Well unfortunately it is that time of year. That time when football has come to an end.

It may seem a bit odd or ridiculous to many of you, but I truly get an extremely sad feeling for a few days after the Super Bowl because I know I have to wait 7 months before I get to see football again.

But while I deal with my sadness for the next few days, I also get to look back and remember the year and the reasons that I love this game.

We watched America's team the Dallas Cowboys crumble right in front of us. We saw the current longest tenured coach get fired. And we watched a 7-9 Seattle Seahawks upset the defending Super Bowl champs in the first round of the playoffs.

We watched a one-time super star get another chance at glory in Michael Vick. Many thought he would never get a shot to redeem himself, but with one quick injury to Eagle's starter Kevin Kolb, Vick got his chance and never looked back. He won a large majority of the country back over with his new image and with the way he played. He went on to win comeback player of the year.

On the flip side of watching a player rise above the odds, we cringed as we watched an all-time great in Brett Favre fizz out. We saw his 300 consecutive starts come to a close in Minnesota and watched him stand on the sidelines for the remainder of the season like a washed up, old man.

Across the state line in Wisconsin we got to watch a star be born. And in the biggest game of the year we watched Brett Favre's replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, win his first Super Bowl and propel himself into elite quarterback status.

That is what's so great about football. The passion and drama that surrounds the game is above all other sports. The NFL is a complete roller coaster all year and that is why it is so entertaining.

So while it is another 7 months until the opening game (assuming there is no lockout), we get to enjoy all of these memories that were made this year. And we get to look forward the memories that will be made next year. Congrats to the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

Who would have thought??? Oh yeah, ME!

Unbelievable... who would have thought that at this point in the collegiate football season, the sycamores would be the best football team in the state of Indiana. The sycamores stand at 5-3 on the season and tied for second in the Missouri valley conference. With northern Iowa coming to Terre Haute this weekend to play the sycamores, the sycamores have an opportunity to take the lead in the conference with a win. Who would have thought that the sycamores would already have 5 wins?

Now usually I don’t like to brag and toot my own horn on things because it is tacky, however, I feel like this is different. I have told people for 3 years now that the sycamores would gradually get better and that people needed to be patient and if you don’t believe me here is the proof (http://thesportsvent.blogspot.com/2009/10/get-off-their-backs.html). This team is so different from others, with the addition of offensive coordinator Steve Englehart and players like transfer from Washington Ronnie Fouch and parade All-American freshman Shakir bell the offense has exploded. Averaging nearly 40 points a game the sycamores are a blast to watch. So what is keeping people from coming out to watch? The sycamores are 5-3 and have a great offense and it is cheap. People need to get out and support this team, just once. After you watch them and see how good they are come find me and tell me I was right.

Tis' The Season

There is no feeling quite like it... You get knots in your stomach as you notice the leaves changing color and falling to the ground.... as the air gets a little cooler and the days get a little shorter, you slowly start to realize football is back. For me there is no greater time of the year than fall... When I wake up early in the morning I get that same feeling I got for most of my life... I always feel as though I should be grabbing my shoulder pads and helmet and jogging out to the field. That's the power the sport has... It never quite leaves you, even when you are done playing. You always go back to the thought of early morning sprints when you walk through the morning dew, Or the great feeling of almost being done with practice when the sun is setting.

At an early age I knew i wanted to play the sport, one of my first words was touchdown and I always had a high interest in everything about the sport; playing it, coaching it, and talking about it.

Some people laugh at the idea that it is more than just a game, but they just don't understand. Football is not just a game, it's a way of life... if you are a part of the game it effects you in ways you can't imagine. For me it gave me some of my best friends, my best memories... and it was a way to connect our family. In high school it brought some of the best times and also some of the worst..

Nothing in the fall makes me happier than driving down the road and looking in the yards as i pass and seeing a father and son toss the pigskin or a group of kids playing a pick up game in a school yard or pee wee football practice...

It's a sport full of tradition... like playing a family pick up game after eating turkey on thanksgiving, or generation after generation rooting for an alma mater... or tailgating in the cold snow of late november..

There is nothing in the world like it... it is more than a game, it is all of these things I have mentioned and more.... to some people and towns it is all they have... it is their life.

I will never be able to explain the feeling the sport gives you to someone who has never played it, but I certainly wish I could.

In the words of Joe Namath“Football is an honest game. It's true to life. It's a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life.” That pretty much sums it up... It's not a game, It's life.

Favre Is At It Again.

