Tebow!

     Tim Tebow isn't a person. Tim Tebow is a character. Tim Tebow is old school grit, rah-rah attitude, and wholesome American values. Sure, there is a man named Tim Tebow, but people aren't polarized by him, but the character that has been built up since ESPN showed a high school game of his. That's what I'm writing about, the TV character Tim Tebow.

     When Tim was a Florida Gator, nobody cared about his throwing style. Nobody cared that he couldn't read Cover 2 schemes or blitz packages. College Tebow was a winner. College Tebow fired up his teammates, he threw jump passes, wrote Bible verses under his eyes, and played football in a way that made your grandma proud. The media loved Tim Tebow, so much so that they turned a lot of sports fans off.

     This isn't the first (or last) time this will happen. Remember Tyler Hansbrough? I hate that guy. ESPN raved about him for four years at UNC to the point it turned me into a Hansbro-hater. We live in a world now where it is easy to over saturate the market with stories and fluff pieces about a certain player, especially one who isn't even a pro yet.

     Anyway, back to Tebow. Last year in the draft, something bad happened. Tim Tebow was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. We as sports fans had watched Tebow play in Gainesville with the mindset that Tim Tebow would fade away after he graduated. He might get drafted, but like a lot of QBs of his type, would fade away quickly. Like a bad guy in a horror movie, Tebow wouldn't die. And this year, he found new life, as the NFL version of Sanjaya.

     The new version of Tim Tebow is a culmination of media over-hype and 24/7 over analyzation. We've been told he's great, not ready for next level, best college player ever, won't know NFL defenses, ultimate team player, horrible mechanics, devout Christian, better career chance if he changes positions, super awesome guy, and will set your franchise back 5 years with him as QB.

     So after being told he's great, then told he sucks, what are we supposed to think about Tim Tebow? I feel like opinions of Tebow, more than any athlete ever, have been shaped by what other people have told us about him. We've hated him because people loved him too much, we loved him because of all the wonderful things we're told about him, we've hated him for not fitting the mold we were told makes an NFL quarterback, and we've loved him because people hate him so much.

     None of this makes sense, and yet it all makes sense. That's Tim Tebow.  I've face-palmed at least a half-dozen times writing this post. I can't put my finger on what I want to say about what I think Tebow is, and it's probably for the best.

Pay 'Em!

     Brandon Philips wants to get paid. He's the best Second Baseman in the game, he's just 30, and he's coming off a solid season where he hit for over .300. He has made it clear he'd like to stay in Cincinnati, but isn't giving the "homeboy discount". I can understand that. It seems like a lot of people can't.

     Fans use the argument all the time, "Boy, if I got paid a million bucks to play a kids game, I wouldn't complain and ask for more money". I hate that mentality. Any fan that thinks that is a hypocrite. There are a lot of problems I have with that sentiment and I'm going to address it here. *Gets on soapbox*

1. Players can't play forever - Sure, these guys make a TON of money, but they can't play pro sports forever. Most guys might not make it to 30, and with steroids banned, very few hit 40. Athletes need to make their money when they can.
2. Look at your peers - I worked at a gas station making 5.25 an hour, I was fine with it. Then another guy came in that I felt didn't work as hard as me and he made 5.75 an hour. 10% more than me? The rest of the time he worked there, I felt disrespected. We did the same work and he made more. If at your job a new guy came in and did the same thing as you and made 10% more and you had seniority, I bet you wouldn't like it.
3. It's all about your industry - If the good people in your industry made between 12-20 million dollars a year, and you fit in that category, don't you deserve that money too? 

     Look, it's real easy to see the astronomical salary figures and figure that these guys are overpaid. To me, these guys aren't overpaid because the teams make money. Call me crazy, but I'd MUCH rather see guys on the field cashing in instead of some already super rich old guy in a luxury box.

     Do the Reds want to pay @DatDudeBP? We'll find out. But whether they do or not, Brandon Philips deserves to get paid. We all do.

