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Pessimistically optimistic.
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Whitlock will never forgive Haley for hurting Waters' feelings
Ever.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/1...o-set-you-free
Quote:
NFL Truths are here to set you free
by Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock writes about the sports world from absolutely every angle, including angles other writers can't imagine or muster the courage to address. His columns are humorous, thought-provoking, agenda free, honest, unpredictable and uncomfortable for white and black people comfortable with their biases.
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Updated: September 10, 2009, 2:13 PM EDT 295 comments
Imagine my surprise when I received a letter from the nation's capital last week scolding me about the absence of The Truth from my columns this summer.
Dear Jason:
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Michelle and I have really enjoyed your columns the past two months. We had a long talk about Rick Pitino and the dynasty that ruined his reputation. We loved your stuff on Erin Andrews. Michelle disagreed with you and me about your take on Serena Williams' oozing pumpkin. I, too, enjoy a stuffed onion from time to time.
One thing Michelle and I agree on is that we really miss your NFL Truths column. It's the highlight of the football season. When can we expect to see the return of the Truth?
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
The Truths shall set you free:
10. It's fitting that the season kicks off with Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin's success caused much of the chaos we witnessed this offseason.
Every NFL franchise wants to discover the next Mike Tomlin, the formerly inexperienced, little-known NFL assistant with a dynamic personality.
The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all hired potential Tomlins this offseason. The Broncos tabbed Josh McDaniels. The Chiefs grabbed Todd Haley. And the Bucs promoted Raheem Morris.
McDaniels got punked by Jay Cutler, who forced a trade to the Bears after getting pissed off at McDaniels. Haley pissed off Kansas City all-pro guard Brian Waters at the beginning of the offseason and then Haley started the trend of firing offensive coordinators just before the start of the season.Morris followed Haley and canned Tampa's offensive coordinator.
Tomlin is an outstanding young coach. But let's remember he took over the ideal professional franchise. The Steelers don't hire coaches and ask them to give their franchise an identity. The Steelers have an identity established by Chuck Noll and they've asked Bill Cowher and Tomlin to maintain that identity.
Latest from Whitlock It's the Truths: It's finally here. The moment you've all been waiting for. No, not the start of the NFL season. The return of NFL Truths.
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Couch trip: Erin Andrews didn't want to end up on Oprah's couch, but some in the sports media will do anything to get there.
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Raging bull: Ted Kennedy? 9/11? Rick Pitino's throwing low blows as he spins his sex scandal. What a champion bull artist.
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More from Jason Whitlock
9. Bill Belichick just might be the most disloyal and ruthless coach in the history of the National Football League.
He started the offseason trading Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs. And Belichick closed the offseason by sending Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders.
Vrabel and Seymour were cornerstone pieces to the Patriots defense. Vrabel was extremely unhappy about being included in the deal that sent Matt Cassel to the Chiefs. And now Seymour has refused to report to Oakland.
At some point, don't you think Vrabel and Seymour will get on the phone and discuss the going-away gift given to them by the head coach who demands blind loyalty to his system? Maybe Ty Law will join them on a three-way call.
It's one thing to cut and/or refuse to re-sign an aging veteran. The veteran player can then find a team of his liking. What was done to Seymour seems cruel. A lot of NFC contenders might have coughed up a first-round pick and a player for Seymour's services.
Belichick sent Seymour to the one franchise that is unlikely to ever challenge the Patriots. Yes, I know Seymour also went to the team likely to secure a top-five draft pick, too. But given Seymour's stellar play and contribution, sending him to Al Davis' hell hole doesn't seem right.
This move will impact Belichick's ability to brainwash his players.
8. If the Broncos give Brandon Marshall a contract extension after his training-camp protest, it will seal Josh McDaniels' fate in Denver. He's toast.
Jay Cutler was the first to run over the Kid Coach. Now Brandon Marshall is running over Mike Shanahan's replacement.
Can you imagine if Shawne Merriman had a reality show? (Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)
7. The Shawne Merriman-Tila Tequila situation proves once again the NFL Network would be wise to get involved with reality television shows for its players.
I'm not joking. After hearing the alleged contention that Merriman asked Tequila to make his bedroom threesome a foursome, some smart TV executive is burning up Merriman's phone line begging him to agree to a reality show.
MTV or VH-1 is going to make a fortune off Merriman. The show will be called "Lights Out: The Sexcapades of an NFL Star."
