Saying Goodbye To Mean Gene Okerlund

Over the years I have been a wrestling fan off and on, but the one guy that I never forgot or missed was a guy named Mean Gene Okerlund. Was he a wrestler? Nope! Was he someone that people missed when he was not on television? Yes, he was. Then who was this guy they called Mean Gene?

Mean Gene was nothing more than an announcer and topnotch interviewer. What set him apart from the others is he was a star at what he did. In fact, many times he was more popular than the guy who he was interviewing. That is rare in this business. Many people will tell Mean Gene was one of the most genuine guys in front of the camera and also behind the scenes.

Saying goodbye to a legend is tough. Mean Gene was 76 years old, but he gave us so many great memories. Mean Gene might be gone, but his memory will live forever. Below is a clip and from it, you can gather how great of an on-camera figure he actually was. RIP Mean Gene.

Clay Matthews Once Again Snubbed By The Hall

It seems year after year Clay Matthews does not get any love from the Hall Of Fame football committee, but it's really no shock. When the committee announced the 15 finalists Clay Matthews name was nowhere to be found. Now the real question is what does the committee want or is there something Clay did wrong. Is his resume not good enough? Or is it a Cleveland thing that is holding him back.

Matthews is third on the all-time list with 1,561 tackles and played 19 years. I guess two of the things they do not look at is durability and making plays. This is what Clay Matthews was all about. You got a guy who showed up every Sunday to play and gave it his all. Isn't that what a Hall Of Famer is about being the best on and off the field of play.

The committee can give all the excuses they want but the reality is Clay Matthews should have at least made the list. Yes, there are other players who got snubbed as well but Clay Matthews has waited long enough. It's time he gets into the Hall Of Fame where he rightly belongs.

Should The Steelers Consider Parting Ways With Antonio Brown?

When does the time come when no matter how good a player is you must part ways with them. The Pittsburgh Steelers might have reached that point with Antonio Brown. In recent years Brown has been a locker room problem and now this season there have been a few times where the diva has come out in Brown. Now his talent cannot be questioned at all. He is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL without a doubt, but when do problems outweigh talent.

Pittsburgh is at a crossroad with Antonio Brown and it seems a disconnect between Brown and some teammates have happened. The Steelers though have other talented receivers on the team which make it easier to get rid of Brown. On the open market, Brown should command some top talent in return. If I was the Steelers trading him is something I would consider. They can rebuild a team in many areas with the value they could get for him. Sometimes the headaches are not worth it and I think Brown was worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh.

What Did We Learn From UCF After 40-32 Loss To LSU In Fiesta Bowl

UCF for the longest time has said they deserved to be in the College Football Playoffs, and with this loss, they have shown a great desire, but still not up to elite competition. I'm not saying that UCF played badly today, but they left a lot of plays on the field. To beat a team like LSU you must make those plays when given the opportunity. Better scheduling is something that UCF needs to do which will make them an even tougher team to handle.

LSU did show why they are an elite program by ending UCF winning streak and doing it with a depleted secondary. When it looked like UCF was going to make it close give LSU credit they did enough to keep them at bay. LSU is a program that will only get better and this Fiesta Bowl win can't hurt recruiting either. This was an entertaining game and both teams showed that they both belong in this type of game. On this day though LSU was just the better team right now.

Baker Mayfield Keeps Browns Slim Playoff Hopes Alive With Another Win

Baker Mayfield keeps doing whatever it takes to win games and Cleveland Browns fans could not be happier. Mayfield did not play well in the Browns latest win a 17-16 up against the Denver Broncos on the road. People need to realize it does not matter what the score is or how bad you play it's all getting about getting the win. At Oklahoma Mayfield proved to be a winner and at this level, he has done that as well. I think great things will come from Baker Mayfield Browns fans just need to be patient as there will be highs and lows as well.

Overall Mayfield did make some mistakes and it was a sloppy game, to say the least. Cleveland made mistakes on both sides of the ball and that probably will continue for rest of the season. They are a young team and getting them to listen and follow directions sometimes can be a daunting task, to say the least. The key to the Browns and how well this resurgence will do is the coach. Will Gregg Williams stay at the helm or will they bring someone else in to run the team. By the way, the Browns are playing right now you may want to keep Gregg Williams around for a lot longer. Everything is clicking and sometimes it is best not to mess with a good thing.

