Smartest NFL Player Ever?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

It's hard to believe the NFL Pre-Season opens up tonight when the Buffalo Bills face the New York Giants in the Annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Non-stop football until February to see which team will emerge as Super Bowl Champions.

Will the Seattle Seahawks repeat?

Will there be a last to first story?

Which squad will take that last step?

What new draft choices or undrafted free agents will make an impact this season?

Which players will be good fantasy football selections?

We'll find out in the next four weeks leading to the start of the regular season.

When I was covering the Miami Dolphins in 1982 for the Hallandale Digest, the fish drafted Yale Bulldogs running back Richard Diana in the fifth round, 136th overall.

Diana had impressive numbers playing for the Ivy League School, especially during his final two seasons.

The 5-9, 220 pounder amassed 1,074 yards and five touchdowns in 1980.

In 1981, Diana gained 1,442 yards with 14 touchdowns.

His career total was 2,576 yards.

Diana would also add 426 receiving yards and four touchdowns, in addition to 229 punt and 552 kick-off return yards as well.

Tell me one coach that wouldn't give this guy a chance to play in the NFL. Not bad for fantasy numbers.

These numbers definitely impressed Dolphins Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula, who is the all-time winning coach with 347 wins and has two Super Bowl Championships.

Diana played one season for Miami. He had eight carries for 31 yards, along with two receptions for 21 yards.

In late July of 1983, Diana pulled a rarity that would unlikely happen in today's NFL with the millions of dollars being paid to the players.

He walked into Shula's office, handed him the playbook, retired, then went to Medical School.

Diana traded a potential life with concussions, knee, shoulder and other injuries to become an Orthopedic Surgeon.

This is Diana's Super Bowl and that's to help other people out.

He didn't need to get banged up and could careless about collecting an NFL Pension. Just being drafted by the Dolphins and being in their media guide was good enough.

One of the major story lines the past few years has been lawsuits filed by retired players for damages as a result of long term injuries for their medical care.

Sometimes, we often wonder why Hall of Fame Players like Jim Brown and Barry Sanders retire in their prime.

It's simple.

They minimize their punishment so they don't have to ride around in wheel chairs, use motor scooters, walk with canes, and have a life after football.

When a running back has hit the 2000 carry mark, that's when teams are reluctant to give long term contracts. Age isn't as much of a factor as the amount of carries which is understandable about why these players try to get the front end of their contracts loaded with guaranteed money.

Many people criticized former Dolphins running back Ricky Williams for retiring early. He was concerned that Miami's offense wasn't diverse enough and he was being too depended on.

When Bill Parcells took over Miami's front office, this changed with the implementation of the "Wildcat Offense" therefore, there was less wear and tear on Williams.

Ronnie Brown split some of the running load and the Dolphins were actually fun to watch especially when they upset the New England Patriots the first time with the "Wildcat."

Williams was also aware that Texas alumnus and Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell is in a wheel chair and needs assistance walking.

But back to Diana.

It will be interesting to see how many other players are smart enough to use their education if they're unable to fulfill their dream.

While Diana could have used his NFL paychecks to pay for his Medical School, he managed fine.

On September 6, Diana will turn 54.

He's written books and has made his money in the Medical Field.

I can only imagine how much money Dr. Richard Diana has made doing Public Speaking, Writing Books, in addition to his work in the Medical Field in the past 30 years.

Hopefully, this story sheds a different perspective on not only how we view training camp, plus preseason games, but life on and off the gridiron.

But unlike many NFL players, Diana left on his own terms and traded his early office at the Orange Bowl for a much different office.

Considering that Diana came from the Ivy League, Shula knew that he was Drafting A Smart NFL Player!

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

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.

The Sports Scene

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

There is hope for the Chicago Cubs as long droughts do come to an end.

Ask LA Dodgers Outfielder Yasiel Puig, as he became the first Dodger with three triples in a game in 103 years.

