Fast forward to game day. We were up early and headed to Alltel Stadium.  We parked near the stadium and began our hunt for tickets. I only had a total of $1,000 to spend for food, drink and tickets over the 3 days, so I had been eating like a bird in order to maximize my bankroll for tickets.  We strolled around the streets and parking lots around the stadium, soaking in the atmosphere.  Eagle’s fans seemingly outnumbered Patriot’s fans by a 10-1 margin.  We were harassed, pelted with insults, beer, half eaten egg sandwiches and even hard candy.   Even Yankee fans know better…(EDITORS NOTE: We threw batteries at Ken Griffey Jr… No we don’t!) you don’t waste beer on a Boston fan!!!!  As we wandered around the lots we found plenty of ticket scalpers, but the cheapest price we came across that morning was $3,600!  Yikes! 

At one point we walked by a bar called the Tailgate Bar, just outside of the north end zone that was swarming with Eagles fans. There was a group of Eagles fans, perched up on the upper deck with a bunch of those palm-sized footballs.  A couple of them were having a good ole time trying to pick off unsuspecting Patriot fans by firing the little footballs at their heads as they passed by.  Of course just had to taunt them, hoping they’d fire some at me.  I dodged a few and caught one or two as I laughed at them.  They were getting more & more pissed as they fired and missed.  They finally laid off me when I cockily made a one-handed catch behind my back, followed by a disrespectful reverse spike. It’s not that I am really that cocky, but after watching them prey on innocent passerby’s, I just had to try to get the best of them!  Mission accomplished!

By noon, Lou and his friends were disappointed with the lack of ticket success and decided to go back to hole up at the Tailgate Bar for a drink or 10.  As we walked in, we were surprised that, despite how crowded it was, there was an open table right in front of their largest TV so we grabbed it.  Over the next several hours, I made several “runs” to search for tickets.  Still no luck.  The average price per ticket was still over $3,000 and way out of our range.  But I was determined.  Finally, about an hour before kickoff, I got up from the table and asked them if they wanted to come look for tickets with me.  Lou shook his head and laughed, “I’ve got a big screen TV right in front of me & I have waitress service, I’m not moving!”  They’d given up, but I was not willing give up after coming all that way.  One of Lou’s friends shook his head in amazement and asked, “Boy, you are really determined to get in, aren’t you?”  Of course I was & my response was quick, confident and incredibly ironic, “EVEN IF I HAVE TO SELL HOTDOGS TO GET IN, I AM GETTING INTO THIS GAME!”  With that, I turned and headed out for one last try.

I made one last sweep, heading along the east side of the stadium towards the south endzone.  Still no luck as my $700 plus sat lonely in my pocket.  I heard a roar from the crowd and then I heard the muffled echo of Alicia Keyes singing “America the Beautiful” followed by a (military) choir singing the National Anthem. I had turned the corner near the southern endzone, as the booming roar of military flyover sent sonic shockwaves through the air, the earth and my heart.  Reality was setting in.  It was nearly game time and my chances were dwindling fast, but, as an eternal optimist I still held out hope that I could find a reasonable ticket, once the game began.

That road behind that endzone was divided by ‘jersey barriers to accommodate the flow of fans on the inside and flow of vehicles to the outside.  I found a spot where I could see the top two-thirds of the jumbotron when I stood on one of the jersey barriers.  I watched the kickoff from my perch as hopes continued to fade.  A few plays later, as Donovan McNabb fumbled the ball, (later overturned), I felt a tug on my pant leg.  ‘Damn,’ I thought, it’s probably a policeman who wants me to step off the barrier.    I looked down and saw a young guy, early to mid 20’s instead.  “How much ya looking to pay for tickets?” he asked.  Hopes rose!  I thought carefully (for once) and responded, “Well, the game has started, so a few hundred bucks maybe,” I said, almost in the form of a question.  The guy proceeded to tell me that he had been working as a vendor inside the stadium, but was also a bartender at a bar at “The Landing” which was Jacksonville’s festival-like marketplace and a “hopping” place to be if you weren’t at the game.  He explained that expected to make over $1,000 bartending that night and that he’d ‘sell me’ his vendor shirt and credentials for a couple hundred dollars.  SCORE!!!! 

I was a little skeptical about getting through security, after all, it was post 9/11, so I handed him $100 and told him I would ‘palm ‘ him the rest if I felt like I was going to waltz through the first security gate.  I had pulled on the polo shirt, 2 sizes too small by the way, and pulled my windbreaker over it, leaving it unzipped enough to showcase my flashy new teal vendor shirt.  As we got to the gate, I saw several vendors in line ahead of me. My heart raced as I watched them flash their credentials and swiftly passed through security.  I stealthily palmed the ‘bartender’ the rest of his money and got into line.  Five minutes later, I was in the stadium watching the Super Bowl in a damn hotdog vendor uniform!  Even I could NOT believe my own prophetic freakin’ irony!

Notice the guy on far right just after slinging a mini-football

The game was tense and ultimately went the Patriot’s way as they held on to with their 3^rd Super Bowl in 4 years, 24-21.  I soaked it all in, staying through the post-game ceremony before my attention turned to my friends back at the Tailgate Bar, who I ‘d hoped had not left me stranded.  I picked up my pace as I bounded out of the stadium, eager to tell Lou and his buddies my incredible story.  I thought to myself, “damn, they will NEVER believe this!”  As I strolled into the Tailgate Bar, Lou and his friends looked up and just stared at me.  “You got into the game, didn’t you?” Lou asked in disbelief.  I was bursting at the seams, smiling from ear to ear as I ripped open my jacket to reveal my vendor uniform and credentials hanging from a lanyard around my neck that read “STADIUM OPERATIONS” with “Concessions” underneath.  Lou nearly fell off of his chair, literally.

