Life of the SportsGuy

Wouldn’t it be nice if the process of building a collegiate sports program in any way resembled that of the video game world?
Fans of the EA Sports video game series NCAA Football will testify that the process of building a team from also-ran to champion can be frustrating, but that, eventually, success can be achieved.
Video game success comes at far less of a price, both in terms of money and patience, than similar success in the real world of college sports.
There are no reset buttons in the real world. There’s no way to cheat the system and get great players. The process of cheating for recruits in the real world requires a web of lies and treachery, not fast digits on a control pad. And when the cheating is discovered in reality, penalties sting a lot more.
Of course the most difficult part of building a program is generating momentum and success.
In the video game world, players recruit and simulate through seasons to avoid having to try to play with their current roster, one that’s not in any way equipped to deal with the foes on the schedule.
Real world coaches face long hours and years of hard work before seeing results.
Fans often times are forced to be happy with incremental improvements.
Meanwhile, to help facilitate success, colleges are required to dole out millions to new coaches and also to put cash behind facility development.
The University of Nebraska men’s basketball program exemplifies the challenges that programs under take when trying to climb from worst to first.
The Huskers have already built a first class training facility and the construction of a brand new arena is well underway.
Coach Tim Miles and staff are part of that process also. Miles recently finalized a seven-year pact with the Huskers, one that Nebraska hopes will erase thoughts that the university is anything but serious with regard to winning games and having success in March.
Miles will make $1.4 million in his first year and that number will escalate to $2.15 million by year seven of the deal. Also included in his package of benefits are two personal cars, a country club membership and a bonus structure that could equate to as much as three quarters of a million dollars.
Miles will have $700,000 to spend on his assistant coaches.
Now, that’s an investment.
Some have balked at the numbers. And rightly so.
It’s hard to see why Nebraska should part with so much money, quite a bit more than the roughly $1 million per year that Doc Sadler pulled down, to pay a coach that has yet to prove his skills on a stage as big as the Big 10.
Fans must understand that the Huskers need to pay fair market price for a coach, and, based on Big 10 coaching contracts, this is far from the top of the list.
Coach Miles will certainly have a very secure financial future thanks to the length and worth of this contract.
Hopefully the Huskers will start to win and the money paid out to Miles will seem to be more of a bargain than what it looks like now.
All fans can do is press play and hope for the best.
With any luck, the university won’t have to press reset here four or five years and start the process all over again.

The NFL Draft begins Thursday night with television coverage by ESPN and continues through Saturday.
Certainly the rookie selection meetings of the NFL easily represent the most popular and most discussed rookie selection process of professional sports.
Mock drafts predicting the entirety of the first and sometimes the entirety of the second round are available months in advance and, for all intent and purpose, we all know who the first two selections are going to be already.
Indianapolis will be taking Andrew Luck, quarterback, Stanford, and the Washington Redskins will pick up Robert Griffin III, quarterback, Baylor.
From there on out, the intrigue will ramp up, at least for the true draft geeks, the ones that are going to watch the whole draft.
Which brings out the curiosity of the NFL Draft.
It’s a big event. It gets big time ratings. And yet nothing really happens.
The whole thing is highlights of college players we’ve all seen a million times before followed by over-discussion of each pick and situation, followed by some league official walking to a podium and making a monotone pronouncement of the next draft pick.
What is the impact?
We don’t know and we won’t for some time.
Andrew Luck could be the next great QB in the league or he could be a bust. And that goes for each and every pick on the board.
Their impact both as individuals and members of whatever organization drafts them is completely unknown and, in many instances, way over blown.
Why do we all watch? Are we that desperate for football in April?
It appears so.

In that spirit, here’s a by-position guide of players that intrigue me and a short reason why.
Enjoy.

QB: Patrick Witt, Yale
The Former Husker signal caller is rated ahead of Northwestern’s Dan Persa on Yahoo Sports draft rankings. Curious to be sure. The rating must have downgraded Persa due to his injury issues.

