The Entree Hasn't Arrived, But The Appetizers Of Football Season Are Here!

Yes, we still have more than 50+ days before the first college and pro football games. However, if you are a die hard football fan, who anxiously awaits kickoff every year, then you have to look for the small victories in life. Sarge, is talking about the small but significant signs that football is right around the corner.

The football preview magazines - Euphoria! When you see these babies hit the shelves at Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens, or your local bookstore, the fact that football is on the way can't be denied. You must absolutely purchase at least 2. Why 2? Because for the next 50+ days this will be your appetizer before the entree that is the 2010 football season. As the season draws closer, you will become more excited and with each minor rush of adrenaline you will need something to curb your football cravings. Each time you feel the need for football NOW, you pick up the preview magazine and read an article or about a team that you haven't got to yet.

Phil Steele's college and pro football preview magazines are an absolute must for the serious football fan. If you only prefer college, then pick up this college mag and one more that you feel covers a wide variety of topics that you like such as schedules, conferences, traditions, CHEERLEADERS, etc. Make sure you get 2 - better too much than not enough.

For the die hard pro football fan like myself, I recommend Phil Steele's mag and one more that covers predictions, schedules, tv shcedules, fantasy, CHEERLEADERS, and etc. Make sure you get 2 as you will need them.

If you love college and pro, get both of Phil Steele's mags and one more pertaining to college or pro, whichever you like best.

Preview Shows - I noticed this week that the NFL Network will be having shows all week pertaining to who their analysts feel are the best 5 players at each position. Also, college preview shows should start popping up on ESPN in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled when watching sports channels, the football is starting to sprout.

Internet Articles - Finally, read, read, read on the Internet. Football is now a year round sport, in case you haven't realized it. Now, the info is starting to get much more relevant. Scan the Internet with searches when the mood strikes you. YOU WILL FIND INFO TO READ ON THE NET ABOUT THE 2010 FOOTBALL SEASON.

Football is coming, but the beverages, bread, and appetizers for this entree are starting to arrive at the table. Make sure your hands are clean and your napkin is close. Feel free to begin to wet your football appetite with a sample of all of these. When the season hits, you will be ready for a feast.

Make Your Fantasy Football League - BETTER !

Sure, we still have 2 months before the NFL season kicks off but before you know it your fantasy football league draft will be here. Now, not later, is the time to start thinking about how to make your fantasy football league bigger, better, and more enjoyable.

Over the next 2 months, I am going to provide you with a little of the knowledge that I have been exposed to over the last 19 years as The Commissioner of a very deep, competitive, and fun fantasy football league. Feel free to use any suggestions you find here and discard any you do not like. This will be a buffet of fantasy football league ideas that you can satisfy your appetite with by what looks appealing to you.

With that said, here is the first suggestion for making your fantasy league better.

AS A LEAGUE, DARE TO CHANGE THE RULES - THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

So many people I talk to about fantasy football tell me how their league is "standard" fantasy football. Well, if you want great, "standard" will not cut it. Right now, I want you to think about the rules of your league. Which rules do you like? Which rules do you not like? Thinking outside of the box, what would you like to see put into or taken out of your league to make it more interesting and enjoyable?

Dare to make your league fun and unique according to the ideas of your league's competitors, rather than settling for the traditional "boring" rules of fantasy football. It is your league, make it what you want it to be.

Some time prior to your league's draft, have a league meeting for nothing more than rules discussion. This meeting will also give you another reason to hang out with the guys for a night. Order pizza, beverages, chips, etc. again - whatever you want. Then sit around for an hour, or two, or three and discuss your league. Allow everyone to make suggestions and give input, then vote on the proposed ideas. You will be amazed at where the brainstorming can take you.

Give everyone in your league about a week's notice of this meeting. Challenge them to not only think about changes, but to also read articles about the many different rules suggestions for fantasy football. The more brains you can pull from the better the ideas are that you find.

