It seems in sports we are always comparing players and debating the “best”. Whither it is Bird or Magic, Chamberlain or Russell, Koufax or Gibson or, in this HSSS debate, Smith or Sanders. In my opinion, Jim Brown was the best overall running back so I guess this argument will be who the best was during the 90’s or who the was best between the two; Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders. Rev, being very biased, mistakenly chose Emmitt Smith. I, on the other hand, actually chose the best RB of the two and that is Barry Sanders. Special thanks to Hoit for this HSSS suggestion.! Let us know if you have any for us and we will look into it!!
"I was always someone who led by actions, not words," Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders was never a man that gave good quotes. He was a man of very few words. He was a man that never showed much emotion. You would never see Barry Sanders spike the ball after a touchdown. His actions spoke for themselves.
Sanders was one of the most electrifying runners to ever play the game. He spent his entire pro career with the Detroit Lions (1989-1998.) Each season with the Lions, Sanders rushed for more than 1,000 yards; the first running back to do so. Sanders best year came in 1997 when he rushed for over 2,000 yards. He became only the 3rd player to reach this plateau in a single season and the first since O. J. Simpson to rush for 2,000 yards in a span of 14 consecutive games.
Barry Sanders played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1986 to 1988. He backed up All-American Thurman Thomas during his first 2 years but became the Cowboys starter his junior year once Thomas moved on to the NFL. That season has been called the greatest ever in college football history. Highlights of Sanders’ collegiate career:
*Set 34 NCAA records during his Heisman Campaign.
*Holds the college single-season rushing record with 2,628 rushing yards in 1988.
*In 1988, Sanders won the Heisman Trophy.
Sanders left for the NFL draft after his junior year and was selected by the Detroit Lions with their 1st-round pick (3rd overall) in 1989. Barry’s size while a concern was deceptive. He was too quick for defenders to hit consistently and way too strong to be brought down with arm tackles. His explosiveness and ability to reverse direction seemingly at will, often left defensive players tackling nothing but air. Sanders finished his first season 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Listed are highlights of Sanders pro career:
*15,269 career rushing yards *109 career touchdowns (99 rushing, 10 receiving) *76 100-yard rushing games *10 consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons (1989-1998) *Tied NFL record for total 1,000-yard rushing seasons *NFC Rookie of Year (1989) *2-time NFL Player of Year (1991,97) *10-time Pro Bowl selection (1989-1998) * Five-time NFC rushing leader (1989,90,94,96,97) * Four-time NFL rushing leader (1990,94,96,97) *Set NFL single-season records for most 100-yard rushing games and most consecutive 100-yard games (14 in 1997) *Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004)
At the age of 30, Sanders astonished fans when he announced his retirement from pro football. Barry left football still in his prime, having gained 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, 118 kickoff return yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving). Upon retirement, he was so close to Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. Only Payton and Emmitt Smith, who broke the record in 2002, have rushed for more yards than Sanders.
His retirement was unexpected and controversial. Just two years earlier, Sanders had renewed his contract with the Lions for $35.4 million over six years with a signing bonus of $11 million. The Lions demanded he return $7.3 million of the bonus. When Sanders refused the franchise sued, eventually winning and Sanders was ordered to pay $5.5 million plus interest over the next 3 years.
At the time of his retirement Sanders owned almost every Lions’ rushing record along with numerous all-time NFL records. However, in the argument of who is the best between Sanders and Smith, numbers are really pointless. For example, Smith gained 10,160 yards in seven years with the Cowboys, an average of 1,451 yards per season. Sanders, over eight years, gained 11,725 yards, an average of 1,466 per season. See my point? Numbers don’t show the moves and stamina. They don’t record plays that start wide right and end up on the left side with every guy in the secondary scrambling to save his job.
Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith have similarities. They both have the strong, thick legs which defied logic when they moved up and down and sideways all at the same time. Their legs changed the thinking of NFL personnel directors about RB with short stumpy bodies. Sanders and Smith proved that it is okay to be short; it just might be preferred.
"Here's what I see," Jim Brown says. "Emmitt is a great player in a great system, a system that suits him perfectly. He is a hell of a warrior, and he fits into the Dallas scheme better than anybody.” "I don't think Barry's ever been used properly, but that's a different story. If I had my pick of anybody in the league, and I was picking in terms of talent -- maybe not even winning and losing games, but just pure talent -- I'd take Barry. He's the most talented running back in the NFL."
Sanders' rare abilities go well beyond cerebral explanation. The human form just wasn’t meant to cope with endless runs on artificial turf, with stops so hard and fast the skin tears from underneath his toenails, turns so quick tendons and cartilage are expected to fly out of his knee and into the face of the defender. There is no explanation for the manner in which the upper half of his body charges along in one direction while the lower half whirls off in another. “Sander's body seems to change form when needed -- solid to liquid, liquid to gas.”
Gale Sayers, who played for the Chicago Bears and who is consider by some to be the best running back of all time was asked to compare Sanders with Smith. "I wish Barry had a better line to run behind. I'd like to see what would happen then. Many times when you see him, he's making moves behind the line of scrimmage, trying to get away. A lot of times Emmitt isn't touched until he's five yards past the line. When Barry's five yards into the secondary, he's gone. People talk about whether Barry can gain 2,000 yards in a season. Well, if he had Dallas' line, we'd be asking how many years he'd be gaining 2,000 yards. Look at his stats now: He's gaining 1,500 or 1,600 yards anyway. I think Emmitt is a good second-effort runner, a strong runner, but I go with Barry."
