Frantic Tuesday

Yesterday was a pretty busy day in the football world. Even franchising changing  in Jacksonville. Some good. Some ugly.

First the good. The, still hard to say, Pac-12 announced their season honors. Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks was named the Pat Tilman Defensive Player of the Year. Congratulations to Mychal. He's been a force for the Bears since his freshman year. He made the switch to inside linebacker this year and maintained his playmaking ways. The position versatility can only help him in the Draft and as a player in the NFL. Some guy from Stanford named Andrew Luck was the offensive player of the year. Besides Kendricks, tackle Mitchell Schwartz, receiver Keenan Allen and punter Bryan Anger were Cal players named to the all-conference first team. Congratulations all around.

Now the ugly. The Minnesota Vikings season just gets even more bleak. Receiver Michael Jenkins, safeties Hussain Abdullah and Tyrell Johnson, and long snapper Cullen Loeffler were all placed on injured reserve. Ending their seasons. Loeffler was especially unfortunate as he was hit with a chickenshit cheap shot from Atlanta's Kerry Meier on Sunday. Loeffler trailed the play by nearly 20 yards when Meier blindsided him. Meier must be a proud young man. The Vikings secondary has been a sieve all season. Abdullah and Johnson now join starting cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Chris Cook on the sidelines. Jenkins was the Vikings leading receiver. The team brought back promising rookie receiver Stephen Burton to replace Jenkins. They also signed street free agent safeties Jarrad Page and Andrew Sendejo and long snapper Matt Katula. Maybe they found some gems.

Dan Orlovsky could be the man who gets stuck as the quarterback for two different 0-16 teams. He got there with the Detroit Lions a few years ago and now its his turn with the Indianapolis Colts. Best of Luck, Dan.

The Houston Texans were creating a special season. Then they got thrashed at the all important quarterback position. Starter Matt Schaub goes down for the season. Then backup Matt Leinart can't make it through one game before he's lost for the season. Rookie T.J. Yates has the keys now to a very potent offense. Kellen Clemons backs him up. For insurance and security the Texans have now signed veteran Jake Delhomme. Fortunately for the surviving quarterbacks and the team they have a powerful running game and a defense that keeps improving. This has been the young Texans best season and toughest season.

The wingnut Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two games for being an idiot.

The most significant news of a kinda crazy day came out of Jacksonville. Head coach Jack Del Rio was fired and Mel Tucker has taken over as interim coach. It only started there. Owner Wayne Weaver sold the Jacksonville Jaguars to Shahid Khan. Most important to the fans is that Weaver has promised that the team will remain in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are frequently mentioned in portential moves to Los Angeles. I'm not sure how much credence can be taken in the words of the former owner. I'd be more concerned as to what Khan has to say about any potential move. Khan had attempted to buy the St. Louis Rams several years ago. Welcome to the NFL Mr. Kahn.

Fairly wild Tuesday here at the Flea Flicker.

Undefeated Packers?

"When you're undefeated and there's room for improvement, that's an indication that the ceiling is very high for you"  -Green Bay Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji

Those 1972 Miami Dolphins players are probably getting a little nervous right about now. There have been frequent challenges to their undefeated season. This years version of the Packers is a greater threat than most. As the only undefeated team in NFL history, the '72 Dolphins take great pride in that title. Some say too much pride. I think that they have every reason to be proud. Going undefeated is obviously a difficult thing to do. If the 2011 Green Bay Packers were to match, it takes nothing away from what the Dolphins accomplished in '72.

The Packers biggest obstacle to an undefeated season might be next week when they visit the New York Giants. Unlike most teams, the Giants don't have to blitz to apply pressure on the quarterback. With the way that Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball this year, opponents have to be able to pressure him with as few defenders as possible. As many defenders as possible have to be back covering all of the Packers offensive weapons. When healthy the Giants defensive line can rush with the best. New York has been a mystery so far this year. Great some weeks. Terrible others. They have to be great this week. After the Giants, the Packers face the Raiders, Chiefs, Bears and Lions. All but the Chiefs are at Lambeau. The only thing that might stand in the way of an undefeated season is how the Packers approach meaningless games. If they rest their starters, division foes Chicago and Detroit might grab those games. They'll likely be far from meaningless to those teams.

Anything can happen in the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints might be the biggest threat to the Packer title hopes. The Saints backs are finally all healthy. They have to stay that way. As a group they provide a variety of worries. The Saints are getting better each week. Far better than the team that lost a shootout with the Packers in week 1. With Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers that could be a fun game for fans of offensive football. It might more resemble 7-on-7 passing leagues than an NFL playoff game.

The Packers seem to be more focused, more businesslike than previous defending champions. At least offensively, they are doing most anything they like against everyone. Stats do lie in regards to their defense. This is a playmaking group. As well as the Packers are playing anything can still happen. Especially in the playoffs.

Week 12

It was nice to see the Minnesota Vikings come back a bit in the second half against the Atlanta Falcons. The offense was horrible in the first half. Missing Adrian Peterson contributes to that. The Vikings were a blown officials call of a Percy Harvin touchdown run from really making it a game. Having defensive end Jared Allen at long snapper says a lot about how the game went for the Vikings. Falcons 24-14. Vikings now 2-9 on the season.

The Vikings secondary is a mess. They were already missing three starters when two more went down against the Falcons. Safety is a mess with everyone healthy. Left tackle, receiver and the secondary top the team needs heading into the offseason. I like Washington safety LaRon Landry in free agency but I can't see the Redskins letting him go. The Vikings secondary is a mess.

Vikings-Falcons game announcer Brian Billick said that Donocan McNabb did nothing to get himself benched as the Vikings quarterback. He couldn't possibly have seen any of the games that McNabb played.

Atlanta receiver Roddy White apparently leads the league in dropped passes. That explains some of why he's done a little better than nothing on my fantasy football team.

Atlanta linebacker Sean Weatherspoon dances way, way too much for making routine plays. He reminds me of former dancer and Vikings linebacker Dwayne Rudd.

Usually the big guys help up the little guys after a play. It was amusing to see Percy Harvin haul up 320 lb guard Steve Hutchinson yesterday.

Percy Harvin is a beast. He made the game closer than it deserved to be. Awesome football player.

DeSean Jackson would be a fantastic touch football player. Few NFL players avoid contact like him and those few are kickers and punters.

At 38-13 in the 4th quarter of the Eagles-Patriots game CBS decided to pan over the Philadelphia crowd. It was a mistake. There's nothing worse than an unhappy Phily fan.

Its been great to see former Cal runningback Shane Vereen get some carries for the Patriots the past couple weeks. I thought that it was a mistake for Vereen to leave school a year early. Since he was a starter for only one year I thought that he had more to prove. When he was selected in the second round it was clear that the Patriots had seen enough good things. Vereen has the ability to be a very productive back.

