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About Scott Wedell (NYSR) Most of us at Sports Jabber knew him as NYSportsRule (NYSR) or simply Scott. If any one were to ask me what his last name was, I would have been absolutely clueless. But now if you ask me, it’s Scott Wedell and he was an amazing person, one whose life was cut short on January 18, 2011 after a 3-year battle against cancer. Nevertheless, Scott was an inspiration to us all and impacted the lives of many people (both online and in-person). I am sure there are lots and lots of people who have their stories and memories of Scott. And while I’d like to share his story with you all, no one could tell it better than Scott himself. So check out The Life Diary of Scott (NYSR) and learn about our good friend and brother, Scott Wedell, about his ongoing battle, his strength, courage, and perseverance through it all and I guarantee that it will touch your heart.
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Steelers, Jets Bring Foes Together as Friends Before Sad End By: David Whitely (FanHouse) T.J. Jenkins and Scott Wedell never actually met, but they disliked each other from the start. One loved the Steelers, the other loved the Jets. That sparked a blogging battle so intense it would make Rex Ryan blush. "We were at each other's throats about everything," Jenkins said. Tensions eventually cooled, then the rivals grew to respect each other. And finally this week, when the teams they love most were preparing to battle for the Super Bowl, Jenkins crumpled to the floor. His blogging rival was dead. Wedell was only 19. In his honor, Jenkins will lay down his arms this Sunday. There will be no typing during the game. Jenkins may not even be able to cheer. "Usually if the Steelers lost the AFC Championship Game, the loss would devastate me," he said. "It's not going to hurt as much this year if they lose." It's trite to say sports aren't life or death, and how people take them too seriously. But this story is a reminder how sports can help break down serious walls. From great ones like apartheid to small ones like the one these two super-fans overcame. "He didn't have any enemies," Ray Wedell said of his son. Of course, Scott never really let his father in on his computerized passion. The Internet has unleashed millions of passionate voices. Wedell went by "NYSR," short for New York Sports Rule. Those are fighting words where people believe New York sports don't rule. Like in Canton, Ohio, where Jenkins was raised to love the Steelers. His website, Steel Hurtin', is dedicated to covering all things Yellow and Black. Wedell was raised in Fairfax, Va. He loved sports and could rattle off stats and facts like Rain Man. He played basketball in high school and finished his sophomore year by scoring 24 points in a game. Not long afterward, he noticed a lump in his leg. It turned out to be a tumor. Wedell had rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of5 cancer that infects muscles and other CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...
connective tissue. Thus began the battle. Chemotherapy, radiation, blood counts, vomiting, wheelchairs. The cancer went into remission, only to cruelly reappear. Through it all, Wedell never stopped loving life, loving the Jets and loving to electronically chat about them. That's a strange thing about the Internet. People talk more to strangers across the world than they do their neighbors. The conversations can get nasty and personal. Just check out the exchanges on SEC football or English Premier League sites.
Wedell and Jenkins had progressed from being at each other's throats to actually speaking on the phone. They'd call before games, insult each other's teams and generally give each other a hard time. Wedell eventually let on about his illness. Whatever animosity remained between NYSR and Canton's leading Steelers fan vanished. Jenkins asked Wedell to explain his condition and posted it on his website. Through all the harrowing details, there was hardly a hint of self pity. "I was reallyyyy looking forward to my junior and senior seasons playing," Wedell wrote. "That's one thing I think about a lot and it kind of gets at me that I didn't get a chance to play again." That's as close to feeling victimized as he allowed for himself. "He was selfless. He took the stance that whatever was going to happen to him was going to happen, and to live each day to the fullest," Jenkins said. "You could tell he was nervous and scared at times, but he would never tell anybody." 6
By last week, he couldn't tell anybody. Wedell went to the hospital in grave condition. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...
