and non-white? The growing diversity in the front office will be stifled with ownership like this. The NFL is America's favorite game based on television ratings and revenue. America is made up of almost every race and creed represented on the planet, does the NFL want one of the leaders of the league to be spreading hate, closed-minded thinking, and messages against everything the NFL stands for.

In a league where 67% of its players are African American, 25% of its League office are non-whites, 19% of its senior administrator positions are women, and 5 out the last six Superbowl teams have either had an African American coach or General Manager (Tony Dungy (Colts),Lovie Smith (Bears), Mike Tomlin (Steelers), and GMs Jerry Reese (Giants), Rod Graves (Cardinals). The NFL and NFLPA cannot stand for Limbaugh to hold a position of power in the greatest professional sport. Limbaugh doesn't believe a good portion of the leagues employees are qualified, capable, or matter enough to respect their interests. Imagine how players would feel to play for an owner that feels you are inadequate mentally, and less of a person than he is simply because of the color of your skin or your gender. The very people who would be buying tickets, jerseys, hats and concessions are the very same people Limbaugh would be looking down his nose at from the owners suite in disgust.

In the last few years the owners, GMs, coaches, scouts and NFLPA have made drafting players of good character paramount. There also has been a big push to emphasize and reiterate to the veterans how much of a privilege playing in the NFL is and not to take it for granted. With this same logic the "powers that be" in the league must maintain the same standards for approval of potential owners of franchises.

The Y.E.T. program, United Way, hurricane/tornado relief projects are just a few of the many community programs the NFL is directly involved with that emphasize things like fair play, community service, education, remaining drug free, and equality. To his credit Limbaugh does raise money for a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma so he is not just heartless. At the end of the day does he represent any of these qualities important to the NFL?

I am proud to be an NFL player and member of an exclusive fraternity of professional athletes. I want the league to continue to prosper and grow in the right direction. As quickly as the NFL has blossomed in the last 20 years, it can crumble just as fast. The NFL is very important to me that's why I will not sit quietly and not let my voice be heard about something I love so much.

First Wrighster Family Tailgate

2009-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had a great time on Saturday watching My Ducks beat on the Bruins, but more importantly my Son & Nephew had the best time ever. It was so great watching them run around, playing football while we were tailgating, and watching them scream to the top of their lungs when the Ducks would do something good.

I hate to mention it but I must, the big cuddly un-intimidating Bruin mascot came over by our section and the boys just HAD to touch him and say hi. They are 3 it's ok I think. They wanted to play with the Bruin longer but I cut that visit short QUICKLY. The joy on their faces warmed my soul. They cheered so loud, by the 3rd quarter they were both passed out. I didn't mind them taking a nap, because by that point the game was long out of reach.

For my first game ever in the stands as a fan, I had a great time. We had great seats. We were literally three rows from the field right in the endzone. When Talmadge Jackson III intercepted a pass from Bruin quarterback Kevin Prince and ran it in for a touchdown right in front of us, the rest of the Ducks came over and we all celebrated together. We were so close the boys could reach out and touch the players. The boys were so juiced, they felt like they were on the field.

There were so many "Best Parts" of the day that I cannot single out just one. It was great seeing some of my old teammates Jared Dillon, Garret Sable, Rashad Bouman, Matt Toenia, Saladin McCullough and coaches, especially my former coach Mike Belloti (who is now the Athletic Director at Oregon). Ok, I'll stop! The Ducks travel well. . I'm gonna say this now, Ed Dickson could be the best TE to ever come out of Oregon if he keeps working hard. He has all the tools.

FYI a national championship is in our future!!

Two things I learned from this tailgate. One, never leave Marcellus Wiley in charge of bringing the grill, because he will be late (those tv types) and two, my son and nephew will be future Ducks. They cheered Go Ducks all night long!! My job as a father and Duck alum is done!!

Tickets to the game $400, tailgating supplies $200, watching the Ducks blowout the Bruins with family, and friends... PRICELESS!!!!!

The Maurice Jones-Drew Video will be posted soon!!

Oregon vs UCLA... Jones-Drew vs G3

2009-10-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

What's a Pac-10 game without a little fun? I had the pleasure of playing with UCLA Alum Maurice Jones-Drew for 3 seasons while I was in Jacksonville, and like me he is a proud alum. During football season you could frequently hear MJD yelling "the boys in blue, the boys in blue" after any win by UCLA. So I decided to make a little friendly wager. If the Ducks beat UCLA tomorrow Mo-jo and little Mo-jo 2.0, have to wear an Oregon Uniform and t-shirt and sing our fight song while being videotaped and if UCLA wins, me, little D, & my nephew AK, will do the same in UCLA garb!! Me, I'm not even worried.. I have the utmost confidence in my Ducks!!!

