17 year old accused gunman to enter plea for death of Sean Taylor

The accused gunman of football player, Sean Taylor, is trying to enter a plea bargain. The Washington Redskins safety was gunned down last Monday November 26th in the bed room of his home. He was brought to the hospital and died the next day. His death was reported as an intended burglary that went wrong. Taylor’s house was allegedly broken in to 8 days before but he was home during this particular incident. Sean Taylor’s death has been mourned all over the country. At only 24 years old, his death came as a shock to teammates and fellow NFL players and coaches. His funeral was held Monday and thousands of people were in attendance. Furthermore, on Sunday, the Redskins sent out 10 men instead of 11 on the opening play to signify that Taylor was still with them. And teams all over the country wore the number 21 on the backs of their helmets.

Eric Rivera who is only 17 was the alleged gunman in this case however there are 3 other men who were supposedly with him and are also being charged with first degree felony murder and armed burglary. The other men range in age from 18-20 years old. Although Rivera has not admitted to the murder as of yet, he is still the main suspect. All men convicted in the case are denied bail. Rivera’s attorney is trying to come to a deal with prosecutors on the case to try to reach a deal. One of the other men’s attorney, David Brener, said that he was trying to distance his client from any wrong doing that Rivera had done. Brener was quoted as saying “I believe that the acts of Mr. Rivera, who was the shooter of this case, constitute an independent act. My client never contemplated that Mr. Rivera was going to arm himself or use lethal force against Mr. Taylor.”

It’s sad to see such young kids get stuck in a situation like this. Eric Rivera is 17 years old and had his whole life in front of him. Now he’s being prosecuted not only for burglary but for murder of a well known athlete. Part of me wonders if he had a personal vendetta against the player. Maybe if Rivera put his life into something like sports he would have been sent down the right path in life. Sean Taylor wasn’t exactly the model citizen, having once been accused of drunk driving, having two misdemeanor counts of brandishing a weapon and even being charged a $17,000 fine from the NFL for having spit in a player’s face. But his teammates claim he has tried to clean up his life and has done a good job at it. He has a one year old daughter, who they say has changed his life around and now she will never have the chance to get to know her father.

Taylor Death a Loss to the Sporting World

Sean Taylor, a star safety for the Washington Redskins, died on Tuesday morning from injuries resulting from a gunshot to his leg on late Sunday night/early Monday morning. He was airlifted to a local Miami hospital after the police responded to a phone call from his girlfriend early Monday morning. He was shot in the upper leg, rupturing an artery causing very significant blood loss. The attack is being investigated by Miami-Dade Police, which came only eight days after an intruder was reported seen at Taylor's house. He died in the very early morning on Tuesday. I found in an article that "gun violence is the No. 1 killer of black men like Taylor." Taylor was raised in a good area, attending a prep school for high school, and then going to a private college in Miami. "He was a multi-million dollar athelte and even his dalliance with lawbreaking and gun brandishing was said to be something of his recent past. He was a father now too. He had someone to live for forever besides himself. " In the article, it mentions another killing of a young black man, who was a simple cook at a famous Washington D.C. eatery. This isn't real significant with sports of course, but it was just to prove a point that young black men die all the time, and by gunshot at that. But anyways, back to Taylor. Keyshawn Johnson, a former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, had something to say on the death and Taylor in general. "Sometimes we assume that because one is raised in a certain way one is going to come out a certain way. Look at Andy Reid's kids. He's the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and they're sons are selling drugs out of the house. You can't assume that because Sean's dad was a police chief that his life...would be different. It depends on how you approach it." Johnson knows all of this too well, being raised in the toughest section of South Los Angeles. He survived being shot twice after being stuck up outside of his favorite barbershop with friends behind him. "You just become an easy target," Johnson says.

