Pimpin' Ain't Easy?

"We gonna win with or without you playa!"

The streets can be very unforgiving and extremely dangerous. Growing up in the hood teaches you one very important lesson. If you don't have your ghetto instincts on when you leave the house in the morning someone at some point during the course of the day is going to take advantage of you. Count on it! The streets look for the most naive and vulnerable and eat them daily.

With age comes wisdom and I've learned that there is a place that is much worse than the hood. It's the world of college athletics. It will chew you up, spit you out and leave you laying in the streets. At least the hood will take your shoes or cheat you out of your money at the neighborhood candy store and let you walk home crying. However, these college boys will leave you in a dumpster to bleed out.

This past week Ohio State tried not to look like the stone gangster that they truely are by announcing that former Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor could not have played at any time during the 2011 season. Which initially he was only suspended only for the first five games. That’s significant because in order for Pryor to be eligible for the NFL's supplemental draft he would've had to be suspended for the entire season. Now the NFL is waning on a decision as to whether they'll allow him to be eligible for that draft.

Along with that announcement they've banned the kid from any contact with the athletic department for the next five years. Are you kidding me? The Buckeyes essentially gave him house money and told him that he could have access to the penthouse as long has he could give them what they wanted and that was Big Ten championships!

Now who gave him access to the cars, money and extra benefits? Who allowed him to be the Prima Donna around town and eat for free everywhere he went? Who was it that lured him into the dark alley by telling him that he could have the world if he would just put on the scarlet and grey? Who set in motion the atmosphere that allowed him to drive 8 different cars in a three year period? The pimp in the scarlet and grey zoot suit that's who!

Pryor can't produce another Big Ten title in which he lead the Buckeyes to in each of his three years as the Ohio State quarterback so now he's worthless to them. They can't sell the #2 jersey or his likeness in the bookstores and mall's anymore so they’ve decided to cut him off at the knees and keep him away from the program all together.

That's a pimp move if I’ve ever seen one. If you can't work for me I'll don't want to see you at all. In the ghetto you’re conditioned to some degree to be able to spot a hustler a mile away because you grew up with them and you were taught the game at like 6 years old. Your older siblings gave you the information raw so that you wouldn’t lose your lunch money or new sneakers at school.

However, when it comes to these college boys, kids from the hood don’t typically see the pimp sitting in their living rooms sweet talking their parents. In the corporate world we’re taught that when you’re giving an important speech to envision your audience in their underwear. I would suggest that kids from now on envision all would be coaches and administrators as the neighborhood hustler so that their instincts will automatically kick in. Pimpin’ ain’t easy but Ohio State makes it look elementary!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Decisions, Decisions!

"Does the best quarterback in the country really want to play in front of this crowd?"

I’ve been around the game of football my entire life and what I've learned in the process is that genetics play a tremendous role in a person's ability to be successful. Ninety percent of it is being born with the size, speed and physical tools to play the game. The other ten percent comes down to what you do with it. However, that ten percent is the most important part of the equation. I’ve seen guys with all of the physical ability in the world make bad decisions in handling that small percentage only to end up wasting the treasure that they’ve been blessed with.

That’s why I would like to see Gunner Keil, the nation’s #1 rated quarterback prospect for the class of 2012 reconsider his decision to attend Indiana University. He chose the Hoosiers over Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Now as an IU alumni, I would like to see the Hoosiers do well but it just doesn't make sense for the best quarterback in the country to play in Bloomington. All week I’ve heard the excitement of the people in the local area as a result of his decision. Take your fan hat off people. Would you encourage your son to play at IU if he were that good?

Now maybe if he were the best punter in the country it would make sense to go there because he’ll have the opportunity to put up big numbers. Being a highly regarded prospect increases the likely hood that he’ll be on some one’s NFL draft board in three years. That’s why it’s critical that he choose a school that will force him to grow as a player over the next three years.

Elite players become even better when they are surrounded by other elite players. We're all familiar with the colloquialism, "the rich get richer." We'll it's even more evident in the world of college football. There is a reason why schools like Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida and Texas are ranked in the top 10 every year. Simply put, they can recruit and sign the best players in the country in their sleep. Their rosters are full of All-Americans and that means better competition at practice daily.

Indiana hasn’t won a Big Ten title since 1967. There is a reason for that people. They just don’t get the players that it takes to win at that level and having one won't help the cause. Has IU sent guys to the pro’s? Sure they have, but those guys developed their skills after playing over a 4 year period. Legends like Anthony Thompson who finished 2^nd in the Heisman balloting in 1989 and Antwaan Randle El, who was one of the most electrifying quarterbacks we’ve ever seen, weren’t the #1 players in the country in their positions coming out of high school.

The only reason Randle EL ended up at IU was because they told him that he could play quarterback while the powerhouses recruited him as a receiver. I know that Gunner was impressed with Wilson’s resume during his nine seasons at Oklahoma with 22 offensive players drafted into the NFL, including seven in the first round. However, the key word here is Oklahoma! He had the players with the physical ability to be drafted. Remember, he was at Northwestern before he landed in Norman and he wasn‘t sending guys to the league at the same rate.

Don’t follow the coach, follow the players and tradition of winning. The coach can only send guys to the league that have the talent to go to the league. Gene Chizick just won a national title at Auburn, had the Heisman Trophy winner and the #1 pick in the draft in Cam Newton. Keep in mind that he was at was 5-7 at Iowa State the year before taking over at Auburn.

Did he just all of a sudden learn how to coach? No, he all of a sudden had access to great players. My point is, I believe the kid should go were he can be developed and have the opportunity to play with equal talents that will push him to get better. Playing for the Hoosiers will probably do him more harm than good and here‘s why.

He’ll start as a freshman whether he’s ready or not. Sometimes it’s better to sit and learn for a year or two. Keep in mind that Hesiman Trophy winner and former #1 pick Sam Bradford set behind another Heisman Trophy winner in Jason White at Oklahoma before he took over the offense. White was a redshirt sophomore when the Sooners won a national title in 2000. Being around winners breeds winning!

He’ll spend more time on his back than up right therefore increasing the risk of injury. He won’t have the receivers to throw to that he would have had at a better program. Thus, causing him frustration because guys aren‘t catching the ball. He’ll lose more than he ever has because this isn’t basketball where one guy can turn a program around. Therefore, it may have a negative affect on his attitude. Why, when he can get what he needs at Alabama, Oklahoma or some other school at the same level?

Schools like Indiana are places where guys go that didn’t have any other major conference offers and they were a touchdown or tackle away from playing in the MAC. The best kid in the country going to Indiana would just be selling all of that talent short because the best need to play with the best.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

The Odd Couple

"Chad Ochocinco & Bill Belichick in a former life!"

In the early to mid 1970's there was a show on television called the Odd Couple that was about two divorced men living together that were great friends but had complete opposite personalities. Felix Unger was a neat freak and Oscar Madison was a sloppy casual. The fact that they were so different raised our curiosity as to whether these guys were going to get along or flat out kill each other and that dynamic made the show an unbelievable success.

Well… on Thursday the show was resurrected from the cutting room floor when the New England Patriots acquired Chad Ochocinco from the Cincinnati Bengals after he accepted a restructured three-year contract, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton. The Bengals will receive two draft picks, a 2012 fifth-rounder and a 2013 sixth-rounder in exchange for Chad.

