SOMETHING IS UGLY IN PRO-FOOTBALL… BUT IT'S NOT JOHN CLAYTON

Pretty  Ignorant: Pro sports continues to "Dumb Down" reporting.

I don't know about everyone else watching major sports on television, but I'm a fairly dedicated pro-football enthusiast, and I'm getting 'sick and tired' of watching supermodels trying to tell me about the game of football.  These days, literally each and every sideline so-called "reporter" is knock-down, drag-out, beautiful, skinny and dresses like they're going to a New York fashion show event.  These women obviously know very little about sports and it's obvious that they know even less about the men who play the games.  It seems like all of these sideline "features" they report on, are stories that span issues of major importance, like; "What brand of chewing gum coach Pete Carroll chews?" and "What kind of puppy RGIII bought his wife for Christmas?"  I have yet to hear one of these gorgeous creatures actually break down a simple game plan or offer a lucid thought or valuable opinion about a particular strategy or some insight as to whether the game plan would be changed by one variable or another. I don't know if these women even recognize the fact that they are on television for no other reason than they are beautiful, "eye-candy", holding a microphone.  I imagine once more important is that they are wearing tight jeans, short skirts, low-cut blouses, and smile with their bleached white teeth and parade their spray on tans.

This isn't an indictment on women being ignorant about football or any other subject; quite the opposite. This is a complaint that the networks that televise these sporting events don't feature the real women in this country who actually do understand the game and have intelligent and interesting insights to share on the subject. I would just prefer to listen to an average or even ugly woman offer some enlightening information about the game, or share an interesting anecdote gathered as an observer inside the stadium that folks at home aren't aware of in their living rooms.  There is no substitute for actually playing the game; being hit hard by a 250 lb. middle linebacker, or delivering a shoulder pad "Form Tackle" to the solar plexus of a quarterback, or throwing a touchdown winning "bomb" to a wide receiver on a deep seam route, but there are other ways to be knowledgeable about the game and how it's played.

There are women in this world who truly do understand the game of tackle football, even though they've never had the opportunity to put on helmets and shoulder pads and play.  Reading books about; the game rules, positions objectives, strategies and various coaches styles used in games, are all very good ways to learn about the game, but there's nothing like learning the game by simply watching it in the various stadiums venues around the country.

This brings me to "Mr. John Clayton" the ipso facto point of what a "real journalist", a "real reporter", a "real football analyst" should be: 

 andis no  is a andwill the and is a is a a a aJohn Clayton of ESPN Radio and Television, a "real honest to goodness accomplished journalist", may be the best example of the theory, "it's not necessary to play the game in order to understand its strategy and overall objectives."  Clayton is a master of NFL football, with a keen understanding of, contract terms and negotiations, and with an eidetic memory of seemingly every player in the NFL.  He is a wealth of information, with an endless energy, actually visiting all 32 franchises training camps to report their progress and how each team's roster is shaping up for the new season.  He is a prolific writer who often writes his regular column "Clayton's Mailbag" from his car on his laptop PC from the various locations around the country that he visits. Clayton looks more like a librarian or an astrophysicist than the preeminent NFL insider, as "high-in-demand" as it gets to the hundreds of network radio affiliates around America and a regular NFL news authority on ESPN programming. Being the first to admit it, John wouldn't win any awards for his "Sauvé and Debonair" demeanor, and wouldn't likely grace the cover of "Gentleman's Quarterly" for his handsome mug and fashionable attire. However, if you want to know "First" what's going on in the world of professional football, why is going on and what to expect in the future; John Clayton is your man and everyone in the industry knows it.

