Bill Ford Jr. puts Lions players on notice

After Jim Schwartz had a mouthful to say about the off field troubles of a few Detroit Lions players, Bill Ford Jr. got in on the act. For those who aren't familiar with Ford Jr. he was the one who basically greased the skids for Matt Millen to be fired since his father (William Clay Ford) was hesitant to do so.

Ford Jr. went on WJR in Detroit to express his disappointment with the players involved in legal troubles this offseason. He didn't call out any names but everyone knew who the message went out to. Nick Fairley, Titus Young, and Mikel Leshoure, consider yourselves to be put on notice. Never a good thing when the top brass calls you out.

“Unfortunately it’s just a couple guys who are just tainting our whole image,” Ford said. “There’s no question, some of our young guys better get their act together because that’s not the way you become a professional. The good news is we’ve got some great veteran leadership on our team that are great guys and can set the tone and I suspect it’s going to be those veterans who are really going to get these guys back in line.”


Either the players need to fall in line under Schwartz or the Lions need some swift locker room justice. Remember that commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't wielded his mighty hammer regarding the off field issues. The Lions need the youngsters to march in step with the others before a promising season can possibly be derailed before it begins.

Warren Sapp staying with the NFL Network

After months of rumors swirling about being unemployed, Warren Sapp will be staying with the NFL Network for at least another year.


In revealing the move publicly for the first time, NFLN executive producer Eric Weinberger tells USA Today Sports that "this is probably going to be news to some blogs and articles out there who've said his time is up here, but we picked up an option year on his contract." Sapp's on-air duties, including working NFLN's Sunday pregame show, will remain essentially the same.  


Sapp was dumped by Showtime's Inside the NFL and filed for bankruptcy. He also has his book coming out so things might be looking up for Sapp.

Hopefully that TV judge show doesn't ever get off the ground and he doesn't give us any reports from anonymous sources.

Jeremy Lin owns Linsanity

If Jeremy Lin can continue his meteoric rise in the NBA he'll get paid in more ways than one.

Lin now owns the rights to the term, phrase or whatever you want to call it, "Linsanity". The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registered the term for Lin after he filed for it in February.

It's obvious that someone close to Lin was on to something after Lin became the hottest name in the NBA after the New York Knicks put him in the starting lineup. Anyone wishing to use the "Linsanity" term will have to go through Lin or his representatives.a

If he can keep up his stellar play he stands to get paid.

Michigan football commit threatens Ohio State fans

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has started to take form on the recruiting trail. Over the holiday weekend Michigan recruit Logan Tuley-Tillman  lit a recruiting letter from Ohio State on fire.

Buckeye nation didn't take too kindly to Tuley-Tillman's actions and responded by making alleged death threats to Tillman.

Michigan commit Kyle Bosch has jumped into the fire feet first by coming to Tillman's defense as he lashed back at Ohio State "fans" and made a threat of his own on Twitter.

“OSU fans giving @LoganTillman threats on your way to his house make a stop by mine and I’ll show you what a real death threat is#bringagun”


The message has since been deleted and he has clarified his comments.

Bosch: "I'm just trying to defend my teammate and my friend. Logan is like a brother to me and when somebody threatens his life and his family's life, I am going to come to his defense. The gun comment has been taken out of context. I'm only saying that if you're going to threaten my friend and brother that you better bring a gun because if you're truly threatening his life, you'll have to take mine too. I should have realized that it may have been misinterpreted, but it's hard not to be angry when he and his mother have gone through so much."

Let's hope that everyone can control their temper and act accordingly.

Jim Schwartz scolds young Lions

After the latest off field fiasco involving Nick Fairley trying to play the role of the bandit, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz couldn't take it anymore. Schwartz had a lot to say regarding the incidents involving Mikel Leshoure, Titus Young, and Nick Fairley, mentioning that their actions are tainting the reputations of their teammates.

"What we have here is a case of a few guys tainting the reputations of a lot of others," he said. "The actions of a few have affected the reputations of not just the other guys on the team but the organization as a whole and obviously, that's not a good situation."


"The issues we have here have involved young guys, guys coming off their rookie year," he said. "It's obviously a big concern that the problems have come up more than once with a couple of guys. You always approach this with the idea that guys will make mistakes and learn from them. It appears that a couple of guys haven't.


"It is a concern but they are still young and there is still a lot in front of them. We are hopeful that with the means at their disposal and the means at our disposal, they will eventually be able to put this behind them."


Combine that with Ndamukong Suh's on and off field behavior, Schwartz has every right to be concerned and angry.

Schwartz can "scold" players all he wants, but until they mature and learn how to police themselves it's gonna keep happening. Players don't call out each other for their bad decisions anymore and the vets in the locker room aren't respected if they haven't won anything. Maybe general manager Martin Mayhew needs to come in and threaten a few jobs to get some of them in line.

Former Duke center, Brian Zoubek to open a cream puff shop

The last memory of former Duke center, Brian Zoubek, was of him celebrating a national championship victory over Butler. After that he kind of vanished. Not that it's a bad thing some people excel outside of the sports world and Zoubek is putting his Duke education to good use.

Zoubek will be opening a cream puff pastry shop in his hometown of Haddonfield, New Jersey. Cream puffs have been a lifelong favorite of Zoubek's and now he aims to turn his love of them into a successful business.


"I love to make cream puffs," he said. I'm just a fat kid, at heart. I've loved cream puffs my whole life. When I was growing up, I used to get therm from another place in town."  


Zoubek’s store will be called Cream Puff Creations, amended from “Heavenly Cream Puff Creations,” after that name didn’t align with city code that requires signs to have no more than three words. Zoubek won't be making the pastries himself.

This isn't the big man's first time around in the entrepreneurial arena as he and a few of his college buddies started a technology store in New York City so he does have some knowledge in running a business.

Jered Weaver out after 12 pitches

It's been a terrible holiday weekend for elite pitchers in MLB. Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay went down early in an outing against St. Louis and now you can add the Los Angeles Angels' Jered Weaver to the list.

