The Crystal Ball 2013 And Then He Said.....

So far this preseason, NFL players just cannot keep their traps shut. It started with new Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings, who decided camp was the perfect time to blast his former team and quarterback. Now, maybe since he came to a division rival, he’s trying to ingratiate himself with Minnesota fans by cutting up Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. But one or two jabs would have done it. He kept going to the point where his new head coach had to step in and tell him to cool it.

So he did, and apologized, long enough to find a way to continue the assault. Then he went so far to say he was brainwashed in Green Bay. I’m still not sure what that even means.

I would have let it go if it were just this incident. Sometimes a player leaves a team and airs some dirty laundry, it happens. We all do not like each other, that’s just how the world works. Some people just get along like oil and water and nothing can be done to change it.

But Jennings was not a lone disgruntled wolf. Others started complaining aloud about former coaches and teammates as though they were part of a gossip circle during 7^th period study hall.

Wes Welker, newly minted as Peyton’s favorite receiver, complained about mean ol’ Bill Belichick, and how he didn’t have to endure his former coach anymore and that it’s nice to stick it in his face once in a while. Ouch.

Former Cleveland Brown Bernie Kosar, during a game telecast of between his old team and the St. Louis Rams, ripped the Ram receivers, receiving coach Ray Sherman and third string quarterback Kellen Clemens. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher responded by saying he has lost a lot of respect for Kosar after hearing about his vicious assessment of Fisher’s team.

Former Cowboy defensive lineman Travis Johnson had harsh words for his old quarterback Tony Romo, claiming the Dallas QB is a loser, a thief and killing the franchise.

Is this how we settle beefs now in the NFL, we sit back on radio and in interviews and trash another guy? We Tweet our displeasure rather than hash it out like adults? What happened to sports figures? When did the sports world turn into Page 6 of the New York Post? I mean between the arguing, fighting, sniping, Twitter wars and trash talking, I’m not sure if I’m watching adults play games or little kids posturing on the playground.

And that’s the big issue, the posturing. It’s all seems to be some elaborate stance to look bigger, badder and tougher. But none of these cats are truly tough and terrifying. They’re all overpaid children. I might respect one of them if they actually backed up their talk by throwing a punch. But the second someone did, the puncher would be vilified in the media, by the fans and lose tons of money in endorsements. So you know no one will actually step to the plate.

No, everyone wants to just sit back on their couch, face firmly shoved into their phones and start a flame war with someone else. Then both parties get press, the public gets a “feud” about which to wag our gums and we all die a little inside for participating in such ridiculous nonsense.

But what’s the solution? How do we stem the tide of this nonsense? I would suggest disbanding Twitter, but I think the world would go into such a heavy withdrawal you would think Starbucks closed its doors. No, what we need is an Official Party Pooper.

The Official Party Pooper will be tasked with monitoring social media, including Twitter, Facebook, blogs, vlogs, Instagram, Tumblr  and more, as well as traditional media outlets to put a stop to this nonsense before it becomes a story. If an athlete posts something inflammatory, antagonistic or just downright dumb, the Official Party Pooper will comment over the offending piece, bringing common sense to the situation and shut down any viral sharing or commentary before things get out of hand.

The Official Party Pooper will also award demerits to journalists, columnists, bloggers and other legitimate news and entertainment purveyors for spreading any of the above nonsense. When an individual, show, network or website accrue enough demerits, the Official Party Pooper will then be granted authority to shut their services down. They will be allowed to resume normal business activities once they atone for their nonsensical ways by funding actual educational endeavors, complete a 20 hour course created to instruct on the power of the media and why it must lead in positive ways and a 3 day seminar on how things that are good and enjoyable are not necessarily good for you. This seminar will also include the fast food industry, providing a cross educational platform.

What, you don’t like it? That’s the point. It’s about bringing an end to the most useless form of pseudo entertainment since reality television. Here, using the above examples, is how the Official Party Pooper will operate. Observe:

For all the above parties:

If you have such a problem with your former team/teammate/coach/opponent, perhaps you need to engage in some dialogue with them to work out your differences. If that is not possible, then seeing a qualified counselor to overcome these feelings of hostility and anger would be recommended. If counseling is not an option, then get over it and shut up.