Ace of Spades

     Quick, name a Motorhead song. (Waiting) Ok, raise your hand if you said the following: 1. Ace of Spades 2. Who's Motorhead? Most people know Motorhead for that one song, Ace of Spades (or maybe through Triple H). Lemmy, the rock legend and frontman for Motorhead, hates that song. He's played it a million times.

     That's what this blog turned into for me. It was my Ace of Spades. I didn't want to write anymore, but I felt like I had to pump SOMETHING out every day or every other day. Eventually, I got to the point that instead of writing once a week or so, I quit altogether. Which sucked. I like writing, I like being opinionated, and letting you know what I'm about. So from now on, I'm writing a couple times a week, or really whenever I feel like it. Which I hope is enough to keep you checking out the blog and telling you loved ones to read my posts.

     So what's happened to me since I've last posted? Well, I'm married to a lovely lady, Jessica. I'm busy as a producer at 700WLW and as Slakk on 102.7 WEBN. I've been playing video games, much to my wife's chagrin. That's about it.

     Expect a burst of posts within the next week or so, I've got a lot to say. I look forward to making my spot on the Internet a good one. If you have a topic or question for me, randyaslack@gmail.com is my e-mail and I'm consistently on Twitter @RandySlack

NFL 2011 Preview

     The NFL season is finally here. There was talk that the season might not happen, (yea right) but we made it through the preseason and we should have a pretty good idea of who is good (Packers, Ravens, Eagles, etc) and who sucks. (Bengals, Broncos, Panthers, etc) Normally, these things don't pan out, and the guy making the predictions ends up getting things wrong. Well, nobody reads this anyway, but for those that do, they'll forget by November anyway. Besides, if I get things right, I can toot my own horn. So without further ado, here is my 2011 NFL Preview. Enjoy.


NFC South:

Big Question - Are the Bucs for real?

     I think they are. They have a lot of player makers on both sides of the ball and I think Josh Freeman can be Big Ben 2.0. Not to mention they drafted one of the best players available in the draft in DaQuan Bowers. If he can play half a season at full strength, they got a steal. Atlanta is still the class of the division, but they aren't as good as last year. The Saints are a little overrated, but could outscore anyone any week. Carolina confuses me because even though they have two solid RBs and Pro Bowlers at the O-line, I can't see them doing much.

Falcons: 11-5
Bucs: 10-6
Saints: 8-8
Panthers: 3-13


NFC West:

Big Question - Are any of these teams any good?

     A question as old as time, but it still rings true. I could see all four teams going 8-8, 4-12, or somehow 0-16.  The best team in my mind is the Rams. I don't think Lynch can run in "beast mode" for 16 weeks. So Darren Sharper, you're safe. San Francisco doesn't jump out at me in any way other than their sweet unis. The Cards upgraded from Derek Anderson to Kevin Kolb. Which is like upgrading from a sewer to a garbage dump.

Rams: 9-7
Seahawks: 6-10
49ers: 6-10
Cardinals: 5-11


NFC East: 

Big Question: Will Mike Vick's encore be as good?

     Quick, name all the big games Andy Reid and Mike Vick have won in their careers. Vick's win at Lambeau and Reid's 4th try at an NFC title come to mind. That's it. This team has 2010 Vikings written all over it. Other than the fact that Philly has no real running game. Don't be surprised if they blow some leads and if they are one and done in the playoffs. Dallas looks to rebound and I can see them making the playoffs this season. The Giants are in the same boat as Dallas and could be a potential playoff team. Washington looks like they might win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

Giants: 10-6
Cowboys: 10-6
Eagles: 8-8
Redskins: 3-13


NFC North:

Big Question:  Can Matt Stafford stay healthy?

     If he can, I think the Lions make the playoffs this year. Will he? I can't say that he will. Of all the NFC teams, I could see them winning 11 or losing 11 games. The Packers will still be the top team in the NFC North. I think the Bears were all in last year and overachieved a little. The Vikings continue their regression to the bottom of the NFC.

Packers: 12-4
Lions: 9-7
Bears: 7-9
Vikings: 4-12


NFC Playoffs:

Wildcard Round:
Cowboys over Rams
Giants over Bucs

Divisional Round:
Packers over Cowboys
Giants over Falcons

NFC Title Game:
Packers over Giants


AFC South:

Biggest Question: Will Peyton Manning be healthy?

