Tag: Mike Singletary (Page 6 of 8)

      The media’s steroid double standard

      February 23, 2009 /

      The media circus arrived in Tampa on Tuesday, and the star attraction under the big top was Alex Rodriguez elaborating about his steroid usage. The talking heads on the evil four-letter network, ESPN, inundated us with up-to-the-minute updates on what to expect from Rodriguez’s press conference and showed countless sound bites from his contemporaries in baseball expressing their disappointment with his actions; SportsCenter became A-RodCenter.

      Then, after a 32-minute press conference, the commentators returned to voice their displeasure of A-Rod’s handling of the media’s questions. They screamed for more details on his merry trek through Latin America with his cousin Yuri in search of the banned substance “boli” (Primobolan). Their analysis of the latest chapter in baseball’s steroid scandal had feel of a good old-fashioned witchhunt.

      My reaction to the coverage: you are all hypocrites!

      It is generally accepted that there is a double standard in how the media covers baseball in comparison with other sports. Their intense scrutiny on baseball’s latest black eye will give everyone involved enough anguish and outrage to last a season. Yet a collective yawn will be drawn inside the press box when it is announced that a NFL player has tested positive for steroids. No, they would rather write or chat about the ramifications from San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary dropping his pants in front his team than investigate players using diuretics to mask their steroid usage in league-mandated drug tests.

      If you want to talk about steroids in the NFL, let’s begin with the 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers. They won four Super Bowl titles and have a high rate of former players dying at a young age. Mike Webster, Steve Furness Courson (admitted steroid abuser), Dwight White, et cetera, all have died way too early in life. Add that their team doctor was implicated in buying over $150,000 worth of HGH from a Florida pharmacy that was raided by federal authorities last year. Yet, the media applauded them for doing whatever it took to become the most prolific dynasty in pro football.

      Nobody imagines that locker rooms are drug-free, but few would think that players on successful teams would risk their lives to reach their goal of being the best in their sport…but they do. Money, of course, trumps ideology and blinds people from making rational decisions while pursuing their goals. Cheaters shame the game, as they care more about lining their pockets and less about the integrity of the game they say they love.

      The media cannot pick and choose which stories to spotlight in their crusade to eradicate performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports. What A-Rod did was wrong and he will have to live with the damage that has been done to his name and image in the baseball. Journalists cannot full-court press their coverage on the latest greatest scandal in baseball while simply shrugging their shoulders to other known steroid abuse cases in other sports. It can’t just be business as usual in the NFL, where from Bill Belichick down to the lowly Detroit Lions, they would all cheat if it guaranteed them a victory on Sunday. I just wish that athletes would come clean about their use of performance-enhancing drugs and stop running from their past.

      MLB, NFL

      Singletary not ruling out Vick joining 49ers

      February 17, 2009 /

      Even though he’d like to evaluate Alex Smith more, 49ers’ head coach Mike Singletary isn’t ruling out the possibility of Michael Vick playing in San Francisco some day.

      Mike Singletary“I’m not going to say I’m open or closed,” Singletary said of the possibility of the 49ers acquiring Vick.

      “I’d say it has to be something Scot (McCloughan) and I talk about and feel good about one way or the other. But we have not talked about it at this point in great detail. We’re trying to focus on what we have.

      “I think right now we really need to look at the two guys we have,” Singletary added. “If everything works out with Alex and he’s back, we need to look at that and go as far as we can go with that. The whole Michael Vick thing, we have to sit down and talk about that. But for right now, we have enough on our plates.”

      When asked about the team’s possibly going after Vick, team president Jed York said, “That’s up to Scot and Mike.”

      He added that the possibility is probably remote.

      “We’d talk about it,” York said. “If they felt it was right for the team, and convince me and my parents . . . it’s up to them to show that somebody who’s had issues in the past can be a part of this team. But that’s not something we’ve discussed, and I doubt that would happen.”

      Vick could learn a lot about discipline from Singletary and maybe under the head coach’s guidance, could start to turn his life around. This is still a big “if”, but if Vick winds up in San Francisco, it’d be nice to know he’d have Singletary serving as a mentor.

      NFL

      A Chat with NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice

      January 15, 2009 /

      Interview Date: 1/8/09

      It’s not often that a sports writer gets the opportunity to interview a sports legend. So when we were offered the chance to sit down and talk with former San Francisco 49er great Jerry Rice, we nearly leaped out of our seats.

      Jerry has dabbled in a number of different professions since retiring from his Hall of Fame NFL career, including competing on “Dancing With the Stars” and more recently, acting. He has a cameo appearance in the movie, “Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling,” where he plays a character named Hal Gore (uh, Al Gore’s brother…seriously), who happens to be a bit off his rocker. (Hal’s game plan to stop global warming was focused around squirrel farts…again, seriously.)

