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“Why Do That?”

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Controversy here-there-everywhere.

Miami…So they sign Jay Cutler to a 1-year contract worth 13M. When last seen, he was quarterbacking Chicago into another losing season. He was such a hot commodity on the free agent market, he didn’t get one offer. And now Miami, losing starter Ryan Tannehill to knee surgery, chooses him over you-know-who?

San Francisco…Colin Kaeperneck remains unemployed. Is it because he is toxic or talent-less. In an NFL that hires women abusers, past drug users, and guys suspeneded for domestic abuse and DUIs, the ex-49ers quarterback is being penalize for speaking his mind, as unpopular as his public stance might be. Can you say blackballed despite the lst Amendment.

Washington…Robert Griffin III is still unemployed, but this probably has more to do with his dropoff in talent post knee and shoulder injuries. That and the fact he has yet to prove he can be a quality pocket passing quarterback.

Waiting and Watching…how fast DeShone Kiser gets on the field in Cleveland as quarterback, after impressive OTA’s and work last week in camp.

Wating and Watching #2…Houston says Tom Savage starts at QB-but to hear coach Bill O’Brien say it, Clemson rookie Deshaun Watson is the most impressive rookie QB he has ever seen.

Waiting and Watching #3…It might be awhile, like maybe a whole year plus before Mitch Trubisky gets to play for the Bears and Patrick Mahomes goes at Kansas City. Their work in mini-camps and now thru week one of preseason has been real shaky…interceptions..bad throws…timing..

Keeping score of mistakes….You’d fill a notebook with the problems surrounding the operation of the Rams. Yes they have Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, but that’s about all. The offensive line is in constant shuffle. They dumped lst round draft pick Greg Robinson, a two year failure. They are letting CB-Trumaine Johnson walk after this year as a franchise-tagged free agent. They let their other top corner Janoris Jenkins go a year ago to free agency. They have the Aaron Donald holdout-grossly underpaying the highly productive defensive tackle. They have 14-wide receivers in camp but no deep threats. Can you say football driven dysfunction? GM-Les Snead goes to the front of the line on GM-Death Watch, and we haven’t even started the season.

Where is Johnny Football….Johnny Manziel isn’t going to any NFL camp…but it is a mystery why he has not sales pitched himself to go to the CFL, where the Hamilton Ti-Cats, who own his rights, haven’t met with him. You know those TiCats if you follow the CFL. They are (0-6) and were beaten a week ago by the Calgary Stampeders (60-1)…yes (60-1) in a game.

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“Superstar Comments from Hall of Famers”

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They laughed, they joked, they teared up at the podium. They told stories, they remembered, they looked forward also. They spoke about football, racism, opportunity and culture.

It was a unique cross section of thoughts in the acceptance speeches at the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Some of their best quotes

LaDainian Tomlinson
..Did Deeper..Run Harder
..I have gratitude for God and my family
..We have a responsiblity beyond football to everyone
..Honor him and God will take you places
..Time to be part of the solution-be part of the change
..Relationship with the Spanos family-most important of my life
..Marty Schottenheimer-best coach I ever had
..I represent the next generation of Tomlinson’s
..Father-stepfather-gave me heart and love

..If this was my final speech on earth..170-years ago my great-great-great grandfather came here on a slave ship…his owner Tomlinson-the slave holder-gave him this last name…he grew up on Tomlinson hill a slave plantation…I come from a mixed family…God chose me to bring two races together…I am an American story..US should become Team America…We should dedicated ourselves to be Team America
Yes we can.
——-

Jerry Jones
..Winning is the name of the game
..Canton is the birthplace of football
..I was on the 13th unit at Arkansas
..Frank Broyles-my coach-most important part game-4th quarter
..We are in the 4th quarter of life
..My philosophy-grit your teeth-buckle your chinstrap
..Life is about battles and wills
..Keep on keeping on.
..Tom Landry is the Dallas Cowboys
..Jimmy Johnson-great team leader
..Football changes lives
..NFL is about urgency
——-

Kenny Easely
..Grateful be among your ranks-religion and football
..Black Lives Matter-So do all lives
..Stop carnage among black men
——–

Jason Taylor
..Jimmy Johnson-guide-pioneer-believer-dream maker
..Agent-Gary Wichard-father I never had
..No bigger blessing than to be a father
———

Morten Anderson
..Appreciation and love for Denver and for the US
..Life is about opportunities
..Have perserverance in everything you do
———-

Terrell Davis
..Overwhelming feeling of gratitude about my life
..Setbacks test your will and character
..Everything in life has a price-are you wiling to pay it
———

Kurt Warner
..My wife has travelled the road of highs-lows-roadblocks
..Moments matter in life-make the most of them
..NFL scouts don’t come to Aisle 7-looking for QBs in supermarket
..Al Luginbill-Dick Vermeil-Mike Martz-found me-believed in me
..I share this Gold Jackets with all my teammates
————-

..

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“The Hall of Fame Walk”

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They come from all different walks of life, and this weekend they will jointly walk to the podium for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speeches in Canton.

Who could have imagined some of them would wind up here. It was because of opportunity and talent, and luck, and health too.

LaDainian Tomlinson will go into the Hall as a San Diego Chargers. He walked, ran, powered his way to Canton with an enormous work ethic. The mighty mite of a running back out of TCU heads in with (13,684Y) rushing and 145-TDs. Add in 642-receptions for another (4,772) and you can tack on 7-TD passes on half back options.

