Worst Owner in Sports

So I just read an article on The Shutdown Corner  on Yahoo sports that said the Redskins offered the Bengals two first round draft picks for Chad Ochocinco a few years ago only to have Mike Brown turn them down. Since that offer, Ocho's play has regressed and he was recently traded for two late round picks. I can't believe the Bengals didn't make that deal. But with Carson Palmer sitting at home rather than at some team's training camp, what did I expect? This is also the NFL team that doesn't have an indoor practice facility. If you don't have an indoor practice facility and your team resides in a cold weather state, are you really trying? A local high school team that is down the street from Bengal's headquarters has one but the Bengal's don't. All this makes me wonder is Mike Brown the worst owner in professional sports?

Who would be the other contenders for this title? Al Davis? Donald Sterling? Peter Angelos?  Frank McCourt? James Dolan? Micheal Jordan surely deserves a mention. As does Dan Snyder.

I know many will say Al Davis but in his defense, Al's way worked for a long time. The Raiders have historically been good and have only recently become a laughing stock. Also, if the owner spends money but just spends its foolishly, I'll give them a pass. So Angelos and Snyder are out. I'll give Jordan a pass too since he hasn't been a owner for a long period of  time so he has time to grow into the role.  That leaves us with McCourt, Sterling, Dolan and Brown.

Dolan spends a ton of money so he almost got a pass. I would rather my owner tried as opposed to never doing anything (see Pittsburgh Pirates). However, I just can't overlook all the crazy things that have occurred during his watch. Plus his infatuation with Isaiah Thomas is unnerving. Lawsuits plus constant GM and coach turn-over equals bad ownership.

Next we have Frank McCourt. If you can't make payroll, you suck as an owner. That's really all you need to know.

Mike Brown - team regularly sucks. The organization is ran on the cheap. The owner hurts the team rather than helps them win.

And finally there is Donald Sterling. Sterling runs the show on the cheap. He has been sued for discrimination.  He's been known to heckle and demean his players. His team never wins. Ever.

I think we have a winner. Sterling by a nose hair over Mike Brown. But at least LA basketball fans can cheer for the Lakers. Alas, poor Cincinnati football fans are stuck with only the Bengals. Who do you think deserves the title of worst owner? 

All-Time Team - Tight End

All-Time Tight-end - Mike Ditka



This position was perhaps the most difficult to pick. Its not that I have too many favorite tight-ends. Its just the opposite. I really don't watch the position like I do others. Plus its a hybrid spot. You got to block and you have to catch and I have never decided which aspect I think is most important. The tight-ends that I should use all have some quality that I dislike. For example, Shannon Sharpe looks like a horse. Sea Biscuit can not make my squad. Antonio Gates is as bad built as I've ever seen a pro athlete. I don't need him waddling down the seams for my team. Tony Gonzalez is too much of a pretty boy for me. No prancing around on my squad either. In case you haven't noticed, I like football players with mean streaks; guys with notorious dispositions. Therefore, Mike Ditka is the perfect guy to be my tight-end. While I never seen him play, he is in the Hall of Fame. His demonstrative demeanor as a coach leads me to conclude that he has the right temperament for this squad. I can still see him berating Jim Harbaugh for throwing that pick six against the Vikings. It was child abuse on national TV except Harbaugh was an adult. No matter how successful Harbaugh is as a coach, I still feel bad for him for that day.

Having Ditka on the squad provides many benefits. He can serve as Head Coach in pinch. He did win over 100 games in the league. He can get catering from his steakhouse. In fact, Ditka would be over all food and beverage. Brats and beer for everyone. Plus he'll have a stash of Levitra for the older players. Only thing he would not have a hand in is personnel decisions. We saw how that turned out for the Saints.

Jimmy Graham



I figure I should at least have a player I watched on the squad so I present to you Jimmy Graham. This kid has star written all over him. I know he is still unproven and raw, but I just love the enthusiasm that he brings to the game. With his work ethic, their is no doubt he will fulfill his potential. Plus I like the fact that he overcame racism (from his relatives on both sides of his family for being mixed) homelessness and poverty just to get to college. So he no doubt has character which is always a good thing to have on one's team. 

