TIM TEBOW HATERS REJOICE--AND THAT'S SAD.

Tim Tebow has been cut by the New England Patriots so now the United States roster of
haters can rejoice. They said he couldn't throw, run a pro-style offense, and doesn't belong
in the NFL. Yep, they told us so. And all those haters may be right that Tebow will never
play again, because after all, they say he's, in the words of Charles Barkley: tuuuuuuur-a-ble.

I'm just amazed at all the venom spewed about Tebow. Judging by all the comments on the
Internet and sports talk radio, there are millions of people who just can't stand the guy. They
seemed obsessed with proving how much he sucks and can't play. They seem to revel in his
failure, which in this world isn't all that surprising considering the majority of it seems to
gloat in the failure of others. I've been a part of some companies where some people get all
giddy when a co-worker gets fired. It's sad, really.

And it's kind of sad how much people hate a guy like Tim Tebow. Is it because he wears his
religion on his sleeve? There have been plenty of people before Tebow who've pointed to the
sky to praise God or gotten a knee to give thanks and nobody says a word. But when Tebow
does it, haters everywhere roll their eyes and say, "Lord help us." People mocked the former
Florida Gator with "Tebowing", which became a hit on the Internet, gaining laughs at the
expense of Tebow.

Since he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round a few years back, it's been
open season on the left-handed, bible-thumping quarterback. ESPN analyst Merril Hoge
called Tebow "as phony as  three-dollar bill." Teammates in New York hid behind the old "anonymous sources" thing and said he was "terrible." Did Tebow get upset? Nope, he just
turned the other cheek and tried to get better as a quarterback.

Did the Broncos make a mistake drafting Tebow in the first round? Absolutely. But the line
of teams picking players in the first round who've turned out to be total busts is 10-miles
long. Jamarcus Russell, anyone? Ryan Leaf? Tim Couch? Akili Smith, hello? Mark Sanchez,
how uuuuuuuuu doing? Yes, it happens.

Tebow may never make it in the NFL and the haters will tell us they told us so and feel good
about themselves. They hate from their couches, sitting in front of their big screen TV's with
a beer and a bucket of popcorn in their lap. And, by golly, they can play quarterback better
than Tebow because they sacrificed so much and handled all the critics with class and dignity.

Do you know what Tebow was? A Heisman Trophy-winner, 2-time national champion,
All-American, first-round NFL draft pick, and playoff-winning quarterback.

Do you know what Tebow is?  A person of great character, who doesn't swear, smoke, or
have sex. He has never wavered in his faith, nor blinked in the face of criticism from the
media or his teammates. He's never talked bad about anybody, thrown anyone under the bus,
or been arrested. He has taken the time to work, give, and raise money for the less fortunate
Is that so bad? We've had to deal with the likes of Michael Vick, Lance Armstrong,
Ryan Braun, Tiger Woods, and a host of other athletes whose contents of character are made
up of less than savory ingredients and people want to trash Tebow? Please.

Do you know what Tebow will be? Probably anything he wants besides and NFL quarterback
and that might not be so bad. Prior to training camp, Forbes magazine named Tebow the most
influential athlete in sports. That's right, ahead of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter,
and Tiger Woods. Why do you think that is? Because Tebow has "it". He can lead and influence
the masses with a speech or just by his work in the community. If he wants to go on the
speaking circuit, Tebow can be a millionaire ten times over.

People will say that Tebow failed as an NFL quarterback, and so what? He was the one who
got in the arena and tried to succeed. He's the one who got the snot beat out of him by 320-lb
lineman and 250-lb heat-seeking linebackers. Tebow tried and got cut. He didn't succeed, but
he has already accomplished more in 26-years that most people will do in their entire lives.

Don't be a Tebow hater. Respect what he has done and the person he is. So what if he couldn't
be an NFL quarterback? I have a feeling when it's all said and done, Tim Tebow is going to
much, much more than just a guy who can read a defense and sling a football.

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ROLLING STONE: A SHOCK TO BOSTON'S SYSTEM

Rolling Stone magazine and Miley Cyrus are a lot alike. They both achieved a great deal
of success early on, became somewhat irrelevant in changing times, then, in need of
some attention, did something really big to shock our system.

