You All Are Still Mad At Michael Vick?

There is an online petition circulating the internet that wants to prevent Michael Vick from being a team captain in the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl in late January.  Over 350,000 people have signed the petition as of me writing this.  The general consensus is that Vick doesn't deserve that honor because of a crime he committed before way back Barack Obama was even elected president.

Over a decade ago, Michael Vick served almost two years in prison for his involement in a dog fighting ring.  Since then, he's done a lot to make amends for the torturing and killing of dogs in which he helped facilitate.  Here's a quote from him from several years ago:

“I just try to make it right after going through what I went through, after what transpired.  The best thing to do was make amends for what I did. I can’t take it back. The only thing I can do is influence the masses of kids from going down the same road I went down. That’s why I work with the Humane Society and affecting a lot of kids’ lives and saving a lot of animals. We’ve had lot of a progress. We’ve been able to change some laws and do some great things that I’m very proud of.  I never thought I’d be doing that.”

The purpose of jail is to punish and rehabilitate.  This man has served his time and has since become an animal rights activist.  Why are people forever hating on his right to live his life?  They should be applauding his efforts to change his life's story.

I'm not saying that people can't be somewhat bitter of such a horrible crime.  We all have things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.  But to put forth an effort to prevent someone (who has not been in trouble for over a decade) from working seems a bit much in my opinion.  Especially considering the more heinous acts of murder we've seen against humans that don't warrant nearly the attention given to animals.

All I'm saying is, "be consistent."  If you think that Vick should be forever trolled for what he did, then do the same for Dylann Roof, Casey Anthony or (insert name of cop who has unjustly shot an unarmed black/latino here).

We're so desensitized to humans killing humans, but we totally flip out when an animal is killed.  I recognize that animals are considered family, but if you can sign a petition to keep Vick from working more than a decade after an incident, but won't do the same for an unarmed black man getting shot unjustly then you are a hypocrite.  Or you lack priorities.  Take your pick.

The nation applauded Brandt Jean as he hugged and forgave Amber Guyger for killing his brother in cold blood.  When she gets out, I seriously doubt that there will be petitions going around trying to prevent her from working again.  Thank goodness she didn't shoot a dog.

Let it go, people.  Michael Vick did his time and he's doing more for dogs now than most of you ever have.

As A Black Man, Should I Boycott The #NFL?

Okay, so we've all been hearing about the controversy behind Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the National Anthem last season.  It's been discussed for a year now, but it's reared its ugly head once again because a new season is about to start.

For those who have been living under a rock, let me explain what's been happening over the past 365 days or so.  Kaep, who was a member of the San Francisco 49ers at the time, decided to take a stand against police brutality.  Unlike most athletes these days, Kaep decided to use his platform as an NFL player to raise awareness to his cause.  He said that he would take a knee during the National Anthem until this country took a stand against the treatment of black and brown people by the police.

The response from the media?  "Colin Kaepernick hates the troops!"

Of course, that same rhetoric came from the fans as well (since we take instruction from the media on where and how to direct our outrage).  Fans said that Kaep was disrespecting the veterans because he would not stand for the Star Spangled Banner.  Rarely was police brutality mentioned at all during the many weeks and months of this controversy.  It's been Kaep vs. the USA.  The whole message of police brutality was lost thanks to the media's spin.

Well, now that the controversy is a hot topic again, thanks to a new season kicking off, I started receiving a video link on Facebook about boycotting the NFL.  You may have seen it, but if you haven't, then peep it here:

First, I want to applaud the people who put together the video.  Any time black people get together to do something positive, then I'm all for it...  in most cases.  This one, I still can't get with the message.

The focus of this video, to me, is that once Kaep gets his job back, then everything is good.  No, it's not.  The message has been lost again.  Boycotting the NFL to get Kaep's job back will not fix police brutality against black and brown people in this country.  Does the NFL need to be brought down a peg?  Absolutely.  These 32 "owners" are undoubtedly blackballing a player who could contribute to just about all of the teams in the league.  But not watching games won't hurt anyone other than the TV stations, who may lose some ratings.

The best way to boycott the NFL is to boycott their sponsors directly.  That's what happened with Michael Vick.  People boycotted his sponsors and they dumped him faster than you can say "Hector 'Macho' Camacho".

Do you think Budweiser cares if you don't watch an NFL game as long as you're getting a six pack on your way home?  Do you think Nike cares if you're watching Kaep play as long as you keep buying their apparel?  No, they won't.  Because they would still be getting your money.

And would you stop your son from watching the games, too?  Especially if he is an up and coming star looking to play in the NFL some day?

Don't get me wrong.  So much has to be done to right a lot of wrongs in this country.  But, our approach will determine if it works or not.  Keep boycotting and not voting and you won't see very  much change.  Be mindful of where you spend your money if you want to promote change.

In fact, encouraging the players to do more is the best route to go.  If 70% of the NFL is made up of black players, then wouldn't that be the best place to start?  No players, no games?  If it worked for the University of Missouri's football team, then it can work for the NFL players, too.

So, will I "black out" the NFL games this season?  Nope.  I will watch like I always do.  Will I buy a Budweiser, Nikes, Gatorade, or something else that sponsors the NFL?  Nope.  And I don't think that you should either.

Consumer sponsorship boycotting is the way to go.  History agrees with me.

What Time Is The Super Bowl?

Manning vs. Newton - Who ya got????

That's the question thousands of people will be asking on Super Sunday.  Two weeks of anticipation ends with the most camera flashes and eyes glued to the TV screen than any other time during the year.  The 50th Super Bowl will kickoff and parties across the country will celebrate as the most entertaining sporting event in history commences.

