Calipari UK Bond?

Should Memphis coach John Calipari accept the Kentucky job? I say yes! It’s being reported that UK is offering Calipari an 8 year contract worth around $35 million. That there is Nick Saban like money. Now some people might say that Calipari shouldn’t leave because Memphis has been with him for the past 10 odd years or so. He is the face of the team. Why should he leave from a place where he is already having success? Well, maybe to look for a new challenge. He coaches in the Conference USA which isn’t like the Big East or SEC. The Conference USA consists of Tulsa, University of Houston, SMU, Tulane, UCF, Marshall, and more just to name a few. The competiveness in the conference isn’t fierce and usually Memphis wins the conference every year. They’ve won the Conference regular season and tournament titles for the past 4 years now. They are the dominant team in the conference. They’re an UConn like team stuck in a bad conference. They are really a big fish in a small pond.

Some fans might say he should stay to be loyal to Memphis. Um, I felt that way until I heard Colin Cowherd’s point of view on the topic on his radio show while I was driving to school. Cowherd said along the lines that Calipari needs a new challenge. He’s a big recruiter who will bring good players to UK. If people stay at the same job forever, jobs wouldn’t be very competitive and prestigious. He also mentioned how if you stay at one job for too long, your employers will pay you less money or won’t dish out the big bucks to you if you’re loyal to them. Penn State football Coach Joe Pa, got paid $500,000 last year. Coach Paterno has been there forever (42 yrs) and he’s only making $500,000 per year. Pete Carroll at USC is making over 2 million and he’s been there for less than 10 years (but has gotten good results there too). Kirk Ferentz at Iowa in the same conference as Paterno coaches in, makes over 2 million a year and he hasn’t even won a National Title for the school where Joe Pa has given Penn State 2. Let’s not also forget that he is the winning-est coach and is getting paid below a million per year. I bet Coach Pa had many other offers at coaching somewhere else, but staying loyal to his school and program got him only below a million dollars per year. That is how Penn State treats the coach with the most wins in college football. So if you get an opportunity that’s better than what you are in now, take it before it passes you by.

I think Calipari should take the job because it will elevate his status. The Alabama football job has the same equivalent as the UK Basketball job. It’s a big job offer that many coaches wish to get in their career. For him to take the UK job won’t be surprising to me because it’s human nature for people to take better jobs. Why do people bust their butts at jobs and work hard? It is to do a good job and to get promotions or better contracts/jobs in the future. It’s already mandatory for people to work hard at the job in order to earn money to provide for yourself or the family. If you don’t work hard and do your job, you’ll get fired. But if you get a better offer from another company offering more money and benefits, you will take it unless the company you’re working for can match it…that’s if you like the company you work for already.

Well Chad Johnson is making news in a bad way. He missed voluntary workouts. This is not a big deal, but it kind of is a little big deal. Last season Palmer was injured for most of the season with a partially torn ligament and tendon in his right elbow. Palmer believes he’s ready to play football for next season opting out of having surgery to repair the elbow and letting it heal on its own, "It's 100 percent and I'm healthy and I'm happy. Had I gone the other way, I don't know when I'd be able to throw again, but it wouldn't be now."

It’s a little big deal that Johnson isn’t there because Palmer is coming back from an injury. I think it would be a good idea for both Johnson and Palmer to meet and get an early start by working on some drills throwing and catching passes to help build up Palmer’s confidence and gets his feel back. I know the young WR are at the offseason workouts which is good, but the main target for Palmer is Johnson and Coles. Johnson needs to be there to show Palmer that he is serious in winning a ring and is committed to the team. How do you think Manning and Harrison have become one of the best WR/QB duos? They worked at it with perfection. Palmer’s time is kind of running out (29, has few more good year left if remains healthy) and so is Johnson’s (31 in age). Really, Palmer has missed two seasons if you think about it. He missed the Steelers game in 2005 playoffs where he got hit low and last year with the elbow injury. He lost a chance in 2005 to take the team to its furthest potential. That was his last shot to taking the team deep in the playoffs and was the last time the Bengals had a winning season too. If Palmer was in the game, they could’ve won. They lost to the Steelers, 31 to 17.

