Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Chuck Norris Implores Jacksonville Jaguars to Sign Unemployed Winner QB Tim Tebow

by Kent Sterling

Chuck Norris weighing in on Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback keeps this non-story of his unemployment rolling for another week.

The 32 NFL general managers can breathe easy this morning. Finally, actor Chuck Norris has provided his much sought after and invaluable evaluation of Tim Tebow as a quarterback.

Tebow’s detractors thought that the NFL’s reluctance to employ Tebow had something to do with his mechanics that lead to inaccuracy. His supporters are sure it’s because of the overt anti-Christian bias at work among GMs and owners. Now they can all rest easy because America’s mixed martial arts pioneer has declared Tebow “an ultimate clutch player” and “a winner.”

The former star of “Walker, Texas Ranger” loosened his hairpiece long enough to vent to the tune of 1,084 words of neverending support for Tebow because of his leadership, determination, and inspiration.

Tebow’s ability to win has obviously been dismissed by people who ironically are paid for their ability to do just that, according to Norris.

Norris asks in his column at newsbusters.com, “What sportsman ever could forget how that amazing second-year QB came back from a 15-0 disadvantage to the Miami Dolphins to lead the Broncos to an 18-15 overtime victory and then led Denver to six wins in its next seven games and into the playoffs, beating the highly favored Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild-card game? It was the Broncos’ first playoff victory in six years.”

What caused the Broncos Executive VP of Football Ops John Elway and coach John Fox to forget was that the only win among Tebow’s last five starts was that wild card game against the Steelers. That failure came after NFL defenses adjusted to the only offense Tebow could effectively run. What caused the rest of the NFL to forget was the worst completion percentage of a quarterback to start at least 14 games since the beginning of the 2010 season.

As a credential to wax poetic about Tebow’s chances for success in the NFL, Norris offers, “I have been an athlete all my life, being a six-time undefeated world middleweight champion in the martial arts, and I know a winner when I see one.” Incredible the NFL doesn’t turn to him for advice more often.

Norris implored Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars to heed the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

Yes, signing a hometown hero who led the home state Florida Gators to two BCS National Championships and won a Heisman Trophy would certainly be an unpopular move for the Jaguars franchise. This team with the current choice of Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert as its quarterback would be vilified by fans.

The supporters of Tebow are almost unanimously devout Christians, and Norris qualifies there. I’ve never heard of a religious component to the Wunderlic Test, or an onfield advantage being assigned to Christians, but there sure is an outcry from that specific community about the continued unemployment of their second favorite miracle worker.

There is one piece of unassailable truth Norris offers, “Whatever you would pay Tebow would be recouped tenfold by the increase in attendance and the fan base. With Tim as the QB for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team would add thousands (if not tens of thousands) of additional fans to the stadium, including me — even though I don’t live in Florida!” Yes, Jacksonville would reap jersey sales that would be the envy of every team in the league, and coverage on ESPN they will never be able to net otherwise. If RG3’s Heisman was worth a quarter of a billion dollars to Baylor, as the university asserts, Tebow will bring twice that.

The easy call for Khan would be to mandate the signing of Florida’s favorite son. What’s tough is to turn away from all that cash in the interest of building a legitimate NFL team, rather than a novelty act that NFL defenses will be ready for – as they were at the end of the 2011 season.

I would love for the Jags to take a chance on Tebow too. It’s the only way this argument comes to closure. Can Tebow win consistently in the NFL? The experts to whom I have spoken are unanimous in saying it’s not possible. But I do know that if having a devout Christian as quarterback helped win games, there would be 32 starters who would quote scripture in postgame press conferences.

Indiana Pacers Lose Opener to Heat 103-102; Vogel Sits Hibbert for Final Two Possessions

by Kent Sterling

There are a bunch of reasons the Indiana Pacers lost a very entertaining game to the Miami Heat to start the Eastern Conference Finals with a bang. Had the Pacers won this overtime thriller, there would have been many reasons for that.