By the way, 6:30 PM Eastern Time is the answer.

However, you definitely want to peep in about 30 minutes earlier to ensure that you catch Lady Gaga's rendition of the National Anthem.  Vegas has "prop bets" based on how long it will take her to sing it.  You can bet less than or more than 2 minutes and 20 seconds.  Take the under on this one.  Lady Gaga like to show off, but only Alicia Keys has gone past 2:20 in the last 10 years.

I personally prefer to tune in just before the National Anthem.  As much as I like football, I can't do the 10 hour pre-game show that the talking heads will throw at me.  When 50 different people make their expert analysis on the game, the contradiction in the opinions leave you more confused than convinced that any of them know what they're talking about.

Hopefully, the commercials will be great again.  It's been awhile since they have been.  There are too many "feel good" commercials with lost dogs and helpful horses than they are funny and entertaining ads.  I'm hoping that Lil' Sweet makes multiple appearances for Dr. Pepper.

Enjoy the game, all!

Oh, I almost forgot!  My prediction: Carolina 21, Denver 16.

Weekend Report Card #MayPac #KentuckyDerby #Avengers #NFLDraft

This has been one of the greatest weekends in quite some time. So much has happened since Friday night and now that the weekend is almost over, I'm just as tired as if I worked all week. I've been sitting around trying to think of a more active weekend then May 1st - 3rd of 2015 and I just can't bring anything to mind. Why was this weekend so great?

Friday night for me started with "Avengers: Age of Ultron." I grew up as a huge comic book fan and I've come to love their movies. I saw "Avengers" in 2012 and I've waited patiently for this sequel and it finally arrived. Unlike most sequels, I wasn't worried about being disappointed because every Marvel Comic movie has been done to perfection since "Iron Man" debuted in 2008. The original "Avengers" movie from 2012 became my all-time favorite movie after seeing it and let me say that the sequel is an extremely close second! An awesome movie that non-comic fans may not appreciate, but those who are familiar with the characters will enjoy.

Grade: A+

After sleeping until 9 AM, I spent Saturday morning cleaning for the most part. I did a lot of moving, discarding, and rearranging. Later that afternoon, I fired up the grill and started to throw down on some vittles. Chicken legs, turkey burgers, hot dogs, and pork chops made up the BBQ roster. As I prepared, I peeked inside at the TV from time-to-time to see if the 141st Kentucky Derby had started.
Dating back to my youth, the Kentucky Derby was always a big deal. I was around 6 years old the last time a horse won the Triple Crown in horse racing. So I'm always excited to see the first leg of the Triple Crown races to see who will be the horse to watch. The Kentucky Derby is generally one of the most exciting two minutes you'll ever see in a "spectator sport."

I would have liked to have seen more action towards the front of the pack, but the race basically came down to two horses. It was neck-and-neck down the stretch before American Pharoah pulled off the victory by a length. American Pharoah will be the horse to follow as they move on to the next leg of the Triple Crown in a few weeks.

Grade: A- 

The NFL Draft was going on throughout the day on Saturday. I didn't take the time to watch it, but I was elated when I found out that a friend of mine had a stepson get drafted by the New England Patriots. Congratulations to Matthew Wells, Mississippi State linebacker. I hope that the Patriots get good use out of your versatility.  I only hate that my Cowboys didn't see his potential, but I am happy with their draft.  Training camp is just around the corner and Preseason will be here in just a couple of months.  I can smell the tailgating in the air already!

Grade: Gotta give an A+ when someone you once saw play in high school makes it to the NFL. 

Lastly was the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight. "The Fight of the Century" as dubbed by the promoters. Well, the actual fight didn't live up to its name, but the hype surrounding it most definitely did. This was probably the most anticipated fight in the history of boxing. For six years people have asked for this fight and last night it finally happened. Here's my take on the fight: I enjoyed it. Many loyal boxing fans did. I saw a lot of negative comments on Facebook and Twitter about Mayweather "running" from Pacquiao.

Unfortunately, people watch too many mixed martial arts and Rocky movies and assume that every title fight is a war. That's not necessarily the case. You're not supposed to get hit in boxing. Muhammad Ali most famously said, "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." Not "stand toe-to-toe and swing for the fences." And if it's good enough for Ali then it's good enough for me.

Mayweather dodged Pacquiao's punches, landed punches of his own, and got back out of Pacquiao's way. I can't blame the man for doing what boxing was based on: "make him miss then make him pay." Everyone knows Mayweather's style so I don't understand the complaining. It's like buying an ice cream cone in the summer and getting mad because it melted before you got home. You should have expected it. Was this fight worth the $99 I spent? Absolutely not. However, very few fights in the history of boxing would have been.

Grade: B+ 

As you can see, I had a very active Friday and Saturday. Today is my grandmother's 92nd birthday, so I will be going to see her to celebrate her being blessed with another year on this earth. My god daughter has a dance recital in a few hours, so if I'm lucky then I can get that in as well. This has really just been an awesome weekend.

XX vs. XY Presents The @CurvyMomager

Welcome to the first installment of "XX vs XY" as Q mixes it up with a female guest blogger!  

This is a new series that you will see every now and then that takes a view point from a woman's perspective and puts it against my viewpoint from a man's perspective.  The guest and I won't necessarily be challenging each other on a topic, but instead will be  discussing it from our points of view.  It could be two totally different angles on the same subject which will display how the genders' minds work.

It should be a lot of fun and I have to thank my first guest for the idea.  I did a "He Said, She Said" with her on her blog site that you can read at the link.  That prompted the idea for me to do the same and start a new series here on Thank, Q.

So, I decided to reciprocate and ask my California (by way of Michigan) counterpart to join me in a discussion about the tragedy in Baltimore that has been all over the news stations.  