When the Eagles went on a spending spree as soon as the lockout ended I was stunned that many had them as Super Bowl darlings. It takes a lot more than a bunch of new stars to make an excellent team. You can't assume success. The Eagles start the season in mediocre fashion and many still consider them as the main threat to the Green Bay Packers. The love that the Eagles continue to receive is a mystery.

Arizona Cardinals rookie corner and returner Patrick Peterson continues to impress. Great football player.

There's been a bunch of fine rookies. The quarterbacks, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder, get most of the attention. Peterson, Denver's Von Miller, San Francisco's Aldon Smith, Cincinnati's AJ Green and Atlanta's Julio Jones have been excellent.

The continued use of timeouts to supposedly ice the kickers is ridiculous. Give it up already.

The Oakland Raiders have sure caught a break the past two weeks in their quest for a playoff spot. Facing the Vikings without Adrian Peterson for the majority of the game last week. Facing the Bears without Jay Cutler this week. Injuries are part of the game but its still rare that you get such nice little gifts like this two weeks in a row at this time of the year.

Football Night in America's analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison are really growing on me. I never liked Harrison as a player and I may have held that against him. I've always liked Tony Dungy but he was a little shaky in front of the camera initially. Dungy's gotten more comfortable and I've softened my opinion of Harrison. They interact well together and with host Dan Patrick. Nice team and getting better.

Next week is bad news for the messiah and the Denver Broncos.

Game Day Bits

I didn't even know that the NBA players were locked out.

It really sucks that the Minnesota Vikings are out of the playoff excitement this early in the season but its kinda fun to be more of a passive observer of the rest of the NFL the rest of the way.

I may be in the minority but I like defensive battles like the Ravens-49ers Thanksgiving game. High scoring affairs are often sloppy football games. I really enjoy good defensvie games with solid football from both teams.

Deion Sanders describing LeGarrette Blount's incredible run, "Six people trying to hit that Blount."

I like the broadcasting team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Buck calls a good game and Aikman presents his knowledge of the game very well. They work well together. Both are great in interviews and on podcasts. Buck is actually very funny. He's long been a friend of actor Paul Rudd. When the two have been together on Rich Eisen's podcast, its hilarious. I still can't forget Buck's ridiculous overreaction to Randy Moss' fake mooning at Lambeau in the 2004 playoffs.

Speaking of announcers, RIP University of Georgia's Larry Munson. I may not have heard many of his play calls but I sure remeber the plays. Buck Belue to Lindsay Scott. Bunch of Herschel Walker.

During the Thanksgiving game, I liked seeing Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers give thanks for the blockers in front of him. Linemen never get enough credit.

Welcome back Kevin Smith. It was nice to see the Detroit Lions runningback finally return to the game, in a big way, last week. Injured Thanksgiving. Poor guy catches no breaks.

Ndamukong Suh is an idiot.

I love college rivalry games. Cal-Stanford is clearly the best. Army-Navy is special. Michigan-Ohio St, Alabama-Auburn, Oregon-Oregon St, Harvard-Yale, oh my.

Zach Maynard and Cal's offense has really come alive. Unfortunately its about two months late. Maybe they actually do deserve a bowl game. If nothing else, the recent progress shows promise for a better year next year.

I've been surprised at Arkansas' run up the college rankings to #3 this week a year after quarterback Ryan Mallet. It reminds of Tennessee in the late '90s. They end short of their goal all four years with Peyton Manning. Tennessee then wins the national title the year after with Tee Martin at quarterback. I'm not sure exactly what that shows outside of football being a team sport. A great quarterback might give a team a shot in any game but it never guarantees a thing.

I tried to watch the Iowa-Nebraska game to catch a glimpse of the Hawkeyes excellent tackle Riley Reiff. The Vikings need offensive line help. It proved fruitless as Iowa never seemed to have the ball.

USC tackle Matt Kalil, Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin and Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon are my top choices for the Vikings right now. With the way things are going the Vikings are looking at a top 3 pick. One, if not all, should be available. There are a couple cornerbacks in the mix too. Its sad that I'm thinking draft in November.

I think that the puffed up stats of former Houston Cougar quarterback and Heisman winner Andre Ware kills any chance of current Cougar Case Keenum winning the award.

Stanford should burn those uniforms as soon as they can.

Go Vikings!!!!

Tebow Time

Tim Tebow has even brought former Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos quarterback and current hermit Jake Plummer out of the woods. Plummer is critical of Tebow's call of faith everytime he breaks the huddle and wind. Tebow has every right to mention his faith. Especially after a completed pass as it doesn't happen often. As Rich Eisen says, "It looks like Tebow throws the ball with his feet." Plummer doesn't have only criticism for the young, uncommon quarterback. Plummer loves the way Tim Tebow plays football. As he and others have said, "Tebow's a baller."

Tebow has a nice response when approached with Plummer's comments. Asking if you only say "I love you" to your spouse when its convenient. Anytime is the right time. Its ridiculous that his faith is even an issue. Expressing your faith has never been as destructive as that which leads to a police lineup. We have far too much of the latter. Tebow is on the scene for his football. We should concentrate on that. I was concentrating on that before the 2010 NFL Draft. I was part hoping that the Vikings would draft him. I had questions concerning his passing ability. Everyone did. He was completely reconstructing his mechanics. Something usually done in high school or even earlier. I had no concerns about his desire to work at improving and I had absolutely zero concerns about his natural ability to lead. Many quarterbacks can throw. Few can lead like Tebow. The Broncos will always need a bit different offense that caters to Tebow's strengths. All offenses, defenses too, should bend to the strengths of its players. Tebow's passing needs to improve. A strictly option offense has little chance for extended success in the NFL. He has to be a threat to throw. He'll always be a unique quarterback. Let's leave it at that.

When Bad Is Good

I keep thinking about one particular play from the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers Monday Night game of a couple weeks ago. There was a lot of misery in that game but one play rises to the top. The Vikings had a run to the right called for Adrian Peterson. Packers cornerback Charles Woodson was dynamite all night. On this play it seemed that he had come straight from the Vikings huddle. He was standing all by himself, no one to guard, right where the play was supposed to go. A veteran quarterback would immediately see this and audible. Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder stayed with the called play. Peterson got the ball and Woodson stopped him cold. A loss on the play. Woodson made a great play on a fantastic runningback. Ponder's a smart kid. In the future he'll see that and likely audible. This play keeps coming to mind because I'm not so sure that Ponder screwed up. Ponder probably did see Woodson. He was hard to miss standing there by himself. Woodson is an extremely talented player. One of the finest defensive players in the league. Still, I think that Ponder knows the kind of player that he has behind him in Adrian Peterson. I like Peterson's chances against anyone, one on one. Even Woodson. Ponder probably thought so too. On this occasion, Woodson made the play. He never actually brought Peterson to the ground but he did enough until help arrived. More often than not Peterson wins these battles.