I know that the fans were scratching their heads after seeing this move by the Patriots. However, the two have a great relationship that developed at the Pro Bowl several years ago, and prior to a preseason game two seasons ago, microphones caught the two exchanging some good-natured ribbing.

 "It became a relationship beyond a football player and coach," Ochocinco said last September before the Bengals faced the Patriots. "He became a friend of mine. He's one that I look up to tremendously. One who I've never played for but who I share the same respect for as if he was my own head coach."

Belichick returned the compliment by saying, "It's an odd couple," Belichick said at the time, drawing some laughter from media members. "But in the end, I think we have a lot of things in common. I like Chad. I like him as a player, I like him as a person. I like his enthusiasm and the fun he has in football, and how he competes on the football field."

The serious coach and the flamboyant wide receiver! It should be, if nothing else, good TV. Belichick always serious before, during and after games and Chad clowning around before, during and after games. This should be good. Even though they are good friends they haven't had to share the same space for real. The Pro Bowl is an all-star game that doesn’t count and it’s in paradise on the island of Hawaii and now they’ll be together everyday in Boston. Great reality check!

It's like getting your homeboy to be your college roommate. You've known the guy all of your life but you didn't know that he didn't pick up his underwear and two weeks in you’re ready to choke him out.

"This guy & Belichick on the sidelines?"

If nothing else I'm looking forward to the side show! However, I believe it’s going to be a great addition to the Patriot family. What so many people don't understand about Ochocinco is that the guy shows up to work daily and is diligent in his work ethic. He's not the typical loud mouth that's all about himself and not the team. He loves the game and has figured out how to get his attention after he's been successful.


I love his touchdown celebrations and the way he marks down the opposing corners on a sheet of paper prior to the match up. It's all about the game for him. I respect the way he plays. Trash talking and calling guys out has been part of the culture of the game since guys started playing in vacant lots in the hood.

Chad gets negative press from writers that just don't understand the culture of growing up in the hood playing ball. You learned at an early age that if you keep the guy out of the end zone then he can't dance. Therefore, nobody is offended when he starts dancing and I believe that he'll do a lot of it with Tom Brady tossing him the rock.

The Patriots are one the best run franchises in the league so I think that they've got this thing under control but the side show will be entertaining to watch. I just hope Ochocinco picks up his underwear before Belichick steps on them. I’d love to see that press conference.

Holla At Ya Boy
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Out Of Bounds!

"Can you believe this?"

The University of North Carolina fired Head Football Coach Butch Davis on Wednesday, saying the past year of turmoil amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct was doing too much damage to the school's reputation. However, none of the NCAA's investigation has been linked to Davis.

The school issued a statement announcing Davis' dismissal nine days before the start of preseason practice. Chancellor Holden Thorp said the decision was not prompted by any changes in the ongoing NCAA investigation but said he "lost confidence in our ability to come through this without harming the way people think of this institution. Our academic integrity is paramount, and we must work diligently to protect it," Thorp said in a statement. "The only way to move forward and put this behind us is to make a change."

What? Here is a clear example of a university president that doesn't have a clue! I completely respect his decision to make a change if that's what he thought was necessary. However, you can't make the change 9 days before training camp starts. You've just thrown more than a hundred kids and the assistant coaches out of the window with the bath water.

If they were going to fire the guy the best time to have done it would have been after the bowl game in December. That way the school would have had enough time to find a qualified guy for the job. Instead, they've got to give the keys to the Bentley to an assistant that isn't ready to handle the responsibility of running a major program just yet. Not to mention the deer in the head lights look that comes with it because he’s been completely caught off guard.

Remember when Indiana fired Bobby Knight two weeks before the season started? That was the biggest bone head move in the history of sports. I would admit that it was time for Knight to go but wait until after the season or until he breaks the NCAA's All-Time Wins mark as your coach. Now Texas Tech, that isn't even a basketball school, has the distinct honor of saying that it has the NCAA's All-Time Wins Leader! Complete idiot move!

Mike Davis was scared to death during his first press conference and the program hasn't been worth watching since. I'm always blown away when these chancellor’s claim to be looking out for the best interest of the school while throwing it's athletes against the wall with no regard to what happens to them.

Similarly, Ball State fired it's head football coach Stan Parrish after last season not because he wasn't winning but because he stood up to the university president which insisted on playing a dead man's walking non-conference schedule. The Cardinals will play Indiana, South Florida, Army and #1 Oklahoma as part of their non-conference show downs in 2011. Keep in mind that Ball State is in the MAC and doesn't have that caliber of athlete all over the field.

While it would be cool to play one of those schools from a major conference. It makes absolutely no sense to play all three or four? They'll be lucky to have a team available to suit up by the time they get into MAC play. However, the chancellor wanted those games because of the guaranteed pay-out that the school gets as a result of just showing up. Now are we really looking out for the best interest of the student-athletes?


These are all examples of university president's not understanding the dynamics of the athletic departments or respecting their student-athletes and completely over stepping their bounds in the process. Why in the world would you fire a coach right before the season to leave the players hanging and say that it was the best thing for them? Let the athletic director do his or her job. Sometimes, it’s OK to stay in your lane!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Redemption or Bust!

"Lord, allow me to be a testimony of your grace and mercy?"

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress spent nearly two years in prison on a weapons possession charge. Now he's out of jail and ready to get back to work. On Wednesday he is scheduled to sit down with his former coach Tom Coughlin.

"I really don't know what I'm going to say," Burress told the newspaper about Wednesday's meeting. "I'm just going to go in there tomorrow and speak from the heart, be truthful with him and let him know how I feel. Whatever comes out is going to come out. I'm pretty sure there are things he wants to say, too."

I hope that Plaxico has matured as a result of this whole fiasco and has moved on. Sometimes in life God puts us through difficult situations just to wake us up. Before Plaxico went to jail he was in fact the problem child in New York. Always showing up to work late, not being very diligent, continuously having run-in's with Coughlin etc.

Sometimes people take for granted the blessings they have daily as if they are in entitled to them. We see that occurring everyday on our jobs. The unemployment rate is through the roof and we still see co-workers showing up late, half doing their assignments, taking more than the allotted time for breaks etc. Then they have the nerve to get upset when they're called out or written up by their manager.

I just hope Plax was paying attention to Michael Vick last year the way he came back and took care of his business. Mike put the blinders on and did what he should have done from jump. Now it's Plaxico's turn to show that the last two years weren't a complete waste.

Whether you agree with the conviction or not is irrelevant. He wasn't using sound judgment in having a gun on him in the first place. A guy with that type of “scratch” should have had a bodyguard if he felt the need to have protection. I grew up in the hood and I realize that guys carry for the same reason's that Plax thought that he had to. However, Plax wasn't living in the hood and shouldn't have been involved in the foolishness that requires a knuckle head to carry a gun. Most importantly, he didn’t need to be at that club if he felt threatened.

If you're not in involved in the lifestyle that creates an environment that makes it necessary for you to have a gun there isn't a reason to have it. I know that guys are targets that have a lot of money. However, you're only a target if you're "fladging"(showing off) in circles where people have a lot less money than you or simply no money at all relative to you. You can’t show up to the club with $100,000 worth of jewelry and most of the folks there only make $10,000 to $50,000 a year. You’re supposed to get hit over the head.

