JOE PATERNO AND THE 111 WINS

Social media was flooded Friday afternoon with pictures of Joe Paterno smiling and
celebrating with captions that read, "NCAA restores Paterno's 111 wins making him
all-time winningest coach again."

Suddenly, all those frowns in Happy Valley were turned upside down and even Paterno
must've been smiling in the one of the two places he may be resting since his death in 2012.

It's all so very sad and still terribly sick. All the smiles, wins, and records  ring so hollow
in the wake of the scandal at Penn State where countless children were violated by former
defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky.

Our nation's obsession with victories and records can somehow overshadow, at least for
a day, the sexual abuse that went on campus and ruined the lives of many children forever.
A lot of people at Penn State saw  the ruling by the NCAA as a win for the school and its
legendary coach.

It means nothing, absolutely nothing. Nor does the number '409' and all the questions about
whether or not the statue of Paterno will be return to its spot outside Beaver Stadium.
409 is the total number of wins Paterno accumulated in his coaching career. That number puts
him back in the record books as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history.

Boy, that's really great.

I'm not sure when our nation became obsessed with wins and records, but do they really
mean anything when it concerns Penn State and what happened there? Is anybody with a
clue really going to get excited when somebody on ESPN's 'Game Day' says that 'JoePa' is
the all-time winningest coach again'? Seriously, it's ridiculous. Everybody will say, "Yeah,
he's got the most wins, but....."

There will always be defenders of Paterno who will say that he informed the administration
at Penn State and it is they, not Paterno, who should be responsible forthe scandal. They
will say that Paterno did his job in alerting school officials of what went on with Sandusky
and a boy in the shower.

I understand that.

However, it all happened under Paterno's watch in the program and facility that he built
with his muscle, power, knowledge, and influence. Paterno was Penn State. It was his
kingdom, but with that, he must take responsibility for what went on while he presided
over it. And in reality, he allowed Sandusky, for some reason, to have the keys to facility
and kingdom long after he retired in 1999.

It's hard to play dumb, especially after acknowledging that you alerted the administration
to what happened. When Joe Paterno admitted he "could've done more", he was telling
everybody he knew exactly what happened on his watch.

At this point, there isn't really anything more that can be done to erase the stench and
stigma that will always be attached to Penn State and the child-sex abuse scandal. Sandusky
will die in prison and Paterno has long been gone. The victims have received financial
rewards but no amount of money will ever return the innocence that was stolen from them.

Many are rejoicing in Happy Valley Friday as their football program got the 112 wins
that they feel was stolen away from it. Joe Paterno got his record restored and a perch atop
college football.

That's a lot of wins and a lot of smiles, but it still seems like one huge loss for everybody.

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RAY LEWIS AND STUPID HUMAN ANALYSIS

I'm guessing the executives at ESPN buckle up their seatbelts when Ray Lewis starts to say
something as an NFL analyst. The former All-Pro's mind always seems to be racing at 100 mph
while his mouth can't seem to catch up. It usually results in some kind of mishap.

In September, some producer at the World-Wide Leader thought it'd be a good idea for
Lewis to provide analysis on Ray Rice scandal and the alleged cover-up by the Baltimore
Ravens organization whom Lewis played his entire career for.

When Chris Berman set-up Lewis with the question, it was like a 3,000 pound souped up
race car barreling down the final stretch going 150 mph at Talledega without restrictor
plates. You knew there was going to be a wreck, you just weren't sure how bad it was going
to be.

"We’re here because we saw a friend of mine brutally hit his wife in the face in an elevator,"
Lewis told ESPN's national audience. "There’s some things you can cover up, and there’s
some things you can’t.”

ESPN executives cringed and Lewis flipped his car then crashed into a wall. I reckon that
wasn't the type of analysis Boomer, TJ, and Chris Carter were expecting. Lewis seemed to
forget about that little 'cover-up' that occurred after the Super Bowl in Atlanta where two
people were murdered and Lewis was arrested. Police filed obstruction of justice charges
against Lewis, which unlike the murder, stuck to his record. Lewis was also accused of
trashing the full-length white mink coat that has swatches of blood on it from that night
in the ATL.

So, when he said, "there's some things you can cover-up,"...Well, let's just say many of
us were left in shock. "Hello? Ray Lewis? Is anybody home in that brain of yours?"

Lewis managed to somehow walk away from that wreck without any real injuries, except
for a bad case of stupid. He kept his job and continued to analyze football even if we
sometimes need a translator to figure out what he's trying to say.

Lewis appeared on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Monday with the immortal Stephen A. Smith
and they were discussing Tom Brady's greatness. Buckle-up boys, here comes some more
great analysis:

"When we — the first time we created something called a tuck rule, it’s the only reason
we know — I’m just being honest — the only reason we know who Tom Brady is,
because of a tuck rule," Lewis stated.

