Don Nelson finally getting his degree

After a long career in the NBA as a player and coach, Don Nelson is finally getting his college degree. For Nelson it's better late than never since it took 50 years for Nelson to finally achieve his goal of getting a degree. Nelson will get his Bachelor's in physical education this Saturday from the University of Iowa.

Nelson, who is the NBA's all time winningest coach, needed to complete his foreign language requirements to complete his long awaited degree that had been put on hold since 1962.


"The reason I coached all these years was that I enjoyed so much being around young, talented people," Nelson told the Des Moines Register. "This will be like coaching my teams, really. I love talented, young kids."


"It means a lot to me personally," Nelson said. "When I went to college, I was the first male in my family with a chance to go. One thing that was important to me was to get a degree. I was in the pros for so long that I had to postpone it until now. But it was a goal of mine, and I've achieved it."       

The somewhat funny part of it is that Nelson cited Shaquille O'Neal as a source of inspiration.

"He went back and got his degree (from LSU), and now he's (gone) back to get a doctorate," Nelson said. "He's been an inspiration to me. I don't believe he knows that. I never told him." 

Congratulations to Coach Nelson for finally going back to school and finishing what he started.

Roddy White: If I can't walk when I'm 50 it was well worth it

The NFL isn't getting too much sympathy recently with all the lawsuits from former players about health problems and concussions leaving them physically and mentally beat. Throw in the fact that some players (Kurt Warner) sound like they're trying to steer kids away from football, some players are taking up for the sport they love.

Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola said that all the pain is worth playing for and Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White is echoing that sentiment. White was on Twitter discussing how former players made the game what it is but said they're also killing it  especially since some of the players made a lot of money off the game.

White went on to say that "if I can't walk when I'm 50 it was well worth it". Well, I'm sure White will cross that bridge when he gets to it but he might not be saying that if he really isn't able to walk by the time he's 50.

The bottom line is that the NFL should have a health care system in place for former players. I know it's a game but it's also a job.

Jayson Werth breaks his wrist, taunted by Phillies fans

It's game on between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. When Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels admitted he drilled Washington's Bryce Harper on purpose it amped up the budding rivalry. The Nationals' Jayson Werth is a former Phillie and broke his wrist which will keep him out for 10-12 weeks. What adds a layer to the story is that visiting Phillie fans taunted Werth while he was leaving the field.

“After walking off the field feeling nauseous knowing my wrist was broke and hearing Philly fans yelling ‘You deserve it,’ and, ‘That’s what you get,’ I am motivated to get back quickly and see to it personally those people never walk down Broad Street in celebration again,” Werth wrote.


Also remember before last season Werth and Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo stated that they both hated the Phillies. With the teams going in opposite directions right now the Nationals could hold the upper hand in this rivalry real soon.

Andre Rison returning to coach at Michigan State.

There's going to be a bad moon Rison once again in East Lansing. Former NFL and Michigan State star Andre Rison will be coming back to Michigan State as a student assistant coach to help coach receivers under receivers coach Terrence Samuel.

Rison, who was 30 credits shy of getting his degree, promised his mother and those close to him that he would get his degree and this will help him get a jump start on it.

"I promised my mother, father and grandparents that I would go back and finish my degree one day," said Rison, who's 30 credits short. "This will also enable me to be part of the coaching staff at Michigan State and I am very thankful to (head coach) Mark Dantonio for giving me the opportunity. I've always been close to the Michigan State program and have wanted to give back by coaching for a long time."


Rison is one of Michigan State's all time leading receivers and feels that he can help the Spartans' young, unproven receivers.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know I'll be able to help Michigan State's receivers better their game," said Rison, who spent the last two seasons as the coach of his alma mater, Flint Northwestern High School. "I have a lot of experiences in college, the NFL and through my coaching that I can pass along. I am really looking forward to coaching with Mark Dantonio because he cares about the right things, the fundamentals of the game."

Dantonio should hope that Rison can bring something to the table to help the Spartan receiving corps.

Former MLB player Chad Curtis under investigation for inappropriately touching students

Former major leaguer Chad Curtis has been suspended from his position at a Michigan high school amid allegations that he inappropriately touched students at Lakewood Schools.

Curtis played in the majors for 10 years including a stop with the Detroit Tigers. Curtis, 43, had been a volunteer worker in the high school's weight room, but also is a substitute teacher in the district.

