My thoughts on sports and life

He was either a misunderstood kid who was never able to escape the trappings of a rough childhood combined with the sudden influx of a lot of money, or he was a knucklehead who repeatedly fell into a pattern of ill-advised behavior. His criminal record makes it easy to look down on him as another thug who didn't "get it". However, like most things, the world of Chris Henry wasn't one of blacks and whites, but one that was perpetually gray. Like many, Henry used athletics as an escape for a family life that wasn't easy. A natural athlete, he excelled at many sports, but football was his love. At 6'5" and just under 200 lbs, "Slim" was a natural receiver, and he was an immediate star at West Virginia, recording 22 touchdowns in two seasons of play. He moved on to the NFL in 2005, joining the Cincinnati Bengals as a third round draft pick. As a professional, he used his speed and size to become a game-changing deep threat. He scored 15 touchdowns...

Last night, I dreamed I went to football heaven. As I walked toward the bright lights, I could hear the faint roar of a crowd, and as I passed through a turnstile, I was greeted by the smell of popcorn, hot dogs, and cotton candy. I was welcomed by a large man who might have looked intimidating elsewhere, but here looked as threatening as a newborn kitten. He introduced himself as Deacon, and said he'd show me around. We headed out to the left, onto a large field of the greenest grass I'd ever seen. Just ahead a group of young men in green ran a loose scrimmage, laughing as they ran plays. The only thing greener than the grass was the "M" on the helmets, and though I didn't recognize the players individually, the unmistakable chant of "We are Marshall!" from the few spectators gave their identity away. Standing among the players, alongside a man with a clipboard, was another man I recognized. He was wearing a houndstooth hat and looked as much at hom...

Last Season : The Indianapolis Colts shocked a lot of people in 2012 by rallying behind a rookie quarterback and interim head coach Bruce Arians, who stepped in when Chuck Pagano was diagnosed and receiving treatment for leukemia. Chuck Strong became, not only a slogan, but an inspiration for the team and its city. After a 2-3 start, they finished on a 9-2 run, making the playoffs as a wild card, and captured the hearts of many people along the way. Andrew Luck showed he was as advertised, making some rookie mistakes, but also making plays that were simply breathtaking. He also proved to be a master of the 4th quarter, leading the league in come-from-behind victories. Statistically, they were pretty average, ranking 18th in scoring offense and 21st in scoring defense. They also had a -12 turnover ratio. Their playoff trip might be difficult to explain, but it was fun to watch. Offense : The Colts offense will succeed for fail on the back of Andrew Luck. Detractors could point to his ...

Last Season : The 2012 NFL season was yet another one of frustration and losing for the Browns. They had a nice stretch in the middle of the season where they went 5-3, with wins over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but that success was surrounded by an 0-5 start and an 0-3 finish, and a 5-11 overall record. The problems with the team were numerous, from an ineffective quarterback, to an injured RB, to a defense that couldn't consistently stop opponents. This has led to whole-sale changes with the team, including an entirely new coaching staff. With the new ownership facing off-the-field issues, and the other teams in the division seemingly set up for success, the Browns face an uphill battle this season. Offense : The Browns offense averaged just 18 points per game last season, and never got in a groove. They have to improve this year, and that falls mainly on the shoulders of Brandon Weeden. The team added Jason Campbell this offseason, but Weeden will get another chance after strug...

Last Season : The Baltimore Ravens spent the 2012 regular season on a roller-coaster ride. On any week, they were capable of putting up 40+ points, but it was equally possible that they would be held under 20. Joe Flacco was particularly inconsistent, and seemed unable to get into a groove. On defense, they were solid, but injuries and age kept them from being at their best. Despite some bumps in the road, they finished 11-5, won the AFC North, and made the playoffs. That's when the fun began. After an opening round win over Indy and a miracle in Denver, they beat the Patriots before a thrilling Super Bowl that gave Ray Lewis a career-ending ring and the franchise its second championship. Offense : All eyes will be on Joe Flacco in 2013 after his Super Bowl win and huge contract signing. He has all the tools to be an elite QB, but questions about his game will continue until he shows consistency during the season. His arm is fine, but he tends to make some questionable decisions ...

Last Season : The 2012 season was one of bitter disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a 6-3 start that saw them battling for first place, they lost five of their last seven games, including a tough loss at home to the Cincinnati Bengals that all but ended their playoff hopes. The Steelers defense, once again, was very good, topping the NFL in yards per game and finishing sixth in points per game. However, the offense was disappointing, winding up the season ranked 22nd in scoring. The running game, normally a strength, was abysmal and ranked 28th in the NFL. The lack of a great running back and injuries that hampered Ben Roethlisberger were mostly to blame for an uncharacteristically poor offense, especially down the stretch. Offense : Big Ben once again lines up under center in 2013, and as one of the truly elite QBs in the NFL, automatically makes Pittsburgh a contender. His style of play, and his own injury history, gives fans pause every time he takes a hit. His tende...

