Clean 1.1 » they come across higher ranking talent. Ga

Clarity is a wonderful thing. When your mind is clear and you understand expectations it is amazing what can be accomplished on an individual basis and as it relates to football, collectively. And as the 2014 CFL season is about to start it is up to the head coach to be demanding on his expectations and desires from his players. He demands not only that they be the best they can be but also dictates what is expected from them as personalities and players, never forgetting that as a head coach he is their boss and is always evaluating one thing every day...them. What are those demands? Well, some are obvious and logical but until articulated perhaps not put as a priority. But given my top 10 list of demands that if you have them, you are going to win no matter the absence of excessive talent, if you dont...I doubt it. 1. Realize the opportunityTime moves on at a disturbing rate, and before you know it you have become a veteran player and youth is no longer on your side. Realize that pro football is not a career, it is an experience and given that fact you must win now. Not because that is what you are paid to do, but more because pro football careers are shorter than any other in team sports. In many ways there is no tomorrow, just today. So as the season beings you must have a "win now" mentality because there is no tomorrow, only today and only this year. 2. Be dedicatedThe CFL regular season goes from the last week of June to November 30 this year. There is no reason that you can take that time frame and put football as a complete priority. Do not be the last to show and the first to go, quite the opposite, be the first to show, last to go and use the time to know you have improved. There is nothing more aggravating on a football team than apathy. If youre the last to show and first to go, it expresses apathy in loud clear volume. 3. Make football a study, not a jobI loved university life when at school at University of Arizona. Because everything was interesting, including football. And one of the reasons I excelled was that I looked at the meeting the same way as I looked at school, I studied. There is a magnificent mental element to football when you study the game. Watching video of yourself and opponent, perfecting plays and knowing not only your position but everyones position. Knowing philosophy of the game, history, mechanics, techniques and adjustments. Look at football as if you just enrolled at the University of Football and you must graduate. Make it a study and by doing so you make it interesting. 4. Work with people, not because of themIn any locker room you have a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds that do not always have the same values. To think you will get along well with everybody is ridiculous. There will be personality conflicts and problems. But that does not mean it has to be a detriment. Quite the opposite, it can be an asset if youre the one that makes the effort to get along. It does not mean you change, it means you accept that not everyone is like you and there is nothing wrong with it. Great teams are great teams because they make an effort for the cause. You dont have to like the guy or even respect him. But you have to understand his success is your success so concentrate on success and not the person and his personality. Make the effort. 5. Stay off the streetsThere is a saying, "nothing good ever happens after midnight". Very true. It is one of those subjects that is awkward to talk about but so critical to success. No one has the right to tell you what to do with your free time but the consequences of being at the wrong place at the wrong time can be devastating. Fans of football and athletes in general do not respect seeing their stars, players out in a club at 2am intoxicated. It is a respect crusher and a conversation that never ends at the other persons place of employment. In many CFL cities players are recognized everywhere. Being 67" and on national TV I know what it is like and must stay aware at all times. Many in the public want to see you fail and the first and best place to do it is late in the club trying to impress. I have known a few, but very few, that can run the streets and run a successful career. Not just in football, but in any worthwhile occupation. 6. Keep your moneyThere may be nothing in sports more difficult to understand than the high number that dont have anything to show for it when it is all over. And when I say anything to show for it I mean cash. You want football players to play football because they love football. Its motivating. But to think some play because of the fame and money is true. And nothing is wrong with that, if that is how you are wired then that is the way you are. Still if you love the game and what the game can get you so be it. It sounds so cliché but if you have 80 per cent of what you earned when the season is over than in an abstract way it was a winning season. If when 2014 is over you lost 80 per cent of what you earned it was a losing season. Keep your money...it makes you feel good and if you feel good you will play good. 7. Stand up for your teammatesThere is a lot of intimidation that goes on that goes unnoticed and is very subtle. There is nothing better than when you are in your personal battle that is about to get out of hand when instead of a one-on-one it becomes a three-on-one with your advantage being the three. The best teams are the teams that know everyone will defend everyone. The worst are teams where its you and only you defending you. Football like all team sports has a "gang mentality" of creating confidence. You see it in hockey perfectly when a role player defends the different role player. Football teams have to have that too or they dont become teams, they become individuals on teams. Working with each other is important but defending each other makes ann even bigger difference. 