Patrick Crayton round 2

Crayton needs to show up play and save his money.

His latest comment that the Cowboys are messing with his life and he is just an insurance policy.

Well, yes, Jones pays him big money to do want he wants.

If he is a 4th wr on the Cowboys, I am happy with that, it fits his talent.

I see some of the Dallas beat writers taking his side, they say he is not a bad guy, just brutally honest. Please. Honesty? He just doesn't seem objective when crying or talking with the media.

\Just another under-educated athlete in a myopic society.

I cannot forgive him for his choke job and quitting the route at the end of the Giants playoff game.

j

Saints and Vikes-A rivalry in the making?

I am a little shocked the NFL has not jumped in and stopped the banter flying over the internet.

Darren Sharper and his infinite wisdom goes public saying Favre's injury will be a target in the future. X marks the spot.

Then a response: "That's all good," Shiancoe said. "But Sharper had surgery, too. And it was a knee. If 'X' marks the spot on Brett, I wonder what marks the spot on Sharper?"

Now they are taking shots at each other on twitter.

By the way, who is Visanthe Shiancoe? I thought people born in England were supposed to be above the ways of the impetuous of Darren Sharper.

A teammates response.

Right guard Anthony Herrera said "every team" targets injuries and said: "we'll handle that when the time comes." And in a preview of what promises to be a contentious run-up to the game, Herrera added:

"I'm happy that he feels that way. They did their thing in that game. They won. They're NFL champions. But when a team plays you and has [five] turnovers and still is in it in the last series of the game, I wouldn't open my mouth too much."

j

Roy William's World

How can Roy Williams continue to go to the media and tell people he is the No 1. Wr after his last 3 years. Jerry Jones has continued to protect him, but the rest of the team must roll their eyes with his every quote.

Some quotes from his interview:

I’ve always been the No. 1 guy wherever I go and I’m still going to continue to be that.

If you don’t feel like you’re the number one guy, you need to retire.

I’m not dropping any balls, I’m catching everything thrown my way and that’s how I know things are going to be on the up-and-up. This off season with Romo and the guys has been ten times different then what it’s been since I’ve been here, so look forward to big things.

j

500th Post LSU Talk.

Tony sent me this article, he knows what I think about the hyperbole coming from the LSU coaches and Miles.

Article Summary:
Patrick Peterson was hand-timed at 4.2 in the 40-yard dash, while fellow 3 other cornerbacks were timed under 4.25. Brooks, 4.23, Calhoun 4.24, Claiborne 4.25.
These were reportedly hand timed and are as you can imagine ridiculous.
Does anyone really believe these times? I will be curious to see if any of them break 4.38 in the draft combine.

Peterson squatted 525lbs, as crazy as the pounds sound I can believe the weight and hear his draft stock going to top 5.

Everyone knows I have been screaming about LSU being out of shape and weak compared to the other SEC teams so this quote from Miles put me farther away from trusting him.

"Our players come to work and give outstanding effort in the weight room each day"

Maybe he believes this stuff and just does not have the capacity to believe what everyone can see on the video tape.
j

Lakers - Suns

It is really turning into an interesting series.

-
The Suns motion offense is truly good for the NBA.
I don't think they will win, but the NBA needs a new style of play to regain
the beauty of the game.

Maybe the Suns winning the title would finally overcome the bastardized game we have to watch in the NBA.
The changes really started with the Lakers of the 80's needing to hand check on defense to beat the Celtics. The Piston's took it to a new level of and caused referrees to quit calling all of the fouls. Now 20years of one on one clear outs on offense and hand holding on defense with the Bulls and Kobe leading the way.

Maybe the Suns can get the purity back.

J

Corey Pavin: Why is he Ryder Cup Captain?

His quote this week. Tiger has to earn a spot on the team.

I can't stand Tigger, but this is bordering on the insane stance.

"I'm not going to treat Tiger any different than any other player," Pavin told Reuters after the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship. "He's certainly not going to be an automatic pick.

"He's just going to be treated like everyone else. I'd love to have him on the team but I want him to be playing well."

J

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/rydercup10/news/story?id=5216153

NFL all time winning percentage

1. Cowboys are 434-314-6 for a .580 winning percentage.

2. Miami is 387-281-4 for a .579 percentage.

3. Bears are third at 693-507-42 for a .577 winning percentage.

Saints are 42.5%

j

Rangers Good & Bad Times

On the day I sit down and read a flattering story about the Rangers in SI, I later hear that they have decided to file bankruptcy to resolve the ownership issue. Are we just destined to be a joke nationally? First a great story about Ryan and how he is changing the attitude and perception of the franchise by expecting and demanding performance and professionalism. They are quoted as having the 2nd ranked farm system in baseball behind Tampa. Who would have ever thought Hicks would be that rarest of owners who cannot even remain solvent? Regardless, once it's resolved they actually seem to have a bright future. Could we look like Tampa in a couple of years? That would be fun.

S

Peter King's NFL Rankings.

