Well, the LeBronocalypse is finally over.

The story that has taken the NBA by storm for the past two years has its conclusion.

He will “take his talents” to South Beach to play with D Wade and Chris Bosh.

The LeBron saga was so big that it managed to steal the spotlight from the World Cup, only the biggest sporting event in the entire world.

And the NBA is arguably only the third most popular sport in this country. Imagine if a similar situation took place in the NFL, the most popular sport in America. The coverage would have been incomprehensible.

What if King James had chosen football over basketball? Would we be going through the same ordeal we just went through? Would LeBron be the transcendent figure had he chosen the pigskin over the harcourt? Let’s take a deeper look.

In high school LeBron played football for three years and in two of them he was an all state receiver. In his junior year he had 57 receptions and had 16 touchdowns and holds records that still stand today.

Mark Murphy, who was the defensive coordinator at LeBron’s high school and had an eleven year career in the NFL, said “I tell people that I rate my top receivers — coaching, playing or watching — as James Lofton, Jerry Rice, Steve Largent and LeBron James.”  He went onto say “I felt like that was one kid that could have gone from high school to the NFL and played.”  That is pretty high praise for never playing college football.

When LeBron was in high school he received interest from Ohio State and Notre Dame and probably would have had a scholarship from any college he wanted but he didn’t play football his senior year instead focusing on basketball and his future.

Chip Hillings, who played college football and saw all of LeBron’s games said “If he went to Akron, their football program would have been top 20″ and went on to say “He really was an incredible football player.”

LeBron is one of the best athletes ever to play. He stands 6-8 and weighs a solid 250 pounds. He also has a 44 inch vertical which would be in the top ten all time at the NFL Combine.

Any defensive that lined up against him would have no chance. Their only chance would be to jam him at the line but LeBron’s brute strength would be too much for them to handle.

LeBron could play wide receiver or tight end and be great at either. He could follow in the footsteps of Antonio Gates, who played basketball in college then signed with the Chargers after not playing football since high school and turned into a Pro Bowl tight end who set receiving records for tight ends.

Gates is a good athlete but nowhere in the class of LeBron. Imaging what kind of numbers LeBron could put up is scary.

People have questioned LeBron’s speed saying he probably wouldn’t run in the 4.4’s or 4.5’s. To that I say just watch LeBron sprint down the court on a dunk or when he chased down Jason Richardson and blocked his dunk attempt from behind.

After watching that you’d have to be silly to deny that LeBron has legit speed and isn’t faster than some of the possesion receivers that have played in the NFL like Keyshawn Johnson.

The ability to deal with the physical aspect has been a knock against LeBron. True he isn’t used to getting hit and the day to day beating in practice he’d take could affect him. But LeBron is one of the most physical players in the NBA and his 250 pound frame can take a hit and recover.

There was also talk of LeBron being “too tall.” Perhaps if LeBron was playing another position like offensive line this could be a problem because he could struggle to create leverage but he’s not. He’d be a receiver or tigh end.

His 6-8 frame would only benefit him. Add his 44 inch vertical and he would be the ultimate red zone weapon. You could simply lob the ball up to him and shorter defensive backs wouldn’t stand a chance.

Maybe once LeBron wins five championships in a row in Miami, he’ll decide he needs a new challenge and take on the NFL. It’s just a pipe dream, but if you ever said Michael Jordan would have retired to play baseball people would have laughed in your face.

It seems like everybody is putting their two cents worth in on the whole Albert Haynesworth situation.

The latest to do so is the great Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

While Ray might be a little late to the party, he might be the most vocal about it.

This is what Lewis had to say while on 106.7 The Fan’s LaVar and Dukes show.

“I mean, I don’t have to create a response,” Lewis replied. “The response is, whatever you want me to do coach, let’s get it done. If you want to switch the defense because you think it’ll work better in a 3-4 — I played in a 4-3 my whole life, but we switched up to a 3-4.

“Ok, Ray, you’re gonna have to take on more guards, you’re gonna have to do this and that.