This play sticks with me because everything about my thinking is wrong. Fundamentally, Ponder has to see Woodson and change the play. Its an indication of the talent that the Vikings have in Adrian Peterson. He can make a bad play call a good one simply because he's so good. Its similar to throwing into coverage when you have a receiver like Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, or Randy Moss in his prime. They are so big and position themselves so well that they can still make a play. Throwing into double coverage is usually a poor decision. Throwing to those receivers in any coverage is usually a good decision. Putting the ball in Adrian Peterson's hands in any situation, even when the defense is aligned to stop him, can be a touchdown.

Throwback Thursday: Thanksgiving Football

I've never been a fan of the Thursday Night football games. After all the NFL only has them to make more money. Sometimes less is better. The extra games have never felt right but there is one exception. Thanksgiving football is a natural. Football was probably played between the Indians and the yahoos in the silly suits. Before they broke bread they probably broke the huddle. Thanksgiving football came before the NFL. It was a holiday staple of the city league teams that dotted the blue collar towns of the Midwest. It was often the season finale. The rivalry game. Traditions drive most of what we do. Especially as the holidays come into focus. Football has long been part of that Thanksgiving tradition. As satisfying as that turkey feast.

The Flea Flicker wishes everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Can't wait for that Harbaugh postgame handshake.

Justin Smith

Despite going to the past two Pro Bowls, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Justin Smith is one of the least recognized players in the NFL. People around the league certainly know of him. He was the fourth pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was also one of the most sought after free agents in 2008. Defensive end in a 3-4 defense simply isn't a glamorous position. The outside linebackers in a 3-4 get all the sacks, all the money, all the love. The defensive end just cleans things up and keeps blockers off of the linebackers. Its easy to remain anonymous at defensive end in this defense. Justin Smith is deserving of a lot of attention. Not only is he one of the most durable players in the league his motor never stops. Always hustling, He plays football the way that it was always meant to be played. Often overshadowed by teammates Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman, Justin Smith might be having his finest season. High effort plays like he made late in the Philadelphia Eagles and New york Giants games have the 49ers at 9-1. Plays like those have become staples of a tough defense. San Francisco is one of the great stories of the 2011 season. Justin Smith is a big reason for their success.

Momentum

All football teams strive to gain momentum. Sometimes momentum goes back and forth during the course of a game. The team that gains momentum and maintains it usually wins the game. Gaining momentum isn't always limited to one game. It can be carried through a stretch of games or even through an entire season. Sometimes one thing triggers it. Maybe a team just clicks in training camp, carries it through the preseason and then really hits a stride when the games count. If it starts at the beginning of the season, the team needs to sustain it for a long time. Sixteen regular season games, at least two playoff games and finally the Super Bowl. That's a long time. A lot of things can trip up momentum. An opponent can derail things, injuries or even a dome roof collapsing. In 1998, nearly everything worked for the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie receiver Randy Moss provided a spark and the team ignited. They rolled over everybody. They lost their starting quarterback early in the season and Randall Cunningham came in and played even better. A hiccup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of the season didn't slow their momentum. Against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, for some reason, they eased off the gas. Instead of going after the Falcons they played not to lose. They changed their game and lost their momentum. It was sad to see.

Sometimes one game, even one play, can kick start momentum and set a team on a path of success. In 2009, the Vikings with Brett Favre started the season 2-0 despite sloppy play. They continued that level of play against the San Francisco 49ers in game three. When a loss looked like a given Favre threw a miracle touchdown to Greg Lewis to save a game and start some momentum. The Vikings were a different team after that and stormed to the NFC Championship game again. Unfortunately, the 2009 season ended like the 1998 season. One game too soon.

One of the more incredible seasons of momentum was the 2006 New Orleans Saints. Hurricane Katrina had torn the city apart. The emotion of the city and the responding team created something magical. It carried the Saints all the way to the NFC Championship. It ended there but there was recovery in New Orleans and the Saints played a part. The Saints were clearly building a talented team. Winning the Super Bowl three years later proved that. The 2006 team wasn't nearly as talented as their level of play would indicate. There was a lot of momentum behind that team and they rode it.

The Green Bay Packers have gone nearly a full calender year without a loss. Its fun to see a team playing football at a very high level, at least offensively for the Packers. Its even more fun when its your team. When a team gains momentum its best to sit back and enjoy it. In the case of the Vikings it only seems to happen every eleven years. You gotta enjoy it while you can.

Week 11

Its tough to win a game when you lose the best player in the NFL. The Raiders got a huge break when Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. He was just beginning to heat up. Sadly, the Raiders win 27-21.

The Raiders were way too successful at putting tremendous pressure on quarterback Christian Ponder. Losing the threat of Adrian Peterson allowed the Raiders to amp up the pass rush. It still showed again that the Vikings need an elite left tackle. Its need #1 in the draft. The Vikings future is dependent on the continued health of Ponder and Peterson. The entire offensive line needs to improve. Center John Sullivan and tackle Phil Loadholt are young and talented. Some Vikings fans heatedly debate both but the Flicker has hope. There is potential in rookies Brandon Fusco and DeMarcus Love. The Vikings have needs in the secondary and a playmaker at receiver but a dominant left tackle probably trumps those if one is available whenever the Vikings pick.

Its speaks tons about the season that I'm thinking about the draft in week 11.

Much of what happened for the Vikings yesterday seemed to indicate that they were still on bye. That would make it bye week number 3 seeing as they definitely didn't show up against the Packers last Monday. There were far too many mistakes. Losing Peterson early changed things but it doesn't explain everything. Despite all the bad the Vikings still had a chance at the end. Hopefully, Ponder will learn how to finish those chances with wins soon. Despite the bad there was still some good to be found.

Linebacker Chad Greenway played his best game of the season. His playmaking ways have been sorely missed. Greenway has been on the verge of Pro Bowl recognition for a few seasons now. He took a step back in the first half of this season. He hadn't been playing poorly but the big plays had been missing. Against the Raiders he made those plays.

Fellow linebacker EJ Henderson was all over the field.

Defensive tackle Kevin Williams is back. He was slowed early in the season by a suspension and a foot injury. He was a disruptive force in the middle of the line.

Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph caught his first career touchdown. It was the first of what will be many. He'll be a difference maker soon.

Percy Harvin is a beast.

A worry other than another loss:

I sure hope that Peterson was held out of the second half more as a precaution than as an indication of a serious injury. He came out for the third quarter in uniform but was later seen without pads. He was standing for the majority of the second half. I'd think that would be an indication that his ankle injury might not keep him out of any games. The Vikings need him to tear up the Falcons defense next week.

