Todd Archer Comments on Camp. (with mine of course)

** A sign of Jay Ratliff's quickness: he was able to track Marion Barber down from behind on a checkdown from Romo.

Isn't this more a sign of Barber pedestrian quickness and why he should have been traded after 2007.

** David Buehler was 5-of-6 on his field goal tries. He was wide right from 49 yards and made the kicks from 27, 35, 41, 45 and 51 yards.

How can a team with Super Bowl aspirations not have a kicker? He misses in a dome in practice...Jeez.

** The offense struggled in the afternoon in the red zone, just as it did in the morning. In team drills,Tony Romo completed 3 of 9 passes. He just was off all day and it's that time in camp where a quarterback's arm starts to feel it from all of the throwing. He did end the drill with a touchdown throw toMiles Austin on a bubble screen.

Same Old, Same Old, I blame Garrett, timing routes and offenses are easier to defend down close.

j

Jayson Stark Comments on Ranger's Trades.

Boy, it's amazing what you can get done on your way out of bankruptcy court. The Rangers were somehow allowed by MLB and the Chapter 11 police to add more than $6 million in payroll. So they came away with the best player on the market (Cliff Lee), a run-the-staff-and-hit-for-the-cycle starting catcher (Bengie Molina), an RBI bat (Jorge Cantu) and a useful utility guy (Cristian Guzman), for nothing that figures to haunt them. Heck, Lee alone gives them a shot to win the World Series. And as one baseball man quipped, they did it all by "living the American dream: If you can't afford it, charge it."

S, I know you cringe when they give up home grown talent, but maybe they should take a shot at the Series.

j

Livestrong Lance

For John’s benefit, I want to pay homage to the retiring Lance Armstrong. A man who was more likely to die than live a scant few years back. A man who has raised literally millions of dollars for sick kids. A man who could take more pain on a daily basis climbing actual mountains on a bicycle than I think any of us realize is even humanly possible. A man who never backed down in the face of intense hatred by fans across Europe and waived the American flag in their faces. A man with some huge character flaws who has nonetheless been a force for good across the world. And of course, a Texan. Happy retirement Lance. Livestrong!

S

The Decision

I guess after the Lebron sweepstakes have finally come and gone, I’ll weigh in. This is absolutely about his mental make-up. Like Riley sold him on, he has a point guard mentality, not a Jordan one. He wants to make a team better, and he wants to be part of a great team. He doesn’t have the killer personality that so many people want him to have. It’s his life, not ours. People in general want him to be the next “someone else”, the next Jordan, the next Bird, the next West, whoever. Our media culture at work. Let’s appreciate Lebron for the talent he is and let him be who he is. I don’t know yet about the Heat, but if he averages 22 pts 10 boards and 10 asst and they end up winning big, that will be one happy dude, and I think that’s great. I just can’t blame a guy for wanting out of Cleveland Ohio if it means playing with other great players and possibly winning. That’s my take. (He did make a fool of himself, but that’s another story).

S

Strangers

I’m having so much fun pulling for the Rangers! They are entertaining and there is a sense of good things ahead. We have maybe the best pitcher in the AL, a possible MVP, young talent all over the field. Of course the bandwagon fans over here already have them in the playoffs, but I’m going to enjoy the ride, if there is one.

S

The Open Championship

Another major, another spare wins it. It’s like the Royals or the Clippers rec’d a wild card into the playoffs and won the championship. I have an issue with a sport where mediocre players can win the biggest championships. And I don’t care what you say, any sport suffers when there isn’t an ‘A’ guy at the top. What if the best QB in the NFL was Matt Hasselback? Golf is left with a bunch of chokers fighting it out. Count me out.

S

Dez

One thing we can learn from the Dez Bryant fiasco, he’s an idiot. What a great way to earn respect from your veteran teammates! Tell them all you’re too big for the stuff they all went through. Great thinking Dez.

