Back In The Saddle...

Hi everybody.

I'm back.

Been away for a few days.

I've been in mourning (not pictured) since my Yankees were eliminated ignominiously from the playoffs.

As such, we have some catching up to do.
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FINALLY SOME FUN


Let's start with the Canes game this weekend.

There aren't TOO many X's and O's to take away from it.

The simple fact is this: The Canes had FUN for probably the first time all year. That's what it looked like to me.

The opening of the season has been a little joyless for me.

The opening game was meaningless. Ohio State was frustrating. Pittsburgh was pressure packed. Clemson was a struggle. FSU was an embarrassment. Duke was sloppy.

Finally, the Canes went out and had a good time.

The iconic moment from the game was Sean Spence literally SPANKING Brandon Harris following an interception. Doing the bulldance, feeling the flow, working it, working it.

I have a friend who has the AUDACITY to say that it wasn't worth 15 yards.

OF COURSE it was.

15 yards I'd HAPPILY accept (I know coach Shannon would not agree with me).

But it gets better for Miami.

There were players YELLING at each other on the sidelines (Vaughn Telemaque is quickly becoming a leader)... The guys were jumping up and down dancing to a song.

EMOTION, PASSION, dare I say it? A bit of swagger.

Congrats to Randy and the Canes.

They really needed that.
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TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE REPLAY

May I submit to you Sunday's Dolphins game.

Everyone always argues, "IF you have replay, it takes the human element out of the game."

Well, there was replay.

Many humans looked at a piece of video for the key play in that game.

They ALL got it wrong.

Replay isn't fool-proof and it certainly isn't idiot-proof.

Big Ben seems to get away with EVERYTHING doesn't he?

Still, the Miami Dolphins need to look in the mirror.

You don't beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by kicking field goals.

That's a great opponent with a bad-ass defense.

Valiant effort, not good enough.

Dol-fans should be pissed.

Dolphins players need to get better.
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BRONX BUMMERS

Thanks to Robinson Cano, Mariano Rivera, and CC Sabathia for making this Yankees season enjoyable for me.

They were the only three players who consistently performed and acted like they were ready to win another championship.

What a moment to epitomize a season.

The Yankees go down as AROD stands lonely at the dish, haplessly watching the 3rd strike go by.

It was a weak title defense.

They didn't even win the division.

Joe Girardi pushed just about EVERY wrong button he could throughout the series.

But even so, Texas was the better team.

The hardest part for me to take has been waching the decline of Derek Jeter.

Let's hope it was just a bad year.

I suspect it could be worse.
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COWBOY DOWN

Can't wait for Monday Night Football.

The Giants have the Cowboys in a position to END their season.

It's a MONSTER division game.

And I couldn't be more concerned!

The Cowboys have nothing and so, they have nothing to lose.

This game can begin their turnaround.

They are a team that's made a living shooting themselves in the foot (save me the Plaxico jokes).

But there's no question that they have talented players.

On the other hand, The Giants have a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

However, I don't trust Tony Romo.

And yet, as much as I love watching him play, Eli Manning scares me sometimes in big games.

So yeah, I have no idea what's going to happen.
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GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT

As for the OTHER Giants, the San Francisco Giants, how can you not root for them? (other than being a Dodger fan)...

If anyone has a "team of destiny" look to them, it's the Giants.

They have AMAZING pitching, they are riding the hot bat of Marlins cast-off Cody Ross, and they have a bullpen that looks like a soup kitchen.

I swear, when they run out, I'm not sure if I want to cheer for them, or give them a sandwich.
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GONE IN A FLASH

There's something else happening this week.

What the hell is it?

Thinking, thinking...

Oh yes, the Heat open Tuesday night in Boston.

CANNOT wait.

Dwyane Wade said on twitter he will no longer be going by Flash.

I've been inspired.

Can you please stop calling me wonder woman?

Thanks,
The Management

Why I Can't Wait For Jets-Dolphins...

As I've said multiple times on this blog, I'm a New York Giants fan.

And yet, I can barely sleep tonight in anticipation of the Dolphins showdown with the Jets (not pictured).

There are so many storylines to this game, that my head may explode.

I'd try to rank them, but what good is that.

Instead, I'll just lay them out and ask you to pick your favorite one.

As Mad Dog Jim Mandich told me on Tuesday, this is the biggest Dolphins game in years.

How can you argue?
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Return Of the Prodigal Son:

Jason Taylor talked a whole lotta ***t about the Jets in his time with Miami.

