Racism Lives and Al Davis Dies.

OK... Let me clarify. I will explain what I mean by racism lives but let's just say that it is loud and clear in sports today. In this addition:

• Examine Al Davis and what he actually did for the NFL and the industry that is the NFL. I will also make some observations about things going on around his departure that are a little slimy.
• Bryant Gumble saying the NBA players are treated as slaves. 
• My objective assessment of the fitness fad "Crossfit". 
• Best College Player in the country is a true freshman..
• Most underrated Dallas Cowboy of all time.

  THE ONLY TRUE RAIDER: AL DAVIS

Al Davis died on October 8, 2011. Let's be honest, this does not change the fact that he was deranged/crazy/weird and did a terrible job the last 10 years. I hate when someone dies and we all lie about who they are. I feel like there is some funny things going on with the Raiders but lets first look at some positives/negatives from possibly the best and worst owner of all time. 

AL DAVIS LEGACY

POSITIVE IMPACT:

1.  Al Davis did break the racial barrier in football. He did not care about race in personnel decisions, coaching hires, or anything for that matter. This was in all seriousness a great thing that other owners soon followed. He even dressed like an African American Pimp for the last 25 years of his life.
2. Davis gave us Madden. Without Davis we don't have Madden football. He hired the Oline coach to run the Raiders all the way to a Superbowl victory.
3. Al created a demand for speed. When Davis started targeting speed over other attributes it forged an entire industry in Strength/Conditioning. He can also be held responsible for the elaborate combine process to which he valued more than anyone. His "players win, not coaches" philosophy drove up the value of athleticism and speed. Even with all the faults this made a mark on the game and changed it for the better. 
4. He was instrumental in merging the leagues to form the current NFL. Al saw the big picture and made a deal that has allowed the league to have over a dozen more teams; meaning roughly that 600 more great players get to be in the NFL.    
5. "Just Win Baby"

NEGATIVES

1. Al Davis started the current and unreasonable coach firing carousel. Al would fire a coach 2 years, 6 months, 2 weeks into his tenure without ample time for the coach to do his job. Other owners/universities soon followed by shortening coaching contracts and changing the business forever. Coaches now have to live game to game regardless of a long term plan or past success. This could be the worst thing that he has done impacting the game. It has diminished the "team" feeling of the NFL and teams have lost their identity for the most part(Steelers stay true).
2. Davis gave us John Madden. I know that I listed this as a positive but some people don't see it that way. John made simple look like rocket science: "Boom" "You see when you have the ball you want to score, when you don't, you want to stop the other team from making a score".
3. He had marginal success and never changed. Teams saw what Al did in valuing speed. Other teams started adding value to other attributes outside of football skills and Al just kept with his same formula. I always say that if you are not improving your knowledge(in your field) than you are becoming obsolete. Davis did not share that philosophy. He had success and just thought it should always work if it did once.. which is never true. (See Mike Owens REL former coach)
4. Austin Powers- Can't prove it but he looked a lot like Al Davis and I really hated it. 
5. Jerry Jones. Jerry is a mini Al Davis that has done a lot less good.

My Rant: Did anybody pay notice to how close Hugh Jackson and Al Davis got after Davis passed away?
I haven't seen anybody ride a death like this since Puff Daddy stole a fortune after Notorious BIG death. Hugh has been dramatic saying things like "Al would have liked this", "Coach loved for me to". Dude, you have been the coach there for like 15 minutes and you need to quit this me and Al stuff, leave it to his family. You traded 2 first round picks for a guy that is a B quarterback. You promised Jason Campbell that you two would change the franchise together and that you bonded as leaders of the franchise. This guy is a first class slimebag and liar. Hugh is trying to capitalize on Davis passing and I cannot believe anybody hasn't noticed the odd behavior and over the top dramatics by Hugh. Get this straight: It was Al Davis and John Madden, everyone else was a stop gap puppet- including you Hugh.

SLAVE TRADE INC. 

Bryant Gumble says the NBA players are slaves for commissioner David Stern. Two Words: NO SIR. 

First of all I feel like David Stern is more suited to lead the Star Trek convention than the NBA, but plantation owner he is not. Sign me up for slavery if it means I have to wear a suit when I travel and get paid between 5-30 Million a year. Racism is alive in sports for sure but I don't think it has anything to do with the NBA labor agreement. 

Here are some real racism related issues in sports today. We have a long way to go before race is not an issue in sports..

• American Football and white running backs:
  Danny Woodhead argument- Prolific statistics and measurables coming out of high school and college. Classic White Running back reverse racism.  Argue with these points if you disagree.
  He is the All Time Leading Rusher in NCAA history. Woodhead did not receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine so he had to use his pro day to show his abilities. According to an NFL  report he ran the 40-yard dash in times of 4.33 to 4.38 seconds which would have been the second-fastest among all running backs at the NFL Combine in March 2008. Ht: 5'8 Wt:198lbs. He posted the best pro-agility time of 4.03 seconds, the second-best vertical jump (38½ inches) and the best 60-yard shuttle time (11.2 seconds). All of those test were better than Darren Mcfadden and Felix Jones to name a few- both First round picks. Reverse racism? He isn't the only one either Payton Hillis had to basically watch everyone on his team get hurt before he became a star in the NFL last year. Also, what about a white cornerback? There has to be at least one out there that can play, seriously.
  
