Late Sunday night, I was heavily involved in my typical routine, glued to SportsCenter when a presser(press conference for those of you who are not hip to the media terms) came on. It was of Cam Newton after their loss to the Cowboys. I immediately stopped what I was doing because I wanted to see how Newton would handle this presser. When it was over I was, once again, left with a feeling of concern as I watched Newton sulk while he discussed what went wrong earlier on the field. You know that PR major in me was eyes wide open thinking, “if only I could get a hold of him…”
Cam Newton does not like to lose. I am not sure I have met a person who does. I know I do not like it! Ever seen me after I lose in Connect Four? Not always a pleasant sight. Who really enjoys losing? The winner? In a reverse psychology warped kind of way, I guess a winner could take pleasure in another’s loss but that person won so….you get my point. A true competitor wants to compete at the highest level when it is showtime. A true competitor wants to win every time, so it is not a concern of mine that Cam Newton is not happy about losing. What I am concerned about is the way he handles losing, publicly. When I watch Cam Newton’s pressers I see a young man consumed with the guilt and agony of losing. I see a young man who has rarely experienced losses on the football field struggling to grasp the reality of what many of his fellow colleagues have already experienced. I see a young man who wants to win, knows how to win but has not figured out how to make that happen on a consistent basis.
Apparently what I see and what other journalists see is totally different. For weeks, I have heard journalists, commentators and the Couch QB’s bash Cam Newton for what he has and has not done. I refuse to be on one of those people. Some journalists are quick to turn on you when things are not going well. I think they have forgotten Peyton Manning went 3-13 and 6-10 in his first two seasons. I digress. Let me get back on track. These same journalists and commentators who were singing soprano praises for Cam Newton last year are now saying that something is wrong with him and I even heard one say he is starting to believe he may never see the Cam Newton we saw last year, again. *raises hand* Wait, are we talking about last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year? Are we talking about the NFL record holder for most passing yards EVER by a rookie? Are we talking about the NFL single season record holder for most rushing TD’s EVER by a QB in a season? Are we talking about the former Auburn QB who led the Tigers to an undefeated season, a national championship and scooped up the Heisman Trophy along the way? Are we talking about the former Blinn College QB who led them to the NJCAA Championship in 2009? That guy? That is who we are talking about? You have got to be kidding me. The same abilities and talents that propelled him to do these things are still there. Did you see him shaking and baking the Cowboys on Sunday? Did you see him threading tight spirals to Brandon LaFell in the middle of the field? If you did then there is no way you would be questioning if he still has “it.” Somebody has been sniffing too many Sharpies.
His abilities should never be in question but I can admit when something is off. What we should be concerned with is his state of mind. From the outside looking in, one has to wonder what type of mental and emotional support the Panthers are providing for their franchise QB. Remember, this is a 23 year old man we are talking about. At 23 years old, a lot of men and women struggle as thy search for their identity and purpose in this world. Add an international spotlight to the mix and you have a recipe for a potential disaster, if the right pieces are not in place.
Maybe he has someone in his life who not only tells him it is ok to be disappointed in losing but sets an example for him to follow. Maybe he has someone to tell him that his body language and non-verbal cues during pressers have a major impact on how the public views him. Maybe he has someone to tell that he needs to be mindful of his brand at all times. It is hard to build your brand back up once the foundation has been shaken. Maybe he has someone to tell him that as QB, you are expected to eventually be the leader of the team, no matter how young you are. Maybe has has someone to tell him that “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Maybe has has someone to tell him these things. Maybe he does not. Hopefully he does and if he does not, I hope someone comes along quick who is truly concerned about him as a whole. Maybe I need to take a trip down 85…..
Until next time…TOODELLS.
Hey! Hey! Hey!! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Here is your quick rekap of what happened in sports this weekend…
The Cardiac Pack is still alive and well. The Wolfpack pulled out a 20-18 win after merryland’s Brad Craddock missed a 33 yard FG with two seconds left. DOINK!
The Jets allllllllllllmost pulled off the upset of the Pats. So close, soooooo close.
RG3 was sooooo close to pulling off the upset of the G-men, throwing a potential game winning TD to Santana Moss with less than two minutes left in the game. Eli then turns around and throws the game winning TD, 19 seconds later. Womp.
Kansas State though? Ran all up and through the mountains of West Va. Sheeeeeeeesh.
Dwight Howard had a memorable preseason debut with the Lakers…19 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two assists. Butter rum, that Thomas Robinson dunk over Howard’s back, WHEEEEEEEEW WHEEEEEE!!
The Indiana Fever defeated the defending champs, Minnesota Lynx, to win its first WNBA Championship. Tamika Catchings was named MVP. Girl power!
The San Francisco Giants, facing elimination, dominated game six, winning 6-1 to force a game seven in the NLCS. Game seven is tonight at 8:00.
Ravens LB Terrell Suggs played in his first game of the season. The Texans welcome back present? A 43-13 rout. Womp.
Suspended/Unsuspended Saints LB played in his first game since being suspended/unsuspended. His welcome back present was his team’s 35-28 win over the Bucs. I have a feeling he will be suspended again next week. Womp.
