This Week In Football

What an exciting week of offseason football. A whirlwind . The Minnesota Vikings signed offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and that wasn't even the biggest news. Some might say that it was Peyton Manning picking a new team. Others might say that it was the very unsaintlike actions of the Saints coming to punishment. I'll start with that one.

Cheaters! Bountygate! The Saints won a Super Bowl the wrong way. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, one would expect that I'd be livid. The Saints dirty ways went a long ways in keeping the Vikings out of the Super Bowl after the 2009 season. I'm still more upset that the Vikings were robbed of their shot in 1975. Maybe losses in "do-or-die" playoff games hurt more when you're a kid. I cried for days after that terrible day more that a quarter century ago. Tears still fall went I think about it for too long. Against the Saints defense, the Vikings offense did anything it wanted, putting up over 500 yards. The Saints only option was to cheat. Idiot defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said as much before the game. Unfortunately, the Vikings offense was too generous with the ball, giving it back to the Saints five times. One of those shouldn't have been when a Brett Favre interception was a direct result of an uncalled, illegal hit on the old quarterback. That illegal hit was also the illegal hit that busted up his ankle. The Saints dirty deeds played a huge role in their win. But, so did the five turnovers and the ridiculous 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty late in the game. The Vikings lost. It wasn't fair and square but they did lose. What really bothers me about the Saints bounties is that they even did it at all. It never really mattered to me which team that it was against. I have too much love and respect for football to have a team trash it like the Saints did. There shouldn't have to be rules that say how and where you can hit another player. The respect for your fellow football players and sportsmanship should accomplish that. That respect should keep the players from killing each other. Players are too big, too fast, too strong, too well armored. Much of the appeal of football is the violence but it has to be a controlled violence. Part of the fun of tackles is the chance to line up and do it again. To dance again. Intentionally trying to "take out" another player destroys all of that. The Saints rewarding the players simply makes it even worse. Where's the honor, the integrity in playing like that? It doesn't make you tough. It makes you a fool. The game moves so fast that illegal hits happen no matter how much the most respectful players try to avoid them. They happen. No one is asking that the game be changed. Some of the Saints stunts over the dipshit Williams years involved Roman Harper unloading on Carolina's Steve Smith several yards into the end zone. Several yards into the endzone! It was ridiculous. Bobby McCray hit Favre well after he had handed off the ball on an obvious run. Handed off the ball! It was ridiculous. Much of what the Saints did wasn't even part of the game. It was after the play or off to the side. There was no respect. No decency. Now, the poor Saints cry foul. Sean Payton was shocked to receive a one-year suspension. He's lucky that he still has head coaching job in 2013. The Saints Super Bowl is tainted and they don't get that. They feel like the victims. They are rallying around Payton's suspension. Erecting an "us against them" mentality. They are skipping the fact that they won the wrong way.

Anyway,

Peyton Manning picked a team. That was both fun and sad at the same time. I hate seeing him leave Indianapolis. He wore that horseshoe so well. Still, I love the thought of seeing him play football again. He's a lot of what makes the game so great.
I get a chuckle of this little quarterback circle:
Indianapolis Colts release Peyton Manning
Denver Broncos sign Peyton Manning
Denver Broncos trade Tim Tebow to the New York Jets
New York Jets trade the freshly signed Drew Stanton to the Indianapolis Colts
Who's the big winner here?

Oh, Cal started spring football.
Go Bears!

I saw that Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak is fretting over the disappointing start to free agency for his team. They lost Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and Eric Winston. The Texans released Winston and traded Ryans. You chose to do that, Gary! If it hurt so much, why did you get rid of them? Only Williams made the choice to leave Houston.

None of the coverage of the NFL really surprises me anymore. Still, I paused when I saw that the Pro Days of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were televised, live. If I didn't have work, I'd have watched that. It wasn't, however, thrilling enough to record.

Speaking of DeMeco Ryans. That was a great trade for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Not only did the Vikings sign Schwartz this week, they added fullback Jerome Felton and re-sgned Erin Henderson and Devin Aromashadu. Championship!

Only a month until the Draft! Boy Howdy!