Linebacker Aaron Maybin is considered to be a bust by nearly any definition of the word. The former number eleven overall pick, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason, is on his third team in four years, and maybe be running out of chances in the NFL. Adding to the difficulty of reviving his career is the prospect of doing so while learning a new position, something that can prove nearly impossible, even for the most talented of players. He'll need to persevere through a lot of hard work in order to get where he wants to be. However, perseverance is something Aaron Maybin has in spades. Maybin's battles with tragedy began early in life, with his mother passing away when he was six due to complications with childbirth. He also began painting and drawing as a means of pushing through the tragedy and dealing with his attention-deficit disorder. Football and art became his means of escape from a world of pain and trouble, and he was equally adept at both. He carrie...

One shot. Legends rise and fall based on it. Championships are won and lost on it. Memories are haunted by it. Michael Jordan did a lot of great things throughout his career, but the lasting image is him rising up over Byron Russell, draining what would be the Finals-winning shot over the Utah Jazz in the 1998 Finals. Robert Horry, though not an all-time great, is forever remembered for clutch shots in the post-season. Reggie Miller's exploits against the New York Knicks were just short of miraculous. Even guys like John Paxon and Steve Kerr have single moments that cement their place in NBA history, moments etched it time that will never be forgotten. There are opportunities every season for other players to add their names to the list of guys making their mark with a single shot. Some make it, and some, unfortunately don't. It should come as no surprise that the 2013 NBA Finals hinged on one as well. Game six wasn't the last game of the series, but it was pivotal...

Last Season : The 2012 Cincinnati Bengals were a team of ups and downs. After winning three straight, they lost four straight and fell to 3-5 and looked like a team in decline. However, they came together, winning seven of their last eight games, finished at 10-6 and made their third trip to the playoffs in four seasons. Once again, they were led by a fierce defense, finishing near the top of the league in several defensive categories. One of team's biggest strength was on the defensive line, with Geno Atkins putting himself in the discussion as the best defensive tackle in the NFL. The Bengals finished third in the league in sacks, paced by the 12 1/2 by Atkins. Michael Johnson had a breakout year with 11 sacks of his own. Offensively, Cincinnati struggled with inconsistency and finished near the bottom of the league in yards per game. WR AJ Green established himself as a top five receiver and the offensive line played very well, but the running game, while effective at times, did...

Last Season : The 2012 season started out promisingly for the New York Jets. After an offseason full of distractions, and an 0-4 preseason, they blasted Buffalo 48-28, and gave fans hope that the season wouldn't be a disaster. However, after a 2-1 start, the lost five of the next six games, en route to a 6-10 final record. By the end of the year, the word circus was being tossed around, and the Jets appeared to be a franchise without direction and without a lot of hope for a quick turnaround. They were solid defensively, but offensively they were one of the worst teams in the NFL. Turnovers were a huge issue that plagued them all year. Offense : The Jets averaged less than 18 points per game last season, and will need to improve that number. Quarterback Mark Sanchez bumbled and butt-fumbled his way through 2012, and is hanging on to his job by a thread. Geno Smith was drafted this offseason, and could take over early if Sanchez continues to be a turnover machine. Behind whoever p...

Last Season : The 2012 Miami Dolphins out-played the expectations of many, finishing at 7-9 and second in the AFC East. They picked up wins against a couple of playoff teams, Cincinnati and Seattle, along the way, mostly by playing solid defense, holding opponents to just under 20 points per game, seventh best in the league. Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill had some growing pains, but showed the potential that made him the eighth overall draft pick. A relatively uninspiring cast around him certainly didn't help. The strength of the team was definitely on the defensive side of the ball, led by Pro Bowl DE Cameron Wake, who racked up 15 sacks. Offense : Tannehill leads a group on offense that is overall better and more dynamic than last year's offensive squad thanks to the additions the team made through free agency, adding speed and play-making ability. The biggest signing to that end was WR Mike Wallace, as good a deep threat as there is in the NFL. Tannehill will be able to use his ...

Last Season : The 2012 season saw the Buffalo Bills as a team that could get wins against its weaker opponents, but that struggled mightily against good teams. The defensive side of the ball was especially troublesome and allowed opponents to score more than 40 points four times, and 50 or more twice. The team had some nice offensive performances, but it wasn't enough to keep them from losing seven of their last ten, and finishing tied with the Jets for the worst record in the AFC East. Offense : The offense will see big changes for the 2013 season, starting right at the top with the quarterback position. Gone is Ryan Fitzpatrick, replaced by Kevin Kolb who was brought in via free agency. The team also drafted EJ Manuel, who will compete for the job as well. The Bills do have a star, and one of the most exciting players in the league at RB in the form of CJ Spiller. Spiller rushed for 1,200 yards despite having just 207 carries and had some of the NFL's more spectacular plays...