      Jerry was gracious enough to talk to us about his role in the movie, his experiences with acting and whether or not more acting was in his future. We also couldn’t let him get off the phone without asking him some gridiron questions, including his thoughts on who currently is the best wide receiver is in the game, what young quarterback has the best chance of winning a Super Bowl, and what defensive backs were the best he ever played against. He also filled us in how legends Joe Montana and Bill Walsh were pranksters, and whether or not coaching is in his future now that the 49ers have hired former player Mike Singletary has their next head coach.

      Jerry Rice: Anthony!

      The Scores Report: Jerry, it’s an absolute pleasure to talk with you!

      JR: Not a problem. You’re the last one of the day, bud! It’s been a long day so I’m giving you my best.

      TSR: Excellent! Well my first question has to be – is acting harder than playing in the NFL?

      JR: (laughs)

      TSR: It’s gotta be, right?

      Jerry RiceJR: (still laughing) Yep! Of course it’s harder because it’s something that I’m not accustomed to. And in (my) particular scene in “Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling,” I play someone else. I don’t play myself. So that was the challenging part of that, but it gave me a chance to challenge myself and I’m always looking for opportunities like that and I think it brings out the best in me. Hopefully people look at this on DVD and they appreciate it and they like it.

      TSR: Well I got a few laughs just watching you dressed up in that garb!

      JR: I bet you did!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: That’s why they put me in that!

      TSR: I’m sure it was. Why don’t you explain the role for people who haven’t seen the movie yet?

      JR: I’m this mountain man whose been in the wilderness for about 30 years and I’ve got this long beard…I’ve got this coat that’s pretty much made out of squirrels and stuff like that…and I thought I had found this cure for global warming by way of squirrel farts.

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: But hey, I had a great time making it, man.

      TSR: How did you get involved in something like this?

      JR: You know, this fell in my lap because Terry Bradshaw was supposed to do it and you know how crazy Terry is. Maybe Terry looked at it as, “there’s no way I’m doing that.” So they decided to contact me and they said, “do you want to do it?” And I said, yeah, I’ll go for it and I did, and I’m glad because to be associated with Paramount is an honor within itself. And to also work with the actors and actresses was really cool.

      TSR: Is there a future in this for you or is this a one and done type thing?

      JR: Hey, I’m hoping it’s not a one and done. You know, hopefully this opens up more opportunities for me just like “Dancing With the Stars” did. I feel as though I worked my butt off, I had fun with it and people are going to get a chance to see another side of me that they’ve never seen before. I’m going to watch the DVD tonight and I’m going to critique, and I’m sure I’m going to look at certain parts and say to myself, “I could have done that better than that, but that’s just part of not being complacent and being willing to continue to work.

      TSR: Consummate professional, right?

      JR: That’s it, buddy.

      TSR: Mind if I toss a couple football questions at you?

      JR: Let’s do it.

      TSR: I’m sure you watch the NFL closer than anybody. What current wide receiver impresses you the most every Sunday?

      JR: Probably Andre Johnson. But you have to look at Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, you know…let me think…

      TSR: What about Terrell Owens, one of your x-teammates?

      JR: I thought you wanted younger guys, okay, yeah – Terrell Owens, Randy Moss all those guys. Those guys are still the big play receivers, you know? (They) are why you pay your money – because you know that those guys are going to put on a good show for you.

      Joe MontanaTSR: You’ve won Super Bowls with Joe Montana and Steve Young so you know what it takes for a quarterback to win a championship. What young quarterback – Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, etc. – that hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet is the next to win one in your opinion? What current quarterback is destined to hoist a Super Bowl trophy?

      JR: You know what? The next guy? Boy…it could be Joe Flacco from Baltimore with the way he’s playing right now. It could be Donovan McNabb. You know, Eli…well Eli’s won one already, so, you know, we’ll just have to wait and see how (the playoffs) pan out. The ultimate thing is to win the Super Bowl and I think all of those guys have a legitimate shot.

      TSR: Besides winning the Super Bowl, what would you call your greatest moment in the NFL? What was your greatest achievement?

      JR: (laughs) Oh my God! Probably…oh my God. I would say, uh…just playing with the guys that I had played with. It was never about records to me. So you know, just the relationships that I had built you know, with (Joe) Montana, (Ronnie) Lott, Roger Craig – so many great guys. Then going across the Bay (to Oakland to play with) Tim Brown and so many other great players.

      TSR: I always want to ask players this. Was there ever a funny moment, whether it’s on the field, off the field in the huddle, whatever, that you rarely share with the public? Could you share one of those moments to give fans an insight to what your playing days were like?

      JR: Joe Montana was always a prankster!

      TSR: Was he?

