Say What?
Anthony Kim gives up golf to take insurance money
Anthony Kim, who was one of golf’s finest young players before rupturing an Achilles tendon two years ago, has not played competitive golf since then. In fact, he’s hardly been seen at all. Stories are circulating that the 29-year-old Kim has an insurance policy that will pay him almost $20 million, tax free, if he doesn’t play again. Kim is quoted by an unnamed friend saying, “If I take one swing on tour, the policy is voided.” He would need to earn about $35 million to equal what he can make from his insurance policy that protects him from a career-ending injury.
Kaepernick fined for saying nothing?
San Francisco 49ers QB insists the $11,025 fine he was assessed by the NFL for “inappropriate language” during a game against the Chicago Bears was not justified. “The player that I supposedly said something to (Lamarr Houston) has been quoted saying that I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t know him, so it’s not like he had a reason to stick up for me.” Actually, Houston later said Kaepernick muttered the N-word, but perhaps he was not offended since the 49er is himself half African-American.
Locker raises chickens, gathers the eggs
Tennessee Titans QB Jake Locker hasn’t bought any chicken eggs for two years. Instead, he gathers them from a chicken coop in his backyard. “My grandparents always had chickens when we were young, and I loved going out there and getting eggs for breakfast and to sell.”
Brandon Marshall: Goodell had tears during meeting
Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall, who is a commentator on Showtime’s Inside the NFL, speaks openly about his battles with personality disorder. He met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this summer to discuss mental illness. Marshall told USA Today that Goodell “had tears in his eyes” as he asked how he could help players in trouble. “He really was concerned,” Marshall said. “He really cared. . . . A lot of times we think it’s just damage control or we’re trying to do this to protect the shield, but I gained so much respect for Goodell.”
With Goodell under media attack for a surge in domestic violence by players, Marshall has come under scrutiny for a 2009 trial for misdemeanor domestic violence. He was acquitted, and he prevailed in a civil suit brought by a former girlfriend. Marshall showed up for a recent media conference with handouts for Chicago reporters that included a packet of legal documents.
Foster accuses Anheuser-Busch of ‘selling poison’
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster cited hypocrisy in a beer company, Anheuser-Busch, stating: “We are not yet satisfied with the league’s handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code.” A series of tweets from Foster: “OK, alcohol company, selling poison on that high horse. . . Domestic violence and alcohol damn near synonymous.”
Janet Jackson: once the NFL’s main moral issue?
Comedian Bill Maher (HBO’s Real Time) said of the NFL’s epidemic of domestic violence: “It makes you long for the day when the most offensive thing about the NFL was Janet Jackson’s tit.”
Jets’ Allen: Alshon Jeffery is ‘lazy’ and lacks speed
New York Jets cornerback Anthony Allen was a teammate of Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery at South Carolina and gave mixed reviews of his performance. As the Jets and Bears prepared for their Monday night game, Newsday quoted Allen: “I do respect him as a receiver and as an athlete. He’s a ball hawk. If the ball is in the area he’s going to get it. Then again, he’s lazy sometimes. He lacks foot speed.” Jeffery must have gained speed since his college days. He caught 89 passes last year, for 1,421 yards, with a long gain of 80 yards. His feet looked rather fast Monday night when he caught 8 passes for 105 yards.
Rams’ Jared Cook shoves his QB on the sidelines
After he let a touchdown pass slip through his fingers in Sunday’s game against Dallas, St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook was approached by QB Austin Davis, looking to console him on the sidelines. But Cook shoved his teammate’s shoulder and pushed him aside. After the game, a 34-31 Rams defeat, Cook apologized, and repeatedly did so in tweets and media interviews. Davis, who was making just his second start, downplayed the incident: “On the sideline we were all frustrated. We’re trying to keep it together.”
Mack Brown now a TV star, denies Longhorns are ‘soft’
When Mack Brown’s program at the U of Texas went into decline, he cited Longhorn Network for taking up too much of his time, as he did three weekly shows during the season, adding six hours to his workload. Brown is now working for ESPN and CBS as an analyst, and he’s drawing positive reviews. He generally has avoided talking about his successor as head football coach, Charlie Strong. But on College Game Day, as the Longhorns prepared to play UCLA, Brown took issue with the notion, advanced by Strong, that the Texas players are soft. “These guys are tough, smart and dedicated,” he said, adding that he was tired of hearing otherwise.
Tar Heels have ‘supervisor of morale’
Caleb Pressley, who last year was a backup quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels, has a new job. A couple of them, actually. He patrols the sidelines wearing an odd jersey, sometimes a Dallas Cowboy, sometimes a Green Bay Packer, a costume that fits his role as play-signaler – so he can be easily spotted. But the graduate assistant also has another job. He is officially the team’s “supervisor of morale.”