Texas A&M's Kennedy Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

Texas A&M men's basketball coach Billy Kennedy has been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's disease and is leaving the team to undergo treatment, Kennedy said in a news release issued by the school.

Kennedy said he had been experiencing neck and shoulder pain for several months, affecting his ability to sleep and leading to exhaustion. He took a leave of absence earlier this month to restore his strength and determine the cause of the problem.

"Through testing, it has been discovered that I am dealing with an early stage of Parkinson's disease. At this time, I am heeding the advice of my doctors and addressing the disease and its symptoms," Kennedy said.



"We have a good prognosis," Kennedy said. "My intention is to return to the court as soon as it is prudent. Until my return, I have great confidence in (associate) coach (Glynn) Cyprien and the staff I have assembled to lead this great group of young men and this basketball program."

The Aggies hired Kennedy from Murray State and are expected to contend for the Big 12 championship this season. This could be a distraction to the team or a rallying point. From what I've seen from past A&M teams, I would expect the latter. They are a tough group of kids and won't want to disappoint their coach. I fully expect it to be business as usual in College Station.

Giving Credit To The Wind

Apparently Michigan's Denard Robinson can't be stopped. The forces of nature is the only thing that can put the kibosh on Robinson. That's if you ask Nebraska's Taylor Martinez.

Martinez gave Michigan State's defense no credit when speaking with reporters, when asked was he impressed with how the Spartans stopped Denard Robinson.

Martinez told reporters Monday: "I really don't think they slowed him down. I think the key factor was the wind kind of slowed him down. The wind with his passing game and stuff. Hopefully we can exploit what Denard Robinson didn't do."

Asked why MSU's defense is good, Martinez said: "Any school in the Big Ten has a good defense. I think they'll just be another good defense that we face."

Really I didn't know every Big Ten school had a good defense. Minnesota, Indiana, and Northwestern would be glad you gave them props for saying such things.

Martinez does present a challenge for the Spartan defense, but if he looked a little closely that's two years in a row Michigan State has limited Robinson. And last year there was no wind, in a road game no less. This year Robinson had the wind for a half, so what Martinez says is pretty lame.

I'm sure the Spartans weren't too thrilled, but Michigan State's Jerel Worthy refused to get into a war of words with the Nebraska quarterback.

“We play football how we play football, no matter what the weather is,” MSU defensive tackle Jerel Worthy said. “We go out in the rain, sleet, snow or sun.



“Hopefully there’s no wind so he can make no excuses when we go out there and do our thing.”

According to weather reports it'll be sunny and 61 degrees, so if Martinez falters I'll wonder if he finally gives the Spartan defense some respect.

Brandon Meriweather Trying To Reinvent Himself

After two more fines from the NFL and a benching, Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather is trying to reinvent himself. Instead of the big hittting, head leading tackles he's used to making, he might be willing to change to keep a job.

Meriweather told the Chicago Tribune that he vows to reform the way he plays. That remains to be seen, but after being nailed for fines and being benched, the message might be actually sinking in.

"Apparently I need to fix something if (the NFL) is concerned about my hits," Meriweather told the Tribune. "I have to change it, or else I'm going to keep getting fined. Eventually if you get enough fines, you're going to end up getting kicked out the league. For me to continue to do something I love, I just have to change the way I play."

If the Bears' coaches have been telling you that, a buzzer should've went off in your head. I'm sure the Patriots coaches told you the same thing.

"Everybody told me that," he said. "It's not necessarily what they said, but how they said it. People have told me before that I had to change my ways. I've been trying. It's just something you can't do overnight."

No it won't happen overnight, but you've had plenty of time to change. Maybe you should've seen what Pittsburgh's James Harrison has been going through and taken a cue.

Meriweather, in his fifth season, was fined $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Panthers receiver Steve Smith in Week 4. He appealed the fine because he thought it was a legal hit. Then Meriweather was fined $25,000 last week for a late hit on Lions receiver Nate Burleson.

On the Burleson hit he said "he didn't hear the whistle".

Last year while a starter for the Patriots, Meriweather was fined $50,000 for a pair of hits on Ravens tight end Todd Heap in the same game. The fine later was reduced to $40,000.

Meriweather's career is in jeopardy but not because of the way he hits. His bigger problem is that he can't cover very well and in the new rules NFL all defensive backs have to be able to stay with receivers, even the safeties. Meriweather's problem is that he's a man who was born too late. He's an old-time, big-hitting safety in a new world where safeties have to be as nimble as corners. And that he won't be able to change. The Patriots finally realized that and the Bears are in the process of learning that as well. If Meriweather could cover, he wouldn't have been benched, penalties be damned. Meriweather's being benched because receivers are blowing by him way too often.