1. Green Bay 2. San Diego 3. Baltimore 4. Indy

5. New Orleans 6. Miami 7. Jets 8. Carolina

9. Giants 10. Cowboys 11. Seattle 12. Pittsburg

13. Vikes 14. Pats 15. Eagles 16. Falcons

Wow. You have to give him credit for going outside the norm with some of these picks.

I was a bit surprised with 3 picks. 1st - Vikes 13th, they had the best team last year and were outcoached. 2nd Carolina in top half, I have them 3rd in their conference. 3rd. Miami 6th, I think his love of Big Bill is out of control.

j

Romo in 2nd round of Qualifier.

Romo parred 3 holes in a playoff to tie 3 others for the last spot in the sectional qualifier in Houston on June 7. (7 people qualified)

He birdied 3 of the last 4 holes to shot a 2 under 69 to get in th playoff.

J

Jordan Spieth

S, I know you told me about this kid two years ago.

A 16 year old making the cut in his hometown tournament is crazy.

I also read where he and Romo are friends.

Maybe he will continue to develop.

j

What are the Odd's

A inside the park home run and a triple play in the same game.

Interesting nite in Washington.

Also, if MLB implemented the Replay for Homerun balls only.

How can Josh Hamilton's Home Run be ignored because the umpire decided

not to check the replay.

j

Jerry's millionaire buddy made him look bad.

Horse trainer extraordinaire D. Wayne Lukas and Jerry Jones are evidently drinking buddies.

Cowboys Blog-Gerry Fraley is quoting Lucas as saying that Jerry is complaining about the NFL is controlling him from making even more money while trying to protect the poor teams.

His quote:

I talked to Jerry Jones, and he said if the league turned him loose, he'd make so much more money because he could do all kind of innovative things,'' Lukas told the Baltimore Sun. ``But when he gets in the room with other owners, he has to look out for Cleveland. In horse racing, everybody looks out for their own selfish interests. We've got to get under one umbrella.''

Interesting Subject and Jerry will probably get fined even though he still supports revenue.

Not allowing Jerry and Snyder to make more money is almost un-American.

We would be able to get rid of the teams that are a drain on tax payers in states that need money. (New Orleans and Cleveland to name just two disgusting situations.)

Even though I am a Cowboys fan and realize Jerry is right on this subject. I do not want the change

I rue the day that the NFL turns into MLB with the haves and have nots.

j

Cowboys Red Zone Offense

The Cowboys were 2nd in total offense last year but finished 18th in points within the red zone.

They averaged 4.48 pts per entry inside the 20 yard line.

Romo threw more interceptions in the red zone than every qb except for Cutler and Hasselbeck.

I have been screaming for 3 years about the O coordinator being unable to outsmart the defensive coordinators. Maybe it is true.

The Parcell's and Garrett mind set that execution takes care of the issues is asinine.

If the Defense knows where the ball is supposed to be they will create havoc.

Blame Game:

Romo has proven that his talent and statistical qualifications are on an elite level.

When we consider the entire "Dallas Offensive Talent" the reasoning has to fall some other place.

Logic points to two options.

1.The Scheme is predictable

2. The players are tipping off the defense.

Either way it falls on the offensive coaching staff.

j

Lakers & Celts

With an 11th Lakers/Celtics final looming, I heard this, but didn't verify it: during the past 50 years the Celtics have played in 17 finals, winning 15, and the Lakers have played in 24, winning 10. So, out of a possible 100 teams contesting the past 50 finals, these 2 have been represented 41 times, and out of 50 winners, they have combined for 25 of them.

After stumbling to a 27-27 finish in the regular season, the Celts have proven that a veteran team can indeed "flip the switch". The only question is whether they will "hit the wall" being as old as they are. I once again give Rivers a ton of credit. These teams are loaded and I actually find myself looking forward to actually watching every game in what could be a true classic. There will be great match-ups everywhere on the floor with both teams fielding 4 starters who have been all-stars.

S

Preakness Response

We were spoiled to grow up in the 70's which spawned Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed. I so want to get into horse racing again, but why can't they produce another great horse? I got that old feeling last year watching Rachel Alexandria win the Preakness, and I still have the heart gash from watching Smarty Jones' jockey run him out and blow the Belmont. After watching Secretariat clips for the upcoming movie, I pulled up all the Affirmed/Alydar races and man was it great. Watch that stretch run in the Belmont, and tell me who wouldn't love it?

S

Kobe/Lebron

After watching the playoffs to this point I'm finding it striking to see the difference in Kobe and Lebron. The bottom line is that Lebron is still living off of pure ability, which is awesome to see, but Kobe is simply a better basketball player. I completely agree with your earlier description of Kobe as Jordan without the quickness, but he truly has a complete game; he is driven and competitive in a way I just don't see yet in Lebron, and Kobe's offensive game is varied and polished, compared to Lebron who has no go-to moves and no mid-range game at all. It's funny to say so, with Lebron's status being what it is, but he really needs to recognize that he needs to work on his game, but I don't think anyone would be willing to tell him that, and I don't know if he's detached enough to figure it out himself.

