Premature celebration

I used all day Sunday to try and calm down from the rage that ensued on Saturday afternoon while I was watched the Oklahoma State - Texas A&M football game. As glad as I was to see the Pokes actually hold on for a much needed victory, I could not help but turn the channel with such a bad taste in my mouth. If you didn't watch the game you probably are thinking I am 100% crazy so I will describe the situation for you in detail. It was in the 3rd quarter and OSU was losing yet driving for a much needed score. Justin Blackmon, quite possibly the best receiver the in country, had been complaining all game due to a lack of catches and receiving yards. He got his opportunity to make a play and as he was running uncontested into the opponents endzone he held the ball with one hand and started to celebrate prematurely. Well, as hard to believe as this sounds it is actually true, the ball hit his leg and he fumbled it into and out of the back of the endzone causing a touchback and loss of the ball to A&M. Undoubtedly the most embarrassing celebration play I have ever seen on a football field. Luckily OSU played well the rest of the game and held on to a narrow margin for victory.

Lets examine Justin's mindset. What the hell happened to holding the ball with two hands or at least in the appropriate football position and running over the goal line waiting to celebrate until the touchdown had been confirmed on the field. Now I am not saying players shouldn't get excited when they score but give me a break, enough of the showboating and bragging. If I were a referee on that field I would have thrown a flag on that play for unsportsmanlike conduct just because he was TRYING to showboat.

This should be a lesson to all you kids out there who watch and admire college players. Be the guy who's play speaks for itself on the field. You can do all the bragging you want in the locker room and back at home but there is no place for it on the college field. Instead be like the great OSU Heisman trophy winning RB Barry Sanders who even when he was in the NFL would graciously hand the ball to the referee after he scored a touchdown. Humility makes you an MVP.

Here is a shutout to head coach Gundy, you should make Justin Blackmon carry a girls backpack around campus this week so he never forgets what an idiot he made of himself.

Click on the link to check out the video clip.
http://newsok.com/justin-blackmons-goal-line-fumble-an-embarrassing-situation/article/3607489?custom_click=headlines_widget

NFL Success

Finally a success story from the NFL that envolves a player retiring and actually making wise decisions with money and his career. Jason Wright, special teams captain for the Arizona Cardinals, had money and was a few pen strokes away from being able to provide for his grandchildren someday. Instead he and his wife decided to walk away from the game in order to reach his goal of helping inner city and underprivileged youth in and around the Chicago area.

Jason is no dummie, he received a scholarship to the U of Chicago to pursue an MBA, which puts him in elite company to begin with. He and his wife understood that the only reason to keep playing football was to achieve more fame and fortune, not a eternal goal. His motivation came from a higher calling and was rooted in making sure others have the same opportunities that he had as a child and student.

I applaud Jason and his wife for their decision. I know it must have been tough to walk away from the money and from a sport that he has dedicated more than half of his life to. That makes the story that much more special.

The NFL should be applauding this guy and have him come talk to all incoming players at the Rookie Symposium  Players and fans hear too much about ex players with money problems. Just last week we read that a defensive back from the Ravens was completely broke and living at home with his parents after he had squandered ALL of his $45 million dollar career earnings.

To wrap this up, Jason is a true source of inspiration for those of us that battle to do the right things in life and are called away by a true conviction. GOD SPEED SIR.

App yourself.

Apps are not limited to brands only. Ask Kelvin Taylor, son of famous NFL running back Fred Taylor. Kelvin is a junior in high school and one of the top rated RB's looking to land a coveted scholarship at a football powerhouse. Instead of sending out videos of his play he and his dad teamed with a development company out of Florida to create a smartphone app that chronicles his fast-rising football career.

Kelvin's app is only available for the Andriod market but word on the street is that the iPhone app is coming soon. For a kid with a famous dad and some football skill he has seen a quick rise in the social media sphere. Since the app went to market two weeks ago, he has more than 180 downloads. That is more hits than I get in 2 months on my blog.

