League News!
By Matt DeLucia
Just a quick note on some of the league news. We all now by now that the St. Louis Rams have fired head coach Scott Linehan, and replaced him with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Haslett who’s been around in the coaching ranks for close to twenty years, last coached the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2005 ending with a record of 45 wins vs 51 losses in his six year tenure. Haslett is the only coach in Saints history to guide them to a playoff win. That win coming back in the 2000 over the St. Louis Rams the team he now takes over as interim coach.
The NFL league office has acted fast on making a decision regarding the hit that Jets SS Eric Smith used on Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin late in the teams game on Sunday. The play happened with under a minute left in the fourth quarter and the Jets leading easily 56-35. From my point of view if you watch the replay of the play you’ll notice that Smith never even went for the ball, you see him going straight for Boldin who was already in the air trying to make a catch. It was a cheap play that could of possible done serious injury and or ended Boldin’s career. I’m happy to report that reports out of the Cardinals camp is that all tests were negative and Boldin’s resting at home. His condition for this week’s game with the Buffalo Bills who come in as one of three teams left undefeated is not known at this time.
In Jacksonville the Jaguars as well as their fans, team and the entire community of Jags faith full, are now dealing with the news that offensive tackle Richard Collier is now paralyzed from the waist down and just needed to have his left leg amputated due to complications with blood clots and damage from the shooting. Collier who was shot fourteen times earlier this month after a gunman fired into the vehicle that Collier and teammate Kenneth Pettway were sitting in will now require physical therapy to try and help him recover from the incident.
Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has stated that “It’s a tragedy this young man was caught up in this violence” as well as saying “It’s a great tragedy for a young man that had such a promising future”. I agree with the comments by JDR but also would like to add that it’s tragic anytime this happens no matter who or what the individual is in life. It should not matter if the person is linked to the sports world or not. Unfortunately the only time we as a society normally ever hear about this type of news is when it involves an athlete or celebrity type of person. Which is truly sad, since when did the entire world stop caring about the less important non sports and celebrity people and start revolving around only the superior elite persons in the world. Richard Collier on behalf of myself and the rest of Patriots Nation we wish you all the best in your recovery, and through out the rest of your entire life. God bless!