S

Phil Jackson

I go back and forth in my head about Phil Jackson. While it's true that he's had massive talent to work with, I think it's a cop out to dismiss him. In fact, I'm kind of at a point where I give him a ton of credit for molding huge ego's into functional units that maximize what they've got. Despite the oversize personalities he deals with, he seems to actually be in charge, and I don't think that fact can be underestimated. If I had assembled a roster full of talent, who else would you rather put in charge of it? And, I also think he because of his psychological bent, his actual coaching gets underplayed. All in all, I think he is just really, really good at what he does.

S

Dwight Howard

If people complained about Shaq's lack of an offensive move, they must be puking on the television watching his lack of practice on offense show up with his lack of touch.

His coach was correct last year when he said that he needed to work on his game.

j

87 year old Died with his boots on.

Lets honor the 87 years old man, that did not want to quit on life and signed up for the "Texas Driving Experience. " It allows people to ride in stock cars on Texas Motor Speedway.

Not many 70 years olds are willing to feel the G force of a race care.

This Man knew how to live life.

And like a good Texan he "Died with his boots on."

j

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/news/story?id=5198364

Dez Bryant

I rarely pay much attention to OTA's in regard to draft picks, but I will mention that Dez Bryant must be a little bit better athlete at WR than the Cowboys have had in a long while.

The other WR's and CB's have all made comments about his skills.

Of course he could get huge accolades in Dallas for just having great hands.

Remember everyday at noon, we should all praise Miles Austin for keeping Roy Williams from matching his catches with 38 dropped passes last year.

j

Josh Hamilton Box Score Sat.

0-4, 4 k.

At least his average is above 270.

There is a delay in his decision making.

j

Preakness

Here goes nothing. I cannot see a Triple Crown after reading about a lack of a dominate horse this year.

Here are my 3 picks to play:

Super Saver

Lookin at Lady

Pleasant Prince.

J

My 5 Best NBA Players in the last 40 years.

This is a hard list to complete. Naming 10 is much easier, picking my top 5 was difficult.

I set up some standards. MVP, Winners, and the most important aspect to me:

They changed the face of the way the NBA was played.

The first two are easy for me. The other 3 were interesting.

1. Jabbar 6 MVP's - 6 Titles-He walked in winning and left winning, only Bill Russell can say that comment. Magic is on my top 5 because of Jabbar.

2. Jordan 5 MVP's - 6 Titles-The quickness and explosion has not been seen since he got old.

3. Bird 3 MVP's- 3 Titles- One Best 3 Players in NBA as a Rookie and only Jordan surpassed him until his body failed.

4. Magic 3 MVP's- 5 titles Most dominant point guard I have ever seen at controlling the game.

5. Hakeem 1 MVP- 2 titles Forget the MVP, it is a popularity contest some years. He dominated all of the other centers, Ewing, Robinson, Young Duncan and even Shaq on some nights. Hakeem average more blocks at 3 per game than all of them.

He also averaged more steals a game than Kobe Bryant.

A few comments:'

Shaq has been dominate in every category and would be over "The Dream" but Hakeem played both ends of the court and Shaq did not. During his career has dominated the playoffs and is Finals MVP 3times.

James is changing the NBA with his overall talents and will make my 50 year starting team.

Kobe is a less talented Jordan without the quickness.

Duncan's just did not match up to The Dream in an overall game. (Numbers below, not to mention a talent down decade in the NBA. Besides Shaq was better individually and statistically.)

Moses Malone he was the best player for quite a few years.

j

22 Yr old playing for Odessa Permian

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/man-suspected-posing-high-school-athlete-odessa-texas/story?id=10636829

A 22 year old was found to be posing as a 16 year old Basketball player in Odessa, TX.

To make matters worse, his legal guardian was the head coach and they went to the TX State playoffs last year. He reportedly had a fake SSN, and Birth Certificate

He was caught while playing in an AAU game when a group of Florida Coaches recognized the Haitian born orphan as one of their ex-players.

Police are pressing charges.

j

CJ Wilson

I never expected him to have two games in a row like the start of this season.

He goes 7 innings today with 1 ER today against the A's. He is a prime example of a player who could not handle the late game saver role.

010 STATS
ERA	W-L	SO	WHIP
1.48	3-1	34	1.09

j

A Fishing Knot.

A bit outside our normal topic, but here is the best knot I have found for these new Flurocarbon fishing lines.

Berkley Braid Knot. http://www.fish-n-tips.com/Tricks&Tips/Knots/berkley.htm

Loop around end of line and standing part of the braided line 8 times. Thread double loop back between the eye and coils. Then pull the loop, tag and main line evenly.

j

Florida High Schools

Here is part of a Fraley article discussing the FL players.

Offensive tackle Sam Young, the Dallas Cowboys' sixth-round pick, is one of three players selected in the recent NFL draft out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Aquinas has a rich football history that includes Michael Irvin, the Cowboys' Hall of Fame receiver. A former Aquinas quarterback chose baseball: former Rangers catcher Mike Stanley.

Five other high schools had two players drafted. That included two schools from Florida: Pompano Beach Ely and Pensacola Pine Forest. No Texas high school had more than one player drafted.