      JR: Oh, yeah – Joe Montana did crazy things. He would put Tiger Balm and stuff like that in jocks. Then all of a sudden guys would put their jocks on and they’d get that little burning sensation out there on the field!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: (laughs)

      TSR: Did he ever get you?

      JR: No, he knew better than that!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: (laughs) But you know, Joe was a prankster…Bill Walsh would walk through the locker room with those tights on, and his sweat towels and his football shoes and stuff like that trying to look like a wide receiver and all that stuff.

      TSR: That’s pretty funny, although it’s hard to imagine a legend doing that!

      JR: Yeah!

      TSR: You played against some of the best defensive backs in the league. Who was the hardest to beat or the best you’ve ever played against?

      JR: I had two of them – Darryl Green and Deion Sanders. Those guys were so fast and I had to study them, I had to work them off the line of scrimmage, and I had to be patient. That was always something Bill Walsh wanted us to do – he wanted us to be patient off the line of scrimmage. He wanted us to win at the line so, you know, I had some success against those guys.

      TSR: Is there a current defensive back playing now that would fit into Green or Sanders’ mold?

      JR: You know what, no, because you don’t have that many cornerbacks that play one on one anymore. It’s because of the (defensive) schemes, so you know, you still have some good defensive backs out there but (Green and Sanders) were going to pretty much be singled up with the best receiver on every team. And their job was to shut that guy down and they were great.

      Mike SingletaryTSR: I thought the hire of Mike Singletary was absolutely the right move to get the 49ers headed back in the right direction. What are your thoughts on the hire?

      JR: I think it’s fantastic. I think that was the best move the Niners (could make in hiring) Singletary. I also heard that Tom Rathman is going to come back as the running backs coach, so this team is starting to move in the right direction. They have someone (in Singletary) that’s a great leader, will lead them by example and if the players don’t do their jobs, he’s going to let them know it. And if they don’t pick it up, they’re going to be out of there.

      TSR: Is coaching in your future, Jerry?

      JR: No.

      TSR: No? Absolutely not?

      JR: (chuckles) Not at all, buddy!

      TSR: (laughs)

      JR: Hey I have to run, my man.

      TSR: Thanks Jerry – I appreciate your time!

      JR: You got it – take care.

      Interviews, NFL

      2008 Year-End Sports Review: What We Already Knew

      December 27, 2008 /

      While every year has its own host of surprises, there are always those stories that simply fit the trend. Sure, it can get repetitive, but if we don’t look back at history aren’t we only doomed to repeat it? Every year has its fair share of stories that fell into this category, and 2008 was no different.

      Continue reading »

      Boxing, College Basketball, College Football, Fantasy Football, General Sports, Golf, Humor, Mixed Martial Arts, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer, Super Bowl, Tennis, The Olympics, Video

      Mike Singletary in as head coach for 49ers – Mike Martz out?

      December 26, 2008 /

      Word out of San Francisco is that Mike Singletary is going to get a crack at becoming the permanent fixture at head coach next season, which isn’t good news for offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Singletary reportedly doesn’t like Martz’s coaching style and if he becomes head coach, would look to replace the “Mad Scientist.”

      Mike SingletaryIt’s not official yet. But it’s getting pretty darn close. Barring some unforeseen event, Mike Singletary will be the 49ers head coach in 2009, perhaps as soon as the Monday after the team’s finale against the Redskins, according to a source close to the situation. When team officials, including owner Jed York, made Singletary the 49ers’ interim coach in late October, they told him that the team would have to show progress in order for him to keep his job. They have done just that, going 4-4 under Singletary. But Singletary sealed the deal – or came tantalizingly close to doing so – on Monday when he met with team officials and laid out his plan for the future, including both offense and defense. Singletary’s vision had been the one remaining question in the minds of team officials.

      Under Singletary, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky would be retained. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz, however, would not. With Martz directing the offense, the 49ers have climbed from dead last in the league in total offense to 24th this season. But Martz’s pass-first mentality, on display in recent games against Miami and St. Louis, clashes with Singletary’s ball-control philosophy. It also seems to be at odds with the type of players the 49ers have drafted on offense in recent years. Singletary not only discussed his offensive philosophy in the Monday meeting, he cited several candidates to take over at offensive coordinator next season. Those names are not yet known, although they are believed to include both current head coaches and assistants. The 49ers’ biggest concern is for offensive continuity over the next several seasons.

      Singletary deserves a shot to be a full-time head coach. It’s apparent that since he took over as interim coach, the Niners have played with more passion and emotion. He’s a fiery competitor who should be very successful.

      One has to wonder if Martz is long for this league. His offense has been successful every where he’s gone, but the same criticisms come up no matter where he lands – he doesn’t run the football enough. Some team is going to want his offense, but I wonder if he’ll have to change his approach and develop a more balanced offense.

      NFL

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