Paul George did some things really well, and other things with what appeared to be a troubling malaise. David West played a great first half, and was just okay in the second half. The Pacers committed 13 turnovers in the first half, added a few very early in the second half, and then took relatively good care of the ball after that. Coach Frank Vogel made good calls, and then pulled rim protector Roy Hibbert for the last two defensive possessions which led to two easy layups for LeBron James, the best player in the world.

And that was that.

With Hibbert underneath, attackers think twice about trying to get to the rim. The small lineup Vogel inserted allowed Heat coach Eric Spoelstra to run a set that cleared space in the lane.

With 2.2 seconds left, inbounder Shane Battier was defended by David West, Ray Allen drew a switch from Tyler Hansbrough, George Hill stayed with Norris Cole, and Sam Young followed Chris Bosh on the switch that left Hansbrough on Allen. That left George isolated on James, and nobody in the paint to help. Young could have gotten to James to foul, but backed off.

Maybe with Hibbert in the game, the Heat find a way to hit someone else for an open look, or James would have hit a jumper. What absolutely, no way should ever happen is the best player on Earth being handed an opportunity to do what he does best. James getting to the rim on back-to-back possessions that saved the Heat’s ass tonight was the worst case scenario for Vogel, and he coached the Pacers into that miserable reality.

During the postgame press conference Vogel spoke of the fear he had about Bosh being left open if Hibbert was on the floor. It’s a coach’s job to think about a lot of things, and to be concerned about all of them, but if you cloud your head with worries about Bosh that allow James to streak unimpeded to the rim, you need to calm your mind and remember what’s important.

The series isn’t over. The Pacers only need to hold serve at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and steal one of four on the road to win this series. Pundits are going to talk about the increasing scale of difficulty with each loss. They will talk about how hard it will be to win four-of-six, and if the Heat win Game Two, they will yammer about the virtual impossibility of winning four-of-five against a team that would have won 47 of it’s last 50 games (IF the Heat win Game Two).

Too many turnovers for both teams. Too many missed opportunities for both teams. In the end, Vogel made a staffing decision that didn’t work, and James made two layups, so the Heat need to win three more to go to the NBA Finals, while the Pacers need to win four.

The Pacers are trying to win while they learn, and that includes Vogel. Tonight, the lesson came with a stiff price tag.

Indiana Pacers – The National Media Pivots Away from the Miami Heat

by Kent Sterling

The folks at ESPN treated the Indiana Pacers like carbuncles through the series against the New York Knicks. Every Knicks loss was due to the Knicks making mistakes, and every win was earn because of the Knicks superior play. The Pacers might have been on the floor, but the effect they had on the game was negligible.

As soon as the Pacers vanquished the Knicks in six, attention turned to the Eastern Conference Finals between Indiana and Miami, and the coronation for LeBron was on – again. Pundits called for the Heat to sweep or allow the Pacers to win one before sending them home.

All of a sudden during the last 24 hours, there was a noticeable pivot toward Indiana. The ESPN panel of experts including Chris Broussard, J.A. Adande, Israel Gutierrez, Marc Stein, and 11 others all pick the Heat. Four picked the Heat in five, eight picked them in six, and two expect the series to go seven.

The more interesting nugget is that eight of 14 have the Heat winning Game Six in Indianapolis, as that is the only way Miami can end it in six. Why the love for the Pacers to win two games, but only two believe the Pacers can force a Game Seven with a win at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.

Let’s be honest, Pacers fans. If Dwyane Wade was healthy, the Pacers would have zero chance to win four of seven against a team that has won 45 of their last 48. It’s still a tough road with Wade at 80%.

The series, regardless of the outcome, is going to be interesting because the teams go about their difference in polar opposite ways. The Heat are a team that belongs to the star among stars. They have three big time players, and the King Bee is LeBron. He’s the best player of his generation, and everyone on the Heat knows it. They orbit him and he enjoys being their sun.

The Pacers are a star less group who rely upon their collective energy to overcome teams who behave selfishly – and there’s a lot of that going around in the NBA. They defend as a team, and run their offense without anyone trying to take over a game.