He was always good for a soundbite about REALLY hating the Jets.

You'd almost believe him.

Until, he decided to sign with them.

I don't expect loyalty in sports. Those values are long gone.

So, you can't blame JT for leaving Miami a second time.

But the Jets? Really? That just smells of desperation. Any fan of the Fins is perfectly within their rights to wish him failure.

I do.
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Marshall vs. Cromartie

Antonio Cromartie might not be able to name all of his kids, but I'm sure he knows who his daddy is.

That's because the LAST time Cro tried to cover Brandon Marshall, he set the NFL receptions record.

Well, Revis pulled a hamstring watching Randy Moss posterize him last week.

That means, Marshall is going to be one-on-one with a man he LOVES to torment.

How will that play out?
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HYPE VS HOPE

The Jets lead the NFL in hype, bombast, and self-esteem.

They sure love themselves.

Just watch "Hard Knocks."

The Dolphins are quietly and cautiously optimistic about this season's chances.

This trend is epitomized by the two coaches.

Rex Ryan: a WWE parody of a human being.

Tony Sparano: passionate, but doesn't talk about it.

On defense, you have a team that KNOWS how good it is, against a team that THINKS it is worthy.
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QB BATTLE

This question will be asked for the next decade.

Who is better: Mark Sanchez or Chad Henne?

Fins fans are down on Henne.

Clearly, the training wheels are on as the defense dominates.

Sanchez was proclaimed the worst QB in football, until he wasn't.

Was his performance against the Pats the real deal?
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Opening Night

On top of ALL that, it's opening night.

The Fins will have all their orange carpet hype and LIV nightclub debuting at the stadium.

Truth is, Dolphins fans hate the Jets and visa-versa.

This is a true rivalry when both of these teams suck.

Now, they're both good.

They're in the division.

A win positions Miami 2 games ahead of New York with a game in hand.

A loss and the Jets and Fins are tied with NY holding the head to head advantage.

I think you get the picture, this is a big game.

Can they kick it off already please?

Brotherly Beatdown...

The Manning brothers (not pictured) met on Sunday night.

It was the most lopsided brotherly beatdown since Cain and Abel squared off.

After the game, Peyton took the high road.

He turned down an interview request by NBC's Andrea Kramer.

Why would he want to say anything bad about his brother?
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Peyton, are you out of your mind?

What's more fun than teasing a sibling, particuarly after a humiliating loss?

How is it, that I've never been able to live down some losses in Tecmo Bowl from the mid 90's, but you just kicked your brother's ass (in front of the country), and don't want to say a word?

My brother would've RIPPED the mic out of Andrea Kramer's hand and free styled a rap about being the superior Lang.

He would've hired a gospel choir to sing: "I'm Better Than You," "Mom Loved Me More," and "We Haven't Told You Until Now, But, You're Adopted"... and a host of other tunes that he wrote during the week.

The final score would've been spray painted on my house.

I would've done the same.
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See, but I think Peyton's a little smarter than that.

I think *NOT* doing the interview is the ultimate form of teasing.

Thought you'd pull a fast one.

Not only did you prove you are the superior quarterback, but now, you also look like the better person.

You didn't just get straight A's, you also helped little old ladies across the street.

I'm on to you Manning.

Nice try.
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To be perfectly honest, Peyton shouldn't be SO hurt that his team beat his brother's.

This was a regular season game.

They both have Super Bowl rings and MVP trophies.

Little brother will be fine.

I think Peyton made a bigger deal about it by NOT talking at the time.

Winning a regular season game is nice, teasing a sibling lasts a lifetime.

He almost made it seem like it was a bummer.

Please.

Poor Cooper.

Dolphins Impress During Snoozefest...

It wasn't the most exciting football game I've ever watched back on my Tivo shortly after midnight.

But still.

I was impressed with how physical (not pictured) the Dolphins were in the season opener against Buffalo.
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The perception of the game changed on two plays.

First of all, Chad Henne underthrew Brandon Marshall for what would have been the knockout blow in the 2nd quarter.

Up 10-0, Henne wanted Marshall deep, but the connection failed.

If they hit that pass, they could've REALLY gotten ugly.

The second play was Roscoe Parrish's touchdown.

4th and 11.

There was a blown coverage, touchdown Bills.

Those two plays will make fans think the Fins first win wasn't particularly impressive.

I beg to differ.
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Let me start with the offense.

I think Brandon Marshall has brought a new mentality to the Dolphins receivers and tight end.

