Category — Adrian Peterson

Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops Sports Illustrated’s list of the athletes who have bagged the most coin over the past year. And Mayweather has earned his estimated $90 million without a single commercial endorsement.
SI.com

Reminds me of my field and of course life in general for black folks.
African American coaches rarely get a 2nd chance, unlike their white counterparts, to land gigs as head coaches or coordinators in the NFL after they are fired, according to a study. What else is new?
USA Today

A TMZ cameraman can’t walk and chew bubblegum, or in this case, walk and ask questions at the same time during an encounter with Adrian Peterson.

Where’s Arte Moreno? Magic Johnson?
The usual suspects such as Roger Goodell, David Stern and Bud Selig are among a list of the 50 most powerful people (only 3 women) in sports. But Ed O’Bannon? That’s right. The former UCLA star could change the landscape of college sports with his suit against the NCAA.
SI.com

The best thing about Super Bowl week is the non-stop partying. And since it is all in New Orleans, you know it is going to be off the charts.
A quick-hitter of some of the best in the Big Easy.
USA Today

I told a colleague weeks ago, when the San Diego media was touting Jimmy Raye as the frontrunner for the Chargers’ GM job, that there was no way Dean Spanos would elevate Raye to the position. Why? I mentioned to my friend how Spanos was in bed with tea-bagger Rick Perry during the presidential primaries and my colleague immediately nodded his head at where I was going with this. It wasn’t to say Spanos was racist, but I knew the Chargers’ owner wasn’t comfortable making Raye his new GM. It happens to the best minority candidates despite their sparkling resumes.
Tom Telesco of the Colts was named the new Chargers’ GM. Telasco and Spanos begged Raye to stay (imagine that) and spoke of his work in glorious tones. Instead, Raye bolted to the Colts to take Telesco’s old position as personnel director.
The point is this: Despite all of its propaganda, the NFL remains a network of good old boys and their hires continue to reflect their views. Look no further than the recent hires of coaches and general managers, who are all white. Some with their heads in the sand will say the best qualified coaches were hired. But if you believe that and don’t believe minority coaches in the NFL (and even worst in college football) are being shafted, then you really need to get out more.
Further, despite all of the talk of former Oregon Coach Chip Kelly, who was hired this week by the Eagles, being an “offensive guru,” you never hear people like Stanford’s David Shaw mentioned for openings in NFL circles. The lily white media, particularly the ones who cover the NFL, are also responsible for this. Shaw is 1 of the brightest minds and more innovative coaches in football and also worked as an NFL assistant. He also took a Stanford team, which regrouped this season without top pick Andrew Luck, and beat Kelly’s Ducks on their Oregon turf.
Kevin Sumlin?
Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator of the Ravens, can’t get a head coaching gig? This is the same coach who led the Colts to a Super Bowl and would have recorded an unbeaten season if upper management hadn’t stepped in.
Former Colorado Coach Jon Embree said it best when it comes to minority coaches. “We don’t get second chances, and that’s OK,” Embree said during a press conference after he was fired after 2 losing seasons. “You know it going into it. Tyrone (Willingham) did. I don’t know if there’s ever been another (black coach) fired who got another opportunity at the college level. But every minority knows that going into it. Eventually, that’ll change.”
Not anytime soon though.

Many experts believe Peyton Manning or Tom Brady will be this season’s MVP, but neither has as strong a case as Adrian Peterson, who is closing in on Eric Dickerson’s incredible rushing mark for yards in a season. With Peterson, the Vikings wouldn’t even be in the playoff conversation.
Yahoo Sports

With “Bounty Gate” blowing up in his face (at least from the standpoint of the Saints’ players who were suspended, but had their penalties thrown out), the timing couldn’t have been better (or worst?) for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to appear on the cover of Time. We’ve got the hard copy, but if you want to link to the story online, you’ll have to pay. But don’t waste your money. Fortunately, I still get the oldest daughter’s copy here at the Ponderosa.
One of the best nuggets from the piece is that Goodell has a history of of being a jerk. From his high school days in Bronxville, N.Y., which is “a wealthy enclave just north of New York City,” according to the magazine, comes this gem:
Even in high school, Goodell enforced a personal-conduct policy. Bronxville High School required athletes to sign a pldege: No drinking or troublemaking, or they’d be booted off the team. The Other players knew Goodell would rat them out for misbehaving.
“They didn’t like to see me come to a party,” Goodell said. “I took that plege seriously.”
Michael remembers his brother’s showing up at one gathering where football players were drinking.
“All of a sudden it was like an alarm went off,” Michael said. “They were running out the back door as he was coming in the front door. It was like Prohibition.”
I can’t even imagine how harshly he would have been dealt with had been a member of the old Boley Bears. I still smile at the thought of how we tossed a naked Eugene Jenkins, bless his soul, in the cold outside a hotel room in Wilburton, Okla.

