Favre Can't Leave Now

After failing to win the Super Bowl again this year Brett Favre has announced that he will most likely retire. Note to self {copy and paste story from 2009, 2008.2007, etc}. Favre has been pulling this same possible retirement stunt since the Clinton administration. The difference between this year in Minnesota and previous seasons is that Favre looked like a good NFL quarterback the entire 2009 season. Favre played like he belonged again as an NFLQB. Minnesota was the perfect and best fit for Favre and the Vikings, and would be for at least one more year.

In the coming months Favre will contemplate retirement on his Mississippi farm while making commercials for jeans and heartburn medicine. Favre will have plenty of time to think about what he hasn't been able accomplish Favre hasn't been a Super Bowl champion in over a decade. Favre isn't the oldest player in NFL history, quarterback or other position. Favre still can tackle a defensive back returning a turnover like nobody else in the game. Favre still has many more game altering interceptions left in his arm. After bypassing training camp Favre will return to the Vikings or another team if he wears out his welcome in Minnesota. This is just too much to pass up for Favre to call it a career.

There is a new wrinkle in the ongoing Brett Favre career saga. Favre’s nephew Dylan is entering Ole Miss in the fall after a stellar high school career. It will take the younger Favre time to develop and perform well enough to get a chance at making it in the NFL. If Dylan Favre does play well enough in college to get a chance in the pros it will take time for him to learn the pro game. At that point Brett can retire and become Dylan’s position coach. We can’t have football without at least one Favre playing in the NFL. Brett Favre will have to continue to make the sacrifice and keep playing until no team wants him or Osteoporosis sets in. Don’t worry football fans Brett will be back in time for Week 1 of the 2010 season... somewhere.

NFL in 2010

Publish Post

If I had to start a defense I would want a strong presence up the middle, just like in baseball. You need a nose/defensive tackle to disrupt the line, stuff the run, and occupy blockers to free up the linebackers. You then need a middle/inside linebacker that can cover a running back, lead a defense, stop the run, cover the field from sideline to sideline, and blitz if necessary. Then you need a safety that can make up for a cornerback’s mistakes, stuff the run, cover a tight end, and punish anyone that ventures into the middle of the field. Using those criteria the team that has the best three players to build a team around is the Patriots. Vince Wilfork is a Pro Bowl NT and the most dominant inside defensive lineman in football. Jarod Mayo was the defensive rookie of the year last year and will be a player that will get Pro Bowl consideration every year. Brandon Merriweather is just learning but already has become a force replacing Rodney Harrison, and plays like him already. While the rest of the defense is in flux, the Patriots will able to compete as long as they keep those three players healthy.

Moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl is a disaster waiting to happen. There is always a risk of an injury in any football game, even a glorified exhibition. When you play the game when there is still the most important game left to play you are putting the players in a tough position. If you are headed to the Super Bowl do you not play in the Pro Bowl? Do you play but risk injury? When Adrian Peterson tears an ACL, Drew Brees gets a concussion, or Peyton Manning breaks his hand, the NFL will be in trouble. The week off before the Super Bowl is used to rest, not risk injury for your league’s superstars.

Ray Rice will lead the NFL in total yards in 2010. The man is a beast with the ball and has the softest hands of any back in the league.

Julian Edelman will get catches in 2010

Never trust a player that judges his health by how he performs in bed, I am looking at you Ochocinco.

Darrelle Revis is the best cornerback in football and will be the best of this generation. If he stays healthy Canton will come calling for him.

Pete Carroll was surprised when the Seahawks came looking to hire him. He was the second choice to Mike Holmgren, not the person the Seahawks targeted from Day One, With NCAA snooping around USC over two running backs with potential illegal gift issues it was a good time to leave. He inherits a team with a few good players but nowhere to go. The sad thing is that Carroll told his players via text messages on phones given illegally by boosters.

Darius Butler will be a top kick return in 2010 and a Pro Bowl cornerback by 2012.

