Brandon Davies - He blew it all for the Nookie

When I first heard that BYU sophomore forward Brandon Davies had been suspended from the basketball team for Honor Code violations, I immediately figured he either drank on campus or "got busy" with a co-ed. Well ESPN has reported that Davies did in fact get suspended for having sex with his girlfriend. Now on any regular campus in America, this would be what is expected of a star basketball player. BYU is not just any campus though. BYU is affiliated with the Church of Latter Day Saints. They have a very detailed honor code and violations of these are taken very seriously. So while we may laugh at the no coffee edict, it's really no different than attending a christian college and following its rules. I applaud the University for standing by its policies even though the team stands at the doorstep of the most successful season in school history. Its rather refreshing. After all, the purpose of college is to educate young people and not to entertain us with athletics.

I hope Davies accepts responsibility for this situation. He maybe just ruined a Final Four team and that's something one never gets back. I know the rules are arcane to those of us who aren't Mormon, however BYU has always had such rules and athletes have been suspended before for violating the Honor code. Furthermore, Davies is from the area so he should have been fully aware that the school looks upon these violations unfavorably. Personally, I don't see how non-Mormons attend there. At the very least, one needs to be very spiritual and disciplined to succeed there. I think this sexual situation was Davies 2nd mistake. His first was accepting a scholarship to attend a school for which he couldn't follow the rules & regulations.

All-time Team - Defensive line.

I took a little break from my All-time team. So this week I will complete the team so I can move on to my NBA All-time team. So we make it the the D-line; the position I called home and coached. I love defensive lineman for their ability to change a game. The first guy is the right defensive end and is my favorite athlete of all-time - Bruce Smith.



I love Smith. I got a stair-master because I read that he worked-out on them for hours. I thought about eating a raw onion before games because this was Smith's routine. Bruce said he liked to breathe on QBs with onion breathe to let them know it would be a long day.  I didn't actually go through with that since I realized that my pass rush skills were lacking so the QBs I played against wouldn't get a whiff. (I was a run-stopper). Anyway, Smith is the all-time leader in sacks and a truly great player.




Every great D-line needs a space eater. It needs a guy who can't be moved. Washington was that guy. He is immense. He protected linebackers for over a decade and was a all around good guy.



The other defensive tackle is La'Roi Glover. This guy had a motor. A great pass rusher and an underrated run stopper. Teams just could not keep him out of the back-field. This dude was seriously quick for a man his size. Saints should have never let him go.



While Bruce Smith is my favorite defensive lineman ever, Reggie White is no doubt the greatest defensive lineman ever.  Where Smith excelled as a pass rusher and back side run the defender, he could be had by running straight at him. White had no such weaknesses. He was a dominant point of attack run defender and outstanding pass rusher. White was also a minister. So while my defensive backfield is filled with questionable characters, my D-line is filled with high character guys who provide leadership.