If you believe basketball is a game of stars, as NBA Commissioner tries to assert with every decision, there is a team for you to root for. The Heat have two stars and a very good third wheel. They can be spectacular, and LeBron is capable of scoring every Heat point for a quarter or more.

If you want basketball to be a sport where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts – that there is no I in team, and appreciative of the beauty of the extra pass, the Pacers have earned your adulation. Each of the five starters for the Pacers led at least one game in scoring (Paul George did it twice), and all but point guard George Hill led at least one game in rebounds. They don’t care who scores, and that makes them the anti-Heat.

The Pacers have two Achilles heels – a decided lack of the kind of depth that can compete with a championship team like the Heat, and a propensity to turn the ball over. Against the Knicks, minus their Game Two loss, the Pacers managed to keep their turnovers from killing them by getting back on defense and keeping the Knicks from turning them into points. Against the Heat, the task is tougher. If the Pacers get into foul trouble (specifically Roy Hibbert), or allow more than 20 points off turnovers, they will have a tough time digging out from under that hole.

The national media might get an education about team basketball over the next two weeks, or they might be proven right in believing that a name above the team logo is what’s necessary to win a title.

I think the Pacers take this thing to a Game Seven, and it will be a one possession game with five minutes left. From there, LeBron tries to take over.

Indiana Basketball – Don’t Blame Tom Crean for Theo Pinson’s Commitment to UNC

by Kent Sterling

All you can do is all you can do, and by all accounts that’s what Indiana Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Crean did in his pursuit to snare five-star recruit Theo Pinson.

The 6’6″, 180 lbs. wing committed to North Carolina today. He’s similar to Michael Jordan in more than appearance, although a better passer. He’s hard not to like, this kid from Greensboro, North Carolina.

Outrecruiting a home court advantage is difficult, as UNC coach Roy Williams found out when Crean and Indiana won the battle for NBA bound Cody Zeller.

I’m glad word of the announcement came out of the blue and was followed by the commitment itself very quickly. Fans didn’t have a chance to get all worked up like they did for Andrew Wiggins, who was treated poorly after announcing his choice to attend Kansas.

It was easy over the past few days of digging into who Pinson is to figure out why the nation’s blue chip programs were after him. He’s an excellent passer, and solid shooter, a generous teammate, and long enough to be a very good defender. I didn’t read or hear an unkind word about him, and every morning he tweets “Good Morning, World!” Hard not to like that kid.

Indiana will move on in its recruiting and should wish Pinson well. Indiana fans should too. They should leave the bush league nonsense to Kentucky.

Coach Rick Venturi Calls the NFC West the Best Division in the NFL

by Kent Sterling

There is no doubt that the St. Louis Rams have taken a quantum leap forward from where they were less than 18 months ago, but the 49ers and Seahawks haven’t been sitting on their hands either.

Improving compared to yourself doesn’t win you games. You have to get better compared to your competition, and because of that the Rams may have a tough time in their division, according to former NFL head coach and one of the best defensive coordinators in NFL history.

The Rams lost receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, all-time franchise rushing leader Steven Jackson, and both starting safeties. They picked up All-Pro tackle Jake Long, tight end Jared Cook in free agency, and receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, dynamic linebacker Alec Ogletree, safety T.J. McDonald, versatile offensive lineman Barrett Jones, corner Brandon McGee, and running back Zac Stacy through the draft.

The Rams still have question marks, like whether a combination of 2012 draftees Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson, along with Stacy can replace Jackson’s steady productivity?

2013 is going to be a fascinating test for the team that boasted the best record against their division foe – 4-1-1. The top to bottom rebuild of the franchise is clicking along very nicely, but are the Rams improving quickly enough to catch the 49ers and Seahawks?

Here’s Coach Venturi on how the NFC West lines up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XTdv3DHM4E

Theo Pinson Commitment Day – Highlight Reels Show Combination of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan

by Kent Sterling

You can never trust highlight reels. If you could, a Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) class of 2014 player scheduled to announce today at 12:15p whether he’ll attend North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown, Louisville, or Indiana today would get fans of those schools really excited.

Theo Pinson does things on the videos below that most kids could never dream of doing once on a basketball court.

