Real Sports Talk With Andy Burrell

The American Samoan's Are Taking Over The NFL

2010-10-05T12:59:00.009-05:00

After Monday nights ridiculous performance by New England Patriots safety, Patrick Chung, it got me to thinking. You see more and more of the NFL's best from different parts of the world. Chung, who was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft played his college ball at Oregon. Monday night Chung helped the Pats do something that has never been done in the history of the NFL. The Patriots scored a record 6 different ways, talk about a team effort. Chung was born in Kingston, Jamaica from Chinese Jamaican descent, his father being half-Chinese Jamaican, half-Afro-Jamaican and mother Afro-Jamaican. It made me think about all of the super stars in the game today that are not from the States.

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch a 60 Minutes exclusive on CBS. The story highlighted American Samoa, an island in the distant South Pacific that is an unincorporated territory of the United States. The island has just over 65,000 people and out of that there are more than 30 players in the NFL right now and over 200 playing college football. Let's put this in perspective real quick, in the last 5 years alone the island has sent 10 NFL lineman to the NFL. You can usually spot a player of Samoan descent by the long wavy hair flowing out of their helmets. A kid born of Samoan descent is 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than any other kid in America. That's a staggering statistic, if there were more of them they would probably take over the NFL.

Well, what makes these kids so good at football? The facilities are no Southlake Carrol and most schools don't even have real fields, mostly dirt and rocks cover these players fields. But that doesn't stop these kids, they are warriors by birth and are raised to be the best with what they are given. They are given chores and follow their parents orders. The Samoa island is rich in farming and that's how they eat and how a lot of people make their living. So from day one,the boys are put to work as if they are men. Something that has disappeared in the U.S.

During the interview with 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley asked a couple of the boys what their size was. One 16-year-old player told Pelley he's 6 feet 5 inches tall. Another, 17 years old, said he's 6 foot 4 and a half. And the craziest part about it is that they are monsters, they all have muscles and don't even lift weights! Why? Because they cannot afford the weights and their equipment wouldn't even pass inspection with the FWISD.

For almost all of the people on the island the only way to get to America and get and education and make a living is to play football.

The most notable stars from Samoan heritage are 2-time Super Bowl Champion Troy Polamalu, Seahawks All-Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu, all-time great Junior Seau, Steelers All-Pro Kimo von Oelhoffen, and former USC stand-out and now Bengal linebacker, Rey Maualuga. Not too shabby.

I thought this was a very inspiring story and really felt the need to write about it. Not only does football give these boys a chance to compete and stay focused but it also gives them the opportunity to get a college education and help provide for their families for the rest of their lives.

An already poverty stricken island, the American Samoans were devastated when they were hit with a tsunami that killed dozens and ruined most cash crops. The NFL and the NFL Players Association stepped in and are contributing $50,000 to help victims of the tsunami that struck American Samoa in September.

Facts provided by CBSnews.com and footballisland.com

JETS Have Issues But Also Have Resilience

2010-09-21T11:38:00.008-05:00

The New York Jets have been surrounded with controversy since last February when the team signed a plethora of all-pro players to enhance their AFC Championship runner-up squad. Then came May and it was the hold-out of star corner back Darrelle Revis, who missed all off-season work outs and all of pre-season until he was finally signed a week before the first game against the rival Ravens. There was also all of the hype surrounding HBO's "Hard Knocks." And don't forget the f-bomb dropping head coach Rex Ryan. Who was criticized by everyone including his own mother for his dirty mouth on national television. I thought that was all blown way out of proportion but it was still an issue, none the less. Not to be out done, there is the sexual harassment case which is still pending with Ines Sainz. Sainz claims that she was "cat called" and made fun of when at Jets practice and in the locker room to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Jets finally got what the doctor ordered in week 2 when they got the big win they needed over Tom Brady and the all-mighty Patriots. This is what is so great about sports, no matter what is going on and all the things that can disrupt an organization. As long as you win, nothing else matters, the rest just simply takes care of itself and the slate is wiped clean. Or so you think...

Most NFL teams go to work on Monday, watch film, get treatment and grab a lift. Then they are given Tuesday as their day off. So Braylon Edwards apparently went out on Monday night and had a good time, so good that he was pulled over at 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning because the tint on his Range Rover was too dark. It was then that the police officer smelled alcohol. Edwards was given a breathalyzer and blew twice the legal limit, .16 to be exact, dude can drink! 5:15 a.m. and he was still wasted, pretty impressive. Just a day after having a touchdown catch and a 2-point conversion against the Pats, Edwards was locked up in an NYC jail for a DWI.

You gotta feel for General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Head Coach Rex Ryan. The two have had issue after issue unfold right before them. They have lost two of their best defensive lineman for the season in DT Kris Jenkins and DE Ropati Pitoitua. Oh and did I mention, that Darrelle Revis guy that just got $32 million in guaranteed cash missed the second half with a tight hamstring and could miss up to 2 weeks?? Sweet.

The Jets looked good Sunday, they looked really good and played even better defensively in the second half without Revis. They are also hoping to get back their stud linebacker, Calvin Pace in the next 2 weeks, who has missed time with a broken right foot. Also wide receiver Santonio Holmes will be back in action after he is done serving a 4 game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy for testing positive for marijuana.

I believe the Jets are still a Super Bowl front runner, without a doubt. With leadership coming from players like LaDainian Tomlinson, Nick Mangold, and Bart Scott. This team will not allow outside distractions to make them fold and coach Rex Ryan will make sure of it.

It will be interesting to see what they do with Braylon Edwards and what the league will do as well. The team can fine him and can even suspend him if they choose to do so. But under the collective bargaining agreement the NFL cannot do anything to Edwards unless he was already listed in the leagues substance abuse policy, which is confidential.

There is no doubt that Edwards is in the dog house but there is still good news. If the Jets can overcome this and get a win over the Dolphins on Sunday night all will be forgotten....this is sports remember? Winning is everything.

TCU All-American Jeremy Kerley "Most Versatile Player In The Nation?"

2010-09-21T11:23:00.002-05:00

TCU's stud all-purpose back,Jeremy Kerley has been recognized for the second time in just three games by the Paul Hornung Award for "Most Versatile Performances of The Week." Kerley, who was on the pre-season watch list has proven to the nation why he belongs at the top of the list. Week in and week out Kerley provides play making ability at multiple positions. There is not a doubt in my mind that he is deserving of this award and will continue to show the nation why.

Paul Hornung was the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback with Notre Dame, he went on to play running back for the legendary Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers and was a first ballot Hall of Famer. The award is given to the player who shows the most versatility on the football field.

Kerley totaled 202 all-purpose yards in the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs'
45-10 win over Baylor. Kerley also tied a career-high with six receptions for 69 yards and two
touchdowns, and had four punt returns for 84 yards and four carries for 49
yards. Not too shabby if you ask me. Kerley, who is from Hutto,Texas near Austin has shown Frog fans since his arrival how special he is, now he is finally getting the attention he deserves from sports writers and critics all over the nation.

Look for Kerley to only boast bigger and better numbers from this point on with the remaining bulk of the schedule being teams from the Mountain West. Although I think the Mountain West is a much better conference than people give it credit, there is not a lot of speed beside an athletic Utah team.

Portis Was Only Being Honest

2010-09-15T12:32:00.004-05:00

"You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her." These were Washington Redskins Clinton Portis' comments Tuesday when asked about female reporters in NFL locker rooms. Portis, who is known for his outlandish actions is feeling the wrath today and the NFL has made a statement saying that the comments made by Portis have no place in the NFL. Portis apologized and that will more than likely be the end of that, at least as far as the NFL takes it.

I honestly have no problem with Portis comments, this seems more like the media are taking his words out of context and painting them in a bad light. With the JETS recent issues with TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz (Click Here for Photos of Sainz)and the on going investigation. It wasn't the smartest thing to go into but judging by the way Portis spoke to the radio, I'm not so sure he even knew about the current harassment investigation within the JETS organization.

At the end of the day, Portis was asked what he thought about women in a locker room and he was perfectly honest. I mean why do you think any and every gym around the nation has a men's and a women's side? Privacy issues aren't the only reason, I will tell you that much. The media is quick to run with the bulls when an athlete does wrong or makes a mistake and they will usually stay on any number of topics until the cows come home. When they feel they are taken advantage of, they use it to their ability to make even more media, only this time it is purely in an attempt to publicize Ines Sainz and TV Azteca. Did you see what Ines was wearing out on the field and in the locker room!? Give me a break, if she didn't want attention from the players then don't wear all white and portray yourself as a sex symbol.

Ines walked into the locker room with a bunch of jacked naked dudes, wearing an all white, skin tight, outfit with her platinum blond hair. Surely she knew what to expect.

Mariotti Must Be Confused

2010-08-24T12:28:00.004-05:00

Talk about your all-time back fires. Jay Mariotti, who is predominately known for his appearances on ESPN's Around the Horn was arrested in Los Angeles at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday the 21st.

Mariotti is one of the loudest mouths in sports journalism. He is known for his wild rants and calling people such as Michael Vick and Tiger Woods out for their actions. Looks like all that smack talking finally came back around his way.

An unnamed source that was picking his girlfriend up at an apartment building just down the street from Mariottis managed to get the inside scoop. The source said the two were yelling back and forth in the street in front of their apartment. Mariotti was boxing the woman out and trying to make her avoid getting in the apartment. When she finally got around him and got into the lobby he chased her down and they had a physical altercation in the lobby of the apartment.

