Stacking the Deck Already?

"Here we go again!"

 The season hasn't even started and our friends at Boise State are at it again. They're already trying to stack the deck to get into the national title game. No, they weren't trying to move into a BCS conference like other mid-majors, Utah now in the PAC 10 and TCU who will be joining the Big East in 2012. They weren't trying to schedule better non-conference opponents to make a sound argument for a title run. No, they just hi-jacked a home game from conference opponent TCU with the help of the Mountain West board of directors.
The MWC Board of Directors decided to implement the change in the 2011 football schedule as had been recommended by the athletic directors. TCU will now play at Boise State, while Boise State's contest with San Diego State will be played in San Diego. The Board felt the change was in the best interest of the Mountain West Conference and would help address current and future scheduling concerns created by the new set of circumstances which stemmed from another change in membership.
Because TCU is leaving the Mountain West, the school does not get a vote when it comes to whether the game is moved.

Now what it means is that it's in the best interest of the conference for Boise State to be undefeated at the end of the season.That way we can have a MWC school in the mix down the stretch. So we've got to make sure that happens because they're unbeatable at home. We don't care about TCU because they're leaving." I'm all for taking care of those that are loyal members but this sounds real shady to me.

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said previously he didn't agree with the league's proposal to move the game to benefit Boise State, which joins the league this year. "It's our home game and they told us it would be our home game and to change the rules midstream is not appropriate," Del Conte told ESPNDallas.com earlier this month. "I'm hoping they do what we originally said, which was that it would be a home game for TCU. To me to change it is not right."

TCU and Boise State will only be in the same conference for the 2011 season. While Boise State is the newcomer to the Mountain West, TCU is the veteran and will be playing it's last year before going to a BCS conference. I thought we'd finally see Boise State play a big regular season game that wasn't on the "Blue Turf" or on a neutral field. I thought Kirk Herbstreit would have to get off of the Bronco jock and watch his boys play on the road like everybody else that hopes to be in the national title conversation.  

Now I'm cool with whatever they decide to do, but don't try to shove Boise State down my throat next season about them playing for the national title. The big boys play big games at home and on the road, not on neutral fields.

 By the way, when the Broncos finally went on the road to play a big game last year against Nevada, they got beat. Let me say that again, Nevada! The Wolf Pack was only ranked 20th in the polls when they beat Boise State but the Bronco nation and Kirk Herbstreit had them playing for the title. Now here we go again and it's just February. Weren't we always taught to play fair as children? It's embarrassing. What's your opinion? 

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information used in this article provided By Brett McMurphy  senior writer Fanhouse

Are You Ready For Some Football?

1.Who was the very first Super Bowl MVP?
A:  Bart Starr, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, winners of Super Bowls I and II. Bart was also the MVP of Super Bowl II.




Bart Starr 1st Super Bowl MVP

2. Who is the only coach to lose a Super Bowl with two different teams without winning once with either team?
A:  Dan Reeves lost as coach of the Broncos and Falcons. Four other coaches have taken two different teams to the Super Bowl but have won at least once with one of the teams: Don Shula, (Colts and Dolphins), Bill Parcells, (Giants and Patriots), Mike Holmgren, (Packers and Seahawks), and Dick Vermeil (Eagles and Rams).


3.Which was the only Super Bowl broadcast simultaneously by two different networks?
A: Super Bowl I was broadcast by CBS and NBC simultaneously.

4.Who was the Oakland Raiders first ever Super Bowl MVP?
A:  Fred Biletnikoff in Super Bowl XI.



Lynn Swann Super Bowl X MVP

 5. Who was the first wide receiver to be named Super Bowl MVP?
A:  Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X.

6. Which quarterback holds the highest single game passer rating in a Super Bowl?
A:  Phil Simms of the New York Giants completed 22 of 25 passes for a rating of 150.9 on January 25, 1987 in Super Bowl XXI.

7.. In Super Bowl XLII, this player made one of the most incredible catches in Super Bowl history by pinning the ball against his helmet as he fell. Name him.
A:  David Tyree of the New York Giants.

8.  As of February 2010, only one NFL team with more than one Super Bowl win is still undefeated in Super Bowl play. Name that team.
A:  The San Francisco 49ers are 5 and 0.
9. Which Super Bowl winning quarterback attempted the fewest passes in a single Super Bowl game?
A: In Super Bowl VIII, Bob Griese attempted 7 passes completing six, in the Miami Dolphin's victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

One of four teams that have never been to a Super Bowl 

10.  As of February 2010, four current NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl? Name any three of them.
A: The Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions have never played in a Super Bowl.

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter:@jaygravesreport
Researched  By Juggergnost

"It's Hard To Leave The Hood Alone"

"Rolando McClain gets shot at while at home visiting"

When you grow up in the hood it's difficult enough just to navigate through the mine fields to get out. Once you make it off of the island it's almost impossible to stay away because of your previous affiliations.  It's a very challenging thing to do.
Police say someone shot at a vehicle driven by former Alabama football star Rolando McClain while he was in his hometown of Decatur. No one was hurt, and police said Friday they're unsure whether the shooter realized the vehicle belonged to McClain, who now plays for the NFL's Oakland Raiders. Police say McClain called authorities about 7 p.m. Thursday to report that someone in a group on a street corner had shot at his Chevy Tahoe while he was driving by. Officers found a slug stuck in the rear door of the SUV, but the bullet didn't enter the passenger compartment. No one was arrested. McClain grew up in Decatur and played linebacker on Alabama's national championship team before turning pro.

First, I can appreciate the police investigating the incident. However, they were a bit misinformed in their assessment of the situation. If McClain grew up in Decatur, Alabama everyone in that little town knows who Rolando is and what type of car he drives. The guy was an All-American at the University of Alabama and helped them win a national title for crying out loud. Not to mention that he plays in the NFL and makes millions of dollars. The guy that shot at his vehicle was one of two things, a hater or a scorned associate.