Last year Darrent Williams, a former defensive back for the Denver Broncos, "was doing a responsible thing while out last New Year's Eve enjoying the night. He was in a limousine. A wrong word or misunderstanding in a club turned into bullets fired into his ride. He was killed. He was Taylor's age and another statistic in the deadly demographic." I agree and disagree about what Johnson said on the topic of young black men being killed by gunshot more. I mean yeah, most of the time it isn't where you grow up per se, but just the way you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, the shots that were fired at Johnson himself. He was just outside a favorite hangout, and somebody came up and attempted to rob them. A key example of the "wrong place, wrong time" statistic. Then there's Williams, he was out partying it up for the new year, and there was an argument of some sort, and he was shot. An example of the "be careful what you say" problem. Taylor doesn't really fall under any category. It was just some guy breaking into his house, then shooting Taylor. It's sad. It always is. To help remember him, people are holding candle light vigils outside his home, and people are painting his number in their yards and places people will see it. Rest in peace, Sean Taylor.

Hester saves the Bears

Whether or not you’re a bears fan, Sunday’s game against the Bronco’s would have captured anyone’s attention. With a 34-31 win in overtime, the Bear’s took it much to my excitement. Although, games like this come around only so often, this wasn’t the best part of the win.

The Bear’s never would have pulled it off if it weren’t for Devin Hester and his two kick returns for touchdowns. The first one, Hester ran almost untouched and hurdled a Bronco’s player to get them back in the game with the Bronco’s. The second one tied the game for the Bear’s but it was short lived. An early injury to Cedric Benson had him benched for the game as well as the rest of the season. This didn’t make the Bear’s shot any better. But they ended up pulling through. The real question is why the Bronco’s continued to kick to Hester. There were a couple of punts that were bounced to the Bears, but for the most part the Bronco’s kicked it to him. Friday, Bronco’s kicker Todd Sauerbrun, told the Denver Post that he was kicking the ball to Hester. He believed that his special team’s defense could hold off Hester. Clearly, he was wrong. Hester now has 10 touchdown kick returns under his belt and 3 this season. As a Bear’s fan, I hope he sticks with the team for quite a while.

NHL Hall of Fame Inductees

On November 12 the NHL inducted this years hall of fame crop of Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis, and Ron Francis. Each of the four were in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. It’s not really a surprise that any of these four were included in their first available year, but that doesn’t make their inductions any less special.

Mark Messier, perhaps the most well recognized of the four, was one of the most idolized leaders that has ever played the game. Versus, a TV channel, has even given Messier the opportunity to present his own award for leadership to whoever demonstrates that quality the best within the NHL. He is the only professional athlete to captain two different teams to championship victories. Messier led both the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers to Stanley Cup victories. He is the second most prolific scorer in NHL history by compiling 1193 assists and 1887 points in the regular season. He has also played the second most games in the sport’s history with 1756 games played in the regular season. He even won two Hart Memorial Trophies, given out two the NHL’s most valuable player in the regular season. Even with all of his regular season prowess over his career, his fame and respect really came from the playoffs. His name is on the Stanley Cup 6 different times a feat made even more impressive by the fact that he is also second in playoff points in a career with 265. This shows that he was not only on great teams to win those cups, but he was also a vital member that contributed greatly to those teams.

Scott Stevens will be remembered as one of the best defensemen to ever play the game, as well as one of the most physical. Stevens has played the 4th most games in the NHL with 1635 games played over long stretches with the Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils as well as a season played for the St. Louis Blues in between. Over his career he never had a season with a negative plus/minus rating, finishing off with a +393 rating over his 22 season career. Stevens won 3 Cups with the Devils during his stay captaining the team(1995, 2000, and 2003). He was the first player in the Devils franchise history to have his number retired. Stevens fame mostly came from his solid defensive play with his punishing, yet clean open-ice hitting, which even sent some of his victims unconscious.

