Show Me Some Skin

Some things I've been musing over the past few days:

1. Chris Cooley, tight end for the Washington Redskins, has his own blog which is apparently pretty decent. Cooley had a game this Sunday but wanted to do a post before his game, so he hurriedly posted a picture of what he thought was just his play book. Unfortunately, in his haste, he included a little too much "fore red skin" (why did I just see that PTI stole my joke??). So not only did Cooley catch flak from his coach for posting a page from the play book, but now we all know . . . a little too much about him. Hopefully he has learned that a 2" x 2" digital camera screen is short on detail (no pun intended). You can click here to see the picture, but I'd wait until you get home because it's definitely NSFW (not safe for work). I would have put this up for MYSM next week, but most of you wouldn't be smiling . . . Cooley apologized for the exposure, but I feel like we deserve some kind of an explanation for the conduct itself. (Update: And here it is). Hilarious.
   
   
2. The NFL referee who botched the call that let the Denver Broncos back in (and eventually win) their game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday has received a downgrade from the NFL for his mistake. They say this means he could receive less pay or even be terminated when he comes up for review. Gee whiz. Ed Hochuli is a veteran ref who made a really bad call - accidentally, not purposely. Bad calls happen, but it's not like he wasn't working within the rules nor was he trying to ruin the game. I'm happy to see his brethren rallying around him in his hour of need. Had his call come at a less pivotal point in the game, then obviously his mistake wouldn't have mattered as much. So, yeah, he blew it, and yeah, it sucks for the San Diego Chargers, but as Norv Turner said, the score will always be 39-38. Let's move on.
   
   
3. Baltimore Ravens QB Troy Smith has been cleared to work out following a severe case of tonsilitis that cause him to lose 20 pounds. The Ravens doctor added, however, that he was never critically ill and his health was never in danger. He's still on antibiotics and will likely need his tonsils removed, but probably won't have the procedure until the end of the season. Wow, all that from tonsilitis? I had tonsilitis when I was a babe (as in young, not "hot"), but I can't imagine it being that bad. I'd say losing 20 pounds when you're sick is sufficiently serious even if he wasn't "critically ill." Poor guy. To go from Heisman Trophy winner to having to compete for a starting QB spot has to be a tough transition over a two-year span. Although there are a lot of great things about being a professional athlete, the fact that it can all be over in an instant is definitely not one of them. Here's hoping he surpasses the expectations of this latest batch of naysayers.

4. Speaking of competing for a starting spot, the Tennessee Titans have decided to stick with the veteran Kerry Collins as their QB, potentially even after Vince Young is able to return. Coach Jeff Fisher says he'll stick with Collins as long as the Titans keep winning. I can't say that I blame him, and maybe this will be actually be good for Young, giving him more time to collect his thoughts. (With every day that goes by, I am increasingly happy that I don't have a fantasy football team this year . . .)

5. You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned O.J. Simspon's Las Vegas trial at all. That's because I'm just really not interested anymore (although I expressly reserve the right to blog about this if something interesting happens). As I've said in previous posts on Mr. Simpson, it's probably about time the Juice got squeezed, but with folks like this testifying for the prosecution, (and check out this other great court performance) one can't be too sure. For some reason, I have a feeling he'll be cleared again, but whether he does time or doesn't, he has already been punished. Living on the outside knowing that everyone believes you've killed your wife and won't have anything to do with you because of it is prison - only you never get to leave. I know lawyers aren't taught to believe this, but the courtroom is not the only place where justice is served.
   

6. Monday Night Football scored a ratings coup for cable TV with its Cowboys vs. Eagles showing taking the crown as the top-watched cable program of all time. Of course, they could have had bigger ratings if they were on network TV so those who can't afford cable could have watched it, but that's of no import to the Not Free League. A story for another day . . .
   

Running Into the Weekend

Is it just me or is this the longest week ever? I feel like I've been going to work for a week straight already, and it's not even Friday yet.

Funny stuff out there today. This won't exactly be a run-down, but I am going to jump around a little bit.

First, Shaquille O'Neal is quite the character. Today, he played Nostradamus, informing the public that he will cease to be a professional basketball player in "735 days." He says he's going into law enforcement. There is only one word for this: awesome. Hopefully, he'll be a beat cop for a little while so someone can give him his own reality show. (I would DVR that, too.) Personally, I'd like to see him become a lawyer. He certainly has a way with people, and they love him even when he's openly dissing Kobe Bryant (T.O.: take note). This bodes well for his ability to sway a jury . . . but says nothing about his ability to rap. I hope he retires from rapping in 735 days, too . . . or sooner. I mean that in the nicest way possible . . .