Apparently, the apartment is glass and it is easy to see right in. This is when the on looker saw Mariotti throwing papers and ripping things off the wall, he then grabbed his girlfriends hair and launched her into the elevator. The source said he had enough and called police.

The source had this to say. "She punched her code to get into the lobby of her building...and when she did that he fired the door open and followed her in..and that's when it began. Lucky for me her lobby was a giant glass one so i could continue to see everything that was going on when they went inside."

Mariotti has always come across to me as a smart mouth fire cracker. The guy has a temper that escalates as soon as someone else has something to say that he doesn't agree with. Knowing ESPN and the way they have handled scandal in the past. The "mouse ears" will surely have none of this and you can bet that you wont be seeing any of Mariotti on ESPN again.

Mariotti is due in court September 17th. Around the Horn is not filming this week but will start new episodes next week.

Former TCU Stand-Out Ryan Christian Takes Kick Back-Record 110 Yards

2010-08-16T13:22:00.001-05:00

http://argonauts.ca/video/index/id/13397

Upsetting Rumor Swirls in Cleveland

2010-05-15T00:47:00.004-05:00

Coming off a devastating second round loss to the Celtics, LeBron James has been the main attention of sports media. James, who is a free agent this off season has the choice to go to any team he would like. James didn't need any more media attention but that is exactly what he is getting, this time for all the wrong reasons.

Rumors have been swirling of a possible relationship with guard Delonte West, 26, of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James' mother, Gloria James, 42. West and James are teammates and have played together on the Cavs for 3 years. The source is not very credible so we cannot jump to conclusions but it seems to be fairly solid.

According to a website called Terez Owens, West and LeBron's mother have allegedly been having an affair for a while, and LeBron found out about it all before game 4 of the second round series against Boston. A game in which James was 7-18 FG, 22 points, 9 Reb, and 8 assists. Not too shabby but the Cavs did lose by 10 at home, where they lost only 6 games during the entire regular season.

Game 5, James was 3-14 FG and had just 15 points. Not what you would expect from the MVP of the league in a crucial playoff game. Is there a reason for that? Is there any truth to what is being said about Delonte West and Gloria James. It is honestly too early to tell but one thing is for sure. News like this can make it very tough for James to concentrate and do his thing but also will ruin a teams chemistry.

This would also explain how James went from "Beast Mode" in the first 3 games of the series to a passive, stoic player we saw in the demise of the Cavs championship run. James has been so focused all season and during the playoffs, it was weird to watch him turn into the player we have never seen on the court before. This is a team that had the most wins in the NBA this season and had the determined MVP in James to carry them all the way. That team fell apart and everyone is questioning how.

This could be a very good reason for the demise of the Cavs in the second round. No major sports networks are reporting this story but it is very intriguing and could have seriously blown the Cavs chances on getting LeBron James back now that he is a free agent.

Delonte West was arrested earlier this year for carrying multiple concealed weapons, so he sounds like a pretty good dude. The kind of dude who would go behind your back and holla at your mom. Upsetting news, let’s just hope it is false.

Brian Cushing Holds On

2010-05-12T14:19:00.003-05:00

Houston Texans linebacker, Brian Cushing, has remained the NFL's defensive rookie of the year after a revote by the AP. The revote gave Cushing 18 votes by 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league, the first time around he had 39.

Cushing was busted for using something called (HCG). Human chorionic gonadotropin is a banned substance but it is not a steroid. According to www.steroid.com, "HCG is not a steroid, but a naturally occurring peptide hormone, produced by the embryo in the early stages of pregnancy..." Meaning it's original purpose is for women. But it has a different effect on men. Cushing is smart and has probably been juicing his whole life. Trust me, Cushing knows exactly what he is putting in his body and this stuff helped.

HCG helps bring back naturally produced testosterone. When a steroid user stops using, their body stops making testosterone naturally so in turn you lose your gains very quickly. Well HCG brings 'em right back!

Even with the positive test I still agree that Cushing was the best defensive rookie in the league and should have kept the award. As we know by now the steroid era is far from over, in all sports. What are we going to do, go back and strip Shawne Merriman of all his accolades because of his positive test in 2006? The guys who make these decisions sometimes get caught and when they do their entire career will be questioned forever.

Cushing has been suspended by the NFL for the first 4 games of the season, without pay.

Dez Bryant's Minicamp a Success

2010-05-11T17:24:00.004-05:00

Dez Bryant, a top 10 talent in the 2010 NFL Draft managed to fall all the way to the 24th pick in the first round. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys took full advantage and made a trade with the New England Patriots to move up 3 spots to grab the "Playmaker 2." Is it too early to talk Bryant up to the level of one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game? I mean he missed nearly his entire senior season at Oklahoma State because he lied to the NCAA about his involvement with former Cowboy and NFL Network personality, Deion Sanders.

Say what you want about Bryant but the kid is a stud and has the potential to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Jerry Jones was not about to pass up on another potential Randy Moss type impact player and have that haunt him for years to come.

Bryant showed up to Cowboy's rookie minicamp and was a little out of shape. Taking knees, breathing hard and ended up rolling his ankle and limping around the last hour of practice. The injury is not serious but did keep Bryant out of sprints after practice. The most impressive part of this was that even though he was not in the best shape, he still pushed through every drill and gave it 100 percent. That shows a lot of grit and shows the type of leader that he is.

Many people have given Bryant a bad wrap and say that he can slack and be complacent but that was not evident what so ever during the 3 days of practice last weekend. Coach Wade Phillips was even quoted as saying, "In 33 years there's not very many that I can say look that talented at their position for a three-day period." Strong statement coming from a guy like Phillips who has seen a lot of ball in his day.

There has been talk of Bryant returning punts and kick-offs on special teams, sure would be exciting to see him and Kevin Ogletree back deep. Expect big things out of Bryant in his rookie season and for him to have an immediate impact. It will also be interesting to see how Jason Garrett fits Bryant into the Cowboys scheme with Miles Austin, Jason Witten, and Roy Williams.

Former NFL Legend Arrested

2010-05-06T11:49:00.007-05:00

One of the best players to ever play the game and a guy who really did revolutionize the way defense is played in the NFL. Has yet again made a terrible decision. Taylor was arrested early Thursday morning at a Rockland Hotel in N.Y. Taylor is accused of beating and raping a 16-year-old prostitute.

The girl is apparently a runaway and somehow got wrapped up with a pimp trying to make ends meet in the Bronx, heard that before? After the girl left the hotel room where she was sent to meet with Taylor, she called her uncle, who then called police and she was taken to the hospital for examinations and injuries sustained from punches to the face.

Taylor,51, will be arraigned Thursday on third degree rape charge,which involves having intercourse with a minor. 51 years old and Taylor is still running around like a low life. Get it together man, at some point you have to grow up, especially with all of the drug problems and run-ins with the law he has had throughout his life.

Taylor won 2 Super Bowls with the New York Giants in '87 and '91. Taylor was also inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999. It is so tragic to see professional athlete after professional athlete screw up and feel they are entitled to get away with any and everything. It could have something to do with the drugs and alcohol but Taylor has said he has been clean for sometime now. I find that hard to believe. Who in their right mind would pay for a prostitute, realize she was probably too young, and then continue to beat the crap out of her?

This has been an issue for years and will continue on to be a prominent issue in our sports nation. Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Vick, Tank Johnson, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Rae Carruth. The list goes on and on. It also gives sports a bad wrap because nobody ever hears about Drew Brees and Reggie Bush in New Orleans rebuilding houses and giving back millions of dollars to a city that was in ruins at one point and still is in others. That's not front page news, Lawrence Taylor beating and raping a minor is though.

The NFL is going through some very difficult times right now. I guarantee you one thing, none of these incidents in the past few months will make any difference when the NFL season rolls around. You can count on another "top dog" year,with ratings through the roof like always.

OUCH! HAHA

2010-05-05T09:03:00.001-05:00

Taser's?? Really?

2010-05-05T08:47:00.006-05:00

At the Cardinals Phillies game Monday night in Philadelphia, a fan was apprehended by a police officer for running onto the field during the 8th inning. Only it was not your normal tackle job, this officer felt the need to zap a 17-year-old teenager with a stun gun. Dropping the poor kid instantly.

Obviously it is totally idiotic to jump a fence at a professional sporting event and run around like a chicken with your head cut-off but then again this kid is 17 and is probably about to graduate high school. How did you act in high school? Ever feel that need to get one last, "Hoo Rah!"

This is not the first time this has happened but honestly, why not just tackle the kid like everyone else? It's not like Usain Bolt was running around out there. Do we really need to resort to zapping him with a thousand volts like Alan and Phil in the 2009 film, The Hangover?

The Cardinals won the game over the Phil's 6-3. The highlight of the night was definitely the little guy getting blasted with the gun. None the less, funny stuff. VIDEO IN 2010 ARCHIVE TO LEFT-

JAZZ 103 LAKERS 111

2010-05-05T07:45:00.003-05:00

This team is just too good. Led by Kobe Bryant's 30 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 15 rebounds to dismantle the Jazz and put themselves one step closer to moving on to the next round. Just when everyone thought the Lakers were a possible let down just a week ago after getting blown out in game 4 against Oklahoma City, they have bounced back with a vengeance. The Lakers are now up 2-0 on the Jazz in this 7 game series. In franchise history, the Lakers are 40-1 all-time when leading 2-0 in a 7 game series.

