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Feeling It I love new experiences. I love traveling, whether it's domestic or international....and lately I have had the chance to see nearly every inch of the continental USA. I've been home to sleep in my bed for one night this month, and after hugging the girls, kissing the wife and walking Chester.....I'm back on the road again this week with the SiriusXM Camp Tour. I returned to Charlotte after spending 5 days in San Francisco....followed up by trips and shows at the University of Oregon, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, and finally the University of Wisconsin. The schools, coaches and players were all fantastic. It was my first visit to both Eugene, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin...I enjoyed them a great deal, along with going back to Ann Arbor and Austin. I've always claimed that the Bay Area is my favorite place in the USA....and it still is....but Austin, Texas might be a close #2 in my book. While the highs were in the mid 60's in San Francisco....it was a balmy 102 in Austin.....it didn't matter.....they are both incredible places. This week, I venture back on the road and check out the teams, players and coaches at Ohio State, Florida State and Oklahoma. I've been to all 3 schools/towns before....and it should be fun. The one constant in every visit has been the amazing facilities that the big-time programs have to offer to their student-athletes. There is no question that there is an arms-race in college football....and if a school doesn't commit to staying ahead of the curve, then they are falling further behind the big boys. I look forward to seeing the layouts in Columbus, Tallahassee and Norman. Something tells me that they will be impressive.....they have to be. One funny side note from my recent trips....when we were in Ann Arbor touring the Michigan facilities, there was another visitor making the rounds, too. It was A-Rod of the New York Yankees. They were in town to play the Detroit Tigers, and since he's on the DL and kind of in the neighborhood....he stopped by to check out the Maize and Blue. A-Rod looked like he could put on the pads and fit right in. The SiriusXM Camp Tour has been a huge hit...and a great idea. It also is a great reminder that we're closing in on two weeks until kick-off in college football...and that's a beautiful thing. I watched some of the FSBC pre-season game....in case you are wondering, "FSBC" stands for "Future Super Bowl Champs"....or you can call them the Carolina Panthers. After Ryan Kalil's proclamation that the team will win the Super Bowl this year, I was interested to see their dominance in week one of the lame pre-season. Apparently, the FSBC were dialing it back and just going half-speed. The special teams are still awful.....the pass rush is nonexistent....linebackers are making too many tackles downfield.....and the defense in general looked as weak as last year's version. I know, it's only pre-season...and you can't judge or form any opinion....but I wasn't overly impressed with the FSBC's overall effort on Saturday night. There is little doubt that the team should be able to score with Cam Newton at QB and the weapons surrounding him....let's hope they can stay healthy and shore up the other facets of the game. The FSBC decided to pay Jonathan Stewart big money (5 years / 36.5 mil....$22.5 million guaranteed)....that means the two tailbacks alone in Carolina (Stewart & DeAngelo Williams) are guaranteed nearly 44 million bucks. I like both guys...and congrats to them for landing huge pay days....but I sure hope the Panthers can figure out a way to actually tackle somebody this year. Even though I'm not a big fan of 4 NFL exhibition games....it was good to see football being played....even though it wasn't up to the standard of the FSBC. Danica Patrick just wrecked again. First turn of the first lap....now that's impressive, even for her. Has there ever been a better fit as a TV spokesperson than Danica Patrick for Nationwide Insurance? Next year, they should have her doing the commercial from her mangled race car on the back of a NASCAR wrecker. I've got to tell you, she's been more inept behind the wheel than I could ever imagine...and it once again solidifies Darrell Walltrip's line before the Daytona 500 of calling her the "Face of NASCAR" as the worst prediction / statement in sports broadcasting history. I watched some of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series this past week. This year, the sports documentary takes a look at the inner-workings of the Miami Dolphins. I have loved the series in years past.....but the Dolphins are so nondescript and boring. Maybe they would have been better off just sticking the camera in Chad Johnson's car when his wife found the receipt for his condoms? Damn, the Dolphins are a snoozer. Maybe the series has run its course and teams in the NFL are shying away from the added exposure? I'll keep watching, hoping for the best....but I'm not expecting it to get better. If you are going to lose, at least be interesting. So, the "Honey Badger" is out at LSU. Tyrann Mathieu was kicked off the club for violating athletic department rules and now he's looking for a new home. You gotta wonder what kids are thinking sometimes? Honey Badger looks to be headed to McNeese State....and that's a far cry from playing in Tiger Stadium for the nation's pre-season #1 team. Despite the loss of Mathieu, fans need to understand that the Tigers are loaded....there's no doubt that LSU is better with him.....but they are going to be fine without him, too. Some people believe that USC is the best team....and the Trojans can make the case. Their coach Lane Kiffin got caught with his hand in the voters' cookie jar last week. He claimed that he didn't vote his team #1 after Arizona coach Rich Rodriquez claimed that Kiffin voted them as the top squad. The USA Today unexpectedly released Kiffin's pre-season votes and it showed that the USC coach did in fact have his Trojans #1. The publication claimed that they released the info based on credibility of their poll......whatever. Kiffin got caught....but so what? Even he claims that it's ridiculous that the top coaches vote, since they spend very little time on anything other than their own team. Kiffin is right about that.....but he did get caught lying about his vote. Screw it...let's play football. Rory McIlroy put on a dazzling show at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. His second major championship win in as many years now catapults him into the World's #1 position. There is no denying his talents and the upside is downright scary...while the mass media will concentrate on Tiger Woods' inability to pick up his 15th major title, maybe the big story in golf is McIlroy. There is no doubt that he is the next in line to succeed as the best player on the planet....especially since Tiger can't find his game on the weekend in the majors. McIlroy dominated the field this week, just as he did last year while winning the US Open. Ironically, he captured both majors by 8 shots! That is Tiger-esque. Given McIlroy's swing, attitude and success....there is no question that he should be a factor for a long, long time. It's great for the game of golf. |
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