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“THE DARK SIDE OF SPORTS”

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You ask how this could every happen?  How these people could get themselves into this situation?  How they could ever make these decisions?

The datelines are here and there, at home and abroad.

MEL TUCKER…Who went home a couple of years ago to fix the Michigan State program is facing the death penalty, termination of his record (10Y-95M) contract for sexual misconduct for his attempt to form a relationship with counselor Brenda Tracey, who runs a consulting foundation that has been hired by schools to meet with players to talk about relationships, date rape, social media and misconduct.

The story is staggering.  Michigan State brought her in to meet with players.  Tucker developed what many thought was a professional working relationship with Tracey.  She says the coach tried to make it a personal relationship.  He wanted to date her, though he was married.  He sent her gifts.  sent Emails-texts, and did a Zoom call where he masturbated infront of her.

Tracey immediately when to the University with a Title IX-complaint which has led to a lawsuit.  Tucker admitted there was communication with her, but is standing behind the theory it was ‘his private time’, and his ‘private life’.

Seedy-sleazy for sure.  And now we find out Michigan State knew about this since last December and kept Tucker on the job thru spring ball, camp and the start of the season before removing him.

You know Michigan State, the last time they were in the headlines it inovled sex pervert doctor Larry Nassar, now spending 60-years in prison for his sexual assaults of female athletes and Olympic Gymnasts.

KEVIN PORTER…Houston Rockets guard is facing expulsion from the NBA for another arrest, this a felony strangulation that fractured the neck of his girlfriend.  This is the same player who was suspended in the past for a guns-drug arrest.  And suspended for Covid violations at strip bars, in violation of NBA Covid rules.
He and his 20 point a game average likely gone.

JULIO URIAS…The Dodgers need to do an intervention with their pitching star to find out if he has an alcohol problem, that triggered his second arrest on domestic abuse.  The police report is not yet public but it appears more damaging than his first arrest that led to a 20-game suspension.  He shoved his fiancee in an argument.  Now the question, was it yelling, was it a shove, was it a slap, was it a punch or a kick.  They know because they video from a fan who saw the incident.  How bad is it for Urias?  He is a free agent this off season.  The Dodgers have removed his locker from the clubhouse, taken all of his jerseys out of the store and off line, and covered all the murals of him around Chavez Ravine.  They are not going to experience what they did with Trevor Bauer’s sexual misconduct episode a couple of years back.

PAUL POGBOA..Some bad week for the former Manchester United soccer star.  Removed from the team in a contract dispute, shipped to a Juventus squad,in a transfer deal and now tests positive for a PED and is facing a 4-year FIFA suspension.

Nice decisions, all these people.  Is it money and power that corrupts them into thinking they can do anything they what, right or wrong?  Is it ego?  Is it stupidity?  Careers in trouble or over, hopefully so.

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“AZTECS FOOTBALL–WHO ARE THEY?”
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It’s a gauntlet they are running, this up and down start to the start of the SDSU football season.

An impressive win over Ohio…a struggle of a win over 1AA-Idaho State…and then getting sledgehammered by UCLA.

The gauntlet continues, with a road game into Corvallis to meet a vastly improved Oregon State team, and then a dive into the Mountain West to face conference favorite Boise State and then awful tough Air Force up there.  In fact 3-of the next 4-games are on the road.

And Brady Hoke puts his team on the plane with an up and down quarterback, no pass rush, and a pass defense that is giving up 300-yards per game.

Pick other numbers on the SDSU stat sheet and you see problems.
..24 Penalties in 3-games
..428Y per game by opponents
..44%-3rd down conversion rate by the other team
..32%-3rd downs rate by SDSU
..8YPC by the receiving corps at SDSU
..7-QB sacks by a once fierce defensive unit

Yes SDSU has done some good things.
..173YPG rushing but the bulk of that against Idaho State
..7-QB sacks by the defense
..Jalen Mayden 7.1YPC when he runs the ball

A huge challenge ahead and a huge amount of questions yet to be answered.