RB: Bradie Ewing, Wisconsin
I am talking full back here instead of tailback. Why? Cause the tailbacks get all the talk. Ewing figures to be a good selection for whoever gets him since the Wisconsin team ran a lot.

WR: B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State
This guy was definitely the stye in the eye of the Wisconsin Badgers. He seems to be in the right place a lot making big plays, especially against Wisky.

TE: Coby Fleener, Stanford
Fleener’s production increased in each of his four years in Palo Alto, Calif. That could be attributed to Luck’s ability to distribute the ball. However, it should be noted that, since Luck was so proficient, he would have likely targeted WRs to the complete exclusion of the TE had Fleener not been very good.

OL: Riley Reiff, Iowa
The 6’6” and 300 lbs. Reiff is rated in the top three for offensive tackles on the Yahoo Sports draft board and figures to be a solid player.

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska
Crick is rated No. 3 on the Yahoo Sports draft board at defensive end and, after the way his career ended at Nebraska, it would be nice to see Crick get picked high and to a team that will use him right.

LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska
This guy has an unbelievable motor and drive and will be a great addition to any team. I think he’s the type of linebacker that, with the right development, could have the same relationship to TEs as “lock down corners” have with WRs.

CB: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
Defensive talent in this year’s draft looks to be lean and the FS position is key to any pass defense. It would be a good idea to lock up this guy, who is rated as the top FS on the Yahoo Sports draft board.

Specials
Unless you’re drafting the Oakland Raiders, picking high for K or P is generally frowned upon. With that in mind, go Fort Collins, Colo., native Philip Welch out of Wisky for your kicker and Austin McCoy out of Wyoming as your punter. As an aside, my favorite Cowboy QB ever, Danny White, could punt the heck out of the ball. Bet Mr. Luck can’t do that.

Nebraska and Penn State have a common jersey issues in some senses.
Fans of the football teams at both schools are often heard talking about the need for a change, an alternate jersey, and something new to shake everything up.
At first, it seems appealing.
Then it seems pointless.
Isn’t it the ultimate cool that teams like Penn State and Nebraska have instant brand association for fans?
Oregon and Boise State can’t say that. Both teams change their look often and go with some outlandish arrangements, all in the name of establishing the name recognition that, despite a lot of recent success, neither enjoys.
Nebraska recently announced that they would dabble in the world of alternate uniforms with a promise attached.
The Huskers won’t be leaving tradition behind and won’t be going for some of the nearly hideous outfits that other schools have tried.
It’s something I can appreciate.
It’s something that Nike appreciates as well.
When the Nike people unveiled the new jerseys for all the NFL teams, it was quickly noted that, outside of a bit of difference with the Seattle jerseys, most of the looks remain, shall we say, classic.
And that’s because all of the teams in the NFL have well established brands. Too much monkey business could end up affecting the overall marketability of the brand.
It’s too risky.
When Nebraska comes up in a conversation, there is an instant brand association.
Let’s keep it that way.

Russell Wilsons don’t grow on trees and no transfer student brings with him a guarantee of success, but there is little doubt that the Wisconsin Badger football team got a major upgrade at the quarterback position by bringing in Danny O'Brien, a transfer signal caller from Maryland, who will begin a two-year career in Madison this fall.
Husker fans are well aware of the Wilson story.
Prior to the 2011 season, Wilson played ball at North Carolina State. After a fall out with the coaches there, he transfered to Wisconsin and helped fill a major void for the Badgers.
Little was known about how Wilson would make the transition, but the former Wolfpack player made an easy adjustment and led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl.
O'Brien could do the same.
He doesn’t have the scrambling ability of Wilson, but O’Brien’s numbers, particularly in 2010, prove that he can be an efficient signal caller.
O'Brien threw for 22 touchdowns and just eight picks in 2010. 
If O’Brien can repeat his 2010 numbers, Wisconsin fans and coaches will be elated.
And, although O’Brien will be a central figure in the offense, he will have plenty of help from a Heisman candidate at the running back spot.
Montee Ball rushed for 1,954 yards a year ago, and we all know that the best friend of a signal caller is a great rush game.
How about those offensive lineman? Badger linemen always impress, so O’Brien can expect to be under minimal distress in the pocket.
And the Wisconsin coaches’ ability to integrate Wilson into their schemes should serve to bolster confidence among Badger fans that O’Brien can be made ready to lead the team by fall.
Will the Badgers make another run to the Rose Bowl? National title?
No one, not even the most ardent Wisconsin fan, can say for sure.
What can be said is that O’Brien’s arrival on campus drastically improves the odds for another great season in Madison.