• American Football and the Wes Welker effect:
  Yes, Wes was a walk on that had a career at Tech and became greatness in the NFL after not being used much in Miami. The trend now in the NFL is a white slot WR. Enter Mardy Gilyard. 3000 yards receiving in college and 25TD. Mardy has been cut by the Rams who have Danny Amendola (white WR). Devonne Bess maybe the best in the league at slot WR for the Dolphins but I feel like this position is being stereotyped a bit. Coaches take- black guys make better outside receivers and white guys need to be in the slot... doesn't make sense to me. A great receiver is just that. Some guys do well on the inside, others excel with the boundary.
  
•  American Football and the Black Quarterback: Black Quarterbacks are either severely overrated or completely slighted.  Donovan McNabb blames all his problems on being African American yet he was overrated as an athlete at the QB position because he was black. RG3 at Baylor gets little respect on a pro level grade along with Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson has Drew Brees type ability but no one will compare them. Brad Smith out of Mizzou had All American play and stats but he had to transition to WR. Brad Smith was a better passer by all acounts than Tebow and had much more success in college than Cam Newton among others.  Jason Campbell is a good QB in the league but doesn't get any credit even by his African American coach. Instead Jason wakes up after surgery to find that he has been replaced. All he did was win with a team that was a dumpster fire. Coaches take- Black quarterbacks are athletes, runners, wildcards. White Quarterbacks are leaders, pro style, gunslingers. Not a level playing field but it is getting better. 
• This is bananas:
  It has become such a problem with all the soccer fans in Europe that they have instituted specific rules to prevent the throwing of bananas at black athletes. Just less than a month ago at a NHL exhibition game a fan threw a banana at a black athlete playing for the Philadelphia Fliers. This is flat unacceptable and the punishment should be banishment from being in the stands. 
  
  To Solve all the race issues I have taken the most inspirational video I can find. This is sure to shatter all racial barriers. 

BEST PLAYER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS...

Clemson True Freshman WR Sammy Watkins. 8 games= 1600 All Purpose yards, 10TDs. 8 receiving Td and 1 Kick return TD. Did I mention that Clemson is undefeated? I saw this kid play and no one in the country can run with him. He has taken over games this year and put Clemson on his back. Make a point to watch Sammy play this week.. he is no doubt the best player in college football right now.

Baseball Talk

Some pretty big Texas Ranger fans coming out of the woodwork. I hope they win it, I really do. I cannot comment much on why they should but I am pretty sure that Ron Washington will climb back into the trash can tonight no matter what. Seriously, I bet he did drugs less than 15 minutes ago. 

 "That be baseball" -Ron Washington

Most Underrated Dallas Cowboy of all Time: 

Darren Woodson

• College: Arizona State
  NFL Draft: 1992 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37
  Debuted in 1992 for the Dallas Cowboys
  Last played in 2004 for the Dallas Cowboys
  Retired due to Neck injury in 2004.
  Career history
  Dallas Cowboys (1992-2004)
  Career highlights and awards
  5× Pro Bowl selection (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) 4× All-Pro selection (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998) 3× Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) Bart Starr Man of the Year Award (2001)
  Career NFL statistics as of 2004
  Tackles	1,350
  Interceptions	23
  Touchdowns	2
  Forced Fumbles	4
  Sacks	11

  The Dallas Cowboys Dynasty would not have been possible without Darren Woodson and his leadership on defense and special teams. Woodson was the only player that started on defense and every special teams formation for the Cowboys. Hard Hits and thousands of statistic-less plays that added up to what should be a Ring of Honor and Hall of fame career.. but it won't. 

Two Cents for TEBOW

1. He was horrible for 3 quarters. No way around it. I could find five people in a cafeteria that could have completed the screen pass he missed. The coaches handicapped him with terrible play calling (5 passes out of 45 plays). He was rusty. I seriously don't know what practice looks like up there. No excuse for how poor that 3 quarter performance was and against a good team he could have gotten embarrassed.
2. He won and he showed great playmaking ability in the hurry up offense. They should stick with a hurry up spread. NFL defenses don't want to tackle Tebow when they are tired. He throws better when he is rushed. Sticking with my guns- Pro Bowl 2011.

CROSSFIT Phenomena. Forging Elite Fitness?

I have some great friends that do crossfit and plenty that have made a business out of it.  I am completely objective to Crossfit. I have no real side since I am not in the big fitness dog fight in Tyler, Tx. I first learned about Crossfit in Dallas, fall of 2005. It was largely used by Military groups and service folks(cops, fireman, etc). Basically, what somebody did is find the most bang for your buck training exercises(from a professional) and made them into a team type competition for time or reps. This became so popular that people starting using these competitions as workouts- competing over and over again. Now, we have crossfit. Here is my breakdown of positives and negatives. Remember this is my opinion and I have heard just about the exact same stance from just about every person in the industry of strength and conditioning(professionally or Collegiate)

Positives of Crossfit:
It can Work for Fitness.

