In a stunning move the New York Jets have acquired Tim Tebow and a seventh round draft pick from the Denver Broncos for a fourth and sixth round pick. The Jets will also have to pick up half of a $5 million dollar salary advance that was paid to Tebow by Denver at the beginning of last season.

The trade was originally announced yesterday only to hit a snag as the Jets didn’t like some of the language in Tebow’s contract in regards to the salary advance. Jacksonville then tried to throw their hat back into the ring, and Tebow was asked for his opinion on where he wanted to go, thrilled at the chance to play for the Jets.

Tebow joins the team whom he was able to defeat last year on his magical run of 4th quarter victories. His arrival not only brings with it “Tebowmania” and everything associated with it, but may also spark a quarterback controversy with current starter Mark Sanchez. His presence as such a polarizing figure could split a locker room that doesn’t need any more distractions.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted on Tuesday night “we don’t need Tebow,” saying he was confident in Sanchez and the guys already on the team. Today he tweeted “Why are we doing this?”

Tebow is also the same player who last season, in the week leading up to the Jets-Broncos game, was criticized by Jets players when it came to his passing abilities. Now teammate cornerback Darrelle Revis said Tebow’s style as an “option” type quarterback wouldn’t be able to sustain itself as a long-term success.

The timing of the trade is also weird as the Jets signed Sanchez to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension two weeks ago despite a disappointing season. Then, last week they signed Drew Stanton to be their No.2, giving him half a million in signing bonus. They also still have Greg McElroy, the former Alabama standout.

The Jets look at Tebow to fill the vacuum left by Brad Smith who signed with the Buffalo Bills last season in their wildcat situations. Especially since new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano was the coach who introduced the wildcat to the NFL.

Hall of Fame Jets QB Joe Namath wasn’t happy with the move.

“I’m just sorry that I can’t agree with this situation. I think it’s just a publicity stunt. I can’t go with it. I think it’s wrong,” Namath told “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN1050 in New York. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing over there.”

Rex Ryan, who has vowed to return to the power running game, hopes Tebow could bring some assistance, as they only have one established running back in Shonn Greene.

The potential of backlash is especially great for the Jets as Tebow has a monstrous following and his popularity could distract Mark Sanchez. Sanchez, coming off a sub-par season could be facing the rumblings for Tebow if he doesn’t play well.

Tebow must also adjust as he falls back into the backup role after becoming the starter last season in Denver and leading them to the playoffs and a first round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The next week however Denver was crushed by Tom Brady and the Patriots.

When it comes down to it though, Tebow made the playoffs and Sanchez did not. Sanchez struggled mightily down the stretch which got people wondering about his future with the Jets. The team backed him publicly, but vowed to change the quarterback depth chart for 2012.

With the trade for Tim Tebow, we can see that they were serious.

Image Courtesy of   Left Eyed Photography / Shutterstock.com

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Nearly one in four American children attend rural schools and enrollment is growing at a faster rate in rural school districts than in all other places combined, according to ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’, a biennial report by the Rural School and Community Trust.   In addition, rural schools show increasing rates of poverty, diversity, and students with special needs.

These widespread trends are most evident in the South, Southwest, and parts of Appalachia. ”As the evidence mounts that rural education is becoming a bigger and even more complex part of our national educational landscape, it is becoming impossible to ignore in the quest to improve achievement and narrow achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

The day of closing our eyes and hoping rural education will just go away are ending,” said Jerry Johnson, a co-author of ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’. More than 9.6 million students are enrolled in rural school districts in the United States, which is over 20 percent of all public school students in the United States.

An additional 1.8 million students are enrolled in rural schools in districts not classified as rural by the federal government.  Together, these 11.4 million students who attend rural schools comprise more than 23 percent of all public school students, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, a respected national nonprofit organization.

Of those students attending schools in a rural district, two in five live in poverty, a rate that has increased by nearly a third in nine years.  One student in four in rural areas is a child of color, and one in eight has changed residence in the past 12 months.

Between the 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 school years, rural districts’ enrollment increased by well over 1.7 million students, showing a growth rate of more than 22 percent.  In comparison, non-rural enrollment increased by only 673,000, or by a 1.7 percent increase, for the same time period.  As a result, the rural districts’ share of national public school enrollment increased from 17.4 percent to 20 percent over the decade, according to federal data in the report.