The state of Florida high-powered high-school system had the most players drafted overall with 34. Texas finished second with 26 high-schoolers selected, one more than California.

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/05/cowboys-draft-pick-young-part.html

j

Roy UNO UNO is jabbering again.

Lets start with his quote: "Ain't no such thing as me sitting on the Bench"

He also promised not to drop passes in 2010. 8 reported, but I think it is closer to 16 with all of the balls that bounced off of his hands with him being out of position.

He is bragging about working out. Geez, what took so long.

I wonder if this will include him learning where he is supposed to be on a route and not getting jammed by 5'10 cb's at the line.

Will he be able to earn his teammates respect and have Romo throw the ball his way.

He finished tied for 105th in the NFL in receptions on a team that was second overall in yardage per game.

According to STATS Inc., Roy Williams caught fewer than 45 percent of passes thrown to him last season, ranking among the NFL's worst.
Player	Team	Rec.	Tar.	Pct.
Louis Murphy	Oakland	34	96	35.4
Mohamed Massaquoi	Cleveland	34	95	35.8
Bryant Johnson	Detroit	35	87	40.2
Roy Williams	Cowboys	38	86	44.2
Mark Clayton	Baltimore	34	74	45.9

Saints agreeing to arbitration?

This is looking worse for the Saints as more information is released.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5186026

The Saints' decision to seek arbitration also at least temporarily blocks the public release of video and audio recordings that Santini said he made to protect himself and others who were participating in the alleged cover-up for fear of losing their jobs.

Hyatt has said the video shows the theft of Vicodin pills by a senior staff member who was later identified as linebackers coach Joe Vitt. The audio recordings Santini made allegedly caught team trainers Scottie Patton and Kevin Mangum discussing orders from general manager Mickey Loomis to forge entries in official prescription drug logs to cover-up the thefts.

j

Tiger and his sore neck.

In the past, I have been a little less than forgiving on Woods.

His required special treatment on tour has always been a source on contention for the media.

Now that I know he quit in that tournament Sunday because of an inflamed muscles, I feel better about my opinion of his character or should I say lack of character.

The MRI is back and he has a muscle strain. Please.

j

Haney steps down as Tigger's Coach.

It is kind of funny, but these two disgust me, I wanted them to stay together.

First Haney, I am not of a fan of his philosophy nor personality.

My previous comments have made it clear that I believe coaches change their technique to match the talent. He refuses and lives by MY WAY or THE HIGHWAY. My post on what happened at his training facility explains it better.

Second. I do not want Woods to find a coach to help him dominate again. He can win with a half swing and no coach. Trying to re-route his swing has hampered his ability to just focus on what he does best PUTT and READ GREENS. You can see the difference in his natural ability when he needs to hit a trick shot to get out of trouble. His body frees up and it is usually spectacular.

I think Tiger is smart and talented enough to win big with just a video camera and emotional stability.

I cannot even gloat about this, I am afraid of the ramifications.

J

Here is how the Cowboys Draft Board Set up;.

The media department accidentally released a picture of the board.

Decide for yourself- McCoy over Suh drives me nuts.

They have the NO pick as a 3rd rounder.

-----------------------------------------------------

Round 1

1. Sam Bradford (1st round, No. 1 overall, St. Louis)
2. Gerald McCoy (1st, No. 3, Tampa Bay)
3. Ndamakong Suh (1st, No. 2, Detroit)
4. Russell Okung (1st, No. 6, Seattle)
5. Trent Williams (1st, No. 4, Wash.)
6. Eric Berry (1st, No. 5, KC)
7. Rolando McClain (1st, No. 8, Oak.)
8. Joe Haden (1st, No. 7, Cleve.)
9. CJ Spiller (1st, No. 9, Buff.)
10. Mike Iupati (1st, No. 17, S.F.)
11. Dez Bryant (1st, No. 24, Dallas)
12. Earl Thomas (1st, No. 14, Seattle)
13. Bryan Bulaga (1st, No. 23, GB)
14. Sean Lee (2nd round, No. 55, Dallas)
15. Jared Odrick (1st, No. 28, Miami)
16. Jason Pierre-Paul (1st, No. 15, NYG)
17. Derrick Morgan (1st, No. 16, Tenn.)
18. Kyle Wilson (1st, No. 29, NYJ)
19. Maurkice Pouncey (1st, No. 18, Pitt.)
20. Navorro Bowman (3rd, No. 91, S.F.)
21. Jahvid Best (1st, No. 30, Det.)
22. Tyson Alualu (1st, No. 10, Jax.)
23. Jermaine Greham (1st, No. 21, Cincy)

Round 2
1. Devin McCourty (1st, No. 27, N.E.)
2. Demaryius Thomas (1st, No. 22, Den.)
3. Koa Misi (2nd, No. 40, Miami)
4. Jerry Hughes (1st, No. 31, Indy)
5. Brandon Graham (1st, No. 13, Phila.)
6. Nate Allen (2nd, No. 37, Phila.)
7. Morgan Burnett (3rd, No. 71, G.B)
8. Taylor Mays (2nd, No. 49, S.F.)
9. (covered name)
10. Dan Williams (1st, No. 26, Ariz.)
11. Kareem Jackson (1st, No. 20, Hou.)
12. Ryan Matthews (1st, No. 12, S.D.)
13. Brian Price (2nd, No. 35, TB)
14. Rob Gronkowski (2nd, No. 42, NE)
15. Brandon Ghee (3rd, No. 96, Cincy)
16. Jimmy Clausen (2nd, No. 48, Car.)