In my mind there really is no stopping this team. TEAM, yes that's what I said. Not only do they have arguably the best player in the game leading the way with 4 titles to his name. A coach with zen type skills on the bench. They also have a top 15 NBA player in Pau Gasol, a dominate big man in Andrew Bynum, a dominate defensive player in Ron Artest, one of the best 6th men in the league in Lamar Odom and role players like Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown.

To think that the Lakers do not have what it takes to win the title you have got to be out of your mind. This team is about to win the series in 5 games against a very good Jazz squad and now that the Nuggets and Mavericks are out, I really don't see anyone in the West stopping the Lake show from getting to the finals.

University of Virginia Lacrosse Player Murdered

2010-05-03T15:29:00.009-05:00

Tragedy strikes again. Yet another love gone wrong. So many times we see people let their emotions get the best of them. Is it lack of self control, carelessness, abusive behavior, obsession, or is it just a combination of it all? Creeping into your head by another form of being; in order to destroy yourself and others? Some call it Satan, others call is weakness, and even some call it nature versus nurture. The person you are and the person you were raised to be.

A University of Virginia lacrosse player was charged with the murder of a female member of the lacrosse team at the same University. George Huguely,22, has been charged with the death of Yeardley Love,22. Both were set to graduate in just weeks and both were part of a Virginia men's and women's lacrosse team that were tops in the nation and set for the national tournament.

Although the two did not live in the same apartment complex, sources say that the two did have a relationship throughout college and that it had been off and on. Investigators said that Love's roommate walked in on her passed out on the ground, she originally thought she had alcohol poisoning and called the police. When they arrived they realized there was much more to this than just alcohol.

Toxicology reports can take weeks but initial reports say that, Love had bruising and head trauma. There were no weapons found in Huguely's apartment and he was being held at the Albemarie-Charlottesville Regional Jail in Virginia on Monday.

On Love's death, former head coach in high school, Mary Bartel,said, "Yeardley was the core of the personality of the team. She was our laughter, a good soul. She always found an appropriate way to lighten things up."

Relationships and love are a very powerful thing and I'm not totally sure what their exact relationship status was or how in depth the two were. But this is just one of many cases that happens everyday. Whether it be Steve McNair and his mistress or Chris Henry, losing his life flying out of the back of a truck because of a dispute with his fiance. It is all the same, whether you are a public figure or not. Life is a struggle everyday and some people cannot fight that struggle and are overcome by it. Some people are strong enough to deal with the abuse of heart break, while others use it as obsession and end up ruining their lives and most importantly, ruining the lives of others.

I contacted the University of Virginia, they are not available for comment. I also spoke with former women's field hockey star Erin Hayes. Hayes said,"He called police saying she had alcohol poising and the bruising is possibly related to lacrosse."

So there is a lot more work to be done in this case but it is still so upsetting to see two lives turned upside down.

Ironically, Huguely went to the same Prep High School as the Duke Lacrosse players who were acquitted in the rape case of two female prostitutes. Any chance, these guys feel a little entitlement and think they can get away with whatever. Whatever the case is, and at this point details are vague but none the less, what a tragedy. Another "LOVE" gone wrong.

Real Sports Talk with Andy Burrell

2010-04-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

NFC WEST

2010-04-29T14:02:00.005-05:00

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS- A++

In Pete Carroll's first draft as head coach of the Seahawks he and the front office did some serious damage. Before we get into what they did in the draft, let us not forget what they did by trading for two RB's that will have an immediate impact and will now give Matt Hasselbeck some one to hand the ball to. They picked up LenDale White and Leon Washington. On draft day somehow Russell Okung fell down to pick 6 and that's where the Seahawks started. Not only will Okung watch Hasselbeck's backside but he is the kind of tackle that can run and make plays down field, which will open up huge holes for the 2 new RB's. With their second pick sitting at #14 in the first, the Seahawks grabbed the second best DB in the 2010 draft, Earl Thomas. Thomas, who will be teamed up with Jordan "Babs" Babineaux in the backfield, which makes for a scary duo for any offense. Golden Tate was the next weapon taken. Now Tate is not the down field threat of the other receivers taken before him but the kid can run after the catch and is a beast. He loves to play the game and against USC last year he dominated Taylor Mays and made him look like me playing deep safety, he will contribute on special teams also.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS- A

With 2 high picks in the first round(11 and 17) the 49ers took serious advantage and made a ridiculous improvement on the offensive line. They took OT Anthony Davis out of Rutgers first. Davis has had questions about his weight and "want to" on the field. Davis has only been playing ball since his senior year of high school and with his size he has a serious upside. With the next pick they took G Mike Iupati. Iupati is a beast and is perfect for the 49ers hard hitting style and run game with Mr.Frank Gore. Somehow Taylor Mays fell all the way to the middle of the 2nd round and the 49ers scooped him there. Mays is what my buddies and I call a "Freak." He destroyed all pre-draft workouts and possesses the skills to be an NFL elite safety. He does struggle in coverage and has been compared to Roy Williams, which I think is just silly. They are different players, but at #49 in the second round anyone would have been crazy to not take Mays.

ARIZONA CARDINALS- B+

The Cardinals have had a tough off-season losing many key players on defense but they did a great job of picking up the slack in this draft. With the first pick they got big Dan Williams, DT out of Tennessee. This will be an immediate impact to their d-line. With the second pick they got speedster LB Daryl Washington out of TCU. With the loss of Karlos Dansby, Washington will more than likely start immediately. Washington has a knack for the game and loves to play it. He is always around the ball and has speed that not many NFL linebackers posses. He needs to work hard to put on some good weight to help avoid injury in a long NFL season.

ST. LOUIS RAMS- C+

Obviously the Rams nabbed a franchise quarterback with Sam Bradford and had many picks after that. With their second pick they got a OT to watch Bradford's back, Rodger Saffold. The Rams have a lot of needs and will need more needs next year also. It's a project in the making but I did like the 7th round pick of George Selvie, who I believe will be out to show people he is more than just a 7th round pick.

NFC SOUTH

2010-04-29T13:31:00.002-05:00

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS- A

The Buc's needed to do something big in this draft to improve a team that has many many needs. What did they do? Just that, they drafted a duo of defensive tackles that can start tomorrow in the NFL. Obviously they took big Gerald McCoy out of Oklahoma with the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Then with their next selection, the 3rd pick in the second round, the Buc's grabbed DT Brian Price from UCLA, who many thought would be gone in the 1st. These 2 guys are going to be buddy buddy come Sunday's. Especially since the Buc's are going back to their Tampa 2 defense. For those of you that don't understand the Tampa 2, it is a defensive scheme built on speed and explosiveness, especially on the DL. They also added 2 weapons for QB Josh Freeman with Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. This is going to be a much better team in 2010.

CAROLINA PANTHERS- A

This team needed a lot and with no first round pick it was not looking too shabby. But with a lot of luck and some nice moves in late rounds the Carolina Panthers really did have one of the best drafts in the NFC. Because of Clausen's "head case" perception and the fact he never won and showed terrible leadership skills he managed to fall not just out of the top 10 but all the way to the 2nd round. Honestly he could not have ended up in a better place. He has the opportunity to be a franchise QB and also has a lot of competition around him to help him grow and learn. With Matt Moore the starter for now, he will also have to battle with the Panthers 6 round pick Tony Pike. The more I watch Clausen, the more I like him. He has a hose of an arm and on an X's and O's is the smartest player out of the draft behind only safety Eric Berry. The Panthers also picked up 3 DB's in the late rounds that will add much needed depth. One of my personal favorite wide outs in the entire draft was Brandon LaFell, I watched this guy his entire career and broke him down on film. He didn't have the senior season he wanted but he has shown in the past he can be a big time player. As long as he works hard and gets better he shows a lot of promise for this Carolina team.

ATLANTA FALCONS- C-

The Falcons upgraded big time at the linebacker position by drafting Sean Witherspoon out of Missouri. Witherspoon has great speed and athleticism and that is exactly what is needed out of the weak side backer in the Tampa 2 scheme as talked about earlier with the Bucs.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS- C

With such a low draft pick after coming off a Super Bowl win the Saints couldn't do much. They still managed to grab a play making corner in Patrick Robinson. The Saints used their 2009 pick to get CB Malcolm Jenkins but with the addition of Robinson, the Saints will have added depth to the secondary and even have options of moving either of these two dynamic DB's to safety.

NFC NORTH

2010-04-29T13:01:00.003-05:00

MINNESOTA VIKINGS- A

The Vikings are all about taking the best player available on the board, regardless of their needs at that time. They drafted CB Chris Cook out of Virginia with their first pick in the 2nd round. Cook is a good player and could end up starting this year depending on what DB Cedric Griffin will be doing week one. That is playing corner or safety. I am a big fan of Toby Gerhart, I played against him at TCU and although we always shut him down, he never stopped running and if not for politics in the SEC, Gerhart should have been the Heisman Trophey winner. Come on, did you see what he did all year and especially in the last 3 games?? Guy is a beast and the Viking's are going to have a great one-two punch with Peterson still taking most of the load.