• Convenience: Got 30 min. No problem.. Crossfit works. Fast and furious. High intensity and high calorie burn. Great for the busy professional or anybody who works the "I don't have time" excuse.
• Easy access: You can do crossfit just about anywhere. Low overhead for supplies and the workouts are online and spelled out for you. Crossfit boxes are everywhere because it is so easy to start up. Quality of teaching/equipment will vary. Coaching does make a difference.
• Self paced: You against the clock/wt/technique. Every workout is as hard as you make it. 
• Competition factor: You get a chance to compete everyday which is awesome. This appeals to any former athlete or anyone for that matter. This gives you a team feeling about your workout partners (your box as crossfitters call it). Competition brings your best effort without question.
• Body fat bye bye: You will lose your body fat. Most that train lose weight in general even if you have a strong training base. 
• Endurance: Cardio shape- check, Strength Endurance- check. 
• Impeccable business model. Low overhead, easily marketed, works for everybody.  Any workout montage video of no pain, no gain fits perfectly.  Crossfit games are genius marketing. People want to do things that impress them or look "crazy". Crossfit Gamers are impressive and represent the product well.
• You don't need college education to coach crossfit. It is all spelled out- do the workout on the paper/computer/board. Of-course good coaching helps but you don't need a college degree in physiology or certifications in post graduate programs to be a crossfit coach or client. Crossfit has it's own certification process which is basically a skills course and a license to be registered as a crossfit coach.
  
  

Negatives of Crossfit:
"I play real sports, not try to be the best at Exercising"-Kenny Powers


Kenny is not a figure to look up to or drawl any wisdom from but he couldn't be more right on this quote. Crossfit makes you better at crossfit, not sports.

• Not big on everyone working out shirtless. I think it is weird and unsanitary, personal thing really.
• No periodization. Yeah, yeah, you have a skills training program to teach technique. That is not periodization; that is safety. A mobility program- not periodization. Ramp up program- not exactly what I am talking about. You must have something that is ever progressing or changing. Crossfit repeats the same workouts in a random sequence once people are training full speed. Without periodization injuries will happen, they happen some even with it. Research says that for progression you must have advancement, not just excel at the same stuff. Just ask any Orthopedic or Physical Therapist what they think of Crossfit. Most Ortho and PTs are against it and others like the business it brings them. AGAIN- coaching matters. You can do crossfit without injury if your coaches are great and you don't crossfit too much.It is very subjective to your coaches ability.
• Going to failure means poor technique. If you are racing or maxing, you can guarantee a breakdown in technique. Almost everyday the WOD (workout of Day) will have you do rounds or burnouts of exercises in sequence without rest. Again your coaching will matter tremendously but the concept is dangerous.
• Not for power sport athletes. PERIOD. Fitness-yes. Sports-no. No matter how hard they try to market or doctor it- it is not a good training program for a serious power sport athlete(football, basketball, volleyball, track, baseball, softball). Have a baseball player do 10 sets of 1 on snatch with an 800m run. NOT WORKING. Asking for shoulder issues and a power decrease at the plate.  A baseball player for instance needs specific rotator cuff training and a systems approach to building it. Power sport athletes work in blocks of time- they need explosion more than endurance. 30 Box jumps is laughable.. Doing plyometrics for endurance is a joke to any certified strength and conditioning specialist that is in a college or professional setting. Speed cannot be built by high endurance training. If you build endurance- you take away speed. Power Sport athletes need periodization, corrective exercises, power development for sport, and speed. They cannot be fit into a mainstream workout that is supposed to be for fitness. The only exception is an athlete that is extremely out of shape and needs to cut weight/ get more strength endurance. Again not bashing crossfit- but it is not the best program for athletes. I Saw Moreno(Denver RB) doing some crossfit online- Next time don't get the biggest 1st round bust in the NFL to market your program.  Football players need power/speed. Not high endurance strength. They need to jump on a 5 foot box, not a 32 inch box 25 times. 4th and 1 is one play, you don't get 25 tries at it.
• Too many explosive movements/high reps. Repetition in Box jumps/cleans/snatches is rough on anybody especially someone that is above 30 or has any arthritis. Plyometrics and Olympic lifts were never intended for high reps so it can really shock the joints. If Crossfitters ice up after workouts and get great sleep they can eliminate some problems but eventually it adds up.
• No multiplanar movements. The crossfit games are impressive for sure, ripped competitors out there doing burnouts and competing for time. Just a suggestion, but maybe they should start testing.. Problem, nothing is done to develop laterally/contra-laterally. To prevent hip/knee/ankle problems and for performance on multi-directional speed & power you need diversity on strength through different planes of movement. Crossfit largely gives you vertical(up and down) training through a single plane of movement: straight up and down- 98% of the time. This is a huge risk for the shoulders and lacks development for a large portion of the body and for any sport performance. This element is obviously most important to the athlete and might not affect the normal fitness client.

Crossfit fail- Forging Horrific Technique. Causing injuries.

Summary

I have done Crossfit workouts. I am educated in my field of strength and conditioning and have not made irresponsible judgments on Crossfit.  It would be easy for me to do crossfit at APEC but it does not fit my philosophy. Crossfit is cool, fun, motivating. It can get the ex-athlete, military, stay at home mom in shape and in a team environment. Honestly, it can be a great program if coached properly and a terrible one if done incorrectly. It is in essence; a fitness game every training session, a competition turned workout. I stand firm saying that no competitive athlete should do crossfit unless they are training for crossfit. It's similar to body building for football- not a great idea.

For Fitness Folks- Your coaches will determine how safe Crossfit is for you. you have good choices in East Texas if crossfit is for you. Your results will be limited by your effort and consistency. Shoulder/knee/ hip problems: Crossfit is not for you. Personal training or specific training protocols are always best if possible, not always affordable or conducive to your schedule. Crossfit is open to everyone's schedule because of the class format, and a cheaper alternative to personal training. So there you have it, I don't hate crossfit-but I will not be doing it. I understand why it is successful and I understand the people that have a major problem with it.  Take it or leave it, this is just a perspective from a guy with 12 years in strength and conditioning(not fitness) and a degree/post graduate certifications; CSCS, PES, CES, POSE, SAQI, USAW, PFS. 

