SportsNetUSA Blogs

It’s only Week 2 of the NFL season, but as everyone who likes to freak out early on in the year would say, “We’re already an eighth of the way through the season!” Alright guys, calm down. 15 weeks left. PLENTY of football to be played.

Now, since I didn’t write my normal prediction blog before the season started, why not assess the first two weeks and go from there? And don’t worry, my Super Bowl champion will remain the same for those of you who know what I picked already. There will be no changes. In fact, we’ll make this a “bonus issue” of Inside E. I’ll tell you what I predicted at the start of the year, then I’ll follow up with what I think will happen based on 2 games.

To get started I should probably note that this will be written before the Monday Night game between Indianapolis and Miami. But that’s okay, we’ll manage.

Let us begin in the AFC…division-by-division.

AFC East

The big surprise of last year was the way the Miami Dolphins were able to win ten more games than they did the year before. Going 11-5 after being 1-15 is the greatest turnaround in franchise history. However, a first round playoff loss to Baltimore left the Fins a bit sour. Not only that, but a Week 1 disappointment against Atlanta last week didn’t help either.

The Jets drafted Mark Sanchez and thought he would be the quarterback of the future for the franchise. Guess what Jet fans? HE IS. Finally, you all selected well.

The Bills got T.O. and since they’ve won a game and are now 1-1, no locker room tension as of yet.

And finally, the Patriots are got back Tommy Boy. Sure they looked bad against the Bills in Week 1, but they got the win. And sure they looked bad against the Jets, but at least they got the wi…oh wait…that’s right…no they didn’t. This race will be very close come the end of the year.

The Jets look to be the front-runner out of the gate and I’m guessing Miami can’t possibly play that bad against Indy tomorrow night, right? The Bills showed they can hang with the class of the division, but we’ll see if they can beat New York.

Prediction at start of season: New England wins division at 12-4
Prediction after Week 2: New England wins division at 11-5

Something tells me the Patriots needed to get worked by the Jets to realize they’re slacking off…offensively AND defensively. I assure you this will not happen again when the jets go to Foxborough. They still might lose, but not like that. The Jets will finish 10-6 and Miami will be 8-8 along with Buffalo.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Miami had a league record-low 13 turnovers all year in 2008-2009. They had 4 against Atlanta in Week 1.

AFC North

Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Seems pretty interchangeable, at least for the last FOREVER. Cleveland and Cincinnati haven’t even come close to a contending since this division was formed. In fact the year it was, it was the first time the Bengals finished better than 5th in their division. Mind you, realignment made four team divisions. They couldn’t finish 5th. But now, they have life. If Carson Palmer stays healthy, they have a shot at this thing.

As for the Browns…they don’t. And won’t for a while.

The Ravens defense is the Ravens defense, however they have allowed 50 points in their first two games, which is a bit uncharacteristic of them.

And as for the Champs, you gotta give them the nod early, even though they’re 1-1 after a last second loss to the Bears (Side Note: A certain someone was the only one in his pool to pick Chicago this week…I’m just saying).

Prediction at start of season: Pittsburgh wins division at 11-5
Prediction after Week 2: Pittsburgh wins division at 11-5

No change here. Things in the AFC North seem to remain the same. Not having Troy Polamalu hurts the Steelers, but they will find a way to overcome and take the North once again.

STAT OF THE WEEK: After racking up a franchise record 501 yards of offense in Week 1 against Kansas City, the Ravens amassed only 311 yards against San Diego, were out-passed by 240 yards, were out-gained by 163 yards…and still won by five, 31-26.

AFC South

After a shocking 14-2 season by the Titans in 2008 and having the league’s best record, the Titans look to repeat as AFC South division champs. It will not be easy. Here, we’re looking at yet another three-team race.

Sorry Jaguar fans (however many left there are), your team is not one of them. Even though they played the Colts tight in Week 1, they looked awful at home against Arizona.