Twenty years in the Nfl at the most important position in the game. That's crazy. I cannot explain to you how excited I am that Brett Favre is back for his 20th NFL season. The sad thing is I feel as if I am the only one. The thing I don't understand is why?...
Why is it that people have come to despise Brett Favre. People call him a traitor, but was it not the Packers that didn't want him back... I get it Aaron Rogers is the future, you cant tell me that he is a better quarterback than Brett Favre. The Packers made it to the conference finals and were one play away from the championship, why would you not want to give it a shot the next year... I understand that he "retired" but the guy put the Packers back on the map... yet they easily shunned him with no regrets.
So then he takes a little detour threw New York/ New Jersey only to "retire" again, but wait... he decides to wait until August 18th to decide to play for the Minnesota Vikings... (gasp in shock)... is it really that shocking? No, he wanted to be there all along, he wanted to be able to play his Packers twice a year and he wanted to beat them twice a year. So once again Favre puts on his helmet fastens his one band chin strap and goes out to have his best statistical season of his career. In his first game as a Viking he throws a game winning touchdown pass. He finished his 19th season with 4202 yards, 33 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions and a passer rating of 107 that ranked 3rd in the league... oh and he led the vikings to the NFC championship.
The season ended and speculations began... people started saying things. "oh he'll be back" or "there is no way he comes back". But we never heard from Brett, he just continued to ride the tractor down in good ole' Hattisburg, Mississippi. But then he gave a little hint, he was meeting with doctor James Andrews about surgery on his ankle? Why would he do that? Duh! so he could come back and play. But he never said either way and then one day on ESPN it was official Favre was going to retire, he was throwing footballs to high school kids just like he had done the summer before, but everyone was positive he was done, everyone was saying it; except Brett. Then just as it happened the summer before Brett announced he would play one more year and just as last summer he arrived on August 18th in Minnesota...
So people call him wishy washy, a flip flopper... but really did he not do it the exact same way last year? Couldn't it just be that he is almost 41 and doesn't want to do training camp anymore.. I mean in 20 years of playing the game professionally I think you kinda figure out what you are doing. So don't act surprised... Here's to you Brett I'm beyond happy you are back for another.

The Decision???? Really?

It's 8:54 p.m. on July 8th of 2010, I have my soda and my phone by me and I am anxiously awaiting possibly the most important decision in the history of sports. What will LeBron James do?

9 finally rolls around and I can hardly wait, only to find out that I would wait another 30 minutes for the "King" to make his decision. And then when he finally did make his decision, it wasn't even exciting... I don't know if I was expecting fireworks to go off or possibly the entire Earth to shake, but nothing happened. They went straight in to asking him questions and I was left with the feeling of disappointment. I had wasted an hour of my time. I could have done many other things during that hour and then just read that he was going to Miami on the ticker at the bottom of the screen.

And on top of that it wasn't even a shock because espn's sources told everyone where he was going 15 minutes before he made the decision. More importantly he let down the entire sports world... just when I thought we finally had a guy in sports that cared about his team and his fans, he decides to leave the place he grew up and the fans that LOVED him unconditionally. Now, obviously people are going to look at this and say " The league is a business and he made a business decision" well say what you want but I think it is disappointing. Imagine if Michael Jordan had decided in 1990 that the bulls just weren't competitive enough and he was going to leave and go to the Knicks because he wanted to play with John Starks and Patrick Ewing because he thought it would be the best chance to win a championship.... if that had happened there would be no MJ as we know him or the Bulls of the 90's or Phil Jackson which means there is no Lakers championships... see the trickle effect it could have had. But instead MJ decided that he could lead a team and that he didn't need to run to the help of other super stars... LeBron did the opposite.. he couldn't handle the challenge. Really there wasn't much challenge, the Cavs had the best record in the NBA... LeBron just couldn't deliver, so he went somewhere that could deliver to him instead. Imagine what could have been if LeBron had stuck it out... it had potential to be a pretty cool thing. LeBron wins a championship in Cleveland and becomes a sports icon. Instead he runs with his tail between his legs and wins championships with the aid of other stars causing LeBron to fall to the bottom of the list as one of the greats. Good "Decision" LeBron.

Don't punish the game

As I was on my lunch break I did as I always do. I ate my lunch and then got on sports illustrated's website. While on the site I came across a story called " Is Football Too Dangerous ". Now, obviously football is dangerous. You have 22 men on the field at one time just pummeling each other. But the question in the article was whether it was so dangerous that kids should not play the game. As a hardcore fan of football this question scares me, if kids aren't playing the game then the game would stalemate and come to an end, and let's face it if we take football away from kids in school it would be just as the great Vince Lombardi said " A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a midievil study hall". For many kids football is an escape from the outside struggles of life.
While many view the game as extremely dangerous, it's not. Just as anything, if you don't do it right it is dangerous. For example, if you are not taught how to drive, than obviously you are a danger on the road to yourself and others. This is the same in football. There is a proper way to tackle; head up, shoulders square and facemask in the opponents chest. There is also a certain way to run the ball, and block. If these things are not done right then it puts everyone in the game in danger.
You have just as good a chance to get hurt in football as you do in every other sport. Basketball and cycling rank ahead of football in injuries per year. And football is only ahead of trampolines and soccer by 100,000.
Last year there were .13 deaths per 100, 000 in football, in drivers there were 48.2 deaths per 100, 000. Does this mean you should also prohibit your teens from driving? Just to put it in perspective 31 people died from dog attacks in 2008 (not counting pit bulls) so should you just not own a dog.
Lets not get crazy about this whole "is football too dangerous?". We know it is dangerous, but rather than avoiding kids playing, let's instead try to teach them the right way to play the game. Don't punish the game just because some coaches and parents aren't teaching the game properly.

