Hail or Rail Scale VII: Jay-Z, Kevin Ware, Auburn football, the Yankees, Lakers, Falcons and good old Mike Rice

HAIL


1 point – NBA Winning Streaks

I don’t recall that last time we saw double-digit winning streaks by four different teams in a single NBA season.  While the Heat’s 27-game winning streak was all anybody could talk about until the Chicago Bulls put an end to it, there have been three other streaks this season nearly as impressive.

Under the scorching hot hand of Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks are in the midst of a thirteen game bender as we speak.  ‘Melo scored fifty points one night and then followed it up with forty the next.  Let the comparisons to Bernard King continue.  Furthermore, those performances came on the road against playoff teams (Miami and Atlanta).  They also just beat the top-seeded Thunder in Oklahoma City where they’ve lost only six times this year.

Earlier this season, the Denver Nuggets rattled off a fifteen-game winning streak, showing the league they’re not a team anyone wants to face in the playoffs, with or without Danilo Gallinari.

And let’s not forget about Lob City.  At the very beginning of the season, the Los Angeles Clippers got off to a healthy start by winning 17 straight, putting them among the top seeds in the Western Conference as a result.

As most of you know, I’m of the belief that the Miami Heat will repeat as NBA champions but their road won’t be easy.  There are plenty of teams in the league that can at least present a challenge.  Denver, Los Angeles and New York are among them.

2 points – Jay-Z

A lot has been made lately about Robinson Cano dumping uber-agent Scott Boras for hip-hop mogul, Brooklyn Nets figurehead and now professional sports agent Jay-Z but I don’t see what the big deal is.  I mean, Jay-Z has his hand in everything, including Beyonce’s blouse which is probably the most admirable accomplishment of them all.

With all his success, it’s safe to assume Jay-Z has far fewer than 99 problems these days.  Can you imagine the damage Jay-Z would do, acting all gangsta, walking into a boardroom meeting full of stuffy, baseball owners?  You’d have to imagine the billionaire boys club of Major League Baseball would be pissing their pants as Jay-Z and his posse rolled in, demanding suitcases full of cash for their star player.  Or maybe he’d bring Beyonce along as a distractionary tactic, owners drooling all over the one-sided contract they were about to unwillingly sign.

Either way, Z once again has a leg up on the competition and any athlete who signs with him should do just fine.

3 points – Atlanta Falcons

Remember a few weeks ago when the Atlanta Falcons cut Michael Turner, John Abraham and Dunta Robinson?  We all collectively asked what the hell they were doing.

Well, guess what.  The Atlanta Falcons knew EXACTLY what they’re doing.  Who were we to second guess?  Not a month after releasing names that had become synonymous with the franchise, the Falcons turned right around and signed running beast Steven Jackson and two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora.

Their roster is slowly starting to read like Pro Bowler’s who’s who.

The Falcons have double-digit wins the last three seasons but have yet to do any serious damage in the playoffs.  That organization and their fans are hoping their latest acquisitions will translate into more than just wins in the regular season.  This time around they just might.

4 points – Kevin Ware

You have to hand it to Louisville’s Kevin Ware.  He’s one tough cookie.

After breaking his leg in what was arguably the most gruesome sports injury any of us have ever seen, Ware told his teammates to just go out and win as he was being carried off the court on a gurney.

They did.

He’s already up and moving around, albeit with a cast on his leg.  He even traveled with the team to the Final Four AND WAS IN UNIFORM, cutting down the nets as Louisville took home their first championship in nearly thirty years.

Had I snapped my leg in two like Ware did, I’d be crying like a bitch for weeks, laying in my hospital bed a la Gary Bertier, cheering my team to victory with one thumb on the remote and the other thumb on the Call Nurse button, regularly asking for Jell-O refills to ease my pain.  MORE SNACK PACK!!!

Ware was all the motivation Louisville needed to bring home a national championship, making Rick Pitino the only men’s basketball coach to win a title with two different programs.  We’ll have to make room for him on our next Hail Scale but he probably deserves a post all his own.  Stay tuned.

RAIL

1 point – New York Yankees

I know we’re only a few games into this baseball season but is it time for Yankees fans to panic? In their first two games, they were outscored by the Boston Red Sox 15-6 and are allowing almost six runs a game.