Puig accomplished this feat in the Dodgers 8-0 thrashing of the San Francisco Giants Friday Night at AT&T Park in The Bay Area. He went 4-5 with his other hit being a double.

Puig's three triples in one game tied a modern major league record held by 44 other men.

Just to name a few, these players include Hall Of Famers Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Ernie Banks, Nap Lajoie, Charlie Gehringer and Earl Combs.

Shoeless Joe Jackson also recorded three triples in one game.

The Greatest Broadcaster of All-Time is returning for his 66th season in 2015 for the Dodgers.

Vin Scully named Puig "The Wild Horse" and this is one of the reasons This Great American Broadcasting Treasure is returning.

When Scully began with the Brooklyn Dodgers, there were only 16 teams playing Major League Baseball with two reaching the playoffs. Now there are 30 teams with more multiple tiers to reach the World Series.

There aren't enough words to describe Scully's return, but I'll use a few: Unbelievable, Tremendous and Awesome Baby!

From two LA Story lines to a third.

I'm glad that Shelley Sterling was able to defeat her Racist soon to be ex-husband Donald in the courtroom Monday, which paves the way for the Clippers to be sold for $2 Billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

The NBA was smart to stay in the background and patiently wait until the legal process played out. The NBAPA also did a nice job remaining low-keyed and not pressing the matter.

I don't need to pile on and hammer Donald Sterling because he hung himself.

But one thing which infuriates me was how he had the nerve to drag Magic Johnson into the controversy.

I've always believed that Magic Johnson was one of two players that saved the NBA when he entered the league in 1980 after winning an NCAA Championship for the Michigan State Spartans.

He's an LA Icon and was the Ringleader for The Showtime LA Lakers which won five championships.

He's part of the LA Dodgers ownership group and has succeeded in many other business ventures.

I've always been told that you have to know when to pick your battles.

Sterling shouldn't have picked a battle with Johnson and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made this clear when he banned Donald for life and also apologized to Johnson for Sterling's thunderous tongue.

I'm very delighted that LeBron James decided to return to Cleveland.

Writing an essay to Sports Illustrated instead of holding a Press Conference or TV Show was a great move.

Whether Cleveland wins it's first championship since 1964 when the Browns celebrated remains to be seen. Winning a championship will definitely get him a statue in multiple places.

I have no problem with James wearing his No. 23 Jersey because that's what he's known for. I actually hope that the Cavaliers charge more money for his jersey, especially to those knuckleheads that burned it before when he signed with the Miami Heat.

In an ESPN.com article, James tried to justify to Michael Jordan about wearing the No.23.

Jordan took the high road and didn't care.

James said, "There would be no LeBron James, No Kobe Bryant, No Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first."

Part of this is true, but LeBron needs a History Lesson because without Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, there would be no Michael Jordan.

Has LeBron ever heard of the words Tape Delay?

The NBA Finals were broadcast on Tape Delay on CBS before Magic and Larry entered the league.

I remember watching these games after work when I was employed by The Highland House Restaurant in Michigan during the late 1970's.

I remember a segment on Mike and Mike In The Morning on ESPN 2 about Cities With Long Championship Droughts.

Somehow, Milwaukee was brought up because the Bucks won a title in 1971.

For some reason, I think Milwaukee should be left out of this for a couple reasons.

First, years ago, The Green Bay Packers used to play a few home games at the now demolished County Stadium.

Second, the Packers have an office in Milwaukee and have season ticket holders from the Metro Area.

The Green Bay Packers are the team for All of Wisconsin.

Finally, Speaking of the Bucks, they had a great pick by snapping up Duke's Jabari Parker, No. 2 overall in June. There is no doubt in my mind that new Bucks Coach Jason Kidd will do an excellent job mentoring Parker, who apparently tanked a workout so Cleveland wouldn't draft him.

