The 3-year long saga that is Brett Favre's retirement story completed this year's segment, as Brett decided to remain retired this year. I don't know whether he couldn't get a good deal, or if last year's sore shoulder was still bothering him, but he decided to sit out this year. I state it that way, because at this point we can't tell if he won't have another installment next year.
Favre says he loves the game, and keeps wanting to come back. The last two years I believed that. But the nonsense of this year makes me suspect it's something different -- he likes the attention. The had the attention when he was the star of the Packers, a community-based team whose fans are hugely loyal. He was the toast of the town. He lost that, and now he wants that back. New York is a sports-hungry town. He thought he'd get that feeling there, but didn't realize how fickle and nasty New York fans were. He decided to focus on the midwest again, but the Vikings apparently weren't the right choice.
Will he try this again next year? Unless he finds something to fulfill this need of his, I'm afraid so. He flushed out in New York and failed in the midwest. Could the West Coast be his next target? Stay tuned, this show may be rerun in April.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
TO Makes Trouble for Vick
I've been staying away from the recent flurry of activity surrounding Michael Vick's attempt to be reinstated into the league. Let's face it, that's really between him and Commissioner Goodell. Has the man faced harsher punishment than most NFL offenders? Absolutely. Has he shown appropriate HONEST remorse (not just a facade in order to come back)? That's a judgement call, and the only person's judgement that matters is Mr Goddell's.
Most people are willing to concede that it is, ultimately, Commissioner Goddell's decision. MOST people, but not Terrell Owens. The always-controversial WR has upped the ante on stupidity this week. Earlier, he had been pleading the case for reinstating Vick. Okay, lots of players and former players were chiming in on this, so one more voice was not unexpected. A couple of days ago, however, TO stated that a failure of Goddell to reinstate Vick would be a demonstration of discrimination against Southern blacks, and that NOT reinstating him would lead TO, in Vick's name, to lead a lawsuit against the league!
Here's TO's reasoning: the attitude of many Southeners is that dog fighting is an acceptable passtime, like hunting. In order to fit in with the rest of the rednecks, Vick had to immerse himself into that world. The brutality and slaughter of weaker dogs was simply part of the dogfighting culture. In other words, TO believes that Vick had no choice but to enter dogfighting.
It should be unnecessary to point out the flaws in TO's "reasoning", as he has proven over the years that thinking is not a skill he does well. However, just for the benefit of the audience out there, let's look at this. For years, the NFL has had teams in traditional "redneck" areas: Atlanta, Texas, New Orleans, and recently Tennessee. NO NFL player has ever been connected to dogfighting; no participating, and certainly not RUNNING it, until Vick. If it was such an ingrained part of redneck society, you'd think we'd have heard about it before now. Besides, I don't think "participating in dogfighting" is one the requirements Jeff Foxworthy has EVER mentioned about "You might be a redneck..."
Thus, TO's argument is crap, and should be ignored. And his recent threat could end up backfiring. Goddell has shown himself to someone who will not be bullied, and pushes back as hard as someone pushes him. TO's threat could be used as a negative against Vick, and could also cause TO some fines or hardships. TO doesn't seem to mind receiving punishment for his actions, but somehow I don't think Vick will remain his friend if this one ends up biting him. Once again, TO acts and talks without thinking. Say, I wonder if a brain scan should be a requirement of TO's physical? I think his stopped working a long time ago.
Most people are willing to concede that it is, ultimately, Commissioner Goddell's decision. MOST people, but not Terrell Owens. The always-controversial WR has upped the ante on stupidity this week. Earlier, he had been pleading the case for reinstating Vick. Okay, lots of players and former players were chiming in on this, so one more voice was not unexpected. A couple of days ago, however, TO stated that a failure of Goddell to reinstate Vick would be a demonstration of discrimination against Southern blacks, and that NOT reinstating him would lead TO, in Vick's name, to lead a lawsuit against the league!
Here's TO's reasoning: the attitude of many Southeners is that dog fighting is an acceptable passtime, like hunting. In order to fit in with the rest of the rednecks, Vick had to immerse himself into that world. The brutality and slaughter of weaker dogs was simply part of the dogfighting culture. In other words, TO believes that Vick had no choice but to enter dogfighting.
It should be unnecessary to point out the flaws in TO's "reasoning", as he has proven over the years that thinking is not a skill he does well. However, just for the benefit of the audience out there, let's look at this. For years, the NFL has had teams in traditional "redneck" areas: Atlanta, Texas, New Orleans, and recently Tennessee. NO NFL player has ever been connected to dogfighting; no participating, and certainly not RUNNING it, until Vick. If it was such an ingrained part of redneck society, you'd think we'd have heard about it before now. Besides, I don't think "participating in dogfighting" is one the requirements Jeff Foxworthy has EVER mentioned about "You might be a redneck..."
