Sports
EJ Manuel Interview
Every year the NFL gets an influx of new talent. 254 names were called in the draft and countless other undrafted players have injected fresh blood into the league. Eleven QBs were drafted in 2013. The first QB to have his name called with the 16th overall pick was EJ Manuel out of Florida State.
The Bills have needed an answer at the QB spot for some time. They paid Ryan Fitzpatrick the big bucks, but he didn’t pan out. There was some question as to whether or not Manuel would start right away, or if he would even be healthy enough to play in the opener.
Well the Jeff Tuel era didn’t get rolling in Buffalo. Manuel started the season with a fiery showing that nearly resulted in an upset over New England. He followed that up with a come-from-behind victory against Carolina, a performance that earned him Pepsi Next NFL Rookie of the Week honors for week 2. It was an emotional victory for EJ to say the least, and the comeback win was that much sweeter for him because his father was in attendance to see it live.
We had a chat with EJ last week before he squared off against the Jets. That game didn’t go so well for him, but the Bills still had a chance to win it late. EJ talked about the Pepsi NEXT Rookie of the Week voting, where fans can visit NFL.com/rookies to vote for their favorite rookie performers on a weekly basis. We also discussed Bobby Bowden, the differences between college and the pros, EJ’s immediate success and Buffalo’s playoff prospects.
Check out the video:
Sep 27th
Week 4 NFL Picks
San Francisco -3.5 At St. Louis
These two teams played in some tight games last year. The first matchup ended in a tie and the second game was a win for the Rams at home. I don’t think the Rams are going to get blown out here, but the edge does go to the visiting team.
Pick: Niners -3.5
Pittsburgh -2.5 Minnesota in London
Someone has to win! Pittsburgh’s offense finally showed some life last week. Heath is back and the Steelers finally get to see what their prized rookie running back can do behind a dreadful line.
Pick: Steelers -2.5
Baltimore -3 At Buffalo
I really want to believe the Bills can hang here, but the Ravens just look like the more complete team.
Pick: Ravens -3
Cincinnati -4.5 At Cleveland
Man, Hoyer looked pretty good last week. Getting Josh Gordon back certainly helped, but this new look Browns squad could put up a fight. Still, you have to like what the Bengals are all about. They blew a two score lead and then overcame a two score deficit to beat a solid Packers squad. That’s not something the old Bengals could’ve achieved.
Pick: Bengals -4.5
Indianapolis -8.5 At Jacksonville
The Jags are -64 in point differential through three games. Ouch. It’s gonna be a long season in Jacksonville.
Pick: Colts -8.5
Seattle -2.5 At Houston
We all know that the Seahawks are a different team on the road. These two teams match up pretty well offensively, but the Texans allow 27.3 points per game and the Seahawks have allowed an average of 9 points per game. Seahwks get the edge, even on the road.
Pick: Seahawks -2.5
At Tampa Bay -2.5 Arizona
Josh Freeman has been yanked. The Mike Glennon era begins amid some cloudy conditions. Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are both hobbled by injury. Schiano comes across as a guy who’s feeling the pressure. Hot seat talk continues after this week’s loss.
Pick: Cardinals +2.5
At Detroit -3 Chicago
The Lions have two wins against two winless teams (the Vikings and the Redskins), but when Reggie Bush is in there, this offense looks pretty scary. The Bears jumped out on top of the hapless Steelers on Monday, but they let Pittsburgh back in and almost let one get away. I the Lions can move the ball against this defense, but the Bears come out on top and move to 4-0.
Pick: Bears +3
At Kansas City -4.5 NY Giants
If this game was in New York, maybe the Giants could right the ship. With so many things broken for the G-Men and Kansas City focusing on a conservative, mistake-free game plan while playing in front of a rabid fan base that has something to be excited about for the first time in years, it’s hard to no go Chiefs here.
Pick: Chiefs -4.5
At Tennessee -3.5 NY Jets
Jake Locker had a bit of a breakout game last week, completing 23 of 37 passes for 299 yards a TD and adding 68 rushing yards and another TD on the ground in a comeback win over the Chargers. The Jets look like the most pedestrian 2-1 team in the league. Titans take this one.
Pick: Titans -3.5
Dallas -2 At San Diego
With these two teams matching up pretty well on the offensive side, the edge has to go to the team with the better D. Even though they’re on the road, the Cowobys have the advantage here.
Pick: Cowboys -2
Washington -3 At Oakland
Finally a game that the Skins can win. Matt Flynn will have every opportunity to distinguish himself against the league’s worst pass defense, but it won’t be enough.
Pick: Redskins -3
At Denver -10.5 Philadelphia
The Broncos are steamrolling the league. The best passing offense in the league squares off against the best rushing team in the league. If the Eagles can avoid momentum killing turnovers, maybe they can survive. I think Denver will win, but not by such a wide margin.
Pick: Eagles +10.5
At Atlanta -2 New England
Pats as dogs? I’ll take it.
Pick: Pats +2
At New Orleans -6.5 Miami
I’m really high on the Dolphins, but it’s hard not to like what the Saints are doing right now. Heck, even the defense is working. They’re only allowing 12.7 points per game. Saints hand the Fins their first loss of the season while staying undefeated.
Pick: Saints -6.5
Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 19-27-2
Last Season: 136-121-5
Sep 26th
Deacon Jones’ Wife Elizabeth Refects On Husband’s Career
Deacon Jones, former NFL defensive lineman, Hall of Famer, and Orlando Florida football legend, was honored in his hometown community as part of a special program called “Hometown Hall of Famers” presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate. The event took place at Edgewater High School where Deacon grew up. Representatives of the Hall of Fame, Allstate, the Orlando community, and Deacon’s friends and family will be in attendance.
Elizabeth Jones, his wife was kind enough to speak with me about her late husband’s career, the hometown ceremony and what it means to their family and his legacy.
Art Eddy: Can you tell me about the “Hometown Hall of Famers” event that is presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate that is happening in Orlando to honor your husband?
