The Party Pooper!



"Who was genius that came up with this idea?"

 The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event on the planet. It marks the culmination of events for the National Football League. The champion is crowned and most importantly it's a week long party. People fly into the host city on Monday or Tuesday of that week just to hang out. That's why it's normally held in warm weather cities like Miami, San Diego, Houston, Jacksonville, Tampa, New Orleans etc. Last year it was held in Dallas and for a couple of days the ice crippled the joint. However, by the end of the week it was great and the parties resumed.

For the life of me I can't understand why the NFL agreed to host the biggest party of the year in Indianapolis this year. Now I realize that the league is trying to show off all of the new stadiums. So it seems like if you can build a stadium you can come up on a Super Bowl. Now for the record I live in Indy but I'm telling you that it's the worse move in history from a hang out/kick it/party perspective. Let's keep it real or all the way 100 which ever comes first! The game is in February! Have you ever been to Indy in February? Well let me tell you, it'll be 10 degrees and several inches of snow outside at the very least.

I'm completely aware of the fact that Lucas Oil Stadium has a closed roof. That's not the issue here. The most important problem is the ability to hang out and get into something. The Super Bowl is unlike any other sporting event in this country. It attracts all of the millionaire players from across the country. Every actor, entertainer and of course pro ball players from every sporting genre will be in town. These folks aren't flying in to just watch the game. They want to be entertained 24/7. The problem is, there’s nothing to do on that level in Indianapolis!

In those warm weather cities they can chill on the beach all day, fish, sail, golf, you name it. In New Orleans they can hang on Bourbon Street and party all day, gamble at the downtown casino's, take rides up and down the Mississippi River etc. What are they going to do in downtown Indy all week in 10 degrees and several inches of snow?

Remember, I'm not talking about the average fan that comes to town on Saturday for a game during the regular season and has dinner at St Elmo's or Ruth's Chris then goes back to the hotel to get ready for the game the next day. I'm talking a big baller that's in town for the sole purpose of "gettin' it in". These kind of folks that don't plan on sleeping and they’ve got more money than they've got time. That guy! What's he/she going to do besides go to jail in Indy all week.

I hear you saying, “Super Bowl XL was held at Ford Field in Detroit in February of 2006 and it's colder there than in Indy!" You're absolutely right my friend. However, the difference between Detroit and Indianapolis is this. You can gamble in downtown Detroit or go across the bridge to Windsor, Canada and kick it. The place is open 24/7. Even with that, Detroit still got slammed in the post Super Bowl reviews.  The closest casino's are darn near an hour away from downtown Indy and it's too cold to do anything else. Nobody's wants to travel once they've already traveled to get to the city where the party is supposed to be. Don't even try to bring up that New York will host the Super Bowl in 2014. It's NYC for cryin' out loud. Need I say more!

Millionaire's don't sleep when they come in for events like this bruh. They sure don't want to be inconvenienced when they're trying to "get it in.". People want to walk right outside and get into something and they sure don't want to have to put on a full length mink coat to do it. Where do most of these people we're talking about live? In warm weather climates! Do they really want to leave a 70 degree spot and fly into a 10 degree freezer and be stuck inside all week? Sure, they'll be bars and clubs open for parties at night but what are they going to do all day? Sit in the hotels, watch the snow and go to the mall? OK that's cool on the first day, then what?

I still hear the same guy screaming, "We host the Final Four seems like every other year!" Again my friend I'm aware of that! However, the Final Four attracts a completely different crowd. It's normally the same college basketball fans that have been following their teams all year. Regular working class folks that love basketball and travel to the games anyway. They get into town on Thursday evening or early Friday to watch their favorite team practice at the venue and are completely satisfied with that. They go check out "Hoops City" in the convention center and they're cool.

The “Big Baller Shot Caller” isn't at all interested in the NFL interactive city. That's for all of the local folks that want to experience the Super Bowl but aren't spending the real money the city is looking for. Sure, I'll take my kids downtown for the events but they're only going to get me for a burger and parking because typically the interactive joint is free. The big money cats are the one's that the city needs to spend that paper all week. The other portion of the Super Bowl crowd is all corporate. So they definitely need to be entertained.

I hear that guy again saying, "It's blasphemous to talk that way because you live in Indy! Why would you slam the city that you live in like that?" Bruh, I love Indy! I think it's a great place to live and raise a family. However, it's a terrible place to hold a Super Bowl. I was downtown this past February for the NFL Combine and I had an old timer, that’s been around the league for most of their adult life, tell me that this place doesn't have enough bells and whistles to host a Super Bowl. All I could do was shake my head in agreement.

 So therefore, instead of folks coming in on Monday. They'll opt to come in on Friday because they heard there was nothing to do. That's less money spent in Indy!  Good luck with that!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Remote Control

"I need the same protection that the other QB's get!"

Marketing is the ability to promote a product for the availability of sale to customers. We see it in every aspect of life including sports. Every apparel company on the planet uses a professional athlete to market and promote it's particular brand. Jordan pretty much put Nike on the map in 1986 with the launch of the Air Jordan. Let's keep it real, Run DMC made Addidas a house hold name. Yeah, I know that they weren't pro athletes but by rocking the shell toe Addidas without laces in the early eighties kid’s jumped all over the brand. The song helped too!

So why the doesn't the NFL understand that by having Michael Vick on the field is good for the game! Why hasn't the referee's been pulled to the side and read the riot act on why it's important to protect him when he's in the pocket. Let's keep it all the way 100! The only reason most people watch the Eagles play is to see Vick. When he was injured on Sunday my remote got up, walked over to the TV and kick it to change the channel to another game. I was no longer interested. Whether people want to admit it or not Vick is great for the game.

The NBA is the absolute best at marketing it's league. They don't say that on Sunday night the Heat and the Lakers will play. The commercial says, Lebron vs. Kobe! Magic and Bird resurrected the league in the early 1980's with their personal rivalry and the NBA was smart enough to capture the moment. The NFL is clearly the most popular league in sports but they do a terrible job of marketing it's product.

Why not make all of the money and with Vick on the field advertisements can be sold at a higher premium. I was in complete agreement with Mick on Sunday when he went off about being protected.

"I just think more precautions should be taken when I'm inside the pocket, Vick said. If you look at all the replays, I'm on the ground every time and it's unfortunate for myself and it's unfortunate for my team and I'll be lying if I said I wasn't, if I were to sit here and say I wasn't frustrated right now because of that."

Folks jumped all over him for his comments but in my opinion, he has a legitimate beef. Just because he's a running quarterback doesn't mean that he shouldn’t get the same protection as players like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. As long as he's in the pocket he should be given the same security. If Peyton or Brady took shots like that there would be penalty flags all over the field. Is there less protection for Vick because people can't get over the fact that he's even in the league again or what? Maybe!

However, he's a polarizing figure just like Lebron and he's great for the game. Back in June a wrote an article entitled, "The Most Powerful Man In The NBA", which is one of my most read articles all-time. Proving my point that LeBron has all of the power because even the casual fan that was against him tuned in just to see him lose. Why not use all the hate towards Vick to your advantage in marketing the NFL. With Vick on the field people will watch, point blank!

Who care's whether people like him or not. It makes money and that's what the NFL is in the business to do. Everybody wants a villain and he's it. Use it to your advantage and protect the freaking guy in the pocket. Because if he's not on the field I'm not watching and there are millions of folks that feel the same way I do. Now, I’m watching because I want to see him succeed. Others want to see him fail but why does the league care why we watch as long as we turn on the game.

"Just make sure my money ain't funny!"