DETROIT LIONS- C+

Most people have the Lions at a lot better grade than this. I understand you got the most dominating player in the draft and yes he is almost bullet proof to have a great career but after that, I'm just not feeling it. RB Jahvid Best is a beast and is a hell of a play maker and will make immediate impact but they already have Aaron Brown who is the same kind of player and didn't get nearly enough touches last year...ok ok I'm a little bias with the purple blood but honestly have you seen Brown run the ball?

GREEN BAY PACKERS- C-

The Packers did add depth at the Tackle position with the acquisition of Bryan Bulaga and Marshall Newhouse but didn't do much after that. They had one of the worst secondaries in the league last year, as we all saw in that playoff shootout against the Cardinals. They added SS Morgan Burnett out of Georgia Tech. Burnett has instincts and has the speed and range to cover all over the field, look for him to start week 1. Where the Packers blew it was not taking one CB, they should have taken 2 in my mind, hints the C-.

CHICAGO BEARS- C

With their first pick not coming until the 3rd round, its tough to get a guy that will come in and make that immediate impact a 1st or 2nd round guy can. I still gave them a C because FS Major Wright was somehow still on the board in the 3rd round and I think this kid will play and start for this stingy Chicago defense. Another guy Chicago stole was considered at least a 3rd round pick just a couple months ago, QB Dan LeFevour. He was never really under center in college and didn't play a lot of competition, not too mention his pro day killed him. He showed a lack of prototypical NFL arm strength. I still think LeFevour could be a solid QB in 2 years.

NFC EAST

2010-04-29T11:38:00.006-05:00

DALLAS COWBOYS- A

I have to give the Cowsheep an A grade purely on the wheeling and dealing of Jerry Jones. Jones found a way to move up and get a high powered play maker in Dez Bryant. Yes, people are questioning his off the field issues but he will have mentors around him in the organization. Plus the way the kid plays on the field, I think he has enough pride to represent his home state and America's team and not do something stupid. In a similar ploy by Jerry, he moved up to get LB Sean Lee in the 2nd. Lee can have an immediate impact on this Cowboy's defense. Along with a very under rated CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah out of Indiana. Not too many people mentioned his name in pre-draft talk, not because they cannot pronounce it but because he is under rated. He has great feet and toughness that will help out in nickel packages, giving Newman rest and making plays on special teams in the return game.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES- C+

Yes the Eagles had 13 players taken in the draft but not many of them are starters or immediate impact type guys. With 13 picks it is positive because young guys are energetic and love to play the game, so this will help the locker room. DE Brandon Grahm was first pick taken and I believe there were better defensive lineman and better players period, to be taken. Might be biting my tongue later because the guy has a great first step and a motor but doesn't Jerry Hughes also have the same assets and he was taken 31st by the Colts. I did like the Eagles late round picks of QB Mike Kafka, DE Rickey Sapp, and WR Riley Cooper.

NEW YORK GIANTS- C

The Giants used their first round pick to get one of the most athletic guys in the entire draft in DE Jason Pierre-Paul. The kid has shown huge potential to be a beast and the Giants have added even more depth to an already stacked DL. I just felt they should of used their second round pick to grab a linebacker because they have some serious holes to fill there.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS- B

With the addition of six-time Pro Bowl selection Donovan McNabb the Redskins used their 4th pick overall to grab big Trent Williams. Williams will protect McNabb and help in the run game, which has been suspect since Portis had his last 1,000 yard season years ago. Some had Okung going before Williams but Williams is a little more athletic and the Skins believe he is a better fit.

NFL Draft Breakdown

2010-04-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

In the next few blogs I have done a lot of research to break down each conference in the NFC and AFC. I have graded each teams draft as well as give some insight as to why I believe the grades are the way they are.

Pre-Draft I had thoughts that it would not be as high powered as most but I have changed my mind since then. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think, thanks.

Jazz 102 Nuggets 116

2010-04-29T08:54:00.003-05:00

After Carmelo Anthony blasted teammates following Denver's game 4 loss, the team decided to show up Wednesday night and helped Anthony pull away from the Jazz for an explosive win and a lights out shooting performance. Still, the Nuggets are down 3-2 in the series and in Utah Jazz history the franchise has never lost a series with a 3-1 lead.

The difference in the 2 games last night is staggering. We all know the Western Conference is better than the East but last night just proved that for everyone to see on national television.

Both the Jazz and Nuggets could sweep the Bucks and Hawks with their stars on the bench.

Despite the loss, D. Will showed up again for the Jazz, continuing his great playoff's with 34 points and 10 assists. Unless Carmelo gets the same help from J.R. Smith, who had the hot hand from outside and Kenyon Martin, who had 18 points in last nights game. Martin's most points in a playoff game since 2005, you can bet the Jazz will wrap this series up in game 6.

Bucks 91 Hawks 87

2010-04-29T08:45:00.004-05:00

A little old with the new, the Milwaukee Bucks have an eclectic group of older and younger players that helped them squeeze by the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night. The Hawks had dominated the entire game and looked strong, that is until the Bucks went on a 14-0 run. With 20 year-old Brandon Jennings 25 points leading the way. The Bucks have the edge in the series at 3-2 after the big-time win in Atlanta. The Hawks struggled from the field all night and Joe Johnson had only 13 points and 6th man of the year, Jamal Crawford finished just 4 of 18.

Back To It

2010-04-13T12:12:00.005-05:00

I'm back in action world, ready to give you the real sports talk I know you have been missing. By the way, have you checked out espn3.com? Wow, it is legit, you can stream live sports any time of the day. Pretty cool stuff.

Well the last 7 months have been pretty wild. I have been working as a personal assistant. Not just any body's assistant but Michael "Playmaker" Irvin's assistant. It was a 24-7 gig that involved simple things such as taking his clothes to and from the cleaners to negotiating with his agent and accountant. To not so easy things, like taking 3 am calls to change flights, making sure all flight and travel arrangements were set and pleasing Mr. Irvin 24-7.

To sum up the job, I was the middle man for everyone trying to get at Michael. I grew up so much in the last 7 months, it was really an unbelievable experience. I cannot tell you how much I learned and not just from a television and radio aspect. Although it was amazing to learn from one of the best in the business. Where I learned the most would have to be from just an overall "world aspect" if you will. I had to learn to manage time, money, children, etc. I learned to work with people from all walks of life on the daily. I learned to relate to people in a way that would put me in a position to be liked and also respected.

Not many people have an opportunity like I did. I was able to travel to LA for the finale of Dancing With The Stars, I broke down film at NFL Network studios in Burbank,California, I was sidelines at the Pro Bowl. The list goes on and on. The number one thing I learned while working for Michael is that you have to take every day and use it as if it where your last. That's how Michael approaches every day. The man really doesn't sleep, he gets up at 5 am and takes his boys to the gym to get them a workout before school, then when they go to school he goes back to the gym for more. While at the gym, Michael starts making calls and lining up the day. Most people are still asleep or just getting the coffee going while Michael is studying film and notes to get him ready for the next step.

There is always something to be done and there is always a way that you can get better than the next guy. I am so grateful that I had a chance to see first hand how a beaming personality gets through life. I feel like I have what it takes to be this kind of personality, I mean I already have the personality..I just have to find a way to get my foot in the door. I honestly believe it is only a matter of time now before I am on television and entertaining viewers. I am ready for the next level and I will hustle everyday to get to that point and will not stop when I get there.

I will be updated my blog again and will keep you posted on the shake downs around the sports world. Giving you my unique perspective on all sports news. NFL draft is on the horizon and will be the first time that it is on prime time. It will be very interesting to see how it shakes out. I will also bring you my mock draft. Looking forward to catching up-

Check Out Chris Paul' Lil Trick Shot

2009-10-03T00:36:00.004-05:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-Chris-Paul-s-off-the-ceiling-trick-shot?urn=nba,193703

Check Out Chris Paul

2009-10-03T00:36:00.001-05:00

Chad "Houdini" Cinco

2009-09-23T15:02:00.005-05:00

Mr. Ochocinco had it planned all along. The Milwaukee Journal did a little dirty work and found out that Chad Ochocinco, wide receiver of the Cincinnati Bengals. Used his twitter account to plan out his "lambeau leap" after his touchdown in Sunday's win over the Packers. Ochocinco found 2 brothers and a friend of theirs to help with a conjured effort to help him make it happen.

Ochocinco had four front-row tickets in the north end zone sent to Mike Bergs' house, the Milwaukee Journal reported. When Ochocinco actually scored and scored in the north end zone, it was not hard to spot Bergs and company in all orange and Bengals gear in a sea of green. "His face. I wish I could have been shooting a camera at him. The smile on his face was from ear to ear. He was so excited." Mike Bergs said according to the Journal Sentinel. Now that is entertainment at it's best! You gotta love this guy.

image from sportchitchat.com

Twitter and the Effects on Public Personalities

2009-09-23T12:37:00.010-05:00

I chose this picture of Robert and his beautiful wife Sarah to show people that he is a family man and that people make mistakes. I hope you enjoy the article.

With the surge of Twitter coming into the world the last few months, many celebrities have gotten themselves in trouble by posting their thoughts every minute of the day. You can go down the list with examples of celebs hurting their persona by saying things they wish they hadn't. Once you write anything on the Internet, it is on the web forever and there is no hiding it.

Redskins rookie linebacker and TCU alum, Robert Henson found this out the tough way. After the Redskins squeaked by the St.Louis Rams with a 9-7 victory the Washington fans booed the team as they exited the field. Let's keep in mind Washington fans are some of the most loyal in the nation...Or are they? They have sold out every game since 1969 but they also booed a team who fought hard and got the win. Hmm. Henson was upset with the fans reaction and decided to let them and the whole world know about his dissatisfaction.