“Hey getcha hotdawgs heyah!”

All 3 sat there, mouths wide open, not believing what they were seeing. “Noooo!” exclaimed Lou in a loud booming voice, “Tell me you didn’t; If you sold  #%&<@# hotdogs to get into that game, I will dance naked on this table right #^$%*$# now!”(Luckily, we never had to see that).   As Lou boomed in amazement, people curiously started coming over to see what the commotion was all about and soon the story quickly got around the bar.  Random people began coming over, excitedly patting me on the back & asking to hear the details, some offering to buy me a beer.  I think I had to retell that story  6 or 7 times as people kept calling over their friends so they could hear the story, too.   

Hard at work!

As we were heading out, Lou must have remembered that we had decided to spend the following day at Disney World because stopped in his tracks and asked, “Hey, you aren’t going to dress as a Mickey Mouse character to get into Disney are you?”  “Don’t tempt me Lou, don’t tempt me…” 

Victory!

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The biggest issue for the Hall of Fame is what constitutes as a Hall of Fame Career.

With the offensive numbers being rethought, is 3,000 hits, or 500 homers a guarantee?

Is it the Hall of Fame (Babe Ruth) or the Hall of Really Good For A Really Long Time (Craig Biggio…eventually)

At what point does the Eye Test give way to Advanced Metrics?

And can advanced metrics really replace the Eye Test?

I mean if you’re not a Hall of Famer the first 14 times you’re eligible…

So the way to fix the Hall of Fame, and I mean EVERY SINGLE Hall of Fame is to create an actual set of rules to define a Hall of Fame Career.

HOW TO DEFINE A HALL OF FAME CAREER

1.  Did you ever have your own video game franchise or were a cover athlete on a Video Game?

If you had your own video game franchise then it stands to reason that you were famous and awesome.  Since it takes a long time to make a game and get the legalities of licensing done, you are probably famous and awesome for some time.

As individual athletes are not getting their own franchises anymore, the cover athlete is the new gauge.  While it can only one per sport game, it’s a good bet to say that if you were the cover athlete then you were a combination of great and famous for a season.  The downside to this is, as it’s a one season thing and they rotate cover athletes you have the opportunity to get a “Peyton Hillis” and not a “Peyton Manning.”

This Game Is Awesome.  Also, Hall of Famer.

In: Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, Tony Parker, Charles Barkeley,

Out: Hillis, Craig Biggio, Larry Johnson

2.  Did friends make rules about not playing as you in a Video Game?

A much forgotten video game, NFL FEVER 2003 got played a lot in my dorm room.  It had a few elements that Madden eventually stole.  But the biggest thing about it was that Marshall Faulk was un-freaking-stoppable.  To the point where it stopped being fun to play against the Rams.  So Paul and I made a rule, either no one could be the Rams, or we both could be.  And so it came to be that nearly every game played in that Dorm Room was Rams vs. Rams.

And let’s not forget that Michael Vick changed an entire video game franchise by being incredible.

In: Bo Jackson, Michael Vick, Marhsall Faulk, Manny Ramirez, Scottie Pippen (NBA Jam), Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Wakefield

Out: Craig Biggio, Toni Kucoc, Vince Young

3.  Would someone reset a draft because the computer took you early?

If you play Madden and claim that you never reset a franchise draft because you got a bad pick, you are a filthy liar.

In: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby,

Out: Any kicker ever

4.  Is your rookie card worth a sum of money greater then $1.00 prior to your election?

It’s pretty simple business.  If you are great then your card has value.

If your rookie card is on EBay and it’s going for 30 cents, you’re not a hall of famer.

If your rookie card was ever part of a give-away on HSN, you’re not a Hall of Famer.

In:

Graded. Asking 1,500.

Out:

My favorite player of all time. Asking 50 cents. He’s not getting it.

5.  Were you ever absolved of a crime, that if you weren’t so good, would have gotten you fired from any other job?

One day we’ll have to explain to our alien overlords that while laws were very important, if it somehow interfered with football, baseball, basketball or the college versions of those sports, we would generally let it slide.

If you ran a gun, drug, crime, murder ring and got away with it, you might be a hall of famer.

Because as a society we find rape disgusting and abhorrent, unless of course there’s a big game in which case it wasn’t actually rape, but a Sherriff that hates my school trying to get over.

In: OJ Simpson, Jameis Winston, Ty Cobb

Out: Sam Hurd, Lenny Dykstra, Elijah Dukes, Rafael Palmeiro

6.  Do people ask your opinion on sports even though you are babbling moron/horrible person/there is no possible way you can explain your greatness to others?

Listen for reason, people seem to think that they can ask Magic Johnson what Iman Shumpert should do in certain situations.  Ever the showman you’ll get a good answer about the game.  But the fact is, there is nothing, NOTHING that Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr can tell a reporter or another athlete.

Is their answer supposed to be “Well in that situation you should just see four moves ahead and let time slow down.”

Because that’s the only thing they can actually say!

The Babbling idiot part doesn’t really come into baseball as there are so many voices that they don’t need ex players, but football?  Sweet Baby Jesus!