Why would the NFL Network allow a competing network to reap the rewards of Merriman's sexploits?
6. As much as I love the NFL, I'm in favor of fans staying away from stadiums this year. Television blackouts across the league might force teams to lower ticket prices and stop gouging fans $25 for a bad place to park.
As a member of the media, I get free parking and a free seat in the press box. Those of us in the media are removed from the reality of what a typical sports fan pays to see his/her favorite team in person.
The prices are ridiculous. The NFL deserves to be humbled. The league is failing in football-crazy Jacksonville, Florida, where all Jaguars home games are likely to be blacked out. Good.
5. Eric Mangini doesn't want to announce his starting quarterback because he knows the Browns don't have a legitimate starter.
There's no strategic advantage to delay announcing Brady Quinn as the starter over Derek Anderson. Mangini apparently believes the confusion is going to make the Vikings spend more time on game preparation.
Brad Childress is probably happy he has an excuse to make his defenders spend more time on game preparation. Coaches love to prepare and are always looking for an excuse to keep their players' attention.
Mangini's reluctance to name Quinn underscores the fact that no one won the Cleveland starting job during the offseason and training camp. It's a sign of weakness.
4. I'm not going to write an I-told-you-so column about 49ers rookie quarterback Nate Davis until the conclusion of the season.
Nate, of course, was the best rookie quarterback in the preseason, which wasn't surprising to anyone who followed his remarkable career at Ball State University. Too much has been made of Nate's learning disability. He learns rapidly and at a high level on the football field. He has a natural instinct for the game.
By midseason, I expect Davis to begin earning playing time in San Francisco. Shaun Hill and Alex Smith can't match Nate's natural physical gifts. And 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye (one of the best at teaching pass protection) and quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson (a terrific mentor and communicator) form a perfect combo to develop Davis.
I'm going to wait until the end of the season before going into detail about why Nate slipped to the fifth round. Plus, I want to see how Nate handles the maturity issues that impact quarterback play.
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Free Draft Guide 3. Is Roger Clemens advising Brett Favre?
Seriously, have Clemens and Favre ever been seen in the same place at the same time?
Favre has announced he might not play all 16 games this season. He said he told the Jets he was willing to sit a few games last season.
Favre is angling for a part-time schedule. In his dream world, Favre would play the two games against Green Bay and the playoffs. That's it. You know damn well he has no interest in playing against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the Baltimore Ravens. Favre also wouldn't mind skipping a date with Julius Peppers and the Carolina Panthers.
Favre is a publicity stunt by Minnesota owner Zygi Wilf, who is trying to gain support for a new football stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
2. LaGarrette Blount deserved to be suspended for the entire season. Besides running stadium steps, Boise State did not need to take additional action against Byron Hout.
I do not believe the gossip being circulated on Twitter and other places that Hout called Blount the N-word. There were two black Boise State players standing very close to Hout when he was sucker-punched by Blount. The black Boise State players didn't react like they'd just heard the N-word. And neither did Blount.
In all the footage I've seen, I've never seen anything where Blount is shouting: "Call me a N-word again!"
Jason Whitlock wants to know what you think about the important issues in sports today. Contact him here. Subject:
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Had Blount simply clocked Hout, I would've been cool with a two-game suspension. When he responded to the taunts of Boise fans and had to be restrained by coaches and security and dragged off the field, that's what escalated the severity of the punishment.
The people making excuses for Blount's behavior deserve a mouth shot. The people trying to equate Hout's taunting with Blount's criminal behavior deserve a mouth shot.
Move on. Blount will get a chance to redeem himself in the NFL if he can get his behavior issues under control. He blew his chance to be a college player.
1. At the beginning of the year, my Super Bowl pick is always based on emotion. I'm picking the Philadelphia Eagles.
Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid deserve a Super Bowl title after agreeing to take on the Michael Vick rehabilitation project. I've always been a huge McNabb fan. He personifies class. I've never been that big on Reid because he hasn't given McNabb the necessary supporting cast.
Well, Reid and McNabb stepped up big for Vick. McNabb can show Vick how to prepare like a professional. If he's willing to listen to and learn from McNabb and Reid, Vick could be the NFL's most valuable trade option during the 2010 offseason and be in position to land another lucrative contract.
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09-10-2009, 02:07 PM
Whitlock will never forgive Haley for hurting Waters' feelings
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