Eric Mangini will coach Cleveland in 2010 simply because the Browns don’t want to pay fired coaches more than their roster

When the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb they will get a return like the Falcons did when they traded Matt Schaub to Houston. The common link is that Michael Vick needs a backup even if he is your backup.

Scott Pioli getting the gang back together in Kansas City is going to be a disaster. Romeo Crennel needs to be in charge of the defense but wont have enough power to get the players he needs to make his system work. Charlie Weis likes his formations and to call the plays, but his head coach prefers a different offense and to call his own plays. Too many chefs not enough food in the kitchen.

Hell Freezes Over

On New Year’s Day the home of the Boston Red Sox was turned into a frozen wonderland for the NHL Winter Classic. If you asked the average fan if Fenway Park would be turned into a hockey stadium the answer would likely include hell freezing over. That very thing may have occurred, as not only did the Bruins beat the Flyers against the backdrop of the Green Monster, but after the game the Bruins actually signed Satan (Miroslav) to help bolster their offense. With the bruins suffering from injuries to top players Milan Lucic and Marc Savard, the team needed fire power and intimidation up front. Who has more power than the Prince of Darkness?

The signing of Satan does bring up a slew of questions, from his alliances to potential rule changes. Before he suits of for the B’s the NHL should take a look into the following issues.

· If he wanted to play why not sign with the Devils

· Will he melt the ice when he tries to play

· Do they make skates you can wear over hooves

· Can he use his tail and if so in what way

· How do you drug test him

· When he drops the gloves will he kill his opponent

By signing Satan the Bruins have only increased their chances of winning the Stanley Cup. They made a deal with the devil, and history shows that that always works out for the best.

Best Sports Play Ever

Lawyer Milloy has been a NFL safety for over a decade, once a Pro Bowl player, but now a solid veteran. He has been a Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, and a starter for the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons. While Milloy won’t be headed to Canton, he has been a hard hitting player throughout his career. Despite being one of my favorite Patriots, my favorite memory of him had nothing to do with the Patriots. The best play Milloy ever made occurred at the University of Washington, but not on the gridiron. Milloy was drafted as a pitcher by the Detroit Tigers, but I first saw his talent when he was patrolling center field.

Growing up in Massachusetts Pac-10 sports were rarely ever on television unless it was a Bowl game or NCAA March Madness. One spring day I turned on Sports Channel (now defunct and a precursor to Fox Sports) and found the weekly Pac-10 baseball game of the week. Why would a Massachusetts channel show a weekly college baseball game from teams thousands of miles away? In this one case it might have been destiny. I turned in for a few minutes to see what may be the best defensive play I have ever seen. “The Catch” by Willie Mays was great, this play was better. Lawyer Milloy was playing a center field that was so shallow that the worst hitter on a little league team could have hit it over his head. On the first play there was a hard hit flare to deep right center field, an extra base hit for sure. Milloy came out of nowhere to make a diving, over-the-head catch, while taking a face plant on the warning track.

At the time Kenny Lofton was the fastest center fielder I have ever seen and played too shallow for his own good but Milloy put Lofton to shame. He looked like a short fielder in softball catching a Hail Mary pass. As Milloy was a pitching prospect he might have just been out of position, but his speed more than made up for poor positioning. Milloy didn’t get up as he was injured in the process, hurting his shoulder and collarbone. It was during the multiple replays that they mentioned that Milloy was a star safety on the Huskies football team. I never got to see Milloy play again (either baseball or football) in college but I was ecstatic when he was drafted by the Patriots. I still wear my number 36 “Milloy” Patriots jersey with pride for the man that made the best play I have ever seen in any sport.

God and Quarterbacks

Three Quarterbacks reach the Pearly Gates after a plane crash on the way to the Pro Bowl...

