The United Football League

The UFL held it's inaugural draft last Wednesday. Several big names were selected for the four teams in New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. I'm not really sure what to think about this UFL. I hope it does not fail. I don't think it will compete with the NFL and if it does it will soon fade as did the USFL did years ago. It would be good for the league to form a partnership with the NFL and be the official minor league of the NFL.

The first season starts this October and will have a 6 week schedule with games being played on Thursdays and Fridays.

They've got good support as well with by William Hambrecht, a big wig Wall Street investor, Tim Armstrong, a former senior executive a Google, now chairman and CEO of AOL, and Paul Pelosi, collegiate roommate of former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, having stepped forward heading a group of investors who invested $30 million to purchase four franchises to play in the league's 2009 initial season.From what I've read they want to pay at least ten people on each roster salaries of one million plus dollars.

I hope the league does well in it's first season. Although, it'd be nice if they were playing right now so I'd have something to save me from this dreadful Summer of nothing to watch on television.

That's all I got,



Ricky Writer


UFL Website


UFL Wikipedia info


2009 League Rosters

Las Vegas

DB | ARCHULETA, ADAM (ARIZONA STATE)
DE | AWASOM, ADRIAN (NORTH TEXAS)
P | BAUGHER, DANNY (ARIZONA)
OG | BOONE, JASON (UTAH)
NT | BRYANT, WENDELL (WISCONSIN-MADISON)
LB | BUTLER, EZRA (NEVADA)
DB | DADA, WALE (WASHINGTON STATE)
T | GAUSE, GEORGE (SOUTH CAROLINA)
DB | GAUSE, PAUL (SETON HALL)
K | JACAS, ANDREW (FORT VALLEY STATE)
TE | JACKSON, NATE (MENLO COLLEGE)
T | JOYCE, BRANDON (ILLINOIS STATE)
WR | KIRKUS, DAVID (GRAND VALLEY STATE)
TE | KUHN, SCOTT (LOUISVILLE)
NT | LONG, GABE (UTAH)
LB | MOORE, BRANDON (OKLAHOMA)
RB | PALMER, RONNIE (ARIZONA)
LB | STILLS, GARY (WEST VIRGINIA)
RB | THOMPSON, TYSON (SAN JOSE STATE)
WR | THURMAN, ANDRAE (SOUTHERN OREGON)
LB | TOAL, BRIAN (BOSTON COLLEGE)
DB | TURNBULL, NICK (FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL)
DB | WILLIAMS, CHAZ (OREGON)
RB | WHITEHEAD, TERRENCE (OREGON)


New York

QB | BACHER, CJ (NORTHWESTERN)
DB | BROWN, TREY (UCLA)
DB | CELESTIN, OLIVER (TEXAS SOUTHERN)
NT | CLEBERT, RICHARD (SOUTH FLORIDA)
DE | FOUNTAIN, MAURICE (CLEMSON)
TE | GHENT, RONNIE (LOUISVILLE)
RB | GROSS, TYRONNE (EASTERN OREGON)
T | GUTEKUNST, SAM (GERMANY)
C | HARVEY, JASPER (SAN DIEGO STATE)
QB | JOHNSON, BRIAN (UTAH)
WR | KINOSHITA, NORIAKI (JAPAN)
DB | LOFTON, DAVID (STANFORD)
LB | MAGRO, MARC (WEST VIRGINIA)
DB | MAZE, TERELL (SAN DIEGO STATE)
T | NORELL, RAY (BUFFALO)
T | PRUNEDA, RAMIRO (MONTEREY TECH)
RB | RUBIN, JOE (PORTLAND STATE)
WR | SANDERS, STEVE (BOWLING GREEN)
RB | SAPP, CECIL (COLORADO STATE)
NT | SAVE, BRYAN (COLORADO STATE)
DE | SPICER, MICHALE (WESTERN CAROLINA)
RB | TOEFIELD, LABRANDON (LSU)
LB | WILLIAMS, NATHAN (MURRAY STATE)
RB | WOODS, SHANNON (TEXAS TECH)

