Things About Sports I Will Never Understand

There are some things, that no matter long and hard I think about it, I just don't seemed to understand. Here's my brief, but very troubling, list.

1) Why do people pronounce the word Jaguars like it is spelled JAGWIRES. It bugs.

2) Charges in the NBA are a joke. Why should a player be able to run in front of me and just stand there. It's the stupidest thing ever. Can you imagine this in any other sport? Having the option to just move in front of the competition and stop there with your hands covering your groin? How about a second baseman running into the basepath, or Dale Earnhardt Jr turning around and just stopping in front of oncoming traffic?

I'll think of more later.

The Decline of Ross Apo

When Jake Heaps announced his commitment to Brigham Young University, fans of BYU were salivating over the thought of watching Jake Heaps throw the deep ball to Ross Apo as he leaps in the air to haul in a touchdown. The 6'3", 207 pound receiver was not something Cougar Nation was used to. BYU is used to white at wide receiver. He was black. BYU is used to short at receiver. He was tall. BYU was used to slow at receiver. He was fast. Not to mention he'd be teaming up with Cody Hoffman, the Cougars could have one of the best wide receiving tandems in the West.

That dream died a year ago, and my how things have changed.

The impossible dream has been replaced with a kickoff return man at quarterback throwing wide receiver screen passes to Apo. He's netting 7.4 yards per catch, down from 13.3 last year. He's found the end zone once this year. He scored nine last year. I swear, if I see Riley Nelson throws one more screen pass to Apo, I'm going to call Bronco Mendenhall and tell him to take over the offense to. How are the offensive coaches not throwing the ball up to Apo and Hoffman? It makes no sense. Apo is having to catch the ball by his toes. Let the man use his length. I understand Riley doesn't have the best arm, but that's exactly why you throw it up and let them grab it.

This is the saddest part of it all. BYU will never, and I say never, have two wide receivers who are so physically gifted - and black - at the same time. This tandem only has a handful of games left together and then we'll all be left with the "what might have been". Can you imagine how good we could be if we had Heaps with ten more games under his belt throwing to Apo and Hoffman? Man, things could have been good.

Tips for Riley Nelson

Look, I'm not a quarterback and I've never played football - unless you count BYU intramural football. If that counts, the first game I played at quarterback I threw six touchdowns and zero picks. We won. Even without that lengthy resume, I feel qualified to offer some advice to BYU's starting quarterback. I'm going to be as positive as I can, because I genuinely want the best for Riley and the program.

Here goes.

First, be a quarterback first and a running back second. It seems like you always have running the ball in the back of your mind and that leads to a lot of sacks and negative plays. In last week game at Notre Dame, you were sacked three times to end drives. That can't happen.

Second, you are two very talented receivers. Ross Apo is 6'3" 207. Cody Hoffman is 6'4" 215. Why are Apo's only receptions off of wide receiver screens? If you need to, please talk to Brandon Doman about this. BYU will never again have two wide receivers of this caliber at the same time. Throw them the ball. Have you ever played the game 500? Just throw the ball up in the air and I guarantee you they will make some plays.

Lastly, go into coaching. I'm sure many teams could use a motivator like you. It's obvious that Bronco Mendenhall loves you to death, and sadly that is why this program isn't taking it to the next level. Jake Heaps should have been the starter all last year and he should still be here. He was a quarterback. Riley, you were on the kickoff team last year. My point is, if BYU had a quarterback this year, we would be 6-2 at least.

I really appreciate all Riley has done for BYU. He's got heart, he's got enthusiasm. However, he could still have contributed these attributes to the team without having to be under center. Let's hope BYU can again return to the tradition of QB-U and find someone to provide some consistency at that position.

What is Bronco Mendenhall doing?

Let me first say, Bronco Mendenhall is doing an amazing job with the defense. They haven't allowed a TD in 15 quarters?  They have held 13 or 14 straight opponents under 300 yards of total offense. Just staggering. The defense could not be playing better.

On the flip side, the decisions that have been made on the offensive/special teams side have been atrocious. Now, who is making the decisions that I have a problem with, is it Brandon Doman or Bronco? I don't know. Let me just review a few.

1. The two-point conversion attempt at Boise State. If our center could have blocked his man, this might not be a talking point. However, based on how well his defense was doing, I don't know how he could not trust them to win. Or maybe he just had no faith in his kicking game - and why should he I guess.

