Friday, December 30, 2011

Former NFL Player Loses Wife to Cancer 1 Month After Marriage

In a touching love story that shows love conquers all, former NFL player, Chris Draft married the love of his life on November 27 and then a month to the date after tying the knot, he lost his wife Keasha to cancer. LaKeasha Monique Rutledge Draft passed away on Tuesday after a battle with cancer.

Draft posted on his website, “My wife, (La)Keasha Monique Rutledge Draft passed away today at 12:04 pm. RIP Sweetie.”

According to The YBF, the two wed in a small ceremony on November 27th in Atlanta, Georgia, where Keasha, undeterred by her illness, used a wheelchair to get down the aisle and managed to take a few steps at the end.

Our condolences and prayers go out to both families.

Funeral services will be held in South Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m. 




Keasha & Chris Draft Wedding Trailer from KRJ PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Too Easy for Drew Breesy

Who dat say that record was a "brees" to break? 

Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to minimize the great accomplishment of Drew Brees in breaking Dan Marinos record for passing yards. It is, instead, an attempt to put in perspective on why so many offensive records will continue to be broken and none will last as long as they have in prior years. Dan Marino’s record stood for 27 years…..Drew Brees record will not.

Did you know: If Brees sits out in Week 17….all Tom Brady has to do is pass for 191 yards and the passing record would be broken ….again?!


Opening week of the 2011 NFL season saw five games where both QB’s on each team pass for more than 300 yards. This is all no surprise because the game has changed drastically over the decades, and those changes have accelerated in recent years, making it much easier to pass the ball and easier than ever for new quarterbacks to have immediate impacts on their teams (see Andy Dalton and Cam Newton).
This decade has been led by two NFL commissioners who never played the game of football beyond high school. Paul Tagliabue, who retired in 2006, was a lawyer whose athletic “expertise” came from playing college basketball. Current commish, Roger Goodell, was a three sport star in high school. Other than that, these are business men, not athletes. Yet these are the men who have overseen the rules for the NFL.

The rule changes from 1978 (the way in which offensive lineman could block with their arms straight out and the 10 yard chuck rule being lessened to a measly five yards) created an offensive explosion in the NFL, basically turning QB’s into the face of the game because these rules benefit them most. NFL rules today has turned the QB into anything but a football player. The defender can’t tackle the QB too hard, hit him too high or too low,. If he lands on (not HIT….LAND on) a QB, a penalty and fine are on their way!  The role of a great defense has been lessened (not eliminated, just minimized) by these rules. If a team wants to play defense the way NFL Films often pay tribute to, they will be fined, suspended, and labeled “dirty” (see Detroit Lions, James Harrison). The defense really has no “fair” chance to compete anymore. What rules have been implemented to protect or benefit the defense? I’ll give you some time to think about it. At this rate there will be a one-hand touch rule and eventually the QB will have a red flag on him! With receivers running around untouched, pass interference coming from breathing on the neck of a receiver, and QB’s sitting back untouched, timing on pass patterns has greatly increased thus you get increase in pass/receiving yards. TD catches/passes.
It’s all parallel to when the NBA got rid of the hand check, implemented defensive 3 seconds, beefed up on the flagrant fouls (a hard foul by Dennis “The Worm” Rodman was just that…a foul), and the way the game is called so tightly. It’s gotten to the point that if a player goes to the basket and gets touched….they throw their hands in the air automatically looking for a foul to be called.  If Michael Jordan had all these NBA friendly offensive player benefits that NBA  players have today (I laugh in wow as I think about it), he would have averaged and scored a lot more points. The fact that he got it done when it was ok to put an elbow to the chest of another player HARD to send a message. When it was ok to actually aggressively defend without being told “ok you’re defending too closely” by the ref when he blows his whistle.  I said all that to say These high-scoring, record setting players (NFL, NBA, MLB etc) aren’t better than players of the past. They just have advantages their predecessors never enjoyed.
If a basic fan is watching a football game and the score is 13-6….that game is “boring”. The NFL knows this ($$$$$$$$). They have to continue to manipulate the game so that games result in the, ball slinging,  47-42 shoot outs. I’m not that old, but in my time of watching football and via conversations with the “old heads”, there was a time when football was a truly a hard sport to play for ALL players. Nowadays we have stats boosted and helped by rules. Stats that diminish predecessors who had to actually earn their praise without being helped out by neither the league’s front office nor rules to carry them into the record books. 
While some may say that the athletes today are superior that may be true, but only in athleticism. In regards to ability, that can be debated more because the fundamentals of the game were much more important to posses back then. I say bring back the 10-yard chuck rule and let’s see how well the players do when they are actually earning those stats while being fairly defended.
 