The NBA set all kinds of viewer ship records this year for pre, regular and post season games! More people watched the NBA this year than ever before. Why? Lebron James was the villain. It's not the WWE because they're actually competing but people love to have an enemy to hate. Vick's cool with it because: A) It’s his fault for being stupid enough to be involved in the dog fighting scandal in the first place and B) He’s back in the league and the Eagles put a cool $100 million in his pockets! So it's all good. He just wants to be protected. Why not give Vick and the fans what they want and make all of the money in the process?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

The All New "Geto Boys"

In Stores Now the 2011 remix of "My Minds Playin' Tricks On Me!"

Whenever a school is busted for rules infractions the NCAA loves to come in and vacate wins. Just recently the Ohio State Buckeyes were forced to check in wins from last season as well as the Miami Hurricanes. USC had to give up wins because of the Reggie Bush debacle too. The most famous vacation of wins was probably the University of Michigan's Fab Five run. The NCAA came in, took down the Final Four banners and vacated all of the wins from that era years after they were gone.

On last Saturday Big East referee's completely blew a call during the Toledo/Syracuse ball game that eventually cost Toledo the ballgame. Video shows that Syracuse missed a late extra point but the officials ruled it good. Replay officials allowed it to stand. Toledo then kicked a tying field goal to force overtime, but the Orange came back with a field goal to win 33-30.

If the call had never been blown Toledo would have won the game on what was the tying field goal. After the ball game officials admitted that the call was wrong. However, the call hasn't and won't be reversed giving the Rockets the victory. Mid-American commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said Monday that NCAA rules say there's no route to reverse the outcome once the game is declared over. Toledo athletic director Mike O'Brien asked the Mid-American Conference to call for the Big East Conference to give Toledo the victory after a Big East official admitted that replay officials made a mistake.

Where is Chris Carter, Tom Jackson, Mike Ditka and KeyShawn when you need them! C'Mon Man!!!! Don't tell a bunch of college kids that have played their hearts out that you can't make a wrong right! If you have the power to go back years after Chris Weber is in the NBA and jack Michigan's Final Four banners surely you can swoop up one win from Syracuse that really won't make or break their season and it's the right thing to do.

I mean, right is right bruh! If the call hadn't been blown the game would have been over once Toledo kicks the late field goal. So by making the call right Toledo deserves to win. Now the NCAA is always hollering integrity, sportsmanship and all that crap. Let's show the boys from Ohio what it looks like in motion. I can't tell my kids to be honest and forthright then find somebody's wallet and put it in my pocket. How can the NCAA say there is no route to reverse the outcome once the game is declared over when they've been doing it for years?

They’ve come in like the Geto Boys playing, "My Minds Playin’ Tricks On Me" taking wins and telling me that I didn't see what I just saw for years. On Saturday they just turned the music up louder, blind folded me and pointed in the opposite direction while we drove past the joint. What? It blows my mind that they always find ways to make the rules work for them but never use the rules to for work the student-athlete!

The MAC ought to sue the Big East for the win and hold the NCAA accountable. I'll tell you this, if the Toledo players would have come out of the locker room after the game and accepted a hundred dollar handshake from a booster. They would figure out how to reverse the outcome of the game! No doubt about it! Don't just use your power to punish the kids but also use it to empower and encourage them as well. That's like me punishing my own kids for everything they do wrong and never encouraging them for making the honor roll or for just learning how to tell the truth.

If I never let them know that I'm in their corner they won't ever be loyal to me or my word. So when they get out into the streets with their friends and are faced with having to making the right decision they won’t hesitate to do the right thing because they know that I've got their backs. If I don't, they'll role with the crew, take the wrong path and eventually get their wins vacated. Listen up NCAA, if you're going to be the disciplinarian you've got to be the cheer leader too.


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

Taken For Granted

Gary, In. high school football player, Edwin Parker Deloney Jr., shot dead at 17!

In order to play professional sports it takes an unbelievable amount talent and genetics that most people will never be blessed to possess. Not everyone is born with the talent that it takes to play in the NFL or NBA. For an African American kid from the inner city it takes even more than that. It takes a whole lot of grace and mercy just to escape the violence to even get on the field.

Last week in my hometown of Gary, In. a young high school football player named Edwin Parker Deloney Jr. age 17 was shot and killed on his way home from football practice. What makes this story so tragic is that he and his younger brother Eric, 16 had just moved to Gary from Riverdale, Ga. to live with their father less than a month ago.

They were walking home from practice when they were attacked. The teens saw a car circling but didn't pay any attention to it because they had no enemies because they were new in the area. Now a kid is dead for no apparent reason. Do you realize that more than 70% of the players in the NFL and NBA are African- American and the vast majority of them come from environments just like Gary?

Not only do these guys have to be extremely talented but they have to be extremely blessed just to make it to graduation day. Even once they make it to college the threat of violence doesn’t go away. If any, it escalates because so many in the hood become jealous of their success. How many times do you hear of kids coming home on a break and being killed for whatever reason?

According to 2004 data (the most recent available) from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for black teens and young adults in the age groups 15 to 19, 20 to 24, and 25 to 34, homicide is the leading cause of death. (The CDC data is the leading federal resource ranking causes of death.) For blacks aged 15 to 24, 40 percent of all deaths (2,803 of 7,049) were homicides. Eighty-nine percent of these homicides were perpetrated with a firearm. Those numbers are even higher among African-American males at the same age.

I’m constantly aware of the dangers that so many of our kids face daily. So when I watch sports I'm not as quick to criticize players for mistakes that they make along the way. That's why I ride so hard for players like Lebron(NBA) and Cam Newton(NFL) because I understand just how much grace, mercy and Big Momma’s prayer got them through. Now I'm not sure if Cam grew up in the hood or not but someone from his family did and made it possible for him to be where he is today. They deserve to be supported more than they should be criticized for being young and immature. We all have made mistakes along the way and many of us have made much worse decisions than LeBron‘s “The Decision.” For the record, I thought that it was pure genius from a marketing stand point!

For every guy that makes it to the league whether it's the NBA or the NFL there are thousands of Edwin Parker Deloney Jr’s that somehow didn't make it home from practice or school. Kids don’t choose to live in the ghetto but somehow make the best of the situation. I wish that fans were forced to trade places with some of these kids sometimes so they could get a bird’s eye view of what it takes to make it to an 18^th birthday in the ghetto let alone make it to the league. Then they won’t be so quick to hate guys like Lebron or Cam because they’ll have a better understanding of the sacrifice and grace that it took to get on the field.

So when you're watching your favorite team this week. Think about all of the kids that didn't make it home that had every intention of playing in the league or just being a productive adult one day. It's all grace and mercy that we even get to live as long as we do. So the next time you want to spit venom at a player, encourage him because he could easily have been a homicide victim.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Runnin' Game!

"Stay down dawg, we need a rest. This no huddle is killing us!"

Growing up in the inner city everybody learns the art of survival at a very young age. You learn early on that if you don't have your head together when you walk out of the house in the morning somebody’s going to hustle you out of something. If your game running senses aren't on when you leave home you're going to lose several times before you get back to the crib.

Sports is no different than hood survival. The guy that is the sharpest mentally during competition is normally going to win the battle. In the world of sports we call it “Gamesmanship” in the hood we called it “Street Sense“! So why is everybody up in arms about the New York Giants players faking injuries on "Monday Night Football" in an attempt to slow down the no huddle offense of the St. Louis Rams that had them on their heels? It's perfectly legal for a guy to be hurt and if you can't prove that he's hurt, then he's hurt! How many people call in sick that aren't sick?