I can't remember a game where Fins receivers were looking to HIT somebody.

Perhaps it's because Ted Ginn is allergic to contact.

I saw Marshall, Fasano, Ronnie Brown, and even Davone Bess looking to PUNISH the corners who had the audacity to try to bring them down.

That's a good thing.

My FAVORITE moment of the game was the first play of the second half.

Ronnie went for a short run and got out of bounds.

No biggie, right?

Brandon Marshall absolutely leveled a passing Buffalo defender.

That's a new dynamic to the Fins offense, and to me, it's an exciting play.
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Defense, in my mind, is harder to evaluate.

The reason is simple, the opponent is SO bad.

Trent Edwards is just awful.

CJ Spiller is exciting.

Unfortunately, his awesome preseason will allow him to sneak up on... NOBODY.

He's your prime target.

The Bills line is awful.

You are talking about a team that if it wins 5 games will be happy.
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With that said, there were three aspects of the defense that caught my eye.

First of all, they weren't kidding about Mike Nolan.

He's moving guys this way and that.

First series of the game, he sneaks Karlos Dansby to the outside to blindside the quarterback.

Talk about setting a tone.

Secondly, tackling.

The Fins were wrapping up and making open-field tackles all afternoon long.

You didn't see any of that last year.

And finally, I saw plenty of youth.

I think back to the Joey Porter-Jason Taylor-Gibril Wilson unit from last year, and things are promising.

Cameron Wake was pushing his way towards the quarterback, Jared Odrick had a nice stop... I saw potential.
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As for Chad Henne, he was fine.

Nothing spectacular.

All day, the Fins were pounding it on first and second down.

Ronnie and Ricky looked the same as always.

Chad basically had to pick up 3rd and manage-ables.

That's what he did.

He used Bess well, he gave Marshall some opportunities, and it was great to see Fasano getting involved.

All told, a win on opening day in the division, Fins fans should be happy.
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Speaking of wins in the division on opening day...

I'd like to offer a quick word about the Detroit-Chicago game.

Classic Lions.

I'm sorry, that was a catch by Calvin Johnson.

One foot, two foot, roll...

Yes, the ball popped out.

Whatever that rule is, is stupid.

The Lions are bad enough, you don't need to hose them.

And finally a word for Dallas Cowboy fans, hahahahhahahahahah!

Hakeem Nicks for President, Goodnight!

Tuna Is Toast

It appears Bill Parcells (not pictured) will now be not pictured.

The Dolphins' football czar (a phrase I thought should be reserved for coke dealers and despots), has decided to step aside.

He's leaving his franchise in the hands of Jeff "is your mother a hooker?" Ireland.

He leaves behind a 7-9 team who appears poised to, well, we don't know what the heck the Dolphins are going to do this season.
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Was Parcells a success in Miami?

I don't know.

He inherited a 1-15 team and it got better.

There really wasn't any other way to go.

Still, his first year, the team won a division and had a miraculous turnaround.

Was it his genius that Chad Pennington became a free agent right before the season?

Or was he lucky?
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Parcells was brought in for his drafting genius.

His first move was passing on Matt Ryan for Jake Long.

Jake's a pro bowler, but Matt Ryan's ceiling is pretty freaking high.

I'd give Parcells credit for the wildcat, but it was quarterbacks coach David Lee who is responsible for that (he brought it over from Arkansas).

Parcells brought us Pat White and Patrick Turner and a few other busts who were named Pat.
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While I grew up a Giants fan, truth is, Parcells only two titles are because of Lawrence Taylor.

Parcells constructed his defense around one of the most disruptive forces in the history of the league.

And what do you know? Championships.

Parcells has exactly zero titles without LT.
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Compare Parcells to Pat Riley.

It's no competition.

Pat Riley has brought this town one title, and now the makings of a dynasty.

Riley signed LeBron.

Parcells signed Incognito.

Advantage Pat.
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So I say, thanks for the memories Bill.

Clearly, he didn't love working with star obsessed owner Stephen Ross.

I picked up my handy-dandy Dolphins calendar today.

The front read "South Florida's biggest party."

Parcells didn't want any part of that.

He's strictly a football guy.

Albeit not a very good one.

J-e-t-s Will SUCK SUCK SUCK

Count me as someone who thinks the 2010 Jets (not pictured) will not even come close to expectations.

This isn't an angry missive by a Dol-fan (while I like the Dolphins, the Giants are my first love).

I say this objectively.
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Normally, I wouldn't spend too much time thinking about the Jets, except they're the featured subject of this year's "Hard Knocks."