Elizabeth Jones: It is really a great, great promotion. There are so many things that young people can learn about life from my husband. He was always preaching about where he came from and fighting very hard to become what he became and do be the best at what he could be.
So I think that Allstate sponsoring this event and going back to the hometown of these guys is a great educational tool. Hopefully it will not only promote the Hall of Fame, but it will be inspirational for some of the kids, if not all of them. Maybe it will push them to go into life and do good things.
AE: This is a great honor and I know Deacon would appreciate this event. What does this ceremony mean to you to honor Deacon’s legacy?
EJ: So many thing have happened since he passed away. He was honored for things when he was alive, but since he has passed away there has been so many accolades and honors. Seeing now how much he was loved and really respected and how he helped out many people’s lives in ways you don’t even think about when he was alive is amazing to see.
I think he would be very, very pleased. I think for his legacy to continue in the place where he grew up would be especially poignant to him. As you know in the times in which he grew up are quite a bit different than they are now. Often times I think young people don’t know it or they forget about it. I think that it would be a lot to him for them to maintain that knowledge and understand how far they come and what it means now.
AE: Deacon had a very long list of accomplishment and accolades. What motivated him while he was playing in the NFL?
EJ: What motivated him more than anything else was where he came from and the times in which he grew up. Nobody thought that he could make it. Nobody gave him credit for being as good as other white people. You are well aware of the circumstances and it really annoyed him so much. It motivated him so much to prove to the world that he was not only as good as, but better than.
People in hometown believed he was a dreamer and he would never accomplish his goals. They thought his goals were something that wasn’t accomplishable. He just refused to accept that. He would not accept the fact that he was lesser than anyone else. What also motivated him was anger. A lot of anger. It served a purpose for him.
AE: What do you think was your husband’s greatest moment in his phenomenal career?
EJ: I think for him the greatest moment was when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first year of his eligibility. That was validation for him. You know that my husband was a very in your face kind of person. So that was a big deal to him. Getting into the Hall of Fame meant the world to him. People thought that he couldn’t do it, but he felt like well here I am.
That was a huge accomplishment for him. When he started playing football in the NFL he never played to be a Hall of Famer. It wasn’t a consideration. The fact that he was not only a Hall of Famer, but he achieved that in his first year eligibility was a great moment for him.
AE: Tell me about the Deacon Jones Foundation and the many great things your organization provides.
EJ: Deacon often said that he wouldn’t know what his life would have become if he didn’t get the opportunity to go to a good school and to further his education in ways some others don’t get to. He wanted to give young people the opportunity and really level the playing field.
In terms of the Deacon Jones Foundation it was much more than a scholarship situation. We look to mentor them. We get them involved with corporate America. We introduce them to people in business that can mentor them as well. We teach them about giving back to their community. One of the things that Deacon wanted was to make sure these kids wanted the education we provided for them and give back to their community.
It is a very hands on program with a lot of different aspects to it. Primarily it was created to create leaders in the community and be able to help those in need.
AE: I know Deacon did a lot work with the military. What are some of the things beyond football you want people to know about Deacon?
EJ: Oh my gosh! He was so impressed with the soldiers. He went to Iraq and that scared the devil out of him. When he went to Iraq and saw the risks that these young people were taking. He loved the military beforehand and the fact that people would go into battle for thing that they believed in. It affected him very deeply. The last trip he took in Iraq made him want to be more involved in helping the military.
Deacon was really unique. He was big, bad, fierce, and tough. He was also the sweetest, warmest, and most caring person in the world.
Sep 25th
The NFL Jersey Report
His team may not have the best record, but Robert Griffin, III has the best-selling jersey. Last week RG3’s jersey outsold 29 other teams as a whole (Not the Giants or Ravens’ jerseys). How do I know all of this? Well I checked the “Jersey Report” from DICK’S Sporting Goods.
DICK’S upgraded the “Jersey Report,” to now include detailed graphs showcasing sales by player, team, position and division, as well as fan stories, expert analysis of how jerseys are rising and falling. As a football fan it was interesting to read the following stats on the sale of NFL jerseys.
Here are some quick hits on the sale of NFL jerseys
Monday Night Football:
•Last night’s game had the current #9 overall team in jersey sales (Steelers) vs. the #13 team (Bengals)
•Troy Polamalu’s jersey was the only defensive player to crack the top ten overall (last week) but has since fallen to #21.
•Heath Miller’s jersey is the second most popular for the Steelers
•AJ Green was second in receiving yards after week 1 and is currently #14 in overall jersey sales (#1 on the Bengals)
In the past week of sales……
•RG3’s jersey outsold 29 other teams as a whole (Not the Giants or Ravens’ jerseys)
•LeSean McCoy’s jersey joins QBs in top five
•1. RG3 2. Andrew Luck 3. Peyton Manning 4. LeSean McCoy 5. Eli Manning.
•Rising star – McCoy’ jersey has jumped 24 spots since last week
•Over one-quarter of all jerseys sold are for the NFC East. The bottom two teams in the division are in the top three in sales, though, with WAS # 1 and NYG #3 overall.
•It’s a QB league, more than 40% of jerseys sold are quarterback jerseys
Each week you can check out the Jersey Report to see which is the hottest selling jersey of that week and which one is losing popularity. It is like the stock market for jerseys.
Sep 17th
Week 2 NFL Picks
Okay so last week’s picks were a bit of a disaster. But hey, it happens. It’s a long season, so stick with us. Week 1 is hard to peg, but we know a lot more about the NFL with the first slate of meaningful games behind us. On to Week 2:
At New England -11.5 NY Jets
Geno Smith flashed some skills in that gift of a win last week. It took a boneheaded penalty (and a fine of nearly 8K) from Lavonte David to secure the win for the Jets. The Bills almost shocked the world in Week One, but the Pats edged ‘em out. Spread seems a bit high but the Pats are playing at home. I’m still calling for no blowout though.
