Elder Fredette Brother TJ Delivers on Promise to Jimmer

March 25, 2011

If you have paid any attention to the national sensation that is Jimmer Fredette, or watched any of BYU’s recent games, you might have seen the story of the “contract.”

Back in 2007, Jimmer signed a homemade contract that his older brother TJ drew up for him. Though just in high school at the time, it forced Jimmer to commit to his dream of one day playing in the NBA. It was a solemn pledge to his brother to do everything in his power to make that dream come true, and take nothing for granted along the way.

In case you haven’t seen it, here is a photo of that contract, crudely written in black marker on a simple piece of paper.

There’s no doubt that the contract, which still hangs above his bed at night, has served as a source of inspiration to Jimmer.

And in turn, Jimmer has inspired the elder TJ, himself an aspiring rap artist. You may have heard the song he released about Jimmer and his wizardry on the court, appropriately titled, “Amazing.”

But what was the real nexus of the “Amazing” rap song, as well as the up-and-coming musical career of TJ Fredette? You might be surprised to discover that this too started with a contract.

In a JSF exclusive, our sources have obtained this contract, which Jimmer drew up for his brother the very next day back in 2007. This time, TJ is the one making the promise to stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate goal.

Two brothers: committing to greatness. It just goes to show the power of the pen, or in this case, magic marker. The only way their bond could be any stronger would be to write it in glitter.


Tale of the Tape: NFL vs. Modern-Day Slavery

March 17, 2011

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson raised some eyebrows this week when he likened the current NFL labor situation to “modern-day slavery” in an interview with Yahoo Sports.

Peterson might be surprised to know that modern-day slavery actually still exists, most often in the form of bonded labor and human trafficking.  So perhaps we shouldn’t be so hasty as to dismiss his claims as yet another pampered, out-of-touch professional athlete spouting off about the hardships of being a twenty-something millionaire adored by fans for playing a game.

Instead, let’s go to the tale of the tape: Working for the NFL vs. Modern-Day Slavery…

It was a close call, but I think the NFL players may have a better set up.  Thankfully, I’m guessing most players–including Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant –would agree.

Besides, it might not even be the worst analogy we’ve heard lately, given that Dwayne Wade said people act like the World Trade Center collapsed every time the Miami Heat lose a few games, and Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy compared NBA commissioner David Stern to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi because of the lack of flagrant fouls drawn by center Dwight Howard.

At least their comments make it crystal clear that one thing you do not need to make your living in the professional sports world is perspective.


Newton or Tebow: Who Will Make a Better Pro?

March 11, 2011

Without a doubt, the two most celebrated quarterbacks to come out of college the last couple years are Tim Tebow and Cam Newton, which begs the question: Of the two, who will have a more successful professional career?

NFL scouts and general managers like to toss around terms like “passing accuracy” and “intelligence” when evaluating young quarterbacks, constantly using unfair criteria such as these to make snap judgments on their potential.

Another useless term scouts like to constantly harp on is “footwork.”  I mean, come on. You don’t throw a deep out pattern with your foot.
 
And just because Tebow and Newton possess virtually none of the typical characteristics of a franchise NFL quarterback, well, that doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy long and successful careers.

Fact is Tebow and Newton have many positive qualities that often go overlooked by scouts, despite being just as effective in determining future success. So let’s compare the two based on these criteria and predict which guy will make the better pro.

#1 – Jersey Sales 
Even though Cam Newton hasn’t been drafted yet, it would be hard to imagine him outselling Tebow’s jersey in Denver, where scores of Bronco fans like this one were proud to make Tebow’s No. 15 the third-best selling jersey of 2011.