Who is this woman I'm speaking of?

She's Robin Peppers-Hunt aka The Curvy Momager.  She has a blog and she does YouTube videos that follow her journey though "singlemommiehood" as she manages the lives of two children while balancing her own.  You can check her out over at www.CurvyMomager.blogspot.com.

So,, without further ado...  Take it away, Robin...

@CurvyMomager

An open letter to Janay Rice...

Dear Janay, you've had a crazy few months. Some of that unfair evaluation from others but most of it because of the ultimate decisions you've made. True, as you stated in your Instagram message to media and the public, "We don't need to be all up in your families business." but look at who came to your rescue after your fiancé Floyd Mayweather'd you in that elevator...a complete stranger. 

So excuse us if we are invested in seeing you getting help for not only you but Ray. As a woman that has been through relationship issues (none as severe as this), I don't point a finger at you but want you to realize that unless you are called out on REAL ish, you will keep blaming the wrong people. Look at the mirror, shifting you paradigm is going to be paramount if you are to put your life together. 

I'm in no way a professional, don't claim to even be a relationship expert.  I just want you to be the one that says, "I'm not accepting less just because someone thinks I should." As for Ray losing something he worked so hard to obtain is not a "nightmare." A "nightmare" is kids that don't eat on a regular basis, people that have limitless potential and waste it, women that don't leave damaging relationships when they know they should. 

Wait...maybe you are right but the "nightmare" is only going to get worse if you ignore what needs to be done. I hope things work out for each of you but you have to accept the public's opinion because truly we are the ones that have your back.

Now it's my turn and I don't even know where to begin. I hope some day that the photo at the very top of the screen will be the norm instead of what ESPN has running on a loop every 12 minutes.  None of this would have happened if Ray would have attempted to restrain his wife instead of hitting her. That is the bottom line. However, since that's not what happened, let me address why the NFL turned on him: Roger Goodell.

The NFL commissioner has allowed Ray Rice to be turned into the poster child for domestic assault. Goodell did so by claiming that he never saw the video from inside the elevator which is hard to believe. The NFL has former FBI employees working for them yet TMZ was able to obtain the video from up under their noses? Yeah, right.

Look, the court of public opinion is stronger than any justice court. Despite Ray and Janay both being charged with what was essentially mutual combat, the people spoke and Goodell responded.  However, he did so without revealing that he didn't think the incident was all that bad until it went public.  Ray Rice wasn't essentially banned for the league for hitting his wife.  He was banned from the league because you saw him hit his wife.

And that hypocrisy is why the NFL has been in a downward spiral with discipline since The Emperor's Goodell's arrival.  That's why a man, who definitely should have been punished, is out of a job while a 3rd player since '98 who killed someone while driving drunk is getting an opportunity to play this season.  Punching a woman is a horrible offense, but it doesn't trump killing someone with your car?

Maybe if TMZ had a video of it then it would.

Next on "XX vs XY" will be Marrie Lobel...

Roger Goodell (@nflcommish), What Are You Doing To Me?

First of all, if you're not an NFL fan then you may not understand (or care about) half of the things I'm talking about in this blog post.

Every season the NFL tries to secure more and more television revenue and it's killing me as a fan.  At one time in my life, I could reach back and pull memories out of my mind of many games that most people had forgotten.  Not any more.  It's too much.  The NFL is overloading my senses and I'm starting to see a familiar pattern that I saw the NBA take 25 years ago.

The Schedule

I absolutely love football.  If it were up to me, I would attend a high school game on Friday nights, watch college games on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays.  But, the NFL has made that next to impossible for me to do regularly.

I have a job as a PA announcer for a high school football team.  For at least six Friday nights out of the Fall, I'm calling their games.

I'm a Michigan Wolverines fan when it comes to college football.  Every Saturday I try to watch them play along with other major match-ups in the Top 25 and SEC.

My Sundays during the NFL season consist of me sitting in my man chair at 1 PM Eastern Time and pretty much remaining there until the night game ends around Midnight Eastern Time.  Then I watch the Monday Night game the next evening.  Now the Commissioner has installed another night (Thursdays) for the NFL and it's just too much for me.

If I were a college student with a ton of free time then this would be absolutely great!  But, as a grown man with a full-time job and a lady who has teen kids it's a problem.  I can't block off Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for four months.  Very few people can.  But, that's what Roger Goodell is asking the die-hard fans to do.

Last year I missed more NFL games than I have ever missed since the invention of the NFL Sunday Ticket back in 1994.  I had to make decisions each week to either sacrifice the Monday game or the Thursday game because I just didn't have time to do both.  Then the worst feeling that a die-hard fan could have came over me towards the end of the season: I started to not care.

I would look to see who was playing and if it wasn't a premier team then I would find something else to do and miss the game entirely.  It's the same attitude that I developed when the NBA started coming on every single night thanks to TV money.  When the NBA was limited in its viewing I would bite, scratch and kick to see a game.  Now I won't even watch any more than a handful of games before the 2nd round of the playoffs because it's on every single night.

The saturation of the NBA did that to me over the course of just a few years and now the NFL is doing the same. A guy who could watch the two worst teams play because of his love of the game will now miss the first half of a divisional rivalry game because his life can't accommodate football four days a week.  There's just not enough time.

The Draft

Back in the day, the NFL Draft occurred in late April on a Saturday and Sunday morning.  The Draft consists of seven rounds (three rounds were on Saturday and four were on Sunday) and is completely boring to a casual fan, but an amazing event to a die-hard.  On April 20th, 2002 I had one of the best days of my life.  I was married at the time and on my honeymoon.  The NFL Draft came on that Saturday morning and my late wife gave me the entire day to watch it.  I sat in an over-sized chair and watched the first three rounds of the Draft within full-view of the ocean.  For a true football fan, it didn't get any better than that.

