Is the 5 day moratorium abused?

Initially, the winter activity moratorium was supposed to allow families to celebrate the holiday season together. Does the moratorium apply to other high school activities? Does that mean I can't practice my tuba solo?

Do you honestly think that athletes, that adore sports, can totally stop cold-turkey for five days?

The state of Nebraska has banned all schools from opening their gyms and coaches are not to conduct practice or anything of sorts. Again does that mean play directors or speech coaches can't conduct practice or meetings? Is this a gray area?

In this day and age, with the amount of teen centers, fitness centers and enclosed farm sheds that are available. There are many outlets for athletes to workout or keep their game up to competition levels. Some of the hardcore basketball players might even get a shovel out and scoop a driveway to attempt to gain an edge over the competition.  A prime example would the the Lady Knights of Lincoln Southeast, they scored 97 points against Lincoln High in their first game coming off of the moratorium.

I have heard of numerous occurrences where former players conducted pickup games and just so happened, invited the current players of their acclaimed schools. I can honestly say that I have never heard of wrestlers gathering somewhere and practicing their skills, they might meet and use peer pressure to stay away from fatty food, that would affect their weights during the remainder of the season. 

I am not sure that this would be a violation of rules, when I was a high school student, I wished for more opportunities to become a better basketball player. But if a fellow player thought we should do defensive slides or run suicides during a break, that is where I would draw the line.

Many of the parents in this day and age, are pushing their children to practice their skills, so they can become the next superstar. The only problem is that most of those supposed superstars end up fizzling out and become has beens or never beens.

The chances of a high school student getting an academic scholarship are much greater than an athletic scholarship. It totally pays to be smart, and/or have the learning ability to gain intelligence easily. A person can only run faster than the wind and be able to bench press a Buick at a younger stage of life, what are they to fall back on after becoming a less important star?

Question of the day: With all the firings of NFL coaches, can you tell me who the current longest tenured coach in the NFL is?

I hope everybody had a great holiday break.

How much are you worth?

In some sports there is a salary cap that limits each team’s spending, the league officials are able to keep control of the spending and keep control of the league. There is no bullying and each team has an equal voice in decision making. 

Does anybody know the annual salary paid out by the New York Yankee’s? I do know for a fact that it is way more in one day that I will probably see in a lifetime. The thought of, “Best team money can buy,” comes to mind. I am not a Yankees fan and probably never will be a supporter of the Bronx Bombers. 

I do know that Baseball Superstar Alex Rodriguez is a great ballplayer and should be known as a "franchise type player" but do you honestly think he is worth $28 million a year? That is more than the whole Florida Marlins team, which includes 33 active roster players and even more players that are on the disabled list that in total made $21.8 million. I am not sure but there is definitely something wrong with this picture?

The problem isn't just Mr. A-Rod, look at future teammate CC Sabathia, he was being offered $150 million plus for a contract by the Yankees, and no other bidders would offer $125 million. The thought that comes to mind is overkill.

Maybe the NBA needs to think about pulling off the Salary Cap for the New York City Franchise, the Knicks, maybe then they might get into the news for winning some games, instead of having Crybaby Stephon Marbury make the news for all the wrong reasons. The Knicks need all the help that anybody can give them. I give props to all die-hard Knicks fans, because it has not just been rough water, its typhoon-like rough water that doesn't fade away. 

Enough about New York and all this money, there are many other sports stories worthy to make note of. How about the Cleveland State 60 ft heave for the win, it only means that it is roundball season and upsets are running rampant, and are to be expected. That player that was lucky enough to hit the game winner, must have felt like a million bucks after making the desperation shot

It is getting that time of the year, that many basketball players and wrestlers are taking advantage of the situation to get into shape and find their spots and roles on the teams before the Holiday break. 

Right now, there are many athletes contemplating their worth to the teams that they participate with. Whether you are the number one option or the 12th man, you are still important to helping and assisting a team mold into well-oiled machine. Prime example would be the effort, guts, and heart put out by the Husker Volleyball team this past Saturday night in Seattle, that is what a team is. All the way from Jordan Larson's key plays to Kori Cooper on crutches and a Camouflage jacket, they are all important cogs. A team is only as strong as its weakest link and the Husker Netters are a strong chain. Its not how much you are worth as an individual, but how much your team is worth. Its every individual on that team that helps determine the value. 

Happy Holidays to all faithful readers and TRIBUNE area athletes and coaches.

Question of the day: Who do you think is the most overpaid/underpaid athlete in Sports? Why?

Welcome to all TRIBUNE readers

Welcome to all readers of the Thinking Outloud editorial in the Tri-City TRIBUNE. Isn't technology great?
Without technology and the internet, would the world be able to see how a professional Basketball player cried and walked away from a fellow teammate, the "Bad Boys" of Detroit would not withstand this attitude, and no professional team should allow the attitude to occur. He gets paid to play basketball, and should be able to do that without being emotional.

Without the internet, how many would be able to tell me the most successful female sports Dynasty currently still winning championships? They have won 19 out of a possible 27 championships tournaments. (hint: it is in a sport that is worldly known)

It is bowl season, and it is time for all the office pools to open with the "Bowl Mania", there will be times throughout the rest of this year and early into next where there are brief moments that are exchanged about the bowl games that were played over the previous days. There is no office in America that is totally immune to this occurance. It is near to be one of the best times of the year, plenty of football to be watched. The only bad thing is that it also means that College Football is almost completed for another season. What do you think the rest of the NCAA would think of a Nebraska based Bowl game? What would it be called?

Congrats to all area basketball teams on picking up wins this past weekend. Wrestlers that I ventured out to observe on Saturday, all wrestled well, best of luck to all grapplers and cagers in this weeks contests.

Question of the day: What was the mascot of Farnam High School before they consolidated to their current status of Eustis/Farnam High School?