Johnson's Opnion

Fraud that is exactly what Allen Iverson is, a fraud. How ironic is it that his back injury flares up once he is relegated to the Detroit Piston’s second unit. Many of the Iverson faithful would argue that he is truly hurt, or else one of the most durable little men to ever play in the NBA would be out on the court and not on his back for the next two weeks. I would have to agree with them that he is truly hurt, but I would have to say that his injury is more to his ego and less to his back. He still considers himself basketball royalty, and he just isn’t anymore. His skills have diminished, he is not as fast as he once was, and he just does not fit with his new team.

The me first Iverson’s inability to mesh with the team first Pistons has never been more evident that over the past 11 games. In that span the Pistons have lost all eight games in which Iverson has participated, and won the three games in which he did not play in. You may think that the previously skidding Pistons probably beat the likes of a Minnesota, or Memphis in their last three games, but that is not true. Two of the games that the Detroit Pistons have won without Iverson were against the Defending Champion Boston Celtics, and the high flying Orlando Magic. In the last three games, the Pistons have shown a glimmer of actually being a good team as compared to one that looks like a dysfunctional YMCA rec league team playing against an NBA team.

Iverson has always been and will always be what kids are taught not to be in little league, a me first player. We teach young kids to share the basketball on the court, and to look for the best shot possible, but this is exactly the opposite of what Iverson does. He hogs the ball, and dribbles the air out of it until the shot clock is about to expire. The majority of time, as the shot clock winds down and his teammates sit back and watch, Iverson chucks up an ill advised shot. These shots usually have no chance of going into the basket. When one of the shots that Iverson chucks up goes in, the crowd goes wild and he acts as if he could do it again, but the vast majority of the time he is not successful. Iverson’s arrogance never lets him second guess himself or his shot selection. To him he is who he always has been, and that is still the “Answer”, to Piston’s fans this year he is the wrecking ball that has destroyed their team.

Iverson is a poster child for the “spoiled American athlete”. He is exactly what is wrong with the selfish me first NBA. Allen refuses to sacrifice for his team as Richard “Rip” Hamilton did by willingly accepting a bench role. His stay in Detroit has been a disaster, and cannot end fast enough. The Pistons are a team that without Iverson went to six straight Eastern Conference finals, and with Iverson Detroit is a team that is struggling to make the playoffs. The only hope that Detroit has to fix its problems is to hope that Iverson stays away from this team forever and then they can get back to the hardnosed defensive style of play that has become their signature over the past six years. So please Detroit for your sake and the sake of your fans send Iverson packing when he decides his back is well enough for him to come back to the team and be a backup.


Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

Top 2009 Free Agents

Albert Haynesworth
Albert is a defensive tackle that the Titans drafted in the first round of the 2002 season, who essentially underachieved until the last two years, which were contract years. During these two years he has at times dominated the line of scrimmage. The tools that he has used to dominate are his quickness and his hand placement. These are the same tools that have made him attractive to so many teams. Albert can collapse the pocket with the best of them, and he recognizes schemes very well which shows his intelligence and allows him to dominate an offense. The knock against Albert through out his career has been his maturity, passion, and durability. All three of these issues will have to be taken into account by the team that signs him this off-season. I project Albert to either go to Tampa, Washington or back to Tennessee.

Julius Peppers
Peppers is a at times ferocious pass rushing defensive end out of UNC who was drafted number two overall in 2002. He is a long and lean player who strikes fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks. Julius comes off of the edge very quickly, and plays the run equally as well. Peppers is not solely a speed rusher, he often uses power moves to achieve his goal of demolishing a quarterback. He has expressed a desire to play in a 3-4 defense. A perfect fit for him would be Pittsburg, but will he accept a lower dollar amount for a chance at a ring.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Houshmandzadeh is a big receiver who feels he should be the focal point of the offense. He runs routes well, and is willing to go over the middle, and can run away from a DB. He can turn a DB as well as any receiver in the game, and will pluck the ball cleanly when it comes to him. He is also big enough to be able to take a bump and stay on his route, and can easily break tackles. A good situation for T.J. is Philadelphia.

Matt Cassel
What is there not to like about this guy’s story? Cassel has been in the league for four years without a single start, but still had a huge impact on his team’s success when Tom Brady went down. By the end of the year Matt became a top 10 quarterback in the league, and with the impending return of Brady there is not a spot for Matt in the starting lineup anymore. He stands in the pocket well and delivers the ball down field accurately. Cassel quickly moves through his progressions, and when he decides to deliver the ball he transfers his weight very well. Matt’s release is quick, and has a good ball-fake. The ideal situation for Matt is Kansas City.

Ray Lewis
Lewis is as dominant a run defenders as there is in the league at the linebacker position. He moves effortlessly from tackle to tackle, and still hits like a Mac truck. His instincts are excellent and his football intelligence is still superb. His great vision still allows him to take great angles to the ball. Ray still uses his hands well to shed blockers, but he has lost a step (what does lost a step mean? Is the explanation in the next sentence? If so maybe you should elude to that or put it all in the same sentence). He can be exposed in pass coverage more frequently than ever before. With all this being said he is still a top 10 to 15 linebacker in the NFL. Ray fits best with Baltimore, but I can see him with the Jets or Cowboys which would be a mistake.

Next five
Arizona QB Kurt Warner
Baltimore LB Bart Scott
New Orleans LB Jonathan Vilma
Philadelphia DB Brian Dawkins
Tennessee TE Bo Scaife

Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

NFL Free Agency 101

NFL Free Agency officially begins at 12:01 AM ET on Friday and there are many questions every year as to how the NFL free agency process works when it comes to Transition, and Franchised players. To answer some of these questions, I have put together your NFL free agency cheat sheet. This should be used as a point of reference, as I have obtained all of the information from the NFL and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

As stated previously, NFL free agency officially begins on Friday, February 27, and lasts until April 17 for restricted free agents, the players who will take part in this process are either designated "restricted" (RFA), or "unrestricted" free agents (UFA). Within these groups are designated "transition" and "franchise" players. Many players such as Albert Haynesworth and Julius Peppers have in the past or will be in the future designated franchise players. Such players are usually hoping that teams will open their wallets and give them a portion of their $123 million (2009 salary cap). The UFA’s signing period lasts from Friday until July 22. The designation of a restricted free agent occurs when said player has completed three seasons in which they have been on an NFL team’s active roster, on reserved-injured or "physically unable to perform" lists for six games. The player must also have an expired contract. The player must also receive a "qualifying" salary offer, which is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement from his team.

A RFA is a player who can negotiate with any team, and sign an offer sheet once terms of a contract are agreed upon. The player’s original club has the option to match the potential club’s offer sheet and retain the player. This is known as a team’s "right of first refusal,” but if the original club allows the player to go to the new club then the old club could possibly receive compensation in the form of draft-choices.

Unrestricted free agents are players who are classified almost exactly the same as RFAs, but instead of having three years of service on a roster, they have four. A UFA is allowed to sign with any team without the signing club sending compensation. There is a myth that a UFA is an UFA forever or until he has signed a contract with his previous or new club. This is not true, the truth is that on July 23, his rights revert back to his original team if the team made the player a "tender" offer which is 110% of his previous year’s salary prior to June 1. If there was no tender offered the player does remain a free agent throughout the season and is free to sign with anyone at any time.