S

The Natural

Can I remind everyone again that during the entire baseball years of 2003 – 2006, 4 seasons, Roy Hobbs Hamilton played exactly 15 games in ‘A’ ball. He hit the bigs in 2007 with a handful of ‘AA’ at bats during 2002, 26 years old with a body wracked by years of abuse and never having seen pro pitching of anywhere near the caliber he was about to face. As he currently stands after about 2.7 years of major league at bats, he’s a .307 career hitter and averages 38 doubles and 31 homers per 600 at-bats. From what I’m reading, he is realizing he could be the best player in baseball, and wants it. The Rangers control him via arbitration for 2 more years until he’s 31. He makes $3.2mm this year. If you’re Daniels (assuming new ownership in place), do you offer a 4-5 year deal now or wait to see another ‘clean’/healthy year first?

S

MS Prima Donna

I’m so incredibly sick of Brett Favre. I always listed him among my favorite players, but no more. Every time I hear his name, I literally change the channel. No more please!

S

Baseball's Quandry

Baseball is returning to the game we loved as kids; great pitching, hitters earning their home runs, tight low-scoring games. But today’s kids aren’t paying attention; ratings are down, attendance is down. We talked NBA into the summer, and now we’re talking football. Is the end of the steroid era also the end of baseball? If they don’t attract the kids, it will die a slow death. The blacks certainly aren’t playing any more, and all the dads nowadays want their kids to be football stars. Can baseball find a way to be relevant without selling out to the offensive game again and turning every game into a home run derby? Will America ever again be a culture where we appreciate the nuances of a 2-1 game? Soccer fans don’t seem to mind. But America is now defined by football and all that implies about us.

S

The C Word

Tom Seaver used to say that the essence of pitching is command. That quote has always stayed with me. As you know I’ve always favored great pitching and the current trend is great to me as a fan. I watched Jimenez, Josh Johnson, & David Price all flirting with 100 mph in the all-star game, and of course there is Strasberg. But what’s amazing to me is watching Cliff Lee pitch every 5 days and stay on course to become one of the richest players in the league, with a 90 mph fastball. Leo Mazzone used to talk about addressing the rookies in spring training and telling them that until they could locate their fastball on the corners consistently, they wouldn’t be pitching for Atlanta. I’m pleased to see that you can still win in the majors with A-level command. The problem is it’s extremely rare to see a pitcher with A-level command. Maddux and Glavine had it. Nolan Ryan had exactly none of it. Seaver & Pedro had it + great stuff. Lee throws 4 pitches exactly where he wants to and he wastes no time. In and out, up and down, hitters rarely see a fat pitch, and they are forced to adjust to his pace. It’s a joy to watch. He seems to be rubbing off on the whole Rangers staff. Four starts with the Rangers, 1 walk in 35 innings. Thirteen pitches per inning on average. Pressure and expectations seem to have no effect on him at all. I’m forced to retract my opposition to the trade. Having him here for all to watch how a real big-league pitcher should look, even for 3 months, is priceless.

S

Posting

Even though I’m not posting (spending my time looking for a new job), rest assured I’m reading your posts and enjoying them as always.

S

The Best Site for Cowboy Training Camp Info.

A scout and LSU grad.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/category/_/name/scouts-eye

j

SEC D Lines.

Rankings-

1. Ole Miss: For the second season in a row, the Rebels will be as formidable as anybody up front defensively. Senior tackle Jerrell Powe is perhaps the best interior defensive lineman in the league, and senior end Kentrell Lockett is one of the better pass-rushers. Between them, Powe and Lockett had 22 tackles for loss last season. It’s also a deep and experienced defensive line, especially at tackle, and the Rebels added a newcomer at end, junior college transfer Wayne Dorsey, who should be a factor right away.

2. Alabama: Players leave to go to the NFL, and Alabama slides in another great one right behind them. Welcome to Nick Saban’s recruiting machine. Junior end Marcell Dareus was the star of the BCS National Championship Game last season and is one of the top NFL draft prospects in the league. He’ll have to wait and see if anything comes of his trip to Miami that’s being investigated by the NCAA, but there’s no shortage of talent. Kerry Murphy may be the next star in the making and could potentially play nose or end in the Tide's scheme.

