Graham Harrell signs with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders

He is overlooked by the notoriously stupid NFL. I guess only the bad boys of college get to play ball in the NFL or they have to have played for a so called tier one college. Not that the tier one schools are valid any longer in regards to the true definition of what it should entail. Many of these so called schools no longer deserve to be classified as such, but because they have money and can afford such high profiles, their respective players can very well write their own ticket into the NFL. Tech's Michael Crabtree was one of the few exceptions who actually had true talent and made it into the NFL. He was from a great conference but from a small university who lacks in the $$$ column compared to their collegiate siblings & rivals from schools such as UT, OK, A&M, etc.

Not to take anything from what Michael has achieved (and will hopefully continue to achieve), but a receiver's chances of being drafted by the NFL is far greater & better than that of a QB. Besides, Michael was supposed to go quicker in the first round of this year's draft and almost did not make even the top 10 because of Oakland's dismissal at picking him at # 8; had it not been for the 49er's taking him at # 10, Michael surely would have slipped out of the top 10 when he was supposed to go somewhere in the top 5 range.

QB's from the smaller, disrespected & ignored colleges usually go to the CFL (as is the case with Harrell and previous Texas Tech QB's). The arena football league disbanded due to various reasons last season so I suppose one can say that the CFL is now more competitive so Graham should be happy & satisfied for having been taken by the Saskatchewan Roughriders (read the story here), but that sort of statement would not be just or do justice to Graham's fantastic collegiate career. Plus, the lone fact that the ignorance of any NFL team to give him a shot just makes him want to try harder and one day he will get that call from an NFL team to show everyone what he is made of and ppl will wonder why it took so long. If Kurt Warner doesn't inspire football fans to show more support for the little guy, the under dog, the long-shot, then I don't know what to say. If fans rallied a lot more in support of what we want and who we want, maybe the league would be better off. We could rid the league of the true bad boys faster. Personally, I like the way the ownership of the Packers belongs to their respective fans.

BTW: In further noting why, to me, the NFL does more often suck than not, let's discuss one of my all time fav players...one Terrell Owens. He IS NOT A BAD BOY!!! I really believe that he is just misunderstood and seriously gets unfairly picked on by the glorified media that spins things so much out of control that they could easily provide major cities with wind power. He was long ago chosen to be a negative player because the sport's pundits chose the wrong player when it came time to pick sides of right and wrong. It was too late for the pundits to change back sides so they continued their witch-hunt of Terrell to continue in desperation to justify their awful decision until the poor guy either broke down (which he never did) or until he uttered a major gaffe (which he never did either).

He does merely voice his thoughts & opinions. Let's face it, ppl, it is the premadonnas of the past that have once played QB to his WR who have been the cry-babies. In a way, they were the belly-crawling, ratty, little whistle-blowers. Perhaps it is they (NFL QB's in Owen's past) who have just been too chicken to voice their own opinions if ever they had any as most of them were/are "yes men". Terrell has never gotten into physical brawls with his team-mates, never gotten into trouble with the law, never been associated with drugs or any other crimes. Don't tag him as a thug, a trouble-maker, or for certain not as a bad boy when the great player that he is happens to get passed over for the real tag that he is truly deserving of...a franchise tag.

Story of the Tour's "yellow jersey" / "maillot jaune"

The all-famous "yellow jersey" or in its native French language the "maillot jaune" denotes the leader of the race per stage and is won overall by the winner at the end of all the stages. It was dubbed as such as it was first given to Frenchman Eugène Christophe by race founder Henri Desgrange. Henri thought up the idea and then announced it during stage 7 on July 10, 1919. The "maillot jaune" was not presented to Christophe until one week later at the start of stage 11. This was the first tour since WWI which had brought the race to a 5 year halt. Henri Desgrange was also the owner and editor of the sport's paper, L'Auto. The color yellow was chosen because Desgrange's paper was also yellow in background.
As always, everyone is in anticipation of whom will wear the "yellow jersey". Yes, who will continue to wear it through-out the remaining 13 stages. We know that the Italian, Rinaldo Nocentini, will start off tomorrow's stage 10 wearing it, but will he be able to keep it by withstanding sure fire chases by other rival teams? Will his squad stand behind him as well to ensure the "yellow jersey" stays within their team? As the Tour returns to the flatlands it is common knowledge that teams such as Astana & Columbia-HTC are sure to be in cahoots within their respective teams to snatch it away.

Tour day off...Monday, July 13, 2009

Sunday ended stage 9 and tomorrow will begin the tour again at stage 10.