ESPN's, John Clayton, is what the NFL needs more of, and Nicole Zalomus and Molly Kiram, the girls of the weekly morning show, "NFL A.M."… Well, let's just say this is what Pro football could use less of it… They are perky, they are cute and they are scantily dressed…

POOR JUDGMENT OF TWO CREATES OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE: BYRON MAXWELL

BYRON MAXWELL MAKES MOST OF SUPER BOWL OPPORTUNITY: BECOMES NEWEST BOOM BROTHER

 So, Brandon Browner has been reinstated by the NFL after the league levied a one-year suspension on him after testing positive for marijuana.  Browner was already in the NFL's "drug program" after testing positive for marijuana, and at least two other failed drug tests, and also for performance enhancing drugs on at least "one other occasion".  There are technicalities that have allowed Browner to beat the NFL's ruling of an indefinite suspension (no less than one year). Though, this is not to suggest that he is (in any way) innocent of the infractions that he was found to be guilty of by league officials.  He's a good player, not a great player, and not the kind of player that the Seattle Seahawks need on the roster, let alone, to be worthy of an LOB member.  He was a decent game-day contributor, but now, it is obvious that his needs outweigh those of his teammates and that doesn't fly on a Pete Carroll coached football team. Seattle has (at least) four other, corners on the roster who are better than him (Maxwell, Thurmond, Lane, Shead) and the Seahawks just don't need him anymore.  Browner skill set is specific to the Seahawks secondary style of play and he was protected by Thomas, Chancellor and Sherman.  That surrounding support allowed him to play the physical press coverage that he specializes in, despite his transgressions as a cover corner.  I believe Browner would have a difficult time fitting in to any of the other 31 franchises in the league that primarily play coverage defense and zone sets. Nevertheless, Browner chose to continue smoking pot after he was already part of the NFL's "drug program" and therefore chose to damage his teammates and coaching staff with his selfishness and lack of appreciation for the golden opportunity to play America's favorite sport and be paid handsomely for doing it. He's embarrassed himself, his team and I would imagine his family. I would not consider bringing Browner back to the Seahawks circle of trust.  He's already made his decision to think of his personal desires before that of his team, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be great at football's highest level.  Move on Seattle and win another Super Bowl without Browner. Because of Browner's and Thurmond's shortsightedness and selfishness, a new superstar is quickly becoming worthy to be called one of the legendary "Legion of Boom.”  Byron Maxwell has taken hold of his opportunity with both hands and has made the best of another chance afforded him by a player who forgot Pete Carroll's most important moniker for players inside the program.  "Protect the Team" is a saying that Coach Carroll has used with the players in all of his programs; college and professional.  Walter Thurmond benefited from Brandon Browner's costly mistakes- and he made the most of his precious opportunity…at least for a while.  Thurmond played superbly from the moment he stepped on the field as the Seahawks new starter.  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he would open the door for Byron Maxwell, the way that Browner opened the door for him...  with a pricey lapse of judgment. Thurmond tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and received a four-game suspension.  He missed four games down the stretch of what would become the Seahawks Super Bowl run.  Instead of playing in some of the most important games the Seahawks would play, he sat at home in his living room watching Byron Maxwell become the newest member of the vaunted "Legion of Boom" and a new brotherhood was formed.  Now, Browner is a free agent and given another chance to play in the NFL again; though with a lot of baggage, likely including a two to four-game suspension for any team that decides to take a chance on him-- if any.  Thurmond is a free agent and might be looking at a new team this off-season, instead of playing another season for the Seattle Seahawks who look just as dominant, if not more, than the team who brought the Pacific Northwest its first Lombardi trophy.  Seattle may choose to pass on a player who decided that what he wanted temporarily was more important than the long-term plans for the Seattle Seahawks to win a championship for the first time in franchise history. Thurmond and Browner will both receive playoff and Super Bowl paychecks as well as, almost "honorary" Super Bowl rings.  One thing is for sure; Byron Maxwell will be a Seahawk in 2014 and he will wear his Super Bowl ring with the rest of his compatriots with pride and honor. 

This is really a dichotomy of players going in separate directions… It's easy to see where each player is going… Congratulations to Byron Maxwell, the Seattle Seahawks new starting right corner, “Legion of Boom” member and Super Bowl Champion!