Cyrus twerked, tongued, and tickled herself with a foam-rubber finger on live television to
set Twitter on fire and get the attention she desperately needed. As they say in show business
these days, if you're not "trending",  you are not all that important.

Nobody was talking about Rolling Stone magazine very much until July. Once a respected
and a popular magazine, it had fallen out of a favor in the this New Media driven world. So,
their editors made a calculated decision to announce their presence with authority and get
people talking about them once again. With  Boston still recovering, physically and
emotionally, from the marathon bombing, Rolling Stone decided to stick a dagger into the
heart of the city.

The magazine glorified Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by making the surviving Boston bomber a
cover boy. They tried to turn him into a rock star along the lines of Jim Morrison. The
people in Boston were outraged, as were many people throughout the rest of the country.
Rolling Stone got the attention and reaction it wanted. Twitter, Facebook, and every news
outlet railed about it and called for a boycott of the magazine. But you know what happened? Magazine sales doubled and suddenly, Rolling Stone, like Cyrus, was relevant again, even
if it's just for a little while longer.

Less than two months later, Rolling Stone has gone back to the Boston well again. Hot off the
presses on August 30, the magazine features a story about former New England Patriot and
accused murderer, Aaron Hernandez. There is a picture of Hernandez in an unflattering light
with his tattoos, bullets, and blood  spattered (photoshopped) across his chest. The caption
reads, "A gangster in the huddle." If Rolling Stone wanted to get the attention of the readers, specifically the ones in New England, it certainly accomplished their goal.

The article appears to be thorough and well-researched. It is riveting, chilling, and intense,
but there is a good amount of fiction in it. People will read it and automatically convict the
Patriots for looking the other way with Hernandez and accuse former Florida Gators coach
Urban Meyer of covering for his star player when both were in Gainseville. It also states that
Bill  Belichick recommended that Hernandez get a safe house and lay low for a while.

And that's where all credibility of the article ends. I was going to say it was over a few
paragraphs earlier when the authors described Belichick as the "grand wizard of the greatest
show on turf." Anyone who covers the NFL knows that "the greatest show on turf" was
the tag given to the St. Louis Rams during the Kurt Warner-Marshall Faulk era and that
Mike Martz was the architect and "grand wizard" of it. This gaffe is somewhat surprising
considering that one of the authors, Ron Borges, has been around the block as a sports
journalist and knows the NFL.

I don't know, maybe because the magazine has been geared toward covering the music
industry and politics for so long, it figured their target audience wouldn't know the difference.

Except that when New England sports fans read it, they'll know. They most definitely will
know the difference between fact and fiction.

And they when they read that Belichick, "per a close Hernandez associate, had told him
(Hernandez) to lay low, rent a safe house for a while",  they'll know the magazine is full
of crap and  more interested in creating controversy and selling magazines than the truth.

As someone who covered the Patriots nearly every day for two years, I can tell you that
Belichick wouldn't advise Hernandez or any one of his player to rent a safe house. It's
beyond absurd and everyone who has covered the Patriots and every one of Belichick's
current and former players will tell you that it's shameless to put in print.  Belichick is
as cold-blooded as he is intelligent. He has all the emotion of a cadaver in the freezer
and doesn't get close to his players.  He is ruthless and would never tell a player to get
a "safe house."

Never.

All of a sudden, after nearly 40 years coaching in the NFL, Belichick's going to get
stupid and give a thug like Aaron Hernandez advice on how to stay away from other
thugs? Seriously? Not a chance.

Just as funny is the "per a close Hernandez associate" thing. Sure, like anybody associated
with Hernandez has an ounce of credibility. Oh, I bet that associate has a rap sheet longer
than the Great Wall of China, but credibility? LMAO. And that entire article used enough
unnamed associates, sources, and 'reportedly's' to make your head spin. Yeah, real credible.

Articles and books have become a lot like "The Bachelor" and most mindless reality
shows on the air. The truth, or a story in black and white, is often boring. It needs some
color to keep people interested and a little controversy to keep the ratings high. That's what
Rolling Stone did with the article on Hernandez. Just as they did with his picture they
added color and a lot of it. A Gangster In The Huddle? They make Hernandez look like
a natural-born killer out of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Shading the face of Hernandez a little darker than the rest of his body was a calculated
move by Rolling Stone, as well. It makes him look more ominous and is reminiscent of the controversial Time magazine cover that made O.J. Simpson skin appear darker than it actually
was.