“Ok, coach, I’ll adjust. Do I like it? Hmm, nah. But I’ll adjust, so let’s do it, you know what I’m saying? And through that process, I won the defensive player of the year in the 4-3 in 2000, and in 2003 I came back and won the defensive player of the year in the 3-4. So it don’t matter. Bottom line. Bottom line. Football is football, man,…

“No matter what the scheme is, y’all work together as businessmen to get it done. Because that’s ultimately what it is, it’s a business, so let’s come to work and let’s work together to figure this out. Ok, what best fits you? Ok, well, let’s go to this sometimes, and then sometimes you don’t like it, then we’ll switch back to a 4-3, so play with that. But all of this? No, too much. Too much.”

Arrington is obviously very passionate about this issue as well, and he responded with many strong words of his own, to which Lewis then responded with great feeling.

“Without even going long-winded, the word is, bottom line, respect,” Lewis said. “The power of respect is never to disrespect. That’s it. Just don’t ever disrespect the game, because the game will be here, always. Always. All of our time has to pass, and bro, I don’t speak down on him at all. I would love to have a conversation with him, to say to [whom] much is given much is required, brother.

“Sometimes you got to do things you ain’t want to do to get something you ain’t never got. So be ok with it. But you can’t always win selfishly. If you always win selfishly, then I don’t know what the walk of Jesus ever represented then. You’re not winning. You’re not winning. And that’s the things that I would relate to him. Going back to answer the question, if I was one of the spokesmen or leaders on that team, I would say bro, look, I understand you. But look, let’s work this out another way. Let’s get pissed of at somebody that we gotta deal with for 16 weeks,

“And whatever it takes for brotherhood to be formed, that’s what needs to be done. You can take it off the field and I still preach it to every young man that i speak to: do not try to walk through this life by your self. That’s a lonely war. That’s a lonely war. And when you find yourself in the midst, in the midst of these peaks and valleys, it’s too much to deal with yourself bro. And money blinds all of us. Money ain’t the root of all evil, it’s the love of it, and these are the things that are being lost.”

Truer words have not been spoken on this topic.

Lewis hits the nail on the head. You do what your told to do. You might not always like it, but you signed a contract and you should honor that.

Haynesworth signed with the Redksins, not the 4-3 defense. He knew going into last season Jim Zorn was on the hot seat and there was a possibility there would be a new coaching staff, and one that might install a 3-4.

I’m sick and tired about hearing about this story. Hayneworth should either suck it up and play, or if he really wants out that bad then he should work out some kind of settlement with the Redskins and then then can trade him.

After hearing Ray Lewis, that’s who I want leading my defense. That;s what you expect in your leader. Not some grumpy, overpaid, baby who demands a trade after just collecting a $21 million bonus.

The folks over at Draftsharks took a stab on what the thought process is of Goodell when he’s making these decisions.

Here’s what they came up with:

While this is intended to be humorous it does show that maybe commissioner Goodell might have too much power.

It seems like he can suspend someone for anything and for as long as he wants too.

With no established precedent on if/how long to suspend players Goodell can do as he pleases.

Maybe Goodell should make one of these, so we know what he’s thinking when he suspends someone.

(Source)

The former NFL player turned solider was a role model and hero for many.

Tragically, Tillman died in friendly fire in 2004 while serving in Afghanistan.

The documentary tells the story of how “the military is shown to have manipulated his tragic death in the line of duty into a glorifying propaganda tool.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

The film is set for a limited release on August 20th. Be sure to check it out if you can.

One year out of prison hasn’t done Michael Vick any good.

At least, in the minds of the public.

For the second straight year, Vick was voted Most Disliked Person in Sports.

Yet Vick’s image rehab is moving along at a snail’s pace. For the second year in a row he tops our list of Most Disliked People in Sports, with 69% of those polled citing Vick as someone they “Dislike a lot,” “Dislike,” or “Dislike some” according to E-Poll Market Research.

To measure public opinion of sports figures, E-Poll surveyed 1,100 people nationwide, aged 13 or older. Forbes limited eligibility to those currently active in sports as a player, coach, manager, broadcaster, agent or owner. A 10% minimum awareness level was also a prerequisite (that eliminated drug-using cyclist Floyd Landis and money-grubbing baseball agent Scott Boros, both very much disliked by the few but anonymous to the many).

The next two names on the list re also NFL related.

Their names are none other than Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

The newest member to the list is Ben Roethlisberger (shocking right?).