Henson started on his twitter by saying, "All you half hearted skins fans can... I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!" Henson didn't stop there after he was tweeted back by hundreds of ticked off fans he proceeded to go on. "No I didn't play but I still made more than you in a year and you'd gladly switch spots with me in a second." Not satisfied still, Henson went on to say, "Who are you to you know whats best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonald's."

This caused an uproar all over D.C. and across the nation. On "Mike and Mike in the Morning" an ESPN radio show. Mike Greenberg went into a rant that sounded like a father scolding his own son. To check it out click here.

I understand that he went too far but to be honest the fans deserved it. The Redskins might be struggling right now but they got the win. So why boo your own team when they got the "W?" In my opinions fans are some of the most annoying, loud mouth, flip-flop, ignorant people out there. I am a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and TCU football but good gosh I don't paint my face and scream and curse at games. Isn't there something weak about that? Well there is to me...

Now I have know Robert Henson since I transferred into TCU my second semester of college and he opened me with open arms. Being a new player on a team is tough,everyone eyeing you up and down and not much is said to a new player until you prove yourself as a good teammate and player. But with Robert it didn't matter. Henson spent Christmas with my family and has always been a best friend since the moment I met him. I have not met many people that didn't love this kid, his desire to do well and provide for his family is endless. He has the heart of a lion but sometimes that lion heart can get him in trouble. Henson says what's on his mind and he could get away with it in Fort Worth, Texas and playing for TCU. But being in the nations capital and working for a multi-billion dollar industry that is the NFL you are in the brightest spot light out there.

I know that he was upset because he wants fan support and cares for his teammates but he can't go parading around as though he is an All-Pro and criticize loyal fans, especially when he has been inactive the first 2 games of the season. I know Robert is upset and I have not been able to get in contact with him. I know that he is hurting and wishes he had of never said anything at all. Robert is the type of guy to say whats on his mind, but he should have kept this one to himself. At least he could have stopped before charging up the American people who are struggling to make ends meet in this economy.

I feel for Robert because I know the kind of guy he is and all that he has been through in his short life. But for people that only know him as a rookie spouting off, this looks and sounds very bad. I just hope this doesn't hurt him in the long run, he is a heck of a person and player and people make mistakes. Especially in this era of technology and the Internet. I wish the best for Robert and I hope he can make a sincere apology and that the fans and people move on. Worse has been said and I think it is time for people to move on and forget about it.

TCU Media Luncheon

2009-09-23T11:39:00.005-05:00

Yesterday when I showed up at the TCU facilities I was greeted like one of the family, it was a great feeling to know that even though I have moved on and don't see these people everyday they still treat me like one of their own. It was a very humbling experience and really made me realize that I will have purple in my blood as long as I live.

That being said, there was one man with a lot more on his mind and a game face that would scare most women and children. Coach Gary Patterson was tuned up and ready to go play Clemson on Tuesday and would have done just that if the NCAA would have allowed it.

Before the presser, I sat down with CB Rafael Priest who has started since his freshman year and was a pre-season All-American at his position. Priest has always been a great friend as well as a warrior and one of the toughest competitors I ever played with. As we sat and talked we caught up on various issues including his graduate classes that require him to have a 20 page paper done by next week. As we laughed about the almost impossible task of writing a 20 page paper while playing college football we started talking more about the season. Priest explained as did Coach P later that Nick Sanders was at fault for 2 of the touchdowns that were given up against Texas State and that it was a lack of communication between the corner and the linebacker on the wheel route that went for 6.

We went on to talk about "Fun Packed Tuesday" as Coach P calls Tuesday practices, which are the toughest of the week. It's the day to get the most work done...usually around 22 or 24 periods of hard hitting, tough calls, and a lot of yelling by the coaching staff. These are the type of practices that get the Frogs ready to play come Saturday.

Once the presser started Coach P opened with,"Going back out to the ACC to face a very good Clemson team,very fast and very athletic, probably the most athletic we have seen since Oklahoma." Patterson said that his team knew they had not done the job they should have against an opponent like Texas State but did say that when you make as many mistakes as they did last Saturday and come out with a win, that is all that matters. Also let's consider the fact that TCU did put up 56 points so to be upset with that is the sign of a good team. I believe that the safeties have got to grow up and grow up fast, with better athletes and coaching on the horizon in Clemson,BYU, and Utah. Those teams will take advantage of the young safeties. "We have got to start playing with more confidence on defense and on the back end, not the front." Patterson said Tuesday. He also said they had a great practice Sunday night and that he didn't have to say much to his team about the way they played Saturday.

Clemson has 8 interceptions already this season on defense and has a potent offense and special teams both of which are led by C.J. Spiller. Spiller is among college footballs active leaders in almost every statistical category and is a 10.1 hundred guy. He has pure speed and a lot of big-time play potential. Spiller already has 630 total yards on the season and 3 touchdown's. With RB Spiller and Jacoby Ford at wide receiver Clemson has pure speed at most positions. Patterson said,"Ford and Spiller can really go, they are both track guys...again Clemson is a very good home team, they play well when they have those dark uniforms on."

It was clear that Coach Patterson is sticking to what has gotten him where he is today. His motto is, "The games you are supposed to win you have to show up for, the big games will take care of themselves." Coach Patterson has lived and died by that and to this point it has done him some serious justice.

Thursday I will break down what it will take for the Frogs to steal one away from the Clemson Tigers out east...that's all for now sports fans!

Most Unpredictable Sport

2009-09-21T14:55:00.007-05:00

By far college football is and has become the most unpredictable sport in all the land. Not a week goes by where the country isn't stirred with confusion by yet another upset. Whether it be Southern Cal losing to a Washington team who has been miserable the past couple years....they do have a stud in Jake Locker at quarter back. While we are on that, everyone needs to stop the hype with Terrelle Pryor because Locker is a better and smarter version of Pryor.

Getting back to upsets let us talk about BYU losing to a hot Florida State team at home in Provo or the Miami Hurricanes continuing their hot streak by beating a third strait ranked opponent in Georgia Tech.

In as many as 3 weeks there have been multiple upsets that have shocked the nation and they will continue all season because in college football any given team can win on any given day. I learned that while playing at TCU. We lost to Wyoming....yes I said it, New Balance sponsored Wyoming! OK enough about that, I can feel my face getting hot just talking about it.

All I'm saying sports fans, is watch your bets this season. College football is too unpredictable to tell who will win on any given day. There is no one out there right now that is a clear National Championship caliber team after 3 weeks of the season. Hold your horses till at least week 9 or 10.

What's Up With L.T.?

2009-09-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

Ladanian Tomlinson had just 13 carries but managed to get 55 yards without ever seeming to get into a rhythm. Tomlinson rolled his ankle and was kept out late in the game leaving it up to Darren Sproles to take over and help a 4th quarter comeback with a late touchdown that was the go ahead score for the Chargers on Monday night.

Tomlinson was held out of practice today and it is not sure how much time he will see on Sunday. This is big because it would leave Sproles to take most of the carries against a feisty Ravens defense. Hopefully LT will be available because he worked very hard this off-season to get back to his old ways, you would just like to see a guy with such talent to stay healthy and get back to his old ways.

The Ravens offense was potent last week and Joe Flacco had a career week with over 300 yards passing and 3 touchdown passes. The Chargers need Cromartie and Jammer to step up and shut down the Ravens offense if they plan on getting a win. I will keep you updated on any news concerning the health of LT. Stay tuned sports fans!

Cowboys and Giants Lead A Big Week in the NFL

2009-09-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants face off in the first regular season game at "Jerry World." The Giants have won 47 road openers, the second-most in league history. This will be a great game and a game with a lot of emotion. It will be the first time DE Chris Canty has faced his old team and the Giants defensive line will be a big factor in a win or a loss at Cowboys stadium. The Cowboys have the best TE duo in the league and experienced with a lot of double tight sets featuring Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett last week. This should give the Giants problems with them having to double cover Witten in most cases and leaving receivers Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, and Miles Austin with chances to make some big plays as long as Romo is protected and has time to throw the ball. Not many teams in the league can match up with Witten and Bennett.

Dallas has won the last seven games when CB Terrance Newman has an interception. Dallas needs to make the Giants WR's beat them and they must stop Brandon Jacobs who has killed Dallas in the past. Last week against Washington, Jacobs struggled rushing the ball 16 times for only 46 yards. If Dallas can stop Jacobs and make Eli Manning and Steve Smith beat them they will have a chance to win the game. This will be a huge early season win for either team and will give the winner confidence going into the third week and the rest of the season.

Dallas has won 4 out of the last 5 regular season math-ups against New York and are looking to win for the first time at the new stadium. There are rumors of the game being blacked-out due to low ticket sales. This will not be determined until Thursday night.

If Dallas plays tough defense and can hold New York to 24 points they have a real chance of winning the game. Tony Romo had a good week one and many players in the Cowboys locker room say that Romo is much more comfortable without TO around. Look for Tashard Choice and Felix Jones to have big games as well, with Marion Barber pounding it out early and late in the game.