Thus, TO's argument is crap, and should be ignored. And his recent threat could end up backfiring. Goddell has shown himself to someone who will not be bullied, and pushes back as hard as someone pushes him. TO's threat could be used as a negative against Vick, and could also cause TO some fines or hardships. TO doesn't seem to mind receiving punishment for his actions, but somehow I don't think Vick will remain his friend if this one ends up biting him. Once again, TO acts and talks without thinking. Say, I wonder if a brain scan should be a requirement of TO's physical? I think his stopped working a long time ago.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Letting Fans Call the Shots
As ESPN is wont to do, they had a serious of polls on their web site this week. One of them asked fans of the Detroit Lions if rookie QB Matt Stafford should start as soon as the season began. Nearly 80% of them said "Yes." I guess the Detroit fans have become so used to losing that they have forgotten what is required to win.
I understand their enthusiasm. They have labeled Stafford as the team's savior. However, that doesn't guarantee success. The Lions have had previous "saviors", and look at the condition of the team now. The last player who truly lived up to the label "savior" was Barry Sanders, and he retired prematurely due to the pressure of living up to that title.
Besides, I don't think Stafford is good enough to be Detroit's savior. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a fair quarterback who will be a great asset in the future, but I emphasize the future -- he's not good enough to start right away.
Just look at last season at Georgia. Prior to the start of the college football season, he was hyped as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Many experts that, between him and RB Knowshon Moreno, the Bulldogs would end up one of the top teams in the country. Moreno lived up to his hype, but Stafford stumbled. He couldn't manage being one of the top five quarterbacks in ANY of the crucial categories: passing efficiency percentage, yards completed, or TD-to-INT reception. He was stable, but he wasn't outstanding.
That'll get worse in the NFL. Let's face it, Stafford really doesn't have a good feel of what's happening on the field, and he doesn't anticipate well. Things are worse considering that he really hasn't seen the types of tough defenses he'll encounter in the NFL, and practicing with the Lions' D won't help him any. Stafford at least has one advantage over Matt Leinhart, another highly-hyped rookie who has turned out to be mediocre (at best) - he did face SOME tough defenses. After all, the SEC has Auburn and LSU, two tough defenses. Leinhart came from the offensive-heavy Pac-10, so Leinhart couldn't figure out NFL defenses AT ALL. That's one reason why Leinhart lost the starting job to a physically-battered veteran more than 10 years older, who was originally brought to Arizona with the intention of tutoring the young QB.
Stafford has a chance to be better than Leinhart, but he's not in the same category as Atlanta's Matt Ryan, who was a powerful rookie starter last year. Ryan repeatedly carried his team to victory in college, while Stafford relied too much on the system. Stafford is intelligent, but it takes him a while to become comfortable with new schemes. He won't be ready to run Detroit's offense on Week 1. The team would be better to have him observe and practice, and maybe bring him in around Week 10 or 11. They should handle him like the Giants handled Eli Manning; look how that turned out.
I understand their enthusiasm. They have labeled Stafford as the team's savior. However, that doesn't guarantee success. The Lions have had previous "saviors", and look at the condition of the team now. The last player who truly lived up to the label "savior" was Barry Sanders, and he retired prematurely due to the pressure of living up to that title.
Besides, I don't think Stafford is good enough to be Detroit's savior. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a fair quarterback who will be a great asset in the future, but I emphasize the future -- he's not good enough to start right away.
Just look at last season at Georgia. Prior to the start of the college football season, he was hyped as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Many experts that, between him and RB Knowshon Moreno, the Bulldogs would end up one of the top teams in the country. Moreno lived up to his hype, but Stafford stumbled. He couldn't manage being one of the top five quarterbacks in ANY of the crucial categories: passing efficiency percentage, yards completed, or TD-to-INT reception. He was stable, but he wasn't outstanding.
That'll get worse in the NFL. Let's face it, Stafford really doesn't have a good feel of what's happening on the field, and he doesn't anticipate well. Things are worse considering that he really hasn't seen the types of tough defenses he'll encounter in the NFL, and practicing with the Lions' D won't help him any. Stafford at least has one advantage over Matt Leinhart, another highly-hyped rookie who has turned out to be mediocre (at best) - he did face SOME tough defenses. After all, the SEC has Auburn and LSU, two tough defenses. Leinhart came from the offensive-heavy Pac-10, so Leinhart couldn't figure out NFL defenses AT ALL. That's one reason why Leinhart lost the starting job to a physically-battered veteran more than 10 years older, who was originally brought to Arizona with the intention of tutoring the young QB.