Passing leaders 2011 (as of Week 16)
Drew Brees 5,087
Tom Brady 4,897 (-190)
Aaron Rodgers 4,643 (-444)
Eli Manning 4,587 (-500)
Matthew Stafford 4,518 (569)
<ⷐ㳪 > 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Guest Beauty: Love and Basketball

The first question I get, particularly from women, almost every time someone finds out I am dating a professional basketball player is “what is it like?” Most of the time, my response is positive because I don't want to degrade my man or his career in any way. However for the sake of any woman who may be reading this and would like a more realistic view on what it is really like to date an athlete, I will be brutally honest.

For the record, I love my boyfriend. We've been through a lot of ups and downs and no matter what his profession is, I will be there to support him 100%. I had to put that disclaimer out there because by the time you finish reading this you may think I totally hate him!

The first and most important thing you need to remember when dating an athlete is always remain true to your goals and career aspirations. The fact of the matter is the career of a professional athlete is filled with a lot of uncertainties. At any time a team could decide he is no longer a fit for their system and trade him to another team or simply cut him. Then he could find himself scrambling to find another job or entertaining an offer from a European team. As we saw with the lockout, playing overseas is a very realistic option for many professional basketball players who can't make it in the NBA. With this kind of uncertainty it's easy to get completely consumed in following him around thus losing yourself. Trust me when I say eventually, you will regret neglecting your own dreams.

Another thing to remember is trust is key to any successful relationship but especially when dating an athlete. Unfortunately with his profession, he will be subject to a lot of attention from the “ladies” (and I use that term very loosely). However if you worry yourself about what he's doing and when he's doing it then it will drive you and ultimately him crazy. Until he gives you a reason not to trust him then don't just assume because you've heard horror stories about how much athletes cheat.

Thirdly if you want to date an athlete just because you want a glamorous lifestyle, you would be better off getting a doctor or business man. As I stated earlier, the career of an athlete is very uncertain. According to theshorthorn.com fewer than 1% of college basketball players actually make it to the NBA. I know WAGs (wives and girlfriends) like Khloe Kardashian Odom, LaLa Anthony and Gabrielle Union make the life look enticing, but truth is, most players have to work their ass off just to keep a roster spot. There are very few superstars like Kobe and Lebron who, if they never bounced another ball a day in their life would be financially set along with their families. There are hundreds of thousands of young guys looking to get an NBA contract and with the new CBA, teams are being even more careful about the guys they shell out long term contracts to in an effort to stop wasting money. Not to mention there is always the possibility of a career ending injury every time a player steps out on the court for a game. I can't speak for anyone else but that uncertainty is not worth it if I don't truly love him.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of perks to dating an athlete. The flexibility of his schedule allows us to spend a lot of time together and not to mention getting to travel to different cities and countries. However there are a lot of things you have to deal with that you wouldn't otherwise with a guy who is not an athlete. My advice? Don't choose him solely because of his profession because its not worth it. At the end of the day a healthy and lasting relationship will have nothing to do with his job and everything to do with the love the two of you share.

Submitted by: "Incognesha" aka Anonymous

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tebow 3:16


Tebow praying after game

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

This is the scripture displayed on the eye black of QB Tim Tebow.