 Many times guys grow up in an environment where their family and  friends are not the most honest people. However, they've protected them from the streets their entire lives because they were the kid with all of the talent. They make sure that the golden boy has money in his pockets and doesn't need for anything. They even send the student-athlete money while they're in college. The only problem is, it's hard to cut those family and friends once you make it because they've been loyal to you for years. If it weren't for those same people, the athletes may not have made it out of the hood in the first place.

Now when a kid gets drafted everybody in the hood has a get rich quick scheme and wants the athlete to finance it. "Hey man I got this invention or I wanna open a record label, business",etc. Now none of these guys have any idea how to run a business or has any formal training in any of those fields and wants the jock to gamble on it.

See a kid from the suburbs doesn't face the same challenges because everybody that he grew up with went off to college at the same time. They don't have to worry about money because they've got parents that will send them cash while they're on campus. So the people that have been loyal to them are family and friends as well. Whereas, were asking the kid from the ghetto to completely cut ties with the same group of people (family and friends) that made sure they ate and had what they needed to get to this point.  The only difference between the two supports groups (suburbs vs ghetto)  is that one is legal and the other may not be so legal.

Being a professional athlete is a very high profile job and one hiccup can cost a kid millions. Take a look a Michael Vick. Not saying  no to childhood friends cost him his freedom for nearly two years and more than $100 million dollars. Coming out of the hood and making it big isn't as easy as folks think it is because you just can't cut off people that have taken care of you your whole life.

 I'm not saying that the guy that shot at Rolando was that guy but he was one or the other. So before you judge these athletes for having friends and family that aren't the most productive and honest people. Remember, they are the same people that helped get these guys to the NFL, indirectly. Now as these guys get older and become wiser it will then be easier to separate from the hood but not at twenty two years old.  What's your opinion?


Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Some information used in this article was taken from the Associated Press

Why Cromartie Can't Shut Up!

"Leave my money out of it"

Earlier this week Antonio Cromartie bashed the union and the league for the way negotiations are going for a new collective bargaining agreement. Then Ray Lewis and Darnell Dockett called him out  for his critical comments Wednesday, and he responded that night. "I don't give a who about Ray Lewis or [Darnell Dockett] talking about what I said," Cromartie said in a message posted on his Twitter account, according to the New York Daily News.

 On Thursday, a tweet on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's account said: "Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stands for." He then responded Thursday afternoon with a tweet that said: "hey Matt if u have something to say then say it be a man about it. Don't erase it. I will smash ur face in."

Cromartie goes on to say, "There's 10's of thousand ppl who will lose jobs. They taking our healthcare away and for players that have surgery can't even get rehab once March 3rd gets here." If the sides cannot come to terms, players could be locked out when the current CBA expires March 4. Cromartie is a free agent, so his future is uncertain.

 Now everybody that believes Cromartie is concerned about people losing their jobs, stand on your head. C'mon man! Cromartie just realized Monday when he picked up his last game check that if they don't get this thing settled he's in trouble. Remember, this the same guy that got a loan from the Jets when he signed with them earlier this year to help pay his child support.

According to an article on March 9th, 2010 in the New York Post and other sources, Cromartie was forwarded $500,000 by the team in advance on his 2010 salary for paying child support to seven children by six women in five states. He just slowed down long enough to realize that he's got bills to pay. That's why he's going off. This has nothing to do with him being concerned about his colleagues and the CBA etc.

What kind of  person has seven kids by six different women? Not a very responsible one I can tell you that. So if he's that irresponsible he sure isn't handling his money right. I could see this guy crossing the picket line to play for peanuts if it came down to it. Remember back in 1988 when the league shut down and they played with substitutes called "scabs"? We'll my man Antonio would probably run out with the scabs if they would let him. He's a free agent so his future is really uncertain and all of his "baby mommas" are breathing down his neck right now. Talk about pressure.

 Desperate times call for desperate measures! That's why he's all of a sudden got so much to say about this situation. I can't wait to see what happens and how Cromartie will respond to it. I tell you what, I'll stand clear of him because this guy is ready to explode!  If the league shuts down he can't get another loan and the pay day loan joints don't give away that type of bread. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information  from New York Post and Associated Press was used in this report.

To Be Called A Champion!

"Cold Fingers"  Saints Super Bowl XIV

Why else would man dedicate his life to becoming the very best in his respective field? Never forgetting that in order to become the very best you've got to do more than just show up daily.
To Be Call A Champion!

 Realizing that it's the little things that add up to the ultimate goal. That extra rep, the additional hour of study, understanding that if I put in the work now, I'll reap the benefits later.
To Be Called Champion!

 Remaining disciplined today will pay off tomorrow. Never losing sight of why we're here in the first place.
To Be Called Champion!

 Why play the game if you don't want it all? Why get up in the morning if your goal is to blend in and not be seen. Leaders are in front because followers can't lead.
To Be Called A Champion!

Life is more rewarding when you set goals and push through to achieve them. We do it for one reason!
To Be Called A Champion!

There is never time to enjoy success because the mere taste of it ignites a fire to simply repeat it. That kind of thirst that can't be quenched.
To Be Called A Champion!

Never give up the pursuit of being called a winner or more importantly the Champion!


 Your goal is to always get caught holding the evidence:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Indianapolis Colts

NY Giants

We the jury find you guilty of being the Champion!

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

"Super Bowl Trivia" Day 1

As the days lead up to the Super Bowl I'll give you guys some great Super Bowl Trivia. I don't know why we're fascinated with this type of information but we are. So here goes:

1.Who is credited with naming the Super Bowl?



Lamar Hunt

 A:  During the discussions to iron out the details, AFL founder and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt had jokingly referred to the proposed championship as the "Super Bowl". Mr. Hunt thought of the name because he had recently seen his children playing with a toy called a Super Ball.