Emmitt Smith had an all pro offensive line with 2 potential Hall of Famers. Payton had one of the best as well in 1984. Barry Sanders had none. Emmitt Smith played with a hall of fame QB and WR Barry Sanders did not. Emmitt Smith didn’t have to carry his team’s burden. Barry Sanders did. He was all Detroit had. The fact that Sanders accomplished all that he did with the minimal support that he had is absolutely astonishing.
Every time Barry Sanders touched the ball, he was a threat to score. That cannot be said of Emmitt Smith. Smith benefited more from his surroundings than any of the all time rushers. Put him in a Lions uniform and you get very little. Put Sanders in a Cowboys' uniform and it’s scary. This is how I always compare great players. If they switched teams would they still be as dominate? Emmitt Smith would not. Barry Sanders would.
"Without free speech no search for truth is possible... no discovery of truth is useful... Better a thousand fold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. The abuse dies in a day, but the denial slays the life of the people, and entombs the hope of the race."
Charles BRADLAUGH British social reformer (1833-1891)
On August 1st minor league baseball took being politically correct to the field. The Lowell Spinners and the Brooklyn Cyclones played what some are calling the first ever P.C. baseball game. In the spirit of P.C.-ness, different positions were renamed. First, second and third basemen became “basepersons,” the batboy was a “batperson,” and perhaps the strangest of all, the shortstop was renamed to the “vertically challenged stop.” Errors were not announced to the fans so that the player who committed them would not be offended. Although losing could have given one of the teams a complex, the score was kept and Brooklyn won this odd game, 9-5.
I do believe one should censor themselves but the problem with the culture of P.C. or being political correct, is that it browbeats the general public into accepting certain judgments, values and opinions. Our society embraces these to the point of sacrificing an individual’s right of expression. This leads to contempt, malevolence, and hatred for anyone displaying an unpopular belief. Many deny themselves their freedom of speech for fear of humiliation, fear of appearing ignorant, and even fear of retaliation.
Several months ago shock jock, Don Imus, was fired because he referred to the Rutger Women’s basketball team as “nappy headed ####’s.” Now he faces a libel, slander and defamation lawsuit from Kia Vaughn, the star center for the women’s basketball squad. Please do not leave me messages accusing me of siding with Imus, I am not. His words were deplorable and he had a responsibility as a public figure to censor himself. However, freedom of speech means that an individual has rights to individual liberties. That liberty includes both the accepted and unaccepted of #### or written expression. This subsumes even bigoted speech no matter how repulsive you or I might find it.
We all know that the old saying, “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile” is very true. Let’s say for arguments sake that Vaughn wins her lawsuit. Now I want you to look to the future. During an NBA game one of the players takes his time getting down the floor to play defense – not a vision that is too hard to picture. One of the sports announcers spots this and says the player is slacking and lazy, hurting his team. Afterwards that “lazy” player finds out about the commentators remarks. Claiming the announcer hurt his chances of signing a major contract with someone like Nike for fitness wear, the player sues the announcer and the station carrying the game. And you know what? Using the Imus case as precedent, he will win. It is now coming to the point that any sport’s personality needs the advice of a lawyer before making any comment about a player, team or franchise. Other examples include Rush Limbaugh and John Rocker. Both made stupid remarks which were politically incorrect and both ended up losing their jobs due to this stupidity.
Many more sports figures have lost their job, been suspended or fined for exercising their freedom of speech. Many terms can be labeled as politically incorrect. I wonder which are P.C. and which are not. Who are the members of the “thought police” that make this determination and how do you join? One of the qualifications of being Politically Correct is that you must not only have correct thoughts at all times, you must also condemn those who display incorrect thoughts.
Team mascots are certainly not off limits to the searching eyes of the “thought-police.” The University of Illinois caved to political pressure and booted their mascot of 81 years. Will others soon follow suit for fear of being ostracized from the ranks of the Politically Correct? Will fear of economic consequences finally push owners to change the names of mascots that have represented them for what is for some, a lifetime?
Maybe we should do some good and help a few of these owners. I’m listing the names of each team in the MLB, NFL and NBA. I ask of you to come up with new names; names that are politically correct. Because this is my blog ;) , I will serve as the “thought police” and decide which are P.C. and which are not. As squads are renamed, I will add the new mascot beside the old along with the name of the clever person who thought of the P.C. mascot. Once a team has been renamed no other names will be taken for that particular one….no matter how brilliant they might be!
Do you find this silly? I hope you do. I also hope you find it a little disturbing. It is not only the liberties of Don Imus and others like him that I am debating for; it is for you. I fight for your right to agree with this piece but most importantly, I fight for your right to disagree and voice that opinion.
It does seem that mothers have now changed the old rhyme told to us long ago to Sticks and Stones may break my bones but call me names and I’ll sue you for millions.
MLB
Arizona Diamondbacks - Avsfreak24 thinks this mascot should be changed to; Arizona Golddiggers
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Colorado Rockies - Apparently Rev agrees with me about Freedom of Speech. This is from him; Colorado Stoners
Cincinnati Reds
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
New York Mets - I thought this was funny. It also comes from AvsFreak24; New York Stepchildren
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
Anaheim Angels
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees - Once again AvsFreak24 has a suggestion; New York Bankees
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
NFL
Arizona Cardinals - From SwackDaddy; Arizona Roadrunners....The Cardinal is not indigunous to AZ, and They Have no passing game.
