Tannehill Rob the Dolphins for $100 Million

The NFL is not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. The Quarterback and passing game is what makes the game interesting. Quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are consistently elite no matter what type of team is put around him. The next tier of QB’s can be put in any order whether its Eli Manning, Drew Brees or Tony Romo, etc. In recent years, teams are awarding this prominent position with $100 million contracts for mediocrity. Andy Dalton just received one before he won a playoff game, even though he put his team in the playoffs since entering the league it hasn’t translated into any success. 

Ryan Tannehill received a multi-year $96 million contract from the Miami Dolphins, with $45 million guaranteed. He doesn’t deserve this large amount of money this early in his career. I have heard every argument as to why he deserve this contract. My co-worker says he has gotten better every year and this is the first stable QB since they had Marino. I counter that by saying YES, he has improved statistically but does that equate to w’s in the win column. No, the dolphins have been on the verge of the playoffs the last two seasons. Coming up short both years. 

 Now I agree he does deserve to be given an extension and this helps them dictate the market since the contracts of Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to be done soon. I thought the NFL was a league of results once you make it in the NFL. Players are drafted because off of potential and growth but this type of investment should be based on the end result of the overall team. Dolphin fans will be paying close attention to the play of Tannehill this year. Any regression from last year will have the dolphins choice to pay him this money to be questioned throughout the league. 

Norland Men’s Basketball:4 State Champions in a Row

By: Candy Man 

In high school sports, they call it boys’ basketball. But at Norland, they’re men amongst boys on the basketball team. They just made history in the state & Dade County, becoming the 1^st basketball team in the county to win 4 straight state championships after beating Gainesville to a score of 53-46 in the Class 6A final. They also become only the 6^th school ever in the whole state to win 4 straight. Head coach, Lawton Williams III, has kept the success going since his first state title with the school in 2006.  With that, they join Miami High as one of the most successful programs in Dade County.

Junior center & All-American, Dewan Huell, was the key for the Vikings this season. He carried his team in the final, scoring 18 points along with 8 boards & 6 blocks. Other key contributors are David Jean-Baptiste & Tyrik Waite. There’s a good chance Norland could be right back in the mix next year as they only have one senior on the team. Huell is one of the best players in the nation and will be the main factor in deciding if they can make it five straight. They were doubted before the beginning of this season. Critics said they were too young & inexperienced after they lost so many of their players from last years’ state title team. Coach Williams still worked his magic with a team full of underclassmen. Pretty much the whole team is returning next year. With more depth & experience, Norland should be able to make it 5 straight titles.   

Also, shout out to Browad’s Blanche Ely basketball team and head coach Melvin Randall. They finished the season undefeated (28-0) and won their 3^rd state title in the past 4 seasons, beating Kissimmee Osceola in the Class 7A final.

The Best in Florida: Gators, Hurricanes or Seminoles?

By: Candy Man

            Who can lay claim as the best football program in the state of Florida? College football in the Sunshine State took off in the 80’s when Miami won their first national championship in ’83. The U went on to win 3 more titles before UF or FSU won their first. FSU got on board in 1993 with Heisman Trophy winner, Charlie Ward. Soon after, the Gators joined the club in 1996 when they beat the Seminoles in the title game. Since the 1980’s, the rivalries between the U, FSU & UF have grown into the national spotlight and these 3 programs combined to win 11 national championships, about 1/3^rd of all the championships in that time period. That is a great accomplishment and a testament to the quality of football being played in this state at the college and high school level. But who can say they have the best football program out of the three?

The team that invented swagger makes a good case as they have the most national championships with 5. The U was the most dominant and most hated team in the 80’s when head coaches Schnellenberger, Johnson & Erickson led them to 3 championships. They spoiled many teams’ shots at winning a title including Florida State, Nebraska, Oklahoma & Notre Dame. That success carried over into the 90’s until a Pell grant scandal knocked them off for a few years. They came back strong with Larry Coker and won another title in 2001 with the “greatest team in college football history.” Their cocky & flashy style created a brand & a legacy that is recognized throughout the college football landscape. You can say they produced the most talent in the state also. 2 Heisman Trophy winners have played for the Canes, quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde & Gino Torretta. They have set multiple NFL draft records & they could field a complete NFL team, 2^nd string and all, with just their own players. Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Clinton Portis, Devin Hester, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, the Blades brothers, Jonathan Vilma, Jim Kelly, Jerome Brown, Bernie Kosar and many other stars at every position.