God asks Peyton Manning first: "What do you believe?" Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans." God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Drew Brees and says, "What do you believe?" Drew says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields." God is greatly moved by Drew's sincere eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Tom Brady: "And you, Tom, what do you believe?"
Tom replies, "I believe you're in my seat."

Brain Enema 11-10-09

The Yankees won their 27^th World Series but next year’s team will be missing Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettite, and who knows who else. They will still be good because they can outspend anyone, but their lack of a farm system will continue to be a huge issue for them. You can buy players all day long but if you can’t develop a farm system then you won’t be able to get the players you need during the year to replace the old and feeble free agents signed in the offseason.

The Colts may have one of the best records in the NFL but they are not a Super Bowl team. Their defensive backfield has been decimated by injuries (Bob Sanders is not a top safety in the NFL, healthy or not) and the offense is not as dangerous as they once were. The Colts will be in the playoffs but they lack the bodies and talent to get a ring.

Can the WWE please put the Undertaker in one final casket match and haul him away? He has had one of the best runs in wrestling history, but four months at a time of obviously injured Taker doesn’t help his legacy or the company in general. He needs a reduced role where he grooms a replacement, and he needs to stop holding titles, unless they are tag team belts.

Good news Minnesota Twins fans, Michael Cuddyer had his option picked up for the 2010 season and JJ Hardy was acquired from the Brewers. Not only do the Twins keep the best power hitter they have and add a solid offensive shortstop, they show Joe Mauer that they are willing to spend money to have a competitive team.

Memo to the NHL: If a player has swine flu he sits. Grow a spine before the entire league has teams full of players that are on the shelf.

Rajon Rondo resigning with the Boston Celtics is bad news for the rest of the NBA. Rondo would have been the best point guard available as a free agent in years had he not signed an extension. Rondo needs to improve on his shooting, but the same things were said about Jason Kidd, and Rondo has the potential to be better than Kidd.

Ty Law is back in the NFL, signing with the Broncos. Apparently Denver had a need for a reserve cornerback that could generate frequent pass interference penalties and give up huge chunks of yardage. I wonder if Law can feed his family on his prorated salary for the year.

Brad Mills will be an amazing manager for the Astros. The cupboard is almost bare in Houston but Mills has the skills to get the most out of whatever talent he is given. I worry about the Red Sox success without him as the bench coach.

Andre Reed the Buffalo Bills Future Hall of Fame Wide Receiver once said “You are going to get hit either way so you might as well hold onto the ball”. Wes Welker of the Patriots must have taken that to heart, as you can drive him through a brick wall and he will still hold onto the ball. He might be the best possession receiver of his era.

Phil Kessel signed a huge offer sheet with the Maple Leafs, costing the team their first three draft picks next year. Kessel just returned from rotator cuff surgery and recorded ten shots in his first game, and another seven shots that were blocked. He could be just the spark the team needs, however the Leafs are so bad that no matter how well Kessel performs the Leafs will still be at the bottom of the NHL.

I started to watch V and I can’t help but find myself waiting for Fox Mulder to pop up and try to help humanity and then be viciously killed. The show seems like a long X-Files episode, which isn’t a bad thing, but I doubt I will keep watching.

Hulk Hogan joining TNA will end up working, but not in the way most people are expecting. The fans that have left wrestling will return to relive the glory days, but will find a show that actually has talented wrestlers even if they are not the household names of the past. They will be amazed at the action and watch. Most of the current fans will stay in hopes that the company doesn’t get screwed up and will continue to push the people that actually can wrestle, not just the has-been friends of Hogan. TNA will have a rocky transition as some wrestlers will be without a role and will end up lost in the shuffle. Once the newness of Hogan wears off is when the company will see if their investment has paid off. If Hogan becomes an on air talent or tries to wrestle than all will be lost as Hogan couldn’t wrestle thirty years ago, let alone today. If he stays out of the way the company should thrive. If he is put in charge of running the show than all bets are off as to what may happen.