The obvious answer to the titular question is "no", since at 29 years of age, Aaron Rodgers hasn't put in enough years to make a claim as the greatest QB ever. The guys who have been around for 15-20 years, proving their mettle over time, that's who gets to be the greatest of all time, not some kid who hasn't even reached his thirties yet. It's names like Montana, Unitas, Elway, and even Brady and Manning that dot most lists of the best to play the position, while after just five seasons as a starter, Rodgers shouldn't even be considered. Should he? It's easy to look at overall statistics, like Brett Favre's 71,000 yards passing and 500 touchdowns, or the number of Super Bowl rings a QB has, such as Joe Montana's four, and leave it at that. However, those are cumulative stats, which don't tell the whole story. Compare some other stats that show a more complete picture and you get some interesting information. Rodgers has the second highes...

Last Season : When we last left the New England Patriots, they were on the losing end of a 28-13 game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. It was a another disappointing ending to a season for a team that contends every season, having made the playoffs in seven of the last eight season since their last Super Bowl win. Tom Brady and the offense was spectacular, as usual, but the defense was one of the league's worst, a fact that came back to haunt them against the eventual champions in the playoffs. Offense : The 2013 version of the Patriots will once again be led by sure-fire Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady. At age 35, Tom Terrific is still one of the NFL's elite QBs and there's no reason to think the coming year won't be another great one. He will, however, have to deal with some changes around him. Gone is his former #1 target, Wes Welker, replaced by Danny Amendola. Brandon Lloyd is also out. Malcolm Jenkins, Donald Jones, and two rookies...

In a sport like the football, injuries are inevitable, with the smallest of measurements between a minor pain and a season-ending catastrophe. Injuries have slowed, and even ended, the careers of more than one player, and sometimes great players, or players who could become great. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is hoping to avoid adding his name to that list. In 2011, "Gronk" recorded 90 receptions for over 1,300 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns (He also had one carry for two yards and another TD). He was elected to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All Pro as well, and seemed to be on the verge of extended greatness. He began the 2012 season strongly as well, but was beset by a broken forearm and missed five games, returning at the end of the year. Unfortunately, he re-injured the arm in a playoff game and needed another surgery to repair it. That's when the major problems began. An infection set up in his arm and he had to undergo another proced...

The Cincinnati Bengals have an agenda in 2013. Having made the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in three decades, they now have even loftier goals, a trip, not only to the postseason, but the ultimate prize, a Super Bowl victory. The Bengals haven't made it to the NFL's championship game since their heart-breaking, tear-inducing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII, a loss that most fans have yet to fully recover from. Now, after a dark era of being a league doormat, and a long rebuilding period, the team stands on the verge of consistently being among the top teams, and a deep playoff run would solidify their status as a team to watch.  The main catalyst behind the revival of such a downtrodden franchise has been their success in the NFL Draft. During the down times of the 1990's, the draft was a source of frustration for both the Bengals and their fans, with bad picks being more common than good. There were some bright spots, but top se...

If you ask most of the men on this planet about their mother, they'll say that she's a saint, and it's probably true. If a child grows up and becomes a successful adult, they almost always had a mother who raised them the right way, and who serves as a driving force behind who they are in life. It is said that behind every good man is a good woman, and while that particular saying is usually in reference to a wife (which is certainly true), it should be in connection with his mother, who likely is the reason he's a good man in the first place, having molded him from birth. Mother's Day is when we all take the opportunity to say thank you to our moms for all the thankless jobs they've done over the years. However, one day just isn't enough for all that they do. They serve as our doctors, teachers, cooks, chauffeurs, counselors, lawyers, and when needed, our jailers, along with a thousand other things, and they never complain. A mother's work is, literal...

1.  Kansas City Chiefs :  Luke Joeckel, OT - The Chiefs are on the verge of sending Brandon Albert to the Miami Dolphins, making a starting LT to protect new QB Alex Smith's blindside the biggest need in this draft. Joeckel has everything you could want and more and should be the pick here. 2.  Jacksonville Jaguars :  Dion Jordan, LB - Geno Smith is a strong option here, because Blaine Gabbert has shown he's just not an NFL QB. However, there is a good possibility the Jags will want to improve their pass rush. Jordan has the potential to be a dominant force there, but is also solid in coverage. His versatility and pure talent make him a top 5 pick. 3.  Oakland Raiders :  Ezekial Ansah, DE - It seems almost certain that the Raiders will either trade back, or draft a D-lineman. It could be a tackle, but I think the upside of Ansah could tempt them here. He has the size and speed to move around on that line and, with a little work, be a dominant player. 4....