“Dollar” Bill Snyder returned from the retirement home to the college football throne.
Frequently, the cream rises to the top. We say that because we learned quickly West Virginia was a huge fraud. Kansas State? ‘Cats are anything but. They strutted into Morgantown, W.V., where teams have been beaten before they take the field and issued a beatdown for the ages. And with it, Collin Klein surplanted Geno Smith in the Heisman race.
‘Cats, though, must sober up for a Big 12 showdown with a suddenly revived Texas Tech squad on Saturday.
On that note, our weekly and wacky top 15. Read ‘em and leap.
1. Alabama (7-0): Could Saturday’s contest at unbeaten Mississippi State be a trap game before ‘Bama faces LSU on Nov. 3?
2. Oregon (7-0): Ducks will take Colorado for a ride before visiting L.A. the following weekend for an anticipated clash with SC.
3. Florida (7-0): Gators throttle South Carolina and prepare to do the same to Georgia.
4. Kansas State (7-0): Mild ‘Cats? They catnap Geno Smith and open a can of whoop ass in stunning fashion.
5. Notre Dame (7-0): Oklahoma! Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.
6. Oklahoma (5-1): It’s been a while, but Sooners are 1-8 all-time against Notre Dame.
7. Ohio State (8-0): We’ll give Buckeyes benefit of the doubt since they lost quarterback Braxton Miller, but even Urban Meyer says they’re “good, but not great.”
8. Oregon State (7-0): Yawn.
9. USC (6-1): Trojan fans will be rooting for Notre Dame to stay unbeaten against OU.
10. LSU (7-1): With next weekend off, they get 2 weeks to prepare for Tide.
11. Florida State (7-1): Proof playing in the weak-ass ACC has benefits.
12. Clemson (6-1): See above.
13. Mississippi State (7-0): Bulldogs haven’t beaten anyone, but they could show they’re salty dogs with an upset of ‘Bama on Saturday.
14. Georgia (6-1): Gator bait because these ‘Dawgs can’t hunt.
15. Texas Tech (6-1): Red Raiders jumped off the mat after that Sooner knockdown. Now they get to trade punches at K-State on Saturday.

As we pack our bags for our 1st Monday Night Football run in America’s finest city, a few observations on the college football weekend.
With an ode to Gil Scott Heron, we beg your pardon OU. Seriously, where did all of that come from?
OU 63, Short Horns 21.
Needless to say, the Sooners slapped the taste out of Texas’ mouth and that wasn’t the only surprise of the college football weekend. But we always get a kick when OU hangs half a 100 (plus 13) on Texas and Barry buys rounds.
Still, no one got pounded for more rounds than Geno Smith and West Virginia and had their national championship hopes crushed. It was especially stunning coming from a Texas Tech squad that OU hammered the week before. Go figure.
With that said, another round of our wacky top 15. Read ‘em and leap.
1. Alabama (6-0): Still time for Missouri, the Tide’s latest victim, to cancel those big SEC checks and write 1 to the Big Ten.
2. Oregon (6-0): Ducks played bye this weekend, but visit Arizona State in a Thursday night tilt on ESPN. Desert storm by the Sun Devils? Uh, no.
3. Notre Dame (6-0): Irish awarded a parting gift against Stanford, but replacement refs avenge Matt Leinart pushing Reggie Bush into the end zone in another controversial TD involving ND. Seriously, you think you’re going to get that call in South Bend?
4. Florida (6-0): Asleep at the wheel against Vanderbilt for much of the contest because South Carolina is on the brain.
5. Kansas State (6-0): ‘Cats slip past a competitive Iowa State bunch, but now face an angry West Virginia crew Saturday. Good luck with that.
6. Ohio State (7-0): Those Urban renewal victory speeches are already getting stale. Indiana in our best Allen Iverson imitation?
7. Oregon State (6-0): Sleeper hold? We’re still wrestling with that.
8. Oklahoma (5-1): Who were those guys in Dallas? Reminded us of Mittens punking Obama in that forgettable debate. So does St(oops) turn Joe Biden in Morgantown on Nov. 17 or does Iowa State put him in a sleeper hold Saturday?
9. USC (5-1): We’ll have what Lane is smoking (see below).
10. LSU (6-1): We know Les Miles eats grass, but he’s surely smoking it too to chill from this gauntlet: A&M, a week off, ‘Bama and Mississippi State. And in a toast to the Honey Badger, we indulged in a taste of the Honey Jack Daniels Saturday night. Good stuff Maynard, in our best Big Boley imitation.
11. West Virginia (5-1): We pat you on the ass and then you embarrass us? Must have been something in the water in Lubbock, no? Thanks for coming. Your consolation prizes for the national championship are waiting.
12. South Carolina (6-1): Speaking of reading of its clips…
13. Clemson (5-1): Did we mention Brent Venables was the defensive coordinator? Didn’t think so.
14. Florida State: Hurricane warnings used to create some gusts, but ‘Noles should have no trouble blowing through Miami.
15. Georgia (5-1): Welcome back, but don’t get too comfortable because Florida, which owns you, is on deck in 2 weeks.