Now Plax has to learn how to hang out with family and friends or when he goes out, go to more exclusive parties. Straight up! That's real talk! Redemption is going to depend on how well he understands that concept. He's not the average guy. So he can't hang out in average places and put the same type of threat on his life that the average brother in the hood does.

I can't do that and I'm just a working class guy that supports his family. Once you move into different levels of maturity you've got to change your level of friendships, acquaintances and hot spots.

I hope Plaxico get's picked up and proves not only to himself that he's a better man as a result of the two year bid but also to the world.

I say it all of the time and I'll keep saying it, "God is a God of second chances", even when you do stupid things like shoot yourself with your own gun.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

The NFL or The Biggest Loser?

Albert Haynesworth says, "We gotta do what?"

 For four and a half months we've been sitting around watching the paint dry on the NFL lockout. Billionaires vs. Millionaires hashing out their differences before coming to an agreement that they both could live with. Finally on Monday the NFL players voted on a final deal just days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally managed to put an end to the lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history.
"This is a long time coming, and football's back," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "and that's the great news for everybody."

"Football is back", says Goodell or is it? Now I know that the lockout is over and the teams will begin reporting to facilities, going through physicals, signing rookies and free agents etc. But is the game that we all know and love back? Not even close!

As a result of the lock out the teams have missed critical mini-camps and O.T.A.'s(Off-season Training Activities) that are mandatory for a teams success. Therefore, we will see a terrible product on the field come August and September. Keep in mind that 25% of the league has new coaches. Those teams include Dallas, Minnesota, Denver, San Francisco, Carolina, Cleveland, Oakland and Tennessee.

The fact that they haven't been able to meet as a team has completely destroyed any chances of these teams even competing this year. By not being able to meet they haven't been able to implement a play book on either side of the ball or put any type of structure in place etc. Those teams that have rookie quarterbacks like Carolina(Cam Newton) are definitely up a creek without a paddle or a boat.

You can’t expect for those teams to be able to compete with veteran squads that have everything in place. There's just no way. Teams like the Steelers, Packers, Saints, Colts, Patriots will run crazy this year because they essentially have a head start. They all have veteran quarterbacks and systems already in place. You may as well just pencil them into the playoffs now as the favorites.

Those teams are pretty much ready to play. Well...not exactly. How many knuckle heads are going to show up to camp out of shape? A lot! Now I know that it's the NFL and everybody is supposed to be professional but what does that really mean? We saw Albert Haynesworth who was the highest paid defensive lineman in the league show up a year ago way out of shape and there wasn't even a lockout. My God, there will be all kinds of train wrecks this year.



"New coach? Forget about it!"

 Boys are going to show up looking like they‘ve been living at Shoney's during the lock out. I mean, half of training camp will be wasted on trying to get guys into shape. Watch what I'm saying bruh! Also during the pre-season games we'll see guys going down like there's a sniper in the stands just picking boys off. Look out for more pulled muscles and hamstrings than ever before. Remember when Darrell Revis held out of the entire per-season last year then reported to camp only for Randy Moss to make him look bad during his first game back just days later because he wasn't in game shape and he pulled a hamstring?

Well get your popcorn ready because you'll see a lot of that. Just like the guy at Men's Wearhouse always says, "I guarantee it." The product will be garbage for at least 6 to 8 weeks. So if you're looking for some real football don't turn on your TV until mid October or watch college football and if your team has a new coach, “forget about it!”


Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

College Football 101 "No Playoff Needed"

"Who'll be kissing the crystal ball this year?"

Before we even kickoff the 2011 college football campaign let me take all of my novice fans to school real quick. You're a novice if you're one of those people that are constantly screaming for a playoff in college football. All of us that are experts completely get it. The fact is, college football and the NFL are two different animals. There is no playoff needed because it would destroy the game completely and here's why.

All we ever want to see was #1 play #2 and until 1998 we didn’t have that luxury. Previously schools like #1 Alabama would have played in the Sugar Bowl and #2 Texas would have played in the Cotton Bowl on New Years Day. They both would’ve won their respective games and we’d have Co-Champions. The next morning we all would sit back in our recliners and say, “Man I wish that #1 could’ve played #2.” That’s all we ever wanted. Now that we’ve got it no one’s satisfied. The BCS has solved that dilemma. I here you in the background saying, “We need a playoff like the NFL.” That sounds great but it doesn’t make sense and here’s why. There are 120 teams in the FBS division formally known as Division 1 or D1.

Within the D1 ranks there are 3 or 4 levels of competition, from the very best teams #1 Alabama and #2 Texas, using the 2009 rankings for example, down to the worst, #119 Eastern Kentucky and#120 Western Kentucky. The NFL has only 32 teams and 12 of them (37.5%) get to go to the playoffs. If we did the same thing in college football we’d have to put 45 teams in the playoffs if we want to be fair, right? That would be impossible to do because this isn’t basketball.


You can only play one game a week not two like they do in the NCAA Tournament. I here you saying, “We only need the top 8 to play”. Well… 9, 10, 11 and 12 would be upset because we would still be voting on who gets to play and who doesn’t. So we really didn’t accomplish anything. All we want to see is #1 play #2, right? We’ll we’ve got that. You’re saying if we get rid of the bowls at the end of the season we could have a playoff.

You’re right, but that would be unfair to the other 105 schools because there are only 15 schools or so that will ever win the national title. I’ll name them: USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio St, Michigan, Penn St, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, LSU, Auburn, Florida St, Miami and Georgia. Maybe we could throw in Notre Dame if their administration ever wakes up. So what do you tell the other schools? It was nice doing business with you.

See schools like Purdue, Indiana and Arizona will never even play for the title because they don’t get the players those schools previously mentioned get. If there isn’t a bowl for Purdue to play in after they’ve won 6 to 8 games on a good year, what are those kids even playing for. Sure every 30 years or so they’ll get a player that everyone slept on like Drew Brees or Bob Grease and win the Big Ten Championship. However, they won’t ever play for a national title because they don't sign enough 5 star recruits at one time to compete at that level. It is what it is!

So by taking the bowl games away we would be cheating college football of the pageantry that is college football. It’s a playoff starting week one! I still here you saying that those bowls are meaningless, we’ll… not to the kid playing at Missouri, Ole Miss or Western Michigan. The bowl game is their Super Bowl, if you will, not to mention the revenue that the schools receive as a result of playing in those bowls. Do you realize that each bowl has a guaranteed payout for just showing up?

If you’re fortunate enough to get to a BCS bowl it’s a $17 million payday whether you’re playing in the title game or not. The mid level bowls like the Chick-fila-A, Cotton and Outback pay $3 million each. The Sun Bowl which Purdue has participated in previous years pays out $1.9 million. Even if you play in a bottom tier bowl like the Emerald it’s worth $850,000 to your school.

So, if you were the presidents of Fresno State and Wyoming would you have voted for a playoff or accepted the invite to the 2009 New Mexico Bowl which paid them $750,000 each just for showing up? See the greatness of college football is the pageantry and the excitement of the regular season and the culmination of events with the bowls. If I’m a Texas fan I’m not only concerned about the Longhorns, I’m concerned with all the chess pieces moving around them. Now really… do you want to take all that away just to see Alabama and Texas or any of the other 13 schools  mentioned earlier  play for the national title anyway?