2010 Mock NFL Draft!!!! The Final Chapter!

So far this year leading up to the draft has been trade happy. With the moves of Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins, Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets, and the big move Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, there have been some big changes in my draft. So here it goes, my final mock draft before thursday.

1. Rams- Sam Bradford-QB, Oklahoma
Unless for some crazy reason Mike Holmgren is lying to us all and the Cleveland Browns trade up, this pick is pretty much set in stone. (previous pick: Sam Bradford)

2. Lions- Ndamukong Suh-DT, Nebraska
The Lions just had a meet and greet with season ticket holders, the ticket holders were chanting Suh. Jim Shwartz won't go against the fans and Suh is the best player in the draft anyway so it is a win-win deal. (previous pick: Ndamukong Suh)

3. Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy-DT, Oklahoma
The Buccaneers seem to be really high on Gerald McCoy you would have to think that the Bucs would be extremely thrilled to finally have their next Warren Sapp. (previous pick: Eric Berry)

4. Redskins- Trent Williams-OT, Oklahoma
Well since the Redskins made the deal of the decade and traded for Donovan McNabb to be there quarterback, my mock draft was significantly changed. In my first draft I had them selecting Jimmy Clausen, now it looks like Clausen could really fall. While it is still a possibility they could go with a quarterback, I think they will wait and do that in the second round. Priority now is drafting someone to protect McNabb. (previous pick: Jimmy Clausen)

5. Chiefs- Russel Okung-OT, Oklahoma State
This is the year of offensive tackles and Okung would make 2 in the top 5 picked. Unless the Redskins decide to select Okung instead of Williams the Chiefs will add a great blocker for Jamaal Charles. (previous pick: Russel Okung)

6. Seahawks- Brian Bulaga-OT, Rutgers
With Pete Carroll now in charge he could go many different ways. Obviously they could still use a quarterback and running back but with another 1st round pick they need to get someone that can be the leader of their offensive line for years to come. (previous pick: Anthony Davis)

7. Browns- Eric Berry-S, Tennessee
Assuming the Browns don't trade up to get Bradford, Berry seems like the most logical choice. They need a lot of help on defense and picking Berry at 7 is a great place to start. (previous pick: Joe Haden)

8. Raiders- Jason Pierre-Paul-DE, South Florida
It's hard to predict what Al Davis will decide to do but we know this he is going to pick the most athletic player he can. If he has seen the tapes of Pierre-Paul doing back flip after back flip then I am sure he has fallen in love. Luckily Pierre-Paul is a good talent and a decent pick here. (previous pick: Brian Bulaga)

9. Bills- Anthony Davis-OT, Rutgers
The Bills might go ahead and select Clausen here at 9, but I think that there is a chance they package a deal later in the first and get him there. More importantly they need to draft someone to block before they can have a franchise QB. (previous pick: Gerald McCoy)

10. Jaguars- Derrick Morgan-DE, Georgia Tech
The Jags Still need a pass rush and Derrick Morgan fills that need. They did sign Aaron Kampman but who knows how he will rebound from his ACL injury. (previous pick: Derrick Morgan)

11. Broncos- Dez Bryant-WR, Oklahoma State
Well so far I have been right. The Broncos traded away Marshall, opening up a serious need at wide reciever and Bryant definitely fills that need. (previous pick: Dez Bryant)

12. Dolphins- Rolando Mcclain-LB, Alabama
Mcclain is a top talent at LB and the dolphins will definitely need the help. Put him with newly added Karlos Dansby and that starts too look like an intimidating core. (previous pick: Rolando Mcclain)

13. 49ers- Joe Haden-CB, Florida
Haden is top 10 talent and the best corner in the draft. Since Nate Clements hasn't panned out like they would have liked. Joe Haden is a Revis type player. (Trent Williams-OT, Oklahoma)

14. Seahawks- C.J. Spiller-RB, Clemson
Carroll will be lucky to have an athlete in his first year of coaching the team. Spiller ads something to the run game, passing game and special teams as a returner. (previous pick: C.J. Spiller)