Who are your favorite tight ends? I bet I get some interesting picks on this one.

Way to go A.J.

I'd like to give a shout out to A.J. Jefferson for becoming the first Dandy Dozen football player from North Pike High School (my Alma Mater). The Dandy Dozen is a preseason listing of the 12 best high school football players in Mississippi. Congratulations A.J. and good luck this season!  http://bit.ly/oiYBrB

P.S. Damn AJ is already grown man big. High schoolers are huge these days.

All time team - Offensive Line

Welcome back to my series on my all-time favorite players at each position. I remind you that these are not the players I think are the greatest at each position. These are my personal favorites. Today I discuss the backbone of any team - the HOGS in the trenches.

Left Tackle - Willie Roaf



Big Willie anchored the Saints offensive line for nearly a decade and then opened holes for one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history in Kansas City. To call him a great player would be an understatement. Roaf made the All-Decade Team for both the 1990s and 2000s. The soon to be Hall of Famer is also as classy as they come. He is a perfect choice to anchor the blind side.

Left Guard - Larry Allen



Larry Allen may be the strongest player to ever play in the NFL. His weight room feats are legendary. This strength allowed him to absolutely punish defenders. Now I am by no means a Cowboys fan but I always liked Cowboy linemen. Allen cemented his status as an all-time great in Super Bowl 30 when he leveled Greg Lloyd. Lloyd was one of the meanest and nastiest Linebackers ever and was in his prime at the time. Allen pulled and crushed Lloyd on a sweep. Crushed him in a way you rarely see in a NFL game. But that was Allen. A guy who physically stood out against his opponents.

Center - Dermonti Dawson



Dawson was a 6 time All-Pro and 7 time Pro-Bowler and was elected to the All-Decade team of the 90s. I know it may seem contrary to popular thought, but the Steelers may be Team Center. The team is know for their running backs, have a couple of Hall of Fame QBs and a slew of All-Pro linebackers. But actually, center is the team position of excellence. The team has Mike Webster at center in the Hall of Fame. Dawson is a HOF finalist. Jeff Hartings was an All-Pro and their current center Markice Pouncey seems bound for an excellent career after a very solid rookie year. I like Dawson the most of this bunch. He's an excellent athlete who had a great career.

Right Guard - Bruce Matthews



At right guard we have yet another member of the All-Decade team of the 90s. Matthews makes my team for his versatility and his longevity. Matthews was a 14 time Pro-Bowl selection and a 9 time All-Pro. He played Tackle, Guard & Center for the Oilers/Titans makinkg the Pro-Bowl as a guard and center. By having Matthews on this team, he can provide a back-up at all line positions. Also, as an added perk, I can have his family fill out the rest of the roster. His brother Clay Jr played 19 hard hitting years for the Browns (Bruce played 20 seasons). His nephew Clay III is now a hard hitting stud backer for the Packers. Did I mention Clay I had a 4 year OL run with the 49ers? Clay III's little brother Casey was drafted by the Eagles. Bruce's son Kevin is on the Titans roster to be coached by his dad next season. Then there's Jake who was a high school All-American that plays for Texas A&M. Yeah, I'd say football runs in their blood.


Right Tackle - Erick Williams



Damn! I can't believe I have two Cowboys on my All-time team.* That is such a disappointment. However, the 90s Cowboys line may have been the best ever so I have to give them their due respect. Williams crushed opponents just as thoroughly as Allen did. I firmly believe that the Cowboys success was based on the dominating offensive lineman they had. While everyone else on my line is or will be a Hall of Famer, Williams will not be. However, during his peak years, there were none better than him.

*Deion Sanders Cowboy years have been erased from my memory

So there you have it. Let the debates begin.

Three Cheers for the Yankee Captain

I have never liked the Yankees. Their obnoxious fans and loudmouth owner forever turned me off. Plus during my formative years, they just weren't any good. Throughout the 80s, they were a team in constant turmoil. George Steinbrenner feuded with his players, constantly fired his managers and even got exiled from Major League Baseball. But all this changed in the 90s when the Yanks called up a slew of stud young players.  These players would lead the Yankees back to prominence and end up dominating the 90s. Most prominent among those players was Derek Sanderson Jeter.

