Don’t Think I Didn’t Notice…
1. That the NFL didn’t impose the six-game suspension Jim Tressel will have to serve before starting his new gig analyzing replays on game days for the Indianapolis Colts. The self-benching was agreed upon by Tressel and the team with no input from the league that suspended Terrelle Pryor for his role in the same scandal … Continue reading
Pissed over Pryor but we can’t quit the NFL
By now we should all know that the NFL’s ruling on Terrelle Pryor — that the former Ohio State quarterback can enter the supplemental draft but must serve a five-game suspension — makes no sense. To justify the move the NFL explained that by receiving cash and hiring an agent while still on football scholarship … Continue reading
Feb 28, 2011: The False Economy of Speed
Story orignially appeared Feb. 28, 2011 in the Toronto Star MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER The 40-yard dash is the main event of the NFL Draft Combine, and the one test than can make or break the pre-draft process for receivers, cornerbacks and running backs. A fast time can make an unknown player draftable, while a slow … Continue reading
Feb 28, 2011: NFL Combine –The world’s most gruelling entrance exam
MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER Danny Watkins spent his senior season at Baylor University manhandling defensive linemen, pass protecting and pancake-blocking his way to the All Big 12 second team and to the top of several NFL draft prospect lists. But even when you’re 315 pounds and solid as a sequoia, life in football’s trenches beats … Continue reading
On blindingly fast 40-yard dashes
Told you guys I was back to doing the kind of work that made me (almost) famous in the first place. If you didn’t catch it originally at thestar.com, or when I re-posted on Twitter, click here to read my story on the NFL Combine and the sub-season it has spawned — combine training. After … Continue reading
QB pushing his Luck with his calculated risk
The first week of January guarantees two things. Health Clubs crammed with people who swear that this will finally be the year they stick to their new year’s resolutions, and reports of high-profile underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft. Alabama running back Mark Ingram and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus declared Thursday, and Friday morning came … Continue reading
Roethlisberger? Engagement? Are we sure he’s qualified?
First, a disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog do NOT represent those of my employer, the Toronto Star, or anybody I might happen to freelance for. The represent my views and my views alone, so if I write something that makes you nod I accept the credit. And if I write something that makes you … Continue reading
Nov. 23, 2010: Concussions bring helmet safety into question
If you play high-level football, brain trauma is not a risk but a reality. And a helmet isn’t going to save you. In fact, it’s probably part of the problem. Nov. 23, 2010 Toronto Star Morgan Campbell Sports Reporter A good football helmet can withstand the force of a 35-pound weight dropped on it from eight … Continue reading
Nov. 18, 2008: CFL slow to establish drug policy
Nov. 18, 2008 MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER On May 26, 1995, Allen Pitts pulled up to the border at Sweetgrass, Mont., to cross into Canada and follow up on the most successful season ever by a CFL receiver. Teaming with league MVP Doug Flutie, Pitts caught 126 passes for 2,036 yards and 21 touchdowns in … Continue reading
September 2006: Damon Allen — Measure of a Man
Argos QB, 22 years in the CFL, is about to pass Warren Moon’s yardage, by Morgan Campbell. 02 September 2006 – Toronto Star For three years, a scout from the Detroit Tigers hung around the Cal. State Fullerton campus, hoping to catch Damon Allen’s attention. But the baseball club’s pursuit of Allen, a star quarterback and … Continue reading
Morgan Campbell: A Writer on Sports and More 