Pick: Jets +11.5
At Philadelphia -7.5 San Diego
The total is set at 55 for this game, so the odds makers aren’t expecting a whole lot of defense in Philly. Chip Kelly’s offense looked tremendous, but the Chargers showed some spark against Houston last week in a game they should’ve one. If the Eagles can sustain their uptempo attack and not wither away late, they should be a force to reckon with in the NFC East.
Pick: Eagles -7.5
At Baltimore -6.5 Cleveland
Both these teams have problems in the passing game. Cleveland misses Josh Gordon and I’m sure Flacco wishes he had some more solid options to work with (like Anquan maybe?). The Pitta loss clearly hurts. Dallas Clark is no spring chicken. That Baltimore D looks kinda suspect, too. All that said, even if Richardson breaks off a monster game, Weeden looks like a liability. Batimore moves to the top of the division first with a win on Sunday.
Pick: Ravens -6.5
At Houston -9 Tennessee
Yea, yea, the Titans stomped on the Steelers after they lost multiple players for the year in that Week 1 matchup. Congrats. The Titans still couldn’t get the ground game going and Jake Locker wasn’t exactly lighting it up either (11 for 20 for 125 yards and no scores). I think a correction is in order here. The Texans are coming off an amazing come-from-behind victory and they’re going to stick it to the former Oilers.
Pick: Texans -9
At Indianapolis -2.5 Miami
Colts D looked suspect. Miami’s did not. Still there’s something about this young Indy team in that dome. You gotta go home team here.
Pick: Colts -2.5
Carolina -3 At Buffalo
I can’t remember the last time I saw the fans in Buffalo as fired up as they were last week. The Panthers are coming to town with a formidable d-line and an ability to hang with quality teams. I like Buffalo to build on their near-win last week, though.
Pick: Bills +3
At Atlanta -6.5 St. Louis
The Rams look different this year. Richardson looks ready to shoulder the load and the offense in general just looks like it had more spark. The Falcons can spark, too though. Especially at home coming off a big loss to a divisional foe. Atlanta takes this one.
Pick: Falcons -6.5
At Green Bay -7.5 Washington
No matter how slow the Skins start, they proved that they can hang around late. I still like the Packers to play a solid game throughout and cruise to victory at home.
Pick: Packers -7.5
At Kansas City -3 Dallas
The new-look Chiefs are looking to win as many games this year as they did through 13 weeks last year. That second win won’t be easy, though. Even with Romo hobbled by injury, the Chiefs are going to have their hands full. Arrowhead’s a tough place to play and Charles is a monster, sure, but I think Dallas can hang.
Pick: Cowboys +3
At Chicago -6 Minnesota
The Bears stole one from CIncy, but the Vikings looked pretty non-threatening last week. Outside of AP’s first carry, they couldn’t get much done.
Pick: Bears -6
New Orleans -3.5 At Tampa Bay
The storyline could’ve been different. The Bucs could be 1-0 looking to rally round Josh Freeman and make a push towards relevancy. Instead, they pissed away a win, having players-only meetings and you got Freeman being stripped of his captaincy and missing the team photo. On the flipside, you got Payton back at the helm of a Saints team looking ready to inflict some damage on the NFC South. No dome, no problem for the Saints.
Pick: Saints -3.5
Detroit -1.5 At Arizona
Double team Calvin? Not a problem, that just opens things up for Reggie. Bush had a monster game despite messing up his groin and dislocating a thumb. Dude was a few inches shy of two more TDs that got Joiqued away from him. Bush’s load won’t lighten up this week as Patrick Peterson tries to lock down Calvin.
Pick: Lions -1.5
At Oakland -5.5 Jacksonville
Man, Pryor looked good. Not just cause he led the league in rushing before McCoy went off on MNF, either. Kid was pretty poised. He kept plays alive, went through his progressions and just made plays, man. Raiders fans might not want to get too optimistic, but playing the worst team in football in Week 2 should help. I don’t expect
Pick: Raiders -5.5
Denver -4.5 At NY Giants
The Manning Bowl is in the Meadowlands, but you gotta love the chances of big bro’s team better here.
Pick: Broncos -4.5
At Seattle -3 San Francisco
Seattle is a different team at home, yes, but the Niners look poised to make a big Super Bowl push this season. It all starts with winning the division, and this is the toughest roadblock in the NFC West. The Niners are up for the challenge.
Pick: 49ers +3
At Cincinnati -7 Pittsburgh
No one had it worse than the Steelers in Week One. The offense mustered only one garbage TD. That’s atrocious. Losing your best lineman and not having a backup that’s dressed will do that do a team. So will non-Dwyer options at running back. This will be a true test for the Steelers. They’re a well-coached team with quality players on both sides of the ball. If they can bounce back here, they can make a season of it. If they can’t run the ball or protect Ben at all, then it’s going to be a very long year.
Pick: Steelers +7
Last Week: 4-11-1
Last Season: 136-121-5
Sep 12th
Archie Manning Interview
Archie Manning is widely known for his time playing quarterback at Ole Miss in college and for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. Archie and his wife Olivia have three terrific sons, Cooper, Peyton, and Eli. All three boys did follow their dad’s footsteps by playing football. Peyton and Eli are quarterbacks in the NFL who both have Super Bowl rings.
Like all of us Archie has experienced highs and lows in his life. In an upcoming film called “The Book of Manning” on ESPN airing September 24th people will get to see just that. The film takes more of the personal look into the Manning family.
Talking with Archie solidified my notion about how much of a caring and down to earth person he is. Archie told me that he is very blessed to be married to Olivia for 42 years and that they are proud parents and grandparents.
Since we already know about Archie and his time in the NFL I wanted to talk with him about fatherhood. We did chat a little bit about football, but as you will read below there is more to Archie than just football.
Art Eddy: First off let’s talk about the outstanding performance from your son Peyton had on opening night of Week 1. From his neck surgery to now it just goes to show what an incredible player Peyton is both mentally and physically.
