HOPE SOLO
(USA Women's Soccer Goalie)
After their 3-0 win over Colombia this week during the Olympics, Hope Solo blasted Brandi Chastain. She said that Chastain should "lay off commentating about defending" and goalkeeping "until you get more educated" and "the game has changed from a decade ago." Well played Hope...You are absolutely right...The game has changed in the last decade...in large part BECAUSE OF Chastain, one of the most decorative women's soccer players in history. She also happened to be a defender, so I guess she might know a little bit about playing defense at the international level. Evidently, Solo is standing by her twitter comments concerning Brandi Chastain. Chastain has so far reacted the way you'd like someone to react. Instead of calling Solo a spoiled self-entitled snot-nosed brat, she has said that she will just continue to do her job which is to be objective and honest. I guess Hope Solo has not learned from her past bouts with immaturity (criticizing coaches and teammates and I guess there is that time that she was drunk on THE TODAY SHOW). She appears to have fallen in love with her own 140-character voice. She needs to grow up and start being a leader that her teammates and a nation can rally behind.
- Sally Jenkins of THE WASHINGTON POST has an insightful commentary on Hope Solo and her immaturity.
SANTONIO HOLMES
(New York Jets Wide Receiver)
Every coach wants their captains to be unafraid to speak up. However, the speaking should be productive and have a point. Santonio Holmes seems to allow his verbal vomit to do nothing but stink things up. He has talent but can't keep his mouth shut and doesn't help his teammates focus on the important stuff...like winning! He says that he was a scapegoat for the team's failures last year. I don't know if that is true. I do know that you were the captain, had a huge contract and play a "skill" position. That normally leads to being an important part of the team. If you were producing each play like you should and if you were being the leader you should have been, then my guess is that the NY Jets would have done more. This year, he is fueling the fire of controversy. He needs to stay quiet on the whole Tim Tebow/Mark Sanchez situation. It does no one any good for him to make the comments that he has been making. He has a history of being a lockerroom cancer. The Hall of Famer, Terry Bradshaw, said that he would cut Holmes. These kind of players make it very difficult to achieve your potential in a team sport.
CHAD OCHOCINCO...i mean JOHNSON
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver
First of all, he changed his name back to Johnson after being known as a number for the last few years. Okay, weird, on both accounts. However, what I really find worthy of a good ol' shake of the head and roll of the eyes is the fact that he has fallen off in productivity but still manages to point the finger elsewhere. That is nothing strange in this day and age. Except for the fact that he is pointing the finger at 3-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady and 5-time Super Bowl champion coach, Bill Belichick. Brady has a habit of making average players look very good (see Wes Welker, for starters). How in the world did Chad Johnson not have a career year with Tom Brady? Seems strange. Johnson said that he couldn't be himself. He was himself when he was in Cincinnati making all of those pro bowls. Yes, Chad Johnson was very talented and one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL. There is no 'i' in team, but there certainly is in Ochocinco. When he was on losing teams, he performed well. When he went to the Patriots, he didn't run routes correctly, didn't learn the playbook and sulked. They still won despite is lack of productivity because they understood the team concept.
KENNY BRITT
(Tennessee Titans Wide Receiver)
Kenny Britt was arrested on July 20th for DUI. In itself, that is stupid. Just ask Donte Stallworth. Better yet, ask the family of the man he killed when he was driving under the influence. Anyway, for those of you keeping score at home in the Fantasy Gangsta League, that is Britt's 8th arrest since entering the NFL in 2009, making him someone you definitely should be trading for. Though be careful trading any Detroit Lions players for him...they've accounted for 20% of the NFL's off-season arrests. As for redemption and repentance, I am sure Britt will learn from this. But then again...probably not. It is easy to be a cynic when Britt told the Nashville Tennessean in May, "I'll be the first to admit I got caught in some difficult circumstances,
and made some bad decisions in my past, but all that changed me as a person, and I learned
from it and got stronger from it." He is high on talent (among other things) but needs to check himself. I have no sympathy for a person that endangers the lives of others.
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