6. LSU: Some new faces will be counted on to play key roles for the Tigers up front this season, but a veteran remains the centerpiece of this defensive line. Senior tackle Drake Nevis rates up there with Jerrell Powe as one of the top interior linemen in this league. The Tigers are also eager to see what redshirt freshman end Sam Montgomery and redshirt freshman tackle Michael Brockers can do after big springs. Senior Pep Levingston is moving inside to tackle after starting 10 games last season at end. One thing the Tigers would like to generate more of is sacks. They only had 21 last season, which was tied for eighth in the SEC.

3. South Carolina 4. Missisippi State 5. Florida

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/12107/sec-position-rankings-defensive-line-2

j

Possible top 10 Picks from SEC.

This is Espn Blogger unanimous All SEC picks.

Julio Jones is missing. But 6 superstars is enough.

---

All this unanimous talk got me to thinking about who my unanimous All-SEC picks would be, players that are absolute no-brainers, guys that would be first-ballot locks, if you will, in voting for the Hall of Fame.

I came up with six, and they’re listed alphabetically:

• Georgia punter Drew Butler
• Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett
• LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• Florida center Mike Pouncey

Article on Jordan Jefferson at LSU.

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/23875/lsus-jefferson-pushing-to-get-better

A portion of the article.

“I wasn’t good enough, and neither was our offense,” Jefferson said. “A lot of that’s on me. I think I’m a better player now than I was last season, but I’ll have to be. We all have to be.”

Jefferson has worked tirelessly this offseason to establish a better feel for his receivers on the field -- where they like the ball, how they run their routes and what they’re going to do in certain situations.

He’s also camped out in the film room and has gone back and watched a lot of film on himself from last season.

“I was too hesitant,” Jefferson said. “When it’s there, I’ve got to throw it, make up my mind I’m going to throw it and let my receivers shine.”

j

And I thought Tennessee hated Lane Kiffin

The Titans have filed suit against the boy wonder at USC.

The person leading the charge, a USC alum, Jeff Fisher.

This is really funny.

"According to the lawsuit, USC and Kiffin maliciously intended to -- and did -- induce Pola to breach his contract with the Titans. The lawsuit alleges 'USC and Kiffin engaged in improper means in their procedure of the breach and were not legally justified in their actions.’'

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/25113/defending-turf-titans-sue-kiffin-usc

j

Dez Bryant and Rookie Hazing.

Ok, I am rather ambivalent on the fact that Dez B stood up to Roy Williams on the hazing of rookies carrying pads but I will comment.

It shocks me that this is national news and I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most of the media is siding with Roy UNO UNO. It seems that two petulant WR's can always create a stir with the media.

I do not care, especially considering Roy's comments on his value and that Dez B being drafted would not effect him. Bryant maybe be a freak athlete but he better make sure the rest of the vets are OK with his decision.

If you interested...Here is Herm Edwards saying Wade should step in. A total was of my time.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/15897/herm-edwards-on-rookie-hazing

j

Josh Hamilton for MVP...Still not enough publicity.

Here is a good article to start the argument.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers

Hamilton is now hitting .357 this season. It's what he's done since June 1 that's the reason his average has made such an impressive climb. Hamilton is hitting an MLB-best .432 (83-for-192) since June 1. In his last 35 home games, he's hit safely in 34 of them and has 34 RBIs, nearly one a game. He's hitting .413 in that stretch.

He won AL Player of the Month for June pretty easily. Could he add July to his resume in 2010 as well? He's batting .388 this month with five homers and 13 RBIs. He's got a .432 on-base percentage and a 1.120 OPS.

Batting average: Hamilton is hitting .357, Cabrera .350. Hamilton leads the AL, Cabrera is second.

Homers: Cabrera has 24, Hamilton 23. That's second and third in the AL, respectively (Jose Bautista is No. 1).