Orlando
NT | BLEDSOE, FRED (ARKANSAS)
QB | BOLLINGER, BROOKS (WISCONSIN)
FB | CRUZ, RONNIE (NORTHERN STATE-SD)
DB | DOSS, MIKE (OHIO STATE)
DB | FASSITT, GREG (GRAMBLING)
WR | GESSNER, CHAS (BROWN)
TE | HEINRICH, KEITH (SAM HOUSTON STATE)
NT | LONG, RIEN (WASHINGTON STATE)
DB | MASON, GRANT (MICHIGAN)
LB | MCGARIGLE, TIM (NORTHWESTERN)
RB | PERRY, CHRIS (MICHIGAN)
T | PETITTI, ROB (PITTSBURGH)
OG | PILLAR, ZACK (FLORIDA)
DE | POWELL, ERIC (FLORIDA STATE)
LB | SCHLEGEL, ANTHONY (OHIO STATE)
DE | SCHOBEL, BO (TCU)
WR | THOMPSON, DOMINIQUE (WILLIAM & MARY)
CB | TRIBBLE, DEJUAN (BOSTON COLLEGE)
NT | TRIPPLETT, LARRY (WASHINGTON)
DB | VINNETT, DARIUS (ARKANSAS)
T | WAND, SETH (NORTHWEST MISSOURI ST)
TE | WIGGINS, JERMAINE (GEORGIA)
RB | WILSON, QUINCY (WEST VIRGINIA)
DB | WRIGHT, TJ (OHIO UNIVERSITY)

San Francisco

FB | ARMSTRONG, ODIE (NW OKLAHOMA ST)
RB | AYANBADEJO, FEMI (SAN DIEGO STATE)
QB | BOYD, SHANE (KENTUCKY)
WR | BRACKINS, LARRY (PEARL RIVER CC)
LS | BROWN, KAI (BROWN)
QB | DIETZ, BRETT (HANOVER)
WR | FITZGERALD, MARCUS (MARSHALL)
DE | GUNN, MARQUIES (AUBURN)
RB | HUTSONA, DARRELL (WASHINGTON STATE)
LB | KWATENG, PRINCE (NORTHWESTERN)
TE | LEDBETTER, BRANDEN (WESTERN MICHIGAN)
T | LEKKERKERKER, CORY (CALIFORNIA-DAVIS)
LB | MARTIN, JOE (SAN DIEGO STATE)
QB | O’HAGAN, LIAM (HARVARD)
T | RIMPF, BRIAN (EAST CAROLINA)
WR | SAMS, BJ (MCNEESE STATE)
T | STAMPER, BRIAN (VANDERBILT)
NT | STEWART, JASON (FRESNO STATE)
DE | SUGGS, DAMON (GEORGIA SOUTHERN)
DB | TREAUDO, AHMAD (SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY)
DB | UNDERWOOD, MARVIEL (SAN DIEGO STATE)
DB | UNERTL, JEREMY (WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE)
RB | WASHINGTON, JOHN DAVID (MOREHOUSE)
WR | WEST, JOE (TEXAS EL-PASO)

2008-2009 High School Highlight Tape of the Year

In this new YouTube generation that has essentially made players who would have been relatively unknown, extremely known and recruited. We'll this year's winner, probably didn't need the help as he was sought after by the likes of all 3 Florida powerhouses, Georgia, LSU, USF, and USC. He finally ended up choosing Florida. Here is the ESPNU top 150 #2 wide receiver and 6Magazine 2008-2009 Highlight Tape of the Year recepient, Andre "All of the Above" Debose.


That's All I Got,


Ricky Writer

Faster Players in College Football '09

As I've said before speed kills. Will you listen to me now if the Heisman Pundit says it? I hope so.

Fastest College Football Players '09


Courtesy of the Heisman Pundit. Check em out yall, he's dope. Heisman Pundit website


That's all I got,




Riverboat Ricky

Holding Out....

Ah yes, basketball is over, baseball is nearing its All-Star game, NFL OTA's are nearing an end, that means it's the beginning of holdout season. Yes!

Brandon Marshall has asked to be traded because the wideout wants a new contract. Understandably so, he is underpaid in terms of his production which has been two back to back 100 catch plus and 1200 plus yard seasons. He also made his first Pro Bowl last year. Marshall is in the final year of his rookie contract. His former base salary for 2009 was 535,000 but he made his roster bonus and that salary has been up'd to 2.2 million.

As inept as I think the Denver Broncos are, I actually agree with them on this one of not wanting to re-up Marshall's contract. I also would like to slap Marshall's agent in the back of the head as well. I am a big Brandon Marshall fan too by the way. I was convinced after he did my boy Antonio Cromartie very dirty last year in Week 2. But he's in the final year of his contract, which means he is going to be an UNRESTRICTED free agent after this year. B-Marshall, go ahead make you 2.2 million base salary plus any bonuses and dip next season. I mean worst case scenario, you don't produce like you have in the past two years. You can fall back on the fact that Kyle Orton is your quarterback and you were in a new offense. I mean do you really want to be a Bronco that bad? It's cold in Denver and got colder once Coach Shan left, and became dangerously cold once Jay Cutler bolted. I hope you know what happens to receivers when their Ace QB departs, just look at Chad Ocho Cinco last year or Terrell Owens when Romo got hurt. Plus, to be honest, you've put yourself in this position. You were a first round talent with off the field problems which is why you fell to the 3rd round of the '06 draft. You've had 13 incidents with the cops, most organizations aren't going to risk money on you when they feel that chances of you getting in trouble again are high.