Vince Young took to the cameras to re-affirm that he's OK and that there's nothing to worry about. I, for one, didn't believe you'd lost your love for the game, as some have charged. But I'm going to have to agree with the PTI guys here, Vince. Mama and coach don't just jump in the fray and call the police over nothing. People are hating on you and will continue to hate on you until you right the ship, but don't let them get you down. Keep fighting the good fight. You can do it . . .


I'm going to give this college football thing a try so I can see what all the fuss is about, starting with Ohio State's game vs. USC. It's not like I've never watched a whole game, it just didn't really factor into my family's sports viewing habits so I only really watched it if someone I knew was playing or a bowl game. I'm kind of mad that it's looking like I won't get to see this guy Chris "Beanie" Wells play, which means I may have to watch Ohio State play again at some point when he's finally back (which may help my viewership). 2,500 comments about one guy's injury on ESPN.com? Clearly, I'm missing something . . .


Speaking of Ohio, folks there are peeved with its native son, LeBron James, for his affinity for sports teams located outside of its borders. (Warning: I'm actually supporting him here. I think I'm getting soft in my old age.) He's a fan of the NY Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bulls - all teams that have enjoyed tremendous success in their respective sports, particularly while James was growing up. It seems like he's just like half of the country in his preferences, even picking up on "America's team" in the Yankees and Cowboys. I don't really see anything wrong with that. While it may seem hard to understand how a man can root against the home team when he has lived there his whole life, I know plenty of people who have done it. My guess is popular teams gain the most fans they're winning, and the most successful teams tend to keep those fans even if they start losing. But, come on, it's LeBron James. He likes winners because he strongly identifies with what they do . . . win, which is more than can be said for most of the teams in Ohio (pro, not college, of course). Sure, it probably stung the Cleveland Browns to see him donning a Yankees cap, blue and silver tee, and saying what's up to his boys on the Dallas Cowboys sideline, but I think they should just be happy he's still playing in Cleveland . . . for now . . .

Speaking of Cowboys, Tony Romo made a stop on his way home from Cleveland last Sunday night to help a couple change a flat tire. The couple said that 100 cars drove by before someone stopped to help them. And he'd just gotten over a dozen stitches in his chin. I think it's great that he stopped, which I know most people (including me - not at night!) wouldn't have done, and clearly didn't do here. But I'm most happy that he knows how to change a tire. I had wrongly assumed my whole life that all men knew how to do this until a few months ago. This is one area where equality isn't so important . . .


Rounding up with football, Ricky Williams proved that you can negotiate your own contract when he re-upped with the Miami Dolphins, all by himself, with no agent (Look ma, no hands!). I don't know how well he negotiated it, but if anyone can, he can. I think some of his past actions have caused people to underestimate how intelligent he really is. I'm encouraged to see veterans taking control of their own decision-making. Most lawyers/agents may not like what I'm going to say, but I look at it like this: if you've gone to trial 5 times for the exact same offense, you could probably do a pretty decent job defending yourself on the 6th one. Just a thought . . .


Have a great weekend!

Who's Right? Who's Wrong?*

I'm not much of a horn-tooter but sometimes it's nice to know I'm not so far-fetched in my opinions. So I'm taking particular solace in the fact that both Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser on PTI agreed with my take on Vince Young, saying that there might be something to this since his mother is making this public plea, and this isn't just "no big deal," and that he is probably having touble adjusting to the glare of the pro QB light. Kornheiser also suggested that he needs time, and that it's probably fortuitous that he's injured so he has some time to think. Or maybe because he's hurt, his condition was exacerbated. But it sounds like this was just the tipping point, so hopefully Young will use this time wisely.

Then, Randy Moss echoed my comments about Tom Brady's commitment despite his injury. Following reports that Brady tore both his ACL and MCL (meaning he'll have surgery and heal in time for training camp), Moss said:

"We saw Tom today," Moss said in a national conference call. "I am not sure how much longer we are going to see him, but he is here today and has been uplifting and keeping a positive attitude. I think that goes a long way with not only him but the team as well."