Weaver left tonight's outing against the New York Yankees after 12 pitches. The Angels say Weaver suffered a lower back injury.



Weaver didn't record an out and appeared to hurt himself on his second pitch to the Yankees' Robinson Cano. On a 1-1 pitch, Weaver landed gingerly. He tried to throw one warm-up pitch after the injury and immediately headed to the dugout.


This happened right as it looked like the Angels were starting to put it together.

Brewers' Lucroy injures hand in suitcase accident

In one of the more bizarre injuries of the Major League Baseball season, Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy was injured via suitcase.


Lucroy told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that he was "reaching under his hotel bed Sunday night for a lost sock when his wife shifted a suitcase, which fell on Lucroy's hand."

Lucroy tried to make a go of it but couldn't do it and had to pull himself from the lineup.

“I didn’t want to say anything because I don’t like not playing,” he said. “I want to play. But I went down and took some swings and it didn’t feel good, so I had to spill it.” 

Phil Mickelson to get involved with potential Padres ownership group

Phil Mickelson is trying to get into the ownership game. Mickelson is reportedly putting up some of his own money to get involved with a group trying to buy the San Diego Padres. The Padres are Mickelson's hometown team.

Mickelson has joined the group headed by Kevin and Brian O’Malley and their cousins Peter and Tom Seidler, whose Top of the Third, Inc., owns the Single-A Visalia Rawhide, are one of five parties known to be exploring the purchase of John Moores’ controlling interest in the Padres. Their efforts are being guided by Peter O’Malley, the former Dodgers owner, but the senior O’Malley does not anticipate being actively involved in the Padres operation, preferring to leave that to “the next generation.”

"This was a unique opportunity with families that had done this before and know how to do it right and want to get involved in the community," Mickelson told the newspaper. 


Padres legend Tony Gwynn has backed a different ownership group but if the O'Malley team gets the deal Mr. Padre won't be shut out of the franchise completely.

“If we were able to get control, (Gwynn) would be the first person we’d want to get involved,” Mickelson said. “He’s such an icon with the team. Hopefully, it won’t be combative.” 


The franchise is twisting in the wind right now regarding their ownership status and they need someone to take full ownership of the team soon.

Paul Williams paralyzed in motorcycle accident

Two time welterweight champion, Paul "The Punisher" Williams is now in the fight of his life. Williams has been paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident Sunday morning in Marietta, Georgia. Williams has been listed in serious but stable condition after severing his spinal cord. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday to try to stabilize his spinal column.

For a while Williams was known as the most avoided man in boxing until he endured a knockout loss to Sergio Martinez in a rematch from an earlier fight. Williams was scheduled to take on Saul Alvarez on September 15 in Las Vegas. His manager, George Peterson said Williams probably will never fight again.


The two-time welterweight champion Williams was in Marietta, Ga., to attend his brother’s wedding on Monday and was driving back from the bachelor party around 7 a.m. on Sunday when he got into the accident, Peterson said. Williams was going around a curb when he swerved out of the way of a driver of a car who was on the inside lane that Williams told Peterson was “on his cell phone.”


“He got separated from the motorcycle and must have gone about 65 feet in the air,” said Peterson, who left Williams’ side in the Atlanta area hospital to speak to the Daily News. He declined to give the name of the hospital to protect Williams’ privacy.


“He was doing about 75 mph on the motorcycle. When he came down, he came down on his back and when he came down on his back, of course he severed his spinal cord. He’s paralyzed from the waist down. In terms of him walking again... that will never happen.”

Peterson said that Williams is still in good spirits and believes that he'll box again.



“It’s the same old Paul,” Peterson said. “As I was walking out of the door to talk to you, he said, ‘Believe me, if I don’t ever box again, I’m going to do some stand-up comedy.’ He’s not suffering.”


"From the waist down, he has absolutely no movement. He's in very good spirits, though," Peterson told The Associated Press from his home in Aiken, South Carolina. "He still believes he's going to fight again."


The fight with Alvarez would have been one of the better fights of the year, but since it's now off, it's time for Williams to give thanks that he's still alive and try to attempt to walk again.

Johnny Tapia found dead in his home

Former five time boxing champion, Johnny Tapia was found dead in his Albuquerque home Sunday according to a police report. No known cause of death was given.

Authorities were called to the house at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The death didn't appear to be suspicious, he said. The body is believed to be Tapia’s, but police could not say with certainty that it was. 


Tapia was the ultimate hard luck, underdog story in boxing. He had numerous run ins with the law and fought depression and his cocaine demons for most of his boxing career. Somehow he overcame them to win five championships in three weight classes, winning the WBA bantamweight title, the IBF and WBO junior bantamweight titles and the IBF featherweight belt. 

Despite his troubles outside the ring he was one of the more exciting boxers of the 1990s. He last fought in June, outpointing Mauricio Pastrana in an eight-round decision. He finished with a 59-5-2 record.

An autopsy will be performed within the next few days.

Reebok comes up with a slick marketing campaign

The Los Angeles Kings have stunned the hockey world by making a run to the Stanley Cup finals. In the middle of it all is Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. He has stood tall in net and has played above his head this postseason.

Reebok saw enough of Quick to make him the center of a marketing campaign. It might be a ploy to sell more jerseys to women or just more Kings jerseys in general. But the billboard is pretty slick and could get more women to buy a Johnathan Quick jersey.

A clever sexual joke thrown in there, but it might work.
  

Patrick Willis comes to Alex Smith's defense

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said that winning trumps stats in the grand scheme of things in the NFL, he cited Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as an example of a player who puts up monster stats but the team had a losing season.

Upon hearing about what Smith said, Carolina linebacker Jon Beason stepped in Newton's defense. Now 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is standing up for his man. Willis took to Twitter to defend Smith in this he said/he said debate about stats and winning.


“Wins are Wins I stand with My Qb Alex Smith and all my teammates. I can’t wait for the season,” Willis wrote.