At least this year Ocho Cinco isn’t creating a big deal where last season he wanted out from Cincy and demonstrated that by missing Bengals workouts. If this keeps up and he doesn’t call the Bengals letting him know why he was absent or any indication that he will be returning to the team by the mandatory workouts…then we have a problem. I think Johnson will be with the Bengals and they could have a decent season next year if Palmer is healthy and Johnson cooperates. With the addition of Coles and Johnson on the other side of the field lined up, Palmer has options to throw the ball with another slot option in Chris Henry. Let’s hope the defense gets better. When draft day comes and goes, we will have a better idea on what teams will be good next season and which might not.

If Jesus was Reincarnated today...

I was watching Sports Center today, and I saw an interview with Tim Tebow with a stubble/beard. After seeing him in the interview, it kind of validated my infatuation that I have for him. I will admit I’m a Tebow fan and I hope the best for his future in the NFL one day. To my point, I told my brother and sister poking in fun that if Jesus came back to life today, he would come back as Tim Tebow. Tebow is very religious man and credits his abilities and his faith in God. The guy says “God Bless” after every interview. He just doesn’t say “good bye” to you, he says “God Bless”. I started to realize this when I was listening to an interview he had on the radio in my car and then on TV interviews.

Also I’ve read that during Spring Break last year, he went to Mexico or the Philippines to help his father circumcise boys and other missionary work. Most kids usually go to Cancun for their spring break, but not Tebow. He gives his time for that one week helping kids and people. Tebow also gives speeches in state prisons inspiring change for the inmates for a better future when they get released. Tebow is aiding to change the world one person at a time in a way. For a guy to stand next to an inmate, he has guts. Anything can happen to him. “No matter where I am, if I'm preaching to Muslims or in a prison, if you're in the will of God, that's safer than driving down the interstate,” Tebow said. “That's how I feel about it. He's in control of whatever happens. I'm thinking more about their needs than my needs. They need to hear what I'm sharing, so I don't think about any sense of fear. The Lord has it under control, and he'll take care of me.” The guy does all this charity work because of his status and uses it for good because he knows he can make a big impact on people’s lives.

After that loss to Ole Miss last season, Tebow took the blame on him. He made sure that the Gators would never lose again and win the National Championship. “I just want to say one thing. To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, um, you know what, I'm sorry. I'm extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida's never done here. But I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come out of this. You have never seen any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of this season, and you'll never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season, and you'll never see a team play harder than we will the rest of this season. God bless.” Well guess what? They did win the Championship beating Oklahoma. The man has a strong faith based confidence upon him and he inspires everyone around him to be the best and to work at best of their abilities. If there was a man begging for food on the streets, Tebow would be the man who would help him when others won’t. He is a great guy that will give any NFL team a better image than they already have. I’m not saying Tebow is Jesus I want to clarify that. I’m just saying if he was with us right now he would be reincarnated as Tim Tebow.

Kraft likes Taylor

Pats owner Robert Kraft, would love to add Jason Taylor to his team’s roster for next season. Taylor also hasn’t ruled out returning to his old team the Dolphins, is still a free agent from being released by the Redskins. “I did hear that. I can't lie," Taylor said Sunday night on the red carpet of an event for the Jason Taylor Foundation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “I have not talked to Robert Kraft. We'll leave it at that. Those things will sort themselves out, and hopefully in the near future so I can get back to work.”But it's great to be wanted. It's great to be wanted. Sure, especially an organization like them or the Dolphins.”