The Colts didn’t play too hot in that game either and it seems as though they will be missing wide outs Marvin Harrison (released in off season) and Anthony Gonzalez (injured in Week 1- Out for a few weeks).

The Titans dropped this week’s game against the Texans on the road and will sorely miss defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in the middle. The run defense for Tennessee will have a tough time this year.

And how about those Houston Texans? Played terrible against the Jets (understandable) and hung tough with Tennessee to pull off a big victory.

This division is too close to call due to the evenness of talent, but I think we’ll see an old friend (or enemy, depending on how you look at it) return to the top.

Prediction at start of season: Indianapolis wins division at 11-5
Prediction after Week 2: Indianapolis wins division at 10-6

These teams will beat each other up. I can’t see any team in this division winning more than 4 of the 6 scheduled games against their division rivals.

STAT OF THE WEEK: After going 0-5 in the Eastern time zone last season, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville, 31-17. Ouch, Jacksonville…very ouch.

AFC West

Oh my goodness, where to start? This is quite possibly the worst division in the HISTORY of football. Alright maybe not that bad, but it’s pretty bad. It is getting better though.

Everyone thought the Chargers would run away with this thing early, but even the Raiders had something to say about that in the first Monday Night game of the year…or was it the second?…It was after the Bills and Patriots…oh, never mind. Anyway, Oakland played well, should have won the game but didn’t, and subsequently left half of San Diego with a mild heart attack after a pretty good game. So don’t count out Oakland, especially after the way the Chargers played at home against Baltimore.

As for Denver, who would have thought that the Broncos would be 2-0 at this point? Cutler gets traded to Chicago, Brandon Marshall has an emotional breakdown basically, and Josh McDaniels gains the moniker of being a pain in the ass right from the get-go. A freak play at Cincinnati and a heart-stopping (sarcasm is funny) against Cleveland and you got yourself first place in the AFC West. Will it last? Probably not. But they can dream, right?

Last and certainly least, the Kansas City Chiefs. New coach + 2nd year quarterback playing his first year with new team= no bueno por la ciudad de Kansas. Losing to Oakland in the final minutes this week and a lack-of-defense-of-any-sort performance against Baltimore and you got yourself last place in the worst division. Yikes.

Prediction at start of season: Chargers win division at 14-2
Prediction after Week 2: Chargers win division at 10-6

I really thought the Chargers’ easy schedule would vault them to the league’s best record. I also thought the 14-2 would be wasted in the Divisional Playoff when the Chargers would lose by 21 to (Insert any team here).

STAT OF THE WEEK: Through two weeks of play, Denver has allowed 13 total points defensively. The next closest in the division is 34 by Oakland.

NFC East

This is now the new “Black and Blue” division. No disrespect to the old NFC Central (Or Norris, for those of you old school fans), but the East is very, very competitive.

Of course the leader of the pack is the New York Football Giants. Osi Umenyiora is back and opposing quarterbacks had better be scared. Eli Manning is Eli Manning and apparently he has found a new favorite receiver (and for more than one reason). That receiver: Mario MANNINGham. Notice the capitalized letters. Two other reasons for being his favorite: 1) He makes spectacular bobbling catches while on his back in the end zone. 2) He has NEVER shot himself (Ouch, low blow? Maybe, but c’mon).

team number two: The Philadelphia Eagles. They lost Donnie once again for who knows how long, but have an OK replacement in Kevin Kolb. he looked terrible against New Orleans, but he will come around. These things take time. Plus if he doesn’t, Michael Vick has been known to toss the pigskin around (or run with it anyway) and he would be able to get it done too. I’m tired of everyone saying “Oh, he hasn’t played in two years.” It doesn’t matter, you don’t just lose talent. Game shape is different, but he’ll get that back if he hasn’t already. This will not be a cake walk for the Giants that’s for sure.