All in all both have valid points. The 49ers win in spite of Smith, how do you describe their flirtation with Peyton Manning. And once the Panthers get a few more pieces around Newton (a defense) they will be a force in the NFC.

Report: Jamal Lewis files for bankruptcy

Former NFL running back and member of the 2,000 yard club, Jamal Lewis, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy according to a report on TMZ.com.

Lewis who last played for the Cleveland Browns in 2009, is trying to reorganize his debt, saying he's having trouble paying them. Lewis has $14,455,854 in assets but he also has $10,566,764.18 in debts. Lewis is currently self employed and makes about $35,000 a month. And he having trouble paying his bills?


Among his creditors -- Bank Of America has a lien for $947,876, Benz has one for 113k, Chrysler for 15k ... and the list goes on.


As for his assets -- Jamal's got five homes, a bunch of expensive cars, a $500,000 401(k), and 50% ownership in Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark in Columbus, OH (worth about $6 mil).


Sounds like someone needs to hold a garage sale or quit spending so much money. Considering what he's made in his career and still banking around $420,000 a year, I don't think the bankruptcy judge or creditors will take it easy on him.

Pete Carroll and the Seahawks pass on Hard Knocks

Add the Seattle Seahawks to the list of teams that have turned down HBO's "Hard Knocks" series. The  Houston Texans,Washington Redskins,San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons have all reportedly turned down Hard Knocks.

The Seahawks weren't officially offered to do the show, but they were approached and turned down HBO.

Head coach Pete Carroll doesn't dislike the show, he just doesn't want his team on it and says it's "not their style".

“That’s just not going to suit what we’re trying to get done here,” Carroll said. “I think it’s a great show. I love watching it. I loved Rex [Ryan], and when the Bengals — I love those kinds of shows. I look forward to seeing it. But I just don’t want to put that in the middle of our process. We’re trying to win football games and hopefully we can entertain that way, not on the show. That’s not our style.”


Translation: We're in the business of getting the team ready to win football games not put on a show for the cameras.

The NFL show comes on every Sunday complete with mics and cameras. The only edits are when some one drops an F-bomb or any of those words. I agree with the Seahawks' decision to not do the show. Who needs the distraction or the media attention.

Jeff Garcia still wants to play

Jeff Garcia hasn't played in an NFL game since 2008, but that doesn't mean he's about to give up playing.

In an interview on 94 WIP in Philadelphia that if Andy Reid came calling to offer him a job he'd jump at the chance in a heartbeat.

“I’m picking up the phone and saying ‘Andy, how much do you want me to pay you so I can come in and get things fired up around there?’” Garcia said. “I’d pay to play, that’s just me. I can be that person who can continue to motivate and inspire and help teach and educate. And if given the opportunity to step on the field, I’m going to give everything I have to find success, no matter how it happens.”

At this point I'm not sure how much Garcia has left to give besides leadership. But the Houston Texans did sign him last season to back up T.J. Yates so he might just have something left in the tank. He could go elsewhere and get a shot but he and his wife prefer the Eagles.

“Philly is the team my wife will let me go back and play for,” Garcia told Glen Macnow and Anthony Gargano. "She’s the only one who can approve the move.


At 42 he Garcia would be the new age George Blanda, but with the Eagles currently four deep at the quarterback position I don't know if he'll get a shot in Philadelphia.

Kevin Sumlin and Will Muschamp trading words

It's hard being the new kid on the block in anything. Unless there is a reputation of being the biggest bad ass in your old neighborhood there is always going to be someone that picks on you.

Texas A&M consider yourselves picked on. Last week Florida coach Will Muschamp decided to fire the first shot at newcomer Texas A&M. 

While he was at a gathering for the Florida faithful, Muschamp took a shot at College Station, the home of the Aggies and the 12th man. He poked fun at Aggieland and I'm sure the locals aren't too thrilled about it.

Muschamp last week had asked a gathering of Gators fans, “You ever been to College Station? It'll be the only time you go,” according to the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger.

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin didn't take too kindly too Muschamp's jab of his new home.

“He needs to worry about his own team,” Sumlin said Wednesday.

Guess who will be the Aggies' first SEC opponent. That's right, Florida.

That should add some spice to the conference kickoff

Isiah Thomas wants another shot in college or the NBA

After his well documented failures in both college basketball and the NBA, Isiah Thomas wants to get another shot at coaching or being a general manager at either level.

Thomas was recently fired by Florida International after compiling a 26-65 record over three seasons. Thomas has also coached the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers and served as the general manager for the Knicks and Toronto Raptors. Thomas has a good friendship with Knicks owner James Dolan and has been connected to any opening in the Knicks organization.

"I definitely want to be in basketball again whether it be coaching or as a general manager," Thomas said by phone. "My gift is basketball. I would love working with the kids. If it's the right college program, I would consider it. If it's the right GM job or coaching job in the NBA, I would consider it. I love the game. I just want to be in the game."


"I have great friends in the organization," said Thomas, a two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star with the Detroit Pistons. "A lot of them I gave them their first job opportunities in the NBA. The owner and I have a very good relationship. It's an organization I will always root for and will always want them to do well because they're all personal friends of mine." 

Thomas says he would be willing to listen to all offers college or pro.

"I'm like everyone else, I keep my options open," Thomas said. "My mom always said don't burn any bridges. I followed her advice. It would have to be the right option and right place."


The question is would anyone be willing go all in on Thomas. When he played he was one of the best players of all time. He was a winner. Off the court is another story where he's had more than one failure. Namely running the Knicks into the ground.

Call me a homer since he did play for my hometown Detroit Pistons, but I think he should get another chance despite his track record, but it would have to be the right situation. He shouldn't be thrown into a rebuilding situation.

Parise and Suter a package deal?

Rumors concerning a package deal to the Red Wings between Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter and New Jersey sniper Zach Parise has been somewhat persistent this spring and early summer. Rumors continued on a Parise and Suter rendezvous in Detroit continued at the IIHF World Championships.

Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News reports it’s a “common assumption … Parise and Suter are intent on signing together with a new team” while the Wings have a mutual interest in the two 27-year-old players.

“I am assuming that, at least as of right now, they are a package deal,” one NHL team official told the Detroit News. “They certainly seem to have set it up that way, themselves.”

But before Red Wings fans start committing money to those new Parise and Suter Winged Wheel jerseys, there is still a chance that Suter re-signs with the Predators. Suter has made it clear so far that he intends to sign his last contract this offseason so the Wings and their fans need to be totally sure if they want Suter for the next 10 years or so.

With Parise, there may be little point speculating on his future considering the Devils are one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals.

But, if Suter and Parise do in fact hit the open market, it’s looking more and more likely that their preferred destination would be Detroit.

If longtime forward Tomas Holmstrom retires, defenseman Brad Stuart heads out west and Jiri Hudler signs elsewhere the Wings would have roughly $44 million dollars committed to salary in 2013 and should be able to accommodate both Suter and Parise without issue.

This is how Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James ended up with the Miami Heat.

Report: Knicks on Odom's short list

No one knows where Lamar Odom will be playing basketball next season. After a tumultuous season with the Dallas Mavericks he'll more than likely wind up as a free agent since I don't think Odom could be traded for a bobsled at this particular moment. Odom is still under contract with the Mavericks and he could be traded or waived/bought out.

Despite his one bad season with the Mavericks, Odom will be a highly sought after free agent due to the versatility he can bring to the table. A source close to the situation says that the New York Knicks might be a team on Odom's short list.


A source with knowledge of Odom's thinking says the New York Knicks would be "on the top of his list" if the Queens native becomes a free agent.


"Lamar is big on being comfortable," the source said. "And New York is somewhere he can be comfortable."


"He wants to find a place where he can end his career, and New York is ideal," the source said. "He's won championships in the past and he wants to win another. And to do it there would be great."


He could go back to the Los Angeles Lakers where he had his best years or to the Miami Heat where he once played and could be sixth man supreme. I don't see him fitting in with the Knicks since all they do is acquire name players and implode. But a front line of  Odom, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler could be pretty good if Carmelo Anthony wants to shift to the two guard spot. So it's highly unlikely he'll wind up in New York.

Wherever he lands they'll probably get the Odom of years past and not the Dallas version which was a bad bill of goods.
 

Panthers' Steve Smith knows why NFL players are broke

Year after year you always hear stories of professional athletes going broke. No matter how much money some of these players make there will be at least one that has a sad tale of wasting or mismanaging scores of money.

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith usually isn't the voice of reason, but he has a pretty good reason of why players are going broke.


“Mismanagement of money doesn’t change because you have a lot of money, there are a lot of guys out there that make a lot of money and that make a little money and still live paycheck to paycheck,” Smith told WFNZ in Charlotte on Wednesday.  “You know, ignorance of how the financial game works or managing money doesn’t exclude you because you have a lot of it, it just enables you to make bigger and dumber mistakes because you have a lot of money.”


Smith also explained that players “sometimes mismanage and mistrust people that they shouldn’t have [trusted],” and that efforts to educate players only go so far, given the nature of how they are paid.  “Just because you are in the NFL doesn’t mean there is a different standard, a lot of people work paycheck to paycheck,” Smith said.  “I’ll tell you why so many players are broke, 17 weeks out of the year you get paid, and the rest, you have to manage.”


“Some people get dangerous, get desperate, and that’s how you get these guys that do drug runs and start driving down highways with kilos of marijuana just so they can get that fast cash.”


Look at what happened to Nate Newton after he retired. He was busted twice for rolling the dopewagon. Recently Sam Hurd was busted for trying to score kilos of cocaine and marijuana.

This is something the NFL needs to get a handle on because if players are trying to get some fast money to make up for what they're losing you'll have some of these players going to jail.    

Shaq to discuss GM job with Orlando Magic

In what would be the worse idea of all time, the Orlando Magic are reportedly willing to discuss the general manager job with Shaquille O'Neal. Orlando is looking to retain the services of Dwight Howard and think that maybe O'Neal could help keeping Howard in town.  

O'Neal stated his career in Orlando but has no front office experience whatsoever. It has worked out with some former players (Steve Kerr, Joe Dumars) but I just don't see it happening with O'Neal. I don't really think it's going to happen and figure the Magic is just trying to keep themselves in the news.

If they're trying to find someone to save the franchise from irrelevance hiring O'Neal would not be the way to do it.

Jerry Sloan interested in coaching again

After taking sometime off due to retirement, former Utah jazz coach Jerry Sloan is getting the urge to coach again. According to a Fox Sports Florida report Sloan has expressed interest in the Orlando Magic coaching job. If that wasn't enough of an itch, Sloan also wouldn't mind getting a crack at the Charlotte Bobcats job.

Of course there has to be interest in Sloan and he gets that but it's obvious that something has been missing in his life since he retired in 2011.



“Yes, I think so,’’ Sloan said from his farm in McLeansboro, Ill., about his interest. “It would be very intriguing. But they would have to be interested in me.’’


Sloan hasn't heard anything from the Magic or Bobcats. Orlando would be a better situation since Charlotte is in full rebuilding mode. But Sloan doesn't seem to mind the challenge.

“It’s not always about starting at the top,’’ Sloan, 70, said when asked if he really would interested in a rebuilding situation such as the one with Bobcats, whose 7-59 record resulted in the worst winning percentage in NBA history (.106). 


The Magic is a franchise in flux right now since no one knows the direction the team will go since center Dwight Howard reportedly wants out of Orlando.

Sloan would be a good hire for either team and he knows the game. With his old school ways I just don't know if he has the patience for the Bobcats rebuilding or Orlando possibly blowing their team up.

More violence at Dodger Stadium

A little more than a year after San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was left with brain damage after being beaten, violence erupted once again at Dodger Stadium.

