Say what you will, the 0-16 Detroit Lions at least are doing something to alleviate complaints that too many top-flight college athletes are jumping ship early and skipping out on finishing their degrees. From today's Detroit Free Press:There has been speculation that the fear of becoming a Lion was one of the variables Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford considered when he opted to remain at Oklahoma. It was also a consideration for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who'll return to the Longhorns.... The deadline for declaring for the draft came Thursday. There were surprises along with Sanchez. Mississippi junior defensive end Greg Hardy, who had 8 1/2 sacks and 9 1/2 tackles for loss last season, opted to remain at Ole Miss. … [Read more...]
Please Accept My Apologies for the Detroit Lions…Who Make Me Laugh
When people learn that I grew up in Michigan, occasionally I hear the question of whether my sports fan loyalties still lie in the land of my childhood. "That depends," I say. "Detroit Tigers? Detroit Red Wings? Yes." "What about the Lions?" "Uh, check please...." I'm pretty sure I've been cured of that disease. How do I know? Well, reading through DJ Gallo's ESPN Page 2 column this evening, I found myself laughing out loud at this segment: … [Read more...]
Jon Caldara and Denver Post Agree on Amendment 49: Stop the Presses!
As of today, the Denver Post becomes the fifth major Colorado newspaper to line up in support of Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative (H/T Ethical Standards). One line from the Post's lead editorial shows how truly remarkable a development this endorsement of Amendment 49 is:It prevents state and local governments from collecting dues for labor unions or other groups that use such funds to elect or lobby the very public officials who hire them and set their salaries and benefits. It's a modest but important ethical rule that will help keep partisan politics, with its echo of the 19th century "spoils system," out of the merit systems that regulate most state and local government jobs. We usually don't agree with the … [Read more...]