How Did Becky Lynch Become The Hottest Thing In The WWE

Watching Becky Lynch transform before our eyes have really been amazing. I can remember a time when she lost all the close matches time after time. I seriously thought that see may get cut from the WWE as she really wasn't doing much. I really do not know what changed for her, but she never gave up and believed in herself. Now she is the hottest thing in the WWE, but what has changed for her.

Becky Lynch followed the same kinda of a path that Stone Cold Steve Austin took. She came up with a catch phrase The Man and did not care what people thought about her. If they booed her she was fine with that just as she was if they cheered for her. She was her own woman and did not worry about anything. Becoming the best version of herself is all she wanted to do. She has accomplished that and is reaping the rewards.

What's next for Becky Lynch? She is trying to ride the wave she has created for as long as possible. The one thing professional wrestlers understand it can end at any time. Once you're in the spotlight it's just a matter of time before it is gone. It looks like Becky Lynch is going to enjoy this success as long as she can. You really cannot blame her for that because it's a tough business to stay on top.

Is Bryce Harper Worth The Asking Price?

Bryce Harper right now is the hottest free agent with teams lining up to sign the superstar. People are talking upwards of a 400 million dollar contract. The real question is Bryce Harper worth 400 million dollars. Let's look like at why signing him could be money thrown down the drain unless you are very close to winning it all.

Teams that are really close to winning the championship covet Bryce Harper as they think he is the guy that can get them over the top. This may be true, but in reality, for 400 million dollars you could add a number of good players that may help you a lot more than Harper.

Everyone is drooling over Bryce Harper, but I think the money could be better spent then on him. He is a talented player but most teams need more than just one player. Harper's salary demand just is too high for most teams that want to rebuild for a run at the championship. No matter how good Harper is the asking price is just too high.

Have We Seen The Last Of Joe Flacco As A Baltimore Raven

For the longest time, we have always know that Joe Flacco would be under center for the Baltimore Ravens. The last couple of seasons Flacco has battled injuries and this season was no exception. The Ravens needed a backup plan and that is why they drafted Lamar Jackson out of Louisville to be the backup. No one really expected Jackson to play much, but plans can always change at a moments notice. When Flacco went down Jackson was inserted into the lineup in hopes he could keep the Ravens afloat.

Jackson has done a great job and continues to do so week after week. No one expected Jackson to keep the job when Flacco was healthy again. Jackson has been on a roll lately and Coach Harbaugh had no choice but to go with the rookie. The chemistry on offense has been great and Harbaugh did not want to mess with the success Jackson has had. Where does this leave Flacco?

Joe Flacco has been a very consistent quarterback most of the time for the Ravens. Now that he is in a backup role will he be happy with it? I think he will not and could ask to be traded or release. I guess it all depends on how Joe Flacco wants to wind down his career.

JR Smith Is He Damaged Goods Or Still Has Something Left In Tank

JR Smith is looking for an NBA team and some of the teams could be thinking about trading for him. Why would anyone want JR? Is there anything left in the tank? These are questions teams are asking themselves as they explore maybe trading for the Cavaliers wingman. Let's look at JR Smith and why he may get a second look by contending teams.

The one thing that makes JR Smith appealing is his contract. This season the 15 million is guaranteed, but next year only around 3.5 million is guaranteed. Trading for him means you can clear cap space if you do not keep him the following year. His contract is cap friendly for most teams whom may trade for him.

Now many people feel JR is not worth trading for after his Finals Game 1 debacle, but I think that could help him out. JR Smith wants to prove to people he can still play the game of basketball. If he can get traded to a contending team he can be himself. Play defense and score some points off the bench. He does not have to carry the team he needs to just help out. A role that I think JR Smith could handle at this point in his career.

College Football Selection Committee Has Tough Call This Season

With the results, yesterday from the Conference Championship games the selection committee has a tough day ahead of itself. There are a number of teams that want in and the reality is some are going to be disappointed and mad. It'supposed to be the best four teams, but that can sometimes be a hard thing to judge. Let's look at the contenders and whose in and who may be sitting home.

Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson are all locks for the playoffs. All three teams did enough to get in and should have no issues making it to the playoffs. Now after that these teams, all make it interesting. Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCF all have a case why they should be included.