The Dallas Cowboys. Over/Under on punts hitting the scoreboard this year is…ummm…let’s go with 2. This whole situation was stupid and should never be talked about again. And when a punt does hit the scoreboard on Monday Night, you can all rag on me. Anyway, the Cowboys are slightly in a shamble here. T.O. is gone. Whether or not you agree, he will be missed. Having two star receivers will help take the pressure off of one or the other. Just ask the Cardinals. The ‘Boys should be able to snag up a Wild Card spot, but it will be close.

And finally, the Redskins. They beat St. Louis 9-7 on Sunday. That is all.

Prediction at start of season: New York wins division at 12-4.
Prediction after Week 2: New York wins division at 12-4.

No changes here. All things remain constant.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Dallas Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams was fined $12,500 for kicking two New York Giants on Sunday. This makes two straight games that Adams has been fined by the league. Fantastic.

NFC North

I bet you would have thought that the first two words of this analysis paragraph would be “Brett Favre.” Boy, were you wrong. Anyway, Brett Favre and the Pack…ummm…I mean Vikings look to be the class of the league at the outset. Adrian Peterson is the best back in the division since Barry Sanders, which is scary. I know the Vikes have two wins over Cleveland and Detroit, but they didn’t disappoint at all. The first test for Minnesota will be Sunday when they face San Francisco in their home opener.

The Packers don’t look too shabby either, even though they allowed the Bengals to come back and beat them and allow they Bengals receiver Eighty-five (I speak English) to do a Lambeau Leap into a section of three Bengals fans who he purchased tickets for. Good thing he scored in that end zone otherwise that wouldn’t have been money well spent. I digress. But the Packers run game coupled with an awesome receiver in Greg Jennings should keep the Packers competitive.

A big win over the defending champs at home. A new quarterback. A somewhat disappointing loss to the Pack at Lambeau. But the Bears are for real. Trust me on this one. Matt Forte can flat out run the ball and you have to like the Vanderbilt-Vanderbilt connection between Jay Cutler and rookie wideout Eddie Knox.

Lastly, the Lions. Here’s to even less analysis than the Redskins.

Prediction at start of season: Bears win division at 11-5.
Prediction after Week 2: Bears win division at 11-5.

There’s a reason I have to keep the Bears prediction the same. read on and you’ll find out why.

STAT OF THE WEEK: It’s not really a stat as it is a tidbit of info that could screw things up in Minnesota for a day. If the Twins and Tigers finish tied atop the AL Central, they would have to play a one-game playoff to decide the division. That one-game playoff, by virtue of best record tiebreaker, would be played at the Metrodome. That game, if it is played, is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 5, in order to start the MLB Playoffs on time.. Familiar date? That’s Brett Favre’s first game against the Packers at the Metrodome. Have fun schedulers. The Twins and Tigers are separated by only 2 1/2 games too.

NFC South

Whoever finishes last in this division always wins it the next year. If this remains true, the Saints will win it this year. Guess what? 93 points in two games seems pretty reassuring. Reggie Bush has finally decided to not fumble (at least in Week 2) and Drew Brees just threw three touchdown passes as I typed this sentence. The defense is better and no one will stop the scoring machine. Look out for these guys. Oh look at that…Drew just threw another one…four.

Perhaps the greatest threat to the Saints is the Falcons. Matty Ice has settled in as an NFL quarterback and is looking stronger every week. They have the Patriots at Foxborough this week, which will be a homecoming game for the Boston College graduate. A win for Atlanta here an the Saints better be looking over their shoulder. And I almost forgot, Tony Gonzalez is a Falcon now. Yup.

Will Jake Delhomme ever be replaced in Carolina? Probably not. Especially since he is the BEST quarterback on their roster…which is hard to believe. If he doesn’t begin to step it up and the defense doesn’t stop anybody, the Panthers are going to have a loooooong season.

Tampa Bay is bad. They are not good in anyway shape or form. They’re looking at the third overall draft pick next year, behind Detroit and St. Louis. yeah, it’s that bad.

