'Highly Unlikely' Anyone Cares Brett

It's finally over. Or is it? Brett Favre closed out another NFL season in typical fashion this past Sunday. He built up the hopes off all those Viking fans, who prior to this year, probably wanted to see him buried under 4 feet of snow, and then, like a knife through some Wisconsin cheddar, cut their hearts out. Dream season over. Buh-bye.

However, not 48 hours since the NFC Championship game ended, Brett Favre fired off his first of many soundbites to come. 'Ed Werder of ESPN, come on down, you're the first contestant on the "Quote Is Right." Brett Favre told Ed Werder it is "highly unlikely" that he returns to play football next season. Rrrrrrright....and it's highly unlikely that Rex Ryan eats a Meat Lovers pizza as a midnight snack this week. I'm not buying it.

Here is the sad part: Every media outlet in the country is going to obsess over this story for months. The New Orleans Saints won the game and are heading to their first Super Bowl, and all we hear about on SportsCenter and talk radio is, "will Brett Favre come back next season." Come on people! You've all seen this movie before! Heck, you bought the DVD and pull it out ever summer right?! Favre craves attention. He will hold Vikings fans hostage for another summer. He will schedule multiple TV appearances. In some he will cry. Some he will be unshaven (that must be a stipulation of his Wrangler jeans contract.) Then he will wait for the right moment - perhaps when his Q rating dips below Jay Leno's - He'll hint that he will talk it over with his family. Ed Werder will then be forced to set up camp at the Motel 6 in Hattiesberg, Mississippi. Cue the video of Brad Childress flying down there to visit Brett on his ranch. Insert quote from Childress where he claims he was just on a fishing trip. Throw in a hot rumor from Mort regarding Donovan McNabb to Minnesota, and........SCENE.

This my friends, is your crystal ball for the next 5 months....or until the first Vikings mini-camp opens. My advice to everyone is Don't Pay Attention. If we show Brett Favre that we just don't care what he does, maybe he will leaves us all alone! Don't give him a microphone. Let him spend his offseason in Mississippi stewing over the last pass of his career. He's crushed the hearts of fans all over the Midwest in 2 of his last 3 seasons by making poor decisions. Perhaps the ultimate payback is for us to stop caring about this one...

Shaking Off Defenders and a Reputation

This Sunday Reggie Bush has a chance to shake it all off. He has the chance to save face for the entire fraternity. Reggie Bush may get the chance to strike his own pose in the Super Bowl for the New Orleans Saints -- something not too many former Heisman Trophy winners have been able to do in a long, long time.

It's been chronicled for years. Heisman trophy winners, for whatever reason, don't have success at the NFL level. Since 1990, there has only been two former Heisman Trophy winners that have had an impact on a big playoff game in the NFL. The first one was 1996, and his name was Desmond Howard. The former Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan (1991), was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI for the Green Bay Packers. The other name is Eddie George. The 1995 Heisman winner from Ohio State scored a couple of touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, but in a loss, to the St. Louis Rams.

Aside from those two players, we've seen the other 18 Heisman winners have limited access to big stage moments in their careers. Guys like Rashaan Salaam, Chris Weinke, Ricky Williams, Carson Palmer, Troy Smith and Ron Dayne all landed on their feet in the NFL, however, none have played an integral part in getting their team to a conference championship game the way Reggie Bush has this year.

Bush has faced incredible pressure from day one in the NFL. He was the ultimate human highlight film at USC and arrived in New Orleans at a time when a city and a franchise needed a shot of adrenaline on and off the field. As time passed, his game developed a reputation as 'style over substance'. Many around the league questioned his durability. The Saints trotted out power back after power back, hence, limiting Reggie's touches. Reggie always waited patiently for his number to be called. Last Saturday night, that patience paid off. Reggie was responsible for two monster touchdowns which lead to a Saints victory and a trip to the NFC Championship game.

This Sunday we'll all be watching again. Many of us will be pulling for the Saints and the positive vibes this magical season is having on the city of New Orleans. Across the country, you get the sense that past Heisman trophy winners will be watching too. It's only fitting that they will be pulling for their fraternity brother. If all goes according to plan, perhaps this proud member will be hoisting a different trophy on February 7th in Miami. Could he pull off the rare double play? From Heisman winner to Super Bowl Champion? That's one reputation Reggie Bush would be very proud of.

Life in the Fast 'Lane'

From the minute the University of Southern California hired Lane Kiffin, I've heard nothing but negative comments from every sportswriter, talk show host and college football fan. While most are scratching their heads at this hire by the Trojan empire, I am quietly pumping my fist.