Archie Manning: Well certainly we are proud of Peyton. It was a special night and they got a win too. Two or three years ago we didn’t know what Peyton’s future was in football. He had been so fortunate throughout his career to be healthy and never miss any time.
To have four surgeries and for everything to go well and be able to come back and physically play again. He changed teams, but to get the season started like that was really good. We were really proud of him.
AE: What will you always take away from your career in the NFL?
AM: I didn’t really see the brightest side of it. I was one of these kids that wanted to grow up and play ball. So the fact that I got to do it. I got to do it for almost 15 years. I did it in college which was a great experience for me and professionally for 15 years.
I am not scarred by the lack of success we had or getting beaten around a bit or this and that. I wanted it as a youngster. Wanted to play college football. Wanted to play pro football. I got to do it and it was a great experience for me.
AE: What has been the biggest change about the game from when you played to now?
AM: The game has changed a great deal. You hear most people say that players today are bigger, stronger, and faster and they are. The training methods have changed. It is more of a year round thing and it really wasn’t when I first came into the league. The whole emphasis on nutrition. The weightlifting programs. The speed enhancements. Players are just better overall.
It is also a more complex game. There are various personnel groups going in and out of the game. It wasn’t like that when I started playing. There wasn’t that many substitutions, kind of the same eleven out there all the time. That is the big change. They really got smart people coaching, well they always have. These coaches today with all these personnel groups, defensive coaches, offensive coaches countering back. They are very smart guys and it is a complex game.
AE: What was your football advice to Cooper, Peyton, and EIi when they started playing football?
AM: Well it really started in all sports. They liked sports. I don’t feel like I pushed them in sports. I will say that I was glad that they had an interest. I think athletic sports are good for young people if they like it. One thing is that it consumes a lot of their time. I think that is a good thing now in our society.
I think there is a lot of value there. There are things to learn especially in team sports. How to be part of a team. You learn how to deal with adversity. You know how to deal with good things too like winning. The teamwork part of it. Being coached. Taking direction. Having a proper attitude. Sacrificing things. A lot to learn.
I really didn’t want mine playing tackle football until about the seventh grade in an organized way at school. So that is what they did. There is nothing wrong with playing football. I was a little old fashioned. I always encouraged them to play in the yard. That’s what we did growing up in small towns in Mississippi. Kids don’t do much of that anymore. They went from sport to sport. Played a lot baseball early on. Played basketball. A little bit of soccer. A lot of just ball in the backyard. I think it was about seventh grade when they started organized football.
It was no big deal. We just had a rule with anything they played. If you go out for something you are going to stay out. If you think there is any doubt that you are not going to like this project, than don’t do it because you are not going to quit. Football was always a good experience for them. They had good coaching. One of my rules is you got to have fun. Football is supposed to be fun and I think they did.
AE: I am very curious to know what happens when all three brothers get together. Not to put you on the spot, but who is the funniest out of the three? Or maybe I should say who tries to be the funniest of the three?
AM: Cooper has always been the guy that keeps everybody laughing in our family. He has been funny since he was a little boy. Has a good sense of humor. Maybe a little bit crazy at times. He does a lot of funny things. I think Peyton and Eli have always been a good audience for him.
I think the main thing is that the three of them get along real well. We don’t get together as much as we like to with everyone spread out. I know when those three get together they do laugh a lot. They have fun. As a parent that makes me feel really good.
AE: The film “The Book of Manning” will premiere on September 24th on ESPN. The film takes the viewer even more inside your family. From what I have seen it shows the both some of the highs and lows in your life. How did this project come about?
AM: They just came to me and wanted to do it. It is kind of a popular thing on TV now. You see the “30 for 30” series on ESPN. I think the NFL Network has “A Football Life.” This is something that started three or four years ago. ESPN and Southeastern Conference have a thing called “SEC Storied.” They came to me.
I know they did one on Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, and a good friend of mine up at Tennessee, called Condredge Holloway. They told me that they wanted to do it. It took us a while to get going. I had a lot on my plate. It kind of started and I told them that they had to delay it for a while. Peyton was going through those neck surgeries. We came back and allowed them to do it and just let them go.
It is getting ready to come out. Olivia and I have viewed it and we liked it. I think it is something our grandchildren will like and hopefully some other people will enjoy it. It does go back to my childhood, my college football days. I lost my dad when I was playing college football and dealing with that. Raising kids. It is not about pro football or anything. As far as their concerned it is a little more about their high school days and making some decisions. Plus a couple of tough things Cooper had to go through as an athlete.
AE: Your family is well known. Many people look to Cooper, Peyton, and Eli as role models. As a parent that has to send a message to you and your wife that you did a good job raising your sons. What are you most proud of your three sons?
AM: First of all if there is anyone that needs credit for them turning out pretty well it would be Olivia. We have been fortunate enough to be married for 42 years. She is not only a great wife, but a wonderful mother. Olivia and I have just been really so blessed to have the three boys, Cooper as much as Peyton and Eli have given us such great joy and happiness through the years. All three have been married to three great girls. All have families. All have children. Grandchildren are the greatest thing in the world.
Again we have been just so blessed. I think the thing I am most proud of is what I said before. The fact that they all get along so well. At my age I see siblings who don’t always get along because of one problem or another. That is kind of sad to me. I know Olivia and I feel the same way. We pinch ourselves sometimes. We have two sons playing quarterback in the National Football League. At the end of the day I think what gives us the most joy is that all three of them are happy and that they all get along so good.
AE: What were some of the main life lessons you wanted to teach your sons?
AM: Priorities was always a word we threw around a little bit. As you get older and have a lot of things hit you in the face there. School work, social, and sports and so forth. My mother always used to do this. When you didn’t know the meaning of a word she would say go look it up in the dictionary. If you look up priorities in the dictionary it says what is most important.
