Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Rising Star

One of the few decent aspects of the three day draft format is the period of reflection and projection between the first two rounds. After the first round of this past draft I targeted several offensive linemen and safeties. Those were the Vikings most pressing needs in my opinion. One player that was not an immediate need that truly stood out was Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph. He should never have made it out of the first round. I had him going to the Saints in the very first Flea Flicker mock draft. I'm ecstatic that my mock was wrong. The Vikings made Kyle Rudolph their pick in the second round.

The Vikings have had several good tight ends in their history. Joe Senser, Steve Jordan, Jim Kleinsasser and Visanthe Shiancoe have all been very good football players for the team. Kyle Rudolph has the look of a player that will soon become a star. A player that other teams have to scheme against. At 6'6" and 260lbs, he's a huge tight end with an incredible catch radius. He catches the ball extremely well. In the past preseason game against Seattle he caught a pass from Donovan McNabb that was off target, behind him below his knees. It wasn't an easy catch for any receiver. It was a very difficult catch for someone 6'6". Rudolph made the catch easily and smoothly transitioned into a ball carrier. He made a difficult play look routine. Rudolph has all the natural skills to be great. Maybe more importantly, he also has the drive and work ethic to be even better.

The Vikings 2011 Draft will always be judged by the performance of Christian Ponder. It's just the nature of a QB-driven league. Ponder and Rudolph bonded early and easily. They each have a similar drive to excel. Their future success will be forever linked. As will the Vikings success. Ponder's time to shine will wait as Donovan McNabb has the keys to the offense this year. Rudolph's time to shine is now.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Roster Cuts

If you ask any coach, the toughest part of their job is likely cutting players. Some players might make it easy, but for the most part it's a crushing responsibility. Today is the first mandatory cut down in the NFL. Some teams may have already done this dirty work, but today everyone must be down to 80 players. The NFL increased the training camp roster size to 90 players due to the lockout. Today they have to be down to 80. Saturday will be even worse when they have to cut 27 players to get to the final roster of 53. These are the days that many dreams die. Some will get a reprieve if they are signed by another team or added to the practice squads. Some will try to stay in shape and hope for a call, perhaps play in the CFL, UFL and try again. The Steelers' All-Pro linebacker James Harrison was cut several times before he finally made a roster. He kept working and is now feared.

The NFL dreams start early in most kids. They are stars in high school. Everyone says they have it made. Some of those become stars in college. Everyone says they have it made. The jump to the NFL is incredible. The dreams can end in an instant. The increase in talent huge. The available spots are few. There is almost no margin for error. The most difficult to cut are likely those with marginal skills but endless effort. They give everything. Just to have the opportunity is really something special, but that's easy to say from this side of the fence. My high school coach had a cup of coffee with the New York Jets. I thought that was really neat.

They call him the Turk. He's often a position coach, but no player wants to see him anywhere near them around cut down day. No player wants to hear the words "the coach wants to see you and bring your playbook". HBO's "Hard Knocks" series has shown many of these scenes. I hate imagining them. I certainly hate seeing them televised. I hate cut down days. Head coaches and the players probably hate them quite a bit more.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Reunited

Former Baltimore Colts defensive tackle Art Donovan was always one of my father's favorite former players. It didn't take long before he was one of my favorites as well. The Hall of Famer was hilarious. At 86, he's still going strong. Donovan was part of the Colts fantastic defensive line of late '50s. Donovan teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti, Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, and Don Joyce to help lead the Colts to NFL titles in 1958 and 1959. The 1958 Championship Game against the New York Giants is widely considered the greatest game ever played. In 1977, Donovan saw his '58 Championship ring for the last time. He was vacationing with his wife Dottie at a Hong Kong hotel when the ring was lost, seemingly forever.

In the late 1980s, police said that a jeweler called Donovan and offered to make a deal, but Donovan refused to buy something that already belonged to him. Fast forward to 2011, when one of Donovan's friends spotted the ring listed for $25,000 on Craigslist and called another friend, retired Howard County police officer Peter Wright. He contacted Donovan and the police, who set up a sting, where Wright found the ring, engraved with the defensive tackle's name and uniform number. Police said that the person that tried to sell the ring, identified as Charles Ice II, will not be charged with a crime. Ice told detectives that the ring had been purchased years earlier by his wife's now-deceased husband, and that Ice didn't know that it had been stolen.

Football great and ring, finally reunited, are doing great.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hungry Hero

Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Tandon Doss was feeling a little hungry before his preseason game against the Washington Redskins. He decided to grab a burger at Five Guys. He ended up playing a hero to a man getting attacked inside the restaurant.

After the game against the Redskins, Doss explained what happened.

"I saw somebody start fighting, and I broke it up. That's all it was to me...I mean, it was two dudes on one. I was trying to help the situation out. I broke it up."

Doss may have saved the man's life. According to Baltimore police, two former Five Guys employees attacked the manager with a knife. The manager had to be treated for a cut on his chin.

Far too often football players make off field news by doing something stupid. It's nice to see a player making news for doing the right thing. Doss might want to rethink his dining choices. It's fairly unusual that a pregame meal is more dangerous than a professional football game. The Flea Flicker salutes Tandon Doss.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Stylez

I'm sure that most were aware that the cinematic classic "Teen Wolf" celebrated it's 26th anniversary this past Tuesday. It was an amazing coincidence that the Minnesota Vikings announced the signing of Stylez G. White that very same day. It's a homecoming for Stylez as he played his college ball for the University of Minnesota. Only then, he was more simply known as Greg White. As are so many, Greg White is a big fan of "Teen Wolf". So much so, that a few years ago Greg White legally changed his name to Stylez G. White after a character in the movie. It's simply astonishing that the signing of Stylez took place on the anniversary of the movie marvel.