TWO for the road

1. The Avengers. Awesome. 

Coming May 2012. I will be there..

2. Thank you Texas Tech football for beating OU. Now OU fans can go back to wanting Bob Stoops fired.

HAPPY Halloween. Be safe and smart. Watch out for this guy..
 
Blessings on your houses and farewell,

Bobby Stroupe

Greatest comeback in the History of Blogs..

Back in BOLD

This is and will be the greatest comeback in the history of blogs. I will admit Canada sent me into a trance that I am just now recovering from. I promise to get back on track with a bi-weekly blog that should entertain, educate, and cause controversy. To debrief everyone on my trip to Canada I will attempt to sum it up with these pictures. These are all real pictures that I took while visiting Banff (with the exception of one, which should be obvious).

Canadian Warning Track

Wata Falls ATV Trip

Coolest picture ever

Peyto Lake Hike

 I am one of those people that will eat a strict peanut butter sandwich diet to save money if it means saving for vacation. Let me tell you: Banff is worth every penny. The things that I saw could not be justified by a camera. You have to hike pretty much anywhere that is worthy of awe. If you don't like to walk and enjoy mild to moderate hiking- Banff is not for you and you will make everyone around you miserable if you come along for the ride. If you fall into the no walking crowd save your money and go somewhere you can sit and see city lights/thoughtless entertainment. If you do appreciate nature and truly protected wilderness than you have to go. They make highway overpasses fenced in for the animals which I thought was very cool.  Peyto Lake was a mile hike and Wata Falls was deep in the rough. That Elk was less that 15 yards from yours truly. We did see 3 bears and about 25 elk, 12 mule deer. I do plan on going back and bringing hiking gear for a week. Let me know if your interested..

BOLD FOOTBALL TALK

1. Tim Tebow will make the Pro Bowl this season. To support my claim I have a few things for you to look at. I will start by giving an example of a QB that already has success and has a very similar game to Tebow. Take Big Ben for the Steelers; subtract 2 inches/20lbs, take away dumbface, take away character issues, increase speed/strength, increase IQ, add "it factor", add Tailback balance/vision. Here are some finer points that back up my prediction.

• Tebow/Ben have the ability to extend plays and wear down defenses. In the entirety of a game that can exhaust a defense and they will give up big plays. 
• Tebow does raise the level of play for those around him. Example: Percy Harvin. Percy was dominant at Florida.. without Timmy- not so much. Watch him revive the running game in Denver. The lineman respond to him like he is some kind of wolf pack leader.
• Tebow demands a level of play from his offense and keeps his teammates accountable. 
• Tebow doesn't just have speed like Vick. He is the first QB since Steve Young that actually understands how to run the ball effectively. Kid is not dumb- he knows that running is his 3rd-5th option. Not to mention we have never seen a QB that actually is built to withstand 160 carries a year.. and make no mistake- he is. 
• He can throw-PERIOD. I don't care what you say. He makes tough throws, always has. His motion is odd and takes too long. He will adjust. People said the same about Philip Rivers. 
• He has Jesus. 

All this being said, his team is bad and I have never been very impressed with John Fox. We shall see what happens but I hope the Broncos deal him or build around him.  Either way mark it down- TEBOW TO PRO BOWL THIS SEASON.

2. I told you TEXAS A&M would disappoint. Click the link to read my prediction in August. 

"Texas A&M will disappoint you more than the movie Eat, Pray, Love."

 
The Aggies had high expectation with National Championship talk, SEC, ect. They lost to Oklahoma State in a game that Ok State played very poorly. They lost to a mediocre Arkansas team. I predict they will lose to Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas State, and possibly Missouri. All this for a team that came in ranked #7 in the nation and has a hole in the center of the defense so big everyone is keying on it with success. Problem with the defense is this: You can run a complex defense at Air Force because the kids are rocket scientist. When you take the Defensive Coordinator at Air Force and put him at A&M one must realize that you went from academy intelligence to Lufkin intelligence. You can not run a complex system with the guys A&M has right now. They are thinking too much. Don't know what will come of Sherman and crew. I have tried to get them on players here but they have had poor players evaluations in East Texas and refuse to reach on some kids around here that have(will have) great success. Truthfully I am a little bitter about this regime being unwilling to listen about players in the area.  I have tried to get them on Sophomores that turned into #1 recruits in the nation at their position by their senior year.  They offend these kids by not being interested/ignoring the players interest until the kids pile up 30 offers. Then they have the audacity to ask me why the kid won't commit to Texas A&M after they finally decide to pursue them. PLEASE, you are always too late, I have tried to help you get a jump on that! There are plenty of big time programs that respect my evaluations and take a look at a kid, frankly I am tired of it. TEXAS A&M does not respect the football players in East Texas and East Texas kids are starting to take to other programs. I grew up an Aggie fan, all my family and many of my great friends are Aggies. I want them to be good. I am just being honest.

3. Dallas Cowboys/ Romo will win between 10-12 games this regular season. 

Remember Quincy Carter? Romo haters..

I said the Cowboys would disappoint this year. I won't say I was outright wrong because they have so far and while they probably won't win it all I am changing my tune. I know it sounds funny at this juncture but I am impressed with the Boys. Romo skill set is top 7 in the league and it is just a matter of time before that shows out. He works with a terrible RB group and a shallow WR core. Why they will win?