15. Giants- Sergio Kindle-LB/DE, Texas
Surprisingly the Giants pass rush was not as great as expected. They need to add more depth and younger talent and Kindle is a great fit. (previous pick: Sergio Kindle)

16. Titans- Brandon Graham-LB/DE, Michigan
Since Kyle Vandenbosh is gone that means that the Titans have gotten rid of their 2 best d-lineman in the last 2 years they need to add some serious pass rush and Graham is moving up quickly on everyones boards. (previous pick: Jason Pierre-Paul)

17. 49ers- Mike Iupati-G/OT, Idaho
It would make since for them to draft Clausen here but Alex Smith did play better last year and who knows, maybe if you protect him he will get even better. (previous pick: Earl Thomas)

18. Steelers- Bruce Campell-OT, Maryland
The Steelers are really focusing on more important things right now like whether or not they are suspending Big Ben. And the Steelers haven't out ruled the idea of trading him but I don't see it happening. They instead upgrade the offensive line with a really athletic lineman. Don't be surprised if teams start packaging deals and possibly trading fo this spot to get Clausen. (previous pick: Mike Iupati)

19. Falcons- Kyle Wilson-CB, Boise State
The Falcons could really use help at the corner spot and Wilson is the best Corner still on the board. This seems like a great place to pick him. He also brings a lot to the return game. (previous pick: Kyle Wilson)

20. Texans- Earl Thomas-S, Texas
With the departure of Dunta Robinson the Texans need to add a big time player in the defensive backfield. They could possibly go with a running back here but I think they will wait until the third round and get a guy like Toby Gerhart from stanford. (previous pick: Taylor Mays)

21. Bengals- Germain Gresham-TE, Oklahoma
Gresham is coming off of an ACL injury other wise he would prob be in the top 10. The Bengals are happy he is here, they get to add one more weapon for Carson Palmer. (previous pick: Germain Gresham)

22. Patriots- Ryan Mathews-RB, Fresno State
The Patriots are getting old. Who knows if Moss will be back after this season. I think their biggest need is running back right now. Maroney who was their 1st round pick 3 years ago is not the guy they thought he was and only averaged 3.2 yards a carry last year. Mathews would be a tough guy that would really make it easy for Tom Brady to return to old form. (previous pick: Brandon Graham)

23. Packers- Everson Griffin-DE, USC
With Aaron Kampman gone the Packers have no real pass rush threat. They really need an offensive lineman but there is not one worthy of taking here. Don't be surprised if they maybe trade up to get one or if they trade out of the first round. (previous pick: Bruce Campell)

24. Eagles- Taylor Mays-S, USC
The Eagles are still looking for someone to fill the void left by Brian Dawkins last season. Mays seems to be the best fit that is still left on board. (previous pick: Devin McCourty)

25. Ravens- Demaryius Thomas-WR, Georgia Tech
The Ravens get to pick whatever they want here at 25. They have done a great job of becoming a more youthful team over the last 2 or 3 years. They added Anquan Boldin and Dante Stalworth to their recieving core but they need to add one more to that core. (previous pick: Golden Tate)

26. Cardinals- Sean Weatherspoon-LB, Missouri
The Cardinals biggest need is in the middle of their defense at middle backer. Weatherspoon probably would have gone in the top 15 a year ago if he had come out early. The Cardinals could also go with Jimmy Clausen or even another reciever. (previous pick: Carlos Dunlap)

27. Cowboys- Charles Brown-OT, USC
The release of Flozel Adams makes this pick extremely important. They need to replace Adams's production and Brown can definitely do that. (previous pick: Maurkice Pouncey)

28. Chargers- Jared Odrick-DT/DE, Penn State
The Chargers are in serious need of a RB but there is not one of great value left on the board. Maybe they can get lucky and get Jonathan Dwyer in the second round or trade up early in the second to get Jahvid Best. Odrick fills a serious need along the defensive line. (previous pick: Ryan Mathews)

29. Jets- Carlos Dunlap-DE, Florida
If the Jets end up signing Jason Taylor then this pick might not happen. Dunlap is one of the most athletic players in the draft. He also reminds me a lot of Jason Taylor.

30. Vikings- Jimmy Clausen-QB, Notre Dame
With Brett Favre playing the way he did last year nobody really knows how long he will keep playing but I know this, Aaron Rogers sat for a few years behind Favre and look how that turned out. If no one trades up before this to take Clausen (possibly browns, 49ers, seahawks, broncos) then the Vikings are beyond pumped to get a good QB here. (previous pick: Jared Odrick)

31. Colts- Maurkice Pouncey-G/C
The Colts offensive line is getting old and nobody knows how long Jeff Saturday will play. Pouncey might not last this long but the Colts will be really excited to get him.

32. Saints- Jerry Hughes-LB, TCU
This is a great pick for the super bowl champs. Other than Will Smith they don't really have a pass rush and hughes brings that.