8. Take video critique as serious as the gameThe day after every game players receive their grades and watch every play, and I mean every play. If youre winning and playing well it can be an enjoyable experience. But if you are losing and not playing well it can be agony. Film analysis, video analysis leaves clues. Clues of what is right, wrong and everything in between. The keys are the preparation for the game, the performance of the game, but the most important aspect is the evaluation of the game. So significant as the honest evaluation improves the next weeks preparation which improves the performance which leads back to the evaluation again. It is this game after game cycle that when mastered, guarantees improvement. It begins with evaluation of performance. If you take it as serious as the game you will excel at an exceptional rate. It is inevitable and logical - iff you dont you flat line or regress. It is that simple. 9. Take the game and make the game personalI will be the first one to say football is just a game. There are so many other things in life that are so much more important it is staggering. Still, if you blow it up in your mind and trick or convince yourself that nothing is more important, you again are guaranteed enhanced success. Take your individual play personally, take winning and losing personally. When you do you tap into hidden resources that maybe you did not realize you even had. Pride is motivating. Being respected is exhilarating. The more you play with pride, the more you demand respect and the better you are. Taking the game personal means you care and is the exact opposite of apathy. Your grade after the game should be extremely important to you. Winning should be incredibly important to you. Blow it up in your mind. Benefits will follow quickly. 10. Earn your paychequeSome people think that it is their right to have a job. Other feel they need to earn the job and make it right. Either way we all want to get paid. A great feeling is the feeling that you earned your paycheque. Earned money feels good and satisfying. Often players forget that they are being paid to be at their best both on and off the field. Because the cheques can come frequent and fast you as a player forget you are a paid professional. It is an unusual statement and it is almost subconscious but this is a job now. Youre a pro and you must perform. College is over and anytime money is involved everything changes. Being a pro is being aware you now paid to play and although it is called a game it is no long the same game you used to play. Stay aware, earn your paycheque or someone will be very happy to earn it for you. From June to November, some will rise and some will fall. 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Ray Lewis Jersey .Mallais and his team out of Saint John defeated James Grattan 5-4 in Fredericton.The 2015 Tim Hortons Brier from Feb.Off the heels of a successful event for the UFCs debut on FOX Sports 1, the promotion is back at it again this Wednesday evening with UFC Fight Night 27. A pivotal rematch in the welterweight division headlines the event, which has five Ultimate Fighter alumni on the main card. Once again Jordan Cieciwa and I go head to head in our picks this week and are aiming for a better result. My #TeamLynch prevailed on the last event going a lackluster 7 for 13 compared to #TeamJC who went 4 for 13. As always you can follow me (@LynchOnSports) or Jordan (@FitCityJordan) if you agree or disagree, also feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below. Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann Lynch: Former UFC interim welterweight champ Condit aims for redemption Wednesday night as he faces off with muay-thai specialist Kampmann. This is a rematch of their April 1st 2009 encounter back at UFC Fight Night 18, in which the Dutchman spoiled the promotional debut of the 29-year old Condit, winning a closely contested split decision. Both fighters badly need a win, as the Jackson/Winklejohn product is on a two-fight slide, while the Las Vegas resident is coming off a devastating first round knockout at the hands of Johny Hendricks at UFC 158. If Condit can follow the blueprint that Nate Marquardt, Paul Daley and of course Hendricks used in their victories against Kampmann, we could see a quick finish if the former WEC champ is able to connect early. However the later this fight goes, the more "The Hitman" becomes the favorite, as he is well known for outworking his opponents and earning late finishes (as per his wins over Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger). Despite all this, Condit should still win this fight as hes proven in his losses to St-Pierre and Hendricks that hes extremely difficult to finish. I think well see Condit play it safe throughout the fight, pick his shots and earn a unanimous decision victory. Condit via unanimous decision JC: Kampmann was all but forgotten it feels like after Hendricks knocked him out in under a minute. He was hot off the heels of three impressive wins. Now he finds himself staring at his biggest challenge and rematch since 2009, in Carlos Condit. Condit needs a win, and has the talent to finish what he started in 2009. In my opinion that fight was his and is another shining example of why fighters cant let judges decide their fate. Kampmann, although an excellent kickboxer, seems to be susceptible to the KO in big fights. Thats great news for Condit; hes got the complete game and should be able to finish this fight with a big punch or kick. There is no quit in Carlos Condit, he is always improving, and I truly feel he will be able to set up and land enough strikes to make the fight his, this time. As it did in 2009, this should go the distance, but be very exciting. Condit via unanimous decision Donald Cerrone vs. Rafael dos Anjos Lynch: In a matchup that will likely contend for "Fight of the Night" honors, former WEC title challenger Cerrone squares off with the Brazilian Dos Anjos. "Cowboy" is coming off an impressive victory over Strikeforce import K.J. Noons in which he brutalized the 30-year-old over three rounds to earn the judges decision. The Kings MMA fighter meanwhile is coming off a controversial victory against Evan Dunham, in which many pundits (including myself) thought the 31-year old was robbed by the judges. Despite the 28-year old being a black-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Cerrone