Guys have been practicing the art of gamesmanship to gain an edge on their opponents for years. Soccer players pretend to be hurt to draw a card against their opponents. Hockey players have been known to take a dive to draw a penalty and gain a man advantage. Reggie Miller was the king of flopping in the NBA. So why is everybody acting brand new about this situation?

Muhammad Ali was the master at runnin' game. He’d rhyme to get into his opponents head or even show up at the guys sparring sessions and talk trash to him. That wasn't cheating that was called getting an edge. Now cheating is when a guy uses steroids or uses a camera to spy on the other teams signals during the game like the Patriots did in the whole "Spygate" joint masterminded by Bill Bellichick. That's not runnin' game that's runnin' a foul!

All week I've heard nothing but people talking about penalizing the teams for faking injuries. Really? How can you prove that a guy was faking. The Giants just looked obvious because everybody fell out at the same time. It was kind of funny actually because I saw it as soon as it happened. I didn't need the analysts to bring it to my attention because I'm trained in the art of "game". I can see a con a mile away.

I always find it funny to go to Las Vegas and stand out on the strip after dark. I would say that 98% of the people walking up and down the street in Vegas at night don't see what's really going on. I find it to be hilarious because I can see the pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and addicts in plain view but everybody else is completely oblivious to the madness that’s right in front of them. That's how sports is to me. If you're trained to look for the “game” within the game it becomes more entertaining.

So if you can't prove that a guy isn't hurt then his actions are legal. I heard a guy say on sports radio that if a guy says that he's hurt then he should have to sit out the rest of the game. You know what, take that guy’s microphone from him because he's officially on punishment! What kind of sense does that make?

The key to playing the game is understanding where the edge of the envelope is and walking very close to it. It's not cheating if you're always within the box. It's not called getting ripped off if you agreed to the price, inspected and bought the merchandise. That's why the locals on these Caribbean Island's love to see tourists because so many of them don't understand how to look for the “game.” So the natives, in turn, make a fortune off of the non suspecting people that are just happy to be on vacation and will buy any piece of crap they offer them.

When Reggie Miller would flop he was using the rule book to his advantage just like the Giants did on "Monday Night Football". There is an old hood proverb that says, “He who doesn’t recognize the game get’s played.”

Holla at Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

"If You Don't Know Now You Know!"

"I got this bruh!"

The debut single for the late great rapper “The Notorious B.I.G. back in 1994 was a hot joint called “Juicy” and in the chorus he kept saying, “If you don’t know, now you know!” Well there were a lot of people that didn’t know last summer! A writer for Pro Football Weekly, Nolan Nawrocki, wrote an article on the positives and negatives of Cam Newton. Although he had some positives to say about his mechanics, he completely blasted the most important aspect of the kids life, his character.

He says in his summary of Cam: "Very disingenuous—has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup. Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law—does not command respect from teammates and always will struggle to win a locker room. Only a one-year producer. Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness—is not punctual, seeks shortcuts, and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable."

I'd like to be sitting next to that clown right now. All of his observations of Cam were in my opinion, a personal bias formed as a result of the NCAA investigation of the kid which didn't find him guilty of anything. I mean, is this guy a writer or a psychologist? Either way, Cam's got him and every other idiot in the media that didn't give him a foo foo dogs chance in the hood looking stupid.

They were and still are lining up to say how the kid won't make it in the NFL and my man Cam has done nothing but use it as bulletin board material. He passed for 432 yards against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the most ever in a single game by a rookie. He has 854 yards passing through two games, another rookie record, and for a few hours that stood as the most by any quarterback in the first two weeks of the season. Then New England's Tom Brady broke the mark again later in the day with 940. The previous record was 827 by Kurt Warner in 2000.

He’s stingin' boyz right now and all I keep hearing is haters in the media saying he‘s not impressive. I heard Colin Cowherd say that he's got more picks than touchdowns and he hasn't won a game. What? The kid is completely destroying defenses and that's the best you can come up with? He's a rookie quarterback on the worse team in the league with one weapon, Steve Smith. How do I know it's the worse team in the league? Because they drafted him with the first pick in the NFL draft that‘s how. Seems like you would know that if it's your job to know sports. The worse team get’s the first pick that’s how it works bruh! How many games did Troy Aikman or Peyton Manning win their rookie year? I can count that on my little hand, 4 total (Aikman 1 and Manning 3)! Now, I'm not saying that he's going to be a Hall Of Famer like those guys. However, I am saying that he shouldn't be expected to win anymore games than they did as rookies.

Let's see, they've been playing pro football in this country since 1920 that's 91 years for those that can only criticize and can‘t add or subtract. Cam Newton has in two weeks done what no one else in darn near 100 years has been able to do and your saying that he's got too many picks? My motto has always been, "If more than 50% of the people in the room aren't hating on you. Then you need to step your game up!"

Cam I think you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing young bruh and that's increasing your number of hater by 20% every week. The more you keep showing up on Sundays the more we can watch the haters pile up and come up with ridiculous arguments as to why you aren't any good. I love it! The entertainment is in waiting to see what these guys are going to say next.

I even heard the Colin say, well Tom Brady is on pace to break Dan Marino's single season passing record by 2,000 yards. Really bruh, did you just say that! That's like saying that after the first 75 meters Husain Bolt is on pace to break the 200 meter world record by 4 seconds. It's like saying that when Kobe scored 81 points against Toronto in 2006, he was on pace to become the all-time NBA scoring leader in 3 seasons! That's called I'm mad that this kid is making me look stupid in front of my audience because I'm supposed to be the sports authority.

Well bruh, Cam is proving that he belongs in the league and as he learns from his mistakes he'll only get better.

 The kid has been so good over the course of his life that he simply doesn't understand that there are people that possess the same amount of talent that he does. Can you imagine going through life and being the very best at what you do everywhere that you've gone until you were 21 or 22 years old?

There are very few people that can say that and he's one of them. He shouldn't feel bad about throwing two interceptions against Green Bay because he got picked both times by Charles Woodson! As Charles was pulling those boyz out of the air he was saying, " I won a Heisman too young bruh, don‘t get it twisted!" The old timers always say that experience is the best teacher. Now Cam knows that he's in the NFL and that there are other people that are just as good and in many cases even more gifted than he is.

It's like all of a sudden waking up in the Matrix because everybody in the league was the man growing up. When the game finally slows down for him, he'll be the man all over again. He's just being reminded right now of when he was a kid  teasing the neighbors dog that finally breaks the chain and bites his boy. At that very moment someone rode past bumping that Juicy, “If you don’t know now you know!”

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Sleep Walkin'

Dabo Sweeney & Clemson are fired up after beating Auburn!

Clemson head football coach Dabo Sweeney nearly fainted during the post-game interview on Saturday after his Tigers knocked off the Auburn Tigers. He was so excited that he got a head rush while telling the reporter how excited he was for his team. Not only did they beat the defending national champ but they were the defending SEC champ and had the nations longest winning streak at 17 games.

That was the greatest win at Clemson in years! Quite naturally the entire campus has been electric since the clock read zero's on Saturday. The students rushed the field and the players got a chance to celebrate the accomplishment with their peers. Awesome job!

The problem is, they've got to be ready to play Florida State this week and kids playing at Clemson aren't accustomed to winning at that level. So therefore, they'll get the doors beat off of them because they won't be ready to play. They partied for the first 48 hours after the win and had more women than they could shake a stick at. Even the guys on the scout team will have groupies this week.



This is what happens if you don't prepare!