Transition players are designated by the NFL CBA as a player who has been offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries at his position, these salaries are calculated from the previous season. The player could have also been offered 120 percent of his previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A transition player designation also gives the club a first-refusal right to match another club’s offer to the player within seven days of an offer sheet being signed. If the club matches, it retains the player. If the team does not match, it receives no compensation.


There are two types of franchise players, which are exclusive and non-exclusive. According to CBA an exclusive franchise player is not free to sign with another club and is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at his current position for the current year as of April 17. The player could have also been offered 120 percent of his previous year's salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of the previous season -- whichever of the three is greater. The CBA also states that a non-exclusive franchise player is one that is designated as a player who has been offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of the previous season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary. The player can negotiate with other clubs, and if he reaches a deal with a new team, the old team can match the new team's offer. If the old team decides not to match the new offer they receive two first-round draft choices. If a team decides to withdraw the franchise tag or transition designations the player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent. When this action is taken, the club cannot name a new franchise or transition player in that year, but can in the following year.


Below you will find the difference in the 2008 season as opposed to 2009 season player contract negotiations. The reason for the difference is because the 2009 season is the last capped year of the current CBA:

 After the last game of the 2008 regular season, signing bonus proration was reduced from a maximum of six years to a maximum of five years.
 In 2009, there is no June 1 rule for Signing Bonus acceleration. If a player is removed from the roster or his contract is assigned via waivers or trade at any time in the 2009 League Year, any unamortized signing bonus will be immediately included in Team Salary.
 There is no year-end netting of incentives in 2009. Not-likely-to-be-earned incentives are charged to team salary immediately when earned, and likely-to-be-earned incentives are deducted when they are no longer possible to earn.
 Guaranteed salary from 2010 and beyond is reallocated to 2009 unless the entire 2009 salary is guaranteed.
 50% of guaranteed salary in any League Year beyond 2012 is reallocated to 2009.
 The 30% increase rule restricts salary increases from 2009 to 2010. For example: a player with a $500,000 salary in 2009 would be limited to annual salary increases of $150,000 ($500,000 x 30%) beginning in 2010.
 A team can include only three veteran team incentives in a player contract covering 2009 and beyond. These incentives must also be coupled with a playtime requirement. Previously, clubs were limited to eight team incentives and no playtime requirement.


2009 FRANCHISE PLAYERS

CLUB PLAYER POSITION
Arizona Karlos Dansby LB
Atlanta Michael Koenen P
Baltimore Terrell Suggs LB
Carolina Julius Peppers DE
Cincinnati Shayne Graham K
Houston Dunta Robinson DB
New England Matt Cassel QB
New York Giants Brandon Jacobs RB
Pittsburgh Max Starks T
San Diego Darren Sproles RB
St. Louis Oshiomogho Atogwe DB
Seattle Leroy Hill LB
Tampa Bay Antonio Bryant WR
Tennessee Bo Scaife TE


I hope that I have answered some of your questions about the free agency process in the NFL, if you have any further question please fell free to e-mail me and I will answer your questions.


Idiot Alert
"Reed caused damage to a towel dispenser as he was infuriated at the fact that there were no towels in it.''
--A Pennsylvania state police report accusing Steelers kicker Jeff Reed of going ballistic in a restroom of a convenience store 35 miles east of Pittsburgh at 2:50 a.m. one day two weeks and attacking a paper-towel dispenser.




Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

NFL Network Draft Expert Mike Mayock Press Conference at NFL Scouting Combine (click text)

Topics discussed:


* Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree comparison to Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
* Top 5 Offensive Tackle Prospects
* Overview of Center Position
* Top Defensive Tackles
* Players with "five technique"
* Defensive Lineman Tyson Jackson
* Big Ten Linebackers
* Top Running Backs
* Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell
* QB Sleeper Prospects
* Central Arkansas QB Nathan Brown
* Top Cornerbacks
* Cincinnati DE Connor Barwin
* Penn State DE Aaron Maybin
* Junior Quarterbacks (vs. 5th year QBs Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco)
* Process of looking for college DEs & scheme-diverse defenses
* Process of looking for players in spread offense
* Georgia QB Matthew Stafford
* Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno
* Cincinnati CB Mike Mickens
* 3-4 Nosetackles
* Rutgers WR Kenny Britt
* Florida WR Percy Harvin
* Florida WR Louis Murphy
* Purdue RB Kory Sheets
* Purdue QB Curtis Painter
* Missouri QB Chase Daniel
* Ohio State DB Malcolm Jenkins
* Iowa RB Shonn Greene
* Tennessee DE Robert Ayers
* North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks
* USC LB Clay Matthews
* First-Round WRs
* Florida TE Cornelius Ingram
* Offensive Tackle position
* Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum

Johnson's Opnion

This past week Alex Rodriguez admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs, which included energy enhancing injections from 2001 to 2003 while he played for the Texas Rangers. The acknowledgement by Rodriguez that he participated in the steroid era was surprising and sad for many of his fans and fans of baseball in general. What was not sad was the reaction by Major League Baseball and their Commissioner, it was infuriating. The league essentially denied all responsibility for the use of steroid in their game during the steroid era.

"I'm not sure I would have done anything differently" at that point in time, Selig told Newsday. "A lot of people say we should have done this or that, and I understand that. They ask me, 'How could you not know?' and I guess in the retrospect of history, that's not an unfair question. But we learned and we've done something about it. When I look back at where we were in '98 and where we are today, I'm proud of the progress we've made."


"Starting in 1995, I tried to institute a steroid policy," Selig told Newsday. "Needless to say, it was met with strong resistance. We were fought by the union every step of the way."

"It is important to remember that these recent revelations relate to pre-program activity," Selig said last week. "Under our current drug program, if you are caught using steroids and/or amphetamines, you will be punished. Since 2005, every player who has tested positive for steroids has been suspended for as much as 50 games."


Selig’s comments are a crock of crap, in 1994 baseball had a work stoppage that forced the cancellation of the World Series. The television ratings fell dramatically after this work stoppage, and there was apathy toward the game. In 1998 the home run chase between admitted steroid users Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa was considered the point at which the league’s recovery was completed. It was often wondered by many fans, and media members if the bats were juiced or the balls were juiced, but no one asked if the players were juiced. Baseball had control over the balls and thus knew the balls were not juiced and the league commonly tested suspicious broken bats, so they knew the bats were not corked. With this information, I contend that the baseball had some inclination of what was actually going on which was the players were using the juice (steroids), and turned a blind eye to it because of the money that they were making off of the steroid era. I place the blame squarely on baseball’s shoulders. A-Rod, Big Mac, and Swingin Sammy are just victims of a system that used them and spit them out when it was convenient. So I say Mr. Commissioner step up and accept responsibility, and become respectable. My parents always told me that the truth will always come to light, and the truth of the steroid era is coming to light.



