Football Is Back

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

When did it sink in that football season has returned?

Was it the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony from Canton, Ohio last night followed by the game tonight featuring the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills?

Last Night, Candy and I selected players in a Fantasy Football Draft, the first of three leagues that we'll be participating in this year.

During a four day stay at JFK Medical Center due to Pneumonia, I had a chance to prepare for football season as I watched constant training camp reports and took notes.

Whatever it is, Football is Back.

Here are a few points worth mentioning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced they will retire "Mean" Joe Greene's No. 75 in a ceremony on November 2, when they host Baltimore at Heinz Field.

I'm surprised it's taken so long for this to happen. It's unfortunate that Greene's former head coach Chuck Noll won't be around to see it. Noll died on June 13, 2014 at the age of 82.

Also, it's too bad Greene wasn't an assistant coach these days because the Rooney Rule, which was established in 2003, requires teams to interview minority candidates for top coaching and football related jobs, and would have given him a shot to interview for a head coaching position.

He was mentored by Don Shula and Noll, who have six Super Bowl titles between them. Shula won 347 games and Noll has 209 victories and both are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Packers have announced they've signed Executive Vice President/General Manager Ted Thompson to a new multi-year contract.

Thompson deserves the security because he had the thankless job of overseeing the Brett Favre passing of the torch transition to Aaron Rodgers.

That would have been a tough task for any executive. Last year, the Packers survived an abundance of injuries, juggled quarterbacks, in addition to the Detroit Lions late season collapse to reach the playoffs.

Green Bay is expected to be a favorite to reach the post-season again.

Finally, we had the good pleasure of covering the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, FL featuring the Wisconsin Badgers against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

I spoke with a player who could have helped any NFL team but he decided not to pursue professional football.

His name is Zac Matthias, a 6-5, 318 pound offensive lineman from Hemlock, MI.

Matthias (pictured with me) told me after the game that he already had a job lined up after he graduated this year. He didn't want to be bothered with the NFL Scouting Combine, Pro Day's therefore, any thought of being drafted or being an non-drafted free agent was never on his mind.

Matthias wasn't looking to follow the footsteps of a former Badger Offensive Lineman Joe Thomas, at a school which is known for producing running backs as well as offensive linemen. A few running backs that come to mind include, Alan "Iron Horse" Ameche, Ron Dayne and Montee Ball.

While Thomas is performing well for the Cleveland Browns, Matthias, decided to live a normal life not electing to be subjected to concussions, knee, shoulder injuries, etc...

Matthias has elected to use his brain and defines what the true meaning of the words, Student Athlete, which gets lost in collegiate sports. Student Athlete is overshadowed by wins, losses and national championships.

So when you don't hear Matthias name during the preseason or in the regular season, just remember that he's just trying to make a living off the gridiron.

How refreshing is this?

Quite!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Top Five Wonders

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I couldn't be happier for Jason Kidd. I've only met the guy one time and he was a class act. I've seen him play at the University of California and again with the New Jersey Nets. He led the Nets to the NBA Finals twice and is the best player in that team's history.

If he was going to land a head coaching job, the Nets organization is a good fit. But 10 days after retiring from the New York Knicks seemed faster than the speeds in auto racing. But I do wish him will in Brooklyn and in the Metro New York Area.

This move made me think of some things that I wonder about. I've decided for starters to compile a short list to determine what would have been or what will be to activate those thinking caps.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Defensive Tackle "Mean" Joe Greene was not only known for his tenacious play on the field, but he had good acting skills in a Coke Commercial. A big part of four Steelers Super Bowl titles, Greene would spend 16 years as an assistant coach for Pittsburgh, the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. He learned from Chuck Noll, Don Shula and Dave McGinnis. I wonder how he would have done with his own gig. Too bad the "Rooney Rule" which established in 2003, requires teams to interview minority candidates, wasn't in place.

2. I respect Patrick Ewing Jr. for speaking on his Hall of Fame fathers behalf when Kidd landed the Nets gig. Ewing Sr. was hired by the Charlotte Bobcats as an assistant coach. He has been an assistant coach for 10 years and I'm surprised that he hasn't landed a head coaching job. He's worked with Jeff Van Gundy's  Houston Rockets and Stan Van Gundy's Orlando Magic. Ewing played for Pat Riley and John Thompson at Georgetown. He was a big part of the development of Lakers Center Dwight Howard. Ewing's paid his dues and is ready to run his own team. I wonder if his low-keyed demeanor is the reason he's been overlooked since the head coach has to deal with the media to sell his team to the fans.

