In my last official post for 2010, I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and thank you for your continued support of Access Athletes and our mission to educate athletes. It was a big year for us, as we published a number of high-profile interviews on this site and have had a tremendous amount of success forming invaluable relationships with many like-minded inviduals in the sports industry. With the solid foundation we have built over the past year, I am extremely excited for what 2011 has in store for AA.
In 2011, we will officially relaunch the revamped Access Athletes website. We will be introducing several new expert contributors who will cover a wide-variety of new topics. We also expect to roll out an educational program for elite athletes that we have been working tirelessly on for the last few years. We will continue to serve as an unbiased resource of information for elite athletes and further solidify our role as Trusted Athlete Educators.
I have included some great links from the last couple of weeks below.
- The NCAA closes the year with a bang in handing down 5-game suspensions to Terrelle Pryor et. al. But after apologizing for their infractions, all 5 Buckeyes have pledged to return to Columbus for next season. [NCAA Bungles Ohio State Ruling Along With Entirety of 2010's Rulings]
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More from the NCAA... On the heels of Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly being suspended by the NCAA for accepting discounted clothing at a department store, CBSSports.com Senior Writer, Gary Parrish, has a message for student-athletes - Stay clean or go big. I'm not condoning his message at all, but his thought-provoking column is definitely worth a read. [Message to athletes: There's no benefit in taking small gifts]
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There are some positive headlines coming out of Columbus. Pete Thamel of The New York Times wrote a great story on Buckeyes superstar Jared Sullinger and how he got to where he is today. [Molded by Father and Brothers, Sullinger Becomes Star at Ohio State]
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The AP reports that concussions in the NFL are up 20% from last year. [APNewsBreak: NFL Concussion Reports Up This Season]
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Chris Paul is described as a "gym rat" with a single-minded dedication to improvement. You really have to admire a player who works so hard on his craft. [CP3: Superstar Game, Role Player’s Work Ethic]
- Should I stay or should I go now? The question is even more difficult this year with uncertainty surrounding the labor situation in the NFL and NBA. Nick Saban has some thoughts for his players. [Nick Saban cautions Bama's juniors]
- Recently, the IRS has focused on examining returns that include “un-reimbursed business expenses” of professional athletes. [Agent Fees Often Raise A Red Flag To The IRS and The IRS is blitzing NFL players]
- Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman now owns 282 restaurants that have generated over $507 million in revenue. Athletes, this is a great example of how to be successful in your post-athletic career. [Junior Executives]
Human Relations
- Renardo Sidney's career at Mississippi state has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. This kid needs some serious psychological intervention. I hope that he gets some help and follows Dick Vitale's advice. [Renardo Sidney's wake-up call]
- It keeps on getting worse for Ravens Rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle. First, the news came out that he may not be able to play again next season and now the legal troubles. [Kindle had twice legal limit of alcohol in system, police say]
- Unbelievable story on The Fridge. [Ralph Friedgen and a remembrance of things past]
- Seriously, what are these guys thinking? [Andray Blatche: 'I'm very sorry for the incident' with JaVale McGee]
- Things didn't work out for Steve Francis in China, as his team cited his unacceptable physical condition and bad attitude towards practicing. [Sina Sports reports that Steve Francis and Beijing split ways]
- A site for groupies to exchange ideas? Athletes, please read Human Relations expert Dr. Tim Thompson's article for tips on how to discover who is really in your corner. [Sports-bedding site lets gals bare secrets]
- I will leave you with an extremely inspirational story about Maryland wide receiver Torrey "Microwave King" Smith. [Through two decades of hardships, Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith and his mother helped raise each other]