Most importantly, you can NOT be a TV guy because of your “dedication”, “Hustle”, or “work ethic.”  Those are all code words for “not that great”, which is WHY you make a great TV guy.

In: Emmitt Smith, Shaq,

Out: John Kruk, Joe Girardi, Ron Darling

7.  What is your Hotient?

This is essentially the Derek Jeter Wing of the Hall Of Fame.

Famous women love famous athletes.  And you can tell a Hall of Fame Career by the ladies he’s been with.

Derek Jeter dated Mariah Carey, when Mariah Carey was still hot, and she may not even be in the top ten of the girls he’s been with.

A-Rod has Kate Hudson and Madonna (Two Golden Globes and an Oscar nominee)

Tony Parker had Eva Longoria.

That’s hall of fame trim for Hall of Fame athletes.

Lamar Odom has the one Kardashian that looked like she drank from the wrong cup of Christ.

Pictured: Khloe Kardashian?

So if you tally the length of your career by the sheer amount of crazy hot women you are with you come up with your Ho Quotient or y0ur “Hotient!”

In: Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady

Out: Lamar Odom, Tony Romo

8.  Were you in a movie, either as yourself or named after a deity?

Ty Cobb was the first athlete to star in  movie.  He was the greatest to ever play ball.  It was all downhill from there.

 

Yeah Barry, your hat size is the same…

In: Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr, Ray Allen

Out: Kevin Elster, Gary Payton

9.  Did you do a shitty local commercial?

Adam Graves was a great hockey player.  When he helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup the sky was the limit.  So what did he do?

Somehow its WORSE in my memory

If you are so good at what you do, that local business will give you a free car just so you can use your celebrite to hock their product, your a Hall of Famer.  If the local business will go nearly broke just to have you, your a Hall of Famer.

And if you are fucking awful in it, to the point where there is no acting coach in the world that could save, that a wooden plank at Lowe’s has more range, that it makes no sense because you’re rich and why the hell would you go to Brooklyn to buy a Volvo…You might just be a Hall of Famer

In: Adam Graves,

Out: Peyton Manning (he’s national)

10.  Did People actually give a shit about you?

This really is the argument against the Advanced Metrics crowd.  Because you can tell me about VORP and Park Adjusted Defense Accumulated Swing and Miss Ration.  You can go on and on about WAR and what it is good for (absolutely nothing).  But the fact remains, no matter how high Craig Biggio’s WAR was, no matter how low Jack Morris’s Innings adjusted, League Inflated, Time Differentialed ERA was, no one, absolutely no one, outside of the women that birthed those guys, gave a shit about them.

Nobody ever said, “Get in the car son, we’ve gotta go see Biggio hit a double!” or “Jack Morris is in town? Well GOOLLLLEEEEY! We’ve gotta see him give up 4 runs in 7 innings before we die!”

And somehow, despite managing 3,000 hits, 500 homeruns and one congressional lie, Rafael Palmiero is a guy that no one, ever, at any time, truly gave two shits about.  That’s impressive.  And That means you’re NOT a hall of Famer, Rafael.

In: Derek Jeter, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza

Out: Craig Biggio, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Rafael Palmeiro

And That’s the point.  Craig Biggio is going to be a Hall Of Famer – FAME – despite not having FAME.  We need to redefine what the word FAME means, or what the Hall is about.  Greatness?  or Goodness?

But if you look up my rules, and you can do well by them, You are absolutely a Hall of Famer!

Tell Carlo what else needs to be a rule: Tweet to @AFR_Sports

Howard to change the fortunes of a franchise.  A player who can create his own shot and score in any manner and who can win a scoring title.  To a rational person he’s a volume scorer who has a brutal playoff record and to whom “defense” is just a theory.

Defense, that’s a deniable theory, just like…

So the question remains; what the heck should the Knicks do with Carmelo Anthony.

Do they trade him? 

That would effectively signal “We’re rebuilding” which in NY is a no-no.

Or worse, it would say “Boy were we wrong.”  And when you screw the pooch on your big free agent signing and then on your big trade, it’s tough

 to admit it.

Do they keep him?

If they keep him, and therefore extend him, they’ll be stuck paying max dollars over max years to a player who is only going to get worse and will be in his Mid-Thirties by the end.

Keeping him would mean that they need to bring in help, so they would have to wait out Amar’e to get his money off the books (any trade of him will likely get a worse contract back).  So then you’re wasting TWO years of your franchise players end prime.

Knicks fans need to face reality.  With Carmelo Anthony this team is going nowhere.  Due to terrible management, coaching, discipline and play the Knicks will not contend this year (they were never real contenders last year either), next year and unless there’s a crazy shakeup (Aliens abduct the Pacers and Lebron Decides to become a Mennonite) they won’t be real contenders in 2016 either.

And let’s make it clear, Carmelo knows this too.

So if keeping your star means you aren’t a contender for the rest of the Obama administration, you should probably think long and hard about trading him.  You can’t let your best player walk away for nothing.

Trading for Melo is tricky though.  The Knicks would need draft picks and either a young controllable star, or a nice expiring contract.

There are only three teams that make any sense to take Melo.

Chicago – which waved bye-bye to trading for Melo after making the Deng trade.

LA Clippers – which is the hip destination and they have some pieces.  Though it begs to ask, why would Doc Rivers go to LA only to try to move their most marketable star in 6 months?

