Irvin, the Most Articulate Athlete

Just like his playing days, Michael Irvin promptly stole the show at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday evening.

The speakers we preceded The Playmaker were decent, probably pedestrian at best. Bruce Matthews was bland, thanking God, and deservedly so, every opportunity he had. The sweat dripping from Thurman Thomas' dome was indicative of his speech: erratic and free-flowing. Besides Charlie Sanders waving to the camera and directing a "Hi, Mom," to his deceased mother, the other speakers lacked the charisma and spontaneity of Irvin.

Call me a homer, because I am a Dallas Cowboy aficionado, but Irvin's speech is easily one of the best ever by an athlete. Lou Gehrig's emotional farewell speech may have been more riveting at the time, but I think The Playmaker will soon supplant him and be regarded as the best ever with the microphone in a matter of years.

Irvin brought the viewer inside his mind, allowing us to examine his most central beliefs and values. He is a man of God, and he addressed that subject with more straightforwardness than any professional athlete, possibly with the exception of Deion Sanders and Reggie White.

With his faith on his sleeve and visible to everyone, Irvin spoke of his sons, specifically about how he prays that the are both better fathers and husbands than he. He also explains how he hopes they never make the same mistakes, as far as abusing drugs, he made when playing with the Cowboys. Then he delivers the line that resonated most poignantly with me when he mentions that God told him to instruct his sons to "Look up, get up and never give up."

Basically, Irvin crafted a speech, without notes or cue cards, that provided the viewers and those in attendance a glimpse into his life. He could have easily thanked high school coaches and spent minutes dwelling on the solid relationships his maintains with Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson , but, instead, he chose to address those issues that some still find mysterious. And after Irvin's tell-all speech, I'm quite sure no one we describe them as mysterious any longer.

Time to Go Camping Before the Summer's Over!

For the first eight days of training camp, it appeared that #1 overall pick QB Jamarcus Russell (left) and #2 overall pick WR Calvin Johnson (not pictured) were waiting for one another to sign contracts. Most of the time, it is the #1 pick who is given the highest paid contract in the draft, and every pick after that decreases in value. However, on that eighth day, Johnson ended his holdout and signed with the Detroit Lions, leaving many to feel that this was the first step for the other unsigned picks to get their deals done. With the exception of Jon Beason and Dwayne Bowe, this has not been the case. The two highest profile picks who continue to hold out are Russell and QB Brady Quinn (right).

So, who needs to be in camp more right now, Russell or Quinn? Both men are the potential saviors of teams who have suffered in recent years, and both play the key leadership role of the franchise. However, with the recent signing of Daunte Culpepper by the Oakland Raiders, suddenly the pressure to perform immediately has been taken off the shoulders of Jamarcus Russell. Brady Quinn is entering a situation where the starting quarterback last year was Charlie Frye, a man who has nowhere near the name recognition of Quinn, and has had limited success in the NFL. The other quarterbacks are better known, but have also seen limited success. So the job is basically Quinn's if he wants it, but with that job comes the expectation to perform, and when the quarterback is missing this much of training camp with the preseason beginning this week, pretty soon there is not going to be much time left to gel with his teammates and get his timing down.

On top of that, Quinn needs to accept the fact that he was drafted 22nd overall. Sure, he played for a high profile program at Notre Dame (whether they deserve to be or not), got the most media exposure a college player could hope to get, and played for an NFL style coach. The stars seemed to be aligned for him to be a top 10 pick at worst. The fact is, it didn't happen, so deal with it. This is not the same situation last year with Reggie Bush, where the team is going to give you a smaller contract than the #1 pick, but more bonuses and guaranteed money. Quinn should use that as motivation to perform, and feel lucky that he's in a situation where he can play right away. I saw an interview on ESPN a few days ago, and they asked him if he was prepared to sit out the season. He sort of dodged the question and said he hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he left himself open to the idea. So is a guy who was one bad game away from being benched before Charlie Weis came to Notre Dame that self-centered that he'd sacrifice a year of his aspiring career because he can't get paid as much as Jamarcus Russell? I'd like to think he isn't, but then again, it wouldn't surprise me.

That all being said, I'm very surprised that Jamarcus Russell wasn't signed before the NFL Draft even took place. I can't even remember the last time that the #1 pick held out this long. It kind of sets up a poor trend that I hope doesn't continue for the years to come. So, while there are plenty of reasons why Jamarcus Russell should be in camp right now, there are many more why Quinn should be.

Desperate Times Call for Lazy Measures

Has anyone opened the sports page lately? Maybe frequented the most popular sports websites? How about tuned into your favorite sports talk show?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you're probably horrified beyond belief at the extensive coverage sports' recent misconduct cases are receiving. Seriously, every time I flip on the tube, pick up the sports page or tune into a sports talk radio show, I cross my fingers and pray that I will not hear the names Michael Vick or Tim Donaghy. Call me crazy, but don't ESPN and publications across the nation have any other material, because this repeating track is getting a bit old.

It may only be at the collegiate level, but I have some experience in sports media. For the most part, all levels of newpapering follow the same core principles, so I understand the excessive coverage to a degree. However, another primary rule of thumb for journalists is to search and probe for the next great story. Personally, I haven't witnessed much scouring for further details or evidence in the Vick or Donaghy cases.

Instead I've observed extended periods of journalists silently sitting on their hands, waiting for the next press release or personal statement to surface. Once NBA Commissioner David Stern speaks or Falcons' Owner Arthur Blank provides his opinion, the writers can snatch their laptops and peck away, producing another story to belabor the point that Vick's acts were heartless and Donaghy is a gambling fool.