Hey, but I'm sure Rolling Stone will accomplish what they set out to do and that's gain
wild attention and sell more of their product, just as we saw with Miley Cyrus.

I guess that's what it's all about these days. Creating attention and selling a product,
whether it be yourself or a magazine.

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JOHNNY MANZIEL, NCAA, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING

We are a country that loves to condemn first and ask questions later. Our reactions are mostly
knee-jerk or strongly influenced by what we read, see, or hear on ESPN or the Internet.
We figure that if it's on the World Wide Leader or www dot something, then by golly, it must
be true.

When ESPN reported in early August that Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy-winning
quarterback from Texas A & M, may have taken money in exchange for putting his signature
on Johnny Football merchandise, the court of public opinion had him suspended and all but
giving his Heisman Trophy award back.

Manziel, who has been in the news for his bad behavior more than Lindsay Lohan just HAD
to be guilty. I mean, several of the low-life's who peddled Manziel's autograph for profit said
they saw him take money. People with an agenda would never lie, would they? Especially ones
in the sleazy world of selling merchandise with someone's signature on it. You know, the kind
of industry that pays little kids to get a star players autograph at a game. But since it was
stated on ESPN or in article on the Internet, by, golly, it must be true.

Remember Bernie Fine and the alleged child-sex abuse scandal at Syracuse. If you asked 1,000
people how that case turned out, 950 of them would probably say that Fine was guilty and is
spending the rest of his life in jail. ESPN had a tape, which they sat on for seven years, with
Fine's splendid wife saying that Bernie was twisted and may have had an inappropriate relationship
with a ball-boy while he was a longtime trusted assistant of Jim Boeheim. We forget that
Fine's wife allegedly had a sexual relationship with that same kid. That case was so sick and
twisted, it should be made into a made for TV move.

After ESPN aired the tape, Fine was immediately fired by a Syracuse administration that had
a knee-jerk reaction. Forget about an investigation or searching for the facts, because, by golly,
it was on ESPN and it must be true.

By the way, after a thorough investigation by prosecutors in Syracuse, Fine was cleared of any
charges and any wrong doing. Unfortunately, it didn't clear his reputation which was damaged
forever. Fine is suing ESPN, though.

The NCAA investigated Manziel for weeks and didn't find the smoking gun they were looking
for. Oh, sure, they may have had people who said they saw and heard that Manziel took
money, but hearsay, means nothing when you're trying to convict someone. Perhaps,
Manziel was just smarter than half the guys that showed up on MLB's Mitchell Report and
didn't leave any kind of paper trail. Many baseball players wrote checks for more than $3,000
to a known steroid supplier. Hello? Can you be any dumber? There are few things easier than
running down a cancelled check.

The NCAA and Texas A & M, after a thorough investigation, suspended Manziel for the
first-half of the first game of the season against Rice. You could say that is the lightest slap
on the wrist in the history of light slaps. The NCAA didn't find any tangible proof that Manziel
took money in exchange for money, but believed Manziel violated one of their eight million
by-laws.

The NCAA and A&M agreed on the one-half suspension because Manziel violated bylaw
12.5.21. The rule says student-athletes cannot permit their names or likenesses to be used for commercial purposes, including to advertise, recommend or promote sales of commercial
products, or accept payment for the use of their names or likenesses.

So, there you have it. For all you Manziel haters, he's not going to be tarred, feathered, or
declared ineligible for the season. Manziel enjoyed what many people in their work place
or in society don't often get, due process. The Manziel hating world would have liked to
seen things differently. Sorry.

The NCAA, which hasn't done much right lately, did the right thing in this case. They had
no proof that Manziel took any money and made the right call. Sorry, but that's the way
it should work.

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"I HAVE A DREAM....."

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s brilliant "I have a dream" speech which turns 50 on
August 28,  I have put together a list of the things I often dream about.

I have a dream that I'll never have to read or hear Johnny Manziel, the NCAA, and illegal
anything in the same sentence for at least the next six months.

