This has been one the busiest weeks in recent memory for me. I’ve had to take care of my daughter while her mother is out of town, and it seems she just learned the secret that if she makes a certain face at me I will turn straight into a cream puff and she can get whatever she wants. On top of that I’ve had car trouble, new training at my job, and all kind of other stuff. Thus I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like. I’ve missed a few things that I have to talk about today and I mean absolutely have speak my mind on these subjects.
So let me jump right into the weekly roundup as I touch bases on all of the biggest stories of the week.
Fan dies after falling at Texas Rangers game: For starters I want to send out my condolences to the family of Shannon Stone. As many of you already know, Stone was tragically killed attempting to secure a baseball thrown in the stands by Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton. It was just one of those freak accidents that captures everyone’s attention. Stone was a local firefighter who just wanted to give his son a souvenir from one of the games best players. Stone was reportedly coherent enough to check on his son after his fall of over 20 feet. The players all thought that he would be ok but unfortunately he was not. It just puts a damper on the game itself and humbles me as a parent to see such a untimely death of such a honorable man.
Kerry Collins calls it a career: ''The past several months have brought on much introspection, and I have decided that while my desire to compete on Sundays is still and always will be there, my willingness to commit to the preparation necessary to play another season has waned to a level that I feel is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the position,'' Collins said in a statement
Kerry Collins retirement comes as somewhat of a surprise to me. There were earlier reports that Collins was looking to secure a deal with any team that was willing to give him a look at the starting QB spot but that was a pipe dream for him in the first place. The Titans drafting Jake Locker in the first lightning round and the rigors of coming back from the lockout had to play a role in
him hanging up his cleats. Collins was a steady QB in the latter part of his career after being an up and down one in his prime. Most people forget that he was the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft for the Carolina Panthers and led them to an NFC championship game. He also led the New York Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000. He has overcome alcoholism problem and a lot of adversity to put up solid career numbers including: 40,441 passing yards, 206 passing TDs, and a career completion rate of 55.8. One thing I can say about Collins is that he was always ready when his number was called upon. As many Tennessee Titans fans will tell you, Vince Young could not be counted on as much as we would have liked. Collins always made us feel comfortable because we knew Kerry could come in and run the offense arguably better than Young could. Collins always had a cannon for an arm and as long as you protected him he could get the job done. Asking the 38 year old 16-year veteran to mentor yet another rookie QB who eventually was going to take his spot was probably just too much to ask for again out of Collins. Collins retirement puts the Titans in a precarious situation at QB with only Locker and 2nd year man Rusty Smith on the depth chart. Look for them to be active in free agency as soon as the lockout is lifted. Matt Hasselbeck and Donovan McNabb come to mind as the first choices to take overt in Tennessee and hold down the fort until Locker is ready to start. I wish you well Kerry in your next endeavor, you served admirably here in Tennessee putting up with Vince Young’s mess of an attitude, Jeff Fisher’s conservatism and uncreative play-calling and Bud Adams cheap reputation. Farewell Kerry.
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How about Roy Williams of my beloved Dallas Cowboys? Is this guy on drugs or does he really think that highly of himself? So let me get this straight, he sends his former Miss Texas girlfriend an engagement ring by way of mail? And to top it off he proposes to her by video? Can you imagine this beauty queen’s expression when she received the ring in the mail? Woman are taught from a very young age how prince charming will come in and whisk them away, but Williams’s proposal basically said “Screw all of that just put the ring on and lets get this over with.” Way to step your game up Roy that really rocked her world when she received your marriage proposal. I have to say he did give us men something to tell our women something about sports. I’m kind of glad she turned him down after such a lame excuse of a proposal, serves him right and here is the kicker he has the gall to tell her to keep it because she will come back. Then again when I think about it Roy Williams’ has been half stepping every since he was traded to Dallas so why should this surprise anyone in the first place? Thanks again Roy for making the guys who did it the right way and actually got on one knee look great in the process of your humiliation.
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As a Tennessee Vol football fan I have never worried about recruiting battles with Vanderbilt because quite frankly the Vols trump the Commodres every time. James Franklin has come in right away and changed that perception as he has charmed players with charismatic attitude. The former Maryland offensive coordinator has taken three of the top prospects right from under UT’s and Derek Dooley’s nose. Brian Kimbrow, a four-star recruit from Memphis was the gem of the class as he was the highest rated player in the state and had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, USC and of course Tennessee. He is only the second four star recruit in the history of the Vanderbilt program. Caleb Azubike and Corey Batey also joined Vanderbilt’s class which already is shaping up as one the best ever in school history. I’ve never met Franklin but I can tell that his approach is working with the kids. He is young and has a swagger that the young kids seem to reverberate with. This could be just the beginning for Franklin as well. He could possibly be building something at the most academic natured school in all of the SEC. Good hire by David Williams and the Vandy staff, you can’t help but to like the direction that the program is going under Franklin. The ball is in your court now Tennessee especially you Derek Dooley.
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: I admit I am a lifelong Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves fan so the whole DJ3K thing doesn’t really get me excited. But I respect greatness from any player that fits the bill and Jeter certainly does. He is slowly declining and the ‘Ol bat speed isn’t what it use to be but when you really sit back and think about it, Jeter may is the last great positional player the Yankees have from their dynasty days in the early 2000s. Jorge Posada still plays sparingly and Mariana Rivera is the closer so technically Jeter is the last everyday player the linked to those glory days in Yankee lore. He represents everything the Yankees are about and with him getting his 3,000th hit it should be rightfully celebrated. But all I’m saying is just get it over with already please. The media insatiable thirst for anything Yankees, Jeter, or New York has led to bat by bat coverage and all kinds of over-sensationalism in the media. The good thing is he is only two hits away from putting away this media frenzy that has been bestowed upon him. As a Red Sox fan I hope Jeter gets his 3,000 hit in the next game and everyone celebrates and all of that good stuff only to have the Yankess lose. Sorry that’s just the way it goes in Red Sox nation.
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The first salvo has been fired in the NBA lockout as the first superstar of the league has reportedly come to terms to play for Besiktas, a Turkish team in the euroleague. This comes as a bit of a surprise that Williams would put himself in harms way just to play during the lockout. But upon further examination this is exactly what the players should do I when think about it. If the owners wants to lockout its players what other options are out there for guys who in the prime of their athletic lives? Williams’s decision is based on his assumption that the league will be locked out for an extended amount of time and his signing could open the gates for other players to join him. The same club that has a deal in the works for Williams is also reaching out to the black mamba himself Kobe Bryant. I doubt if many of the leagues premier players jump overseas just to play but it’s good to have all of your options open. The players know that this will anger their NBA teams and could lead to all kind of legal ramifications but if the owners wouldn’t have cried wolf and created this situation then it wouldn’t be necessary in the first place. FIBA has a long standing relationship with the NBA and knows that making David Stern and co angry isn’t the route to go. They have to take a long look at the current situation and hope that it doesn’t interfere with the relationship that they have cultivated with the premier basketball league in the world. Stay tuned as this could just be the first of many players including Pau Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Rudy Fernandez who have all publicly said they would consider playing elsewhere if the lockout continues.
Alright, that does it for me this week. I hope everyone reading has a great weekend. I look forward to posting my articles daily as I have always done next week now that my daughter’s mother is back in town (Thank you God). Also be on the lookout for my new radio show: The Sportaholic radio hour on Beatknockin.com. It’s an online radio station so tune in on Saturday’s from 10-12 pm if you happen to be by a computer or device that allows you listen.