From a fellow sports writer's perspective, these journalists and columnists should find another angle, or jump ship and cover a different story all together. It's not that difficult to explore alternatives. Actually, it's quite refreshing. These guys should give it s try, because the stereotype that sports writers are lazy and unmotivated is evolving by the minute.

7/18 Facilitation – Kids in Pro Sports?

My topic for the debate on Wednesday will be focused on whether or not teens should be able to make the jump to the professional level before a year of college? Should there be a minimum age requirement enforced for all professional sports?

Background on age requirements:

Recently 16-year-old Tadd Fujikawa announced that he is forfeiting his amateur golf status to pursue a professional career in the PGA. Fujikawa did something few thought possible in January, upstaging Michelle Wie and becoming the second-youngest in PGA Tour history to make a cut. But should he be able to make the big leap in to the PGA without proving himself in college for a year or two?

The LPGA, NHL and PGA have a waiver option for athletes who are younger than 18, which enables athletes an opportunity to turn pro before the age of 18 if they fulfill certain requirements.

The NFL age requirement prohibits young football players from turning pro right after high school. The NFL and NCAA claim that the NFL age requirement protects young athletes by shielding them from physical injury and requiring them to mature emotionally and receive an education before entering the world of professional sports.

In 2005 the NBA moved the age requirement to 19, forcing kids to experience one year in college. The NBA has experienced two drafts after implementing the age requirement and it has helped better the talent of its NBA prospects.

Major League Baseball requires athletes to be 16 years of age to tryout for farm teams. And tennis has been more lenient about teen players, although they limit the number of events they can enter.

Reasons for it being unfair:

• The biggest area of concern for the college athlete is the potential for a career-ending injury occurring before they are able to cash in on the monetary value of their talents. The possibility of being hurt while playing in minor leagues or college is of great concern.

• It is a free country, and if a teen is good enough to compete at the professional level then we should let them.

Reasons for it being fair:

• College expands education and enhances both social and public relations skills, even if the athlete is in college for only a year or two. The time spent in college allows athletes to develop into a more complete player.

• Enforcing minimum age requirements for all sports will force teens to better themselves at the colligate level, therefore making them a more polished player when they turn pro.

Why Do I Torture Myself Every Year?

It's now less than a month before the NFL's Hall of Fame Game and already I'm excited. In football it seems, there is more optimism heading into a season for every team, regardless of whether they even won a game the previous year. Maybe that's why I love football so much. I know that if I just stick it out, my team will eventually come around, and I'll be there to say, "I was there through the rough times. Where were you?" However, when you're a Lions fan like me, there are plenty of rough times.

Every year I always come up with some outlandish reason why this year is our year; except for last year. Maybe I was angry because of the trade of Joey Harrington, or maybe it was because we hired a first time coach, or maybe it was because if William Clay Ford was ever going to fire Matt Millen, he would have done it by now, or maybe it's a combination of the three. However, I was still there, week in and week out at Jimmy's Sports Bar, inhaling all the French toast sticks, Coke and secondhand smoke one can possibly handle at 10 in the morning cheering my team on. Following a 3-13 season with a playoff appearance seems like a daunting task, but it's not like it hasn't been done before, and it's not like it wasn't accomplished last year by the New Orleans Saints who used the #2 pick to take who many considered the best player in the draft, much like the Lions did this year. However, it takes much more than a rookie phenom to reach the top.

While the Lions may not have had a great team last year, they had potential, and with a little luck, could have had a much more respectable season. In fact, 10 of their 13 losses were by 10 or less points. A bounce of the ball either way could have resulted in a 14 point swing. However, there were reasons they were in those positions. Their offensive line was terrible last year, which lead to Jon Kitna being sacked more than any other quarterback, and their rushing attack being the worst in the league. When the games are close at the end, it's impossible to maintain a lead with no rushing attack, and it's impossible to overcome a deficit when you can't get a pass off. In spite of the line, many positive things happened. Kitna became only the second Lions quarterback to eclipse 4000 passing yards, and Roy Williams led the NFC in receiving, which earned him a spot in his first Pro Bowl. Williams accomplished this even though he was constantly double teamed, opening the door for Mike Furrey to have a breakout season.

So, how did the Lions go about fixing these problems? They obtained George Foster, a starting tackle for the Broncos, who consistently have the best line every year. They also upgraded at Guard when they brought in former All-Pro Edwin Mulitalo who was injury plagued last season, but appears to be good to go now. With Kevin Jones' injury status in question, they brought in Tatum Bell, an extremely fast slashing style running back, and T.J. Duckett, a "3 yards in a cloud of dust" style guy, who will definitely help their struggling red-zone offense. I have every confidence that with Mike Martz at offensive coordinator, their offense will be one of the tops in the league.

However, the big question is whether or not the defense will step up. They didn't have a very good defense to begin with, they lost their best defensive player, cornerback Dre' Bly, and their top lineman Shaun Rogers is dealing with some off the field issues. They picked up a hopeful replacement for Bly in Travis Fisher from the Rams, and helped out the line with the acquisition of Dewayne White. However, questions still remain at linebacker, with Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman both having injury plagued careers so far, despite being amazing athletes. Ernie Sims has been solid in his one year of experience, and they drafted a few standouts in the mid and late rounds, but only time will tell if the defense will be up to the challenge.

All in all, many people have told me that I look at the Lions through a lens of blind optimism, but I've done it every year but one since I was very young, and there's no reason not to. However, if everything comes together, the Lions stay healthy, and they get a few bounces of the ball their way, I don't see any reason why Jon Kitna and Mike Furrey's predictions of 10-12 wins can't happen.