The Yanks are old and injured.  They were mocked on the cover of the latest New Yorker.   They didn’t sell out Opening Day.  Maybe that’s because Yankees fans have already braced themselves for what could be a very long season.

I don’t recall the last time the Yankees finished last place in their division.  I believe it was 1990 when they finished 67-95, otherwise known as the Kevin Maas/Matt Nokes years.  My Yankees readers just cringed at the reference.  George Steinbrenner would have fired Billy Martin fifteen times over had he been the manager that season.

A buddy of mine, a lifelong Yankees fan, recently wrote on his Facebook page that it’s way too early to panic.  That is, of course, true unless you consider a) the Yankees are as old and battered as the New Yorker suggests b) they may very well be the worst team in the AL East and c) all the other teams in that division will be chomping at the bit to take advantage of both a and b.

Buckle up, Yankees fans.  You could be in for a bumpy ride.

2 points – The Los Angeles Lakers

I sure am getting tired of writing about the Lakers.  Who am I kidding?  No I’m not.  They’re the gift that keeps on giving.

It’s bad enough a team loaded with future Hall-Of-Famers is struggling to make the playoffs but now they’re bungling jersey-honoring ceremonies as well.

Shaquille O’Neal became the latest Laker to have his jersey hang from the rafters at the Staples Center.  The only problem is those in charge of the ceremony screwed up his jersey.

His last name is on the front rather than the back.

You have to figure at least a few hundred people were involved in planning this event, right?  Do you mean to tell me that not a single person noticed the jersey was fucked up?  Couldn’t anyone in La-La-Land take time out from their plastic surgery appointments to notice something was amiss?

Remember that scene at the end of Boogie Nights (no, not that one) where the Latin bar owner, played by Luiz Guzman, celebrates the unveiling of his new neon sign, only to find they spelled Rodriguez, his character’s last name, with a Q?  Yeah, this was like that, except worse because the Shaq debacle really happened.

3 points – Auburn Football

So another SEC school has been accused of paying its football players.  And this is news why?

I’ll tell you why.

Because the man who is currently the head football coach of my alma mater, Will Muschamp, was fingered as one of the people offering money to a player to stay in school.  He’s since denied such allegations.

Look, we all know this happens, not just in the SEC but pretty much everywhere else.  To paraphrase Colonel Jessup, “we don’t want the truth because deep down in places we don’t talk about at parties, we want them on that wall, we need them on that wall.”

Here’s a hint for the naïve still among us.  Big time college football programs give handouts to their athletes.  It’s those who get caught who bear the burden of embarrassment, and quite often suspensions.

Remember all that Cam Newton talk a few years back?  What ever happened to that?  Nothing, that’s what.  And before you suggest paying college players is the answer, let me assure you, it’s not.

As long as there are millions to be made and bowl games to be won, major college programs will do whatever it takes to land the players they want.  Always have, always will.  To assume otherwise is simply preposterous.

4 points – Mike Rice

And finally, we’re making a big stink about Rutgers firing their abusive and psychopathic basketball coach, Mike Rice.   Had anybody even heard of this guy before we found out he was fired for hitting, kicking and berating his college athletes?  Way to make a name for yourself, Rice.  You made Mark Mangino, Jim Leavitt and Mike Leach look like camp counselors.  Did it ever occur to you that what you were doing was wrong?

Someone put together a video montage of all the times Rice spazzed out, kicking basketballs across the gym, calling his basketball players homophobic slurs and generally being an all-around lunatic.  Perhaps it’s time for anger management classes.

We’ve talked about this in the past but whatever happened to the days when coaches actually coached, molded men out of boys, taught them right from wrong and leading by example?

Actually, I take that back.  Rice did lead by example.  He taught us exactly how NOT to treat others.

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34 Replies to “Hail or Rail Scale VII: Jay-Z, Kevin Ware, Auburn football, the Yankees, Lakers, Falcons and good old Mike Rice”

  1. There is one given in the NFL and it’s been proven over and over again: Winning teams are built through the draft. Look no further than the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Teams that “build” with free agents consistently come close but that’s about it. And… That’s why the Buccaneers should keep their draft picks and their salary cap money when it comes to Revis… Atlanta will fade late in the season… Again…

    Concerning the highest paid team in all of Major League Baseball… LMFAO!!!