On the football side, the signing of White is more than a little curious. Defensive end is not really a need. The defensive line, as a whole, may even be the strongest unit on the team. Defensive ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison are entrencehed as starters. Everson Griffen can play both sides and will play often. Rookie D'Aundre Reed and especially Adrian Awasom have looked very good. Reed was injured recently. Perhaps the injury is more significant than it appearred. He has shown enough raw talent that the team might want to protect him for the year through injured reserve. If healthy, Reed has shown enough that he might be picked up by another team before he can be placed on the practice squad. The Vikings could be looking to go with five ends and White teams with Awasom to round out a very solid group. White had some productive years with Tampa Bay. It doesn't really strike me as a signing to simply add a healthy body to make it through camp. His addition actually makes the defensive line rotation a real strength.

Or, maybe signing Stylez G. White was the Minnesota Vikings way of showing their appreciation of the artistry of "Teen Wolf".

Friday, August 26, 2011

Gone With The Wind

Most say that special teams is a third of the game. If that's true a third of the Green Bay Packers game plans was left to the wind. To fly away into anyone's hands. This past Monday a Waste Management truck lost part of it's load in Green Bay. Left scattered for blocks were pages from the Packers special teams playbook. I don't mind any part of that teams plans being displayed like that. I'd rather find Aaron Rodgers' audibles or Dom Capers' crazy defensive schemes, but anything will do. It took crews from Brown County, Waste Management and the Allouez Street Department about an hour to bag things up.

The Packers said they're not concerned about the playbook mishap. There was, after all, a reason that the playbook was in the recycle bin. While the team admits that the special teams material isn't intended for just anyone's eyes (Mike Priefer!), they say any sensitive material is shredded.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Throwback Thursday: Missing Trophies

I've always liked hockey's tradition of passing the Stanley Cup to each years champion. It may come as a surprise to some that the NFL used to do this as well. Everyone is so blinded by the shine of the Lombardi Trophy that the years before the Super Bowl are easily forgotten.

There once was the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Cup and the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. In 1920, the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Cup was, of course, donated by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, Tire Division to the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922). The cup was to be awarded to the league champion each year. It was decided that if any team won the cup three times they would be deemed the owner. The Green Bay Packers won three straight titles from 1929-31. Unfortunately for the Packers, the cup never made it that far. The Akron Pros won the first title and the cup in 1920. What happened to the cup afterwards remains a mystery.

The Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy had a more substantial history. From 1934 until 1969 the trophy was awarded to the champion of the NFL. It was named after Ed Thorp, a noted referee, rules expert, and sporting goods dealer. Thorp died in 1934, and a large traveling trophy was made that year. The trophy was to be passed along from champion to champion each season. In addition to their time with the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, each team was also awarded a smaller replica. The current location of the original is unknown. The prevailing theory is that the Minnesota Vikings lost it. The Vikings were the last team to have it as a result of their dismantling of the Cleveland Browns for the 1969 NFL Title. Presumably they lost it. I don't think so. I think that the Vikings have it. They will always have it.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Youngry

In the process of building his team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris made a new word. Youngry, young and hungry, describes the team and the coach. At 35, Morris is the youngest coach in the league. With 74 of the 90 players in camp age 35 and under, the Buccaneers are the youngest team in the league. They are fast becoming one of the most talented. At 10-6 last year, the talent has started to show. They fell just short of making the playoffs. That made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hungry.

Every time I see Raheem Morris coach or interviewed, I'm reminded of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Their energy is infectious and inspiring. They also both started coaching in the same corner of the NFL, the Buccaneers defensive backfield. Despite the youth of the coach and the players, the Buccaneers strike me as a very confident team. It's not the naive confidence of youth. It's a confidence in the system and a confidence in each other. A lot of this starts with their 23-year old quarterback. Josh Freeman should be mentioned with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco as one of the best young QBs in the game. In their first year together, Freeman and rookie receiver Mike Williams were an often lethal combination. Fellow receiver Arrelious Benn and tight ends Kellen Winslow and Luke Stocker provide nice options for Freeman. Another young player about to explode is runningback Legarrette Blount. If he's learned from his idiocy in college, he could be a major weapon out of the backfield. All this behind a solid offensive line. A trio of 2011 draft picks may help propel the defense for years. Defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers and linebacker Mason Foster could make an immediate impact. The always solid, and comparatively ancient, Ronde Barber leads the secondary.

The roster turnover since Jon Gruden was fired is amazing. A rebuilding effort that produces results this quickly is typically aided by veteran additions. With youth, it usually takes a few years. Tampa Bay seemed to do it immediately. It's easy to call the Buccaneers an up and coming team. I say they are already there. They concede nothing to New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South. With their youth, the Buccaneers could be a threat for a while.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Bay Area Morons

I've never understood what could possibly bring people to fight over a sporting event. It's one of the reasons that I've never much cared for trash talking. Some people obviously take it a bit too far. It was certainly taken too far at Candlestick (or whatever they call that place now) during the Raiders-49ers preseason game this past weekend. The jawing went so far as to have a fan shot 2 to 4 times in the stomach. That's shot, as in with a gun. He has life threatening injuries. Another fan received minor injuries when he was shot in the face. Again, with a gun. It might be the same gun. Maybe it's not. Maybe there were two idiots running around with guns. Another fan was beaten until unconscious. His injuries were also serious enough to be considered life threatening. There were several other fights scattered throughout the stadium, throughout the game. It may surprise a few that this fun wasn't in Oakland. The NFL has decided that the Bay Area is too ridiculous to ever again host a 49ers-Raiders preseason game. Thanks to a handful of idiots the series is ended for everyone. I just don't get it. I also don't get the jollies that some yahoos get filming these fights just to throw them up on Youtube. This isn't entertainment. It's a sad world.