The Florida Gators are the oldest team in the state but didn’t reach consistent success until the 60’s when they had Steve Spurrier, 1966 Heisman winner, at quarterback and Ray Graves as head coach. This is also the time when Gatorade was first invented. The 70’s were so-so with head coach, Doug Dickey, and the 80’s were more successful but tarnished with major infractions that resulted in severe penalties from the NCAA. The Gators rebounded in the 90’s & reached national prominence with multiple SEC titles and a national championship in 1996 under head coach, Steve Spurrier. They won 2 more championships with Urban Meyer & arguably the best college football player ever, Tim Tebow. Some of the Gator greats include Heisman Trophy winners, Danny Wuerffel & Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith, Fred Taylor, Ike Hilliard, Jevon Kearse, Brandon Spikes, Percy Harvin, Joe Haden, the Pouncey Twins, Kevin Carter, Rex Grossman, Jack Youngblood & Wilbur Marshall.

           

The Florida State Seminoles, the former all-girls school & the youngest team out of the 3, started playing D1 football in the 1950’s. It’s impressive what they’ve done in a short amount of time when there are schools that have been playing D1 since the 1800’s. One of the greatest coaches in college football history, Bobby Bowden, took over in the 70’s and led the program to great heights. FSU ran the 90’s, fell off in the late 2000’s at the end of the Bobby Bowden era and have rose back to the top under Jimbo Fisher. Now you can say they are on the same level as UF with both having 3 national titles and 3 Heisman winners. No question, the best team right now are the Seminoles. Jameis Winston led them to a championship last year & he is on his way to becoming the 1^st overall pick in this year’s draft. They’ve racked up on a lot of talent with top 5 recruiting classes and are sending them to the league more than any other school besides Alabama. Their most impressive accomplishment, in my opinion, are the 14 straight years they finished in the top 5 beginning in the late 80’s to the end of the 90’s. That’s consistency and they could’ve added a few more championships if it wasn’t for Miami & Florida. Some of the greatest athletes to come through Tallahassee are “Primetime” Deion Sanders, Heisman Trophy winners, Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke & Jameis Winston, Warrick Dunn, Peter Warrick, Terrell Buckley, state of Florida legend Derrick Brooks, Marvin Jones, Ron Simmons, Peter Boulware, Anquan Boldin, & Fred Biletnikoff..

            

One thing for sure, each one of them had successful runs. It’s like a power cycle where one program is on top for a few years then comes back down to Earth while the others catch up & take over that top spot. Miami ran the 80’s, all three programs dominated the 90’s, UM was scary in the early 2000’s & the Gators were on top a few years later while FSU struggled. Now FSU is one of the best teams in the nation while the U & UF are struggling. Miami hasn’t done much in more than 10 years after losing their last title game to Ohio State & moving to the ACC. The Gators were in a great position just a few years ago but all that got derailed when Urban Meyer left & Will Muschamp was hired. It’s been years since Miami & Florida beat Florida State and both are trying to place themselves in the best position to knock off FSU & return to their glory days. Factoring in the history & present day of all three programs, who would you say is the best in the state of Florida?

The Great Urban Meyer

By:Candy Man 

​Ohio State just won the first College Football Playoff National Championship. Before the season, many people counted the Buckeyes out when their star quarterback for the prior two seasons, Braxton Miller, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Then they lost their first game of the season to Virginia Tech. But since then, backup quarterback & Heisman candidate J.T. Barrett led his team to 10 straight victories before he went down with an ankle injury during the Michigan game. In came the 3rd string quarterback, 6’5 250 pound Cardale Jones. Never before getting a chance to step ontothe field for Ohio State, he finished the season with a win in the B1G TEN championship game over Wisconsin, the playoff semifinals over Alabama & the national championship this past Monday over Oregon. It was an improbable season for Ohio State full of adversity and many people thought they were still a year or 2 away from reaching the championship game. When the playoffs committee picked them as the #4 seed in the playoffs over TCU & Baylor, it was a controversial decision and the general thought was that they didn’t deserve a spot. But with a coach like Urban Meyer, anything is possible.

