At a Crossroads

Take a good look at this photo, you won't be seeing this again...

The New England Patriots released wide receiver Antonio Brown after one game once a SI report was released earlier on Friday. To say that bringing him in after his sudden release from the Oakland Raiders (after he was traded from Pittsburgh) as shortsighted is saying something, but the collective grasp from social media echoes the near disgust of him being signed in Foxboro to begin with. Brown has had a very mercurial 12 months, and as a result it leaves him off his third team in that same time.

The Patriots will be just fine, thank you. This organization has been known to take guys like Randy Moss, Corey Dillon and more recently Josh Gordon into their fold, becoming productive players and model citizens. However, there are some incidents that even the Hoodie can't ignore, and those text messages sent by Brown might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. They are still the favorite in the AFC, and now will be commended for reversing course on an action that should have probably not occurred. More than likely the Hoodie will give a quick, smug answer to reporters and then say, "We're moving on to New York."

It's Brown that is the bigger concern here. His antics have made him persona non grata throughout the league, and at this point a team will be hard pressed to gloss over this story just because he can run a go-route with the best of them. Maybe it will break him to the point of humility, or maybe it will make him even more defiant. Whatever happens from here, one can only hope that the young man from Liberty City, Florida will get back to being that hard worker that made him such a wonderful story to begin with.

This isn't about revitalizing a career, but about getting his personal life back on track. Whether you believe his accusers is irrelevant, what does matter is that the last thing Brown needs to focus on is what type of helmet he can wear. He better make sure that the next uniform he wears isn't an orange jumpsuit...

Check out our latest podcast episode of the Final Five, only on Blog Talk Radio: http://tobtr.com/s/11513645

Tom Brady: NFL Savior?

While I'm pondering how I can grow a 'stache like Gardner Minshew...

Look, I'm the last guy who should be wanting to praise Tom Brady for anything. After all, it's because of him (well, maybe it was more Kyle Shanahan) that I will go to my sporting grave with the numbers "28-3" tattooed on my forehead like a scarlet letter. My best friend (who of course is from Massachusetts) is quick to remind me of that number to the point where it haunts me Sunday in and Sunday out. Anyway, Brady has ended many a dynasty for two decades, but it was something he did earlier this evening that might have a greater impact. Hold on, Oakland Raider fans, before you start crying about that "Tuck Rule" again, hear me out.

As the Tennessee Titans-Jacksonville Jaguars game was taking place during Thursday Night Football, Brady sent out a set of tweets blasting the referees for calling a series of heinous penalties. Now, at "It's Sports, It's Life," we tend to look at the more serious issues in the world of sports. However, when the arguably G.O.A.T begins to opine on the state of officiating, that merits a discussion.

This isn't about whether or not the referees are not simply doing their job, it's about a league that refuses to acknowledge a problem that they created. It was in their desire to kowtow to pressure from one blown call in last year's NFC Championship that has led to the yellow flags being thrown more than the footballs through two weeks. The men in stripes, through no fault of their own, are calling any 50-50 play in favor of the offense. It led to an atrocious call in Sunday's Denver-Chicago game which led to the Bears kicking a game-winning FG (if only that had occurred last January). ISIL is predicting that by year's end some team is going to be on the wrong side of a roughing the passer penalty that will make that call a reviewed one by a disgruntled team.

But back to Brady. He's already had the most accomplished career of any football player ever, and even with a simple tweet can get others to listen. After all, his legend began on a controversial call, isn't it time for Tom Terrific to give back by pushing for change? He can even create the next Twitter craze and call it #PutTheFlagsAway.

By doing so, he can get back to doing what so many Americans did, and watch the exciting battle between Marcus Mariotta and Gardner Minshew. Who'd want to miss that?

Check out our latest episode of the Final Five on the Washington Redskins: http://tobtr.com/s/11512855

What Price Justice?

While I'm getting ready for the Wednesday Night Wars...

Rarely does the moment come when sports and justice come into unison, but that is exactly what happened on Wednesday when the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association suspended a referee for forcing a wrestler to cut his dreadlocks prior to a match on December 19, 2018. The Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson had to deal with a humiliating experience of removing part of his hair and culture or risk forfeit. The decision was made after an investigation into the referee's heinous actions that going forward rules need to be focused on the action on the mat and not on the appearance.