I see this personal app as the wave of the future. Gone are the days of personal resumes after graduating college. Now recruiters will be searching the iTunes store trying to find the next best tallent shown through user experience.

These guys crack me up

I know this is just a a web series for DirectTV but I wanted to go on record and say that I would not only watch this show if it were made into a mainstream TV series but I would DVR it if I thought there was a chance I may miss one episode.
This is the first chance I have had of watching Eli act but obviously he has it in his blood. His brother, Peyton, is the funniest athlete endorsers and one of my favorite hosts on Saturday Night Live. I believe to this day that if he weren't one of the best QB's to ever play in the NFL he would definitely have a career in Hollywood.

The only way I can sum this up is I WANT MORE FOOTBALL COPS.

A haircut unlike any other

You want to see some team spirit from an NBA star? How does shaving the entire logo in your head sound? That is exactly what Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies did this past week. And I think it is working because they are making child's play of the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs who look a lot more like a bunch of grandpa's past their championship run prime.

My only question is how long will the glitter stay in his hair?

On the sweetness scale I give it a 8-10. Props goes to the barber who executed this magical design.

By the way, Tony Allen is a Ok-State grad. GO POKES.

How can you not love Gus Johnson

Just a quick note to CBS. It is not your fault that the title game lacked all the hype that it was built up to be. Who would have known that Butler wouldn't be able to hit a shot even if the rim was as wide as a hula hoop, but something has got to give with the announcers. Most notably, Mr. Jim Nantz. Now I love me some Jim Nantz, he has been a staple of sports broadcasting since I can remember but his voice is now best suited for golf. Nothing beats hearing him make the call of Phil Mickelson walking up the 18th fairway to win his first Masters golf tournament. I get chills when I think about it.

So, let Jim own the fairway chatter and give all the basketball announcing duties to my main man Mr. Gus Johnson. He is what makes the tournament great and the reason why I watch "one shinning moment" every year. His enthusiasm for the game is rivaled by none and his eloquent word choice is priceless.

With that being said, I would like to start a petition to make sure Gus Johnson is announcing the 2012 NCAA National Championship game. Even he could make a chess match exciting to watch.

Below are a few great clips from Gus. Hope you enjoy.



http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/03/25/gus-johnson-calls-the-greatest-moments-in-history-video/

Thoughts on the NBA Dunk Contest

I remember as a young child begging my parents to let me go over to my friends house to watch the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. That was a time when the dunks were original and you had the likes of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins competing for the title with outrageous feats of talent.

These days the Slam Dunk contest has become so over-hyped and planned that I just wait for the top ten on Sportscenter to see who was crowned champion. But this year we as fans saw something that has never been done before. No, I'm not talking about an amazing dunk but rather a planned contest that included the making of a commercial during the final round. Blake Griffins dunk over a Kia was planned from the get go. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing to see such an athlete with such freakish skills jump over a car and dunk a basketball. That was awesome but the staging of it turns me off. Why call it a contest when we all know that he HAD to win. It's not like they just found a car in the Staples Center and decided to use it as a prop. Also, don't you think that if Blake was going to jump over a car of his choice it would probably not be a KIA. Come on, he can afford better.

Looking at it from a marketing and branding perspective, this was genius. For many people who are naive to marketing and advertising, this seemed like a crazy stunt and nothing like a future car commercial. What a great way for KIA to advertise directly to a captivated audience and get tons of brand mentions while not actually sponsoring the event, although I am sure they had to negotiate some financial deal with the NBA.

As a fan of the NBA and sports in general, I am concerned that we are giving to much power to brands while taking away from the authenticity of sports. I know it was just an All-Star event and those are publicity stunts to begin with but where does the brand pushing stop? There needs to be a line drawn for the sake of the sport. This stunt most likely won't turn away the casual NBA fan but those purists may see the NBA in a different light after this past weekend. And for that the NBA should be concerned.

If you haven't seen the commercial here it is.