  

Dombrowski Might Be A Candidate To Replace Bud Selig

Major League Baseball’s current commissioner Bud Selig is scheduled to step down from the league’s top office a year from now and according to Lynn Henning of the Detroit News there’s growing speculation that Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski could be a candidate for the job.


Henning writes that although there is no clear favorite to replace Selig, he (Henning) highlights Dombrowski’s 33 years in baseball and his experience being a general manager in both the American and National Leagues. Henning also goes on to say that Dombrowski has a CEO aura — “a regal style,” says Jim Bowden, formerly a general manager with the Reds and Nationals — that with his broad executive experience, could assist in making him a serious contender.

Dombrowski also sounds as though this is something he’s thought about before…

“It’s not one of those things I spend much time thinking about,” Dombrowski said Friday, when asked if he might be interested in the commissioner’s job. “I’m in a situation where I’m very happy where I am and with what I do, and I’m pleased with all of that.

“I have never really thought about it,” Dombrowski said of his potential candidacy. “When I’ve been in any job I’ve had, I haven’t thought about other jobs. That’s just how I work.”

Furthermore, given the city’s financial struggles the past several years, ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian believes that Dombrowski would be a good candidate as well for the position…

“I think he would be an excellent candidate to be commissioner,” said Tim Kurkjian, the longtime ESPN baseball analyst. “He is really smart, he has been around for a long time, he has done virtually every job in baseball, meaning he knows how the game works from the inside, and he also knows how the game works on the field, not only because of having assembled teams, but because he’s done the contracts and has worked with owners as well as with players.

“I’m not sure there’s a more qualified guy to run the game than him.”

In the end, Dombrowski says he’s happy in Detroit but you would have to suspect that if that job comes calling, Dombrowski will certainly listen.

Sandy Alderson and Andy McPhail are also said to be in line for the commisioner's job.

Norv's Reply

Rex Ryan told the press that he would have two rings if he would've been named coach of the San Diego Chargers in 2007. We all know hindsight is 20/20 and Ryan might've been the man to get the job done in San Diego.

The man who coached the Chargers, Norv Turner, had a reply for Ryan after he called and apologized for his "mistaken" comments.

“It really was between he and I. I think we’ve had enough coaching drama in the league the last few days and we don’t need any more,” Turner said.



“I hadn’t seen his quote and I was a little bit surprised by the call,” Turner said. “And then after I saw the quote, I didn’t have a chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple of years.”


That's what long suffering Jets fans are asking.



  

Lions Trade For Ronnie Brown Is Voided

It looked good at the time. What I'm talking about is the trade the Detroit Lions made with the Philadelphia Eagles for running back Ronnie Brown.

The Lions sent Jerome Harrison and a seventh round pick to the Eagles for Brown. Well, Brown will be returning to Philly after Harrison failed his physical due to "health issues", per ESPN's Adam Schefter, so the trade was voided. 

Like I said, it looked good at the time.  

Rex Ryan Is Full Of Himself

It's old news that New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is full of bluster. Normally he's talking up his team and predicting Super Bowl wins. Now he's crsoosed the line.

With the Jets getting ready for a key AFC matchup against the San Diego Chargers, Ryan thought it would be a good idea to open his trap and stir up the hornets nest again.

Ryan said that if he were hired by the Chargers back in 2007, he'd have a couple of Super Bowl rings.

“Well, I think I would have had a couple rings," Ryan told San Diego reporters today when asked about how things would have unfolded if he were hired by GM A.J. Smith. "I'm telling you, those teams were loaded. There's no question about it. But things happen for a reason. Obviously, Norv Turner has done a great job there. And A.J. (Smith) and everybody. That's a great franchise. He was probably the best guy for the job at that time."


Now that is a slap in the face. I know he tried to cover for it at the end of the quote, but the indictment he levied against Norv Turner was that he's not a good enough coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl. Now I think that Turner isn't the greatest coach in the world, but let the fans spit that knid of venom.

Of course Ryan said the comments were a "testament to what the Chargers have built" and not a slight against Turner and made a call to Turner to clarify his statement.

Rex knew he was in deep and needed to clear it up. He needs to concentrate on his own team and live up to the expectations that he has bestowed upon them. Yes Rex it's time to deliver a championship that you've benn promising the past two years.