Fast-forward to today and what do we have?  The Draft now isn't until May (for May Sweeps) starts on Thursday night during primetime.  So, now I have to get home from work and get things done prior to the Draft starting instead of having a weekend day to relax and ease into it.  But, it gets worse: Thursday night is only for the 1st round of the Draft.  If I want to see the 2nd and 3rd rounds then I have to tune in on Friday night.

Seriously?  And then on Saturday you pick the 4th through the 7th rounds?  A three day event?  Then there's a headline today stating that Goodell wants to make it a four day event and get Sundays back in the mix?  Sorry, but I can't...

Conclusion

I've reached my limit.  Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks) was right.  The NFL will burn itself out in less than a decade at the rate they're going.  Guys like me will eventually start to pick and choose which games interest us and ignore the others.  It's not because we want to, but because there's just not enough time in a week to have a life and meet obligations with the NFL on three or more nights a week.

Eventually, the NFL will be on seven days a week like the NBA and MLB.  You're laughing right now, but don't say that I didn't warn you.  Just like an 18-game schedule, franchises in Canada and London, and more teams being allowed in the Playoffs, it's inevitable.  There's just too much money on the table for it not to be.

SMH.

Racial Inconsistencies in Sports: @RSherman_25 Isn't A Thug

Mitchell 10 years ago; Rodgers present day

It's a shame that on MLK Day, I'm blogging about something race-related.  As far as we've come in this country in regards to black and white, there are things that remind us that there's still a long way to go.

Sports has been called the "great equalizer" when it comes to uniting the races.  The "Remember the Titans" movie is a perfect example of that.  Still there are some inconsistencies in the media that make me shake my head.

Time and time again I see the media portray people differently based on race and culture.  Last night, Seattle Seahawks defensive back, Richard Sherman, went off on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Michael Crabtree and social media went wild.

People called him a "thug" (which is a popular word used when describing aggressive black people), classless, an embarrassment and other unflattering words.  What they saw on TV was a black man who should "just be happy to make millions playing in the NFL."  He should be humble, appreciative, keep his mouth shut and just play the game.

It takes me back in time to my youth when I first started noticing inconsistencies in the media based on race.  I remember when Deion Sanders played hurt in a football game once.  He was clearly hampered by the injury, but chose to play and try to help his team.  He didn't play well and I remember one of the commentators saying that he was being "selfish" for playing at less than 100%.  That same day, the Jets played and one of their players named Wayne Chrebet was also playing hurt.  He went on to have a poor game, but the commentator said that he was a "warrior" for trying to gut out a win for his team.

Scoring touchdowns is something that is viewed differently at times.  The term "act like you've been there before" comes up often when black certain players celebrate after scoring touchdowns.  Yet when Aaron Rodgers of the Packers scores a touchdown, he gets applauded for that "championship belt" gesture he does.  In fact, instead of being chastised, he even has commercials for what is now called the "Discount Double-Check" move.  What's even worse is that he didn't even invent that scoring celebration.  Former Philadelphia Eagle, Freddie Mitchell, was doing the "championship belt" move back in 2003 when Rodgers was still in college.

Do you see the inconsistencies that drive guys like me nuts?

Last one: back in 2007, a player named Anthony Smith from the Pittsburgh Steelers guaranteed a victory over the Patriots in an upcoming game.  Tom Brady torched Smith and the Steelers defense en route to victory.  On one of the TD passes Brady threw, he ran up to Smith and got facemask-to-facemask and taunted him.  The stories that made the headlines the next day talked about Tom Brady's "passion" and how he was "teaching Smith a lesson" and being a "fiery competitor."

Where are those words when it comes to describing Richard Sherman?  Crabtree and Sherman were jawing at each other the entire game, so why doesn't he get to have the last word like Brady did?  Why is he a "thug" instead of a "fiery competitor?"

Lou Pinella kicked dirt on umpires and cursed them out.

Brian Wilson beat a Gatorade cooler with a baseball bat.

Bobby Knight threw a chair on the court of a basketball game.

John McEnroe yelled at judges on the tennis courts.

Larry Bird was a legendary trash talker.

John Tortorella, Mike Ditka, etc.  The list goes on and this still occurs to this day.  There are some white people in sports that have berated, cursed, intimidated or (technically) assaulted others and yet they are still "feisty heroes" to many media types. Not even once have I ever heard any of them referred to as "thugs."  Never.

Richard Sherman finished 2nd in his high school class in GPA and went on to graduate from Stanford in Communications.  He even went back for his graduate degree.  He's never been arrested and doesn't play dirty in the field of play.  He's not a "thug."  He's the best cornerback in the league (statistics will back that up) and he had the last word against a mouthy competitor.  At least I thought that he had the last word...

Crabtree obviously didn't learn his lesson because he's still disrespecting Sherman.

Does the media (including social media) treat black athletes different than white athletes?

#T2Q's Toss Up Thursday, 1/16/14 (PHOTO) #NFL

Sometimes the Death Penalty Isn't Enough

I'm normally up on my news, especially sports, but the last couple of weeks have been extremely busy for me.  However, I received a call from The Lady on yesterday afternoon and the news blew my mind.  She told me that running back and future Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer, Adrian Peterson's son was beaten to death.

I don't know AP or his family, but for about five seconds, I felt a knot in my stomach after hearing the news.  From what I've read online, the mother of AP's son had a boyfriend with prior domestic charges to took his frustrations out on the two year old boy.