The predominant question I hear is, "what has this brat ever done?" Paying your dues is in the eye of the beholder. Lane Kiffin got into coaching in 1997. Not 2007....1997. He took the same route most coaches take, he started as a graduate assistant, at the school he played for, Fresno State. From there he held jobs at Colorado State, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then finally landed at USC in 2001, where he spent five years learning under arguably the nation's top coach, in Pete Carroll. In 2005, Lane was given the opportunity to be involved in the offensive play calling on his own. That season, the Trojans offense averaged 49 points per game and 579 yards per game. He developed such players as Keary Colbert, Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett. So, for the record, he started at USC in 2001, and when Norm Chow left in 2005, he was handed the play calling duties and delivered. That smells like "paying your dues" to me.

For the past decade, USC has been called 'the closest thing to an NFL program in college football.' Pete Carroll ran a pro style offense during his tenure in Los Angeles. Kiffin was a rising star and an NFL team came calling, in the Oakland Raiders. That doesn't seem too far fetched. Your an NFL owner, you want to hire an up-and-coming energetic guy, and if you look in the college ranks, Lane Kiffin kinda fits that bill. Well, things didn't work out in Oakland, but they rarely do...for anybody! Lane probably regretted leaving USC at that moment, and he couldn't go back, since his role was filled by Steve Sarkisian.

Then, Tennessee came calling. Lane wanted a shot at running a program. Anybody that lived in the South this past year could tell that Lane was like a fish out of water. He was like the newbie in the prison yard who wanted to do something brash to let the other inmates know he could hold his own here. Did it help? Was he a bit over the top? Aside from aggravating fans at every school in the South, he did improve Tennessee's win total and quarterback Jonathan Crompton had his best season ever, throwing 26 touchdowns.

When Pete Carroll announced he was leaving USC, you don't think every coach in America (not named Saban or Meyer) had the same thought, "Should I make a call?" Bright lights. Big city. No NFL team, no semblance of a program in Westwood. California recruiting base. Oh, and a school that has as rich a history and tradition as any program in the country. Ask any assistant coach that was part of USC's dominate run this decade what their dream job is, and they would all tell you, 'to walk in Pete Carroll's shoes.' So why was everyone so shocked, when Lane Kiffin was offered to slip on those sneakers, that he tied up his laces and headed West?

Here is an analogy: you are a marketing analyst at Coca-Cola for 5 years. RC Cola offers you the CEO position at their company. You leave Coke and take the job. A year later, Coca-Cola calls you and asks if you would like to be the new CEO OF COCA-COLA. The biggest brand in your industry. What would you do? You'd be the CEO of Coke...that's what you'd do!

If Lane didn't have such a surly attitude, I think outsiders would be more understanding of his decision to leave Tennessee after one year. Does it stink for the kids? Yes, but Lane Kiffin is human, and he has to do what's best for himself and his family first. Who doesn't live by that creed? Self and family first.

Another line I've heard over and over again these past 24 hours, "this guy is a walking secondary violation." Guess what - College Football is a walking secondary violation. Go google, "SEC Football Violation" and see what you find. There are recent stories on LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and yes even Vanderbilt. So please, get off the moral soap box and stop acting like Lane Kiffin is the only coach in America committing secondary violations.

Bottom line is Lane Kiffin feels at home at USC. Isn't that what we all look to achieve in life? Finding a career at a company that feels like home. Only time will tell if the move into his new 'home' on the West coast works out for him and the university. In the meantime, you can bet that everyone outside of the USC family will be hoping the Trojan Empire goes into foreclosure.

Revel With A Cause

On the heels of my college Alma mater (U.S.C.) losing Pete Carroll to a mediocre NFL coaching job, I began to wonder just why my blackberry had been blowing up the past 24 hours. Then it occurred to me, as sports fans (heck, as humans), we like to revel in the demise of greatness. All my friends that had to endure my gloating for seven years straight, finally were given the last laugh.

Seven years of winning the PAC10. A record six BCS Bowl victories. Two National Championships. Seven consecutive A.P. Top4 finishes. Twenty-Five All-Americans and Three Heisman Trophy winners. Yeah....that just smells like a lot of swagger for anyone who is part of the Trojan Family.

I received calls coast-to-coast from friends trying to test my temperature (I prefer: 'rattle my cage') upon hearing the devastating news that our leader, quite frankly, had enough of the NCAA politics and wanted to upgrade his 'operating system' by accepting an offer from Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner, Paul Allen. I even received one text from a dubious FSU graduate that said, "USC will become nonexistent." Now, if that's not the pot calling the kettle black. If he thinks USC is going to become irrelevant with our successful coach leaving....what the heck is going to happen to the Seminoles program, which has been irrelevant WITH their legendary coach, who is retiring?