P.S.: It's all about the money for the university. Nobody is going to leave guaranteed money on the table so that a small few can enjoy the fruits of a playoff! Kids don't go to Ohio State with national title hopes initially. They go to Columus to play in "The Game" to beat Michigan! They go to Alabama to beat Auburn and those that go to Texas look forward to playing in Dallas in October against the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry! Naw bruh, it's about growing up in a particular state and being apart of the program you've watched your entire life and playing in the rivalry game that means everything.

 Even if you are playing at one of the elite programs at best you've got a 10% chance of winning a national title. The best of the best programs, Michigan/Notre Dame, have only won 11 titles in more than 100 years. As a college football fan, I want it just the way it is because the playoff starts on September 3rd!

Holla At Ya Boy
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

"Gangsta's Paradise"

"Just picked up Casey now were on our way to Columbus!"

All summer long we've seen people running away from Columbus as if there was a pandemic at the Horse Shoe. Most, if not all, of their best recruits have all but told the Buckeyes that they'll be going somewhere else play. They've even lost a couple to the dreaded school to the north that plays around in a "Big House" with the funny looking helmets.

It's been a ruff eight months for the scarlet and grey ever since the whole tattoo scandal came to light. Jim Tressel was fired or should I say was politely asked to leave and Terrell Pryor essentially had the same conversation with the athletic department before he left town. Poor Ohio State, the ship is going down fast without a life boat or is it?

The Buckeyes must have hired the same defense team as Casey Anthony because NCAA investigators said they found no evidence that Ohio State failed to properly monitor its football program or any evidence of a lack of institutional control, according to a letter sent to the university and released Friday. What?

"Considering the institution's rules education and monitoring efforts, the enforcement staff did not believe a failure to monitor charge was appropriate in this case," the NCAA said in the letter sent Thursday.

Now don't get me wrong, I completely know how the game is played in the college football world. So I wasn't trippin' off of anything the Ohio State players were accused of. Nor did I have a problem with Jim Tressel trying to handle the tattoo situation internally. The smoke bomb just blew up in his face and it could've happened to any big time program in America.

However, once Pandora's box was opened the skeletons ran wild. I mean, you can't let them walk and hit LSU with a one year probation for the recruitment of a junior college player and completely blast USC as a result of the Reggie Bush debacle.

The NCAA accepted LSU's self-imposed reduction of two scholarships during the 2010-11 academic year, as well as a 10 percent reduction in official visits and reductions in recruiting calls. LSU already had begun reducing official visits during 2010-11, but the NCAA expanded the punishment to include 2011-12.

The Trojan's were hit with 10 scholarship reductions per year, bowl game and national title bans for three years when nobody admitted to anything. Pete Carroll just broke and went to the NFL once he smelled blood in the water. Tressel admitted that he knew about everything and it was obvious that no one else in the athletic department was blind so they had to see Pryor pushing whips(cars) all over the yard(campus).

The NCAA basically caught the Buckeyes driving the get away car wearing the victims watch, with the gun on the seat, the body in the back seat and simply pulled them over to check for expired tags and let them go. Are you kidding me? Man the folks at LSU and especially USC should be on fire this morning. All Ohio State will probably get is the self-imposed sanctions of having to forfeit the games from last year and the Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas. 

Man I just saw the white bronco flying down the street on two wheels with O.J., Casey and Berry the Buckeye smoking and drinking bumpin' DJ Khalid's "All I Do Is Win." If that's all they're going to get hit with then, guess what? Those recruits that jumped off of the ship last month and de-committed, are still in the water holding on to the life preserver just waiting to be picked up.

It's business as usual in Columbus and the children playing in the "Big House" up north just called 911 to report the abduction of kids that they thought were coming over to play!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press as used in this article.

Top 5 Receivers All-Time!

1. Jerry Rice

"The best ever!"

2. Randy Moss

"The Gazelle"

3. Michael Irving

"The Playmaker"

4. Chris Carter

"Mr. Work"

5. Terrell Owens

"The Diva"

Since we're very close to playing football this season because the lockout should be lifted within the next 24 hours. I thought we'd start arguing about the most popular sport in the country again. Let's really go to the barbershop deep in the hood on this one. I mean this is one of those that the guy has to turn off his clippers and get loud on. You know how it goes in the shop on Saturday mornings. Bring your A game or get blasted. Well... I brought my A, B & C game today on this one. That means that most of the guys in the shop will say, "Can't really argue with you on that one. You pretty much got it bruh.”

Now if you know anything about this unbelievable game we call football you're pretty much shaking your head in agreement as well. I don't need to put stats on the table when we're talking about the best to ever play the game. We don't need to compare Super Bowl rings or wins verses losses etc because it’s the ultimate team sport and one person can‘t effect the outcome of the games as easily like in so many other sports.


In the game of football all you need is the eyeball test. Can a guy get down, period? This isn't baseball where they compare records from hits, stolen bases, RBI's, or homeruns etc. Can the guy play the position that he's been assigned to play. I don't need to look at how many touchdowns he had or how many yards he piled up. Naw…just put on the film!

In this case I just needed to look at his ability to run routs, catch the ball and most importantly do something with it after the catch. Typically, those that could do all of that had the stats to go along with it. People that don't know the game have to look at stats first to determine if Jerry Rice sits at the top of the leader board.

I could look at the way he put on his uniform that he was the best to ever play the position. It's that easy bruh. Don't quote stats to me. If you don't think that Randy Moss wasn't the most freakish guy to ever catch the ball you need to start watching the other football (soccer) and leave this game to folks that know what they're looking at.

"Not a chance Marvin!"

For example, the people that think I’m crazy for not including Marvin Harrison on this list should become soccer fans before they officially lift the lockout. Then I won't hold it against you and we could still be cool. Marvin was the recipient of playing with one of the most talented and definitely the most intelligent quarterbacks to ever play the game in Peyton Manning.

Marvin did absolutely nothing but catch the football. He showed up in the spot that he was told to be and waited on the football and fell down. Very little yards after catch for this guy. Again, I don't need to see stats to now that. The eye ball test says that he wasn't very talented. Harrison was just blessed to play in an ideal system and with one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

Now there will also be people that will say that T.O. shouldn't be on the list primarily because they don't like him. Well…this isn't a popularity contest. I'm talking about the most talented wide receivers of all-time. Not the most liked or well adjusted! I’m talking about the pound for pound most skilled guys to ever play the position.
Lastly, I'll have folks that will disagree with me on this list and I'm cool with that because who am I? In response, I've always got the same question for you, Who are you going to take off of the list to put them on it? Oh yeah, remember to have the guy finish your haircut before you walk out. Lol

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Fan vs Groupie

"Man if this guy doesn't let me go.  I swear....!"

Sports is America's past time and it doesn't matter whether you like football, basketball, baseball, hockey or golf. Pick your poison and it's all good with me. We spend countless hours watching our favorite sport or sports during the course of our lives and quite frankly it's a blast. I'm a huge college football fan and have followed the Oklahoma Sooners since I was probably 6 years old and for the past 12 years I’ve been a season ticket holder.