Blake Griffin will suffer from the Clippers curse and become another Danny Manning. I hope it doesn’t happen but that franchise cripples talent worse than a polio outbreak.

If the NFL wants to put a franchise in London (or anywhere in Europe) they will have to face a huge obstacle with not only the huge popularity of soccer (played at the same time of year) but also with the economic issues (value of the dollar versus the Pound or Euro). It is a good idea in theory but not in reality.

Tim Wakefield is close to resigning a two-year contract extension with the Red Sox. Wakefield may not have any fingers left to throw a knuckleball by the time he finally retires.

Brain Enema Version 1

When you have a little bit to say about a lot of things I just get a Brain Enema

So Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize and I don’t have an issue with that. The rules are that the nominations have to be in by February (he had been in office for less than 2 weeks) and his promises of dealing with the other countries in the world were a drastic and more peaceful plan. Obama didn’t so much as win as Bush’s administration caused the world to hate us so much that anyone that was elected would have won the award.

Fred Taylor is hurt again, but should you really be surprised. He has his first fully healthy year ever and then is right back to his normal injury pattern. He has been killing my fantasy teams for a decade and he must be stopped. If he had stayed healthy he might have been one of the top five running backs in NFL history.

When an opponent travels to Virginia Tech they are leaving with a loss, it doesn’t matter who it is, VT doesn’t lose at home. There is no team that is coached as well in special team at any level, and no matter how good or bad VT is you always have to be afraid to play against them.

As much as I hated to see the Angles beat the Red Sox it was time. The Sox had owned the Angels in the playoffs and they were due. Throw a dog a bone every once in a while. The Sox were good but they weren’t a playoff team this year. While there might not have been a better team to be in the playoffs, the 2009 Red Sox were not a strong playoff team.

With the complaints about the NBA refs from last year is the league really prepared to go the entire year with replacement refs? I understand the reasoning but to lose the good refs you have is going to be horrible for the NBA.

The NHL is back! Just wanted to let you know, most people never get to see the games so you might have forgotten about hockey season.

It is nice to be undefeated in fantasy football, realize you need a running back to replace Fred Taylor and a quarterback because Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers have bye weeks. Who did I pick up? Brett Favre and Michael Turner. I did okay.

Instead of a three division winners and a wild card winner in baseball’s playoffs can’t we just balance the schedule and take the four teams with the best records. Why not take the best of the best regardless of where they are located? Oh yeah TV ratings and merchandising. Never mind

Chuck Liddell is one hell of an impressive fighter in MMA but his best days are behind him. After watching Dancing With The Stars (my wife Tivoed in and I watched only Liddell) it is obvious that athletic ability doesn’t translate to being graceful. Liddell was painful to watch.

The AFC 50^th anniversary is a nice retro glimpse at the past, but the ref uniforms? They look like the mugged a barbershop quartet on the way to the game and stole their clothes. Let the teams use retro uniforms but keeps the refs with the normal zebra look.

The WWE is a rich corporate giant and the place where wrestlers go to become famous. That being said, Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate USA, and TNA all are more entertaining and have more wrestlers that can actually perform in the ring. While they might be the most charismatic people in the business, Nigel McGuinness and Brian Danielson are two of the best wrestlers alive today. Expect that the WWE will not let them show their talents and end up missing out on a huge opportunity. They did the same thing by passing or releasing Paul London, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Brian Kendrick, AJ Styles, Colt Cabana, Matt Morgan, Johnny Jeter, Daivairi, Brent Albright, etc, etc, etc.

People love to complain about customer service but most people would never want to do the job themselves. The next time you get a positive customer service experience take the time to thank them, compliment them, tell their manager, or something. Without customer service your life would be more difficult than you could ever imagine.

When it comes to home field advantage I will take any team in Colorado playing outside. Not only do you have the high altitude but snow and below freezing temperatures. Trying playing baseball or football when you can’t grip the ball because you can’t feel your fingers. That is an advantage.