  2. Snake…

    Speaking of, I love that new Bobby Knight/Digger Phelps Applebee’s commercial where he tells him he’s got anger issues and tells him that’s not how to throw a chair.

    Think about it though. If Knight had been cutting his teeth in college hoops these days rather than decades ago, we’d probably see him a little differently.

  3. Dwin…

    The Falcons are putting your theory to the test. And remember, they did draft Ryan, White and Jones.

    And who’s got the highest payroll in Major League Baseball this year? Did they Dodgers surpass the Yanks?

  4. Nope, you’re right

    According to Fox, here are the Top Ten payrolls as of Opening Day in reverse order:

    10 – Blue Jays, $118 mil
    9 – White Sox, $124 mil
    8 – Rangers, $127 mil
    7 – Angels, $142 mil
    6 – Giants, $142 mil
    5 – Tigers, $149 mil
    4 – Red Sox, $158 mil
    3 – Phillies, $159 mil
    2 – Dodgers, $216 mil
    1 – Yanks, $228 mil

  5. Chump,

    I’m guessing that you couldn’t settle on a topic so you chose 8 of them…
    Hail 1) streaks don’t count unless they pass 20 games. Thus we don’t care about any current streaks as only the Heat passed 20 games and then they lost. So? Next!
    Hail 2) Jay-Z is a mouthy gangsta fool. Anyone who signs with him shall also be known as a mouthy gangsta fool. Next!
    Hail 3) Atlanta Falcons have done NOTHING to warrant a Hail. When they win more than 2 consecutive playoff game we can discuss them. But since that ain’t gonna happen let the Falcons fade back into obscurity
    Hail 4) Kevin Ware is a stud. He’s a stud with osteoporosis but he’s still a stud. Hail accepted.

    Fail 1) Yankees are ancient. Yep. So? Let us laugh at them for a year or two until they go purchase another batch of stars to win with.
    Fail 2) Lakers are ancient. Yep So? Kobe routinely demonstrates that he has more heart than any two other players combined. I don’t care for his ethics but when it comes to winning against all odds then we should all Hail Kobe. and IF he gets the Lakers into the playoffs then others should be wary. The Lakers
    Fail 3) The NCAA is corrupt and so is the whole bowl game set up. Yep. So? When we start letting the student athletes share in the multi million dollar TV spoils then the corruption will diminish. Not until then.
    Fail 4) Just whack Rice already. this loser has exceeded his 15 minute fame allotment. Send this prick to prison for 60 days+_ for abuse and see how he survives general population… prick.

    Fail 5) rambling unfocused columns seeking beat down replies. Good luck.

  6. After all the Dodger hoopla this past off season I thought they had overtaken the Yanks too, but I looked it up in Forbes last week and what you put up jives with what they had…

    Concerning the Falcons or any other team that sucks up free agents (the NY Jets come to mind)… They may have some key draft acquisitions (Sanchez anyone?) but they surround them with older, much more expensive free agents who played well enough for their old team to get a payday… If they were so good then why didn’t their previous employers hang on to them?

    Name an NFL franchise that won a SB while loaded with free agents…

    All those great Cowboys teams? The draft… Today’s wheelin’ and dealin’ Jerry Jones teams? In salary cap trouble today with no SB’s to show for it…

  7. Chris

    Payrolls in MLB are like the indices of the NYSE , they’ll go up .

    Hal Steinbrenner stated he wanted to pare down the team’s payroll . Isn’t that like asking Lindsay Lohan to stay off booze and out of rehab ?

    Lay off Jay-z , he once stabbed an associate in the abdomen for crossing him on a deal . He beat the charges with nothing more than a slap on the wrist and two months of probation . Nice !

    Now (Jigga) his RocNation sports agency in conjunction CAA Sports have signed their first the Yankees’ Robinson Cano

    Keep abreast of the NFL lawsuit in the Pennsylvania Court System where they are the defendants in a litigant lawsuit seeking punitive damages with blunt force head traumas suffered by former NFL players . The plaintiffs in the case numbers over 4,000 players and their families ( including those of the late Dave Duerson , Junior Seau , Jim McMahon and Mike Webster).

    Tophatal ………….

  8. Chris

    Payrolls in MLB are like the indices of the NYSE , they’ll go up .