Some other NFL game notes and stuff:

A University of Miami player has scored a TD in the NFL for 149 consecutive weeks. The NFL's longest TD streak is the San Diego Chargers at 142 games. Remarkable.

Much is made of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ndamukong Suh playing on the dangerous side of the rules. The Oakland Raiders routinely play on the stupid side of the rules.

What happened to Buffalo? I still think that the Bills are on the right track but the last two weeks have been brutal.

The Dolphins took apart the Bills this week. I'm not sure why many are surprised. Despite their record the Dolphins have played everyone tough.

Cincinnati may have lost to the Steelers and Ravens the last two weeks but they've joined those teams at the top of the division. The Bengals are a tough team. Physical like the Steelers and Ravens have long been. No team will like facing the AFC North.

Losing Jay Cutler for possibly the remainder of the regular season with a broken thumb is a real blow. Cutler may be annoying but he's been playing great.

The 49ers have four weak division opponents in their final six games. The Steelers and Ravens may round out those games but the Packers need to keep winning to hold the #1 seed.

The NFL does excellent work with charitable endeavors. Taste of the NFL is one that may not be widely known. This year was the 21st effort to help kick hunger. Each NFL city hosts an event bringing the food of local chefs and the serving skills of the players. Its a meet and greet with tasty food. Sounds yummy. Minnesota held their Taste of the Vikings on Nov. 7th.

Some of the highlights of Taste of the Vikings:

Tackle Phil Loadholt likes food. No surprise there seeing as he's about 6'8" and 345 lbs. He watches Food Network and is making strides in the kitchen.

Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph recommends the bone in fillet and the beef is excellent.

Do-everything quarterback Joe Webb was eating lobster mac & cheese and couldn't talk.

Next week is of course bad news for the Atlanta Falcons.

Game Day Bits

31-28 Stanford. I figured that Cal needed a perfect game to beat Stanford. They didn't get it but they still could have won the game. It probably didn't matter, with just over ten seconds remaining, but I wish that Giorgio Tavecchio kicked the ball more like an onside kick and less like a free kick in soccer. It was quite possibly the worst onside kick attempt that I've ever seen. I just don't like Stanford having the axe. It doesn't feel right.

If the officials are going to protect Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck like they did, they should have protected Cal quarterback Zach Maynard the same. Maynard may not have the football future of Luck but they play the same game now.

Cal has super weapons at receiver with Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones. They have routinely ignored another in tight end Anthony Miller. I really don't understand his severe lack of opportunities. He's an impact player and will be in the NFL.

NFL stuff:

Minnesota Vikings' linebacker Chad Greenway has long been an avid hunter. It was a natural growing up in South Dakota. When asked about his most unusual hunting experience, he mentioned sidearm hunting coyotes on a snowmobile. Just to be clear, Greenway was riding the snowmobile and not the coyotes. Not really knowing much about hunting I was more than a little surprised by this activity.

Since 2000, the Cleveland Browns have been 3-6 after nine games eight times.

Buffalo Bills' running back Fred Jackson is upset that his wife didn't take him until the fifth round in her fantasy draft: "If she was in some kind of draft and I waited until the fifth round to take her, I would never hear the end of it."
I can understand Jackson's thinking but he should admire the shrewd drafting of his wife. Fred jackson is an incredible value pick in the fifth round.

Some Green Bay Packers players are moaning about receiver Jordy Nelson being underestimated because he's white. I think they're nuts. I'm not sure who they think is underestimating Nelson but I've never heard anything but glowing remarks since he was at Kansas St. He was a second round pick so he certainly wasn't slighted in the draft despite the color of his skin. He's on a team that is loaded with offensive playmakers. If he's concern #4 after Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley for opponents, I don't really see that as underestimated. This Packers team has impressed me in how little they worry about how they are viewed. I don't understand why they would change that now.

More college stuff:

It was fun watching the Harvard-Yale game yesterday. I was hoping that Yale would prevail seeing as quarterback Patrick Witt passed up a Rhodes Scholarship interview for the game.

I'm at a loss to understand Alabama-Georgia Southern in November.

I don't think that anyone wants to win the Pac-12 South division. The new conference championship game just match Oregon and Stanford again and be done with it.

Its interesting that Cal running backs coach Ron Gould has longer tenure at Cal than head coach Jeff Tedford. Usually a new coach brings in his own people but Tedford saw what he had in Gould. From 1000 yard rushers to NFL draft picks, Cal has had a very nice parade of running backs. Ron Gould is a big reason for the running game success.

I'm not sure what happened with Oklahoma St, Oregon, Oklahoma and Clemson. Cal almost put Stanford right there with them. This week was a bad week to be a top 10 team.

The Big Game

Ah, Cal-Stanford. The Big Game. The name for a game that even the Super Bowl couldn't take away. This extremely entertaining rivalry is also one of the oldest. Since 1892 the football teams have battled. They played rugby for a few years when the safety of football was questioned a century ago. They skipped a few years when world events were more important. Other than that Cal and Stanford have played football longer and more enthusuastically than most. The winner gets an axe. Despite being an object of desire for both schools since 1899, the axe didn't become the trophy until 1933. Stanford has it now and it just doesn't feel right. The importance of any rivalry is personal. Increasing in importance as you move closer to that region. The San Francisco 49ers didn't appear on the scene until 1946. The Oakland Raiders showed fourteen years after that. Prior to the arrival of professional football in the bay area, Cal and Stanford had the attention of the entire region. Both schools had some awesome teams in those early years. Cal's Wonder Teams of the 1920s played 50 games without a loss. Stanford had national powers under game changing coaches Pop Warner and Clark Shaughnessy. More recently, football at Cal and Stanford has been in the shadows of the hack schools from down south. USC in particular, but UCLA too. From education to athletics, Cal and Stanford compete in everything. Two great schools that strive to be the best.

Its been a long time since either school has been near the best in football. Stanford is challenging that this year. Cal has had some very talented teams under coach Jeff Tedford. Even more rare is both teams being solid in the same year. On paper, many Big Games should be blowouts. It doesn't always play out that way. Records don't really matter much in this rivalry. In 1970 a mediocre Cal team faced conference champion Stanford and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jim Plunkett. Cal left Memorial Stadium with a 22-14 win. The 1991 Cal team was fantastic losing only to #1 Washington prior to the Big Game. Stanford won by 17.

No one can guess what happens when Cal and Stanford take the field. To confirm this look no further than The Play. Any game with a name lasts forever. Some people know of these two fine schools solely through The Play. Its often mentioned anytime a football game is in the desperation stages. Crazy plays and great plays are Big Game staples.