• ROMO. Watch and see. He can do things no other QB can. Yes the blatant, untimely mistakes. So what- watch ROMO go nuts and win big games for Dallas
• Dez. He might not know what the play is(he has cost Romo ints for running wrong routes) but if in the redzone he is uncoverable. Jump ball-Dez. Slant-Dez. Screen-Dez. Any coverage reading or option route- NOT Dez.
• DEFENSE. The Cowboys defense will start to look dominant once they don't have to think so much out there. Rob Ryan has a complex system- so about week 9 or so expect that defense to be faster and more impressive.
• Demarcus Ware. Ware might be the best player in the NFL. If you have 2 great pass rushers you can win any football game in the NFL.

4. TEXAS LONGHORN FOOTBALL.
Not worthy of #11 or probably any top 25 ranking but Texas Longhorn football is back. Young, smart football players means a bright future for a bounce-back program.

Texas best Player is possibly
Freshman WR Jaxon Shipley.

• David Ash- For Real. Love this kids game. Bright future.
• NOT Case McCoy- Did not deserve a D1 Scholarship. I am not the only one that thinks so. No one offered the kid until Texas threw out a charity offer. Like Tebow with the "it" factor except not great at anything that matters and extremely weak in every way possible. So, not at all like Tebow or his brother for that matter. Pretty much an impostor that is curtailing his brothers legacy at Texas. Sure he is a great kid but he is not good enough to lead Texas in the long run. 
• Young Coordinators- Will be great. got out-coached by OU which is a constant theme in the big 12. These guys have a vision and will return Texas back to glory. 
• Mack Brown- I have been on a recruiting trip with athletes pretty much everywhere in surrounding states. Nobody does it better than Mack. PERIOD. He understands kids and the parents. Really it's Texas then Everyone else.

5. RG3 at Baylor should be top pick in the Draft. 

Not here to bang on Andrew Luck but let me throw this out there: If Andrew Luck played for Baylor would he be talked about so much and rated so high? No way. Too many comparisons to Elway at Stanford not to mention probably the best put together team in the nation by Harbaugh and co.
Here is a few reasons why I say RG3 is the man the NFL should be looking at #1.

• He has overcome much more than Luck to be great. Say what you want be he was labeled coming out of High School as an "Athlete". Give Briles credit for recruiting him for QB at Houston and then flipping him to Baylor. We have seen Griffin deal with adversity with a devastating injury and some terrible losses. I say these things make better pros. I feel like some people in the league that have identified this tell-tell sign and I hope they pick it up with RG3.
• He has a hose. I know that several do but I have seen this kid sling it in 40 mph wind like he is in an indoor facility. Throwing in the elements matters more in the NFL and he can do it. I also think he can throw on the run as good as anyone I have ever watched play the game. 
• He has single handedly turned around a program already, why not a franchise?
  Robert has shown leadership and all the intangibles necessary to turn any institution/company/program around. Not enough is said about his role in turning this dumpster fire program into respectable competition. 
• If plays fail (and they do often) he can run for it. Not just for the first down but for the goal line. Everyone knows he is an Olympic level sprinter and even so he is a pocket passer, not a running QB.  

Fitness Tips: 

 OK. So the Book cover is a little over the top but the concept is not too far off. Don't have a gym? On the road a lot?
Not an excuse for not working out. Get it in quick and I mean anywhere.  Here is a short workout you can do in the forest or in Vegas hotel room all the same. 

1. March in place 1 min while flapping your arms up and down like a bird. You will no doubt look like a fool but this will warm you up. 
2. 50 body weight squats. push butt back-bend knees-bend ankles and keep feet flat on the ground. Keep your arms extended straight in front of your shoulders.
3. regular push up burnout from knees. Max at 50
4. in place forward lunges with hands on hips 15R then 15 Left. 
5. situps for 1 min
6. 50 body weight wide squats. feet outside shoulders and toes pointed out. push butt back and bend knees at angle of toes. Push knees out and drop you butt to 90 degrees. 
7. Tri push ups- on fist with palms facing out(infront of head/body). from your knees burnout. id you get 50 your a boss. 
8. Side lunges with hands on hips. step laterally so that your outside foot is staggered enough that you heal is level with the inside foot toe. push hips back and over the knee/ankle of outside foot. 15 R, 15L
9. Side plank. R side on knees with right elbow/forearm on ground. Squeeze oblique and hold 1 min each side. 
10. 50 Narrow base squat with hands overhead. feet no wider than hips with toes pointed straight. 
11. Static Superman: start Pushup position- walk your hands back to your toes and hold for 10 seconds. Then, walk your hands back out to a push up position and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 reps. 
12. Plank hold- both elbows/forearms on ground. both feet on ground. Hold position for burnout up to 3 min.

Tune in My Next Blog for my CROSSFIT EDITION. Full breakdown, analysis, objective opinion of the fitness fad/phenomenon that is Crossfit.

Style Tip of the week:

Grow a beard. It's the fall and it is a man thing to do. Do us all a favor and don't pull a Kevin Love face brace pencil beard routine. Go by the book, literally. There is a way to grow a beard that will fit you and your current state/ work situation. This book goes into great detail on how to groom yourself and look like a man. Also makes a great gift for anybody that has offensive facial hair.

One for the Road:

This is the craziest thing I have ever seen. What are the chances?