     It's tolling on your body to play in the NFL, if you've played as long as Manning and not missed time, it will catch up to you. I think Manning's consecutive game streak ends in 2011. With that opening, this is the Texans chance to finally jump out and take over the division. The Titans will be a tough out, but won't make much noise. The Jags don't strike me as a team to worry much about.

Texans: 11-5
Colts: 8-8
Titans: 8-8
Jags: 5-11


AFC West:

Big Question: Can the Chargers put it together?

     The kickoff rule helped the Chargers out more than anyone else. The leagues best offense and defense was hamstrung by the worst special teams ever.Kansas City looks frisky, but I can't see them winning the division again. Oakland lost their best player, but they are still a solid team. Denver sucks.

Chargers: 13-3
Chiefs 9-7
Raiders: 8-8
Broncos: 4-12


AFC East:

Big Question: Are the J-E-T-s the B-E-S-T?

     This season, yes. I think they go from a wildcard to a first round bye team. The Patriots will fight, but they will be battling for a wildcard spot. The Bills and Dolphins will be jobbers to the bigger teams.

Jets: 13-3
Pats: 11-5
Bills: 6-10
Dolphins: 6-10


AFC North:

Biggest Question: Will the Steelers offensive line hold up?

     The Achilles' heel to the potentially best offense in the AFC. I think the Ravens and Bengals will be getting a lot of pressure on Big Ben. Even though the Steelers will be good, their line will hold them back. The Ravens and Joe Flaaco look to get over the hump. The Browns have a future star in Colt McCoy, but they need more weapons. The Bengals? They need more players, period.

Ravens: 11-5
Steelers: 10-6
Browns: 7-9
Bengals: 4-12


AFC Playoffs:

Wildcard Round:
Ravens over Steelers
Patriots over Texans

Divisional Round:
Chargers over Ravens
Patriots over Jets

AFC Title Game:
Chargers over Patriots

Super Bowl:
Packers over Chargers

     Look, the Packers didn't really lose anything and other than Woodson, they have a core that should maintain or improve production. Barring an Aaron Rogers injury, this team looks poised to make a run at a repeat.

What's your number?

     There has been a big issue brought up about numbers lately. Andy Dalton is wearing number 14, Kenny Anderson's old number. A number that should probably be retired. Not only that, Bruce Gradkowsi is wearin number 7 and LeFevour is wearing number 8.

     In need of a topic, and the fact that lists always get people riled up, I'm making a list of the best numbers in Bengal history. Basically, what number makes me instantly think of a player and how weird it would be to see someone else wear it.

     Let's get it started, from worst to first.

• #11 - Akili Smith. How could a guy so bad, be worth so many draft picks?
• #32 - Ki-Jana Carter. was an overrated bust. What I mean is, yea his career didn't pan out. But he got hurt, it wasn't because he wasn't good. He still played in the NFL for several years, he just wasn't a stud.
• #81 - Carl Pickens. A very good reciever that became the first in a long line to really complain about the Bengals. Remember when he seemed like a cry baby? The guy was a forerunner.
• #14 - Kenny Anderson. I didn't see Kenny play, but if you ask older Bengals fans, the fact that Dalton wears his number makes 'em mad.
• #8 - Jeff Blake. The king of the deep ball.
• #30 - Ickey Woods. The most overrated Bengal of all time. In fact, I'm going to start calling him the Los Del Rios of Bengals players.
• #71 - Willie Anderson. Maybe the only good player of the Mike Brown era to stick around and not talk bad. Willie was the kind of guy that did his job and expected his teammates to do the same. Great guy.
• #78 - Anthony Munoz. The Hall of Famer. Most offensive linemen don't get pub. But when Anthony will always have a place in our hearts.
• #85 - Chad Johnson. You're not going to believe this, but Chad is the most underrated Bengal of All-Time (more on that on a later date)
• #7 - Boomer Esaison. He was the QB during the good times. Even his run in 1997 was pretty awesome.
• #28 - Corey Dillon. Corey is my favorite Bengal of all time. A great player on bad teams. Unlike most Bengals, I have more positive memories of him than neative. Which says a lot. The Thursday night game as a rookie. The Denver game. The game were he threw his equipment in my section as the crowd chanted his name. I was so happy he got a ring. Congrats Corey, you're number one in my book.