Moss said Brady was "upbeat" during his visit.

"He is still the same old Tom Brady," Moss said. "I think that is what a lot [of] people don't really understand. A lot of times when guys get hurt, you might not see him around the locker room for months at a time."

Nice to know that sometimes I kinda know what I'm talking about.

One story that has gotten way out of control is this mess about "Takum" Bell and the stolen Gucci bags. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, now the woman who returned the bags to the Lions is coming out to tell her side of the story and clear her name (although she didn't want to be identified, I guess someone knows who she is). A few days ago, the other released Lion, whom Bell alleged was the person who had asked him to pick up the bags, came out and basically called Bell a liar (love this interview format):

[Victor] DeGrate said he never asked Bell to pick up anything. He said he didn't
leave behind any backpack, did not know the woman to whom Bell took the bags and had told all of this to the Lions.

"I just know I had nothing to do with it," DeGrate said. "What he did is his business. Why he said what he said, I don't know. I can't do nothing for you or for him as far as that goes. ...

"The way I just figure, he got caught up in a jam and that was the best thing going at the time, was to say what he said. ...

"When I left there, I left. I had nothing to do with none of it."

DeGrate did not leave a backpack behind?

"I had nothing to do with none of it," DeGrate said.

When told Bell claimed he took the bags to DeGrate's friend, DeGrate laughed, paused, then said: "If it was my friend that he took them to, then I'm pretty sure I would have had something to do with it more than what I did, which is none."

DeGrate said he learned Bell had used his name when people started calling him about it. Asked how the Lions tracked down the woman, he said:

"Evidently she took the bags back up there."

Does DeGrate know her?

"No," DeGrate said.

Not at all?

"I have nothing to do with it, man," DeGrate
said. "That's what I'm telling you. You're not listening to me."

Has DeGrate talked to Bell?

"I didn't ask no questions," DeGrate said. "None of it. There's no need for me to do all that. I just know I had nothing to do with it."

DeGrate and Bell went to the same high school, in DeSoto, Texas. They went to the same college, at Oklahoma State. DeGrate, 23, lived with Bell, 27, in Detroit.

Isn't this weird?

"Yeah, but sometimes it takes stuff like that to happen for you to find out how people are," DeGrate said. "But you know, I ain't holding no grudges against him or nothing like that."

Fishy. And now from the woman who took the bag back:

[The woman, who wishes to not be identified] was an acquaintance of DeGrate's and knew Bell through him. The night of Sept. 1, Bell called her and said he had a bag that he had thought belonged to DeGrate but really belonged to Johnson. Bell asked her if she could return it to Lions headquarters in Allen Park and gave her the phone number of Cedric Saunders, the director of football operations. She asked him why he couldn't return it himself. He said he had to go to Houston to work out for the Texans and didn't have time. (He never worked out for them.) She said OK, and he came over to her house and put the bag in her car.

After work Sept. 2, she drove to Lions headquarters and called Saunders, who came outside and took the bag out of her car about 2:30 or 3 p.m. She headed home. On the way, she received a call from Saunders. Where was the stuff that was in Johnson's bag? The bag was a roller that had another bag inside, and that was missing along with the ID, credit cards, cash and underwear. She told Saunders she didn't know what he was talking about. She had never laid a finger on the bag. The woman declined to speak to the Free Press more than once after the incident, but she relented Tuesday because she said she wanted to clear up misinformation and distance herself from any wrongdoing.

"I hate a thief," she said. "This is too much drama."

I couldn't agree with her more. What in the world? It's like every single person is telling only a piece of the truth. And now Takum thinks he can't find a job because no one trusts him not to go trick-or-treating in the lockerroom. I can't say that I blame them. Troublemakers are only worth the trouble if they're - how do I say this - good. So even if Adam "Pacman" Jones is making it rain, at least his on-field performance is relatively consistent and his teammates know he's generous with his money instead of trying to trying to steal theirs.

I do hope that you find a job, though, Tatum. I don't know why, but I kind of feel like you might be telling the truth here.

*An accidental ode to Janet Jackson's song What Have You Done For Me Lately?, the first thing that popped in my head.

Vince Young Is Normal

I was going to do a run-down but this story deserves a little more attention. So this is it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with others. Sleep is for the weak . . .