Peyton Manning’s signing is a win-win for the Denver Broncos, even if it fails.
The Broncos needed to part ways with Tim Tebow and Manning needs a chance to prove that he can still play quarterback in the NFL.
Moreover, Denver just needed a fresh start.
And they convinced Manning to give it to them.
No doubt, Denver’s John Elway was very persuasive in talking to Manning about how he had won Super Bowls late in his career. And Manning undoubtedly noticed the way the Broncos tailored their offense for Tebow’s skills.
The offensive line looks good in Denver. And the defense is improved.
The future is bright.
And it’s brighter, even if Manning fails, because the future doesn’t include Tebow.
This isn’t meant to be a slight against Tebow’s effort or what he was able to accomplish last year. It’s just meant to point to the fact that inaccurate quarterbacks, such as Tebow, fail in the longer term.
Fans love Tebow, so it seemed that the Broncos were going to have to try to develop their young QB, attempt to change his mechanics and hope for the best.
When Manning, one of the best QBs ever to play, became available, well, let’s just say that was a no-brainer.
Elway can now walk away form Tebow, and, even if he doesn’t get much from the possibly injury reduced Manning, the situation will end up working out perfectly because the Broncos can find a quarterback through free agency or through the draft who possesses more passing acumen than Mr. Tebow would have ever possessed.
Again, it’s nothing personal, it’s just reality.
Take it from a Dallas Cowboys fan who watched as journeyman after journeyman filed through Big-D.
The Cowboys eventually got lucky with an undrafted guy out of Eastern Illinois in Tony Romo.
It took a lot of years and a lot of headaches.
Who wants to go through that if you don’t have to?
When you look at the quarterback position and all of the trouble that goes into finding a good signal caller, it’s even easy to see why the Colts let Manning go and set their sights on Luck.
The chance to go from one super quarterback to another is unbelievably, forgive the pun, Lucky.
Now, with Manning in the fold, the Broncos will have a similar chance.
If the former Colt turns into a Denver star, the Broncos will have a couple of years to use a high draft pick on their quarterback of the future.
Denver won’t have to take a pass on the next young star because they were trying desperately to train a young quarterback.
Whether Manning fails or not, Denver is about to succeed.

Ben & Jerry’s invited its customers to “taste the Lin-sanity” by partaking in its latest flavor creation, a vanilla ice cream highlighted by bits of fortune cookie.
Offended?
Some were left cold by the dessert maker’s latest offering.
The above question might be better posed as one aimed at checking the temperature of the public to find out if we are all a bit too quick to take offense.
Is there such a thing as a statement made in poor taste rather than one made with malicious intent to harm or degrade?
And if so, can we disregard those minor infractions that fail to raise up to the critical mass needed for a declaration of bigotry?
In some regard, we must acknowledge that we live in a world ripe with opportunities for offense -- from marketing campaigns to the names of sports teams and society’s tendency to label phenomenon for the purpose of identifying trends.
The very notion  of Lin-Sanity is right in line with a label for the purpose of identifying a trend, which is, in this case, the growing love of a basketball player whose skills have served to breathe life into a fairly lifeless New York Knicks basketball franchise.
ESPN and other sports news organizations jumped on the Lin-Sanity phrase and used it to great effect. The name itself was not meant to demean and was not taken as such.
As often is the case however, when creativity begins to do its work, other phrases come together that might not be as fun and lighthearted.
People start to take offense.
It’s kind of like the story my mother told me about a jam-session of sorts she was having as a young child with her brother in the front yard of her childhood home.
The two began to rhyme words and, when the direction of that rhyming became a bit more dubious in nature, my grandmother was quick to put an end to it.
When you start with luck, buck and stuck, well, let’s just say nothing good can happen after that.
To make the case that the two young children intended to swear, and simply needed an excuse to do so, would be off base.
Afterall, my mother called her brother a pimp because he had pimples on his face.
She said it without knowing that some words have alternate and negative meanings.
Again, my grandmother quickly noted that such words were not appropriate.
Is that what we need to do here?
When someone goes a bit out of bounds, shouldn’t we simply inform the offender that such comments are not welcomed and then move on?
In the end, didn’t Ben and Jerry’s simply aim to rhyme with the times only to go one word too far?
As long as corrective action is taken, shouldn’t we forgive and forget?
All of us suffer from a bit of “foot in mouth disease,” so to speak. We all deserve the chance to reverse course.
So, before you boycott Ben and Jerry’s, consider that their intent might not have been anything approaching the terribleness which the Lin-Sanity ice cream product may have conveyed.
By convicting the ice cream company, people raise the standard for public discourse to an unreasonably high level and lower the bar for offense nearly to the floor.
Most people would find it hard to live with those rules.
Unless one assumes to be perfect in speech, a softer stance seems more reasonable.
Those who fail to be reasonable and insist on offense will almost certainly get their just desserts.