I haven't been able to see an Oregon game live since I was a player there back in 2002, and I have never seen an Oregon game from the stands. This weekend that will all change. My entire family and I are tailgating and will be in attendance this Saturday as the Mighty Ducks of Oregon take on UCLA at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. What makes this game so special is I get to take my son and nephew to their first "Duck" game!!! They both love football games and I am planting the Oregon seed early, so when they are older they will already have the Green/Yellow (and Black, Gray, White, Graphite) love. LOL, I love our uniforms! Oh, yea, they will be part of Coach Kelly's 2023 recruiting class. I know that's a long time away but it's never too early to prepare.

Now back to the game, UCLA has a tough team this year, and they are led by Head Coach Neuheisel, whom I have much respect for. While at the University of Colorado he was the first person to offer me a scholarship to play college football. I still have the letter to this day. I went against him a few times as a player when he was the Huskies Head Coach, but I believe we have the edge. Even though we are without "The Man" Thurmond III and Willie "Da DB" Glasper, and Blount Trauma, we should be fine. Our aggressive attack on both sides of the ball make us very hard to beat.

I cannot wait to hear the sweet lyrics of the Oregon Fight Song sung by MJD and MJD 2.0. I can hear it now as I daydream!!!!

Veggie Grill

2009-10-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Julie Morris, who I went to high school with is a 15 year vegan and has a cooking show on YouTube. Jules has been insistent on opening my eyes to this Vegan world. So I finally agreed to meet up with Jules, TK & Maggie P at Veggie Grill in Redondo Beach. Initially I was hesitant to go because I thought only tree-huggers and anorexic aspiring models ate there. Not so much, I was pleasantly surprised to see all types of bird-food lovers!!!

I didn't want my first Vegan experience to be too overwhelming so I eased into it with stuff that sounded familiar to me. I had chikin (w/ 2 "I's") and Veggie carne asada. Can u really call it carne asada when it's not steak? It's an oxymoron like jumbo shrimp or act natural. Truth be told, it wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good. The flavor of the food was great and I loved the sweet potato fries!!

It took me a while to get past my mental carnivore block, but once I spread some organic ketchup on my fries and dipped my "chik" in some vegan sauce I was more than satisfied. I do love vegetables and fruit just like all the herbivores at Veggie Grill, but I love meat as well! So I guess that makes me an omnivore (third grade just paid off shout out to Miss Rhodes @ Double Tree Elementary)

Some of my friends would occasionally go to Veggie spots, but I would always eat before they went and claim I was full to get out of going. Now I would gladly go to a good veggie spot and get some bird food. There could be something to this though...hmmm, Tony Gonzalez is a vegetarian now and he is the best TE of all time. I have modified my diet to eat better but I don't think I'll be going that far.

Moral of the story: keep your mind open and try new foods. You never know you might run into something you really like. What is the worst that could happen?

Feel free to follow my Girl Julie on twitter @greenjules and check out her show on JulieMorris.net

It Was all Good 2 Seconds Ago.

2009-10-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Stafon Johnson was the returning leading rusher at USC and a future NFL draft pick, who's life just got turned upside down. One minute he was lifting weights with NFL dreams in mind, two seconds later he was fighting for his life after his weight bar fell on him crushing his neck and larynx.

Gene Upshaw was successfully running the NFL Player's Associations and preparing himself for another tough battle with the NFL owners over the collective bargaining agreement. Upshaw went to the doctor on Sunday, because he wasn't feeling well, found out he had pancreatic cancer and on Wednesday he took his last breath.

Nick Schuyler was enjoying a fishing trip with his boys NFL players Corey Smith, Marquis Cooper and Will Bleakley, when the weather made a turn for the worst and he was the only one left clinching for dear life when the search and rescue team showed up.

Nick Adenhart was a 22 year old rookie pitcher for the Angels who had comeback from major elbow surgery to throw six scoreless innings with his proud father in the stands watching. He was out celebrating that night with friends when he was hit and killed by a drunk driver.

Life is CRAZY!! It's amazing how suddenly things can change. Your life can look as if it's moving in one direction and BOOM an atomic bomb hits your world and flips everything upside down. It could be a phone call, a car accident, a letter in the mail, a knock at the door, a tweet, or a blue line on a pregnancy test instead of a pink one. At some point in time it will happen to everybody, no one is immune to life's cataclysmic upheavals.

You can have the marriage and family you've always dreamed of, then the phone rings, or you get a knock at the door. Whether it be the police, another man/woman, or a good friend, your world can come crashing down faster than the Twin Towers. There is no manual or instructions for preparing for the unexpected and heart breaking. Even if there was one, it wouldn't work. No one can predict or plan how they will feel, react, or respond to news that the 'World' they once knew has been turned upside down.