So I think we would always try to emphasize with the boys to take a look at what is most important. Your faith, your family, your school and if you are in sports or extracurricular and friends. I guess the other thing is that young people today in country and our society have a lot of challenges. This is what we do with our children. If we just try to remind them when they got a decision to make, just kind of take a deep breath and step back and try to do what is right. What do you think is right here? What is the right thing to do? If you can be a little patient and take time and make the right decision, things will be a lot better.
AE: Now as a grandfather what is to like to see your sons take on the role of being a father?
AM: I just think it is being around the grandkids. Laughing with them and seeing them grow and spoiling them. Gosh it is great to take them for a cheeseburger or have them spend the night or go to a ball game. Olivia and I have spent our lives going to ball games. Now they are active in those, well some of them are still a little young. The ones who are old enough are getting active in the same little leagues and basketball and so forth. People tell you how great grandchildren are, but it is better than they tell you it is.
Sep 12th
Former Saints player Joe Horn tells us how to BBQ and talks some football
Joe Horn played in the NFL for 11 years most notably for the New Orleans Saints. The four time Pro Bowler was elected to the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame and finished his career with 58 receiving touchdowns.
Horn went from having a great career in the NFL to starting his own business. For a few years now Joe has led a successful company called Bayou 87. Joe sells barbeque sauce and smoked sausage. Part of the proceeds from his company goes to various charity organizations. He played a role to help rebuild New Orleans especially after Hurricane Katrina.
Joe was nice enough to chat with me about his time in the NFL, the Saints chances to reach the Super Bowl, and his Bayou 87 sauce.
Art Eddy: First off you have a great barbeque sauce called Bayou 87. With people tailgating for the NFL season. What are some great recipes people can make with your sauce?
Joe Horn: Oh man they can make it with anything they have; salad, fish, ribs, hamburger. It is a great tasting sauce. I have been going against a lot of great sauces out there. I have done a lot of promos with it. It is a great tasting product. I am just telling the fans when you see it just pick it up and try it. You will be a fan for life.
AE: Last time we spoke you were getting ready to launch your hickory smoked sausage. How has that been selling on the market? Any cool recipes for the sausage?
JH: The sausage started in January with the smoked sausage. There is a hickory smoked sausage that is doing absolutely well. I am enjoying that. The fans are enjoying it too. It is so rare the athletes or celebrities that have products and take time to promote it. I have been able to have the chance to go around and really promote it.
When the fans taste it they become branded for life. So I want the fans to go out and try the product. Don’t just buy the product because it has my name on it. Try out the product and you will be a fan of the products for life. Wal-Mart and other grocery stores don’t have your product just because you are former football player. These products have to sell. I am doing well with it. Hopefully down the road my kid’s kids will benefit from this and the charities that I donate to will also.
AE: For those who are just getting into tailgating what is the best recipe that is quick and easy to barbecue at the stadium?
JH: Let me give you a quick insight. Most people when they barbeque they take up to six or seven hours to prep up the meat. Look if you want a quick, prepped up meat that tastes real well, probably tastes better than your average guy’s barbeque, season up your meat. Cut it up. Boil it up. I know a lot of people say, ‘Joe you are not supposed to boil up your meat.’ I say, ‘Whatever.’
Butter it up. Wrap up the meat in some saran wrap and put it in the oven. Cook it up a little bit like five, ten minutes. Take it out and throw it on the grill. You will have a quick barbeque that will taste better than the average guy, who takes a day to prep up his meat to barbeque all day.
I had a barbeque cook-off with my uncle. He has been barbequing for 25 years. We had a taste test and I destroyed him. It took me an hour and fifteen minutes. It took him nine, ten hours to get his meat together and get ready. I boil up the meat. I cook it up on the grill. I put some seasoning on it than I put it up on the grill. It is easier, quicker and everyone can eat quicker.
AE: Moving to your great career in the NFL, can you describe your feelings and mindset you had as a veteran 
player going into Week 1?
JH: Training camp was basically a give and take type of thing. You knew you were going to be starting. You were comfortable with your team. I like to eat. So I came into training camp overweight. I just took my time and got in shape as I went further along. Basically the second or third preseason game you want to make sure that you are in tip top condition. You got to cut out the things that you used to do. That was the most exciting part for me.
Stay in shape, man. As a veteran you don’t need to know too much when you are with a coach for three or four years. It is the same thing probably with DB’s.
AE: Saints fans had to deal with a tough season last year with Coach Sean Payton not being on the sideline. This year he is back and he, Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints look poised to make a run to the Super Bowl. How do you think the Saints will do this year?
JH: I don’t know man. The really might be 16-0. It is really hard for me to give out records. When guys used to ask me, ‘Joe what is your record going to be?’ I never said 12-4. I never said 10-6. I always said 16-0 because I don’t know where we will be at when we will lose that game. I really can’t predestined when we are going to lose. I can’t do that.
I can’t really tell you what record the Saints will have, but I do hope they make it to the playoffs. You just never know. The guys work hard. They learn the plays. You pray that you don’t that many injuries. You try to build a camaraderie with your team that will last all the way through the playoffs like the Ravens last year.
AE: What did you like about some of the offseason moves the Saints made this year?
JH: I don’t get too caught up in what offseason acquisitions that the teams bring in because all of that really doesn’t matter. You got to gel in training camp. You got to gel in the preseason games. Anybody can go to different teams. You got to show people when the lights come what you can really do.
The first test for the Saints will be the Atlanta Falcons. No matter who you bring in it depends on what that person can bring to the game. You can’t really judge a player until the stats go down on paper.
AE: Which team stands to be the biggest roadblock for the Saints?
JH: Do they play the Eagles?
AE: I don’t thinks so.
JH: The Falcons are Super Bowl contenders. I would have to say Atlanta. I think the sneak up team this year will be the Eagles.
AE: Really? Why do you say that? Because of Chip Kelly?