I'm not going to get into the decision-making process of the mother.  She has to unfortunately suffer for the rest of her life for dating a known abuser.  I want to talk about the abuser, 27 year old Joseph Patterson.  I realize that he's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but I'm jumping the gun on this one.  I think he's guilty.

I don't know if the state where the heinous crime was committed uses the death penalty or not, but sometimes the death penalty isn't enough.  Sure, if you could sentence this guy to die, fry him, bring him back, and fry him again, then I think I'd be for it.  But, since that's impossible, then your only choice is to lock him up for the rest of his life.

That's not good enough either.

I'm sick and tired of it being Open Season on people, especially women and children.  Men were once protectors of their families and now they're exterminating them like common roaches.  It's sickening!  I wanted to throw up when I heard the news today because I can't stand to see a child mistreated, yet along hear of one beaten to death.

If I had things my way, I'd put Joseph Patterson in a jail cell with no A/C or heat and give him just enough food to survive.  From there, I'd allow the child's father, Adrian Peterson, to come in once a year to beat a handcuffed Patterson within an inch of his life.  I would allow AP an opportunity to do that on the anniversary death of his son every year until either he or the Patterson died.

I know it sounds cruel, but it's nothing compared to pulverising a child's body with your fists.  Imagine the pain the child went through.  Babies have no resistance to beatings.  They aren't capable of running away or curling up in the fetal position and surviving the onslaught.  All they can do is cry and suffer.

Why not repay the favor?

Are there upsides to simply beating felony assault prisoners as opposed to giving them the death penalty?

I Chose #Scandal Over #BUFvsCLE

I'm embarrassed to say what I did, Olivia. SMH.

(SMH)

Those who have followed me for a minute know that I'm a huge football fan.  Especially the NFL.  (Sigh)  I almost feel dirty typing this, but tonight, I did the unthinkable.  Tonight, I did something that could possibly get my Man Card revoked.  Tonight, I chose to watch the hit show "Scandal" over Thursday night football.

What intrigues me so much about "Scandal" is the writing.  The show writers do an excellent job of taking you down a path, getting you comfortable, and then blindsiding you with something completely out of left field.  Top that off with a cast of amazing actors who surprisingly left the Emmy's trophy-less and you have something rare for prime time TV these days... an amazing show.

But, the NFL on Thursday night is a no-brainer for a sports nut, right?  Despite the fact that the game involved two un-sexy teams in Buffalo and Cleveland, it's still the NFL.  (BTW, the game was pretty entertaining).  I started watching the game at 7:25 PM Central Time and once 8:59 PM CT rolled around, I found myself changing the channel to ABC.

I still love the NFL, but with the magic of DVR's, I can pause the game, flip over to "Scandal", and watch the game during commercials.  Although it makes sense to most men to record "Scandal" and watch it after the game, it's virtually impossible to do due to social media.

If I don't watch "Scandal" live, then one of my Twitter or Facebook followers will be sure to tweet something that spoils the show.  That's not what you want in a show like this where the writing is so superior to 95% of the things airing on TV these days.  Shows like "Scandal" spawn copycats like "Deception" or "Betrayal" and all of those other shows with edgy names, but empty stories.  It's one of those trendsetters that every other station wishes they could duplicate.

I got on the Scandal bandwagon on Day One.  It's very rare to see an African-American as a lead character on network TV and for it to be a woman made the show more interesting to me.  I wasn't familiar with show creator, Shonda Rimes, also African-American, and my knowledge of actress, Kerry Washington, was very limited, too.

Despite all of that, I knew after only watching the first few episodes that this show would go down in history as one of the classics.  The ever-changing plot is great and the cast of characters is even greater.  It's the best cast of actors that I've seen on a show since ABC aired "Ugly Betty."

Dag, I may lose my man card for admitting that I watched that show in its entirety, too.

SMH.

Don't feel so bad, guys.  I'll be back!

Mandatory Luxuries #Oxymoron

Trust me.  Nothing at DirecTV is $29.99.

I've always tried to figure out how some of my family members raised so many kids on such a small salary.  Now, my parents only had two kids, so they didn't have to feed as many as some of my relatives.  I have some older aunts and uncles who raised anywhere from six to 13 kids.  How can you feed and clothe that many "crumb snatchers?"  Well, I think that I figured it out the last time that I sat down to pay my bills: they didn't have "mandatory luxuries" that we do today.

A "mandatory luxury" is an item, with a recurring monthly payment, that you don't need, but can't live without.

Check this out: Aside from my house note, a very large sum of my pay check goes towards these items:

• AT&T U-Verse Internet service ($50/month)
• DirecTV satellite service ($90/month)
• DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket ($50/month for up to six months)
• Verizon cell phone with unlimited minutes and 6 GB of data ($100/month)
• Netflix ($17/month)
• Xbox Live ($5/month)

Approximately $312/month which is $3,744/year.  That's where my money is going!  Every month, I'm paying for something that I don't need, but I gotta have!  And it's worse for some people who may also have satellite radio/Pandora Premium, a gym membership (important, but our elders stayed in shape without them), and some other things that slip my mind at the present time.

My elders didn't have these options and that allowed for them to take care of large families on a middle class salary (or less) and / or save money for future generations to have.  If I were to cut at least three of those items out of my life, then it would be like giving myself a raise.

But, I'm not doing it!  LOL!  I have to give props to Corporate America on getting me hooked on things that I don't need.  That takes skilled marketing!

Geesh!  I need to get my priorities straight!

Do you spend a lot on "mandatory luxuries?"

The NFL is Back!

The NFL is back!  Oh, happy day! Although the 1st Preseason game was played this past Sunday, today starts a five day stretch of non-stop professional football!