God Bless all my friends, family, co-workers, and athletes.
Until we speak again Love Jesus, watch college football, and do something your scared of. 

Happy Trails, 

(Horseback in Banff)

Bobby Stroupe

Version 3.5

As I travel to Canada this week I'm leaving you with version 3.5.
By Monday I will be in Banff, Canada(see right pic): 75 Hi, 38 low.

I don't know what I am going to do when I get there but one thing is for sure, I will not be hot.

Concerns about Canada.. Oddly enough 7 unmatching human feet(in shoes) have been found in a body of water less than a couple hours away from my destination. The police say it's inconclusive. I would say it's rather obvious. The bears are making a statement: Under Armour make terrible shoes.. 

On another note: Banff officials have made a law that you must carry bear spray when hiking in Banff. As if Bear mace will stop them from whatever they want to do to you. I think I would just face it and feel the pinnacle of pain, you know, test my man worth.  I am lying...  I would set a new world record in the 100.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS HERE.
Two Things I hate about College Football Fans. College football is here and I need to clear the air.

1. Blatant disrespect of any college football players not at Texas, OU, Florida, etc. I get so tired of varsity football dad that says "at least he could play at Baylor or SMU, you know a small school like that". Heads up: Every D1 football player in the nation would probably be the best athlete you have ever seen. Even at Stephen F Austin and Sam Houston State. If you touch the field from D1 to D3 then you are a superstud. No question. Baylor has at minimum 85 1st Team all state players and probably half are state champions in track and or football. Even the weakest starter benches 300lbs and can dominate any high school football game at at least 3 different positions.
   Correct perspective on talent levels: If everyone you know doesn't think your son is going to the NFL; he is not good enough to play D1, PERIOD. I played DII and my roommate made it to the Broncos. Good players are everywhere in college football so respect the ball players in NCAA. They are all better than the guy that "Could have gone at least D2 but wanted to go to a big school so decided to just not play". False, you would have been recruited, scholarshiped, and convinced if you were infact good enough. DII is big boy football with DI dropouts and underrated high school football players. 25% of the NFL comes from under DI. D3 is made up of good players that did not meet the size, speed, strength parameters of D2, D3. Still great players. So there you go... now shush.
   
2. Expectations on Freshman. and.. Freshman Expectations. Ok your the best high school player in the nation. Now you are the 46th best on your team. BTW the other 4 guys at your position were also the best when they came in. Ease up on your expectations. Freshman should all have to redshirt. It is best for them and the fans. Average football fan has no idea what it takes to learn football at that level. Correct perspective: A freshman will learn more football in the first 3 days of college than all they have been taught by "varsity football dad" and the high school program. Fact,  you can ask any player that has played at that level. Meetings from 6AM to 10PM. Position meetings, Offense, defense, special team meetings, Weights, practice, team meeting. Repeat 6 days in a row. Here is a personal favorite of a Freshman with huge expectations.. enter Jamaal Charles former UT running back and current Pro Bowl RB. Credit Texas with teaching him english. I do not approve of the captions but this is hilarious.

Before I wrap up my negativity.. I will talk about what I hate the most...
10 reasons why I hate the OU FAN.
Let me preface by saying I am not a Texas fan.

1. You cannot define your mascot, period. Being "ahead of the curve" is ridiculous. If that was the case you would be the "innovators". A Sooner is a cheater. You cheated in a land claiming game and choose to make it a nickname for your wayward lifestyle. LAME
2. You are bandwagon U. Before 2001 you were virtually invincible. National championship then All of the sudden flags, cars, hats, belts. You make me sick.
3. Coach Bob Stoops took your program from a laughing stock to a power house. You disrespect him by calling him big game bob? Heads up: he leaves and you will suck again. He is top 5 coach in nation and should be the pride of your program.
4. Every year you are ranked top 5. Every year you get up to 2 losses and somehow stay in the national championship hunt. Players are overrated and your coach is not. 
5. You're snobby. Obnoxious. Entitled.
6. Your colors are like Alabama, Arkansas, and A&M but not as attractive. 
7. Boomer Sooner is elementary and annoying. It is playing in hell as we speak. 
8. Your roster is made up of players from Texas that didn't feel good about the chances of playing early at the University of Texas. Possible that they couldn't qualify academically.
9. You schedule nobody!!!
10. Sooner Schooner is like a demented circus bit. Stop it.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL. 

•  Passion of the players, fans. 
• Gameday is an awesome atmosphere virtually anywhere you go. 
• The players are on a TEAM. You can see the difference from the NFL. 
• Unpredictable from year to year. New Players, great coaching, more games. 
• Uniforms. tradition, flash, It's all good if the kids like it. 
• I personally love watching my athletes play every week. Cannot explain the feeling of seeing these kids live their dream.

Health tips for the Holiday weekend/ Gameday. 
Don't want to be the awkward healthy guy that won't eat the gameday food?
Don't sweat it. Eat up and Follow these easy tips:

1. Be active. Horse shoes, washers, bocce ball. Mix these games in on your gameday slate to burn some calories and have a great time. The lasting effects of your gameday eating can be minimized and you will have a blast with your buddies. 
2. Start the day off with 50 narrow based body weight squats followed by burnout pushups. Hold bridge(plank) for 1 minute and repeat  50 body weight squats with wide base squats(toes pointed out) followed by burnout close grip pushups (and then finally bridge/plank burnout.  Why? A strength training in this circuit format is low impact and your body will need fuel to recover from this workout. Even with just 100 body weight squats your lower body will consume hundreds of calories as your body recovers during the day. Remember the size of your glutes/ quads/ hamstrings. Repeat up once more about half way through your game day binge if possible. Ditch Awkward and wipe out the damage with this simple 5 minute workout. 
3. Take a shot.... of grapefruit juice. One shot morning, afternoon, early evening. Research shows that grapefruit juice kicks your fat burning enzymes into overdrive. Keep those babies revved up as you crush frito pie, bacon and pudding... Whatever.  
4. Do cardio the day after. It you let it linger the food you eat will keep you down till Tuesday. Detox with a brisk 30-45 minute walk followed by stretching for 30 seconds a pop. You will sweat your tail off and feel great afterward. 
5. Win. It's always better when your team wins.
   
   
   Video of the week:
   If you think you do fun stuff on the weekend check this out. Put a 4x4 truck on one side of the lake, tube on the other. Connect with bungee cord/slip and slide and see what happens.
   
   
    

God Bless all my friends, family, co-workers, and athletes. See you when I return to the USA. 
 In the meantime Love Jesus, watch college football, and do something your scared of. 

Best, 
Bobby Stroupe

Who's on Second?

So here I go, Here I go, Here I go Again. Hope my First blog didn't cut too deep or make any new enemies. On to the Next. 

Quote of the week:

"Get to know Jesus, he will keep you safe when 95mph baseballs hit you in the face."

 -Kristin Humber on Facebook reacting to her husband (my friend/athlete) Philip Humber getting laid out by a line drive to the head while pitching to the Cleveland Indians. 

No doubt get to know Jesus. Here is a fact for you. That is the second time Philip has been hit in the head in 2 years.... unscathed each time. He had a greater chance of getting hit by lightning. YO!

More ON Baseball:

First of all congrats to my little men that made it to a game from World Series Champions. Spitzer, Bandel, Dorsey, Reed and co. It was beautiful to see a team from East Texas beat teams like Italy. 

These kids and their parents are certainly the exception to the rant I am about to start...

 

Little league baseball is ruining America. These kids need not be treated like stars when they are 8-14. Truth is even the best have a long way to go. These kids are way too young to play that much baseball. Want to look at some research? The numbers are staggering when you look at the amount of players that play in the Little League World Series and then never play High School(varsity), College, and pro. I think it goes deeper than that. Here are the reasons..

1. They will never hit that psychological high again. Not in high school and maybe never even in college. It's like a child TV star. It usually doesn't work out.
2. Kids practice way too much baseball and play entirely too many games in the course of a year. They need 6 months off of baseball. According to Dr. Andrews (World Renown Surgeon for Sports injuries)kids that play year round improve their chances of shoulder and elbow surgery by over 35%. Check out his new S.T.O.P program. It will frighten you if you have young kids specializing in baseball too young. 
3. When you play on that kind of level.. Its not fun. Its high pressure. The kids need to have fun. Things get serious in High School ready or not.
4. Not all.. but some parents are crazy. You know the one. The guy that played minor league baseball for like 7 minutes and knows what to do to make sure his son really makes it. He is certain his kid won't make the mistakes he did because he will fix them. That guy is ruining his kid and it's hard to watch.
5. Kids start hating baseball and most of them don't even play of a varsity level. Too much too soon.

For what it's worth that's my rant. I feel kids should do sports that promote general athletic development until the 7th grade at minimum. Sports such as: gymnastics, martial arts, track and field, soccer, swimming, touch rugby(you run, kick, pass, pursue). Develop team work ability by volunteering at shelters or church activities. Don't get me started on Pee Wee football. 98% of the time its a bad deal. I know adults that still are not right because of what pee wee football made them believe about them self.

Conan is a Barbarian...

Before I go too deep in this movie review I feel like the bigger story is being missed. Micheal Bolton has proven that HGH and joining up with Satan is a pretty good combination for becoming Conan the Barbarian.

   

In all fairness I knew what I was getting into with this one. I did not, however, expect to see a C section performed on the battlefield in the first 5 minutes of the movie. Kudos to the young actor that plays Conan as a kid.. he was awesome. More blood/gore than any movie I have seen lately. Love the Conan dialogue and attitude it just didn't stack up with 300, Braveheart, Troy, Gladiator. Conan the Barbarian gets a C plus.

On that note I leave you the best fight scene between two warriors of this era. Hector Vs Achillies

TV New Seasons are coming.

 I am deeply saddened that the acclaimed Friday Night Lights TV Series has come to an end. No more Riggins or Coach Taylor. That was the best directed TV series to date. If you have the time I suggest getting all the seasons and checking it out. Great perspective on a coaches life in Texas. I will admit it has a soft spot with me.. Yours Truly plays in the final episode of season 1. 

All that said a new show has taken the top spot as TV Best. Justified. Season 1 & 2 were loaded with crooks turned preachers, law men breaking laws, and bold Kentucky women. Here is one of my favorite clips of villian Boyd Crowder. 

Fashion Tip of the week:

Can't have facial hair at work? Stick it to the man with this mustache tie clip.

 Two For the Road:
Almost through august and look how good you did. These folks didn't fair so well. Enjoy the best fails of August 2011. I do not support the accident language.

"Look at what we have here" Self defense bible: Don't take this too seriously.

Until next week: Love Jesus, take care of your woman, and watch some rugby.