What’s the future for the Nebraska men’s basketball program?
Ask nearly anyone and you’ll get a snipe about Doc Sadler.
The Huskers have not been performing well. There is no doubt of that.
And Sadler being the head coach, he is going to hear plenty of complaints.
But is Sadler the main problem in Lincoln?
It’s tough to know.
For a moment, think of the basketball program without thinking about Coach Sadler.
If the current environment is any indicator, he won’t be here in a few months. And the Huskers will be looking for a new coach.
Who is that going to be? Just how hopeful can Husker basketball fans be about the future?
Everyone heard all about the new basketball facilities in Lincoln and how they rank right up there with college basketball royalty. Just as good or better than places where basketball is sacred, like Kansas, North Carolina, or Duke.
And we know that there is a new arena going up in Lincoln. That is going to be first class.
On a side note, it’s going to be good for the volleyball team, a national power, to get some new toys with a work-over of the Devaney.
Back to basketball.
Can the fans of this Husker program dream of, well, it’s hard to say it or type it.
Final four?
Is that ridiculous?
Certainly most Husker fans, this writer included, trust AD Tom Osborne to go out and find a coach that meshes with the culture in Lincoln and who also gives us the best chance to win.
How much winning?
Should Nebraska fans be satisfied with being competitive in the league, getting an at-large NCAA bid, and falling in the first round?
Should we believe in the team’s ability to get one or two wins in the madness that is March?
Elite eight?
How about a Big 10 Conference title? In this league, those are never going to be easy.
There is much uncertainty around the Husker program right now. At this point, there is also a lot of apathy.
Here is hoping Osborne can find the Bob Devaney of Husker hoops.
We need something to believe in so that we can dream. So that we can type and say the words, Final Four, and not feel like we are kidding ourselves.
Sadler had that ability when he got here. Coach has always had the ability to sound genuine and give the impression that big things are around the corner.
Our complete ineptitude on the court, however, has left fans shaking their heads and plugging their ears to Coach Sadler and his positive talk.
Fans dismiss the Huskers chances before the start of seasons. They point to the university’s status as a football school.
And that’s the ones that even care to think Nebraska basketball at all.
One of two things need to happen soon. Sadler needs to win. Or Osborne needs to find a coach that can sell this program, not just to recruits, or the players on his team, but to the entire state of Nebraska.
Unless that happens soon, this new arena in downtown Lincoln is going to be empty most of the time.