I've seen EVERY episode of the HBO mini-series that takes a close look at one team's training camp.

I watched the Cowboys, I watched the Bengals, and now, I'm watching the Jets.

As always with HBO, it's stellar work.

You are given unlimited access.

The tedium of training camp is translated into compelling drama.

All of a sudden the battle for 3rd string Bengals fullback becomes life or death.
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For some reason, I found the Jets utterly unlikable.

Rex Ryan is even more of a putz than I thought he was.

Now with Rex, you have to keep in mind the principal from physics "the observer effect."

The act of being observed, changes the phenomenon.

Rex is probably playing up to the cameras all the cursing (I mean every 3rd word out of his mouth is **ck).

He's trying to be the 'cool coach,' trying to show what a 'player's coach" he is.

I'll give him this, Rex has some bad-ass defenses in his day.

I just don't like him.
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But one point that the show makes abundantly clear, the Jets REALLY, REALLY need Darrelle Revis.

The lockdown corner is a Godot-figure in the first episode of "Hard Knocks."

He's not there, but he's all anyone can talk about.

Within the division, the Dolphins (who beat the Jets twice with Ted Ginn) have added Brandon Marshall, and Brady is another year removed from his injury.

In other words, you damn well better secure your secondary.

Cromartie is a really good player, but he's not Revis.

To quote the Russian character in Rounders "Gyive the myan hyis myoney.!"
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And now to the real reason I think the Jets will finish 3rd in the division.

I think they have the 3rd best quarterback.

Mark Sanchez hasn't shown me anything to indicate that he's on Brady's level, and in a close race, I'd rather have Henne.

The Jets lost Thomas Jones and brought LT who is questionable at best.

Santonio Holmes is a Super Bowl MVP, but a character problem.

Braylon Edwards is a fantastic wide receiver, except for the bulk of the time when he has the dropsies.

Jason Taylor will be thrown into the mix and I actually think he'll have a decent year (6, 7 sacks).
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After watching "Hard Knocks," I think the Jets are convinced that this is their year.

I'm convinced that they're frauds and will return to earth this year.

There's going to be an odd-man-out between the Pats, Fins, and Jets.

I'm guessing it'll be wearing Green.

Super Cold...

Miami (not pictured) has lost out to New York/New Jersey for the 2014 Super Bowl.

Economically, it's a hit for my hometown.

Personally, I love it when the Super Bowl comes here. I went to 2 of the games, and had a blast both times.
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With that said, people are complaining about the weather for the Super Bowl.

How dare you host an event in New York City in the winter?

I say, who cares?

First of all, real fans aren't the ones buying tickets to Super Bowl games.

The guy who buys 8 Dolphins games in section 415, 2 preseason games, and 10 parking passes, can't afford to go to the game if it's in New York or South Florida.

Some corporate suit who is trying to woo an extra client, who doesn't know Drew Brees from Drew Barrymore, that's who is going to be sitting there.

So I say, let him freeze.

Most people are hoping for good weather, I want a g.d. monsoon.

I hope his hands are so numb that he can't even put in his bluetooth to check the foreign markets.
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Secondly, as for the events themselves, New York-New Jersey is awesome.

People go there independent of the weather.

New York is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the galaxy for a reason.

Hotels, restaurants, bars... New York is first class.

They've had Super Bowls in Detroit and Jacksonville.

You gonna tell me New York can't handle an event like this?

Please.

I've been to the World Series in New York on several occassions.

It's always cold.

And it's always amazing.
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Some have even had the nerve to complain about the conditions for the players.

Does this argument even need addressing?

We're talking about FOOTBALL.

These guys are paid millions of dollars.

AND it's the Super Bowl.

If they were playing a Super Bowl on the surface of the sun, and you offered Dan Marino the chance to quarterback it, you don't think he'd take it?

I say, let's enjoy.

It should be a great game and a great time.

In the words of Alicia Keys, let's hear it for New York....

Snookered?

Were the Miami Dolphins snookered into signing Brandon Marshall (not pictured)?

That's the question every Miami Dolphins fan had to be asking after the first day of OTAs.

Football shouldn't matter in May.

But when your newly-acquired $50 million man is on an exercise bike while the rest of the team is practicing, there's cause for concern.
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Cleo was not the only Lemon the Dolphins have had in recent history.

Plenty of times the Dolphins have dealt for guys who were sub-par, or hurt, or worse yet, named Joey Harrington.

But this was supposed to be different.

