Levi and I have decided to move our response post back to Friday for various reasons.  One of these being to give you, the reader, a great way to start your weekend!  Also, before I begin, I’d like to give a shout out to my good friend and high school teammate Wilson Van Hooser for his sick touchdown catch in the ESPNU game last night for the Troy Trojans.

First Down- Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant made waves last Sunday with his sideline “tirade.”  This left many to question what was going on in Dallas, and whether or not he should be traded or benched.  There were several team meetings after the game, and since Tony Romo has come out in support of Dez.  This “incident” has been blown out of proportion, because Bryant has been labeled as a guy with character and/or maturity issues.

Dez Bryant is an immensely gifted player.  He was the number two wide receiver in the state of Texas coming out of high school in 2007, behind only Terrence Toliver who signed with the Chicago Bears four days ago.  In his two years at Oklahoma State, he amassed 2,000 yards receiving and caught 25 touchdowns and returned two punts for touchdowns.  He was almost the most dominant player in the NCAA videogame franchise ever.  Seriously, go play with Oklahoma State on NCAA 09 and send him on a go route on every single play and if in trouble just press “X”…it’s foolproof.

Since joining the Cowboys, Dez has continued to display his dominance as a wide receiver.  He is in his fourth season now in Dallas and already has over 3,500 yards and 35 TDs as a Cowboy.  He is averaging roughly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns per year right now.  But, he still has that diva persona that plenty of receivers get tagged with because of the great early 2000s receivers like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson/Ochocinco/Johnson.

The incidents that have occurred in Dez Bryant’s career both in college and as a professional portray him as a little childish at worst.  The arrest because of the altercation with his mother is certainly the most alarming, but it was a very low misdemeanor and the charges were ultimately dropped.  Everything else, the lying to the NCAA, the 800 grand jewelry debt, and this latest sideline meltdown are all indications that Bryant still has some growing up to do.  He has a great zeal for the game apparently and is still a little childish at times, but by no means should the Cowboys take alarm at this.  They simply need to continue to help him to mature.  If this had been the majority of NFL players on any other team, this would have been a complete non-issue, but because of Dez’s label everybody freaks out.

Second Down- Kliff Kingsbury

Kliff Kingsbury is stud.  He’s an excellent coach, he’s a cool guy, and women tell me he’s handsome.  A guy like this is great for recruiting, because players want a coach who is cool and relatable.

He’s also apparently a good coach too.  He was, after all, the offensive coordinator for the team that produced the first freshman Heisman trophy winner in NCAA history and the player who produced the most yards in a single season in the SEC by almost 800 yards.  Both of those, of course, were Johnny Manziel.  He also coached Case Keenum at the University of Houston, who topped 5,000 yards passing three times in his career there and likely would have been four had he not torn his ACL three games into the 2010 season.

The big question for Kingsbury is what does he do after this season when the job offers come pouring in?  Does he follow Mike Gundy’s example and stick around to build his alma mater into a powerhouse?  Or does he spurn Texas Tech for a “bigger” job?  Rumor has it that there is going to be one of those jobs available right down the road in the not-so-distant future.  Kliff Kingsbury is now a household name in the college football world.  If he can stick around in Lubbock, and make them a national power for several years to come he can become a college football coaching legend.

Third Down-Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking at one of the best one-year turnarounds in NFL history.  Andy Reid and Alex Smith have helped take this team for the dregs of the NFL to a playoff teams, and to some a Super Bowl contender.  Running back Jamaal Charles already has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 8 TDs on the year.  The defense has also been stellar so far this season, currently ranked 5^th in total defense after finishing 20^th in the same category in 2012.

 

The Chiefs turnaround has been impressive, and for Kansas City fans I’m sure a reason to celebrate after last season’s debacle.  This team does not have what it takes to win a Super Bowl this season though.  The Chiefs are having a fantastic season and will make the playoffs, but there’s still a really good chance they do not even win their division.  The Broncos and their juggernaut offense will likely win that division in the end, and get two cracks at the Chiefs this regular season on November 17^th and December 1^st.  The Broncos have scored 151 more points thanthe Chiefs this season, and Peyton Manning seems like a man on a mission.  That mission is to be the first Papa John’s owner to win two Super Bowls.

Fourth Down-Kentucky number 1?

The Kentucky Wildcats are the number one team heading in to the 2013-2014 NCAA basketball season.  Some people believe this is a little high considering ten of the sixteen players are freshman or sophomores, and they did not even make the NCAA tournament last year and lost to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT.  Yes that is a school, not a person.

The real thing though is does it even matter?  Unlike football, where the preseason polls can pretty much make teams unable to control their own destiny from the beginning of the season, in basketball if you are in the top 25 you will make the tournament.  If you make the tournament, you can win the tournament.  Should Kentucky be the preseason number one?  Probably not.  Does it matter?  Absolutely not.