Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 92 of 1503)

      Falcons to be the next team filmed for HBO’s Hard Knocks?

      May 20, 2011 /
      Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan directs his offense in the first half of their NFC divisional playoff against the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia January 15, 2011. The Packers defeated the Falcons 48-21. UPI/Mark Wallheiser.

      While appearing on SiriusXMNFL radio on Friday morning, Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff indicated that the Falcons might be willing to be covered this year on HBO’s Hard Knocks.

      “Two years ago we were approached and decided that it wasn’t right for us at that point,” Dimitroff said. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t go down that road if it was presented to us at another time. We are much closer to being in that spot where it’s not going to be as much of a distraction as it would have been another time.

      “It’s such an individual thing. Hard Knocks could be right for some of the teams that are fairly entrenched. It could be right for some team that wants to kick off some more brand recognition.”

      “I truly believe that an organization has to be in the right spot to jump into something like Hard Knocks,” Dimitroff said. “I think it sheds a lot of light on our league. This is a league of entertainment. There are some traditionalists that struggle with it, but they have to work against the grain a little bit and see that this is about entertainment. Hard Knocks is a good show for the fan base.”

      Some Falcon fans might be worried that the show would become a distraction, but I would trust Dimitroff. He’s smart, calculated and he wouldn’t agree to anything that he believed would hurt his team. Outside of a few names that have come and gone, the Falcons have basically had the same coaching staff in place since 2008 and their core (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner, John Abraham and Tony Gonzalez) remains intact. This is a grounded organization that shouldn’t be rocked by a potential distraction such as Hard Knocks.

      Of course, the Falcons would be the polar opposite of Rex Ryan and the Jets. Mike Smith can get as fired up as any coach in the league, but he’s always even-keeled and calm with the media. And while Roddy White can be flamboyant from time to time, I’m not sure if Ryan, Turner and Gonzalez have dropped an F-bomb in their lives.

      In other words, if the Falcons are the next team filmed for Hard Knocks, don’t expect the same foul-mouthed program that the Jets produced last year. (Not that I’m complaining – Ryan and the Jets were highly entertaining.)

      External Sports, NFL

      Do we care if Lance Armstrong doped?

      May 20, 2011 /
      Teammates Tyler Hamilton (L yellow jersey) and Lance Armstrong compete in the last stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race in Sallanches in this June 11, 2000 file photo. Hamilton, who was allowed to keep his Athens Olympics gold medal despite failing a doping test, has finally confessed to cheating and accused other top cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, of doing the same. In an interview to be aired by “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Hamilton, ended years of denials by finally admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs but insisted he was not alone. REUTERS/Files (FRANCE – Tags: SPORT CYCLING)

      In an interview that was shot for “60 Minutes” and broadcasted on “CBS Evening News” on Thursday, Tyler Hamilton said he used performance-enhancing drugs with his former teammate Lance Armstrong.

      “I saw (EPO) in his refrigerator…I saw him inject it more than one time,” Hamilton said. “Like we all did. Like I did, many, many times.”

      Hamilton told “60 Minutes” reporter Scott Pelley that Armstrong “took what we all took…the majority of the peloton.” Hamilton went onto say that there was “EPO…testosterone…a blood transfusion.”

      EPO is a drug that boosts endurance by increasing the number of red blood cells in the body, which obviously would help cyclists like Hamilton and Armstrong. This is now the second time that a former teammate of Armstrong’s has accused him of taking drugs to improve his performance on the bike, as Hamilton’s accusations come one year after Floyd Landis made similar allegations.

      People are going to believe what they want to believe, but the fact of the matter is that Armstrong has never tested positive for PEDs. The question in my eyes is do we care?

      The thing about performance-enhancing drugs is that they allow an athlete to perform at the absolute best of his abilities. Granted, if I were to juice for a year and tried my hand at professional football, I’d probably get killed – same as I would if I didn’t dope. If your skill level was low to begin with, sorry, but drugs aren’t going to turn you into a professional athlete.

      But they will turn a special athlete into a superhero, which is where the problem lies. Barry Bonds was already one of the most gifted baseball players to have ever played the game, which people tend to overlook when his name is brought up. People forget just how good he was before he started taking PEDs, which only made an incredibly gifted athlete perform to the max of his abilities. He could already hit major league pitching, but thanks to the steroids his bat speed never decreased, he was able to hit the ball harder and farther, and was able to keep playing into his 40s.

      It’s the same concept with Armstrong. He was already a gifted cyclist. If he took them, all PEDs did was make an already gifted cyclist max out his abilities on the bike (which includes being able to ride faster, longer, etc).

      Here’s my take on PEDs: I actually don’t have a problem with athletes using them. I have a problem with the fact that they create an uneven playing field. Guys like Bonds and Armstrong are already special and if they use drugs, then they’re creating an even bigger gap between them and the next guy.

      I don’t mind the alpha male when it comes to sports. Tiger Woods has been great for golf for over a decade. Lance Armstrong has been great for cycling. The pure act of watching Barry Bonds hit a home run every 10 at bats in 2001 was fun.

      But in the end, I want to see athletes go toe-to-toe with only their God-given abilities and their dedication to their craft at their backs. If Tiger puts on an amazing display to win a major, I want to know that what I watched was an athlete performing at his best not because he was on drugs, but because he was more special than the next guy on that given day. The same goes for Armstrong, Bonds or whomever.

      So if Armstrong did dope, he was wrong. Again, I don’t care that the best cyclist in the world used drugs to make himself superhuman. I care that what I witnessed wasn’t natural. I want my sports to be 100 percent pure.