He was barely conscious most of the weekend. But at about 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, his father nudged his shoulder. The Jets and Patriots were coming on TV. "He didn't hate many things in life," Ray Wedell said, "but he hated Bill Belichick and Tom Brady." What self-respecting Jets fan wouldn't? Scott's eyes widened as New York dominated the first half. "I can't believe we're only ahead 7-3," he told his father near halftime. "We're so much better than them." He laughed like a carefree 19-year-old when Shonn Greene scored a touchdown and pretended to lie down and fall asleep in the end zone. "I can't wait to play the Steelers," he said. Then he went back to sleep. "He never really regained consciousness," Ray Wedell said. Scott died Tuesday. His form of cancer hasn't had the treatment advances many other types have. He'd hoped to hang on long enough for a promising new drug that the FDA hasn't approved yet. "He didn't lose the game," Ray said. "Time just ran out." Scott wanted to raise awareness and raise money for research. His father hopes the NFL will seize this opportunity, and maybe have Ryan and Mike Tomlin tape a commercial asking for donations. There are a lot of sports fans who could use the dose of perspective. But in the Internet battlefields, the unlikeliest friendships can flourish. The Wedell family didn't even know of Scott's ties with Jenkins until a couple of days ago, when somebody sent a link to Steel Hurtin'. Jenkins had found out about Scott's death when he checked his Facebook page. "I saw 'Rest in peace,'" he said. That's when he collapsed to the floor. So instead of blogging throughout Sunday's game, Jenkins plans to simply watch and remember. "He'll have the best seat in the house," Jenkins said. If the Jets win, he'll be happy7for the friend he never met. If the Steelers win, Scott Wedell will probably feel the same way.
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Ways Scott's Memory Can Live on at SJ Scott was very special to us, and SJ was his home away from home. There are now ways you can help us keep his memory going. In our NFL Jabber Forum, there is simply a thread entitled, Scott's Forever Go Jets Thread. It's not a thread about the Jets, it's just mostly saying Good Morning and "How are you?" to Scott. It's a way to say you are on my mind, and talk like we have to Scott a million times over the years. So stop by and say "Brady Sucks" for Scott sometime. LOL Another way Scott lives on is the threads he has left behind. Four threads were merged together, in the online diary he kept about his illness, his ups and downs, and unwavering spirit. Come read The Life Diary Of Scott (NYSR). And lastly if you'd like to make a donation to the family, you can do that through SJ. On the second navbar is a Donate Button. You use the scroll down button and choose an amount. Hit SUBMIT and this will take you to the PayPal homepage login. You have to login to PayPal to finish the transaction. Also, please don't click on the link just to see how it works. It just creates confusion because we have to go back and verify through the contributor if it was a legitimate donation, and it's just wasted time. PayPal will notify us when the transactions are complete. And you should be given a receipt by PayPal for your records. If you'd rather send a money order or check directly, contact any member of staff for that info. All money will be given to the Wedell Family and their fundraising efforts for Sarcoma and CureSearch. If you'd like to read more on Cure Search and the Cause, here is the info: CureSearch, 4600 East West Highway, Suite 600 Bethesda, MD 20814. http://www.curesearch.org/ We thank everyone for their continued efforts, prayers, and thoughts as we 22 march forward in Scott's honor.
Revis & The Jets‌ "Gettin it done in Scott's honor" A friend of SJ who has some "in's" with the Jets organization, contacted & advised Scott's favorite player, Darelle Revis, of Scott's passing & his incredible Jets' fandom. In a nutshell, Darelle agreed to AT LEAST do something to recognize & honor Scott via Facebook. Darelle asked that he been given some time...perhaps a few weeks, for all the "stuff" surrounding the AFC Championship Game and possibly the Super Bowl to subside. Darelle, with great compassion, said that, besides being busy now & having "everyone" wanting a piece of him, he preferred to wait anyway because he wants whatever he does to stand out for Scott. I emphasize...Not stand out for Darelle, but for Scott‌ and not be covered-up & lost in the mass of "chatter" that he's involved with right now. Our SJ friend believes that Darelle will do even more if/when he's asked & guided once things settle down. Darelle said that cancer is something that is personal to him...although he didn't provide details. A most cool and "cosmic" aspect though is that Scott's favorite player (and knowing Darelle's "mouth" lol...several if not many of the Jets) will head into the AFC Championship Game & perhaps the Super Bowl, playing at least in some small part with Scott on their minds and as their inspiration. Our SJ friend is making some other contacts within the Jets organization. No promises, but hopefully there'll be more direct honorings for Scott from some of Scott's other favorite players. We will keep you abreast. Will any/all of that be cool or what? Regardless...Revis & The Jets now know about our fallen brother & their greatest fan, Scott. A big SJ hug to our special (anonymous by choice) friend who's getting this done. 23