We all have a friend who follows their program a little too 'out loud'. It could be a Laker fan, a RedSox fan, or a Florida Gator fan. Too much success leads to emotions on their sleeve, their pants, their shoes, hats etc... However, good news for us, sports is unscripted. Nothing is guaranteed and that includes continued success. Eventually the tide will turn and those teams that enjoyed success for extended periods of time will end up in the back of the line once again waiting their turn. Guess who else is waiting in the back of the line? Those friends you've been ragging on from the front of the line all those years. It's the old adage, "misery loves company." Most of the friends that called were the ones that haven't experienced success in awhile.

About a week ago I witnessed this same phenomenon in Atlanta. When Urban Meyer initially announced he was stepping down as the head coach from the Gators, every University of Georgia fan/alumni was happier than a bulldog on a bag of ice in summer. I'm sure Gator fans received the same calls and text messages I got. Again, human nature takes over and sports fans just had to revel in the looming demise of greatness. Of course when Meyer had a change of heart (no pun intended), and announced he may return to coaching the Gators after some time away, Georgia fans all of sudden sounded a little too concerned about his health. I heard more UGA fans crying, "He's putting his life at risk, he shouldn't come back. He's putting team before family." Who knew UGA fans were so worried about the well being of Urban Meyer. Needless to say, it was pretty transparent. Georgia fans (and SEC fans for that matter) wanted to revel in the end of the Meyer era, but this 'Urban legend' just wouldn't let them.

So have at it all you haters. Enjoy your moment right now as the USC Trojans try maintain their level of excellence in L.A.P. (Life After Pete). Keep hoping that this is the end of the Trojan's run. Keep hoping that we get sent to the back of the line. In the interim, I'll leave you with this: Trojan Football has become a brand. It's a brand that high school kids across America know and respect. It's brand that was around before Pete Carroll, winning championships in the 1960's and 70's, and will be around after Pete Carroll in decades to come. Now that is something I can revel in...

Loaded Questions

Over the past 24 hours two news stories have broke involving athletes and guns. In Washington D.C., word (rumors) began to spread that two teammates on the Wizards allegedly pulled a gun on each other over a dispute involving an unpaid gambling debt. In Knoxville, Tennessee Men's Basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced he was suspending four of his players after being pulled over by police and authorities found drugs and a weapon on the car.

Two stories within 24 hours, involving athletes and guns. These certainly aren't the first reports and won't be the last. We all know about the incident with Giant's wide receiver, Plaxico Burress, carrying a loaded weapon into a club, which discharged, injuring himself. In the NBA, Stephen Jackson earned his spot on the police blotter when he fired a gun outside a strip club back in 2006. That same year, back in the NFL, Tank Johnson violated his parole by possessing six unregistered firearms.

So this begs the question: How come we never hear of a positive story involving athletes and guns? Oh, I know why...because they don't exist! It's never, "...and if it wasn't for the gun Stephen Jackson had under his shirt, he would have really been in trouble." Or, "Great job by Gilbert Arenas pulling his gun on his teammate. He really defused a tense situation." Point is, nothing good has ever come out of an athlete having a gun on his possession.

Look, I understand that many athletes feel concerned for their safety when they are out socially. However, don't you wonder where these athletes are hanging out that would make them think, "Wallet. Car keys. Gun. Ok, I'm ready to hit the town!" I'm sorry, I know many of these athletes want to "keep it real" and stay true to their roots, but the reality is, once you sign that professional contract, you aren't like your boys you grew up with anymore. You are immediately launched into a new tax bracket, your toys are different and quite frankly, your social circle moved from general admission to the V.I.P. section. You can't fight change. Athletes have to learn to evolve and adapt to their new found financial status.

Another piece of advice, don't make yourself a target. That means, dial down the bling a little bit when stepping out to the club. If you want to strap on the diamond crusted Jacob watch while driving to the arena for a home game, great...have at it. But if you are on the road and want to hit the clubs the night before a game with your boys, how about leaving the giant diamond #20 chain at home. Another tip, two words: Debit Card. How many times do we hear about an athlete that got robbed who had some outrageous amount of cold hard cash in his pocket?

For every athlete that insists they carry a gun for protection, there are 10 who don't. The ones who don't are probably spending their free time in environments that aren't conducive to trouble finding them.

The NBA and NFL are very insistent in their rules that their players do not bring weapons to team facilities, arenas, stadiums. Until this past week, the team locker room was supposed to be the safe haven for many of these athletes. It was the one place they probably felt they didn't need protection from 'potential trouble.' Apparently, the rules have changed.