I have a dream that in my next life, I have a name as cool as Carlos Danger.

I have a dream that Major League Baseball will make it for a least a year without being
involved in another PED scandal.

I have a dream that Ryan Braun morphs into a good guy.

I have a dream that all the Kardashian's including Bruce Jenner and Lamar Odom, make the
first civilian launch into outer space and never come back.

I have a dream that Lolo Jones gets an invitation to go with them.

I have a dream that we'll never have to see another ESPN The Magazine body issue.

I have a dream that Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless have a steel cage death match
against Mike Tyson on pay-per-view.

I have a dream that I'll come back in my next life as a major league baseball player and have
a beard as cool as the one Josh Reddick sports.

I have a dream the New York Jets fold the big tent and quit being a three-ring circus.

I have a dream the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Oakland A's in seven games for the
World Series title.

I have a dream that Bobby Valentine finally gets the credit he deserves for inventing the
sandwich wrap.

I have a dream that Twitter blows itself up before more athletes do it to themselves.

I have a dream that Peter Gammons becomes the next commissioner of baseball and his
band plays before a sold out crowd at Fenway Park.

I have a dream the Chicago Bears will finally get a functional, at least circa 1995, offense.

I have a dream that hockey will become our national pastime.

 

I have a dream that Tim Tebow ends our misery of watching him try to be an NFL quarterback

and finds his true calling of ending world hunger, curing the sick, and bringing peace to

everyone.

 







Now that Vince Young has a job, I have a dream he has the discipline not to buy everyone
at the Cheesecake Factory drinks and dinner.

I have a dream that all reality shows become extinct----tomorrow. Actually, I like "Extreme
Weight Loss". So, we can keep that one.

I have a dream somebody comes up with a fat-free, sugar-free donut.

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RYAN BRAUN "PRESSES" THE ISSUE OF CHEATING

 

A press release.

Ryan Braun apologized for all his lying, cheating, and other forms of despicable
before through a carefully crafted press release. He didn't want to face the music,
see the smirks, or feel the embarrassment caused by his shame. Oh, how so pathetically
weak.

A year ago, Braun was cleared for a failed drug test on a technicality. He responded to
the world not through a press release, but rather a press conference. Braun stood up in
front of the world and defiantly, triumphantly, and arrogantly told everybody he had
been wronged badly and proceeded to point the finger at others, including a man whose
livelihood and reputation he destroyed. There were hugs and high-fives with teammates
and a look into every camera that said, "I told you so."

Braun's press release told us a lot about his character, even more than we already knew.
He has none. Zero. Zippo. Zilch. The suspended outfielder of the Milwaukee Brewers
has somehow managed to make Lance Armstrong look like a decent human being and
that's saying something.

Give credit to Armstrong, though. At least he had a speck of courage to go on television
with Oprah to let us see how supposedly sorry he was. We got to see him squirm
and slither and lie even more, but at least he didn't hide behind a press release. A press
release, Ryan? Really?

Braun is now the most unlikable athlete on the planet. Lebron James? He's the Pope
compared to Ryan Braun. Tiger Woods? He's Jack Nicklaus compared to lyin' Ryan.
He is now more radioactive than uranium, less trustworthy than Anthony Weiner, and
less respected than Pee Wee Herman. Hello, Dr. Phil, can you help me?

In his press conference of 2011, Braun said he would "never put any substance in his
body" and that he was a man of integrity, character, and a person who honored and
respected the game of baseball.

He also pointed the finger at a FedEx man who was the reason for his failed drug test.
That man, Dino Laurenzi, Jr., lost his job. However, even though he's made about $90
million dollars less than Braun in his career, Laurenzi is much, much richer than the
disgraced former MVP ever will be.

Braun has nothing. No character, no integrity, and certainly, no respect. According to
Buster Olney of ESPN, Braun went to teammates and colleagues around baseball after
he was cleared by MLB for his failed drug test. He made up stories that Laurenzi was
a Cubs fan and an anti-Semite (Braun is Jewish) who was out to get him. Really? That's
the best you can come up with?

A-Rod was drilled once for his behavior, it will be open season on Braun when he returns,
that's for sure.