Al MacInnis will also be remembered as one of the best defensemen to play, but for a different reason than Stevens. MacInnis was known for his amazingly powerful slapshot which helped him amass the 3rd most points, goals, and assists for a defensemen in the history of the NHL being one of only a few defensemen to break the 1000 point mark. His shot was so hard that early in his career with Calgary, he blasted a shot that shattered the goalie mask of St. Louis Blues' goalie Mike Liut. He also won seven Hardest shot competitions at the All Star skills competitions. He only won one Stanley Cup out of his 23 seasons in 1989 with the Calgary Flames. He only played for two teams during that span, the Calgary Flames and the St. Louis Blues. He won the Norris trophy once for the 1998-99 season with the Blues. He was also one of the few NHL players that refused to switch to the new composite sticks, and kept using his wooden stick. One interesting fact about Al MacInnis is that he played instrumental roles in two of the three largest third period comebacks in NHL history.

Ron Francis is perhaps the most underrated and least known great that ever played the game. Francis played for four different teams in the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburg Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Over his lengthy career which is good for 3rd on the all time list with 1731 games played, he won three Lady Byng Trophies awarded to the most gentlemanly player. He also holds the fourth spot for the all time scoring lists at 1798. He’s captained three of his teams over four periods including two periods with the Penguins and excluding the Maple Leafs. Either way it’s clear that all four of these players left a significant mark on the NHL.

A's Pitcher dies

At just 28 years old, Oakland A's pitcher, Joe Kennedy, died the morning after Thanksgiving. He died early in the morning at his home in Florida while with his family. Although, the exact details of his death are not known, he was reported to have passed out and then rushed to the hospital.

The president of the Blue Jays, where Kennedy used to play, said that Kennedy was supposed to be the best man in a friend's wedding today. This just makes the story that much more sad.

Joe Kennedy started his season with the A's as a started but got moved to the Bullpen. On August 4 he signed with the Diamondbacks and over the course of his career he has played for 7 teams. Blue Jays president said that they were interested in reaquiring Kennedy.

How a seemingly healthy athlete can die at 28 is a mystery. Maybe he was under a great deal of stress due to changing teams and perhaps being a best man. But its his seventh team he's played for and he is out of season. I don't feel that stress was an issue in this case. But it's such a sad story when a person with a career in front of him and a young family passes at such a young age.

Bonds Indicted

Barry Bonds, all time leader in home runs in Major League Baseball, was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice charges. "I've never seen these documents before," Bonds said, speaking before a federal grand jury investigating the Bay Area Lab Co-Operative, or BALCO, after he had just been shown what prosecutors say was a positive steroid test conducted on a player with the name Barry B. Bonds simply repeated, "I've never seen these papers." These results may be the key result to proving that Bonds lied under oath, giving him the charge of obstruction of justice. "Bonds' lawyers are expected to fiercely attack their reliability, much the way O.J. Simpson's legal team undermined the football star's murder case by questioning the handling of his blood samples." Michael Rains, who is Bonds' attorney, offered no comment on the subject. However, Victor Conte, founder of BALCO offered his own insight to how his legal team would cast their doubts on the evidence. According to Conte, a convicted steroids dealer, Barry Bonds came into the lab on Saturdays, always after regular business hours, with a group of men that included his trainer (Greg Anderson) and his personal physician (Dr. Arthur Ting).

Anderson had convinced Bonds that BALCO would develop a dietary and supplementary regimen, which Conte had designed based solely on the results of past blood and semen results. The only thing that the indictment does NOT say is WHERE the prosecutors obtained the results, only that they were obtained when federal agents raided Conte's lab back in September of 2003. "There is always an opportunity to attack that kind of forensic evidence through its chain of custody," said attorney William Sullivan, who recently won an acquittal for former federal prosecutor Richard Convertino on an obstruction charge alleging he withheld evidence in a terrorism trial in Detroit. "You look at how the evidence was preserved, who handled it," Sullivan said. "You can even attack the analysis itself. Conte said, "I don't think you can prove those were Barry's samples." So as of now, there is no way the jury can prove to anyone that Bonds has used steroids. Until they can, there is nothing that they can do. He will still be allowed to play baseball, and won't have to worry about the maximum 30 years in prison just yet, just how to prove that those results are either tainted, or not his at all.