A minor fender bender turned into a man being beaten by four men. A man in his 20s was involved in an accident with another driver and three other men pinned him down and beat him in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

The four men have been arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon.


The other driver kicked and hit the victim in the head and face while he was on the ground, police Sgt. David Armas said.


"It was just a minor fender bender that just got totally out of hand," he said.


The victims injuries were not life threatening and was treated for scrapes and cuts. Luckily he escaped the incident relatively unharmed .

Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Dallas Clark

With news of Kellen Winslow being on the outs in Tampa Bay (traded or released) the Buccaneers signed former Indianapolis Colts standout Dallas Clark.

Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio reports that Clark has signed and that the contract has been officially submitted to the league office.


On paper it looks like a decent signing for the Bucs but Clark has been struggling with injuries the past two seasons. His production has declined and Clark may not produce like Winslow has for Tampa Bay.

If Clark's body can hold up this could be a steal of a signing. If not the Bucs will wish they would've kept Winslow.

Lions' Ford ranks as one of the worst owners in the NFL

Despite a playoff appearance last season and a team that is by all accounts getting better, Lions owner William Clay Ford is still seen in the eyes of many as one of the worst owners in the NFL.

Last November, Forbes Magazine ranked Ford as the worst owner in the NFL mostly due to financial reasons however Ford is 27th on the list of Big Lead Sports’ Jason Lisk.

Lisk chose not to rank Shahid Khan (Jaguars) and Mark Davis (Raiders) since their time as an NFL owner has been brief as of yet. But, Ford comes in at No. 27 ahead of ahead of are Kansas City’s Clark Hunt, Cincinnati’s Mike Brown and Cleveland’s Randy Lerner.

Here is what Lisk has to say.

“Last year was great for the Lions. The previous 49 with the senior Ford in official ownership position, not so much with very few exceptions, and it’s hard to get the taste of the Matt Millen era out. The Lions were one of the feared franchises of the Fifties and early Sixties, but it’s been a while. The good news is that the team looks up as his role diminishes with age.”

Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, Dan and Art Rooney II of the Pittsburgh Steelers and John Mara and Steve Tisch of the New York Giants round out the top three according to Lisk.

Big 12 and SEC agree to bowl game for their champions

In a Rose Bowl type deal, the Big 12  and SEC have come to a five year agreement to have their conference champions play in a bowl game starting in 2014.

If the league champions are involved in the four team national championship playoff then “another deserving team” from the conference would be selected. With the Rose Bowl locked into a Pac-12/Big Ten matchup, this would leave the Big East and ACC out in the cold. The agreement also makes those four conferences the power players in college football.


“Our goal is to provide the fans across the country with a New Year’s Day prime-time tradition,” acting Big 12 Conference Chuck Neinas said. “This is a landmark agreement between two of the most successful football conferences during the BCS era to stage a post-season event. The creation of this game featuring the champions of the Big 12 and SEC will have tremendous resonance in college football.”


“A new January bowl tradition is born,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. “This new game will provide a great match-up between the two most successful conferences in the BCS era and will complement the exciting post-season atmosphere created by the new four-team model. Most importantly, it will provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans with an outstanding bowl experience.”


I don't buy into a the hub-bub about providing anyone with a fantastic bowl experience. It's all about the money and if the top two teams aren't involved in the SEC/Big 12 bowl, then everyone else in the conference that is bowl eligible get pushed up the bowl ladder. Which means more money for their respective conferences.

Bobby Bowden recommends that Florida State remain in the ACC

There have been rumors flying around saying Florida State could possibly leave the ACC for the Big 12. School president Eric Barron has been trying to put an end to all the talk of the Seminoles leaving and publicly stating that Florida State isn't looking to leave the ACC.

Former Florida State trustee, Derrick Brooks, has said that he knows the Big 12 has reached out to Florida State. There has been one voice absent in this whole mess. The godfather of Florida State football, Bobby Bowden.

In an interview that will air Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET on the SiriusXM show College Sports from All Angles with Jack Arute, Bowden says that Florida State should remain right where they are in the ACC.

“My message would be stay in the ACC,” Bowden told Arute in a transcript provided by SiriusXM. “Do you want to win a National Championship at Florida State?  You’ve got a better chance in the ACC than you have in the Big 12, or even the SEC.


“You say, ‘Well, gosh, they’re much stronger in those conferences.’  Yeah!  They beat up on each other and you can’t hardly get there.  You know what?  Florida State, wait ‘til you get good enough to rule the ACC then you start looking for someplace to jump.  But my opinion?  They should stay right where they are.”  


“All this talk about Florida State, it kinda tickles me because, in the first place, I don’t think the Big 12 has even talked to Florida State,” Bowden said. “I could be wrong.  I hear different opinions.


Translation: If we have trouble beating the Clemson's and N.C. State's of the world, how can we hang with Oklahoma or Texas?

Bowden goes on to state concerns of spending and travel, but it's all football driven. No one cares about
baseball, women's softball, or the men's rowing team.


“I think the president of Florida State is correct.  Florida State, you’re in the ACC, it’s a nice solid conference.  Stay with them.  You know, I can’t see Florida State joining the Big 12 to gain three million dollars.  How much is it going to cost to fly the girls’ soccer team, the girls’ basketball team, the boys’ baseball team out to Norman, Oklahoma, or out to Kansas to play?  They’ll gobble that three million up so quick they won’t know what it’s like.  I think we need to stay right where our base is, that’s right here on the east coast.”


The Seminoles should stay where they are because of the geographic sense that it makes. Florida State in the Big 12. Even Magellan thinks that's a bad idea.

Hey, when was the last time anyone at Florida State listened to Bowden?

Panthers rookie Joe Adams isn't fazed by NFL speed

When it comes to the game of football every level you advance the speed of the game is faster. College is faster than high school, NFL is faster than college. If your former Arkansas receiver Joe Adams the speed of the NFL is no big deal.

Adams proclaimed that since he was on the mighty SEC he's already used to seeing this kind of speed.