LA Lakers – This is the city that Melo wants.  Melo is the star that LA needs.  LA may not have the draft picks that would make the Knicks swoon, but they do have an expiring contract that they can’t wait to get rid of and a desperate need for a second star once Kobe heads off to the glue factory.

And what’s better – This trade makes sense and can work!

If the Lakers add 2 picks, the Knicks can make out like bandits.  They can rebuild through the draft, plus have Gasol’s 19 million and Amare’s 21 million off in successive seasons.  Even if you assume that LA will be a decent to good team and that the picks will be mid-rounders, you can add to the (presumably) high picks the Knicks will get on account of their the Knicks and either package those picks for some talent (Kevin Love) or you can build an actual team.  Then with the money you have, you can buy a lot of talent.

Or you know, you can keep Melo, never make it out of the second round, and keep deluding yourself that if “he only had another star then he wouldn’t shoot as much.”

I’d make the smart business decision.

Oh crap, James Dolan is involved…

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Then Rogan interviewed Georges, and he dropped the huge retirement bomb on everyone. At that moment I felt a whirlwind of emotions tearing through my body. On the one hand I was watching one of the most dominant fighters in the history of MMA saying it was his time to step away for awhile. On the other hand I was outraged that I would not get to see an immediate rematch, which I feel Hendricks more than earned. Then I started thinking about all the possibilities that could arise from the champ vacating his title and stepping away for some time to sort his personal issues out and heal up.

The first thought that popped into my head was a tournament to determine the new champion. With fighters like Hendricks, Condit, MacDonald, Lawler, Story, Brown, Ellenberger, Maia, Shields, Lombard and Woodley all chasing the welterweight gold a tournament seems the only logical way to go. If you put any two of those fighters against each other, except maybe Shields, you have the makings for fight of the night every time. I think that if GSP does decide to retire, or step away for any length of time, this tournament could be the best way to settle who the new king of the division is. I really think that right now Tyron Woodley is currently the dark horse of this division, and his mauling of Josh Koscheck did not surprise me in the least. I really think Woodley is about to hit his stride and make some pretty big waves in the upcoming months.

Although if the UFC decides not to go the route of the tournament, I would at least hope that Hendricks would be offered a spot in the title match. A five round rematch with Carlos Condit would be very interesting, especially considering more than a few people feel Condit won their match. That is assuming Condit can get past Matt Brown in their upcoming match. Even Brown and Hendricks would make for fireworks. A brawl pitting Hendricks against Lawler would definitely ensure that an entire crowd would be on its feet.

However, this is all pure speculation on my part, and we won’t have any definitive answers for a few months at least. Georges needs to take this time off, clear his head and figure out what he wants to do next. GSP has numerous possibilities waiting for him, fighting is not the only thing the world has to offer him, and if he truly feels his time is up, I would rather see him go out on his own terms, on a big win, even if it was a bit controversial and I scored it for the other fighter.

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In today’s MLB, players come and go.  Gone are the days when most of the star players play for one team throughout their careers.  That is why those players tend to become revered as iconic ambassadors for their team and its city, much more frequently and passionately than those players who are more transient.  Admittedly, I am more of a traditionalist who values such characteristics as loyalty and passion when it comes to sports and quite frankly, in life in general.  Whether it’s coaching, playing or my business career, these qualities are high on my list.  In today’s professional sports, loyalty is sorely lacking from both athlete and owner, but we all know that loyalty truly cuts both ways.  Unfortunately, sports are a microcosm of life and that same loyalty is lacking in today’s society, too, as many of us have found out the hard way.  Perhaps that’s why I admire and respect loyalty so much from today’s professional athletes, especially when a player opts for loyalty and stability and forgoes a bigger payday. (see Tom Brady)  After all, how much money is enough?  I mean, the average MLB salary in 2012 was $3.2 million, which is more than the average person will make in their lifetime.

Getting back to Jacoby Ellsbury, I think the vast majority of Red Sox Nation wants Ellsbury to stay in Boston.  He is a catalyst and a star who already owns a handful of Red Sox records.  The odds are against him opting for a ‘home town discount’ because that is not his agent’s style.  Scott Boras, Ellsbury’s agent, has a reputation of delivering his players the huge bucks, no matter what the cost, the player’s soul included!   But I am hoping that Jacoby is amongst those players who realize that their place in this game far out lasts their dollar value when it is all said and done!  That’s why I think his place is with the Red Sox, long term.  His accumulated ‘historic’ value with one team over his career will be much richer than those same values spread out over two or three teams.  We’re talking baseball values here, not monetary value.  And I believe every ballplayer dreams of being revered, now and well after they retire.  Jacoby’s best shot is to remain in Boston for a long, long time!

So, with that, I send out my ‘Top Ten Reasons to Stay in Boston” to Jacoby Ellsbury!

10) You were drafted by the Red Sox and have grown up in the organization, from day one!  It’s in your blood, that Red Sox red blood runs through you now and forever!

9) Where better for a Native American to play than in Massachusetts, the birthplace of Thanksgiving and the most historic coming together of Native Americans & Pilgrims.

8) Oh and the team once had a cryptic nickname back in 1907, Pilgrims, so there’s that whole Native American-Pilgrim tie again!

7) Boston fans have pushed your jersey sales into top 20 of MLB in recent years, now that’s love!  Plus, we know what SPARQ is!