San Francisco and Oakland don't keep all of their idiots in the stands. Some are in the front offices of the teams. The little kid running the 49ers, Jed York, came out and said that this violence is proof that we'd be better off with an 18 game regular season. We rarely hear anything out of the little tyke and he tosses out this nonsense. It's an absolute mystery as to how he landed on this conclusion. It's even worse that he uses this violence to try and push Roger Goodell's pet project. Little York is out of his mind, and, so it seems, are several Bay Area football fans.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Bishop's Mistake

The Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers visited with President Obama at the White House a couple of weeks ago. Well, every Packer except linebacker Desmond Bishop visited with the President. The former Cal player did not do his college proud. He forgot his wallet which, for some reason, happened to hold his ID. He had to sit on the curb while his team had all that fun. He couldn't enter the White House without identification. I'll bet another former Cal player named Aaron Rodgers could. That level of security at the White House should be no surprise. I'm a little surprised that Bishop was able to make it to Washington DC without his ID. I've heard ID's are often required at airports.

It's even more unfortunate for Bishop when you consider that this was his only chance to make this visit. As long as he remains with the Packers, he has no shot at the Super Bowl. The Vikings stand in the way, and the Packers won't get through.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Vikings Preseason Game #2

Every Vikings win is a fine thing. A win over the Seahawks makes it even better. It's a mistake to put too much in a preseason win or loss. No matter. Everything just seems a little bit better with a win. Seeing Sidney Rice in a uniform other than the Vikings will forever turn my stomach. Seeing him in a Seahawks uniform makes it even worse.

The Vikings beat the Seahawks, in Seattle last night, 20-7. Unfortunately, NFL Network joined the game midway through the second quarter following the conclusion of the Saints-Texans game. I'll have to wait for the replay to see the whole thing. Outside of the Seahawks scoring drive that took over half of the third quarter, the Vikings defense looked very good. Considering that it's only the second preseason game, that was promising. But, it was the Seattle Seahawks. Cornerback Marcus Sherels returned an interception for a touchdown. Sherels is making it tough on the Vikings to cut him. He's probably outside the five corners that they keep right now, but he's shown some skills. The second team defense turned Seattle's first team offense back with a goal line stand. Defensive end Adrian Awasom, also fighting for the last spot at his position, had a couple of sacks. Probable starting weakside linebacker Erin Henderson played a lot, and is really starting to play well. He's always around the ball.

With receivers Percy Harvin and Greg Camarillo sitting out, it was a chance for some of the receivers fighting to make the team to shine. Devin Aromashodu, Joaquin Iglesias and Manny Arceneaus made some plays. Those three and Jaymar Johnson are probably fighing for one roster spot. The Vikings say that they are keeping five. Harvin, Bernard Berrian and Michael Jenkins are likely locks. Camarillo seems to have made it, but may be on the bubble. Aromashodu's size and speed may give him the edge. I'm personally hoping for Jaymar Johnson. He didn't really show much last night. He was overthrown on a deep route, but he did have a step on the defense. A perfect pas would have been a TD. Runningback Lorenzo Booker has a set of skills that nicely complement the pounding of Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart.

The Vikings play against Seattle was an improvement over last week. The offensive line needs much more improvement. I didn't see the starters, but the second and third teams gave the QBs no time to throw. Offensive line play is all about teamwork. Hopefully, they just need a little more time. I think that two weeks should just about do it. The team as a whole is progressing nicely. The defense looks much more set than the offense. Next week against Dallas, at home under a new roof, should be an even better showing. It's been way too long since a Minnesota Vikings home game. It's bad news for the Cowboys.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Pryor's Draft

I'm a little puzzled by the indecision of Roger Goodell regarding former Ohio St. quarterback Terrelle Pryor's inclusion in the Supplemental Draft. It's really fouling up the possible NFL careers of the five players already set for the draft. Maybe waffling is just the thing to do this year. The Supplemental Draft is set up for those players whose college eligibility has changed since the regular draft. Usually the reasons involve the player being kicked off his college for something stupid. Academic failings and various legal issues are the most common. Every now and then something nice like an early graduation catapults the player into this special draft. Pryor's issues are relatively minor compared to the violence, destruction and general stupidity of most that seek salvation in the NFL when their colleges no longer want them. Terrelle Pryor traded Ohio St. memorabilia for tattoos and possibly money. It's an interesting barter system. It eventually led to the demise of his coach and possibly the Ohio St. program. The NFL's contention is that Pryor should have entered the regular draft since he knew then what he knows now. The young QB changing his mind doesn't qualify as a change in his eligibility in the eyes of the NFL. He's known for a while that he was going to be suspended for Ohio St's first five games. I've guessed that the growing scandal and the media storm that will be following Ohio St. and Pryor forced him to rethink his decision to return to school. It has the makings of a nightmare season. It's a nightmate that he helped create, but it really isn't much different than the disasters that many of the players that populate the Supplemental Draft create. In a ridiculous effort to remain in the good graces of the NCAA (joke!), Goodell and the NFL decided that suspending Pryor for the first five games of his professional career would be fine thing to do. That may seem trivial seeing as Pryor is joining a team at such a late date that little will be expected of him this year. For a rookie QB, five weeks away from the team you joined two weeks earlier is an eternity.

If the NFL wants to stand by the strictest interpretation of it's own rules, they should tell Pryor that he has to wait until the 2012 Draft, but Pryor's collegiate status has changed. The size of the whole Ohio St. mess has grown. It grows with each new scandal with Oregon, Miami etc. It's ridiculous to allow him to enter the draft and then suspend him. His crime is minor compared to some of the assaults and DUI's that we see in college. Enforcing the college suspension is a joke. Will the NFL suspend the Miami players for their decade of college fun? Reggie Bush served no college suspension during his time in New Orleans. Enforcing the suspension to bring smiles to the corrupt NCAA is simply pointless. I'm no particular fan of Terrelle Pryor. I just think that the NFL is creating a mess when there really is no issue. Waffling on that issue just makes it worse.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Beards?!?

Minus the ice, the skates and pretty much everything else, the Minnesota Vikings training camps looks much like playoff hockey. There's a frightening presence of beards.