2. Which team was first awarded the Vince Lombardi trophy?
A: The Super Bowl trophy is named for Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games. After his passing in 1970, the trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and was first awarded as such to the Baltimore Colts in Miami for Super Bowl V.

3.  Which was the first Super Bowl to be designated by the Roman numerals we know today?
A: Super Bowl III was the first to use Roman numerals. Super Bowls I and II were not known as such until the game's third year. Super Bowl’s I and II were originally named "The AFL-NFL World Championship Game" at the time they were played.

Stay tuned and I'll bring you more trivia about this amazing game we call the Super Bowl!

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Originally put together by Juggergnost

Gettin' Paid!

"Just make sure you got my money bruh!"

Now that the Super Bowl stage has been set we can take a deep breath and relax for a moment. Let's take a look at the top salaries in the NFL. The following is a list of the 6 top NFL player salaries for the year 2009:

1. Julius Peppers $16.68M
2. Carson Palmer $16.16M
3. Eli Manning $15.28M
4. Nnamdi Asomugha $15.15M
5. Ben Roethlisburger $14.66M
6. Payton Manning $14M

These guys are getting paid a lot of money. Did you know that the CBA(Collective Bargaining Agreement) sets the minimum rookie salary at $310,000. Even the 53rd man on the roster is getting some great coin! It must be great to be a professional athlete. I know that many of you are saying that these guys don't deserve that type of money for playing a stupid game. I would strongly disagree with you and here's why.

If it were just a game I would agree that those salaries are a bit excessive. However, the NFL is a billion dollar industry that is player driven. The league couldn't function without the players. So therefore, they need to be paid some of that money. Think about the amount of money the league makes in television contracts, jersey sales and other apparel, video game licensing and not to mention ticket sales alone. The league is selling the likeness of the players and making a fortune.

We haven't even thought about how a team can impact a city's local economy. When a team is winning like the Colts are in Indianapolis a city can make upwards of $180 million annually from restaurants, hotels etc.

I live in Indy and I can't leave my house without seeing a Payton Manning jersey. It's ridiculous that people will spend that type of money on jersey's. The entire family will have on this guys number 18. I'm cool with kids wearing jersey's but I see more grown men in them than I care to. I've already explained my view on grown men wearing jersey's in my article "Grown Men Shouldn't Wear Jersey's Ever!".

My point is that the players have to be compensated at this level if the league and the owners are making this type of revenue. Believe me, they wouldn't be paying guys like Julius Peppers $16 million if they weren't bring it in. So the next time you get upset because a guy signs a six year $78 million deal with $50 million guaranteed like Sam Bradford just did, don't! Put yourself in his shoes and think about how upset you would be if they didn't pay you and people were buying video games, jersey's and tickets to see you play.

EA Sports, the maker of the NFL Madden Football game has sold more than 85 million copies of that game since 1988. They have made more than $3 billion off of that game alone and you're telling me that the players shouldn't get paid? Are you kidding me? I would be on fire if I were in the league and every kid that I knew of was me in a video game. I believe that these guys deserve every bit of the money they get. It's called supply and demand and we do live in America! What's your opinion?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Super Bowl XLV! "Let's Ride"

"This is where the players play"

Associated Press

CHICAGO -- There was one Monster of the Midway in the NFC championship game and his name was Aaron Rodgers.

He wasn't even at his best and, still, he was better than the first, the second and the third quarterback used in vain by the Chicago Bears against their bitter rivals.

Rodgers ran for a score and made a TD-saving tackle in leading the Green Bay Packers into the Super Bowl with a bone-jarring 21-14 victory Sunday over Chicago.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers found a fitting way to shut down the New York Jets' season.

What started with "Hard Knocks," ended with hard knocks.

For the third time in six seasons, Terrible Towels will twirl at the Super Bowl. The Steelers silenced Rex Ryan's wild bunch with a fumble return for a touchdown and a goal-line stand in a 24-19 victory for the AFC championship Sunday. They will face Green Bay in Dallas in two weeks.

 

Super Bowl XLV

 

The New Steve Bartman!

"Get the U-Haul ready son!"

What can I say? This guy pulled a Steve Bartman on the Windy City. I won't recap the game but I will say that Jay Cutler sold the Bears out more than I thought that he would. He suddenly had a knee injury that  nobody saw. He went in at halftime and came out hurt? This guy wasn't even trying to go back into the game. Like no team doctor took his helmet, no argument on the sideline between he and the trainers or nothing. Cutler put his head phones on and chilled.

 I've been saying for weeks that the Bears weren't ready primarily because Cutler was the quarterback. I wasn't hating on Chicago, I was just keeping it real. In order to play at a championship level you've got to have a poised signal caller. Cutler makes terrible decisions with the ball in his hands week in and week out. You didn't have to be a genius to see that. However, if you are a delusional fan like some of my home boys, then you didn't see it.

Chicago was ready in every other phase of the game but you need a signal caller that you can depend on. So go ahead and let Bartman back in town, throw Cutler out and call me a genius. I don't have a dog in this fight but I did want to see the Bears in the Super Bowl. However, they just don't let people into that game without earning their keep. This game is for the big boys and not for wimps!

While I'm at I may as well say it. Why are Chicago sports fans the most irrational and delusional fans in the world? They always think that their team is better than they are. If you are a fan of a team you should know more about that team than anybody. You should already know what the tendencies are and flaws of your team are better than anyone you sit down with.

I'm an Oklahoma Sooner fan for life but I'll tell you when they are suspect because I watch them play every week. I travel across the country to many of the home and away games. This past year when they were ranked #1 before the Mizzou game, I said that they weren't that good and that they are terrible on the road. They lost that game on the road. A Bears or Cubs fan will tell you that they're going to win no matter what. Everyone I spoke to had the Bears winning the Super Bowl with Jay Cutler. C'mon Man! They got rid of him in Denver because he was a wus!  My ghetto pass allowed me to see that from Denver. People don't trade franchise quarterbacks.

