Com'on Champ...

Mike Tyson and Spike Lee's Memorable Time on The Today Show

by Jeff Jones

A household name in the film industry who has been nominated for – and won – Academy awards, International Film Festival awards, and American Black Film Festival awards pairs his talents with an internationally known athlete, who many consider the most talented to ever participate in his sport.  This seems like a match made in heaven right?

Wrong!

This morning, director Spike Lee and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson appeared on the Today show to promote their new one-man Broadway show – a show starring the rarely coherent Tyson. 

The two, along with NBC correspondent Ann Curry, proceeded to participate in what was surely one of the most confusing and cringe-worthy interviews The Today Show has ever aired.

The interview starts with Tyson giving credit to the movie A Bronx Tale for planting this idea in his head.  After the former champ disjointedly stumbles through the telling of that story, Lee – who at times seems like Tyson’s “handler” –tries desperately to save the interview.

Things seem to go well (or at least as well as expected) for a while, until the trio starts discussing the changes taking place in Tyson’s life – and diet. 

“Oh you’re a vegan?! What changed you?” asks Curry, the interviewer throughout this uncomfortable Q&A session.

Though this question would typically be answered by some combination of addressing health concerns, showing compassion towards animals, or being environmentally friendly – Tyson chooses to respond a different way.  Saying he had to “throw in the white flag” because there were “too many prison cells, too many jails, too many law suits, too many women” and let’s not forget “too many venereal diseases.”

Somehow Ann Curry is able to save the interview after this wildly inappropriate response and get some more productive Q&A time with director Spike Lee.  That is until Tyson cuts in and ineffectively tries to compare his struggles in the ring to his struggles on stage. 

This last interjection was enough to prompt the director to play exit music and cue Curry to put this interview out of its misery.

Ultimately, no one knows yet how well this one-man Broadway show will do.  But if its success is dependant on how well the duo of Spike Lee and Mike Tyson can interview and market the show, I doubt anyone should expect this to be an award-winning performance.

Video Attached:

Click to Watch

Like Father Like Son

When it Comes to Pro Athletes, Does the Apple Fall Far From the Tree?

by Jeff Jones

On a day like today (Father's Day), many take moments to reflect on time spent with their father figures – and for decades, dads have used sports as the backdrop for bonding with their children.  Chatting while tossing a football or playing one-on-one in the driveway has become the norm in our society.  So it is no surprise that over the years, a number of sons have followed in the footsteps of their athletic dads and become professional athletes.

In honor of Father’s day, the following list ranks the top five combinations of father-son professional athletes. 

5.) Ken Griffey Sr. & Ken Griffey Jr. (MLB)

This father-son duo lived out a rare dream during the 1990 and 1991 seasons when they were teammates playing for the Seattle Mariners.  Junior aka “The Kid” epitomized a generation of baseball widely believed to be “cleaner” and “purer” than the game played today.  Many believe The Kid to be singlehandedly responsible for saving baseball in Seattle.  Combined, these two have amassed 16 all-star appearances, 3 all-star MVP awards, 10 golden glove awards, and 2 World Series titles.

4.) Calvin Hill & Grant Hill (NFL & NBA)

Both father and son in this duo earned rookie of the year honors in their respective professional leagues – Calvin as a running back for the Dallas Cowboys in 1969 and Grant as a Detroit Pistons small forward in 1994.  Calvin’s career was riddled with “firsts”, being the first Ivy League football player drafted in the opening round of the NFL draft, and the first Dallas Cowboy to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season.

In addition to being named NBA rookie of the year, Grant was a seven time NBA all-star, a gold medalist in 1996, and twice a NCAA champion.

3.) Ken Norton Sr. & Ken Norton Jr. (Boxing & NFL)

The father and son in this duo took very different paths to athletic notoriety.  Norton Sr., a boxing legend, became a household name after breaking Muhammad Ali’s jaw in a 12 round fight in 1973.  He finished his career 42-7-1 and was only the second person to ever defeat Ali. 

Norton Jr., once a highly touted linebacker out of UCLA, reached fame as the leader of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense in the early 90s.  Many also know Norton Jr. as the first person to win three straight Super Bowls –twice with the Cowboys in 1992, and 1993, and once with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.

2.) Bobby Bonds & Barry Bonds (MLB)

Bobby Bonds, though not as well-known as his son, was a truly special talent –the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season, and eventually the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases. 

His son, Barry, is widely considered the most feared hitter of all time – a claim his stats support.  Barry Bonds is a 14 time all-star, with 688 career intentional walks, and 762 career home runs – including a 73 homer season in 2001.  Though some consider the younger Bonds’ career tarnished by steroid allegations, the talent that this father-son duo possessed is unquestionable.