"It's not overwhelming at all. I played in the SEC, where guys are pretty much this fast," Adams said. "Now, they're probably not this big." 


Memo to Adams. The NFL is a different game. The SEC might be the fastest conference in college but in the NFL you get to play against others that are better or just as good. Also just as fast and they didn't all play in the SEC.

Adams claims to have run a 4.25 40 time but that doesn't mean jack in the NFL. Everyone is fast when you get to the league.

Kobe doesn't take charges

There has been a big deal about flopping recently and David Stern isn't happy about it. On the flipside of that subject Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant told reporters not to expect him to take any charges.

"We got a couple guys that take charges, but for the most part, the one guy that took a charge is now playing in Oklahoma," Bryant told reporters after practice Tuesday, referring to Derek Fisher. "I don't take charges. Metta (World Peace) don't take charges. Steve (Blake) will take a charge every now and then, but most everybody else just stands up and plays." 


Standing up and playing didn't help them in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and they could've used some charges to help them out last night. Bryant says he doesn't take charges to preserve his health and credits it to his longevity in the NBA.


"I learned from my predecessors," Bryant said. "(Scottie) Pippen had a (messed) up back taking charges. (Larry) Bird had a (messed) up back taking charges. I said, 'I'm not taking charges.' I figured that ... out at an early age.



"I've seen Michael (Jordan) not take one ... charge, and he's healthy his whole career, and the same thing with Magic (Johnson). I might not be the smartest guy in the room, but I can figure that ... out."


I do agree with Bryant and he is a season vet and one day he'll take another one and it won't be by accident.  

Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier signs with CFL team

Former University of Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has resurfaced. Not on a college campus but in Canada. Forcier signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL.

Forcier started at Michigan during his freshman season and served as Denard Robinson's backup in 2010. He then committed to Miami and San Jose State after transferring from Michigan. He never played a down for either.

Forcier will serve as the backup to former Chicago Bears quarterback Henry Burris.

No word in whether Forcier will actually report or not.

Eagles coach Andy Reid recommends McNabb to teams

Donovan McNabb has been working out and losing weight in hopes of getting another shot with an NFL team. No one believes that he can help anyone out at this point in his career but he does have someone in his corner that believes in him. Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid.

Reid told interviewers that he thinks McNabb should get another shot and would tell any team to take him.

"I still think he can play. I think the world of him, and we had some great years together here. I'm always wishing him the best and a fan of his. I got a chance to see him at Brian Dawkins' retirement (event)," Reid told the NFL Network. "He looks good. He looks physically good. He looks like he could go out and play tomorrow. I would highly recommend (him)."


McNabb has been working out with quarterback guru George Whitfield to stay in playing shape.

I do think he could help a team as a quality backup, but if he still harbors thoughts of being a starter anywhere he might want to stay by the phone. Maybe Reid can help a buddy out and sign McNabb.

Report: J.R. Smith is broke

Usually when a player is entering free agency the famous quote of "it's not about the money" is always thrown around. Because it's always about the money no matter what a player says. For New York Knicks free agent guard J.R. Smith it will be all about the money.

According to reports Smith chose to play with the Knicks instead of the Los Angeles Clippers because the Knicks offered $2.4 million to the Clippers' $1.4 million. The other part of why is because Smith was "financially broke".

Smith's father, Earl, is pushing for J.R. to stay in New York, I guess since it will be the place that will pay him the most money.


A source told ESPN New York that Smith’s father, Earl, is going to make a strong case for his son to stay in New York, but “it’s very clear that the money is the biggest factor with him.”


In fact, when Smith chose the Knicks over the Clippers in mid-February after coming back from China, a source said the Knicks’ higher offer ($2.443 million to the Clippers’ $1.4 million veteran’s minimum) was the deciding factor because he was financially broke. Therefore, Smith will likely opt out and ask for the 20 percent raise. At that point, the ball will be in the Knicks’ court to re-sign Smith, who’s already said publicly that he wants to return next season.


Smith has earned nearly $26 million in the eight years he's played plus another $3 million from playing in China. He'll probably go into denial about being broke. If he is it's pretty sad especially since he's still playing.

Brandon Flowers "not too worried about Peyton Manning"

Anyone who has ever played a sport knows that you must have confidence. Sometimes one can be too confident in his/her or their teams ability. So do you think Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers is overconfident by thinking that the Chiefs will win the AFC West and that Peyton Manning is nothing to worry about? Maybe. That'll all get played out on the field.

Flowers has no doubt that Manning is a great player but experts shouldn't be so quick to give the division to the Denver Broncos. Flowers says the Chiefs plan to take the division this year.


“We’ve got the mindset we’re going to win the AFC West,” Flowers said. “Peyton Manning, he’s a quarterback that everyone wants to have. He’s not going to turn the ball over, he’s not going to make critical mistakes.


“But I’m going out there saying if my man can’t get open, he won’t have no one to throw the ball to. So as long as I do my part, we’re not too worried about Peyton Manning.”

Manning has made corners look foolish in the past, but this is a post neck surgery Manning we're talking about. He is one of the great quarterbacks of all time but he could possibly be a shell of himself.

As for Flowers, just hope his mouth isn't writing any checks that he won't be able to cash.

Torii Hunter on restricted list due to son's arrest

Torii Hunter won't be in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup for an undisclosed amount of time because his son has been arrested in connection with to a sexual assault in Prosper,Texas. Hunter has been placed on the restricted list by the Angels.  

Hunter's son,  Darius McClinton-Hunter, was arrested along with four other students at Prosper High School on charges related to sexual assault.

The investigation into the alleged sexual assault was reported about a month ago "and culminated with the arrest of these five individuals today," said Prosper Assistant Police Chief Gary McHone.


"There's a lot of information we're receiving to date in terms of the actual alleged offenses," he said. "That's still part of our ongoing investigation."


McClinton-Hunter's attorney, Todd Shapiro says the family is upset and devastated.