Parker wanted to play in Milwaukee which is 1 1/2 hours north of his hometown of Chicago. He got his wish! Parker will have company in Milwaukee, as former Duke Assistant Coach Steve Wojciechowski is the head coach of Marquette. I have a feeling that Parker will get some practice time with his former coach which can only add to his support system as he launches his NBA Career.

Now he's the cornerstone of the franchise, which needs a desperate shot in the arm.

This team needs to win quick to build enthusiasm so it will make it easier for the new owners to get a stadium built.

I don't see many young or veteran players that are clamoring to play in Milwaukee. Back in the early 1970's Kareem Abdul Jabbar wanted to leave and play in a major market.

It will be interesting to see if James and Parker can utilize their skills and drawing power to make these smaller markets appealing to recruit other players. Winning, not major markets can also lead to landing future endorsement opportunities.

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

Obbie VS Motor Mouth MLB Greats

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

A few days ago, Steve Obrien and I debated the NBA Greats.

Now, it's time for Round Two and will his age of 35 and my 51 years on this planet make a difference with the National Past Time?

Will the Steroid Era affect our opinions?

We know that baseball is based on numbers, and computers have started to change the way managers adjust their strategies.

Managers rely more on their bench coaches especially as technology has played a larger role in their decision making process.

One can only wonder how many players have played in MLB Stadiums over the past century.

But we've decided to choose 20 pitchers and 20 hitters to stimulate the debate. .

When you think of pitchers, do you take complete games and multiple inning saves into consideration? What about the designated hitter?

Here we go. Once again, the order of the numbers doesn't reflect where the players stand. The bold names are where we differ.

Once again, it will be Motown VS Beantown.

Here is our Top 20 in Each Category.

MYSELF HITTERS:

1. Ty Cobb
2. Ted Williams
3. Hank Aaron
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Babe Ruth
6. Stan Musial (Photographed)
7. Joe DiMaggio
8. Pete Rose
9. Willie Mays
10. Tony Gwynn
11. Al Kaline
12. Lou Gehrig
13. George Brett
14 Roberto Clemente
15. Johnny Bench
16. Reggie Jackson
17. Rod Carew
18. Robin Yount
19. Cal Ripken Jr.
20. Paul Molitor

STEVE OBRIEN HITTERS

1. Mickey Mantle

2. Babe Ruth
3. Willie Mays
4. Ty Cobb
5. Ted Williams
6. Rickey Henderson
7. Lou Gehrig
8. Pete Rose
9. Derek Jeter
10. Tony Gwynn
11. Rogers Hornsby
12. Honus Wagner
13. Mike Schmidt
14. Miguel Cabrera
15. Hank Aaron
16. Ken Griffey Jr.
17. Wade Boggs
18. Carl Yastrzemski
19. Dave Winfield
20. Ichiro Suzuki

MYSELF PITCHERS

1. Cy Young
2. Walter Johnson
3. Bob Feller (Photographed)
4. Steve Carlton
5. Greg Maddux
6. Tom Glavine
7. Bob Gibson
8. Roger Clemens
9. Sandy Koufax
10. Randy Johnson
11. Jim "Catfish" Hunter
12. Nolan Ryan
13. Warren Spahn
14. Jim Palmer
15. Christy Mathewson
16. Rollie Fingers
17. Tom Seaver
18. Hal Newhouser
19. Robin Roberts
20. Don Drysdale

OBBIE PITCHERS

1. Cy Young
2. Roger Clemens
3. Tom Seaver
4. Sandy Koufax
5. Randy Johnson
6. Nolan Ryan
7. Bob Gibson
8. Walter Johnson
9. Greg Maddux
10. Steve Carlton
11. Pedro Martinez
12. Mariano Rivera
13. Warren Spahn
14. Trevor Hoffman
15. Bob Feller
16. Curt Schilling
17. Dennis Eckersley
18. John Smoltz
19. Luis Tiant
20. Tommy John

Like any list, championships were indeed a factor with these players. Some players were big factors in ending their team's long championship droughts or winning a franchises first title like Schilling with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

There were starting pitchers that re-invented themselves and became legendary closers.

