El DeBarge Headed To Rehab!

Yesterday it was announced that singer El DeBarge is headed back to rehab due to a relapse in his battle to handle his drug addiction. El, who has been on tour promoting his album "Second Chance" obviously felt like things were going the wrong way for him, so he's done the right thing to seek help. The pressures of the music business are tough to deal with in the best of times, and El's recent album has failed to make a dent in terms of sales, but he's been on the road performing to earn a living and also to see if he could reinvigorate the record.

We have to wish El the best, drug addiction is a rough illness to deal with especially since he's back in the fishbowl of the music business.

Preparation Key For Rodgers!

Aaron Rodgers effectively took the Brett Favre torch away for the Green Bay Packers as he guided them to a sweet victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45 last night. Rodgers spent his first few years as Favre's understudy, but has shown that the time watching and studying prepared him well for the big stage. This, and the fact that he has a cannon of an arm that is as accurate as any quarterback in the league.

There's no guarantee that Rodgers will return to the big game, but for one night, he was the best player in the biggest game of the year. Preparation and patience have their place in the development of any great player, and Aaron Rodgers is making a lot of talent evaluators look very smart.

Is National Healthcare On Life Support?

Yesterday a Florida judge ruled that the individual mandate of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform was unconstitutional, dealing a major blow to national healthcare going forward in the future. It will be interesting to see how hard the White House fights this decision, but it looks like the Supreme Court will make the ultimate decision. If our President is politically savvy, he would begin compromise meetings immediately, since national healthcare has been his signature accomplishment. Having the Supreme Court ultimately decide that it's not going to work would be a devastating blow to President Obama's reelection efforts.

Obama's State of the Union!

President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address amidst the usual interruptions of clapping to recognize every statement that was made by the President. President Obama is keenly optimistic that the economy is stabilizing for the better, which may be news to individuals who are losing their jobs daily. The President hit all of the typical points in his speech, however, if he's not able to work with his Republican counterparts the speech will just be political rhetoric.

Republicans want to decrease spending and repeal the health care bill. President Obama asked Congress to work with him to improve the health care bill. Only time will tell if common sense will override political agendas to get the country moving in the right direction.

Denver's Carmelo Dilemma!

The Denver Nuggets has a major dilemma on their hands with star forward Carmelo Anthony. They would rather continue to have him as a member of their team, however, "Melo" doesn't want to be with them any more even though he he as a players' option for about $18 million for next year and an offer from the Nuggets for a 3 year, $65 million just waiting for his signature. Carmelo has decided that he'd rather be a free agent and sign with the team of his choice rather than sign the contract extension. The Nuggets fearing that Anthony will leave without any form of compensation would of course prefer to trade him, but of course teams are reluctant to trade for the star unless Anthony agrees to the contract extension.

Carmelo Anthony is arguably one of the top 10 players in the NBA, but there's no way he's leaving a potential $83 million on the table. While the Nuggets would prefer compensation, I would force "Melo" to play out the season and cut the drama that's hampered the team's performance over the last month. The Nuggets has the potential to make some noise in the playoffs, so just ride it out with their star player and let the future take care of itself.

Keyshia Fires Manny Halley!

R&B singer Keyshia Cole announced via Twitter that she had relieved longtime manger Manny Halley of his duties. Cole, whose latest CD "Calling All Hearts" has sold poorly appears to be reassessing her career direction with the disappointing sales of her latest effort. Perhaps new management will turn things in the right direction for Cole, but a hit record always eases a lot of pain for an artist used to platinum success.

Kensington Strangler Suspect Arrested In Philly!

The Philadelphia Daily News reports that a suspect has been arrested in the two month search for the "Kensington Strangler." Antonio Rodriquez was arrested yesterday after police received an anonymous tip and also matched his DNA to 3 murder victims. Rodriquez was also wanted for an outstanding bench warrant for a previous drug arrest, and police are awaiting a conclusive match with his DNA sample. Stories like these continue to be disturbing, but hopefully the Philly police have their man, and the streets are a little safer, less one more criminal.

The Dungy Tree!

As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday it's always interesting to take a look at the progress that African Americans have made in areas of prominence. Sports seems to be the one vocation where performance ultimately dictates a person's success, however, in the areas of authority that equality hasn't necessarily correlated. While football is America's most popular sport, and African Americans comprise 75 to 80 percent of the players in the NFL, there are 6 African American coaches for the 32 teams, a percentage of 19 percent.

The 6 African American coaches in the NFL, while a major accomplishment still leaves some room for improvement. Tony Dungy is the only African American coach to win a Super Bowl, but his legacy within the game will stand forever as he has lead the support for promoting diversity within the league. Two of his former assistants Lovie Smith and Mike Tomlin still have their teams in the mix for winning the big game this year. If Dr. King were living, hopefully he'd be satisfied with the progress that's been made in the NFL.

Ted Williams Cleans Up Well!

By now everyone has heard the story of Ted Williams, who caught the eye of a Columbus Dispatch reporter with a sign that he had the "God Given Gift of Voice." Williams has become a YouTube sensation and received numerous job offers including an offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers. He just announced on "The Today Show" that Kraft Foods has even offered him a job to do voice over work for one of their products. Williams, who is 53 years-old states that he has 9 children and is a recovering drug and alcohol abuser.

Williams' story has a chance to end well despite his problems with abuse and the crime issues. Interesting that prospective employers are accepting his sketchy background, but will not give others opportunities who also have had issues. Perhaps Ted Williams' story will also be a wake up call for employers as well. Only In America!

Walt "Clyde" Frazier Still Has Style!

N.B.A. Hall of Famer turned New York Knicks broadcaster Walt Frazier had Twitter abuzz last night when he wore the sports jacket pictured above while broadcasting the Knicks/Spurs basketball game. During his playing days Frazier was renowned for his sense of style as a New York Knicks point guard. It's cool to see that "Clyde" still has it.

Zuckerberg Smiling To The Bank!

Yesterday it was reported that Mark Zuckerberg's billion dollar baby, social networking site Facebook now has a paper valuation of $50 billion based on an investment infusion of $500 million. Zuckerberg's expected to take Facebook public next year which should put in direct competition with Google in terms of valuation.

Zuckerberg is only 26, and easily living the American dream. As of right now, Facebook generates revenue of about $2 billion annually. It will be interesting to see what steps it takes in the future to keep the revenue numbers rising.

Chuck Berry Still Performing!

I must admit that hearing the news that music legend Chuck Berry had to leave a concert performance in Chicago this weekend surprised me. Berry, who is 84 years-old and still performing his Rock & Roll classics such as "Maybelline," had to leave the concert stage in Chicago due to exhaustion according to his manager. Chuck Berry has to be the Joe Paterno of music to still be performing at his pace. Hopefully he will listen to his body and shut the performances down if necessary just to rest.