So, forget about Auburn-Alabama, Ohio St.-Michigan, Oklahoma-Texas. The Big Game is the big game. Stanford has something of ours. Its time to bring the axe home. GO BEARS!!!!

They Wear It Well

The Sporting News recently named the best player to wear each uniform number. It was a fun list but they cover all sports. The Flea Flicker is all football so here's my list of the best football players to wear each uniform number.

00  Jim Otto
1   Warren Moon
2   Paddy Driscoll
3   Bronko Nagurski
4   Brett Favre
5   George McAfee
6   Benny Friedman
7   John Elway
8   Steve Young
9   Drew Brees
10 Fran Tarkenton
11 Norm Van Brocklin
12 Tom Brady-with Bradshaw, Namath and Staubach this is a tough one
13 Dan Marino
14 Don Hutson-very tough with Otto Graham and YA Tittle
15 Bart Starr
16 Joe Montana
17 Red Badgro
18 Peyton Manning
19 Johnny Unitas
20 Barry Sanders
21 Deion Sanders
22 Emmitt Smith
23 Devin Hester
24 Lenny Moore
25 Fred Biletnikoff
26 Rod Woodson
27 Ken Houston
28 Adrian Peterson
29 Eric Dickerson
30 Clarke Hinkle
31 Jim Taylor
32 Jim Brown
33 Ollie Matson-Dorsett is right there
34 Walter Payton
35 Pete Pihos
36 Marion Motley
37 Doak Walker
38 Arnie Herber
39 Hugh McElhenny
40 Gale Sayers
41 Cal Hubbard
42 Ronnie Lott
43 Troy Polamalu
44 Chuck Foreman
45 Archie Griffin
46 Doug Plank-mainly due to his giving the name to Buddy Ryan's 46 defense
47 Mel Blount
48 Les Richter
49 Bobby Mitchell
50 Mike Singletary
51 Dick Butkus
52 Ray Lewis
53 Harry Carson
54 Randy White
55 Derrick Brooks
56 Lawrence Taylor
57 Dwight Stephenson
58 Jack Lambert
59 Jack Ham
60 Chuck Bednarik
61 Bill George
62 Charley Trippi
63 Lee Roy Selmon
64 Randall McDaniel
65 Elvin Bethea
66 Clyde "Bulldog" Turner-its tough to pass Ray Nitschke
67 Bob Kuechenberg
68 Russ Grimm
69 Jared Allen
70 Jim Marshall
71 Alex Karras
72 Ed "Too Tall" Jones
73 Ron Yary
74 Bob Lilly-this pretty close to a push with Merlin Olsen
75 Joe Greene-tough with Deacon Jones, Howie Long too
76 Lou Groza
77 Red Grange
78 Bruce Smith-Anthony Munoz and Art Shell
79 Roosevelt Brown
80 Jerry Rice-it has to be Rice but sure wish that Cris Carter could go here
81 Dick "Night Train" Lane
82 Raymond Berry
83 Ted Hendricks
84 Randy Moss
85 Nick Buoniconti
86 Buck Buchanon
87 Willie Davis
88 Alan Page
89 Gino Marchetti
90 Julius Peppers
91 Kevin Greene
92 Reggie White
93 John Randle
94 DeMarcus Ware
95 Richard Dent
96 Clyde Simmons
97 Bryant Young
98 Tom Harmon
99 Warren Sapp

One interesting nugget of trivia is that the #1 worn by the New York Giants' Ray Flaherty was retired in 1935. It was the first number to be retired by any team in a major league sport.

Throwback Thursday: Heidi Shuts Down Football

Today is the 43rd anniversary of the day that a little Swiss girl brought professional football to its knees. I've always thought it remarkable that one of the iconic games in football is known simply as the Heidi Game. Chapters in football history books have been devoted to the game. It wouldn't surprise me at all if a book dedicated solely to this one game was in the works. There were a lot of tears, and worse, from football fans and worried parents on November 17, 1968.

Technology was a little different back then but there was television. Professional football games were even televised. The New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders had emerged as dominant teams in the last years of the AFL. The Jets, at 7-2, were in position to clinch the East title when they visited the Oakland Raiders, also at 7-2, on that day. It was a huge game. Perhaps an AFL Championship preview. With a 4pm EST start, the game had to end by 7pm EST. NBC was expecting a huge audience for its made for TV movie. The 7-9pm block had to be free for Heidi. The movie was promoted for days on air and in the newspapers. In that far away era, single advertisers bought blocks of air time. Timex had paid a bundle for the Heidi block. NBC had never had a game go beyond three hours. The plan was to switch to Heidi at 7pm no matter what happened. Nothing could possibly happen. Unlike today, football teams ran the ball on most downs. Games move quickly. Oakland and New York didn't play that game this day. The Jets' Joe Namath attempted 37 passes. The Raiders' Daryle Lamonica attempted 34. It was a physical, close game with 19 penalties and all time outs used. Pretty much everything that could extend the game happened. It was also a fantastic game. Some consider it one of the greatest regular season games. At 6:45pm EST, parents started calling NBC asking if Heidi would start on time. A lot of parents started calling. After six lead changes, the Jets kicked a field goal for a 32-29 lead. 1:05 remained in the game. Heidi was coming up next as the Raiders offense was about to take the field. Football fans started calling NBC to demand their football. A lot of football fans started calling. The NBC switchboard crashed. Circuits blew. Fuses were replaced. In an hour, 26 fuses were blown. The NBC power players in New York wanted to keep the game on air to its conclusion. The blown switchboard and busy signals prevented any communication to the west coast to change the pregame instructions. Somebody in a cornfield somewhere around Iowa had to flip that switch to Heidi. That person went with the earlier instructions. Everybody east of the Sierras saw Heidi. Everybody on the west coast saw one of the most frantic endings in memory. Lost to the east was a quick touchdown on a pass from Lamonica to Charlie Smith for a 36-32 Raiders lead. The Jets fumbled the kickoff and the Raiders had another touchdown. From the time that Heidi hit the screens the Jets went from a title clinching 32-29 victory to a 43-32 defeat. Jets coach Weeb Ewbank, in Oakland, even received a congratulatory phone call from his wife, watching Heidi in New York.

Despite things not going the way those in New York wanted, they went the way they should. Timex would have killed NBC if Heidi was interrupted. Professional football was still growing back then. Football is king now, but it was still scrambling for attention then. This Heidi game put the AFL, the Jets and Namath on the front page of the New York Times. For those that missed the thrilling end to the game, the last 1:05 was shown the next night during the Huntley-Brinkley report. To prevent any possible future communication issues NBC put in a phone that was on a separate exchange. The Heidi phone. Its still there. The biggest change, football games must be shown to the conclusion. Football was on its way and Heidi helped get it there.