Stafford has a chance to be better than Leinhart, but he's not in the same category as Atlanta's Matt Ryan, who was a powerful rookie starter last year. Ryan repeatedly carried his team to victory in college, while Stafford relied too much on the system. Stafford is intelligent, but it takes him a while to become comfortable with new schemes. He won't be ready to run Detroit's offense on Week 1. The team would be better to have him observe and practice, and maybe bring him in around Week 10 or 11. They should handle him like the Giants handled Eli Manning; look how that turned out.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sun Sets in Denver
Welcome to my new blog! For fans of my long-running Internet column, you'll recognize some features starting in September. My annual NFL previews will begin a few weeks, and the start of training camp will give me plenty of subject matter for my weekly ramblings. To start, though, I want to go back to a topic near and dear to my heart, and then extend it to current events.
I was surprised when the Chicago Bears exchanged QBs with the Denver Broncos. I wasn't surprised that Cutler was being traded - he done his best to alienate himself from his new coach. It began with his paranoid rant when incoming coach Josh McDaniel attempted to woo QB Matt Cassel. Cutler immediately went to the media, saying the new coach had no faith in him and that he wanted out of Denver. Dumb move on Cutler's part. Not only would such a move ruin his chances with his new coach, but it was a thoughtless reaction. Whenever a new coach joins a team, it's not uncommon for that coach to bring in some players or assistants from his old team. In this case, it was even more appropriate for McDaniel to want Cassel. McDaniel stated that he was revamping the Broncos' offense, making it similar to the Patriots. It makes perfect sense to want someone intimately acquainted with that offense. It took Cutler nearly an entire year to learn Denver's old offense, and it wasn't nearly as complex as that employed by the Patriots. McDaniel wanted a QB he could count on. Getting Brady was out of the question, but Cassel was ready to prove he could lead a team of his own, a chance the young journeyman will get in Kansas City.
So Cutler was on his way out. Still, I wonder why the Bears took him. Orton was developing well, and he understood how the team functions. Okay, it won't take Cutler nearly so long to learn the Bears' system, as it's not too different from the run-oriented system of the former Broncos. However, Cutler is more of a showboat. He wants to throw the long pass often, and he tends to look for those opportunities before dumping off a short pass. That strategy was a failure when Rex Grossman was QB, and the Bears have simply substituted another one like him. I fear what will happen to my favorite team this year.
Orton seemed a shoo-in for Denver's starting job. After all, who else did they have? A late drafted rookie and a failed back-up rejected by three other teams. Yet McDaniels seems to like Chris Simms, and is threatening to make him starting QB. Obviously McDaniel prefers the arm strength of Simms to Orton's methodical tendencies. Big mistake! Simms is error-prone, and doesn't have a good sense of the field. Denver is likely suffer a large number of interceptions this season. Fortunately, they boosted their running corps, so they can always fall back on that. I'm not sure McDaniels will fall back on the run, though, so the Broncos may be in for a LOOOOONNNNNGGG season.
I was surprised when the Chicago Bears exchanged QBs with the Denver Broncos. I wasn't surprised that Cutler was being traded - he done his best to alienate himself from his new coach. It began with his paranoid rant when incoming coach Josh McDaniel attempted to woo QB Matt Cassel. Cutler immediately went to the media, saying the new coach had no faith in him and that he wanted out of Denver. Dumb move on Cutler's part. Not only would such a move ruin his chances with his new coach, but it was a thoughtless reaction. Whenever a new coach joins a team, it's not uncommon for that coach to bring in some players or assistants from his old team. In this case, it was even more appropriate for McDaniel to want Cassel. McDaniel stated that he was revamping the Broncos' offense, making it similar to the Patriots. It makes perfect sense to want someone intimately acquainted with that offense. It took Cutler nearly an entire year to learn Denver's old offense, and it wasn't nearly as complex as that employed by the Patriots. McDaniel wanted a QB he could count on. Getting Brady was out of the question, but Cassel was ready to prove he could lead a team of his own, a chance the young journeyman will get in Kansas City.
So Cutler was on his way out. Still, I wonder why the Bears took him. Orton was developing well, and he understood how the team functions. Okay, it won't take Cutler nearly so long to learn the Bears' system, as it's not too different from the run-oriented system of the former Broncos. However, Cutler is more of a showboat. He wants to throw the long pass often, and he tends to look for those opportunities before dumping off a short pass. That strategy was a failure when Rex Grossman was QB, and the Bears have simply substituted another one like him. I fear what will happen to my favorite team this year.
Orton seemed a shoo-in for Denver's starting job. After all, who else did they have? A late drafted rookie and a failed back-up rejected by three other teams. Yet McDaniels seems to like Chris Simms, and is threatening to make him starting QB. Obviously McDaniel prefers the arm strength of Simms to Orton's methodical tendencies. Big mistake! Simms is error-prone, and doesn't have a good sense of the field. Denver is likely suffer a large number of interceptions this season. Fortunately, they boosted their running corps, so they can always fall back on that. I'm not sure McDaniels will fall back on the run, though, so the Broncos may be in for a LOOOOONNNNNGGG season.
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