Atlanta Falcons - Practicing his FREEDOM of SPEECH, this one comes from Reverend Rhythm; Atlanta Dog-Executioners...I think this speaks for itself!
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills - Another good one from SwackDaddy; The Buffilo Williams
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers - SwackDaddy strikes again!The Fudge Packersrofl
Houston Texans - Yet another name speaking against all P.C. comes from the Reverend; Houston BorderCrossers
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders - dehbashi suggested this one; Oakland Jailers
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers - Socratesofswat came up with this for my beloved Steelers; Pittsburgh BOOTY HUNTERS
San Diego Chargers
San Francisco 49ers - My favorite from Rev (although his "thought police" might arrest him!!); San Francisco (well, you know)
Seattle Seahawks
St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins - Suggested by bafongu; Washington Mocaskins
Around this time every year we, the fans, know it is time for pro-football when we hear Hank Williams, Jr. sing “Are You Ready for Some Football.” Apparently Hank is serenading the wrong crowd! He should aim his vocals towards the rookies drafted by the NFL months ago but who have yet to step foot on the field. Until recently approximately 20% of the first round draft picks had not signed their contracts. For a league as well run and as well respected as the NFL, this is absolutely ridiculous! It is time the NFL takes some advice from the NBA and enforces strict salary caps. Rev will try to persuade you this is a bad thing but I have listed just a few reasons enforcing a salary cap like that of the NBA would be good for the NFL.
ROOKIE HOLD_OUTS:
The Oakland Raiders knew long ago they would draft JaMarcus Russell as the #1 overall pick. The draft occurred back in April and Russell has yet to ink the agreement. Why? MONEY! Russell is holding out for more money. He is holding out for guarantees even though he hasn’t suited up for one game. Others that held out for bigger contracts include Calvin Johnson, Levi Brown, Darrelle Revis, Brady Quinn, Dewayne Bowe, and John Beason. A strict salary cap would all but eliminate rookie hold-outs.
DRAFT FOR NEED RATHER THAN AFFORDABILITY:
The top picks are eating away larger and larger portions of their prospective team’s salary. This leaves less for resigning veterans or adding free agents. The draft is supposed to assist the bottom teams from the previous year however it has become more o####amble than an investment. Remember Ryan Leaf? Russell could be signing what will be the largest contract in the history of the Oakland Raider’s. It is reported to be around $60 million dollars with $30 million of it guaranteed. If he turns out to be another “Leaf” the Raiders will have their hands tied for the next several years and efforts to better the team will be close to impossible. Russell is justifying this huge amount because it is a percentage increase from last years #1 draft pick. If future rookies continue to follow this logic by 2008 the overall #1 pick will be expecting $65 million and in 2015 the “chosen one” will be earning $100 million dollars! Teams would never be able to draft according to need but would have to try to improve the squad with who they can afford.
ROOKIES WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THEIR WORTH:
How many teams have invested huge lumps of money towards their futures only to have their choices bomb? The Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf as the #2 pick overall. Tim Couch was drafted #1 overall by the Cleveland Browns. Both teams gambled millions of dollars only to lose. Neither Leaf nor Couch ever lived up to their huge salaries and those teams are still paying for their mistakes. The Browns have never been able to overcome the drafting of Couch. Some rookies start out making more than many of veteran players will receive during their entire career without having stepped one foot on the field. The salary cap would make rookies prove themselves for the first couple of years thereby preventing hold-outs and the gambles teams are forced to make.
GOOD FOR OWNERS, VETERAN PLAYERS AND COACHES:
General Managers and Coaches have to have control of the money in order to build their teams and complete the roster. The more control they have over the money, the more creative they can be in building towards the future. Owners would no longer be taking a big gamble with their team’s futures by signing an untested player and overloading their future salary cap. As it stands now, owners must debate with greedy agents rather than know exactly what they would be spending. This takes the control of one’s team completely out of their hands and ultimately out of the hands of the coach. Only a few players take up the bulk of the salary cap and these are often recently drafted rookies rather than proven veterans. This makes no sense. Proven veteran players should be taken care of first and foremost. Agents would, of course, object to a strict salary cap because they would no longer be able to use kids just out of college to fatten their pocket and egos.
Huge rookie contracts should not be the norm for the NFL but they are. Because more and more rookies cannot come to an agreement on their contracts, more and more are reporting late for training camp. The NFL should give the NBA a call. Greg Oden signed with the Portland Trail Blazers almost immediately because the pro basketball league dictates how much money each rookie will make. Oden will start out at around #4 million a year. Unlike Russell, Oden will not be the highest paid player in the NBA; this is saved for the veterans of the game. There are no hold-outs or heated debates about money. The rookie player can focus on his new career as a pro.
I am not saying that players like JaMarcus Russell don’t deserve to get rich, but his pay demonstrates just how seriously insane the salary structure is of the NFL. The salary cap should remain at the same level with a smaller slice going to rookies and the bigger portion awarded to proven veterans; in other words, a strict rookie salary cap. In a few years Russell just might be worth the $30 million dollar payday. Until then, the NFL needs to reserve that kind of money for the players that have proven their worth on the field. The NFL might be the top sport in the country but would someone tell them to put the lid down before they flush more money down the toilet!