Every year, in February, millions of fans get depressed as the Super Bowl ends and the NFL off-season begins. We spend months trying to reclaim that sports high that dropped us off after the Big Game.

We try basketball. March Madness was great and usually provides a nice diversion from no football. The NBA Finals were pretty exciting this year. The Stanley Cup Finals were good, but disappointing to me as a NJ Devils fan. Baseball. Uh, do they still play that? Even the Olympics has kept my attention for a few days, but, it's no NFL! None of them are the NFL! Contrary to what people believe, the NFL is America's favorite past time.

However, for some, the start of football season is a depressing time. A perfect example of that is The Mrs. She loses a husband when football season starts. From Saturday to Monday, I'm stuck on the couch like used gum. And now with the NFL Network having Thursday Night Football all year long, that's a 4th day of the week that she will feel like a widow.

Now, I'm not a complete Neanderthal. I will sacrifice some live football to spend time with her every now and then. Of course, that means sacrificing sleep in order to do so, but I manage to balance the two... just not all that well. Luckily for me, The Mrs. understands me and that's what I love about her. Even though there are some nights she wants to watch "Law & Order: SVU" with me, she'll hold off until a Wednesday or Friday (that I'm not at a high school game) to do so. And that's why I love her to death. She allows me to be me even after 10 years of marriage.

So, bring on the season. I'll watch a few Preseason games, have my fantasy football draft and will then sit back with my NFL Sunday Ticket and hopefully enjoy yet another fantastic football season. I will be pulling for my Alma mater, Valley State Delta Devils, my childhood favorite, Michigan Wolverines and the Dallas Cowboys once the season starts.

Is football king in your household?

#Tebow or Not Tebow?

Tebow mania is running rampant throughout America! Women love him for his looks, guys love him for his passion to win and Christians love him for promoting God's word while he has the country's undivided attention. What's there not to like about this guy?

Truthfully, there isn't anything. Well, I do think the "Tebowing" thing is a bit over the top. I don't have a problem with him praying, but who flexes their muscles when they pray? Anyway, I'm not trying to come down on Tebow in this post because it's not his fault that so many people hate on him. It's the media's fault.

The media will promote people who either lack talent or have yet to achieve something in their profession. Now, let me say that as of today, Tebow has made some great accomplishments including winning a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, his hype started back in November before he even won his 3rd game as a starter this season. MSNBC even compared Tebow to Michael Jordan who is a 6x champion and a Hall of Famer. Really? A man who just won his first playoff game is comparable to arguably one of the greatest winners of all-time? Only the media. Because in order to sell magazines, newspapers and get TV ratings, they have to make you think that (insert person here) is the second coming. Let's look at a few household names the media has forced upon us over the past couple of years:

Snooki: Party girl, drunk and flirt

Nene Leakes: Former stripper and loud mouth

Antoine Dodson: Bad hair day and funny quote

As you can see, it doesn't take any talent or meaningful achievements to get rich in this country. Sure, Tebow was on two national championship teams at the University of Florida which is a tremendous accomplishment, but other players have done that as well without the fanfare. And real football fans know that no one cares what you did in college when you reach the NFL. When Tebow became the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, the media immediately turned him into the Golden Boy. Skip Bayless, of ESPN, actually insinuated that John Elway, Denver's former Hall of Fame QB, could actually be jealous of Tebow.

Wow. So, the guy has received high praise despite having one of the lowest QB ratings in the league. Despite all of that, Tebow keeps winning. Although so many people have said insulting things, including myself, he has taken Denver farther than anyone has expected. In the process, he's captured the minds of Americans without taking a drink, sleeping around or getting arrested.

So, how do you feel about Tim Tebow? In the words of a modern-day Shakespeare: "Tebow or Not Tebow? That is the question."




.

#Tebowing? Seriously?

I'm sorry, but I have to play the role of angry black man for a post.

If you haven't heard by now, then you will soon. There's a new craze taking the sports world by storm: Tebowing! Here's the definition of Tebowing: (verb) to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.

I didn't make that up. I took that definition from a website.

Aaron Rodgers of the champion Green Bay Packers has a move that he does when he scores a touchdown. He does an impersonation of someone putting on a championship belt a la boxing or wrestling. I've seen countless stories done on this craze on ESPN and FOX Sports.

It's caught on like mad since last season with all of the exposure it gets.

Okay, non-sports topic. Kim Kardashian is praised for her butt. She released a sex tape with loser, Ray J, some years ago and her butt has been all over TV, websites and magazines ever since. She is extremely curvy and has even been credited with the influence of Booty Pop Pads. Even though J-Lo ignited the craze, Kim K. was the gasoline that set it ablaze and turned it into an inferno. Now booty is something that people are actually paying money for to have surgically implanted for those who weren't blessed with the bump at birth.





(Insert angry black man here)
Are you kidding me? Why is it a trend now? Why is it that things black people either did first or have done for years are being hyped when someone white does it?

Tebowing Kneeling after a touchdown was done before the invention of the internet. Tebowing? Seriously? Players have been doing this for as long as I can remember, but now it has a name? And why isn't it just called "praying?"

Way before Tebow

As for Aaron Rodgers' championship belt move... Are you kidding me? Freddie Mitchell, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, was doing this back in 2004 and he's one of many. Why is it such a big deal now? Mitchell made the mock championship belt famous while Rodgers was still a junior in college.

Way before Rodgers

And don't get me started on K.K.'s booty. Black women have had "apple bottoms" since man first walked the earth and now all of a sudden it's attractive? After years of seeing women resembling the letter "I" on my TV and on magazine covers now it's in vogue to be shaped like an "8?"