    Hal Steinbrenner stated he wanted to pare down the team’s payroll . Isn’t that like asking Lindsay Lohan to stay off booze and out of rehab ?

    Lay off Jay-z , he once stabbed an associate in the abdomen for crossing him on a deal . He beat the charges with nothing more than a slap on the wrist and two months of probation . Nice !

    Now (Jigga) his RocNation sports agency in conjunction CAA Sports have signed their first the Yankees’ Robinson Cano

    Keep abreast of the NFL lawsuit in the Pennsylvania Court System where they are the defendants in a litigant lawsuit seeking punitive damages with blunt force head traumas suffered by former NFL players . The plaintiffs in the case numbers over 4,000 players and their families ( including those of the late Dave Duerson , Junior Seau , Jim McMahon and Mike Webster).

    Rutgers now can lay claim that the itinerant as@sholes on the faculty are keeping racism alive and kicking . And you once tried to suggest that the country has progressed socially as it relates to race relations ? What was it about using homophobic and racial slurs as well as physically and verbally abusing the players that Mike Rice didn’t think was offensive ?

    Members of the Klan will probably like to approach Rice and entice him to a pitchman for their cause .

    Tophatal ………….

  9. Ah, how I love the argumentative tree. It Takes a lot of vinegar and lye to keep the tree in full bloom.

    Let’s respond to these one at time, shall we? And yes, every so often, I’ll have a little snippet Hail and Rail to touch upon some of the things that have caught my eye and are worth mentioning in about 200 words or less.

    1 – (Streaks) To suggest the Knicks, Clippers and Nuggets streaks aren’t impressive or noteworthy because they didn’t get to 20, well, I have to disagree. They didn’t set any records but they did make us at least turn our heads and pay attention. All four of those teams should win their first round playoff series, yes? That’s good enough.

    2 – (Jay-Z) Isn’t the league full of mouthy gangsta fools? So then it shouldn’t matter who represents them, hip-hop mogul or not. Oh, and they don’t come any mouthier than Drew Rosenhaus.

    3 – (Falcons) If I could get 10:1 or better on the Falcons to win the Bowl, Tree, I’d take it. As I mentioned in the piece and we agree upon, that franchise hasn’t done spit in the post-season since the original dirty birds. However, I think we’ll see an inspired Steven Jackson this year and that ground game will just open things up even more for their two wide receivers. I know regular season wins count for nothing but home field advantage but I’d be surprised if I saw Vegas list their o/u for wins on the season at anything less than 11.

    4 – (Ware) Well, at least we agree on something. Finally!

    1 – (Yanks) I actually began writing this piece when the Yanks had allowed more runs and had a worse record than the Rays. I stand corrected as that is no longer the case.

    2 – (Lakers) I don’t think the Lakers can beat the Thunder in an opening round series but I do think they match up well against the Spurs. I said this a while ago. If they get in, look out. That being said, someone still should have checked Shaq’s jersey before raising it for all to see.

    3 – (Auburn) I’m just interested in hearing why you think sharing the millions made in college football with the athletes will decrease corruption.

    4 – (Rice) Tree, I can’t believe none of those players knocked him on his ass. Where’s Latrell Sprewell when you need him.

    5 – (post-mortem) Sir, as always, thanks for taking the time to visit and comment.

    NEXT QUESTION!!!

  10. Dwin…

    I actually like the Dodgers this year, despite last year’s collapse. I pick them and the Angels to be in the World Series which means no one on the East Coast will watch.

    Re: Jackson, I just don’t think the Rams wanted to pay Steven Jackson top dollar. I’m not sure what the Falcons are paying him. Yes I am – 3 years, $12 mil – a bargain at any price. Don’t think he would have settled for that in St Louis. Would you have?

    And I’m not downplaying the importance of building championship NFL teams through the draft. All I’m saying is a few key acquisitions can help. I haven’t crowned Atlanta yet… but I do like their chances.

  11. Al…

    I think Z’s gonna have to put down the cutlery in his new line of work. And the snippet about him above was meant purely tongue-in-cheek. I highly doubt he’ll be attending that many meetings. But the sharks his firm hires as agents better know what the hell they’re doing.

    Oh, and I Tweeted this the other day. If Z is willing to give his shares as team owner and get into the sports agent business, what does it say about what they each make?