He was a spectacular leader and teammate. It was his work ethic, coupled with the arrival of Marty Schottenheimer’s offense (Martyball) that helped make LT so special.

San Diego should put aside for one afternoon, the hurt and hate directed at anyone named Spanos, to remember the Sunday’s of joy our community shared with Tomlinson’s talent.

Deserved too is the self made quarterback Kurt Warner. How do you explain an undrafted passer from Division 1AA-Northern Iowa? The tenure in the Arena League with the Iowa Barnstormers. Life in NFL Europe. And then the arrival with the Rams.

When he was done , he had thrown for over 32,000-yards and 208-TDs in career that began with him stocking shelves at a Hyvee supermarket, waiting for a chance to go play semi pro ball.

Jason Taylor did not come from a football factory. If you ever saw the Rubber Bowl at the University of Akron, you would now know how hard he worked to become how great he was with 99-quarterback sacks with the Dolphins.

Kenny Easley was everything to the Seattle Seahawks in the secondary. Big hitter, big on turnovers, big on leadership. 32-interceptions later he will speak at the podium.

So will Morten Anderson, who came from Denmark, to kick an amazing (565) field goals in Atlanta and New Orleans.

Adversity is the word that describes Terrell Davis, what he went thru, what he became with the Denver Broncos. He crossed the finish line with 4-phenominal seasons, before knee injuries shortened that career. But he piled upper (7,600) yards in that short span. Not bad for a nose-tackle in high school, whose college program, Long Beach State, folded, taking him to Georgia.

Again opportunity opened the door to so many things in his life.

Jerry Jones, the old Arkansas Razorback, made his money in gas and oil drilling, but made his fame as the big business owner in Big D, leading the Cowboys to success on the field and at the box office. He probably made it to the Hall on his business acumen, not just because of his franchise success.

This is indeed a unique class, where success came for opportunities that led to amazing individual accomplishments.

They all ‘earned it’. Nothing given to them ever, except this weekend where NFL fans will cheer from the heart for what each of these accomplished.

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“Ara’s Era-Special in a Special Era”

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It was back in the day, when the college football powers were places like Army, NYU, Boston College and the tiny Catholic school in South Bend.

It was the time where all the big games were played at Yankees Stadium and the Polo Grounds, and the legendary coaches were Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy.

And then times changed. NYU dropped football. Army was no long dominant. Here came all things Big 10, and the birth of the Southeastern Conference to rival that Pac 8-10-12..

And here came too, the Catholic school from South Bend, Notre Dame.

They are remembering the resurrection on the Notre Dame campus this day, the resurrection of the Irish football program under Ara Parseghian.

He’s passed away quietly at age (94), but the memories of what he did will never pass away. The reputation and his impact will be forever passed on.

He won big games. He went (95-17-4). He coached his team to 2-National championships, putting him on the same street corner as Rockne and Leahy.
His personna remains right up there with other icons like Lou Holtz and Dan Devine who strolled the sidelines in South Bend.

He build rock hard defenses that stopped people and took the ball away.

He developed quarterbacks, John Huarte….Terry Hanratting and Joe Thiesmann.

He led the Irish to victories in two of the most glorified games of all time, the 10-10 tie with Michigan State and the win over Alabama, both which propelled Notre Dame to the championship rankings.

And then he left. Burned out, he took a supposed one year hiatus, but never came back.

He instead raised nearly 45M in research money when his family was impacted by MS and Parkinson’s.

And the legend of his lore, is much like the legends of “Touchdown Jesus” and the “Gold Dome”.

Special man in a special time, at a special school.

Ara’s Era was to cast a shadow…that oddly….shines forever.

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“The Padres-The Day After”

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The team may have been 11-games under .500, but there was laughing, joking, story telling, players talking about the trading deadline.

The Latin music was blaring thanks to Yangervais Solarte’s boom box

There was reliever Brad Hand sitting in his locker stall, talking to the media. relieved, he had not been traded.

He admitted it was a strange Monday.

“I had 1-conversation with AJ Preller leading into the deadline”
“I was at the beach at 1pm when the deadline came and went”
“Yes I was checking my smart phone, but no calls ever came”
“My wife wanted to know what we were going to do if I was traded”
“I’ve never felt any pressure about the potential of a trade”
“Yes it was weird yesterday”
“Nice to be part of the future here”
“I’ll pitch whatever role they want going forward”

Manager Andy Green had lots to say to the media about Monday.

“”I was with the front office all day watching, waiting”
“We wanted impact talent if the trade was to go thru”
“AJ got close a couple of times but it was never enough”
“He held true to what he was looking for-impact talent”
“Now we can look forward to maybe extending his contract”
“I texted Brad right at 1pm-to tell him we’re glad he is here”
“Brad is so even keeled..clubhouse-mound-deadline day”
“Nothing rattles him”
“He can close, he might pitch in the 8th against left-handed hitters”
“Brad is flexible in what we ask him to do”

So for one day on Tuesday…everyone was relieved the reliever was not dealt.

There may be other deals coming via waiver transactions, but it appears the Padres are keeping their closer, as they try to close this season after a winning July, hoping they can post winning months in August and September.

Could they finish at .500?.

It would be better than losing 100-games, better than dealing away another veteran player who produces.

Brad Hand would like to stay and help this team grow. He got thru trading deadline day, and that’s a start.

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