Most of all, have fun. Have fun during the rules meeting - that is being conducted so you can have MORE FUN during your league. Don't be lazy and remain standard. Challenge yourself and your other league members to shape your league into something better. If it is worth the time of participating in, it is worth the time of improving it. DARE TO CHANGE THE RULES!

Sgt. Football Is Moving To ESPN RADIO 105.1 FM

Sound Off Sports with Sgt. Football will be moving to ESPN Radio 105.1 FM beginning Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 11 am. Sarge and company will be telling it like it is and like it is telling it about sports every Saturday from 11 am til 12 noon.

Sound Off Sports is a fast paced, informative, opinionated sports radio show that touches on pro, college, and high school sports. Sarge's goals each Saturday is to inform you of something you haven't heard during that sports week, make you laugh or smile at least once if not more, and inspire you to form your own opinion on sports topics.

Sgt. Football has a platoon of co hosts that include - Mr. Irrelevant, The BackUp Quarterback, The Official Scorekeeper, and Jesse The Body. The names may be cheesy but the conversation is hard core opinion and facts from a variety of studied opinions who can admit when they are wrong but don't back away when they are right.

Listen for Sound Off Sports with Sgt. Football on ESPN Radio 105.1 FM beginning Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 11 am.

Hey Ump, Be The Adult !

We all are very aware of the fact that most professional athletes act like spoiled children. They have either bought or been given everything they want. The attitude of entitlement that this creates in the person often shows up on the playing field or court when the player complains about an official's or ump's call during a game. We all know that players will act like children. We expect it.

However, we don't expect the umpires or officials to act like children. More and more every year, we see umps or officials act like children just as the players do. Being the ump or official in sports is much like being the parent to kids. You must maintain control of your emotions when the child throws temper tantrums. As the umpire or official, you must remain professional and control your emotions. Too many umpires or officials are antagonizing players and trying to be part of the show.

We see umpires or officials going after players or coaches. They yell, scream, and spit on players and coaches with the same lack of professionalism that the players and coaches show. Hey umps and officials, just stand your ground, be professional, and when a coach or player yells, screams, and spits let their actions speak for themselves. Real fans will not condone the child like antics of players and coaches. When players and coaches cross the line, throw them out of the game and be done with it. Instead so many officials and umps want to show up the coach or player and continue to go after them. They seem to want to make the statement that "we are people too and we will not be treated that way". Sorry, receiving that verbal abuse is part of the job that you get paid to do just like the clerk at the store has to put up with complaints from the customer. Except the clerk gets paid a lot less money than the ump or official. Ump or official, if you can't handle that verbal abuse, then get out of the profession.

Hey ump or officials, be the grown up and quit sinking to the level of the spoiled athletes and coaches. Be calm, be invisible for the most part, and most of all just be professional whether the players and coaches are or not.

To People In Charge of Pro Sports - CLEAN UP THE STEROIDS & HGH !

Floyd Landis is the latest athlete to come out and admit that he cheated using performance enhancing drugs. Floyd also found it in his heart to clear everyone else's conscience by exposing all their "supposedly" cheating ways in cycling. What a guy, with friends like him who needs enemies?

ENOUGH ALREADY! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! STOP THE CHARADE! The powers that be in all professional sports can and should clean up the cheating athletes are doing by using PED's. BLOOD TEST! It is very simple. Tell the athletes that all testing will be performed on blood drawn from their body. The blood will tell all the truth. Human Growth Hormone doesn't show up in urine tests. Blood tests are simple, non invasive and the most accurate form of testing, just ask the contestants in the Olympics.

Unions in the pro sports league will fight blood testing tooth and nail. I DON'T CARE! Commissioners and Owners, just get it done for the future of professional sports. Please, I want my sports as clean as possible so that I know everything possible is genuine. Enough of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemons, Floyd Landis, Lyle Alzado, and everyone else that has caused my sportsworld to become so disingenuine.

This problem can be, if not completely removed, at least minimized to the very most. GIVE ME MY SPORTS WITH REAL RESULTS AND NOT COMIC BOOK OUTCOMES!

Lebron - No Heart Or Just Immature?

So this was going to be the year. The city of Cleveland, Ohio was finally going to get another pro sports championship. WRONG! The Celtics finished off the Cavs on Thursday by winning the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals series 4 games to 2. The team with the MVP and the best record in the regular season sent packing much earlier than expected.

Lebron James, the NBA MVP for the past two seasons, looked like anything but that in the game 5 blow out loss. Although he had a triple double in the final game, he committed 9 turnovers and didn't seem to concerned at times during the game that would end his season. James is taking a beating from fans and media alike for failing once again to win his first NBA Title.

All GREAT, not good, but GREAT champions have one thing in common - a burning desire to win with just as much hatred for losing. Based on body language and effort during the last two games, one must ask himself if Lebron really wants to win and really hates losing. Sure, Lebron doesn't have the great side kick yet in Cleveland. He does need more help than he has right now in Cleveland. But Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and all of the other GREATS of the NBA past would not have taken the losses in the last two games as well as Lebron did. These men hated losing so much that they would have been screaming at their teammates while leaving everything including blood, sweat, and tears on the floor during these losses. Lebron didn't seem real upset.

So Lebron just doesn't have the cut throat win at all cost mentality and heart of a great champion? Well, maybe but then again maybe not. Lebron started in the NBA right out of high school at 18 years of age. Maybe, Lebron just needs another year or two in order to mature. He seems frustrated by the lack of talent around him causing him to not play as hard. No excuse for this and the all time greats would never do it but he does seem very frustrated. With another two years or so under his belt maybe he doesn't let the frustration get to him and we see that burning desire for winning with just as much disgust for losing.

Either way, it will be a long off season for Lebron as he must wait another year to win that ever elusive NBA Title. He is a free agent and will get many offers. However, Cleveland is his hometown. It is bad enough he hasn't won a title for them but if he up and leaves then he may be hated for ever in his own hometown. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

Even more interesting is this question, who is Lebron James - Batman or Robin....Lone Ranger or Tonto....Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen?

Pay Attenttion - The Chiefs Are On Their Way Up

I wish NFL football was year round. Unfortunately, it isn't. However, the NFL Draft is an oasis in the middle of the desert known as the NFL off season. With the 2010 NFL Draft fresh out of the oven, I really like what the Kansas City Chiefs are doing.

The Chiefs front office is one half of the brain trust that built the Patriot Championship teams. Scott Pioli, also son in law of Bill Parcells I believe, is the General Manager. The offensive and defensive coordinators, Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, were in the same position for championship teams in New England. Last year the Chiefs signed Matt Cassel to a lucrative contract as Pioli believes Cassel is a franchise quarterback for the future.

Now with the 2010 draft, the Chiefs added three very quality football players from the best conference in college football. Eric Berry, who many consider to be the best talent in this draft, was chosen in the first round. A very talented defensive back from Tennessee, who makes plays. In the second round, the Chiefs selected Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss. A lightening quick multiple threat running back that can also play receiver and return kicks. Some reports indicate the Chiefs may try to use the speed and quickness of McCluster to play the slot receiver position that Wes Welker plays for the Patriots. Later in the second round, the Chiefs took defensive back Javier Arenas from the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Arenas also is an excellent return man and play maker.

I feel these three players could strengthen the core of the Chiefs organization for the future. All played in the SEC, which is the next closest thing to the NFL level. All are "playmakers" and every coach worth his salt will tell you that talent is a must. A coach without talented players is like a chef with rotten ingredients.

Pay attention to the Kansas City Chiefs in the coming years. Scott Pioli, Eric Berry, Dexter McCluster, and Javier Aerenas are all the real deal.