JH: Because he is spicing the game up. It is like a do or die for Chip Kelly. He is bringing something new to the league that can make a mark for NFL history. The new offenses that he brings and the things that they will do to make the game fun. Take the team to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. It is a hard offense to stop.
However. However, it can also backfire on him. All that trickery can get you interceptions and fumbles, other coaches will call you stupid. So it is like a make or break type of year. Although it is his first year, this is a make or break type year for Chip Kelly and that offense. It could go great. Mike Vick and those guys can do a wonderful job with it or it can be a flusher down the stool.
Sep 9th
Week 1 NFL Picks
I don’t have to start with the obvious question, are you ready for some football? Clown question, bro. I already know you’re ready for damn sure. It’s been a long and painful offseason, but it’s all over now. Football is back. Blue skies from here on out. You can cross Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays off your calendar for the next few months. We got work to do, so let’s get to it…
At Denver -7.5 Baltimore
The Ravens don’t tend to lose in Week 1. I still think they will, though,Broncos start the season off right and avenge their playoff loss against last year’s champs.
Pick: Broncos -7.5
New England -9 At Buffalo
The good news for Buffalo is they get to start EJ Manuel over Jeff Tuel at QB. The bad news is that the Pats are 13-4 against rookie QBs since 2000. Don’t be scared by the big spread. It won’t be close.
Pick: Pats -9
At Pittsburgh -7 Tennessee
I wish the spread was a bit smaller, but the Steelers should be able to contain CJ2K and take advantage of a Titans defense that ranked 26th in the league against the pass a year ago.
Pick: Steelers -7
At New Orleans -3 Atlanta
This should be a fun game to watch. Touchdowns galore. The Saints ranked last in the league against the run last year, so if S-Jax is ever going to show up this season, week 1 should give him plenty of opportunities to shine. New Orleans is coming off their first normal offseason in years though. With Sean Payton back in the mix and a new found respect for the running game, the Saints will start off on the right foot at home.
Pick: Saints -3
Tampa Bay -3.5 At NY Jets
The Bucs made some serious upgrades on defense this offseason, and the Jets, well they’re still the Jets. Sure, New York fans won’t have to worry about Sanchez tossing this one away, but Geno, Bilal and maybe Santonio doesn’t instill a ton of confidence.
Pick: Bucs -3.5
Kansas City -4 At Jacksonville
These two teams can’t keep sucking forever, right? My guess is the Chiefs start sucking less a whole lot sooner, starting this week.
Pick: Chiefs -4
At Chicago -3 Cincinnati
This is going to be a true test for the Bengals, the new darlings of the AFC North. The Bears and Bengals both finished 10-6 last season, but Marvin Lewis still has a job cause his team made the playoffs. I want to lean on the home team here, but I think this will be one of the most interesting matches of the week.
Pick: Bears -3
At Cleveland -1 Miami
This one’s a pick’em for good reason. Both teams look poised for big improvements, with young skill players littering the field for both squads. I think the edge goes to the Browns though. Unless Mike Wallace has a monster game in his first Dolphin start, the Browns are going to grind this one out on the ground.
Pick: Browns -1
Seattle -3.5 At Carolina
The Seahawks were the only team in the NFL that went undefeated at home last year. They were an abysmal 3-5 on the road though. Seattle is the better team, but the Panthers ended last season strong and won’t be bulldozed at home. The game should be close either way.
Pick: Panthers +3.5
At Detroit -5 Minnesota
The Lions could be scary if they can do anything to stop people. I feel like AP could have the greatest running back season of all time and Vikings would still miss the playoffs. AP goes bananas and the Lions still win.
Pick: Lions -5
At Indianapolis -9.5 Oakland
Yes the season is just getting started, but one thing is clear: the Raiders are an exceptionally bad football team.
Pick: Colts -9.5
At St. Louis -4.5 Arizona
So Jeff Fisher has been sitting on Tavon Austin all preseason, eh? Well Austin will be fully unleashed in Week 1. I think the Cards will be surprisingly competent. This one likely comes down to which B-grade QB makes the most mental errors. Edge goes to the younger, better Rams D.
Pick: Rams -4.5
At San Francisco -4.5 Green Bay
The Niners are a scary bunch, yes, but Green Bay is a well-coached team that will be up for the challenge. The McCarthy-led Pack attack is 5-1 in Week 1 contests over the last six seasons. That first loss came a year ago against the Niners. Green Bay gets revenge.
Pick: Packers +4.5
At Dallas -3.5 NY Giants
Yea yea, the Cowboys are good. Okay. We’ll see. I think Murray will have a great season, but I like the G-Men’s aerial assault and upside of David Wilson better. The Giants haven’t lost in Dallas’ new stadium yet.
Pick: Giants +3.5
At Washington -3.5 Philadelphia
RG3 gets his first action in a long time against the new, Chip Kelly-led Eagles. Haslett says his D can handle Philly just fine, but will the Skins pick up right where they left off last season? I think the Eagles will be able to answer on offense, but that D is just too suspect against the balanced attack of DC, even with RG3 coming out raw.
Pick: Skins -3.5
Houston -4 At San Diego
Don’t believe all this Arian Foster isn’t a badass mumbo jumbo. Texans roll and San Diego sputters to get points on the board.
Pick: Texans -4
Last Year: 136-121-5 ATS
Sep 5th
ESPN’s Herm Edwards Tells MANjr. who he thinks will be playing in the Super Bowl
Fans of the NFL or ESPN know who Herman Edwards is. The former NFL player that made a name for himself with the Philadelphia Eagles also was a head coach for the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Edwards was the player who recovered a fumble by Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik on a play that has been nicknamed “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.”
You can now catch Herm breaking down the NFL as an analyst for ESPN. Not only does Edwards still stay close to his passion by talking football, but he goes around the country to speak in front of large crowds. Whether he is speaking on a college campus or at a business convention, when he speaks people listen.