Prediction at start of season: Atlanta wins division at 11-5.
Prediction after Week 2: Atlanta wins division at 11-5.

Surprised? Well don’t be. The Falcons will split with the Saints and beat Carolina and Tampa Bay twice each. BAM! 5-1 right there. Look out for Atlanta come playoff time.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Drew Brees has nine touchdown passes in two games. He’s on pace to throw 72.

NFC West

Another jumbled up mess of not a whole lot of talent here. The Rams are atrocious. The Seahawks just lost their quarterback for who knows how long. The Cardinals look okay and the 49ers finally resemble something that looks like a football team.

After two games, San Francisco has opened up some eyes under first full year head coach Mike Singletary. Two wins against division rivals Arizona and Seattle and the Niners are out of the gate in first place by themselves. Are the 49ers playoff worthy? Well, not quite yet. They have their first test Sunday when they go to Minnesota. If they get by that game, the rest of the West is in trouble. But good news for the rest of the division: the 49ers have started 2-0 once since 1999. In their Week 3 game two years ago when they were 2-0, they got drubbed by Pittsburgh 37-16.

You can’t count out Arizona. The defending NFC Champions looked strong last week against Jacksonville, getting back to their style of play that they seemed to have abandoned in Week 1 against San Francisco. Stop the run, pressure the quarterback and score fast. They accomplished all three in Florida and now get to see Peyton and the Colts in the prime time spotlight Sunday night. A win here and the Niners should be scared.

The Seahawks, even before losing Matt Hasselbeck, didn’t look so hot. The defense was in shambles and the offense sputtered. And that was during a 28-0 WIN against the Rams. If it wasn’t for the sad display of turnovers that the Rams gave Seattle in Week 1, they might still be playing that game tied at zero. Oh wait, we can tie in the NFL…never mind. Looks like the Seahawks will most likely be golfing early this year.

And finally the Rams. Another team deserving of no analysis. So guess what? They ain’t gettin’ none. Yeah that’s right, they even deserve that double negative.

Prediction at start of season: Arizona wins division at 9-7.
Prediction after Week 2: Arizona wins division at 9-7.

The Cards will pull together. It’s early and a couple of bumps in the road tend to happen. Plus, the Niners can’t possibly keep this up…can they?

STAT OF THE WEEK: The Cardinals were 0-5 when they played in the Eastern Time Zone last year. On Sunday, they smashed Jacksonville down at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. 1-0.

So there you have it. I know nobody can completely agree with anything I typed. So I better see some comments below. Until next time, enjoy Week 3 and beyond everybody!

Sometimes as a sports fan I must admit that I can get more caught up in the off field drama than the actual games.  The Michael Vick drama, the Plaxico Burress drama and well you can fill in whatever off field drama here you choose.  This is really too bad since it was the love of the games and competition that drew me to sports as a kid.  It wasn’t how much money the athletes made or what products they endorsed, whom they were dating;  it was what they could do on the field.  It was the games stupid, this last comment is just a personal note for myself not to lose sight of the games!

This past Saturday I had a chance to watch the USC game against Washington.  What a game and what drama.  No it was not one of the greatest games I have ever watched.  I really did feel like SC was going to put things together and run away with the victory.  The very least I saw coming was a narrow Trojan victory.  It was not until the very end that I really thought the Huskies might win it.  Erik Folk kicks the field goal the upset is complete and watching the fans storm the field gave me goose bumps. 

 

You know I was watching unleashed joy because I doubt even the most faithful Washington booster could believe their eyes either.  How did this happen?  Everyone agrees that year after year the Trojans have as much talent as anyone.  Everyone agrees that Pete Carroll is a great college coach.  Washington did not win a game all of last season and their coach is in his first year of rebuilding.  This was supposed to be a moral victory game for  the Huskies and Sarkisian.  So what happened?  What could the reason be for this monumental upset?  All I can come up with is blame Will Ferrell.