We bid farewell to the Pyrénées (considered the first phase of the mountains) as the tour returns to the flatlands on Tuesday where the sprinters will once again vie for the opportunity at winning the "green jersey". After the grueling days in the Pyrénées, the sprinters, as they survived the mountainous terrain, are in their element in these flatlands. They stand ready to show us how why they are dubbed as "warriors of the road" by cycling guru Paul Sherwen

Paul goes on to remind us in his article, (written for and posted on versus.com )in which he reviews tomorrow's stage 10, that Team Columbia-HTC will regroup in plans to help their team-mate, Mark Cavendish (Great Britain), take back the points race to take back the "green jersey" which is currently held by Germany's Thor Hushovd. Mark won and wore the "green jersey" early on in this year's tour and had it for several stages, but Thor (who has won the overall points race in previous tours), took it away during the mountain stages.

We also look ahead to see what other teams have in mind and how their strategies will fair in trying to play take-away from the current jersey wearers of such respective races. Or how the team's of such current holders of said jerseys will fight to keep them.

Mon 7-13-09 Tour de France current overall leader board

Top 30 positions
1 87 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo ITA ALM 34:24:21 0:00:00
2 21 CONTADOR, Alberto ESP AST 34:24:27 0:00:06
3 22 ARMSTRONG, Lance USA AST 34:24:29 0:00:08
4 24 LEIPHEIMER, Levi USA AST 34:25:00 0:00:39
5 58 WIGGINS, Bradley GBR GRM 34:25:07 0:00:46
6 23 KLÖDEN, Andréas GER AST 34:25:15 0:00:54
7 76 MARTIN, Tony GER THR 34:25:21 0:01:00
8 51 VANDE VELDE, Christian USA GRM 34:25:45 0:01:24
9 31 SCHLECK, Andy LUX SAX 34:26:10 0:01:49
10 95 NIBALI, Vincenzo ITA LIQ 34:26:15 0:01:54
11 118 SANCHEZ, Luis-Leon ESP GCE 34:26:37 0:02:16
12 77 MONFORT, Maxime BEL THR 34:26:42 0:02:21
13 36 SCHLECK, Frank LUX SAX 34:26:46 0:02:25
14 93 KREUZIGER, Roman CZE LIQ 34:27:01 0:02:40
15 81 EFIMKIN, Vladimir RUS ALM 34:27:06 0:02:45
16 1 SASTRE, Carlos ESP CTT 34:27:13 0:02:52
17 61 ASTARLOZA, Mikel ESP EUS 34:27:23 0:03:02
18 11 EVANS, Cadel AUS SIL 34:27:28 0:03:07
19 75 KIRCHEN, Kim LUX THR 34:27:37 0:03:16
20 161 KARPETS, Vladimir RUS KAT 34:28:10 0:03:49
21 101 CASAR, Sandy FRA FDJ 34:28:19 0:03:58
22 29 ZUBELDIA, Haimar ESP AST 34:28:35 0:04:14
23 27 POPOVYCH, Yaroslav UKR AST 34:28:41 0:04:20
24 181 GERDEMANN, Linus GER MRM 34:28:41 0:04:20
25 174 FEILLU, Brice FRA AGR 34:28:47 0:04:26
26 162 BOTCHAROV, Alexandre RUS KAT 34:29:21 0:05:00
27 41 MENCHOV, Denis RUS RAB 34:29:23 0:05:02
28 74 HINCAPIE, George USA THR 34:29:46 0:05:25
29 187 VELITS, Peter SVK MRM 34:29:49 0:05:28
30 106 LE MEVEL, Christophe FRA FDJ 34:30:24 0:06:03

Le Tour de France 2009...

Welcome back, Lance!

Lance did make a tour fan out of this person, but like I told my sis, Josie, I am not really an avid Lance fan. I will cheer for him as he tries for tour-win # 8 but will jeer at him whenever I see him throw up a "hook em, horns" hand sign for a school he never attended. I heard someone jokingly say he was back to try to win back Sheryl Crow...I laughed & laughed at the stupidity of that comment and what an absurd gesture it would be. Not that Lance is too good for her, but vice versa. He was not nice to her when she needed him the most, but she did overcome her own cancer dilemma and now has a child (a real child not a man-child) to keep her company. Kudos to her. Anyway, my issues with Lance and his UT antics and his Sheryl Crow frolics aside, I do hope he can pull out another victory. It is strange seeing him riding for a non-American team, his Team Astana. Not that he always did ride for a team from the U.S., but before he retired in 2005 after having posted tour win # 7, my favorite teams of his were the American-spawned U.S. Postal and Team Discovery.

