Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford…and a $250 million dollar club?

A once in a lifetime photo of six young men you’ll soon see on Sundays.

Five of  2008’s  best college quarterbacks and one outstanding wide receiver, (Damian Williams, USC) met for a Nike sponsored dinner at Phil Trani’s Restaurant  in Long Beach, CA. It’s been estimated that this group could ultimately have contracts that will top $250 million, admittedly a lofty figure but by what year, 2010 or 2014?

Mark Sanchez set the dinner up and even had Stafford wearing a USC T shirt.  That’s the typical “salesmanship” this kid is capable of.  In the meetings we’ve had with Mark he’s always been a down to earth young man who is all about football so it came as no surprise to see how well he and Stafford hit it off during the meal.

This may be the first time that five of the country’s top quarterbacks appeared together in a photograph and it is highly unlikely these five will ever be seen together again. Nevertheless, this shows young collegians at their very best…giving of their time to help high school athletes at a Nike quarterback clinic in Orange County.

With so many NFL teams desperate for help at the Quarterback position we know that at least Sanchez and Stafford will play in the NFL in 2009. McCoy, Daniel and Reid will be in next year’s draft along with Williams who will be one of the top receivers in 2010.  A prediction that their salaries and signing bonuses will ultimately top $250 million seems easily possible and that’s an amount higher than the salaries of a recent photo of group of Wall Street bankers. As much as we believe sports salaries are getting too high there is no doubt these young men will be held to a higher standard to prove their worth than those bankers were.  That’s OK ….they’ll be up to it.

Left to right in the photo are Chase Daniel, Missouri, Mark Sanchez , USC, Bobby Reid, Texas Southern, Matt Stafford, Georgia, Damian Williams, (wide receiver) USC,  and Colt McCoy, Texas.  Chef Phil Trani Jr. – former center for Mary Star of the Sea High School – appears front center.

Unfortunately Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Tim Tebow (Florida) were not there for dinner or the estimated number might have topped $350 million.

“Salt and Pepper” Bandit Identified

Seal Beach believe they have identified the “Salt and Pepper” bandit responsible for robbing the Washington Mutual in Seal Beach in January.  Police believe that Brian Keith Robinson, 49, with previous addresses in Long Beach and Arkansas, is the robber they have dubbed the “salt and pepper bandit” because of his graying hair.    Police are requesting anyone with information as to Keith Robinson’s whereabouts to  contact Detective Gary Krogman at 562-799-4100, ext. 1108.   For more information on this story including a photo of Keith Robinson visit the OC Register article.

Home Prices Looking Up for Seal Beach

Is there a market recovery on the way for Seal Beach?  According to the latest housing reports for January home prices for Seal Beach are up!  DataQuick has released their January  home sales report for Orange County.  The good news for Seal Beach is prices are up 44%, the not so suprising news is sales volume is down 20% year over year.    The median price for the Seal Beach area (zip 90740) was $755,000 in 2008 with 8 homes sold in the month of January.   To see the full report from DataQuick as featured in the OC Register click here.

Local surfer inducted into Century Club Hall of Fame

Female surfing legend, eco-activist and one of the founding members of the Surfrider Foundation,  Jericho Poppler Bartlow was inducted to the Century Club Hall of Fame on Sunday night.   Jericho who was spent time surfing in Seal Beach is the first Surfer to be inducted into the Century Club Hall of Fame.    View Full Article Here

On the Look Out for “Salt and Pepper Bandit”

Authorities sought public help Monday to find the “Salt and Pepper” bandit, who is accused of robbing several banks in the Southland and in Arkansas, including a branch of Washington Mutual in the 13900 block of Seal Beach Boulevard on January 10th.    Read Full Story Here

Coyote Sightings Test Alert System

Coyote sightings are giving Seal Beach police opportunities to test a new reverse 911 system.    The new county system, called Alert OC, was used in late January after a coyote attacked a pet dog.   With this new system residents will receive phone calls alerting them to coyote attacks in their area.   View the Full Article in the Press Telegram.

Opportunity to Save on Kitchen & Patio with Inside-Out

SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Inside-Out, today announced the grand opening of Inside-Out, Orange County’s first kitchen and outdoor liquidator. Offering items such as outdoor aluminum patio furniture, barbeques, barbeque islands, outdoor kitchens, outdoor kitchen accessories, spas, professional kitchen appliances, and wicker furniture, Inside-Out is offering wholesale prices of 40 to 80 percent off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) direct to the public.

 “We are excited about the launch of Inside-Out,” said Brett Maister, CEO of Inside-Out. “Because we have always been able to stay on top of “what’s hot” in our industry and because we have been doing business for the last 22 years inOrange County, we are sensitive to our customers’ needs and the changing economy. Therefore, we wanted to offer products for inside and outside the home at reasonable prices.”

 Inside-Out independently purchases products from local and international vendors and currently displays a wide variety of products in its warehouse including brands such as Viking, American Range, Capital and NXR. The warehouse is open to the public only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Cash or credit cards are accepted.

 About Inside-Out

Headquartered inSanta Ana, Calif. in a 15,000 foot warehouse, Inside-Out provides a local management team with over 60 years of combined industry experience. For more information, call Brett Maister at 1-800-551-3835 or e-mail bmaister@ocbbq.com.

Boeing to hire for Seal Beach facility

Although Boeing is planning layoffs in several Orange County plants, as this article was being written (Jan 28) their website said they are looking for several qualified new employees at the Seal Beach facility.

Please note that this was accurate on the day it was placed In “what’s up” however, things can change quickly in the job market.

Click here to go to Boeing’s website for more info.

Coyote Warning for Seal Beach Residents

Sadly an College Park West family has lost their family pet after a coyote jumped the fence and killed their Yorkie.  Police are now going door to door warning area residents about this issue.   Read more about this article at ABC7.

It’s also important to know how to protect your family and household pets from coyote attacks.  There are things you can do around your household to discourage coyotes from hunting for food in your neighborhood.   Keeping trashcans sealed and bringing your pet’s food and water dishes in at night are a start.  For more tips on protecting your family from coyotes visit the LA County website.

California Gray Whales

Shown above is a pair of California greay whales.

This mother and calf are undoubtedly on their way to Magdalena Bay, Mexico and were photographed on January 17 off Palos Verdes penninsula.

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