IDIOT ALERT
Andre Smith of the University of Alabama was projected to potentially be the number one pick in the NFL Draft going into the NFL Combine. In the last day and a half of the Combine, Smith’s stock has dropped as if it were being traded on the NYSE. During the weight lifting portion of the combine for the offensive linemen on Friday Smith stood up and said he would not lift because he has not in shape. His reasoning for not being in shape is because he has just picked an agent and he had not been working out until recently. To make matters worse he was a no show for the offensive linemen’s portions of drills on Saturday morning. Players not working out typically show up at their position groups workouts and stand around in a sweatshirt while other players work out. Teams watch these players to see how they interact with other player from their position group. The teams are attempting to gage what type of teammate that the player will potentially be. To put Smith’s mistakes in perspective, the number one overall pick is projected to make $30 to $35 million in guaranteed money. Can we say GONE BABY GONE to that money? Andre is the exact type of player that the old Detroit Lions regime would have selected number one overall and the new regime will not give a second though to drafting. The reason that I mention the Lions is because they have the first selection in April’s draft.

NFL Combine book suggestion:

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, which is the story of Michael Orr of Ole’ Miss

Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

All-Star Saturday

All-Star Saturday could not be any more fun or interesting that All-Star Friday could it? Yes it could and yes it was. The day began with discussions of the previous night’s activities with friends, and everyone wanted to know about the Playboy party, I told them that it was an experience and they should have been there to see. Next my phone started to buzz with request for pictures, and details of the Playboy party. With all the commotion, I just decided to tell everyone the same thing; you had to be there to see it. I was next informed that I was scheduled to attend and cover the Hennessy day party after lunch at the PHX club in Phoenix.


For lunch I attend a local hot spot named the Tilted Kilt in Tempe. This place was full of Irish flavor, as it was designed to resemble an Irish Pub (public house). The public house is traditionally a place where friends come together to fellowship. This was a welcome calm in the sea of electricity known as Phoenix All-Star weekend. While at the Tilted Kilt I met a few people who lived in Phoenix who explained how drastically different this weekend was than the normal Phoenix weekends which they were use to. There were many more parties and people in town than normal, and the parties were priced significantly higher than a normal weekend’s party would cost. I responded welcome to the NBA All-Star weekend. They did not seem enthused with my response, and acted as if the could not wait for all the hoopla to end.

After lunch it was time to head to the Hennessy Party, which was invitation only. This party was geared toward the celebrity crowd. There was everything from hair cutting and massages to $3000 bottles of Hennessy aged 200 years at this party. Some of the celebrities in attendance were Dominique Wilkins, Jadakiss, Akon and Styles P. There was a red carpet full of video and still photographers. The host of the party was one of the Hennessy grandsons who graciously signed bottles of

Hennessy and took pictures with anyone who requested them. The general audience of the party ate a (general) fare of salad meatballs and rice, while sipping drinks made of you guessed it Hennessy. People talked as the D.J. spun the latest tracks from the featured artists Jadakiss and Fabulous. After being at this party for about two hours it was time to go get ready for the basketball exhibition of the night. As I exited the club I realized just how exclusive this party was as some of the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinal football players straddled the barrier which prevented those not on the “LIST” from entering the club. Outside of the Cardinals players which were denied access to the party, there were approximately 250 other people waiting for a glimpse of a celebrity or hoping for entrance into the club, it was crazy to hear people gasp as you walked out of the party.

Now it was time to get down to the business of the NBA, which was All-star Saturday night highlighted by 3 main events, the shooting stars, the 3 point shoot out and the dunk contest. In the shooting stars the team from Detroit won, their teams victory was not a major upset. Next up was the 3 point shoot out in which Jason Kapono of Toronto was favored to win for the third straight time. I personally did not think that he would win, my odds on favorite was Mike Bibby of the Atlanta Hawks. A funny thing happened as the shoot out began, little known Daequan Cook of the Miami Heat began to shoot well. He shot so well that he ended up winning the competition, and when asked afterwards about the significance of his win, he stated that it would now allow him to be recognized as one of the best 3 point shooters in the league.

After the shootout wrapped up we were on to the main event of the night, the Dunk Contest. I think that the Dunk contest is so popular because so few people can do what these athletes do, which is at times defying gravity. The contest featured two former winners tinny five foot nine inch tall Nate Robinson and the defending champ six foot eleven inch tall Dwight “Superman” Howard. Also in the contest were fan elected Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers, and J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets. Smith and Fernandez had their moments but the night belonged to Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson. During one dunk Howard disappeared into a phone booth and reappeared as Superman with his cape on, this revved the crowd into a frenzy, but what stole the show for the night was the dunking display of tinny Nate Robinson who during his last series of dunks was dressed in green with a green ball in hand signifying that he was Howard’s kryptonite. Howard was a good sport during the contest allowing Robinson to use him as a prop in his final dunk. During the dunk the diminutive Robinson not only dunked over Howard, but he jumped completely over his head. During this dunk Robinson displayed an amazing amount of athletic ability, while Howard showed a great deal of sportsmanship by assisting Robinson. With this dunk, kryptonite had defeated Superman for the first time that I could remember.




Later on in the evening it was time to head to the Snoop Doggy Dog party, which was being held at the Barcelona night club. This was the same club that the Playboy party had been held at the previous night. The Snoop party began with a lingerie show which lasted for approximately 20 minutes. The models modeled everything from bra and panties to sleep ware. The show added an interesting dynamic to the party, and created a buzz instantly. After the lingerie show a local rap artist named Cashman who was billed as the artist who was going to “put Phoenix on the map” performed. This artist truly proved that there are no good rap acts in Phoenix. The best way to describe his sound is that of cats fighting. His hype man AKA the Phoenix version of Puffy, was even worse than the real Puffy, when he stepped foot on the stage he demanded a microphone but never once said anything into it. The entire performance made me want to throw up; the best word to describe it was disturbing. Cashman had one song in which he repeatedly proclaimed he wanted people to get out of his ear, and believe me, I and other patrons of the club felt the same


way about his lyrics. After Cashman’s horrible performance was over, the crowd was turned over to a D.J. which was fine until his hype man got on the stage and started to sing the lyrics to every song that was played; he also danced like Carlton off the Fresh Prince of Bellaire. This went on for about 40 minutes and then the hype man invited the ladies in the crowd onto the stage. This is when the mayhem started. Many middle aged women began to relive their youth by dancing provocatively on top of the speakers. One of the women was attempting to pull her dress down and in the process took her underwear off. Women, many of which had no business on the stage rotated on and off of the stage for two to three hours as if it was there jobs, guys threw money into the air to “make it rain”, and then it happened. A crowd of approximately 10 to 15 men were rushed through the club into the V.I.P. area. The crowd was buzzing Snoop was in the building, and many of the patrons wondered aloud if he would perform. As Snoop sat in the V.I. P. area people rushed to get a glimpse, and snap a photo, there were so many flashes going off it looked like the 4th of July, the crowd around V.I.P. was 5 deep at the time, and people pushed and shoved to see him. As all this was going on Snoop calmly sipped on what seemed to be a cranberry juice and Belvedere Vodka as he stared back at the crowd. People waited for him to perform but they were disappointed, at some point Snoop snuck out of the club and the party continued, it was packed as many people enjoyed their last experience of Phoenix’s All-star weekend. All in all the party was not as good as the one the club hosted the night before, I even heard some people saying that it was a boring party. I would have to disagree with this point and rate the part an 8 out of 10 because it had star power, energy and a sense of direction.