Curtis previously served as athletic director for Northpointe Christian Schools from 2007-2009. Curtis was dismissed in 2009 for what he says was differences with the administration.

 Curtis, who was scheduled to become the head football coach at Lakewood this fall, is being investigated for possible inappropriate touching involving four students. He has been suspended as a volunteer as the investigation continues, school officials said.


The case is under investigation and he hasn't been charged with a crime.

Mayweather might be playing Pacquiao how Sugar Ray Leonard played Marvin Hagler

Floyd Mayweather took care of business before a three month stint in the pokey by beating Miguel Cotto via unanimous decision. Mayweather acknowledged that this might've been the toughest fight he's ever had. No the focus once again turns to Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather says there are reasons he won't take the fight (Bob Arum, performance enhancing drugs), while others will always say he's scared.

Call me out on this if you want, but Mayweather is not ducking Pacquiao. He has his reasons for not taking the fight which I can agree with. But i feel he's cheating the general public by not facing what would be his biggest challenge. Everyone will say that Mayweather only decisioned Cotto and Pacquiao defeated Cotto by knockout. Ok, big deal. Mayweather has never been a knockout artist.

After reading an article on the Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler fight on Grantland.com I see some similarties on how the supposed negotiations between Mayweather and Pacquiao are going and how Leonard  and Hagler came together.

For the longest everyone said that Leonard was ducking Hagler. Leonard had been out of the fight game for four years and Hagler was running out of contenders in the middleweight division. Leonard never thought he could beat Hagler until two things happened. First Roberto Duran took Hagler the distance and lost but according to Leonard Duran told him after the fight that he could beat Hagler. The second moment came in March of 1986 when Hagler took on challenger John "The Beast" Mugabi. Hagler took down Mugabi in an eleven round war in which Leonard was present. Hagler took a lot of punishment and Leonard saw holes in Hagler's armor which enticed him to finally take the fight. If you read the Grantland.com article everyone though Hagler was slowing down and that Mugabi would probably be his last fight. Anyone around Hagler and most boxing experts thought Hagler was near the end and that his heart wasn't in it anymore.

My assessment might not be dead on, but Mayweather will be locked up when Pacquiao fights Timothy Bradley on June 9. Now I don't know if Mayweather will be able to view the fight but maybe his uncle Roger or one of his other people will be in Las Vegas to view it for him. After Pacquiao had some trouble with Juan Manuel Marquez he might face some with Bradley even though Bradley is a heavy underdog. This might be the fight where Mayweather sees some holes in Pacquiao's game and then call him out and finally take the fight.

Fair or unfair, Mayweather will always be called a coward for not buckling in to make the fight happen. Maybe he just wants Bob Arum out of the way. With Pacquiao saying that he might retire soon and seems resigned to never fighting Mayweather. Maybe Mayweather is setting him up. I'm not giving Mayweather credit for being a mental giant in the game of human chess, but I think he might be setting a trap for him. Getting Pac-Man to talk retirement and softening him up mentally and then just saying he'll take the fight on any terms. Kind of what Hagler did to Leonard. Took the fight on any terms.

As of now it'll always remain a mystery as to why they'll never fight, but after a little bit of thought and revisionist history I figured this might be the only way the megafight boxing needs might happen. Leonard took on Hagler when many thought Hagler was at the end of his illustrious career and Mayweather might be taking the same path to a showdown with Pacquiao.

It's time to amke it happen and get it on.    

Celtics' Avery Bradley injures shoulder

Avery Bradley has been a solid contributor for the Boston Celtics this season filling in well for an ailing Ray Allen and providing quality minutes at the shooting guard position. The Celtics have been hit by a myriad of injuries this season and the playoffs are no different. Allen returned from an ankle injury but is playing limited minutes. He probably will return to his role as a starter because Bradley injured a shoulder in Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks and re-injured it again in Boston's Game 3 win last night.

Bradley has fought a shoulder injury all season but it just hasn't worked out for him in the playoffs. He left last night's game in the third quarter and never returned after it was believed that he would return.

"It's really sore," Bradley told CSNNE.com after the game. "Every time I go to extend my arm, and it gets hit, it comes in and out."     


"He's had that problem all year," said C's coach Doc Rivers. "Usually they're able to, like a leg, snap it back in. It wouldn't go back in."


As of now Bradley expects to be back for Game 4, but expect Celtics officials to hold him out.