Final games brings much anticipation

So the final week of regular season college football is upon us.

There are two games this Saturday that will make or break the year for me. First of all, Purdue University vs. Indiana University. This game is important to because I am a student at Purdue University and of course IU is our rival. It’s the bucket game and this is what the season boils down to. I’m pretty confident in Curtis Painter’s ability to make this a good game. Dorien Bryant and the rest of the team have been pulling their slack for the most part over the couple of weeks. They did better than I expected against Michigan State. I can’t blame the team for anything bad over the last couple weeks. If I were to place blame, it would be upon the coaching staff and the of course the referees.

The second game that has me in major anticipation for this Saturday is the University of Michigan vs. Ohio State University. Being that I’m not from Indiana, I don’t completely feel the rivalry that most native “hoosiers” feel between Purdue and IU. Therefore, I get excited about beating IU, but not THAT excited. However, despite being born and raised in Illinois, I have been a Michigan fan for most of my life. I go to Ann Arbor about once a month and love it there. And, as any Michigan fan does, I hate Ohio State. I can’t deny that they are good. I just don’t like them. So this weekend will be interesting. I wouldn’t be as riled up for it as I am if Ohio State didn’t lose last week to University of Illinois. This shows that Michigan does have a shot since they beat Illinois just a few weeks ago. Last week Michigan lost to Wisconsin, but I think that both teams want this not just because they hate each other but to compensate for their losses last week. Hopefully, Henne and Hart will be fully healthy and ready to go for the game.

So as the final week approaches us before the bowl games, there is a lot to be excited for. Hopefully Michigan and Purdue pull through for me.

NFL allows ejections for hard hits

A new rule instated by the NFL is allowing players to be ejected from the game for helmet to helmet hits. There were two fines that foreshadowed the making of this rule. These fines ranged in amount from $15,000 to $21,176.

These hits are illegal because of how dangerous they are to the players head and neck. There is a high rate of concussions because of these helmet to helmet hits.

I think this new rule will be great for football. One of the main concerns in the sport is the high rate of injuries including concussions. One of the worse things to do is watch a player being carried off the field on a stretcher. Fining a player won’t really teach him a lesson. With the amount of money football players make, a few thousand dollars won’t even make a dent in his bank account. However being kicked out of a game or being suspended would hurt a player more because they’d have to watch their team compete with out them. It’s like letting down your team. Being suspended or kicked out of a game is also very embarrassing for the player.

Hopefully this will teach players how to act more fairly so fewer players get hurt.

Adrian Peterson Breaks Another Record

Adrian Peterson is a record breaking machine. Only eight games into the season, Peterson has already broken a multitude of franchise records for yardage throughout various points in the season and also single game performances. He’s already set and broken his own record for most yards rushing in a game. Last week, Peterson broke the NFL single game rushing record, originally held by Jamal Lewis since 2003, with a 296 yard performance against the San Diego Chargers. It’s important to note that all of this has happened in his first 8 games in his career. He already has 1036 yards rushing, a feat that some runningbacks don’t even accomplish in an entire year. He’s just about 300 yards ahead of the pace at this junction. Peterson’s highlight game came against the Chicago Bears. He gored the normally stingy Bears defense for 224 yards on 20 carries and 3 touchdowns. He broke a few franchise rookie records with this game; most 100-yard gain games and the longest touchdown from scrimmage, as well as a then-franchise record for yardage gained. After this game Deion Sanders , now an NFL Network analyst said the following about Peterson: "He has the vision of a Marshall Faulk, the power of a Terrell Davis, and the speed of an Eric Dickerson. Let’s pray he has the endurance of an Emmitt Smith.” It’s clear that Adrian Peterson is the real deal.