I know there are a lot of people who are now analyzing Pete’s coaching style and some of his unconventional ways like having Ferrell or Snoop hanging around..  It is tough to always be analyzed so much.  Jim Tressel is too uptight and buttoned down and Pete Carroll is too loosey goosey.  The picture now is that Pete wins the big games, the bowl games and games against top ranked teams but slips up here and there against teams he should not lose to.  I feel so sad for you SC fans!  I feel it is my duty to provide some perspective for my USC football fans.  You cannot win the National Title every year.  I also must point out that despite what you like to believe, you and Pete Carroll have only won the BCS Title one year, that would be 2004.  You can, as they say look it up.  LSU has won it twice and so has Florida, USC despite popular belief has only won it once.  It just seems like you have won it more because at the end of the year your team is usually playing better than anyone and you finish the season in a romp in the Rose Bowl or some other bowl game.  I know it may not be fair but this is the system we have and the Pac Ten is one of the BCS conferences that support this system.  You have one championship.  If there was a playoff system you probably would have won it in the past and would win it more often in the future if that were the case.

I would like to finish up the SC/Washington story by giving kudos to the head coach Steve Sarkisian.  I admire any coach that comes into a messy situation and changes the culture right away.  To beat his mentor in that manor must be very gratifying.  I remember watching Steve play at El Camino College and he was unbelievable his second year there as he completed 72.4% of his passes. He then had an amazing two years at BYU.   He had a chance at the Raiders job and smartly turned it down.  He seems to be the type of guy that you cannot help but root for even if he is not the coach of your team.  I will confess right now that I am an UCLA fan and in football it has not been easy since Carroll came onto the scene.

I grew up in Iowa but even then I always rooted for UCLA, they usually lost to SC.  When I moved to California in 1982 I thought I would root for the Bruins and the Trojans.  I used to cheer for both Iowa and Iowa State, actually I would support all of the Iowa schools.  Out here I was told you had to make a choice, just like you could not root for both the Dodgers and the Angels.  I then started to root very hard against USC and what I felt was their arrogant attitude.  That all changed when I began broadcasting high school and community college games throughout the Southern California area.  How could I root against USC when so many of the kids I followed would end up there?  I lived about a half of a mile from Santa Margarita High School, could I then root against Carson Palmer?  I could not.  So now I am still a UCLA fan but I am a fan of California athletes and now that I live in Northern California I still root for the teams down south.  Having said all of that, clear your calendar for October third, game time 5pm start, USC at Cal.  It may be now or never for the Bears.

Games to look forward to, Cal at Oregon, Miami at Virginia Tech, Iowa at Penn St., and Texas Tech at Houston.  It is indeed shaping up to be a great college season.  My last note, I was glad to see Notre Dame win last week because I believe college football is better when the Irish are at least a threat than when they are terrible.  Can someone please tell me when they last heard these five words; Charlie Weis is a genius.

1. El Camino 3-0
2. Fullerton 3-0
3. Palomar 3-0
4. Saddleback 3-0
5. Cerritos 3-0
6. Mt. SAC 3-0
7. Grossmont 3-0
8. Bakersfield 3-0
9. Allen Hancock 3-0
10. LA Harbor

Others: OCC 3-0; Glendale 3-0; Pasadena 2-1; Canyons 2-1

I need my partners from SportsNetUSA.net to come to my rescue. The thoughts of the old days are trying to creep back into my mind. I can hear the voices whispering: “remember the old days”.

No, I am not talking about the professional days of past, I am not really talking college ball, I am going to the earlier years. Yeah, high school, junior high and earlier, what the heck is going on in the world of sports?

There was a time that we as a group of children would pick a bat and gloves, a football, or a basketball and go play in a pick- up game. Many of us played little league, pop warner, youth soccer, YMCA basketball and other organized youth sports during a calendar year. None of us saw scouts at our little league games; there was no coaching from an outside specialist, yet many of us had friends that moved to the next levels  of sports and excelled at each level without losing anything along the way.