2. The false starts against Utah. How many? Nine? Ten? Whatever it was, is that the coaches fault?

3. The personal fouls. Every year BYU makes so many undisciplined, bone-headed, emotionally charged stupid personal fouls. I've heard that Bronco likes them to play aggressive, and that's fine. But, is there not a way to tone down the aggression and play with some smarts?

4. The fake field goal against Utah State. Two reason I hate the call. One, just look at what happened. Two, now the field goal unit realizes you have zero confidence in them to make a 25-yard field goal. Wasn't Justin Sorensen supposed to be the kicker of all kickers. I remember hearing stories of him nailing 70-yarders in practice. Maybe he should have been practicing the 30-yarders instead.

5. Running Taysom Hill with two minutes left. The game was over, get into victory formation and end it. Instead, they kept running Hill and he injures his knee on his last running play. Now he is out for the year, rumor has it. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

Basically, if I WOULD do these things while playing Madden, it is not something a Division 1-A coach should be doing, and I've done all of these.

Bobby Valentine is gone - finally

I don't want to bash people. I don't want to project hate. So I won't. I will just say that I'm glad Bobby Valentine will have new employment next year. Every decision that he has made this year has been a horrible one. I can't imagine playing for him, I can't imagine others wanting to play for him. I can't imagine why he was ever hired.

So long Bobby. No more talking down his players. No more blaming his coaches. No more, no more. Looking forward to the next manager.

Replacement Refs and Obama

My first press conference question

Click HERE to see the press conference. You hear my question about 7:40 ish.

Max Hall article published on TornbySports

Please check out my article that was published on the up and coming blog, TornbySports.

Click here

If I had a jumper

What if I told you there once was a skier who won a Gold Medal at the Olympics, but he didn't know how to ski? You'd call me crazy--and probably be interested in knowing what I was talking about. I have a similar story.

I always loved the game of basketball. It was my passion as a child. I spent every day of summer playing basketball in my driveway pretending I was Larry Bird and the Celtics trying to beat Magic and the Lakers. I shot and I shot and I shot for hours. Thanks to that I became a pretty decent shooter. Actually, at my young age, I was a very good shooter. In my mind, that was a prerequisite for playing basketball and being successful. The NBA has proven me wrong. I bring you a list of 4 NBA players who have made the All-Star game in the last 5 years, who can't shoot the rock.

This picture is worth a thousand words.

Somebody might want to tell Ben Wallace his right hand is facing the wrong direction

Mutombo looks concerned. We all know why.

Rondo might want to consider using two hands.

Just as I was about to send this to press I decide to search "define basketball" on google. This is what I found: "a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop". It looks like these guys are throwing the ball at the basket, not shooting.

True there are many different tasks to be performed on the court, and players are paid big bucks for specialized skills and abilities they bring to a team. But here's my take...you get paid millions of dollars to play basketball in the NBA...learn how to shoot.

Why I think Max Hall should run for President

It was a chilly 36 degrees on Saturday night as I watched Max Hall take the snap and zip a completion to Andrew George for the winning touchdown against Utah. The next thing I know, I'm on the field slammed amongst thousands of screaming fans. Max Hall walks by and I slap him on the shoulder pads and tell him great job. He takes off his helmet, winks at me and says, "Thanks for believing in me kid". I wasn't offended. I mean, I am 30 and older than him and he just called me a kid. It was surreal. As we fought traffic I heard Max Hall's comments live and I knew it would create a fuss. I was listening to history as it happened. I was giddy in my car. I mean, he just said that he hated Utah, how great was that! But there's a bigger reason that I loved hearing Max Hall go off. Enjoy with me for a moment the 2 images below.

This one

And this one.

Okay, so Max Hall had a horrible game last year at Rice-Eccles. There's probably no word that can describe how pathetic he played in the 2nd half. Do you think that bothered him? He is a fiery guy and it made him mad as heaven. But you know what, even if he wanted to let it go, he couldn't. Why? The constant bashing, nagging, taunting, it had to drive him out of his mind. I mean, this dude is competitive. He got taken out of his first scrimmage at BYU for getting into three fights. So this is the wrong guy to taunt, he's not going to sit there and take it. Put yourself in his shoes. Your playing one of the biggest games of your life. You lay an egg and you can't sleep that night. Or the next, or the next. Man, I bet Hall didn't get one good night of sleep for the whole year. And when you're awake that's all you hear about.

Here's my point. I love what Max Hall said because it wasn't what we thought he was supposed to say. It wasn't some politically correct answer with no emotion. It wasn't the vague rhetoric that we are so used to hearing from coaches and players. He said what he felt in those moments. And in those moments I really think he hated the university, the coaches, the players, and yes YOU, mr. or mrs. ute fan. Are you going to judge him for that and be offended? Since when has a Ute fan ever cared what a BYU player/fan thought anyway?