Round 3
1. Sergio Kindle (2nd, No. 43, Balt.)
2. Anthony Davis (1st, No. 11, S.F.)
3. Corey Wooton (4th, No. 109, Chic.)
4. Patrick Robinson (1st, No. 32, N.O.)
5. Dexter McCluster (2nd, No. 36, K.C.)
6. Joe McKnight (4th, No. 112, NYJ)
7. (covered name)
8. - Chad Jones (3rd, No. 76, NYG)
9. - illegible
10. Colt McCoy (3rd, No. 85, Cleve.)
11. Taylor Price (3rd, No. 90, N.E.)
12. Lamarr Houston (2nd, No. 44, Oak.)
13. D’Anthony Smith (3rd, No. 74, Jax.)
14. Damian Williams (3rd, No. 77, Tenn.)
15. Eric Decker (3rd, No. 87, Den.)
16. Thaddeus Gibson (4th, No. 116, Pitt.)
17. Corey Peters (3rd, No. 83, Atl.)
18. Rodger Saffold (2nd, No. 33, StL.)
19. Toby Gerhardt (2nd, No. 51, Minn.)
20. Golden Tate (2nd, No. 60, Sea.)
21. Brandon LeFell (3rd, No. 78, Car.)
22. Amari Spievey (3rd, No. 66, Det.)
23. Mike Neal (2nd, No. 56, G.B.)


Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2010/05/round-11-sam-bradford2-gerald-mccoy3-ndamakong-suh4-russell-okung5-trent-williams6-eric-berry7-rolando-mcclain8-joe-h.html#ixzz0nafZxe83

Hawks

Sitting here watching the Magic polish off the Hawks. What a gutless team. The only one I'd take is Horford. The rest are dogs. They lost 4 games by a total of 101 points!

S

Ernie Davis

I just watched "The Express."

He was really special and it literally rips me apart to watch these type of movies.

I remember hearing stories from my Dad about this story, but the movie brought it back to reality.

Sometimes we lose special people in our world way too early.

Cancer is devastating.

7.8 yds per carry . Bo Jackson 7.7, Barry Sanders 7.6.... That is elite company.

j

Hall of Fame Discussions.

I want to be specific on my thoughts.

If something happens after a player's career it should not cause them to be removed or kept out of the Hall of Fame.

Lawrence Taylor, Pete Rose, Bob Hayes, Billy Cannon.

Put them in and document whatever you want of the extra life situations. Rose, Taylor.

Now, this does not apply to the Steroids taken during a career. Bonds, McGuire, Sosa out.

j

Bobby Carpenter on Wade Phillips.

I got this from Matt Moseley on ESPN Blog.

Interesting comment:

We asked about how difficult it was for Carpenter to prove himself to Wade Phillips after being drafted by Bill Parcells.

"He didn't have a tremendous body of work on me from my rookie year," Carpenter said of Phillips. "Some days I felt like I was treading water in quicksand."

j

Disgusting info from today.

Baltimore is going to name a street after Ray Lewis.

Why? How can they forget the recent past?

Do these guys have a street?

Johnny Unitas, John Mackey, Raymond Berry, Art Donovan, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken JR, Jim Palmer, Micheal Phelps or even the Babe.

j

PED's

A little back history and side effects from Steroids, I am not point fingers, just something to consider.

While I was researching the effects of Steroids one of the primary problems is the rapid drying of tissue in a persons joints or tissue. I will leave the medical term out.

This tends causes a lack of elasticity and injuries that normally show up much later in life.

As a topic for the other side of the story, people with more flexibility or elasticity tend to have more joint injuries for the mere fact that they take the body to different limits.

Some people claim that HGH tends to offset an actually help these types of aging problems.

j

Curry's daughter in Cleveland Paper.

I happen to be traveling to Cleveland and found this.

Here is a good article and a picture of Chelesea and Joe Niekro.

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/05/chelsea_baker_joe_niekros_12-y.html

j

Dallas Braden

Where did this guy come from?

A few weeks ago he gets in an argument with AROD about an unwritten rule and then perfection. AROD even made comments about what has this guy done.

19th perfect game in history for a guy with 18 career wins (23 losses) in his 53rd start.

Amazing.

Then after the game 3 things come out.

1. His grandmother says something about AROD. "Stick it AROD"

2. Controversy on Longoria's bunt attempt, another unwritten rule. The fans booed.

3. Some Yankee teammates pull AROD in to watch part of te game.

Geez, these unwritten rules need to re-evaluated. Arod, I understand.

But a bunt, gets a pitcher tired, makes him think about charging, and is part of baseball.

Tony on PTI, made an accurate statement. If not for Bad Luck AROD would have no luck.

j

Article on conference producing Pro Bowlers

Nice thoughts, but a big flaw in his system for rating the levels.