Let me explain to all of my Bears and Cubs fans why ownership has no reason to make the necessary moves to make your team better. As long as you keep showing up and selling the joint out, there's no incentive to make your team a winner. The Cubs haven't won a title in over 100 years yet Wrigley Field is sold out every week. The entire Wrigleyville is at capacity every game. So why would the owners be inclined to put a better product on the field? They've accomplished their goal. They keep getting your money.

The only reason the Bulls don't fall into the category of little to no titles is because Jordan made so much money in endorsements that he allowed the Bulls to pay him peanuts. He made only $3 million a year during the successful years. Tony Kukoc was the highest paid player on the team at $12 million. That won't ever happen again because these young boys want all of their money. So I guess I will include the Bulls. It won't be long until Rose takes off for greener pastures because the Bulls aren't going to pay him what he thinks he's worth.

In any other market the stands would be empty if a team lost at the level that Chicago losses. When was the last time the Bears had a real quarterback? I'll save you the time. They never have. The best quarterback they've ever had wasn't even a good quarterback. It was Jim McMahon. He was able to manage the game without turning the ball over. He wasn't any good but Chicago fans would argue that.

For months I've been trying to tell my friends from home that Chicago wasn't ready and I was labeled the hater because I wasn't as irrational as they were. These same guys will tell me in a month or so that this year is the year for the Cubs.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Show Time!

Who has what it takes to get to Dallas?

Time to put all of the trash talk in the suit case and put on the pads. Who will emerge as the AFC and NFC Champions today and head to Dallas? I'll leave you with this quote:

"Big Time Players, Make Big Time Plays, In Big Time Games!" Santana Moss



NY Jets vs Steelers

 



Packers vs Bears

  In the immortal words of Marvin Gaye, "Let's get it on!"

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter during today's games: @jaygravesreport

Everybody Is Watching!

Fritz Pollard, the 1st black quarterback in the NFL!

Yesterday I posted my predictions for the title games for tomorrow. I picked the Packers to win the NFC and the Steelers to win the AFC. I was blown away by the amount of people that were upset that I didn't pick their team to win, especially the Bears. I guess because I'm from Gary, In. which is only twenty minutes from Soldier Field people wanted me to be loyal. I pick the teams that I believe will win not necessarily the teams that I would like to win.

 I would like to see the Steelers and the Bears play in the Super Bowl not because I grew in the area but because they both are lead by African American coaches. That is very significant to me because of the opportunity that it provides the world to see black men in leadership roles which is important for our young people to see. The images that are constantly shown of this group of men hasn't always been encouraging. There are so many African American kids that haven't had the privilege of growing up with father's or positive influences. By seeing these successful guys on the side lines they may be encouraged to do great things with their lives. Everybody can't be a star player.

When I was a child we didn't see guys coaching that looked like us so therefore, very few kids aspired to coach. It was the same way with playing quarterback. Black kids weren't allowed to play that position when I was coming up so it was a big deal when guys like Randel Cunningham and Warren Moon made it to the NFL. Every kid in the neighborhood believed  that they could play quarterback after seeing those guys perform.

Did you realize that Fritz Pollard was the very first black coach in the NFL back in 1921 when he was a player and co-coach for the Akron Pros? It wasn't until 1989, nearly 60 years later, that the Oakland Raiders hired Art shell to lead their team. Then there a ten year gap before Denny Green was hired by the Vikings in 1998. It wasn't until 2003 that two African Americans ever coached in a playoff game. Herman Edwards' NY Jets defeated Tony Dungy's Colts 41-0 in a wild card game.



It was a great day in 2007 when Tony Dungy lead the Colts to victory over Lovie Smith's Chicago Bears. Black folks didn't care who won the game because we were just happy that a black coach had finally won the Super Bowl. Now many folks would ask the question, "why is it such a big deal?"  The more success these guys have the more the door gets pushed opened. The perception has to change in order for the opportunity to exist. In the past the perception was that black coaches didn't have what it  took to lead teams to championships. Now that we've seen it done a couple of times with Tony Dungy in '07 and Mike Tomlin in '09 the opportunity gets better for others coming behind them.

I'm thankful that my children can grow up during a time that it's normal for them to see people that look like them having success in this country. It wasn't that long ago the opportunity didn't exist. My dad was a college quarterback in the 1950's but wasn't allowed to play at the predominately white schools. His only choice was to play at a black college and he chose Texas Southern University. After college very few black players were given a chance to play professionally. Of course, guys like Jim Brown played but it's nothing like it is today. More than 80% of the NFL is African American.

 I praise God for the opportunity these guys are getting because it makes the world a better place when diversity is appreciated. I'm happy that in this country not only African Americans but all minorities including women are sitting at the table of opportunity. Now it's not where we all want to see it yet but  for those few that get the opportunity please make good on it so that others like you can shine. With all of that being said, Go Steelers and Bears!!!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Road To The Super Bowl: My Predictions

"Big D Awaits"




NFC Championship
Green Bay Packer vs Chicago Bears
My Prediction: Packers win a great ball game. Jay Cutler is very inconsistent and doesn't make good decisions with the ball in his hand. He played a great game last week but that was against an 8-9 Seahawks team that just happened to catch the Saints sleeping. Green Bay is playing better than anybody in the league right now. Aaron Rogers is the X-factor and the Bears secondary can be suspect at times. Defensively, the Packers have one of the best set of corners in the league. Charles Woodson keeps getting better week after week. He'll give Cutler fits coming off of the edge on Sunday. Packers get to the Super Bowl!!!