      Bikes, External Sports, The Olympics

      Ray Edwards would rather box than play for Vikings under one-year tender

      May 20, 2011 /
      Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards (91) listens for the crowd’s cheers after sacking New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during the second quarter of their National Football League game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, January 3, 2010. Giants tackle David Diehl (66) is at left. Minnesota won the game. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Defensive end Ray Edwards told 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that he’d rather focus on his boxing career than play for the Vikings under his one-year tender.

      “I’ve openly said I won’t play for the Vikings, because of the simple fact of my backup is getting paid 70 more percent than I am — there’s no way I can do that to myself. I’d rather do what I love doing. I love doing football as well. But if there’s nobody that’s going to trade for me, I will be definitely focusing on boxing.”

      In case anyone was wondering if Edwards was harboring any hard feelings towards “his backup,” (Brian Robison) he’s not.

      “I was happy for (Robison),” Edwards told 1500 ESPN. “He’s a definitely great guy. I love the guy off the field, love him on the field. Great teammate. I wished him all the best, because we both were up for contracts. So, I told him that more than likely they’re going to keep you because of the numbers situation.

      “They’re paying Jared (Allen, who signed a six-year, $73.26 million contract in April 2008). You’ve got Kevin (Williams), who’s almost due for a contract and he’s been there forever and he’s a six-time Pro Bowler, I believe. I don’t know if they’re going to try to keep Pat (Williams) or not. It’s just a numbers game.

      “In this business, and I understand that, sometimes there’s an odd man out, and I believe that I was always that odd man out.”

      This goes against the cliched “it shouldn’t be about the money for athletes” that some writers love to overuse, but I actually don’t blame Edwards. The NFL is a nasty league and the life expectancy for players is short. Football is their career and they want long-term security just like your average Joe. Granted, athletes are making 10-times what your average Joe is, but it’s still the same concept in the end: they want to be financially set up for the long term.

      Let’s say your contract is about to run up with your company and for the moment, let’s forget about the money involved. Instead of giving you a new three-year deal, your company hands you a one-year contract and on top of that, the guy under you is given a three-year deal. Assuming you deserved a raise, wouldn’t you feel a little disrespected by your company? If the answer is yes, then that’s how Ray Edwards feels.

      That said, I still wouldn’t have handled the situation like Edwards is and he’s in for a rude awakening if he thinks he’s going to make more boxing than he is on that one-year tender. But I get why he’s frustrated and why he’s saying the things he is. He feels like he’s earned a long-term contract. (Although some fans feel like his production is a byproduct of playing opposite Jared Allen.)

      External Sports, NFL

      Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box found dead

      May 19, 2011 /

      The Oklahoma football program was rocked on Thursday with the news that middle linebacker Austin Box has died at the age of 22.

      According to SI.com, a spokeswoman for the state Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death. El Reno Police Chief Ken Brown says officers and medics responded this morning to a call of an unresponsive male who was identified as Box. The senior linebacker from Enid was then taken to an El Reno hospital before being transferred by air ambulance to an Oklahoma City hospital where he later passed away.

      A police report obtained by KOKH FOX 25 in Oklahoma City shows that Box’s death was “probably” related to an overdose. The report doesn’t reveal what Box took, but it does say that it was a “controlled dangerous substance.” I would caution, however, not to read too much into this report until more details are released. The use of the word “probably” is sketchy at best and the link provided is to the site’s Facebook page (which doesn’t exactly scream “reliable information”). Still, I included the link because of the mention of the police report.

      Whatever the cause of death, this is a tragedy and it’s a sad day for Box’s family and friends, as well as the Oklahoma and college football world. At 22 years old, the he had his entire life ahead of him and it’s sad that a young person perished so soon.

      My thoughts go out to Box’s family.

      College Football, External Sports

      Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith still backing Jim Tressel

      May 19, 2011 /
      Ohio State University head coach Jim Tressel directs his team against Marshall University during the fourth quarter of their NCAA football game in Columbus, Ohio, September 2, 2010. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      For those wondering if Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has been distancing himself from Jim Tressel because he may eventually fire the embattled football head coach, Smith has made it clear that that’s not the case.

      From ESPN.com:

      “Oh, definitely, no question,” Smith said. “I haven’t changed, I haven’t changed. But I’m not talking about the case beyond that.”

      Smith noted last month in an interview with The Associated Press that Tressel should have apologized at the infamous March 8 news conference, where Tressel acknowledged he failed to notify Ohio State officials of emails he received about some of his players receiving improper benefits.

      Smith has also talked about the high legal costs Ohio State is dealing with, calling the ongoing NCAA situation “a nightmare,” and confirmed Wednesday that Tressel is responsible for his own lawyers. Tressel, who makes around $3.5 million per season, has hired Gene Marsh to represent him before the NCAA’s committee on infractions on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis. Marsh, a member of the NCAA’s infractions committee for nine years and chairman for two, is an Ohio State graduate. He has said he never attended a Buckeyes football game during his years as a student.

      I’m not sure if this is considered “newsworthy” but look around – there’s not much going on these days in football (thank you, NFL).

      My question is, did Tressel just get the dreaded vote of confidence? The, “Hey big guy, we’re still behind you 100%,” right before the axe falls? I may be naive, but I still don’t think he’ll get fired over “Tattoogate.” I reserve the right to change my opinion if Ohio State suffers even more embarrassment over these next couple of months (like, you know, if players were caught buying cars for $0 or something), but I tend to believe Smith when he says he still supports Tressel.

      We’ll find out soon enough.

      College Football, External Sports

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