How many times have you heard the saying "nothing good happens after midnight?"
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was shot and critically wounded at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday and you can be sure that if he pulls through, the loved ones praying by his bedside will reinforce that mantra to him. If he doesn't pull through, you can be sure that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will reinforce that mantra to the rest of the league.260x180.jpg)
The shooting was the third in the last 20 months in which an active NFL player has been critically wounded. Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in his limo on January 1, 2007 following an argument at a night club. Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died on November 27, 2007, a day after being shot in his home during a robbery. All three shooting occurred between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
While these three are the most extreme of examples, there is no shortage of athlete-related altercations in the wee hours of the morning. Seemingly every week, an NFL player's name appears on a police report.
The "where" part of the equation is typically the same: late night, out on the town, in or around a bar or night club. The "why" also remains a constant: someone gets jealous, words are said, tempers flare and things get out of hand. The "what" varies only slightly depending on to what degree the altercation escalates. The "who" is the only piece of the formula that really changes.
The similarities between the shooting Collier was involved in and the one that killed Williams are strikingly similar. The one in which Taylor was shot at home was it an extreme rarity, the exception and not the rule.
Nonetheless, each of the three incidents shares that one indisputably common thread - time.
Goodell knows it. The NFL owners know it. And the players can no longer claim to be naive enough not to know it.
A mandatory curfew of 1 a.m. needs to be put in place. Not just on the night before games, not just every night of the season, but every night of the year.
A curfew would keep the headlines involving NFL players in the sports section and out of the crime log. It would mean that Williams would still be alive. It would mean that Adam "Pacman" Jones and Ray Lewis never would have been accused of conspiracy to commit murder. It would greatly help the image of the league, ensuring that America's favorite sport remains just that.
When punishing problematic players, a curfew would be something solid Goodell and the NFL owners could lean on rather than the vague description of the league's personal conduct policy. After all, while these athletes are commodities. The organizations with whom they are contracted ahve both a personal and monetary interest in protect their investments.
Would it be practically impossible to enforce, yes. But a 1 p.m. curfew would leave no gray area. There would be no flexing or shifting of the line in the sand. It would be in the same spot for both a franchise quarterback and a third-string linebacker. It would either be crossed or wouldn't be crossed.
If Richard Collier pulls through, you can be sure that he'll never cross that line again. It's high time Goodell and the NFL owners make it very clear where that line is and do it before tragedy strikes another one the league's players.
NFL needs to end late nights
Call to Step Up
Inconsistency has been the biggest problem in the eight-year career of Lamar Odom. Before this season, his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers has been plagued with questions about his passion to play in the spotlight next to the NBA's best player in Kobe Bryant. He hasn't always flourished in being the second option behind Bryant. As a matter of fact, he tended to shy away from the role rather than embrace it.
Because of his reluctance to step into the role, he has been involved in numerous trade possibilities, which only caused him to shrink further away from the greatness that people were predicting him to reach as an NBA player when the Los Angeles Clippers drafted him out of Rhode Island in 1999.
Fast forward to February 1st when the Lakers swindled Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. To say that the Lakers acquired a great player for peanuts is an understatement. To say that they acquired two great players for peanuts is more accurate. Since that time, the player who has benefited the most has been Odom. Even though he has had his share of mental lapses coming down the stretch of the season, and most notably in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio, Odom is starting to undergo a transformation that can propel his so-far mediocre career at best into a potential perennial All-Star, and maybe a future Hall of Fame player.
Well, I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself. On the eve of the start of the NBA Finals, Odom must first learn to play in that spotlight, which he had tried to aviod for so long. This will not be a coming-out party for Bryant as it will for Odom. In Game 5 of the Conference Finals against the Spurs, Bryant delivered the knock-out punch to San Antonio, but Odom delivered the body blows with a sparkling 13 points and tremendous help-out defense on Tim Duncan.
If Odom can consistently put up double-double and play solid defense on Kevin Garnett every night, then the Lakers will win the championship.
For the Lakers to win, Lamar Odom win need to have an All-Star series.
With the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft...
Here are picks 1-31 of the Between the Lines mock draft. All picks were made under the premise that no trades had taken place, though some undoubtedly will.
#1/Miami takes Chris Long, DE-Virginia (6-4, 280) - While it's premature to say that he's going to be as good as his former Raider father, Long's speed and ability to stop the run makes him a perfect fit for the Dolphins' 3-4 defense. Bill Parcells thinks he's good enough to replace Jason Taylor.
#15/ Detroit takes Chris Williams, OT-Vanderbuilt (6-6, 320) - After taking flashy wideouts in Round 1 each of the last four years, it's time the Lions take a player at the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Jon Kitna needs time to get those receivers the ball and Williams will give him that. It won't be long before he works his way out of the rotation an in to regular playing time.
#16/ Arizona takes Mike Jenkins, CB-Southern Florida (5-10, 197) - Though he's smaller than Talib and McKelvin, Jenkins is considered by many to be the most athletic and complete cover corner in this year's draft. He's exact what the Cardinals need after finishing 28th in pass defense in 2007.