B-Marsh. Stick it out and ball like you have been for the past two years and you're pay day will come. Patience is a virtue.

Now that leads me into Julius Peppers for which I am also a huge fan. He has expressed his desire to get out of Carolina and go play for a 3-4 defense even though he's the perfect 4-3 DE. I'm not sure if he wants to get a chance to drop back in coverage more with zone blitzes or get less sacks because a 3-4 defense is a blitzing linebackers paradise, but not ideal for a DE. Either way he wants out. The chances of that happening are extra slim, because the Panthers have placed the franchise tag on Peppers, which means he'll get the average of the top 10 highest paid DE's for 2009 which will be a little over 16 million, damn! Let me get a loan homie.

In recent weeks, Mr. Peppers has said he will be in camp. Smart move dogg. The classic Charles Woodson move.(he got the franchise tag two years in a row before he dipped to the Packers). A team can only place the franchise tag on a player two years in a row. The chances they do it next year are low, because another marquee player may get the tag instead.

Peppers situation is different, it's not about money, so I can't just say get paid a big bank roll for two years and dip. I just know that many players have left teams and that same year that team make the Super Bowl. I think Peppers is making the right decision, and if he gets the tag two years in a row, I strongly feel that the Panthers will be in the Super Bowl one of those years.

Last thing on holding out, I don't understand why rookies do it. I mean, you're a rookie. You already have a bulls eye on your back because you are making more money than the veterans and Pro Bowlers on the team. Yes, I understand getting the most money, because the NFL is dirty in how it does business with the lack of guaranteed contracts. But how does you not being in practice help you? It puts you behind. Problem is they are listening to their agents who have never played a down of football most likely, and don't know how hard it is to work your way into shape and up the depth chart when you didn't start at the same time as the rest of the team. If you come to camp on time, but your deal is not quite worked out, you have leverage on the team actually. You are doing all the right things, working hard, and in all honesty that is going to make the owner more apt to pay you or at least meet you halfway.

That's my take at least,

Ricky Writer

The Deadline

Brad Childress, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, has imposed a deadline of this week on future Hall of Fame QB, Brett Favre to decide if he will play for the team this upcoming season. Tell you something you don't know right? Thanks, ESPN.

I'm sure he did this to get Favre in camp so he could get in and learn the offense faster, work with his teammates, and most importantly avoid the chaotic situation that happened last year in Green Bay and New York. Fire back, sorry I like to talk backwards sometimes, I mean backfire is exactly what happened.

Childress should have known that nothing good would come of this. You don't give an ultimatum to one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time first off. Second thing, you know he just had surgery on his bicep, so if he rushes back and re-injures the elbow what is that going to help? You have a good relationship with Brett, and you pull this stunt. What is next, you're going to bench him if he does is usual 3 interception game at least once in the season? Let's not ignore the media, well just ESPN, uproar that has occurred and all the attention it has brought to the the team.

Way to go Brad Childress. You've made great decisions over the past year. Flip flopping your quarterbacks during the season, Letting AD punk you into going for it on 4th and 1, etc. This is another great decision you've made. Keep up the good work.


Peace,



Ricky Writer

Spike TV's "4th and Long" star: Moses Washington

I sat down with Moses Washington, OU track & field star, who is giving it his all for a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys. The show is hosted by Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin, and comes on Monday nights on Spike TV at 9/10pm EST. Click on the link below to visit the website. Check out the interview. Have a great Monday.

http://www.spike.com/show/31809

Who has the Pee-Wee prowess?

I told you all last year about the 13 year old internet football phenom Cody Paul. Cody was doing his thing in that highlight film that is all over YouTube. Haven't heard much from young Cody of late. I think he should be entering the 8th grade or 9th grade next year. If he lives up to his highlight tape he will be one of the dopest high school running backs to come out of Cali in a long while.

I know bring to your attention, Cameron Burnette. This kid is only 4'9" 85 lbs and 10 years old. He was recently featured in Sports Illustrated Kids Top 20 athletes under 20. He's the only kid 10 years of age or younger on the list and only one of two football players.

Everything comes to pass and the times of high school athletes not being NFL ready are slowly winding down. The closest I've seen was Adrian Peterson. Darren McFadden was probably NFL ready as well.

For now, I'll let you all check out Young Cody and Cool Cam get busy on the field. Tell me who you think is better.

Peace,


Riverboat Ricky



Young Cody




Cool Cam