I still remember being woke up in the middle of the night to phone calls and texts that my teammate and friend Richard Collier had been shot and was fighting for his life. One day he was battling for a starting position on the Jaguars O-line, the next he was dealing with the fact that he would never walk again. Big Rich is an extraordinary man who I admire and respect so much for how he has dealt with this situation and how he has continued to live his life and not take any day for granted.

You have to cherish each and every moment you have with those you love because things can change in an instant and you don't want to be left saying, "I wish I would have..." "If I would have only...". ESPN Sports Columnist Jemele Hill wrote an article remembering a good friend of hers that was killed in an auto-accident. In that article she wrote, "I've come to the conclusion that in the five year's since Danny's death IF is the cruelest word in the English language". That is so very true. The shoulda, woulda, couldas, and ifs can mentally beat you down to the point where you blame yourself.

We spend so much time trying to get ahead, finish our degree, grind, get in shape, and achieve maximum success that sometimes we forget to cherish the present. Family, friends, loved ones, health and life in general are invaluable commodities that we sometimes neglect to appreciate will striving to obtain personal goals and material things. Let's not wait for a life-threatening injury, disease, dismantling of a marriage, a loss loved one, an end of a career or something major for us to take a step back and appreciate the blessings we have.

Damn Phone... Ring!!!

2009-10-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Being a free agent after the season starts is like going out on a great first date and sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring.... And waiting... And waiting.... Trying to figure out if anything went wrong.... Calling her friends to see what she said... Does she like you? Was she happy? How come she hasn't called? So then you call her, voicemail. Damn!!! What now??? It's okay, no biggie, you're great, you guys had a great time, you made her laugh, you made her think, she'll call. So you settle down, gather your thoughts, and formulate your plan so you are ready when she calls back.

The Plan: Keep working hard. Maintain the best shape I have ever been in. Stay focused and don't listen to the nay-sayers. Get my post-football career jump started. Watch every down of football possible and visualize being out on the field again, and most importantly, Keep God first. Seven years ago when I started this NFL journey I set goals and I have not achieved all of them yet. So I am in no way done!! Injuries have slowed the process of me reaching some of my goals but I am stronger, in better shape, and a better athlete now because of them. My hunger for playing football and winning has never been greater. I can't yet look back on my football career so far, because my future is way too bright. I have plenty of good playing years left!

The NFL is kinda like a big barrel of water. When you are playing your hand is in the bucket, your status as a player determines how deep your hand goes in the barrel, but as soon as you are either injured or out of the league your hand comes out of the barrel and the hole where your hand was closes up like it was never there. It does not matter whether you are Tom Brady or Montell Owens (Jaguars). There will always be someone to replace you (Matt Cassell). I always thought I appreciated the privilege of playing in the NFL but you never know how much you miss something until you can't have it like you used to.

It's funny how everything changes when you are not playing. Friends that used to call you for tickets don't call anymore because you don't have any. People look at you funny when you don't pay for EVERYTHING anymore. I even had somebody tell me "you need just give it up and do something else, your career is over". I was like blown away, are you serious? They must not know me. Hello, my name is George F. Wrighster III, and I've made a career out of doubters. Teams have called and inquired but some have doubts about my health. Whoever takes a chance will end up with one of the best transactions of the year because I'm on my Suga Free, "I stay ready so I ain't gotta get ready".

Although this process has been long, hard and at times tested my faith, I know I'm a better man because of it. I've used this time to reflect and grow. This waiting period has had its share of unexpected blessings. I've had the opportunity to weed out the real people from the fake "hangeroners". I have been able to spend so much time with my 3 yr old son, who is my pride and joy and motivation to keep going forward. I've been able to make all his basketball and tee ball games and practices. I've learned that I really love writing my blog. I get a tremendous joy from knowing people find my blogs thought provoking and interesting. My body is finally 100% healthy, something I haven't been able to say since the beginning of my 4th year. There have been some positives to this situation, but I can't wait for that damn phone to ring!!!!

Merriman, Nowitzki, and Me!!!

2009-09-07T00:28:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to the news of Shawn Merriman being arrested and all I could do was shake my head in disappointment. Not so much at him but at us athletes in general. Sometimes we put ourselves in some really bad/volatile situations and wonder why we get in the predicaments we do. Sometimes we think we are invincible, but the reality is we are actually more vulnerable and have more at stake than the average person. How many of us have to get shot, robbed, killed, or arrested before we change our lifestyles? You would think the media exposure alone would cause us to make better decisions with our personal lives, but it doesn't.

When I was younger I used to watch a movie called DC cab, and it had a line in it that I will never forget. It said "Don't let ya dick run ya life". Too many times we fall victim to our own lack of self-discipline. The same thing (discipline) that makes us good/successful athletes is the same thing that we display the inability to use. We find ourselves chasing after the "flavor of the week", or every aspiring "model/actress" in VIP. The end result of that is gonna be #FAIL (as my twitter homies would say). I mean real talk, you don't want a baby mama. It ain't cute, it causes unnecessary drama, and if you are any type of father it sucks not to go home to your kid(s) every night. And if you already have a child, you can't bring the female you met at the club home. She can't be a good mother to your child. She was just "P" poppin' in the club.