He counts the number of Pro-Bowls 79-09, so someone like USC's Bruce Matthews gets 14 credits for each appearance in the game.

How bad is the system.

UCLA finished ahead of every SEC team. Aikman led the way.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=5176786

j

NFL Drug Testing.

How can Brian Cushing fail the test in September 2009 and play the entire year.

He wins Defensive Rookie of the year after failing the PED test.

j

McNabb bashing

Jackson was a punk in HS and College. I guess we should have expected this.

DeSean Jackson is the latest receiver to belittle McNabb's contributions to the Philadelphia Eagles, telling The Sporting News he was "very happy with the decision" by the Eagles to trade McNabb to the Washington Redskins last month.

Jackson also said: "I don't think we lost anything, even with McNabb being gone."

j

Romo is about to try and qualify for the US Open.

We better get ready for the media to lambaste him for spending time away from the weight room.

Two other NFL players are playing.

Josh Scobee - La Tech Grad from Jacksonville TX.

Ryan Longwell

Former NFL QB and Shreveport resident is also playing.

John Smoltz is also playing and I hear he has game.

I should have entered this thing. My handicap is getting over scratch slowly but surely and my days are numbered.

J

The Blindside

I still have not had an opportunity to watch this movie.

Oher is evidently being moved to LT with the Ravens. He had a great rookie year and now we get to see how good he is going to be.

j

Yard after Contact YAC in 2009.

Great numbers.

Chris Johnson had 1071 YAC yards.

Three ohers were over 900 yards.

Adrian Peterson

Steven Jackson

Maurice Jones Drew.

None of these guys were within 500 yards of Johnson.

Is is truly the speed? I actually do not think so.

I still think it is the blocking and set schemes that get the backs isolated with 1 or 2 people.

Instead of the mass of people that follow Peterson around.

Fisher is a great coach.

j

Scouts report on OT Barron.

Here is an excerpt form Moseley's NFC East Blog on Espn for the Cowboys new lineman.

"Has size and length, good reach, can slide feet, but lacks power," said the scout. "Average strength in run game. Not a very physical run blocker. Lacks some natural leverage but can use body to cover/shield [defenders]. Has good lateral slide in pass protection, but anchor can be a bit of an issue. More finesse than might. Ordinary as a starter, but has played in the league and will be an adequate backup and good spot starter."

j

Lawrence Taylor

Horrible story, but I am not really surprised.

This reminded me of some stories I was told in the late 80's while I worked in Dallas.

One of my co-workers was dating a man that worked in the NFL offices.

He would tell her stories about how many things LTaylor had done that had been covered up by the Giants and the NFL.

J

Revisiting the 2008 RB's.

I read an article about the 2008 RB's in that draft.

They were really special.

S, You may still have my breakdown of the backs and my ratings prior to the draft.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4668142/where-does-felix-rank-among-08-rb-crop

1. Darren McFadden - I doubted his translation to the pro game because of rumors out of the Hogland on character. If he played for Jeff Fisher he may be a pro bowler.

2. Jonathan Stewart- He was my favorite that year. Elusive, Quick and Powerful. 5.1 yds per carry this year 1133 yards. Splits time with the ball.

3. Felix Jones- My second favorite prior to draft. 7.3 yds per carry thru 2 years. Why does Red Jesus insist on running Barber into peoples back.

4. Rashard Mendenhall- I thought he looked juiced coming out. Had a good year.

5. Chris Johnson- 2006 yds 5.6 yds per carry.Best year ever statistically? Pro Bowler

6. Matt Forte -over 1000 rookie year with no offense coaching.

6. Ray Rice- Pro Bowl. 1339yd...5.3

7. Kevin Smith- Nothing special.

8. Jacob Hester- 13 games Started

9. Jamar Charles 1129yds 5.9 -- The traded Larry Johnson too late in the year.

10. Steve Slanton- 1200yds rookie year 4.8.

11. Tashard Choice- 5.3 yds per carry in 2 years. Heck he is better that Marion Barber.

12. Clifford Smith- Pro Bowl as Kick returner.

Good group for 2008

Marion Barber has averaged 4.0 yd per carry during the last two years.

While Jones averages 7.3 and Choice 5.3. Why is Barber playing? They say for his blocking but all I see is Romo dodging people.

j

Patrick Crayton

I see that Crayton has stopped practicing until the Cowboys can work out a trade.

I have wanted to get rid of this Desoto High product since the year he commented about a dog marking his territory.

Of course then he becomes infamous for dropping a pass against the Giants that would have likely sent the Cowboys to the Super Bowl to play the Belicheats without their famous cheating tapes. And let us not forget that he also gave up on a route in the end zone in which Romo threw the ball to him that could have been the winning score.

Let the cancer grow somewhere else.

j

Bobby Carpenter up for a trade.

Here is a trade that will help both teams forget a lost draft pick.

League sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the Rams are on the verge of sending offensive tackle Alex Barron to the Cowboys for Carpenter. Barron, a first-round draft pick in 2005 who has often struggled as the Rams' starting left tackle

j

Playoffs

I think Lebron is hurt and they're trying their best to cover it up. He doesn't look right to me at this point.