Praise Max Hall for playing the game with emotion. Praise Max Hall for calling out stupid Ute fans who poor beer on people. At least BYU fans only pour water. Beer is gross and it smells. Praise Max Hall for making a mistake. He's human and we all do it. I know plenty of people, including myself who open their mouths way too much and are never called on it. I'm just glad this next year, after he gets the kids down, Max Hall will be able to rest his head on the pillow and get a good night's sleep. As for Stevenson Sylvester...

Talk to the hand

What this all has to do with Max Hall running for President I have no idea.

Foto Friday

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz kneels at the edge of the dugout after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Sanctity of "Whoof"

(This post will be somewhat controversial and is for a more mature audience)

While riding into work this morning at 5:40 AM, I was listening to Fox Sports, 700 AM on your radio dial and was intrigued by a segment that was running called "I'm so fed up with". People call in and complain about anything and everything from Kobe Smobe Bryant, to steroids, and whatever else is on their mind. The one caller's complaint that caught my attention was this "I'm so sick of NFL players who murdered people and get away with it."

I have a little summary below of 3 NFL players, who have been proven rich innocent of killing a total of 5 people. And the total sentence is 30 days in jail, all of which are attributed to Donte Stallworth who took the easy way out and told the truth pleaded guilty.

The O. J. Simpson murder case has been described as the most publicized criminal trial in history, in which he was brought to trial for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 after a lengthy trial—the longest jury trial in California history. (O.J. Simpson will serve at least nine years in prison for his role in an armed confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers. Simpson was sentenced to a maximum of 33 years with the possibility of parole after nine. Yes, you heard right. He gets off scott free for killing his wife, yet might spend 33 years in the slammer for stealing some trophies????)

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth is going to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.
The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years' probation and do 1,000 community service hours for killing a pedestrian he hit with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.
Police say Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar before the March 14 crash that killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes. Tests showed Stallworth's blood-alcohol content was .126.
Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes' family.

Ray Lewis was implicated in the murders of two men at a party for Super Bowl. Lewis and his friends were allegedly involved. Lewis was indicted for assault and murder. Lewis agreed to plead guilty on a lesser charge of obstruction of justice. Lewis was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $250,000 by NFL, (at the time the highest fine ever imposed on a player), but was not suspended by the league. Notice the SI cover with the title "The Gospel According to Ray Lewis: God's Linebacker" Are you kidding me? As one reader commented when this issue came out, "If Ray Lewis is God's Linebacker, then OJ Simpson is God's running back."

Michael Vick was sentenced to prison Monday for running a dogfighting operation and will stay there 23 months. John Goodwin of the Humane Society of the United States called Vick's sentence appropriate."People that are involved in this blood sport are on notice. You can throw your life away by being involved in this," he said. Along with the prison term, Vick was fined $5,000 and will serve three years' probation after his release.

Is this a sad commentary on the sanctity of a human life? Vick, who killed dogs (and I know it was more than that but...I'm trying to prove MY point) gets 23 months. 22 months MORE than 3 men who "allegedly" killed 5 HUMAN BEINGS!!! We're at the point now that fido, scout, tweety, and sylvester are treated as gods and worshipped, while the missing mary's, the murdered mom's, and the raped rachel's are overlooked as their perpetrators are dismissed with a plea deal and a slap on the wrist.

Jim Brown talks about Ernie Davis

If you are a sports fan this is a must see movie.

Ernie Davis was the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Receiving congratulations from Pres. Kennedy.

Gyro-ball revealed

The best part is the pitcher's celebration.

Tribute to Troy

Let's be honest...Canton, Ohio's NFL Hall of Fame is, for the most part, a place for superstars who care about the stats and put themselves first. The NFL has a lot of proud, overpaid pre-madonnas who are too good to be disciplined. You won't find the situational player who plays when the coach tells him to. You find the whiner who doesn't get the #&@* ball. And you won't find the player who busts his butt in practice, you find the guy who had turf toe all week so he couldn't practice, but of course played Sunday's game. You find the specialized monsters who have perfected their skills, you won't find the player who plays 4 positions. I would love to see this jersey hanging in the Hall of Fame one day, but it's just not going to happen. Or is it?