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Wild But Do-Able Trade Proposal By: Scott Wedell (NYSR) Ok, so I was thinking about the old Raiders teams back when they were really dominating. They used to get people that were in trouble with the law or rumored to be trouble for ridiculously cheap prices. Much cheaper than what they're worth. Now they were one of the, if not the most dominating team of the 60's and 70's while doing that. So the Jets are starting to do sort of similar things, like trading for Santonio Holmes for a 5th round pick, Antonio Cromartie for a 3, etc. Now here's the wild and crazy trade that I think would guarantee a Jets Super Bowl in the next 3 years. Mark Sanchez and a 3rd round pick For Big Ben and a 1st round pick If we offered that, the Steelers would most likely take it due to cleaning house and because Sanchez has shown that he could be a big time QB. Even the owner said when he was asked whether or not he was behind Big Ben, he said "No Comment." So he's clearly not happy with him and he might be on the trade block for much less than his value. The Jets need to do this. Sanchez will never be as good as Big Ben is now, and we don't even know if he's good at all. Big Ben on the other hand is a hands down top 5 QB in the NFL and he's a multiple SB winner. He's clutch and steps up perfectly in big games. He's content with handing the ball off and managing games, but can also throw for a lot of yards very quickly (as shown by those 475 yard passing games he had like against Green Bay). If the Jets did that trade, they would be such a dominating force in the NFL. We need to do it. It's all about whether Mike T and Woody Johnson has the guts to pull the trigger and would put their jobs on the line for a Super Bowl. 25
Dwight Smith, The Best Unknown Player In College Football By: Scott Wedell (NYSR) When Dwight Smith arrived at TCU, nobody thought he would ever be able to play football for them. One year later, he may not only the most underrated player in college football, but also one of the best running backs in the entire NCAA. Smith had a very interesting journey through high school. He started out in Texas, moved to California in his junior year to live with his dad, and then back to Texas for his senior season. But something happened to add a big speed bump in his road. When Smith returned to Texas, he learned that some of the classes that he took in California did not count towards his high school credits and that he wouldn't be eligible for college. As a football player in high school, he was one of the best Texas has ever seen. He lead Carthage High School to their first ever division 3-A state championship in his senior season. During that season he rushed for a whopping 2,820 yards, 11.8 yards per carry and 43 touchdowns in a single season. That included 272 yards and five touchdowns in the state championship game. At 5'11, 225, he has the body to be a great running back. Add that to his hand timed 4.24 and 4.39 electronic timed 40 yard dash at a USC workout and his brute strength, and you have everything you need to be a dominating running back. Smith had one visit to USC, and then it became the thought that he would never be able to play college football, so no teams gave him offers. USC coaches said he was not only the best player to visit that year, but the best running back they've ever had visit. A player who is widely regarded as the best player in the state of Texas, and one of the best high school running backs ever, was very unlikely to even play a single down in college. USC gave him a verbal offer on the spot, but then a week later revoked it after they found out that he had a zero percent chance of qualifying academically. Texas was also recruiting him very hard until they saw the exact same thing. That didn't stop TCU from going after him. TCU, along with the help of his high school coach, did a lot of research, and found a spot where Smith could qualify—if was a long shot, but they went for it. They tried to appeal it anyways, thinking there's a less than 1% chance it would go through. Very shockingly, the appeal went through, so there was now a very slight chance that Smith would be able to qualify. 26
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"This kid had size about 225 and could flat out fly. I was concerned that someone would try to take Dwight head on and be seriously hurt. The best high school running back I have ever seen. This kid's talent just blew me away". That is very high praise for a player that you've most likely never heard of. It's amazing to me how a player this talented is talked about this little. He deserves the hype Adrian Peterson got when he was a freshman at Oklahoma, Smith could be that good. To see his only highlights, check him out in the Texas High School State Championship game in the Dallas Cowboys stadium here:
Smith is #22 on the red team. If you didn't know the name, Dwight Smith, you do now and you will be hearing a lot more about it in the future.