Braun claimed the extent of his PED was a throat lozenge and an unspecified cream that
he rubbed on himself. Where does the guy come up with this stuff? I'm sure in the next
few weeks, Braun will file a lawsuit against Hall's saying the over-the-counter lozenges
he bought to help soothe a sore throat, were tainted with high-levels of testosterone.

He'll probably say that Barry Bonds turned him onto the cream to help relieve the aches
and pains that came with all that heavy lifting. He claimed both the lozenge and the cream
were used to help recover from an injury. Geez, Ryan, we haven't heard that one before?
You could've gotten creative and blamed Miguel Tejada for injecting you with a tainted
B-12 shot as Rafael Palmeiro did.

Braun will hide behind the press release for the last 50 games of his suspension and the
entire off-season. I'm sure that will give him plenty of time to go to acting school to figure
out what he's going to say in front of the first camera he meets during spring training next
February. Perhaps, he'll perfect the crocodile tears that will drop at just the right moment,
hoping to gain sympathy from a forgiving nation. Maybe he'll nail the quivering lip to
show us the pain that has destroyed his world. And yes, there will be some people that
will fall for his act and grant him forgiveness.

Unfortunately, for Braun, there is no institution, talk show host, or sweat lodge
in the desert than can help him get back all the respect, character, and integrity that he's
lost.

Ryan, you should've learned from Lance, Tiger, and A-Rod: The liars an cheaters
of the world always get found out. Always.

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BRIAN WILSON AND A HAIRY DILEMMA

Brian Wilson of the Los Angeles has arguably the greatest beard in the history of professional

sports. It's often imitated, but never duplicated. It is long, full, and thanks to a squirt of "Just
for Men", it is really, really dark. Lord  knows what the heck has been buried in that beard for
the last five years. Chicken wings, sandpaper, a small child, A-Rod's PED's, and Lindsay
Lohan's phone number are some of the things that could be uncovered.

If 800Razors.com gets their way and comes up with enough cash for Wilson, we soon might
find out exactly what hidden treasures are in the beard. The razor company has reportedly
offered Wilson $1 million to shave his beard. A great stunt for sure, and one that could get

them a heckuva lot of free publicity by Friday morning, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, sports
radio, and television. Brilliant idea. Not sure $1 million is going to make Wilson change his
entire identity. We'll see. Here's a few other athletes, current and former, who razor, clipper,
and scissor companies would like to get a hold of.

THE CHIA PET OF TROY
I love this guy. Troy Polamalu is one of the best safeties in NFL history who is a heat-seeking
missile. The Steelers All-Pro never has to worry about concussions because he's got the most
well-protected head in the league. Just add water and it grows and grows and grows. Great cushioning prevents really hard hits to the dome.

THE HAIR OF DENNIS ECKERSLEY
It's 2013, but the Hall of Fame pitcher and NESN analyst has a head of hair that stuck in the
80's. He refuses to call it a mullet and won't let anyone else call it one, either. The "Eck",
who is one of the best analysts in the game and an even better guy, has tried to trim it up
from time to time, but he's just not feeling it. The long locks are just part of his identity. He
is one really cool dude. You could offer him $5 million and I don't think he'd shave it off.

THE BEARD OF JAMES HARDEN
The all-star from the Houston Rockets has a beard that has a lot of Brian Wilson in it. He
can't match the uniqueness Wilson's bush, but he undoubtedly has the best beard in the history
of the NBA. He definitely has to keep it away from Christmas candles and the gas grill.

THE DREADLOCKS OF STEPHEN JACKSON
I'm afraid if somebody cut of the famous dreads of Jackson, the Atlanta Falcons running
back would lose all his strength and speed. Check that, if he shaved off that mop, he'd knock
two-tenths of a second off his time in the 40-yard dash.

 

 

THE MOHAWK OF CHRIS "BIRDMAN" ANDERSON

I would love to shave the "Birdman's" hair off and then watch him cry. The super freak

of the Miami Heat has some serious ink and a hair doooooooo that makes him a player

that you just can't take your eyes off of. I think he'd take the million to shave his hair, though.

 

 

BRYCE HARPER'S "ROCKABILLY".

The kid isn't afraid to make a statement, but I don't know what kind of statement he's

trying to make with the "rockabilly" style. It makes him look like one of those possessed

dudes in the "Hills Have Eyes" scary movie.