#17/ Minnesota takes Malcolm Kelly, WR-Oklahoma (6-4, 217) - After watching Baltimore, Carolina and Chicago all pass on him, Kelly finally finds a home with the Vikings. He's physical, quick, has good hands and will be the first player chosen from a deep receiver class. Don't be surprised to see him starting in the slot on opening day.
#18/ Houston takes Dan Connor, ILB-Penn State (6-3, 233) - Yes, DeMeco Ryans has perennial Pro Bowler written all over him, but Connor would be a good complimentary player when the Texans use the 3-4. His work ethic should be enough to make him a mainstay on the team.
#19/ Philadelphia takes Calais Campbell, DE-Miami (6-8, 280) - With Jevon Kearse no longer in the mix, the Eagles will want to get a freak and Campbell fits the bill. He has all the necessary attributes of a good defensive lineman in the body of offensive guard. His one-and-done at the combine is the biggest reason why he's still available this late.
#20/ Tampa Bay takes Devin Thomas, WR-Michigan State (6-2, 215) - Joey Galloway isn't going to be around forever and Michael Clayton hasn't established himself as any kind of a predecessor. Thomas had an outstanding junior year and had arguably the best showing at the combine.
#21/ Washington takes Derrick Harvey, DE-Florida (6-2, 262) - The Redskins are still satisfied playing the waiting game with Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis and an offensive lineman might be a bit of a reach here. Harvey will help them bolster their pass rush, making an already strong defense even better.
#22/ Dallas (from Cleveland) takes Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB-Tennessee State (6-1, 181) - While the Cowboys tied for sixth in the league with 20 interceptions, only 11 of those came from their cornerbacks. Starters Anthony Henry and Terence Newman have average speed, something that Rodgers-Cromartie has plenty of.
#23/ Pittsburgh takes Limas Sweed, WR-Texas (6-5, 219) - Ben Rothlisberger had a great season last year, but he misses having a big body to throw the ball to. Sweed can out-jump most DBs in the league and also has the ability to stretch the field with his speed.
#24/ Tennessee takes DeSean Jackson, WR-California (6-0, 166) - Vince Young likes throwing bombs deep and Jackson likes out-running everyone to catch them. He is the fastest of the top-flight wideouts in this years class and has a good first step. He has the potential to be a very disruptive slot receiver early.
#25/ Seattle takes Kentwan Balmer, DT-North Carolina (6-5, 295) - Seattle has a good line, but could use some help in the middle. Balmer might not start right away, but he'll be heavily involved in the rotation. His height in the middle is something not many tackles possess.
#26/ Jacksonville takes Lawrence Jackson, DE-Southern Cal (6-5, 265) - The Jaguars don't have a lot of needs so they can afford to draft based on potential and Jackson fits the bill. He was a consensus top-10 pick heading into the 2007 season, but a slow start and the emergence of line-mate Sedrick Ellis dropped his stock a bit. He could be a steal at 26.
#27/ San Diego takes Kenny Phillips, FS-Miami (6-2, 210) - In every draft, there are steals and then there are highway robberies. No one is questioning the Chargers talented trio of cornerbacks that led the league in interceptions last season, but how nice would it be to have a corps. of safeties to match it?
#28/ Dallas takes Felix Jones, RB-Arkansas (6-0, 207) - This pick is by no means a knock on the Cowboys current back, Marion Barber, but with Julius Jones leaving town, the Cowboys need a dependable second back. Felix isn't going to get many carries, but he will return kicks, something he did well last year, averaging 29.6 yards.
#29/ San Francisco (from Indianapolis) takes Jeff Otah, OT-Pittsburg (6-6, 332) - No goal should be more paramount for the Niners than keeping franchise quarterback Alex Smith on the field. While Otah didn't play organized football until his senior year of high school, many think that he has more upside most of his first-round contemporaries.
#30/ Green Bay takes Reggie Smith, CB-Oklahoma (6-0, 196) - Smith can play both the safety and cornerback positions with above-average results making him the most versatile defensive back in this year's draft class. The Packers could definitely use him to spell aging corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris.
#31/ The New York Giants take Chilo Rachal, OG-Southern Cal (6-5, 315) - The Giants really don't have a whole lot of needs. Some think Rachal didn't show enough individual ability over a long enough period of time, but the Giants can afford to gamble on a guy others project to develop into a Pro Bowler.
The Wild Wild West
There's nothing more annoying than when older sports fans go on about how the NBA is "nothing like it was in the glory days" or that "things haven't been the same since Michael Jordan retired".
I'd argue that the NBA experienced a return to those "glory days" earlier in this decade with the Los Angeles Lakers battling teams like the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trailblazers in legendary playoff series'.
For NBA fans who still feel disenchanted with the product, the remainder of the 2008 season should provide them with just the roller coaster ride they are looking for.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics have loaded up and finally reclaimed a spot atop the NBA totem pole. The Detroit Pistons are still as tough as ever and the Orlando Magic are an exciting and dangerous young team led by emerging-by-day superstar Dwight Howard.