But today the worm has turned, and not for the better. In Los Angeles, recruiting scandals have become such an everyday theme in high school sports that now coaches just turn their backs at the mere mention of players transferring willy nilly from one school to another. In an article in a local newspaper, the upcoming high school basketball season was being discussed and the coaches were talking about which schools were getting richer because of transferring players and which programs were coming to the end of their rope by the abandonment of players and their families. It is not only the high schools around the power house schools that are being affected, but now the evil of high powered sports bargaining is creeping towards the middle schools.

As far back as 2002, the issue of recruiting middle school players in all sports became a national issue. Brentwood Academy, a private high school is the Nashville area, felt that they had the right to send recruiters to the local middle school so they could hip pocket all the stars for their school. The state of Tennessee ruled against them but the private academy felt infringed upon and decided to take their case to court. YES I AM TALKING ABOUT JUNIOR HIGH RECRUITING and it is not just about recruiting, it is about MONEY.

That’s right, let us just spread the nickels, dollars and dimes on the table and just say it the way it is, money, greed, and power. Because of the potential money at stake - to schools, to athletes, and to the sporting industries’ broadcasters and other suppliers, no one is going to step up and flash the cue card that states: NO ENTRANCE! THIS IS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS.

So guys help me out here, Franchise, E, Title IX, Stick Boy, Pedal (sometimes arrogant) to the Metal, have I just let the secondary sports world pass me by, or am I just one of the few that sees a system that is completely out of control. All of us love sports on all different levels, and we appreciate the high school athlete and middle school athletes looking towards their next big leap. But does that next leap have to allow the pitfalls, the scourge, the slime, into the areas of sports that still played the game for what it was, a game? Maybe the next time I mention the good old days people will think twice about what I am saying.

In case you have forgotten the pit falls of high school ball he is an excerpt as a reminder: Otis took over at Dominguez in 1987, fresh out of Southern Utah State, where he had been an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference swingman during a two-year career. “Russell built his empire,” says Scott McClain, who spent four years as an assistant with the Dons during the late 1990s. “He got lucky in having some kids living around Dominguez, and he got it done with them at first.” Otis used an astringent manner to prod his team into playing fierce pressure defense, and in his second season the Dons won a CIF Southern Section title. Even so, he could do little to keep other high schools in Southern California from poaching his players.

Then, in the fall of 1993, Dominguez signed a deal to begin wearing Nike. “That changed everything,” says former Dons player Tremain Ross. Dominguez upset Oak Hill Academy, a national high school power from Mouth of Wilson, Va., at a holiday tournament in Las Vegas in December ‘94, and two years later Otis had his own deal with Nike, which supplemented his coaching salary with up to $15,000 a year. Soon he was a regular at Nike’s elite summer camp and at Michael Jordan’s jamboree in Santa Barbara. Back home, so many parents approached him about finding a place on his team for their boys that Otis put most of them off, referring their calls to school district administrators.

As many of you who come to this site know, we do a show after games on Fridays called Friday Night Mics. It is a show about multiple topics with a variety of varying opinions; yes it is very reminiscent of a holiday gathering with brothers, cousins, uncles and friends. We are loud, we step on each other’s statements and we have the tendency to disagree. But we love sports and we are all absorbed by language, so much so that we agree to disagree on the meanings of words.

Wow, sports broadcasters who choose to use words for their own benefit, using words to get their point across, spouting verbiage so others feel that maybe they’re wrong while in actuality they’re right. Yes, broadcasters love to throw out words like greatness, talented, amazing, and outstanding. Yet those words just might be used, overused or misused.

WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD THESAURUS STATES:

Talent implies a natural ability to do a certain thing and suggest that the ability has been or can be developed through training, practice, practice, practice (a talent for drawing); gift suggest a special ability that is thought of as having been given, as by nature rather than gotten through effort (a gift for making friends); aptitude implies a special ability which makes it likely that one can do a certain kind of work easily and well (no aptitude for a desk job); faculty implies a special ability or skill that is either natural or acquired (he has developed the faculty of getting along with others); knack implies an ability; gained through practice or experience, to do something easily and cleverly (the knack TITLE IX has writing poetry); genius may imply any great natural ability (he has genius for always saying the right thing), but more often suggest an extraordinary natural power to do creative original works.

So gentlemen, now that we have straightened out some of the missed used words that we or other broadcasters may use, it is time for us join each other and bring back the entertaining world of FRIDAY NIGHT MICS.

Bring your opinions (is used of a conclusion or judgment which seems true or probable to one’s own mind even though it may still be argued) to the table. There is nothing better for our listening audience to hear your view (is an opinion affected by the personal way one looks at things) and realize that whatever we say on the air we stand by our conviction (is a strong belief about whose truth one has no doubts) no matter how much persuasion (refers to a strong belief that cannot be shaken because one wishes to believe in the truth) is used to try an change our belief (refers to the acceptance by the mind of an idea, especially a doctrine or dogma that others accept). Do we oppose (implies attacking something that threatens or interferes with one) each other as often as we can and do we resist (implies defending against something that is already actively opposed to one) each other’s arguments (refers t a discussion in which there is disagreement and suggest the use of reason and bringing forth of facts to support or disprove a point)? Yes, but it is amiable and affable (both suggest friendliness) and we appreciate (implies enough understanding and judgment to see value) each other.

So make sure you join us every Friday night after a high school football game and listen to the HIGH SCHOOL ROUND Up and FRIDAY NIGHT MICS and if you are lucky you’ll hear us using the rights words with the proper definition on FRIDAY NIGHT MICS on SportsNetUSA.net for Title IX, The Big E, THE Franchise, Pedal to the Metal, I am the Buddha of BABBLE and this blog was about FRIDAY NIGHT MICS on SportsNetUSA.net.

(Let me thank WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD THESAURUS for the definitions and statements dealing with words)

This is what goes through my head during a typical day. Most people think about things that
matter on a daily basis but I tend to think about sports way too much. My questions usually don’t have answers so I’ll leave it up to readers to answer some of my questions.

Why do fans cheer for a 17 year old professional tennis player Melanie Oudin but jeer a 17 year old
basketball player Jeremy Tyler wanting to become a professional?

When did wide receivers and some other black athletes become real life versions of Stepin Fetchit?

Is there a right answer to who is the greatest football player ever?

Or even greatest at an individual position?

Who is the better athlete, Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt?

Which cellmate is better: Lawrence Phillips, Maurice Clarett or Travis Henry?

Which is the better prison running back: Phillips, Clarett or Henry?

When will the NCAA stop being hypocrites?

Why are athletes scared to be role models?

Shouldn’t Shawn Merriman be disciplined for simply dating Tila Tequila?

Is there a coach without a soapbox?

Will we ever get an honest answer from a sports personality?

Have endorsement deals clichéd sports?

Haven’t we seen better looking people than Erin Andrews?

Who would buzz in first on the Jeopardy category ‘Ethics’; Rick Pitino, John Calipari, or Al Davis?

When will we see the first gay athlete in a big 3 sports ‘come out’ while an active player?

Why is Bobby Bowden still coaching?

Would Tony Romo still be the Dallas Cowboys if he were darker skinned?

What happened to iron-man players like Chuck Bednarik?

Wouldn’t you be bitter if you were Chuck Bednarik since his last salary was $17,000 and Matt
Stafford and Matt Sanchez and other rookies get signing bonuses of $20,000,000 without playing a
down?

Do you remember when the Superstars challenge didn’t suck?

Are horses really athletes?

Who is the bigger flop: James Blake or Sergio Garcia?

Will Tiger reach 18 major titles before Sergio gets his first?

Will Federer reach 20 grand slams before Blake gets his first?