T.O. Terrorizes Eagles

Terrell Owens is still managing to be a disruption to the Philadelphia Eagles franchise. Last Sunday T.O. destroyed the Eagles secondary in a Cowboys blowout over the sub-par Eagles. Philadelphia had a chance to redeem it’s season and turn .500 last week but they just couldn’t cover T.O. who had 10 catches for 174 yards and a TD and lost with a final of 38-17 Dallas. We all remember the ruckus that T.O. caused two years ago when he criticized McNabb and head coach Andy Reid. For all that he put the organization through, two years later the crowd didn’t seem to give T.O. all that much trouble. Perhaps it’s because Philly is playing poorly this year and the fans are less enthusiastic, or maybe it’s just because they’re sick of giving T.O. so much attention. Either way, Owens was taunting the crowd more than they were taunting him. After his touchdown he even brought out his old celebration, flapping his arms like a bird.
Owens wasn’t the only reason that the Eagles lost on Sunday, and he wasn’t even the largest factor in the game. Tony Romo had an impressive showing after signing a 6-year, $67.5 million contract extension, completing 20 of 25 for 324 yards with 3 TD’s and 1 interception. An interesting fact for the game is that Romo was the only quarterback that the Eagles have not sacked this season. It was clear that McNabb’s day was not going to be very good after he fumble the ball on the Eagle’s first play from scrimmage. Dallas recovered and eventually turned the turnover into a touchdown.

Isn't This an Odd Injury?

Zach Thomas, middle linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, is about to miss his fourth game of the season this Sunday. On Sunday, the Dolphins will host the Buffalo Bills, but Thomas will miss the game due to recurring migraines. Not only will it be his fourth missed game this season, including two throughout the month of September. He participated in full-contact drills on Thursday, but was then held from practice on Friday, ultimately leading to his being ruled out for the game. The seven time Pro Bowler has been held back by migraines and concussions in former seasons, but this is only his 17th missed game in 12 seasons. Thomas hasn't played since the Dolphins' loss to the New England Patriots (28-49) back on the 21st of October. The reason he has been held up in playing since then is due to whiplash he suffered in a car accident he was caught up in on the drive home from that game. Head Coach Cam Cameron said, "That's the recommendation of our medical staff. He had a good practice yesterday (Thursday), but as we're finding out in these situations, one day isn't always indicative of the next day. ...He came in this morning (Friday morning) and things were not quite the same." It's just too bad that an injury such as recurring migraines are the reason for missing yet another game, but it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to injuries, I've learned from experience. Hopefully he'll have recovered enough to play next week.

How is This Not Good Enough?

Troy Williamson, the third year wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings out of South Carolina, found out that he was going to be fined $25,000 for one of the most bizarre reasons, to me. Williamson's grandmother passed away, and he decided he was going to spend the week with his family. How is that not a good enough reason to be out of play? The Minnesota Vikings' management should be ashamed of themselves! How can you possibly penalize, let alone fine, a player for wanting to spend time with family after a family member passes away? It's ridiculous. His grandmother, being a very important part of the family, passed away. What would the Vikings' management have done if one of their grandmothers' had passed away? On top of staying with his family for the death of his grandmother, he also spent some of the week with his brother, who is in a coma after a car accident. Again, how is that more important than playing football? I mean yes, it is his profession, but if it was any other job, he would have been given time off for personal reasons. When asked of the fine, Williamson said, "I don't care if (the Vikings) would have took my pay for the rest of the year, I was going home. It wouldn't have mattered to me. No matter what (Brad Childress) would have said, if I had to stay up here or not, I would have been at my house (in South Carolina) for that week." The $25,000 fine was his pay for one game, roughly. In my opinion, the Vikings acted unfairly. Do you think it was unfair, even with the reasonable excuse?

Dear Football Players: Manage your Anger!

It seems like some people just have anger issues and can’t stray from them. On the night before rejoining his Bengal teammates after an eight game suspension, Chris Henry allegedly involved himself in a disagreement with a parking attendant.

