Monday, May 25, 2009

Grady Jackson Faces Suspension?

From: Pro Football Talk.com

When lawsuits were filed against the NFL to block the suspensions of five players who had tested positive for the potent diuretic secretly included in the over-the-counter supplement known as StarCaps, defensive tackle Grady Jackson also had been suspended four games. However, his internal appeal before the Commissioner’s office had not been resolved.

But Jackson’s appeal was not rejected by the league. Instead, the matter was “deferred pending additional information.” (Sounds like the initial outcome of Newman’s mail fraud investigation.)

Still, it’s clear that Jackson took StarCaps, given that he filed a class action against the manufacturer of the product. So now that the path has been cleared for the suspension of Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant and free-agent running back Deuce McAllister, the league could soon reopen Jackson’s case and formally suspend him, too.

With Jackson now a member of the Lions, his lawyers should be researching Michigan law for the kind of protections that apply in Minnesota. Georgia law should be examined, too, given that Jackson was a member of the Atlanta Falcons when he tested positive.

And Jackson’s case introduces a new twist — can one employer impose a suspension arising from conduct occuring while the player was employed by another team?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

ESPN Restricts it's Broadcast to Two Stories

In a bold move, ESPN has decided to stop reporting any sports information this spring and summer other then the on-going sagas of whether Brett Favre is un-retiring (again) and the never-ending story of whether Roger Clemens did or did not take steroids. Despite the general public as a whole not really caring about either story, ESPN has decided to stick with it's plan.



Saturday, May 9, 2009

Chuck Daly's Memorable Moments

From Detnews.com

Written by Terry Foster

Restaurant owner John Ginopolis is one of Chuck Daly's best friends. He roomed with him during the 1988 NBA Finals. Daly frequently came to his Farmington Hills restaurant.

Like many of Daly's friends, he believed Daly was invincible. You always thought Daly would be around. That is why the news of Daly's death after a battle with pancreatic cancer was so tough on Ginopolis.

"You never thought anything would happen to him," Ginopolis said. "This thing that's got him is awful. You never think of Daly getting sick. I mean he looked so good before this happened. I can't believe it."

Ginopolis sentiments were shared throughout the NBA. Newspapers often reported his age 10 years his junior. Players who played for him and the media that covered Daly during his days as Pistons coach often believed he was invincible.

But he was human, just like everybody else.

That was evident during a road trip to Portland. A curtain accidently opened to a training room and Daly lay on a table getting a back massage. It was a frequent routine for Daly, who had chronic back pain, and he didn't want anybody to know about his vulnerability to a back that sometimes caused him to lean over when he walked.

Daly looked upset when his secret was blown. The curtain closed quickly and Daly's massage continued.

Daly's bad back made for news inside the dressing room, but I never wrote about it. It was not worth the grief.

Daly appeared younger than he was. He had the best hair in the dressing room and he loved his image of being a cool dude even though he was often the oldest guy in the room.

Moments that stand out:

• The Pistons had just played a tough game against the Boston Celtics at the old Boston Garden. During a time-out, Daly and forward Adrian Dantley got into the most horrific argument I've ever seen during my years of covering the NBA. It seemed to last forever. Daly and Dantley screamed and cursed within inches of one another.

Later that night the Pistons remained at the team hotel because of a flight curfew at Logan Airport. I ran into Daly in the hotel bar and he was still livid.

"We've got to get rid of him," Daly said.

Daly's words were much spicier, but you get the point.

I was stunned because players and coaches often kept private matters from the media. I promised not to write about our meeting then. But it was still interesting to see the anger still boiling in his soul.

He believed that Dantley slowed the offense and caused the four other players to stand around while Dantley went through his routine of posting up his man and trying to set up a slow drive to the hoop.

A few weeks later Dantley was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre. Everybody assumed that point guard Isiah Thomas orchestrated the trade behind the scenes. Maybe he did push for the trade. But Daly was also a proponent.

• Daly always wanted to be cool. His suits were his trademark, and he got many of them from a Southfield clothier. But he had his favorite places to shop in New York, Seattle and Chicago. Once Daly became so agitated with a call that he slipped and fell to the floor at The Palace. His assistants came over to help him up and he shook them off.

He would help himself up.

People saw the replay nationwide and everybody got a good laugh out of it. Here is what people don't know. Daly also split his pants.

I could see it from press row and sent word that there was a large rip in his seat. Daly was careful how he walked during the rest of the half and it was sewed at halftime.

• Daly was good with the media, but he sometimes became agitated with us and walked away from press conferences. Once Dennis Rodman was acting up and he stormed out of the dressing room following a game. The media had to make a decision. Do we run after Rodman and see what his problem was? Or do we stick around and listen to Daly's post-game press conference outside the dressing room.

Many of us chose to follow Rodman who didn't have much to say as he drove off. We ran back to try to catch Daly. As soon as he saw us he cut off the press conference with the media who remained behind.

Hey I was here, he said as he walked off.

• Daly was called the Prince of Pessimism because he always pointed out tough stretches of the season and often feared that the Pistons would not win a game. During critical playoff games he often said if we don't win this game its "Katie bar the door."

That was one of his favorite catch phrases, meaning that the Pistons would face grave danger if they did not win a game.

He would often run his finger through a stretch of the schedule and gripe: I don't know how we are going to win a game.

Of course they almost always found a way to win.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Chunk, Deep to Sloth.....TOUCHDOWN!

So the Lions decide to go Hollywood this time around.  Up to this point, college players with relevant football quarterback experience have not panned out for the Lions (Long, Ware, Harrington).  Why not change the strategy and start drafting former child actors?  Enter Jeff Cohen, who played "Chunk" in the 1985 hit "GOONIES."  

Cohen was actually taken #1 overall in the 2009 entry draft a couple of weeks ago by the Detroit Lions.  To avoid another first round blunder, the Lions decided not to actually draft Matthew Stafford, but to draft the one person in the world who looks most like him.

At this point, nobody is sure about his arm strength, his mobility, or his ability to read defenses.  But let's be honest.  None of that has ever mattered before, so what's the difference?  He has as good a shot as anybody before him, and he's actually going to be learning under a legitimate offensive mind in Scott Linehan.  Linehan should be able to tutor him in the areas of timing, out routes, and check downs.  He'll be fine.  He has Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew.  Kevin Smith is a workhorse runner.  Just get the ball to somebody.  Manage the game.

The chances of this plan working aren't any worse than the old way of doing things.  Come on, how excited will we be when we see the first 'Chunk' (Sorry Daunte, that's Cohen's name) to CJ TD?  There won't be a Daunte Culpepper Arm rolling dance, there will be a TRUFFLE SHUFFLE in the endzone.