Would you rather be great for five years or simply good for ten years as a pro athlete?

Who is the better rapper, Jon Cena or Ron Artest?

Shouldn’t the travesty about college athletes be; why can’t Johnny read or speak rather than how
much money he should be paid?

When did all the Little League World Series parents completely sell-out and exploit their children?

Can you tell me who Myron Rolle is?

Shouldn’t all sports fans know who Myron Rolle is?

Why isn’t Jerry Tarkanian in the basketball Hall of Fame?

Who would you rather have: Bart Starr or Joe Montana, Larry Csonka or Brandon Jacobs, Terrell
Owens or Steve Largent, Reggie White or Deacon Jones, Mike Singletary or Dick Butkus, Dick
‘Night Train’ Lane or ‘Primetime’ Deion Sanders, Art Shell or Orlando Pace, Jack Tatum or Ronnie Lott, Ray Guy or Shane Lechler.

What happened to white cornerbacks and running backs, is it racial profiling?

Is Derek Jeter the greatest shortstop of all-time?

Is the Hispanic influence on football finally becoming recognizable as force rather than a marginalized entity?

Why do I like the Cal Bears football uniforms?

Which program has the best football uniforms?

Will the Canucks contend for the Stanley Cup in 2009-2010?

This past week we opened the community college football season on SportsNetUSA.net and in doing so I had the pleasure of interviewing the Fullerton College baseball coach Nick Fuscardo. Talking with Nick is talking to the number one booster at Fullerton College; next to Robert Jensen both gentlemen are one and two or two and one.

Nick and I talked about his beloved baseball program and we discussed the importance of sports in the world of education. The passion that Nick had in the interview made me want to forego the second half of the football game and just talk with Nick. You could just hear the love of the college in Nick’s words and you could feel his desire to take the sport’s department to the top of the mountain.

So maybe it is time to stop looking at the negative in sports. Not just the everyday negative we always hear about, but also the negative that we seek out as people in the world of media. Yes, it is easy for all of us to look at a Michael Vick and write a condemning story, or flash the written words on the actions of a Rick Pitino. It is easy for US to attack the NCAA and wonder why they do not do more to promote minorities in the areas of coaching and administrative positions in athletic departments.

We are part of that fraternity who is the keeper of the faith in sports and yet we are the fastest to find the cracks, the flaking of armor, the ooze of unfavorable decisions in our beloved world. It is now when we should pick up the sword and lead the charge in these financially troubled times and promote our sacred world, as a savior of our youth, the middle aged bulge and the memory of historic moments.

We should talk about the beloved Joe Paterno, not as a coach who has lived past his productive time, but as a coach and educator who has helped bring in over one hundred million dollars to Penn State in fundraising, or look at organizations like A COACHES GIFT whose purpose is: to assist parents in the collection of funds to be donated in the name of a coach and team to worthwhile children’s related charities such as a pediatric cancer treatment and research facility or a children’s hospital.

The amount of good that is done by sports is enormous compared to the negative that is portrayed by the media if we could just look at the positive by groups like: The Memphis Mentoring Partnership offers training, program support and resources to raise the quality of mentoring throughout Memphis and Shelby County. Founded in 1995, the mission of the Seattle Seahawks Charitable Foundation (SSCF) is to promote the healthy social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for participation in sports and fitness activities. The Tiger Woods Foundation and The PGA in general.

Can you imagine how much easier it might be for youth group organizations like Pop Warner, Little League, Youth soccer, Junior Basketball Association to go out and attract funds for their groups if the sport’s message were more positive.

Yes, we need to hear more from an Al Feola, Nick Fuscardo, Brian Crooks, people who see the positive and the benefits that sports bring to young people lives. We need to be the sacred stone that speaks to the public and celebrates the festival of the sport’s world. We know the dark side, we see it, hear it and taste it. But is there anything wrong with the right side of sports and wanting to pass it on to those who love the sport’s world as much as us?