Randy’s Longhorns Blog
Tyrone Swoopes: 5 Star QB Commits
By Randy Maltz – Founder/Editor Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

The Texas Longhorns picked up a verbal commitment from top ranked Texas player, Tyrone Swoopes, Rival’s 5-Star quarterback.
Swoopes is ranked as the 11th best player in the entire nation.  He hails from Whitewright, TX, and has picked up offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Alabama,  Stanford, and other top programs. Many recruiting services claim that Swoopes has a style similar to that of Texas Longhorn legend, Vince Young.  All commitments at this stage are verbal and therefore non-binding until National Signing Day next February.

During his junior season, Swoopes rushed for 2,267 yards at 13.3 yards per carry. He scored 29 rushing touchdowns and added 15 through the air. He passed for 1,394 yards, proving to be a true dual threat weapon at the quarterback position. He has as much potential as any Texas recruit since Vince Young walked the 40 Acres and led the Texas Longhorns to their first National Championship since 1970.

Thanks to our friends at Best Online Colleges! Fans of the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys. Hook ‘em Horns and Go Cowboys! Enjoy both the Hook ‘em Report and Silver and Blue Report…. Randy

15 Baseball Cards That Could Get You Through College
By Best Colleges Online
www.bestcollegesonline.com
Link Below

There’s no telling how many millions of dollars have been flushed down the drain by moms who threw out their kids’ baseball cards with the trash. And yet, ironically, those very same women deserve the thanks for driving up the value of the rest of the cards in circulation. If you are strapped for cash and looking for a way to pay for college, the answer could be lying in a box in your grandmother’s attic, or on sale for $1 at some garage sale. Most of these cards are quite hard to find, so the odds are against you. Still, there’s always the dream of discovering a rare card like one of these and selling it for the $80,000 you need to get a degree these days. Batter up!

1909 Honus Wagner T206

This is the Holy Grail of sports memorabilia. It has sold for anywhere from $200,000 to $2.35 million. Legend has it Mr. Wagner objected to smoking, and this was a tobacco card, so he had it pulled from production. Less than 60 are believed to exist. There’s no way you own this card. You don’t, right?

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth

OK, permit us to mention one more ridiculously rare piece of baseball history. This 1914 rookie card of the most famous player to ever take the field is valued around $500,000. Only 10 are known to be out there, but every blue moon one is discovered, so there’s always hope.

1888 G and B Chewing Gum Co. Albert G. Spalding E223

Ah, yes … Albert G. Spalding. OK, we’ve never heard of him either. But he won a mind-boggling 47 games for the Chicago White Stockings in 1876, and apparently he published the first baseball rulebook. This set was the first to be included with a pack of gum, and Spalding’s card maxes out at a worth of $120,000.

1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Peck & Snyder

You’ve got to think anything that’s nearly 150 years old is going to be worth something. When it comes to this advertising card for the first pro baseball team ever, you’d be right. In 2009, an elderly antique dealer tried briefly to sell this card on eBay for a starting price of $9.99. When she realized what she had and sold it at auction, it brought in $75,000.

1893 Just So Cy Young

This card features a stately-looking Cy Young, and it’s the earliest known card of the pitching legend. Apparently in the old days it was perfectly fine for tobacco companies to introduce products they knew would be collected primarily by children. This rare card made by the Just So Tobacco Company is worth up to the low six figures.

1914 Texas Tommy Ty Cobb E224

Ty Cobb has been called the greatest ball player who ever lived. He played his 10th season in 1914, only entering 98 games. But the season is remarkable because of his baseball card that year, made by the Cardinet Candy Company. It is consistently valued at upwards of $100,000.

1887 Four Base Hits N-Unc. Buck Ewing #4

True baseball fanatics will probably be the only ones who know the name Buck Ewing, but he was a star in his day and proponents call him the greatest catcher of all time. This card that captions Ewing as New York’s team captain also instructs you to “Smoke Four Base Hits.” We’ll pass on that, but we wouldn’t turn down the 100 grand this card is valued at.

1887 Four Base Hits N-Unc. Mike King Kelly

We’re starting to get the urge for a cigarette. Another card from this rare 1887 set, The King’s card is estimated at anywhere from $60,000 to $120,000. He was a utility guy for the Boston Beaneaters, the Cincinnati Kelly’s Killers, and the Pennsylvania Periwinkles (we only made the last one up). If you came into possession of one of these cards, you’d be laughing all the way to the bank.