The real action, however, is taking place in the Western Conference. The West has long been the superior conference, but that dominance has been turned up a notch this season. The current 8th seed in the West, the 33-21 Denver Nuggets would currently be the fourth seed, only a game behind the third place Orlando Magic.
Adding to that dominance are the acquisitions that Western Conference teams have made in recent weeks, including the Lakers getting Pau Gasol, the Mavericks getting Jason Kidd and the Suns trading for Shaquille O'Neal.
With all the moves, it's anyone's guess as to who is going to win the Western Conference prize, but we'll attempt to size it up here at the halfway point of the season.
1.) San Antonio Spurs, 36-17: While many people aren't fans of it, I'm a big believer in the "champions are the champions until someone beats them theory". The Spurs 36-17 record, which would be excellent most years, is good enough for only fifth in the West this year. Because of the strength of the teams around them, people seem to be forgetting how good this Spurs team really is. The Spurs have more playoff experience than just about every team they're battling with out West, and despite what their record is or where they ultimately finish in the standings, the path to the NBA Finals still goes through San Antonio. The team recently made a somewhat under the radar move, acquiring power forward Kurt Thomas. Compared to Shaq, Kidd and Gasol he's not a big name, but he's an underrated player for what he brings to the table, and most importantly is a big body inside that can defend players like Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming and Andrew Bynum come playoff time.
2.) Los Angeles Lakers, 37-17: What seemed to be a sinking ship at the beginning of the season has now become a well-oiled machine. Kobe Bryant has to be pleased that he now has the kind of team around him that he's been looking for. The acquisition of Pau Gasol for virtually nothing has to go down as one of the all-time great coups in NBA history. It can be argued that they're the best team in the West right now WITHOUT Andrew Bynum, who is scheduled to return from his knee injury next month. And don't forget defensive ace Trevor Ariza is on his way back soon from a similar knee injury. The big advantage the Lakers have over almost every other Western Conference team is their versatile lineup. They have the size to slow it down against a team like the Spurs, and the speed and quickness off the bench with guys like Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar to play an up tempo game with teams like Phoenix and Dallas.
3.) New Orleans Hornets, 38-17
Hold On To That Cheating Label
In the words of a wise old man who once scored four touchdowns in one game while playing football for Polk High, "it's only cheating if you get caught."
Okay, so what if Al Bundy is a fictional character? Those words hold truer than what any self-righteous hypocrite would spout off.
Remember Rafael Palmeiro and his finger-pointing testimony at a Congressional hearing about steroids in baseball a few years ago?
Five months after his Oscar-worthy performance in front of the congress, Palmeiro was suspended for ten days after "unintentionaly" testing positive for steroids, and his career has taken a nose dive since then.
Who can forget Barry Bonds? He is the biggest reason that the black cloud of steroid abuse allegations hangs over Major League baseball.
No one wanted Bonds to pass Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king, but he did last August, ending the season with 762 career home runs.
Now, with Spring Training getting set to start, Bonds, a free agent, is waiting, hoping that any team will pick him up, but no one wants to touch a cheater even if he is the best at what he does.
What Bonds and Palmeiro had to learn the hard way was that there is a heavy price to pay for cheating and lying, and they got caught.
Fast forward to the present, and say hello to the next big name in baseball who has been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Thanks to his former trainer, Brian McNamee, future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Roger Clemens has been linked to using steroids.
However, before the public rushes to judgment and crucify him, let's give Clemens a chance to defend himself.
Unlike Bonds and Palmeiro, Clemens has been very vocal in his denial to the allegations.
While most people might think Clemens is stupid for even responding to his accusers, especially through the media, I'm probably in the minority of supporters who applaud Clemens for his candor.
While Bonds, Mark Mcguire and Sammy Sosa continue to linger in silence about their ties to steroids, Clemens has chosen to fight to keep his name unassociated with baseball's biggest scandal to date.
Watching him speak at a news conference just days after his name had been mentioned in the Mitchell Report, a report investigating steroid abuse among baseball players, my first thought was that Clemens was an innocent man.
More than a month after he appeared on 60 Minutes to give an interview to Mike Wallace, I feel more strongly about his innocence than ever.
He even has people starting to speak out in support of him like Jose Canseco, the former baseball player turned whistleblower whose book "Juiced" brought attention the rampant use of steroids in the Major Leagues.
Keep in mind that Canseco ratted out Mcguire and several other baseball players, but he recently told Congress in a sworn affidavit that he had neither seen nor heard about Clemens using steroids.
The speculation about Clemens using steroids is baseless other than what former US Senator George Mitchell alleges in his report and from what McNamee has told people about Clemens.
Clemens has not been the most upstanding player during his long career in baseball: He has been accused of pitching at batters' heads intentionally, and his infamous broken bat incident where he threw a broken bat at the feet of Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series earned him the reputation of being a dirty player.
With all of that said, Clemens may have played the game by his rules at times, but he hasn't shown a propensity for lying or being secretive about taking steroids.
Not yet, at least.