Coach Brady Hoke’s comments in his weekly press conference:
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Some positives..alot of negatives in the loss
Gave up too many big plays on defense
6-runs over 12-yards…7-passes over 15
Need to get bodies to the ball
Not as physical at line of scrimmage as we need to be

Offense..our screen game was good
Too many dropped back pass situations
Need more play action on offense
Disappointed-had a chance to score 14-points in 3rd quarter
Interception end zone..4th and 1 penalty..just hurt ourself

Oregon State
DJ-QB transfer from Clemson
Damien Martinez is dynamic
Defense plays very fast-very aggressive
Coach Jonathon Smith-good job..school investment very good
Stadium expansion..indoor facility really impressive

Do I know what we have -have to find out who we really are
As a coach-come back in here on Sunday
Look at personnel..what we are teaching..what our players can handle
We look at how we play double teams, techniques, get off blocks-evaluate
Are our splits in line right, are we making right calls

Gave up 24-59-81TDs…guys made mistakes in alignments led big plays
LBs-S made mistakes and reacted and guys made cuts-ran away
We are playing alot of guys on defense to give them snaps

We need to grow up fast..we are getting there…we have cleaned things up
We play early 12-30pm…we are ready
We lift early…we have team meetings early
We are staying in Portland not in Corvallis
Will be 1:45 hour bus trip to the game
Breakfast 7:15am..then travel

Damien Martinez-very impressive..very physical but quick
Good balance-gets in and out of bursts..and can run thru you

DJ Uiagaolei-QB-style-bootlegs, pocket presence, they take shots down field
He has good grasp and feel and is a big guy

Transfer portal meeting…talk about changing the window-how long it is open
Longer portal open, longer QBs can wait to decide where to go
There will be a vote to change it
MWC coaches had zoom meeting..want players tell us early if coming

Coached at Oregon State as young coach in 1994
Worked for Dave Kraightorpe and Jerry Pettibone-worked with Rocky Long
They were down for so long
They flipped it with Dennis Erickson to Mike Riley nice job
University has made a tremendous investment in program
Oregon State-Washington State to Mountain West..would be great for MWC

Key-Saturday..do not give up big plays…we must run ball better at point of attack…take care of football-cannot have 3-picks…time of possession.

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Garrett Fountain-Kenon Chtiston

We missed alot of tackles in game
We hurt ourselves-we knew tempo-no huddle
UCLA’s Dante Moore-got rolling
Oregon State QB…big size..tough guy..sits in pocket..he plays big
We must focus on communication going on road to deal with crowd noise
On road-it’s just us so it’s our team together
Damien Martinez-RB-big strong back-runs hard-need to square him up

Playing on turf…grass is different-we play on fast grass-bouncy
Turf absorbs your steps
We practice on both-we have a feel

Jalen Mayden-makes other teams respect ability to run
Defenses cannot fly to receivers.. he can spread field and bust runs

Take it as a challenge to be 22-point underdog-definitely get after it
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“DAY OF REMEMBRANCE”
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I just had to step away from all things we follow, we cover, we write about, we talk about, we broadcast.

Monday was such a moving day for me , an emotionally moving day for me.

A day of remembrance about 9/11 and what happened 22-years ago at 6:57am at the Twin Towers in New York.

My sons were 11-and-14, and were watching network TV news eating breakfast, getting read to go to school.

They came and got me up to come see a plane crash into the towers, a place I had taken them to sightsee months earlier in April.

I thought it was a smal private plane.

Moments later, in horror, we stood there and saw a 2nd plane fly into the towers.

It was at that point, it meant to me it was terrorism.  The youth days of my kids left them at that instant.  I remember them crying, and tears welling up in my eye, and my wife started crying.

I reached to a cell phone to try and call my brother, a 3-Star General, whom I knew was at the Pentagon.

Then the 3rd plane went into the Pentagon, and there was no way to reach anyone on the phone on the East Coast

That was followed by the 4th plane in Pennsylvania, that was supposed headed to the White House.

I tried to call my other brother, who worked at the White House, without being able to connect.

Hours later I saw video of what I thought was my younger brother leaving the White House with lap tops, boarding a helicopter for what I thought was an evacuation of the White House.

Hours later, in horror, I saw the Towers crumble and collapse and feared the death toll mounting beyond belief.