​Meyer, who already won 2 championships with the Gators, will become a legend in the state of Ohio after winning another one at his alma mater. Urban Meyer got his Master’s in sports administration from Ohio State and also started his coaching career there in the 80’s. His first head coaching job was Bowling Green where he took a 2-9 team to an 8-3 season in 2001. He left after his second year to coach at the University of Utah. He won the MWC Coach of the Year award in his first year after winning 10 games, and followed that up with the first undefeated season at Utah in his second year. He then jumped at the chance to coach the Florida Gators where he won 2 championships in 2006 & 2008. He left the University of Florida in 2010, took a year off, then was hired in 2012 to become the next Ohio State football coach after a disappointing 6-7 season the previous year. In his first year, he went undefeated but couldn’t contend for the national championship because of NCAA violations that resulted in a bowl ban and a loss of scholarships. His second year started strong but ended in 2 straight losses in the conference championship game and the Orange Bowl. He then went on to win the conference and national championship in 2014. So in summary, he went undefeated at 3 schools and won national titles at 2 of them. It only took him 2 years to win one a title at Florida and 3 years to win another title at Ohio State. So you can see why many people and the media are already calling him the greatest of all time and even better than Nick Saban.

While Ohio State fans were celebrating Monday night, Gator fans were reminiscing to the good ol’ days when Meyer was theircoach. Many of them are grateful for the 2 titles that he brought to Gainesville while there are others that would never forgive him for how he left UF high & dry to suffer in the years after he stepped down for “health and family” reasons. Despite that, nobody can doubt his coaching success. He’s on his way to starting a dynasty at Ohio State and could be even better than Woody Hayes, a legend in Ohio who won 5 titles as the Buckeyes coach in the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. With a young team that is returning most of its starters including the national championship MVP and possibly all three quarterbacks, Ohio State will have the best odds of winning the 2016 CFP National Championship.

Amari Cooper: The Hometown Favorite for the Heisman

By: Jimbo Brown

Miami Northwestern Bulls is one of the nationally known high school powerhouse coming out of South Florida. Many high school legends were made on 71st. Greats such as Teddy Bridgewater, Antonio Bryant and Lavonte David have all went to college and onto the NFL. In recent years, The West has had 3 players in the race for the Heisman in their college career. Jacory Harris and Teddy Bridgewater both were in the conversation, but with mid-season collapses they weren’t invited to New York once the season ended. The player who has be consistently great for the Alabama Tide and has a great chance to win this trophy is Amari Cooper. 

As a high school stud, Cooper was a three-sport athlete that shined in every sport that he played in. In his junior he was one of Teddy Bridgewater’s primary targets. As a senior, he had 33 receptions for 722 yards and was considered the 6th best wide receiver recruit by Rivals.com. This landed him a scholarship to the great University of Alabama. 

Fast forward to the 2014-2015 season, the Heisman race this year is clearly a three headed race in my opinion. Marcus Mariota, Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper. These three candidates have all had their Heisman moment this year that all winners have to defy their greatness. Cooper just has more then one this season.  He killed my Florida Gators with 201 receiving yards and three touchdowns and thats not the stat that catches my eye. Against a tough LSU and at the time #1 Mississippi State he has caught eight passes for 80-plus yards and a touchdown. He finished the Iron Bowl with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tide comeback against a well coached Auburn team. 

Miami Northwestern and youth throughout the inner-city of Miami  should look at the success Cooper is having and to the best of their power emulate. Its not many athletes who have national success like this and have no off the field issues. Even though I believe Marcus Mariota will win the Heisman, Cooper should have the support of his hometown and help campaign for him to at least get invited to the ceremony. Big time players make big time plays in all situations. 

The Best High School Football Teams in South Florida of All-TIme

By: Jimbo Brown

 When it comes to high school football it has reached the highest it has ever been in its long history. High school teams and players are getting exposure from social media to shows on ESPNU. Nike and Under Armor has been a leading force in generating exposure for the talented youth by holding football camps as a platform. Florida arguably has the best athletes. Many scouts come to the tri-county to recruit for all positions.  The West (Miami Northwestern), Carol City, St. Thomas, Central, Booker T and American Heritage has produced talent at big universities and in the NFL. 

The discussion of the best high school team of all-time from the South Florida area could be heard in all circles and walks of life. The best teams always vary by generation and what type of football you like. I’m going to try not to be bias, facts are going to outweigh feelings. Here is my top 5 no specific order:

Miami Northwestern Bulls (Class of 2007 & 2008)

-This team was arguably the best in the schools history. With top prospects like Jacorey Harris and Sean Spence on both sides of the ball the Bulls were unstoppable. Averaging 50 points a game and shutting out most opponents was the formula for success. Many prospects went to D-1 universities and some found a place in the NFL. The legacy was cemented with 2 state championships.