I'm quite sure that you have a favorite team or player as well. It's a lot of fun keeping up with them and scheduling your week around their games etc. What I want to look at today is, when does being a fan go too far and tip over into the terror dome of being a groupie.

There are so many people that become groupies and don't realize it. Well...maybe they do and just don't care. Let's look at what they both are and you can determine which category you fall into.

Fan is short for fanatic! Now being a fan of a team or a particular player is completely permissible. You're simply taking an interest in a team or player because you like the way they play the game or you admire what they've gone through to get to this point in there careers etc.

For example, I'm a huge fan of Kevin Garnett because of his passion for the game. He's the only guy in the NBA that plays a Tuesday night February game like it's the NBA Finals. He's played that way since he was in high school in Chicago. There aren’t very many people that understand that passion opens the door to greatness at every level of life. KG completely gets it!

I'm also a LeBron fan because of the way he's been able to excel without having a father in his life and having an unstable mother. Regardless of what you may have thought of "The decision" he's never in trouble and always handles himself well. I'm an Sooner fan because as child I loved the way they ran the wishbone in the '70's & '80's. I was a running back so I liked watching the team that ran the ball better than anyone else.

So in other words, being a fan is simply respecting guys/teams for the way they get down. If you see the guy on the street you give them a pound and keep it moving bruh. It's as simple as that.

Now being a groupie is like being on a whole different planet! Groupies don't operate with rational behavior at all. They run into a player and want to be the guys best friend right away. They completely overstep their bounds and become intrusive. Groupie is the person that wants to talk way too much and take pictures when it's not appropriate, like while the athlete is eating with his/her family. Then gets upset and tells everybody that they weren't very friendly.

You've heard them before telling the world, for example, that Allen Iverson was a complete jerk but they didn't say how much of a jerk they were to A.I.. They just destroy the player's reputation because they were an over zealous groupie. 

The ultimate sucker move!

 The groupie always wants an autograph or has some silly request. I just believe that taking picture with or asking for an autograph from a player is for kids only. The worse move of all time was when Cowboys RB Tashard Choice asked for Michael Vick's autograph after the game last year. Complete sucker move.  Now don’t get me wrong I’ve got a house full of autographed memorabilia but it’s all from people that I have personal relationships with. They're my boys!

Once you're considered an adult then you move into groupie status if you see Peyton Manning at the grocery store and stop him for a picture and you don't have your kid with you. You guys already know how I feel about grown men in jerseys so we won't even go that again.

So the question is, "Are you a Fan or a Groupie?

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

Random Thoughts

"Maybe I should just blurt out whatever I'm thinking?"

The First Amendment is alive and well and you certainly have the right to say whatever you'd like in this country. The old timers would always say, "Whatever comes up, comes out", other's may call it "Not having a filter." Whatever you decide to label it is completely up to you. However, just because you have random thoughts doesn't mean that it's a great idea to release them.

Shortly after Osama bin Laden was killed, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall tweeted, in response to the excitement of his death across the U.S., "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."
He also tweeted on the Sept. 11 attacks: "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

Well... as a result of those tweets, Champion Apparel released him from his endorsement deal and now he's suing them for roughly $1 million in damages. Now, while I respect Mendenhall's right to an opinion, he has to understand that when you work for an organization there are certain things that are better left unsaid. You can't say whatever just pops up into your head regardless of whether you think that it makes sense or not.

Bruh… by simply filing the law suit you make yourself look bad because you’re essentially saying that I wasn‘t out of line at all. Well…if you felt that way, why did you issue an apology in the first place? Therefore, you’re telling all potential companies that you’re beyond reproach. Take it like a man and bow out gracefully. Momma would always say, in quoting the good book, “This too shall pass!”

If you would chill long enough somebody else will do something stupid and be in the news tomorrow to take the heat off of you. That’s how it works bruh! All you’ve done by filing the suit is extend your time in the news. Like I always say, “Where’s Chris Carter when you need him?“ C’mon Man!

We live in an "at-will" society. That means that a company can fire you for any reason at any time. In my opinion, draft prospects should have to work a real job for six months prior to being drafted so that they can get an understanding of what real life really is.

To go from eating training table and living in the dorm or a campus apartment to having several million dollars is just not the real world. Now, I realize that it's their "real world" but by having to live in the shoes of everyday working class Americans, they would at least see that the foolishness that they try to get away with doesn't work in real life. Normal Joe can't go to work and curse everybody out, pull his pants down and expect to clock back in after lunch. He’ll be fired and on his way to jail before he realizes what happened.

The money that these guys are making is like playing monopoly. It’s not real to them. Why else would a guy show up at the strip club during NBA All-Star weekend a couple of years ago with $80,000(Pacman Jones) and throw it in the air? One of the worse things that can happen to a man is to have access to something that he doesn‘t respect, whether it’s his family, mind, money or all of the above!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Entrapment

UCS's Marc Tyler gets "caught up" in the moment.

It's unfortunate that we now live in a 24 hour news cycle and everybody has a camera or cell phone taking pictures of everything. If you're an athlete or celebrity regardless of age you can be put on blast at a moments notice. Looking back at my days in college if there would have been people running around with video camera's I probably wouldn't have graduated and that goes for a lot of people reading this article. Stop playin'! College is where kids are going to make mistakes and say or do whatever because well... they're in college.

USC announced Monday that it has suspended running back Marc Tyler for the season opener against Minnesota on Sept. 3 and from all team activities immediately for comments made to TMZ recently.
Tyler, who appeared intoxicated on video, said he was "joking" when he said he responded to a question about if athletes were paid more at USC or in the pros.
"USC," Tyler said. "They breaking bread."

Now let's keep it real, that's entrapment! First of all, he's a freaking kid and he was drunk. Unfortunately, that's what kids do on a college campus. So for TMZ to approach Tyler, was in my opinion, way out of line. I mean he could've said anything. There should be a rule against the media approaching college students especially athletes for comments outside of authorized sporting events.

Trojans coach Lane Kiffin wants Tyler to recognize that the punishment is a way to show the "high standard for player behavior." Now because TMZ has thrown Tyler under the bus, Kiffin has to address it because it went public and they're already on probation, so I completely get it. He and athletic director Pat Haden really didn't have a choice but to discipline Tyler.

It's almost like your kid getting suspended from school for fighting because there is a no tolerance rule. When in reality the fight was no big deal because they were ruff housing more than anything. When the principal calls you have to appear to be upset when you're really not mad at your kid for fighting. You're just mad that he got caught so you have to put on a front and in my opinion, that's what Lane Kiffin did here in the principals office.

"I was very disappointed when I learned of Marc Tyler's inappropriate comments that were captured by the media last week," Kiffin said in a statement. "That is not the way that we expect our players to represent USC and our team. I have consulted with athletic director Pat Haden and I am suspending Marc for our upcoming season opener and potentially further, and in the meantime I am also suspending him from all team activities."

Now did Marc Tyler make a boo boo? Absolutely! Should he be disciplined for it? Yes, but under normal circumstances he would be on "dawn patrol"(early morning workouts with the strength & conditioning staff) for a week and it would be over. Oh yeah, he would have gotten kicked square in the butt by somebody on staff for being an idiot and commenting in the first place.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Game Tight!

"Who's Got More Game?"