Am I pointing fingers? Yes. At everyone and myself. I have been places I shouldn't have been, doing things I had no business doing. I have been involved with women I knew were "all bad" for me, but I was just "having fun" trying to date the hottest chicks possible. It's hard to make mature decisions when you are young, on your own for the first time, with a pocketful of money and everything in the movies and music videos at your disposal, but it's not a good excuse. When I was in college I did something stupid (1 of many things) and my parents were having a "talk" with me and my dad said "G you are tripping what are you thinking about, you are not making wise choices". My mother said You are expecting him to make decisions like a 40 year old man. Now, years later, I sit back and understand what she was saying. I was being immature and stupid. I was making decisions with my other "head" and that didn't stop in college. I know now what I was doing and wish more athletes would stop making the same dumb mistakes they see other athletes make and actually learn from their predecessors. When are we gonna stop thinking "I'm different and it won't happen to me". No you aren't and yes it will!!

We blame the media for only focusing on the negative things athletes do, but we don't take responsibility for our own actions. We are given so much (money, power, respect) and we show are gratitude for our blessings by being irresponsible and immature. To whom much is given, much is required. We think so much about the right here, right now. We have to do better PERIOD! We have to start thinking about the consequences of our actions instead of ONLY living in the moment. If more athletes dated women like their moms and grandmas, and less like the stuff we see on VH1, MTV & BET we would probably spend less money on lawyer fees and bail money. Just like the old saying goes, everything that glitters ain't gold, and everything in VIP you can't take home!!!

#94 Hout...Won't Do That Again!!!

2009-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

First off, I am rocking an Oregon Ducks t-shirt as we speak! We lost last night but I am still Very proud to be a Duck. Now lets get to the real story. University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount has been suspended for the entire season! This is another Plaxico punishment. Another person who has been made an "example" of. I have never heard of a year long suspension for a fight especially when the person you were fighting was also in the wrong. LeGarrette Blount should not have punched Byron Hout, but he got what he deserved. Hout showed NO class in the way he hit Blount's shoulder pad and jumped in his face mocking him after the loss. Those are the type of things that happen when you do things like that. The NCAA is emphasizing sportsmanship this season and Hout's behavior was obviously not sportsman-like and inappropriate. BSU coach Chris Peterson even grabbed Hout because he saw what he did and how classless and unnecessary his actions were. There needs to be a 1 game suspension for Hout! If my son had done what Hout did and got punched, I would shake my head as I'm telling him, "Bet you won't do that again!". After the punch heard round the world Blount was walking away peacefully when people in the crowd obviously said some "magic" words that would even make a calm man enraged. People may disagree with me but I have played in certain parts of the country where those type of things happen regularly!

Blount needs to use better judgement and control himself even when provoked by classless individuals. A 3-4 game suspension for Blount would have been fitting. Media outlets, YouTube, and TV analyst talking about it was "egregious". I'm watching TV and reading twitter and the Internet and all these analyst and writers are throwing around these million dollar words and phrases making this the worst thing that ever happened. They are saying, LeGarrette Blount's actions are despicable, horrid, classless, and that they are appalled and outraged that this could happen. Seriously, all that?

Now here is the "gotcha, gotcha" because there is always a "gotcha, gotcha"...

Many people want to talk about Boise State competing for a BCS spot and a National Championship, but I will be the 1st to say they don't have what it takes. Let me just say, I like Boise State because their coach Chris Peterson was the WR coach when I was at Oregon, and I played with their Defensive Coordinator Justin Wilcox, but Hout got punched right in front of all his teammates and no one did anything to Blount. They stood by and watched. This would never be allowed to happen to any team worth winning a championship! If that would have happened to an Oregon, Florida, Alabama, Texas, or USC player it would have been a riot. Teams have to stick together through thick and thin, right or wrong, and have a "ride or die" mentality to win championships! They should have had to dig Blount out of a pile of blue and orange jerseys, but like I stated, I don't promote violence, just protecting my teammates!!

Honk If You Love the Ducks!!!

2009-09-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

I had a cool time in high school, but for the most part, I felt like a fish out of water, but then came the University of Oregon. I didn't know what to expect when I got to Eugene. All I knew about the U of O was Nike, Prefontaine "Track Town USA", and Duck football. I learned quickly what the 541 was all about. I loved my time in Eugene. My favorite breakfast spot GJ's, our favorite bar Taylors , the U.I. dorm , the CASS and most importanly, Autzen stadium, the crowd, and the student section. AMAZING!!! I'll never forget Apartment #90 which consisted of #1 aka SP aka Samie Parker, #2 aka O-S*#@*y aka Onterrio Smith and myself aka Rice-Daddy. Man, if those walls could talk, lol, but I'm glad they can't. Oregon was totally different than any other place I had ever been into my whole life, but yet it was home. Some of my fondest memories are from my time in Eugene. College was truly some of the best years of my life to date. A lot of things in my life may change, but one thing that will remain the same is I will always and forever be an Oregon Duck!