I was running blindly, in a panic….searching for something but didn’t know what. My heart was filled with sadness as I ran towards nothing yet feeling something important behind me; something I could never turn back towards. Suddenly, there was what I was looking for. I knew it as soon as I lay eyes on it. It was a sports’ arena. As I entered, the scenes changed before my very eyes - one minute it was a gym, the next a baseball diamond and then a football field. There was destruction in each; cobwebs and dust filled the air and clouded my vision as I looked around. There were tattered banners hanging from the rafters while moonlight shone through giant holes in the ceiling. Goals and scoreboards lay shattered and broken. Bleachers were lop-sided with many completely missing. Sounds from the past were deafening in the stillness consuming me. I was surrounded by ghosts; of fans who once believed in the game, coaches screaming change-ups in their D from sidelines long gone, and players who played their sports for the pure love they felt for the game. They whispered to me, “We were the WildCats, the Steelers, the Celtics. We were the Gators, the Yankees, the Bulls. We were all sports. We exist no more.” As I began to weep, I realized I was standing in a cemetery, a cemetery of sports that was, sports that is and sports that will never be.
When I awoke, I was sitting straight up in bed with real tears streaming down my face. I looked around and knew I was safe. “It was only a dream,” I told myself. “Only a dream.” …really?
There are those that predict a future without sports. With all the scandals surrounding sports they just might have a point. Are fans getting to the point they don’t care anymore or are indifferent to cheating which is infiltrating every single sport? If the numbers of the last NBA playoff games are any indication of what is happening with the fan base then the future of sports looks bleak. During game 1 of the Cleveland Cavs VS the Spurs the 6.3 rating amounted to a 19% drop from last year, setting a record low for an NBA Finals opening game in primetime. Game 2 faired no better as the earned a 5.6 national rating and a 10 share Sunday night. They sank 30% from numbers of 8.0 and a 14 draw in the finals of the previous year.
What’s going on and what is the mentality of the sports’ fan? Let’s take a look at the different areas of cheating and different outlooks of fans.
* Built up a tolerance to cheating: We have athletes who are ####s, murderers, drug dealers, addicts – cheating just doesn’t seem that bad anymore. Who cares!! All of this happens in every aspect of life. We are taught from an early age that if you see something you want, GO FOR IT!! And if genetics stands in the way of your success…cheat. Win at all costs. Isn’t this what society tells us to do? Do the majority of fans care if Bonds is taking steroids? No! They pay to see him hit homeruns. What goes on between the lines will make you forget what happens outside the lines.
* Cheating has always been around. It is just a part of sports: Yes, cheating is a part of human nature. Everyone wants to get a head of the “Jones” and to have their slice of the American Dream. If someone offered a janitor a way to become the boss and make millions and all it took for him was a little pill. What do you think he would do? When people see a way, they will take advantage. We Americans love a shot-cut to the top. Taking HGH could make a difference between being a practice dummy and making millions per year. Athletes have million-dollar incentives to cheat and scientist readily available to help them beat drug screens. Sports will never be drug-free. Athletic endowments far out way humanity. How many of our records are held by players who cheated? Will we ever know? Do we REALLY want to?
*Head in the sand – if we don’t see it then it doesn’t exist: Why care if the game is decided by forces we cannot see? Fans watch sports to be entertained. If this is so, why make a distinction between athletes who do or who do not use drugs? Roids mean more balls knocked out of the park. Now THAT’S entertainment!!
*So many ways to influence the outcome o####ame: Sometimes it isn’t about winning or losing, it is about the point spread. Players, coaches, the media, game officials and boosters can make things happen…things we may never discover. Let me ask you a question. If you are a member seeding the NCAA college basketball championship, would a teams’ fan base play a factor in your decision? Of course it would! Neither you nor the media want to show a game with very few fans in the stands!
*All cheating is not equal: There’s real cheating and then there’s “dirty” play. For example, stepping on a player’s foot during their lay-up is cheating but would be considered dirty. After all, isn’t that the Ref’s job? In former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian's 2005 memoir, Runnin' Rebel, he wrote, "In major college basketball, nine out of 10 teams break the rules. The other one is in last place." We live in a world of “What have you done for me lately.” Winning means bigger and better contracts….losing means finding a new job.
*Does “Best Recruiter” = “Best Cheater?”:The NCAA's Division I Manual is 427 pages long, very complicated, and yet still inadequate at controlling the recruiting scene. "Believe me," said one current D-I assistant who requested anonymity, "Coaches will talk publicly about the rules being excessive and hard to understand, but all the good ones are fully aware of how to exploit every loophole in the book." There is a thin line between cheating and not cheating. I have listed five examples from college basketball below:
1a) CHEATING: Excessive phone calls to recruits.
1b) NOT CHEATING (yet): Sending excessive text messages to recruits.
2a) CHEATING: Lining up outside employment for a family member of a recruit.
2b) NOT CHEATING: Hiring a family member of a recruit for a job within the basketball program.
3a) CHEATING: Providing improper benefits to high-school coaches of a recruit.
3b) NOT CHEATING: Paying high-school coaches of recruits to speak at a university's summer camps.
4a) CHEATING: Head coaches running mandatory summer workouts -- or being present at voluntary summer workouts.
4b) NOT CHEATING: Having an office in the school's basketball complex that happens to overlook or is adjacent to the practice court where off-season workouts are held.
5a) CHEATING/AGAINST NCAA RULES: Putting recruits through shady prep schools to raise their GPAs and thus gain NCAA eligibility.