I had the great pleasure of talking with Herm about his time in the NFL as a player and as a head coach. Since I am a football fan I did ask him to breakdown this upcoming NFL season and tell me who he thought will be playing in the Super Bowl.
Art Eddy: First off let’s talk some NFL for this upcoming season. You do an outstanding job on ESPN. You are informative, funny, and to the point. So which teams do you think will have a great season?
Herman Edwards: This is a quarterback driven league. Yet I say that with some hesitation in the fact that this preseason right now there are a lot of injuries. There are some critical injuries too. Some guys that are going to lose some time especially when you think about Denver. They were the favorite going in this year to go to the Super Bowl.
The have lost some key components. When you lose (Von) Miller and (Elvis) Dumervil due to the fact that you didn’t get a contract done right and the other kid didn’t pass the drug test. Well now that is 30 sacks out of the building. That is not good. How do you replace that? Now their schedule will say that if they can get past the first six weeks, then they can make a run like they did last year. You still have to look at them as one of the favorites in the AFC.
New England I think is always going to be in the mix. I think that they are still good enough to win the AFC East. In the AFC North I think the favorite is Cincinnati. You look at the NFC West it is going to be between San Francisco and Seattle. I think Seattle is the team in the end that will be playing Denver in the Super Bowl.
AE: Which team or player do you think will look to have a breakout year?
HE: I think Dez Bryant is maturing as a wide receiver. I really like him. I think he is going to have an outstanding year. I think the rookie down in Arizona, Tyrann Mathieu, I think he is going to make a bunch of big plays. We are going to be talking about him a lot on “SportsCenter.” He has instincts that you can’t teach. I like that in the guy. I watched him in college. I think that he is a guy that is always around the ball who can do something. It seems like every preseason game it is like he just made another play. If he can keep his life in order off the field he is going to be a very good football player.
A lot of people are saying that Andrew Luck will be having a down year. I don’t know that. I watched Andrew Luck in college. It didn’t surprise me that he had seven fourth quarter comebacks. It is going to be a fun year. There is always going to be a guy that explodes that comes on the scene. So we will just have to wait and see.
AE: Many Dallas Cowboys fans and fantasy football owners hope that you are right in that Dez Bryant will have a breakout year.
HE: Yea, especially for fantasy fans. They love touchdowns. (Laughs)
AE: I know your mantra is “Next man up.” There seems to be a lot of injuries this preseason. Which teams are going to feel the biggest brunt of the injury bug this year?
HE: Obviously you have to look at Denver. That is a team that is like whoa. You lost Miller and you already lost Dumervil. That is a problem. I think that when you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers they lost Le’Veon Bell. They were counting on him to run the football. Now he is gone along with Mike Wallace.
You look at the players on free agency that leave and you look at the players that go hurt and the offensive line in Pittsburgh that really struggled. Now you have the same scenario with Ben (Roethlisberger). He is running around trying to protect himself. When I watched Ben play against Washington it looked like the Ben of old. Running around trying to make plays. The offense didn’t look too different to me.
AE: This is where guys on the bench have their moment to step up. That happened to you as a player when you started out your career with the Philadelphia Eagles. What was it like to finally reach the top of the football mountain and be a starter in the NFL?
HE: When you are young you have these wild dreams. I think kids should always dream. Especially when I speak to young people I tell them we are very goal orientated. Your parents or your teachers say write down your goals. I tell them this. It is more than just writing down your goals. A goal without a plan is a wish.
You have to have a plan. When people tell me their goals, I say okay what is your plan? I had a plan to learn and to dedicate myself and to sacrifice myself. To make sure that if I didn’t make it as a pro football player I didn’t have any excuse. We sometimes reflect on our lives and use excuses for some of the situations we put ourselves in or not achieving the goal that we set out. You have to understand your talent level. Then you have to understand your passion.
I believe God gives everyone a talent. A lot of people are in search of that and they struggle. Then there is work involved in it and there is sacrifice. There is an old saying at the barbershop, ‘Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die.’ What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that goal?
When I was young there were things that I was willing to sacrifice that other people didn’t want to do to be an athlete. So when I made it I was like okay how do you stay here? It is the same old story. You got to work. You have to roll up your sleeves and go to work. You have to want to get better. You can’t live on your laurels. There is a guy out there that is working just as hard. He is trying to take your job.
That is the one thing about pro football. You don’t graduate. Not like college. You have a graduating class in high school. You have a graduating class in college. In pro football you have to take somebody’s job. I think sometimes we don’t realize that the hardest competition is within. You have to learn how to compete against yourself. See I never competed against an opponent. I played right corner for ten years. It didn’t matter who the wide receiver was. It was about me competing against me. How much better can I compete against myself? That was always the driving force for me.
AE: I guess you already answered my next question which was, who was the toughest receiver you had to guard in the NFL? I guess you were your toughest challenge.
HE: People always ask that question. I say this. If you can play at the professional level, you are pretty good. You are one of the best players in the world. If you are a professional athlete you are the best. You are pretty good.
AE: You also moved up the ranks in coaching. You started in college and worked your way into the NFL. When did you realize you wanted to become a head coach?
HE: I never wanted to become a head coach. (Laughs.)
AE: Really?
HE: No, no. Not at all. That was never my goal to be quite honest. My goal after playing was to give back to football. It had given so much to me. I first got in as a scout. I think that helped me to become a coach. I was a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs for two years. I first went to college and coached at San Jose State. Then I left the college job and went to the Kansas City Chiefs and worked with Marty (Schottenheimer), Tony (Dungy), and Bill Cowher. There I learned how to scout.
I think that is so important about how you can learn about players when you scout. How to view players and how to evaluate players. You learn how to evaluate different positions, which I thought was great. Then from there I became a secondary coach. I was satisfied being a secondary coach. I had a group of guys that I enjoy coaching. Then I went with Tony to Tampa to be an assistant coach. Then after two years being there I got calls about becoming a coordinator. Tony said that I didn’t need to become a coordinator. You just sit here and be an assistant head coach and one day you will be head coach.
