Follow Up on the $250 million club post

Special for Josh:

#1 Draft pick, Matt Stafford signed with Detroit Lions for either 17 million  guaranteed,  or 41.7 million guaranteed. Based on what I’ve heard from insiders it was the 41.7 number.  That can easily go to  $78 million if he has an average first six years.  And if he can get Detroit to the playoffs in the first three or four years that contract will be re-written.  Even if General Motors has to contribute to do it.

Detroit is going all out to help Stafford because the Lions were a terrible team in 2009 as we all know.  They’ve brought in eleven free agents so far and six of those are on defense….so Matt will hopefully have a better chance to get rid of the ball than last’s year’s QB’s did.  Stafford is a great young man with a head that knows football.  Livernois and Grand River Ave aren’t Broadway…. that’s for sure … but Detroit is hungry for a hero and they’ll treat him like Bobby Layne if he gets the job done.

USC’s “Playboy” Mark Sanchez, as the tabloids have tagged him,  got $28 million guaranteed  and the total on that contract could easily exceed $50 mm  in the first 5 years.  If Mark does well and has a couple of blow out years you can bet your house the contract will be  renegotiated and it won’t be renegotiated down!  

Is he the playboy the internet says he is? I don’t think so.  He’s a good kid who just got all the money in the world and a heck of a stage to spend it on. New York, New York its a wonderful town…if you don’t let it down!

Now if he follows in Leinart’s tracks, which some want to say he might, he’ll still do well enough to stick around for the five years and he’ll have to get by on $50 “mil.”   Probably most readers are too young to remember Joe Namath coming to the NFL … with knees so bad there were questions if he’d even be able to play…yet he signed with the Jets for the UNHEARD OF PRICE of $400,000!  The biggest contract in NFL history at the time…and it turned out to be a great bargain for New York.

Well Sanchez signed for 12 ½ times as much as “Broadway Joe” and he already has more stories about girlfriends than Joe did in his entire career.  Joe had too much class to talk about all the girls. I’ve seen a few of Mark’s girlfriends and the #1 “hottie” is a ‘drop dead’ schoolteacher who works at Phil Trani’s restaurant in Long Beach. I’m told she still gets calls regularly from Sanchez.  (Not sure if she still picks up on those calls?}

So my $250 Million club has a total on the first two contracts, of the six guys in the photo, of  over $128 million. That’s on their ‘ORIGINAL’ signing contracts. Not too bad.

The other four outstanding players in that photo, all who opted not to go into the 2009 draft were: QB Chase Daniel, Missouri,  QB Bobby Reid, Texas Southern, QB Colt McCoy, Texas and USC’s #1 wide receiver Damian Williams, who will make this year’s Trojan QB, Aaron Corp look good all year.  Corp is so fleet afoot that it may cost Williams a few TD’s  but rest assured the pro scouts will see enough to insure him of an 8 figure contract in 2010. 

 

So you see why I still stand behind that “$250 Million Club”  estimate; heck it could go to $252 million maybe? 

For Josh

RE: the $250 million dollar QB club.

Waiting to hear from QBs for follow up story.   Hang in there.

Sanchez on top of the World

Well congratulations to WhatsUp’s favorite QB.  As you may remember on March 2 we said that the Jets really liked Mark but we doubted they be able to move up far enough on draft day to get him.  Well did they ever move up. Giving up 3 players and two draft spots (one a first round pick) to the Browns to get their guy.

Although Mark had just gotten off a plane from New York the night before after spending the weekend signing a contract for a video game and “hanging out with his pal Mark Stafford,

#1 pick in the draft, Mission Viejo’s pride and joy got right back on a red-eye flight (First Class, of course) for the big apple. We think Mark is going to be the Joe Namath of the next 10 years and I for one have another team to cheer for…in addition to my son’s “Stiller’s”

Take a look at our “Five Quarterback” photo in February (go to Search)of Stafford and Sanchez and three others at a local restaurant (Phil Trani’s) last year.

The Ultimate Auto Showroom at Lowe’s Hardware near Cal State Long Beach.

So here I was, last Saturday, driving along in the fast lane,  minding my own business, on the way to the hardware store. My Prius runs like a watch and I’m never envious of other drivers.  Well almost never.  So this guy in a black 250 GT Ford whistles past me in the right hand lane, cuts off two other cars, and zips over to the left turn lane in front of me.  In my opinion the GT Ford ($250,000) is one of the prettiest cars ever built in the U.S. so just looking at it made me forget what a jerk the driver was.

We continued up Bellflower Blvd. with the GT well in front, now back over in the right hand lane. Suddenly, out of no where a Lamborghini Murcielago ($340,000) followed by a 599 Ferrari GTB Fiorano ($300,000) and two more Lamborghinis squeeze into the lane if front of him.  Out of nowhere I’m alongside  a parade 5 cars worth about 1.5 million dollars! I almost got out of the car to take a picture of my little Prius until I realized I couldn’t pull it off.

                                                                                  

 

 

I followed as long as I could then turned into Lowe’s made my purchase and got in the car to head back home…when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a gathering of ponies that would make any man’s eyes tear! (sorry but I had to say it.)