5b) NOT CHEATING: Getting recruits designated as "learning disabled," thus exempting them from the core-class limits at prep schools.
Cheating is blind to race, age, sex and sport. Yes, it happens in all sports and all age groups. Are the fans to blame? To some degree, YES. Until fans stop watching sports because of the scandals, players will continue to do anything to get that competitive edge, legal or otherwise. After all the screaming and all the negative press about Barry Bonds, MLB has suffered no consequences from the scandal. If we really knew all of the cheating that has happened, is happening and will happen sports would be crippled. Fans are either immune to the cheating or just don’t care anymore.
The only people that have the power to change our tolerance to the wrong doings in sports are the fans. So far, there has nothing been done by the fan to prove to me they care. I sadly have concluded fans no longer care about cheating in sports as long as they are entertained. This has gone as far back as the Gladiators – win at all costs. I am afraid the cost will be high and my dream will one day become reality.
"The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road; long before I dance under those lights."
Muhammad Ali
This time on "HE SAID, SHE SAID" Rev and I debate the following...
With all the negativity surrounding professional sports, is it worth our while as fans to continue to watch and support the teams and players?
Being a rabid sport’s fan, it is very disheartening when a story like the Michael Vick incident takes over today’s headlines. Professional sports is certainly taking its hits with the NBA referee scandal evolving into a horrible situation ranking right along side with the consistent testimonies involving steroid use in Major League Baseball.
However, this is one gal that has not given up on professional sports just yet. Here is why.... For every Pacman Jones there are twenty Peyton Mannings or for every Barry Bonds there are twenty Derek Jeter types representing their respected sports with the highest professionalism and class.
Now I’m not dissing the sports networks for their twenty-four hour coverage of these important yet negative stories. BUT, it does seem it is the only news reported in the world of sports. Apparently controversy draws viewers and numbers is what it is all about with any network. Please keep us informed, but don’t keep beating a dead horse (or dog – forgive the terrible pun.) The sad truth is no matter the network, be it sports or news, negative will outdraw positive almost every time. What does this say about our society as a whole? I don’t think I want to know the answer.
I hope this article will cause you to at least remember that the majority of professional athletes are solid, well perceived human beings. Don’t allow a few thugs to rob you of precious memories; memories such as mine including The Steel Curtain, The Big Red Machine or Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Memories I have carried with me, shared with my children and plan to one day share with my grandchildren.
When I watch a pro-football game on a Fall Sunday afternoon, I know I am watching the best in the world at their profession and the quality of the game is superb. When I see Peyton Manning change a play while at the line of scrimmage and then hit Marvin Harrison on a dead sprint in the corner of the end-zone, I know I have witnessed perfection. And guess what?? Michael Vick never even crosses my mind!! Yes, his is a story that needs to be told but let’s not forget…it’s not the only story. One bad apple really doesn’t spoil the whole bunch. All you have to do is throw it away and enjoy the rest.
*Note - "He Said She Said" is starting a suggestion box. If there is a topic you would like for us to debate just let me or Rev know. Leave your idea here or on Rev's blog. We will be happy to take a look at it!!
Today is my partner on "He Said, She Said" and one of my favorite people on or off this blog's birthday! Happy Birthday Reverend Rhythm!! I hope you have had a great day and are blessed with many many more!
You have brought all of us a lot of laughs so I found a little something I thought you would find funny! Lova ya darlin!!!
"Being with a woman never hurt no professional ball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in." - Casey Stengel
Abstinence the night before a sporting event is preached by many coaches and practiced by some athletes. It has long been believed that sex before any competition zaps one’s energy while no hanky-panky can build up aggression. There are some examples that seem to prove this theory. Muhammad Ali abstained from sex for six weeks before climbing into the ring. Rickson Gracie refused to do the “mess-a-round” for at least 2 weeks before his bouts. Champion race horses are virgins until retirement when they are sent out to stud. Even Mickey, Rocky Balboa’s trainer said, “Women weaken the legs.”
But does sex the night before the big game really have any negative impact on the athlete? According to scientists, the answer is NO! There is simply no evidence to support this myth. In fact, there are studies that show pre-sports whoopee may actually raise testosterone levels. Emmanuele A. Jannini of the University of L'Aquila in Italy is a professor of endocrinology, the study of bodily secretions. After studying the effects of sex on the performance of an athlete, Jannini found that sex in fact boosts aggression by stimulating the production of testosterone. "After three months without sex, which is not so uncommon for some athletes, testosterone dramatically drops to levels close to children's levels," he said. "Do you think this may be useful for a boxer?"
The news gets even better for the ladies! Barry Komisaruk, a psychology professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey says women who are sexually active produce a powerful pain-blocking effect which can combat muscle pain and other sport’s related injuries. "At least one of the mechanisms by which [sex] blocks pain is that it blocks the release of [a neuropeptide called] substance P, which is a pain transmitter," he said. The block can last up to 24 hours!