These enrollment gains were particularly strong in the most rural states in the South and Southwest.  Ten states are among the top 13 in both the number and the percentage of rural enrollment growth — Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

The top five states with rural enrollment increases — Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona — had a total gain of over 1.1 million, more than half the gain for all states that gained rural enrollment.

“Rural minority students are concentrated in certain states, and that concentration is increasing,” said Jerry Johnson. Over 69 percent of all rural minority students now attend school in states where they represent more than one third of the rural student enrollment.  That is up from 58 percent as reported in ‘Why Rural Matters 2009’.

The report uses 25 statistical indicators grouped into five “gauges” to take the measure of rural education in each of the 50 states.  The five gauges are then combined to produce a “rural education priority” gauge.  The higher the ranking, the more important and challenging rural education is in a state’s overall education system and the more urgent it is for policy makers to pay attention to it.

The 13 highest priority states are all in the South, Southwest, and Appalachia, except Alaska, and all, but three, of the 12 next highest priority states are adjacent to them with the exception of Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The report notes that rural education ranks high in importance in many Northern states, including Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, and Vermont.  However, these states tend to rank low on other measures such as student poverty, diversity, or poor student performance and low graduation rates.

“These states symbolize rural education to many people. They are the basis for a myth that all of rural America is uncomplicated, stable, and reasonably well-off. That myth is part of what keeps rural education on the margins of the national debate about education policy,” said Marty Strange, the policy director for the Rural School and Community Trust and co-author of the report.

“But these classic Yankee and Prairie-Plains states are simply an important part of a much more varied, complex, and challenging rural America that education policy makers must better understand,” said Strange. The report found that states most responsive to rural schools have above average fiscal capacity.

For example, the report points out that of the 13 states with the lowest expenditures for rural teachers, all but Nebraska and South Dakota are below the national average in state fiscal capacity.  On the other hand, states with the highest rural teacher salaries are primarily in the Northeast, the West, and the Mid-Atlantic. All these states are above the national average in state fiscal capacity per capital.

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The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, is urging a federal appeals court to uphold Alabama’s immigration law saying the measure “mirrors federal immigration provisions” and warns that if the Obama Administration challenge to the Alabama law succeeds, states will be effectively rendered “powerless over unchecked illegal immigration and the associated social and economic costs that their citizens must bear.”

“This is fast becoming one of the most important issues for the American people,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “This latest case underscores the growing clash between the federal government and the rights of states.

The fact is many states are doing what Alabama and Arizona already have done – enacting laws that promote Congressional immigration policy by enforcing the very laws that the Obama Administration fails to enforce. We contend the Alabama measure impedes no federal law and is actually consistent with federal immigration policy that promotes increasingly greater roles for states in enforcing immigration law.”

The ACLJ filed an amicus brief yesterday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, backingAlabama’s HB 56.

The brief, posted here, argues:

“The Administration’s attack on HB 56 undermines federalist and separation of powers principles by permitting the Administration’s policy preferences to trump Congress’s statutory acknowledgement that states have inherent authority to enforce laws that profoundly affect their citizens’ welfare. A decision sustaining the Administration’s claims will effectively leave the states powerless over unchecked illegal immigration and the associated social and economic costs that their citizens must bear.”

The Alabama appeal comes as the Supreme Court has decided to hear a challenge to Arizona’s immigration measure, SB 1070. The ACLJ, representing 59 members of Congress and nearly 60,000 Americans, filed an amicus brief urging the high court to take the case arguing the Arizona measure, like the one in Alabama, is constitutional because it mirrors federal immigration law and incorporates federal standards.

The ACLJ is now preparing an amicus brief in support of the Arizona measure to be filed with the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear oral arguments in the case this spring.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.  The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org.

Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com

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Fans who vehemently disputed that Alabama (12-1) did not deserve a rematch against LSU (13-1) were forced to eat their words after Monday night’s Allstate BCS National Championship.

The Crimson Tide’s November 5 9-6 home overtime loss to the Tigers in “The Game of the Century” was completely forgotten after an overwhelmingly dominating 21-0 victory, this time around in New Orleans. As a result, Alabama received 55 of the 60 first-place AP votes following their second title game victory in three years.

One first-place vote was given to #2 LSU, while third ranked Oklahoma State (12-1) earned a total of 4. Alabama head coach Nick Saban became only the 10^th coach to ever win three national titles – as well as the first to do so in the BCS era. “We didn’t do a lot different,” said Saban. “We did some things on offense formationally. Our offensive team did a great job. Defensively, we just played well, played the box. Our special teams did a great job.”