RBIs: Cabrera has a staggering 88 to lead the AL. Hamilton has 74, tied for fourth in the league.

Hits: Hamilton has 12-hit lead on his closest competitor, Robinson Cano, with 137. Cabrera is fourth at 124.

Extra-base hits: Hamilton and Cabrera are tied for tops in the standings with 58. Hamilton has a MLB-leading 19 games with three or more hits this season.

OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage): Cabrera leads the AL at 1.075 with Hamilton third at 1.035.

Average with runners in scoring position: Once again, the two players are very close. Cabrera is fourth at .366 (in 129 plate appearances) with Hamilton in sixth at .364 (113 plate appearances).

There's one more stat that I think is interesting and can give you an idea of each player's statistical value to their teams and that's runs created:

Josh Hamilton leads the American League with 99 runs created. Cabrera, of course, is right on his tail at 94 runs created.

j

NFL Power Rankings Published. Saints not 1?

Espn-Power Chart

1. Colts.

2. Saints

3. Vikings.

4. Cowboys

5. Ravens

6. Packers

7. Jets

8. Falcons.

9. Pats

10. Chargers

Espn's John Clayton had the Saints number 6. The hangover effect.

I would go a bit different.

1. Saints.

2. Vikes.

3. Boys.

4. Colts.

5. Chargers

6. Ravens

7. Pats

8. Jets

9. Packers

10. Steelers

j

Dallas Training Camp.

I listened to 4 hours of the NFL Radio today.

The entire show was basically Dallas Cowboy talk.

Two thing emerged.

1. The entire team and coaches are amazed with Dez B and his talent.

2. Tony Romo was hurt badly during the entire year of 2009.

John Kitna came on an talked about how shocked he was at what Romo did and never told anyone about the injuries. He said he was pissed that Romo was considered an MVP candidate and if Romo would have mentioned the injury he would have been...

Way too much coverage for a team that was routed by the Vikings.

j

How far has LSU fallen?

LSU was picked 4th in th West by the media this week...Ouch...

They only had two players listed as pre-season all conference for the 1st or 2nd team.

Shepard at LB and super freak, Patrick Peterson.

Miles may be a good human, but he let the monster die in Baton Rouge.

J

Chris Paul -

The Orlando Magic have replaced the New York Knicks as the top team on Chris Paul's list of preferred destinations, according to league sources.

Paul believes the Magic, with Dwight Howard, would be a better fit for him. Also, Paul realizes the Magic have more to offer New Orleans in a trade and therefore views it as a more realistic landing spot.

New York, Portland and Dallas are still all on Paul's short list.

This article is on Espn.

j

Saints RB 2010.

Portion of article on Espn.

This might be the most interesting running back corps in the division because everyone talked so much about the three-headed backfield last year. That was true as Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell got relatively equal playing time. Of New Orleans’ 1,067 offensive plays, Bush was on the field for 389. Thomas was out there for 372 and Bell got 262 snaps. Bell is gone and you might see playing time for Bush and Thomas go up a bit, but only slightly because Lynell Hamilton, who played 5.9 percent of last year’s snaps, is likely to take on some of Bell’s load. One other interesting note here is that fullback Heath Evans took part in 23.1 of the offensive plays, despite missing almost half the season with injury. Evans is healthy now and I’d look for him to be on the field about 40 percent of the time.

j

Mel Kiper rating the New QBs

1. Landry Jones.- OK

2. John Brantley- FL

3. Garret Gilbert- TX

4. Dayne Crist - ND.

Interesting subject, Kiper actually said he wanted to put Brantley number 1 but Landry had proven more.

With the Offensive game plans at OK, TX and ND, I would expect Brantley to have the lowest production, but who knows.

I find it funny that Landry is number one after Kiper downplayed him so much last year. I really like the kid and expect him to win more big games than Bradford ever did. I am just not sure he is better than Gilbert, but it will be fun.