 

 

THE HANDLE BARS

Harper's older brother, Bryan, has some style as well. The minor-league in the Washington

Nationals minor-league system is the modern day Rollie Fingers what this handle

bars mustache. It's kind of weird seeing a kid that young sporting that type of mustache.

Maybe 800razor.com could do a package deal with the Harper's and Fingers.

 

 



COCO'S CRISPY AFRO
I realize somebody may have already taken a weed whacker to the head of Coco Crisp,
but if the veteran outfielder decides to grow his fro' out again, I'd pay to see somebody
shear it off.

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A-ROD, MLB, AND THE HYPOCRISY OF IT ALL

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey openly criticized Alex Rodriguez for being allowed to play
after being suspended for 211-games by Major League Baseball. He didn't think it was right
despite the fact that he and the players union fought for, and bargained in the right to appeal
in the collective bargaining agreement. Love, him, hate him, or just want to spit on him, A-Rod
was just exercising his right to due process, which is something we all would have done.

Lackey also seemed to forget about the 'unwritten code' that you often hear players scream
to the world about. He openly criticized a player through the media, of course, which is
something you almost never hear. The players talk about being "in this together" and always
having that"us against them" mentality." He also seems to forget that, as bad as A-Rod's
monster contract is, it raised the bar and helped other players, including himself, get filthy
rich contracts.

If I had a dollar for every time a pitcher appealed a suspension after intentionally drilling a
batter, I could probably pay Lackey's $18 million a year salary. Most of them always appeal.
Ryan Dempster of the Red Sox knew better though, if he appealed, he would've looked like
one helluva hypocrite to his teammates and everyone on the planet after intentionally smoking
A-Rod with a fastball in the ribs.

I'm not condemning A-Rod, nor defending him, but where was all the outrage from the
fans, media, and players when Bartolo Colon got suspended for 50-games last year and
not only got the opportunity to come back, but got a $3 million contract with the A's. Colon,
at 40, made the All-Star team. How does MLB allow that to happen? How does a guy like
Colon get rewarded after lying, cheating, and disgracing the game?

Where was the outrage when Melky Cabrera signed a 3-year, $16 million after failing a
drug test last year shortly after winning the MVP award in the All-Star game. Incidentally,
that win helped the San Francisco Giants get home-field advantage in the World Series
which they eventually won. So, basically, by cheating, Cabrera helped the National League
win the All-Star game which gave the Giants the edge they needed to win everything. John
Lackey, any comments?

Marlon Byrd hung out with Victor Conte and failed a drug test two years and got
suspended for 50-games. Nobody blinked, complained, or plunked him in the ribs after
the New York Mets signed him to a contract. And nobody has said a peep after watching
Byrd hit 21 home runs this year. Mr. Lackey, your comments please.

I understand. It's the way things work in our world. It all depends on who you are. If you're
A-Rod, you deserve to be tarred and feather. If you're Bartolo Colon or Marlon Byrd, you
deserve to get a pass. Totally ridiculous.

MLB is the biggest hypocrite of all. They turned a blind eye to the steroid era when home
runs were flying out of the park, fans were coming back to the games in droves, and the
networks were lavishing you with ridiculous money. I understand. During the congressional
hearing on steroids in 2005, commissioner Bud Selig asked rhetorically,

       "Did we have a major problem? No. Let me say this to you: There is no concrete
        evidence of that, there is no testing evidence, there is no other kind of evidence."

What? Hello? McFly? Did you forget about the list of 103 players in 2003, including
A-Rod, David Ortiz, Sammy Sosa, and Manny Ramirez who tested positive for steroids? Oh,
I understand, it wasn't a "major" problem because only 103 out of 700 players tested positive
and the other 600 players were totally clean. Hilarious.

And people are calling A-Rod and Ryan Braun a liar?

Yes, Selig makes $17 million a year, thanks in large part to the steroid era. The huge
contracts with the networks have been signed, sealed, and are delivering millions into
the owners pockets. Commissioner Bud is on his way out and wants to ride off into the
sunset knowing he did everything he could  do to clean up baseball, the same game he
allowed to be polluted because of the steroid era, that same era  he presided over.

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