Later in the day, at the station, with all our sports talk shows cancelled for wall to wall coverage in a News-Talk format, I confirmed an LA Kings scout, Ace Bailey, was on the second plane that went into the towers.

It was a somber, speechless day, paralyzed in emotion and overwhelmed in sadness.

A most moving day to see this destruction infront of us on TV.

It took two days before I was able to reach my brothers.  1-spoke openly.  The other could not speak about it.

Days later, maybe two days later, we returned to regular programming, but I felt no urge to talk about the opening of the NFL season, or the pennant races.

All the listeners wanted to share was their emotions of the moment and what happened.  It was a cleansing of soul for sure.

I remember driving to work, amazed to see American flags hanging over every overpass I travelled down Iinterstate 15.

I remember talking to a New York baseball writer,Kevin Kernan, who lived in New Jersey, discussing how the train station parking lot he would parked in, had the same cars there, that had not moved for days.  They were the cars of commuters who took the train to New York for work, and never returned home, their lives destroyed in the tower fires.

So here on Monday, 22-years removed, it all flashes back again infront of my mind’s eye, with the news reports, the interviews, the looks back

The darkest moment of my life that Monday and Tuesday, soon replaced by the uplifting spirt to see the USA unify itself wrapped around American flags.

I apologize for not wanting to talk about the Chargers loss, the Rams win, the Padres collapse, the Dodgers injuries, the Pac 12-lawsuits and so many other stories.

This day I want to think about those lost by terrorism and how America came back.  From terrible tragedy to an emotional triumph.

A day of remembrance, that is very important for America.

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“CHARGERS ARE CHARGERING”

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What is Chartering?  Very simple, when something bad can happed to the Chargers, it does, and it costs them a win they should have had.

So much is expected of this Chargers team, and we get this.  An awful loss to Miami (36-34), a loss we have seen time and time again.

CHARGERING

Miami QB-Tua Tagavailoa throws for a career best (466Y) in leading his team back four different times for the win.  He survived 3-fumbleD snaps, a fumble at the one as he was going in for a TD, and an ugly interception in the end zone.  The Bolts lost despite the turnovers.  Miami could have had as many as 54-points in the game.

CHARGERING

Miami receivers running open all day.  When they were done, they had 19-pass plays of 10-yards or more.  They had 8-pass plays of 20-yards or more.  Pick any Bolt DB, and they were picked on.  That was TyreekHill, here-there-everywhere enroute to his 11-catch-215 yard pass catching day.  They singled him, doubled him, zoned him and he he owned everyone.

CHARGERING

CB-JC Jackson, the guy who was given an 83M-free agent deal to leave New England a year ago, played Sunday like he played all last season before he got hurt.  Unable to cover anyone.  He gave up pass plays of 35-35-40 yards including the game winning score.  He took a bad Pass Interference penalty on an overthrow.  He picked off a pass in the end zone and tried to run it out, getting tackled at the five, putting the Bolts in bad field position.  It eventually cost them a score

CHARGERING

So much for thinking Michael Davis arrived as a CB last year.  He gave up 7-completions and a TD on Sunday.  Alois Gilman surrendered catches of 12-16-16.  Asante Samuel rendered a 29-yard completion; JT Woods a 24-yarder; LB-Eric Kendricks allowed 3-big catches.  Fellow LB-Kenneth Murray allowed 2-crossing pattern catches.

CHARGERING

Anyone see Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack.  Tua had 46-drop backs, was hit once, pressured just 3-times.  Bosa had two early penalties and just never got there to get the QB.  Alot of money to pay guys who let you down.

CHARGERING

Justin Herbert threw for 226-but one score.  He took a horrible grounding penalty, and had little help.  And when he needed his rebuilt OL to do a job, they got beat on two delayed blitzes on the final three plays of the game in the loss.

CHARGERING

Brandon Staley’s resume said great defensive mind.  Same as last year, even worse, as the Dolphins piled up (536Y) in offense and won, despite the fact the Chargers had the ball for 76-snaps under new coordinator Kellen Moore,  in the brutal heat.  Austin Ekeler had a heart rendering day of (117R) and his backup Josh Kelly grinned for (91R) in the losing effort.