For Greg Jennings:

We get it, you’re trying to look all in with the Vikings, since you came over from the Packers. You want the Minnesota fans your loyalties lie fully in the Purple and Gold. It totally makes sense. But I need you to do two things. One, look at your new contract; do you see all the numbers? It goes up pretty high, right? Yeah, you got all that dough because Rodgers helped make you look good. And two, look at your new quarterback, Christian Ponder. You think he’s going to be throwing the ball 50 times a game? I’d be surprised if he averages 20 throws a game. And all 20 are not coming to you. Get ready to play, “Run around for three hours and watch Adrian Peterson run the ball”.

For Wes Welker:

Wow, what a shocker. Belichick was not a warm and fuzzy guy, but merely a stern manager who had a specific vision on how he wanted to run his team and who he expected each team member to perform their job duties. Poor Wes Welker had to endure a boss that sounds like EVERY OTHER BOSS IN EVERY OTHER PROFESSION IN THE WORLD. I guess he must have grown up in a fairy tale.

Ok Wes, you made your point, Ol’ Bill was mean, wouldn’t let you go outside to play or talk to the other kids who weren’t on the team. You had a problem with how he ran the team. Except you obviously didn’t have a problem with enduring Belichick when the coach took a chance on an undrafted nobody that had already bounced around two teams and turned you into a star. A star that commanded some big money not only from the Patriots, but the Broncos as well. Check your bank account Wes; it wouldn’t look like that without Bill Belichick.

For Bernie Kosar:

Bernie, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. So Clemens isn’t Tom Brady, he does the best he can. And the receivers, who knows what they’ll be yet, they’re all young and just trying to get a chance. You were there once too, and you didn’t like some old washed up former player busting your chops. And what’s with coach bashing, you don’t even know the guy so how could you know whether he’s good at his job or not? And NFL coaches being unknown below the coordinator level, that’s no surprise there. I wonder if you could name the receivers coach on the Browns.

Listen Bernie, you may have had a few good points to make, or just trying to be funny, but you failed at both. And if you’re going to take pot shots at opposing teams, make sure people know who you are outside the borders of Cleveland.

For Jeff Fisher:

Jeff, settle down. One, people are allowed to have opinions and express them, even if they’re contrary to yours. Two, you lost respect for Bernie Kosar? Is this going to affect your life now? How much respect did you have for him in the first place? And three, look at your roster, look at Clemens closely. Kosar was not wrong.

For Travis Johnson:

And you are?

For Tony Romo:

I know you get saddled with too much being the quarterback of the Cowboys, and you don’t have enough talent around you and crappy coaches. But you are the quarterback of the Cowboys, you wanted that job badly and now you have to perform. And that starts with when you have a playoff opportunity, you win that game period. I know, well those are few and far between and maybe you’d have more playoff seasons if you had better quality players on the team. True. You know what would help get better talent? Not having the salary cap under crisis because a giant chunk of it was being taken up by a mid-level quarterback who wants paid like he’s Brady or Manning!

Do you feel let down, like someone sucked all the joy out of the room? Then the job of the Official Party Pooper and his daring team of media watchdogs have done their job. But take solace in the fact that now you won’t have to waste time following inane arguments and manufactured rivalries. Think of all you could accomplish with the extra time now available to you. Come on Roger Goodell, create the position of Official Party Pooper. Everyone already calls it the No Fun League anyway, make it so.

The Crystal Ball 2013 Tattoo You

Colin Kaepernick doesn't care what people think of his tattoos. The 49ers quarterback intimated during an interview his quite profound take on body art, and his own growing collection of tattoos. Kaepernick seems to be a kid with a solid head on his shoulders and a strong connection to family and faith. If he feels the need and desire to adorn his body with tattoos, hey more power to him. But I just do not get it.

Despite understanding Kapernick’s logic, and similar explanations from friends who also adorn themselves with body art, I must be honest and state I don’t understand the tattoo culture. It seems odd to me that so many people would want to permanently mark their body and, in some cases, shrink their job prospects, merely to engage in a form of self expression. Considering how fickle tastes and culture are, and how rapidly they change, something that may be popular now could be shunned upon in a few years. Tattoos seem to be a rather permanent form of expression, and far more difficult to change than say a hair style or clothing choices.