1.) Archie Manning, Eli Manning, & Peyton Manning (NFL)

Archie Manning – a two time pro bowl quarterback – was the number two overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft.  In addition to his own NFL and college football accolades, two of Archie's three sons are Super Bowl winning quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL.  Peyton who was drafted number one overall in 1998 already holds several NFL and Indianapolis Colts passing records and is a member of the NFL's 2000s all-decade team.

Peyton’s younger brother Eli was also drafted number one overall (2004) and holds his own share of NFL records.  In addition to these records, Eli is a two time NFL champion, having led his New York Giants to championship seasons in 2008 and 2011.

Jim Rome the "Wife Beater"?

The Facts and Intent of David Stern's Shocking Comments

by Jeff Jones

NBA commissioner David Stern’s patience with reporters and handling difficult questions may be quickly wearing thin.

While participating in a phone interview with media personality and radio host Jim Rome, the duo’s usual competitive banter took a turn for the worst when Rome asked if the NBA Draft Lottery was fixed – an inquiry he defended as a “fair question.”

Judging by the commissioner’s response, this question didn’t fit all of Stern’s criteria for “fairness.”

Stern skirted around the question for a while but quickly became fed up with what he thought was a "loaded question" and decided to ask a one of his own – “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” Stern first whispered then repeated for all to hear.

FYI:
A “loaded question” is one that includes an unjustified assumption.  So in Stern’s example, whether Rome replied with a “yes” or “no”, he has admitted to, at one time, “beating his wife.”

Therefore, “is the NBA lottery fixed?” actually is not a loaded question at all – it’s just a question…

Stern and Rome continued to debate the validity of Rome’s fixed lottery question for a few minutes before Stern abruptly ended the call saying, “Listen, I’ve got to go call someone important like Stephen A. Smith now.”

The story here is not Stern and Rome’s relationship, which may or may not have suffered real damage today.  Instead, the story is how Rome and Stern will work together to ensure that all listeners understood the intent of Stern’s “wife beating” comment was to point out what he thought was a logical fallacy, and not to out Jim Rome as a violent, abusive husband.

Click to hear audio

Tragedy in a Small Alabama Town

The Auburn Shooting from Incident to Surrender

by Jeff Jones

Late Saturday night, while at a pool party near the Auburn University campus, witnesses say they saw 22 year old Desmonte D. Leonard arguing with another man over the affections of a woman who both expressed interest in earlier that night.  Eventually the arguing led to pushing, and unfortunately the pushing led the 5 foot 4 inch Leonard to brandishing a weapon.

Once Leonard drew his gun several shots were fired into the crowd, killing three bystanders – two of whom happened to be former Auburn University football players.  The shots also injured three others, one of whom is still in critical condition in an Alabama hospital. 

Of the six victims of this unprovoked, violent attack, only one was involved in the original altercation with Leonard.

After collecting statements on Saturday night and interviewing witnesses, police set off on the trail to apprehend the suspected murderer. 

Eventually, reliable tips led the manhunt to a Montgomery home — less than three miles from Leonard’s last known residence.  Monday afternoon, police officials swarmed the home. 

The officials armed with rifles, tear gas, helicopters, and thermal imaging equipment supposedly verified the tipster’s hunch – a person was hiding in the attic.

Officers camped out around the house for hours deliberating ideas, deploying tear gas, and devising alternate plans to apprehend Leonard.  Unfortunately, this tireless, nine hour, televised search resulted in little more than police officials admitting, “He’s evaded us.”

Though the Monday home raid did not produce the suspect, it prompted his surrender – early Tuesday evening Desmonte D. Leonard turned himself in to authorities.

By his side through his surrender and interrogation was his attorney, Susan James.  And though Ms. James assures the public that Leonard has been “very respectful” and “when the full story is told, it may sound different than the perception now,” one can’t help but be glad that a suspected killer is now off of the streets and the victims and their families can start their long road to achieving closure.

"Ever Been to College Station?..."

What Will Muschamp Has to Say About College Station, Texas
by Jeff Jones

It looks like the age-old playground argument “my dad can beat up your dad” has grown into the new-age, cross-country argument of “my city is better than your city.”  Late last week Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp drew some attention with his negative comments about the city of College Station, TX – home of SEC newcomer Texas A&M.

At a Gators booster event Muschamp jokingly stated, “You ever been to College Station, it will be the last time you go.”  Implying the east Texas city is a less than desirable location for anyone to go willingly.

Clearly the Aggies had to respond, but the question is "How?"


Did they take this as an opportunity to create the SEC’s fiercest new rivalry?  Did they blast back with tons of anti-Gainsville rhetoric?

Nope…

Instead, they sent the Florida ball coach a gift basket filled with plenty College Station originals.  Tickets to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, a bottle of wine from a local vineyard,  and other Aggie trinkets were shipped off to Gainsville in response.