OK, I don't think I need to go into the legacy of Tom Brady because it's already been
pretty much cemented. I don't need to go into all the Super Bowl trophies he's won or
the records he owns.

Nope, not going to do it. All I'm going to say is that if Tom Brady really became a
household name and who he is because of the Tuck rule, then it's safe to say the
only reason Ray Lewis became who he is, is because of that double-murder and
cover-up in Atlanta fifteen years ago.

Seems right, right?

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49ers : WIN AND BE NICE DOING IT

 

Jim Tomsula?

That's what the San Francisco 49ers are selling to its fans as the man to add Lombardi
Trophies to their display inside the offices at Levi Stadium? I'm sure he's a nice guy and
according to players on the team, a real popular one. But the man has no significant head
coaching experience. None.

So, Ned York and general manager Trent Baalke thinks he's an upgrade from Jim Harbaugh?

Good grief.

It's funny how things work not just in the NFL but all businesses, for that matter.
Four years ago, the 49ers brought Jim Harbaugh into a franchise that was an utter
mess. They told him to win and win often because after all, the NFL is a 'bottom line'
business or at least that's what ownership tries to jam down the throats of its fan
base and the media.

The bottom line for the 49ers with Harbaugh looked pretty darn good.

Year 1: NFC Championship appearance.
Year 2: Super Bowl appearance.
Year 3: NFC Championship appearance.

In the first three years with Harbaugh, San Francisco compiled a record of 36-11-1, while
the previous three years without him, the 49ers were a woeful 21-27

Then, in the midst of Harbaugh's tremendous run, word comes last spring that ownership
was trying to trade their hot young coach to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round draft pick.

That's the point where anyone with an ounce of football smarts says, "You're kidding me, right?"

Who would do that? What's the logic behind dumping a coach who made the franchise
relevant again and most likely increased the value of it by at least 20 percent? Oh, that's
right, Jim Harbaugh must have been 'tough to work with.'

What else could it be? Sure, Harbaugh turned out to be a handful, but so what? The 49ers
watched him coach in their backyard at Stanford and they didn't hear or see that? Perhaps,
like all great coaches, Harbaugh was driven to win, cared about it deeply and passionately,
and wanted things done his way. That's really not much different than how Bill Parcells,
Bill Belichick, Mike Ditka, Vince Lombardi, and other brilliant, but demanding coaches
operated.

It's not a country club.

Perhaps, Harbaugh overshot the boundaries and stepped on the toes of his general manager
who had ownerships ear. It's happened before and it will happen many times again. There
are power plays and political maneuvering in all walks of life. The soap opera in San
Francisco apparently was no different and it became too much to deal with, so Harbaugh,
the high-strung, but highly successful coach wherever he's been, had to go.

It was all personal. All of it.

Ned York try to tell the fans that he expected more than NFC Championships, but to
present Tomsula as the man to do it is absolutely ludicrous and a slap in the face.

I'm sure York and the GM Baalke felt 'comfortable' around Tomsula because he's not
threatening and won't be the mega-star coach that Harbaugh was with the 49ers and
most certainly will be with Michigan.

Harbaugh has the 'it' that all great coaches possess. He's proven that again and again.
Tamasula has proven nothing other than he's a nice and popular guy in the locker room.

Haven't we seen this so many times before where a coach with a 'nice' personality
and is easy to work with follows a hard-driving one and the result is the same: players
run over the coach, don't fear or respect him. It happened in New England when Pete
Carroll replaced Bill Parcells and how'd that turn out?

I'm glad the 49ers leadership group got their man in Jim Tomsula. I'm sure he'll be a
much easier guy to work with but it's almost certain that he won't be anywhere near
successful as Harbaugh was.

All he did was win. He managed to go 8-8 in a year of turmoil where management
clearly didn't want him to succeed. It's just too bad in a 'bottom-line' business, that
wasn't enough because they expect you to win and be nice doing it.

It's too bad that rarely happens in the NFL.

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PATRIOTS FANS ARE WICKED SPOILED (BRATS)

The Patriots are on the verge of going to their sixth Super Bowl in the Belichick/Brady era,
but their fans have long thought making it to the pinnacle of the sport is an annual rite. That's
cool, but if you're going to be a great sports fan, make sure you go 'all in.' and stick behind
the team when there is a small bump in the road to glory.

On September 29, the Patriots got shellacked and embarrassed by the Kansas City Chiefs on
national television. ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer stated that "The Patriots are just not that good
anymore" and the fans took it hook, line, and sinker.

They started jumping ship as if the entire team was infected with the ebola virus.
Members of the media proclaimed that Bill Belichick had lost his touch on drafting
and signing free-agents, bringing up his record of bad picks and trades. "Why did they
trade Logan Mankins, the second-best lineman in team history for some guy named
Tim Wright?", he must be losing it, they said. "You see, he was too cheap to re-sign
Wes Welker and give Brady the weapons he needs," they cried.