Durant's showing at home in game 6 makes me question him a little. I hope he takes his first playoffs as a learning experience. To me he really looked flustered and almost intimidated, even though he kept cranking.

The Lakers still have their issues, but I will be surprised if they don't pull it all out. Their size (if Bynum is healthy) and pedigree, plus Kobe's end-game effectiveness should be enough. No one impresses me that much.

I would not be surprised to find out that Cuban does something extremely bold in the free agent market. He may not woo anyone, but I'll be shocked if he doesn't make every effort to land a big one.

S

I Can't Refuse

I'm blogging less right now because I've jumped in the deep end with the Godfather. Never having read the original book I started it last week and I bought the 2 authorized sequels that were well received and allowed by Puzo's estate. So I expect the next month or so to be all Corleone all the time. Pure greatness.

S

Another Take on Tebow

Gosselin's article today. Good reading. What coaches see vs. what scouts see.


If Tim Tebow succeeds, coaches will have last laugh over scouts
01:27 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Column by RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Rick Gosselin
Archive Blog Bio E-mail
Ndamukong Suh was the best player and Sam Bradford the first player in the 2010 draft, but Tim Tebow was by far the most intriguing player on the board.
Tebow was a Superman in college football, winning an NCAA passing title in 2009 to go along with his 2007 Heisman Trophy. He also won the Maxwell, O’Brien, Manning and Sullivan awards during his four years at the University of Florida. He was a two-time captain of the Gators and posted a 35-6 record as a starting quarterback.
But there were divergent opinions of Tebow in the NFL. Opinions were split from building to building, even inside the same building. There was a clear divide in the two camps. Scouts and talent evaluators were not in love with the Florida quarterback, but NFL coaches were.

AP The Denver Broncos traded up to get Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 draft.
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The scouts and personnel directors evaluate tape of a draft prospect. They saw the flaws in Tebow as a quarterback – his wide passing base, the long stride into his throws and the long delivery.
The consensus of those talent evaluators at the conclusion of the 2009 college season was that Tebow was a third-round talent. Some didn’t think he’d ever make it as a quarterback in the NFL, projecting him as an H-back.
Those opinions were reinforced in two of Tebow’s final three games, when he struggled against veteran NFL defensive minds. His Gators lost the SEC title game to Alabama coach Nick Saban, then his South squad lost the Senior Bowl to Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz.
Tebow was 20-of-35 passing for 247 yards with one touchdown, one interception and 63 yards rushing in that 32-13 loss to Alabama. In the Senior Bowl, he was 8-of-12 passing for 50 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and two fumbles. He also rushed four times for four yards.
But come February, the NFL coaches became involved in the evaluation process at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. They weren’t analyzing the player as much as they were the person in Tebow’s interviews, visits and campus workout.
NFL coaches, the offensive gurus in particular, fell in love with Tebow’s work ethic, charisma, moxie and other assorted intangibles that helped make him the success he was in both high school (the state of Florida’s all-time leading passer) and college (three-time All-SEC).
During my own research of this draft, I found opinions warming up on Tebow in March. The scouting community would advise me he’s still a third-round value with a precautionary, “but he’ll go higher.” I moved him into the bottom of the second round on my own board in early April and was repeatedly told by my team sources, “he’ll go a lot higher than you think.”
As we approached the home stretch of this draft, I was of the belief that a team with an offensive guru calling the shots in the draft room – someone like a Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Sean Payton, Andy Reid or a Gary Kubiak – would either draft or move up to draft Tebow at the top of the second round.
An offensive guru did move up. But head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos vaulted all the way into the first round to claim Tebow with the 25th overall pick. The Broncos gave up a second-, third- and fourth-round pick to give McDaniels the chance to transform Tebow into an NFL quarterback.
Only time will tell who was right in the evaluation of Tebow: the NFL’s scouts or coaches.

S

Good article about the difference -American League vs National league

There was an article in the paper this morning about the players that have change leagues recently.

Some, amazing stats when a pitcher goes from American League to National league.

Jim Fergosi, from the Braves, said it was worth an entire run on your era.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2010-05-04-pitching-disparity_N.htm

Is it time for the DH to disappear? My thoughts, yes.

Philadelphia Phillies starter Roy Halladay, out of the AL East, is mowing down the NL as if he were a reincarnation of Bob Gibson. He's 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA, pitching three complete games and two shutouts. Carlos Silva was 5-18 with a 6.81 ERA the last two years for the Seattle Mariners. Traded for outfielder Milton Bradley, he is 2-0 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts for the Chicago Cubs.

The reverse

Javier Vazquez, a 15-game winner with a 2.87 ERA with theAtlanta Braves last year, is 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA for the New York Yankees

Los Angeles Angels' Joel Pineiro, a 15-game winner for the St. Louis Cardinals last year, is yielding a .320 batting average and has a 5.76 ERA.

J

Hyperbole in the growth of Golf?

S,

You and I have discussed this subject for years.