Many know that I am an advocate for “kill the madness” when it comes to Tim Tebow. I don’t believe that he is this amazing quarterback who can get it done in clutch time. I’m not a fan. I watch the Denver Broncos play and I see a defense that’s a nuisance to their opponents and yet all I hear is high praise for Tebow. I see a team that has scored more than 20 points offensively only 4  times this year (2 of those game there was a Defensive/Special team TD) which to me spells DEFENSE! But for most of the sports commentating world it spells Tebow, Tebow, Tebow. Defense gets an interception….Tebow did it! Kicker makes a 51 yard field goal…Tebow did it! Marion Barber fumbles and Denver recovers…Tebow did it. I’m over it and it’s just a blatant attempt to pump this guy up into something he is not. There are 31 other starting QB’s in the NFL…I would take most of them over Tebow.   
That being said. I know that the Broncos of today are the same Broncos that were 1-4 before Tebow took over. That is where I give Tebow credit for INSPIRING his teammates. Not his physical ability, but his spiritual ability. The ability to make believers out of his teammates to pull together for one another. Trust one another. Have faith in one another.  Tebow is accomplishing what he does on the field, against all odds and against the critics because of one thing….his FAITH.  

Tebow is not afraid to display his faith

After  this weeks overtime defeat  of the Chicago Bears, the quarterback pointed toward the sky from the sideline and said with a smile, "Thank you, Lord" before hugging teammates and coaches.
Moments later he began his post game interview as he always does, by thanking "my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." And he ended it just as he always does, as well, telling the reporter: "God Bless."


One of my favorite wide receivers EVER, Larry Fitzgerald, who is open about his own faith, said this about Tebow "He's had success doing it the right way. He's setting a good example for kids by demonstrating that whatever your religion, if you believe strongly in it, live your life the way you want to live it, don't let society dictate how you live your faith." ..and I agree.

Psalm 37:4 says "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Tim Tebow desires to win….and he is.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

How to Fake a Sportsgasm

So you have a date this weekend with a guy that is a sports enthusiast and you want to be able to impress him. Or you are going to hang out with your boyfriend and his friend and you don't want to feel left out when the conversation turns to sports??


Sports talk is a social obsession for alot of people. It happens man-to-man, man-to-woman, woman-to-woman and woman-to-man. When you talk sports, you bond with people. Lots of  people are intrigued with a woman that can "talk" sports. That conversation can mean, getting an invite to that hip party, closing that next business deal, making it to that critical second date and more.


Ladies (and SOME guys)…take notes!


1.Read. the sports section of the newspaper/Internet serves a purpose. Believe it or not, it can be read! Not just for social networking or enjoyment, but for information gathering. The day of, spend about 10 minutes scanning the sports section. It gives you just enough information to fake the conversation for the day. It tells you who won, who lost and what the scores were. You will also read about key plays, major injuries or any controversial calls. Basically, the sports section summarizes a three-hour game into about a three-minute read. The key here is to make the headlines sound like your own words!


2. Get to know the basics of "the game." Simulating sports talk is like learning how to speak conversational  Spanish. There are some basics you just need to know to get by. (I mean….who doesn’t know what bueno and gracias mean in Spanish!?) For example, when talking sports scores, know that football uses touchdowns, baseball uses runs, basketball uses points and hockey uses goals. Another basic? You absolutely, positively need to know the names of your home teams and some of their players. Flub a basic and you're bound to get caught faking a sportsgasm. And that can be quite embarrassing!


3. Answer questions with questions. If you are asked “Man, did you see that last night?” and you have no idea what game he or she is talking about, the safe answer is always “Can you believe it?”. The beauty:-) of this answer is that its non-committal. It doesn’t say whether or not you watched the game and it doesn’t matter how the game turned out. It could have been great or lousy. “Can you believe it?” works for just about every scenario imaginable. Plus, you’ve applied a “reverse question block” where you answer a question with a question. This gets them talking more, which gives you valuable sound bites to repeat back and they won’t even have a clue what just happened!