Miami Carol City Chiefs (Class of 2003)

-Coach Frazier believed in great defense and a strong running game. Even though it was the death of his legacy, his 2003 state team was the epitome of his vision. With a host of running backs starring Chris Strothers, Carol City ran the ball down opponents throats that year. The most feared player on the team had to be Willie Williams, who broke the arm of Edgewater quarterback on the first play of the state game. Kenny Phillips 2-time NFL super bowl champion started at safety as a junior on this team.

Miami Central (Class of 2011)

-This was the year that the Roc Boys on 95th street was loaded with D-1 talent. The team was lead by the running attack of Devonta Freeman and the arm of Rakeem Cato. Unable to deliver a state championship in the previous year, the talent of the Rockets blew out a talented Dr.Phillips. Notable players on the team was Charles Gaines Jr, Thomas Finnie, Tommy Shula, Durell Eskridge and Joseph Yearby. 

Booker T Washington (Class of 2014)

-This class of football was the best team in dade county two years in a row, winning two state championships and putting a number of property stricken youth in universities across the nation. Lead by Chad Thomas on defensive and Treon Harris on offensive teams had to face the best of both worlds each week. Majority of the team was the reason the track team was able to win a state championship during that era. 

St.Thomas (Class of 2009)

-The only team in my top five that doesn’t have a championship title but has enough talent to go head to head with other teams on the list. The 2008-2009 St. Thomas Aquinas was loaded with talented players. Lamarcus Joyner and Giovanni Benard are probably the biggest names off of this team. Phillip Dorsett and Rashad Greene now at rival schools also played on this team. You will see a significant amount of these players playing on sunday.







Honorable Mention

-Miramar (Class of 2010)

-Booker T Washington (Class of 2008)

-The West (Class of 2000)

-Carol City (Class of 1996 & 1997)

-Norland (Class of 2004)
-Pahokee & Glades Central (Class 2007-2010)

Is There Such Thing as Rewards Without Risk (Throwback Wednesday)

By: Jimbo Brown

 

Growing up playing football in the South Florida Youth Football League I witnessed opponents and teammates get hit and have concussion like symptoms. We were to young to understand the damage we were causing because we emulated  what we saw on the professional level. The big hits and head on head collisions became apart of the game. 

The professional football players we grew up watching are now suing the National Football League for the affect concussions had on them. Over 4,500 athletes claimed the NFL concealed the dangers of concussions and rushed players back to the field while profited from them. The players who will receive compensation are suffering from dementia, depression or Alzheimer’s. When you're dreaming of playing in the NFL you don’t think about the negative effect it can have on your body. You think about how you're going to train hard so you can better you and your family situation. 

I feel the NFL shouldn’t have to pay out the money granted by the Supreme Court judge. When the money was good, players weren’t thinking about health concerns. It was understood that while playing the game you will be exposed to harmful possibilities. There are big name hall of famers who are eligible and are seeking compensation; Tony Dorsett and the family of Tony Dorsett. We have to prepare the future NFL stars with the proper techniques when engaging in contact. It starts with the little kid in Gainesville, Florida or the #1 prospect in the 2015 class. The future is what you make it.

Being High or Losing your Dream: You Decide

By: Jimbo Brown 

At the start of the 2013 NFL season, no one would believe that a player who is suspended for the first two games would lead the league in receiving yards. Cleveland Browns Josh Gordon accomplished the near impossible feat. As we enter the 2014 season, Gordon is facing a possible indefinite suspension or he will be suspended for some significant time. His biggest obstacle since his days at Baylor University hasn’t been the talented defenders he faced on Saturday and Sundays; but the most controversial drug of our generation, Marijuana! 

While growing up in the rough neighborhood of Carol City and being involved in sports year-round, I faced the peer pressure to indulge in marijuana usage. Even though at that time I didn’t give in to peer pressure, I’m not totally against marijuana use. I believe that if it starts to harm the way you provide for your family then there is one thing to do, QUIT! This has become a reoccurring issue with professional football players. For example, Justin Blackmon has recently been charged with marijuana possession. He is already serving an indefinite suspension from the NFL for substance abuse violations. The key is to stop this issue in college and show student-athletes what can be taken away by satisfying an urge. 

I commend Tyrann “Honey Badger" Matthieu on how he handled the situation he went through entering his junior season at LSU. After coming off a Heisman finalist sophomore season, the "Honey Badger" was dismissed from the team for a failed drug test then arrested for marijuana possession. Which lead to him missing a whole football season. Although he went through an all time low, he was still able to get drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. He had to hit rock bottom to realize the importance of following the rules even if you do not agree with them.