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Feb. 27, 2005 1) The Seattle Seahawks recently released all-world wide receiver Jerry Rice, who came on board with the team during the 2004 season to help with their push to the playoffs. In twenty years, Rice set so many records that the National Football League Record and Factbook could be renamed in his honor. His career epitomizes the kind of class, dignity, and work ethic that seems to be in short supply among professional athletes today. He is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime treasure, and if he has played his last game, he will lead the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009 into the great shrine in Canton. There’s been some talk, though, that Rice will be reunited with John Gruden down in Tampa Bay. Rice may not have the speed or the moves that he had in his heyday, but all that experience might rub off on some of the young guys or possibly put him on the path of being a coach. Whatever he does, I wish him the best. 2) Meanwhile, down the West Coast, Rice’s old team, the Oakland Raiders, made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to get the talented but troubling Randy Moss. If Moss can get his head on straight, he will provide a strong challenge to some, if not all, of Rice’s records. Oakland has been a haven for misfits and miscreants over the years (owner Al Davis included), so Moss will fit right in. But if he thinks he’s going to leave the field before a game is over, he better think again, or he’ll have to deal with that crazed dominion of fans who inhabit the Black Hole. 3) And over here in Charlotte, fans expressed a mix of shock and support around the release of veteran wide receiver Mushin Muhammad. “Moose”, as we call him around here, spent nine seasons with the Panthers and was a cornerstone of the team’s offense. He is more like Art Monk than Jerry Rice, a gifted possession receiver with sure hands, toughness, and field vision. It was strictly a business decision to let Moose go, but it makes it no more palatable to see such a valuable contributor leave town. The Chicago Bears will have Moose on their roster for this coming season. Just so happens that the Panthers will be paying a visit, with time and date to be determined. Should be an interesting meet-and-greet on the gridiron of Soldier Field. 4) One of my football heroes died suddenly this past week, from an apparent heart attack. Reggie Roby spent sixteen seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Miami Dolphins, and was named to three Pro Bowls. Unlike famous counterpart Ray Guy, whose beautiful punts were lofted with precision accuracy, Roby crushed footballs so hard and so high that he was a direct threat to low-flying aircraft. He set the standard for punters, helping popularize the two-step punting technique and wearing a wristwatch to track hang time. Although much has been made about black quarterbacks, very little is ever said about the lack of black punters and placekickers. Roby was a true success story, and his legacy will be one of success. Hopefully, there will be more like him as pro football continues to evolve. 5) There was more activity at the NBA trade deadline this year than I can ever recall seeing. The trade that got everyone’s attention was the one where Chris Webber got shipped east from Sacramento to Philadelphia. But another trade that may have implications down the line is the one where New Orleans sent star point guard Baron Davis back to California—specifically, to Golden State—for the oft-injured but talented Speedy Claxton and the aging Dale Davis. Davis had become the heart and soul of the Hornets, because he plays much like Allen Iverson does. He’s a point guard who is a big-time scoring threat and isn’t afraid to take it in among the big men down low. In the last couple years, though, injuries have limited his productivity. It will be very interesting to see how his presence will influence the Warriors, who always seem to have good young talent consistently coming up short when it comes to getting to the playoffs. 6) Thanks to Superstation WGN out of Chicago, I was able to see the Charlotte Bobcats in action at home recently. Seems like WGN has a contract to show a Bulls game every Saturday night during the regular season, and this past Saturday, they happened to be here in town. The one complaint that I have about the Bobcats is that, unless you have digital cable, you don’t see them very often on TV. Our UPN affiliate, WJZY-TV, carries ten Bobcats games over-the-air, but C-SET, the new regional sports network created by Bobcats owner Robert Johnson, carries most of the rest. When the Hornets were here, most road games and select home games were carried over-the-air, with a few select games being carried on the SportsSouth network (now Fox Sports South). There’s no doubt that Robert Johnson wants to build a winning franchise here, but I believe part of building it is exposing as many people as possible to the product. The Hornets were so popular because you could follow them, but they wore out their welcome because of the strife over a new arena. The Bobcats can be just as popular; moving more game action from C-SET to WJZY will be a step in the right direction. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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