Several newcomers had 'em. Donovan McNabb has had a beard for a while. Perhaps showing solidarity with their new QB, new Vikings Michael Jenkins and Remi Ayodele are sporting the bearded look. Jared Allen had a beard. Offensive linemen Steve Hutchinson, Anthony Herrera and John Sullivan still do. Percy Harvin has a little artist goatee.

I don't get it. In 100 degreee heat! In pads that make it feel 120, a beard just seems too hairy. Too uncomfortable. The chin strap can't fit right. Maybe it's for luck. Maybe like hockey, the playoff run starts now.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Throwback Thursday: The Idiot

I can't really think of too many people in the history of the NFL that seemed intent on destroying a franchise all by themselves. Matt Millen, just recently, did a number on the Detroit Lions. As an owner, Mike Brown is doing no favors for the Cincinnati Bengals. The idiot that grabs my attention now is Joe Thomas. He even started his path of destruction with the Minnesota Vikings. Fortunately, he wasn't in a position to inflict too much damage there. Working under Jim Finks, he did learn from one of the best general managers in league history. Perhaps Finks' mentorship is what kept jobs coming Thomas' way. Nothing else can explain it.

Thomas moved to the Dolphins in the late '60s and was fired in 1971. The Dolphins then went on to win a couple of Super Bowls. Thomas was then very involved in one of the most bizarre transactions in league history. He arranged for the Los Angeles Rams to be purchased by Robert Irsay for $19 million before exchanging the team for Carroll Rosenbloom's Baltimore Colts. As a result of this deal, Thomas became general manager of Irsay's Colts team. He then systematically destroyed a team only a couple of years removed from a championship. He even shipped Johnny Unitas to the San Diego Chargers. From 1971-76, Thomas had five different coaches, including himself. Irsay finally fired him.

Thomas then latched onto a family looking to buy an NFL team. The DeBartolo family, of Youngstown, Ohio, befriended the inept personel man. He brought them to the San Francisco 49ers. This would probably be the last good thing that Thomas did for Eddie DeBartolo Jr. The 49ers were a promising team under head coach/GM Monte Clark. Thomas had to be the GM so Clark was gone. The promising 49ers were soon one of the worst teams in the league. Thomas dumped Jim Plunkett and traded a bunch for a fading O.J. Simpson. Like the Dolphins before, the 49ers became a powerhouse once Thomas was fired.

Typically, I never would have bothered spending time on Joe Thomas. That changed when I read the following from David Harris' book "The Genius" about Bill Walsh:

"...Joe Thomas immediately set about ridding the organization of any evidence of its existence before Joe Thomas arrived. ...All the club's bound volumes of old game programs, all its thousands of accumulated photos, even its original charter from the AAFC were unceremoniously dumped. "I came into the team's headquarters down in Redwood City one day," a team employee remembered, "and there were all these boxes along the wall, stacks and stacks of them, all full of memorabilia and photos and stuff like that. I figured that they were taking it up to storage at Candlestick Park but the secretary said no, they were taking all this stuff to the landfill. I couldn't believe it. I said, 'Really, where is it going?' I was told that Joe Thomas had said to get 'this shit' out of here.' History starts today. We don't need any of this.' I took as much as I could." The franchise had long maintained an alumni organization for former players but Thomas quickly dismantled it. He even threw away the Niners' priceless library of old game films."

I felt like the wind was knocked out of me when I read this. To destroy the teams history like that is simply unimaginable. You can't recreate it. I hope that it was all saved by someone, anyone. I have always known Joe Thomas to be an idiot. I just never realized how far he had taken things.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Titan Stupidity

As a football fan, I hate holdouts. I just don't understand them. Getting paid to play football is just too dreamy to stay away. Holdouts hurt everybody involved. The player loses. The team loses. Even if the player gains money in the end, both he and his teammates lose by his absence. In my opinion, it's a stupid way of doing football business.The current holdout of Tennessee Titans runningback Chris Johnson is perhaps the most stupid that I've seen.

Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt is saying that the team is willing to make Johnson the highest paid back in the league. Johnson says that he hasn't received an offer. Both sides are talking but not to the other. The team has all the parameters of a contract worked out, but they haven't worked anything out with Johnson. Something is missing. Most call it a negotiation. It's one of those things that usually leads to an agreement. The Titans want Johnson to come to the facilities before they make that offer. Johnson wants a contract before he comes to the facilities. It's ridiculous.

Johnson, a late first round pick, has clearly outperformed a contract that has two years remaining. He deserves a new one. The Titans actually agree. It's just stunning that there is even an issue. I've never thought that a holdout was the best way of going about getting a new contract. I always figured that a team might be more willing to renegotiate a new contract if the player is honoring the old one. A holdout certainly doesn't generate good will. The Titans are talking to the media instead of talking to Johnson. It's a stupid twisted Titan circle.

This will get worked out. The funny thing is that as soon as the Titans make Johnson the highest paid back the Vikings will make Adrian Peterson the highest paid back.


RIP Eagles Hall of Fame end Pete Pihos

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Silly Bears

I'm not sure what is going on in the little mind of Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. It's like the schoolyard tantrum played out amongst the big boys. The Bears were one of six teams that voted against the stupid new rule of moving the kickoff from the 30 to the 35-yard line. The league that wants an 18 game season thinks that the move will bring safe play to the game. Instead of accepting the stupid new rule like the other five teams the pissy Bears decided that they would continue to kick off from the 30-yard line. That's right. The little Cubbies will take their ball and run home before they abide by the stupid new rule. Little Lovie said that he wanted to see his kick coverage team in a meaningless preseason game. I'm not sure what information the little general expects to gather from doing something that is now illegal. Maybe he hadn't thought that far ahead. The little ones like to live in the moment. The silly Cubbies have gone rogue.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Vikings Preseason Game #1

With NFL Network's replay of preseason games, I'm guaranteed late but reliable viewing of the Vikings games. No matter how hard I try not to I always find myself checking the message board during and just after the live game. It's preseason! It's rarely pretty. Putting any weight on the knee-jerk comments on the message board is a mistake. It's probably the same with all teams, but some fans really only want to complain. The consensus is that the Vikings are crap. There's no hope for the team. There's no hope for the season. I'm not sure what game they saw. I saw preseason game #1. The Vikings lost to the Titans, 14-3. As in any first preseason game there was sloppy play. I still saw far more reason for hope than despair.