 If you want to get black women fired up bring up the topic of why black athletes date or marry white women. For years I've just sat in the cut and watched the whole scenario play out. As a student-athlete for a short period of time some 25 years ago at Purdue University, I watched as many of my teammates went through school and some were eventually drafted and left with white women.
Now according to the sister’s, they’ll say that these guys always wait until they get rich and go get a white girl. Well…ladies that isn’t the case at all. Quite frankly, white girls have simply got more game than sisters in that department.

If you don't believe me sit back and I’ll run the game to you. For the sake of this discussion we'll call the white girl "Becky" and we'll call the sister "Lynnette". A five star recruit named "Elijah" enrolls as a freshmen still wet behind the ears and doesn't know anybody. As he's walking to class for the first time, he see's Lynnette and speaks to her just being friendly. She completely ignores him and keeps walking because she thinks he’s trying to holler at her. As he continues on down the street he runs into Becky and speaks to her the same way he spoke to Lynnette. However, Becky speaks and holds an entire conversation with him as they walk to class together.


Some time goes by and Becky see's that he's having trouble juggling both class and football so she offers to help him write his papers. Lynnette witness's the same thing but her response is "I've got my own thing to worry about." That's completely understandable but I'm just telling the story.

Over time Becky notices that Elijah doesn't have time between football and school to wash his clothes on the weekends. So she volunteers to do his laundry for him. Lynnette says, "Why should I do his laundry, nobody is going to help me with mine?" Becky is also buying snacks when the cafe is closed as well. Don't get mad at me, again I'm just telling you what I‘ve seen happen.

A couple of years go by and Elijah and Becky become a solid couple. Now remember he's been flying under the radar because during his freshman year he didn't play because he was red shirted ( practice squad ) and Lynnette still doesn‘t know his name. During his sophomore year he finally get’s on the field. However, by his junior year, he's a stud and is all over ESPN’s Sports Center and sports talk radio at this point. Now all of the draft experts are talking about him going in the first round of the NFL draft.


Now all of a sudden he catches Lynnette's eye but she's late to the game because Becky's been putting in work for 3 years. He decides to leave school early because the money is too good to pass up. So on draft day he's sitting in the green room waiting for his name to be called and guess who’s with his family? Becky! The same Becky that helped write his papers, do his laundry, put gas in his car, buy him pizza after the games and oh yeah, spoke to him on campus when nobody knew his name three short years ago.

What’s the lesson in this ladies? Always look for the potential in the young guy and not put him in the dumb jock category and ignore him when he speaks. Lynnette if you had just said hello who knows where that friendship could’ve gone. Keep in mind that 90% of the Elijah's on campus are from the same neighborhood you're from. So they are more comfortable talking to you than Becky, initially.

You let Becky in the game not Elijah. He could've cared less what color she was. He just wanted someone to believe in him and take an interest in his potential. Stop waiting until the forth quarter to try to make a come back when you’re down 3 touchdowns with 1:30 left. Is this the case in every situation? No, but I can tell you that this is how the game is kicked off.

At the end of the day Becky keeps dancing in the end zone and Lynnette keeps having to buy a ticket to the game after it’s already started. I know that money is sexy but potential is even more intoxicating! Now… was Becky running game too? I’m quite sure she was!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Save Us From Ourselves!

"Too much time & money leads to this!"

The older you get the more wisdom you seem to acquire. I guess it's life's experiences that make you more aware of what could happen at any time. See when you're young you can't see the foolishness that you're getting in line for. "An idle mind is a devil's workshop", according to The Handbook of Proverbs written by Henry G. Bohn in 1855. Interestingly enough, that isn't a bible quote but it makes all the sense in the world.

If you were paying attention the NFL off-season has been extremely quiet this year with very few guys getting into trouble. None of the usual news worthy stories like we would see in past years, no bar fights or usual weed related arrests, no domestic violence charges etc. Why, because boys haven't been comfortable with their money situation during this lockout.

According to a Sports Illustrated article in March of 2009 entitled "How (Why) Athletes Go Broke” 78% of NFL players file for bankruptcy or are going through financial hardship as a result of joblessness or divorce due to child support within two years of retirement. So during this off-season guys were real low key on foolishness because they weren't sure when they would get back to work.

Well...now that the negotiations are moving closer to being settled the cap has been torn off and the foolishness has jumped out of the can. Within a week three players got way too comfortable. Two of the Pittsburgh Steelers ran out into traffic with Hines Ward first getting popped for a DUI in L.A. and then James Harrison just completely lost his mind with the Men‘s Journal interview. Also Pacman Jones got arrested for hollering, cursing and resisting arrest at a Cincinnati restaurant last week.

"Idiot of the week"

Yeah… boys can see that the season is on the horizon so they’re trying to get a couple of weeks of normalcy in before training camp starts. Unfortunately, many of the guys in the NFL aren't old enough to have the vision to see foolishness waiting at the corner for them.

Experience is the best teacher. I can remember growing up in the hood and seeing guys getting set up and robbed on a regular basis. As a child you see it so many times that you know when it's coming even before it happens. I can remember walking home in the evenings from practice and seeing two guys coming up in the opposite direction on the same side of the street. Before they would even get close I'd across the street to avoid the potential of getting robbed. Now if they cross the street I'd take off running!

You can only see it if you've got some experience in the game and unfortunately, these young guys can't see the robbery before it happens. That's why the NFL has to hurry up and end the lockout to save the blind from crashing in the car into the guard rail! Because as long as they drag their feet near the end of the negotiations boys are going to get way too comfortable and total their careers.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Committing Career Suicide!

"How dumb can you be?"

Every job has it's pro's and con's but as professionals we all have to make the best of some bad situations. There are always going to be times that the job seems to be unfair and we tend to be resistant when changes occur etc. However, for those of us that can see the bigger picture, we adjust and move along without incident.

How many times have you wanted to tell your boss or even some co-worker of yours how you really felt about them or their ideals but your rational mind prevailed? It's a decision that most responsible working American adults make everyday. "Man I want to curse this guy out and give him the business but I've got bills to pay!" That's what most rational human beings say to themselves then there's Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

In a recent interview in the August issue of Men's Journal Magazine this guy lost his mind. He went straight at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calling him a "crook" and a "devil," among other insults. He even went so far as to say, "If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it. I hate him and will never respect him."

Hey James, tell us how you really feel! I know that he's still upset by the rules changes on hits last year because he got blasted for more than $100,000 as a result of those fines. I know that he felt like he was being targeted in some cases but it is what it is. If you’ve got beef with the league there are more professional ways of handling it.


Just because you're upset doesn't give you the right to completely act a fool in the process. That’s why they call it professional football bruh. This isn't the rec league. There are certain standards that professionals have to uphold. That means you can't blast the commissioner and everyone within an ear shot because you were in the mood. Not only did he go at Goodell, he picked off teammates Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall as well. That's called committing career suicide! So let me ask you James, was that your note?
If you think you got hit last year for excessive fines just wait until this year. You may as well sign your checks over to the league now bruh. As a matter of fact, make Goodell your power of attorney because he'll have access to all of your money this year, you can believe that! You’ll definitely understand what the word target means this year.

He’ll be like the young guy speeding through the wrong neighborhood in the middle of the night, bumping his music way too loud, with a pound of weed in the trunk and can't figure out why the police keep taking him to jail. Remember in the movie “American Gangster” when Denzel told his brother that the suit he had on said, “Arrest me”. That’ll be my man James this year. Bulls-eye!

