CONCUSSION DISCUSSION

I went to see the movie "Concussion" and if you didn't see it don't worry I'm not going to give away any of the details nor the story lines that aren't already in the public sphere. It was a very good movie in my opinion and since I'm neither Siskel nor Ebert take that for what it's worth. But also take into account I've worked around professional football players for a number of years and see and hear of the effects it has, is having on veteran players.

Concussions aren't restricted to football; but the fact that football skirted the issue is what brought their connection with concussions to the forefront. When players start killing themselves in the face of normalcy, all things considered, then you have a problem. When a doctor can look at the evidence objectively using data and not inferring conclusions for the good of profit or fandom then you have to respect and address that.

Any sport, activity or event that will consistently show a backlash that outweighs the benefits needs to be evaluated, not eliminated. I love football and loved it in its purest form of gladiator aggression. It challenges me to think how many of my heroes that may be suffering now and that saddens me. One because I encouraged it as a fan; secondly because I cried foul when the NFL tried to improve the product by protecting the player. We're all double edged swords in this game of football. We love to see the hard hit, the "You Got Jacked Up!" highlights; yet we hate to see the stretcher slowly arrive on the field indicating the hit was serious enough that a physically gifted player can't get up on their own and recognizing the smelling sauce is just an exercise in futility.

So what do we do? We continue watching the game. If you play you accept the fact that the risks are real and documented. But the conundrum for any kid who sees football as a way out of poverty or access to the champagne life is purely risk/reward. It's hard to argue if he has poured all his talent into the game but if he stays in the league even one year the possibility of him becoming a victim to a serious injuries or concussion is there in black and white. You don't think about when you're playing or you'll get hurt players have told me repeatedly. I concur that you have to focus on the positive outcome not only in football but in life. That is indeed an interesting parallel...

It's hard to say what college football and the NFL will focus on going forward but one thing's for sure. In this information age everyone will know what you do and how you choose to handle it for the most part. Thereafter your actions will say a lot about how you rank people and profits when pitted against each other. I can only hope that people will win out every time. I'd like to think that now...

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

ODELL'S DILEMMA

The world saw the other side of New York Giant wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and it wasn't pretty; as a matter of fact the onslaught of repetitive replays made it even more alarming. To say it was uncalled for is fair and to say action should be taken swiftly is appropriate.

Odell has shown he doesn't like to be stopped which is normal for a competitive and world class wide receiver in the NFL. But the way you display your frustration is the issue the world is currently wrestling with. We like OBJ; he's fun, cool and does pre-game rituals akin to Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. The kind that make you get to the venue hours ahead of schedule just to witness the skill set that leave your jaw agape.

SBNation.com

But what was witnessed yesterday left it wide open for a different reason. Code violation as some players have told me. Disrespect as others have illustrated and my opinion is "Totally uncalled for." But the bigger question or more specific his dilemma is: Where do you go from here? Odell is young but already on the verge of stardom on and off the field. He has endorsements, and I wonder if they're in jeopardy. He has big shoe and apparel contracts that will no doubt undergo scrutiny. And he has fans who will certainly question their allegiance to him after witnessing his latest temper tantrum. In case you didn't know it's not his first transgression but it most certainly is his worst.

sportsbusinessdaily.com

OBJ has to make up his mind as to which player he wants the world to see. The gifted, athletic and graceful wide receiver who conjures up catches reminiscent of John Jefferson and Cris Carter. Or the diva craving attention one like Chad Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens who clearly wanted the camera and attention on them. They both have had unparalleled success but the way they're remembered is what stays with you long after the game is gone. His call either way but I can assure you of one thing, he will not be happy if he's remembered for his behavior versus his talent. When you talk about Jerry Rice or Tim Brown it's all about the talent and that's where they kept the focus. Odell needs to follow the path these Hall of Fame receivers laid. Its all about the routes they run and nothing else. Let your play do the talking and let your talking sit on the bench; at least until after the game. Then your words can run amuck, hopefully with respect in tow.

Odell I love your game and your talent. But that's all I want to see on the field. You're young and I was too once upon a time so I accept that this lapse in emotional control as a product of your maturity. Anyone my age can admit we made mistakes as well; but the key is to learn from them and keep growing beyond this. With that being said, I hope you do and go on to become the world class receiver we all think you're destined to be.  You're still headed that way....in spite of. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

YOUR HORSE IS TOO HIGH

So the ruling has come down and the status remains the same. Pete Rose is not worthy of being reinstated to baseball. For the love of Seattle Slew please come off your high horse baseball.