- Did Tiger Woods really increase the growth of Golf?

Some data is in the Golf Magazine May 2010.

We can argue with the recession having an effect, but we also need to recognize the population growth.

Since 1997 vs 2009.

The rounds of golf have DECREASED by 1%.

The amount of golfers has increased by 9%. Matched the population Growth.

Equipment Sales- 0% - No Growth.

The answer is NO on his impact to the game being played.

What he did do, however was increase TV viewers. 25% increase since 1996.

I wonder how this relates to the NFL increase since 1996. I have a feeling that fantasy football is the biggest impact in sports that we have seen.

This does beg us to ask the question, why people watch when he plays?

To me it is simple, we want to see greatness.

Can one of the greatest players that ever lived be over-hyped. YES.

j

Phil and Tiger.

I really never thought I would see this happen.

If Phil wins the The Players and Tigger finishes outside the top 5, Phil is no. 1.

Doubtful, but it could happen.

By the way, I watched Tiger play when he missed the cut. He was wild, but that is usual.

It was his putting, he was pushing the ball. He lost that smooth release of feeling the club head.

So, what do I think?

Easy fix if he gets his head right. The Haney swing is whole different issue, it is just weak.

His putting and short game have always been the key for him anyway.

I will not comment on the yardbarker.com post about rumors Tiger's written list at rehab.

If you like trash go search for it.

j

Fourth and Long TV Show Star in Gerry Fraley article

S, I know how you feel about Fraley but this is mild.

Wade is talking about the improvement of reality show winner. Jesse Holley.

I was counting receivers and considering they are supposed to keep 5.

1. Austin 2. Bryant 3. Williams 4. Crayton 5. Ogletree 6. Hurd 7. Holley 8. Johnson.

I doubt anyone but the top 5 have a chance unless Crayton and his 2mil contract is sent packing.

j

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Holley_Johnson_continue_to_show_improvement_for_Cowboys/2533469

Sanits Story May Get A Bit More Detailed.

Now, that a little more information is out for public review I am concerned.

First, the Civil complaint is filed by a retired-FBI Agent. He was wearing a wire and submitted the evidence.

Second, the DEA is investigating.

Third, Jefferson Parish has done nothing which usually means a problem.

Here is the other side of the article.

It has some information saying Saint Sean is not part of this.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Suit_Zero_Evidence_Linking_Payton_To_Drug_Abuse/2533972

On June 23, 2009, Santini reported the evidence of the misappropriation of prescription meds by the Saints, with approval from team General ManagerMickey Loomis, to the U.S. Attorney’s Eastern District of Louisiana office. 11 months later, with no criminal charges brought against any member of the Saints organization, Santini filed a civil suit against the club last Friday.

It also quotes people as saying that the former agent tried to extort $2 million to cover the story up.

With Santini wearing a wire during his conversations with Patton and Mangum, it appears from the transcripts of those discussions that the former Saints security chief tried to get the trainers to directly implicate Saints GM Loomis in a coverup of Vitt’s alleged Vicodin theft - along with another 110 missing Vicodin pills.

But from those taped conversations, there’s no smoking gun statement from Patton or Mangum that Loomis expressly directed them to misrepresent the dispensation of Vicodin as it pertained to Vitt or any member of the organization.

j

Tin Cup Revisited.

The media world may be discussing the 58 shot in Japan by 18year old Ryo Ishikawa but that is not the best round shot yesterday. (This was on a 6500 yd course in Japan)

20 year old, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland shot a final round 62 at Quail Hollow.

Quail Hollow is considered a tune up for the US open with the sloping greens and bogey's waiting to happen.

10 under at this course with those pin placements is crazy.

This 62 proved again that the ability to see the exact break in the greens is the most important aspect of golf.

The similarities with the name and scoring to the 1996 movie Tin Cup is a bit more than normal.

Rory McIlvoy vs Roy McAvoy

Both shot a 62 to win the tournament.

j

News out New Orleans is worrisome

The Saints get sued and accused of covering up illegal drug use.

One of the two allegedly involved is Saint Sean.

Ouch! I hope it is not true, but it would explain his recent behavioral changes.

j

Dez has bad first week.

First Bryant makes a comment about the Dolphin's Jeff Ireland saying something that made Ireland look like a jerk. He asked me if my mom was a prostitute

When the media goes nuts about the comment, the Dolphins show the entire conversation

to give context to the comment.

Bryant: "My dad was a pimp."
Ireland: "What did your mom do [for a living]?"
Bryant: "She worked for my dad."
Ireland: "Your mom was a prostitute?"
Bryant: "No, she wasn't a prostitute."

On cue, PTI's Wilbon thinks Ireland is lying and Bryant was mistreated.

Wilbon's reasons, just because NFL types do what they want.. Tony K sees it on Ireland's side, he says the comment never made since in a normal conversation.

Wilbon, needs to realize that his friendships with athletes is hurting his objectivity.

Then during his first 2 practices he is winded and out of shape. Reportedly never finished a drill. The positive he caught everything that was thrown his way.

I hope DEZ Bryant keeps his mouth shut so that I can enjoy his talent.

.

j