Kanye West Does It Again

2009-09-15T01:03:00.002-05:00

As I'm sure everyone has heard by now Kanye West embarrassed himself and the hip-hop community yet again, when he barraged Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Awards Sunday night. When Swift was awarded her first MTV award ever, West charged the stage and took the mic from the young starlet and perplexed the audience when he shouted that Beyonce had the best video of the decade...well Kanye if you had of waited a second Beyonce's video won best video of the year as the last award given of the night. At this time Beyonce asked Taylor Swift to come to center stage to have a chance to say thank you. It was truly a classy moment in Beyonce's career, just adding to her grandiose style.

Tonight Jay-Z performed his new single off the Blueprint 3,titled "Run This Town" and features singer Rihanna and performer Kanye West. Before they took stage West asked Leno to say a few words, where at this time he apologized and said that he was ashamed. It seemed heartfelt but West has done this before and gotten away with it. West needs to grow up and realize what kind of person he wants to be remembered as. West has always wanted attention and has never held back. As of now, he is disliked by many in the pop culture community and if he continues his ways he will be hated by even more. He shows no respect and he believes he is all high and mighty. The only problem is...I love his music, nothing beats his debut album, "College Dropout." This album changed my life in high school and early college days and still does jam out in '09. Not too mention he comes out with great new jams everyday. I think he is an idiot but hey so was Jim Morrison and he made great music.

Ouch! Tough Week For NFL

2009-09-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

The NFL season just started didn't it? Yes that's right yesterday was the first Sunday of the 2009 regular season and the first Sunday ended with a lot of injuries for many of the NFL's finest performers. First there was the injury of Steeler's All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu coming in Thursday nights win over the Tennessee Titans. Polamalu tore his MCL in the second quarter when the Steelers blocked a field goal. Tearing the MCL hurts, this is the most painful ligament to tear in your knee but good for Steelers it is not the most serious. Polamalu will be out 3 to 6 weeks at least. It all depends on his rehab and how fast his knee can gain strength back.....Madden Curse? I think so...beware Larry Fitzgerald, just click on this paragraph to check out the Madden Curse!

The worst injury came for the Chicago Bears Brian Urlacher who suffered a dislocated bone in his right wrist. Urlacher had surgery Monday morning and will be done for the entire season. This is sad news coming from a guy who has struggled with neck and back injuries the past few years and finally managed to get himself healthy. Looking better than he has in a few years Urlacher was a dominate force at linebacker against the Packers on Sunday night until what looked like just a minor injury, Urlacher went to the sidelines shaking his hand back n forth. This is devastating to the Bears who have very high hopes with Jay Cutler at quarterback and have just lost their first game and their best defensive player. Reports say the Bears might sign 36 year old All-Pro retired backer Derrick Brooks.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost Donovan McNabb to a broken rib. The injury could bug McNabb all season but he is a beast and has played through injuries his entire career.

Head coach Andy Reid said that he is not ruling out McNabb for week 2 but that he will have no problem starting Kevin Kolb if need be. Michael Vick is not eligible till week 3 and wouldn't start anyway, says Reid. Vick is still rusty and has not had time to become completely comfortable in the offensive system.

Some other significant injuries were- Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez strained a right knee ligament that will put him out at least 6 weeks.

Both the Seahawks starting OLB and MLB Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu were injured. Hill with a groin injury and Tatupu with a hamstring. Both of these injuries can be nagging but I am not sure how serious they are. The good thing for the Seahawks is that they have the fourth overall pick in OLB Aaron Curry and TCU alum MLB David Hawthorne. Both of these players have shown they can step in and do a great job.

Giants Rookie, Hakeem Nicks impressed everyone in his early debut with two catches for 18 yards and showed explosive speed and good strength. Nicks injured his left foot after getting a 7 yard gain. It is said to be just a strain and the x-rays were negative.

Derek Jeter

2009-09-12T02:03:00.000-05:00

Are You Serious With This!? Shawn Andrews is a Joke

2009-09-11T23:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYzDB5dXIIk

Sweet Hair by the way....

This is a total disgrace to all that is our country and the National Football League on top of that. Not only is Shawn Andrews of the Philadelphia Eagles getting paid 40 million dollars over the next 7 years but he is supposed to be the Eagles starting right tackle and all he is up to is acting a total donkey on the internet. If you copy and paste on the above link you can see this clown in action. I'm sorry but if I was Donovan McNabb on a super bowl caliber team and saw this guy acting like such the idiot that he is I would have a fit! I mean really, instead of getting his back healthy and getting treatment in the training room he is wasting time making awful beats and terrible....and I mean terrible flows on his computer. This is what is wrong with our country right now, we have people like Andrews not doing anything but bumming around on YouTube making awful sounds and not funny jokes while the rest of his team is grinding and trying to get ready for the season ahead. Not too mention he is 26 years old.....dude grow up, you suck at rapping and making beats, leave it to Lil Wayne and the rest of them. It really boggles my mind how some of these NFL players get away with this.

Let me ask you a question..Do you see Adrian Peterson or Jones-Drew, or Drew Brees, or Peyton Manning making silly YouTube videos?? No! They are studying film and talking with their coaches and teammates to make sure they are ready for the weeks game...this guy is acting a clown and missing the first week of the season because he is fat and out of shape with a hurt back...sorry to be unprofessional but this is the truth and the guy is letting himself down, the organization, and more importantly the team down. That's my 2 cents, let me know what you think!

Youtube!

2009-09-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone check me out on youtube.com for an everyday fill of sports headlines. The videos don't match up well on the blog so if you go to my facebook or youtube.com just type in Real Sports Talk with Andy Burrell or Andy Burrell. Thanks for all the support!!!- AB

Cy-Young??? What do you think? 16-4 this season and since the start of July Feldman has been 7-0 with a 1.57 ERA. Not too shabby!

Real Sports Talk Intro#1

2009-09-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

This is Why You Stay Away From Scandalous People

2009-09-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

San Diego Charger's star All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested and accused of choking and restraining reality TV star Tila Tequila. Merriman was taken to jail at 8:30 am and was released just two hours later....must be nice being a famous athlete.

According to espn.com, "Tequila, 27, signed a citizen's arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff's Lt. Gary Steadman said. Both are felonies. Tequila was reported to be Merriman's girlfriend, but Merriman told ESPN's Colleen Dominguez in a text message that Tequila is only a female acquaintance."

Apparently, Tila was drunk and Merriman had been drinking water all night. When Tila tried to leave and drive her car, Merriman tried to do his best to restrain her from leaving and driving drunk. I'm not a genius but first of all if your last name is Tequila I'm pretty sure you are a drunk and a loser,not too mention this woman had a reality show on VH1 called, "A Shot of Love with Tila." Let me tell you, it was a dating show with men and women and she had to choose if she wanted a man or a woman lover. I think that pretty much sums it up people.

Yes it was stupid of Merriman to even hang around with such a scandalous woman but everyone makes mistakes and at this point with the details that have surfaced it sounds as though, she is in the wrong. There were many witnesses at the party and all said Tequila was out of control.

Merriman needs to be a lot smarter about who he hangs with, he is 25 years old, a multi million hare, and a high profile athlete. Some of these guys just never learn, hopefully the issue can be resolved with justice and in the correct manner. Merriman does need to keep his name on the low from now on though. His reputation is being tarnished and at a very young age. Play football man!!

Cowboys Make One Last Move

2009-09-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Cowboys cut 22 players on Saturday putting them at a 52 man roster, one under the league maximum. On Sunday the Cowboys picked up a big hitting safety in Marvin White who was released from the Bengals just yesterday. White was a 4th round pick by Cincinnati in the 2007 NFL draft. White a former McDonald's All-American in high school and also an All-American at Kilgore Junior College went on to play at TCU and played in 27 games in just 2 years with the Bengals. I think White will give the Cowboys what they need. He is fearless on the field and a very violent player. He has struggled in his pass coverage a bit and needs to learn to tackle the legs more. He loves to hit and isn't scared of anyone but this gets him in trouble sometimes because he is only 210 pounds.

Overall I think it's a great pick up and just what the Cowboys need. I hope he does well, he is a great guy and deserves to play in the NFL.

TCU Defensive Breakdown for 2009

2009-09-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

A year ago people were saying what will TCU do without Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz well along came Jerry Hughes and he only led the nation in sacks(15) and forced fumbles(6). Sometimes players receive recognition and media time and think that they have already made it before they have. I have known Jerry since he was a freshmen and I have never found him to be this kind of a guy. Jerry has always worked hard regardless and after seeing as great of a player like Tommy Blake crumble in his problems I don't think Jerry would ever get complacent. Too many times you see great players leave TCU and not successfully live up to the hype. You also see guys work hard and never quit and keep their head on strait and do a fine job in the NFL.

Every year TCU seems to roll players in on defense and have great years. This could be the same again this year, you never know especially in college football.

TCU has a tough schedule yet again this year and although the offense will be more than electrifying this year, defense still wins championships. For TCU to be great this year on defense a few things will need to happen. First I believe we have some great veteran players on D. With Senior corners Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders coming back for yet another season they will for sure help with locking down outside receivers and causing havoc in the flats with what are two of the best open field tacklers I've ever seen at the corner position. Both of these guys are smart physical players who have been groomed to be the best duo at corner for TCU since Quincy Butler and Drew Coleman dominated Mountain West receivers in 2005 during the schools last Conference Championship season. These 2 guys probably have more starts combined than any other corner tandem in the NCAA. I look for these 2 guys to really step it up. They will need to with inexperience and injury at the safety position this year.