Though this gesture was no doubt a memorable one, the highlight of this back and forth exchange has been the humorous video response issued by Nancy Berry – the mayor of College Station.

In this video, Berry innocently pokes fun at Muschamp, shows off some photoshop skills, and ends by expressing how excited she is to “host you [Muschamp], your team, and as many gator fans as you can bring here on September 8^th” – all while getting a few laughs along the way.

Though this interaction has been light-hearted and fun to watch thus far, there will undoubtedly be no love lost between the Aggie fans and Will Muschamp when the Gators travel to Kyle Field to challenge Texas A&M in the Aggie's first ever SEC matchup on September 8^th .

The Video:

Click to watch

Blackmon's Wild Ride

What Actually Happened and What are the Implications?

by Jeff Jones

Around 3:45 Sunday morning, one of college football’s all-time most prolific wide receivers was pulled over and cited with an aggravated DUI.   Police officials in Stillwater, OK arrested former Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon after the fifth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft recorded a BAC of .24 – three times the legal limit.  In the state of Oklahoma any person whose BAC eclipses .15 receives the elevated charge of “aggravated DUI” instead of the lesser, more common, driving under the influence citation.

This incident occurred just two days after Blackmon sat down for an interview with ESPN telling them many things, including his main offseason goal – “to control the things that [he] can control.”

Unfortunately this is not Blackmon’s first run in with the law.  In the fall of 2010, while in Dallas preparing for a Big 12 neutral-road matchup with Kansas State, Blackmon was pulled over and arrested on a DUI complaint.  At this time, Blackmon was driving a Chevy pickup 92 MPH in a 60 MPH zone.

Blackmon’s punishment for this 2010 infraction was a one-game suspension.  We have yet to see what the Jacksonville Jaguars, or the NFL, will do to punish the star player this time around.

Adding insult to injury, it has been brought to light that Blackmon was scheduled to make an autograph-signing appearance in Houston on Saturday afternoon (just hours before his arrest), but called in a late cancellation due to an “unspecified illness.”

As we have all grown to learn – humans are flawed – and admittedly star athletes are no exception to this rule.  Sadly, it looks as though Justin Blackmon has just added his name to a long list of athletes including Jason Kidd, Donte Stallworth, Jamal Lewis, and others who we paint in our minds as faultless role models before they prove themselves to be normal, flawed, and human.

Spurs Thump Thunder

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals

by Jeff Jones

“I want some nasty!” 

By now all those seriously following the NBA playoffs have heard this quote SEVERAL times over – many to the point of annoyance.  Unfortunately for those already annoyed, just because the quote has been over-hyped doesn’t make it any less true or less impactful to the series.  Spurs head coach Greg Popovich asked his players to deliver some “nasty” during the second half of game one and in the five quarters since then, “nasty” is what the Spurs have provided!

Last night, in game two of this series, the Spurs attacked the court with the kind of tenacity and technical soundness those in my generation haven’t seen since Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson put on a clinic against all opponents in the 2000-2001 playoffs.  Through the first two rounds, the Spurs (similarly to the 00-01 Lakers) have looked unbeatable – a trend that has continued even against the “formidable” Oklahoma City Thunder.

For those unable to see the basketball clinic the Spurs put on, San Antonio beat Oklahoma City in three ways: 1.) being good at what they do; 2.) Weathering a familiar storm; and 3.) Playing younger.

Two things should come to mind when one thinks of Greg Popovich, one being his unfortunate beard stage, and two being his relentless desire to stress basketball fundamentals.  Though his beard has yet to make an appearance in this series, those basketball fundamentals have been VERY present.  San Antonio’s pick-and-roll offense paired with its stifling defense (lead by the number two all-time playoff shot blocker Tim Duncan) proved to be a fundamentally sound mixture that was too much for the Thunder to handle.

Being ill-equip to handle this barrage of fundamentals, Oklahoma City chose to switch things up midway through the third quarter and employ a strategy very familiar to basketball fans – the "hack-a-whoever" game-plan.  This time 'whoever' was backup big-man Tiago Splitter.  When looking at Splitter’s free-throw percentage from game two (50%), it appears as though this strategy would make the game competitive once again.  Instead, this altered game-plan stayed in place for about seven minutes and only helped OKC diminish San Antonio’s lead by a single point.

Lastly, an aging Spurs team found a way to close the game out by playing younger and faster than the young Thunder team.  This could be seen in 36 year old Tim Duncan’s ability to block shots, display a nasty dunkface, and sprint after loose balls more often than any member of the opposing squad.

Admittedly, this series is far from over – and I very much expect OKC to steal a game or two – but at this point, all indicators point to this being Greg Popovich and those nasty San Antonio Spurs’ series to lose.