I just wanted to add her photo because she's fine, but, yes, before K.K.

These type of things have been going on since before I was born. Back in the '70's The Jackson 5 got their own cartoon while the Osmonds got their own cartoon, TV show and movie. Rap was a predominant black genre for decades, but Eminem has won more Grammys in the last 10 years than any black rapper has from 1979 to now. In fact, it takes rap legends Jay-Z, Kanye West and L.L. Cool J. combined just to have more nominations than Eminem. That's over 60 years of rap experience combined to just to beat one man.

Do you see where I'm going with this now? Look, I don't want to discredit any of the people listed above. Tim Tebow has the heart of a champion. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. Kim Kardashian is one of the finest women on the planet. (I have no comment on the Osmonds -- LOL!) Eminem is one of my favorite all-time rappers. Not once did I say weren't worthy of being great.

The point I want to leave everyone with is that I wish the mainstream media would not act like black people who came before them (doing what they did) don't exist. Don't hype one without hyping them all. Enough of this Columbus Day syndrome and giving people credit for discovering something that was already here.





.

Call Off The Dogs

Okay, okay, okay. Everyone has had plenty of time to take their shots at Michael Vick about this dog fighting thing, but when will it end? It's time to stop hating on Mike and I'll tell you why:

Because people need to be more upset about more important things in this country.

Recently, baseball player, Mark Buehrle was being interviewed about his effort to rescue a wounded dog (arrow stuck in abdomen). While discussing the noble effort, he took time to say the following about Vick:

"He had a great year and a great comeback, but there were times where we watched the game, and I know it's bad to say, but there were times where we hope he gets hurt," Buehrle told MLB.com. "Everything you've done to these dogs, something bad needs to happen to these guys."

"...hope he gets hurt?" In 2007, Vick was convicted for his role in dog fighting. Here's how Michael Vick got "hurt":

- Convicted of a felony related to a dogfighting ring and served 19 months in prison.
- Lost a $100 million dollar contract with the NFL, his starting job, his home, and two seasons of play.
- Will forever be labelled as a dog killer.


How much more hurting does he have to do before you're satisfied? Look, I love animals, especially dogs, but personally, I value human life more than animal life. I know that some people treat dogs like family and I'm okay with that to a certain extent. But some of the things I've heard coming from the mouths of dog lovers like Vick should be "put down" or "neutered" are some of the most unjustifiable things I've heard in a long time.

We're not talking about O.J. Simpson killing people or R. Kelly peeing on a 14-year old girl, but about a man who fought and killed dogs. Now, of those three, which two do you think are more serious of crimes?

Yet, I have seen many picket signs condemning Vick and many interviews of people who are absolutely disgusted about what he did to those dogs.

Then, I started thinking, "how many picket signs do I see at court houses across the country when a lady gets raped?"
"When was the last time someone came on MSNBC to talk about a man abusing his child?"


We're so numb to crimes against humans that it doesn't matter any more. "Law & Order" and "C.S.I." makes it easy for us to be nonchalant about dead bodies, I guess. Unless it's one of Michael Vick's dogs.

He did his time. Well, actually, thanks to some of you, he's still doing his time. He lost his job. He lost his money. He lost his home. He lost time with his kids. He lost his livelihood. Plenty of people have done worse and suffered less. Let it go, people. Call off the dogs, so to speak.

I have nothing against dog lovers, but let's keep things in perspective, people, okay? What Michael Vick did was wrong and I can't stress that enough. But if you want to speak out against him, then I expect you to speak out against other criminals with the same intensity!

To help you with that task, I've provided a list below of the names of NFL players arrested in 2010. I want you to sort through the DUI's, assaults, and domestic violence charges until you find a new athlete to hate on in 2011. One that has endangered the life of a human:

12/27/10: Redskins DT Joe Joseph is arrested for DUI.
12/26/10: Ravens LB Sergio Kindle is arrested for DUI.
12/20/10: Broncos LB Kevin Alexander is arrested for assault and battery.
12/13/2010: Buccaneers LB Geno Hayes is arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
12/10/2010: Broncos CB Perrish Cox is arrested for sexual assault.
11/27/2010: Saints DE Will Smith is arrested for domestic violence.
11/19/2010: Buccaneers WR Mike Williams is arrested for suspicion of DUI.
11/13/2010: Seahawks DE Raheem Brock is arrested for DUI.
11/12/2010: Broncos LB D.J. Williams is arrested for suspicion of DUI.
10/23/2010: Buccaneers TE Jerramy Stevens is arrested for felony possession of cannabis with intent to distribute, felony possession of cannabis, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
10/20/2010: Colts P Patrick McAfee is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct.
10/5/10: Panthers WR Dwayne Jarrett arrested for driving while impaired.
9/21/10: Jets WR Braylon Edwards arrested for DUI.
9/18/10: Ravens assistant coach Andy Moeller is arrested for DUI.
9/3/10: Colts DT Fili Moala is arrested for DUI.
8/30/10: Bucs assistant defensive line coach Chris Mosley is arrested for DUI.
8/17/10: Browns DB Gerard Lawson pleads no contest to DUI charges.
8/9/10: Colts DT John Gill is arrested for public intoxication.
8/8/10: Browns DB Gerard Lawson is charged with drunk driving and hit-skip.
7/24/10: Rams CB Jerome Murphy is arrested for driving without a valid license.
7/19/10: Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux pleads no contest to marijuana possession.
7/7/2010: Buccaners OT Jeremy Trueblood is arrested for public intoxication.
7/5/2010: JaMarcus Russell Free Agent (Former Raider) QB arrested for possession of controlled substance (Codeine).
7/3/2010: Seahawks RB Quinton Ganther is arrested for DUI.
6/29/2010: Bengals RB Cedric Benson is arrested for assault with injury.
6/26/2010: Lions president Tom Lewand is arrested for DUI.
6/16/2010: Titans DE Derrick Morgan is arrested for speeding and driving with an expired license.
6/13/2010: Titans QB Vince Young is cited for misdemeanor assault.
5/26/2010: Dolphins DE Phillip Merling is arrested for aggravated battery.
5/24/2010: Chargers S Kevin Ellison is arrested for possession of 100 Vicodin pills.
5/23/2010: Saints rookie Harry Coleman is arrested for simple battery.
5/16/2010: Buccaneers WR Mario Urrutia is arrested for a misdemeanor drivers license violation.
5/4/2010: Bengals WR Maurice Purify is arrested for disorderly conduct.
4/30/2010: Chargers WR Vincent Jackson pleads guilty to knowingly driving with a suspended license.
4/27/2010: Free-agent S Clinton Hart is arrested for domestic battery.
4/17/2010: Browns RB Chris Jennings is arrested for suspicion of assault.
4/10/2010: Seahawks LB Leroy Hill is arrested for domestic violence.
4/1/2010: Browns DT Shaun Rogers is arrested for possession of a weapon.
4/1/2010: Seahawks LB Leroy Hill pleads guilty to marijuana possession.
3/27/10: Cardinals LB Joey Porter is arrested for DUI, resisting arrest, and assaulting a peace officer.
3/26/10: Bears OL Lance Louis pleads guilty to misdemeanor battery.
3/19/10: Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown is arrested on suspicion of DUI.
3/13/10: Packers TE Spencer Havner is arrested for DUI. (His agents have denied that he was charged.)
2/23/10: Chargers WR Vincent Jackson pleads guilty to DUI charges.
2/20/10: Dolphins CB Will Allen is arrested for DUI.
2/19/10: Redskins CB Byron Westbrook is arrested for DUI, negligent driving, and failure to drive right of center.
2/7/10: Dolphins DE Tony McDaniel is arrested for misdemeanor battery.
2/2/10: Cowboys FB Deon Anderson is arrested for traffic warrants and brandishing a weapon.
2/2/10: Bengals LB Rey Maualuga pleads guilty to DUI.
1/30/10: Chiefs CB Michael Richardson is arrested for various alcohol-related charges.
1/18/10: Redskins G Chad Rinehart is arrested for public intoxication.
1/17/10: Chargers WR Vincent Jackson is arrested for driving with a suspended license.
1/15/10: Titans WR Kenny Britt is arrested for outstanding traffic tickets.
1/15/10: Former Bears DT Dusty Dvoracek is arrested for public intoxication, assault and battery, and interference with an official process.
1/12/10: Jets WR Braylon Edwards pleads no contest to assault charges.
1/10/10: Bucs S Jermaine Phillips is arrested for felony domestic battery by strangulation.
1/1/10: Colts WR Taj Smith is arrested for DUI.

And you act as if Michael Vick is the worst guy on the planet.

Which Super Bowl Commercial Was The Funniest?

My MVP!

This was absolutely genius!

FUNNY

Honorable Mention
(I wonder if black people will get upset that dude was checking out a white lady? You know how some folks can find racism in anything. Then again, I do see two or three stereotypes in this commercial that will raise flags.)


Throwing in Kenny G made it funny for me.


This will be me some day.


Richard freakin' Lewis? Are you kidding me? Nice!


Brody is the coolest man on the silver screen right now.

UNFUNNY

At what point will getting hit in the nuts be considered "old?"


This was more disturbing for me than funny. Just plain nasty.


I was borderline on this one, but I still had to thumb it down.


When were Go Daddy commercials ever funny? And Danica Patrick looks like a 12-year old boy who needs a haircut.


Hoes gotta make money, too.


I'll be honest: my dislike for Beiber made me hate this commercial.

Super Bowl Fever

Okay, so I rolled out to Dallas to participate in the SB XLV festivities, right? I had no idea the weather was as bad as it was because it almost made it impossible to drive any where within the Dallas area.

So, I missed a chance at Tashard Choice's party and maybe T.O.'s (if I would have decided to pony up the big bucks for it). Luckily, my brother and I were able to at least make it to the NFL Experience which wound up being one of the best events I've ever attended. I wanted to share some photos of it with you all!


The Vincent Lombardi Trophy: The reason they play the games.


Former Cowboys TE, Jay Novacek and Bucs S, John Lynch: Two franchise greats signing autographs.


The current NFL leading rusher, Texans RB, Arian Foster: First time I've seen him without a helmet, so it took forever to figure out who he was.


Future Hall of Famer, Falcons TE, Tony Gonzalez: Last I heard, women have him as the 3rd prettiest man on TV behind Prince and Rick Fox.


Former Bucs LB and current ESPN First Take "Analyst", Derrick Brooks: Despite the fact that I insult him for his lack of insight on ESPN, he was very nice and answered tons of questions about the 3-4 defense in his seminar.


Skins DE, Brian Orakpo: the former Texas grad was posing for photos with a Cowboys fan? Traitor!


"With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select..."


Road to the Super Bowl: this theater showed a 20 minute film on how the Packers and Steelers made their way to SB XLV.


NFL Total Access: Fran Charles, Kurt Warner and crew had a live broadcast from the Dallas Convention Center.


Outside of the NFL Experience: check out all of the ice and slush all over the place. Dallas got four inches of snow the night before (on top of the two inches of ice they already had).

So, as you can see, I've been tied up for a bit, but hopefully I can get back to blogging soon. I have a few stories to share about Southerners driving in bad weather...