Over the weekend, Jeter became the first Yankee to ever get 3000 hits. He did it with same class and flair for the dramatic that he has always exhibited throughout his career. Jeter should be commended for always playing the game hard and being a consummate pro. So while I still can't stand the Yankees and still think most of their fans are completely obnoxious, I'll give Jeter a tip of the cap for a career that has redefined what it means to be great. Congratulations Derek.

Overcoming Adversity

Throughout my many years of playing and then coaching football, one theme remained constant. Coaches would always talk about the ability to "overcome adversity." Just writing those words brings back memories of countless speeches I heard and later gave.  I bring this up to share with you the story of this kid from a rural Colorado town. This high schooler sat at his mothers side as she died and then a couple of days later led his team to the league title by pitching a no-hitter AND hitting four home-runs.  Damn good way to respond to adversity.  This is why I love sports so......

Post 100 - Random Musings

Yeah, I know. Its really been awhile since I last posted. I gave myself blogger's block. I noticed that my next post would be my 100th so I wanted it to be special and really good. Bad idea on my part. Instead of just continuing as normal, I ended up not posting anything at all. All the drafts I had ready to go have long since become moot. So I'll restart my blog with some things I think I know.

I think the NCAA has just said "Fuck It" regarding legitimately trying to enforce its by-laws. Look at the recent evidence. A whole firestorm of allegations surrounded Cam Newton and he was allowed to play and win the National Title. Ohio State players were allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl when they by rule should have been ineligible. The UConn Huskies won the basketball National Title while their coach was found to have broken the rules and he like the Ohio State players and coach will be suspended NEXT season. The NCAA has said the hell with this and said let's just make all the money we can now. The organization can not be taken seriously anymore. I think the recession changed the NCAA's thought process. Member schools lost a ton of revenue during the recession. Many big donors stopped giving as their assets plummeted. Athletics however still brought in the dollars. I think the NCAA is loathe to mess with the golden goose during these tough economic times.

I think it's a bit sad that we are witnessing greatness fade away in these NBA playoffs. For the first time in my life, I understand what the old sports writers were talking about when they said it pained them to see Willie Mays stumble out of the batters box his last season. The writers would also say that they couldn't bare to watch Muhammad Ali's last few fights. These were always the two primary examples of what happens when athletes hang on too long. Well we are witnessing the fade of greatness in these playoffs. I turned on these playoffs only to discover that Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have all crossed over from veteran to just plain old. Just last year these players were fighting for the title and looked like they had at least 2 or 3 more seasons of greatness. Now the end of their careers are clearly in sight. Oh they will still be in the league, but their collective ability to dominate exists no longer. Its stunning to watch but as they say, Father Time is undefeated.

The Los Angeles Dodgers can not meet payroll! How the hell does that happen? I know Frank McCourt's divorce attorneys have told him that he will not be able to keep the Dodgers and fulfill the requirements of any divorce settlement. Yet he still maintains that this is his team and he will maintain in ownership. Dude, sell the team, take the 2 to 3 hundred million that you will have left of your estate and walk away.

Bad things happen when young people tweet. Just this week, a star Seatlle high school basketball player got his Athletic Director fired because he tweeted about having a Spanish class with only 2 other students. What's the problem you ask? Well that school district has had strict budget cuts and there is no way there should be a class with only 3 students. So this tweet brought investigators to campus and nothing good has ever nor will ever come out when investigators start looking into the grades and curriculum of student athletes. Apparently the kid also benefitted from favorable "grading" & scheduling all along.

Another example is Rashard Mendenhall. Apparently he is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and tweeted such last week after Bin Ladin's death. He wondered how planes could take down a skyscrapper. He also said we only heard one side of the story. Hmmmmm ok. Regardless of what I think of his statements, my first thought was this dude is about to get fired by someone. Sure enough his main sponsor, Champion, fired him two days later. I'm all for freedom of speech. I also realize that there are consequences for said speech. And now Rashard has learned that too.

Well there you have it. Post 100. Thank you to my followers. Its a great feeling to have my voice heard and I appreciate you guys reading my drivel!