Just remember as you watch that highlight reels are designed to make a player look exceptional. No one ever misses a shot in a highlight reel. By definition, the very best plays are included. That’s why they call it a highlight reel.

Pinson is ranked in the top 15 of the 2014 class, and might be better than that.

I don’t write about commitments very often because frankly, I could give a damn where 17 year-olds decide to go to school. I really don’t care whether this one picks UNC or IU (the two rumored finalists among the original five), but the highlights are so special that Pinson has me intrigued.

Take a look at the videos below, and get excited if you like, but when he spurns your school lay off him on Twitter. He’s a kid, and can’t go everywhere.

Sergio Garcia Proves that Dumb + Microphones = Offensive Comments

by Kent Sterling

It’s been a long couple of weeks for professional golfer Sergio Garcia.

Sergio Garcia finally went there. Maybe he’s not old enough to remember Fuzzy Zoeller’s unfunny remarks about the Champions Dinner at the Masters when Tiger Woods first chose the menu, but he went there.

When asked last night whether Garcia would invite Woods to dinner during the U.S. Open week next month, he replied, “We’ll have him ’round every night. We will serve fried chicken.”

A little later, someone must have told Garcia that he stepped on the third rail of comments about Tiger. This was the statement Garcia issued through the European Tour, “I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”

But the comment was racist and offensive, and once those words leave your mouth they are impossible to unsay. It was as ridiculous as Zoeller’s comment, and should result in the same level of outrage. Sure, Sergio has the advantage of being from Spain rather than from Floyd County, Indiana, but that doesn’t make the stupidity any less profound.

Conversely, when Tiger was asked whether there would be any effort to bury the hatchet with Garcia, he paused and said simply and directly with the slightest hint of a smirk, “No.” The room erupted with laughter, and Tiger smiled broadly. That was funny.

What Sergio displayed was an inability to edit effectively, and even more damning, no sense of humor. There is nothing wrong with busting balls, but to go toward a man’s race, religion, or sexuality with a dated stereotype is cheap and reflects a keen ignorance of history.

Members of the PGA Tour look like they should be smart guys. Always well dressed, golfers play a game that requires a certain amount of cash, and cash follows smart, doesn’t it? Maybe to a point, but intellect shouldn’t be confused with character, and Sergio showed none yesterday.

Famous people often make the critical error of believing they are good at many things because they are applauded for being great at one. Sergio can’t close tournaments, but he is one of the best 20 golfers on the planet. He is not funny, unless whacking balls into water while tied for the lead of the Players Championship is funny.

There are plenty of weak spots where Sergio could have gone to get a cheap laugh. When asked if he and Tiger would go to dinner during the U.S. Open, he could have said, “Yeah, he’s going to bring Lindsey, and I’m bringing Elin,” or “Yeah, we’ll go to Perkins!” To go to “fried chicken” is dumb, and gives the advantage in this battle to Tiger – a guy that Sergio believes deserves none.

Donald Davidson Remembers Wilber Shaw – Three-Time Indy 500 Champ, and the Man Who Saved the Speedway

by Kent Sterling

He won three times, but fans at this weekend’s Indy 500 should thank Wilbur Shaw because if not for him, the Brickyard would be a middle class neighborhood.

There are so many men who risked life, limb, and a bunch of cash as the legacy of the Indianapolis 500 was built, it’s hard to pinpoint those who were most instrumental in it becoming the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. With Wilbur Shaw, it’s not so tough.

Shaw was a native Hoosier who won the race three times, and then urged Tony Hulman to buy the track which was in virtual ruin after being padlocked through World War II. Hulman stroked the check, and Shaw ran the place. Auto racing exploded under the guidance of the two friends from 1946 until Shaw’s death in an airplane crash in 1954.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a working museum, and every brick tells a story. Lives have been lost and fortunes built. There are thousands of people who show up at the track the Sunday before Memorial Day with cooler filled with beer. They camp in the Coke Lot from Carb Day through the night after the race, and try to focus of blurry cars as they streak by.