1910 Old Mill Joe Jackson T210

“Shoeless Joe” was disgraced in the Black Sox scandal and banned from baseball in 1920, but collectors and baseball historians have been kind to him in the ensuing decades. Today he is painted as a true lover of the game who got in over his head. Whatever the truth is, he was a phenomenal player and this card from his third season recently sold for $92,800.

1914 Boston Garter Color Joe Jackson

Now here’s a cool-looking card. It’s got that vintage, old-timey-illustration feel, and it doubles as an advertisement for women’s underwear. A few years ago a collector paid over $86,000 for this card at auction, which would leave you $6,000 to spend on beer, pizza, and other cliché college guy stuff.

1961 Topps Dice Game Mickey Mantle

He may have been the greatest switch hitter ever, but boy did they make him look corny in the photo for this card. No matter; 1961 was the year of The Mick’s legendary home run race with Roger Maris. Couple that with the fact that this card is part of Topps’ bizarre Dice Game series of cards that they ultimately abandoned, and this becomes one drool-worthy item. Typical sale price: $32,000.

1967 Topps Tom Seaver #581

Terrific Tom stormed into the Hall of Fame by the highest vote percentage ever, which is befitting his 20-year career of striking out everyone and their mother. The year 1967 just happens to be his rookie year, and this rookie card from Topps recently pulled in $24,000. With the benefit of hindsight we (and Topps) now know Seaver merited his own card, instead of being coupled with some scrub with a career record of 1-10.

1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter #279

With five World Series championships, including one where he was the MVP, four Golden Gloves, 3,000-plus hits, and a lifetime batting average over .300, Jeter is a sure-fire Hall of Fame first-round inductee. Right now, his ’93 SP rookie card goes for as much as $25,000 in gem mint condition. If you’ve got it and you’ve kept it in good shape, there’s money to be made.

1994 Upper Deck SP Alex Rodriguez #15

Another Yankee star of the current era fetches a pretty penny for his rookie card. Gem mint versions are extremely hard to find because the card is so delicate, but in perfect condition they have been offered for as much as $1.4 million. The poor economy has hurt its sales price, but $5,000 to $15,000 is not out of the bounds of reality. And you might actually own one.

2001 Bowman Chrome Albert Pujols

Bowman Chrome took baseball cards to a new level. Every card felt like a special insert, but buying a pack was a splurge. If you were lucky enough to come across this rookie card of the guy many are already suggesting will go down in history as the greatest slugger in earth history, count yourself fortunate. These things go for a base of $4,000, and the dude’s not even through yet.

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/02/07/15-baseball-cards-that-could-get-you-through-college/

Tamsyn’s passion is sports and she does a wonderful job. We would love comments. Hook ‘em and Go Cowboys! Randy

Tamsyn’s Sports Videos
VIDEO: 2012 National Signing Day- Texas Longhorns
By Tamsyn – Featured Reporter Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

2012 National Signing Day- Texas Longhorns
Thoughts on our new recruiting class!

Mack Brown and his incredible coaching staff has once again accumulated an outstanding recruiting class on National Signing Day, somehow topping an incredible group from a year ago.

Randy’s Longhorns Blog
Ricky Williams to retire
By Randy Maltz – Founder/Editor Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

The long, strange, and interesting NFL storybook of Ricky Williams may have it’s final chapter.
League sources state that Williams has informed Ravens officials of his plan to retire.  After watching the AFC Championship game, Ricky looked like he still played very hard.  Maybe there will be other chapters in his book, if other teams come calling …. Dallas?

Williams has been full of surprises, during his whole career.  He was under contract to the Ravens for another season. Williams said a few weeks ago he planned to continue playing and the Ravens would have gladly welcomed him back after a solid 2011 campaign.

Williams is 26th all-time in rushing yards.  Williams first “retired” in 2004 to search the world.  He was also suspended for all of 2006, but returned to the Dolphins and wound up topping 1,000 yards rushing in 2009 for the fifth time in his career.    Williams has been a very interesting player over the years.  Maybe he is not be done running just yet.

Again, I want to introduce Tamsyn, to our Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns Fans! Tamsyn’s passion is sports and she does a wonderful job. We would love comments. Hook ‘em and Go Cowboys! Randy

Tamsyn’s Superbowl Video
VIDEO: Superbowl Preview!
By Tamsyn – Featured Reporter Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

My first NFL video about a game I don’t care about, but hey…It is football!

Enjoy my Superbowl Preview!