I said I didn’t want to be a head coach, but he said you will be a head coach. For Paul Tagliabue I was on his list. He gave me the privilege to some owner meetings with the GM’s and head coaches. It was almost like an interview process. I was the only assistant head coach that was at those meetings. I actually spoke at one of them. They were grooming me to be a head coach. I was on the fast track, but really had no intentions.
I had no ambitions of being a head coach. Why would you want that job? It is a thankless job. So sure enough these calls started coming in. I had five interviews. My first interview was with New York. A few days after the interview the Jets call me and say you need to come back up here. I asked why and they said if I wanted the job it was mine. So I said okay. (Laughs) You just sit there and say whoa. It was a lot of fun. I really appreciated the opportunity Woody Johnson gave me to become a head coach.
Sep 3rd
Improve Your Athletic Skills with these Gadgets
Golf is a game that can mess with your mind. When you think too much about your backswing you ball goes nowhere. When you have a few cold ones you game is on point. So the why not pull a Caddyshack II and use some tech to help your gold game. A company called Zepp Labs created an app called GolfSense to improve your game.
Also for those who love to play hoops there is a cool gadget for you too. A company called Wireless Sports unveiled its Hoop Tracker, which is the world’s first basketball watch to analyze and record real-time shooting percentages. Here is a rundown of each new piece of tech to help you step up your game.
Zepp Labs, specializing in delivering sport specific products using real-time motion sensor data announces a major update to the world’s bestselling mobile swing analyzer system called GolfSense. GolfSense is a system (wearable motion sensor + free mobile app) that helps you analyze and improve your golf swing. The new GolfSense 3 application makes the entire GolfSense experience even more helpful and easier to use. Available for download now at the App Store and Google Play for free.
For the first time in golf history, now you can evaluate the quality of your swing using a single metric called the “SwingScore”. This revolutionary feature tells you how closely you’re achieving your personal swing goals. You can choose goals based on your skill level or use your own best swings or a coach’s swing as your benchmark. GolfSense also makes it easy to see what aspects of your swing you need to work with the all new color-coded dashboard.
Some of the Golfsense 3.0 features include SwingScore where you get to evaluate the quality of each swing based on your personal goals. There is a dashboard to help easily identify what you’re doing well and what you need to work on. Their “lab reports” analyze and track your trends for each hitting session. These reports can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter.
The app has focus screens to isolate a single aspect of your swing to focus your practice. There is even a way you can check out your club head and hand speed. See estimated club head and hand speed at the point of impact to work on timing.
There is the backswing position where GolfSense provides the golfer with an exact club shaft angle measurement at the top of their backswing. The Plane Comparison feature instantly compares how closely aligned the backswing and downswing planes are. Golfers can work to achieve their ideal swing plane by finding what works best for their swing goals. Lastly there is a way to check out your wrist release speed. It is a key component of the swing is wrist release, or how fast the golfer’s hands move the club through the ball impact zone. GolfSense delivers actual speed measurements to help improve speed.
GolfSense 3 is available for download from the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or from Google Play for Android mobile devices for free. The GolfSense sensor can be purchased in stores at Apple and Best Buy retail locations within the United States and at Apple retail locations in Europe. In addition, online at www.zepp.com.
Wireless Sports, an entrepreneurial tech company specializing in wearable sports technology, announces Hoop Tracker, the world’s first basketball watch to deliver in-depth analysis of your shooting percentages. Data obtained from each shooting session can be easily uploaded to Hoop Tracker’s software to analyze and improve shooting performance.
“Practice is the key to success in a sport like basketball, and since it’s impossible to have a coach on standby 24/7, having a tool like Hoop Tracker can be invaluable for tracking progress and improving overall technique,” says Wireless Sports CEO Jason Duke. “We have high hopes for Hoop Tracker and are currently pursuing strategic partners to bring it to market.”
How does it work?
The Hoop Tracker has two components that work to develop in-depth analysis of each shot: the lightweight watch is worn on your non-shooting wrist, while the shot detector is attached to the rim using the mounting pole. The watch and rim detector work simultaneously to identify the make or miss of every shot taken. Data recorded includes where the shot was taken and if the basketball hit the backboard, rim, or activates the internal lever. The only shot not automatically detected is an air ball. In this case, the player pushes the air ball button located on the side of the watch, recording the attempt as a missed shot. All statistics are later uploaded to the Hoop Tracker software for further analysis.
Hoop Tracker Software
Although instant data is displayed on the watch, these measurements are only the beginning of unparalleled insight into a player’s shooting development. Through HoopTracker.com, players can create a free account and upload watch data from each shooting session. The homepage “dashboard” will show a half court diagram displaying the player’s shooting performance, similar to viewing a professional player’s box score. With a variety of modes players can observe their strengths and areas for improvement from every major shooting area on the court.
“Basketball is the #1 team sport played in the Unites States with over 23 million participants,” Duke reports. “Despite the rapid growth of wearable technology, Hoop Tracker is the first of its kind to provide instant feedback, making training or shooting around more fun, competitive and productive.”
Dashboard Hoop Tracker data includes:
• Number of shots taken
• Overall shooting, field goal, free throw and 3 point percentages
• Short, medium and long range distance accuracy
• Left, right and center courtside accuracy
• Consecutive shots made and missed
• Points scored
• Duration of shooting session
• Calories burned
Analysis Different modes for different occasions:
• Design your own unique shooting program to track your progress over time
• Select training mode with goals for improving areas of weakness
• Coaches can customize and monitor shooting performance for up to 15 players using Coach Mode
How do you compete?
With every sport comes the competition factor. Through HoopTracker.com, players can download games and compete with friends for awards and trophies. Every milestone achieved and award given will be sharable through Facebook and Twitter. For additional information on Hoop Tracker, check out the video or visit HoopTracker.com. The Hoop Tracker will later retail for $199 and is expected to ship Q1 2014.
Sep 2nd