Rush Limbaugh wants to head a group to buy the St. Louis Rams, and no good can come from this. Limbaugh proved he is a loudmouth that cares more about his image than running a pro sports franchise. His choices would be second-guessed based on his ESPN comments about black athletes a few years ago. The Rams can’t get much worse but they can do much better than Limbaugh.

UFC might not like it but MMA and wrestling do go hand in hand. Many of the skills are similar and there are countless moves that work in both genres. While the potential for injury in a wrestling match can be high, making a living as a developing wrestler and MMA fighter both pay little and require an immense amount of work and time. Ease up UFC and let your stars make a living.

Take back what I said about retro NFL uniforms. The Broncos look like they are wearing the rejected uniforms from Alabama and the Steelers. Not a good look even 50 years ago. They look too much like something you would see at a high school football game.

Sidney Crosby is good but overrated. Not only is Alexander Ovechkin a better all around player now that he is playing some defense and checking. Crosby isn’t even the best center on his own team, I would take Evgeni Malkin any day. Crosby is too soft and tries to do too much.

Anyone who knows me is aware of my man love for one specific football player. After getting released by the 49ers he is now leading the Patriots in sacks…Tully Banta-Cain

The Rich Get Richer, The Dumb Gets Dumber

As a Patriots fan I would like to thank the Oakland Raiders once again for helping our team improve. In the past the Raiders accepted a lowly 4^th round pick for Randy Moss, who had one of the best seasons ever at his position. In the offseason the Raiders gave up one of their top pass rusher, DE/OLB Derrick Burgess for a 3^rd and 5^th round pick. In yet another stupidly stunning move the Raiders gave up their first round pick in 2011 to the Patriots for fiver time Pro Bowl DE Richard Seymour. On paper that seems like a decent trade, but the Raiders were robbed yet again.

The Patriots have the best defensive line in the AFC with or without Richard Seymour. They have amazing depth and talent to spare. In fact the Pats had too many people up front, and trading Seymour was a stroke of genius. With the money the Patriots save they have cap room to sign the best Nose Tack in football Vince Wilfork, the key to the entire Patriots’ defense. They may even have some money left over to try and resign Pro Bowl Left Guard Logan Mankins. Not only did the Pats save money to help keep their team intact, the also got the Raiders’ 2011 1^st round pick. At this point in his career Seymour isn’t worth more than a mid to late 2^nd round pick, and the Raiders pick will probably be in the top 10 overall. (Sorry silver and black fans, your team isn’t going to get better any time soon).

So the Pats clear a roster spot, enough cap space to resign their best defensive player, and get a future high draft pick, all without giving up much more than a Pro Bowler in name only? The Patriots need to keep the Raiders on speed dial but they only have a few good players left. You can only fleece the same team so many times before they run out of assets. The Raiders might just take a bag of magic beans for All Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, but his broken wrist might drive the price down to half a bag of beans. Someone might want to wake Al Davis and tell him to turn his team over to the NFL before things get worse.

Tedy Bruschi, My Memory

A dozen years ago NFL training camp was a much more fan friendly place for the New England Patriots. You had access to the players as they arrived, when the came off the practice field, and at various other points at Bryant College where camp was held. It was at that small campus where I first ran across a truly great individual. His future doesn’t seem to include a bronze bust in Canton , but his place in Patriots’ history as well as an inspiration for others is secure. Tedy Bruschi was a great football player and his retirement is a great opportunity to share the story of one of the best athletes I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As a college football fan I was amazed by the stifling defense of the University of Arizona . The “Desert Swarm Defense” was nearly impossible to run against and featured an imposing pass rush. I became an instant fan, staying up late to watch games or even taping them to watch the next day. (This was before Internet streaming videos, DVRs, and YouTube, so if you wanted to see a game you stayed up or taped it on a VCR. Ancient times). That defense was amazing but the focal point was an undersized defensive end named Tedy Bruschi. He was barely recruited out of high school but he became one of the most feared pass rushers in NCAA history. Upon his graduation Bruschi found himself in a situation like that of dozens of college stars, he was a “tweener”. Bruschi was too small to play defensive end in the NFL and too slow to be a linebacker, but he was too talented to pass up. In the third round Bruschi was selected by the New England Patriots with a role that was yet to be determined.