Simply put, there is no place for this type of treatment on behalf of the officials. Their role is to maintain order and keep the contest moving. Recently there was another incident in which a young Alaska swimmer was told that her swimsuit was not proper attire due to her body shape. I am left dumbfounded at how those we trust to call the contest evenly can have such an uneven view when it comes to policing the natural order of hair length and body development.

In both incidents we see the decrepit nature of man when power becomes corrupt. Decisions are made not on the athletic merit of the competitor, but on how they are viewed externally. We have seen throughout history how leagues have given mandates to how the players should represent their leagues in their uniformed attire. We cringed when the NBA and then-commissioner David Stern issued for his players to give up the hip-hop gear that came to define the early 2000's and wear suits on the sidelines. It was a corporate dog whistle that fortunately did not become the uproar that was anticipated. However, it has led to the players using their creativity to turn it into a fashion show.

These incidents are nothing of the sort, and it highlights a greater issue. Teenagers have enough challenges throughout their amateur years. Where to go to college, the ability to obtain scholarships, and that's before you add on the pressure to win. What should not be on the foremost of their minds is whether or not some referee or judge is going to embarrass them based on something upon which they have no control over before the competition even begins.

Today justice was served in New Jersey and last week in Alaska, and may this be the beginning of a shift in high school sports, where the young men and women do not have to experience defeat before they even step onto the playing field.

Check out our latest episode of the Final Five on NXT's first episode on the USA Network. http://tobtr.com/s/11511271

So You Want to be a QB?

While wondering just how he got those scars...

Week 1 of the 100th NFL season concluded in spectacular fashion, and there were several performances that permeated throughout the weekend. As always, in our instant 'jump to conclusions' culture we live in, 32 different judgments were passed out based on 16 games by the time we woke up Tuesday morning:

1) The Patriots are going 19-0 (maybe not out of the realm of possibility)

2) Dak should be paid $50 million a year based on beating a hapless Giants team

3) The Steelers will regret getting rid of AB and Le'Veon (well, maybe not AB).

However, one performance stood out, and it shouldn't have been unexpected. Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens was electric against the tank...err, rebuilding Miami Dolphins en route to a 5 TD day and only missing 3 passes. I could wax poetic about how he dominated the game from start to finish, but why don't we let him tell it...

As we talked about on Sunday with Drew Brees, being a QB means being able to take the arrows that are thrown their way. This is especially so when despite all of Jackson's heroics during his high school days in Florida and eventually starring at Louisville as one of college football's premiere players. Yet it wasn't enough in the eyes of some people, who chided the decision for the Ravens to draft him as the eventual replacement for Joe 'wake me up when he does something interesting' Flacco. 

Lamar didn't let the criticism stop him from leading the Ravens to a surprise playoff berth, and regardless of the opponent Sunday, he served notice that he is going to be a special player in the league. Yes, the history of the NFL is littered with supposed can't miss (Leaf over Manning?) to "he'll never make it" (Russell Wilson) prospects. At least they were given time to see if they were the real deal, but in today's culture we have become apt to call a player a bust if they aren't putting up Madden-like numbers by their second start. 

Being a QB is more than just throwing passes while staring down a zero blitz package, it's being able to withstand the negativity of critics who will pick apart every aspect of their game. Just because someone doesn't fit the "mold" of a QB, doesn't mean they can't play the position. So yes, perhaps we can learn a lesson of this thing called patience, and let those who are called to play the position do so.

Not bad for a running back indeed. 

Check out our latest episode of the "Final Five" in which we discuss KD's no-holds-barred interview below:

http://tobtr.com/s/11500239

What's Old is New Again

While trying to determine how to fill out my CBI bracket...Go GCU Lopes!

Something incredible took place on Sunday. No, it wasn't the mystery of how Syracuse got into the NCAA Tournament yet again, but something else, and this time on the links. There was a familiar face that was on the leaderboard, galvanizing the crowd and making something other than Selection Sunday a must-see show of the day. It was good ol' Eldrick Woods making his presence known, getting within a shot of the lead at the Valspar Invitational.

As he was walking over to the 18th hole, needing to make a near-impossible birdie to force a playoff, there was a cheer that we haven't seen since that ill-fated night back in Thanksgiving of 2008. Tiger walked up the fairway and eyes were once again glued to the set, anticipating what was almost the completion of a comeback that many thought would never happen. Yes, his birdie attempt fell short, but in the long run, he was a winner.