Smoltz and Eckersley were two that stand out.

In addition to having a fine career as a hurler, Tommy John's Surgery has saved the careers of many pitchers.

I will be writing a future story on current Jupiter Hammerheads Pitching Coach Joe Coleman, (photographed with me taken by Candice Ebling) who has the challenge of developing young pitchers for the Miami Marlins.

Coleman and I discussed at great length the challenges that he has of making sure his pitchers learn proper mechanics to prevent future Tommy John Surgeries at Roger Dean Stadium.

Coleman is in the Class A Florida State League and had a fine career in the MLB. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers by the Washington Senators on October 9, 1970 in an eight player trade that featured the last 31-game winner in the Major Leagues, Denny McLain.

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

Obbie VS Motor Mouth NBA Greats

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

As the 2014 NBA Draft gets set to take place in 48 hours, it remains to be seen as to which player/s will emerge as the next superstar/s in this class that could lead to championships as well as a being a future Hall of Famer.

I recently became good friends with Steve Obrien, 35, a native of Methuen, Massachusetts and we decided to compare our lists as to the Greatest Players in NBA History.

Since I'm 51, it's neat to compare generational differences of opinion.

We'll also be doing another list for Major League Baseball.

The list we've compiled doesn't necessarily reflect the order as to how we place these players.

But since Obrien is a Boston Celtics fan, and I've covered the Detroit Pistons through the years, it's nice that we can rekindle the rivalry that was so strong in the 1980's during the Bad Boys Era.

The Bold Names is where we differ.

I welcome you readers to submit your lists.

Here is Our Top 25.

MYSELF:

1. Magic Johnson
2. Larry Bird
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
4. Michael Jordan
5. Bill Russell

6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. LeBron James
8. Hakeem Olajuwon
9. Patrick Ewing
10. Julius Erving
11. Jerry West
12. John Havlicek
13. Tim Duncan
14. Dennis Rodman
15. David Robinson
16. Kobe Bryant
17. Karl Malone
18. Rick Barry (Photo With Me)
19. Elgin Baylor
20. Bob Cousy
21. Dirk Nowitzki
22. James Worthy
23. Oscar Robertson
24. Isiah Thomas (Photo With Me)
25. Charles Barkley

STEVE OBRIEN

1. Larry Bird
2. Magic Johnson
3. Michael Jordan
4. Tim Duncan
5. Oscar Robertson
6. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. Bill Russell
9. LeBron James
10. Kobe Bryant
11. Karl Malone
12. John Stockton
13. Isiah Thomas
14. Charles Barkley
15. Hakeem Olajuwon
16. Clyde Drexler
17. Bob Cousy
18. David Robinson
19. Julius Erving
20. Jerry West
21. Elgin Baylor
22. John Havlicek
23. Shaquille O' Neal
24. Dirk Nowitzki

25. Kevin Durant

One of the major factors that I use when I put a player on this list is whether they win a championship.

There are some players that never won a title because of the dominance of a superstar and running into a team that was in the midst of a dynasty.

But I will say this about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Not only did they win championships, but the NBA Finals were played on Tape Delay in the late 1970's and the league was broke.

When Johnson and Bird made the jump to the NBA, they put the league on the Map and that paved the way for the players that followed them.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com

Homemade Basketball Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

1. Am I impressed or surprised that Pistons billionaire Owner Tom Gores paid Stan Van Gundy $35 million over five years to be the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach?

I would say a combination of both.

For $7 million per-season, the Pistons are getting a man that has an NBA head coaching record of 371-208 with a .641 winning percentage. This winning percentage is the sixth highest among NBA coaches with at least 500 or more games of head coaching experience.

Van Gundy's teams have reached the playoffs seven times, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, two with the Orlando Magic and once with the Miami Heat.

