Al Golden: GTFOH

By: Jimbo Brown 

Since the UM/FIU brawl in the Orange Bowl, The U has unintentionally turned back into just The University of Miami. You may be thinking to yourself, "These are the same school". To me these are two different types of programs. Growing up in the era of The U, I got to see legends such as Sean Taylor, Andre Johnson and Carol City bred Santana Moss. They just didn't bring talent to the program but the same swag that greats before them possessed. Now,the kids only get to see a few of these players come through the program now, like Allen Hurns, Duke Johnson and Sean Spence. There has been other players that represents The U but they are just a small percentage of the players. The culture of the program has vastly changed once the coaching changes became more frequent.

Al Golden has been the coach for a couple years now and the program haven't lived up to expectations of the core fans. I have lost hope for this coaching staff because they have had enough talent on to compete with the new king of the Florida, Florida State Seminoles. Golden has yet to deliver an 8-win season at the University of Miami. He has yet to produce a bowl win to the campus and only season he has had is destroying a already dying legacy. 

The main reason I would like to see Al Golden leave because he let great high school players fall to the waist side. Injured 5-star athletes were forgotten about because they wasn't the players he recruited. Players like Eduardo Clements, who once had offers on top of offers, was forgotten about after a neck injury. Even though he was cleared to play, Golden relied on a talented but inexperienced Dallas Crawford. If Eduardo was used in more often, when Duke went out with the ankle injury in 2013, the season would have went down the drain. This past season wasn't successful either which leads me to believe he is on a short leash.

The leash the Alumni is holding on Al Golden before they start to snap is shorter than Kevin Hart and Wee Man fighting. He has to produce a 10-win season, a respectable bowl appearance and develop his players. He has no excuses this season; its his system, coaches and players HE recruited. You can say he is on the HOT SEAT.

Rams Silent Protest

By: Candy Man

This past Sunday during the St. Louis Rams & Oakland Raiders game, five Rams players (Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook & Chris Givens) walked out the tunnel during pregame introductions with their hands up in support of Michael Brown. People all over the nation have protested with the phrase “hands up, don’t shoot” after witnesses claimed Michael Brown had his hands up when he was shot & killed. Despite that, the cop that murdered Brown wasn’t indicted by a grand jury. The decision not to indict him led to more protests around the nation & riots in Ferguson.

Not only did the Rams players show their support, fans of the team have also been vocal. There was another protest during a Monday Night game against the 49ers where fans protested with chants & signs and their hands up. The five players made a silent but major statement through a simple gesture. African-American athletes in general have been criticized for not taking a stand and speaking up on certain events that have affected the Black community so this was encouraging and shows that they are actually paying attention. Athletes are subject to harsh criticism, fines, suspensions and threats to their brand & image if they say or do the wrong things under the eyes of the media. I respect them for taking a stand and a sacrifice that other athletes won’t take. There are many instances in sports where athletes took a stand on issues in our society such as the Miami Heat posing in hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, the black power salute in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics when Tommie Smith & John Carlos raised their fists in a silent protest against racism in America, and Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War in the 1960’s.

Despite their courageous act, there have been organizations that opposed the Rams protest and want the NFL to punish the players such as the St. Louis Police Officers Association and a local bar that decided to boycott the NFL and are no longer serving happy hour during Rams games. The NFL recently came out publicly with a statement saying the Rams players won’t be fined. The country is divided on the grand jury decision and there are many people and organizations that are still pushing for an indictment of the officer and felt that that the grand jury process was unfair.

I applaud Bailey, Austin, Cook, Britt & Givens for their demonstration and hope to see more athletes be more vocal about issues that affect them and their communities. As role models and popular public figures, they have the influence and spotlight to have an impact and enforce change with their actions and opinions.     

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)

Money controls American Football: College and Professional

By: Jimbo Brown

3.5 billion people across the world actively enjoy soccer, that is half of the human race. The NFL has been trying to tap into the global market aggressively over these past few years. I did an essay my freshman at UF on the Globalization of American football and didn’t understand the reasoning behind it until I reflected on the topic one day. 

Realizing that the NFL went through a lockout over 10 billion dollars and the game becoming “safer” was to help the globalization of the game. When you bring money into any situation, things start to become difficult. You even see the change of the rules helping the NFL to globalize because the outside world see us as a violent country. The NFL nowadays is not looking like the NFL I grew up on where big hits and running backs is what you watched the game for. You have former players looking at the game they once played in disgrace. Baseball and Basketball doesn’t change their rules just to gain global notoriety. The money will be the success and failure of the NFL. 