Henry was suspended for the entire first half of the season for reasons unknown. The Cincinnati Bengals commissioner, Roger Goodall, said it was for “repeatedly violating the NFL’s conduct policy.” He was scheduled to start practice on Wednesday and play in the game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Apparently the disagreement was started because Henry and another man reportedly parked their vehicles without paying a parking fee. Henry threw a $5 bill to the man but it was given back to him and eventually the police were called. No charges have yet been filed. The Bengals have not taken any action against Henry as he is still scheduled to practice and play with the team on Sunday.

One would think that a man making so much money would just pay the parking attendant to avoid conflict especially because he is already in trouble with the Bengals. Even if he already paid the parking fee and there was just a mistake being made, one would think he’d save himself the bad PR. Even if Henry is causing this disturbance based on “principle” maybe he would consider saving himself and the team some embarrassment.

Lindros Expected to Retire

According to ESPN.com the Globe and Mail of Toronto reported Tuesday that Eric Lindros is expected to announce his retirement from the NHL on Thursday. The paper said Lindros, 34, will likely make the announcement as part of a news conference with University of Western Ontario sports injury expert Dr. Peter Fowler in his hometown of London, Ontario. Lindros has had an injury ridden career, never completing a full season in 14 attempts. In 760 games he’s compiled 372 goals and a total of 875 points. Last month, Lindros was asked about his future playing hockey and his involvement with the league. "Right now my focus is the 'PA work," Lindros told The Canadian Press last month. "I'm not really concerned about the rest of it. But the last couple of years have been pretty frustrating in terms of not getting through without being injury-free. ... It's just frustrating." He also said that he would work with the NHLPA, or the NHL Player’s Association.
Lindros won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1994-95 and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player in the league as voted by the players. He led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997 in which they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. He played on the feared “Legion of Doom” line with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. With his physical play, it’s understandable that he has suffered multiple concussions throughout his career. Because of one memorable concussion suffered from after a check from New Jersey's Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, which gave him number six in his career, he missed all of the 2000-01 season recovering.

Barry Bonds: Targeted?

Barry Bonds has been whining lately about being singled out by the media for the alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. Bonds, who still claims innocence, believes this is unfair.

The San Francisco Giants, who Bonds has played for since 1993, has chosen to not renew Bonds contract. This is a little bit of a surprise since Bonds has surpassed Hank Aaron’s home run record in August. The Giants made no comment as to why they would not resign Bonds.

“I don’t bring baggage to a team. I’ve never brought baggage to a team. I’ve brought my baseball bag, but I don’t bring any baggage. I go on the field and I play,” says Barry. I think this is pretty much the biggest load of crap ever. Bonds takes a lot away from the Giants. Their fans do not him and therefore are not committed to the team 100%. It can be argued that this takes a little bit of the advantage of playing at home, to have your own fans boo a member of the team. He also brings a lot of bad publicity to the Giants. As for the team who signs him for the 2008 season, they will have a lot to deal with. Their fans will probably not be too happy with them. I know if the White Sox decide to take on Barry Bonds, I would be horribly disappointed.

As for Bonds crying about being targeted by the media, I think can be argued either way. I’m not a fan of Bonds at all, and just hearing his name makes me cringe a little bit, but I do feel like he is being targeted. But all in good reason. He clearly has been under the influence of something that has made him double in size over a short period of time. However, he has never failed a drug test. He’s targeted so much because of his questionable character. He also has the homerun record after surpassing the precious record of 755 homeruns that was held by Hank Aaron. Since the hitting of these homeruns without the use of performance enhancing drugs is arguable, a lot of people are upset. The record books are essentially ruined by this scandal. This is why the media is targeting him so much.

He isn’t the only one. Mark McGuire spent sometime in the spot light as well. McGuire broke the single season home run record in 1998 but this was broken by Bonds in 2001. McGuire has never been convicted of using steroids but his innocence has been questioned. The baseball steroid scandal made the opinions of Mark McGuire go from one of admiration to one of disdain.