The Titans were a great first matchup for the Vikings. Both have new coaches. Both drafted a quarterback in the first round, Christian Ponder and Jake Locker. Both brought in a veteran QB, Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck, to mentor and lead. Both teams seem evenly matched at this point. Both teams had great opportunities to score. The Titans did. The Vikings didn't.

I like that Christian Ponder's first NFL completion went to fellow rookie Kyle Rudolph. I expect that the quarterback and tight end to be a dynamite pair for a long time. Ponder did fine. He made some plays. The offensive line was a sieve, except for fellow rookie DeMarcus Love, and Ponder dealt with it. He showed mobility and improvised. Most important, he looked like he belonged in the NFL. Rookies Christian Ballard and Brandon Burton also looked good.

There's quite a battle for the last receiver spots. Leslie Frazier says that they are keeping five. I'm actually expecting six. Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian and Michael Jenkins are locks. If five, Jaymar Johnson and Greg Camarillo probably have the edge. Johnson's punt return skills probably seal his spot. Devin Aromashodu could edge out Camarillo by size and speed. Manny Arceneaux and Joaquin Iglesias will be tough to cut. Safety and tight end are also shaping into tough battles. The safety battle is for who starts rather than who makes the team.

The next two preseason games against the Seahawks and Cowboys will be more telling. The Flea Flicker will be there.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Madden

No video game discussion here. It's kinda sad that we may be approaching a generation that only knows Madden as a video game. They probably won't even know that there is an actual person that provided the name. John Madden provided a generation with football knowledge and football enthusiasm. His obvious love of the game flowed out of his broadcasts. The generation before that knew John Madden as a fantastic coach of the Oakland Raiders. Winning one unfortunate Super Bowl against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite that transgression, I've always loved the way that he could make the game come alive.

I would love to sit and talk football with John Madden. He's seen it all, up close, for over 50 years. Spending any gameday, anywhere, with him would be a blast. When I learned of his viewing theater, I decided that I must find him. Especially seeing as he sounds pretty free with his invites. Roger Goodell has watched games with him. So has quarterback fathers. The NFL has set Madden up with a gameday dreamland for his years of service, entertainment and education. In a large warehouse-like structure, he has theater seating with a big screen TV. Surrounding this big screen TV are nine 63" monitors. How big is the big screen TV if it is supplemented by 63" monitors? He gets all the games with each play shot from the coaches sideline, the goal line and of course the view that everyone gets. It's incredible. Essentially, he gets coaches film, live. I've never heard of such a thing. I've imagined many sweet set-ups for game viewing, but nothing in my imagination was anything like this. To watch games like this, with Madden, would be a dream. I have to find Madden. I have to find this warehouse.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Vikings Baby Update

A bunch of Vikings babies will be popping into the world.

Dynamite runningback Adrian Peterson's fiance had a healthy baby boy, Adrian jr aka Deuce, last week. Seeing as AD is back at practice, Mom and baby must be doing fine.

Defensive end Brian Robison and his wife are expecting their first child.

Linebacker Erin Henderson and his fiance are also expecting.

Finally, the man that Aaron Rodgers calls "that crazy hillbilly," seems to be settling down. Defensive end Jared Allen and his wife are expecting their first child.

Congratulations and good luck to all parents and parents-to-be. Hopefully this off field success will translate into on field successes.

When Viking babies bounce, the Flea Flicker will be there.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Aaahhhhh......

I doubt that I've ever been so happy to see a preseason game. Even a Seahawks-Chargers game. A Vikings game might get me skipping a little quicker, but this is very cool. The Hall of Fame game usually kicks off the season, but that game was a casualty of the lockout. After five months of garbage, it's such a relief to finally be on this side of things. The football side.

It's strange to see Tarvaris Jackson on the Seahawks. Seattle coach Pete Carroll was an idiot to say that the Vikings jerked Jackson around for five years. It's not really Carroll's place to criticize the manner in which another team deals with their players. Beyond that, the man that bailed on his own sinking USC team really has no idea what he's talking about. Tarvaris Jackson was never able to secure the starting quarterback job in Minnesota. He would shine for a few plays, even an entire game, but he could never sustain it. He has the potential, but he frequently plays nervous. Looking uncomfortable. Joe Webb, in a couple of emergency starts late last season, played with more composure than Jackson ever did. Pete Carroll really should pay more attention to his own team. Last year, he traded a couple of high draft picks for Charlie Whitehurst to be his QB of the future. Giving Whitehurst no opportunity to win the job, he signs Tarvaris Jackson to be the starter. It looks to me like little Pete is doing to Whitehurst the very same thing that he accused the Vikings of doing to Jackson.

Enough of that. Football's back!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Throwback Thursday: Big Game No More

Arch Ward was one of the most influential sports figures in the first half of the 20th century. As the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, he already carried some influence, but he went far beyond the parameters of his job. The NFL approached him at least twice offering him their commissioner gig. He was the driving force behind the Major League All-Star Game. More importantly since it's football, Ward came up with the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game. This preseason game matched the reigning NFL Champion against a team of star college seniors from the previous year. Since the game is no longer played, many might assume that it was a failure. It was actually a huge success. It was played from 1934-1976 at Chicago's Soldier Field. Twice during World War II it was played at Northwestern University's Dyche Stadium. It was skipped in 1974 due to, surprise, labor unrest. The early games were very competitive. As a result, they were always well attended. The charitable nature of the game certainly didn't hurt. Over 100,000 attended a few of the games in the '40s. More people attended this game than most regular league games and even championship games. As the talent level of the NFL started distancing itself from college, the league champions started dominating. As the games became more and more one-sided attendance declined. It still never dipped below 50,000. For a mid-summer, one-sided exhibition football game, that is remarkable. The series ended with the league champions winning 31, losing 9 and two ties. The Majority of the College All-Stars successes came early.