NFC Champ

AFC Championship
NY Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers
My Prediction: Steelers win! As much as I like the Jets and all of their bravado. I think that the Steelers are a better ball club. I love what Rex Ryan and the boys have put together but the X-factor will be Mark Sanchez' ability to minimize his mistakes. I believe that the experience and intelligence of Troy Palamalu will cause Sanchez to make more mistakes than the Jets can overcome. What people don't know about Palamalu is that he doesn't play within the defense that is called for the rest of the team. He's given full range on every play to rome and do his own thing because of his ability to anticipate. He'll create problems for young Mark and the Jets lose the turnover battle therefore, they take the L. Steelers get to Dallas!!!

AFC Champ

What's your opinion?
Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Winning Is Everything!

"All In"

As we gear up for the NFL conference championships this weekend, everyone is excited to see their particular team play. If we didn’t expect our teams to win or if we didn’t have faith that they would attempt to win we wouldn’t watch them play, right? At the games highest level the goal hasn’t changed.  Herman Edwards, former player and former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs once said, “We play to win the game”.

 I hear so many people trying to down play the concept of winning like it’s something that people should be ashamed of. We often hear the old colloquialism, “It’s not whether you win or lose but it’s how you play the game. We’ll… that was written by a person that became comfortable with losing. It was his or her way of justifying that losing wasn’t such a bad thing. I’m going to say it for the rest of us, losing isn’t fun and should never be acceptable.  

Years ago when my oldest son started playing organized football I coached his first team. Our team won the championship that year. He was only in second grade at the time. We won the title because our goal from the first day of practice was to win the championship. We told our players and their parents that our intent was to win the championship and nothing less would be acceptable. Therefore, there was a certain level of commitment that we needed from everyone involved. In order to become champions there were certain things that had to happen.

We needed everyone to be at practice on time and ready to give 100% everyday. Our effort would dictate our results. I told them everyday that if you give 100% all of the time, you’ll always win far more than you’ll lose. We never promised the kids that we would win every game but we did tell them that we’d win more than we’d lose. Our team went 8-1 and we won the championship trophy at the end of the season.

On the other side of that equation the other teams in the league told their players and parents that all they wanted to do was have fun. They promised the parents and the children that they would learn how to play the game of football and that they’d have fun. Everyone bought into that. However, they only accomplished one of their goals. They did teach them the game of football but they didn’t have fun. You can’t have fun losing.  By teaching the kids that it’s only about having fun, they taught them that what they were doing wasn’t important. I’ve always been taught that you will play like you practice. If it wasn’t important during the week then it wasn’t important on game day. 

“The way you do anything is the way you do everything”. Winning is a by-product of your efforts and it’s a culmination of events. The things that we taught our team will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives. We taught them that once you commit to the team you’re in and there’s no backing out. Always do your best because others are depending on your effort. Give 100% every time you come to play because you can get hurt just standing around.  Does any of that sound like life to you? This has nothing to do with football or sports. That’s the simple formula for successful living.

Winning IS everything! Understanding that concept will become the difference between success and failure. People that become accustomed to losing become those that can’t find fulfillment because of a lack of their effort. They never commit to the team and often get hurt because they get blindsided from standing around. They are the ones that never maximize their potential because losing never bothered them.

 Jimmy Connors, the famous tennis player, once said, “I hate losing more than I like winning”. We have to experience loss in order to understand what it is. However, by the mere experience of it we should never to be willingly to accept it. That doesn’t mean that it won’t ever happen. Often times we’re presented with two options to choose from and there’s no in-between. You can choose to pass or fail, go to Heaven or hell or you can win or lose!  What’s your opinion?

Jay Graves

jaygraves@barbershopsports.net

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

The Notorious R.E.X. is the "Realest"!

"Big Man's Swagger"

Rex Ryan the 2nd year head coach of the NY Jets has been successful because his players believe in him. So many people in the media have taken shots at this guy because he may come off as a jerk and overly cocky. Well guess what... it works. Players love to play for guys that have complete confidence in them. So while the media and the general public may not like this guy because of the way he talks or the language that he may use. The players embrace it. I heard Tony Dungy say in an interview on ESPN say that some guys can talk and play. If you can only do one, then just play. I just believe that if you can talk the talk and walk the walk. Keep walking and talking! Rex has proven that he can do both. He's 20-12 in the regular season and five games deep into his postseason career, he already stands as the only coach in Jets history to win four tournament games.

Guys want to know that their head coach has their back and will go to war with them. When the Jets got embarrassed during the regular season against the Patriots 45-3. Rex was the first one in the post-game press conference admitting that they got whipped and that he was willing to play them again right now if they would let them. That's what the players want to hear. That's my dawg right there. If he believes in me then I'm giving him everything I've got. No doubt about it and his players obviously feel the same way.

Don't try to compare this guy to Lombardi or Landry or some other coaches and expect him to operate like them. Now I'm not saying that he's on that level by any means. I'm just making the point that in order for him to do his thing his way, he's got to be Rex Ryan. If that means talking trash during the week and coaching his butt off as well then so be it. I keep hearing people say that he shouldn't act that way. I say he's got to be who he is. Ball players can't stand fake people and that's the quickest way to lose a team. The culture of being an athlete is the closest thing to growing up in the hood. You have to be authentic in order to be respected. The fact that Rex is as real as he is, allows him to be one of the guys and that's why he been so successful.

He reminds me of Jimmy Johnson while he was at the University of Miami and eventually during his tenure with the Cowboys. He would embrace the swagger and trash talk of his players for them to be themselves which allowed them to be loose. Barry Switzer was the same way at the University of Oklahoma before he landed with Dallas as well. I can remember hearing a story of how Barry would recruit high school kids to come to play for the Sooners. He would tell them that if they came to OU the Sooners would win a national title. If they didn't come to play for the Sooners, Oklahoma would win a national title. You could win with us or get beat by us. Most people call that being arrogant, I call it being confident.

The Notorious B.I.G.