Maybe coaches use this line to make sure their athletes get the rest they need before the sporting event. But, come on…..even a great “roll in the hay” doesn’t burn THAT many calories so how tired could you be? I think it is just like anything else; use common sense!! If your body needs the rest then voedee-oh-doe early! Otherwise, unless you are a race horse, BLANK your brains out and you will still be good to go the next day!! Now, if you will excuse me, I have a basketball game tomorrow! ;)
I was a sophomore in college in 1983. My then future husband was playing a college baseball game and while I loved to watch him play, I was extremely anxious for his game to be over. The reason….another game was about to begin, the “Dream Game.” The University of Kentucky WildCats was to face-off with The University of Louisville Cardinals for the first time in 24 years. Some say the 2 teams had not played a regular season game since 1922 due to UK’s rule forbidding play against state teams. Others will tell you for the years between 1959 and 1983 these neighboring cities never played each other because of Adolph Rupp’s hatred for Louisville and his arrogance of his school’s border-to-border supremacy. Under Coach Denny Crum the Cardinals became a national power in the 1980s. In 1983 the NCAA Tournament seeding renewed the rivalry when they matched UK and U of L in a regional final.
The game took place in Nashville so you can imagine the fans traveling the short distance from Kentucky to fill Stokely Athletics Center. A crowd of approximately 12,489 created a sea of blue and red. There were no empty seats and people were standing in the corridors and in the tunnels. There was much more at stake than a trip to the Final Four. Everyone knew it; the entire country could feel it….there was pure hatred in the air.
I am always emotional when my WildCats play however this game was just off the charts. UK took the early lead but the Cardinals came back in the second half and with 8 seconds left to go in the game U of L’s Gordon banked in a shot giving Louisville a 62-60 lead. With precious seconds left, UK pushed the ball down the court, passed it to Jim Masters who hit a 12-footer that sent the game into overtime.
I was exhausted!! Something just hadn’t been right the entire game and I had no idea what it could be! I was thankful for the second chance overtime would bring and positive we would get out act together and send Louisville home. I was wrong. The Cardinals outscored my WildCats 18-6 in overtime en route to an 80-68 thrashing that sent the Cards to the Final Four.
I don’t think I can name all the emotions rushing through my body at that time. Anger, confusion, disbelief…..did I say anger? Oh, yes, I did but it should be mentioned again….ANGER!!
I had of course gotten over that game and had forgiven all. It might be because Kentucky leads the all-time series with Louisville, 25-12. And then this happened; while catching up on my WildCat news I came across an article about former UK point guard, Dirk Minniefield. He confessed that he and some of his teammates spent the night before the “Dream Game” smoking marijuana. Speaking to an NBA-sponsored camp for high school players Minniefield said, "After we smoked, I didn't give a (hoot). I went to my room and smoked some more." During the game with UK holding to a lead in the final moments, Minniefield had a chance to score a basket and clinch the lead. The awkward shot was weak and deflected by the Cards’ center, Charles Jones. "I don't know if the marijuana had an impact. I'm not a doctor. Being a player, I'm going to say that (it did)." This so-called athlete admits he was a habitual user of not only marijuana but cocaine as well. "For me, it was a normal run-of-the-mill thing to do," Minniefield said. "I'd been smoking pot since I was 14. It was just another thing in the life of Dirk."
My anger has now turned to rage. Dirk Minniefield is an embarrassment not only to the University of Kentucky athletic program but to all college athletics. Why would any 16 or 17 year old teenager want to hear anything Minniefield thinks or has to say?
I am pissed-off at former screw-ups spending their later careers advising youngsters on how they should behave and live their lives. How about this novel idea; have the inspirational speakers truly be INSPIRATIONAL. Invite former athletic greats who did things the right way. For every loser like Dirk Minniefield there are hundreds of Kyle Macys, Steve Alfords, and Patrick Ewings, who played the game at the highest level and represented their teams and schools with class and elite sportsmanship. They are the kinds of athletes I want to influence my children.
Minniefield took up a scholarship, was given a free college education that thousands of Kentucky teenagers can only dream about. I think back to the 1992 Kentucky basketball team and how hard they played the game and the respect they continue to receive from UK fans. Don’t EVEN list Minniefield’s name in the same annuals as these great young men. What Minniefield did is unforgivable and how he is now using it to further his career is pathetic. Stay out of my town…as a matter of fact; get the hell out of my state!
Andrew Jackson Lummus, Jr. was the only son of Laura Francis and Andrew Jackson Lummus. He was born on a cotton farm in northeast Texas on October 22, 1915. From 1931 to 1934, Jack attended Ennis High School where he excelled in football and track.
After participating in a New York Giants’ training camp, Lummus was one of 30 making the cut. Wearing number 29 he signed as a free agent making $100 a month. Lummus played in 9 games as a rookie end. The Giants were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers when the following message came across the ticker in the press box from the Associated Press; "Airplanes identified as Japanese have attacked the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor." It was December 7, 1941. The players knew nothing of the attack and continued to play the game.
Lummus gave up his professional career in football to become an officer for the United States Marine Corps. On D-Day plus 17, Jack led the 3rd Platoon to support 2nd Battalion against the Japanese enemy forces in the Volcano Islands of Iowa Jima. He spearheaded the drive from morning to early afternoon when they suddenly came under heavy enemy fire from concealed concrete pillboxes. Jack surveyed the terrain and moved out ahead of his platoon.With no cover the impact from an enemy grenade knocked Jack to the ground. Jumping to his feet he reached the enemy pillbox and shoved fragmentation grenades through the opening. When the grenades exploded smoke and debris poured from the openings exposing Jack to a supporting pillbox. The second enemy grenade knocked Lummus off his feet while shrapnel ripped through his shoulder. Despite the painful injuries Jack jumped back up, raced to the second pillbox and killed the enemy hiding within.