I was standing outside the walkway between the practice field and the locker room as the Patriots came of the field on their first day of training camp. Everyone was yelling at players as they walked by exhausted about twenty feet away. Some players came over and signed autographs but most just walked on by. When I saw Bruschi walked by I yelled out to him as loud as I could. He stopped dead in his tracks and spun ninety degrees to look me square in the eyes. He then walked over to me with a determined look in his eyes and I thought I was a dead man. He asked me how I knew who he was, and my mind went blank. As I stood there in my Arizona hat I suddenly started spitting out stats, plays from his college career, anything my auto pilot brain had retained. He stood there in amazement before finally laughing and stating “You are the first person to actually know who I am. Man, I’m in the NFL.” Every day I was there after that Bruschi would go out of his way to come talk to me. When was the last time a pro athlete would find you in a crowd, know your name, and talk shop with you, a complete stranger?

Tedy Bruschi started out as a special teams star and bounced between defensive end and outside linebacker at the beginning of his career. As his skills and knowledge of the game increased he was moved to inside/middle linebacker (mostly as an injury fill in) but he went on to become a dominant force on five different teams that made it to the Super Bowl. While Bruschi’s accolades are well known, it is the human side of him that made him a fan favorite.

An Open Letter to Brett Favre

Dear Brett Favre,

You are a living legend and will go down in history as one of the best quarterbacks ever to put on a helmet. The problem is that you refuse to put your helmet down and become history. You need to stop as this is getting ridiculous. You have been subjecting fans to potential retirements for years, and you are not the MVP winning gunslinger you once were. You should have left Green Bay and headed straight for your Wrangler jeans commercials and stayed there. Instead you held the Packers hostage before ending up in New Jersey. You did start out well for the Jets, but don't only did the wheels come off, but your axels broke, the engine cracked, the car split in half, all before plummeting off a cliff into a lake of acid.

It is tough to give up what you love to do, and retiring isn't easy. You joined the likes of Joe Namath, Joe Montana, and Johnny Unitas as quarterbacks who left their home and became a shell of their former selves. Leaving Green Bay for New York and single-handily keeping the Jets out of the playoffs should have been the last of your career. You are now going to play for your long time enemy in Minnesota after retiring (again) so you didn't have to go through training camp. You are the football equivalent of Ric Flair. You can still put on a good show sometimes, but you need a good supporting cast to help carry you to a good match. In Minnesota you have Adrian Peterson but sub-par receivers. You may be able to help the Vikings battle for the playoffs, but you need to realize you can't keep doing this. The fans don't want it, the organizations don't want it, and the NFL doesn't want it. Stay home. Go ride your tractor on Sundays. If you want I bet you can drive down to Alabama and Forrest Gump will let you mow his football field for him. Brett, stop tarnishing your legacy and make way for the players half your age that actually are on the rise. Football will survive, but if you keep pulling the same stunt every year you may not. Now go take some Prilosec, slip on your Wranglers, and go work on that Geritol endorsement deal.

Celtics Better But Lacking Fan Favorites

It is a great time to be a Boston Celtics fan, but I can’t help but be a bit sad. While the team will have a healthy Kevin Garnett andRasheed Wallace to rule the post, the paint seems somewhat empty. Leon Powe, one of the hardest working players I have ever seen, is recovering from an ACL injury and will probably not be back. Glen “Big Baby” Davis , a fan favorite if there ever was one, is a free agent without a place to play. The Celtics don’t have the salary cap room or roster spots for either man, and they were crucial to the C’s success. Wallace is better than both men and fills a more pressing need, but it is tough to see such great guys jettisoned. Sports are a business, but these moves make an improved team a little bit less likable.