 Keep in mind that because many of the players live in the dorms the students have immediate access to them. So they're knocking on their doors at all hours of the night all week to congratulate them, buying them food and drinks etc. Consequently, the players aren't getting any sleep. Not the mention the media coverage that they're getting. ESPN and every channel you can think of will be at practice everyday. It's a lot to all of a sudden absorb for an 18-22 year old that's never been in that situation before.

See kids that play at schools like Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida State etc have been in the spotlight their entire lives because they were the most highly recruited players in the country. They've had groupies and the media in their faces since they were 14 years old. So it's business as usual for them.

Unfortunately, the kids at Clemson will allow their success from last week to have a negative affect on their potential for success this week. The hardest thing about being great is figuring out how be consistently good. Once people have success it's only natural for them to get distracted. It's like the kid that get’s an "A" on the  midterm and then doesn’t show up to class for an entire week. It’s natural to think you’ve got time to chill. Why do you think that it's so hard for a team to repeat as the conference, national or even Super Bowl Champion? There’s a word for that, it’s called complacency!

That simple word has sunk ships and destroyed kingdoms throughout history. Jerry Rice was the ultimate competitor and we can learn from his example. I heard Steve Young say that one year after they won the Super Bowl he went to the complex to clean out his locker the day after the game. He looked out onto the practice field and there was Jerry running routs. Not 24 hours after winning the Super Bowl he's preparing for the next year! That’s being consistent.

The sad part about Clemson is that it won't hit the kids that they even have a game on Saturday until Thursday evening. They'll get out of practice, go home, turn on ESPN to watch the Thursday night game and say, "man we got a game on Saturday?" Too late bruh! You're down 21 points even before Florida State get's off of the bus.


Even without EJ Manual the Noles will be in good hands with Clint Trickett. He just doesn't give them the dual threat that Manual provides but he can throw the rock. He proved that last week against Oklahoma. They'll definitely be ready to play because they've just come off of a tough loss and they're on the cusp of being a consistent top 5 team again. While they've been Tiger hunting all week the boys from Clemson, South Carolina have been sleep walking and day dreaming with the fans. That's smells like trouble!


They call the Tiger home stadium Death Valley but on Saturday they'll have to rename the joint Resurrection Mountain. It's known as one of the loudest places in the country but this week you'll be able to hear the peanut man giving change back, the toilets flushing and Dabo Sweeney cursing like a sailor because nobody remembered that the Seminoles were coming to dinner.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Professional Pick Pocket

Even the best of us get hustled from time to time. It doesn't matter how much street sense you may have but every now and then you end up on the short end of a jack move. You don't see it coming even though you've been trained to look for it.

"Gotcha again!"

Floyd "Money" Mayweather got us all when he had us pay big money to see him fight only to take our money and run. During his fight with Victor Ortiz over the weekend he was clearly winning the contest through the first four rounds. Ortiz, out of frustration of not being able to hurt "Money", head butted him. After the referee broke up the fighters and while Ortiz was clearly not ready to fight, Mayweather sucker punched him and knocked him out. Fight over!

What blows my mind is the number of people that got hustled out of their money that don't realize that they got jacked and keep justifying why it’s OK for the thief to keep their money. Let’s keep it all the way 100! I know that a fighter must protect himself at all times. That's Boxing 101, right? However, Boxing 102 says give the fans what they came to see! If I came to or paid for pay-per-view to see you fight, then fight.

Don't pull a punk move on a guy that you're clearly better than just to end the fight. Scrap with him heads up. That's what I paid to see. Muhammad Ali was the greatest because he understood that it was entertainment first. He would have abused the guy for 8 or 9 rounds because he knew that’s what I paid to see him do. He would've danced around and made the guy stagger after him then he would have knocked him out. Not pull a cheap move and hit the guy while he's looking at the referee.

I hear you saying, "Mike Tyson used to knock boys out in 30 seconds!" You’re absolutely right but Iron Mike would walk straight up to a guy and blast him while he's looking. Again, don't take my money and forget about me. Let's keep it real, Ortiz didn't want to fight. He made a couple million when nobody paid to see him fight. He only head butted “Money” because he wanted to either get disqualified or end the fight just like Tyson did when he bit Holyfield‘s ear off. By sucker punching him, Mayweather gave him a reason to lay down, take the 2.5 million and walk away but what about us?

In the end, sports at it's simplest form is entertainment for everyone not directly participating. Therefore, if people are paying for an admission ticket they are expecting something in return. It's like going to a concert and the artist leaving the stage without singing his or her biggest hit! You paid to see them sing the hit not the album songs. Give the fans what they paid for and don't try to justify stealing when essentially that's what Mayweather did on Saturday night.

I don't have any respect for him anyway because he keeps screaming that he's the best fighter in the world when he refuses to fight the best fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao! Again, the fans want to see that fight. Ali would never have denied the public the Ali/Frazier joints or the Foreman battles! There's so much money to be made off of a Mayweather/Pacquiao fight it's ridiculous. Also, anyone that knows anything about boxing understands that the money isn't in the first fight, it's in the rematch!

C'mon Man! Stop justifying what Floyd is doing because he's a great fighter don’t get me wrong but he’s also a con artist! How are you going to call yourself “Money” Mayweather and you don’t want to make all of the money! If he thought he was the best fighter in the world he'd prove it. Section 2 Article 5 Amendment 7 of the Hood Code of Conduct says that there can only be one Kingpin in the hood! Therefore, if another guy shows up claiming to be the Kingpin he must be dealt with, with extreme force! I don't know why folks that grew up in the hood are acting like they don't remember the code of conduct now that they've moved to the suburbs.

Two kings can't occupy the same space. So if Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao and in the process sucker punches a lesser opponent he looks less like a fighter and more like a professional pick pocket!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Behavioral Time Out!

Vince Young is learning the most valuable lesson in life, "Respect the game!"

There are six simple words that I always use that can have a profound affect on your life. They’ll change your life, career and all of your relationships. Those magical words are "Do What You're Supposed To Do!" There is power in that sentence but it has to be followed to the letter in order for it to work.

The Georgia Dome was rocking as Michael Vick returned to the city that once drafted him with the first pick of the 2001 NFL draft. The fans wore the infamous # 7 jersey's to show their support. However, their allegiance was still with the Dirty Bird. Their support of Vick couldn't protect him from feeling the affects of a concussion he suffered in the third quarter of the Eagles' 35-31 loss Sunday night.

After Vick went down I was expecting to see Vince Young trot out onto the field. Instead, Mike Kafka took the reigns of the proud Eagle because he's been hampered by a leg injury. However, at that moment I said to myself, "How stupid does Vince Young feel right now?" He could still be the man in Tennessee playing every down. However, he's the man sitting next to the man sitting next to the man bruh! All of that talent and he's riding the pine! My point here is, he shouldn't have even been in Philly in the first place.

Many folks will argue that he was done in Tennessee anyway. Well, he was only done in Nashville because of his behavior and not his ability to win games or play the position. Remember the incident when he was booed by the fans and he took off later that evening with a gun? His mom called the police because she couldn't find him etc. Then last year he stormed off of the field after tearing a ligament in his thumb pulling his uniform off and throwing it into the stands. Only to later disrespect Coach Fischer and his team by leaving the stadium in the middle of a team post-game meeting!

One of the most talented guys in the league is sitting on the bench because he's known for throwing tantrums. I'm not saying that he's not playing because of his behavior but he really isn't playing because of his behavior. Mike Vick is the starter in Philly and he should still be in Nashville. If Vince would have handled his previous job in Tennessee with some respect he wouldn't even be in Philly and I wouldn't be talking about him right now.