Troy Brown is everything most NFL players aren't. He's unselfish, humble, a team player, willing to listen to his coach, versatile, grateful. And what has that got him? Just check out his fingers, the man has three Super Bowl rings. He's the player every NFL coach would love to have, because he doesn't have to be on the field all the time--but if you need him to be, he will. He'll play WR, he'll be used as a RB, he'll return punts, he'll return kickoffs, he'll be on special teams coverage, he'll even play DB when your secondary is pummelled by injury(he was also on the depth chart as QB during the preseason one year). An NBA coach recently was asked about the chances his team has this year. He said "Well, if my players are worried about how many minutes they are getting, this will be a tough year. If they are here to win, then we will in great shape". I'm sure Troy Brown could play point if needed.

The thing I love about Troy Brown is he's the smallest guy on the field. I was always worried someone was going to break him. Yet, he always did his job and whenever the Pats needed a big play, he made it. How many times did he return a punt for a TD in the playoffs? Seems like more than once. And how about that play against the Chargers in '06 during the playoffs when Brady got picked and then Brown forced the fumble and the Pats recovered the ball! Amazing. Big players step up in big games.

But listen to this. Patriots all time leader in receptions with 557. Three-time Super Bowl Champion. Over 6,300 receiving yards. One of the faces of the Patriots franchise that has carried the NFL for the last 10 years. In 2000, 83 rec...2001, 101 rec...2002, 97 rec...that's 281 catches in 3 years! Not only did he put up amazing numbers, he overcame all the odds. Troy Brown is a black man's Rudy--but better. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 1993 draft, 198th pick out of 224. He was subsequently cut in the preseason but then signed later that year. He continually had to prove himself.

I would never have classified Troy as physically big, man, I always thought he looked so skinny with those pads on, but look at him without pads.

The dude is ripped!

Listen, I get, I get it. He's not a sexy player. When he retired, ESPN was nice enough to mention it in passing. He is not the story that sells. And that is exactly why are society is going to pot. We give all the air time to fools who have no morals, no dignity, no respect, no gratitude, and we leave the Troy Browns of the world hanging out to dry.

Troy Brown, I am going to miss you. You were a breath of fresh air. A player who wasn't cocky, who actually cared about the team, who never said I, it was always "we" or "us". He would do anything, at any time, in any position on the field. He turned down more money as a free agent to stay with him team--a true novelty these days. He was the symbol of the Patriot franchise--and will remain so for a long time. Forget Tom Brady--give me another Troy Brown(well, I'll take Brady back too).

What do you think? Express your opinion in our poll on the sidebar. Should Troy Brown receive Hall of Fame consideration?

B...Y...U...Cougars

We came to crash the party!

Belichick deserves an Oscar

This one goes out to all the Patriot fans who for some reason are in mourning. I know, I know. You had to suffer through the death of Brady 2008, only to see a pillar of light in a 2-0 start to the campaign with hopes of hooking the Dolphins in week 3, and then...after 45 minutes of football your season was destroyed for the second time this year. You have all given up. Cassel sucks. The defense is old and weak. We can't throw deep to Moss. I know, I know...but there is also something I know that you don't. Trust me, you don't need to worry.

For starters, don't think that we can start winning again because Belichick is going to cheat again. He is not peeking anymore. I have proof. See the picture below. But listen, I know what Belichick is doing, and I am surprised I am the only one. People, we are talking about Bill Belichick, Master Yoda of the pigskin, the Tanya Harding of gameplanning!!! Do you honestly think he could get beat by the lowly Dolphins, at home, by 25 points--when he was trying?


I have it on a good source that the Pats blew Sunday's game on purpose. Think of it. If they kept rolling along and beating everybody on their schedule again, when would the pressure get to Cassel? How much can he handle? Each Patriots opponent would get all pumped up for the game and try to be THE TEAM that stopped the Pats regular season winning streak. Now, after one home loss to the 'fins, the whole league thinks the Patriots are done. They aren't worried anymore. Their guards are down. They don't have to dethrone the king anymore. Nobody does. It's already been done. DO YOU SEE HOW BRILLIANT BELICHICK IS??? Forget the zen of Phil Jackson, THIS is GOOD STUFF!!!

Here Matt Cassel is getting attacked by the Dolphins. Did he question Belichick's pregame talk of "Men, give me 10%!". Let's hear what Matt had to say. "Well, I realized coach was right. Either I get beat to death in one game, or get pounded every week for the rest of the season. I think we all knew which was the better option. I'm pretty sure I would have cracked under the pressure. Whenever I get praised, I blush and can't think straight. I mean, all those girls at Leinhart's house giving me compliments...anyway. So, I needed to be brought down to earth. Now we are the lowly Patriots, and there are no expectations. I can just get back to being the all-state high school quarterback that I am".