Advantage: Tebow

#2 – National Championships
Vinny Testaverde, Tony Rice, Gino Torretta, Charlie Ward, Tommie Frazier, Danny Wuerffel, Brian Griese, Vince Young, Matt Leinart… nothing is a greater indicator of NFL success than for a quarterback to take home the mythical national championship. But since both Tebow and Newton each have one, it’s…

Advantage: Push

#3 – Trent Dilfer Arousal
Following Cam Newton’s recent Media Day workout, Trent Dilfer said, “If scouts had saw this they’d have been slobbering.” And the ESPN analyst with the penis-shaped head has consistently wet himself whenever the name Cam Newton has come up since.
Some even called it the best Media Day workout since JaMarcus Russell. We think that’s a good sign. 

Advantage: Newton

#4 – Josh McDaniels Confidence
Former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels traded a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to snatch up Tebow in the first round (25th overall), who many projected to be a 6th round pick at best, or not get drafted at all.

In addition to solid math skills, McDaniels is an unparalleled evaluator of talent, trading the likes of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Peyton Hillis, and Tony Scheffler in guiding the Broncos from 8-8 to 4-12 in just two short seasons. He even brought in Brady Quinn for crying out loud. The guy just knows what he’s doing. 

Advantage: Tebow

#5 – Morals
You don’t get much more squeaky clean and wholesome than Tim Tebow, who has engaged in less premarital sex than the BYU basketball team, despite hanging around women like this:

On the other hand, there’s Ben Roethlisberger, who’s been to three Super Bowls and seems to get stronger with each rape. Even so…

Advantage: Tebow###MORE###

#6 – Being a Project
Whether it’s a model car or a challenging jigsaw puzzle, everyone loves a project. NFL coaches and general managers are no different, which is one of the reasons why guys like Tebow and Newton are so appealing. After all, the list of quarterbacks labeled as projects early in their careers that went on to win Super Bowls is long and well-documented.

Advantage: Push

And the final tally is:

Congratulations, Tim Tebow! You will have the better NFL career. And while that might not mean much, we’re pretty certain Josh McDaniels would still trade a 3rd round pick for one of your jerseys.


So the Brewers…You’re Talking About Beer Right?

March 3, 2011

Spring training is officially underway this week, accompanied by the usual in-depth reports on all 30 major league clubs.

Can the Kansas City Royals go all the way? Will the Pittsburgh Pirates dominate the NL Central? Are the Yankees really the worst team in the league? Now is the time to get the skinny on your favorite team.

USA Today has decided to focus on the Milwaukee Brewers this spring, in a periodic series that goes behind the scenes to learn more about the team and its lofty expectations for the coming season.

Apparently there was a lot for USA Today to learn about the Brewers, like their team nickname refers to people that make beer, for instance. The excitement of this realization proved too much for them to handle.

In this week’s very first article in the series, the USA Today headline writers exploded in a drunken orgy of beer references, starting with the main headline, “Brewers believe in recipe.”

These particular headline writers simply did not know when to say when. There are five references to beer or beer making in this first cover story alone, from “new ingredients on roster” to “orientation day is strange brew” to describing the team as “stocked.”

If this trend continues, what sort of headlines might we see in future editions of the series? Here are some thoughts on how the season might unfold:

-Brewers Enjoy Flavor of Successful Spring
-Brewers Enter Regular Season With Winning Formula
-Brewers Pour It On Against First-Place Pirates
-NL Central-Leading Pirates Back on the Wagon With Win Over Brewers
-Brewers Show Signs of Hangover from Yesterday’s Loss
-Brewers Go on Month-Long Losing Bender
-Expiration Date on Milwaukee’s Playoff Chances Looms
-Brewers’ Season Officially On the Rocks
-Pirates Beat Brewers Like Alcoholic Stepdad Beats Ungrateful Stepchildren
-Fans of Brewers Vomit on Selves, Experience Remorse
-Billy Brewer Charged With Public Intoxication, Indecent Exposure at Water Park
-Billy Brewer Banned for Life From Wisconsin Dells
-Ill-Fated Sausage Race Ends In Carnage
-Alcohol Makes Headline Writers Stupid, Suffer From Dementia, Experts Say