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From bagging groceries to Hall of Fame Quarterback. No, this isn't a fairytale, this is the story of Kurt Warner. We've all heard the story before & what Kurt Warner was doing before he elevated himself into a Hall of Fame NFL QB. He was stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy Vee grocery store for $5.50 per hour. & in 5 years, he will cement his name in the annals of football lore.
I can go all day taking about his stats. How Kurt Warner has the 2nd highest passing yard per game average, how he has the most passing yards in Super Bowl history (single game & career), how he's tied with Joe Montana for the most TD in one postseason (11), or how he's the only QB to throw for 14,000 yards for 2 different franchise. It's not only the stats that make Warner HOF worthy. It was the fact that he took 2 of the NFL's worst run franchises & turned them from laughing stocks, to Super Bowls, making one of them a champion. Think about that for a minute.
The Chicago/STL/Arizona Cardinals had a total of 2 post season wins (spanning back to 1947) before Warner. He collected 3 in one season & came within seconds of delivering the pathetic franchise a Super Bowl victory. The LA/STL Rams, were coming off a 4-12 season led by Tony Banks in 1998, before the grocery bagging QB changed the fortunes of the franchise seemingly overnight. The Rams went from ZERO playoff appearances in 10 years, to the Greatest Show on Turf & winning Super Bowl 34. Stats aside he changed the culture of 2 losing franchises making them into winners. That's IMPACT!!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Lane Change
Before everyone decides to crucify Lane Kiffin for taking the USC job, ask yourself this...would you have hung up the phone without accepting what you deem a better career opportunity? So where is this "he's a traitor/he betrayed us" talk is coming from?
When news came down of Lane Kiffin shockingly leaving Tennessee last night there was the immediate overreaction by the populous. "How could he do this 3 weeks before National Signing Day?" Easy...by answering the phone & saying "I accept your job offer USC." I can understand being upset, but lets not make it sound like this is a Jesus & Judas situation & that Kiffin sold out Tennessee for 30 silver pieces. He left "Rocky Top" the #6 recruiting class, when Tennessee hasn't been part of the relevant college landscape for the majority of the decade. In other words, an improvement.
Sure you'll lose some recruits, but you aren't losing them all. One recruit they are losing is Brandon Willis. Willis, a top 50 high school recruit (according Rivals.com), was expected to start school early, but upon hearing the news said, "I am not going to Tennessee, I am not sure what I am going to do now. I am going to sit down with my dad and talk about it." However, Willis' high school teammate, Corey Miller (who is a higher rated prospect than Willis) is still headed to UT. & before you react & say "Kiffin left them high & dry." think about it this for a second...aren't these recruits going to leave college (in some cases early) to pursue better career opportunities in the NFL? So stop the hypocritical outrage.
Even though I would have thought twice about taking over head coaching duties in a school that may face NCAA probabtion (like USC may face), Kiffin thinks he has a better opportunity in Southern Cal than in Tennessee. & let's face it, location is a big deal to recruits. If someone is trying to get you to commit to their school, who do you think will have an easier time doing so? Tennessee or Southern California? It's not even a contest.
Of course if USC is sanctioned, Kiffin will have a lot of egg on his face. Steve Spurrier once said "you can spell Citrus (as in the Citrus Bowl) without the UT." Maybe Lane Kiffin thought you couldn't spell success, without USC.
When news came down of Lane Kiffin shockingly leaving Tennessee last night there was the immediate overreaction by the populous. "How could he do this 3 weeks before National Signing Day?" Easy...by answering the phone & saying "I accept your job offer USC." I can understand being upset, but lets not make it sound like this is a Jesus & Judas situation & that Kiffin sold out Tennessee for 30 silver pieces. He left "Rocky Top" the #6 recruiting class, when Tennessee hasn't been part of the relevant college landscape for the majority of the decade. In other words, an improvement.
Sure you'll lose some recruits, but you aren't losing them all. One recruit they are losing is Brandon Willis. Willis, a top 50 high school recruit (according Rivals.com), was expected to start school early, but upon hearing the news said, "I am not going to Tennessee, I am not sure what I am going to do now. I am going to sit down with my dad and talk about it." However, Willis' high school teammate, Corey Miller (who is a higher rated prospect than Willis) is still headed to UT. & before you react & say "Kiffin left them high & dry." think about it this for a second...aren't these recruits going to leave college (in some cases early) to pursue better career opportunities in the NFL? So stop the hypocritical outrage.