actually has more submission wins throughout his career with 13 (compared to 8 for Dos Anjos). With that said, the edge in this fight goes to Ceronne, who has more technical striking and I think well see that on display over the course of three rounds as hell have his hand raised for his second straight victory. Cerrone via unanimous decision JC: If you listen to the "Weigh In" on TSN 1290, youll know how big of a fan of Donald Cerrone I am. Hardest working guy in MMA, always takes the fight, and more often than not puts on a great show. With that said, Rafael Dos Anjos has strung together five impressive wins, beat some top competitors, and always brings a good fight. Dos Anjos has an amazing group of athletes to train with at Kings MMA, and I think he will be the better prepared fighter. Im expecting control to go to Dos Anjos, and he will take home a win. Dos Anjos via unanimous decision Kelvin Gastelum vs. Brian Melancon Lynch: A bout in which both fighters are looking for their second UFC victory, Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Gastelum takes on Strikeforce veteran Melancon. The 21-year old Gastelum is coming off an impressive upset win over TUF 17 tournament favorite Uriah Hall, which saw him effectively use his wrestling to grind out a decision. The Ricco Rodriguez trained Melancon hadd an equally impressive debut by knocking out TUF 11 alum Seth Baczynski at UFC 162.dddddddddddd With 15 fights between the two of them, this will definitely be a showcase for the future of the welterweight division. Because of his superior wrestling, I see Gastelum having his hand raised at the end of this fight as he should effectively get the takedown numerous times over three rounds to emerge victorious. Gastelum via unanimous decision JC: The cast of the Ultimate Fighter have been looking a little weak as they come across higher ranking talent. Gastelum surprised a lot of people with his wrestling and win against Uriah Hall. That wrestling wont be enough to control Brian Melancon. His Strikeforce experience and last second win over Seth Baczynski (4:59 of the first) has me thinking this fight will go his way. These two need to put on a good show and convince fans and UFC management that they have what it takes to be in this welterweight division. The next fights for these two will be against the likes of Condit, Kampmann, Ellenberger and more. Its a tough division, and these two fighters need to up their game a lot to convince me they deserve to be talked about as contenders. Melancon via 3rd TKO Court McGee vs. Robert Whittaker Lynch: A pair of Ultimate Fighter tournament winners will be going to war, as TUF 11 champion McGee matches up against TUF Smashes winner Whittaker. The Pit fighter rebounded from a two-fight slide at UFC 157 in his welterweight debut, dominating Josh Neer over three rounds. Aside from losing to Costa Philippou at UFC on FX 2, McGee really should be 5-1 inside the octagon, as his other loss to Nick Ring at UFC 149 was extremely controversial. Physically both fighters are similar in height, but the 28-year old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt does possess a five-inch reach advantage. Even with Whittaker finishing 10 of his last 11 victories, McGee should win this fight with his striking and his ability to grind out a grueling fight. McGee via unanimous decision JC: I dont know what it is about Court McGee, but I like him. Hes got some solid ground game, which he displayed in his first two wins in the UFC. I also really feel that he beat Nick Ring and should be further along than he is in his career. With that said, Whittaker at 22-years-old looks very impressive. He is well rounded, and ends fights with either punching power or submissions and control. This will be a very entertaining fight as both these fighters need to remain impressive if they want to stick around and move up the ladder. At 28, McGee is in his athletic prime, and I think that this fight will come down to how he uses that advantage. McGee will control the ground, and win a decision. McGee via unanimous decision Brad Tavares vs. Robert (Bubba) McDaniel Lynch: TUF 11 alum Tavares goes to war with TUF 17 alum McDaniel in a middleweight affair. Despite his lone blemish to Aaron Simpson at UFC 132, the Hawaiian has quietly amassed a 5-1 record in the 185lb division, and a statement win over a 27-fight veteran like McDaniel could propel him up the middleweight ladder. For the Jackson/Winklejohn product McDaniel, hes looking to prove that his successful UFC debut over Gilbert Smith wasnt a fluke. Its no secret Tavares has the edge in his standup, while the 30-year old is superior on the mat, with 16 submissions on his resume. Despite "The Menace" having a two inch height and one inch reach advantage, Tavares should win this fight as hes battled tougher competition and looked good doing so. The 25-year-old should find his range sometime in the second round and finish with the TKO victory. Tavares via second round technical knockout. JC: Bubba McDaniel has a ton of experience in the fight game. His resume is impressive in volume, but it lacks what Tavares has, high level UFC wins. Brad Tavares has some fairly impressive wins, and only has one loss. That loss was a decision to the "A Train" Aaron Simpson. This fight needs to stay standing for Tavares to utilize his edge in striking. That being said, there is no better place on the planet to practice your takedowns than at Jackson/Winklejohn academy. The best in the business come through there. If McDaniel takes this to the mat, it will get interesting. If not, it should be a very controlled stand up win for Tavares, and probably an exciting finish for the fans. Its Tavares time in the UFC that will get him the win. Tavares via third round TKO Undercard Picks:#TeamLynch: Perez, Andrews, Thatch, Hioki, High, Cummings, Trujillo#Team JC: Perez, Andrews, Thatch, Elkins, High, Cummings, Bowling Also be sure to tune into the "Weigh-In" on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as Jordan and I go toe to toe discussing the hottest topics in MMA. 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