4.Have an exit strategy. This is where, when you have nowhere else to go, you throw up your hands and say “I can’t even talk about this anymore” and in a condescending tone repeatedly say “ok, you’re right, I’m wrong”. If executed properly, they will think you’re completely irrational and emotional. That’s exactly what you want them to think. Keep in mind, true sports talk is built on being irrational and emotional. I am both  when talking about my Dallas sports teams!

Source:wikihow

Random knowledge: A recent study revealed that 95 percent of women lie of when talking about sports.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Top 5 reasons the Dallas Cowboys lost

Now that I have finally "snapped out of it" after watching the Dallas Cowboys lose in the way they did yesterday...I can now post my opinions with less anger. If I had posted yesterday I would have said alot of things I would probably later regret (probably not). So here goes:

5. Offensive Line: Romo was sacked a season high 5 times! The running game became a non-factor because the OL couldn't create any lanes to run through. Although I believe Jason Garrett went away from the run too soon.....the OL is my #5 reason the Boys lost that game. 

4. The Secondary (need a name..Terrance Newman): Our secondary has a major problem with covering AND tackling. I have not been a fan of Newman in years and he continues to prove me right. He is not the elite back that Cowtown  makes him out to be. It's not just him, Jenkins, Ball, Scandrick....SMH.

3. Penalties (need a name...Orlando Scandrick): no, that is not a typo. Scandrick is mentioned AGAIN. The block in the back penalties (justified or not) were a major blow to the Cowboys momentum after Dez Bryant had a huge return. The false starts are starting to get a little old. Why doesn't Jerry fine these players or something for their false starts? They aren't disciplined. Flozell Adams was the KING of the false start in Dallas....goes to play for the Steelers and those false starts...adios!

2. Arizona defense: Did the Cowboys lose the game or did Arizona win? I will say that the Cowboys lost the game but will give credit to the Cardinals D. They exploited the Cowboys limitations on offense and came out on top.

1. *drum roll please* Time/game management: If there is one example that demonstrates the fallacy of field goal range, Sunday's game has to be it. With the score tied at 13 and under a minute to play, Romo  converted a 3rd and 11 to Dez Bryant to move the ball to the Arizona 31.
There it is. Game over. Field goal range, right? Who needs more time when you're inside the 35? At the end of the play there were 26 seconds on the game clock, and Dallas had 2 timeouts. What did they do??? They milked 18 seconds off the clock, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 8 seconds to go. SPIKED THE BALL!!! You have TWO timeouts....what are you rushing to the line to spike the ball for with 26 seconds to play..risking a false start!? With 26 seconds left, Dallas could have used one of their 2 timeouts immediately. They could have run two plays, even including one run, and still saved a timeout for a final field goal. With the ball at the 31, a field goal attempt is a 49-yarder, which , on average is about a 65% chance. Moving the ball just 6 yards increases the chances to 75% (some needless knowledge but needed to make my point!)


Then comes the straw to break the cowboys back...head coach Jason Garrett called a timeout as if he was icing his own kicker. I literally screamed at the televisions! After the game, Garrett tried to explain out-thinking himself. "We felt like we were in field-goal range. We have yard lines that we use as guidelines before the game. We felt like we were in range at that point. Tony [Romo] had them on the line of scrimmage quickly, so we went ahead and clocked it and used that as a timeout." You had TWO timeouts you don't need to use anything as a timeout because you actually had TWO!

I won't even mentioned the fact he decided against going for it on 4th and 1 in the 1st quarter..on Arizonas 36....but instead called a timeout to discuss and instead kicked a 53 yard FG which Bailey missed. I don't know about you but I like my chances to get 1 yard than to make a 53 yard FG but you NEVER know with the Cowboys.

*Ends vent*