"Everybody is devastated," he said. "They're very upset. He's a 17-year-old kid. He has a very bright future; he still does. He's a very good student. He's a good athlete. He has a lot going for him."


I feel bad for Hunter, but I feel worse for the victim who'll have to relive this through a trial and have to fight through the mental torture for the rest of their life.

VCU joining Atlantic 10 in 2013

VCU will be leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and joining the Atlantic 10 in 2013. The move will be announced Tuesday.

On Friday, George Mason, which along with VCU and Butler had discussions with the Atlantic 10, announced it was staying in the CAA. However, sources told CBSSports.com at the present time the Atlantic 10 was looking to add only one more school and VCU got the nod over Mason.

In the latest basketball related realignment move this makes sense for the Rams as they move from a one bid league to a multiple bid league in the A-10. And don't try to sell me on how it's more competitive in the Atlantic 10 and the Rams won't be able to rule the roost in a lesser conference.

With the recent additions of Butler and VCU it makes the loss of Temple (Big East) and Charlotte (Conference USA) easier to deal with. The move also gives the Rams a natural rivalry with Richmond and George Washington.

When it comes to basketball related realignment the Atlantic 10 is a winner.      

Nolan Richardson III, son of former Arkansas coach found dead

Nolan Richardson III, the son of former national championship winning coach Nolan Richardson was found dead in his Tulsa home on Sunday.

Officer Jason Willingham said Monday that Richardson III's wife found her husband dead in a chair in their Tulsa home about 3 p.m. Sunday. A cause of death was not immediately released but Willingham said the 47-year-old's death appears to be due to natural causes.


Richardson III served as an assistant under his father at Arkansas and also was the head coach at Tennessee State. He was best known at Tennessee State for being suspended after a well publicized incident in which he allegedly brought a gun into the Gentry Center (university arena) in a dispute with an assistant.

Sergei Federov to become GM of Russian hockey club

According to a report in Sovetsky Sport, former Detroit Red Wing star Sergei Federov will retire from the game of hockey and concentrate on being a general manager for CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League.

Federov will play in one more game before assuming the duties of general manager next season.

"It's a great possibility that CSKA's first home game of the new season will be Sergei's farewell. It will be sort of a farewell celebration and he will concentrate on the management work at the club."



The highly skilled Fedorov defected from the Soviet Union in 1990 and helped the Red Wings win three Stanley Cup championships in 13 seasons in Detroit. He ranks fourth on the club's career list for goals (400) and fifth in points (954).


He is the last Red Wing to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1993-94 and is a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the league top defensive forward.


CSKA hasn't yet confirmed the report and Federov has yet to make his retirement official.

Osi Umenyiora tells LeSean McCoy Happy Mother's Day

Two players on rival teams that don't get along have a lot in common with each other. They both feel they're being mistreated by their front office and are looking for a new contract form their respective teams. They also don't like each other.

New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy have had a beef with each other since last season after McCoy called Umenyiora overrated and soft. Umenyiora responded by calling McCoy "Lady Gaga" and "she".

Umenyiora has fanned the flames once again via Twitter by telling McCoy to have a Happy Mother's Day.

“Happy Mothers Day Lesean Mccoy (sic)! Enjoy your special day!!”


Umenyiora then said that "the beef is never over". We'll have to see if McCoy can come up with a clever response to Umenyiora's taunts.

Frank Vogel fined for trying to get the refs on his side

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel tried to take the Phil Jackson approach and plant a seed in the referees' heads before the Pacers' second round series against the Miami Heat. Vogel told reporters that he felt the Heat were the biggest floppers in the NBA and now he's $15,000 lighter for the comments.

“It’ll be very interesting to see how the referees officiate the series and how much flopping they reward. . . . Every drive to the basket they have guys not making a play on the ball, but sliding in front of drivers. Often times they’re falling down even before contact is even being made. It’ll be interesting to see how the series is officiated.”


He's hoping that he can get some favorable whistles going his way and not falling victim to any superstar calls that benefit the Heat. I see him working and I can understand why, but in the NBA you can't comment the officiating without getting fined.

Next time don't read the Phil Jackson playbook of coaching.

Derrick Rose might miss the start of the season

When Derrick Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers the Chicago Bulls' championship hopes took a big hit. The final result was a six game series loss to the Sixers and an off-season wondering what if.

Today Rose underwent surgery to repair his ACL and will possibly miss the start of next season.

Of course this isn't what the Bulls had in mind when they locked up the best record and homecourt advantage for  the duration of the playoffs. The front office will have some work to do, namely trying to improve via trade or fee agency.

Hopefully Rose can come back stronger and have the same explosiveness he had before injuries took their toll this season.

University of Michigan president says they shouldn't have hired Rodriguez

Rich Rodriguez is like the head that won't die around the University of Michigan. Somehow, someway his name always comes up in conversation regarding the football program even though he's been gone for almost two years.

While talking to a crowd in Flint, university president Mary Sue Coleman admitted what a lot of Michigan fans already knew. It was a mistake hiring Rodriguez. And she also told the crowd water was wet.



"We though, OK, well let's go hire the guy who invented the spread offense," Coleman said.


And it was the wrong call, she told members of the Rotary Club of Flint following a question on the topic from the crowd.


"He was a hot, young coach with a different approach," Coleman said of the decision to hire Rodriguez.


It could have worked if Rodriguez didn't have to deal with defections and taking knives out of his back. They screwed up the coaching search to begin with that led them to Rodriguez.

I'm not defending the guy but he never had a chance from the start.

Titans rookie Kendall Wright says Baylor had no playbook

Tennessee Titans rookie receiver Kendall Wright will be learning to do something that he never learned in college. Reading a playbook. Not that he has a learning disability or anything like that, it's just that he never had to read on while he was at Baylor.

Wright says Baylor coach Art Briles never used a playbook and they didn't huddle, opting for signals instead.

“At Baylor we didn't huddle. Everything we did was coming off of signals and off the sideline,” Wright said. “We didn't huddle at Baylor and we didn't have a playbook. If we had a new play or something, we'd just draw it and go out there and run it.