Brantley will probably make the Fla offense completely different and resemble what Urban did at Bowling Green. Much more explosive options will be given for a quick strike instead of beating up teams with Tebow.

Crist is suppose to be special, I really think he is a wild card. If they have enough speed on he outside he will win the Heisman with his new coach.

Gilbert, I expect to be better than McCoy.

The kid is special and has more athletic ability than Colt.

Landry and Gilbert will be fun to watch.

j

Jonathon is on a role. Chris Paul.

A email from JXC.

================

Depressing rumors are circulating- CP3 to the Knicks. I believe* *this will
end my interest in the Hornets. They have blown an opportunity of building
something and instead blew it up over the past 2 years--- 1- moving
Chandler, 2- firing Scott, 3- poor personnel moves- they tried to add
people
but made poor choices- old/injured Peja, Mo Peterson, and Posey. 4- the
handling of the offseason with management comments. 5- Ownership- the sale
of the team to the Choest has been “pending” for months and no closer than
before. The dysfunction is driving Paul to demand a trade. Who has
orchestrated this mess and why do they receive a pay check? No positive
spin
for the Hornets—Paul is a top 2 PG in the league, a class actwithout
baggage and this is what the team does?



Positive side- Imagine Paul in the Knick offense! I am not a Knick fan but
that would be a fun team to watch- polar opposite of the Riley Knicks-
twice
the points.
(See attached file: C.htm)

Inline Attachment Follows: C.htm

Depressing rumors are circulating- CP3 to the Knicks. I believe this will end my interest in the Hornets. They have blown an opportunity of building something and instead blew it up over the past 2 years--- 1- moving Chandler, 2- firing Scott, 3- poor personnel moves- they tried to add people but made poor choices- old/injured Peja, Mo Peterson, and Posey. 4- the handling of the offseason with management comments. 5- Ownership- the sale of the team to the Choest has been “pending” for months and no closer than before. The dysfunction is driving Paul to demand a trade. Who has orchestrated this mess and why do they receive a pay check? No positive spin for the Hornets—Paul is a top 2 PG in the league, a class act without baggage and this is what the team does?

Positive side- Imagine Paul in the Knick offense! I am not a Knick fan but that would be a fun team to watch- polar opposite of the Riley Knicks- twice the points.

j

Jonathan had some comments.

*NBA*
Warriors- 450 Million for them! Imagine what the Lakers are worth
Mavs- I like the fact they got several bigs- Chandler (if healthy) will team
very well with Kidd. Haywood is costly but at least he was productive last
year for them. I would have signed him.
Hornets- killed potential- 3 years ago was a high and they could not keep it
up. Maybe the new coach can bring new life.
Miami- Major coup to get the top 3 free agents. Especially James. I was
surprised but can not blame him either. The team he is getting looks great
Jazz- I like there moves- they lost Boozer but picked up a bigger and
younger PF. The secondary move of getting Raja Bell was also good. I view
them like the Mavs- 2nd tier solid teams in the West.
Chicago- I think they can compete in the East, depending on the coach- he is
defensive in nature- does it translate into hampering Rose?


*NFL*
Getting ready for training camp. Looking forward to it.
Initial thoughts top 2 in each division
*NFC*
*North*
Vikes- are they good enough to beat the Pack twice this year- probably not.
Pack- Have the talent to be very good
*South *
Saints- They go as far as Brees takes them- if he stays healthy, they will
be in the playoffs. Can Payton tone down the team in camp? They thrived last
year from having a chip.
Falcons- could be a sleeper
*East*
Boys- How long does talent overcome coaching deficiencies. Has Garrett
developed/improved game time decision making in the offseason?
Eagles- by default they have a load of talent. I know people love fat Andy,
but every year he messes up a game by getting too enamored with the pass
*Skins will be better, but they have a long way to go and some old people on
the team
*Giants- no real feel on them at this time. I see them continuing to slip
*West*
Cards only because of the coach
Niners could be there at the end as well