Even though I would have thought twice about taking over head coaching duties in a school that may face NCAA probabtion (like USC may face), Kiffin thinks he has a better opportunity in Southern Cal than in Tennessee. & let's face it, location is a big deal to recruits. If someone is trying to get you to commit to their school, who do you think will have an easier time doing so? Tennessee or Southern California? It's not even a contest.
Of course if USC is sanctioned, Kiffin will have a lot of egg on his face. Steve Spurrier once said "you can spell Citrus (as in the Citrus Bowl) without the UT." Maybe Lane Kiffin thought you couldn't spell success, without USC.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
McGwire's Admission
Well you knew sooner or later. That another athlete would crack under the immense pressure of the media's "come clean" campaign. The latest admission came from Mark McGwire yesterday, when he revealed he used steroids on & off for most of the decade in the 90's. Now since its been a while, I'll remind the audience who Mark McGwire actually is. He's the Cardinals first basemen who broke Roger Maris' 37 year old single season HR record in 1998. No, I'm right about the year, 1998. So this news comes a decade too late & when no one any longer cares. It's just another name, on top of the pile of embarrassment for MLB.
McGwire, took it a step farther, & stated, "Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." Well Mark, this is similar to Christopher Columbus wishing he never discovered the Caribbean Islands after he raped & pillaged it. Being a willing participant, no wait, one of the original Godfathers of this steroid era, you have very little room to complain about the circumstances you find yourself in. Big Mac went on to dispute how much of an effect steroids had on his 70 HR season saying, "I was given a gift to hit home runs." Telling Bob Costas of MLB Network, that studying pitchers and making his swing shorter led to his increase in home runs, and that he could have hit them without PEDs. AMAZING...the man has lied to himself so much over the last 10 years, that he actually believes this. Mark, they are called performance enhancing drugs...in other words, they are specially manufactored drugs to enhance your performance. If they didn't do anything...why take them? Oh yeah that's right...to stay healthy (the Andy Pettitte excuse)...like healthy enough to stay on the field & play enough games that allowed you to hit the home runs & eventually break the record. Personally, I feel this admission negates his career to the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), who will now never vote him in to the Hall of Fame, after admitting use during the majority of his career.
Like most players who came forward after the exposure McGwire said "the truth will set you free." Then why does every player give us the same story? That they took it for injuries, made a mistake, didn't know what they were doing, it was a bad decision on their part or everyone else was doing it? Just once, I wish an athlete would come out & say, "I was in a contract year & I wanted to get a huge payday. That's why I did it." or "I wanted to be the greatest player who ever played & this drug took me a step closer to that." or "I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I wanted the fame that came along with the historic performance I was about to embark on & I don't regret it one bit." Any of those statements would be more truthful, than the alligator tears segment we get from every player, every time there name is mentioned in the same breathe as "steroid user." The only reason they are sorry & they cry, is because they are being exposed to the public. Nothing more nothing less.
Let me be the first to officially name a fantasy baseball team Big Mac Special Sauce for the upcoming 2010 fantasy season. It'll be the next team name to catch on.
McGwire, took it a step farther, & stated, "Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." Well Mark, this is similar to Christopher Columbus wishing he never discovered the Caribbean Islands after he raped & pillaged it. Being a willing participant, no wait, one of the original Godfathers of this steroid era, you have very little room to complain about the circumstances you find yourself in. Big Mac went on to dispute how much of an effect steroids had on his 70 HR season saying, "I was given a gift to hit home runs." Telling Bob Costas of MLB Network, that studying pitchers and making his swing shorter led to his increase in home runs, and that he could have hit them without PEDs. AMAZING...the man has lied to himself so much over the last 10 years, that he actually believes this. Mark, they are called performance enhancing drugs...in other words, they are specially manufactored drugs to enhance your performance. If they didn't do anything...why take them? Oh yeah that's right...to stay healthy (the Andy Pettitte excuse)...like healthy enough to stay on the field & play enough games that allowed you to hit the home runs & eventually break the record. Personally, I feel this admission negates his career to the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), who will now never vote him in to the Hall of Fame, after admitting use during the majority of his career.
