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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Robert Griffin III trademarking RGIII

Robert Griffin III is taking care of business off the field even though he hasn't signed a contract or taken a snap in an NFL game yet.

Griffin created Thr3escompany, LLC after he declared for the NFL draft and filed for a trademark for "RGIII".

Following his declaration for the NFL Draft, Griffin hired an attorney. Thereafter, he created his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC and submitted applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a total of four trademarks – RGIII, RG3, Robert Griffin III, and Unbelievably Believable. The first three trademark filings were made for “Shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, hats, caps, athletic uniforms.”  


That was a smart move considering all the fake RGIII material that will be surfacing around the Washington, D.C. area and other NFL cities. There were fake Andrew Luck jerseys being sold before he was even drafted.

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.