And the choices people make with what to adorn themselves with often confound me as well. Yes, tattoos that honor specific life milestones, meaningful events or provide inspiration, motivation and devotion are understandable. But some are just ridiculous. I mean really, barbed wire around a bicep? Is that supposed to illustrate a toughness and/or manliness? Hey, wrap real barbed wire around there and I’ll be impressed. Or tribal bands and symbols? These irritate me since those sporting such tattoos are rarely from a tribe for whom the tattoos are significant. If I’ve learned anything about different tribes that use tattoos in their culture, it’s that these tribes ornament their bodies as signs of honor and to show the growth of members of their tribe as warriors, hunters, gatherers and leaders. They place these tattoos upon themselves because they have earned such recognition and respect. Not because they thought it would make them look totally cool.

And I know, people say it’s a great way to honor their children. But kids do not always grasp the vagaries of popular culture and symbolic gestures such as a tattoo. I would hate to have to answer the question, why did you do that to yourself from my child? What if my explanation did not make sense so such a young mind? Or what if the story behind the tattoo was that one night daddy got really drunk and did something dumb on a dare? Yeah that doesn’t wash off with some Lava. And what if I had a tattoo in honor of my child, the kid didn’t like it, or it scared them and they didn’t want to be near me or they just thought it was dumb? Then there I would be stuck with a tattoo meant as a tribute my child who hated and was repulsed by it. Oh, sweet irony! Or worse, what if my child wanted one too? What do you say to a 5 year old that wants a tattoo just like daddy’s?

In addition, unless you’re getting tattooed on your forearms or the tops of your feet, you cannot enjoy your body art properly without the aid of mirrors. Any major sleeves, back pieces, chest pieces, neck, facial or leg tattoos can only be seen and appreciated by others. The tattooed cannot enjoy them except by pictures and by the knowledge of their existence. Perhaps I’m cheap or just not a very tough guy, but I do not see the point of spending big bucks, and going through the torture of being repeatedly poked by needles, just for the visual benefit of strangers. Hey, if it was a way to provide meals to the needy or cure cancer, count me on board. But getting a full back tattoo of Troy Polamalu in mid tackle just to impress other jagoff fans at the next pregame tailgate, yeah I’ll pass.

I wonder sometimes if the proliferation of tattoos in our current culture and society is not an end result of the powers that be encouraging this form of personal self expression to get people accustomed to having identifying markings adhered to their bodies at all times in preparation for some disturbing dystopian tracking system. Or maybe I just have read 1984 and Brave New World a few too many times and a healthy distrust of said power brokers have combined to make me apprehensive of the explosion and rapid acceptance of a practice that was held in disdain and met with disgust and suspicion during the preceding decades.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against tattoos at all. I work hard to be a live and let live type of guy in all aspects of life. If it makes you happy and doesn’t harm anyone, then who am I to say it’s wrong? In fact, I have seen more than a few in my day that just blew me away with the design, artistry and overall composition. Personally, I am open to the concept of personal body art, but I have yet to find something I love so much I would want it adhered to my body for the rest of my life. Maybe that will one day change, and maybe the time will come where I do understand the need to get inked better.

Times, tastes and ideals change all the time. And perhaps one day mine will too. So good for you Colin Kaepernick. Don’t let anyone, including this rapidly aging fuddy duddy, give you any grief for your ink. If you want to look like a human doodle pad, more power to you. I’ll just go to my corner, confusedly wonder what everyone’s attraction to Instagram is and practice the phrase, “back in my day…”

The Crystal Ball 2013 Training Camp Report - Arrival Day

Jerry Jones in 2011:

“I must say to you that I feel good that our stadium and the comments that will be made about the stadium, the visual images of the stadium, that it will be referred to as Cowboys Stadium.”

Jerry Jones in 2013:

"(It) is very important ... that AT&T stadium be where the big events happen, where exciting things happen. And it's beyond Cowboys games."

Tell me Cowboy fans, what does it feel like to have an owner whose priorities go like this:

1)     Self

2)     Money

3)     Ego

4)     Power

5)     Exposure

6)     Money

7)     Yearly facelift touchup

8)     Stadium

9)     That football team that keeps me from booking concerts 8 days a year

Opening Kickoff

How about we start off the 2013 season with a good story about a Titans rookie who saved a family from a burning car? Yes, that seems like the appropriate way to begin. Now, once everything starts going downhill from here, we’ll at least know how high we started from.