*AFC*
*North*
Ravens- I think the defense will hold up another year.
Bengals- by default I would not pick the Steelers to be down 2 years in a
row but the QB issues may cause it.
*South *
Colts- similar results to the last 10 years, but maybe a slip- New OC for
the 1st time in Manning's career- does the new one try to "improve"
something?
Texans
*East*
Miami- bold prediction but 3 years into the Parcells/Sparano this might be
it
Jets- I do not buy them as a SB team but playoffs yes
Pats- heading south? I think they are-- can not run, can not play defense
*West*
SD- by default and in the weakest division
No comment on the others

j

Bill King Discussing LSU

His comments-Top 10 talent, with nothing to show any promise.

He ranks LSU as a under achieving juggernaut.

Mr Rivals Radio has not faith in Miles and his staff. He frequently about other coaches getting an opportunity to coach at LSU by saying. "Can you imagine what he would do with that talent?"

His words today directed toward Miles and LSU, ----- "Show ME"

===Amen to Bill.===

His top two Defensive Lines in College Footall.

North Carolina and Iowa. HUH? It cannot be talent, so this must be coaching and development for the top coaches at these schools.

With LSU playing that North Carolina and that D-line we could see a nightmare game that ends 6-3. Miles will blame Jefferson and Crowton for the lack of execution.

Someone needs to buy LES a ticket out of town, now.

j

There maybe a Soul in the Southern California.

What a day for the rest of the NCAA- The Gangster is out.

Low Rent- Mike Garrett was finally removed at USC.

USC has been the epitome of corrupt athletics during his time at this spoiled "Private School."

But we should tip our hat to USC for hiring a Rhodes Scholar as a replacement.

Pat Haden has always been a class act. Spoiled prep but still a class act.

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

Then USC reports they are sending Reggie Bush's Heisman back with OJ Mayo's posse.

Glory to everything honorable is the new catch phrase at USC.

If they keep looking they will end up sending Matt Leinart's trophy back also.

Anywhere Pete Carroll was in charge is not something I would expect to be clean for long.

j

Curry's Daughter is on ESPN E:60

You have seen my previous post on Chelsea pitching expoits.

6-7:00 tonight, ESPN's E:60

j

600 Post- Should be about a milestone

Arod is sitting at 598 home runs.

It made me realize how much I despise Bonds having the HR record.

At least AROD was a HR hitter from the time he stepped on the field.

I can live with him having the record.

J

A Minor League Player - A Friend.

http://www.centredaily.com/2010/07/04/2075788/a-hot-start.html

The funny thing is that Chase would probably be a pro golfer if he went after that career.

j

Free Agents Define the Cowboys O.

Miles Austin and Tony Romo- arguably the two most important skill players on the team.

Both Free Agents, Both Started in their 4th year.

Go Figure.

j

Romo finished 2nd at Celebrity Tourney

Tony Boy made a run at Billy Joe Tolliver, but could not make up ground on the Shreveport resident and former Texas Tech Qb.

Romo is really good, and considering he has another job that keeps him off the course he is probably the best of the group. I did see a flaw in his longer putts. He breaks his wrist on his follow through at times.

Billy Joe Tolliver just put on a show. Now I know why he won the CC at Southern Trace.

I will summarize a quote he made after he won.

Someone asked him if he would try to play the Sr Tour.

Billy Joe said. I can't beat David Toms now, why would I think I could beat him at 50.

You have to like the guy.

J

Louis Oosthuizen

Does any tournament represent the diversity in the different styles of golf more than the British Open.

I guess, I should be happy that this type of thing happen but it was a boring tournament.

I am sure that all of the psuedo golf fans will have watched less than an hour in 4 days and will be complaining on the airways.

With Westwood being 2nd, he has established himself as a top three golfer. Maybe one day he will break through at the over hyped majors.