  12. I think that its very interesting that the Jay Z earnings as an agent are large enough that he’d be willing to forego his earnings as a partial owner.

    That speaks volumes

  13. Exactly, Tree.

    Look, guys like Jerry Jones are making theirs. So is Mark Cuban. And I find it hard to believe that most owners of professional sports franchises are hurting for meals.

    But for smaller market teams like the Rays or otherwise, it’s not like owners are eating filet and lobster for dinner every night.

    On the flipside, I imagine guys like Rosenhaus and Boras are doing pretty damn well for themselves.

    Heck, even Jerry Maguire made his millions back in the end. Although I’m sure keeping Renee Zelweger fed must have cost him a pretty penny.

  14. “making theirs” is subjective and while both industries may yield incomes well north of ours who’s to say where the ‘real’ dollars lie.

    Franchise owners are expected to bring in mega bucks when they purchase the teams and not necessarily make so much off of the teams.

    They are not buying teams as an investment but for the colossal ego strokes. If they run the team at a loss its OK since it is rarely their primary source of income.

  15. Auburn needs to satisfy it’s revenge urge for the Tide induced poisoning of Toomer’s Corner. Maybe send a grafitti squad to do up NCAA headquarters in Indy.

  16. Chris

    Given the inconsistency of the Nets I am not so sure they will make it through the first round ! And lo and behold if the Knicks and Celtics meet up in the first round as is now likely , who can guarantee that Woodson’s players will come through unscathed ? The Knicks might be on a twelve game winning streak and guys are salivating and suffering bouts of premature ejaculation because of ‘melo’s play , but herein lies my issue with the Knicks , no body of work as it relates to the playoffs in a number of seasons .

    The Knicks are a ” tease ” . . Celtics lead their postseason meetings 34-27

    Agents can make out like pimps of their clients anywhere between 3% and 6 % in terms of contract , but the “real cheddar” comes by way of the corporate endorsements . How’d you like to be Tiger Woods’ agent ? On average he’s been earning $75 million a year for the last six to seven years .

    The Rays are dropping games like Kim K drops off athletes who don’t make her grade . .

    Tophatal ……….

  17. Chris

    So the Bucs are now chasing after the Jets’ Darrelle Revis ? I hear that the only thing holding back a proposed trade , it’s said to be the Jets’ asking price in terms of what they expect in return from the Buccaneers . Talks are on hold until the Bucs come back with an offer that meets the New York Jets’ approval ( 1st rounders , two second round picks and pick from a future draft or a late fourth rounder is said to be their asking price ). Your thoughts on the asking price and what you believe might be fair for a player who over the last few years has been beaten up and more than not injured , rather than being one of the marquee defensive players in NFL ?

    Here’s a link ____________ your thoughts ?

    Courtesy of ProFootballTalk.com

    Bucs not hiding their interest in trading for, paying Revis

    By Mike Florio

    Sure, Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano at one point refused to mention the name of cornerback Darrelle Revis, for fear of crossing the league’s ever-amorphous tampering line. Other than that, the Bucs haven’t been bashful about their interest in one of the top defensive talents in the game.

    It’s an open secret in league and media circles that the Bucs will pay Revis the deal he wants, worth $15 million or more. Some league insiders believe that the Buccaneers and agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, who worked together to bring Vincent Jackson to Tampa last year, have worked out the parameters of the contract Revis would receive. Absent express permission from the Jets, that could amount to a clear case of tampering.

    Then there’s the team’s website. As flagged by the folks at JoeBucsFan.com, the Buccaneers’ official online destination includes this headline on the right rail of the site: “Buccaneers still in for Darrelle Revis.” While the link leads to an NFL Network video, the presence of those words on the Bucs’ official website is a little jarring.

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

    Click on link to read in full .

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

    Responded to your comments concerning the upcoming NFL Draft and shared with you my thoughts on Barkley as well as the quarterbacks overall in this Draft.

    The Rays take one back from the Rangers , as Matt Moore is proving to be one of the most effective of the Rays’ pitchers so far this season .

    My Braves lowered the boom on the dumb @ass Marlins ………. 8-0

    Billionaire Ron Burkle has dropped out of the consortium looking to retain the Kings in Sacramento . Apparently there is a conflict of interest as he’s also involved in the proposal for a new downtown venue proposed LA , that will be used to lure an NFL franchise to the City of Angels .