6) Your wife Kelsey has a deep, emotional bond with Boston, having  run the Boston Marathon, ‘nuff said! #BostonStrong

5) You are a season or two from passing Harry Hooper as the All-Time Red Sox leader in stolen bases (300) which has stood since 1920 and eventually you could double that record WHEN you finish your career in Boston!   WOW!  Can you say LEGACY?

4) Legends, Iconic Legends, rarely split their career down the middle with more than one team. #RedSox #Yaz #TeddyBallgame #JimRice

3) How will you ever learn to dip without your buddy Pedey?

http://screen.yahoo.com/sports-friends-jacoby-ellsbury-dustin-182911178.html

2) Do you remember catching that FEVER BACK when you were playing in the Cape League and you came to Fenway Park? Remember how that energy captivated you so much that you began wearing your Sox hat back in Oregon, before you were even drafted, especially during games as the Sox mounted an comeback in the ALCS against the Yankees on the way to their first World Series in 86 years?  Well dude, that makes you a lifer, it’s in your blood!  And that means you’ve been a part of the Red Sox family for three World Series and will be for life!

1) Because there are no redo’s in baseball or life!  You may think the grass is greener, you might think you can get a little more money, you might hope that you can put up star numbers elsewhere and you might believe you can win elsewhere…and finally, you may long to be as appreciated and loved by a new fan base, but in truth, the odds are long and there is no turning back the clock once you’re gone!  At the end of the day, when we’ve reached the late innings of our lives, one of the things that matters most are the footprints of our lives.  Did we live our lives with integrity and trueness to our ideals free of regret?  If so, then respect follows! …or did we sell out under a false blanket of “respect” or “peer status” born out of instant gratification?   Unlike the misguided interpretation of the word “respect” perpetuated by greedy agents that equates respect to money, society does not share that same interpretation.  Respect is and always will be about VALUES, not MONEY and must be earned, not handed over on payday!

Jacoby, maybe this is the moment, here and now, that you may wish that you could go back to someday, in order to make a different choice.  Use that moment now, to look at the bigger picture, as if you have come back in time and have a second chance to weigh your decision to stay in Boston or to follow the herd and pursue the dollar over stability, loyalty and integrity!  It’s your legacy, only you get to write it…how will you ‘right’ it?

Here’s to hoping that you, Jacoby, can take a step back and truly evaluate what’s best for you, your career and your lasting legacy.  You have been a solid role model for so many young athletes because of the way you play the game and because of your character and passion.  You can be an even bigger role model to young and not so young, by shunning instant gratification and instead, light SPARQ by following your true values!

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They have handled the general trials of a football season with all the grace of a fat idiot with a limited vocabulary trying to explain the human condition.

Somebody say my  name?

From MRSA, to the leaks coming out of the locker room about Josh Freeman, to handling of Josh Freeman, to the whole team just being a farce, the Bucs have been lousy.  When a team is that lousy it, and the locker room is in disarray it falls on the head coach.

Greg Schiano.

And Greg Schiano is not a good NFL Head Coach.

Without  getting to much into pop-psychology it seems that Greg Schiano hasn’t quite figured out that the nonsense that works at Mid-Level University football programs doesn’t translate to the NFL, where you are dealing withHow can I sow disharmony today? players who make WAAAAAYYYY more than him and the cult of personality that college coaches have doesn’t matter.

Greg Schiano will most likely be fired.  And with good reason.

But we’ll be seeing more of Greg Schiano.  First in college, and then again in the NFL.

There’s one reason.  It has not nothing to do with football acumen.

Greg Schiano looks the part.

How can I sow disharmony today?

You may think it sounds ridiculous, but it matters.

It matters a lot.

Hollywood movie casting is entirely about the look.  Pro Wrestling is entirely about the look.

And When you go on a job interview, you dress real nice like.

Would you hire a guy dressed like this as your Dentist?

No. You would not.

He doesn’t look the part.

It’s all about the look.

So after Greg Schiano gets canned, he’s going to be looking for work at some point.

He’ll go to another college, get a job and then in just a few seasons, there will be an opening in the NFL.

They’ll need a tough coach, an owners coach, not a players coach.

And then right out of central casting, a square jawed, thick set,  tanned, slightly greying at the temples disciplinarian will walk through the door.

He’ll impress the GM and owner.

He’ll get the job.

Like in any business, you want to dress for the job you want.

Greg Schiano just looks like a head coach.

Any knucklehead can learn plays and schemes.  That’s not a coach.

A coach has to have Charisma.

Charisma counts.  A head coach is nothing but charisma.

For Greg Schiano, that might just be all that matters.

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Johnny Hendricks will be walking into this title fight with extreme confidence in his powerful left hand. He truly believes that his wrestling pedigree is enough to negate the champion’s attempts to drag this fight to the ground. The only problem is, Hendricks is not the first elite level wrestler GSP has gone up against, and he took them down at will. Hendricks has been compared to Chuck Liddell in that he uses his wrestling to keep the fight standing and has the kind of KO power that will put anyone he touches to sleep. Again, Hendricks faces a man who is notorious for being elusive and extremely frustrating for strikers. GSP is a master at sticking to the outside and utilizing his jab and kicks to dance around his opposition and wear them down to nothing. No matter the outcome, this fight promises to be explosive.