Talent is only 10% of the equation in life. Diligence is the X-factor that makes up the other 90%. There are so many people that end up wasting the gifts that God has blessed them with because they never understand that they have to respect it. There is no reason Vince Young shouldn't be a starter in the National Football League. He has all of the physical tools to get the job done.

However, his behavior has him sidelined whether people want to admit that or not. How many times during your lifetime have you met talented people that never accomplish their goals. They have all of the tools but just can't seem to get it done. If you pay close attention to them you'll see the same pattern. They have taken the gift for granted and seemed to have tried to bypass the natural order of doing things.

There is an equation that we all must follow in order to become successful in our respective fields and most importantly in our lives. Pay close attention to this! You have to first of all respect the game(life) then respect the gift(your talent) and be humble enough to let someone that knows more than you teach you more. Wisdom is something that you can only receive after you’ve had some experience.

Hopefully Vince will learn a valuable lesson from this experience and will be able to bounce back like Mike has. I'm sure sitting on the bench watching Mike and then Kafka play has been an eye opener. Never take for granted the God given talent that you possess because if you don't respect it he won’t allow you to continue to use it.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Attrition!

Florida State's EJ Manual banged up in loss to #1 Oklahoma!

The word attrition means to have physical wear or the military strategy of wearing down the enemy by continual losses in personnel and material. Simply put, it means to leave the battle with less than you showed up with. That's what the game of football does to teams when they are playing against equally as talented opponents.


Last night #1 Oklahoma and #5 Florida State squared off in a battle royale for the ages. The Sooners would survive the war with a 23-13 victory in Tallahassee. However, the most important part of the score is the dash that separates the numbers. It's like looking at someone's obituary and the dash, in my opinion, represents the life and what they did with it. We'll on Saturday night the dash represented the level of play and the depth that it took for both teams to play for four quarters.

We saw attrition at it's fullest in Tallahassee on Saturday evening. I don't know if you paid attention to just how physical that game was but those boys were laying the wood. On both sides of the ball both the Sooners and Seminoles lost several key guys during the course of the game. However, the level of play never dropped off. The Noles lost EJ Manual, their starting quarterback, who I might add, is a 6'5" 240 lb remarkable physical specimen with unbelievable athletic ability. For a less talented team that would have been disaster but not for the Seminoles!

The next man up was a freshman, Clint Trickett who picked up the mic and kept right on flowing. He was throwing to backups as well because their top wide receiver Kenny Shaw went out after a monstrous hit in the end zone. The Sooners sustained multiple injuries as well. The key is, the level of play for both teams was never affected. In fact, it got better down the stretch!

What most people don't understand is that both Oklahoma(Mizzou) and Florida State(Clemson) have to be prepared to play again next week and every week thereafter regardless of how much attrition they sustain along the way. That's why every now and then you'll see a team lose to an opponent that they on paper shouldn't have lost to. The attrition of players catches up to teams over the course of the season. That's why it's so difficult to run the table.


So when asked about Boise State's worthiness, if you will, to be ranked in the top 5 and to be in the discussion of the national title, in my opinion is ridiculous. They are probably the only team within the top 25 that attrition doesn't effect at all. They are so much better than anyone that they'll play that the word attrition isn't even printed in the dictionaries in Idaho. They did house Georgia but took the week off to prepare for Toledo. In the game of football just like in life that dash has to mean something.

Well... we know going forward that the dash is significant when it comes to the other teams in the top 5; Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU and Florida State because they've all got go to war with ranked opponents several times before the season is over! Mark your calendars for November 5^th because LSU rolls into to Tuscaloosa for a showdown with the Tide! By that time of the season personnel will be depleted for all teams but they'll still be expected still to perform at a high level.

The most important thing to learn here is, make the dash count because you’ll always be judged by what you did with it!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Strictly Business

"Boise State's Kellen Moore explodes on Toledo!"

In 1988 EPMD 's debut album was entitled "Strictly Business". The first single was a hot joint called "You Gots To Chill". Twenty-two years later it's the theme song of the Boise State Bronco's. They keep silencing the critics by taking care of business every time they get off of the bus. Even the best of teams will look bad every now and then but not the boyz from the blue turf. The one thing you can count on with them is consistency.

Over the past several years I've spent my time explaining to folks how much of a disadvantage it is for Boise State to be in the national title discussion because of the "cushiness" of their schedule. I don't even know if that's a word bruh! However, when I look over the landscape of college football they are the one team that does what they're supposed to do every week without flaw. If you are playing cup cakes then you're supposed to blow them out and that's exactly what they keep doing. They beat the doors off of Toledo 40-15 on the road.

They showed up to an unexpected fight in the first half until the Rockets self-destructed. I was looking for Ms Melody and Chuck D to break the huddle with Toledo at some point. The Rockets were in a perfect position to knock the Bronco's off but they had the Plaxico Rotavirus. They kept shooting themselves in the leg all night. "Missed Opportunities" should be the name of the Rockets next single because it would go platinum in a week.


Did Boise State look great or did Toledo just keep laying down and taking a beating? I believe that it was the latter of the two. However, the mark of a good team is to have the ability to take advantage of the other teams missed opportunities and turn them into points. So like I've said before, I can't hate on the Bronco's anymore because they are rocking shows like EPMD when they show up.

Now, do they deserve to play for the national title? Only if the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, and ACC don't have teams that run the table or even have teams with one loss. You simply can't justify putting Boise State in a title game when teams are playing monstrous schedules week in and week out that may end up running the table or even have one loss.


Incredible show downs like today's #1 Oklahoma vs. #5 Florida State or on November 5th #2 Alabama vs. #3 LSU not to mention everything before and after that these teams have to prepare for. I mean, I've got love for Boise State's consistency but they're sitting in the cat bird seat playing teams with Rotavirus' and boyz are out here scraping with healthy opponents. It's hard for me to understand the game of football and justify putting Boise State in the title game because the level of sacrifice to get there isn't the same.

"You Gots To Chill!"

They're strictly business and I can appreciate what they've accomplished but the guys left on the schedule are in hospice at this point. Football is a game of attrition. That means injuries are constantly being suffered and as the season progresses and teams have to go deeper into their depth charts as a result. The deeper you go into your depth chart the less talent you have or the less experience you have. Either way it shows up in missed assignments and mistakes that can cost you a ball game or two against lesser opponents that happen to catch you limping into town.

If you're playing cup cakes all season you rarely suffer the affects of attrition so you show up at the end of the season healthy.

I heard Urban Myer say that when he was at Utah and was undefeated he just wanted a shot at the title because he thought that they could play with anybody. Heck, they beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. However, when he got to Florida he said that he could barely keep the Bentley in the road by seasons end because of the injuries. When you’re dragging down the stretch the little wimp kid that you beat up every morning going to school can run up on you and come away with your sneakers every now and then.

So although I like listening to EPMD. I'd rather be listening to JayZ & Kanye West’s new joint "Watch The Throne" because they've played the monstrous schedule and deserve to be at the top of the pile!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Thought Leaders!

"Hey man, let me do my job!"

There are different levels of expertise in every profession. However, those that typically make the most money or at least generate the most revenue are what those in the industry would call a thought leader. They've come up through the ranks and seem to have a knowledge of the profession that most people just can't seem to grasp. That's why they end up in a leadership role within the organization.

With that being said, why would John Fox, the head coach of the Denver Bronco's listen to the fans in making the decision on who'll start at quarterback on his team? Let's really step back for a moment. He's the head coach of a several hundred million dollar organization that’s paid to win football games and he should listen to the fans, who are drunk I might add, when putting together his depth chart?  Now most people may not look at him as a thought leader but anyone coaching in the NFL is a leader in the industry.