Ryan has a lot of the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. in him. He's supremely confident and doesn't care what you think of the way he gets down. Biggie once wrote the ultimate lyric, "black and ugly as ever, however, I stay Gucci down to the socks, my rings and watch filled with rocks". I can hear Rex giving his version of it, "white and ugly as ever, however, I stay Nike down to the socks, I want my Super Bowl ring filled with rocks". He's my guy because he let's the world know that it's OK to be yourself and still be successful. Like Jay Z once said, "Don't knock the hustle".

The next time he does an interview pay attention to him. He'll never answer a question the way most people would. He'll say what many of us are thinking but would never think to say because we're afraid of what the public will think about us. Like I always say, " If  50% of the people in the room aren't hating on you, then you aren't doing your job". What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

One Step Closer!

The Stage is Almost Set

Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Shonn Greene placed the ball on the ground and used it as a pillow, resting his head on it after scoring the Jets final touchdown of a stunning upset.

A quiet climax to a very loud week of non-stop jabbering, poking, berating, and then some, mostly by the New Yorkers.

On Sunday, they proved that they weren't all talk -- trash talk -- after all.

Now Rex Ryan's rowdy bunch is headed to its second straight AFC championship game after New York backed up its coach's boasts with a 28-21 win Sunday over the New England Patriots -- the team with the best record in the NFL.

AFC Title Game:

CHICAGO -- Football's oldest rivalry has a grand new prize: a spot in the Super Bowl.

Maybe even with an anniversary reprise of the "Super Bowl Shuffle" if the Chicago Bears can get past the Green Bay Packers.

"It's a big deal. We have a lot of history with them," Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher said after a 35-24 victory over Seattle set up an NFC championship game matchup with Green Bay. "We don't like them, they don't like us."

NFC Title Game:

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Men: Raise Your Daughter's or the Streets Will!

"LT pleads guilty!"

 Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor or "LT" as the football world knows him, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in court on Thursday, stemming from a May 6th  arrest for felony statutory rape. He will be sentenced to six years' probation but must register as a sex offender. He also was ordered to pay $1,300 in fees.

In court, under oath, Taylor admitted that he had sex with a 16-year-old and he said that he was aware that results of a DNA test identified him. "She told me she was 19," Taylor said in court. What? This guy sounds like a complete idiot for making that statement. He's 51 years old for crying out loud and he's married. What difference would it have made if she was 19. She's still a child. When I hear guys say, "I didn't know how old she was", they really didn't want to know. I'm completely appalled that he was able to get away with six years probation.

 Sure, the young lady was working as a prostitute and they had consensual sex, but a sixteen year girl doesn't have the right to consent to sex with an adult by law. So therefore, he should've been sent to jail for being a dumb pervert if nothing else. This reminds me of the whole R. Kelly situation more than ten years ago. People that operate like that should be locked up because they have no regard for what's morally right. I don't care if the young girl was a willing  participant. She is still a child and children can't make adult decisions especially when they are dealing with an adult.

 Our little girls need to be nurtured and loved more than anything. The behavior that each of these girls and others like them have exhibited is a clear indication that they have low self-esteem. Gentleman, it is just as important to raise your daughter's as it is to raise your son's. Girls develop their image of what a man is by the influence of their fathers. Whether their dads are present or not. When a father loves his daughter and instills in her that she is the daughter of the King, which in turn makes her the princess, she will approach life on a different level. I'm not not only referring to her earthly father but most importantly her heavenly father.

When my daughter was born someone told me to make sure that I date her until it was now longer cool for her to hang out with daddy. So at the age of two we started going on dates. We'll go to dinner and a movie etc. once a month until she's sixteen. At that point she'll be allowed to date boys. On our dates I have shown her how she should be treated when in the company of a man. She's 7 years old and already understands that if a boy asks her out, he's supposed to pay for the date etc. She also understands that she should be treated with the utmost respect. I'm showing her what that looks like now. So therefore, she won't grow up thinking that it's OK to be mistreated. It's going to be difficult for guys to take advantage of her if she has high self-esteem.

So many of our women believe that it's permissible to be treated bad by men because they simply want the love of a man. Unfortunately, they don't understand what being in a healthy relationship with a man looks like because they weren't raised and nurtured in one.  So therefore, in their minds it's OK for them to be mistreated and taken advantage of.  Ladies, a man will only do what a woman allows him to do, remember that. Men, please understand that if we don't spend the necessary time with our little girls. Guy's like Lawrence Taylor will. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
Follow me on Twitter @jaygravesreport
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

There's No Such Thing As An NFL Rivalry Game

"It's not a rivaly game! It's just a big game!"

I keep hearing people talking about rivalry games in the NFL like Packers/Bears, Steelers/Ravens or even the Cowboys/Redskins and when I do, I simply laugh! You can't use the term "rivalry" when talking about games in the NFL because the players aren't as emotionally involved as the fans. Sure, they want to win but it wouldn't matter who they were playing for.  True rivalries only exist at the college level. Professional athletes don't play rivalry games because they didn't choose to play for their particular team, they were drafted. At any given time they can be traded to the opposing team and it wouldn't make a difference to them as long as the money was right.

The fans are the only one's that would look at the game as being a rivalry like the Bears/Packers match up or today's the Cowboys/Redskins game. Yeah... it's a divisional game but they are far from being rivalries. In order for a game to fall under the tag "rivalry" the players have to be emotionally involved. Let me explain.

  A true rivalry is born out of years tradition and strong hate for the opposing team. There are years of  history tied to them and the story behind why the game is played is usually bigger than the game itself. Most of these games have been played for nearly 100 years and the story lines have existed for much longer.