Statistical Mistake

Football is becoming too driven and followed by statistics. I blame fantasy football but there are other culprits too. Fantasy football is just so huge now. Some people even go so far as to place greater importance on the fantasy games than the real games. Some have even stopped watching the real games altogether. They just watch their stats, hopefully, pile up. Its crazy. Football is so much fun to watch. I just don't understand how anyone with an interest in football can look away. The play has always been and always will be on the field.

There are websites popping up that break everything football down to a number. Player efficiency ratings have replaced what you see on the field. Some of these number are inherently flawed as they often make assumptions on player assignments. Especially with defensive ratings. I don't get it. Turning a player into a number is simply a mistake. I'd much rather watch Adrian Peterson break tackles than see some number that shows that he can effectively break tackles. I just don't understand this great need to put a number on everything.

Fantasy football and football metrics are fine as a side. I just don't get their increasing importance. Numbers can't explain the game.

Vikings Monday Night

Its never a good start when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense step on the field for the first time with a 7-0 lead.

Mostly deserved but there is a lot of Aaron Rodgers love flowing from braodcasters now. Quarterback lovers Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden really let their emotions flow last night. It reminds me of the days when some yahoo named Brett Favre played at Lambeau.

The Vikings really need safeties in a bad way. Not since Joey Browner in the '80s have they had a real playmaker/enforcer back there. Robert Griffith, Corey Chavous and Darren Sharper had their moments but its been a severe weakness of late. With Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford in the division, the Vikings really need some game changers at safety. Give those quarterbacks some worries.

I love hearing Jon Gruden rattle off play calls. His enthusiasm for football is hilarious.

I love seeing the Packers run Ryan Grant over James Starks. Not sure why they do it but I love it.

Charles Woodson is awesome. He should retire. He really should.

17-0 at the half. The punt return touchdown by Randall Cobb was a killer. You can't give Rodgers a lead before he even steps on the field. The Vikings defense only gave up one touchdown in the first half. The Vikings offense has to finish drives.

The second half was a hot mess.

Looks like the officials just look away on Packer penalties. One offsides penalty is ridiculous. They sure make it easier for an already terrific team. The Packers don't really need any favors.

Seeing a healthy Aaron Rodgers not on the field with ten minutes to go says it all.

That was a fantastic catch by rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph. He really needs to see more passes thrown his way. His size and hands make him such a fantastic weapon. Rudolph has a very bright future.

I sure wish that all the Vikings played with the passion of Jared Allen, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin.

Christian Ponder is a keeper. In a bleak season the future looks brighter.

The Houston Texans losing quarterback Matt Schaub for the season is just terrible. The team has been more than coping with the devastating losses of receiver Andre Johnson for several games and pass rusher Mario Williams for the season. I was looking at the Texans as a favorite in the AFC. The Texans have an awesome running game with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. That will greatly help the frightening Matt Leinart.

Week 10

With the Minnesota Vikings visiting the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau tonight, its important to return to a very sensitive issue. In the their last meeting, only three weeks ago, Vikings defensive end Brian Robison was penalized and fined for kicking Packers guard TJ Lang in the jibblies. To make peace, Robison generously put together a gift basket for Lang. Because the fine drained Robison's funds he needed donations from his fellow Vikings. Here's what he got:
Christian Ballard: gloves
Hussain Abdullah: gloves
Jamarca Sanford: gloves
Christain Ponder: a walleye
Leslie Frazier: the rest of his gatoade and some advice for Robison
Percy Harvin: gloves and cleats
Fred Evans: recovery drink powder
Donovan McNabb: thigh pad and cocoa butter
Allen Reisner: used towel
Antoine Winfield: pink cleats
Michael Jenkins: pink gloves
Ryan Longwell: kicking shoe for future combat
Brian Robison: Packers first loss
That's a pretty decent haul for Lang. I like the sweet gift from Robison best.

Kickers have been considered, for lack of a better word, odd ever since the position becam specialized. From his days in Green Bay to his current time in Minnesota, Ryan Longwell has always been considered "normal". Must be the Cal influence.

Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson was inactive yesterday because he overslept and missed a special teams meeting. Classy. Can't be the Cal influence.

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham celebrated his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons by dunking the ball over the goal post. His fierce act left the uprights a little less upright. Players are regularly penalized for celebrations that do not impact the game. You'd think that a celebration that does impact the game would certainly draw a flag.

When healthy Falcons receiver Harry Douglas sure adds some spice to their offense. With running back Michael Turner, receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones and tight end Tony Gonzalez they have real physical presence. Douglas throws in a little extra quickness. Some splash. Rookie running back Jaquizz Rodgers can do the same. If they can pull it all together, get in sync, they could be a scary on offense. They seem a little off right now.

There's still a lot of season to go but so far I've been so wrong about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I kinda thought that the Indianapolis Colts would get win #1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Maybe it was just hope. I hate seeing winless teams.

The Falcons-Saints game was super. Bold move by Falcons coach Mike Smith to go for it on 4th and inches from their own 29 in overtime. The Saints defense stopping Michael Turner won the game. They still had to seal it with a field goal but it was won on that stop. The last few games between these division foes have been classic. Great rivalry.

For the first time since the divisions were realigned, all teams in the NFC West won in the same week.

Seeing the San Francisco 49ers playing the New York Giants in a big game brought some flashbacks. Its hard to believe that its been a quarter century since these two ruled the league.

Very nice win for the 49ers. The Giants have been playing well. The 49ers just continue to impress and gather more believers with each win. Cornerback Carlos Rogers had a fairly up and down time in Washington. A former first round pick, he's playing like it now.

Patrick Willis is a beast. I love watching him play football.

GO VIKINGS!!!!

Game Day Bits

The Flea Flicker has touched on it before but technology has made being a California Minnesota Vikings fan much more enjoyable. A Vikings appearance on Monday Night Football, as they are this week, was at one time the only time that I could see them. Thanks to Directv's Sunday Ticket I can see the Vikings play every week. I no longer have to hope for those prime time appearances. The Internet has created a smaller world. Up to the minute Vikings news is at my fingertips. I can get Minneapolis and St. Paul newspapers on a Kindle. Podcasts have brought the local Vikings radio programming to my ears. Its all so wonderful. If it weren't for the beautiful, year round weather, I'd think that I was in the land of all those lakes.

The best sign in Palo Alto for ESPN's College Game Day: I Love Signs

I question the accuracy of yardage totals being the basis of defensive rankings. The Green Bay Packers have a strong defense yet the yardage that they've given up say otherwise. Last week they gave up a ton through the air to the San Diego Chargers. They also took two interceptions back for touchdowns. Its just not accurate to call that a poor performance. Keeping opponents out of the end zone, getting off the field on third downs, and turnovers are a better indication of a strong defense. This is not to say that the Packers defense is perfect. They have some work to do. They are simply far better than the yardage totals indicate. They give the ball back to that crazy good offense.