They should take a few minutes to listen to IMS Historian Donald Davidson wax rhapsodic about the previous 96 runnings of the Indy 500 to learn about a time when Indy was about brave men driving their asses off on the edge of reason.

San Francisco and Houston Get Super Bowls – Is an Indianapolis Redux Next?

By Kent Sterling

Indianapolis never looked so good as during Super Bowl week, but the lasting effe

The NFL voted to approve the stadium under construction in Santa Clara, CA, and Reliant Stadium in Houston as the hosts of Super Bowl L and LI, and that sets the roster through 2017. The two cities most discussed for 2018 are Indianapolis and New Orleans.

That’s a testament to the excellent layout of the downtown, the friendliness of the volunteers who gave Indianapolis an excellent national reputation as a friendly town, and the weather which was perfect.

What was almost certainly seen as a one off thanks to Jim Irsay and the city for believing in the NFL product enough to build a $700 million stadium in a 1.4 million person market, has morphed into a spot on the B-List just beneath New Orleans and Phoenix. Miami has dropped off the radar because the Florida’s state legislature defeated a bill that would have allowed the raising of cash to bring the former Joe Robbie Stadium up to snuff as a Super Bowl hosting facility.

Indianapolis should strike while the iron is hot because St. Louis will join them in the midwest cities with a convenient downtown and cool retractable dome list that is likely to be serviced by the NFL every eight to ten years.

St. Louis is going to get their stadium eventually because no city is dumb enough to allow two NFL franchises to leave town. It’s going to be expensive, and it should be. The NFL as played in newer generation stadia is an event, not just a football game. Owner Stan Kroenke, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay will eventually get this this hammered out and then they will eat one of the non A-List wild cards that the NFL doles out.

The NFL had a great time in Indianapolis, and they should sign up again, but Indy shouldn’t wait until St. Louis gets itself together.

The good that comes to a city because of a Super Bowl is hard to quantify, but in the year prior to and the year following the Super Bowl, the downtown area has taken another quantum leap forward with more restaurants, more bars, more stuff to do, and more high end residential space.

What would come with a second Super Bowl is anyone’s guess, but positive momentum would certainly continue, and that would mean jobs, and continued growth.

There is a lot to do with the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals starting tomorrow, and at least two home events with all the national coverage that goes with it.

Indianapolis is a good city that can take additional steps up the ladder toward great with Super Bowl LII. It’s worth the investment in man hours and dollars needed to wow the owners.

Indiana Basketball – Theo Pinson to Announce Wednesday at 12:15p, and He’s Special

by Kent Sterling

Theo Pinson has clear eyes and a nice smile. What that means on the floor is anyone’s guess.

Normally, I don’t give a damn where a 17 -ear-old chooses to attend college. It’s the kid’s decision, and whether he decides to head to Indiana, Duke, Kentucky, or SIU-Edwardsville is meaningless. College basketball isn’t the pros, and kids should be able to make this call without fanfare. Once they get to school, I enjoy them.

That’s almost always the case, but Theo Pinson is a crazy good offensive basketball player. He can shoot, elevate, and is a gifted passer. The measurables are Victor Oladipo-esque, but he is a much more polished basketball player than Oladipo was as a junior in high school. And he’s rumored to be down to Indiana and North Carolina, despite interest from Duke and Louisville.

To be honest, I’m a little tired of the hype machine that exists within the Indiana University fanbase. Every time a kid signs, the talk begins immediately that he’s going to the NBA after one year. I heard it about both Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Perea, and the hype was just a little bit out of proportion with reality.

But I’m a little more excited about Pinson than anybody Indiana has targeted in a long time. Instead of waiting until the 2014 freshman class shows up to go to work and plays in actual games, I’m going to pay attention tomorrow when he makes his call.

For a look at what Pinson does in a highlight tape, take a look at the video below. Highlight tapes are generally a mixed bag. Kids don’t miss shots in highlight reels, and they don’t turn the ball over. In Pinson’s, he does things that you won’t see a lot in any reel.

I really like this kid, and wherever he goes, I can’t wait to see if I’m right about him as being a very special player.