 "The Game", Ohio State vs Michigan is one of the greatest rivalries of all-time.  History tells us that in 1835 and 1836 the state of Ohio and Michigan territory were involved in a bloody border dispute called the War of Toledo. Many say that the football game is a modern version of this war. This game more often than not will determine the Big Ten Championship and a trip to the beloved Rose Bowl. Now more importantly, the kids playing in this game have dreamed of putting on those uniforms their entire lives. They have a true passion for their respective teams and a hate for the opposing team. I can understand why the Buckeye fans hate Michigan because two out the three Michigan Heisman Trophy winners have come from the state of Ohio; Desmond Howard (Cleveland), Charles Woodson (Fremont).

Another example of a great rivalry would be the Red River Shootout or Rivalry as they call it now, the Oklahoma/Texas game. There is bad blood for various reasons but the most important is the fact that Oklahoma keeps coming over the border(The Red River) and stealing great Texas players. The Oklahoma roster is full of players from Texas. More than 50% of the OU roster consists of kids from Texas. However,  not a single player on the Texas roster is from Oklahoma.

  The game has been played in Dallas every year since 1900 where it's exactly 300 miles from each campus. The tickets for the game are split down the middle of the field at the 50 yard line in the Cotton Bowl , burnt Orange going south and Crimson going north. The Texas folks often refer to OU as the University of Texas at Norman because they have so many players from the Longhorn state. Many of the OU legends and All-American’s have grown up in the state of Texas; Billy Sims(Hooks), Adrian Peterson(Palestine), Brian Bosworth(Irving), Greg Pruitt(Houston), Ricky Dickson(Dallas) just to name a few.

The kids playing in these games have chosen to attend these universities for the sole purpose of playing in games like these. They weren't drafted,  they chose to go play for these teams, so it means more to them. The guy playing for the Bears could easily be from New Orleans and could care less about Chicago or the so-called rivalry. He doesn't even live in Chicago because he goes home after the season is over.  However, if a kid is playing for Alabama more than likely he can't stand Auburn and has felt that way his entire life. No way would a kid playing at Miami think about transferring to Florida State. That would be blasphemous!

So when I hear people trying to call the Colts/Patriots game a rivalry, I laugh because Adam Venatieri has played for both teams. It's the NFL and when the rivalry is something that only the fans participate in, it's just a game. In order for it to qualify as a legitimate rivalry the players have to care more than the fans do and they simply don't.
  
Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

"Who's Foolin' Who" How it Really Went Down!

"Too much too fast" 

Ted Williams, the homeless man with the Golden Voice who has recently accepted a job as the Cleveland Cavaliers announcer, was detained by Los Angeles police after he got into a fight with his daughter in a Hollywood hotel room. Now the initial report of the incident was that his daughter was upset with her father because he had relapsed and had been drinking heavily. Everybody that believes that, stand on your head and spin around.

According to his daughter he has been drinking a bottle of Grey Goose a day not to mention various other liquors. Now I don’t dispute the fact that he has been drinking etc. However, that wasn’t the cause of the fight between the two of them. Now I wasn’t there but I’m pretty sure she didn’t scratch him up like that because he was drinking.

He’s been a drug addict and a drunk for more than two decades. The fact that he was drinking wasn’t the problem. She wants in on some of that money that he’s suddenly fallen into. Like I said, I wasn’t there but I was there, you know what I mean? She shows up and breaks it down like this, “You weren’t there to raise me because you’ve had your problems over the years but I want what you owe me now”. He told her that he couldn't just give her money right now because he has to go through somebody that's handling his money. I'm quite sure everybody is coming at him right now. She went off and they end up at the police station.

Keep in mind that all of this is pretty overwhelming to Ted at this point. I completely understand his daughter being upset with him for not being apart of her life but there are more civil ways to handle your anger. Let’s keep it real! If she had been scratched up like he was, Ted would’ve been arrested and locked up.

You and I both know that that story didn’t make any sense to anybody with a ghetto pass. Just like when Tiger Woods tried to tell the police and the media that he lost control of the truck in the driveway and his wife broke the back window to pull him out. Anybody that believed any of that didn’t grow up in the hood. We didn’t have to wait until the truth came out because we already knew how it went down.

Tiger was asleep and in the wee hours of the morning his wife got up wanting to talk about the women that he had on the side. He told her to go to bed and she snapped. Hit him in the mouth and picked up the golf club and went at him. He ran out of the house without any shoes on, jumped in the truck and she swung and broke the back window. Scared the crap out of him and he hit the gas, lost control of the truck and there it is. Anybody from around the way new the story weeks before the main stream media figured it out.

Now I know that Ted's daughter told the police that she was mad at him because he was drinking. However, this is the same man that’s been living on the street in Columbus for nearly twenty years. If she was that concerned about him she would’ve jumped on him on the street in Columbus years ago, right?

Does he owe her some money? Technically yes! I strongly believe that a man should take care of his family both financially and emotionally. The word of God says that a man that doesn’t take care of his family is worse than a non believer. However, this guy has been living on the street and couldn't take care of himself let alone nine kids. Does that excuse him in the eyes of God? No, but to jump on the guy as soon as he get’s on his feet is ridiculous. He actually isn’t even on his feet yet. He’s in a spin circle, confused and disoriented by what's happening to him with all of the fame and celebrity that's running in his direction.

That’s too much for a normal working class human being to absorb let alone a guy that's been living on the street for nearly twenty years with a drug and alcohol addiction. C'mon man! If his daughter was really concerned about his well being she would be making sure he had some psychological counseling daily during this process. If she would come along side of him like a real daughter, she wouldn’t have to worry about being taken care of. That would be automatic. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@barbershopsports.net
　
　
　
　

Terrelle Pryor's Biggest Mistake!