In his last few outings Rashad Evans has not looked like his former self. He has been lackluster in his three previous fights, one of them a loss to Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. It is no secret that Rashad has gone fought through some personal demons of late, and it’s like you can almost see the toll it’s taken on him; although it really is hard to criticize the former champion when he walks around with an 18-3-1 record. Despite his recent performances in the octagon, Rashad better hope his head is on straight because he will be facing off against Chael Sonnen. Sonnen is no joke, and aside from his lopsided loss to Jon Jones earlier this year Sonnen is a solid competitor who is always game. Chael will look to use his superior wrestling to keep Rashad down and wear him out. Both fighters are looking to build a streak of wins, but I have to say that Sonnen seems to be the hotter, more focused fighter right now.

Many in the MMA world are calling Rory MacDonald the next big thing in the welterweight division. The only problem I see with that is MacDonald is a regular training partner of GSP, and both fighters have previously said they would not fight each other. If GSP can stop Hendricks and MacDonald can stop Lawler that could complicate the title picture a bit. However, Lawler will not go down without a fight, and fight he will. Lawler burst back onto the UFC scene after Strikeforce and its roster were bought out by the UFC. His aggression and fearless style could pose some serious problems for MacDonald. Lawler has raw power in both hands, and if he can get past MacDonald’s reach it could be a quick night for both fighters.


 

Then there is the debut of UFC’s lightweight champion’s younger brother, Sergio Pettis. Sergio has torn through all of his competition thus far and feels he is ready to step up to the big leagues. I am extremely excited to watch this young fighter’s debut. He has talent and potential galore. With the bantamweight division at a sort of crossroads with Champion Dominick Cruz and interim champion Renan Barao set to face off on Superbowl weekend he is poised to make some waves. The bantamweight division is full of elite fighters all jostling for position. It may be too early to through him to the wolves, but I cannot wait for him to step up against the likes of Urijah Faber, Eddie Wineland and Yuri Alcantara. At just twenty years old, the sky really is the limit for this young man.

This past Saturday Vitor Belfort did the impossible, the unthinkable. He finished Dan Henderson with strikes in the first round. It was a thing of beauty, truly, as have the past three stunning finishes he has scored since losing to Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. The only thing stopping Vitor’s recent resurgence has been his role regarding TRT. After his crushing first round loss to Anderson Silva Vitor has been fighting like a man possessed. The only question is, is his aggression and highlight reel knockouts linked directly to TRT? In a recent interview Belfort stated that he feels he deserves a title shot, and if he had to fight in the US, where he is not allowed the benefit of TRT due to previous steroid issues, he would be willing to fight without the TRT. Which begs the question, if you feel you can fight without the TRT, then why are you using it at all? In general TRT seems like a controversial loophole at best. At worst it’s a legal way to cheat the system and gain an unfair advantage in a combative sport. In my opinion all of Belfort’s recent wins should come with a permanent asterisk. It seems, however, that Belfort will face the winner of Weidman Silva II.

Aside from my distrust of all things TRT, this Saturday’s card was incredible. Not only did it boast amazing fights with fantastic finishes, it showcased a new class of viable contenders for the middleweight and welterweight divisions. The two welterweights to keep an eye on are Brandon Thatch and Ryan LaFlare. They both won in impressive fashion, and look to be like a real handful for any of the elite in that division. In the middleweight division Omari Akhmedov, Cezar Ferreira and Daniel Sarafian all looked impressive. I believe it’s a safe assumption that these three young fighters could very well play a huge role in shaping the new direction of the middleweight division. Akhmedov, in particular, was impressive in his win. He seems to be just the latest of this new batch of dominant fighters from Russia. Could we be seeing a shift in the MMA landscape? Only time will tell.


 

Tell us what you think: Tweet to @AFR_Sports

In the days leading up to Game 6 against the Cardinals, I had a conversation with Red Sox Chairman, Tom Werner via email. Making light of the Red Sox incredible journey, I joked that he (Werner) of all people knew that if someone had brought this script to Hollywood, they’d have laughed and dismissed it for being to hokey and unbelievable. For those who are not aware, prior to Tom Werner becoming a team owner in 1990, he had built a career as a highly respected and successful Television Executive. Werner was largely responsible for developing such shows as “Mork & Mindy,” “Bosom Buddies,” “Taxi” & “Soap,” in essence, playing a significant role in launching the careers of Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal. Oh, and he was also Executive Producer of “The Cosby Show.” Tom Werner was no stranger to such scripts!

On the eve of the impending Game 6, I wished him luck and stealthily congratulated him for being one step away from being part of one of the most historic turnarounds in baseball history. “It is still one more hill to climb,” he began, “but I think there is enough magic in their tank to close it out!”

MAGICAL! Werner hit the nail on the head! That was the perfect way to describe the plot twists, turns & the dramatic events that brought this team and Red Sox Nation to the threshold of glory! Perhaps this season was truly driven by some mystical destiny and influence; Much like when Ray Kinsella explained to Terrance Mann in ‘Field of Dreams’ about the voices in the cornfield and subsequent spiritual chain of events, by rationalizing that “there comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens itself up a few seconds to show you what’s possible.” No one could have expected a miracle after the Red Sox fell from grace in 2011 & 2012 when they plummeted to last place with 93 losses. Nor could they have expected one when they subsequently jettisoned $170 million in payroll to create roster and cash flexibility only to totally stump the media by not signing either of the top two available impact Free Agents. But a miracle did indeed happen! For sure, the stars had aligned, the cosmic tumblers had clicked into place for this season, this organization, this team and the result was a rebirth of charmed glory! All that was missing was recurring sighting of an apparition in the form of Ted Williams, emerging from the shadows of the Green Monster as he strutted to home plate to hit a pinch-hit, walk-off homerun!