The faithful in Denver want Tim Tebow to be their starting quarterback as opposed to Kyle Orton. During Sunday's game they began to chant T-E-B-O-W in hopes that Fox would make the change.

That's like Steve Jobs, former head of Apple, showing up at a frat house on Sunday morning at 3am during the height of the foolishness to get advice on which products in the pipeline should be launched next and how to market them. Fan is short for fanatic remember that! The more I talk sports with folks the more I realize that most people in the world know absolutely nothing about it. Everybody watches it but very few understand it.

If you don't believe me just turn on your local sports radio show today or read the local newspaper's editorial sports section and pay attention. You'll find more often than not, that both the host and the writer don't have a clue and the people calling into the shows sound like they're from Mars.

The local host and columnist are normally complete homer’s that will never have a realistic view of what's really going on with their team and the fans are even worse. Now Fox and the Denver organization get paid to evaluate players and their ability to play the game but you want them to listen to Craig, who by the way drives a truck for a living, on who should be the starter. Maybe they should listen to Roger that works as an engineer in the auto industry because he's a problem solver. Yeah that makes sense!

"Hey, I'll play when they think I'm ready!"

I even heard a well known columnist on a national show the other day say that Denver needs to put Tebow on the field just to prove to the fans that he isn't ready. What? Now the Bronco's are in the "I told you so” business? If Tebow isn't ready to take over just yet then he isn't ready. It really is just that simple. Obviously the coaches see something that is keeping him on the sidelines otherwise he'd being starting because they drafted him in the first round. He's third on the depth chart for crying out loud!

Just let John Fox do what he’s paid to do. I think it’s disrespectful to show up on someone’s job and tell them how to do it. How would you like it if someone showed up today at your place of employment and told you that you were wrapping the burger’s wrong and that the shakes should be churned to the left instead of the right? That would completely aggravate you wouldn’t it? Have some respect for the man’s ability to coach the team. If he can’t get the job down the owners will find another thought leader.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

How Much Is Enough?

The Red River Rivalry since 1900! "Do we really want to see this go away?"

It's obvious by now that I'm a huge college football fan. I've been watching this game since I was 6 years old. What I enjoy about it is the pageantry of the games, the rivalries, fight songs, game day traditions as well as the history of the game. They’ve been playing college football since 1869 when Rutgers and Princeton took the field for the first time.

What makes the game so exciting is the regional element of it. What they do in the Big Ten is completely different from what they do in the SEC, ACC, Big 12 etc. The atmosphere changes depending upon what part of the country you go to. It changes because the culture of the people change.

That’s why I’m disappointed that all of these college president’s have lost sight of the greatness of the game and it’s culture at the expense of making more money by talking about going to only four power conferences. We’ve already seen movement last year with Nebraska leaving the Big 12 for greener pastures in the Big Ten. Next year TCU will bolt to the Big East(now they've decided on the Big 12) and now Oklahoma and several others from the Big 12 are eyeing the PAC 12(recently decided to Kissy: stay put).

My problem with many of the changes is the loss of some of the regional rivalries that have made college football so strong over the years. Also the negative effect that it will have on recruiting. How many kids from Texas will TCU continue to sign if they’re closest road game south is in Louisville? How many kids will continue to cross the Red River from Texas to play at Oklahoma if they go to the PAC 12? That changes the whole dynamic of recruiting future players. How many OU families can afford to travel on a regular basis to Oregon, Washington state, Arizona, California etc to see their kid play if they make that move?

Keep in mind that more than 50% of the Sooner roster is from Texas. That will definitely have a negative effect on their ability to recruit Texas going forward. When they were in the Big 12, Big Momma could pretty much make it to every game because they played more than 85% of those games in Texas and Oklahoma. The only games she didn’t make it to were Kansas, Kansas State and Mizzou which wasn‘t worth traveling to anyway.

I know that the schools stand to make a lot more money if they go to these power conferences. However, at what expense to the game of college football and their individual programs are they willing to sacrifice? If it hurts recruiting and the team starts losing ball games as a result, was it worth the jump? The game is just fine the way it is. It’s stupid for teams to play in conferences that aren’t even geographically close. The Nebraska move was the only one that even made sense.

At the beginning of the year when teams play non-conference games it makes it more exciting. Like this weekend's match up between #1 Oklahoma and #5 Florida State. Now I'm an Oklahoma fan but I can't wait to see Chief Osceola and Renegade(Florida State's mascot) run out and throw the flaming spear into the field and see the crowd go crazy! To hear the fans singing the war chant all game long will be amazing.

It's what makes the game of college football exciting. Not to mention the traditional rivalries that have existed for more than 100 years. Where players actually choose a school because of the rivalry they've seen since they were born and have always wanted to be a part of it.

The kid playing at Alabama has been wanting to play in the Iron Bowl against Auburn his entire life. When the superstar from Texas crosses the Red River to play in Oklahoma the rivalry only deepens. "The Game", Ohio State vs. Michigan isn't just a game! In 1835 & 1836 the State of Ohio and what was Michigan territory at the time engaged in a bloody border dispute called the Toledo War. Some have proposed that the game is simply an extension of the heated battle which has been played since 1897.

The game of college football is bigger than a pay check. It’s culture, pride and self esteem for a lot of people. You can’t put a price tag on that. I can’t imagine seeing many of the traditional rivalries go away. We’ve already seen Nebraska/Oklahoma vanish. How many others will go away as a result of the power conferences? On so many levels the powers that be just don’t get it. How can you completely destroy a game that has been strong for more than 100 years to make money that you can’t even spend! How much is enough?

Holler At Yaw Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

It's Not A Game!

Tayshana Murphy, one of the best high school basketball players in America shot dead at 18!

Last year I started this blog because I was frustrated with the lack of compassion in sports media for the real life issues that so many of our athletes face everyday. There was no one in sports journalism that seemed to understand that athletes are real people with real life issues. They would only report the story, give their opinion’s without truly understanding why the athlete was even in the situation in the first place and then move on. Well it's deeper than just saying “Athlete X” did XYZ and he or she was wrong with no regard to the why and how!

Growing up in the inner city is like being raised in a war zone and if you've never been there it's impossible to understand it. Clinical studies have shown that kids growing up in the war zone ghetto suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the amount of violence that they've seen on a daily basis. By the time a kid is 13 years old they've seen it all and that's goes for the big time recruit as well. Highly touted girl's prep basketball player, Tayshana Murphy, 18, was shot to death in a New York apartment building.

She was shot in the head by a gunman in a hallway of her home, a housing project in Harlem's Morningside Heights neighborhood. According to media reports, Murphy, a senior at the time at Murry Bergtraum High School who previously attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, may have been the victim of mistaken identity. Witnesses told the New York Daily News that Murphy, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, was mistaken for a boy who had gotten in a fight with men from a nearby housing project.

"She was pleading for her life," her friend Teka Taylor, 22, who was with her at the time, told the Daily News. "She was saying 'No, please, I don't have nothing to do with it.' "

The national media only reported this incident because Tayshana was the class of 2012's No. 16 point guard by ESPN.com's HoopGurlz recruiting site. She was cited as one of the top girl's basketball prospects in the city by the Daily News. This young lady was about to get out of the projects and see the world because of what many call the game of basketball. To a kid growing up in the hood it's not a game. It's their one way ticket out of hell.

Murders like this happen in the ghetto daily and many of our athletes are either victims of or witnesses to this madness. I remember when I was a senior in high school in 1985. Ben Wilson, the #1 rated basketball recruit in the country from Chicago's Simeon High School, the same school that would eventually produce Nick Anderson and Derrick Rose, was shot to death on his lunch hour. He was killed because he accidentally bumped into another kid coming out of the store.