Youthful exuberance and intelligence don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
Football might be the best example of that.
Back in my younger days, those grade school years on through high school, any surface would do when it came to football.
We played games in the middle of the street, and, although we tried to keep those games limited to two-hand touch below the waist, there were times we played tackle football.
Playing tackle football on concrete? Not very smart.
We just wanted to play.
And no matter how long athletes play a sport, the desire to play the game trumps everything.
Even sound reasoning.
Right now, the football world is at quite the crossroads.
There are two camps of thinking on the violence that pervades the sport of football in the modern era.
Football players retired from a career where they experienced numerous concussive blows and those who understand what effect concussive blows have on the future health of athletes are standing on one side.
On the other side, players who will compete, regardless of circumstance, out of love for the game and monetary gain, join members of the NFL hierarchy, which despite its protests, is usually guilty of protecting the football machine rather than looking out for the athlete.
The solution is to introduce actual tackle football principles.
What’s being played these days does not qualify as tackle football.
The modern game could be called impact ball, collision ball, knock out ball or demolition derby.
Tackle football is a term that no longer applies.
Sadly, that state of affairs is not limited to the pro game.
Tackle football doesn’t seem to apply to college, or even high school, football.
Evidence of this condition can be found in many aspects of the game.
Since defenders are supposed to be doing the “tackling,” let’s take a look at that side of the ball.
Offensive players are often seen gaining yards after contact, not because of a broken tackle, but because the defender went for a big hit and came up empty.
Defenders seem to be looking to collide with someone. Tackling doesn’t enter the equasion.
When the big hit works, the offensive player, defensive player, or both, are often times worse for the wear.
When the big hit doesn’t work, a big play usually happens for the offense.
In addition to losing sight of actual tackle football skills, players are also making up for mistakes by using concussive force.
When covering a receiver, if a defender is beaten, instead of giving up the catch and making a tackle, that defender makes up for his mistake by trying to knock the receiver senseless in the hopes that he will drop the ball.
Some call this technique separating the ball from the receiver.
I call it cowardice.
Hitting a receiver whose eyes are focused on the ball is no different than taking out the punter while his leg is still in the air.
The latter is a penalty. Shouldn’t the former be illegal as well?
In addition, there are unnecessary hits or concussive blows delivered with the sole intent of intimidation or injury.
Players are often hit when they are not involved in the play.
Why is it necessary to hit someone who can not impact the final result of the play?
Quarterbacks receive crippling blind side hits.
What is to be gained from blindside blasting the quarterback when the defender could just as easily come under control and make a tackle?
In both instances, the answer is simple.
Those kinds of hits are meant to intimidate and injure.
Get back to the basics of tackle football.
Actually tackle people.
Actually defend receivers.
The NFL can lead the way in this area. They can make demands on players through the rule book.
It’s already happened.
At one time, it was considered a good technique for a defensive lineman to slap the head of an offensive lineman on every play in the hopes that repeated concussive impact would make it easier for the defender to beat his man and get to the ball.
That move is illegal.
Rule 12, section 2, article 1 of the NFL rule book, states that striking or clubbing to the head, neck, or face with the heel, back, or side of the hand, wrist, arm, elbow, or clasped hands is illegal.
We know that rules can be developed which severly punish players who engage in gladiator tactics to win battles on the gridiron.
And these rules must be adopted soon.
We have reached the point where the pads and helmets players use in games are intended to lesson the chance of injury because of what is going to happen.
Pads and helmets should be protecting players from what might happen.
Football is a rugged enough game already without introducing non-football skills and unnecessary concussive impacts to the game.
The equipment even encourages players to use caution by reminding them that helmets and pads can not prevent injuries.
It is up to football coaches, colleges and pro institutions to make sure that, while football will always be dangerous, is must cease to be a blood sport.