I am indifferent as to whether Pete Rose needs to be castrated baseball wise but what I can say without hesitation is baseball needs to get off its high horse. Yes the baseball that allows betting; the baseball that allows casinos to sponsor team events and place signage in baseball parks. Yes the baseball that has sweepstakes and partners with the likes of fantasy baseball and the likes. Yes someone who committed the ultimate "betting" crime has to he hung out to dry? Give me a break.

a.fssta.com

I know there are those who say Pete Rose did it to himself; he did. You did it to yourself. What is that? Put yourself in position to be judged as blameless and perfect. To be judged by GOD (if you're a believer) or to be judged by your peers when the time comes and it will, if it hasn't already.  I am NOT condoning what Pete Rose did but simply condoning those who want him to serve a lifetime punishment for a game. We're talking about a game? What are we talking about (In my Allen Iverson voice) a game!? A game man?

That's exactly what we're talking about a man and a game. A game that is full of performance enhancement violations; collusion by owners; greed by players and teams; Bar fights, domestic violence and on and on. Yet this one crime and person shall be hailed as the greatest crime ever committed in baseball. There is the alleged racist Ty Cobb, yet no one says recall his Hall of Fame status ala the Bill Cosby retraction that seems to happen every month.

Ty Cobb was an alleged racist but no calls for his removal from the Hall of Fame - Phillysportshistory.com

Baseball needs to get a grip but those who agree with baseball need to as well. To say Pete Rose should forever be banned because he brought it on himself is counter to those who know a family member or themselves that have asked for forgiveness and got it. And if they didn't get it they cry bloody murder at the missed opportunity. Yet when it comes to Pete Rose they want to hang em' high.

Betting on baseball is legal - Bronxbaseballdaily.com

I still say Pete will get in after he has passes as if he can't do any harm to the "Integrity of the Game." I say the game lost its integrity when it didn't say to Pete, you've suffered enough, been embarrassed enough and enough time has lapse to teach any forthcoming players or future stars a valuable lesson. And that could be Pete's job, going to every major and minor league team annually and telling his story and what it cost him. What he's paying now is interest on ignorance and that's not a good return on anyone's investment.

Yes I know he still bet on baseball; but baseball also makes it easy for Las Vegas to bet on the game too. I'd love to point out their hypocrisy but the horse is too high for common sense to reach. That's the ways I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller

BRAND LOYALTY

I was very encouraged to hear that LeBron James inked a lifetime deal with Nike for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball or shoes. LeBron James shoes are expected to crest upwards of $400 million in sales this year and the initial money Nike paid him out of high school, which was 7 years and $90 million, now pales in comparison to his worth and what he has generated for the top sneaker line in the world.

LeBron with Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul  and President Obama ESPN.Go.com

But the loyalty that LeBron has shown to his friends is the number one misused and underused brand in the world: Friendship. So many athletes run out of their neighborhoods looking to latch on to the people with name recognition who have no respect for their environment. Oh they say all the right things and it's just to secure the signature on the paper of representation and then the walls close in around the player. But not LeBron; Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul are business partners and life long friends who represent him well. Yes they work with other skilled and savvy business people but they are making money representing the brand they've been a part of since childhood, their FRIEND LeBron James. Why don't more athletes do it? I can't answer that other than to say they don't know what's possible. They can't imagine that their friends are capable of negotiating big deals; but what they don't realize is the best in the business started without ever having done a deal. The difference is someone gave them a chance to make it happen and once they got the first deal done they started doing others.

Here is the simple end of the deal, and admittedly there are some more intricate points that require prerequisite planning and knowledge: most salaries are slotted and access to information is available to all involved in the game. I am not saying this to diminish the hard work agents contribute but I am saying there isn't a magic formula that one guys has over another for the most part. If player above you makes $3 million and the player below you makes $1 million than it's safe to say you should expect $2 million. Most Pro Leagues have unions which means the contracts are standardized and with the aid of an attorney whom you can pay billable hours you can learn on the go and ensure your player is being compensated at fair market value. Now with leagues establishing a rookie salary cap, the first contract is basically done for you.

Team LeBron - Worldredeye.com

I remember Leigh Steinberg was the agent of nearly all the top quarterbacks in the NFL at one point and people talked about how great he was. Was he great or did he have great products in the players? When you have all the cards you can control the game; yes just like spades. David Falk had Michael Jordan, Alonzo Mourning and a list of players to die for. Scott Boras is hated by many baseball teams because when a player lands with him he is allegedly going to hold the team hostage. Why are all of these guys considered great negotiators? Primarily because of who they represent. If you walked in the door of Samsung, Sprite, Kia or any other company that wants to do business with LeBron, you have already cleared the most difficult hurdle which is whether the "want to" is there. With LeBron the answer is unequivocally yes. The next hurdle is whom do we need to speak with and the answer is his FRIENDS who are his business managers. From there its hammering out a deal that works for both parties and there are precedents set that help you ensure your friend gets a fair deal.