“Go the Distance!” With one more victory, that is what the 2013 Red Sox were trying to accomplish! To go the distance, from worst to first, to go the distance from a battered city to city in healing, this team was poised to capture it all. During this improbable season they’d already captured our imagination and our hearts & now they were poised to capture the ultimate baseball prize, the World Series Championship! Was there enough magic left in the tank, as Werner had hoped for? A Nation waited!

One night later, on October 30, 2013, we had our answer! YES, there was indeed more than enough magic in the moonlight & in their tanks to conjure up one more win, capturing another fairy-tale championship for Boston, the city that this team has been instrumental in helping to heal!

This was indeed one of the most magical, improbable journeys in sports history! From the “worst to first” angle, to the “under the radar, off-season signings of players like Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew, David Ross and Koji Uehara, to the Marathon bombings and the subsequent bonding of a team to the city, it is nearly impossible to rationally comprehend the all that has happened and the ensuing results of the journey that we just experienced. This doesn’t happen in real life, this only happens in the movies. It is like combining ‘Rocky,’ ‘Miracle,’ ‘Field of Dreams,’ ‘The Natural’ and ‘We Are Marshall’ into one movie under the pretext that it was based on a true story! Like

I mentioned earlier, Hollywood would have rejected this script for its lack of believability and corniness. That is what makes this season and this Championship so special. This team broke all the rules of predictability & probability and through their grit and heart, not only won a championship and the hearts of their fans, but they connected with a wounded city like never before, playing a large role in their healing process.

This season was a perfect storm of karma, emotion, talent and a bit of magic, coming together to turn the impossible into the possible. The hiring of John Farrell; not signing Josh Hamilton or Zack Greinke in the off-season but instead signing Victorino, Napoli, Gomes, Drew, Ross, Koji and company; the Marathon Bombings; Big Papi missing the first three weeks of the season, then finally making his 2013 debut in the first home game after the bombings where his rousing, defiant pre-game speech epitomized the Boston spirit and helped ignite the healing process; Gomes and Nava leading an emotional comeback late in that same game to figuratively and literally flex their Boston Strong muscles; walk-offs; the beards; High Five City; and finally, the unwavering belief in each other were, individually, nothing special, but together, created a cosmic snowball of success for the 2013 Red Sox that culminated in their World Series victory!

This is HIS Fucking city

Immediately after the Game 6 ended, I sent Werner a congratulatory email, to which he replied, “Thank you…It really was a magical season.” There it was again! Magical! After such an incredible journey, many of us in Red Sox Nation undoubtedly looked skyward, as if looking up to let our departed Red Sox family know that ‘this was for them,’ hoping that in someway it could “ease their pain” from never having witnessed a Red Sox Championship themselves. But maybe it wasn’t their pain this time.

Do you remember the ironic twist at the end of “Field of Dreams” when Shoeless Joe Jackson corrects Ray Kinsella who mistakenly thought the reason for all the cosmic karma was to ease Ray’s father’s pain? Well, perhaps we too were mistaken and in the end, it was our own dear departed loved ones that were responsible for clicking those cosmic tumblers in to place in order to ease our pain and the pain of a city, a region and a Nation! Just maybe…

 I didn’t have the strength to put the “want to have a catch” scene.

Whether you believe that there was something a little magical or cosmic about this season or not, it does not change the incredible, inescapably emotional experience that was the 2013 Red Sox season! The character of this 2013 Red Sox team, mirrored the city and region for which they represent; Tenacious, Resilient, Unity! TRU Boston Strong, TRU Red Sox, TRU Champions!

Thank you Boston Red Sox for giving us the ride of a lifetime! …and thank you to our departed Red Sox family (Dad, Mom, Grandpa, etc) for clicking those cosmic tumblers in to place.

Tell Jimmy Derochea what you think: Tweet to @jimderochea

These are Jimmy’s Seats.  It’s his world.  He just live in it.

Before I explain why, let me back up for a moment to put some perspective and definition around the kind of impactful moments that ultimately define our fanaticism and sometimes, who we are. I have been lucky enough to have witnessed so many incredible and historic baseball games and other sporting events in general in my lifetime.   And more so, I have been lucky enough to experience surreal, indelible moments that transcend the game itself.  You see, beyond the elation or heartache of the game’s outcome, there are these rare hidden gems of emotion, feelings and experiences that strike us unexpectedly and forever affect us, emotionally and sometimes spiritually.  These moments can affirm you, lock you in as a card-carrying, full-fledged baseball fanatic for life because they provide the vehicle for those moments. They become a part of you. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience these kind of moments, you know what I am talking about.  Whether getting caught up in an unexpected, surreal sports moment or witnessing baseball history & sharing an emotional bond with your father, son, daughter or friends, these moments touch you deeply and stay with you forever.

I was at Fenway for a playoff game in each the ALDS and ALCS.  Besides experiencing that incredible swarm of electricity that buzzes through ballparks like Fenway during the playoffs, there was something else that captivated me at those games, giving me chills and leaving one of those indelible marks on me.  It involves a now recurring event that started earlier this year and has caught fire in during playoff games at Fenway Park each time that Shane Victorino strides to the plate.  It was that same electric moment that a national TV audience witnessed as Victorino came to the plate before smacking his ALCS clinching Grand Slam against the Tigers that sent my emotions flashing back to when I first experienced 38,000 fans belting out,  “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing, gonna be all right”  when Victorino came to bat. Not because we’ve never heard the entire Fenway crowd singing in unison, I mean, they do it every game when they belt out “Sweet Caroline” after the top of the 8^th inning, but because of it’s polysemantic meaning for the people of Boston.