CHARGERING

And like we have seen in the past, alot of Miami fans wearing turquoise in So Fi Stadium, and a terrible loss in a game that had 7-lead changes.  What a miserable finish to a start of a season of high expectations.  But after a while you get numb to all this.

You know the reason.

CHARGERING

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Hacksaw’s NFL Preview

You Tube Channel–Lee Hacksaw Hamilton

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“NFL–Pick Em Pal”
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Everyone has an opinion about who is going to win and why in the NFL.  Here are my Divisional Races picks on the opening weekend of the season:

AFC-East

..BILLS..Been knocking at the door for a couple of years-time to make the Super Bowl..Josh Allen..Stefon Diggs-need him to be healthy…upgrade running game toughness..fierce pass rush..really good -complete team
..MIAMI..Can they keep Tua healthy..faster tempo offense..3-dynamic WRs led by Tyreek Hill-Jaylen Waddle..do they have enough quality RBs..will defense hold up?
..JETS…Aaron Rodgers team..New group of WRs..Ezekiel Elliott joins run team..Key-can OL stay healthy to protect Rodgers…Defense is rugged
..PATRIOTS..Hard to say last place team…Wonder if Bill Belichick could be in trouble…Is (24-25) post Tom Brady..Watch how fast relationship between Off Coor-Bill O’Brien and Mac Jones develop..Added veteran WRs..Love young CBs they have drafted..Year of question marks up there.
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AFC-North

..RAVENS win toughest division in NFL..Lamar Jackson-healthy..what is different will be addition of big play WR’s Odell Beckham-Nelson Agholar to go with 3-young pass catchers…Defense will be solid..Very good team-different team
..BENGALS..Can they keep Joe Burrow standing upright…Added OT-Orlando Brown to protect him-but is rest of line solid?..Need big year RB-Joe Mixon to take workload off passing game…Do they have enough defense?
..STEELERS..They are not sexy…they slug you and they win under Mike Tomlin….Will they have explosiveness on offense or be a ground oriented team..can they keep defensive stars healthy?
..BROWNS…Kevin Stefanski on hot seat if this is not a good season…Deshaun Watson has had full off season on offense…Nick Chubb-Amari Cooper really good…Defense is fast-furious but secondary injury prone…Better not be last place team.
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AFC-South

..JAGUARS…Weakest division so Trevor Lawrence should pile up numbers…addition of WR-Calvin Ridley helps..loss of LT-Cam Robinson-suspension hurts…Defense really rugged
..HOUSTON..DeMeco Ryans brings credentials..front office brought in 24-young veteran free agents to wrap around QB-CJ Stroud…Might be better anyone realizes
..TITANS…Got to stay healthy, but new addition WR-DeAndre Hopkins teams with Ryan Tannehill and RB-Derek Henry-they should be tough…Unsung very good defensive front seven and Mike Vrabel factor as head coach counts for alot
..COLTS..Awful year coming…Young QB-Anthony Richardson and very young team equals big issues..No RB-Jon Taylor to start…wafer thin wideout..unknown OL…no one knows if LB-Shaq Leonard can be what he used to be..Fear disastrous on job training for AR-15 at quarterback
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AFC-West