All in all All-Star weekend was fun and interesting. I think that it is an experience that everyone should have once in their lives, and I hope that I have provided you an insiders view into this weekend, so let’s do it again next year. See you in Dallas where Lebron James says that he will compete in the Slam Dunk contest.

Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

Friday night pics with more to come

All-Star Friday Odyssey

WOW, that is all that I have to say about my All-Star Friday. It began with a flight to Phoenix and the pilot saying we had a headwind and would be arriving late, normally I would be okay with this but not this time, I was stressing out. The reason for this stress was that I was suppose to land at 6 o’clock and the Rookie Game which I was scheduled to attend started at 7 o’clock. We eventually arrived five minutes late and I was off on my All-Star odyssey. The plan was to go to the rookie game, the Playboy party, and finally the Kappa Kost to Kost party. I wanted to do all of this to give you a view inside of as many events as possible.


The Rookie game was what I expected, an All-Star game with no defense being played. If you watched you saw the sophomores beat the Rookies for the seventh consecutive time by a score of 122-116. During the first half the sophs toyed with the rooks and allowed them to maintain a lead throughout, but there was a feeling that the rooks would eventually fall as they did. The one interesting thing that I did see was Kevin Durant score a Rookie game record 46 points, the majority of them were uncontested dunks lay ups and jump shots, but there was a impressive sequence when he hit two consecutive deep jump shots with hands in his face in the second half when the Sophs were down by 10 points. Many people were saying that he is becoming one of the best players in the league, which I completely disagree with. He is an above average player at best. Durant is a good scorer but what about the other aspects of his game? Otherwise the game was truly uneventful, no amazing dunks or passes. On another note the Suns stadium is horrible, it has a sanitized dark hospital feel to it, it is one of my least favorite venues that I have ever visited. The stadium ceiling is painted completely black and just feels weird. I surveyed others in the crowd and they felt the same, it was just weird.


I next went to the Playboy party and will save that for last for obvious reasons. After the Playboy party, I went to the Kappa Kost to Kost party.

The Playboy party which was held at Barcelona in Scottsdale was a disappointment when I first entered, there were no Bunnies around except if you count the waitresses who were wearing the bent bunny ears. It was a sad sight to see. So I proceeded to walk around the crowd and into V.I.P. to see what people were saying that they paid $1200 for. It was a normal seating area in the back of the club, as I was walking through VIP the crowd began to buzz. They were there; the playmates were in the building. There were five playmates on stage and others in the crowd, the crowd. The M.C. handed out copies of the current Playboy magazine which had one of the girls on stage in it. Men and women rushed the stage to get a glimpse of Hue’s girls, who were very accommodating. The Playmates danced, talked, and posed for about a half an hour. That half an hour created so much energy for the rest of the night that it made up for any perceived short comings of the evening, which there were none. The venue, atmosphere, drinks and party in general was one of the best that I have ever attended and the Leverage Media team needs to be given props for this event, I defiantly will be attending more of their events in the future. I give this party a 10 out of 10 for energy, atmosphere, and star power.


Well, it is back to the All-Star Grind. Check back later for more updates and Playboy party pics.

Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

NBA Power Rankings 2-12-09

1. Lakers
They have beaten the Celtics and Cavs in the last two weeks without Andrew Bynam. They are the NBA’s current team to beat even with Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz, and the trade for Adam Morrison will only add to their already potent firepower beyond the arch (Kobe).
2. Cavs AKA The Lebrons
The Lebrons are a dangerous team as long as Lebron is on top of his game, but if anything happens to LBJ I would rank them 20th at best. The question that needs to be asked is, is Lebron that good or is the talent in the NBA that diluted that one great player can make a sorry team that good? I say the talent pool is diluted.
3. Spurs
Timmy D keeps this team competitive every year, but they just won’t have enough to get over the top with a chink in their armor like Matt Bonner as their starting center. To rectify this situation the spurs need to go out and get Rasheed Wallace from the pistons, but they will have to give up a ton in draft picks to do it.
4. Celtics
Let me preference this by saying that I hate Boston, (yeah, yeah, yeah I know I am not suppose to root for or against a team. The media is supposed to stay neutral) but I love KG’s passion for the game, and I expect that passion to carry the Celtics to the finals by the end of the season. The long range shooting of Jesus Shuttlesworth AKA Ray Allen can be deadly, and Paul Pierce’s all around game can sink any opponent in the league by itself. The Cs will be too much for the Cavs or any other Eastern Conference foe to handle.
5. Nuggets
Chauncey Billups has proven that he was undervalued by the Detroit Piston’s fans who cheered his exit and the arrival of Allen Iverson. My question to these fans is how’s it working out for you now?
6. Hornets
CP3 is a legitimate MVP candidate averaging 21.5 PPG 10.9APG 2.8SPG and 5.4 RPG, but to move up in the Lakers stratospheres they are going to have to get more out of Tyson Chandler.
7. Magic
Their title hopes took a hit when they lost Jameer Nelson to a torn right labrum, and the combination of Anthony Johnson and Tyrone Lue is NOT the answer. D Howard has large shoulders but he will need a tractor trailer to carry those two to the Larry O'Brien.
8. Trail Blazers
Greg Oden is two years away from being healed enough from knee surgery and having enough maturity to catapult the Blazers into the elite category. But they are currently very good and dangerous.
9. Rockets
The Key word for this team is injuries. T Mac can not stay out of the trainer’s room and Yao has also battled injuries this season, and without those two healthy Ron Artest will continue to be a one of the best sixth men without a champion
10. Mavericks
Jason Kidd is old and this team is entering a transition phase unbeknownst to Mark Cuban. The Kidd for Devin Harris trade may go down as one of the most lopsided trades of this early century. This team has been destroyed by a meddling owner, hmm sounds familiar Dallas (Jerry Jones)
11. Jazz
This team has the potential to rocket up the chart but, it is difficult for a jump shooting team to win a championship. Okur and Williams will be a difficult tandem for anyone to handle come the post season. Do not count them out; everything depends on matchups for this group.
12. Suns
Shaq, Amare, and Nash make any team dangerous. The front office is rumored to be thinking about breaking up this threesome and I think that this could be a major mistake. With Terry Porter manning the controls of this team, you never know what could happen if they get hot in the post season. Yes they could be the dangerous spoiler come spring because of their X factor experience.
13. Pistons
This team has a lot of firepower, but it is severely flawed. They have a rookie head coach who is making rookie mistakes by constantly changing the starting line up. Allen Iverson who said he would do anything to win a championship now wants to be the focal point of the team which has never produced anything more than a scoring title and one trip to the finals. Rip Hamilton has been forced to the bench after being the go to guy for the past five seasons in favor of the newly acquired Iverson. Rasheed Wallace is not caring if he gets traded or not. Well with all of this, there is always next year for this team with $34 million of cap space from the expiring contracts of Iverson and Wallace.
14. Heat
D Wade is willing this team to respectability, but Shawn Marion is doing little to earn his $17.8 million. He is averaging a less than exciting 12.1PPG and 8.8RPG. Would you rather have him or David Lee who is the most underpaid player in the league $1.7 million he had an off night last night against the clippers and had 17 pts and 12 reb.
15. Hawks
This is a team on the rise as long as they can get a few more years out of Mike Bibby. They could be dangerous in the spring as they were last year.
16. Knicks
The Knicks are starting to turn the ship around but they must hope that during the off-season they resign David Lee and he develops the 3 point shot that he is saying that he will work on.
17. 76ers
Elton Band killed this season for Philly and there is no way that you can convince me that they will make a serious playoff run this season with their current roster.
18. Pacers
Danny Granger is a stud that they can build around during their long climb back to relevance in the central division. But to take over the Central Division they must hope Lebron James goes to NYC in 2010 and that the Piston’s Joe Dumars does not work his old magic to revitalize the Pistons by then.
19. Bobcats
To get better, MJ must listen to Larry Brown instead of attempting to put together a fantasy team with his drafts. Has any GM done less and maintained his job in the NBA in recent time?
20. Timberwolves
This is a good team which has had a good start to the 2009 calendar year but in the past week and a half they have leveled off. They are learning to win, and will be dangerous for years to come. Their progress will take a giant step if Kevin Love continues to develop at his current pace.
21. Nets
Vince Carter is older but still dangerous, and Devin Harris is a major piece to build around and will lead this team for years to come. If they could land LBJ in 2010 they would be a championship favorite, but it’s not happening this season.
22. Bulls
The Baby bulls are truly a young team, but are they on the rise? I say yes but no one knows for sure how great Derrick Rose will end up being over time, but the one thing that we do know is that he is a stud as a rookie and that the Bulls will not be making any noise this year but will soon unless beating the Pistons is still a feat.
23. Bucks
The Bucks were well positioned to collect the seventh or eighth playoff seed in the east until Michael Redd tore up his knee, now they are just another lottery bound door mat. This could be a blessing in disguise depending on how the lottery balls fall, and who declares for the draft. The Bucks could jump start a rebuilding process quicker than was expected by anyone.
24. Warriors
This is an interesting team because of the firepower that they posses in Jamal Crawford and Monte Ellis. Even though Ellis is still recovering from ankle surgery from the training (Moped) accident this past summer he has exhibited flashes of the player which was rewarded with a huge new contract last year.
25. Wizards
Gilbert Arenas’s injury has really hamstrung the team from a player’s standpoint because; Gilbert’s teammates are continually waiting for him to come back and save the day. He also hamstrings the franchise financially because they can not do anything with his max contract on the books even if they decided to go in a different direction.
26. Raptors
The Chris Bosh experiment needs to end soon, it is a major distraction for a team who is in a weak conference who should be easily contending for the seventh or eighth playoff seeds annually with the talent that they have, to have its best player pouting and saying he wants to leave.
27. Kings
The Kings are a mess and need a major overhauling, opps that is the problem they did a major overhauling within the last year and a half and it has not worked out. I guess we can just say it is just the Kings being the Kings, just as in football we can say it is just the Lions being the Lions, and in baseball it is just the Cubs being the Cubs. They are what we thought they were, they are the Kings
28. Grizzlies
O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol are the truth, they just needs significant help around them which will continue to come as long as they are in the lottery, which they will be this year.
29. Clippers
The Barron Davis signing and Zack Randolph trade is not working out too well for this team. It may help if Barron, Zack and Chris Kaman could stay on the court.
30. Thunder
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are good players but this team needs a playmaker to break the defense down. Until they get a true play making point guard this team will be relegated to the bottom of the standings.

Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

2008 NFL QB Rankings

Now that the NFL season is over, let’s take a look at the top players in the different positions. Today it’s quarterbacks; I will rank the top five quarterbacks today and next week rank the next five. I think you will agree with my explanations for why these plays belong on my best of the best list. The last question that I will answer is how these players will fair next year, because in the NFL you are only as good as your last play.

1. Drew Brees who threw for 5069 yards and 34 touchdowns versus 17 interceptions this season was the best quarterback in the NFL. The team’s coach, Sean Peyton, runs a very quarterback friendly offense, which was tailored to Brees’s deep ball skills and contributed to his success. The injury to Reggie Bush, which limited him to 10 games of action, and the dramatic decline in production from Deuce McAllister, who accumulated 418 yards for the season, contributed to Brees being the best QB this season. Pierre Thomas the team’s leading rusher ranked 34th in the league in rushing, and really has very little prospect of improving those stats in 2009. With all these factors and hopefully a complete complement of wide receivers, I expect Brees to have an even better year passing the ball than this year, but I also expect his team to have the same record of 8-8 as they did this year.

2. Peyton Manning who led his team in to the playoffs by wining 9 straight games was the second best QB in the league this season. He did this without a completely healthy Joseph Addai, who missed 4 games this season, and a Marvin Harrison whose skills noticeably declined this year. Next year I expect Anthony Gonzalez to emerge as the number two receivers behind Reggie Wayne. This combination should prove to be as productive, if not more than the Harrison and Wayne combination. Because of all of these factors Peyton’s numbers should increase slightly from this year's 4002 yards 27 touchdown and 12 interception performance of this season. The continuing improvement of his knee from the last offseason’s Staph infection will not hurt his cause either.

3. Kurt Warner who led the Arizona Cardinals--I repeat, the Arizona Cardinals--to the Super Bowl for the first time in their history was the third best QB in the NFL this season. Warner’s success was dictated by a great receiving core and an unsettled RB situation. There is no doubt that Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are two of the top receivers in the game, but Steve Breaston is the straw that stirs the drink in this offense. I say this because if your third receiver can get 1000 yards receiving in a season, it is impossible to double cover anyone. The rushing game which totaled 1178 for the season was atrocious, and without the prospect of the rushing game getting any better next season Kurt’s numbers will continue to be exceptional especially if Arizona can pacify Boldin.

4. Matt Cassel is a system QB, just as I see Tom Brady as a system QB. Any other decent QB that New England plugs into its system would produce similar results. I do not feel that I need to further delve into this pick because it is all about the system.

5. Donovan McNabb was the fifth best QB this season and all he does is win games when no one thinks he will. His stats may not be the flashiest but he came one game away from going to the big show. His heart is what made him a successful quarterback this season. He constantly wins without great talent around him, can you name a top flight receiver other than T.O. which he has played with in his career. I did not think you could, because he has not played with one. His statistical outlook for 2009 can only improve with the season long development of DeSean Jackson, who should only improve from his 912 yard performance of his rookie season.

Super Bowl Sunday's random sports thoughts

The plan for this blog is to let you know what I did and thought during Super Bowl Sunday.

11:30 EST
Michigan State vs. Penn State prediction
MSU 57 PSU 48

12:30 EST
Michigan State is head and shoulders better than Penn State. Kalin Lucas is the best guard in the Big Ten when he wants to be.

12:40 EST
Tom Izzo is an excellent locker room coach, but when things go south during the game he is does not make the same great in game adjustments. Michigan State gets board with its competition too easily, and then plays lackadaisically.

1:15 EST
Travis Walton fouling a 3pt shooter who is not set says all that you need to know about his GARBAGE game. Kalin Lucas is a BEAST when he wants to be boards scoring and assist. Taylor Battle is not in Kalin Lucas’s league, he is a good college player but Lucas has NBA talent.