The Red Sox can’t help but to be linked to the Boston Marathon bombings by proxy because of the traditions surrounding the annual “Patriot’s Day” Game.  Patriot’s Day is a local Boston Holiday where the Sox annually begin play at the odd time of 11am to allow for fans to scurry out at games end and catch a glimpse of the runners just a block away from the park, as they race the last mile towards the finish line.  And they are tied to it because of their response when they returned home for the first time after the bombings and how their play embodied the strength and resilience of the town they play for.   And there is no doubt, that made a conscious decision when he chose that song. The lyrics are purposefully and dually emblematic of his personality and of his message to Bostonians.   It is his anthem and also his message of support and encouragement to the people of Boston after the tragedy surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings.  And by singing it loud & clear each time Shane comes to bat is Boston’s way of thanking Victorino for the gesture and more importantly, it’s Boston’s way of announcing to the world that despite those tragic events, “every little thing, Gonna be alright!” That’s what makes it so special.  That’s what sent a bolt of shivering tingles up and down my spine the first time I witnessed it in person.  It’s symbolically bigger than the game of baseball.  It’s about life and persevering!   Long after this season is over, that surreal, electric moment of hearing 38,000 fans belt out to the world that every thing is going to be ok, will stick with me forever!  Forever!!!

Tell Jimmy Derochea what you think: Tweet to @jimderochea

BOOM!

The quarterback gets taken down.

Hard.

Something like this.

 He doesn’t get up.  He’s grabbing his throwing shoulder.  It doesn’t look good.

A few minutes later, through the magic of technology, and the fact that no one can keep their mouths shut word gets out.

Torn Labrum.

Out For Season.

 And there’s an Ambulance Driver wanted for Manslaughter

You turn to your backup quarterback.  The guy who’s there for just such an emergency.

The guy you are paying to BACK UP the starter.

And what happens as soon as the game is over?

You start looking for someone to replace the backup.

Such is the case for the St. Louis Rams and Kellen Clemens.

But it’s sort of a league wide issue.

I’ve talked before about sunk cost theory (short read: whatever you’ve paid in the past has no bearing on what you expect in the future.)

But cases like this transcend that theory, because the moment the person who is given the opportunity to perform the job that he is paid to do, you take the job away from him!

When Sam Bradford went out, St. Louis, in their infinite wisdom, contacted Bret Favre.

800 year old, hasn’t played in years, Bret Favre.

What the heck is going on!?

When you are an NFL GM you have a limited budget to work with, and a guy who, in a perfect world, never plays for you, isn’t the highest priority.  You still have to have some faith.

If you have no faith in the guy you employ, then he shouldn’t be employed by you.

I understand that Kellen Clemens is not a very good quarterback.  I understand that Kellen Clemens is not a very good 2nd Quarterback.  I’m a Jets fan, I saw it.  I get it.

But what I don’t get is, if the moment you NEED Kellen Clemens you do everything in your power to not use him…

THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU PAYING KELLEN CLEMENS!

And yes, I understand that St. Louis has no 3rd QB on their roster.

But you don’t call Bret Favre to come out of retirement to backup the guy who backed him up on the Jets in 2008.

As a manager, if you never entertained the thought of “Gee, how the heck am I going to react if Kellen Clemens becomes my starter” then you have failed as a manager.  Because if you asked yourself that, then you wouldn’t be scouring the scrap heap for someone else.

Trading for a QB is separate issue, in this case.  As it’s right before the deadline, you might be able to pry another backup from a different team that has had some more success or has worked with your OC.  But that is potentially a future investment, where you believe there is a chance of success and y0u might be able to re-sign or keep him.

However, when you are faced with a situation, that again, you are completely prepared for, and you think the best course of action is find a guy who isn’t playing to play for you, you are making it clear that you are not going to compete.

And you have failed as a manager.

Just ask Josh Freeman how easy it is to learn a new offense in 2 weeks.

You are doing your team a disservice.  The Backup has been working with the team and has some sort of rapport.  And again, this is the sole purpose of his existence on your team.  Now you’re telling the team, hey, all the work you did?  Screw you.

If you don’t want Clemens, and plan on trading for Jason Campbell, then SIGN JASON CAMPBELL.

While Campbell may have a higher price tag (again this is the Theory of Jason Campbell), you won’t have to go out and sign the guy after paying someone else to do the job you want him to do!

People hammered the Washington Monuments when they drafted Kirk Cousins after RGIII.  But they were right.  Not only because RGIII got hurt, but because the guy they trust to run the offense should Griffen get hurt, is the guy the have to run the offense should Griffen get hurt.

It’s why you pair young qb’s with veterans.  It’s why you pair veterans with a  young pair of legs.  So that you continue on.

Bottom line, when you desperately try to replace your now starting backup, you have paid someone for a job you don’t want them to do.

Because if Kellen Clemens can’t lead an offense, that’s fine.

But someone who thinks that, hired him.

That’s not on Kellen Clemens.  That’s on management.

Rams fans? Talk to me! Tweet to @AFR_Sports