Coach Patterson said,"Daryl Washington is probably the fastest linebacker we have had here at TCU since I've been a part of it." This is more than true, although there have been many talented and just pure fast linebackers at TCU the past 15 years Washington is looking to have a huge year in '09. This guy is so talented that he led the nation in punt blocks his sophomore year and added 32 tackles without making one start. His junior year Washington was fourth on the team with 63 tackles. With Robert Henson being ineligible for the Poinsettia Bowl last year against Boise State, Washington made just his second career start and totaled 7 solo tackles and made big plays such as putting pressure on Boise State's QB to cause an arrant throw that resulted in Stephen Hodge getting the game winning interception. Look for Washington to cause mayhem on the field. These days it is rare to find a guy that loves the game as much as he does. It doesn't matter what is going on anywhere else this guy goes to every practice trying to get better, the kid just doesn't stop running. His arms go past his knees for goodness sake! The guy is a freak.

Now as great as these players are that I have mentioned the defense is really hurting. With the loss of DT Cody Moore and DT James Vess. TCU will ask Kelly Griffin and Cory Grant to fill the role. Both guys played as freshmen but I really haven't seen much out of them. Grant can be lazy and Griffin doesn't have much attitude. This will be a big hole to fill and if these 2 can step up it will help Jerry Hughes and Daryl Washington have much better years.

The biggest issue is at safety. TCU runs the 4-2-5 so the safeties play a very integral role in the teams success. TCU lost FS Steven Coleman and SS Stephen Hodge and are still looking to fill the holes. Tejay Johnson will start at Free Safety because that is where the most talking is needed and Johnson played as a freshmen and all last season. Johnson surprised me in the bowl game showing a lot more attitude and confidence. He had been so soft on the field all season but towards the last few games really came into his own. The kid is very smart and has a great build to play safety in this defense, he too has been groomed since day one to be the leader of this secondary.

Another issue is the loss of SS Colin Jones to a hamstring injury. Although Jones is expected to be back soon and has began running Friday hamstrings are a funny injury and it's the type of injury that could have you taking it easy all season or battling tweaks and re injuring the thing. Jones has tremendous speed otherwise and I am told that he has really started to grasp to defense. His problems come with open field tackling, he is so fast he never breaks down and ends up running by each man, he needs to break this habit if he wants to play. Due to Jones injury the coaching staff has had to make drastic moves such as moving players from offense over to defense to learn the safety position in case the young safeties have problems when season starts.

This season all depends on the play of the safeties. As long as they follow their rules and do what Patterson and Bumpas map out for them they will be fine. Coach Patterson is a mad scientist when it comes to his defensive scheme. There is nobody better in the country. This man is more ready on game day than a lot of his players and that's scary. Defensive MVP should be Daryl Washington this season as long as he stays healthy.

Favre Looks Good in Viking's Win

2009-08-31T23:26:00.000-05:00

Monday night the Vikings looked good, I mean they looked very good. Brett Favre went 13 for 18 with 142 yards and a 28 yard touchdown to Chester Taylor. The screen pass was set up perfectly and the Vikings right Tackle executed the screen and Taylor's big time effort took him for a couple broken tackles and 28 yards later into the end zone. The night was filled with Adrian Peterson's big play presence combined with the excitement of seeing Brett Favre at the hump.

At one point in the pre season game Favre lined up at receiver with rookie Percy Harvin at QB running the wildcat. Favre came in from his outside receiver spot and cracked back on the safety. The hit shook both players up and resulted in a 15 yeard penalty against Favre and the Viking's. It was an awesome game to watch and for any and all NFL fans....be aware and be scared of the Viking's! This team will be a big time threat in the NFC with the Eagles right beside them. It should be a very exciting season, can't wait to get it going! I love my Cowboys but I think Coach Phillips and company have a tough season ahead.

TCU Football Offensive Breakdown for 2009

2009-08-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

TCU is set for a big-time season in 2009. After coming off a 11-2 season and leaving them as the #7 ranked team in the nation. The Frogs pre-season ranking of 17 this year is the highest mark for them since 1960. TCU comes into this 2009 season with a 2-time bowl winning QB in Andy Dalton and a consensus All-American DE in Jerry Hughes, yes reason #98. Dalton is on his way to becoming one of the best statistically in TCU history. The kid has already won 2 Bowl MVP's and is second all-time in career completions(404) and third in passing yards(4,701). Last year Dalton went on a stretch of 108 passes without a pick and only had 5 all last year. I watched Dalton last year turn the corner and become a much more confident and mature player. He really developed into a stronger leader and took charge of a young offense. I feel like the offense will have a big year. With the dual play calling from Jarret Anderson and Rusty Burns I believe they will really pump up the offense and use the talent that TCU has on the offensive side of the ball. With the loss of Aaron Brown to the Detroit Lions look for Joseph Turner to have a much better season since coming off a bad knee from the Texas Bowl a couple years ago. A knee is always much healthier 2 years later just look at McNabb or anyone that has had knee problems. Also the entire backfield is stacked and 2 names to watch for will be Ed Wesley and Jai Caveness. Wesley has power and great feet combined with speed and an attitude that will make him a great running back at TCU. Caveness saw minimal playing time last year as a RS freshmen and he is an explosive back that is very difficult to tackle.

The offensive line will miss C Blake Schlueter but don't worry because TCU is equipped with the twin towers at OT with All-Conference tackles Marhsall Newhouse and Marcus Cannon. I really think this will be the year that Cannon finally comes out of his little hole and realizes what kind of player he can be. The guy is a massive human and is athletically gifted. Look for Zach Roth out of Garden City JUCO in Kansas to have a big year as well. Last year in summer workouts Roth was a beast and would beat Schluter in just about every race which is saying quite a lot considering Schlueter ran a 4.7 for NFL scouts and was drafted by the Broncos. Roth has put on weight and has become much more comfortable in the system.

Obviously the wide receivers are deep and very very talented. Let's start with the most talented offensive player and the most explosive by far. Yes that's right, Jeremy Kerley. Kerley is tuned in for a huge Junior year. Not only will he be one of the nations best return men but he will get a lot more touches as a slot receiver and at the hump running the "WildFrog." This kid is determined to play at the highest level and has the heart of a lion. Not too mention he has the best feet on the team along with just being one hell of a football player. TCU's leading receiver and deep threat Jimmy "Luxury Tax" young is back and is ready to back up his huge Sophomore season with more of the same. Also, Bart Johnson, Antoine Hicks, Curtis Clay, and Ryan Christian who will see time in the backfield as well. Christian has been playing since his freshmen year and the game gets slower and easier for him each year. I love watching this kid play, he is a track star and makes the football field his own field day. He has great vision and feet and really has no fear even though he only stands about 5-10 and 175 pounds soaking wet. Football is not always a game of size it's about skill and want to and Christian definitely possesses these.

I haven't kept up with the blog because work has been wearing me out but I am getting back on it so tune in for more very soon. When I get home I will break down the defensive side of the ball. The defense is down this year and will count on veteran corners, an All-American DE, and a freak at the linebacker position in Daryl Washington to help the defense get the stops it needs this year. We will talk more soon, that's all for now sports fans!

TCU Football 2008 Signed Players

2009-07-19T01:58:00.000-05:00

Aaron Brown(RB,Specialist)- The Detroit Lions have signed TCU's own sixth-round pick RB Aaron Brown, Scout.com has confirmed. According to a league source, it's a three-year, $1.26 million deal. The contract includes a signing bonus worth $75,000. AB is going to be the number 3 RB and could help out on special teams with KO returns as well as seeing some action on the punt return as well.

Jason Phillips(LB)-The Baltimore Ravens signed TCU's own fifth-round linebacker Jason Phillips to a three-year contract worth $1.34 million that includes a $156,050 signing bonus, according to NFL Players Association records.

A four-time all-conference player at Texas Christian, Phillips received base salaries of $310,000, $395,000 and $480,000. He received split salaries for the first two years of his contract. That's my dude and he still hasn't taken me to dinner!! But his knee is healthy and the Baltimore Ravens are loving him. He is the type of player that can run around and make plays. The guy is a pure athlete, I've seen him do a front flip and a back flip right off that. I still had more tackles than him in our freshmen year spring practices! He will be perfect for the Ravens scheme because they have one of the biggest defensive lines in the league and the D-Line is taught to hold up the offensive line and let the LB's run wild and make plays like big Ray Lewis. Phillips should flourish in this scheme, especially learning from players such as Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Ed Reed. Not a bad group of players. Considering they will possibly all be in the Hall one day.

Robert Henson(LB)- The Washington Redskins signed my boy to a 3-year deal and a nice little signing bonus but last time I saw him was at his baby shower for his wife and I wasn't about to ask my man how much bread he was making....let's just say he is doing well and loving life. Not too mention he has been catching the eyes of every coach in Washington and will have to wait his turn to play on D but will contribute on Special Teams and trust me my boy Rob will run around and kill people out there, this guy is not scared of anyone and loves to play the game. He will do well for the Skins.

Blake Schlueter(OL,Center)- My boy Blake has signed with the Denver Broncos as well, terms were disclosed but heck I'm just glad to see this guy get signed and get the opportunity to play at this level. He deserves it! This guy is a beast of an athlete and has worked so hard to get where he is. I remember watching film of Blake in the film room pancaking guys twice his size because of his speed,great technique, and strength. Schlueter had 10 pancakes a game more than I can count on both hands. That's saying something! He will fit perfectly in the Bronco's scheme, he can run, he is smart, and is just a hard ass all around, check out my pro day story on andyburrell.com and you can see this beast run.