1:25 EST
Penn State is starting to play above his head. It seems it is just their day and not Sparty’s. My comments about Taylor Battle may have been premature he is having a heck of a game.

1:50 EST
Where is Delvon Roe, who started the game with an 8 point explosion in the first half? I have not seen him in the second half. Izzo is implying the hack a shack tactics on the entire Penn State team who shoot in the 60s from the line in Big Ten play.

2:03 EST
Battle chokes on two free throws with 29 seconds left, I was sure that he was going to hit both freebies I guess he is over playing above his head.

2:10 EST
The Spartans have been shocked by the Nittany Lions. The Spartans went cold at the wrong time while pulling off their pressure defense that forced Penn State to turn the ball over. Now MSU is in a tie for the Big Ten Lead with Purdue and MSU now has a two game losing streak in East Lansing. This is something that the Izzone is not use to. Is this a prelude to a day of up sets, lets watch the Detroit Pistons vs. LeBron James game and see if the trend continues. Thus far my record today I am 0-1, luckily I am not in Vegas.

2:10 EST

Food break (Wings, and chips)

2:30 EST
Detroit vs. LeBron Predication
Pistons 84 The LeBrons 97

2:35 EST
How smart is Mike Brown the coach of the LeBrons? He is having LeBron guard Rodney Stuckey. The reason that this is smart is because in the last month when the Pistons have played well Stuckey has gotten to the basket at will, when they have lost he has been in foul trouble and reduced to a jump shooter. Side note I am sick and tired of Rasheed Wallace complaining when calls are made correctly by the Refs. These types of actions minimize his credibility and mentally take him out of the game.

2:50 EST
How can Mo Williams argue that he is being disrespected by not being selected to the All-Star game, with Mark Jackson co-signing for him? Jackson just said Williams should be an All-Star over Danny Granger and Devin Harris because the Cavs have a better record. What a croc, Williams plays on the LeBrons, and they got their correct allotment of All-Stars, ONE which is LeBron. He is the only All-Star on that team, the rest of the players are either okay players or BUMS i.e. Williams! If you want to argue that someone does not belong on the team the person who should be pointed out is Jameer Nelson, the Magic should not have gotten three all-stars.


2:55 EST
Speaking of BUMS Michael Curry’s coaching is quite BUMISH, how do you call yourself a professional coach with Rodney Stuckey checking LeBron, I have four word to describe what happened to Rodney (he got broke off) yep he picked up 2 quick fouls. Stuck is not tall enough, or strong enough to check LeBron on an NBA court, Rec Center, or college IM.

3:25 EST
I have been saying it for weeks, and after watching about 30% of the game against the LeBrons, Rasheed Wallace has lost a step and a half from last year, the passes that he made when he first came to Detroit do not connect on anymore. The shots that he made look so effortlessly over the past few years are at times a struggle to get up. Make no mistake about it; he is still a good player, but not a great player anymore. I was once told nothing beats youth, and when watching Rasheed I can really see that this statement is true. This is one of the things that are wrong with the Pistons this year, but the true question is what you do with him in free agency after the season.

4:10 EST
The maddening thing about the Detroit Pistons is that they play well against the elite teams showing that yes they deserve to be on the court with the likes of the one name stars (Kobe, LeBron, KG etc.), but then they go out and lay an egg against teams like the thunder. What gives, they hired a coach who stated that his sole mission was to get this team to play with a sense of purpose on a nightly basis. He is not getting it done. Another observation form this game is that LeBron still needs help, can you imagine what he would be like with David Lee on his side at the Garden on a nightly basis, even though I do not think it will happen after next year. There is little difference between the Pistons and the Lebrons, and that should worry Danny Ferry. The LeBrons’ are one LBJ sprained ankle from a first round melt down.

4:25 EST

Just read a story about Michael Phelps smoking marijuana, my reaction is that this is not a surprise. The people that I know who know him say that he is not the most gracious person i.e. he is a butt hole. How can you blame him for being a butt, the media (NBC) made him what he is, and he thinks he can do whatever he wants because he is the golden boy as termed by NBC during the Olympics. This guy needs a reality check and I hope that this is it.

Boobie Gibson of the LeBrons needs to be given more PT, he can shoot the blood out of the ball, just as Rip Hamilton. He has spurred on their eventual win, and it is sad that after his performance 2 years ago in the conference finals that the Pistons forget about him and let him camp out at the three point line.

4:51 EST
Why does Piston Coach Michael Curry always call the Rasheed Wallace pick and pop play out of a time out when they are down? Everyone knows it is coming, and the wait for it. I guess you can just call his play selection bad coaching. This is a team that is put together all wrong and there is very little that will be done about it until next year. The Piston’s reign as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference is over. The Celtics will win the East again because they have 2 legitimate superstars (KG, Pierce) one very good player (Allen), and one good player (Rondo). Oh yeah by the way I am 1-1 on my picks today, I guess it was not an upset Sunday.


5:15 EST
Food and snack time cheese cake, pie, celery and carrots.


Arizona vs. Pittsburgh Predication
Cardinals 35 The Steelers 27

6:32 EST
Hines Ward looks fine to all except Arizona.

7:04 EST
The cards were dominated in the first quarter, and are only down 3-0. That is not good, not good at all. Arizona is too explosive to not put up as many TDs as possible.

7:26 EST
Arizona is missing too many tackles. This is going to really burn them at some point. Great teams tackle better than this. Rodgers-Cromartie is a stud.

8:19 EST
The pick six to end the first half was a great play by a good player, but at the same time it was a bad play by a great player. Kurt Warner should have made a better read on the play, and made an attempt to look off the defense. I expect him to play a lot better in the second half than he did in the first half. Thus far I have liked the Doritos crystal ball commercial the best.

8:49 EST
The Cards are coming unglued, their inexperience is really showing. On the other hand the Steelers are beginning to impose their will on the Cards. If Arizona can hold Pittsburgh to a FG on this possession they will only be down by 13. Heath Miller can not drop touchdown passes with 3:44 left in the third quarter when you are trying to go up by 17.

8:53 EST
If Arizona holds Pittsburgh to a FG; they are still in the game. Adrian Wilson can not put his team in the hole with a bone head play at a pivotal time of the game. Luckily it only cost your team time.

9:14 EST
Arizona just set the record for penalty yardage in a Super Bowl, and I do not think that you can win that way. This has been a disappointing performance by Arizona. They have been dominated this entire game, with that being said Arizona is only down 13 points. Many people are probably thinking that this is unusual, but this is the way they play. They are a team that wants to muck the game up and win ugly; I guess it is the old Al Davis adage of just win baby.

9:36 EST
Pittsburgh is in trouble, they have let Warner get into a grove with the no huddle offense. Is this Warner’s drive to Canton?

9:50
Larry Fitzgerald’s Catch has just put Arizona in the driver’s seat but it is not over. The Steelers have played this way the entire season they call it 60 mins. of football.

10:11 EST
The Holmes catch was a classic clutch catch, which should have earned him the Super Bowl MVP. This game should be replayed as an instant classic.

Well that is the end to a great day of sports and food, oh yeah by the way I was 1-2 today in my picks, and I still feel that Warner should be in the Hall of Fame for this performance. See you Thursday.

