The Media is Out of Control

Quick reminder for the media: Carie Underwood broke it off with Tony Romo because football, yes football, was all he cared about. Underwood said he spent too much time worrying about football and simply didn't have time for her.

This may be a little late in posting, but after seeing the hundredth wise crack from a reporter about the pit bulled face Jessica Simpson distracting Tony Romo by being at the game Sunday, I just couldn't take it any more.

Let me set the record straight! From the time the ball was kicked off to start Sunday's game until the final whistle, there was not one time during the game that Tony Romo gave a thought to Jessica Simpson being in the stands. Sorry, luxury suite.

If this was the case, then how do any of the players make it through a game with their wives, girlfriends, family and friends in the stands? Again, take a look at the photo above. He was too addicted to football is what the girl in the upper right said. You know, the one with a career of her own. The biggest country music singer going right now. The one that every American Idol fan worships. The pit bull on the left and the one that was such a distraction from about a half mile away Sunday, is considered to be about the dumbest female alive in the court of public opinion. Sure, she might be a nice late night distraction for Tony, but that's where the distractions stop.

So how does it make sense that Jessica Simpson was a distraction to Tony Romo against the Eagles on Sunday? It doesn't! The guy is as focused on football as Payton Manning, Tom Brady and every other quarterback in the league. Amazing how Brady can fly across the country, during a week leading up to a game, to be there for the birth of his child to an ex-Hollywood actress girlfriend and it doesn't garnish much media attention at all.

And I hate the Cowboys. But, I hate the media more. It's boring. Report that Romo is actually the father of Jamie Lynn Spears' baby...then I'd call that news.

Steelers Lose at Home... Sorry on Road

My Steelers lost a tough one today, but the atmosphere made it all worth while. Well, other than those few Cardinals fans that decided to show up to prove again how much Arizona cares little about their teams. And, "yes it does," to the Cardinal fan (season ticket holder) that sat behind me. The clock does stop after a penalty and you can now stop yelling at the refs for it (every time). The photo above is from the closed end zone in the first quarter. Steeler Nation was strong today!

I've been to The University of Phoenix Stadium in the past and just like today it was a great place to catch a game. Not your typical football atmosphere, but 70 degrees inside was better than the 98 outside. It definitely has a 'wine & cheese' feel versus your typical Mid-West or East Coast Stadium. But when the Steelers are in town, for one game, it feels like a game back home again. Something about fans that have true passion for their team that just feels good. Sure, you could hear the Cardinals fans cheering if you were at the game or watching from home. But were they really cheering the game or just cheering against the guy sitting next to them in the Steelers cap. I think the latter, as the Cardinals fans in my section (111) really didn't know when to cheer or not to cheer. A Cardinals fumble is when not to cheer by the way. It shouldn't have taken Steelers fans cheering for Cardinal fan to realize that one.

Again, great facility, but here's one for any others being built anytime soon. Just because ADA says you have enough bathrooms, go ahead and add a couple more just to say you used common sense. Remember that 30K fans all go to the bathroom at the same time. End of quarters and half-time. For once, I would love to see an entire 3rd quarter. Fifteen minutes just doesn't cut it with meeting current ADA regulations.

I'm definitely a little bitter after a tough loss like today, but very happy I got to see my team play without having to fly to see it happen. Hopefully they will keep up the pace, learn from their mistakes and make it back to the desert in early February. Here We Go Steelers, Here we Go!

Business of Football 2007

Forbes recently released their 2007 version of the NFL's franchise values and as usual common sense would prove to be wrong. I don't question Dallas, Washington and New England at the top, but after that things get a little crazy. Dallas at $1.5 billion! Imagine what that will jump to when the new joint opens up. Very nice job Jerral!

Where things get confusing is with Houston at #4, Denver at #6 and Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Carolina at #11, 12, 13 and 14 respectively. I understand where the figures come from and how everything is calculated and see that the numbers don't lie, but it's still impossible to not question this.

How can the Cleveland Browns be at #9 with a value of $969MM and the 5-Time Super Bowl Champion Steelers be at #16 with a value of $929MM? Sure, we are only talking about a $49MM difference, but my heart and common sense tell me this can't be.

The Browns are a team that over the past few years is known for no-shows. They sell just about all the seats, but not all the fans attend. The Steelers pack the house for even pre-season games and have a waiting list that parallels Green Bay's. The Steelers are #1 in the NFL in team merchandise sales, including #1 in jersey sales. The Browns are no where close to this. They both have new facilities, spend about the same on their players and take in the same $40MM in gate revenue. You can't tell me that the Steelers operating costs are any more than the Browns' is.

Every baseball, football, basketball and even soccer and hockey season, I am always amazed at how these rankings turn out. This would make a great fantasy pool heading towards the release of the list. No way anyone gets all 32 NFL teams in the correct order.

USF Proves Florida is tops in HS Football

Being from Ohio it's unthinkable for me to believe that any other state, be it CA, PA, TX or FL is more dominant than Ohio when it comes to High School football. Kirk Herbstreit is definitely on this same page. But what proves that both Kirk and Swope Blog are wrong is the emergence of the University of South Florida football program. They clearly prove that Florida is the dominant state in high school football.

The USF football program has only existed for three years and already they are one of the top programs in the country. There are hundreds of programs around the country that have been at it for hundreds of years and still can't compete with major football programs. Ohio has many schools that fit into that category including Toledo, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State, Cincinnati (getting there), Ohio U, Bowling Green and more. But, USF does it in three years? They did it because of the talent right in their own backyard, something Ohio just doesn't have any more.

Programs are built, rebuilt and sustained with in-state talent. Florida is absolutely loaded with in-state talent year after year. Separate from all the recruits that stay in-state to play ball, take into account all of the players that leave Florida each year for major programs throughout the country. Ohio State lands just about all the 4 or 5 star recruits the state of Ohio has, with very few big time prospects left over.

USF is also competing against 3 major programs in-state for recruits in Florida, Miami and Florida State. Even after losing the best of the best to the big boy's in-state and throughout the country, they still have 97 players on their current roster that played high school football in Florida (not all active for games of course). Using The University of Akron as an example, they have 34 in-state players, but what's even more telling of the lack of talent in Ohio compared to Florida, is that Akron has 12 players from the state of Florida. The high school throw aways that Ohio State doesn't want are just that - throw aways. Ohio just doesn't have the talent and has no where near the deep talent pool that Florida has.

Florida may not have the same tradition that Ohio has with high school football, but one thing is for certain, Florida does have better high school football.