So is Barry Bonds being singled out by the media for the use of performance enhancing drugs? Yes. Is it unfair? Maybe. But I think he deserves it. I, along with most other baseball fans, believe that Barry Bonds is guilty of using performance enhancing drugs and should pay for it, if this includes being ridiculed by the media and having the Giants not renew his contract, then so be it.

Another Tennessee Football Player Kicked Off For Drug Use

The Tennessee Volunteers have now dismissed two players, to my knowledge, for drug usage. First James Banks, someone I knew personally, and now LaMarcus Coker. Both showed spectacular skills on the field, and both were dismissed from the team after brief stints. Both of these players were kicked off the team for their continuous usage of drugs. First, James Banks. James Banks was someone I looked up to going through junior high school, into high school, because of his love for his sports, football and track. He helped Ben Davis High School, located in the westside of Indianapolis, to two 5-A state championships and a spectacular 42-2 record over his years there. I heard he was going to the University of Tennessee and decided I was going to watch as many games as I could, hoping to see him. But after he got there, he was repeatedly causing trouble, causing him to be benched, and ultimately leading to his dismissal from the team for several incidents, which I won't go into. Banks was, according to coach Philip Fulmer, "the best pure athlete on the football team." But Banks was let go from the team in December after those several incidents. From the last I heard, Banks was possibly going to be playing football at Carson-Newman College, a liberal arts Southern Baptist college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. I need to find out what he's doing now, as I am thinking about it, because all of my friends from high school don't seem to have any idea either.
Now, the latest player released from the team for drug use, sophomore tailback LaMarcus Coker. Coker's release from the team was for one reason, well sort of. Coker failed a total of four drug tests, meaning he had four chances to straighten himself out. But he didn't, and that's a shame, because according to ESPN he had "shown flashes of brilliance on the field during his brief Tennessee." "I'm disappointed for him," said coach Fulmer. "This is his life, and I hope he gets straightened out and succeeds in whatever he chooses to do. I can lay my head on my pillow and know that, within the rules, we have done everything we can do to help LaMarcus overcome his challenges." It really is a shame, that these athletes couldn't straighten themsleves out while they were still on the team. Coker was just now released, so he hasn't really had a chance to yet, but Banks' incidents occured back in 2003/2004, so he has straightened out and started playing again, which is the best thing he could have done. Hopefully Coker can do the same.

Bondra to Become Slovakian GM

Peter Bondra, one of the great goal scorer’s that the NHL has known in the past two decades, retired Monday to become the Slovakian national team General Manager. Bondra was one of the most prolific scorer’s in NHL history, clocking in at 37th all time with 503 goals. He is one of 39 players in the sport’s history to join the fabled 500 goal club. He amassed these goals playing in Atlanta, Chicago, and Ottawa, with the bulk scored in Washington. "I kept it a secret for a long time. They will know overseas only after this press conference," Bondra said, according to the Slovak national hockey association. "I hope I can help Slovakia win another medal at the world championship." Quote taken from ESPN.com where I found this article. Bondra has fond memories of the world championships, having scored the game winner in a 4-3 game against Russia to capture the title in the world championships held in Sweden in 2002. He enjoyed a long successful career mostly at the helm of the Washington Capitals, putting up his 892 points in 1081 at about a point per game pace. Depending on the success of his stay as the Slovakian GM, his contract may be extended past the current deal lasting until 2008 after the world championships.

Colts? Patriots? Who Do You Think Will Win??