It was the Pats who wanted Panthers DE Julius Peppers. I guess things weren’t really working out for a deal to be made. I really like Jason Taylor going to the Pats. It’s a good fit and it will give him a better chance at winning a Superbowl ring. Taylor is getting up there in age (35) and I think he wants to win one Superbowl before he leaves the game for good. I think Taylor could still play, last season he was plagued with a calf injury where his numbers dropped. He only had 3.5 sacks last season where he usually averages 10 per season and only 21 tackles usually averaging 38.5 tackles per season. So last season was not his best, but it wasn’t his fault, he wasn’t playing to his fullest potential. I also think his mind was in football mode. He was dancing last spring in Dancing with the Stars. That dancing kept him away from working out possibly and attending key football dates. So he wasn’t in full football shape. If he signs with the Pats of the Fins, he will return as a better player than what we saw him as a Redskin. Let’s remember he is a 6 time Pro Bowler.

Now putting in my two cents… In Green Bay, the Defensive Coordinator is Dom Capers who was with Taylor when he played for the Dolphins. When Taylor first got released from the Skins, my first thought was the Packers better sign him. There were some signs that made me think that way. The Packers were moving to the 3-4 defense, where Taylor was very productive in Miami and also Capers was at the helm (as D-Coordinator) who worked with Taylor. I thought he would’ve been a good fit, but I guess the Packers didn’t want to dish out the money to sign him and get him into the Packers uniform.

Relax Buffalo, it's Only Voluntary

Terrell Owens will miss voluntary workouts for the Bills. Some fans might see this as the beginning of the long year with TO on the Bills roster, but I beg to differ. Remember the workouts are only voluntary and not mandatory. He does not need to be there right now. “I talked to Coach Jauron prior to the start of the workouts about that,” Owens told reporters. “Right now if there's nothing mandatory that I have to be a part of, then I won't intend to be there.” As of right now TO will work out on his own with a personal trainer. I’ve seen the guy every year and he’s is always in shape and takes very good care of his body. From the HBO show which documented the Cowboys pre-season, Owens always worked out and showed how he was committed to keeping himself in shape and tip top condition.

The only time when I would start to get a little concerned will be when he doesn’t show up during the mandatory work outs for the Bills. During those mandatory workouts, the team starts getting the new playbooks and starts doing some drills to get into more of a football shape. It will be very bad for the Bills if TO isn’t there because TO needs to adapt to the new coaching staff, the players and QB play style. He will need to be there at those times. I think he will be there because remember this is only a one year deal with the Bills. If he does show up, he will be showing his new potential future team after this upcoming season that “I’m a reliable guy who will be there on time at camp and learn all the plays”. TO will need to be in camp in order to have a great productive season next September. If the QB and the WR aren’t on the same page, TO’s numbers will suffer, hurting his chances for more teams to sign him after next season in the free agency market.

On a brighter note and a side of Owens we don’t see often, Owens was presented an award from Alzheimer’s Association this past Wednesday. The Alzheimer's Association honored Owens for raising awareness about the fight against the disease. Owens’s grandmother Alice Black, has been affected by it and she raised Owens growing up and credits her. “My grandmother has been very, very instrumental in where I am as a person and my determination on the football field,” Owens said. It’s sad that we don’t see this side of TO often. It’s always his open minded and very opinionated side we see on TV week after week on ESPN. I didn’t know he contributed so much to the Alzheimer’s Association until I read this about him last week.

Cena on A-Rod

I’m still a wrestling fan, I’m not as crazy about it as I was younger in middle school. I still watch it on TV every Monday when there is nothing good and entertaining on. I used to watch Heroes, but there storylines became very complex and confusing like a comic book and I used to watch 24, but I got bored of the show. Let's not forget about MFN, but that won’t be back on until September when football season starts again. So I watch Monday Night Raw, there isn’t nothing wrong with that.

Now to my point...In an article WWE wrestler John Cena said that steroid user Alex Rodriguez should be out in jail. “[Steroids] are the personal choice of the athlete,” says the WWE wrestler, currently starring in the film “12 Rounds.” “And [Rodriguez] got defensive, saying he used because he felt he needed to. If there was a set of [legal] stipulations set in place, he may never have even considered it. “The government should take the initiative, and if you get caught using drugs, then you should go to jail. A criminal record will hurt your endorsements and long-term contracts.”