    No doubt any proposed new franchise in LA will be met with stiff opposition from the Raiders and specifically from Raiders’ owner Mark Davis , as has and was the case with his late father , Al Davis , who sued the NFL , when they sought to bring a franchise to the city.

    The Raiders believe that Oakland and LA should be treated as one confined NFL territory , and not as separate market areas .

    When it’s all said and done , it’s all about the ” cheddar “ , and considering the Raiders are hemorrhaging red ink , they will look for every avenue to protect themselves and what they believe to be ” their rights”

    Tophatal …………….

  18. Chris

    Jigga and Beyonce , their estimated net worth combined , is close to , if not having surpassed $ 800 million . Couldn’t they start or purchase a stake somewhere in a professional sports’ franchise ?

    Responded to your comments on this MLB piece

    It’s not your grandfather or father’s game of baseball

    We’ll start with the sublime and then move on to the ridiculous . Oh sorry we’re talking baseball , so it remains ridiculous

    Will you be checking out the movie /biopic on Jackie Robinson , titled “42” ?

    Tophatal ………………

  19. Chris

    So Auburn’s program is rife with problems ? WTF ! And here was I thinking that the donation made to Pastor Newton’s church that suddenly appeared some years ago came from a mysterious donor ?

    Gene Chizik has to be admired for steadfastly sticking to his guns and simply stating that neither he or anyone on his staff did anything wrong .

    I hear Stevie Wonder will be conducting the investigation for the NCAA by working alongside the Infractions’ Committee ? Those @ssholes from the committee and their investigators couldn’t investigate ##it in the middle of a farm yard , if they were surrounded by coop of chickens defecating within their midst and sight . Somehow they’d manage to be nonplussed by coming up with a finding that’d defied logic. ” It wasn’t a hen or rooster that shat there, it was an alien life-form ” .

    Pastor Newton was simply doin’ God’s work and he (God) wanted Cam Newton to go to Auburn , do well , win a Heisman and then set the NFL alight for one season and then turn into a troublesome and immature ingrate .

    Tophatal ………………

  20. Chris

    I know that Kobe Bryant dropped 47 on Traiblazers last night but his comments to Jim Rome concerning disgraced fired basketball coach Mike Rice is , and was a joke ! Kobe isn’t smacking or ” jacking up ” anyone ! Bryant is a kid from Lower Merion , Pa , and the only thing they’ve been known to do there , is to “ja#k off ” …. for self gratification . As if Kobe Bryant is going to smack anyone ? This being the same b#tch , who cried , when he was placed under arrest after the allegations of rape , in Eagle , Colorado , only to then , air the ” Lakers’ dirty laundry ” by stating that then teammates Shaquille O Neal and Rick Fox were laying the wood to chics all over their travels and with any female groupie that’d just happen to be breathing .

    Kobe needs to have the ” bit#h slapped ” out his dumb @ss !

    After his (Bryant’s) comments guaranteeing the Lakers making the playoffs , he’d better make sure that they do , because that team remains as “soft as butter ”

    Tophatal …………..

  21. Chris

    So corner-back Richard Sherman says, he was misquoted when he stated that half of the players in the NFL are taking the prescription drug Adderall ” . The very same drug that the Bucs’ Eric Wright was said to have taken for his apparent health issues , whatever they maybe . Taken the medication and the resultant four game suspension wasn’t the first time Wright had fallen of the league’s substance abuse program .
    Courtesy of USA Today

    Richard Sherman backpedals on Adderall claims

    By Lindsay Holmes , USA Today

    Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has backed off his comments made to a Vancouver newspaper that “half the league” takes the prescription drug Adderall and “the league has to allow it.”

    Sherman went on the NFL Network Thursday morning to say he told the Vancouver Sun that a “bunch” of players have prescriptions to take the drug, which is meant to treat attention deficit disorder.

    “They’re taking it for legitimate reasons. There’s a reason it’s been prescribed for them,” Sherman told NFL Network.

    Sherman on Thursday said he has never taken Adderall.

    Sherman had his four-game suspension for a positive test for the drug overturned in December after arguing to an NFL arbitrator that there were issues with the collection and testing of his urine sample.