J

Romo finally qualified for NFL historical Rankings

Good Article from Gosselin that went national:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/rgosselin/stories/070810dnspogosselincol.1c918c8.htm

l

Blurbs from the article:

Romo finally has thrown the necessary 1,500 passes to qualify for the NFL career passing list and debuts in 2010 as the third most-efficient quarterback in history – ahead of Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner , Tom Brady , Joe Montana and Drew Brees.

And we still haven't seen the best of Tony Romo. But we have a chance to this season.

The Cowboys have surrounded Romo with the most talented supporting cast of his five-year tenure.

=

The NFL's No. 1 passing team has played for a championship only five times in Super Bowl history: the 1984 Miami Dolphins, 1999 and 2001 St. Louis Rams, 2002 Oakland Raiders and 2007 New England Patriots.

Those teams went 1-4 in Super Bowls, and the 1999 title game ended with Tennessee on the St. Louis 1-yard line. So the No. 1-ranked passing offenses are 1 yard shy of possibly being winless in Super Bowls.

=

TOP 10 PASSERS

The top 10 passers in NFL history entering the season. It's based on their efficiency rating (a formula that includes yards, touchdowns, interceptions and completion percentage). A quarterback needs to throw 1,500 career passes to qualify: Rank, quarterback, Rating 1. Steve Young 96.8 2. Philip Rivers 95.8 3. Tony Romo 95.6 4. Peyton Manning 95.2 5. Kurt Warner 93.7 6. Tom Brady 93.3 7. Joe Montana 92.3 8. Drew Brees 91.9 9. Ben Roethlisberger 91.7 10. Chad Pennington 90.1

j

British Open Coverage

At 3:30am I was able to watch the Open.

It is just a fabulous tournament and provides a different view of Golf.

One thing needs to change, ABC needs to back off on the Woods Butt Licking.

Good grief, it is almost unbearable to watch. Worship is not acceptable as an announcer.

If they want to say that he is getting closer to his old swing that is fine, but just once every 10 minutes is more than enough.

I do have relief with DirectTV, they have the OPEN Golf International Broadcast in HD.

Rory winning this tourney would really be special for Golf in Europe.

j

Lance Armstrong- Please disappear

Here is part of the Lance prep for another cover up.

====================================

The New York Times reported that authorities have issued grand jury subpoenas to witnesses as part of the probe into allegations made by American cyclist Floyd Landis.

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title for doping, said the use of banned substances was common on the US Postal team when he rode with Armstrong.

"Like I said, as long as we have a legitimate and credible and fair investigation, we'll be happy to cooperate, but I'm not going to participate in any kind of witch hunt," the seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor said. "I've done too many good things for too many people."

Armstrong said he had not been subpoenaed or contacted by lead investigator Jeff Novitzky. He said he wasn't aware of any riders who have been subpoenaed.

Armstrong said stories are being leaked to the media as part of an "agenda" against him and questioned the need for a federal probe.

"Would the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars?" he said. "That's for them to decide."

j

Fishing Trip

I had to post the Bass I caught last night about 8p and my father-in-laws pond.

11.6- 25.75 inches, 18.5 in girth on a White Buzz Bait.

Bass Calculator says 12.02, but my scales said 11.6.

I cannot honestly say it is the biggest I have caught but its the biggest I have ever weighed with a photo.

j

Don Coryell

This is the subject that I wished I had not missed talking about.

Don Coryell should be in the HOF, and that we did not discuss his death is just inexcusable.

His impact on the NFL is just amazing. He formulated many of the schemes used today.

He created the I-Back formation as a high school coach. The H-Back is also part of his legacy.

He would rank in my top 4 of great offensive minds with an impact on the NFL. The recent SI article is just great. I remember his Cardinal offenses and the havoc he created. Then when he went to San Diego he went to an all new level, the Patriots used his style in their record setting year.

His coaching tree, Joe Gibb, Bill Walsh, Tom Flores, John Madden, Norv Turner, and Red Jesus.

Ranking O Coordinators is difficult, but to consider Coryell with Brown, Landry, Walsh, and Gibbs is reasonable. Especially since two learned from him.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jim_trotter/07/02/coryell.original/index.html

J.