Poor offensive line play--was it just an off day? I don't think so.

Cassel's call for help in the 3rd quarter didn't fall on deaf ears

Although Belichick took the week off from gameplanning, he was there to back up Cassel when he needed him.

Belichick spoke to me in a private interview after the game and I asked him what the hardest part of this week was. He told me "Praising Tony Sparano for that game plan was hard, real hard. I think they ran the same play to Ronnie Brown 6 times, but my players did a great job of missing tackles. They really put on a good show tonight. We did a good job of acting, but the Dolphins made it hard. I mean, they really suck".

There you have it New England. Lift up your chin. There is hope. Week 5 in San Francisco will be a beat down. We might not have Brady, but we have the next best thing--a high school quarterback and Master Yoda on the sidelines.

Manny being.....I won't even say it.

Indifference. That's what I'll label it. There are other words I would like to use but I'll leave it at that. I think this picture tells it all. Sad thing is, I really like the guy--even though everything he does makes me wonder why.


Manny Ramirez quit on his team, his town, and his effort. Check these stats out. In 365 AB with Beantown, he hits 20 HR, has 68 RBI, and bats .299. He cries, complains, bullies the Red Sox employees, stops trying, takes vacations, and then is moved to no pressure LA where in 173 AB he has already clubbed 16 HR, had 49 RBI, and is batting a nifty .399--and is being mentioned as an MVP candidate. This is why I hate Manny (along with the fact that after begging him for an autograph for my dying mother, he consented-- but my pen had dried up in the negotiations so he walked off). I hate him for giving up on me, a loyal Bosox fan who baseball actually means something too.

Wouldn't it be nice to be so good at something that you could do whatever the heck you wanted and your boss would just take it. Or send you to Hollywood instead of firing you. How would that feel? If any of you want to know, I'll tell you...because I am THAT good at payroll.

In case you Dodger fans think you have hit the jackpot on this one, realize two things. Manny is a free agent and will require top dollar--that's #1. #2 is the following, it's Manny Ramirez, and that means it's only a matter of time before he starts acting like the real Manny.

Hanging it up

I am officially retired from the world of blogging.

Ben Favre

P.S. I don't feel wanted (last post, 0 comments)

Accountability of a Stripper

I'm sure we have all heard of the ex-stripper who was trash talking A-Rod at a game and he came up to her, said hi, and asked her out. That led to dinner, a visit to his apartment, and then an affair. A-Rod is a piece of dirt, that two-timing, wife-hating, cheater. He should be held to a higher standard, after all. Right? Well, sort of. While I do think athletes, because they are in the spotlight and are idols for so many kids, need to be very careful of their conduct, that does not mean that the average ex-stripper gets a free pass for what she did.

This Candace lady is all stressed out now because paparazzi have been showing up outside her parent's home. She said "I don't need this. I am not the one with a pregnant wife at home". Yes, but you are the one who had sex with her husband. Not once, but twice, the second time a year after she "felt bad" after seeing his wedding ring. Here are a few more things this lady said that make me scratch my head......

“It was killing me and I felt bad afterwards,” she said. “I’m not a bad person. I know how it feels to be cheated on, it sucks. But a couple of drinks later, I didn’t notice all that much, to tell you the truth.” (on her first night with A-Rod--alcohol does it again)

“He said he had a big game the next day. I like to say I helped us win,” she laughed. “I reversed the curse!” (During the 2004 ALCS--way to take on for the team)

“A leopard doesn’t change his spots. Good for her, I think she’s doing the smart thing. And she’ll probably get tons of cash." (On Cindy Rodriguez filing for divorce--real classy thing to say. So if a leopard doesn't change his spots, what does a stripper not change? And, I'm sure any honest women would love to exchange a broken heart, marriage, and family....not to mention broken hearted children, for a ton of cash.)

I have never once heard this lady offer any apology, or say she did anything wrong (other than down one-too-many Heineken's) Are we going to let her off this easy? As much as I dislike A-Rod, she had a choice too, and she chose to be a fornicator. Twice. (well, with A-Rod anyway) It would be nice if our society would adopt something called accountability. Let me spell that for you. A-c-c-o-u-n-t-a-b-i-l-i-t-y. It means, if you do something stupid, admit to it and realize there are consequences and you get to deal with them for doing something you shouldn't have.