It’s funny how College Football and the NFL have this one thing in common that make people do unethical things and thats CAPITAL. How can the NCAA punish a player that trying to make some money on the name he built. Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton and now recently Todd Gurley have all been ridiculed about being payed for various agreements. This further support the argument that collegiate players should be compensated for making the College Football product so good. The tradition that these colleges and universities have established is producing billions of dollars. While the main producer doesn’t get anything but a scholarship thats not even worth one percent of what they are making.

The demand for both sports is growing at a rapid pace. The NCAA has already extended the football season by adding the 4-team playoff. The NFL is following suite by discussing adding 2-games to the season. pushing the Super Bowl deep into February. Both entities are being impacted by their increase of revenue. I believe in the near future college athletes will be paid and the NFL will get back to the way it was when I grew up. 

Adrian Peterson Child Abuse Scandal: Was he right or wrong?

By: Jimbo Brown

It has been a long couple of weeks for the NFL due to legal issues: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, neither being acceptable to me or to many others across the nation. When it comes to the Adrian Peterson situation I believe he has every right to discipline his children. He may have went overboard, but he only implemented the tactics learned by his parents.

For those who may not know the story let me get you up to speed. Earlier this year in May, Peterson took a switch (thin branch with no leaves) and spanked his son for pushing his sibling. He was questioned by two different police departments with a lawyer, summoned and testified before the Grand Jury. A warrant for his arrest was issued in Montgomery, Texas, where he turned himself in and posted the $25,000 bail. The Minnesota Vikings will not take any action until due process has taken place. 

Even though the child sustained bodily injures and Peterson may have went over board, I believe you can't tell someone how to discipline their child. In the black community, getting whipped or spanked is common in most households. Parents go-to line will always be “I brought you into this world and I can take you out.” We all have done things in our life that has lead to our parents disciplining us.

It was times during my life where my parents have disciplined me in multiple ways: whippings (belts,switches etc) and Physical (punch in chest, slap in face etc). have gotten bruises and sometimes bleed during a whipping. I now understand the purpose for the punishment. It made me think about the actions and the consequences behind it. My parents also explained to me after on why this happen and how I can prevent it by following their rules. I believe the white culture will not understand because they were raised differently. 

A large part of the country is quick to judge this situation but no one is in the position to tell someone how to discipline their child. We all have our beliefs and ways we might have gone about this. Adrian Peterson admits to overly whipping his child but didn’t intentionally mean to abuse and harm HIS child. I hope the NFL doesn't overly react to the situation before all the details are out. We don’t need another Ray Rice situation. 

One Night in Magic City

By: Jimbo Brown

About a week ago “A week ago”, Ray Rice was living good. He believed everything that happened in the Atlantic City casino elevator was in the past. As the saying goes “What happens in the dark, must come to the light,” is exactly what happen when the video from inside the elevator was released Monday by TMZ.

There are several issues that I feel need to be addressed that stems from this situation. The first issue is domestic violence, how the NFL glosses over it and the severity of Ray Rice new punishment. 

Domestic Violence is something that is present in all cultures and walks of life. Even though the man is most likely to be punished for the crime, the women can become the attacker too. A man or woman shouldn’t engage in any physical altercation, whether they are married, boyfriend/girlfriend or just friends. In the case of Ray and Janay Rice, it could be said that Janay provoked him to deliver the knock out blow. In his press conference, Ray stated that wasn’t the way he was raised, meaning he knew better and could have been the bigger person. His actions are still looked down upon. 

Ray Rice was suspended for a mere 2 games before the new video was released. This means Rice would have attended practice this coming Friday. This suspension was criticize by many professionals. It felt odd seeing him get much less time then a Josh Gordon. The NFL doesn’t care about Domestic Violence when 2 other players suited up Sunday with pending domestic violence cases: Ray McDonald and Greg Hardy. The indefinite suspension and release of Ray Rice was strictly a PR move.

The NFL was put in a predicament Monday when the footage was released. Already being criticize for sweeping this issue under the rug, I believe the media and society forced the NFL to deliver an even harsh penalty to make up for the backlash. Ray Rice is suspended indefinitely and was released by the Baltimore Ravens for a issue that he received rehab for. Ray and Janay had already moved forward with their lives. Janay expressed her feelings in a Instagram post Tuesday morning. 

Ray Rice actions were inexcusable that night in the elevator and it still is. Its not cool to punish someone two times for one mistake, especially when the person is remorseful and has taken the necessary steps to move forward. It’s not his fault the NFL didn’t get it right the 1st time. I hope that Ray and Janay Rice keep fighting for him to get back on the field sooner then later. 

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.