Stan coached Orlando for five seasons, took the Magic to the NBA Finals once and his regular season mark was 259-135 with a .692 winning percentage.

The Pistons know they're getting a bold and disciplined coach that emphasizes defense. There will be no players boycotts on road trips at practices and his teams will play hard for a full 48 minutes.

What people probably don't realize was Van Gundy had a good college coaching record. In eight seasons, he was 135-92 (.595) proving that he can coach and develop young talent.

With the Pistons coming off a 29-53 record, Van Gundy knows he has to work with the young and the veterans knowing this squad is far from the finished product.

What I like most about the hiring of Van Gundy is now the Pistons won't be able to botch Greg Monroe's upcoming free agent status. If Van Gundy wants him, he and Gores will financially find a way to keep him playing at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, providing Monroe wants to remain in Detroit.

It will be a basketball, not a financial decision.

Even though the Pistons lost their recent lottery pick to the Charlotte Hornets, if Detroit can land a good player in round two, more power to them. Once upon a time, Dennis Rodman was drafted in this round. I'm sure Michigan Wolverines Power Forward Mitch McGary (6-10) would be a popular choice.

The Pistons won't have to worry about losing next years first round pick because that situation is over with and there is a distinct possibility they could make a draft deal to get back in.

If a Monroe agreement can't get worked out, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

When Grant Hill departed for the Orlando Magic in 2000, all wasn't lost.

Joe Dumars orchestrated a sign and trade with Orlando for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins.

Hill didn't think he could win a title in Detroit.

His judgement was a mistake as Detroit would win its third championship in 2004.

While Hill's Detroit numbers of 21.6 points-per-game, 7.9 rebounds-per-game and 7.3 assists-per-game looked good, Atkins and Wallace entered the Pistons starting line-up. Wallace would develop into an All-Star in the coming years with his rebounding and excellent defense.

After departing the Pistons, Hill would play in 47 games in the following four seasons do to a recurring ankle injury.

His next 12 seasons as a former Piston were injury plagued as he averaged 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists with the Magic, Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers. He had great weather, no snow or ice but also never won a championship.

2. Regardless of who Van Gundy hires as general manager, it's good to see the return of former Pistons Coach Brendan Malone as an assistant coach. They worked together in Orlando, and at 72-years old, Malone is one of the most knowledgeable basketball minds. We all know the late Chuck Daly relied on him during the Bad Boys Era which produced two championships.

One person I would like to see Van Gundy mold is Bill Laimbeer. He was the guy that was the Master Of Mind Games on the court, and winning WNBA Championships with the Detroit Shock has to count for something.

He played hard, was no-nonsense and his strong locker room presence was always respected. Just ask Mark Aquirre. I could see Laimbeer building toughness in star center Andre Drummond and forward Josh Smith. Laimbeer was a great outside shooter and Smith could learn a lot from him.

Although he was disliked by his competitors, I remember watching ESPN's Outside The Lines and Charles Barkley heavily endorsed Laimbeer as a head coaching candidate. It would be unfortunate if he doesn't get that chance down the line.

Van Gundy has mentored Hall of Fame Center Patrick Ewing into a potential head coaching candidate. There is no question he can do the same with Laimbeer.

One thing that hopefully Laimbeer has learned over the years is having a better working relationship with the media. After all, being the face of a franchise, he'll have to sell the fans and get them to come to the arena.

Once upon a time, former Tiger Kirk Gibson had a stormy relationship with the press. Now he's managing the Arizona Diamondbacks and their playing days, approaches were quite similar.

3. The I-696 route has hit the Pistons as Detroit will have an NBADL team in Grand Rapids.

Marketing the Entire State of Michigan has worked well for the Tigers and Red Wings.

As of 2012, Grand Rapids population was estimated at 190,411 which ranked 124th in the US.

The West Michigan Whitecaps and Grand Rapids Griffins are the teams in the area.