3. Kobe Bryant has been watching the NBA Playoffs in street clothes and been sending occasional tweets via Twitter. During past injuries, I've seen Bryant sit on the bench and he jumped on his teammates during timeouts. It seemed like he was another coach. For some reason, I have a feeling that when his playing days are over, that due to his ultra competitiveness and knowledge of the game, Bryant will be roaming the sidelines as a head coach with the Lakers. I like his fire and he's learned from Phil Jackson. His Olympic experience with Coach Mike Krzyzewski can only benefit him down the road. Bryant seems like a guy that would want to win a title as a player and a coach therefore thrives on new challenges.

4. If Bill Laimbeer is going to ever have a chance to land a head coaching job, he better make a good impression coaching the New York Liberty of the WNBA. He won championships for the Detroit Shock and then proceeded to land an assistant coach position with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Kurt Rambis' staff. Laimbeer hasn't been able to get a sniff in the NBA with the rash of openings the past few years. It appears that he'll always be classified as a lady's coach and I wonder if he'll ever get a shot in the NBA. His hardnosed demeanor served him well during his playing days, but I wonder how many bridges he burned with coaches, general managers, owners and players that went on to new positions in the league. Laimbeer's personality with the press undoubtedly has cost him dearly from a political standpoint. Nonetheless, I'd like to see him get at least one chance in the NBA.

5. I wonder if  Fort Myers, Florida will acknowledge former Minnesota Twins Owner Calvin Griffith with at least a street name at Hammond Stadium. Griffith's statue is in front of Target Field in Minnesota. I was surprised there was no recognition of Griffith when I visited the place in January. I'll never forget the way I met Griffith in 1987 when the Tigers faced the Minnesota Twins in the American League Championship Series. I was outside Tiger Stadium trying to buy a ticket to the game. I attempted to buy one but the person took my $20 and never gave me the ticket. Luckily I bumped into My Highland House Employer Gene Ryeson , who I also referred to as an adopted uncle. He loaned me $30. I bought another ticket and as it turned out, I sat next to Griffith. We talked all game and I remembered everything Griffith said. I wrote a story for the Detroit Monitor and received a thank-you note from Griffith weeks later. When I told this to Ryeson, he gave me a big smile and hug. He told me to not pay back the money that it was a gift. The Twins went on to defeat the Tigers in the ALCS and won the World Series.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.
Photo By Candice Ebling

Ahead Of His Time

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin leads his team in the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday February 6th at Cowboys Stadium, if he's fortunate enough to lead this franchise to their seventh title, he should be thankful that he's coaching in the era of the Rooney Rule, where minority candidates have to be considered for head coaching and management positions.

There is one former Steeler who didn't get that opportunity due to the lack of timing.

When Mean Joe Greene retired from the NFL in 1981, he was selected to the Pro Bowl 10 times and won four Super Bowls as the anchor of the famous Steel Curtain defense in a career that was from 1969-1981.

The 64-year-old graduate of North Texas State is not only known for his famous Coke Commercial that was filmed on September 1, 1979, but he was a respected Assistant Coach in the league for 16 seasons.

Greene began his coaching career in 1987 with the Steelers under Chuck Noll. He would later work with Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins and Dave McGinnis of the Arizona Cardinals.

I had the good fortune of meeting with Greene when I was writing about the Cardinals for three contests during the 2001 season. We mainly talked about his Super Bowl years with the Steelers and what it was like to play under Noll having Terry Bradshaw as his quarterback. Greene and I had a few laughs about his Coke Commercial.

But as I look at the list of African American Head Coaches over the years, there will always be the "What If" Greene had the opportunity to interview and land one of these positions?

How would he have fared?

We'll never know now. To learn from Hall of Famers like Noll and Shula is a great starting point.

As I look at Tomlin, Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith, Dennis Green, Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis, Herman Edwards, Ray Rhodes, Art Shell, Mike Singletary, Romeo Crennell along with the question marks that surround Leslie Frazier, Raheem Morris and Hue Jackson, it would have been interesting to see Greene match wits with these coaches.

