L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or did Jim Boeheim, the men’s basketball coach at Syracuse University, demonstrate as smooth a cross-over as we are ever going to see?  Syracuse University fired assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine after another person step forward and accused Fine of molesting him.  Jim Boeheim issued a statement supporting the University’s decision and apologizing for any comments he made that were insensitive to the victims or may have hindered the investigation.

Previously  Boeheim had called the charges lies and stood behind Fine 100%.  This was before a third accuser came out, and the release of a telephone conversation secretly taped between Mrs. Fine and one of the accusers.  It is during this conversation that Mrs. Fine  acknowledges that she is aware of what happened, and her husband has ‘issues’.  You think!!!!!!!

The 65-year-old Fine was in his 36th season at Syracuse. He was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 17 after police confirmed they were investigating charges of molestation, and after ESPN aired interviews with the suspected victims alleging Fine sexually abused them. The case seemed to stall for a few days after that, but police raided Fine’s home Friday, and the damaging audio of the phone conversation between  Fine’s wife and one of the accusers was made public early Sunday around the same time a third accuser publicly surfaced, too.

Boeheim is officially on the hot seat.  If he knew or suspected of any wrong doings and looked the other way he has a lot of explaining to do.

Is it me…

Or do we  owe Tim Tebow an apology?  Tebow is 5-1 in his recent stint as a starter with  the Denver Broncos.  He still possesses the worst mechanics of any NFL quarterback, but he is finding ways  to win.  The Broncos are 6-5 overall this season.

 The Philadelphia Eagles deemed themselves the Dream Team prior to the start of the season, because of all of the talent they had acquired.  Well, that dream is a nightmare as the Eagles drop to 4-7 and are realistically out of the playoff picture.  Coach Reid’s job may be in jeopardy, as is Norv Turner’s , coach of  the Chargers who lost to the above mentioned Broncos.

 The Carolina Panthers ended a 12 game road losing streak, defeating the Indianapolis Colts, who dropped to 0-11.  The Colts may go 0-16 this season, and the cure for any losing streak.   If they get the top pick in the draft will they draft Luck of Stanford, as Peyton Manning’s understudy/replacement at quarterback or do they address other needs and hope for the best with Manning?  Decisions, decisions.

Bone head play this past week  belongs to Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions  for stomping on  the arm of a Packer during the Thanksgiving Day game.  Suh, who has issued contrasting statement regarding the incident will likely be suspended for two games.  It amazes me that athletes can assault a person in a game and only receive a two game suspension.  If they were to do the same thing on the street they would be hauled off to jail.  Hockey players can poke out the eye of an opponent with a hockey stick and are told to sit in the  penalty box for two minutes, a “timeout” for a naughty hockey player.

Second bone head play of the week was  Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills imitating  Burress, of the Jets shooting himself in the leg.  The Bills were penalized for his behavior giving the Jets excellent field position, ultimately allowing Burress to catch a touchdown pass    Johnson dropped two passes as the Bills were driving down the field in the last minute  trying to win the game-Karma.

 NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

 Is it me…

Or did the NBA owners and players finally come to their senses?   The NBA lockout is over as a tentative agreement was reached.  The season will start December 25^th, a 66 game season,  with training camp and free agent dealings set to begin December 9^th and all lawsuits dropped.

The complete deal, courtesy of CBS sports:

* BRI: The players will receive between 49-51 percent of basketball-related income based on the extent of revenue growth. But whereas under the owners’ prior proposals, the players felt it would’ve been nearly impossible to achieve the 51 percent ceiling, sources said they’ll have a realistic chance of hitting it by the fifth or sixth year of the deal with robust revenue growth. The players will receive 60.5 percent of incremental revenues beyond projections each season, up to 51 percent in aggregate. Previously, the owners were offering only 57 percent of marginal revenues up to a total of 51.

* Mid-level exception: For non-tax-paying teams, they’re four-year deals starting at $5 million in the first two years, with the starting point increasing by 3 percent in subsequent years. Owners had been pushing for alternating 3- and 4-year deals for non-taxpayers. For tax-payers, the so-called “mini” mid-level will be for three years starting at $3 million in the first two years, with the starting point increasing 3 percent in subsequent years. This is an enhancement of the owners’ previous offer of a two-year “mini” mid-level starting at $2.5 million.

* Room exception: Teams under the cap get an additional two-year exception starting at $2.5 million (same as previous offer).

* Luxury tax rates: The same dollar-for-dollar as in the previous CBA for the first two years. Starting in Year 3, the rates increase to $1.50 for the first $5 million over; $1.75 for $5-$10 million over; $2.50 for $10-$15 million over; $3.25 for $15-$25 million over; and an additional 50 cents for each additional $5 million (same as previous proposal).

* Repeater Tax: A dollar-for-dollar additional tax for teams that are above the tax line for a fourth time in five years (same as previous proposal). Owners at one time had been pushing for a $1.50 repeater rate, while the players wanted 50 cents. Voila, compromise.