PREDICTION!  Welcome Massimo, another “Featured Writer”

Massimo’s NFL Blog
PREDICTION!!!! AFC Title Showdown
Super Bowl XLVI: Prediction!
By Massimo Russo – Featured Writer Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

They Meet Again

Can Tom Brady and the Patriots offense avoid the Giants veracious pass rush and dethrone their nemesis dating back to 07? Massimo Russo goes deep inside the helmet and predicts the outcome in a rematch of a classic match-up

Super Bowl XLVI – TV: NBC 6:30 pm ET

N.Y. Giants vs. New England Patriots

Super Bowl XLVI brings us a classic match-up to endure, a game that I find very intriguing with one team, the Giants that fought through a wave of injuries, a brutal schedule and winning against the odds. The other, the Patriots with a lack-luster defense but an offense that lit up the scoreboard, highlighted by a record setting tight end that enters the greatest stage the game brings with a high ankle sprain.

The big question mark over of the last two weeks has been the status of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) and how effective he will be come game time. The Gronk should play, but not being 100% may give the Giants defense an extra step on how they’ll defend the Patriots high powered passing game on critical passing downs. With Gronkowski’s health status playing a key factor, it’s going to be interesting to see how the Giants will defend him with either weak-side linebacker Michael Boley or an extra defensive back. With New York’s defense keying on Gronkowski, look for the Patriots to use some draw and stretch plays to avoid the Giants pass rush by trying to establish the run and hopefully get the Giants dominant defensive front tired by the fourth quarter. If the Patriots can do this effectively, Tom Brady should be able to find Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez, his second and third options outside of Gronkowski.

On the flip side of things for New England’s defense, they’ll need a huge performance from defensive tackle Vince Wilfork to get a push up the middle to possibly free up the outside to provide a significant amount of pressure on the red hot Eli Manning. Look for the Patriots to use six defensive backs, doubling the Giants dynamic receivers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, while rushing either two or three down lineman with two or three linebackers, and possibly an extra safety down in the box to try to limit Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw from having a breakout game on the ground. With all the attention on New York’s speedy wide-outs, this could leave some favorable match-ups for tight end Jake Ballard on passing downs, particularly in the red zone for Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack.

Pick: With all the outside factors and match-ups playing a key factor in a game of this magnitude, the game of football always reminds me of what the most important factor really is, and that’s the line of scrimmage, something New York has better than its opponent in this game. The play of Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Anvil Joseph, Chris Canty and Mathias Kiwanuka has made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. And I see New York using the same defensive approach they used in the 07 super bowl and that’s using four defensive ends, a brilliant idea considering the fact that you have four pass rushers instead of only two on the outside to provide pressure from all angles.

N.Y. Giants 34, Patriots 24.

MVP: Jason Pierre-Paul, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.

Randy’s Longhorns Blog
Jake Raulerson| Texas Longhorns: 2013  Commitment
By Randy Maltz – Founder/Editor Silver and Blue Report & Hook’em Report

Jake Raulerson, the two-way lineman from Celina High School was the only junior prospect on campus the weekend of January 21st on his unofficial visit.  This meant he and his parents, had to pay for their own meals.

Raulerson is one of the top (if not the top) juniors in the 2013 recruiting class. Raulerson stated, “It’s the coaching staff, the players there. They are going to win a national title in the next three years and I want to be a part of it. They have one of the best recruiting classes I have ever seen coming in. They are ridiculous.”

Raulerson (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) plays right tackle and nose guard for Celina, a 3A program 45 minutes north of Dallas that has eight state titles to its name. But Texas is recruiting him as a defensive end and a tight end. Matt Brown stated, “Son, you are going to play anywhere you want in the country. I just hope it’s at Texas.” It came down to Texas and Stanford.

2012 Signing Day features another strong class for Texas Football
The Texas staff welcomes 28 newcomers that cover virtually every position on the field.
http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020112aab.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=258827&hq_l=4&hq_v=5350f73770

Joe Washington’s presidential courting
By Ivan Maisel | ESPN.com

Former President Lyndon B. Johnson, wasn’t a fan of spectator sports, but he understood the importance of Texas football and coach Darrell Royal

MUST READ ARTICLE!
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7522643/recruiting-joe-washington-turned-lyndon-b-johnson-texas-longhorns?eleven=twelve

Former Longhorn Roger Clemens returned to Texas to play in the team’s annual alumni game.

At the annual alumni game on Saturday, lucky fans watched 49-year-old Roger Clemens striking out two current members of the University of Texas baseball team.  He looked great out there and making a MLB comback did not look out of the question, even at 49.  There was still a lot of movement on those pitches. Clemens was born in August 1962, while Jamie Moyer was born in November of 1962. Jamie Moyer came the first current major leaguer to celebrate his 50th birthday in 2012.