"I should've gone to Michigan"

Terrelle Pryor was regarded as the most highly recruited football player in the nation his senior year in 2008 and was also named the Junior of the Year by Rivals.com in 2007. Not to mention that he was one of the most sought after basketball players in the country as well. However, Pryor eventually decided to focus on football. With all of that being said he had the opportunity to go anywhere in the country. His decision came down to three schools, Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State. He chose to go to Columbus, which was the biggest mistake of his life. He should've gone to Michigan.
The Ohio State University is one of the premier college football programs in the country. The success of the program is unparalleled with 831 wins, 7 national titles,  37 conference championships, 7 Heisman Trophy winners and the list goes on. The Buckeyes have either won outright or shared a piece of the Big Ten title all  three years that Terrelle was at the helm. The success has been off of the charts.However, Ohio State will get him to the NFL in the second or third round as a tight end. Michigan would've gotten him there in the top 3 of the first round as a tight end. Therefore, his pay grade would have grown exponentially. Let me explain.

When Pryor was in high school he was a YouTube sensation because he was a natural running quarterback like Vince Young or Michael Vick. He was a perfect fit for Rich Rod's spread offense. At the time Michigan had just hired Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia and he was bringing the spread offense to the Big House. The most obvious choice to run it was Terrelle Pryor. If he'd gone to Michigan he would've been given the green light to use his natural ability to create a masterpiece. At Ohio State playing under conservative head coach Jim Tressel, he was hand cuffed from being the natural play maker that he was.

Pryor made the mistake of listening to the media and scouts saying that he needs to play in a pro-style offense if he wants to get to the NFL. That simply isn't true and if it were, why go to Ohio State? How many Buckeye quarterbacks have gone on to play in the NFL and been worth anything? When you figure it out call me.

See the key is to have the best collegiate career possible so that you can get drafted on the first day. The mistake was trying to change who he was. You can't become something that your not. Tim Tebow or Vince Young would never have been drafted in the first round if they'd gone to let's say... USC  to play in a pro-style offense because they would've been exposed early on. Neither of those guys could throw the ball worth anything. It was because they were such great runners that when they did decided to put the ball in the air the receivers were wide open. Therefore, they accumulated ridiculous stats while in college with Tebow winning the Heisman and Vince Young placing 2nd. Reggie Bush won it only after he destroyed Fresno State on national TV but that's for another discussion.

My point is that if Pryor had gone to Michigan and played in a system that allowed him to use his natural ability he would've been at the level of Tebow or Young statistically. Michigan would've been much better over that three year period because other kids would've followed him to An Arbor because his was the best player in the country.

If he was going to be a project in the NFL he may as well been a rich project sitting on the bench or playing tight end as he's been projected to do by the NFL scouts. According to USA Today, top 10 picks in the 2006 draft signed contracts that guaranteed an average of $18.7 million. If he's drafted in the third round he'll have an average salary of $350 to $400k per season. Now he won't be poor by any means but he would be leaving a significant amount of money on the table because he let the experts tell him who to be.

JaMarcus Russell was the first pick in the 2007 draft and earned $29.02 million guaranteed. He was garbage at LSU. He only popped up on the radar after he completely destroyed an overrated Notre Dame team in the Sugar Bowl that January. He was clearly a project and four years later he's not even in the league but he made off with Captain Ahab's treasure. At the end of the day it's about making a living because either you're an NFL quarterback or you aren't. Listening to everybody else won't change your skill set. I was always told, you don't choose the sport, the sports chooses you. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
 jaygraves@barbershopsports.net

Auburn Wins! SEC wins 5th Straight National Title

SEC Dominates College Football Again

Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Wes Byrum kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired and No. 1 Auburn beat No. 2 Oregon 22-19 to win the BCS national championship Monday night.
Oregon had tied it at 19 with 2:33 left when Darron Thomas connected with Jeff Maehl on a tying 2-point conversion after LaMichael James scored on a shovel pass.
Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and Auburn came right back with a 73-yard drive, with freshman Michael Dyer making the key plays. First he rolled over an Oregon tackler and, with most of the players thinking the play was over around midfield, scooted another 30 yards to the 23.
A play later, Dyer went through the middle for 16 to the 1.
After Newton was pushed back a yard, Byrum came on with 2 seconds left to kick the winner and give Auburn its first national championship since 1957 and the Southeastern Conference's fifth in a row.

My Letter to Michael Vick

"Everyone Desrves a 2nd Chance"

Dear Mike,

Congratulations on a great season my brother! You've done more than just play a game this year. You've been an example of courage to many that are in need of a second chance. There are so many kids and young adults that have had their eyes on you since you were released from prison. You may not have realized the impact that you are having on not only kids from the hood but people all over the world.

God allowed you to be a rich and famous NFL quarterback so that the people would know your name when you fell from grace.Therefore, when he redeemed you everyone would see the power that he has is in his hands.   As the story of Job teaches us, everything is either God caused or God allowed. Even though Job was a righteous man God gave the devil permission to take everything from him. God said that it was permissible to take everything just don't touch his soul. As Job never stopped praising God he was restored.

Whether you realize it or not Mike, God uses people with flaws like you and I to bring people closer to him. Moses was a murderer and he chose him to lead the people out of Egypt. Noah was a drunk and he chose him to make the Ark and King David was an adulterer. With all of your flaws, God is using you to make an impact that reaches well beyond the 100 yards of a football field.

 He allowed you to be redeemed this year so that all of those people that are hating on you can find him too. Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. However, young brother, it is God's grace and mercy that allows us to have a second chance. Aren't you glad that the fans aren't in control of your destiny because they don't have a heaven or a hell to put you in.

Continue to keep your faith in the one that brought you out of the bowels of the prison and continue to make a strong impact in the community. You just don't know, your effort today may have stopped a young person from going out with the wrong crowd and robbing someone this evening. A young boy that is being raised without a father is using you as his motivation to make it. Understand that your life is a testimony for others to see. Don't ever be selfish enough to think that what you do doesn't effect others.

Once again my brother, keep your head up and be the man that God ordained you to be.

Sincerely,
Jay Graves
Holla At Ya Boy!
Twitter: @jaygravesreport