I watched some of the Rice-Northwestern game yesterday. I just wanted to take a look at Rice safety Corey Frazier. I just missed seeing him get an interception. Frazier is the son of Vikings coach Leslie Frazier. The elder Frazier had his Chicago Bears career cut short by an injury in Super Bowl XX. He was at the top his game as an excellent cornerback for that fantastic Bears defense. The younger has the skills for an NFL career.

That blue field of Boise St. is a damn shame but Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore is a terrific football player on any field. I'm really surprised that they lost to a TCU team just getting its stride after replacing Andy Dalton.

Congratulations to Deltha O'Neal on his induction into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame. Excellent as a cornerback and as a kick returner. He was at his best in the 1999 Big Game. Cal could do nothing that day. O'Neal did everything. Stanford couldn't stop him. That game was competitive when it really shouldn't have been. All because of Deltha O'Neal. That performance likely sealed his first round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Speaking of Cal, their 23-6 victory over Oregon St was a solid performance. Running back Isi Sofele is looking like much more than a change of pace back. More like a game changing back. I wish that they would cut down on all the penalties. Cal needs near perfect games against Stanford and Arizona St. to finish the season with wins. That won't happen with this many penalties.

Big Game week. Always a fun time. Go Bears!

Oregon is fast approaching, maybe even passed, USC as the most annoying football team in the nation. Preening, prancing, pushing, talking, shoving. Talented, sure, but not too disciplined. Just an annoying team. At least USC has won championships. Their fans could really use some originality too. That stupid "O" hand sign is a blatant rip off of the Miami "U".

Another Sunday of football without the Vikings. This day is littered with fine games. Steelers-Bengals, Texans-Buccaneers, Saints-Falcons, even the Bills-Cowboys in the morning. Lions-Bears and 49ers-Giants in the afternoon. Capped with Patriots-Jets in the evening. Biggest question: can the Colts take the Jaguars for win #1?

Football is fun!

As the Lights Get Brighter

Perhaps its my "Friday Night Lights" idealism but I'd like to see all high school games on that night under the lights. Some schools are forced to Saturday days due to the sun being the only light. Its just a dream of mine. I've always liked high school football on Friday. College games on Saturday. Professional games on Sunday. A progression as the lights get brighter.

The unfortunate Thursday Night Lights brought an interesting game a couple nights ago in Danville, Ca. Monte Vista defeated San Ramon Valley 33-31 on a field goal with 9.4 seconds remaining. A terrific game involving promising quarterbacks with a potentially lasting rivalry. Zach Kline of San Ramon Valley and Jeff Lockie of Monte Vista likely know each other well. Danville isn't all that big. Kline is heading to Cal. Lockie to Oregon. This rivalry is one that could last and intrigue.

Its criminal that today is the first San Francisco bay area appearance of ESPN's Game Day crew. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstriet will be in Palo Alto today for the Stanford-Oregon game. They've never been to Berkeley. Its sad, for them, that they've never been to the greatest college game day site in the nation. Memorial Stadium. A visit certainly couldn't happen this year. The stadium's being renovated and the team doesn't merit it. They should have been there Oct. 19, 1991. Cal-Washington. Two great teams. One fantastic game. Today's Stanford-Oregon should be a great one too. Maybe Corso and company will be in Berkeley in 2014. Cal-Oregon. Zach Kline facing Jeff Lockie once again.

Sweetness

The Bears as a team are not very good. You're better. But I hope you guys are prepared for this, because you're about to face one of the best football players I've seen play the game. He has raised the level and standard of play. And if you don't come up and meet that level, he'll destroy you.
                                                     -Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant

Bud Grant tried to prepare his team for Walter Payton. It didn't work too well as the Bears running back gained an NFL record 275 yards later that day. That day was also my introduction to Payton. I'm currently reading Jeff Pearlman's new book about Payton so the Hall of Famer may make several Flea Flicker appearances over the next few weeks. I've found few football nicknames that so perfectly fit the player as Sweetness does Walter Payton. As soon as you saw him run you saw it. As soon as you saw him fly over the goal line you saw it. Just as you thought that he'd reached the peak of his flight he went a little higher. He was simply a tremendous running back and football player. Sweetness described Walter Payton perfectly.

The origin of the nickname came as a surprise. I just assumed that it landed on him after one of his breathtaking runs. It actually had nothing to do with his running ability at all. It came during a practice for the then annual College All-Star game against the NFL Champions. Payton was carrying the ball when he approached Ohio St. defensive back Neal Colzie. Smiling ear to ear, Payton yelled, "Your sweetness is your weakness!" then stutterstepped, lifted one leg high into the air, and burst down the field.

A nickname was born and it was perfect.

Throwback Thursday: 25 Players

25 players that I wish that I had seen play some football (in somehat random order):

1. Jim Thorpe
2. Bronko Nagurski
3. Don Hutson
4. Mel Hein
5. Clarke Hinkle
6. Johnny "Blood" McNally
7. Dutch Clark
8. Bulldog Turner
9. Bobby Layne
10. Y.A. Tittle
11. John Unitas
12. Jim Brown
13. Lenny Moore
14. Raymond Berry
15. Olie Matson
16. Otto Graham
17. Gino Marchetti
18. Dick "Night Train" Layne
19. Emlen Tunnell
20. Deacon Jones
21. Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb
22. Gale Sayers
23. Dick Butkus
24. Lance Alworth
25. Sammy Baugh

It's so hard to leave off Hugh McElhenny, Bill Willis, Doak Walker, Paddy Driscoll, Spec Sanders, Joe Perry, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Alex Karras, Ace Parker, Benny Friedman, Marion Motley, Red Grange, all of the Nessers, etc., etc,.

Knee Jerk Reactions

Some of the media hacks really should take in a few games before they anoint a team elite. The opposite is true when they write off teams just as quickly. Last week there were far too many people all over the Philadelphia Eagles after they demolished the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles were coming off a stretch of pathetic performances. Suddenly one dominant effort pushes them to the top of the league. Its incredible that one game warrants such attention. The Eagles followed that breakthrough performance with a loss to the Chicago Bears. The supporters from last week crept silently back to their holes. At 3-5, the Eagles have a long way to go to reach the grand exclamations of only a week ago. The Pittsburgh Steelers were written off as too old when they were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens in week 1. Despite losing to the Ravens again this week, the Steelers are from the ancient team that has no hope. Their prospects are far better than the Eagles.