I'll never forget every home game the PA announcer would say "It never rains in Autzen Stadium". Which to me, being from Sunny So Cal, was very ironic, because I felt like it was always raining in the northwest. I still get chills thinking about scoring a touchdown and that loud fog horn going off and the band playing the fight song "Oregon our Alma Mater, we will guard thee on and on...."! I loved playing for Oregon, and now that I am in the pros, I love being a fan of Oregon. I always had my duck gear in my locker at the stadium. At least once a week in the offseason I workout in a Duck t-shirt, shorts, and my Nike Shox Duck editions (Oh Baby)! I even made a bet with my teammate Mo Williams 2 years ago that MY Ducks would crush his minuscule Wolverines, and of course they did. Mo had to wear my College jersey all week, haha GO DUCKS!! I hang on to every play of Duck football. All my teammates in Jacksonville knew when we went to away games I was only going to eat dinner at a place that had my Duck's game on! God Bless satellite tv!!

Two years ago we had the National Championship and the Heisman Trophy in our grasp and it all went down the drain when Dennis Dixon fell to the ground clutching his knee. We were on cloud nine, riding high on the backs of Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, and just that quick we had to settle for a SCHLacking of South Florida in the Sun Bowl 56-21. I was devastated. It felt like I was on that team and "we lost". I now know what "REAL" fans go through and how they feel. I have a much deeper respect for the fans of our game.

On Thursday we begin our quest for another PAC-10 title and a chance at a National Championship. Although I can't be there in person I will have my flatscreen on and my popcorn ready. It won't be an easy game, (we are playing against former Oregon coaches). We are taking on the Broncos of Bosie State, on their "Smurf Turf". The Broncos have a good team and are always tough at home, but I know the Ducks will take care of business. This year will be a good year for us up in Eugene and I will be here with my duck gear on cheering the whole way. I just can't wait until my son is old enough to really appreciate the game, so I can take him to a game at Autzen stadium, "the loudest place on earth" (for the enemy).

I was so juiced when I saw the Ducks on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I was thinking, finally, we are getting some respect. I know some of ya'll out there are skeptical of calling us a Football Powerhouse, but keep watching and trust me, you'll see. It's ok, I won't say I told you so. Actually, YES I WILL!!! GO DUCKS!!!

The Steve McNair Talk

2009-09-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

I only met Steve McNair a couple times, but his death affected me like we were old college roommates. Not only because of football, but because I, like so many other men empathized with him. I was not married like Steve, but it easily could have been me dead instead of him due to mistakes in my past. For a week straight everyone I knew was having or had already had the "McNair" talk with their friends, wife, girlfriend and family. Regardless of which side of the fence you were on, you had the talk. Eyebrows were raised and plenty of men got looks out of the corners of their lady's eyes. McNair's death made a lot of people take a step back and evaluate their lives, lifestyle, people they choose to hang around with and the places they decided to go. We don't always think about the magnitude of the choices we make and how severe the consequences can be. I believe in my heart of hearts if Steve could do it all over again he would be at home with his wife and children every night. No man wants to leave fatherless children and a wife to mourn your tragic death that your actions caused.

I stayed up late last night to watch my tivo'd episode of Dateline on Steve McNair: The Mysterious Death of a Titan. Eddie George, a former longtime teammate of McNair, gave an interview about the situation. If you didn't know anything about Eddie George before last night, outside of his football accolades, you had to have come away with a healthy respect for him. He was well-spoken, articulate, and most of all made a lot of sense!!! Whenever people find out that someone in the limelight (athletes, musicians, actors) has vices it always overshadows so much of their life and full body of work. They are looked at as a bad and even immoral person. McNair's Pastor said it best 'the money, fame, and attention gave him more access to his vices'. It was not just because he was a football player that he loved women but it was because he was a man. It is a lot harder to stay away from things when you have unlimited access to them. Many people have no clue what their vices are because they don't have the resources to make their fantasies reality. Money does not change you. It simply magnifies the traits that are inside you and tendencies you already have.