Not only was he the best player in high school at that time, but he also played on the best team in the country as well. Those kids had to continue on without him just as Tayshana's teammates had to do in New York. How many kids in the suburbs have to deal with that type of stress? Not very many bruh!

Guys like ESPN’s Colin Cowherd and others that have an opinion about why guys get involved in situations on or off of the court have no idea why they make the decisions that they make, right or wrong. In order to understand it, you've got to understand the player. If you haven't lived in the same environment you can't possibly understand why a guy chooses to carry a gun with him when he's a millionaire. On the surface it's easy to say he's an idiot but Tayshana's teammates will be forever scarred by this incident and all of the others that have taken place that haven't made the news.

Think about the amount of classmates of their’s that have already been killed since they've started school in kindergarten. My wife had 9 classmates murdered while she was in high school alone. So it's larger than just saying the guy's an idiot and he shouldn't have been with a certain group etc. Sometimes that group serves as protection just to make it to school in the mornings bruh. We called it “Rolling Deep!” That's why you see guys with what the mainstream media would call an entourage but in the hood it's called making it home safely.

 It's incidents like this that causes a big time pro athlete to have ten guys with him every time he leaves the house. You don't know how many friends of his were murdered on the way home or just standing in the hallway of their apartment building while he was growing up. Those are lasting images that will forever be implanted in their minds.

 Home is supposed to be safe but those of us that grew up in a war zone understands oh so well that it's never safe. So if you can be killed at home, you surely can be a victim in the streets regardless of how much money you've got. It takes time to mature to the point where they began to understand that they don't need a crew to survive. That typically doesn't happen until they turn about 30 or so. So when you see a guy rolling deep don't condemn him, try to understand him!

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

Believe The Hype!

"Being great ain't new to me!"

When we use the term hype we’re typically referring to the excitement of a particular object or person. The first thing people want to know, is it live or memorex ? So many times it's neither. When it isn't, the ole' timers would say, "they‘re selling wooden nickels."

Well... not in the case of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson who agreed Saturday to a contract extension that includes $36 million in guaranteed money and as much as $100 million over the next seven years if he plays that long with Minnesota. A league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that Peterson will receive $40 million over the first three years of the deal.

This guy has been the real deal since high school! Les Brown, the powerful motivational speaker says, "Where ever you end up 20 years from now. You've made an appointment to be there 20 years ago!" Well, I guess Adrian finally made it to his appointment because there was never any doubt that he'd be where he is, if you were really paying attention.


In 2004 he was the most highly touted recruit in the country from the little railroad town of Palestine, Texas. The University of Oklahoma successfully went over the Red River and stole another Texas stud to wear the crimson and cream! I can remember being in the stands the very first time he carried the ball for the Sooners during his freshman year. It was like being inside of the Matrix.

The Sooners were playing Bowling Green and A.D., as he's so affectionately called because he could run all day, didn't start. The crowd was literally standing after the kickoff in anticipation of him coming into the game. You could hear a pin drop in the place because no one was breathing. Therewas so much hype around this kid that no way was Stoops going to let him stand around.

After about 3 or 4 minutes A. D. jogged into the huddle and the stadium went crazy! On the very next play he went 46 yards down the sideline and the place exploded! A legend was born in that moment! When people become successful it's no surprise to those around them that they‘ve been able to reach their goals. All you've got to do is pay attention.

The engineers, lawyers, doctors, successful business people in your class didn't just become great overnight either. They were the same kids that sat in the front of the class, asked all of the questions and kept their noses clean when you were growing up. They were the ones that paid attention to details and followed up on assignments etc. See, in order to be great you've got to be good at the things that require no talent at all. Those things are, being on time, accountable and committed.

The same argument goes for the gangsters, hustlers and misfits as well. The people in your class that are spending the rest of their lives in and out of the penitentiary, walking the streets strung out on dope or always known to be running some type of hustle, are typically no surprise to you either. If you look back they were typically the one's skipping class, smoking weed in the janitor's bathroom or hustling some kid out of his lunch money or worse. Every now and then some one surprises you but more often than not it’s dead on. So when you go to your class reunion and some one says, “Lil Tricky is doing 95 years for armed robbery and murder.” Everybody at the table will say, “I can see that!”

So I'm not surprised that A.D. has become the highest paid running back in NFL history. He finished second in the Heisman balloting his freshman year behind Matt Leinart. Which, in my opinion, he should have won but didn't get the votes because he was a true freshmen. The guy came into the league with even more hype than he did coming out of high school.

After setting the NFL's single-game rushing record with 296 yards against San Diego in 2007, Peterson has been picked for the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons. He's already second in Vikings history behind Robert Smith with 5,782 yards rushing for his career, and his 54 touchdowns over the last four years are the most in the league over that span.

So always remember that it’s not hype if a person has a history of success or failure. They’re typically going to become whatever their tendencies have shown you. What did the coaches always say, “The film doesn’t lie!”

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

Everyday I'm Hustlin'

"The Bugatti is only great when it works!"

The best place in the world to be from is the hood. I don't care what part of the country you're from, north, south , east or west, if you're from the hood you can spot a hustle a mile away. My experience growing up in what we so affectionately called "The G", Gary, Indiana has taught me to always look for the hustle because it's always there.

If you didn't see the game that both Peyton Manning and the organization just ran on the Colts fans you're not from the ghetto because all of my fellow hood alumni or current hood dwellers saw the hustle coming in July. Now I realize that the lockout started in February and that technically the players didn't have access to training staff etc.

However, were talking about Peyton "freaking" Manning! Why didn't anyone know that he even needed surgery in February? He had the first neck surgery in May but the lockout didn't end until July. When camp started the team tried to tell the fans that because of the lockout he didn't have access to the team doctors so that's why he waited so late to have the procedure. However, he did in fact have the surgery before the lockout was over. So that raised my built in hood hustle meter.

Peyton acted like he was being the ultimate team player by taking less money during training camp when they signed him to a new five year $90 million deal. It sounded great on the surface but if he knew he couldn't play it was a street corner hustle. I'm not mad at him because he had the leverage to get the deal done, right? Sadly, the Colts just bought a $90 million Bugatti that doesn’t work. In the hood we called that a lemon!

The Colts knew that he wasn't going to be able to play when they signed the deal. However, they had to put the contract on the table to make it look like everything was on and popping for the season. Why? Well... let me say this, it's Indianapolis and these are the most fair weather fans you'll ever want to meet. They'll jump ship on a team at any moment. Just ask the Pacers about that. The emergency room was full yesterday with injuries from people jumping off of the bandwagon once they found out Peyton had to have an additional surgery and would be out for 2 to 3 months. Keep in mind that this isn't Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas or Pittsburgh where fans will live and die with their teams. It's Indy bruh!

The night before this last procedure the ticket brokers in town were on the news saying that prices have dropped 20% even before people knew that he was going to be out for an extended period of time. They also said that if he doesn't play this season the price would drop by 50%. Way to go Colts fans! That's why the team and Peyton had to hustle you because they knew your tendencies. That goes for potential advertisers at Lucas Oil Stadium too.  It's no different than him calling an audible at the line of scrimmage. If I tell them the truth they won't buy these tickets!

"That was smooth wasn't it?"

Everybody fell for the “Oakey Doke” but folks that grew up in the hood. When camp started and they said Peyton had surgery and there was a possibility he'd be out for the first game, we knew the hustle was on. It was like watching Shaq wait until training camp every year to have surgery so he could  miss 30 games. He just didn't want to play the first third of the season because of the playoff run. It's all game!