Even Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback in NFL history, wasn't immune from the
criticism. One expert reporter in the crowd was bold (and stupid) enough to ask if the
"quarterback position was going to be evaluated" in the wake of Brady's un-Brady-like
performance against the Chiefs.

All the criticism and questioning was ludicrous, embarrassing, and did nothing but
accentuate how spoiled (and ignorant) the fans and media in New England had become.
The media fell all over themselves trying to get ahead of the curve on the downfall of
Brady and Belichick. The fans in New England did what they do best when their team
doesn't win: complain.

By the way, the loss to the Chiefs put their record at 2-2, which I guess, is blasphemous
in the region that's seen Belichick win 72 percent of his games and go to five Super Bowls.

They seemed to forget the team had gone 56-13 over the past four years and been to
three straight AFC Championship games. (How are those Denver Broncos doing by
the way?)

They seemed to forget that Belichick is the master of adjusting and re-adjusting
his team to the talents they have and the opponents they face.

They seemed to forget the Patriots under Belichick ALWAYS get better as the
seasonprogresses.

And how they forgot about the heart, will, drive, and masterful leadership of Brady is
beyond me. I covered the Patriots every day for two years and saw it. The media and
fans in New England saw it every game for the last 14 years and somehow got amnesia
after one bad game.

Yep, at 37-years old, Brady had lost his 'fastball' and Belichick lost his genius and
somehow didn't surround Brady with weapons like John Elway gave to Manning.
How'd all those weapons work out for them?

Oh, sure, Manning put up mind-boggling stats again, but where is he now and how did
he perform at money time? Manning is nowhere near the quarterback Brady is when the
pressure is on.

Manning wilts, Brady wills himself and the team to win. Is there any doubt about that
after watching Brady lead the team back from two 14-point deficits against a Ravens
team that is always tough on he and the Patriots?

Now, everybody has jumped back on the ship like it's Black Friday at Best Buy. I'm
not sure there's going to be much room on the way to Glendale, but I'm sure there will
be plenty of fans and members of the media who will be saying: "I knew from the start
this team would be going to the Super Bowl. Brady and Belichick are the best."

They most certainly are. Appreciate them, appreciate greatness. Appreciate what they
have done together over the last 14 years. Six Super Bowls? That is unreal. Appreciate
that you live in New England, not Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville, or even Denver.

Enjoy the ride and quit complaining the first time it gets uncomfortable.

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TOP 5 GUYS TO PLAY ROB KONRAD IN THE MOVIE

 

Former NFL player Rob Konrad met with the media on Monday to discuss his harrowing
and heroic nine-mile swim to safety after falling out of his boat while fishing last Wednesday.
Konrad said he was stung by jellyfish and saw a shark circling him on a journey that lasted
an incredible 16 hours. This has all the makings of a made-for-television movie.

Here are the top 5 candidates to play Rob Konrad in the movie:

Ryan Lochte. Not the brightest bulb on the tree, but Lochte has star power and the sex
appeal that would drive the female demographic to theatres. Great endurance in the pool
should translate well to the Atlantic ocean.

Tim Tebow. Not sure he can swim, but the folks at the University of Florida are still convinced
he can walk on water. This could be the break out role the former Heisman Trophy-winning QB
has been looking for.

Brian Bosworth. He looks younger than his 50-years and has a good amount of acting
experience and the camera loves him as much as he loves the camera. The former
Oklahoma star linebacker is rugged, tough, and has experience getting knocked on his
butt (Bo Jackson anyone?) so falling out of boat should come easy to him.

Chris Long. The son of Howie has Hollywood good looks and the 'edge' casting directors are
looking for in a survival-type of movie. Long resembles Konrad a bit and certainly has the
NFL-pedigree.

Rob Gronkowski. The Gronk has star power to fit this role to a T. The film might set a
record for the number of cue cards issued to a man in a leading role, but Gronk should
get top billing in the Rob Konrad story. He's a beast.

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OPEN WATER SWIMMING: A BATTLE OF SURVIVAL

The story of Rob Konrad swimming nine miles to shore has drawn a lot of skepticism and
traffic on all the social media networks. Some of us believe the former NFL player channeled
his inner Louis Zamperini and didn't break during his 10-12 hour swim through cold, rough,
choppy, and shark-infested waters, while others believe Konrad made the entire thing up.

The story piqued my interest because of my experience as an open water swimmer which
brings a myriad of mental and physical challenges during the course of an event. I have crossed
the Hudson River (3.1 miles) several times and completed a 5-mile event at the age of 45 in
a river just outside of Maryland.