The same way that his money and celebrity afforded him the opportunity to fulfill his fleshly desires, it also gave him the opportunity to use his money, fame, and connections to be a positive influence in and on his community. Steve McNair has spent countless hours in the community giving back with not only his money, but with his time. He loved giving back to kids and seeing his community grow. He rallied the community of Nashville to step up and help the people affected by Hurricane Katrina and did so many other good things, because that is what was in him. That is what was in his heart. This just goes to show us that even our heroes and people who are great leaders are not perfect. Everyone I know that played with Steve said he was a great leader. He was courageous, a warrior, and a Titan (in every sense of the word). We all have things that we struggle with but we have to exercise will power and lean on God if we are to free ourselves from our natural desires.

The choices we make shape our path in life, either positively or negatively. The things we choose to do, people we associate with, and places we choose to go have a direct impact on our life and the things that happen to us. If you are not out at 3 and 4 in the morning your chance of certain things happening to you is dramatically lower. If you always wear a condom you probably won't get someone pregnant. If you hangout with criminals, regardless if you are not one yourself, chances are you will get caught up in some mess you have no business in. If you are at home with your wife and kids instead of out cheating with another women, you won't get killed with her.

To wrap this thing up. Many people have many different problems and things they struggle with but don't confuse a mans struggle with his heart. McNair should be remembered as a great football player, a leader, and a humanitarian who just like anyone else struggled to be a better person. He wasn't immune to the temptations of this world because of his heroic feats on the gridiron. Athletes may be extraordinary physical phenoms, but we struggle with the same demons and worldly trappings as everyone else. I'm praying for the McNair family, that through this tragedy they will become a stronger family and an integral part of the Nashville community.

Costco: A Man's Grocery Store

2009-08-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of going to the grocery store, I actually hate it. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but my mom always went to the store and I liked it that way. I just want to provide the money and let my wife go to the store and buy the bacon, oh, and cook it, but in a really really nice kitchen, with some extremely nice shoes on!!! I mean, I don't know what to get. Am I suppose to know the difference between baking soda and baking powder?? I'm not G. Garvin. I'm that guy that stares at the food and hopes the right food just jumps into my basket. When I'm home in Cali I don't have much say so at my mom's house. I spend a lot of time with my folks and if my mom needs me to go to the store, I can't say no. But, there is only one grocery store I choose. The only Man's grocery store in the USA.....COSTCO!!!!

You can find everything you need here, from snow tires to the best cuts of Prime Rib. I love it!! Every time I go I usually need 3-5 things, but It never fails, I end up with a basketful of stuff (usually products from all the tasting stations), that I don't need, but really, really want. Those sample stations are like my bad habit, I can't say no. I bought a 10lb can of Nacho Cheese one time, just because the tasting lady made it seem so good. I believe that can is still unopened.

There are so many wonderful things about the world of Costco, for example, I can catch up on football and sportscenter while I'm shopping. Hey, news is happening every minute. I have to be abreast of what is going on in the world.

And when I get too tired from all of my shopping, sampling and TV watching, I can always take a little nap.... ZzzzZzzzz!!!

We are a water & Gatorade family, so I always have to stock up on those items when I go. You can always find my fridge full of Water and G2. I have 2 stay hydrated and Costco is the only place that understands my need for hydration. They don't limit me to 6 bottles like the grocery store.

I mean, what is there not to love about this store. And when all the shopping is done and I'm about to leave, there is always a stop at the Costco restaurant. Mmmm, Kosher hot dogs, pizza, churros, and berry shakes!!! U can feed a whole entire family for $7.50!!!!

Well thanks for coming with me on my trip 2 the world's greatest and only Man's grocery store, now I have 2 unload all this stuff.... Hmm maybe I can get a Costco guy to come to my house and help me???

Taking Back Wins? Child Please!!!

2009-08-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by saying I'm Cali raised (it's CA all day), but I was born in Memphis, TN. I had no choice but to be a Memphis State (now known as University of Memphis) fan. My entire family is from Memphis. My grandmother, aunt, and uncle all went to Memphis State. I watched Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway play HS basketball. My All-Time favorite basketball players are: 1) Michael Jordan 2) Penny Hardaway 3) Kobe Bryant. I had the chance to meet Penny at the NBA All-star game in Houston and he gave me a pair of my favorite Penny Hardaway shoes. I grew up wanting to play basketball for the Tigers. To say I'm a fan is like saying Tiger is good at golf. I even drove down to AZ this year with my family to watch Memphis take on Missouri in the Sweet 16.

If this ain't throwing salt in the wound I don't know what is. 07-08 was supposed to be our year! The sting of losing the National Championship because of free throws is still there! Now we go from 38-2 to 0-40 in an instant, or at least however long it took for University of Memphis to receive a fax saying they were being stripped of all wins from the 07-08 season. I'm really confused about the concept of taking back wins and retroactively declaring Derrick Rose ineligible. The NCAA has a lot of rules and a book thicker than War and Peace, full of tedious regulations and procedures, but those are the rules that govern collegiate sports and rules must be followed. When teams break rules there are consequences.