OK, man to man, bruh to bruh, at what point did you decide to just take your brain out of your head and throw it out of the window? I mean, it must have already been in the street by the time you decided to take your shirt off and get your pistols to take a picture!

I know Harrison was thinking that because we're in a lockout the players code of conduct can't be enforced so they can't fine me etc. Where's Lee Corso in the off-season when you need him? "Not so fast my friend!"
As soon as the lockout is over they're going to come at him like a bullet. He'll get hit not only for his comments but also for being stupid enough to take a picture for the interview holding two pistols. That certainly isn’t the image the NFL would like to portray.

I mean how dumb and irresponsible can you be. Unless you're qualified to make the type of money the NFL is paying, learn how to put up with the job like everyone else in America does and shut up and go to work!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Paper or Plastic?

"Stop Frontin' Deion!"

People that need mentors typically have them for a reason. Regardless of why a person may need some guidance, the mentor is there because they've been through the war so to speak. They typically know where all of the land minds are and can teach the less experienced individual how to navigate the dangers of making it in life, a particular profession or both.

So that's why it blows my mind that people will get older and forget what it was like to be young, irresponsible and in need of a mentor themselves. Deion Sanders who cut ties with Dez Bryant back in March says that he's concerned about the gifted young receiver. However, I'm tripping off of Deion because he threw the Cowboys WR under the bus on the radio because he's no longer working him. If he was really concerned about the kid he wouldn't be slamming him on the air. That was a punk move.

 As an older guy, Deion should've pulled him to the side and talked to him and I believe that he's done that but you never slam a guy on front street. Because by doing that you open the door for the mainstream media to pile on which is exactly what is happening. Momma used to say, "If you don't have nothing nice to say. Don't say nothing at all."

However, "Prime Time" had some interesting comments on Tuesday about Dez while being interviewed by WCNN sports in Atlanta saying, "Everybody is. I think the Dallas Cowboys are more concerned than I am. It's hard to talk to a person when they have millions, man, because there is so much noise in their life," Sanders said on the radio station. "Everybody around them is employed and they have 'yes men.' You gotta start hiring a 'no man.' "

Now let's be honest, Dez Bryant has made some mistakes in his young life but who hasn't. I mean the guy is 22 years old with, oh yeah… millions of dollars in his pocket. Does that excuse him for being young and immature? Absolutely not! He definitely needs to chill but Deion can't go at him in public though.

What has the kid done besides have dinner with Deion at the Hall Of Fame Elect's home before his senior season at Oklahoma State which got him suspended for his final year. Umm...seams like "Prime Time" the mentor should have known that having a kid over for dinner was an NCAA violation but who's the adult here?

"Hey man I need your help!"

Dez did get kicked out of a Texas mall earlier this summer for sagging. OK, I'm not in favor of the fashion statement but I'll give him a pass for being young, rich and stupid. I won't pile on the guy like my man Deion is doing though. Sounds like the kid needs a mentor to me and if you're in the mentoring business Deion, here's your guy.


God doesn't give you guys to mentor that don't need one bruh! So stop trying to hide behind your organization and finish what you started. I've always been a fan of yours but I'm going to call it like I see it. You're running from the very guy that needs your help and you're not man enough to admit it. Especially by making dumb statements like this:

"I had to cut my umbilical cord with him because a lot of things people do not know about. I'm trying to open schools and get these kids prepared for the future, and I can't have that on my record saying that: 'How am I going to send my kids to your school, and this is what you are turning out over here?' " Sanders told the radio station. "No, I am not turning that out over there. ... I love (Bryant). I see him from time to time. I pray for him, but as a unit we had to separate."

Dude just say, I want to help kids but I only want to help the ones that are still broke and will listen to every word that comes out of my mouth. Just say that it's too difficult to mentor a millionaire. It's like adopting a 17 year old because they're already set in there ways. I can completely understand. However, you need to run that game on folks that don’t know any better bruh because this sounds like you packed it in both paper and plastic!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
　

All or Nothing!

"Dude! Go somewhere and sit down!"

Sometimes in life we run across people that just don't get it. The old timers would say, "they can't get out of their own way." Well... Pacman Jones is one of those people. He was arrested again Sunday in Cincinnati on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct while intoxicated and resisting arrest. This is just another incident to add to the list of foolishness he's been involved in since he was drafted in the first round in 2005.

According to Cincinnati media outlets, reported documents filed in court accuse Jones of being disorderly and shouting profanities in a downtown bar and trying to pull away as officers arrested him. Now of course Jones is denying the allegations.

''I just had surgery, so why would I be resisting arrest?'' said Jones, who was wearing a neck brace. Now the guy is wearing a neck brace while he's recovering from a neck injury that did require surgery, however.
Stop the madness! Man Chris Carter just needs to hang out with me daily because I need a "C'mon Man!" real loud right now.

 Pacman your reputation precedes you bruh! Isn't this the same guy that was in Vegas during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend at a strip club “making it rain” and caused a riot where people were shot and a guy was paralyzed as result of the incident? Also, isn't this the same guy that got into a fight with his own body guard that the Dallas Cowboys hired to keep him out of trouble? Yeah, this is the same guy that has been arrested at least six other times and had a dozen instances that involved police intervention.

Man he just doesn't understand that he's not qualified to do anything else but play football and is trying his best to throw it all away. He's got all of the talent in the world but he seems to be blind.
Pacman, here are your options bruh, make the NFL money for as long as you possibly can or make minimum wage money for as long as you live. It's as simple as that. With all of the trouble that keeps hitching a ride to your coat tail it would seem like you’d get tired of acting a fool.

Let's keep it real! How many people believe that the police were called because this guy was sitting quietly at a table having dinner and drinks with his wife. Oh I'm sorry, he said that he wasn't drinking. Therefore, he was just having a quiet dinner and the cops showed up, wrestled him down and arrested him for chewing too loud.


I mean none of that makes sense so to stop blaming the world for picking on you. Once your reputation goes south you might get blamed for any and everything. Have you ever known a guy that was a stone thief and any time something came up missing you blamed him? He wasn't even in the house but the next time you saw him you confronted him about it anyway. That's Pacman! Dude was in Atlanta and got blamed for a fight in Orlando last week(just kidding). I'm just sayin' bruh, get your act together before you end up on fries at McDonald's or trying to be a two bit hustler and end up dead in the street! Either way it's not a good look for a person with all of that talent.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Flip Flopping The Money!

Hummm...that ain't a bad idea bruh!

Like I said a couple of days ago in my article entitled “Locked & Loaded” the players have all of the leverage in the current NBA lockout because they can simply go overseas and play. There's nothing holding them back. According to Deron Williams he believes that I'm not crazy by saying it either.

"If the proposal (the owners) have, if that's what they're sticking with and that's what they want, then I think it would be hard for a lot of guys to come back to the NBA," Williams said Friday in an interview at a private golf resort in San Diego.

Williams said any collective bargaining agreement that would leave stars such as Kobe Bryant making only $11 million a year! One of the biggest stars in the game! See the owners have proposed cutting players' salaries by roughly a third and that could open the door for an unprecedented exodus to Europe.

