Those who have been reading this blog for awhile (and thanks to all of you) know that I have been hard on quarterback Tim Tebow. The former Florida Heisman winner has been out of football for almost two seasons now. Tebow has turned his fame into broadcasts gigs for the new SEC Network and soon, NBC’s Today Show. Yes, the very religious Tebow was a hero to fundamentalist Christians, so, some teams have probably not wanted the “distraction.” And yes, Tebow was not a very good pro quarterback, but he is athletic and he did lead the Denver Broncos to a playoff win, which is better than many of the starting QBs in the league, So, why isn’t he getting another chance?
In the NFL, the bottom line is supposed to be winning, and many players, especially quarterbacks, have gotten second, third and fourth chances in this league. Tebow spent one season on the New York Jets’ bench, then he became unemployed. I have said that Tebow was not a very good QB, but part of being a coach in this league is the belief that “you” can make any player better. I would think that some of the great offensive minds in the NFL would love a chance to prove naysayers wrong. With all of the mobile QBs/systems in the league – RG III, Gino Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, and so many others, one would think that there’s a place for a Tim Tebow, at least as a backup.
I was never a fan of the too pious Tebow, but I believe that he should get the chance to prove himself in an NFL atmosphere. He never even got a chance in any training camp this past summer. Seriously? Yes, perhaps Tebow should be more willing to play a position other than quarterback, but he does have compettitive spririt to want to play and excell. You can’t coach that willingness to do anything to win. Regardless of his beliefs, everyone should have the chance to play on the field. There are enough Kyle Ortons and Rex Grossmans around getting chances to
be on NFL teams – Tim Tebow should at least be given an opportunity.

I have to take a moment to mark the death of two notable people. First, we mourn the loss of Richard Kiel, the 7-foot, 2-inch actor best known for playing Jaws in two of Roger Moore’s James Bond movies. Here was a gigantic man, certainly no matinee idol, who made the best of his situation and became a credible character actor. I got to say hello to him as a friend got him to take a picture with him at a comic convention. He seemed like a decent man.
Finally, a farewell to Marvin “Bad News” Barnes. Barnes was one of the most prolific scorers in professional basketball history, mostly with the ABA. He would have been a bigger star if he hadn’t had a huge drug problem. Barnes was also a character. He missed a team flight once and chartered a plane, dressed in his uniform under a big fur coat. The team was about to go out for the start of the game when Barnes showed up. Being the team’s biggest star and highest paid player, he was going to play, but the coach of the team was pissed and started yelling. Barnes simply said “game time is on time,” and went out and scored over 30 points.
Another of my favorite Barnes stories came from Bob Costas who was announcer for the Spirits of St. Louis. The team was flying from an eastern city back to St. Louis and the flight left at 1:00 and landed at 12:55. Barnes didn’t want to fly saying “I ain’t getting on no time machine.”
Goodbye guys.

One of the major problems with being a sports fan in the 21st Century is knowing who is on PEDs and who isn’t. And with public apologies for bad behavior passed out like Flintstones vitamins at a summer camp, are any of them genuine?
One guy who one wouldn’t have thought about is former New England, current Denver Broncos receiver Wes Welker. Welker is known among my Boston friends are Tom Brady’s former favorite receiver unless it was a playoff game with the win on the line. At that point, Welker turned invisible or got a fatal case of the “drops.”
I thought that the biggest issue with Welker was that he is currently recovering from his third concussion in 10 months, sustained in Denver’s August 23rd preseason game, but the league announced a four-game suspension for the testing positive for amphetamines last May. Welker appealed the decision, but this week, the league denied his appeal. He will be eligible to return for Denver’s Week 6 game against the New York Jets, which may have been when he was ready to play with the concussion anyway.
Welker, in his second season in Denver sent an e-mail to the Denver Post that “I’m as shocked as everyone at today’s news.” Then came the usual denial, adding in a note to younger players that “ there are NO shortcuts to success, and nothing but hard work and studying, leads to success.”