..CHIEFS..Andy Reid keeps changing players and they remain superior team..Patrick Mahomes is (64-16) as a starter…multiple rings…192-TD-49 interceptions..with so many new parts…DT-Chris Jones will get his money going forward..TE-Travis Kelce will get healthy..new LT-RT and fast-young-improving defense.  Till someone takes them out-they are still king.
..CHARGERS…Must win this year because major problems with salary cap next year..like 80M over cap effective next year…On paper-lots firepower..may be equal to Phillip Rivers-LT-Gates years…OL built with hi picks and young studs..burning question..enough run stoppers…can they hold up with as many young players in secondary..really need CB-JC Jackson to do what he did in New England….back end of schedule is really tough…Justin Herbert on brink of being next superstar
..RAIDERS..They keep changing parts..so who knows if they finally hit on the yearly turnover of new players…Jim Garoppolo strong won-loss record-managing games but can they keep him on the field and upright?…Josh Jacobs-Davante Adams need dominant years…Who knows about revolving door OL…Do they have enough with run defense…Like upgrade in secondary..but who knows
..BRONCOS…Yes Sean Payton fixes Russell Wilson..but he can’t fix all the injuries that decimated WR group…OL is nicked up…No one knows what young RB-Javante Williams will be like coming off knee surgery…Defense will be solid..Do they have enough around their QB?
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NFC-East
..EAGLES..Super Bowl team returns intact…a year of learning for star QB-Jalen Hurts and now you add more to defensive studs on defense…They could be back in Super Bowl again.
..COWBOYS…Dak Prescott making plays that Mike McCarthy calls for him…Do they have enough a run game to take pressure off QB…Brendon Cooks comes in to help young WR group…OL gets healthy…Where is Micah Parsons lining up…Really good defense.
..GIANTS…Is Daniel Jones this good coming off last year’s pretty interesting season..Weird no-name group receivers…Saquon Barkley headed to contract year at RB…Defense is really rugged and young…QB makes the difference this year like he surprised people last year.
..WASHINGTON…They will lean of massive defensive front seven to carry team till they sort out if Sam Howell is right QB…Don’t know if they have enough parts around the quarterback
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NFC-North
..LIONS..Been building towards a good season…can they live up to the hype?…Earned alot of respect how hard they played…QB-Jared Goff career saved by trade to Detroit..Manages games-can win games..no name wide out group…Lots of gritty draft picks on offense…Defense got Aiden Hutchinson then Jack Campbell in back to back drafts…Could be good..but not enough firepower to be great
..PACKERS…Life after Aaron Rodgers begins..Jordan Love does not have alot of big time skill WRs either..but does have Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon…worry about injury history OL-DL…This may be a disappointing season.
..VIKINGS…Kirk Cousins final year of contract…Kevin O’Connell 2nd year as head coach and Justin Jefferson as star WR…but not much after that…Strip mined alot of veterans off defense..not sure enough players
..BEARS…Slow rebuild..now Justin Fields has DJ Moore to throw too…Defense played really hard last year-just not enough players on that roster
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NFC-South
..SAINTS…Derek Carr takes over, wrapped around Michael Thomas-Chris Olave-Alvin Kamara..young OL…Pretty good defense Dennis Allen has created..could really be big play team in division
..TAMPA BAY..Baker Mayfield has speed to throw to, Mike Evans, Russ Gage, Chris Godwin…but no run game to speak of…Is defense on last legs…if they do’t win this year, is Kyle Trask QB of future..does Todd Bowles survive as head coach?
..FALCONS…Desmond Ridder starts this season after saying goodbye to Matt Ryan..They have rookie RB-Bijan Robinson..TE-Kyle Pitts..WR-Drake London and a bright guy in coach Arthur Smith..Built defense first-so we see if there is enough offense
..CAROLINA..Frank Reich has QB-Bryce Young but not much firepower with him..they dealt away Chris McCaffrey and DJ Moore-don’t think they have much left for new QB.
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NFL-West

49ers…They will maul you on offense..mug you on defense…Does Brock Purdy-coming off elbow surgery holdup…What a group with him, McCaffrey…George Kittle..Deebo Samuel..3-wide outs and a defense that plays like its a street fight.
SEAHAWKS…Was that the real Geno Smith, who put up great numbers last year..Now they add another wide receiver to already deep group..have Kenneth  Walker as part of power back, look to have rebuilt Legion of Boom secondary and bring Bobby Wagner back at LB…Pete Carroll team going to be a force.
RAMS…Name me anyone on roster aside from Matthew Stafford..Aaron Donald..Cooper Krupp…could be long-long (4-13) season…Spent all their assets to win Super Bowl two years ago..now credit card bills coming due…Does Sean McVay survive the trauma of rebuild.
CARDINALS…Got rid of GM-Coach-bunch of players on roster..don’t have Kyler Murray to start the season at QB..good group of players are playing somewhere else..Mike Bidwell’s ownership style has to come in question.
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Game day baby…enjoy the first week of the season.
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