"This story" is the one about Vince Young's mental stability. After Young disappeared "abruptly" and "without a cell phone" for a few hours on Monday night, his concerned family contacted his team, the Tennessee Titans, who then contacted the police. The police located Young at a friend's house not long after they began searching for him. It was later discovered that the family's concerns were "unfounded," and the Titans are now trying to sweep the matter under the rug.

Apparently, the cops noted that there was an unloaded handgun in Young's vehicle (I'm guessing it's a truck), but Young's agent said he had known his whereabouts all along.

By way of background, on Sunday, Young was booed by his own fans and ended up coming out of the game (which the Titans won) early - some say he took himself out because of his poor performance - with an injured knee. It looks like he might be out for at least a few weeks if not a month.

Young's mother made some statements indicating that her son is having a tough time with it all:

"What would you think, if you were tired of being ridiculed and persecuted and talked about and not being treated very well, what would you do? What kind of decision would you make?'' Young's mother Felecia Young told The Nashville Tennesssean on Tuesday. "He may not want to deal with it [all], but you have to get to that point before you make that decision first.

"But we're not talking about football right now. We're talking about what would make him happy, and that is the most important thing. ... You don't want people to be hurting like he is. But it is a growing-up process, and he will eventually come out like gold no matter what. But Vince is going to be OK. We are just going to try and give him some space."

Hmm. Well, it sounds like the kid has a lot more going on than meets the eye.

He actually came to my church one time and spoke about meeting his goals and how his faith had helped him get to where he was. I recall him talking about going through setbacks and just realizing that it was all a part of the plan to make him better. I talked to him briefly afterward, he seemed like a nice guy.

The high pressure on professional athletes doesn't receive much attention these days, and quarterbacks get it the worst. They are pretty much sitting ducks for criticism every single day while they are in season, and at least monthly when the season is over. Unless you're a doctor or have some other job on which lives depend, most of us go to our jobs and no one cares that much if we don't perform perfectly. Not the professional athlete. We expect them to not have any issues (other than injuries) and - especially when it comes to QB's - they're always to be tough. So then they turn to other (de)vices when they don't have an outlet, like sex, drugs/alcohol, etc. - you know, the "normal" outlets.

"He's fine. There's nothing to be concerned with," says his coach, Jeff Fisher.

Really? I'm not convinced. I know his agent is just trying to protect his investment, and his coach wants to calm things down, but if his family is worried about him to this degree, maybe they ought to be concerned. Since most of the sports world and writers are male, it should not be surprising that they aren't comfortable with the idea that Young might need help. Our society just won't accept the idea of an alpha male who can't work everything out by himself. There's no crying in baseball - or any other sport, for that matter. And if you think it's difficult for a layman to show vulnerability, weakness in a professional football player is pretty much a no-no . . .

. . . unless you're Brett Favre. He surpassed likable and reached lovable status because he has pretty much always risen to the occasion, no matter what was going on in his personal life (including playing the game of his life the day after his dad passed away). And while many people will remember how he performed in the face of adversity, Favre showed great vulnerability when he admitted that he was addicted to painkillers. But I don't think that the addiction receives as much press when his triumphs are mentioned, and my guess would be because we're still not entirely comfortable acknowledging that our hero succumbed to a weakness and was unable to control himself. But I think there was also a sense of relief that he struggles just like you and I do, which just made him that much more endearing. Kudos to him for being strong enough to admit his troubles (although perhaps he didn't really have much of a choice).

Unfortunately, the unspoken rule in all this is that Brett Favre can afford to be more vulnerable because he was already "Brett Favre" when trouble occurred, and he remained "Brett Favre" after they went away. A less revered player (read: pretty much anyone other than Tom Brady) whose vulnerabilities occur before he's "made" it, and might affect his chances of ever making it? Someone, somewhere, is calling him that other name for a cat as I type.

Oh, they'll write novels about the story of how you almost lost it all . . . after you get it all back. Redemption is what sports are all about. But while you're still losing it? They're just writing you off.

So while there aren't too many examples these days of vulnerability in sports (one noted exception came today, ironically, which ESPN deemed the result of "dedication") much less football, if something really is wrong with Vince Young, I certainly hope that he and others around him are strong enough to do something about it. But he shouldn't be written off as a headcase or mentally unstable - or worse, a spoiled brat (I won't even link to that one but I will note that just because he plays sports for a living and his life appears to be more fun than yours doesn't mean he needs to just "suck it up.").