I distinctly remember only one of these games. It was the last. I remember Steelers' rookie receiver Theo Bell challenging Lynn Swann for his starting job. A very bold move and a failed challenge. This last game never finished as it was called due to weather in the third quarter. Swann's Steelers were leading Bell's All-Stars 24-0. I guess, technically, the Chicago Charities College All-Star game never did end.

I've always been surprised that this game lasted over 40 years. The incredible attendance was certainly a reason. I'm sure that the league owners also loved the exposure as college football still had greater fan appeal. I'm just as certain that the coaches hated it. It frequently disrupted training camp. It especially disrupted the training camp of the reigning champion. Every year it kept the rookies involved out of the camps of their new teams. For anyone that has watched the movie "Brian's Song" they might remember Gale Sayers arriving late to the Bears camp. It was due to this game. There was also the sometimes awkward situation where a rookie is playing against his new team. The rookie hazing could start a little early. Theo Bell made some poor decisions in this situation. Despite the negatives, the Chicago Charities College All-Star game survived because it was a fun game for a good cause. It was an important part of professional football's evolution to the top of the sporting world food chain.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Mythical #1 Receiver

I've never liked the #1 receiver term. I don't think there is a greater misnomer in football than the #1 receiver. Who started it? Why? It's never made sense to me, so it was probably the media. It's gained such traction that you even hear it from coaches and scouts now. You never hear runningbacks labeled as such. If there is no main back carrying the ball the majority of the time, you have the increasingly popular running back by committee. Not having a #1 back results in a scheme shift. Not having a #1 receiver is a fault. The team is supposedly lacking a critical component. This inconsistency is ridiculous. A strong passing game is fueled by a group of receivers, tight ends and backs too. One receiver can be taken out of a game. The New England Patriots won three Super Bowls without that #1 receiver. They had a bunch of guys that could make plays, and a QB that could find them. Tom Brady hadn't experienced that #1 type of receiver until Randy Moss. It wouldn't be fair of me to point out that situation brought no title, but I just did. The supposed #1 receiver typically fits an ideal. In today's NFL, that ideal is big and fast. Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Roddy White. Type casting any position to an ideal is a mistake. It rules out too many excellent football players. They come in far too many shapes, sizes and speeds. If a receiver can get open and catch the ball, he can make plays, get first downs, score touchdowns, win football games. It takes all the receivers getting open and catching the ball, a QB to get the ball to them, an offensive line giving the QB time, to make a passing game work. It's not a #1, it's a team that makes it all work.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Primetime

I couldn't leave the Hall of Fame without dealing with Deion Sanders a little more. He is and was a character. I always loved watching him play football. His ability to shutdown one side of the field was incredible. He was electric whenever the ball was in his hands. Sometimes his onfield antics were a bit much. To have fun and be expressive is one thing. Whenever his actions ventured into taunting he'd gone too far. For the most part, I found him humorous. A less creative Chad Ochocinco. Now, I find Deion Sanders hilarious.

Last week, I was listening to Sanders and Rich Eisen talking about the approaching Hall of Fame weekend. When Sanders and Eisen get going it stops being an interview. They have a great relationship. Sanders may have the greatest collection of suits on the planet. In number and variety. I once saw his closet. It's bigger than some houses. Clothes are clearly a priority in Sanders' life. For the Hall of Fame festivities, Sanders told Eisen that he had three suits. One was a "cusser." When you see this suit you will use profanity. "It is so clean." A second suit is "casket ready." "It is so clean" that you want to be buried in it. Obviously "clean" means something other than a lack of dirt. The third suit is "get money blue." It breathes richness. He didn't say that the blue one is clean, but I assume that it is. Sanders also asked for a swatch of the gold Hall of Fame jacket so that he could match the shoes and any other accessories that he might need. He also had his tailor, to whom he has always been faithful, make extra Hall jackets just in case the official one "isn't on point." Finally, he repeatedly referred to his Hall of Fame bust in the second person. He missed him and couldn't wait to see him.

Deion Sanders is frequently hilarious in his role on NFL Network. All the cast members bring a lightness to the shows. It helps to make them great. Sanders really runs with it. He really knows his football and it shows. It also shows that he greatly enjoys entertaining. Always has. Always will. On the field, Sanders was a one of a kind football talent. Off the field, he's proven to be a pretty skilled entertainer as well.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Hall of Fame Inductions

Wow. The 2011 Hall of Fame Inductions were the most emotional that I have ever seen. With two serious talkers in Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe, it was easy to see it coming. I knew that the comfort level for Sharpe, Sanders and Marshall Faulk would be higher than most. Not every player handles the public speaking well. Even less so when many have been out of the public eye for at least five years. Former Vikings defensive tackle John Randle was an excellent example of this last year. He was a talker that clearly wasn't comfortable talking at a podium in front of a crowd. Sharpe, Sanders and Faulk all talk on TV now. They've all had a chance to become comfortable with a microphone.  Sanders always was.

I love everything about football. Except the business of it. I've always been interested in the stories. From the #1 player on the roster to the last player on the practice squad. They've all made it to the league, and they all have a story. Often the only stories that you hear are the ones of the greatest. Often they wear a gold jacket. I loved hearing Marshall Faulk saying that we all have the skills. The blessing is in how we use those skills. From Jerry Rice saying that fear drove him to excel to Shannon Sharpe playing for his grandmother, all players have something that pushes them to break beyond the ordinary. I absolutely love hearing the players tell of how they made it. The ones that truly grasp the "why" appreciate the path the most.