At the same time, the NFL issued its penalty to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. Irsay was arrested for DUI and was in possession of a large amount of pharmaceuticals last spring, and Irsay received a six-game suspension and a fine of $500,000, which is a statement of a kind, because the league believes that it held Irsay to a higher standard than the players. A player who pleads guilty to a DUI ordinarily gets no suspension and a maximum fine of $50,000 for a first offense. It was also a higher standard when compared to the 2007 DUI of Dr. Jerry Buss. The late Lakers owner was suspended only two games (2.4% of a 82 game season) and fined $25,000. Irsay was suspended for 37.5% of the season.
However, Irsay’s penalty is WITH pay. Irsay’s team earns its money like every NFL Sunday for those six weeks, while Irsay has to watch from home (or if he gets snuck into one of the luxury boxes). However, Wes Welker, for example, will lose 4/17th of his $3 million base salary, 4/17th of his $3 million roster bonus, and 4/17th of his $2 million signing bonus allocation as a result of his four-game suspension for violating the PED policy. That’s $1,882,578 in lost revenue for Welker, which is almost four times higher than Irsay’s fine which is capped at $500,000,
So, Irsay gets millions and loses very little, but what would you expect? Irsay is one of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s 32 bosses. Do we really expect Goodell to issue significant punishment to one of the men that sign his paychecks?

Do we believe Wes Welker? Did he know what he was doing, plus, was it in OTAs, because if he tested positive in May, does that have meaning? Unfortunately, every player in almost every sport plans under the cloud of PEDs. Even with improved testing, the dope peddlers are at least one step ahead of the “authorities.” The bigger issue if I was Wes Welker is whether my brain will allow me to play anymore. Three concussions in such a short period of time are a lot, and all I have to see is Jim McMahon, debilitated, and so many players who have lost fortunes, successful businesses, and commited suicide as a result of CTE. Your good name IS VERY important, and I feel for Welker. Your long term health is more important however.
But Jim Irsay can be as high as a kite and lose very little. Sometimes the world of sports is really ass backwards.

This has been an eventful week for rookie linebacker Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in the NFL. First, ESPN showed dubious judgment by inquiring and broadcasting concerning when Sam showers. Like he would be “tempted” will all of those men in the shower. (Not like he didn’t last season at the University of Missouri.) The only difference is that unlike closeted gay football players of the past (and there were a number, you know that), Sam is open in his sexuality.
Then came cut down day, and Sam, a seventh round draft pick, was cut by the St. Louis Rams. Coach Jeff Fisher said that it was a very tough decision and that he was “rooting for Michael.” I believe him, because what it comes down to in the NFL is who can help you win. Sam is small and could have difficulty with the bigger blockers. I wrote years ago for The Sportswriters about African-American Head Coaches that true equality wasn’t them being hired, but them being fired and then considered and rehired by another team.
As one Rams was quoted as saying, the worldwide leader in sports didn’t help Sam by being the distraction that no football coach or football team would want, especially from a rookie. The player said that this was the reason that Sam wasn’t picked up by someone immediately. Fortunately, there is no one who is more about winning than Cowboys owner Jerry Jones; he would sign his own mother if she could throw a 70 yard, accurate spiral.
So, Michael Sam is on the Cowboys’ practice squad and with the injuries the Cowboys have sustained on defense and special teams, Sam should play a little. I wish him luck, but he’ll need more luck dealing with Jones.