Johnson is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009 press release

CANTON, OHIO – Wide receiver Bob Hayes, guard Randall McDaniel, defensive end Bruce Smith, linebacker Derrick Thomas, owner Ralph Wilson, and defensive back Rod Woodson make up the Class of 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees.



The six-man class was elected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee who met today in Tampa, Florida. The newest members of the Hall were selected from a list of 17 finalists that had been determined earlier by the committee.



Hayes, a gold medalist track star in the 1964 Summer Olympics, combined his world class speed with great hands. “Bullet Bob,” a three-time All-Pro pick, caught 371 career passes for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns.



McDaniel was named All-Pro nine straight seasons and voted to a record 12 consecutive AFC-NFC Pro Bowls during his 14-season career with the Minnesota Vikings (1988-1999) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000-01).



Smith, the first overall pick in the 1985 draft by the Buffalo Bills, is the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 200 career sacks. A member of both the NFL’s All-Decade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s, Smith was named first-team All-Pro nine times and voted to 11 Pro Bowls.



Thomas amassed more sacks during the 1990s than any other player. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls, named All-NFL three times, and was All-AFC seven times in an eight-year stretch.



Wilson founded the Buffalo Bills in 1959 and has watched his team win back-to-back AFL titles in the mid-1960s and become the only team ever to advance to four consecutive Super Bowls. He was an integral part of the AFL’s success and has also served on a number of important NFL committees over the years.



Woodson, a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994 and selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s, intercepted 71 passes which he returned for an NFL record 1,483 yards and a record 12 touchdowns. He was named All-Pro six times and voted to 11 Pro Bowls.



The 2009 class will increase to 253 the number of all-time greats permanently honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Enshrinement of the Class of 2009 will take place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Enshrinement Ceremony will be televised live by both ESPN and the NFL Network.



The annual NFL Hall of Fame Game will be played on Sunday, August 9, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. and broadcast live by NBC. Teams have not yet been announced.



The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival is a multi-day celebration of the enshrinement of the newest Hall of Fame Class. Held in Canton each year, the festival includes 15 special public events and culminates with the Enshrinement Ceremony and NFL Hall of Fame Game. Two other major events are the Enshrinees Dinner (Friday, August 7), and the Enshrinees GameDay Roundtable (Sunday, August 9). It is at the Enshrinees Dinner where each member of the Class of 2009 will be presented his gold Pro Football Hall of Fame Jacket. At the GameDay Roundtable, the members of the Class of 2009 will be featured center stage to share memories of the game and their personal feelings about being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.



Individual enshrinement tickets and Festival Fan Packages are on sale now. Ticket information can be found on the Hall of Fame’s website at Profootballhof.com.





PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009



Bob Hayes

Wide Receiver. . .5-11, 185. . .Florida A&M. . .1965-1974 Dallas Cowboys, 1975 San Francisco 49ers. . .11 seasons, 132 games. . .Selected as a future pick by Cowboys, seventh round, 1964 NFL Draft (88th player overall) and future choice by Denver, 14th round (105th player overall) 1964 AFL Draft. . .Won a pair of gold medals in the 1964 Olympic Games earning him the title “World’s Fastest Human”. . .As a rookie, his 46 receptions for 1,003 yards led all Cowboys receivers. . .His world class speed was major factor in Cowboys offensive successes. . . “Bullet Bob” terrorized defensive backs and demanded deep double coverage rarely seen in the NFL at that time
. . .Often said that bump and run defense was developed to slow him down. . .Used his speed “in a football sense,” rather than just trying to run fast. . .Four times was named first- or second-team All-NFL. . .. Three times led the Cowboys in receptions, including back-to-back titles in 1965-66 when he caught a total of 110 passes for more than 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. . .For 11-year career, Hayes accumulated 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns
. . .His 71 career touchdown receptions remain a Cowboys’ club record. . .Born December 20, 1942 in Jacksonville, Florida. . .Died September 18, 2002, at age of 59.





Randall McDaniel

Guard. . .6-3, 276. . .Arizona State. . .1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. . .14 seasons, 222 games. . .Selected by the Vikings in first round (19th player overall) of 1988 NFL Draft. . .Played in all 16 games as rookie, starting 15. . .Earned All-Rookie honors. . .Started in 13 consecutive playoff games with the Vikings. . .Started in 202 consecutive games before retiring. . .Possessed uncanny ability to either finesse block or overpower opponents. . .Led Vikings offensive line that held opponents to a sack every 22.7 attempts (1994), and every 21.3 attempts in 1998. . .Blocked for six 1,000-yard rushers and five 3,000-yard passers during career
. . .With McDaniel leading the offensive line, team captured NFC Central Division titles in 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1998. . .Anchored offensive line of explosive Vikings team that led league with then-record 556 points in 1998. . . Named All-Pro nine consecutive times (1990-98). . .Selected to play in a record 12 consecutive AFC-NFC Pro Bowls (1990-2001). . .Born December 19, 1964 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bruce Smith

Defensive End. . .6-4, 280. . .Virginia Tech. . .1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000-03 Washington Redskins. . .19 playing seasons, 279 games. . .Bills’ first-round draft pick (1st player overall), 1985 NFL Draft. . .All-America choice at Virginia Tech. . .Considered one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. . .Known as fierce pass rusher who possessed tremendous strength. . .His 200 career sacks is NFL all-time record. . .Recorded 10 or more sacks in an NFL record 13 seasons. . .Most consider 1990 as his finest single season during which he recorded 19 sacks, including four against Colts QB Jeff George in the first 20 minutes of a Week 14 game and sacked Giants QB Jeff Hostetler for a safety in Super Bowl XXV. . .Was a dominant part of Bills championship teams that between 1988-1995 won six AFC Eastern Division crowns (1988-1991, 1993, 1995) and four AFC championships (1990-93) . . .Named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 1990 and 1996. . .Named to the NFL’s All Decade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s . .. Named first- or second-team All-Pro 11 times and selected to play in 11 Pro Bowls (1988-1991, 1993-99). . .Born June 18, 1963 in Norfolk, Virginia.



Derrick Thomas

Linebacker. . .6-3, 243. . .Alabama. . .1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs. . .11 seasons, 169 games. . .Selected in the first round (4th player overall) in 1989 NFL Draft. . .Consensus All-America. . .Amassed 10 sacks and 75 tackles to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. . .In 1990 recorded league-leading and team record 20 sacks; including NFL record seven sacks in game vs. Seahawks. . .Also recorded six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 63 tackles, five pass deflections, 35 quarterback pressures. . .Named to nine Pro Bowls. . .No player amassed more sacks during 1990s than 116.5 by Thomas. . .e He HFinished career with 126.5 sacks; fourth highest total by linebacker in NFL history at the time. . .Had 10 or more sacks in a season seven times; recorded multi-sack games 27 times
. . .Forced 45 fumbles, had 19 fumble recoveries, scored four touchdowns on fumble returns and added three safeties during career. . .Lone interception came in final season. . .Member of NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s
. . .All-NFL three times. . .Named first-team All-AFC seven times during eight-year stretch (1989-1996). . .In 11 years Thomas anchored defense, Chiefs finished first or second in AFC West ten times, made seven playoff appearances, won three division titles. . .Born January 1, 1967 in Miami, Florida. . .Died February 8, 2000, at age of 33.