I understand that the record books will be changed, but you can't "undo" the fact that we won 38 games and played in the Nat'l championship. Since we now won 0 games who played in the NCAA tournament in our place, and who played in the championship game? Derrick Rose was declared ineligible, so did he not play college basketball? It makes no sense. Taking wins back is kinda like a lawyer saying something in a courtroom and the judge saying "the jury will strike that from the record". Too late, they heard it already! Good thing we didn't win the Nat'l championship game because this would be even more convoluted. The NCAA gets a big "Child Please" from me!

There was obviously some wrong-doing by the University, SAT, and countless others but taking back wins. Impossible! For Tiger fans the immediate future looks bleak. Kentucky stole our players and our coach, NCAA took away all our 07-08 wins, we have to pay the NCAA tournament money back, Derrick Rose never went to Memphis (so essentially he was drafted straight out of high school), CDR has no comment, and first 48 keeps making Memphis look really really bad. We have nothing left, you can take all these things but YOU LEAVE ME MY WINS!!!

Plaxico Burress aka Cheddar Bob gets 2 years

2009-08-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

I get that if you commit a crime, however stupid, you have to be punished, but this punishment just doesn't match the crime. There are pedophiles, drug dealers, and drunk drivers that get less time than Cheddar Bob (if u haven't seen 8 mile, please do so). Plax didn't have any intentions of committing a crime and probably didn't even realize he was committing a felony just by carrying, whether the gun was ever fired or not. I know ignorance is no excuse, but don'

t you think the humiliation he suffered was enough! I mean, he shot himself in the leg and is now going to jail because of it. There has to be another punishment we can give stupidity w/o intent. The justice system is too busy trying to make an example out of people and it's ridiculous. We have more black men in prison then we have in college, and now Plax becomes just another statistic.

Logic does say, if he was dumb enough to shoot himself he was dumb enough to shoot someone else or get himself killed, and I agree, but thankfully he didn't shoot anyone else. Plaxico is now going to have 2 years, 730 days, 17,520 hours, to sit and think about the fact he is in a cell because he wasn't smart enough to not only know the laws of weapons carrying in NY, but also for not being capable of working a saf

ety. I guess that plea deal he was offered in the beginning is not looking so bad.

My final thoughts are this, yes as athletes, sometimes we wanna go out and have a good time. Alot of us like to be the life of the party, pop bottles in VIP and party the night away, but going to a place where I feel I have to carry a gun to be safe, is not fun for me, and probably a place I don't need to be. If it's my life vs some hot chicks and bottle poppin', I'm gonna take my life everytime!! I'm with my man Esteban Ocho Cinco, from now on, the only partying I'm doing is at Club G3, aka, my house!!!

Pull down the runner's shorts: Gender Test

2009-08-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

Just read a crazy article on espn.com http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=4409318. Apparently, there is an 800 meter runner in South Africa, by the name of Caster Semenya, who is having a gender dispute. A test is being done that consist of reports from endocrinologist, psychologist, and all types of doctors and specialists, because of Caster's recent times in the 800. The World Track and Field federation has doubts that Caster does not fit the requirements to compete as a woman. Call me old-fashion, but shouldn't a gender test be as simple as pulling down Caster's pants??? Maybe I'm confused, it should be either a pole or a hole right? Not so fast; this is 2009 when men live as women and women live as men. No matter what you cut off or attach, you are born either a man or a woman and cannot change it. Men are bigger, faster, and stronger than women so competition is not fair. As if Track and Field doesn't have enough problems with 'Roids, now gender switching is a concern?? Please I need you guys to help me out. I'm not well-versed on this issue and I'm clearly confused.

Leave Vick Alone!!!

2009-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

I really wish that everyone that has something bad or negative to say about Mike Vick would just shut up. This man served every last bit of his sentence, he had everything taken from him and ya'll are still out for blood. You have got to be kidding me. Everyone deserves a second chance, EVERYONE!! He hasn't done anything wrong since he has been out of jail and it's like you guys still want to burn him at the stake and stone him.

I don't just hope Mike Vick keeps making rosters. I hope he has a Hall of Fame of career. I am now a Mike Vick fan and one of his biggest supporters, not because of his prowess on the field, but what he has overcome off the field. No one is perfect, we have all made mistakes and hurt people and needed forgiveness. Maybe you didn't run a dog fighting operation and were responsible for the slaughter of animals, but maybe you cheated on your taxes, or cheated on your wife with your hot assistant, or maybe you were a kid with no real parental guidance and got into trouble and all you needed was a mentor and a second chance.

Everyone, especially journalist are quick to pile on and act like judge and jury when things happen to people in the limelight. No one judges them for their sins or wrong-doings because no one cares about what they do. The same people crucifying Vick are the same people cheating on their wives, cheating on their taxes, getting in an accident with a parked car and not leaving a note, popping "prescription" pills just to get through the day, and stepping on anybody they need to, while climbing the corporate ladder. But they get on their soapbox, behind their veil of "I'm a normal person so no one knows my dirt", and just kick a man who is down and has already fallen about as far a you can and is doing his best to rise above it all.