Look on the bright side Colts fans! If you bring your cleats and the right box top the Colts will let you return punts and kickoffs this year!

My boy Rick Ross would be proud of old Peyton and the Colts because they both passed the verbal section of the Hustlers SAT! Run the game on them as long as nobody recognizes it! Maybe Rick will let Peyton get a cameo in his next video.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Hit me up on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information in this article is strictly my opinion.

The Ultimate Sacrifice!

"We Want You, Andrew Luck!"

The world of professional sports is an unusual business and it requires a huge sacrifice not only from it players and coaches but also it’s fans. However, on so many levels the fans don't understand what it takes to win and to do it consistently. General Manager's and coaches are constantly making moves that will ultimately put the franchise into a better situation in order to keep winning.
Sometimes they have to get rid of players to accommodate cap space etc. Then there are times when they have to spend a ton of money to get the personnel needed to help them along. Always keep in mind that some of those moves won't be very popular with the fans.

I live in Indianapolis and I've been watching this whole Peyton Manning fiasco develop right before my eyes. After having neck surgery in May the question has been, “when will he be ready to play?” Die hard fans are typically delusional at the minimum. So around here they are convinced that he'll be ready to play regardless of what the training staff says. The team went out and got Kerry Collins a few weeks ago, which in my opinion, was a complete waste of time and money.

Without Peyton, that team at best wins 3 to 4 games because for the past 14 years the entire team has been built around Peyton's strengths. He's one of those guys that is a complete difference maker. So every move that they’ve made offensively in free agency as well as in the draft has been centered around his brain. You can’t simply replace him because everything the Colts do is based on what Peyton brings to the table. It’s like going out and getting a new lead singer for the Jackson 5 bruh! It’s impossible to do.
Let's keep it all the way 100! With the exception of Reggie Wayne, the Colts haven't had a legitimate receiver but they've been lethal because of Peyton. If Marvin Harrison hadn't played with Manning we wouldn't even know his name. After the catch he brought nothing to the table.  Peyton pretty much hand delivered him to the Hall of Famer just like Jordan did for Pippen! Chicago fans look at the film post MJ if you don't believe me.

So Indy went out and picked up Collins, who’s 41 years old mind you, because Curtis Painter gives them no shot at winning. I say, let Painter drive the car into the ditch and total it. Here's why! From 1984 to 1997 the Indianapolis Colts were one of the worse teams in the league with the exception of 1995 when they went to the AFC Championship. That's how they ended up falling into Peyton Manning and over the years he’s taken them to the promise land and they've become a perennial winner. I give all of the credit to Tony Dungy and his ability to recognize Peyton’s ability to control every aspect of the offense. It’s like having a coach on the field.

Why go out and get Collins when he'll only help them win maybe 2 more games. Why not ride with Painter and sacrifice this season and win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the 2012 NFL Draft. If they are the worse team for one year they’ll get the best quarterback in college football that already runs a pro-style offense. That means he won’t be a project out of the gate like so many guys are.

Let's face it people, Peyton isn't going to play this year and his career is on the decline because a neck injury like that has the potential to end his career. Why not get Luck and pull a Green Bay(Favre/Rogers) on them and have him sit behind Peyton for a year or so and learn how to drive the Bentley. So when it's over for Peyton all he has to do is get out of the driver's seat and let the young boy take over.

Curtis Painter was driving!

It's a perfect situation and it only comes around every 15 to 20 years. It's like the Cleveland Cavaliers getting Lebron with the first pick of the NBA draft. Getting a player that will make an immediate impact doesn't always happen. Peyton was that player for the Colts 14 years ago.

However, the delusional Colts fans are screaming blasphemy right now because I’m suggesting that they take the “L” now rather than later. I never said to intentially lose the games. I said not to waste money bringing a guy in that will help you win 6 ball games because you still don't make the playoffs. That takes you out of position to pick up probably the best quarterback prospect to come out since Aaron Rogers. It’s all business people!

Make the ultimate sacrifice now or become a perennial loser for the next 14 years or so. Everybody around here thought I was crazy when I said, cut Bob Sanders 5 years ago because he was a waste of money. All I kept hearing was, "he's the best safety in the game!" Not if he's on the sideline he isn't. Now I look like a genius!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

It's All Good!

 "Billy Sims has been immortalized in Norman"

In the late 1980's MC Hammer recorded a song entitled "It's All Good!" It became one of the biggest songs in hip hop history primarily because of the title which was an instant hit among young people. Everybody adopted that slogan for their everyday lives. It was nothing for a kid to say "It's All Good" about everything. I was in college at the time and it was all good all of the time according to my friends and I.

It can definitely be all good for an athlete that understands the blessing it is to have the opportunity to excel in sports well beyond the average person. It's an honor to have the ability to succeed at the college or professional level or both. The ultimate key to success is how well an athlete can keep their nose clean. That will determine how much success they'll have well beyond sports. So many times we see athletes have  unbelievable careers only to end up broke or isolated from the program's that they once made famous because they couldn't stay out of trouble.

Last weekend I went to Norman to see my favorite team, the Oklahoma Sooners, play and had a chance to eat the best BBQ that I've ever had at Billy Sims' BBQ. Billy is a legendary figure in the football world but there is nothing like his fame in the state of Oklahoma. He is one of five Sooners to have won the Heisman Trophy in which he had the pleasure of winning in 1978. Just outside of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium there are 30 foot tall statues of all of the Heisman winners that will stand forever.

There is nothing more powerful than a name and Billy's is all good in Sooner Nation because they are still embracing it 33 years later. He's got 22 locations throughout the state and not only is he making money for himself but he's creating job opportunities for others. That's what a good name can do for you.

Guys like Eddie George from Ohio State saw the big picture as well. If you're ever in Columbus you've got to visit Eddie George's Grill 27. However, not everybody will be blessed to win the Heisman or become a legendary sports figure but for those that do, in my opinion, should take full advantage of their good name.

We've seen so many guys have car dealerships with their names on them etc. It's all about branding and that starts with keeping your nose clean while you're still playing the game. One of the most important things that a person can control in his life is his reputation. When your name is good it's all good.

So guys like Cam Newton from Auburn, Reggie Bush from USC and Mark Ingram from Alabama will be forever immortalized on the their respective campuses. They'll be able to show up and sign autographs and be revered until the day that they die. That's power and I say use it to your advantage like my man Billy Sims and so many others before them have.



"Billy Sims and I  at his BBQ joint in OKC!"

 Simply by keeping their nose clean the loyal fans will take care of the legends forever. Now don't get me wrong you don't have to be a Heisman Trophy winner to profit from your name. If a kid is fortunate enough to play at one of these major state schools and makes an impact the alumni and fans will make sure to lookout for them.

I've seen guys play on conference, bowl, Final Four or national title teams get jobs within the state that they didn't even have to interview for simply because of  their names. That's a power move right there! So many guys have parlayed their degrees into the greatest opportunities in the world because they were clean. Notice that I said degrees! If you aren't the Heisman Trophy winner or the first round pick you've got to get that degree to take it to the next level. Be the best that you can be and live off of the one thing that God has blessed you with, your name! When your name is good it's all good.

That's why I get so upset when I see  kids getting into trouble while they're in the middle of their careers whether it's in college or pro. When your nose is clean you get to take a cut in line and nobody's going to complain. It's that simple! Be the best you can be on and off of the field. You may not be able to sale the best BBQ like Billy Sims but you can sale yourself and that's all good!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGraves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport