Let me start by saying I reached out to L. Bell to get a quote and he didn't respond, so what i'm saying is purely my opinion. Today Le'Veon's agent made a statement that gave the impression that his client will miss most of the season to remain fresh for next years free agency period. These are my thoughts. 

Let's say you get to drive a Lamborghini for a month, and once that month is up you have to give it back and will never get to drive it again. Would you drive carefully? No. Would you not slam on the brakes or burn rubber as you accelerate? No. Would you make wide turns to not hit any curbs? Perhaps. But I would imagine that because you want to get the most out of your last experience with such a great car, you wouldn't care about the maintenance needs and just push it to it's limits. The same type of situation is going on in Pittsburgh. The Steelers know that Le'Veon isn't going to return and Le'Veon and his team obviously do not trust that the Steelers will take care of him. But why would they? Why would the Steelers make sure Le'Veon has a lot left in the tank for another team to benefit from? No longer is it their responsibility to worry about his longevity. Le'Veon is simply doing what he feels is right for his career to remain on this elite pace. Fans are angry because he isn't being a "team player", let me address that. The only guys that are "team players" are the ones who know that they can get cut and replaced at any moment, the guys who want to show a good face to the organization to get another contract, or the older vets who have their money and now want the personal achievements, aka, a super bowl ring. Most players mainly care about the money and making sure their families are secure for the remainder of their life. I find it interesting hearing players talk to the media about this being a team game, team this, and team that. If it is such a team game, why hasn't anyone on the Steelers roster offered to take a pay cut so that Le'Veon can get the money he is asking for? Wouldn't that be the move of a team player? That is because guys care more about their own money more than the team. Guys say things to the media because it makes fans feel warm and excited for the season, and it makes the player look honorable. Behind closed doors, guys are working hard to set themselves up to be financial stable for the years to come. I am not saying that money is the only motivation. Some do it for the love of the game. Some do it to be the best. For instance, Antonio Brown works hard because he wants to be the greatest receiver of all time. There are many players who feel that way too, but at the end of the day, these guys still want their money and they want the amount reflective of their worth. I know it is very frustrating for his teammates because they just want to be in the loop, which is very fair. And maybe Bell should have told them his plans, but obviously he does not want anyone telling the media, which made him keep them in the dark. A wise man once told me to never discuss another man's money nor watch his pockets. His O Linemen did so and did so publicly. L. Bell and those guys are going to have to have a serious "come to Jesus" talk when he does show up. But in the mean time, before you guys continue to crucify Le'Veon, truly and honestly ask yourself, "What would I do in his shoes? Play this full season, get 400 touches and risk possible injury with no safety net, or play it careful and insure myself many more years of productive football?". If you aren't biased, I'm sure you now see the decision Le'Veon is facing. It is a business for both parties.

As you may well know, Nike has launched a new "Just Do It" campaign and Colin Kaepernick is the face of it. This has caused a stir because of Colin's "controversial" protest of police brutality against people of color. I will say it again. Colin and other players are in protest of police brutality and other social injustices but somehow people are making the protest out to be un-American. Nike has broken their silence and has sided with Colin, and I applaud it. I do not know the exact number but a large portion of Nike's premier athletes on their roster are people of color. So Nike backing Colin and his fight is very fitting. Nike has done a great job supporting its athletes. Just last week they ran an ad about Serena Williams and her spat with the French Open. The French Open committee ruled to ban her signature cat suit because her great athletic figure most likely made people uncomfortable, which is another subject. After Nike made the Colin Kapernick ad public, Twitter exploded with angry tweets from people who do not support the protest of social injustice and police brutality. I, for one, do not understand where this anger is coming from. America is home of the brave and the land of the free but when someone is brave and freely speaks their mind, people are upset and calls it un-American to do so, because it is done during the national anthem. The word is that, kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to the country and to its veterans but a veteran is the reason why Colin began to kneel. As of 2016, there are over 40,000 homeless veterans; veterans who fought for this great country. I do not understand with all of the patriotism that people have these days, why aren't they opening their homes to veterans and helping them get on their feet. Instead, they do nothing but comment negatively about Colin and other athletes who support the protest of social injustices. The NFL is sponsored by Nike, so it is going to be exciting to see how the NFL handles these recent events. Good for Colin.  

The University of Alabama's quarterback situation is why a lot of 5 star recruits are opting to go to 2nd tier power five schools. In most cases, you have a legendary coach offer them the world in your living room and they think for the next 3-4 years, they’ll run the show. You are promised playing time and a chance to play at the next level, but every year the team is recruiting your replacement. So for the first time in most of these young athletes' lives, they have to fight against some adversity on the field, trying to keep their starting job. Not everyone is built for it. And if they lose, they’ll just transfer. What young players must realize is that the ship does not stop for anyone. You spend 3 or 4 years at a school and when you leave, the sports program will, indeed, continues. So instead of going somewhere that’s stacked up with talent and fighting for the spot, kids choose to go where they can ball out in peace. Not having to worry about another big time recruit coming in behind them. Ultimately this is why we are seeing some of the legendary schools fall from grace, because they aren't getting the best recruits in their state anymore.