With the tragedy that is Ferguson, Missouri and the reality of violence, crime and mass incarceration of African-American men in this country, the story of the Jackie Robinson West Little League team has been one of the true “feel good” stories of the summer. I have only mentioned them once in passing in an earlier story, but there was so much media attention, there wasn’t much more I could add besides being proud of the boys.
The team, from one of the tougher neighborhoods in the city, won the right to play in Williamsport, PA, the first team from Chicago to play in the World Series in 47 years. The neighborhood, the White Sox, eventually the city and much of the country followed these young men as they came from behind in games, got trounced by a team from Philadelphia (with phenom young woman pitcher Mo’ne Davis, the first girl in the LLWS since 2004 and the first to pitch a winning game in the history of the tournament), came back to beat them in the U.S. Final. Every step was broadcast on free watchi8ng parties at Chicago parks, the kids became mini-celebrities and the parents and coaches made the news.
JRW fell behind South Korea 8-1 in the final game, but, like they had many times before, battled back to score three times in the final inning and had the bases loaded before losing to the Asian team. The reaction to this continued to be great; politicians wanted to be seen with them, the city was mostly proud of the young men. A huge parade wound through the streets from the far South Side downtown to Millennium Park, where a massive rally was held. It was a very happy event.
The legacy of this team has already been written on: perhaps most African-American participation in baseball (blacks were almost 30% of Major League Baseball in the 1970s, it is around 7% now due to lack of facilities, lack of support, and the lure of basketball and football); the MLB committed to spending more money on baseball programs in poor neighborhoods. And fo course, the usual hopes for an alternative to drugs, gangs and crime.
Through all of the hoopla, I kept thinking that while this is a great story, the biggest challenge these young men have lies before them: growing up. Going to school, getting an education, getting a job and raising a family, that should be what we focus on. Once again, young black kids see their “worth” valued through athletic achievement. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s more than that – being hailed for academic achievement is much more important. Yes, there are lots of stories about inner city debate teams and other success stories, but they are on page 30 of the paper, while the exploits of young athletes are on the front page.
I was thinking I would write on this long before the Chicago Sun-Times printed the story of Jaheim Benton, who has been sleeping at the homes of friends since June because his mother’s work hours as a health care provider were cut.
The 12-year-old boy’s mother’s hours were cut; her fiancée works part time, and the family also has other children and grandchildren to support. A lot of money poured into the local Little League program, and I’m hopeful that there will be a way to help these people (already a local funeral home has offered to pay the house note for the family, I’ve heard). I hope we are able to help them get on their feet. I’m sure there are other stories like that on the JRW team and the other teams that JRW plays against. These kids won’t get publicized; what happens to them? In that neighborhood, the temptation of the criminal life is strong, despite many strong, hard working families.
As I said, I was rooting for these young men in South Williamsport; I, like much of the town and nation are very proud of them. But I admit that I will continue to root for them in the hardest possible game available for a young black man in a country where he is feared and hated by many – life.

The Mante Te’o story with the fictitious girlfriend remains the strangest story I think I have written on here on evilopinion, my earlier sites, or the television shows I have contributed to over the past 24 years. At first, I thought that I had seen the second this week. It started out as yet another “feel good story” (along with the Jackie Robinson West Little League team and LeBron James’ return to Cleveland), USC safety Josh Shaw said that he suffered high ankle sprains in both legs saving his 7-year-old nephew from drowning. According to this story, Shaw saw his nephew in distress and jumped into the pool from a second floor window to save him, suffering the injuries in the process.
While it sounded like a selfless action by an athlete, from the start I guess, USC was skeptical, conducting an investigating the veracity of the senior cornerback’s story. Last Monday, the university announced on its website that Shaw, a team captain, would be sidelined indefinitely and an investigation had been initiated.
“There’s been some question about the veracity of the story and everyone is looking into it,” USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said in a phone interview with SI.com on Tuesday afternoon. Eventually, the school reported that Shaw had lied about the incident and had been suspended indefinitely from the team. No further details were given, but no secrets stay that way for long. The story is now that Shaw was at a girlfriend’s (ex-girlfriend?) apartment on the third floor of an L.A. apartment building. Now, the story gets foggy – there was a scream by the occupant who may have surprised Shaw who was in the apartment (burglary?). Shaw opened a window onto the fire escape and he fell/jumped from the second floor hurting himself.
If that wasn’t enough for the USC program, a day or so later, senior running back Anthony Brown quit the team and accused head coach Steve Sarkisian of being a racist. Brown used Twitter to make a short announcement that he was leaving the team and added his allegations. In response to Brown’s allegations of racism and his decision to leave the team, Sarkisian said he was “shocked.” I have not seen any further details.
USC has been a football powerhouse for most of my life, but over the past 20 years or so, the program has had its share of down periods when they weren’t a very good team. USC players have never been choirboys, but as I wrote here yesterday, Pete Carroll’s tenure, when he won two national championships (one of which were vacated), was under a cloud of dishonesty especially concerning payments to the family one-time Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush (award was also vacated).
When Shaw’s story was first reported, it sounded too good to be true, but I want to give athletes the benefit of the doubt because it is hard to be an athlete in my opinion. Now, of course, Shaw was covering up a bad relationship at least, possible criminal behavior at best. As to Brown’s story, we still need to learn what is behind it, but as everyone should be reminded, the “racist” moniker should not be used lightly. It carries with it connotations that have severe repercussions.