The Whitecaps are the Tigers Class A Midwest League affiliate and play at Fifth Third Ballpark (9,684).

The Griffins play at Van Andel Arena (10,834 Ice Hockey). The Red Wings relied on this 2 1/2 hour drive en-route to their 23rd consecutive post season appearance.

Grand Rapids was the home of Boxing's Floyd Sr., Jr., Jeff and Roger Mayweather and James Toney.

4. Where will Joe Dumars ultimately land again in the NBA?

My best guess and the most logical spot would be with the New Orleans Pelicans.

For him to get involved in his Home State Of Louisiana and guide a team which has never reached the NBA Finals would be a challenge he'd be anxious to tackle.

He graduated from McNeese State and played there from 1981-1985. He was born in Shreveport, LA on May 24, 1963 (51) and Pelicans/Saints Owner Tom Benson would love to win a championship in two sports.

Dumars former boss Bill Davidson pulled the trick with the Pistons and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Having a three-time NBA Champion, six-time All-Star, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2006 wouldn't be a bad resource with his championship basketball mind.

For Dumars in Detroit, there was a lot of good and some bad. But in the end, Dumars knew his time was coming to an end. His No.4 is retired and without him, the Pistons wouldn't have three championship banners hanging from the rafters at the Palace.

5. While this thought isn't related to the Pistons, it's related to the University of South Florida, My Old Stomping Grounds.

I'm glad that Steve Masiello, 36, completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky.

Manhattan showed a lot of class by putting him on unpaid leave in April because he hadn't earned his degree. When USF ran a background check, it found that Masiello misrepresented himself on his resume, thus it terminated his contract.

Manhattan admitted that Masiello used poor judgement, but didn't intentionally misrepresent himself.

Masiello, who led the Jaspers to a 25-8 record and the NCAA Tournament, and a near upset of Louisville this past season. He has a 60-39 mark with a .606 winning percentage in three seasons as coach.

What Masiello did was nearly commit Career Suicide. It's inevitable he'll leave Manhattan one day for a higher paying job.

We'll never know what he would have accomplished at USF.

But for now, he Owes Manhattan at least 2-3 years because what the Jaspers did by bringing him back and Preserving or Saving His Coaching Career was Priceless.

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

NFL Viewpoints

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

1. I was totally touched by the gesture that Jack Meredith, a 32-year old Buffalo Bills fan made when he had a tattoo placed on his right-arm of late Owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

Wilson, who died at the age of 95 in March, was an unbelievable person. I had the pleasure of meeting him during Super Bowl XLIII Week in Tampa when he was selected before the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2009.

When I met Wilson, the only way that I could talk to him was by addressing him as Mr.Wilson. Rest In Peace, Mr. Wilson.

Meredith plans to add another tattoo of Bills legendary QB Jim Kelly next month. Kelly is currently fighting Cancer and recently completed his latest rounds of treatments.

While I have no tattoos nor do I ever have plan to get one, I respect a person that pays tribute to great people with this form of symbolism especially to a pair of local icons.

2. More on the Bills. As much as I know that Donald Trump's involvement led to the downfall of the USFL in the mid 1980's thinking the league could compete against the NFL in the fall, I have to admit that when the team gets sold by the Wilson family, I hope he succeeds in his quest to buy it.

Trump has deep pockets and will turn the Buffalo Bills from a Small to a Big Market team in a New York second. This billionaire will add credibility to this organization and we know that he'll spend good money to get the best players. How many coaches he fires is another story, but he'll be able to land big names.

The only player he won't get will be Herschel Walker as his running back as he did with the New Jersey Generals. But you never know, he could hire him to work in the front office.

3. The best thing that ever happened to former Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel was that he slid to No. 22 overall to the Cleveland Browns. I heard he even sent a text message to the Browns to take him and they traded up to the No.26 spot in the first round to do this.