Matt Kenseth won at the Kansas speedway. Brad Keselowski still holds the number one spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Feathers were flying all over The Swamp Saturday as Florida blasted South Carolina 44-11. Chomp, Chomp, Chomp.
BCS Standings…1)Bama 2)Florida 3)Kansas State 4)Oregon 5)Notre Dame. This is going to be real interesting.
Venus Williams ended her two year drought by winning the Luxemborg Open. It was her 44th singles title.
Oh yeah, you guessed it. The NHL is still frozen. Double womp.
Until next time…TOODELLS.
The debate happens all the time, who is the greatest football player of all-time?
Marino? Brown? Montana? Sanders? Rice? Payton? Butkus? Brady? Manning? LT? Unitas? Smith? Sayers?
I think it is safe to say the G.O.A.T.(Greatest Of All Time) resides on the offensive side of the ball. With that being said, to me there is no debate…JERRY LEE RICE is the G.O.A.T.
Look at the players I named. Does anything stand out? Rice is the ONLY receiver named. You can have the QB debate all day. You can have the RB debate all day. You can have the LB debate all day. The WR debate, starts and ends with Rice. Still not convinced? Here are the facts…
Records Rice holds
208 total touchdowns, 33 more than the next guy
22,895 receiving yards, 691 more than the next guy
1,549 receptions, 400 more than the next guy at the starts of the 2012 season
1,848 yards, most gained in a season
17 seasons with 50 or more receptions
14 seasons of 1000 or more receiving yards
274 straight games with a reception
197 receiving TDs
13 consecutive games with passing TDs
23,540 yards from scrimmage
23,546 yards gained
13 time Pro Bowler. 12 time All Pro selection. 3 Super Bowl rings. 1 Super Bowl MVP. 2 time NFL Offensive POY. 3 time NFC POY. Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
In the words of Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, “Men lie. Women lie. Number’s don’t.”
Another beautiful weekend. Here’s a rekap…
Welp, my 9ers got butchered, sliced, diced, mollywopped, shallacked, killt, all dat by the midgets. Way too much talent on both sides of the ball to get beat like that.
What concussion? That is exactly what RGIII had to be thinking as he led the tataskinz to their first home win of the season.
Russell Wilson was who we have all seem him be, a playmaker. He threw a touchdown pass to Sidney Rice with 1:18 remaining in the game to lead the Seahawks to a 24-23 victory over The Brady Bunch.
Crazy weekend in Major League Baseball. It needs its own rekap…The Washington Nationals suffered a colossial collapse blwing a 7-5 lead in the ninth inning with two outs remaining, allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to advance to the NLCS. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games to advance to the NLCS. The New York Yankees advance to the ALCS. And while we are talking about the Yankees, Google Raul Ibanez. What a story! The Detroit Tigers are facing the Yankees in the series. By the way, the Tigers are p 2-0 in the series and the Cards are up 1-0.
The Falcons remain the only undefeated team. The Texans got buried by the Packers.
The LSU Tigers brought the South Carolina Gamecocks back to reality. Sorry chickens.
The Brooklyn Nets made the preseason debut. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-105.
Clint Bowyer won the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski maintained his number one spot, barely.
Notre Dame finally beat Standford. The win moved them to number 5 in the AP poll.
No new news in hockey. Defrost already!!
The first BCS standings were released. No real surprise that the SEC holds the top two spots with Alabama and Florida.
Novak Djokovic is back to his winning ways. He took home the title at the China Open.
College basketball teams all across the country celebrated the first day of practice by holding various events. I attended Primetime with the PACK, of course :-}.
The Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA’s defending champs, shockingly loss the first game of the finals to the Indiana fever. Erlana Larkins scored 16 points in the 76-70 victory.
A week after I dropped Jets RB Shonn Greene from my fantasy roster, he goes out and rushes for 161 yards and scores three TDs against the Colts. Really dude?
Working on some gooooood stories. I am excited! Can not wait for ya’ll to read them and offer up your opinions. Until next time…TOODELLS.
Oh! What a weekend!!! Here is your rekap…
HOW BOUT THAT WOLFPACK?!?! Taking down the #3 team in the country. I am not big on rankings but hey beating the #3 team on a Saturday night on primetime TV is always gonna be BIG! Not sure why many did not expect the game to be close. I guess those folks have not paid attention to the PACK-fsu games over the last 10 years. After running 20 miles that morning, spending Saturday night at The Carter was the perfect ending to my day. REDANDWHITEFORLIFE.
Boston Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine as their manager after only one season. I guess Cupid missed on this one.
Matt Cassel, QB for the Kansas City Chiefs, got injured in their game against the Baltimore Ravens. The fans cheered. That is never cool. The fact that it happened at home is sickening.
The Colts battled back from an 18 point deficit to beat the Packers in their first game since learning of Coach Pagano’s cancer diagnosis. Reggie Wayne had a mind boggling 212 receiving yards.
Nine top 25 teams lost this weekend including #3 Florida State, #4 LSU and #5 Georgia. Crazy football weekend.