In the Lowes parking lot there were about 100 to 125 of the most beautiful and expensive cars in the world. A few (3)  racing Porsches (About $500,000 each) at least a dozen Ferraris, Lotuses (..should that be “Loti?”) and the main mark of the day Lamborghini.  Every kind of Lamborghini you can imagine.  Cars with exotic license plates and some very wierd even one Ferrari from Saudi Arabia.  A $400,000 Rolls Royce that had been painted with black primer! Everything painted…even the chrome.

Turns out these people get together every year, at this same venue, on the Saturday before the Grand Prix.  I think they just like to meet with one another once a year to see who has the hottest new wheels and I was lucky enough to stumble into it.  I ran around like a wild man trying to get as many pictures as I could (Go to our Flicker link bottom right for more photos) before they took off.  You know when you crash a party of the rich and famous you want to have as much proof as you can get to prove you were there before you get thrown out, right?

Anyhow put the date and the place on your calendar and you can crash it with me next year. To see all the photos go to our flicker

Long Beach Grand Prix has begun

Stay on our home page to see photos of the cars and the celebritites; Danica Patrick, Keanu Reeves, Al Unser Jr., Alex Trebec, Tim Daily and more…… http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatsupinsealbeach/

Crowley Lake Boat Inspection Warning

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has issued an alert for all boats entering Crowley Lake.  All boats will be thoroughly inspected to help prevent the spread of invasive mussels that can impact the fisher and damage boats and water systems. Boats showing signs of contamination with invasive mussels, or found to contain any water or debris that could harbor mussels will not be allowed to launch into Crowley Lake.  Boat inspections will be done at the Crowley Lake South Landing and in Bishop for the fishing season opening.

DON’T MOVE A MUSSEL! Help stop the spread of invasive mussels. Inspect boats and trailers thoroughly and remove any trash, mussels or aquatic weeds. Drain water from the motor, live-well, bilge and transom wells.  Wash boats, trailers and equipment with a pressurized power sprayer and hot water. Rinse live -wells, bilge and cooling systems with hot water.

Dry boats, motors, trailers and equipment in the hot sun for at least two weeks before using them again.  Look for mussels on your vehicle rear end, trailer hitch, rollers, anchor, dock lines, hull, axle, live wells, bilge and motor.

For more info go to www.ladwp.com/mussels

Sports Bulletins

-John Madden to retire after 33 years. Will be replaced by Collingsworth 

-Danny Ainge has heart attack this a.m. Recuperating in hospital.

-Kevin Garnet probably out for entire post season.

-Mark Sanchez slated for Redskins in first round.

Grand Prix Ready to Roll in to Long Beach

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is getting ready to Roll into town on April 16th-19th!  Don’t miss Championship racing with Danica Patrick, Marc Dixon, Marco Andretti and more!   If you’re looking to spot a few celebrities make sure to check out Keanu Reeves, Adrien Brodie and others in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday!

Various vendors throughout the area are offering your chance to pick up Free Race tickets.  To see participating vendors visit the Toyota Grand Prix website!

USC’s Mark Sanchez getting lots of NFL looks

This week the NFL is meeting in at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and getting a lot of criticism for staying at such a high priced venue during tough economic times.  This reporter says leave them alone.  If staying in plush digs puts the money men (read owners) to push through rule changes that will protect their gladiators from life crippling injuries I say let them stay at the St. Regis all summer.

Some of the rules adopted include:

1. Initial force of a blindside block can’t be delivered by a helmet, a forearm or shoulder to an opponent’s head.    A blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty. (Long overdue!)
2. First contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.
3. No blocking wedge of more than two players on kickoffs.
4. Kicking teams can’t have more than five players crowded together to capture an onside kick.

Rodney Harrison, New England Safety, has already come out and criticized the above changes as making the game too soft.  We have to remember that Rodney’s job is to deliver such hits…not receive them. Think that might change his mind?

Two weeks ago I met with an NFL running back, who didn’t want to be identified. He retired after 12 years in the league.  We were discussing the current economic crisis and someone at the table suggested that he didn’t have to worry because of the NFL’s generous retirement plan.  He laughed. “That money won’t be available to me for another 15 years and when it is I probably won’t be around to collect it?”   The next obvious question was “why not?”  “Check it out” he said. “Very few of us are still alive.  Those of you who refer to yourself as a ‘working stiff’  have a considerably longer lifespan than an NFL player.”

Rose Bowl MVP, USC’s Mark Sanchez  is expected to be a high draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Sanchez had an outstanding showing at the “Combine” earlier this year and is at home in Orange County waiting for the April NFL draft.  Rumors are flying about who is ‘courting” him. Pretty good sources said that his week he was visited by represeentatives of Denver,  Redskins, 49ers, Jets and Steelers.  Two of the group of prospective employers tested him on his ability to study the playbook and he passed with colors.

Several of his USC teammates also expected to be high draft picks including linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. Both are on the Steelers charts as well as several other clubs.

And then there were (“Sweet”) Sixteen

Here are the next eight match-ups in the NCAA’s “March Madness”:

West Regional
Conn v Purdue
Memphis v (Marquette or Missouri?)

Midwest Regional
AZ v Louisville
Kansas v Mich. State

-South
No. Carolina v Gonzaga
Oklahoma v Syracuse

-East Regional
Villanova v Duke
Xavier v Pitt

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