Reality TV Junkie

2009-08-17T18:47:00.001-07:00

I have 2 admit it. I love reality TV! It is my guilty pleasure, (along with strawberry Haagen-Dazs ice cream and Sour Patch kids). I watch it all, from American Idol to Survivor. Thanks to my BFF DVR, I can catch every episode. When you play such an intense game as Pro football, sometimes its just good to have light-hearted mindless entertainment. I mean, who doesn't think it's funny when Chef Ramsay cusses one of those inept cooks out, or when P.Diddy made the band walk all the way to Brooklyn to get him some cheesecake, LOL. Dylon, Dylon, Dylon, Dylon, oh yeah, and Dylon, haha, classic line from reality television. Here is a list of all the reality TV shows I watch. Please feel free to join me in watching these shows that are meant only for us "sophisticated" individuals, so we can tweet and make jokes about them together.

Hell's Kitchen
Survivor
Making the Band
Solitary
The T.O. Show
America's Best Dance Crew
American Idol
Apprentice & Celebrity Apprentice
Superstars
Amazing Race
Real Housewives
For the Love of Ray J
I Love NY
Flavor of Love

Let's all stop being so serious all the time. Life is too short, enjoy it!!!

Free Agency

2009-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!! Did you miss me?? Man, free agency has been crazy. I'm not used to this. 6 years in the league and this is my first offseason experiencing the wait and see game. I just got 2 WI yesterday. I'm here at UW- River Falls for the Chiefs training camp. When I tell you they had me checked out, they had ya' boy checked out. I got 18 x-rays!!! Do u realize how many that is? I mean they wanted to know if anything was messed up and if so where, when and for how long. But I'm finally 100% healthy and thanks to my trainer Travelle Gaines at Elite Athletics, I'm also in the best shape of my life. Due to my injuries I really haven't done a full training camp in almost 3 years. I just thank God for continuing to heal me and allow me to keep playing the game I love.

So I get here and I'm happy, because I get to workout today and just excited to be doing football again. I'm thinking cool, show me to my room, I'll get a quick 20 minute power nap on my nice bed (i've only stayed at a hotel during training camp). I had no idea about this dorm life experience. I get to my room and I swear my bed is as small as my little nephews bed. What am I supposed to do with this, sleep on it?? How we ever slept on these little beds in college is beyond me.

One thing this free agency experience has taught me is to not take life's blessings for granted. I guess some part of me had taken this NFL life for granted. I just expected it to always be there at least as long as I wanted it to be. I wouldn't say this experience "humbled" me, but it did allow me the opportunity to rededicate myself to being the best.

The Giants Go Green...Size Matters

2009-06-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

So many actors have gone to hybrids and are spokespeople for conservation and clean efficient living, but us athletes have been slow to get on board. I'm here to inform you that we at the New York Giants are "Going Green", or at least one of us has. Danny Clark is a 10 year veteran and he loves his smart car!!! It looks small (ok it is small), but you have just as much room inside as you would have in any two seat sports car. I commend Danny for getting out of the trap of "Bigger is Better" but it's funny. He is a big guy in a little car! He has rims, custom lights, it's convertible and has a Brabus kit on it ("they 10's, but he keeps 'em clean though"...LOL). All for a recession special... under 20k.

Players tell him they are gonna "pick his car up and put it in the back of their pickup trucks". Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Chris Canty all think they can not only pick up his smart car but if it were a running back coming through the hole they could tackle it. I know it's not possible because it's a car, but there's a small piece of me that feels the same way.

I wanna be cool like Danny. I'm really thinking about getting one of these things.

Be a Blessing Tuesday

2009-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

“Give and it shall be given unto you…”- Luke 6:38

Get ready for the inaugural “Be a Blessing Tuesday”! We know that there are millions of people that make this world a better place through their day-to-day actions. So starting next week, we will use each and every Tuesday to celebrate and bless people that use their time and energy to be a continual blessing to those around them. From parents, to co-workers, to kids; if you know someone that deserves to be blessed for their special efforts, we want to know about it!

Send an email of 200 words or less describing what makes your candidate so special, the ways in which they bless others, and how we should be a blessing to them.

Each Tuesday, we will select a different person that we can highlight and be a blessing to in a unique way. We look forward to hearing your wonderfully inspiring stories and thanks ahead of time for making “Be a Blessing Tuesdays” a success!

Email your candidates’ story to BlessingTuesday@yahoo.com. Entries must be received each Monday before 6p est.

Updates will made on twitter @curiousg87

“The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” – Proverbs 11:25 (The Message)