Lummus returned to his men encouraging them to advance. He was a true leader and the men followed until once again meeting enemy fire from within a 3rd pillbox. Showing no fear, Jack charged killing the enemy allowing his troops to advance. He continued to lead his troops attacking and killing the enemy along the way when he suddenly stepped on a landmine. Even mortally wounded Jack raised his upper body shouting to his men, “don’t stop now, keep going!” This sight inspired Lummus’ men and filled them with rage which enabled them to fight against impossible odds, breaking through enemy lines and reaching their objective.
A Navy corpsman came to Jack’s aid and work quickly to slow the bleeding. The stretcher he was placed upon passed the 2nd Battalion. Several members followed the stretcher to the Aid Station. Jack was pale from shock and his eyes were closed. Dr. Thomas M. Brown gave him emergency treatment before transferring him to the 5t
words. He was a man that never showed much emotion. You would never see Barry Sanders spike the ball after a touchdown. His actions spoke for themselves.
Lions with their 1st-round pick (3rd overall) in 1989. Barry’s size while a concern was deceptive. He was too quick for defenders to hit consistently and way too strong to be brought down with arm tackles. His explosiveness and ability to reverse direction seemingly at will, often left defensive players tackling nothing but air. Sanders finished his first season 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Listed are highlights of Sanders pro career: 
yards, 2,921 receiving yards, 118 kickoff return yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving). Upon retirement, he was so close to Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. Only Payton and Emmitt Smith, who broke the record in 2002, have rushed for more yards than Sanders.
scheme better than anybody.” "I don't think Barry's ever been used properly, but that's a different story. If I had my pick of anybody in the league, and I was picking in terms of talent -- maybe not even winning and losing games, but just pure talent -- I'd take Barry. He's the most talented running back in the NFL."
with a hall of fame QB and WR Barry Sanders did not. Emmitt Smith didn’t have to carry his team’s burden. Barry Sanders did. He was all Detroit had. The fact that Sanders accomplished all that he did with the minimal support that he had is absolutely astonishing.
Rutger Women’s basketball team as “nappy headed 
down the floor to play defense – not a vision that is too hard to picture. One of the sports announcers spots this and says the player is slacking and lazy, hurting his team. Afterwards that “lazy” player finds out about the commentators remarks. Claiming the announcer hurt his chances of signing a major contract with someone like Nike for fitness wear, the player sues the announcer and the station carrying the game. And you know what? Using the Imus case as precedent, he will win. It is now coming to the point that any sport’s personality needs the advice of a lawyer before making any comment about a player, team or franchise. Other examples include Rush Limbaugh and John Rocker. Both made stupid remarks which were politically incorrect and both ended up losing their jobs due to this stupidity.
police.” The University of Illinois caved to political pressure and booted their mascot of 81 years. Will others soon follow suit for fear of being ostracized from the ranks of the Politically Correct? Will fear of economic consequences finally push owners to change the names of mascots that have represented them for what is for some, a lifetime?
not only the liberties of Don Imus and others like him that I am debating for; it is for you. I fight for your right to agree with this piece but most importantly, I fight for your right to disagree and voice that opinion.
Hank is serenading the wrong crowd! He should aim his vocals towards the rookies drafted by the NFL months ago but who have yet to step foot on the field. Until recently approximately 20% of the first round draft picks had not signed their contracts. For a league as well run and as well respected as the NFL, this is absolutely ridiculous! It is time the NFL takes some advice from the NBA and enforces strict salary caps. Rev will try to persuade you this is a bad thing but I have listed just a few reasons enforcing a salary cap like that of the NBA would be good for the NFL.
draft is supposed to assist the bottom teams from the previous year however it has become more o
have their choices bomb? The Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf as the #2 pick overall. Tim Couch was drafted #1 overall by the Cleveland Browns. Both teams gambled millions of dollars only to lose. Neither Leaf nor Couch ever lived up to their huge salaries and those teams are still paying for their mistakes. The Browns have never been able to overcome the drafting of Couch. Some rookies start out making more than many of veteran players will receive during their entire career without having stepped one foot on the field. The salary cap would make rookies prove themselves for the first couple of years thereby preventing hold-outs and the gambles teams are forced to make. 
more and more rookies cannot come to an agreement on their contracts, more and more are reporting late for training camp. The NFL should give the NBA a call. Greg Oden signed with the Portland Trail Blazers almost immediately because the pro basketball league dictates how much money each rookie will make. Oden will start out at around #4 million a year. Unlike Russell, Oden will not be the highest paid player in the NBA; this is saved for the veterans of the game. There are no hold-outs or heated debates about money. The rookie player can focus on his new career as a pro. 
pay demonstrates just how seriously insane the salary structure is of the NFL. The salary cap should remain at the same level with a smaller slice going to rookies and the bigger portion awarded to proven veterans; in other words, a strict rookie salary cap. In a few years Russell just might be worth the $30 million dollar payday. Until then, the NFL needs to reserve that kind of money for the players that have proven their worth on the field. The NFL might be the top sport in the country but would someone tell them to put the lid down before they flush more money down the toilet!
the gym, and out there on the road; long before I dance under those lights."
Barry Bonds there are twenty Derek Jeter types representing their respected sports with the highest professionalism and class. 
carried with me, shared with my children and plan to one day share with my grandchildren. 
is a story that needs to be told but let’s not forget…it’s not the only story. One bad apple really doesn’t spoil the whole bunch. All you have to do is throw it away and enjoy the rest. 