3 Reasons Why...

The Dolphins Should have Passed on Hard Knocks

by Jeff Jones

Top notch athletes.  Intriguing storylines.  And, Antonio Cromartie struggling to name all of 9 of his kids.  Many of us know (and love) the HBO series Hard Knocks, but just because it’s an entertaining watch for me doesn’t mean it’s the right show for all sports fans.  And similarly, just because it was done well by the Cowboys, Jets, and others, doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for all NFL teams.  The Dolphins are one of those poor fits for AT LEAST three reasons.

1. Private Politics will be Public: The Dolphins are one of a handful of organizations that enters OTAs with a QB controversy on its hands – joining the Browns, Titans, and Jets to name a few.  What separates the Dolphins' battle from these others?  We don’t know who has the upper hand!  Garrard, Moore, and rookie Ryan Tannehill all seem to be relatively even going into pre-season activities. 

Why is this a bad thing?  Well, Hard Knocks’ audience members will probably watch Tannehill get outplayed in camp and still “win” the starting position over the two older, less-coveted veterans.  Similar political moves take place camps all over the NFL, but those other 31 teams and those other players won’t be the biggest storyline on HBO for several weeks in August and September… Shady NFL politics: 1 Miami Dolphins: 0

2.  Rookie Head Coaches have Enough to Deal With:  Hard Knocks has a way of polarizing the images of those involved.  Some coaches/players leave with many more loyal fans, while others are vilified by the public – as we saw with the scrutiny that followed Rex Ryan after his appearance on the show two years ago.  Having to worry about potential damage to his image, tending to a very public QB controversy, all while rebuilding a franchise that seems destined for mediocrity is a tough task to ask of any head coach.  Add the fact that this will be Joe Philbin’s first year as the head man in charge, and this seems certain to be a recipe for disaster… Sabotage of a young head coaching career: 1 Miami Dolphins: 0

3.  Unrealistic Expectations:  I fully realize that no NFL team or player can/should enter camp thinking that they will go 0-16 – but on that same note, it’s important to maintain realistic, achievable expectations.  Apparently no one told Dolphins LB Karlos Dansby about the importance of setting attainable goals.  Dansby openly stated that he is “expecting us [the Dolphins] to win the AFC, period.  Point Blank.” 

Excuse me?!

The same Dolphins who opened last season with an impressive 0-7 record, failed to beat a single playoff team, and lost their leading receiver AND their leading tackler (neither of whose names happen to be Karlos Dansby) in the offseason?... good luck with that.

This is not the first time the talented defenseman has seen the world through rose-colored glasses.  Who can forget Dansby proudly asserting “I’m better than everybody!” when asked to compare himself to other linebackers during a post-game interview in 2011.

As a huge fan of the Auburn Tigers – and their alumni – I must say I do have a soft spot for Dansby’s confidence… err, overconfidence.  But confidence like this, combined with a stage like Hard Knocks, can easily lead to complacency – which can be the downfall of even highly talented, worthwhile teams… Boastful overconfidence: 1 Miami Dolphins: nil.

More than Just a Game

Revealing the True Potential in Modern-day Videogames
by Jeff Jones

I recently visited my parents for about a week, and engaged in the typical ‘home with the family’ activities.  We visited the local hotspots (my family currently lives in a town of about 11,000 so trust me, the hot spots are HOT!), I ate my favorite home-cooked meals, and I hung out with my little brother.  While hanging out with my little brother our conversations centered, predictably, on sports – namely college football.  Imagine my surprise when my 11-year old brother told me about the advantages/disadvantages of zone-blitzes, how to properly set up a play action pass, and the areas of vulnerability present in a cover 6 zone.

Even though he has some experience playing little league football, these are concepts that I hadn’t grasped until I was well into my high school years, and I doubt many other 11 year olds could get a handle on these ideas.  My first thoughts were the obvious ones: “Oh dang, this little guy must be a prodigy like Tiger Woods, or those kids who can stack cups really fast!” and “This must be what Bill Belichick was like as a kid”.  So I asked Kyle (my brother) how he knew all about these concepts; he proceeded to show me videogames in a way that I had never seen them before.

Kyle turned on his PlayStation and we played NCAA 2009 (I know, I know... I’m working on getting him the newer version) for hours and hours.  Sure enough all of the ideas that he told me about earlier were there – you just had to put a little effort into actually seeing them and learning from them. 

He was able to accurately learn and analyze some of the toughest concepts present in God’s most beloved sport (aka football) because of lessons learned playing a videogame.  This blew my mind!

Upon further examination it shouldn’t be as shocking as it is to think that gamers of all ages are able to learn football from this medium.  We have known for decades that some people are visual learners and others are auditory learners so when looking at these ‘games’ as sets of visual cues about football concepts and not simply an entertaining escape from reality, it makes sense that gamers – in particular those who are visual learners – can learn from playing games like EA Sports’ NCAA.

 Lesson of the day:  I should have started playing videogames way earlier; I’d probably be in the NFL by now...