What does it mean to be a recruiting champion?
National championships don’t necessarily follow directly after such achievements. Sometimes national championships lead to recruiting championships. Sometimes recruiting champs end up as national champs or top five final rating poll finishers at some point.
And sometimes there is no correlation at all, leaving fans scratching their heads.
Let’s look at some Rivals recruiting numbers for the past 10 years and compare them to top five final ratings polls.
Texas had a top five finish in the final ratings poll in 2004 and won a national championship back in 2005 off the strength of just one top-five recruiting class, with that achievement coming in 2002.
Since then, the Longhorns have reeled off top five recruiting classes in 2006, 07, 09, 10, 11, and 12. But they’ve only finished in the top five of the final ratings poll in two seasons, those being 2008 and 2009.
Florida State has finished in the top five in recruiting five times and has not a single top five final ratings poll finish to show for it.
Alabama has been in the top five of recruiting in each of the last five cycles, and the Crimson Tide have two national titles.
Ohio State has only finished in the top five recruiting wise in four seasons, but the Buckeyes have seven top five finishes in the final ratings poll.
There always will be anomalies.
Utah, Penn State, West Virginia, Boise State, Missouri, TCU, Oregon, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Arkansas have all finished in the top five of the final ratings without having finished in the top five of recruiting.
None of those teams has done it more than twice, however. And none of those teams have claimed a national title either.
Oregon came closest in losing to Auburn in the BCS title game.
Aside from Florida State, a few other schools finished in the top five of recruiting ratings without making a top five in the final ratings poll for any season.
Tennessee was a top five finisher in 2002, 05 and 07. Michigan had a top five position in 2004 and stands in the top five this year.
Notre Dame was in the top five on 2008 and Nebraska had a top five finish in 2005.
Those non-top-five finishers in terms of the final ratings poll can be discounted since they enjoyed great recruiting in few seasons.
Right?
Obviously the numbers above are flawed to a degree.
A school might be in the top five of the recruiting rankings for two out of 10 seasons, but be in the top 15 in the other eight years.
That would definitely affect the outcome on the field versus a team that was in the top five of the recruiting ratings in three of 10 years, but no where near the top 20 in any other year.
Other considerations have to go into this too.
Some teams use offensive or defensive schemes that require athletes thought to be less elite than others by recruiting analysts.
Some schools develop their talent well or vault their way up the final ratings by going nearly unbeaten against weaker opponents.
Some schools bolster their recruiting numbers by going the junior college route, while others try to develop high school kids.
And the discussion hasn’t even reached the boom versus bust issue that every athlete has to confront.
After all, these athletes, even ones from bigger metropolitan school districts, must make a significant leap to playing on the national stage.
Consider the bust rate in the NFL, where scouts have years of tape of more mature athletes playing at a national level, then compare that to the challenge of finding good players off of high school tapes where crazy performances against weaker foes could cloud the judgement of the observer.
How about the fact that a lot of these national recruits will travel across the country, possibly hundreds of miles from home, for the first time, only to face unreal expectations by fans, scouts, coaches, and boosters?
The list goes on.
Player prospects are further clouded by team needs which could have athletes buried on a depth chart or having to make a position shift.
Back to the original question.
What does it mean to be a recruiting champion?
It could mean a lot. It could mean nothing.
In the final analysis, it appears that solid recruiting over a number of years, plus good management of a program, leads to success.
And that makes it tough to decide on the first day of February just which team will be hoisting major hardware next January.
But it’s fun to talk about it.
So let’s just do that.
And hope for the best.

Top Five Rivals Ratings
Texas—02, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12
Tennessee—02, 05, 07
Georgia—02, 06, 11
Florida State—02, 04, 05, 06, 11
Ohio State—02, 08, 09, 12
LSU—03, 04, 07, 09
Florida—03, 06, 07, 08, 10, 12
USC—03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11
Oklahoma—03, 05
Miami—03, 04, 08
Michigan—04, 12
Nebraska—05
Alabama—08, 09, 10, 11, 12
Notre Dame—08
Auburn—10

Top Five Final AP
Ohio State—02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10
Miami—02, 03
Georgia—02, 07
USC—02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08
Oklahoma—02, 03, 04, 08
LSU—03, 06, 07, 11
Auburn—04, 10
Utah—04, 08
Texas—04, 05, 08, 09
Penn State—05
West Virginia—05
Florida—06, 08, 09
Boise State—06, 09
Missouri—07
Alabama—09, 11
TCU—10
Oregon—10, 11
Stanford—10
Oklahoma State—11
Arkansas—11

BOLD teams are exclusive to that list.

