2007.11.14

2007 Defense Highlight Reel

This Thursday on TNA's iMPACT! we will see Kaz vs. Kurt Angle for the TNA World Title and the debut of Booker T. Can you dig it Suuuuuuuucka?

It was disappointing to read that WWE performers, DH Smith and Chris Masters tested positive for steroids. DH Smith is the son of British Bullog Davey Boy Smith. Davey died around the age of 40. Davey's death can largely be contributed to the heavy use of steroids. That is frightening stuff. You would think - of all people - Harry Smith would have an appreciation for the delicate nature of life. In a not so surprising move, WWE released Chris Masters for the second time.

Moving on...

My body is so banged up right now. It is crazy. My knee has been bothering me since Matt Taylor blasted it with a steel chair. That match happened in August. My shoulder has been bothering me since March or April when I wrestled Chris Cruit. My back... well... my back always hurts. That is just a fact of life at this point.

Click here to read a USA Today article titled: The high price of grooming kids for stardom. Notre Dame quarterback, Jimmy Clausen is an interesting fellow. Some interesting tidbits, Jimmy didn't start kindergarten until he was six years old. Then, Jimmy was hel back in the 6th grade - so he could "mature". Jimmy's father then spent thousands of dollars each year for private quarterback coaching. The result? The nearly 20-year-old, high school senior destroyed most high defenses and earned the rating as #1 rated high school quarterback in the United States.

If I held Mini-Mattis back twice like Mr. Clausen did with Jimmy; I am willing to bet any amount of money that Mini-Mattis would look like the next generation version of LaDanian Tomlinson. There is something... unsettling about all of this. I am not sure how to properly express my point. Ehh.

I am very interested in the sport acceleration field. More than ever, I think elite athletes are developed as opposed to simply being born great. By and large, athletes have to bust their butts and train year round to stay ahead of the curve.

Moving on...

Mini-Mattis was up before 5:00 am again this morning. He was, by his choice, doing upper-body plyometrics and core training while 99.5% of the school-aged population was in bed asleep. I should add, a local 6th grader attended this morning's 5:00 am chest workout. I am so proud of these kids for getting up before 5:00 am to exercise.

We live in a world of X-Box, soda, and MSG. I am proud of the few kids that rise above the fray. I am proud of the kids that choose to challenge themselves physically and mentally. These are the types of kids - as they grow up - that the x-box generation will be watching on TV and reading about in the newspapers.

The gap between elite athlete and x-box playing couch potato has never been greater than it is now.

Slightly switching gears, I am currently reading...
Meat Market: INSIDE THE SMASH-MOUTH WORLD OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
"A jaw-dropping book. Bruce Feldman is the John Feinstein of his generation. He has gotten inside and gained access to this complex subject better than any sportswriter in memory. Meat Market is easily among the best sports books of the new millennium. Not only was it engaging, it was at times hilarious and frightening, seeing what really happens in the bowels of recruiting. This is must-reading for any college football fan. I don't know when I have enjoyed a book more or been unable to put one down. This book absolutely blew me away."
--Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register columnist and talk show host

This book is an excellent inside look at the world of college recruiting - what coaches look for - what they like - what they don't like. This book looks at how a division 1 college football team starts with a list of 1,000 prospects and twelve months later ends with 25 scholarship signees.