Vick may finally have his heir apparent in Roehtlisberger.

Roehtlisberger was slammed in the media after he was accused of sexual assault for the second times in two years (though no charges were filed).

With an upcoming six game suspension, it won’t get any better for Roethlisberger. unless of course, he wins a third Super Bowl because if we’ve learned anything, it’s that winning heals everything.

Based on the recent developments, we could very well be in for a messy and sticky situation.

According to court documents ESPN obtained Monday, the lengthy list of items authorities seized includes an “NFL file folder,” “Professional Players Journal” and “daytimer with football dates.” Records indicate they also seized a “CFL [Canadian Football League] folder” from the office of Galea, former team physician to the Toronto Argonauts.

NFL spokesperson Greg Aiello said Monday: “This is an ongoing federal investigation and we will cooperate fully, but we defer any comment at this time to the federal authorities.”

The seven-page document filed with the Canadian court after the execution of the October search warrant does not identify any patients by name. The Washington Post reported last month that Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss was supplied HGH by Galea, and that he is among the unidentified players listed in federal documents. First-year Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, however, has said he expects the league to clear Moss “when people find out all the facts.”

Moss was allegedly just one of the pro athletes Galea paid a house call on as he crisscrossed the country last summer injecting them with human growth hormone, which is banned by the NFL and most sports organizations, and other healing substances. Federal authorities have indicated it is unlikely that any of athletes who were treated by Galea will face charges.

I’m sure this is the last thing Roger Goodell wanted to hear.

However, it appears as if no players were identified in either set of documents so the players are safe, for now.

But now it sounds like the Santana Moss situation was far from an isolated incident.

But with no HGH test, there is no way to uncover the cheaters. Perhaps blood testing could be included in the next CBA thoug, I doubt it though. There is no way the players would agree to that.

But this is the NFL were talking about here. Where violators like Shawne Merriman and Brian Cushing wins awards as no one cares about performance enhancing drugs, unlike baseball where it seems like the world stops when a player is found to have taken steroids.

All the big name free agents get all the hype and the talk, but they don’t always make the biggest impact. Sometimes it’s the forgotten guy who didn’t break the bank who winds up paying the greatest dividends. Keeping that in mind, here are some of the guys that are candidates for this year:

Steelers Trade for Byron Leftwich

Leftwich returns to the Steelers after one lackluster season with the Buccaneers. Though, he was hardly the only one to blame for the Bucs misfortune. He should start the season for the Steelers with Big Ben suspended for the first six games of the regular season.

He preformed well for the Steelers in 2008 when called upon and I would expect the same type of performance this season. He has weapons around him that will help him succeed, unlike in Tampa.

Titans Sign Will Witherspoon

The Eagles traded for Witherspoon during the season last year, but strangely decided to cut him in the offseason. The Eagles loss is the Titans gain.

He should start at one of the linebacker spots. He will be especially crucial after the Titans lost fellow-starting linebacker Gerald McRath to a four game suspension.

Jets Sign Brodney Pool

Lost in the shadow of the other big name moves the Jets made this offseason, Pool might have the greatest impact of them all.  Pool was off to a great season last year (4 interceptions in 11 games) playing in Rex’s brother Rob’s defensive system before missing the last five games of the regular season.

He has the talent (was a second round pick in ’05), but injury concerns scared off team this offseason. However, it appears they were overblown. He has impressed coaches in the offseason and is a perfect fit for Rex Ryan’s defense. The Jets might have finally found their playmaker at safety, a role that Kerry Rhodes couldn’t fulfill.

Dolphins Sign Richie Incognito

The talent has always been there with Incognito, he just hasn’t been able to keep his head on straight. The Rams cut bait with them after he committed too many personal foul penalties and got into a verbal confrontation with coach Steve Spagnuolo. He was also voted the NFL ‘s dirtiest player last year in a poll by Sporting News.

Now, that may deter teams from Incognito and rightfully so, but the man still has talent and he fits in with the power scheme the Dolphins want to run. The Dolphins only signed him to a one year prove it deal so he will be on his best behavior or he will be out of town.

Jaguars Trade for Kirk Morrison

After the Raiders selected Rolando McClain in the first round of April’s draft, they had no need for Kirk Morrison anymore. So they dealt him to the Jaguars for a low draft pick.