    After the Sun’s story – based on an interview with Sherman after the cornerback spoke at an elementary school in Surrey, British Columbia – the NFL issued a statement in response to Sherman’s comments.

    The statement said:

    “The comments are ill-informed and inaccurate. Adderall is easily detected under current testing and will result in a suspension absent an approved therapeutic use exemption. If his statement were true, we would be seeing many more positive tests and suspensions. More importantly, his comments are irresponsible, as they ignore the serious medical risks and documented public health crisis associated with the improper use of Adderall and similar drugs.”

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

    As for Sherman , he should simply shut the ##@k up , because each time he has opened up his frigging mouth , he comes across as a dumb a$s athlete without any damn knowledge as to what the hell he is actually talking about .

    I mean, Sherman in order to get himself noticed harangues an injured player (Darrelle Revis) , merely to have that player , try to acknowledge that he’s supposedly now the best corner-back in the NFL . Last I looked Sherman had yet to do or achieve anything of note , to be called the best CB in the NFL !

    Sherman has a mere two years in the League and has yet to make a Pro Bowl . As the old adage goes ………. money talks …. and bull$hit walks ! Richard Sherman , for the moment remains a pile of talking walking pile of bull#hit !

    Tophatal ………………

  22. Chris

    There are <b< now 1.67 billion Chinese nationals on the planet and now right out of the blue a fourteen year old 8th grader is now all the “talk of Augusta ” during The Masters ? What the hell is missing here ? And how is it that the US cannot produce young phenoms such as this at present within the world of golf amongst , its males or females ? The USGA must be doing something wrong don’t you think ?

    Tianlang Guan at times during his first round almost made something of a mockery of the Augusta course . He shot a +1 over 73 for his very first round , not bad eh ?

    Courtesy of the Associated Press

    Youth Movement: 14-year-old who is youngest to play Masters birdies 18 to finish at 1-over 73

    AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fourteen-year-old Guan Tianlang is the youngest golfer ever to compete at the Masters.

    But he looked more like a veteran Thursday when he shot a 1-over 73 in his debut at Augusta National.

    Guan made a 15-footer from off the green to birdie his final hole, getting a standing ovation from the crowd at No. 18. Leading the cheers was two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, one of Guan’s playing partners.

    If he plays this way Friday, the eighth-grader from China could set another record as the youngest player to make the cut at the Masters.

    The Asia Pacific Amateur champion says he doesn’t think he can win the Masters this year. But he thinks he can in the future, and his goal is to win all four majors in one year.

    ===========================
    —–

    Will or should I say , when should we expect to see Sergio Garcia win a Major ? He currently is the joint leader with a -6 under par for the first round , seven shots ahead of Guan .

    Another day , in MLB and thankfully we didn’t have to witness the Rays on the diamond ! Next up for them a three game series at Fenway Park against the Red Sox . Let’s hope that they can get back on track at least for those three games and then move on from there !

    MLB schedule 3 days at a glance

    The Knicks may well be looking good but their first round match-up won’t be as easy as it might be perceived to be on paper . They will have a first round meeting with the Celtics , albeit that they lead the season series 3-1 .

    In their most recent meetings in the playoffs it has been been the Celtics tasting the success of being victorious .

    Da’Quan Bowers of the Bucs pleads ” no contest ” in his legal difficulties having carried a concealed weapon on board a US domestic flight .
    Yet his lawyers are still trying to suggest that it was an honest mistake by the player and then they state the weapon wasn’t fully loaded , and it was not a cause for concern . How asinine is that response ?

    That excuse is lame assed , much like Bowers’ play has been for the Bucs since they drafted him in 2011 in the second round 51st overall .

    Please tell me that either the Bucs or the NFL will reprimand Bowers’ dumb a#s in some way ? If this goes unpunished either by the team or the NFL , then there is definitely wrong with the league’s system as it relates to punishing players and their misdeeds .

    Your thoughts on the Bucs and Schiano seeking to trade for Darrelle Revis ?

    Dropped the following on the NBA

    Buzzer beater

    Tophatal ………………..

  23. Bets…

    I would imagine after the tree poisoning incident (Cap’n Tree just grabbed his barf bag just in case), authorities are watching any sort of retaliation closely.

    Besides, can’t students at major universities such as these think of more creative ways to carry on a rivalry without killing things?