Bobby Stroupe

First Blood

So here I go into the world of Blogging. I have undoubtedly bagged on this national pass time of interweb expressionisms. My views have suddenly changed. I have started to realize that I wear a lot of hats in this world and I have become aware that maybe I present myself differently at times. In some settings friends think I'm a joker that loves to keep things light and can't quit laughing. As a trainer I feel like some of my athletes may think I may have never laughed in my life and that I perch on a stump at night sharpening knives or something. Some acquaintances think I am Mr. Sports guy and I have to eat, drink, live it 24/7. If fact they feel the need to bring up awkward sports stories like that is the only way I can relate to a conversation with them. Apparently sometimes I have a scowl on my face that echos an unreasonable amount of intensity mixed with some kind of a mercenary vibe. Pretty sure that has gotten me off on the wrong foot with some people.  The truth about me is I am not a simple man.. I love research, sports, laughing, animals, family/friends, sarcastic humor, Jesus, and winning anything.

I need a way to connect all the people in my life that feel like they might know me. I need for everyone to be on the same page. I want to bring a little knowledge and humor to your week.. You Down?

What's in it for you: My purpose in this effort is to give training advice, laughs, and some useless facts you might like to throw at people. I will follow a fairly consistent format everyweek. I hope you enjoy!

•  What everyone is talking about.
  Football Season

This is the time of year that everyone gets excited about football. New possibilities for all football teams on all levels. Let the overreactions, surprises, and disappointment begin. Let me give you a couple of examples of what I'm talking about.

1. Tebow. So here is the deal. Heisman-Check, 2 National Championships-Check, Jesus-Check, Work ethic-Check. It looks ugly but he wins and he gets the most from his team. What gives? Quit hating this kid because you are going to have to eat crow sooner or later. Career Highlights by Jesus favorite player. Nice music too..
   
2. Texas A&M will disappoint you more than the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Have the Aggies ever delivered on hype? Texas A&M is the only team I have ever known that gets so much national respect but can't consistently beat anyone from any conference. Maybe drop a game to Arkansas State. Have an All American that gets worse.. again. Freshman always start and then get phased out. The Aggies have loyal fans but are not deserving of all the football respect. Mizzou, Kansas State beat them unmercifully ever chance they get. I grew up an Aggie fan and would love for them to be great. Bottom line.. they are not yet. They repeatedly miss on recruits in East Texas and they try to act like they are Texas Equal.. which they are not. They need to recruit kids that fit A&M. That is small town ball players that dream of being there. Be what you are and you are not Texas. Not even talking SEC.. that would be a tough transition but I know one recruit you would flip. Clip below is a not appropriate for kids but a pretty funny conversation between Aggie fan and Texas Tech fan.
   
   
   
   
3. REL football (Tyler TX) new era. Can't wait to see what Coach Huffstickler is going to do with REL. Huff is an ex All American Option QB that is one of the best defensive coaches in the state. He should shake things up a bit. I am so glad the Owens era is over. Let me make something clear: he and I were not friends. First interaction I had with him was in response to him calling me Martha Stewart and threatening kids from training a high level away from REL. He knows how I feel about him and I am aware that he doesn't send me a Christmas card either. I am pretty sure all the opposing football coaches are not as excited about his leaving as I am.  I bet it was fun to not have to scout an offense. Yeah Yeah he won a state championship. That is a big deal. He seemed to think he didn't need to get any better at his craft after that win. My feeling is that his supporting staff was pretty good and with the influx of D1 players compared to wins... I would say he did a poor job. Not knowing your players names and having the personality of a Brahma bull doesn't make you a favorite. Not to mention all the negative things I heard about Owens from college recruiters. Some said they refused to recruit Lee because of the way Owens acted. These kids deserve better than that and they will get it with Huff. I am sure Owens did great things for some kids and really coached well at times. I just never saw it. Good luck to Huff and Co. I will miss the quote in the paper after ever loss though.. "We are gonna get back to basics this week." Really because you can only run the stretch two directions right and left. haha
   
4. Last and Most Appropriate: DALLAS COWBOYS.
   They will disappoint you more than the Aggies and people all over the nation will throw fits of frustration every Sunday. See below.

Training Tip of the week: Stay Strong In-season.
There is a right and wrong way to train while your season in going on. You can overdo your training and hit a wall half way in or not do anything and become a portion of your self when you reported.. So what to do?

1. Fuel Up. Fuel the engine with the highest octane during racing season. Eat Right. Sleep. Drink water and get Electrolytes. A banana a day works well. remember hydration is not what you had today but your total diet from the last 10 days will effect your Hydration. Check it: Hydration can effect performance up to 25% without you even noticing. Think that late night Wednesday wont affect your game on Friday night. Wrong. Sleep, Eating, Drinking- all matter with Hydration.
2. Strength train. Reduce Volume (total workout reps). Train for stability in all joints. Keep your strength levels up. 2 times per week is a good practice if you hit every joint twice. Don't think it has to be light. It needs to push you. Short workouts.
3. Limit plyometrics but integrate once a week at minimum.
4. Do injury prevention training. We like to have our athletes do the "rehab circuit" with MFR, stretching, band work, and core.
   

 Two laughs for the Road

1. Think you have done something dumb this week. This should make you feel better.
   

   

   
   

   
   

2. Best Manager tirade Ever. Wish this guy was was with me next time I see a call blown.
   

Until nest week- Love Jesus, Press on, and laugh when life doesn't. 

Best.


Bobby Stroupe