The Way it Was

Training camp is here, and so many wonderful and exciting things are happening, it’s making my head swim. Oh where to start? I know, let’s just throw everything into a grab bag and pull out fun stuff by random. Ok, here we go…

Hey, how about we check in with new Dolphin Mike Wallace. Sounds like he’s sure happy to be getting paid, I mean to be playing in Miami. I love how this article starts out with an incompletion from Tannehill to Wallace. I think that’s a theme that will be quite familiar throughout the 2013 campaign.

Tyrann “the honey badger” Mathieu called out Mike Mayock for questioning him and his NFL abilities during the draft. Wait a second, he called out Mike Mayock? Really? How much weed does this kid smoke? Mathieu says he'll blow Mayock a kiss on first game changing play. I bet he gets suspended for weed before that happens.

This story points out the Patriots were wise to be stockpiling tight ends the past few seasons due to the circumstances that have arisen with the Hernandez arrest and Gronkowski’s injury. Tell me, in retrospect does this behavior make it look like New England knew more than they’re letting on regarding Hernandez? At the very least, it makes them look questionably prophetic.

What’s happening down in Hot-lanta? Oh, Matt Ryan just got a big fat new contract extension. I maintain my point from previously; for what? Team owner Arthur Blank cited Ryan's winning record over his first 5 seasons, which is the best for a quarterback in NFL history, as justification for the big contract extension. Hey, Art, keep in mind, that’s regular season only. Ryan’s won 1 playoff game. One. The guy in Pittsburgh once held the title of best 5 year record to start his career, but also added 2 Super Bowl wins to top off that Sundae. You might want to rethink your pay scale for rewarding producing employees. I bet there’s a few associates at Home Depot that probably deserve a fat raise before Ryan.

I wonder how nervous Arthur Blank was authorizing a $100 million contract to a quarterback after what happened the last time he did that.

The Bears, on the other hand, have taken a different stance. They want to see Jay Cutler produce some results and prove he’s worth an extension before they start forking out cash. I bet they’ll be happy they saved the money by the end of the year.

Vikings uber running back Adrian Peterson has predicted he will pass Emmitt Smith and claim the record for most rushing yards in a career in Week 16 of the 2017 season. First, if he really has those kind of prediction skills, he should be playing Powerball. Second, if his body holds up for the next 5 years and allows him to average 120 yards per game to make his prediction, then I guarantee he's using some sort of performance enhancing drug.

According to reports, rookie quarterback Geno Smith is outplaying incumbent Mark Sanchez at Jets camp. Shocked, shocked I am to hear this. In other news, I was shocked to find out the sun rose in the east every day.

Kansas City offensive coordinator Doug Pederson has stated he feels Alex Smith is the best quarterback in the NFL. Duh, that's what he's supposed to say. I bet Todd Haley thinks Ben Roethlisberger is the best quarterback in the NFL. I bet Bill Belichick thinks Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the NFL. I bet Denver OC Peyton Manning thinks Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL. That's what he's supposed to say!

Defending “Champions” Baltimore lost uber tight end Dennis Pitta to a hip injury early in training camp. Pitta and departed receiver Anquan Boldin combined for 7 of Baltimore’s 11 receiving touchdowns in last year’s Super Bowl run. How much you wanna bet Joe Flacco suddenly looks like his old, ineffective self before October?

The Steel Pit

The Steelers, in their yearly tradition, have invaded Latrobe Pennsylvania and St. Vincent's College for another training camp.

This year, the spotlight has not been as bright on them as in previous years thanks to the surging Pirates, currently in first place in the NL Central. After a disappointing 8-8 season, perhaps this is the best thing that could happen for the team.

Before training camp commenced, head coach Mike Tomlin took an opportunity to let some fans snap a picture with the coach. Let's hope this is a sign of good things to come.

Probably a better sign of good things is a lean, mean, ticked off and out to prove something LaMarr Woodley, who will not say such but his actions show he is stung by criticism of his weight and ability following last season. I can't wait to see a mad and motivated Woodley.

As camp commenced, old faces began meshing with new faces. In a Steelers tradition since 2002, Pittsburgh continued it's tradition of having a native Pittsburgher playing back up quarterback by signing Bruce Gradkowski to replace the departed Charlie Batch. Not sure how long this tradition can go, but since Gradkowski is only 30, we're probably good for at least 5 years until someone else is ready to take over.

But Batch is only one long time veteran no longer with the team. Amongst others, the team lost the services of key players like Mike Wallace, James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall and Keenan Lewis. But I tend to disagree that these losses are all that great.