    Or here’s a thought. How about Auburn field a competitive football team.

  24. Al…

    I’m still waiting to see the first round match-ups of the NBA playoffs before I make any serious predictions as to whom will stay and who will continue on.

    As you well know, I’ve already posted my thoughts on the Revis deal. I’m hoping the Bucs hold their ground on this one. I’m assuming Revis will have to pass a thorough physical before the Bucs mortgage their future on him.

    $800 million a combined worth for the hippest couple on the planet? Not a bad career’s work.

    As far as “42” goes, so far I’m hearing nothing but sound reviews so we’ll see whether I shell out cash for a theater ticket or wait for On Demand.

  25. Al…

    I’m not sure how far the NCAA will go to investigate these latest Auburn investigations but if they’re serious, why wouldn’t they go after Muschamp? After all, he was implicated, right?

    And Kobe went ape shit against the Blazers last night. If it weren’t for the season LeBron’s having, he’d be a legit MVP candidate. After all, who else on that team is doing a damn thing?

    He beat that team like Mike Rice was on it.

  26. Al…

    Sherman’s comments remind me of when Chauncey Billups said 60% of NBA players smoked weed.

    Let me ask you, which statement is more accurate?

  27. Al…

    I didn’t get to see the young kid play as I was busy shooting a nice, ripe 96 out at my local course, on which Guan probably would have shot a 64, that is until I pumped him full of whiskey and had him disqualified.

    To the victor go the spoils.

    Let me ask you this. Is he the only virgin playing at this years Masters? Tebow and Te’o didn’t qualify, did they?

    I’m not too concerned about the Bowers incident. As long as he keeps his nose clean the rest of this off-season, he’ll be in a Tampa Bay uniform come the start of the season.

    And again, I think my NBA discussion, or at least prognostication, is over until the start of the playoffs, which should be coming directly, unless you want to talk about how Kobe WILL will his team to the playoffs or whether Durant will secede his scoring title to Carmelo or whether he’ll put up a fight.

  28. Chris

    You should be worried with the Bowers’ incident as this is not the first time he’s been involved concerning a weapons’ incident . Once can be seen as a mistake , but twice means it’s becoming a habit .

    That potential Knicks’ vs Celtics first round match up might not be what the doctor ordered or what the Knick may well want . Blood will flow .

    Tiger says he’ll take Guan under his wing . Prostitution isn’t yet legal in the state of Georgia so Tianlan Guan’s parents needn’t worry . However , I’m sure that there are several adult entertainment emporiums within a 35 mile radius of Augusta that I’m sure Woods might introduce the young protege’ to ! Bro-mancing so that they can get down to bangin’ ho’s and Dosi-do’s .

    Ronde’s days are numbered if the Bucs trade for Darrelle Revis .

    Tophatal …………..

  29. Chris

    Weed is weed …………. Adderall is also being prescribed to kids because pediatricians believes it can help them suffering with the malady of ADD and ADHD .

    Adam Lanza , the assailant in the Newtown , Connecticut massacre was also prescribed the same medication . Need there be anything more added to that ?

    See my piece entitled Buzzer Beater and let me know what you think ?

    Tophatal ……………..

  30. Al…

    Again, if Bowers keeps his nose clean from here on out, he should be fine.

    You’re right about the potential first round Knicks-Celtics series but that’s not a match-up the Knicks want. The C’s won’t go down without a fight and (Don’t tell Snake this), the Knicks will be mighty banged up by the time they advance.

    Did you hear that Guan had to take a penalty stroke today for slow play? He still might make the cut though. Let’s hope he does.

  31. Chris ,

    I also heard that Tiger’s two stroke penalty had nothing to do with Lindsay Vonn ? What a damn shame , as I’d love to have seen what took place in such an instance ! LOL , ,LOL, LOL !!! Woods couldn’t get it in ?

    ESPN’s Tim Legler , a white guy , who wished he’d been born an African American . This guy at times , remains clueless as it relates to the NBA .

    If Legler actually believes that the Lakers have a chance of taking down the Spurs , then he really does need to stop consulting with Whitney Houston’s former drug supplier .

    Bowers keeps his nose clean ? What else have you heard concerning the Bucs’ player ? Prolific drug use ?

    Tophatal ……………

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