He's in one of the most high-pressure jobs there is. So perhaps he's having some trouble adjusting to life in the NFL where he's not necessarily performing like he did at the University of Texas. That's OK. All is not lost.

I'm pulling for you, Vince . . . on the field and off.

MNF Quickie: Young Shines, Receivers Look Tarnished

I didn't catch all of the Tennessee Titans v. Denver Broncos Monday Night Football game, but I saw on Sports Center that Titans receivers dropped four easy passes that could have helped them win the game. I did see their QB Vince Young's two interceptions, but he ended up with 305 yards passing, which was a career high for him.

With a good offensive line, better defensive line, and better receivers (yeah, pretty much another team), I think he'd get more credit as a good QB than he does right now. He gets some credit, but I think folks are sleeping on him. He even has a great QB name.

After the game when reporters questioned him about the dropped passes by receivers, he said that he wasn't going to stop throwing it to them just because they dropped them, and that he has confidence that they'll catch them.

Displaying confidence in teammates who obviously went a long way to help him lose this game? I like that.

"Brees" On "Bye" *

Several weeks ago when I had the opportunity to pick either Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals or Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints for my fantasy football team, I nearly went with Brees, except that he had a bye week the same week as LT, a no-no according to Laura. So Carson it was.

Well, as it turns out, Carson's off to a pretty good year while Drew is - how do I say this nicely - playing like sh Eagle doo doo. And on McNabb's worst night, that's pretty awful. Not only did the Saints lose to Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans 31-14, but he threw four interceptions in one night, and scored (I use that term loosely) -1 fanstasy points. That means that he would have had more points if he had never played at all. Compare that to the 40+ points for the top QB's the past few weeks, and I'm feeling better that he had that bye week. Now the New Orleans Saints are 0-3.

Brees might be the only person willing to trade Tuesday's with McNabb.



*Puns intended, with my apologies.

I'm Winning!!!

I know some of you cared more whether your favorite team won or lost (mine won), but the only thing I really cared about this Sunday was whether I'm winning in my Fantasy Football league. Which I am, thus far. I don't believe in jinxing, I believe in talent.

Here's a run-down of what I consider to be the top events in the NFL (recognizing my Fantasy Football bias):

1. Carson Palmer!! He threw six touchdowns. His opponent threw 5. Most TD's thrown by two QB's in almost 38 years. And Palmer and the Cincinatti Bengals still lost to the Cleveland Browns . . . but Palmer gained me 44 points, compensating for the dump LT took on my scoreboard. Yes, LaDainian Tomlinson played, but he might as well not have for the numbers he put up. The Bengals don't have to play defense at all this season as long as they keep scoring. Even better, nobody had the Browns' QB, so I didn't get "Romo'd" this week.

2. Old man Favre (Brett, that is) is not just hanging on, he's playing out of his mind. Not only did he catapult the Green Bay Packers over Eli Manning and the NY Giants, but he set the all-time record for wins by a QB. The previous owner of that record was none other than Coach Elway. As I told my cousin, I know he had that painkiller addiction, but I'm inclined to think he must be taking a whole lot of them right now to still be playing like he is. In any event, way to stick it to all the critics who said you should retire with dignity, Favre.

3. Vince Young is Cool Hand Luke on the football field. Cool as a cucumber, or the underside of the pillow, there's no panic from this guy. At least he doesn't show it. Even though I don't have him on my team, I like his style. And he has one of the best QB names around. And he and the Tennessee Titans almost swiped another one from Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Someone should tell him to stop taking naps in the locker room during halftime.

4. Jamal Lewis has gone from pleading guilty in 2005 to using his cell phone to help his friend set up a drug deal (oh boy), and spending 4 months in jail as a result, to rushing for over 200 yards (that's good, NPT) today in the Browns' win over the Bengals. His offense may top the list of "What were you thinking? Or maybe you weren't, and that's the problem." I just hope he found better friends. Keep fighting the good fight, Jamal.

I was at an ESPNZone watching most of these games, and the one thing I concluded is that ESPN is making a killing off of football season. They have a policy that if they have a "sell out" (meaning no tables "indefinitely" as I was told) you have to spend $10 per person, per hour.

I asked my friend what ESPN does when there's no football on, and he said that he would come there to watch a NASCAR race. Apparently, he didn't understand that I was asking about other sports that one would watch there.