Alright, is it time for another Colts victory over the Patriots? Or are they just too good this year?? I remember last years AFC Championship game, where the Colts and Patriots were playing in Indianapolis for the chance to head to the Super Bowl. The Colts went into the locker room at half time worn down, and pissed off because they were losing 21-3. They managed to overcome that deficit with 455 offensive yards and 32 first downs to make their way to their first Super Bowl since 1970, when they were still in Baltimore. The 18 point comeback was the largest EVER in a championship game, and tied the fourth largest post season comeback in league history. This was only the first time in 4 years that the Colts had managed to beat the Patriots in the postseason, losing to them in the AFC Championship game in 2003, losing to them in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2004, and they didn't even get to play them in 2005. As an Indianapolis native, and a long-time Colts fan, I was going absolutely crazy, on the verge of shutting the game off after halftime but deciding to give them one more quarter of football before I gave up on them. Thank god I didn't, I would have regretted it so much. That and I wouldn't have had anything to talk about at work the next day, since that's all everybody was talking about.

I decided after that to never give up on my Colts. There was that game last season, and just a few years ago there was the miracle fourth quarter down in Tampa Bay. Why not another one? If they go into halftime with a deficit tomorrow, the Patriots better get their cameras out so they can figure out how to stop us, because it simply will not happen. I'm putting my money on the Colts, who do you think will win??

The Reason My Account is redwings40

Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings is one of the best players in the National Hockey League that you don’t hear too much about. This might be changing after the spectacular start he’s had to begin this season. Through 11 games Zetterberg has a league leading 20 points, 9 goals(tied for second best in the league) and 11 assists(tied for second best in the league), amounting to a 1.82 points-per-game average. He has put up a point in every game so far this season. Putting up points isn’t all that Hank does either, he’s one of the best defensive forwards around. He has a +8, good enough to be tied for 11th, to go with that point total. So why doesn’t a league leading point getter and a fantastic two-way player get much attention? Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve been waiting for years for #40 to be nationally recognized for the player that he is. He's even more special considering he was drafted in the seventh round. Placed on a line with Pavel Datsyuk, a paring nicknamed the “Euro-twins”, and Tomas Holmstrom, they make one of the most dynamic and powerful lines in the NHL. They’re role is usually against the top defensive and offensive parings of the opposite teams which shows how dominant they are considering the each are higher than +13 and Hank with a +26 last season. Zetterberg’s +26 is impressive considering he also added extensive penalty kill time throughout last season. One thing is for sure, if he keeps up his point-getting madness and solid defensive play, it’ll be impossible for others to not recognize him as one of the NHL’s elite players.

Picture from NHL.com

Jets in More Trouble

The New York Jets, who are struggling to the max this season with their 1-6 start, now have more problems on their hands. ESPN reports, “Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury, ending the one time Pro Bowler’s season after seven games.” Vilma was hurt in last week’s loss against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, then missed this week’s practices and then got placed on the injured reserve yesterday. “‘This is not a career threatening injury and the doctor’s expect a full recovery,’ said Mitch Frankel, one of Vilma’s representatives.” “The loss of one of one of their defensive captains is the latest disappointing development in what has become a season full of them as the Jets have struggled to a 1-6 start.” It hasn’t yet been said what the extent of the injury is, or where in the knee the injury took place. “I am disappointed that my season ended prematurely,” Vilma said in a statement. “I was looking forward to playing the rest of the season and helping the team get back on track. I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008.” Rookie David Harris, a rookie from the University of Michigan and picked in the second round of the draft, is the most likely to take the starting position tomorrow against the Buffalo Bills. Harris has been given limited playing time this season and has 24 tackles. “Vilma’s a great player,” Harris said earlier this week. “Anytime that you lose a player like that, it’s very hard to fill his shoes. He’s a great team leader. He’s very well respected and he has run the defense for four years now. I’ll try to be ready when my number is called.” Injuries have been major factors this season, with Marvin Harrison out for the Colts; Zach Thomas, Ronnie Brown, and Yeremiah Bell, Travares Tillman, and Trent Green out for the Miami Dolphins; and then I have to put out for the Buffalo Bills that Kevin Everett has continued to progress since his spinal cord injury in week one against the Denver Broncos.