Brandon Marshall is by all accounts a certified bad-ass.

He's one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and a dominant force.
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So why is it, on day 1 of off-season workout number one, it's suddenly sprung on us that he's had off-season surgery?

That's information that *MAY* have been slightly useful prior.
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The Dolphins KNEW that Marshall had surgery on his hip before.

My question is: Did DENVER know that Marshall would need a cleanup again?

Where were the beat writers on this story?

I'm sure getting your hip scoped in May won't impact him too much when the season rolls around.

But it's a fairly inauspicious start for the Dolphins new star.

And to make matters worse, he was wearing Ted Ginn's number.

Here's hoping that Marshall changes numbers and produces as expected.

This is way more than any football fan should have to worry about an OTA.

Marshall Plan (or I could've gone with Marshall law or simply Marshall, Marshall, Marshall)

Bill Parcells lost it, huh?

Really?

Cause I think the Dolphins just landed a STUD. STUD wide receiver, and the cost is just a second round pick.

I remember the not-so-long-ago days when the Dolphins would give up second round picks for crappy backup quarterbacks.

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I know Marshall comes with baggage. 10 touchdowns last year and a 21 catch game.

That must keep Chad Henne up at night.

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This guy is one of the best playmakers in the league. He's the type of guy who will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. He makes Ricky better, he makes Ronnie better, He makes Henne better, He makes the Dolfan Bandits better, He makes the Miami Dolphin cheerleaders better, Big Papa Pump just got better.

If there were ONE guy out there that I'd want the Dolphins to get, it would have been Marshall.

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The Knucklehead factor. Sure, it's there. He's been suspended before. He didn't like Josh McDaniel (I don't blame him, that guy is a dip).

I can live with that.

Here's why.

You have to believe in your organization.

You have to believe that no matter WHAT issues someone has had in the past, you have enough leaders, you have enough positive people, to help that guy turn his life around.

Look at what the Patriots did to Randy Moss.

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Just yesterday, I had a friend (whose name rhymes with Diss Bank) tell me he was upset with Parcells. I've read blogs saying the old man's lost it.

Really?

Why?

Because he didn't telegraph this move? Because he didn't hold a press conference to say what he was going to do?

The Jets went FIRST this offseason, they acquired Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes. The Fins got Karlos Dansby and Brandon Marshall. Advantage: Fins.

It's like they taugh me in my public policy class, there are advantages to going first in a negotiation. But there's also an advantage to waiting and getting better information.

He who moves first, doesn't necessarily get the best result.

Leadership isn't about talking about what great things you'll do, it's about doing them.

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This proves lesson number 1,000 why sports-talk hosts and reporters are always behind the 8-ball in this town. Who told me the Fins were going to legitimately be able to make this happen? The only place I read it is espn.com, when it's a done deal.

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The Miami Dolphins are a whole lot better this morning. Bill Parcells is a whole lot smarter than some people were giving him credit for.

Bravo tuna, Bravo!

A Word Of Unsolicited Advice To Big Ben...

I'm not a Steelers fan. But as an NFL fan, it's impossible not to appreciate the first-class organization that the Rooney family has built. That city lives for the Steelers, and they consistently deliver elite performances.

Which leads to me to the knucklehead in the picture (on the right).

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Today, Big Ben Roethlisberger received a bit of good news. He won't be charged with rape for hooking up in the bathroom with a 20-year old college student in Georgia. Stay classy Ben.

This is the SECOND such allegation, and once again Ben dodged a bullet.

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It appears that Big Ben lives like he plays: recklessly.

That's what makes him so much fun to watch.

He leads the league in plays where you say "don't, don't don't, wow what a play!" Unfortunately, he hears the same cries OFF the field.

This is a guy who NEARLY died in a motorcycle accident, again, an act of recklessness.

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Put simply, it's time for Ben to get his stuff together.

He's won 2 Super Bowls for the Steelers. He COULD be in the middle of a Hall of Fame career, if he doesn't mess it up.

It's looking more and more like he will.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------My hope is that Roger Goodell suspends him.

I know, he wasn't charged in courts.

But that hasn't stopped Goodell before.

Pacman Jones was never convicted, and he was suspended.

In the eyes of the NFL, perception matters more than reality and you're guilty until proven innocent.

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There's really only two ways this can end up with a reckless guy like Ben.

Either 5 years after he retires he'll be going to Canton and the Hall of Fame.

Or I'll be watching his obit piece on SportsCenter.

Choose wisely Ben.