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Pit Stop I apologize for not updating "Ripe Gripe" the last few weeks, but I've been ridiculously busy. Since the end of July, I traveled all over the place, attending and broadcasting from the Media Days of the SEC, ACC and PAC-12. I've also embarked on hosting a number of SiriusXM Camp Tours including stops at the University of South Carolina, Clemson, Nebraska, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. In addition to that, my oldest daughter and the rest of the family toured the University of Texas and enjoyed an awesome weekend in Austin. You know how much I love the Bay Area in Northern California, but Austin, Texas might be my next favorite spot in the USA. After a couple days at home in Charlotte, I'm about to jump on another flight and head west again with SiriusXM Camp Tour shows at Stanford, UCLA and USC. It's been a wild couple of weeks, but I wouldn't have it any other way.....it is so much fun to see the country, meet great people and really enjoy life. It's also a reminder that we are closing in on the start of another wacky football season. Of all the Camp Tour stops, the most interesting one took place in College Station, Texas. First of all, the drive from Austin to College Station was educational. The next time somebody tells me that Clemson, SC is in the middle of nowhere, I'll remind them about College Station. Of course, I could probably say the same thing about driving to Manhattan, Kansas and finding Kansas State University, too. I mentioned on the air that if Bin Laden were alive, all he had to do is go to Kansas.....he would have never been found. But I digress....the A&M show and interviews were fascinating. The latest Johnny Manziel headache put everybody on alert and I knew it, as we arrived for the show. The people at A&M were as hospitable and nice as advertised but you could sense that everything wasn't perfect....the dark cloud overhead didn't ease the heat bestowed on Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin was classy as always and did his best to answer every question that we laid out to him during the interview. It was apparent that all parties were "lawyered-up"...the school, the NCAA and Manziel. As for the issue surrounding the autographs, I find it interesting that the NCAA and the individuals involved don't try to find a common ground. I don't think the NCAA can enforce a rule that prevents players from being paid for signing autographs......unless somebody is so damn stupid to video tape a monetary transaction taking place or showing a bank account where a sum of $$$$ appeared from nowhere....how do you stop or enforce this rule? Manziel should know that accepting $$$ is illegal. If he did, he's toast....it's that simple. ESPN has done their best job at supplying picture after picture of Manziel signing a helmet, ball or jersey. That's all fine and good....but unless you show me where he got paid for services rendered, it is a waste of everybody's time. The amount of inventory with Manziel's name on it is staggering.....and I'm hard pressed to believe that he did it because he had some free time on his hands along with a couple of brand new Sharpies. But proving that Johnny Football got paid for those "John Hancocks" is another issue. In the meantime, Kevin Sumlin and the high flying Aggies will get to work....and the rest of us will have to wait and see what happens next in the Manziel fiasco. Juan Pablo Montoya is out of a job at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. JPM has won the Indy 500 in addition to the '99 CART title. He's also captured victories in NASCAR, Formula One, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and he even hit a jet dryer on the track, too. Despite all his accomplishments, he's looking for a ride while Danica Patrick is still employed. More Go Daddy commercials and less wins on the track is the key to success. You do the math. While traveling around the country, I've had the chance to watch a number of NFL pre-season games in their respective markets. I've got to tell you, August NFL football sucks. Don't get me wrong; it beats the alternative (I think)....but you've really got to love your hometown team when it comes to this stuff. Unless you have a true love affair with the team you're watching, the games are absolutely brutal. "Sloppy" would be as kind as I could be, in describing the quality of play. Like most fans, I want everybody to get through the month healthy and let's get on to the regular season. It's criminal that NFL owners charge their fans regular season prices for the garbage they deliver in August. It pains me to type this, but the LA Dodgers are smokin' hot. As a lifelong Giants fan, I've grown accustomed to hating the Dodgers, but they have been amazing since June 22nd.....as of this post, they have won 39 of their last 47 games. That's ridiculous. It looks like I'm going to have a stress-free October of watching playoff baseball.....but you can bet I'll be rooting for whichever team is facing LA. The Pirates and Braves have been great, too. The American League races are far more interesting than the NL....it's still anybody's game, to reach the post-season. In NY, we've got the A-Rod garbage to deal with....and I've got to be honest with you; I don't understand MLB's position with Rodriquez. If you have the goods on A-Rod that he took PEDs, then why do you negotiate a deal with him? Bury him and kick him out of the game. He can appeal all he wants, but if he cheated the game to that extent...eliminate the problem. I just don't get it. I read where the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins are going to meet with President Obama at the White House next week. Thank God. We should cut a deal that as soon as the last old-timer shuffles their way out of the Oval Office, then we never hear from these guys again. It's irritating enough that these guys are toasting every time a NFL team loses their first game. Hopefully Mercury Morris, Larry Czonka, Jim Kiick and the rest of those unbeaten 1972 Dolphins can now go back to their retirement centers, eat oatmeal and play BINGO. Has there been a more annoying NFL team than the '72 Miami Dolphins? 41 stinking years ago they were great, they were unbeaten, and now they get to go to the White House. Congrats. Now, disappear. |
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