* Sign-and-trades: Available to all teams in the first two years of the agreement. Starting in Year 3, teams that are close to the tax line would only be able to acquire a free agent via a sign-and-trade transaction to the extent that it put the team no more than $4 million over the tax. The maximum length of such contracts will be four years with 4.5 percent annual increases. Previously, the owners had been seeking to eliminate sign-and-trades for all tax teams or teams that would exceed the tax after the transaction. This was a key issue for the players, and the more player-friendly definition of a tax-paying team also applies to use of the mid-level exception. So, if a team is $500,000 under the tax, it could use $4.5 million of the full mid-level. If a team already is over the tax, it would be restricted to the “mini” mid-level.

* Extend-and-trades: With the so-called Carmelo Anthony rule, owners were trying to take away a player’s ability to force a trade to a team and sign an extension. The compromise is that teams can acquire player via an extend-and-trade but can only offer a three-year deal (including whatever is left on the player’s contract) with 4.5 percent increases.

* Qualifying offers: The players feel they made significant gains here for restricted free agents. Qualifying offers will be guaranteed with the potential to be significantly enhanced based on performance. So for example, a first-round pick between picks 10-30 would be eligible to receive a qualifying offer as high as the ninth pick’s if he’s a starter for half the regular season games or 2,000 minutes. Second-round picks and undrafted players could be eligible for QO’s as high as the 21st pick based on the same criteria. Similarly, picks 1-14 could have their qualifying offers reduced if they don’t meet the criteria. It’s a nice compromise that provides opportunities for players who perform and gives owners protection against having to overpay players who don’t.

* Escrow: Withholding from player paychecks to account for a potential overage in their BRI share is capped at 10 percent. Owners dropped their demand for an escrow carryover from season to season.

* New player benefits pool: One percent of BRI will be used for annuities and welfare benefits (such as health, life and disability insurance, long-term care and education expenses for themselves and their children). In the unlikely event that 10 percent doesn’t cover the players’ BRI overage, up to 1 percent of the pool could be used to account for that.

* Contract lengths: All the same as in the previous proposal. Bird free agents can get five-year deals with their own teams, with other deals being capped at four years. Each team can designate one player eligible for a five-year extension of his rookie contract with his own team. A team can have only one player so designated on the roster at a time. The owners had been pushing for four- and three-year contract lengths until recently.

* Annual increases: 7.5 percent for Bird players, 4.5 percent for others. This is up from 6.5 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively, in the owners’ prior proposal.

* Minimum salaries and rookie scale: Frozen for the first two years and then will begin growing consistent with BRI growth. Previously, owners were seeking to cut both by 12 percent — another win for the players.

* Maximum salaries: Same formula as in the previous CBA, with this exception in the players’ favor: Star players who outperform their rookie contracts will be eligible to extend with their teams at 30 percent of the cap — up from 25 percent. A player would be eligible by satisfying any of the following criteria: 1) winning MVP; 2) being named first-, second- or third-team all-NBA twice; or being voted as an All-Star starter twice. The Bulls‘ Derrick Rose, for example, would be eligible.

* Player options: Same as in the previous CBA. Owners had been seeking to eliminate player options for players who make more than the league average.

* Stretch and amnesty provisions: Same as in the prior proposal.

* The luxury tax cliff: Same as most recent proposal. Owners have agreed that a tax-paying team will only lose half the tax money it otherwise would’ve received by remaining under the tax.

* Minimum team payroll: It’s set at 85 percent of the cap in the first two years, and 90 percent thereafter. The cap ($58 million) and tax ($70 million) levels can be no lower than last season’s levels in the first two years.

* Deal length: 10 years, with each side able to opt out after Year 6. (Same as previous proposal.

The legal mumbo jumbo aside, they are back!!!!!!

Is it me…

Or is the BCS championship game, college football, appearing to be ‘déjà vu all over again?  LSU is number one and Alabama is number two.  We may well have a rematch for all the marbles.

Urban Meyer was hired as the head football coach at Ohio State University.  He is reportedly being paid four million dollars per year.  Since OSU is a public university, this makes Meyer the highest paid state employee in Ohio, a football coach.  Meyer who resigned from the University of Florida last year, citing health reasons and a desire to  spend more time with his family is obviously feeling better and has seen enough of his family.

Is it me…

Or is Tommy Amaker, Harvard University, college Basketball coach of the year already?   Harvard University won the Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.  Amaker is winning at Harvard, yes that Harvard.  Harvard one the premiere academic schools in the country is competing in division 1 basketball.  Not only must the Harvard players be able to play ball, they have to be smart also.  What next, athletes will go to class, spend four years in school and graduate? What is the world coming to-are we creating a new monster-The Student Athlete?

If you’re a fan of college basketball take a minute to watch the ladies play.  They are great athletes who play the game as it was intended, and are not afraid to schedule top opponents early in the season.  The men tend to bump into each other early at tournaments, but the ladies schedule each other and offer some very good games in November, ala Baylor versus Tennessee , won by Baylor.  On a side note, it was good to see Coach Summitt, Tennessee’s Coach and the division 1 basketball leader in overall wins, work the sidelines.  She was diagnosed with early stages of dementia, but is fighting this illness on and off the court.  Coach Summitt is an inspiration to us all.  Go Lady Vols!

Edited by D. Pride.