Ralph Wilson, Jr.

Founder/Owner. . .Virginia, Michigan. . .1960-present Buffalo Bills. . .One of original founders of American Football League, Wilson formed Buffalo Bills in 1959. . .During tenure as team owner, Bills won AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965, AFC titles in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 on way to unprecedented four consecutive appearances in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII. . .Bills 103 regular season wins, second most in NFL during 1990s. . . Helped lead AFL through early years making tough decisions that were necessary for league’s survival. . . Began talks with Carroll Rosenbloom, then owner of NFL’s Colts in January 1965, that eventually resulted in AFL-NFL merger. . .Considered “voice of reason,” Wilson served as President of AFL, was on AFL’s Expansion Committee and AFL-NFL Negotiations Committee. . .Was prominent in 1977 negotiations between NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association. . .Has served as Chairman of NFL Pension Committee, Labor Committee, Super Bowl Site Committee, NFL Expansion Committee, NFL Realignment Committee. . .Born October 17, 1918 in Columbus, Ohio.

Rod Woodson

Cornerback/Safety. . .6-0, 200. . .Purdue. . .1987-1996 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002-03 Oakland Raiders. . .17 playing seasons, 238 games with 229 starts. . .Steelers first-round draft pick (10th player overall), 1987 NFL Draft. . .First-team All-America at Purdue. . .First interception of pro career resulted in 45-yard touchdown return. . . From 1991-94 recorded 12 sacks and 19 interceptions, returning three for TDs. . .In 1995 suffered serious knee injury with recovery time projected to be six to 12 months. . . Returned to action in just four months and played in Super Bowl XXX. . .Member of NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s. . . NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 1993. . . Intercepted 71 passes in career; third on NFL all-time list. . . Is NFL’s all-time leader in interception return yardage (1,483). . .Holds NFL record for most interceptions returned for TDs (12). . .Six-time first-team All-Pro choice (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001). . .Earned All-Pro honors as cornerback, kick returner, safety. . .Chosen to play in 11 Pro Bowls – seven with Steelers, three with Ravens, and one with Raiders. . .Born March 10, 1965, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Super Bowl Info

Johnson can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com

Real Competition in the Big Game

I often wonder why I was not blessed with about six more inches of height, and why I am not a half of a second of faster in the 40 yard dash. At some point in most sports fans lifetime they have these types of thoughts in regards to their physical limitations that I do. Many of these fans want to be like their idols, or the athletes that they went to school with who received all of the attention. Most of these fans dream to be known as “THE MAN” due to their athletic prowess. My desire to have the physical capabilities that I described above is not rooted in the aforementioned reasons. When I was on campus I got plenty of attention. The athletes that I watched then as well as the ones which I watch now are not my idols, and I do not have a desire to be known for my athletic ability. I look at sports completely different than most fans.

Sports is a form of entertainment. Now I will admit that my choice of entertainment can at times seem consuming to outsiders, but I assure you it is purely a form of entertainment which I have under control. However many other fans view sports as a microcosm of life. They see different scenarios playing out with their favorite teams that they can relate back to their own lives. These people are delusional. How can the average person making $40,000 a year relate something from a multi-million dollar athlete to their lives? This is impossible. They live in two different worlds, and it is very difficult for one to relate to the other.

Just as I view sports differently than most fans, I feel that the players should look at sports differently than they did when they grew up. They have been taught since Peee-Wee or little league that the game is about passion, emotion, fun, and teamwork. I feel for the pure entertainment of the fan, the player should view their craft as a business, this would eliminate the nights when the player is not giving the game their all, which would in turn increase the competition of games and make them more entertaining. By viewing their roles in their sport as a business that the player would attempt to perform his best on as many nights as possible so that they could make as much money as possible. In essence what I am proposing is that every game be a winner takes the majority of the purse competition.

Let’s look at a player such as Brandon Keith who was a 7th round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals out of Northern Iowa this year. Being that he was a lower round draft choice Brandon’s contract called for him to make $335,500 in base pay. With the NFL’s system of paying people for their post-season performance (which is broken down by a payout of Wild-card games [division winners]: $20,000, Wild-card games [fifth- and sixth-seeded teams]: $18,000, Divisional games: $20,000, Conference championship games: $37,500, Super Bowl winners: $78,000, Super Bowl losers: $40,000) Brandon could make $155,000 or almost half of his regular season base pay because his team wins. This should increase Keith’s desire to win dramatically, if he is looking at the sport as a business. He is not competing just to win the holy grail of his sport, but he is competing for the financial security of his family. This is how every game should be. This mentality would go a long way in erasing the perception for leagues like the NBA, many people feel that NBA players do not play hard until the playoffs, and thus are not willing to shell out their hard earned dollars for what they perceive as an exhibition game during the regular season.

There are those that disagree with my premise that athletes should play the game strictly for financial gain. They say that this way of thinking would cause players to cheat, and would detract from the competitiveness of the game. I argue the exact opposite is true. If athletes were to play the game for financial gain exclusively, they would police cheating better amongst themselves, and they would compete at a higher level on a regular basis. Do you think that if baseball players pay had been slotted by the amount of home runs which they had hit in a given year, they would have allowed admitted steroid users Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGuire to continue to use “juice” and take shortcuts while they turned a blind eye to the situation? I would ague that there is no way that the steroid era would have been so prevalent if there had been an established pay scale for players to tie tangible dollars to for their performance. I also think that if players are playing for their pay and not having it handed to them that the vast majority of them would play harder because they would be able to see how their action translated into real dollars.

Imagine how intense the Super Bowl game would be, if a player’s entire next years base salary was based on him winning the Super Bowl. The phrase “blood, sweat and tears” would truly take on new meaning. The competition would be as fierce as that of mid-evil gladiators fighting for their lives. These players would go at 110% for as long as they possibly could, and every missed assignment and dropped ball would be magnified. The Super Bowl would no longer just be remembered for its flashy ads, but for the vicious his by linebackers like LaMarr Woodley on offensive players like Anquan Boldin. This would bring an similar excitement to all of sports which is usually reserved for boxing.

I ask the question why is this way of thinking any different than what the owners do. They are business men who are in business to make money. If their team began to hemorrhage money, they would attempt to find ways to stop the bleeding. These owners usually want to win at all cost because the more wins their teams accumulates usually translates into a higher profile which translates into higher merchandise sales revenue. This adds cold hard cash to their bottom lines. If these owners begin to lose money they usually change their course of action and go to a strategy that will make them money, whether that entails changing coaches or players, the end goal is the same win and make more money. Players need to have this same mentality.

So here’s to hoping that the slight difference in the winners and the loser’s portion of the purse will inspire players to play for more than just pride and the love of the game during Sunday’s big game. Let’s hope that these players play for a lifestyle just like I anticipate Brandon Keith will be doing, if he is allowed to step between those white lines. So let me leave you with this question, is Allen Iverson’s performance this year really worth $20,840,625 (25-19) compared to LeBron James’s (35-8) at $14,410,581.