Think about it this way, what did the team really lose here? A deep threat receiver who dropped more passes than  he caught, ran bad routes underneath and caused trouble in the locker room, a past his prime linebacker who was on the wrong side of multiple injuries, a malcontent running back with a penchant for fumbling and avoiding contact and a one year starting cornerback who's true ability, or lack thereof, has yet to be determined. Now tell me, does that sound all that bad? I didn't think so either.

Regardless, time marches on and another season is upon us, one filled with joy and sorrow, happiness and heartbreak, pain, suffering and unbridled joy. And while those of us in the stands will never feel that of those on the field, we bleed, suffer, cry and cheer right alongside. Poetry in violence is upon us.

Only In Faux NFL Reality…

What a feel good story, an Iraq war veteran comes home after serving her country proud and becomes a cheerleader for the Arizona Cardinals. That's a great story, right? You bet it is. Right up until she gets arrested for assaulting her boyfriend. I'm trying to withhold judgment, but perhaps she may need some PTSD therapy if she's lashing out in such a way.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees cleared up a misconception and intimated he left a 3 dollar tip on a take out order of over 70 dollars. Thanks to the denizens of social media, Drew was painted as a cheapskate by those who thought he left such a tip on regular in-restaurant service. I hope as a society we soon find something worthwhile to do with our time rather than sit back in anonymity and judge the tipping habits of the rich and famous. Then again, I could wish for wings that work and see which one comes true first.

In the wake of Aaron Hernandez, Tom Brady feels the Patriots must reestablish what they're all about. Hey, that's easy. Everyone knows what the team is all about. It's about winning at any cost, by hook or by crook. But I imagine now it includes the caveat of doing such without employing potential murderers. Yes, I am a tad skeptical of the Patriots company line of we had no idea this could happen. I think they had an idea trouble could be brewing, although not to this magnitude, but they were betting against it.

Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Ryan Swope retired at the start of training camp due to repeated concussions in his career. Be prepared football fans, as we learn more about this injury and become more conscious of the long term effects, this will soon become commonplace.

Broncos linebacker Von Miller is insisting he did not smoke marijuana in his failed drug test. Let me guess, he was just holding it for a friend and somehow that caused his failed test? Or was it he was hanging out with Santonio Holmes?

von miller says he didn't smoke weed. Ok, were you just holding it for a bud?

Upon Further Review

The NFL world got itself stirred up into a righteous lather this week by the discovery of a video of Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper, a Caucasian man, yelling a racial slur at an African American security guard at a concert.

Cooper has since come out and publicly apologized, and to be honest it looked and felt humiliating for him. Good. I think when you come face to face with your own ignorance it should feel humiliating. That’s part of learning and growing sometimes, especially when faced with your own failings and faults.

Predictably, the social media universe in which we live spent the better part of the week debating if Cooper was as bad as Hitler or just a notch below for being a drunken ignoramus. They demanded the NFL fine and suspend Cooper, wanting Roger Goodell’s own special brand of frontier justice enacted on the wayward receiver.

Adding his own brand of stupidity, Marcus “brother of Michael” Vick offered a $1000 bounty on Cooper to anyone who goes after him on the field. I’m guessing Marcus would be borrowing that money from his brother. In a beyond classy moment that showed how much he has grown, Vick did not support his brother’s stance and chastised him. And showing his own maturity and leadership, went further and mentioned how he forgave Cooper and gave us all some food for thought:

“What if your son or daughter made a mistake of this factor? How would you want people to perceive it? I've been there before.”

Now this is a Michael Vick of whom we can all be proud. And he makes a great point. How would you feel if it was your son or daughter, father, mother, sister, brother, cousin? How would you feel if in the heat of the moment, anger and passions overflowing, you said something this disgusting?

I spent the last few days thinking about this issue and wondering where the right for such venomous indignation comes from. I wonder if any of us are any better than Cooper. I recently was scrolling through a bunch of Tweets by people complaining about Marc Anthony singing the national anthem at the MLB All Star Game, and these tweets were full of awful racial slurs directed at Anthony by ignorant morons so stupid, they didn’t even know that they were questioning the birth place of a natural born citizen. That’s right, they were up in arms because they thought Anthony wasn’t American, and used his lineage to drop racist slurs all over social media. And these people were using their real names too, which boggled my mind.