LeBron's Endorsement list keeps growing - Forbes

So as we celebrate LeBron and his lifetime deal, I celebrate LeBron and his willingness to make sure his FRIENDS are part of his success. Not just tagging along, running up tabs, sleeping late and sucking the life out of him; but becoming self sufficient, successful and financially secure. When LeBron James retires his FRIENDS will probably be in a position to do so as well. If not their resume' which includes representing King James will surely open up doors to new opportunities and other athletes going forward. That's the blueprint for success and it starts with the brand that often gets overlooked and is undervalued. As they say sometimes it's right up under your nose and what LeBron has shown is it can be done without sacrificing the art of the deal. 

So don't be quick to say I have to go to this big name guy or that popular guy to get the best deal. The truth is the best deal is based on the market and your potential. If you, or your kid is the next LeBron or Tom Brady trust me the hard part is behind you and the opportunities are in front of you. But remember your friends and how you can not only bring them out of the neighborhood with you, you can empower them to use their GOD given abilities too. You might even be surprised at the deals they create because they're not tainted by the "It's always been done this way" mantra. They're just like you looking to make their mark on the game, which in this case is the business of sports. And you can score in that arena as well.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

THE GREATEST OF ALL IS TIME

Peyton, this is Kobe; give me a call when you get a minute. Oh and by the way Father Time says he's been trying to reach you and said he will eventually.

...And still undefeated, Father Time! No one outruns him; no one out plays him and no one will ever will. Kobe Bryant finally succumb to the cruel reality that Father Time gets us all in the end. You have willed your way past injuries Peyton Manning and fought through an assortment of ailments but sitting in the fourth quarter of life with an end of game invoice is Father Time. You can't escape it and the illusion of your youth gives you false hope that you can. Talk about false hope...

cbssports

So many athletes in their prime, at the top of their game, felt they were different only to learn there is no discrimination when it's time to call it a day. Muhammad Ali for as great as he was, looked embarrassingly inept beyond his years before he quit. Joe Namath played for several different teams looking for lighting in a bottle only to find out it was Vodka. You can go to every sport and you'll find someone who doesn't know what we see and that is, that their time is now. I've got one more inning; one more at bat; one more jumper and they do but it only resides in their mind. If you're a real fan of that player you hold out hope based on past performances that yeah, they do have one more. This was just an off night, week or month.

USA Today

How does an athlete reconcile with their mind, the fact their body no longer has the ability to compete at the highest level regardless of what they done the past double digit years? Yes you see the ball but a split second in sports has cost many a player a chance at stardom so when it happens to a legend it's even harder to take.

Father Time doesn't take any prisoners, has no sympathy for your idol and certainly doesn't care if it affects the outcome of the game. He's making room for the next superstar or the next idol-in-the-making and you, once full of youth, yes you are in the way.

Peyton Manning has outlasted Father Time for a while now even though we all see he can't throw a deep ball with any velocity and/or accuracy the way he once did. Kobe Bryant's legs went on vacation a while ago but he thought they were still at the ready upon his command. These are the latest two players who have tested the age old theory that you can't out run father time and they're doing it in the typical and most painful way; lying to themselves. Having not been a superstar I wonder how they justify their sub-par performances when they turn consistent? How do they rationalize the pain that now awaits them in the second half versus 2 days after the game if at all? How do they make sense of the fact the signature move they made time and again, which freed them to make the Sportscenter Top Ten highlight reel, arrived later than it used to giving the defender the decided advantage?

Business Insider

It has to be disheartening but the clues are all around. Former athletes they looked up to including Michael Jordan, have fallen to Father Time and typically in ways we'd rather forget. 10, 12 even 14 years of stellar performance and then we're left to watch a former shell of our heroes unwilling to concede their time has come. It has to be painful (Ask Tiger Woods); it has to be a slap in the face with a wet rag for them knowing their body and mind now disagree with them about playing one more game, down, quarter or inning. Part of the body is saying golf, more golf. While the mind says "Yes we can!" Never have two sides that were once in total sync become such a contradiction of their past.

But that's what happens when you try to beat your last opponent, who is and always will be undefeated. Father Time; a cruel opponent who lets you think you can do it all and all of a sudden, won't let you do it at all. Kobe finally gave in and once Peyton answers his call he will to. The great thing about Father Time is he has all the time in the world; and time outs too. Don't worry he'll win and so much so that Vegas won't take odds on him. Father Time is called a sure bet and Oddsmakers avoid him at all costs. Something our heroes can't seem to do. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.