UCF has been undefeated for over two years and will get some consideration, but in the end, for them, I think they will not make it. The strength of schedule really hurts this team. Georgia has a strong case as they only lost to Alabama and LSU the SEC Championship was a close one and they could have beaten Alabama. Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship and Oklahoma won the Big12. Both Oklahoma and Ohio State both have a loss that probably shouldn't have happened.

In the end, you want the four best teams and out of the remaining ones, it's easy to see Georgia is the best team. I look for Georgia even with two losses to make it in even though they did not win their conference. If Georgia does not make it look for Oklahoma to sneak in. No matter who makes it some teams will be crying foul once again.

How Much More Can We Expect Browns Fans To Take?

After thinking about this long and hard I am wondering how much more can we expect Cleveland Browns fans to take. They lost their team and then got it back only to see some horrible pro football. The last three seasons and counting this season the Browns are a combined 6-48-1 which is totally unacceptable. It does not end there for Browns fans though as they have had to endure some horrible coaching since 1999.

Here is a list of the coaches since then:

Chris Palmer
Butch Davis
Terry Robiskie
Romeo Crennel
Eric Mangini
Pat Shurmur
Rob Chudzinski
Mike Pettine
Hue Jackson

Look at the list of coaches above, not the who's who of coaching in the NFL that's for sure. This is one of the main reasons the Browns have been so bad for so long. When you do not have the best coaches you will struggle and the Browns have proven that theory correct. Browns fans have hated most of their coaches and with the performance of them you really cannot blame them.

Draft players have been another issue as well. Cleveland probably has one of the worse draft records of any NFL team. Some of the players the Browns have chosen over the years make you shake your head. The performance on the field has shown these picks have been horrible at best. At least now the Browns have John Dorsey and the picks have been getting alot better.

I give Cleveland Browns fans credit as they are really resilient, but how much more can they take. This season the Browns could be 6-1 but they have lost games they should have won. It goes to show you that the Browns fan base is one of the best in the NFL. Win or lose they continue to support the team no matter how bad it has been for them.

Browns Lose In Overtime Again But Have Issues Besides Just Hue Jackson

The Cleveland Browns lost again this time in overtime to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-23 on a 60-yard field goal. Now you can blame a lot of people for this loss and many people are asking for Hue Jackson to be fired. Now that's a possibility, but there are a lot more problems than just Hue Jackson. Does Hue Jackson deserve to be fired? That's an easy answer yes he should be with the record he has, but it goes much deeper than that for the Cleveland Browns.

The Buccaneers have an elite offense and they showcased that against the Browns defense that at times looked lost and confused. This has something to do with injuries, but you cannot commit penalty after penalty either. The Browns had so many penalties today many of them should not have happened. Encroachment and offsides and illegal procedure should not happen. You can blame coaching but in the end, it comes down to the players on the field. They know exactly what to do, but are not executing it very well.

John Dorsey has made many changes one was getting rid of players he felt were not winners. yes, the Browns are better this season, but they are still making the same mistakes they did when they were 0-16. A coaching change is probably the next step, but there are so many problems that need to be addressed as well. What has happened to the Browns defense it has been shredded the last two games? How about Duke Johnson? Johnson is frustrated and you cannot blame him one bit.  He was supposed to get more touches, but it looks the same in my opinion.

The Cleveland Browns have many issues internal and external. Hopefully, they can get it fixed soon if not it looks like another bad season in Cleveland.

Does Latest Ohio State Debacle Cost Them A Playoff Spot?

It seems Ohio State every year travels on the road where they decide not to show up and play good college football and it leaves you scratching your head. This time it was in Purdue as the Buckeyes got pushed around all night long as Purdue dominated them 49-20. It was as bad as the score shows as the Boilermakers were not scared by the No.2 Buckeyes and there high powered offense. This loss really hurts there playoff chances, but it does not eliminate them totally.

Many college football fans think or feel the Buckeyes have no chance, but that's not reality in the college football landscape. Teams can lose a game there suppose to win and still make it. For Ohio State this year could be a tricky one for them. They can make it but will need some help because it could be real close. Here is what must happen for the Buckeyes to have a shot at the playoffs.

The first thing the Buckeyes must do is win out so they can get to the Big Ten Championship game. Purdue also must win out as well so they can avenge their one loss by playing them in the Championship game. A Norte Dame and UCF loss would help alot as well. Ohio State still has a shot and the one thing we have noticed about the committee they will give the Buckeyes a good look even with one loss.