With Morrison, the Jaguars are getting a tackling machine, who has amassed at least 100 tackles in all five of his seasons. He should help shore up a linebacking core that struggled last season.

Eagles Trade for Ernie Sims

To replace the aforementioned Witherspoon, the Eagles traded for Ernie Sims, surrendering a fifth round pick. Sims had fell out of favor with the Lions coaching staff this past season, but still has great potential.

He is a former top ten overall pick who looked like he was headed for greatness early in his career and has been compared to Derrick Brooks. The Eagles will hope he can regain his form.

Saints Sign Alex Brown

The Saints were hindered by the “final four” rules, so they couldn’t make a big splash in free agency. Alex Borwn might not be a flashy player, but he is a solid signing for the defending champs.

After releasing Charles Grant, the Saints had a glaring need at defensive end and Brown should help to plug the hole. He isn’t a spectacular pass rusher, but get his fair share of sacks and can hold his own against the run.

The World Cup is in full swing and “the fever” is spreading. I’ve got it and I’m sure many others do as well.

Since were in kind of a “dead” period right now, I’d figure I’d write about fútbol while also including football.

So here goes my best attempt at creating a starting XI full of NFL players:

Note: I’m not using any kickers or punters because were talking about real NFL players.

GK: Larry Fitzgerlad, Cardinals- How are you getting anything by Larry Fitz? He’s got great size, hands, and reflexives. If he can make catches like this, he’s making all the saves.

LB: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars- Don’t let his size fool you. MJD is one tough dude. Just ask Shawne Merriman. Plus he’s got great speed to make runs forward.

CB: Troy Polamalu, Steelers- This guy is just an absolute beast. He can play big, being physical with you and he can burn you with his speed. He also has great anticipation and would pick off any through ball.

CB: Adrian Wilson, Cardinals- He is the rock of the defense. No one is getting by him. He can lay the lumbar and can out-jump anyone for a header.

RB: Ray Rice, Ravens- Similar player to Jones-Drew. Can kill you with his speed and is deceptively strong and shifty. His legs are like tree trunks.

LM: DeSean Jackson, Eagles- I love speed on the wings. and Jackson has plenty of it. Give him the ball in open space and watch what he will do.

CM: Charles Woodson, Packers- I would imagine Woodson as a great box-to-box-midfielder. He was a Heisman Trophy winner in college, playing both sides of the ball.

RM: Hines Ward, Steelers- You can put this guy anywhere on the filed and I’d bet he’d do great. He can play defensive as well, helping to cover for the fullbacks going forward, while also helping out on the offensive end. He might pick up the occasional yellow card, but he’d drive opponents crazy.

ATM: Chad Ochocinco, Bengals- Ochocinco claims he could play professionally right now in Spain. That’s debatable, but the man has serious skills. We know for sure, he has a good leg. He’d do a great job being the creative force in the midfield and distributing to the strikers.

ST: Chris Johnson, Titans- Speed kills and Johnson is as fast as they come. He can stretch the defense creating space for others, while also creating for himself as well.

ST: Randy Moss, Patriots- Moss wold be the target man, complementing the speed of Johnson. Don’t forget Moss has blazing speed too. Plus, at striker he won’t have to run as much so he can take a few plays off. Also his goal celebrations would be great.

The Jets practiced in front of their fans yesterday at the New Meadowlands for their first time. It was the final minicamp practice for the Jets, who won’t reconvene until training camp in late July.

I was there yesterday and have some thoughts and observations I thought I would share:

• First off the stadium is massive, almost overwhelming. The concourses are much bigger than before. The seats feel like they are closer to the field. However, I would bring my own lunch to the game unless you want to pay $9 for a sausage and peppers or $15 (no joke) for a roast beef sandwich.

• Jim Leonhard, Antonio Cromartie, and Kyle Wilson all took turns at returning punts. Cromartie had a nice grab when he backtracked for one, while Leonhard muffed one.

• In 1-on-1’s Dustin Keller beat Eric Smith at least two times to make some nice grabs. Keller might be in for a breakout season. The only thing that may stop him is that there might not be enough balls to go around for him.