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Big Kickoff Returns a Thing of the Past By: Scott Wedell (NYSR) One of the most exciting plays in football, the kickoff return for touchdown, could be a thing of the past in the NFL. There is nothing more exciting than seeing your team's player taking a kick and breaking away from the pack, with only the kicker to beat. Then putting on a quick move, making the kicker fall on his back and knowing that your team just instantly put seven points back on the board. This year, Roger Goodell has taken that excitement away. Roger Goodell decided that the wedge will no longer be a legal football formation. Instead of having four players lined across protecting your return man, opening up holes, teams are now only allowed to use just two. Teams can run a 2-2-1 blocking formation, where you have two blockers first, then two more five yards behind them, and then the one personal blocker going whichever direction the return man is going. The problem with this formation is the gunners coming from the side can get in very easily and stop any return from forming. The other formation they can run is two people on the left, two on the right, and a five yard gap in between them to compensate for the no wedge rule. This has an obvious flaw of the one player in the back trying to block the three biggest players coming right up the middle. Neither of these formations have had any success so far in preseason. I have only seen one return go past the 35 yard line out of many, many returns. Almost every return is shut down before it starts. What's even worse is that the return men are just getting creamed. What Goodell intended to prevent injuries could actually be causing more injuries. I haven't seen many injuries on kickoffs in the past five years; there was no reason to make the rule to break up the wedge. All it is doing is removing the wall in front of the kick returner and giving the gunners free lanes to hit the return man as hard as they can. Goodell is taking a whole part of the game away, and causing injuries while doing it. This rule is a big mistake, and it's going to take one of the most exciting plays out of the game for good. These exciting return men like Devin Hester, Joshua Cribbs, Leon Washington, and others, will have all the excitement taken away when none of them have touchdowns this season. 29
Say goodbye to the art of kick returning, it died in 2009.
The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era By: Scott Wedell (NYSR) With time to spare in the NFL offseason, I’ll take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. I’ll take into account Pro Bowls, All-Pro’s (1st and 2nd team), stats, team success, player’s success, intimidation factor, and reputation, along with many other factors to make this list. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. Honorable Mentions These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro After being labeled a bust by many after his first four seasons with the Jets, Farrior broke out with the Steelers and became one of the most consistent players in the league. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro Lofa Tatupu didn’t take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. It will be interesting to see how he can recover. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. Still, he was a very solid MLB for many years. 30
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Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler Romanowski might be overrated because of his name, but there’s no doubt he was one of the most memorable and feared linebackers of the modern era. Most known for his antics like spitting in other player’s faces, Romanowski’s play sometimes gets overshadowed. No. 50, Bryan Cox (Dolphins/Bears/Jets/Patriots/Saints) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. He was effective as a pass rushing OLB, tallying up 14 sacks in one season with the Dolphins, and as an inside run stopping linebacker with the Jets. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. He is most known for the neck plate he wore behind his head, but don’t let that distract you from his great play on the field. No. 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Johnson wasn’t very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. Call it foreshadowing, but you will see some of his teammates higher up on this list. No. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. In 2008, Suggs even had two INT’s, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Suggs will only continue to climb this list the longer he plays, 31 since he’s in the middle of his prime right now.
No. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro Fredd Young went a little under the radar due to his short seven year career. But it was his style of play that made his career so short. Young was a fierce hitter, and would always stick his nose in the middle of the play. For a four-year span with Seattle, Young was arguably the best Seahawks linebacker of all-time. It’s too bad Fredd Young’s career had to end prematurely due to injuries. Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. No. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. But, there’s no doubt that he’s been one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and still is today. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. But in those three years, he’s racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. I think he’ll climb up this list further in the near future. No. 45, Shawne Merriman* (Chargers) (2005-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman was the face of NFL linebackers for a three year stretch. He was one of the most feared players in the game. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. Who knows how many he would’ve had if he played in the entire 16? After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasn’t been the same. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. He’s going into his first healthy season 32 again in three years. We’ll have to see how he does, but he could either climb up or fall off this list based on his performance in 2010.
No. 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Jessie Armstead was one of the most consistent linebackers on this list. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Armstead didn’t particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasn’t a weak link anywhere either. He made five straight Pro Bowls, but the reason he doesn’t rank higher on this list is because he was never a feared player like his teammate Michael Strahan was, and his stats just aren’t good enough. No. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. He just goes out every week and hustles. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INT’s. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. Brooking was the face of the Falcons defense for nearly a decade, and is a wellrounded player.
*Editor Note* Due to the length of this article and the amazing wealth of football knowledge that Scott brought to everyone, this is just an excerpt of what his “The NFL’s Top 50 Linebackers in the Modern Era” article consists of. If you would like to read the article in its entirety, please go to: Full Version: The NFL’s Top 50 Linebackers in the Modern Era And for those of you interested in reading more of Scott’s articles: 33
Scott’s Sports Writer Profile on Bleacher Report
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