Like most players who came forward after the exposure McGwire said "the truth will set you free." Then why does every player give us the same story? That they took it for injuries, made a mistake, didn't know what they were doing, it was a bad decision on their part or everyone else was doing it? Just once, I wish an athlete would come out & say, "I was in a contract year & I wanted to get a huge payday. That's why I did it." or "I wanted to be the greatest player who ever played & this drug took me a step closer to that." or "I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I wanted the fame that came along with the historic performance I was about to embark on & I don't regret it one bit." Any of those statements would be more truthful, than the alligator tears segment we get from every player, every time there name is mentioned in the same breathe as "steroid user." The only reason they are sorry & they cry, is because they are being exposed to the public. Nothing more nothing less.
Let me be the first to officially name a fantasy baseball team Big Mac Special Sauce for the upcoming 2010 fantasy season. It'll be the next team name to catch on.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Trouble In Trojan Town
It may not rain in Southern California, but it's about to pour on USC. Pete Carroll is the first College Coach teams in the NFL think of when they make a firing. That didn't change when the Seahawks fired Jim Mora Jr. on Friday. Pete Carroll, an underachiever as an NFL Head Coach (at least compared to his USC success), was again the first person mentioned for the Seattle Seahawks opening, mere hours after Mora's dismissal. If Carroll leaves USC & takes the Seattle offer, it can only mean one thing...how long before the proverbial shoe drops, & the Trojans of USC are placed on probation?
No official offers have been made to Carroll & no one has confirmed that both sides have even talked. But a source close to Carroll said, "You're about to see a big headline that shakes up the major college football world, " referring to the Seahawks sudden opening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN has stated Carroll is choosing his eventual staff for Seattle. The current headlines will likely be how Pete Carroll will be offered a Head Coaching Position (& what will likely be the VP of Player Operations opening along with it) of the Seattle Seahawks. But afterwards what will be the next domino to fall? My prediction is USC, so prepare yourself for the headlines. "Trojans stripped of national titles, forfeit wins, sanctioned, & placed on probation until year X." The basic death nail to a football program that enjoyed a quick rise into prominence during the early 2000's, ever since Carroll was hired. With him leaving (if he eventually is offered a position & does leave), it will signal an even more rapid fall from grace, than the last empire fooled by the Trojan horse.
This week USC put their own basketball program on probation over OJ Mayo's relationship with Event Promoter Rodney Guillory. The sanction includes a post season ban this year as well as forfeited games when Mayo played. Then you add the recent Joe McKnight SUV situation & the fact the NCAA is still looking at them for Reggie Bush's alleged violations from a few years ago, & its easy to see the end is near for the USC football program. McKnight has already declared for the NFL draft & Carroll is scheduled to meet with Seattle this weekend & is expected to accept the offer according to various league sources. What this spells is the end for USC as an elite college program.
We would like to extend a special thanks to Jon Alba of Sports Full Circle for being the main source to The Skinny Post Blog concerning this news story, when it originally broke.
No official offers have been made to Carroll & no one has confirmed that both sides have even talked. But a source close to Carroll said, "You're about to see a big headline that shakes up the major college football world, " referring to the Seahawks sudden opening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN has stated Carroll is choosing his eventual staff for Seattle. The current headlines will likely be how Pete Carroll will be offered a Head Coaching Position (& what will likely be the VP of Player Operations opening along with it) of the Seattle Seahawks. But afterwards what will be the next domino to fall? My prediction is USC, so prepare yourself for the headlines. "Trojans stripped of national titles, forfeit wins, sanctioned, & placed on probation until year X." The basic death nail to a football program that enjoyed a quick rise into prominence during the early 2000's, ever since Carroll was hired. With him leaving (if he eventually is offered a position & does leave), it will signal an even more rapid fall from grace, than the last empire fooled by the Trojan horse.
This week USC put their own basketball program on probation over OJ Mayo's relationship with Event Promoter Rodney Guillory. The sanction includes a post season ban this year as well as forfeited games when Mayo played. Then you add the recent Joe McKnight SUV situation & the fact the NCAA is still looking at them for Reggie Bush's alleged violations from a few years ago, & its easy to see the end is near for the USC football program. McKnight has already declared for the NFL draft & Carroll is scheduled to meet with Seattle this weekend & is expected to accept the offer according to various league sources. What this spells is the end for USC as an elite college program.
We would like to extend a special thanks to Jon Alba of Sports Full Circle for being the main source to The Skinny Post Blog concerning this news story, when it originally broke.
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