NCAA Basketball went to 68 teams.

I see a lot of pundits complaining, but I do not see the downside.

More schools get in and the big boys do not play anymore games.

It sounds like the community schools have a better chance for a win and renewed enthusiasm.

I would prefer to watch Northwestern La playing SMU in a game with emotions, than seeing them beat by 40 against North Carolina in the first night.

j

Bad night on TV.

What to watch.

Mav's Summer League or a MLB homerun hitting contest with the big boys sitting it out.

I may tune into to reruns of Family Guy.

j

Mav's - Al Jefferson.

I am all for the Mav's picking up Al Jefferson.

6-10 265lbs.

He rebounds at a 9 a game pace.

This would be an upgrade.

If Dampier is needed to get it done, do it.

j

Purple Drank- JaMarcus Russell.

This codeine cough syurp mixed with a drink is finally making news in the national media.

Forget the dope that the Saints are in trouble for, this is the same thing and hits faster.

It makes people take CHILLIN to a new level.

As far as the lazy super freak from LSU, he is just a waste of a lot of space.

j

7 NFL Players that need to go.

Here is a link to Sporting News article on 7 players that should be cut.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2010-07-02/seven-big-name-players-who-should-be-cut

Cowboys-Roy UNO_UNO Williams is on the list with Saints Reggie Bush.

The biggest shocker to me was the listing of Bob Sanders.

j

Fraley Article on Romo vs Lebron Persona

Romo is the polar opposite of LeBron James in this market. James, the NBA star, hawks athletic shoes that retail for up to $180. The prices on Romo gear run form $4 to $30. Walmart is the exclusive home of Romo gear.

Romo did this by design. He remembered being unable to afford "Air Jordan" basketball shoes as a kid because of the high price and wanted to offer an alternative that would appeal to a broad audience. Romo did not attach his name to the brand until being certain the quality was good, too.

"Why can't we get a nice shoe for an affordable price?" Romo said. "Starter has that: high-performance gear at an affordable price.

"When I was a kid, I couldn't afford "Air Jordans." Most kids can't. When you can get a quality shoe, that's a great thing. I don't feel like I'm giving back, but it's important to know this is good stuff."

j

Felix

S,

You are right, Felix is either hurt of damaged goods.

The zip is gone on that fast ball.

He is 6 - 7 mph slower than last year with less movement.

They need to sit him for a month.

j

Thursday Night they blow a 4-0 lead

Tonight they blow 6-2 lead in the 9th.

HELP.

Lebron Aftermath.

Yes, I was sick of the spoiled brat image that the James demonstrated in the entire free agency game, But..

The criticism about his game is asinine.

Some comments were correct. Especially Cuban's response that he did not let Cleveland know before hand so they could prepare.

Here is the idiot section:

1. Charles " how did he get a jr high diploma" Barkley. - "If I was 25 I would try to win it myself." He called it a piggy back.

Is there any wonder why the Sixers and Sun's lost with Barkley on the court.

He couldn't shoot or play defense and would force up the ball anytime he perceived the game was on the line.

2. Every media person in the world that thinks D Wade is close to Lebron in talent and will be the primary person.

People are saying that Lebron will play second fiddle to Wade.

Are you kidding me.

During the last two years, Wade has had trouble getting a winning record.

He turned into a bit of a ball hog actually and none of his teammate were getting better.

Lebron has taken terrible talent to the NBA finals.

Lebron James is bigger faster and more unselfish than Wade and can score on anyone.

Did I mention he scores, rebounds, and passes more than Wade.

Wade seems to have a better jump shot, but the actual stats even question that advantage.

Wade is a slasher that get moving and has trouble letting go of the ball once he moves toward the basket. He did not do this in his earlier years, so maybe he will revert to that style.

Wade has a title because of some ridiculous referees and Shaq.

Without Shaq, he is just a great player.

Lebron is the best player in the league.

j