Four combined missed field goals by Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster cost them the previous matchup, but Shelley’s 5-7 night brought about a lot more than just redemption on the biggest stage of all. However, at the end of the day, the ultra-stingy Alabama defense was the focal point.

“This defense is built on stopping them, and that’s what we did,” said Courtney Upshaw, who was named defensive MVP. “We wanted to come out and show the world we beat ourselves the first game. We wanted to come out and dominate from start to finish, and that’s what we did.”

Alabama unquestionably lived up to their billing as the number one defense in the country – surrendering just 53 passing yards to quarterback Jordan Jefferson, along with a measly 39 to him and his entire rushing unit. LSU didn’t even make it into ‘Bama territory or convert a 3^rd down until the final quarter. They went a meager 2-12 on 3^rd down and had just five first downs in comparison to Alabama’s 21.

The shutout was the most impressive accomplishment of all. Before this game, no team had ever been held scoreless in a BCS Bowl. One would have to look back 20 years to discover the last championship game shutout occurred – Miami over Nebraska in the 1992 Orange Bowl (pre-BCS).

Things got so ugly for the Tigers offense that questions arose as to whether or not head coach Les Miles would eventually pull Jefferson and go with Jarrett Lee instead; though, to the curiosity of many, he never did.

Miles eluded to Jefferson’s athletic ability against the super quick Alabama defense as the main reason for leaving him in. Lee’s one touchdown and seven interceptions in four career games against the Crimson Tide probably had something to do with the decision as well. Alabama went into the half with a 9-0 lead thanks to 23, 34, and 41 yard field goals from Shelley. His only miss prior to halftime came on a blocked 42 yard attempt early in the 2^nd.

LSU remained very much in the game even after C.J. Mosely intercepted a Jefferson shovel pass at the LSU 27 with the score 12-0 early in the 3^rd. The Tigers gave up nothing off the turnover following a 41 yard missed kick by Shelley. A career long 44 yard field goal by Shelley towards the end of the quarter made it a 15-0 game. LSU finally began to move the ball in the 4th, until a strip sack of Jefferson on 4^th and 18 gave Alabama starting position at midfield.

Senior, Trent Richardson’s 34 yard touchdown sprint down the left sideline made it a 3 possession game and ended LSU’s hopes with 4:36 remaining. But it was a sophomore who ironically led Alabama throughout. A.J. McCarron threw the ball much more than expected with 34 attempts. Twenty-three completions, 234 yards, and one Offensive MVP Award later, he became the first underclassman to ever win the BCS Championship.

Elite senior receiver and punt returner Marquis Maze would not return with a hamstring pull suffered on an early 1^st quarter return. Sophomore, Kevin Norwood and senior Darius Hanks stepped up though, combining for 136 yards on 9 receptions. And while offense may sell tickets, we learned once again that a relentless defense like this still wins championships. “The whole defense is the MVP,” said Upshaw in front of the crowd. “The whole defense. Roll Tide, baby. Roll Tide!”

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American and Canadian union members who work for forest industry giant Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater) have joined forces to “speak with one voice” to the company.

About 100 union delegates from 10 Canadian Resolute mills in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and 4 U.S. mills in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama met recently in Montreal. They adopted a solidarity pledge to coordinate activities and work together, leading to the 2014 pattern and master agreement negotiations with the company in both countries.

“Resolute is on notice that American and Canadian workers will not compete against each other,” said United Steelworkers International Vice President Jon Geenen. “We have decided instead to make sure that we are informed and coordinated across the border and Local to Local about how this company is treating workers and communities.”

“We believe that it was the sacrifices of our members in both countries that made it possible for AbitibiBowater to restructure and become Resolute. We have every right now to insist on consultation and discussion of alternatives before more corporate decisions are taken that affect our members and their communities,” said Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) National President Dave Coles.

At the two-day joint meeting in Montreal, Local delegates reported to each other on cost reduction and job cut demands by the company at every location, often on the basis of comparisons to other mills in each country.

A statement adopted December 18 called for an end to “job blackmail.” “USW and CEP members at Resolute Forest Products today demand respect and fairness,” said the joint statement. “We reject absolutely any form of contrived intimidation between workers and mills. We insist that the company respect our bargaining caucuses, our pattern agreements and end any form of job blackmail between the Local unions.”

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