I drive past on my way to work two houses that proudly display the confederate flag. One of them has emblazoned on the flag itself, in large letters, the world Redneck. Not only are these people proudly displaying their racist thoughts, but they’re also showing the world how proud they are to be ignorant and stupid.

And yes, while I know in our country they are perfectly within their rights to do such things, it blows my mind that one would want to do them. Why would you want to spread a message of hate and ignorance? Why would you want the world to think of you as stupid, and then affirm you are proud of such things?

While it’s good to call people on the carpet for perpetuating this behavior, how are we learning from it? We are still, as my previous examples illustrate, far more racist than anyone admits. And I question who has the moral authority to even judge someone like Cooper.

As though reading my mind, Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports fired off this gem of a column that is the perfect retort to the social media storm surrounding Cooper and the Eagles. I cannot recommend more that you take time to read this column and truly ingest what is has to say. Perhaps with more honest communication, we can as a society really grow from moments like this, instead of just waiting for the next time someone says something stupid so we can all denounce them in order to feel better about ourselves.

He Said He Said

 “You’re worth whatever they pay you, and the team felt like I was worth it.” – Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace

Sad that Wallace equates self worth with a monetary amount, but hey he’s young. But let’s revisit this in a few months, see if Miami still feels if Wallace is “worth” it.

“This is an incredible opportunity you guys have. It’s one of the great experiences of your life to be a teammate with somebody in the National Football League. The camaraderie you develop at a team meal is like nothing else. When people retire from the game, you know what they say? ‘I miss the locker room. I miss the camaraderie at the meals.’ So lose the Styrofoam thing, get a tray, sit down next to one of your teammates, and let’s build a football team. Let’s build a football team. It’s really important stuff. You’re gonna thank me for it later. Trust me. You’re gonna thank me for it later.” – Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett during a pre camp speech recorded and posted on The MMQB

What a powerful speech by Garrett, who really hit the nail on the head of not only playing professional football, but on experiencing almost anything worthwhile in life. These are the important things. My only question is, when those guys come back to thank Jason, where will he be working?

“I like it. I love it. To be honest with you, I’ve been hoping that they did this a long time ago, to even out the playing field and make guys be honest and true to themselves. So I can’t wait ’til they draw my blood … I’m clean as a whistle.” - Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, to Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, on the looming blood tests for NFL players

I certainly hope this does not turn into what is commonly known as ironic foreshadowing.

"But my brother has to not show a certain level of ignorance himself.” – Eagles quarterback Michael Vick on his brother Marcus offering a bounty on embattled teammate Riley Cooper

Anyone else feel like the Michael Vick redemption story just got better? Me too.

“It doesn’t feel great being lied to like that. He looked me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied these allegations and said they were not true.” – Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Ryan Braun’s insistence to him last year he did not use PEDs

This is too good of a pie in the face karmic moment to just mention it once. This is the perfect segue for….

Idiot of the Week

The beginning of the NFL season is rife with idiots. But I have to give the first preseason/training camp award to a man who can encapsulate two major sports.

This week's award goes to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, for his blind defense of his friend and business partner, suspended PED user Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun.

Last year, Braun became embroiled in a steroid scandal of which it looked like a suspension was imminent. However, due to a technicality and an arbitration hearing, Braun avoided any suspension or fine. Instead of slinking away quietly, knowing he got away with something, Braun went on an arrogant offensive, once again claiming his innocence and publicly slandering the test takers, handlers and others that dared try slander his "good" name.

However, after the Biogenesis investigation, it became apparent that Braun was a roider, and MLB suspended him for the remainder of this season.

Ok, so another liar and cheat got busted, big deal. What the hell does this have to do with football, I know you're asking. I'm getting there, just setting the table.

Well, after Braun was "exonerated" last year, Rodgers went to Twitter to vehemently defend his friend, even going so far as to bet a year's salary on Braun's innocence.

Fast forward one year, and Braun is proven to be the lying cheat he is, and now Rodgers is left with a massive amount of egg on his face. And unless I've missed a story, so far Rodgers has not come forth to pay up to the fan he bet a year's salary with over Braun's innocence.

So Aaron, for being a naive fool, believing your business partner because he's your business partner, making a foolish bet and then refusing to honor said bet, you are our first official idiot of the 2013 season. Congratulations.

On Tap This Week

For the remainder of camp, we will have a few standalone pieces mixed in with the normal information overload, and then once the season begins, pure madness!