It’s that time again.
Football fans will soon be plunged into abject darkness.
No games on the schedule. Not even a schedule in some cases.
Nebraska is still looking for one more foe to round out their 2012 regular season schedule.
For those who are trying to get adjusted to the thought of no football, there will be a one-week warning. No football is scheduled this week, unless the Pro Bowl counts as a football game.
In my book, it doesn’t.
A week from Sunday is the Super Bowl.
Then, darkness.
Looking forward to the draft is bogus since it’s a non-sporting event that only serves as a reminder that real football games are still months away. And the draft is months away.
To quote Homer Simpson, “Doh!”
And it’s an election year—one where the presidency is up for grabs.
Call me crazy, but I would rather see Aaron Rodgers discount double check commercial about 75 more times than watch most political ads.
There will be no shortage of political ads.
How does one cope with this seemingly untenable situation?
Here is my plan.
Each and every week, this sports writer is going to try to do his best to find some event, sport or not, to look forward to on Saturday or Sunday.
This seems like a really good plan.
This weekend, I plan on going to the movies.
The week after the Super Bowl, well, I still need to think on that.
Face it, there are going to be many of these weeks. I will need many distractions.
Ideas?
If you can think of one, don’t be afraid to mention it.
I will update my weekly plan on Facebook, or at least try to update my plan.
Alright, I probably won’t.
Oh well.
Weekly plan or not, every football fan should know this, all of us are struggling in the same way. We all want football. If we stick together, we can get through this.
Oh, and if you do have an idea, send me a message or an e-mail.
Because I am feeling desperate already.

The New Orleans Saints should not renew the contract of quarterback Drew Brees.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Before reacting to this comment, take some time to think about it.
Brees celebrated his 33rd birthday on Jan. 15. He has accomplished almost everything a quarterback can accomplish.
He has won a Super Bowl and set numerous records.
To be realistic, there isn’t much left for Brees to accomplish.
Sure, he can try to run down another Super Bowl and he might have an opportunity to do that next year.
At the same time, however, we’ve seen a lot of older quarterbacks hang on for year after year of chasing that Super Bowl dream, only to end up leaving without winning another.
And at what cost?
Make no mistake, the NFL is a young man’s game.
The collisions we see on a weekly basis are a reminder of that.
As the years go by, there is more and more of a chance an older player will take a hit and be unable to recover from the injury that hit causes.
So Brees could get hurt and leave the Saints to trust their back up, something no NFL team wants to do.
In addition to injury, the reality of NFL business should be considered while thinking of Brees and his pending contract situation.
Depth, youth and talent are the ultimate weapons in the NFL arms race.
If the Saints decide to meet the rightfully high demands of Brees and his agent, the team might have to deal with less of all three.
As a result of the Brees deal, the Saints might have to cut valuable role players, those guys who go unnoticed by fans, but who represent the backbone of any title contender.
The draft could be tricky, even with the lesser rookie salaries in the new NFL collective bargaining agreement.
So without the youth from the draft to fill in for the role players cut by salary trimming efforts, New Orleans might not have as much talent on hand for Brees to make another run at the Super Bowl.
And the contract ramifications of the Brees deal could reverberate for years, making it difficult for the Saints to remain competitive.
If the Saints let Brees go in free agency, or, even better, worked a sign and trade deal for picks and players, the team could replenish its roster.
The Saints would have all kinds of loot to chase more role players, the kind that win championships. They would have plentiful youth from the draft and hope for the future.
This is not meant to understate the value of a signal caller.
Quarterbacks are a precious commodity.
But it takes a whole team to win titles.
Green Bay and New Orleans have great quarterbacks with great stats.
And both teams are sitting at home for the conference championships because neither have a very good defense.
It takes a whole team.
Add  the recent success of rookie QBs like Andy Dalton, Bengals, and Cam Newton, Panthers, and it’s harder to believe that a move to replace a veteran quarterback is impossible.
The Saints are at a crossroads. No doubt the accomplishments and talents of Brees make for comfort even when that comes with a high price tag.
Then again, comfort can be a bit overrated.
As famed author Denis Waitley said “A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”