"Being with a woman never hurt no professional ball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in." - Casey Stengel 
practiced by some athletes. It has long been believed that sex before any competition zaps one’s energy while no hanky-panky can build up aggression. There are some examples that seem to prove this theory. Muhammad Ali abstained from sex for six weeks before climbing into the ring. Rickson Gracie refused to do the “mess-a-round” for at least 2 weeks before his bouts. Champion race horses are virgins until retirement when they are sent out to stud. Even Mickey, Rocky Balboa’s trainer said, “Women weaken the legs.”
athlete? According to scientists, the answer is NO! There is simply no evidence to support this myth. In fact, there are studies that show pre-sports whoopee may actually raise testosterone levels. Emmanuele A. Jannini of the University of L'Aquila in Italy is a professor of endocrinology, the study of bodily secretions. After studying the effects of sex on the performance of an athlete, Jannini found that sex in fact boosts aggression by stimulating the production of testosterone. "After three months without sex, which is not so uncommon for some athletes, testosterone dramatically drops to levels close to children's levels," he said. "Do you think this may be useful for a boxer?"
professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey says women who are sexually active produce a powerful pain-blocking effect which can combat muscle pain and other sport’s related injuries. "At least one of the mechanisms by which [sex] blocks pain is that it blocks the release of [a neuropeptide called] substance P, which is a pain transmitter," he said. The block can last up to 24 hours!
before the sporting event. But, come on…..even a great “roll in the hay” doesn’t burn THAT many calories so how tired could you be? I think it is just like anything else; use common sense!! If your body needs the rest then voedee-oh-doe early! Otherwise, unless you are a race horse, BLANK your brains out and you will still be good to go the next day!! Now, if you will excuse me, I have a basketball game tomorrow! ;)
The University of Louisville Cardinals for the first time in 24 years. Some say the 2 teams had not played a regular season game since 1922 due to UK’s rule forbidding play against state teams. Others will tell you for the years between 1959 and 1983 these neighboring cities never played each other because of Adolph Rupp’s hatred for Louisville and his arrogance of his school’s border-to-border supremacy. Under Coach Denny Crum the Cardinals became a national power in the 1980s. In 1983 the NCAA Tournament seeding renewed the rivalry when they matched UK and U of L in a regional final.
were standing in the corridors and in the tunnels. There was much more at stake than a trip to the Final Four. Everyone knew it; the entire country could feel it….there was pure hatred in the air.
idea what it could be! I was thankful for the second chance overtime would bring and positive we would get out act together and send Louisville home. I was wrong. The Cardinals outscored my WildCats 18-6 in overtime en route to an 80-68 thrashing that sent the Cards to the Final Four.
while catching up on my WildCat news I came across an article about former UK point guard, Dirk Minniefield. He confessed that he and some of his teammates spent the night before the “Dream Game” smoking marijuana. Speaking to an NBA-sponsored camp for high school players Minniefield said, "After we smoked, I didn't give a (hoot). I went to my room and smoked some more." During the game with UK holding to a lead in the final moments, Minniefield had a chance to score a basket and clinch the lead. The awkward shot was weak and deflected by the Cards’ center, Charles Jones. "I don't know if the marijuana had an impact. I'm not a doctor. Being a player, I'm going to say that (it did)." This so-called athlete admits he was a habitual user of not only marijuana but cocaine as well. "For me, it was a normal run-of-the-mill thing to do," Minniefield said. "I'd been smoking pot since I was 14. It was just another thing in the life of Dirk."
1992 Kentucky basketball team and how hard they played the game and the respect they continue to receive from UK fans. Don’t EVEN list Minniefield’s name in the same annuals as these great young men. What Minniefield did is unforgivable and how he is now using it to further his career is pathetic. Stay out of my town…as a matter of fact; get the hell out of my state!
making the cut. Wearing number 29 he signed as a free agent making $100 a month. Lummus played in 9 games as a rookie end. The Giants were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers when the following message came across the ticker in the press box from the Associated Press; "Airplanes identified as Japanese have attacked the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor." It was December 7, 1941. The players knew nothing of the attack and continued to play the game.
United States Marine Corps. On D-Day plus 17, Jack led the 3rd Platoon to support 2nd Battalion against the Japanese enemy forces in the Volcano Islands of Iowa Jima. He spearheaded the drive from morning to early afternoon when they suddenly came under heavy enemy fire from concealed concrete pillboxes. Jack surveyed the terrain and moved out ahead of his platoon.With no cover the impact from an enemy grenade knocked Jack to the ground. Jumping to his feet he reached the enemy pillbox and shoved fragmentation grenades through the opening. When the grenades exploded smoke and debris poured from the openings exposing Jack to a supporting pillbox. The second enemy grenade knocked Lummus off his feet while shrapnel ripped through his shoulder. Despite the painful injuries Jack jumped back up, raced to the second pillbox and killed the enemy hiding within.
and the men followed until once again meeting enemy fire from within a 3rd pillbox. Showing no fear, Jack charged killing the enemy allowing his troops to advance. He continued to lead his troops attacking and killing the enemy along the way when he suddenly stepped on a landmine. Even mortally wounded Jack raised his upper body shouting to his men, “don’t stop now, keep going!” This sight inspired Lummus’ men and filled them with rage which enabled them to fight against impossible odds, breaking through enemy lines and reaching their objective.