Have to admit after hearing his recent sound bites, Manziel was humbled that he was passed up 21 times. He said he expects to earn his job and nothing will be handed to him.

This is called Humble Pie, but I have to admit that I'm actually rooting for him to do well. The City of Cleveland isn't a place that most athletes want to go. Even home town NBA legend LeBron James bolted for Miami.

But after Manziel's selection, the Browns sold 1,500 season tickets and will sell plenty more. Manziel dropped because of his off the field baggage as teams wondered if he would be dedicated to football instead of endorsements.

If he performs well in Cleveland, The Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame will make him an Honorary Member.

Time will tell if Manziel ever turns out to be a late first round steal like Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) or Aaron Rogers (Green Bay Packers). But if he performs to his abilities, works at his craft, then there will be 31 teams regretting that they passed on him.

Because of the hype, defensive players will be gunning for him and he'll have a Bulls Eye on his chest.

If the Browns win the Super Bowl, I predict that there will be two Manziel Statues, one on Lake Erie and the other in front of the stadium.

If he becomes a bust, there won't be a bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton, Ohio and the Browns management will be eating "Crow."

4. Not a good time to be an aging NFL Owner.

On March 9, 2014, Lions Owner William Clay Ford died at the age of 88, just five days before his 89 birthday on March 14. During his ownership dating back to 1964, Ford's teams were 310-441-13 with one playoff win. The .441 winning percentage was the worst of a team that existed since 1964.

Aside from one trip to the NFC Championship Game, the closest Ford ever got to a Super Bowl was when Metro Detroit hosted games at the Pontiac Silverdome and Ford Field.

Say what you want about his lack of on field success, but I will say that in an era that if Owners didn't get stadiums built, they'd move their teams out of state, Ford never utilized this hostage tactic with the Lions.

Rest In Peace Mr. Ford.

Sixteen days after Ford's death, the Buffalo Bills lost their Owner Ralph Wilson on March 25, 2014. While Wilson didn't win a Super Bowl, under the direction of QB Kelly, they appeared in four straight championship games.

There is a saying that deaths can happen in threes and that indeed is the case with the passing of Tampa Bay Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer on May 28, 2014 at the age of 85.

Prior to his ownership, Tampa Bay had won only 87 games in 19 seasons with three playoff appearances under the late Hugh Culverhouse.

That changed with Glazer as Tampa Bay amassed 131 regular season wins, seven playoff appearances and won a Super Bowl. They also built beautiful Raymond James Stadium. He bought the Buccaneers on January 16, 1995.

5. I'm still waiting to see what team will move to Los Angeles. Will it be the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers or the St. Louis Rams? All of these stadium issues have expiring leases and the teams seem to be getting very little cooperation from their respective communities.

I wouldn't even begin to make a prediction, but how does the LA Rams sound? That could happen again and makes a lot of sense since their owner his Southern California ties.

6. While it will be weird not seeing an AFC team on Thanksgiving, the NFL did get it right as CBS took advantage of it's cross-flex option. The South Florida Market, Miami Dolphins, or the return of former Lions Coach Jim Schwartz of the Buffalo Bills weren't good enough story lines.

The Detroit Lions face the Chicago Bears for the first time on the holiday since 1989 at 12:30 p.m..

It will seem like old times with these rivals on CBS when the network used to own the NFC Broadcast Rights.

This brings back memories of the late Pat Summerall and John Madden tandem.

No Brent Musberger, Irv Cross, Phyllis George or Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder on the NFL Today.

The other match-ups aren't bad with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Chip Kelly led high octane offense of the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox at 4:30 p.m.

NBC gets to show the San Francisco 49'ers new home as they face the Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks at 8:30 p.m.

While all three games should be entertaining, CBS makes out like a bandit getting an old traditional NFC North Rival. They can only hope the Lions under new Coach Jim Caldwell gives them a good offensive show along with additional improvement by QB Matthew Stafford.

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