Deion Sanders may have been the only player that I ever heard thank every equipment manager that he ever had. That number climbs when you play for five teams. These people are vital and so often overlooked, even ignored. For a player like Sanders that was very particular about his equipment, the managers were critical. It was cool of him to show it. If Ed Sabol, Chris Hanburger and the tribute to Les Richter had taken as long as the other four, the Inductions would have never come to an end. That brought one of the more humorous moments when former Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger spoke of the lucrative possibilities of selling his minutes to the others. There were many wonderful moments. My favorite was Sharpe saying that he was the only Hall of Famer that could say that he is the second best player in his own family. Despite playing for the Packers, Sterling Sharpe was one of the greatest receivers in my lifetime. If his career hadn't been cut short by injury, he would have preceded his brother in Canton. Their moments together may have been the most beautiful this weekend. Or any Hall of Fame weekend.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Old School?

I was listening to Rich Eisen's recent podcast. Actor Jason Bateman was one of his guests. Eisen frequently has non-football personalities on his show, but just as frequently the conversation turns to football. Since Bateman lives in Los Angeles, he was fairly excited to hear of the possibility of not one, but two new football teams in the LA area. Coming soon. Technically, they would only be new to LA. They would be two current teams that move for the money. This actually makes it even more exciting than going through the usual growing pains of an expansion team. Anyway, Bateman mentioned that he was a Raiders fan back when the team had their little southern sabbatical. Upon mention of Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett, Eisen said that Bateman was "old school". My goodness. I was more than a little surprised. Even though the two QBs played forty years years ago I certainly don't think of either as old school. I was just a young lad when both entered the league, but they still had hard plastic helmets and at least one facebar. Old school is leather helmets. No facemasks and legal clothesline tackles. Night Train and Crazylegs. The Galloping Ghost and drop kicks. Plunkett and Stabler weren't even born when old school was in session.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Hall of Fame Ramblings

Any Hall of Fame induction class now without Cris Carter is a disappointment. But, I can still find a way to get interested, even excited. All of the players are deserving, although Shannon Sharpe should have followed Carter. Finally seeing a Cal player, Les Richter, enter Canton certainly adds some personal pizazz. It has certainly taken a while. For Richter and for Cal. Tony Gonzalez will certainly join Richter one day. Nnambi Asomugha and Aaron Rodgers are on the Hall path.

Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders highlight this 2011 class. They would highlight most any class. Both were fantastic players. Baltimore Colts great Lenny Moore is the only back, that I can think of, that could match Faulk's extraordinary skills as a receiver. A phenomenal player. His ideas for those great Rams offenses may have equaled, they certainly enhanced, those of Mike Martz. Faulk would make an excellent coach if he could handle players not having his football skills. Primetime! Deion Sanders has his lovers and haters. I loved his football abilities. Jimmy Johnson, Willie Brown, Mike Haynes and today's Darrelle Revis may have come close to the cover skills of Sanders, but I don't think that they touch him.

Shannon Sharpe certainly deserves induction. He took the bar from Kellen Winslow and Ozzie Newsome and raised it even higher for tight ends. This induction should be seen as a family honor as Sterling Sharpe would have made it if not for an injury. Sterling Sharpe and Brett Favre would have made a frightening tandem. Shannon Sharpe was a fantastic tight end. A prominent part of three championships, he was the only receiving threat for the Ravens in 2000. I still feel that this spot should have been Cris Carter's, but that's just me.

Richard Dent was a great player, but I would place him in that gray area just outside of the Hall. For part of his career, Dent was a no doubt Hall of Famer. For the majority of his career he was just below. Dent's induction makes greater the argument for Alex Karras, Jim Marshall and others. Chris Doleman played the same position as Dent at about the same time and, I think, had the better overall career. Dent was an MVP in a Super Bowl. I guess that won over the voters.

It seems a stretch to consider a Hall of Famer as underrated, but I always felt that former Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger was just that. Like the recently inducted Floyd Little, Hanburger was a star at about the time I was discovering the NFL. Both were among the best in the league at their positions. As a kid, I thought that Chris Hanburger's name was hilarious. Just too much like hamburger.

Les Richter was covered in the previous Throwback Thursday. He should have been inducted much, much earlier. At the very least, he should have been inducted while he was alive.

Now, Ed Sabol is an NFL jewel. I'm so glad that his baby, NFL Films, is viewed with the reverence that it deserves. Football fans and non-football fans can appreciate the NFL Films product as the art that it truly is. It's just great, creative filmmaking. The NFL would not be where it is today, in the public eye, if not for Ed and Steve Sabol and their movies. Steve Sabol deserves a spot in Canton as well.

Joe Horrigan has one of the best jobs. To be able to work and create in the Hall of Fame would be a dream. In listening to him it's obvious he treasures his work, the Hall and the legacy of professional football. I would love to have his access to the players and to the history of the game. I would love to sit and listen to the players, coaches and everyone involved in building this game.

Congratulations to Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter and Ed Sabol.
Cris Carter had better be joining all of you next year.

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Savior

Sports Illustrated's recent Game Time issue had a nice little shout out to NFL treasurer Joe Siclare. He deserves more. This previously unknown league employee may have saved the 2011 season. He certainly jump started the negotiations when it was desperately needed.

The players and owners were getting nowhere in the negotiations in May. Big surprise there. The court-ordered mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, addressed league officials. "Look, you've got to come up with some new idea. You guys keep talking past each other instead of to each other."

The players didn't want to hand the owners $1 billion before the revenue was split without detailed, audited financial statements. Everything was stalled. Siclare suggested the league go back and study a common tactic in business. Why not give the workers a larger percentage of the income that requires no owner funding and let the ownership keep a larger cut of the income derived from it's investments? This was the breakthrough. The talks started moving. After weeks of discussions the two sides finally settled on a three pronged deal. Players would get 55% of the league's broadcast revenue, 45% of all revenue from NFL ventures (merchandise, promotions) and 40% of local team revenue (tickets, stadium enhancements). The TV money is a fixed amount over the duration of the contracts. No matter how much the owners invest in advertising, it won't change. The other revenue streams can be increased if the owners invest money, time and energy into it. The players loved getting a larger slice of a set large pie. The owners loved getting a larger slice of the variable pie. They can make that pie grow each year through their own investments into it. Both sides were happy, which is something that rarely (never?) happened the last five months. The revenue split was always considered the most difficult hurdle in this ridiculous mess. All thanks to Joe Siclare. The Flea Flicker and fans everywhere salute you.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Throwback Thursday: Les Richter

Les Richter will be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame this Saturday. He will become the first Cal player to be honored in Canton. It was a long wait, nearly fifty years after his last game. It was a wait that Richter didn't make. He passed away on June 12, 2010.