Stephen Hodge(LB)- I'm not sure what my boy signed for but I can tell you that I spoke with Bradie James(Cowboys Linebacker) on ESPN radio 103.3 and I had the chance to talk with him about Hodge a little bit. As TCU fans know strong safety Hodge made a lot of plays in his career and it started as a freshman. He wrecked shop on special teams for a couple of years and then got the chance to start playing more in nickel and dime packages for the frogs. I would have started but I tore my knee to shreds against BYU....well at least I think I would have started! Now Hodge has been converted to a pure linebacker, it is different especially in the league but Hodge does have experience with LB because at TCU we ran Coach Gary Patterson's patented 4-2-5 defense so Hodge would slide into the LB position depending on the formation of the offense. So he does have minimal experience and the guy is a beast(6 foot 240). Bradie told me that he saw good things out of Hodge and that it is tough to change positions but that he gets better everyday.

This has been the run down for TCU frog fans and anyone else that is interested in these pro teams. I will keep you up to date on all the latest info on my boys. They will all be playing their own role and I look forward to seeing what they do this season and in the future. As always, this has been AndyB keepin it real, you guys get at me and leave some comments. Feel free to ask questions, put me in my place, or agree. If you are reading this, I appreciate it and I will be on top of my game from this point on.

NBA Off-Season

2009-07-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

This off season has been one of many changes for the strongest teams in the East and the West. With the most recent coming out of Boston with the Celtics picking up Rasheed Wallace. This type of player can really make them one of the best teams in the history of the league. Yeah, the history! As much as people don't like Wallace I guarantee you that if he is on your team you are loving the guy. I mean he is always hustling, he plays a lot of minutes, great rebounder, great perimeter shooter, and an intimidator on the court. Trust me a lot of these NBA guys do not want to have to put up with Wallace's talent or his attitude not too mention you have KG,Paul Pierce,Rondo,and Jesus Shuttlesworth(Ray Allen). It looks pretty scary and then you have the scoring power of Eddie "Arizona State" House off the bench. Ok, ok I'm starting to sound like a Celtic's fan and that I am not,trust me! All I am trying to get across is that if the Lakers don't get back Lamar Odom who is reportedly being swayed by the Miami Heat and Dwayne Wade and the young moolah$$ then they will have trouble playing with the Celtic's. If Odom and Ariza are both out of LA you are looking at a totally different team and one that I don't believe can hang with the mighty Celtic's even with Kobe and yet another intimadator Ron Artest. God, I would not ever want to get on his bad side and would defiantly want him on my side in a bar fight. The guy is athletic,thick,great shooter, and a pure ass hole. But LA will not be able to hang with Boston if they can't hold on to Odom. That is as long as the heart of the team, KG stays healthy.

We can't count out "The King" either though, I mean the guy is a beast, I am constantly in fights with my best buddy Sdot about who is better-LeBron or Kobe. I'm not even sure sometimes, they are different players. I believe Kobe is better just because the guy is a winner and a pure competitor. I mean he wants it more than anyone and that's one thing LeBron is lacking but with the acquisition of Shaq it could make for a very interesting season and make LeBron want it so much more. Because even though I'm only 23 and have never met any of these guys I'm pretty sure that Kobe and Shaq are constantly trying to out do each other when it comes to the 'ol Championships. And you cannot count the Cavs out because they have the biggest,strongest,fastest and pure talent that anyone in the game has seen in a long time. I might sound like I'm contradicting myself with the King James and Kobe talk but I really think that the all around better player is Kobe...at least at this point. He has won and he plays his ass off every game. Not to say that LeBron doesn't give it his all but Kobe is a beast in the 4th quarter and you never know what you will get out of him. Think about this....LeBron is 24 with 6 years of experience....Kobe is 30 with 13 years experience. LeBron has plenty of time to catch up but Kobe did win his first NBA Title in only his 5th season the 2000-2001 season. Yes he did have the DIESEL in his hay day but it just doesn't add up. Ok, I'm done with this!!! This could go on for days!

The main idea of this post was to talk about the tumultuous big move off season in the NBA. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can hold on to Odom. He needs to wake up by the way and realize who he is playing around and who the hell is coaching his ass!! I mean stick around and win a couple more rings because as bad ass as Mr. Wade is....the Heat are not going to compare to the Celtics, Magic, or the Cavs in the East. Don't count out the Spurs with Richard Jefferson or the Mavericks with their run and gun offense and the great coaching of Rick Carlisle.

MAVS Make Deal For Shawn Marion

2009-07-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

After re-signing Jason Kidd earlier this week, ESPN is reporting that the Dallas Mavericks are part of a 4 team deal that would send Jerry Stackhouse to the Grizzlies and Devean George and Antoine Wright to the Raptors. Personally I like this deal, the Mavericks not only get rid of an old ailing Stackhouse(who I am a fan of but he hasn't been healthy since '06) they also get rid of Wright who never impressed me and Devean George who was nothing close to the role player once thought to be when he arrived in Dallas.

It's what Dallas is getting that I really like. We will be able to line up and run the court with a big athletic group. Kidd, Howard at the 2, Marion at small forward next to Nowitzki and sixth man of the year award winner, the JET coming off the bench. The Mavericks also got 2 other players in the deal which can help add some depth such as 25 year old Marcin Gortat who is not a bad shooter and brings some youthful energy. The Mavericks also signed former SMU guard Quinton Ross to help with perimeter defense since that was the only thing that Antoine Wright ever did for the Mavs organization.

With the help of Marion the Mavs will have one of the most athletic and best shooting teams in the league without a doubt. But does Cuban really think that this kind of deal can make them that much better to keep up with the likes of the big 4(Lakers, Orlando, Cavs, and Spurs) who have all made bigger deals to improve themselves. Only time will tell but this does give Coach Rick Carlisle more to work with and we all know what a great coach he is. Till next time-AB

Rangers Take First...For Now

2009-07-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Texas Strangers and Vicente Padilla pulled off a big win out in Anaheim thanks to the help of Andruw Jones and his 3 home runs. Remember the last memorable time Andruw hit 3 home runs??? Let's think...maybe the NLCS against the nitty gritty Phillies when he was 18 years of age! The final was 8-1 Rangers. Taylor Teagarden, former UT catcher even got in on the action by hitting a bomb. The Rangers advanced to 7-2 against the Angels this year, tonight Andruw Jones carried the team and made his mark as a Ranger.

Here's a few that have hit 3 home runs in a game as a Texas Ranger...A-Rod, Texeria, Juan Gonzo Gonzalez, and the "Shrek" Kevin Mench. Pretty big deal tonight....we will get back at you tomorrow..keep it real and everybody jump on the AndyB train along with my boy Andruw Jones!-AB

2009-07-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

What have I been saying?? The entire season I have said give Mr.Andruw Jones at bats. Mr. Jones hit 3 bombs tonight against the All Mighty AL West LA of Anaheim Angels. Yes, yes I did grow up a Jones fan due to the fact that Ted Turner had the Braves on every channel,brain washing us all with the perfect pitching staff and all-American players such as Terry Pendleton and Steve Avery into our brains but forget about the Yanks the Braves were the team of the 90's. Let's think about another owner that did the same thing....Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys of the 90's. I wish I was on TV or radio because I really stink at typing. Getting back to our Strangers...did you know that this time last year the Angels had an 8 game lead in the West and they went ahead and ran away with it. The AL West is not a walk in the park like it has been in years past. Lets not forget about the Mariners who don't have such a bad squad themselves.

Let's get Hamilton going and if Andrus can hold up in a long season we have a chance...but don't scratch too early because 'ol Grayson Sherman JUCO Lackey is a stud and can carry a team through the playoffs just like the entire Angels bullpen.

I'll get back at you tomorrow with some inside info on how recent draft pics Robert Henson(Redskins), Jason Phillips(Ravens), Blake Schluter(Broncos), and lets not forget about "The Head" Stephen "lay the wood" Hodge! Yes he has multiple nick names. I'll try and catch up with all of them tomorrow and see what's happening on the pro side of things.

Tell then keep it real and stay true. For all you sports fans, this is AndyB and I'm out!

Just the Start

2009-07-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

First and foremost I would like to thank Holly Jonas for putting this bad boy together. We still have some kinks to work out and hopefully in the next few days my video segment, video interviews, and sports radio will be up on the website. The sole purpose of andyburrell.com is to connect with sports fans as well as Andy Burrell fans; because I know you're out there and talk real sports. Everyone is tired of hearing the same ol same ol from every sports broadcaster and analyst. I'm here to change that and in the process get a job and start a career for myself. Each day I will blog at least 2 or 3 times and I am asking that everyone give their 2 cents. I don't care if you agree or disagree on a topic but if you disagree chances are I will tell you why you are wrong. This will be a fun and interactive website and I will always provide the inside scoop. Because of my time playing football at TCU and working at CBS in Dallas/FW I have made many contacts and know a lot of athletes and I will not be afraid to let you know whats going on when the going gets tough or when it is going easy. Thanks to all who contribute and as soon as the site is done we will start talking TCU football and baseball, MLB, NFL, Soccer, NBA...Hell we will even talk CFL because I have a couple boys that are balling up there this coming season. Until the next week keep it real and stay tuned sports fans! AB