We all thought that he was finished, the victim of one too many surgeries and poor performances. He was only mentioned in sports briefs as missing yet another cut, and would be the subject of the greatest collapse of a career this side of Penny Hardaway. Now, he may not even make the cut at Augusta in a few weeks, and there's a reason Father Time is undefeated. However, what took place this weekend is about something bigger than playing on the back nine.

Each of us have all had those times when we thought it was over, and no one would have blamed him if he wanted to take his millions and go home. We have also had those tough decisions to make, whether to continue on and press or to say enough is enough. Sure, he has paid a cost for his personal decisions, but credit to him for how he has not given up, and no matter the obstacles ahead of us, we must never be one to throw in the towel. As long as we are alive, so is the dream.

Besides...you never know who might be watching...

Break the Rules?

While I'm waiting for Atlanta Season 2...

March brings with it the anticipation of another season on the diamond, as teams are now in full swing during Spring Training. Whether they are in Arizona or Florida, 30 squads go in with the "anything can happen" mantra, fielding rosters of veterans on their last hurrahs or rookies hoping to make their big break. With it, comes the old time established rules that have been the standard since the dawn of time:

-No bunting during a perfect game (apparently).
-No wearing of facial hair if you're a New York Yankee.
-No flipping of the bat to admire an epic home run.

Now, we have "HatGate," in which the Atlanta Braves have told stud prospect Ronald Acuna that he must wear his hat properly as he gets ready to embark on a potentially incredible career. Acuna has been known to wear his hate to the side during games, and this has apparently rankled some of the upper brass.

OK, I get it. Organizations have rules in place, and as someone who works in at a school, I understand the importance of adhering to particular dress codes. After all, we don't want people showing up in the office dressed as if they are headed for the club unless it's Halloween Friday. That said, this is 2018, and I am surprised that we are still having this issue. 

When Yasiel Puig came on the scene a few years ago, he electrified the game while displaying a few habits that ticked off those "we play the game right" guys. You know what? I loved when he did it, just as much when Ken Griffey Jr. wore his jersey un-tucked. The fact is, at some point baseball has to get with the 21st century and allow these players to let loose. Some players do wear their hats to honor loved ones, such as Fernando Rodney, and I think the Braves should not get off to the wrong start with a guy who could potentially bring them back to prominence.

This isn't about just the fact that he is an uber-talent; this is about people in power needing to focus on more important things. There's a reason that the NFL and the NBA has overtaken baseball as the American pastime, and it is because they let the players be themselves. How much more fun was watching football when the Philadelphia Eagles' defense was doing the electric slide after an interception? 

Get over yourself baseball, and let these guys grow in their own personalities. Besides, if he comes out and becomes the next Barry Bonds (steroids excluded) no one is going to care if he wears his jersey backwards. There are times when we need to relax the rules, and this is one of them. 

I suppose we will never know...

"You think you know me..."

These were the opening lyrics to Adam Copeland's theme entrance. Oh, you better know him as Edge, former WWE World Champion superstar and now actor. These words would echo throughout the arena as a testament to the character he portrayed week in and week out. However, the same can be said for many of us, and this is never more true than when Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan revealed his struggles with depression and anxiety. 

During a recent interview with the Toronto Star, he mentioned in a tweet about his battles and how basketball helped him deal with these issues. Despite growing up in rough conditions in Compton, California, he was able to stay away from the temptations of drugs and alcohol addition. He saw how it destroyed the lives of those he was close to, but learned that in the midst of everything, he had a support group that helped him through those dark times.

DeRozan told the paper, "It's one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we're all human at the end of the day. We all got feelings...all of that. Sometimes...it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world's on top of you."

We sometimes forget that in the heat of the battle, these athletes are human just like you and I. They suffer from loneliness, depression, fear and anxiety as well. As sometime who goes through his own anxieties, I realize that it is not an easy thing to deal with day in and day out. Much like DeRozan, I have learned that it is important to have people supporting you, no matter what you may be going through. 

It took a lot of courage for someone who is in the spotlight constantly like DeRozan to speak up about his vulnerabilities. We need to do the same, because you never know who else is going through the struggle alongside you. Be an encouragement, or seek encouragement from someone who has overcome their obstacles. 

Besides, it's when we open ourselves up, is when we experience true freedom. You're not alone...