Anyway, back to the tour. This year's tour began with a bang as it usually does. I must say that my favorite stages during the 22 stage event are the individual time trials closely followed by the team trials. I also love the stages when the tour visits the Pyrénées and the Alps; I am always in awe of how the riders keep up with the grueling climbs with the difficult road gradients that make my legs cramp up just by watching.

I am also in awe of how the domestiques selflessly give up the limelight that awaits the victor of the tour at the end of the 22 stage journey by playing second-fiddle to his team's chosen leader. It is the domestique's job to make sure that his team's leader is protected from harm from the rest of the field in the event of a crash, it is his job to play rabbit to the field within the peloton to help keep his team's leader in the chase, it is his job to also try to win a stage to help score points for his team which in an odd way also helps his team's leader. And mostly, it is the domestique's job to push and pull. In pulling, he allows his team's leader to ride his coat-tails by ways of the leader latching on to the winds that his domestique's cycle puts out which basically carries the leader without much effort on his behalf. It reduces his need for greater cadence. In pushing, the domestique has to find it within himself to encourage his leader to ride faster and harder regardless of how he (the domestique) is feeling. He has to play cheerleader.

This tour and the sport which is called bicycling is just awesome. Whomever says that it is not a real sport is plain ignorant or an American cro-magnon man. This is a real sport which takes over 22 days to complete almost 2200 hundred miles of different terrain which includes mountains -real mountains!

My hats are off to these gentlemen. One day I will find myself in France during the awesome month of July to see this great tour in person. To see one stage of the tour would be great in itself, but how much more in awe would I be to be fortunate enough to see more than two stages (goose bumps happening)...I would ever be so humbled to see all 22 stages.

I am currently pulling for Lance (U.S.), Levi Leipheimer(U.S.), and even Alberto Contador (Spain) to win the entire event. My favorite rider though, always has been and continues to be one George Hincapie (U.S.). George is Lance's buddy and was one of his domestiques during all his previous 7 tour victories. Even though he has never been in this to win the entire event, it just makes me so happy to see him still there and my tears will be difficult to hold back if he is able to win a stage or more this year. He is a top notch kinda guy. It is a little sad to see Lance and George on opposite teams, but I am glad they are each doing well. Aside from Lance's Team Astana being one of my favs this year, I must say that George's Team Columbia-HTC is close second with the one in third and final fav column is Team Garmin-Slipstream (another American Fav on this team for me is one Christian Vande Velde).

Vive le Tour de France, baby! (pardon the almost Dick Vitale-ish quote).

My personal list of Favs to win the tour and other races within the tour

Fav Tour de France 2009 Overall Champion (riders I pick to win the "yellow jersey"):
1) Lance Armstrong (U.S.)
2) Alberto Contador (Spain)
3) Levi Leipheimer (U.S.)
4) Christian Vande Velde (U.S.)
5) Tony Martin (Germany)
Consolation Fav of mine
6) George Hincapie (U.S.)...still considered more of a domestique, could win a stage or more, but not an overall contender - he is the quintessential "team player"!

Fav Tour de France 2009 Points Champion (riders I pick to win the "green jersey"):
1) Thor HUSHOVD (Norway)
2) Mark CAVENDISH (Great Britain)

Fav Tour de France 2009 Climber "King of the Mountains" Champion (riders I pick to win the "polka dot jersey"):
1) Well, I hate to say that I am still undecided, but my fav is Thomas VOECKLER (France). Not just my fav for the Climber jersey because he is french, but because he has been around for a long time (since 2001), and he deserves a win of big significance. However, after stage 9, he is # 14 overall with 31 points. The rider sitting at the # 1 position is Egoi MARTINEZ (Spain) with 78 points. Go Thomas (France's "sweetheart"!)!!!

Fav Tour de France 2009 Youth Champion (riders I pick to win the "white jersey"):
1) Tony MARTIN (Germany)...this guy will win the Tour de France real soon!
2) I won't be presumptuous here as I am not familiar with the rest of the newcomers or young guys under 25 this year. Yes, shame on me for that.

Fav Tour de France Overall Team winner:
1) Team Astana (KAZAKHSTAN)
2) Team Columbia-HTC (U.S.)
3) Team Garmin-Slipstream (U.S.)

Fav Tour de France Combative Champion (standings not yet available to pick from)