"(Kobe) could go make more money overseas, I guarantee you." said Williams, who has a one-year, $5 million deal with Besiktas. "If (European teams) knew he could be there for a full season, or they knew I could be there for a full season, or they knew LeBron James could be there for a full season, they'll pay more money, of course."

Those that think that there is no possibly of players leaving the NBA, are crazy. I heard a guy saying that there aren't enough spots available for all of the NBA guys to come over. Are you mad? Just about every player in the league could go over there. They'd just fire the existing players on those rosters in Europe and play ball with NBA players. The money will follow. They can't pay the current guys like the NBA because they don't have the fan base.

If everyone just packed up and went to Europe they'd immediately have the fans to support the salaries just like they would here. The European teams would then be able to sign lucrative TV deals with not only the companies in Europe but also in the United States.

Don't think for one minute that ESPN The World Wide Leader In Sports won't be the first in line with a check. Then the other companies will be right behind them with all of our favorite analysts and columnists in tow ready do the same thing they've always done.

You have to realize that we live in a social media age and everything is instantly up to date. With all of that happening, the fans wouldn't miss a beat. The average fan never goes to a game anyway. So it wouldn't make a bit of difference if the game was in L.A. or Germany!

The owner's better recognize that they don't have the power that they once had. It’s time to wise up and give these players whatever they ask for and throw in some stuff. Otherwise, they'll be sitting on the curb looking stupid. Can you imagine the frenzy that would take place in Europe if guys like Kobe, Lebron, D. Rose and D. Wade showed up. It would be like the Beatles landing in the U.S. years ago.

Guys would make more money over there because it would be all brand new to the people in Europe. They would pay through the nose to see our players every night. Then the NBA would be stuck with the guys that were forced to go to Europe to play in the first place. Not only would we lose the players but we'd lose the revenue from the taxes that those players paid on their salaries. Also remember all of the people employed as a result of the NBA playing in the U.S.. That will definitely have a negative effect the American economy and you couldn't blame that one on Obama!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

"Get In The Cut!"

Ohio State doesn't want to see the NCAA but has no choice!

Remember when you were a kid and you got into trouble while you were at the store with your folks and they would say, "wait until I get you home!" However, you still had several stores to go to before you got home. So you'd be on your best behavior for the rest of the day hoping that they'd forget about the whipping they had promised you earlier in the day.

You figured that if I did everything right and was helpful with the groceries they'd give me a pass. Well that's what the Ohio State Buckeyes were thinking on Friday when they tried to get out in front of the NCAA by imposing their own sanctions.

In response to NCAA violations committed by football players who traded autographs and memorabilia for cash and tattoos and by a coach who covered it up, Ohio State issued its official response on Friday. Athletic director Gene Smith hoped it would keep the NCAA pulling out the extension cord or the tree branch and giving them a whipping for the ages. The measures taken by the school included vacating all the Buckeyes' wins from last season, a year in which Ohio State captured a record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title and won an unprecedented seventh straight game over Michigan.

I'm not sure that's going to be enough to keep the heat off. I mean… they acted a fool in that store by running and knocking things over without regard. I my opinion this is worse than USC because the head coach has admitted to and has been removed from his position because of his knowledge of the situation. Now I don't agree with the rules etc but at least Pete Carroll didn't admit that he knew about the foolishness that was going on at USC.

He also quit as he saw the transmission starting to slip and the wheels beginning to come off. In this case, the Buckeyes got caught driving the get away car with all of the evidence in the trunk and the gun still smoking. This one requires no detective work at all! What's crazy to me is that the Ohio State administration is acting like pulling some wins off of the table and promoting Luke Fickle is going to make it right with the NCAA.

Not a chance! They won't be happy until they get to the white meat on this one. For those that don't understand that term, they've got to break the skin in order to be satisfied. I say they lose at least 10 scholarships a year for the next 3 to 4 years and get hit with a post-season bowl ban as well. For laughs they should have to play Michigan at the Big House until they get off of probation!

I tell you what! Boys in Columbus aren't going to be getting tattoo's for a few years either. You'd better get it before you show up for camp and everybody's getting a bus pass too! Car’s will be parked at the football complex and you’ll have to have a family emergency to get in it.

The team is going to look like their pledging the frat until this thing is over. Everyone walking or jogging to class, wearing the same clothes, saying the same thing and checking in with the assistant coaches throughout the day! "Good evening big brother, oh so smooth, oh so cool, scarlet and grey, leader of the Big Ten and can't wait for another win Sir!!!"

Yep, they'll be towing the line in Columbus for the near future. I just hope they can sit down when it's all said and done because sometimes the bruh's get out of hand with the wood(paddle) when you‘re in the cut. If you know what I mean?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves

Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Locked & Loaded!

"Man, don't play with me! I can go anywhere and play basketball."

I've been saying for months that the NFL owner's have all of the leverage simply because they have a monopoly on the game of football. Where else in the world can a guy make $5 million a year playing this game? Nowhere! America is the only place they're playing football besides Canada and they don't have the fan base to pay guys that type of money because they're more interested in hockey up there.

Well...the NBA tried to pull the same power move and have a lockout of it's own. However, the owner's don't possess the power that the NFL owner's do. They forgot that they're playing basketball all over the world and guys don't have to beg them to play.

Deron Williams' agent, Jeff Schwartz, confirmed on Thursday to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher a report from the Turkey-based sports outlet NTV Sports that the All-Star point guard has struck an agreement in principal to play for Besiktas, which is the club that briefly employed Allen Iverson last season.

It’s a one year deal worth $5 million sources have told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. Besiktas coach Ergin Ataman told the New York Times that they've also sealed a deal with Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia. Hey, these guys aren't playing around either.

"If there's a possibility, we'll talk with Kobe (Bryant) if he'd like to play in Europe with Deron and with other guys to play we can talk with him," Ataman said. "If Kobe would like to play with us, we will also contact his agent and maybe with him."

Now let's keep it real, this is a power move by the NBA Players Association to kick start the lockout negotiations into full gear. I mean these guys don't want to go to Europe to play ball. They'd rather be right here doing what they've always done. Who wants to go overseas to get less money than they can get here at home without the inconvenience.

Deron Williams doesn't speak Turkish or whatever language they speak in Turkey. That would be a hassle just trying to communicate with teammates and ordering food at the minimum. That's what a guy does when he doesn't have options and believe me D. Will's got plenty of them.

He's guaranteed nearly $34 million from the Nets if he doesn't opt out of the $17.8 million he's owed in 2012-13! Now granted, he wouldn't be protected in the event he’s injured while playing overseas. That would mean that he would have to purchase a separate insurance policy to cover himself if he decides to play over there. Like I said, this is all posturing at best, but it puts the owner's on notice that the options are available.


Could you imagine if guys like Kobe, LeBron and D. Wade took off and played in Europe? Boy, talk about getting hit! The NBA would be crippled financially if something like that were to happen. Whether you like LeBron or not he's the money maker for the league as I explained in “The Most Powerful Man In The NBA“. All the money this past season went through him. Would the league had been nearly as entertaining to watch without him? Not at all.

So David Stern and his boys don't want to see guys even talking with European teams. He's pulling his hair out to get this thing settled. I'll guarantee that this lockout won't last as long as the NFL lockout for that reason alone. The players have options and there's nothing the league or the owners can do about it.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.