“I think I memorized over 300 plays at Baylor. … We had a lot of plays. We just didn't have a playbook. Coach Briles is a very smart man,” Wright said. “It was the same system. We were in that system for four years. It's kind of a different kind of learning deal. We'd see it visually and we'd just go run it. It just sticks with us when we keep running it a lot.


“We'd watch film and go over a lot of it in our meetings that we had. We'd have a lot of plays on the board, and have different signals. Whatever the signal was would tell us the play.”


Wright knows he'll have to adjust to offensive coordinator Chris Palmer's complex playbook but with the memory he has it might not be as bad as the adjustment some rookies have.


“We didn't have paper at Baylor. We have paper now. There's a lot of different wordings that tell you what to do differently for things like that,” Wright said. “I think we're the only team that didn't have a playbook.”

Brother of Vernon and Vontae Davis declared incompetent in murder case

The younger brother of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis has been declared incompetent to stand trial in a murder case. 19 year old Michael Davis is charged with first-degree murder in the April death of 66-year-old Gary Dederichs.


Police say Dederichs was walking alone in a residential neighborhood when he was struck on the head with a hammer or similar weapon.


Davis has also been charged in two nonfatal attacks and is suspected in two additional assaults. All occurred over three days less than a mile from his home.


D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Morin declared Davis incompetent to stand trial Friday based on a psychiatrist's recommendation. Davis will be treated at a psychiatric hospital in hopes of restoring his competency.

Marlins' Brett Hayes gets a scare

When you're enjoying some time off or running errands having a gunman literally cross your path isn't on the list of things to do.

Miami Marlins catcher Brett Hayes had the scare of a lifetime when a gunman walked by his car while he was stuck in traffic in South Florida. Hayes had no idea that the gunman had shot two police officers and had officers chasing him down.  

"The guy was walking by our car, and I made eye contact with him," Hayes said Friday. "I looked away nonchalantly and told my wife, `Don't look at him,' because it looked like he was obviously up to no good. Later I found out he had already shot two police officers."

"The creepy thing about it was that the guy looked like he was walking down the street to go to the supermarket," Hayes said. "He was very nonchalant.

You look back and you're like, `I can't believe that just happened."'

Hayes did the right thing by ignoring the gunman. Luckily for him he didn't get intertwined with the whole incident.

Pacers say they're not the underdog against the Heat

With a date with the Miami Heat looming in the NBA playoffs, the Indiana Pacers aren't about to bow down to anyone. Coach Frank Vogel and some of the players don't see themselves as the underdog going into the second  round showdown with Miami.  

“I don’t know if it’s about respect,” Pacers forward Danny Granger said. “It’s about basketball. It’s about finding out who’s the better team. We’re a good team. They’re a good team. It’s going to be a battle.”


“I think we’re just embracing the challenge,” Vogel said. “I feel like we are one of the best teams in the league. We are not viewing this in any way, shape or form like a David-vs.-Goliath type of meeting. We are not the underdog here. This is two heavyweights going toe to toe.”


At least we know the Pacers won't be in awe of Miami's big three which is good because everyone expects the Pacers to lose.

The Pacers have a good team and Vogel and Granger know it. The rest of Ameica will find out how good when the second round begins. They won't win the series but they will give the Heat a good fight.

“I don’t think we’re underdogs by any means,” he said. “Miami has more recognition, honestly, with their big three guys, but I think we’re a good team as well.”


“We know it’s a great opportunity,” David West said. “We’re going to try to maximize this opportunity that we have ahead of us. You may not get this opportunity again.”


The Pacers have been under the radar throughout the season and Miami has the stars, but we know this is the playoffs and anything can happen. This could be one of the best series of the second round.

USFL setting up for a comeback

When the USFL went out of business for good in 1987 everyone figured that it was gone forever. The league had a good run and turned out some players that were productive in the NFL. In the end it came down to dollars and sense. Some owners of the USFL didn't have enough sense and financially doomed themselves. The USFL as a whole didn't have enough sense and thought it would be a good idea to go head to head with the NFL.

Fast forward 25 years later and the USFL will be having a rebirth of sorts.


A reincarnation of the league, with an entirely different business model, plans to kick off in March. On Thursday, it included Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff among its advisers.


Biletnikoff will consult on football operations for the league, which originally went out of business in 1987 after losing millions of dollars and, despite winning a lawsuit against the NFL, being awarded just $3 in indemnities. That version unwisely chose to challenge the NFL, while this one will be more of a developmental league.


There won't be the outrageous salaries and contracts like the ones Steve Young and Herschel Walker received. There will be no stars like Mike Rozier or Jim Kelly gracing the field. And they won't be trying to go head to head with the NFL.


“We will not try to compete with the NFL at all,” said CEO Jaime Cuadra after adding Biletnikoff and James Bailey, an executive for the Cleveland Browns and then the Baltimore Ravens for 21 years, to the USFL’s board of advisers. The board will be responsible for guiding USFL management on various areas of operations, eventually focusing on a search for the league’s commissioner.


“We will play in markets where there are no NFL teams or major league baseball teams. It’s a league for guys who are on the bubble for making NFL teams, and we will have complete open access for the NFL. We want to build a model that is sustainable.”


The plan is to have eight teams, a 14 game season and three playoff games. The season will run from March to June.

Cities currently being considered are Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; San Antonio or Austin, Texas; Columbus or Akron, Ohio; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Memphis, Tenn.


“These are cities with underutilized facilities at that time of year,” Cuadra said. 

Some of the same cities had USFL franchises before the league folded. The league is looking for a television partner which will be key for the league's relaunch. I like the idea of using this as a minor league of sorts, but I get the feeling we've seen this before and and already know how it'll play out.

“We have nothing lined up yet, and we are doing our research and investigating the landscape of sports television today, which is ever-changing,” Cuadra said.


On paper it looks like a good idea, but fans are fickle and are generally turned off by any kind of professional football league other than the NFL.


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