Looking at the history of the National Hockey League, one has to wonder how this league still exists based on the business decisions of the leadership over the years. The league has been hurt by poor product, bad rules continued in the name of tradition, labor unrest complete with strikes and lockouts resulting in the cancellation of an entire season. And one of the worst mistakes the league has made has been in ill timed expansion/poor choices of cities in which to expand.
Now, with the rules changes, exciting play, and labor peace at least in the short term, the NHL is doing very well. A new broadcast contract in Canada will add new revenue to every team. Still, there are teams in financial difficulties: the Islanders were just sold in time for their move to Brooklyn; the Florida Panthers have been in dire straits for a long time, and the Phoenix Coyotes have finally sold after being controlled and run by the league for several years. In tow of these cases, the league tried to manufacture fan interest in warm weather cities without a hockey culture, in part hoping for the retirees and snow birds who come south in the winter to help build a fan base.
So, what does the league not need now? More teams. Despite NHL Commissioner Gary “Sesame Street’s The Count” Bettman’s comments to the contrary, expansion is now on the front burner. The league has denied the story earlier this week that a new franchise in Los Vegas was “a done deal.” Reportedly, the only thing remaining is a determination of who will comprise the ownership group (I assume a hockey arena is in place or is being built).
Of course, we are once again talking about the league trying to build a fan base in a warm weather climate where hockey is not a big pastime for kids. Results in Miami, Tampa Bay, and Arizona have shown limited success; two different teams failed in Atlanta. What makes the NHL “brain trust” think it will have success in Las Vegas.
On top of that, during the recession of 2007-2009, few cities were as hard hit as Sin City. The recession, along with overbuilding and weakness in the casino/vacation industries turned many portions of Las Vegas into ghost towns. People who came seeking work in the casinos found none, and many who did work there were laid off and left town. Does the NHL think that gamblers will take time away from the tables to attend a hockey game?
Finally, to maintain scheduling stability, the league would have to expand by at least one more team, and reports have circulated that Seattle would be a viable candidate. I wonder: Seattle has not been much of a sports hot bed except for the Seahawks (remember, they lost the NBA Super Sonics over a decade ago). However, Vancouver-born billionaire Victor Coleman has been identified as someone interested in bringing an NHL club to the Pacific Northwest.
New teams in Quebec City and a second franchise in the Toronto area have been bandied about for the past several years, and considering Canadians’ passion for the game (and the stability of the U.S. – Canada exchange rate), perhaps one or two more Canadian franchises could be viable. Also, it should be noted that Florida or Tampa Bay or Arizona could move.
The problem always with expansion, besides the business issues noted above, is the dilution of the product. Suddenly another 46 (2 franchises) to 92 players (4 franchises) are in the league, and while perhaps 10-15% of them are NHL ready but crowded out by depth of other teams, that means that the great majority are minor leaguers who aren’t ready. With two to four teams filled with these kids, the teams are horrible, and once the novelty of a franchise wanes (usually 1-2 seasons), the team had better be competitive to put fannies in seats.
As I stated above, the NHL is denying everything, but based on their business track record, I can’t put it past them to believe this is the time to expand. And we hockey fans hope that it doesn’t set the league back 10 years and blow up in all of our faces.