• There were chants of “Please Pay Revis” at least three times during practice. That should give you a picture of whose side the fans are on. Whether or not that happens, is a question for another day.

• In team drills, Sanchez had to run a lap after multiple offensive players jumped offsides. It reminded me of the Mangini days where it seemed like a player was running a lap at all times.

• Brad Smith was getting a lot of reps at quarterback once again. I didn’t see Ainge or O’Connell get take any snaps. Could the Jets be thinking about carrying only 2 quarterbacks, and have Smith as the emergency third option? It’s an interesting option and I wouldn’t be shocked if thats what they did because none of the backup quarterbacks have showed much of anything.

• It was a relaxing day for the defensive line. When there’s no contact, there’s not really much they can do anyway. I spotted the defensive lineman playing hot potato and going out and catching some passes.

• Rex was having some fun with the defense playing scout quarterback in defensive team drills. Everyone was having a good time, showing how much the players love Rex.

• Not really about football, but Braylon Edwards was rocking a legit beard. I hope he keeps it when the HBO camera will be rolling.

Overall it was a great experience. After seeing all the players on the field, I realized how much talent the Jets have on their roster. They are one of the elite teams in the league and should contend for a Super Bowl.

Isaac Bruce might never have been a dominant wide receiver, but he was he was still one of best to ever play.

His former Kurt Warner had this to say about Bruce. “Isaac was the consummate pro. He was one of the guys, early in my career, who showed me what it meant to be an NFL player and how to work to become the best. Along with his great character and work ethic, he was one of the most gifted athletes I have ever been around.”

“I always use him as a role model in terms of talking to receivers about how to approach the game,” said former offensive coordinator and coach Mike Martz. “He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve been around. He’s fiercely competitive. His passion for playing the game is as good as anybody’s. You’d have to give him high marks in everything he did.

Some say that Bruce lacked elite speed or wasn’t big enough to succeed. Mike Martz disagreed.

“This is a guy who played the game at the highest level. He had no nicks or flaws. Guys will say, ‘Well, he wasn’t very fast, or he wasn’t very big.’ That touchdown in the Super Bowl would give you a pretty good indication of his speed, and he’s fast enough to do whatever he needed to do. He caught a lot of deep balls in his career to win games for us.”

Bruce was a very modest pro. He never talked too much to media like fellow wide receiver Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

“He’s not very talkative, kind of quiet. But his actions speak volumes. That’s what I like about Isaac,” said former wide receiver coach Henry Ellard. “He kind of reminds me of myself. I was the same way. I didn’t say a whole lot, just kind of went on about my business. And he was really good about that. He didn’t care for all the hoopla and all the rest of it. It was like, ‘Let me go out and do my job, and I’m happy.’

Now that Bruce, the last remaining player to play for the L.A. Rams has hung up the cleats after a stellar 16-year career, all the talk show shifts on if, or when, he will enter Canton.

Kurt Warner seems to think it’s a foregone conclusion he will get in the first time he is on the ballot. “When he enters the Hall of Fame in five years, I will be the first one to stand up and cheer, as a proud friend and teammate,” Warner said.

However, I wouldn’t book my hotel quite yet Kurt.

Bruce certainly has numbers. He ranks fifth all time in receptions (1,024), second all time in yards (15,208), and ninth all time in touchdowns (91).

Despite those gaudy numbers, it doesn’t guarantee a Canton induction, at least not right away.

Just ask Chris Carter, who has been on the ballot for three years and hasn’t heard his name called. Or Tim Brown aka “Mr. Brown”, who missed out in his first year of eligibility despite being fourth all time in receptions and receiving yards.

How voters judge theses receivers that played in the 90’s through now, will be one of the most interesting trends to watch.

Where do they draw the line for these receivers?

If any of these guys put up these numbers in the ‘70s, they would be a slam-dunk for the Hall of Fame.

However, the game has changed, which has inflated these receivers’ numbers to an extent. Yes, they are all phenomenal players, but it would be naïve to say that they would have put up these types of numbers if they played 30 years ago.

In the end, I think we’ll see the likes of Bruce, Carter, and Brown enshrined in the Hall, but I don’t know if there is room enough for everybody.

And that’s going to leave some great receivers getting shut out of Canton’s doors.