The Texas Rangers, the two time defending American League champs, were ousted from the playoffs on Friday night by the Orioles. *insert sad face*
The Falcons improved to 5-0. Now watch them mess around and lose next week to the Raiders.
Terry Francona was named the new manager for the Cleveland Indians. The recycling continues.
The NBA preseason has started. Um, yay.
Matt Kenseth won at Talledega. Brad Keselowski increased his lead in The Chase.
Nothing changed in the NHL. Still frozen.
My 9ers beat the Bills 45-3. Poor Bills, punching bags of the NFL right now.
Drew Brees threw a touchdown in his 48th straight game, breaking a 52 year old record set by Johnny Unitas. Oh and the Saints finally won a game.
Geno Smith and the West Va. Mountaineers won a shootout versus Texas 48-45. Smith continued his Heisman campaign passing for 268 yards.
Until next time….TOODELLS.
I present to you my 12 favorite athletes of ALL-TIME, in no particular order…
1. Ken Griffey, Jr~~I can admit, I was a little obsessed with Junior back in the day. I have a Griffey pennant on my wall(at my mom’s). The first pair of hi-tops I ever bought were the original Griffeys. I had a VHS tape full of his highlights and Home Run Derbys. I would watch SportsCenter over and over just to see Junior. And I still stand by a statement I made a couple of weeks ago: the man has the prettiest swing. EVER.
2. Jerry Rice~~This should come as no surprise. When you think of the 9ers, you have to think of Jerry. The man holds bookoo(is that how you spell it?) records: most TDs scored with 208, most career TD receptions with 197, most career receptions with 1549, most career receiving yards with 22,895 and the list goes on. Add to that three Super Bowl rings, a Super Bowl MVP, Offensive player of the year honors, numerous pro bowl selections, a spot in Canton and you have the G.O.A.T.
3. David Thompson~~Man oh man. How I wish I was alive to see him play. Or how I wish he was playing when I was around :-}. The stories I have heard about Skywalker are just mind boggling. His athleticism, precision, vertical abilities and sheer domination are reasons enough to You Tube him. Need more convincing, Google David Thompson blocks Bill Walton. If you do not have Skywalker in your list when it comes to college basketball’s G.O.A.T. then you really do not know roundball at all. And if you have Michael Jordan on that list and not DT, then you have LACK credibility. It is that simple. GO PACK!
4. Kristi Yamaguchi~~You would have thought I was dreaming of being a figure skater as much as I loved to watch Kristi skate. Her routines were flawless!! She was flawless! And her last name was flawless!
5. Michael Johnson~~I have been a track and field fan since I was a tiny tot. Loved participating. Loved watching. And I loooooooooved watching Michael Johnson obliterate the competition every chance he got especially in the ’96 Olympics. Other than Namath claiming a Super Bowl win, I have never seen a more bold proclamation than when Michael Johnson stepped onto the track in Atlanta in gold spikes. His then record-breaking 200m run is still my favorite Olympic moment.
6. Josh Hamilton~~If you have been around me the last few years then you know how I feel about Josh Hamilton. God-given extraordinary abilities, #1 pick out of high school, develops a bad drug habit, suspended from baseball numerous times, during a “high” moment stumbles into his grandmother’s house, she welcomes him in, he tries to go to sleep in her spare room, notices a Bible, flips through it until his eyes land on James 4:7, decides to dedicate his life to Christ, gets sober, gets back into baseball, finds a home with the Texas Rangers, sets a record in the 2008 HR Derby with 28 homers in the first round, 2010 AL MVP and is still adding to his resume. And his explanation for it all, “It’s a God thing.” Now do you understand why he’s one of my faves? Btw, if you have not read his book, Beyond Belief, do so!! Life changer.
7. Steve Young~~Yes, I love me some Joe Cool. However, Steve Young was my guy in the 90s. Dude was smooooooove, calm, cool and collected. Could scramble, throw on the run and was not afraid to talk a little trash. Plus he had that curly hair. My man.
8. Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway~~Talk about a throwback. Just like I was with Griffey, I was a little obsessed with Penny. I did not have highlight tapes but I did have his name plastered all over my wall and I used to record Lil Penny commercials. If only those injuries had not plagued him…
9. Gail Devers~~This was my girl!! That hair! That speed! Those nails!!
10. Russell Wilson~~Gamer. Baller. Professional. Hardworker. Resilient. Determined. Playmaker. Gamechanger. Anklebreaker. Humble. Kind. Leader. Wolfpacker for life.
11. Vince Carter~~I know. I know. Feelin a little bit like a traitor. He is a smerf but even I have to be honest when it comes to VC. Between ’99-’06, there was no baller player I enjoyed watching more than Vince. His athletic ability was like other worldly. Once he truly developed his game to go along with his athletic prowess, dude was nearly unstoppable. That 2000 dunk contest?! Best. Ever.
12. Peyton Manning~~Now normally, I would make the smerf LAST on my list but I can not let a smerf occupy my favorite number. I am sure ya’ll were wondering where #18 was. Do I even need to explain why he is on the list?
Until next time…TOODELLS.
Kassie Nette's Korner 