But unfortunately, that will never happen as a result of timing.

Yet, as I watch the Steelers face the Packers, I'm amazed at how much history connects these two teams.

The only African American Head Coach in Packers History was Rhodes, who was 8-8 during his only season in 1999. Eleven years later, Tomlin is looking to win his second title in three years.

When I look at the Steelers and Packers contest, I'll view it as the "What If Bowl?"

What if the legendary Vince Lombardi faced Noll? Which coach would win?

How would Bradshaw have fared against Bart Starr or Brett Favre?

Will Ben Roethlisberger win his third title following Bradshaw or will Aaron Rodgers win his first championship as Favre's successor? We'll find that out soon enough.

If Roethlisberger is successful, Green will own his seventh championship ring because after he retired from coaching in 2004, the Steelers hired him to be the special assistant for player personnel. He is one of four people outside the Rooney family to have Super Bowl rings from the first six championship teams.

How would Greene have looked wearing those Motorola Head Sets talking to his Assistant Coaches in the Press Box and leading his team on the sidelines?

We'll never know now, but the question is worth thinking about as the 25th Anniversary of the Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day has passed us.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at http://www.scottsports33.com/.

Detroit's Newest Bad Boy

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The Detroit Lions have seen their share of fines over the years but there are two which standout in my mind.

When Detroit hired Steve Mariucci as its head coach on February 4, 2003, Lions General Manager Matt Millen was hit with a $250,000 fine for failing to comply with the NFL's Rooney Rule where teams have to interview a minority candidate for their head coaching job.

Needless to say, Lions Owner William Clay Ford Sr. was furious after this occurred but had to live with the decision. Ford defended his track record of hiring minorities for his organizations and wasn't pleased that his integrity was attacked.

Detroit's latest fine occurred on Friday as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh found himself $7,500 lighter in the wallet by the NFL for his roughing the passer penalty on quarterback Jake Delhomme in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Browns.

The No.2 overall pick April's draft grabbed Delhomme's face mask and twisted it, then wrapped his arms around the quarterback's head and slammed him to the ground in the second quarter of last Saturday's game, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

Even Cleveland Coach Eric Mangini said this week he didn't think the former Nebraska Cornhuskers standout intended to injure Delhomme.

Lions Coach Jim Schwartz certainly wasn't going to comment on the fine just the fact that the play cost Detroit 15-yards.

But deep down inside, Schwartz may have used this as an opportunity to use this as a "Teaching Moment," however, you can rest assure that he must have smiled and pat his rookie on the back for his passion and aggressive play.

As for the Ford's, both William Sr. & Jr, they must have enjoyed this fine as well because now there is a little a nasty streak on their defense anchored by the rookie.

The Lions recently added black to their uniforms because they wanted to toughen their image. Adding players like Suh will only enhance the team's new identity as it hopes to add wins for a franchise that has finished 2-30 the past two years.

Whether Ford actually pays the fine or if it gets payroll deducted out of Suh's check is the small story.

There will be a charity tax write off some place.

For all we know, the fans in Detroit would pony up the coin just to prove a point that they want to see more players with Suh's Blue Collar attitude around.

These are the qualities that saw Johnny Damon want to play the entire season for the Tigers because he loved playing in Detroit. Damon loved the loyalty of the fan base.

Detroit appreciated the Pistons "Bad Boys" era with that toughness. Now the city can embrace the latest "Bad Boy" who is probably too small to drive a Ford Focus.

But you can rest assure, that Suh will continue to focus on anybody that gets in his way. I can just imagine if he does the same thing to St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in this years draft ahead of him, how much that fine would be.

Yet, knowing the Ford's, they'll smile and love every minute of it. They'll find a way to pay that fine.

I'm sure when Delhomme went to the sidelines and saw former Texas Longhorns signal caller Colt McCoy, he had to ask the rookie that when he faced Suh in college was this guy that much of an animal and impact player? There had to be a big smile and a definitive yes.

So beware defenders, the Lions have ferocious defensive side that the NFL will see plenty of in the future.

Meanwhile, Ndamukong if you continue the aggressive behavior, that will earn you trips to the Pro Bowl, plenty of local endorsements and the Ford's might even use your to promote their tough trucks.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.