Les Richter was the second overall pick in the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yankees. Two days later the Yankees folded. The franchise and the players were transferred to Dallas and the Texans were briefly formed. This is the franchise that eventually became the Baltimore Colts and the Indianapolis team that we know today. Richter missed all that chaos when the Los Angeles Rams traded eleven players for him in one of the biggest trades in league history. The Rams had to wait two years while Richter served in the military. When Richter finally made it to the Rams in 1954, he quickly established himself as one of the best linebackers of his era. He was selected to eight straight Pro Bowls. The only time that he didn't receive the honor was in his final season of 1962. From 1955-60, Richter was named first- or second-team All-NFL each season. Known for his rugged and punishing style of play, Richter surprisingly never missed a game during his 112 game career.

It has always been a mystery to me as to why Les Richter hadn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame. His absence, as well as that of Alex Karras, Jerry Kramer, Don Coryell and now Cris Carter, was criminal. Richter was certainly worthy. He was one of the best linebackers of his time. Perhaps, he was overshadowed by the better known Chuck Bednarik, Sam Huff and Bill George in the '50s. Richter's play and achievements were right there with those more noticed players. Instead of the football hotspots of Philadelphia, New York and Chicago, Richter played in Los Angeles. His absence is just another example of why the media should have no role in the Hall of Fame selection process. At least Les Richter finally made it to Canton. The wait was just a couple years too long.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Randy Moss

Randy Moss has retired. It's unfortunate that he wasn't currently on a team. No tearful press conference at the team facilities. It'd be cool if he could sign a contract with the Minnesota Vikings so that he could retire where he started. None of that is something that I think would interest Moss. That would be of greater benefit for the fans than for him. Despite his sensational season with the New England Patriots and the tragedy that was last season, I will always think of Randy Moss as a Minnesota Viking.

It's so hard to believe that the career of Randy Moss is at an end. In the pre-Internet days, Moss was the first high school player that I'd ever seen gain nationwide recognition. I followed his recruiting with curiosity. This unbelievably talented receiver. I followed his brief steps at Notre Dame, Florida St. and finally a home, near his West Virginia home, at Marshall. He destroyed the college record books. Embarrassed opponents. "The Freak." He was out of this world, but could he do it in the NFL? Could he stay out of trouble? That unbelievable draft day in April 1998 just doesn't seem that long ago. Moss never should have made it out of the top ten. He certainly shouldn't have made it all the way to the Vikings at 21. Randy Moss said that he would blow up the league. He took apart a Packer team that was a year removed from the Super Bowl. The Packers took cornerbacks with their first three picks in the next draft. Moss did blow up the league. He changed defenses. Teams started looking for tall, fast receivers. But, there will only be one Randy Moss.

I have seen few athletes as physically gifted as Randy Moss. Few athletes so much better than everyone else. He didn't have to work at football to be good. He may not have even had to work at it to be great. But, he did. Former Vikings receiver Cris Carter's offseason workouts were legendary. Moss did them too. He never stopped working. He never stopped learning. He became a smart football player in addition to being a spectacular football player. His work ethic may seem surprising to some considering his reputation for taking plays off. Unfortunately, he did. I never understood this in Moss. It seemed so contradictory as he is so competitive. He hates to lose, but he takes plays off. It makes no sense. It was frustrating. I loved to watch him play football, yet he was never one of my favorite players.

I fear that those in the media will fail to give Randy Moss proper credit for his work on the football field. He didn't always welcome the media into his life. They aren't likely to forgive that. Some say that Moss may have to wait for induction into the Hall of Fame. If that happens, the voters confirm their idiocy. Atlanta Falcons' receiver Roddy White said that if Moss isn't a first ballot Hall of Famer, the media should give the voting to the players. Randy Moss is not only one of the best receivers of all time. He is one of the best football players of all time.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Big K

Ten years ago yesterday, Minneosta Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer died of heat exhaustion. His body overheated and simply shut down after an early training camp practice, on a hot day in Mankato. Similar incidents happen every year. They happen way too often at the high school level. The passing of Stringer opened the eyes of everyone. The need for hydration and the conditions of practices changed everywhere.

Korey Stringer, known to most as Big K, may have been the most universally loved Viking. Teammates and opponents gravitated towards him. Smiles came alive whenever he entered a room. He was always great off the field. He was just starting to hit his stride on it. In 2000, he made his first of what looked to be many Pro Bowls. He was just a beast on the field. A huge teddy bear off it. He will always be remembered by those that were around that terrible day ten years ago. In life, Korey Stringer gave his all to everyone. In his death, he may have saved some lives.

Monday, August 1, 2011

And They're Off

All training camps are now open. Some degree of normalcy has finally arrived. Finally, it is all about the football. On the field football. No more bargaining tables, negotiations, finger pointing, and hostilities. Pathetic, suit and tie hostilities. Just on the field hostilities now. With Hall of Fame weekend coming up, minus a game, it's almost like this mess never happened. Well, not quite. At the very least, it's far, far better than it was only a couple of weeks ago. It's very refreshing.

Another thing that is very refreshing is the impact of the rookie wage scale on contract negotiations. Better yet, the lack of negotiations. This new wage scale is working beautifully. Maybe it's the newness of it all but teams have signed all their picks in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks. Amazing. Kind of kills the job of agents which is always a good thing. Having football back is a very good thing.

Here we go.....

RIP Korey Stringer