I like his point and agree with him in a way. If A-Rod knew ahead of time that a person could face some jail time for using PED’s, then he would’ve never had taken them in the first place. All those big endorsement deals would be taken away and he wouldn’t be able to be a marketable figure in the sport. If you’re not a marketable guy, the Yankees might not pay him as much. The Yanks will still pay him a lot of money, but the guy gets paid for his talent, skills, and his face (marketability presence). If you’re put in jail you lose some of that marketability. Many kids look up to the guy just like kids do with Derek Jeter. With A-Rod though, he’s in the public eye more than Jeter or any other player in the MLB. Let’s face it, many Yankee fans come to see the Yankees because of the tradition of being a Yankee fan and also because of the big star players. If the Yanks didn’t have the star power that they did, they would be irrelevant like the Pirates. They would be a team that would be overlooked. I mean look at the Raiders, what happened to them? They’re a team that had great tradition of winning, but now are overlooked. The same goes for the Cowboys when they had TO. TO was a marketable guy and that is why ESPN put a lot of attention on the Cowboys for the past couple of seasons and they will do the same with the Bills now. No one talked about the Bills, but they will now. I believe if players are to be put in jail for using steroids, the level of the usage will go down. Cena does have a point. You do need to establish harsh penalties in order to establish order and maintain justice for wrong doings of these steroid users.

Also in my opinion, John Cena is a big guy. I’m not saying he’s a user of steroids, but he could’ve gotten big by other methods besides using steroids. If he was using steroids, I don’t think he would’ve made these comments. I also know he played football in Springfield College and my teacher knew Cena when he was going to school to be a teacher there. He told me he was a big guy who played LB for the Springfield Pride football team. I know a few athletic trainers and they all told me that teams do give out stuff (not steroids) to help football players and athletes to get bigger. I just didn’t want anyone shooting back at me saying “how dare he suggest A-Rod should be put in jail, when he looks like a user”. I just wanted that to be clear on that.

So, are you ready for some football... Week 1 games

So the first week games are out…not all of them, but the ones that matter to us in a national audience in week 1. The first game will be a Thursday night game on September 10 with the Super Bowl Champs playing the Titans. Then the following Sunday on NBC, it will be the Packers (yes, I’m looking forward to this game) playing the Bears in the frozen tundra of Green Bay. Then finally on Monday, it will be a double header with the first game including the Bills with their new WR Terrell Owens playing the Patriots. The second game will pit the Chargers playing the Raiders.

I like the how the season will open with the Champs playing the Titans, who could’ve been playing for the Super Bowl last year. Let’s not forget that the Titans did beat the Steelers last year. Then the best game of the week in my own bias opinion will be the Packers playing the Bears. I’m a big time Packers fan, so whenever I get the chance to see them play on TV…I’m hooked onto the TV through the last commercial. Living on the East Coast, I usually see lots of Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Jets, or Patriot games. Usually I see around 3 or 4 Packer games on TV total (regular season) or more if they’re in the playoffs. So far I know I will see two Packer games on TV as they will be playing the Lions on Thanksgiving. The other match up on Thanksgiving will be the Cowboys in their new stadium playing the Raiders (yawn).

Moving onto the Monday Night Football games, I like the Bills playing the Pats. It has a great story line behind it. It’s Owens’s first game with the Bills playing the Pats with Tom Brady as their QB (hopefully) from his injury. Let’s not forget it will also be TO vs. Moss as well (ESPN might play this angle out a lot before the game is near). Then the second game on ESPN will be pitting the Chargers playing the Raiders. I like the Chargers, but not the Raiders playing in the game. There really isn’t anything intriguing about them. I would’ve loved to see the Chargers playing the Chiefs. Seeing Matt Cassel leading his new team or even the Broncos with first time head coach Josh McDaniels would be much better than seeing the Raiders play the Chargers. Will Cutler lead them or a new QB taking the helm for the Broncos? Those are intriguing story lines from those two teams who should be playing the second game on ESPN for MNF. Those two teams will get you higher ratings in my opinion. Overall, a great slate of games for the first week of the season.