Meet Jimmy Clausen 2.0

     It's only been a year, so I'll shorten the history lesson. Jimmy Clausen fell the Carolina Panthers in round 2 of last years draft. Seemed like they were going to make him their starter. Of course, they had the worst record in his first season so now the Panthers drafted a new QB, franchiser Cam Newton. Maybe Jimmy wasn't the guy they thought he was (and they let 'em off the hook). But one year is all he gets? It's not like the rest of the team was so good he brought him down, and for a project like Cam Newton? That just seems silly.

     The reason I bring it up is because of Bengals rookie QB Andy "The Orange Outlaw" Dalton. In my first ever blog post, I said that the Bengals need to ride him out this year. After all, if you really think he's going to be your guy, why not? The problem lies with what happens next year.

     Presumably, Andrew Luck, QB out of Stanford will go in the draft and be the number one pick. And the Bengals could own that pick. Do they take Luck? Of course they do, but then they basically wasted a second round pick on a guy that will never see the field again for that team. A team like the Bengals can't just throw away high draft picks.

     The worst part? The 2012 Bengals looks A LOT like the 2011 Bengals. A rookie QB has to learn the ropes, again. The problem is that the only other good players we have are going to be a year older, which could mean they are running on fumes or left on free agency. And the fans get another season of 5-11 football. It's not about the money, Dalton's cap number is small. It's about time. Time Dalton needs to develop, time before certain players clocks run out, and buffer time between Mike Brown hitting the reset button.

Somewhere Over Yonder

     It's been a long time, too long, since I've written a blog post. I've had marginal ideas about what to write, but I knew it would take something big for me to get back into it. Today, I found my cause. I found my reason to write, Joey Votto.

     Joey Votto is the best player the Cincinnati Reds have had since Barry Larkin, but if you ask certain people around town, he needs to go. See, the Reds have a rookie named Yonder Alonso that can hit the ball really well, too. He's a rookie, so we don't know how well. Like Joey, he's made to play first base. The Reds have tried him out in left and may try him at third base, but the fact is, he's a first bagger like Joey.

     So what to do? You can't play them both at first, and I don't think the Reds will most to the American League anytime soon, so there are a few options being thrown around. Let's take a look at them.

• Move Yonder Alonso to another position - So far, this has been the option the Reds have been using. Yonder has been playing out in LF for the Louisville Bats and had a handful of tries in the majors. Apparently, the Reds found out what the Bats didn't know, Yonder sucks in left. They also might try him at third, but we'll see.
• Trade Joey Votto - Joey is a big time player. And the Reds aren't a big time money team. It looks like down the road, Joey Votto will likely be moved somewhere else. I guess if you know you're going to lose him, why not move him to another team and get some prospects along with giving Alonso first base?
• Move Votto to Another Position - This has to be the silliest idea I've ever heard. Joey isn't a great defensive first baseman. What makes you think he can play somewhere else? People say that if he wants to help the team he'll move. HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE????

     People say that if he is a true leader, he'll do it to help the team. Votto in left or third doesn't help the team anymore than Yonder at those positions. And as far as the leadership thing, did Jeter switch because they signed A Rod? Of course not, that's HIS position! You really think Joey Votto, a guy on the fringe of leaving anyway, is going to be happy moving? If you want any chance of keeping the best guy on your team, maybe you should keep him happy.

     I think there is a conspiracy going on. Call me crazy, but there has been a lot of negative Votto talk this season. Is it because certain people know that he's going to be moved and if the general fan has a negative taste in their mouth anyway, it'll make the move easier? All I can say is remember Josh Hamilton? This could be that times 10.

     Why mess with a good thing? You KNOW Joey Votto is great. You THINK Yonder Alonso is great. There is a difference.