One of the reasons I enjoy open water swimming is because I see it as a battle of survival. No,
it's not falling off a boat like Konrad allegedly did, but completing a five-mile race in cloudy,
choppy waters is an adrenaline rush that leaves you with an incredible natural high. To know
you swam that far in the elements with virtually no support leaves you feeling as though you
really accomplished something and if you ever did fell into a situation like Konrad, you'd have
confidence knowing that you can swim rather than sink.

I see open water swimming as more of a test of will more than a demonstration of skill. Most
people can swim reasonably well, but open water endurance swimming tests your mind and
your heart.

You can spend hours doing laps in a pool, but it doesn't come close to swimming in a body
of open  water. There are no lanes to guide you, lines to hold onto, and in many cases, the
nearest volunteer you see is about a mile away. You don't know what lurks below you and
every  twig or branch you swim into causes your heart to race even more.

If you run into trouble, pass out, or start to drown, there isn't anybody around who will
be able to save you in time. It's all you against the elements of the open water. All you hear
are the sounds of the rushing, choppy water and the noises you make trying to find
the energy to barrel through the water that is sometimes so dirty, you can't see your hand
a foot in front of your face.

A million things go through your mind in a five-mile swim, I'm sure that number doubled
during Konrad's nine-mile journey. I often said, "What the hell am I doing?" which was
soon followed by "If I drown, I wonder how long it will take for somebody to find me?"

Konrad spent nearly his entire life as an elite athlete in the most demanding of sports. He
is wired differently than most of us. He endured tremendous pain and challenges to excel
at Syracuse and survive in the NFL for six years. I don't know Konrad personally, but I
it's reasonably to assume that he was mentally tough and someone who possessed a high-
pain threshold. Anybody who can be a stud player at the Division I-level and become
a second-round draft pick isn't the type of guy to wilt in the face of danger.

Kornad was an elite athlete just like Zamperini who survived 47 days on a small raft
in the ocean then endured two years of mental and physical abuse in a Japanese POW camp.
Zamperini and Kornad could've been wired just the same.

In a battle of survival, we've seen people do amazing things and overcome tremendous odds.
I'm hoping Konrad's story rings true and he is a man of incredible will and strength, not
another fraud in this world looking for another 15-minutes of fame.

I'm keeping an open mind about Konrad's open water swim. I'm hoping he does all of us
proud.

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ROB KONRAD AND THE WILL TO LIVE

In this critic-filled, never got-in-the-ring to compete world we live in, it's easy to be skeptical
of Rob Konrad's story that he swam nine miles in cold, choppy, and perhaps, shark-infested
waters to reach safety.

We ask how a former NFL player with no competitive swimming background can fight
through exhaustion, hypothermia, not to mention the lack of food and water to make it
to shore at 4 a.m.

I guess after we got all got fooled by the likes of Lance Armstrong, Manti' Te'o, and
the Summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit missiles into orbit at a
record rate, calling B.S. on Konrad's story is a natural reaction.

As of Friday night, Konrad, who starred at Syracuse as a bruising fullback before playing
in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, was in a West Palm Beach hospital being treated
for hypothermia. Much of the rest of the country was trying to figure out if what he did
was superhuman or just a super made up story.

I believe him.

I believe in the human will and the battle to survive. I believe in the power of the mind
and the determination to live. I read the book, "Unbroken" and saw the movie. A former
Olympic runner goes into the service and not only survives a plane crash, but spends 47
days at sea and withstands two years of physical and mental torture in a Japanese prison
camp.

Louis Zamperini proved that if "you can take it, you can make it."

What is so different in Konrad's story? Why don't people think he had could have an
incredible will to live just like Zamperini? Maybe Konrad read 'Unbroken' and saw the
movie and was inspired to stay alive and believed that he could. Maybe he believed in
himself.

Like Zamperini, Konrad was an elite athlete nearly his entire life. He was a beast who
excelled at Syracuse and was good enough to be a second-round draft choice of the Dolphins.
Konrad survived in the NFL for six years, nearly twice the average span of a player in
the league.

He had to be mentally tough to make it to the NFL. He had to play through pain and do
what he had to do to make it for that long in the dog-eat-dog world of the NFL. Konrad
was exceptional at what he did. He was far from average when it came to talent, toughness,
and iron will.

With that said, shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt? If you've seen the courage
and will of a double-amputee complete an Ironman, then you know the impossible is
nothing.

Zamperini used the power of his mind and believed that he could survive more than
a month at sea without much food and water. He had faith that God would help him
get through being beaten and humiliated in a POW camp. He refused to give in and
give up.

Apparently, Konrad did too. He wasn't ready to die. He didn't want his family and loved
ones to experience the gut-wrenching pain associated with death and a loss.

His story may sound too ground to be true, but I choose to believe him. I believe there
are people like Zamperini who are resilient, courageous, and indefatigable.

I believe in Rob Konrad.

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