The Return of the Sports Heel

Every generation has its bullies in the world of sports. Mike Tyson was once one of the most feared men on the planet, and he brought boxing huge amounts of media attention, both positive and negative. While everyone remembers his infamous ear biting and low blows, I have always been a fan of his words more than his actions. The wrestling fan in me always loves a good promo that can whip a crowd into a frenzy. Tyson knew how to talk the talk, and was the best at athlete with a mic in his hands since Ali. Hearing Tyson threatening to eat Lennox Lewis’s children was disturbing but brilliant. Tyson’s verbal ability has never waivered even with his questionable mental stability and side show atmosphere on the rise. While Tyson’s boxing career may be over, he will always stop the presses when he opens his mouth. The bad guy promo torch may now have been passed to a new athlete in an increasingly popular sport.

MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and the UFC is the alpha male company in the mixed martial arts world. The UFC received a bad rap from its Fight Club style beginning, but it has grown into a well organized, officially sanctioned, and extremely profitable organization. With the recent 100^th Pay Per View for UFC, a new king of the heels may have been crowned. Brock Lesnar started as a dominant member of the WWE, but grew tired of the physical grind and hectic schedule. He gave up millions of dollars per year to try out for the NFL and eventually enter the world of MMA. Lesnar’s natural abilities as a wrestler and his intimidating size made him a natural and he was soon on the fast track to success. Lesnar was signed by the UFC after one pro bout, but ran into a rookie mistake against veteran Frank Mir. Lesnar was pounding Mir until he made one false move and was forced to submit. A rematch would be a huge sell, and in the meantime Lesnar won the UFC title from Hall of Fame star Randy Couture. At UFC 100 Lesnar would get a chance to avenge his only professional loss. He destroyed the trash talking Mir and left him a bloody mess. Lesnar’s post match taunting of Mir and the crowd (as well as a few hand gestures for good measure) left him smiling amongst a chorus of boos. Despite a public frowning on Lesnar’s action, UFC had to be thrilled with the further acceleration of the new bad boy of the octagon.

Brock Lesnar quickly became just what the UFC needed, not just a larger-than-life star, but a person people could pay to boo. Lesnar is the person you love to hate, the no nonsense star that has talent and knows it. He is better than everyone else and could prove it everyday. He is a money making machine built like a modern day Goliath. Not only can UFC make millions of hisstar power, but the person that eventually takes his title will instantly become a larger than life star. What better way to build a hero than by constructing an indestructible villain for him to defeat? Lesnar is a natural villain and stepping up his verbal abuse of his opponents only make him more hated, thus more marketable. Barring injury, Lesnar could compete in MMA for another decade. He has the ability to be the new face of MMA, allowing veterans like Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture to pass the torch to the new and ever improving sport of MMA

Obama the Baller

As our country transitions to a more complex and politically charged atmosphere it is a refreshing change to see the supposed “spoiled” athletes take an active interest in politics. There are currently former professional athletes that are Mayors, Senators, Governors, and Congressmen, and this trend is on an upswing. George W. Bush was a former owner of the Texas Rangers, and numerous politicians own small parts of teams in all four major sports. America now has a politician that would be able to cross the political line and be an athlete. President Obama has an opportunity to become the first sitting politician that is also an active professional athlete. The Washington Wizards basketball team has the opportunity to make history and also help the economy all in one fell swoop. If they extend an invitation for President Obama to join the team, even in a few preseason games, that would help to boost interest in a struggling franchise and generate tremendous revenue. Sporting goods stores across the country and even the world would be selling out of Obama jerseys at an unprecedented rate, thus boosting the economy and helping to solidify sports and politics as the driving force behind the resurgence of the United States of America .