A great performance is a terrific thing. It can be an indication of many things including a great team. Taken alone a great game can be nothing more than a day when everything goes right. A team needs to sustain solid performances to be considered truly great. One game means little by itself. Most of these hacks should realize this. Its no secret. No great discovery. It just takes a little patience.

Another College All-Star Game

It looks like another college all-star game is going to be added to the postseason schedule this January. This one is a little different. Most significantly the NFL Players Association will put on the game. 100 draft eligible college players will be split into two teams. Unlike the other all-star games this one will welcome the underclassmen that have declared for the draft. The teams will be coached by former NFL coaches Tom Flores and Dick Vermeil. The two men haven't faced each other in a game since Super Bowl XV, when Flores' Raiders beat Vermeil's Eagles 27-10 in New Orleans.

Also significant is that the game will be held in Los Angeles. The NFL has kept no secrets in its interest in bringing a team to L.A. Despite being held by the NFLPA, it looks like the league has some fingerprints on this game. This is still an interesting project for the NFLPA. They will have current players on hand to assist the kids in their transition to the professional ranks. This will be a step in the process unlike the other college all-star games. Despite appearing as more of the same, the NFLPA effort is a bit different. This game also seems to be an attempt to get an NFL vibe going in the L.A. area. I've been skeptical of the city's ability to sustain an NFL team. They've failed before. We'll see how that goes. With the underclassmen available this game does sound like fun.

Week 9

Week 9 might be best time for a bye but a Sunday without the Minnesota Vikings is just a Sunday of football. Everyone knows that. Just a Sunday of football is still a fun day. Just a little less exciting. Football is fun.

John Unitas' record of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass is considered by many to be one of those unbreakable records. Drew Brees reached 36 games yesterday. Unitas' record is very much within reach.

In the 2010 draft the San Francisco 49ers spent two first round picks on offensive linemen. Drafting tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati was brilliant. I thought so then. I thnk so now. I especially liked the Iupati pick. Though highly unlikely, I hoped that Iupati would last to the Vikings selection at 30. The 49ers are building an outstanding offensive line.

The 49ers are an interesting team. They seem to bring teams to their style of play. They control the pace of the game. That's a great way to defeat more talented teams. They have explosive players in Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn and, when healthy, Braylon Edwards, but they aren't an explosive team right now. They're just a tough, grind-it-out, play it our way, team. If they keep improving, no team will like playing them in the playoffs.

The Patriots-Giants game sure was a good one. Kinda disappointed that the Packers-Chargers kept me away from most of it.

Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones is a fantastic football player.

The winless Miami Dolphins get win #1 against the somewhat hot Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins have been competitive in nearly every game.

Update: Aaron Rodgers is a damn fine quarterback. The game against the Chargers was a blast. The only way to defend Rodgers and his offense is to keep the ball away from them. The Packers defense makes that difficult. They may give up some yards but they get the ball back.

I love seeing the big guys celebrate touchdowns. Especially seeing them spike the football. They never seem to know what to do with the football.

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs is a nut. His introduction for last nights game: "Ball So Hard University"

Looked like pass interference on Torrey Smith to me.

I remember a day when only the scores of other games were updated. No individual statistics unless a player was approaching a milestone. It wasn't all that long ago.

Patrick Walsh was a dynamite running back for powerhouse De La Salle High School in the early '90s. 38 touchdowns, 2000 yards rushing and California Player of the Year in 1992. At 5'7" he received little attention from Division I schools, ending up at San Jose St. First hand, I saw nice running skills against Cal. I if you have a team full of players like Patrick Walsh, at any level, you win a lot of games. Walsh is currently the head coach at Serra High School in San Mateo. He's brought the school of Lynn Swann, Barry Bonds and Tom Brady to bay area prominence. Great football player. Great coach.

Fantasy football is a nice little side for me. The game is entertaining. The competition is entertaining. How others view fantasy football might be the most entertaining. It's serious business to many and each person uses a different strategy to hoped for success. The hilarious TV show "The League" effectively captures a few of these strategies. Some people depend on player matchups. Some people depend on weekly player rankings. Some people depend on hunches. There's fantasy skill. It's called luck. Personally, I simply go with my best players. Changing my lineup only to deal with injuries and byes. That may explain my fairly random success. Still, it's all fun. Football is fun.

Next week is bad news for the Packers!

Game Day Bits

"Tim Tebow has the fiery leadership of Ray Lewis. He also has the throwing ability of Ray Lewis."
                                                  -estranged broadcaster Jim Brockmire

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan makes an appearance in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie. Ryan plays a Boston-based lawyer and big-time New England Patriots fan. That should be fun.

The San Francisco 49ers are the first team since 1920 to score a rushing touchdown in each of their first seven games without allowing one.

I don't believe in curses but this Madden thing is a little freaky. Usually an injury strikes the unfortunate featured player. Peyton Hillis has something entirely different. Only the Browns know the whole story but it might take down a promising career.

If you enjoy football, the Alabama-LSU game was the game for you. If you only like half the game, the Oklahoma St-Kansas St game might have been a better choice.
It was great to see Joe Kapp's kid, Will, score the first touchdown of his Cal career. A nifty 43-yarder on 4th and 1. Will Kapp is a "do all the dirty work never get any credit" fullback and special teams player. His celebration and his teammates celebration shows how much this touchdown meant.

There sure isn't much middle ground with Cal. They either play brilliant or terrible. Somewhere in the middle might have gotten them wins against Washington and UCLA. After thumping Washington St. 30-7, they are 5-4. Even with those terrible games Cal is a borderline bowl team that doesn't really deserve one.

Yesterday's Brown-Yale game didn't draw the attention of LSU-Alabama but it sure was fun.

With the Vikings on bye, I'm looking at an open slate of games today. I think Jets-Bills and Buccaneers-Saints look tasty in the morning. Packers-Chargers and Giants-Patriots in the afternoon.

Baltimore-Pittsburgh in the night cap is always a tough game. Baltimore took Pittsburgh apart in week one. I don't see a repeat.

Seeing as the Vikings return next week to shatter the Packers' dreams on Monday night, next Sunday is open too.

Tea With Thomas

One of my favorite non-playing people in the NFL is Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. This fondness comes from his football path. I don't think that he ever played the game but he sure had a passion for it. He grew up with football as his father was a coach and scout. The younger Dimitroff did everything from picking up jock straps to breaking down film. He just wanted to be around the game. His path first caught my attention when I learned that he was discovered by Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli while working on the Cleveland Browns grounds crew. This was his big break as Belichick and Pioli are two of the best at bringing out the best in football minds. It didn't work out for Belichick and Pioli in Cleveland but it sure did in New England. Once there they brought in their football friend from the grounds crew. Dimitroff moved up the ranks until he was one of the hottest personnel men around. The Falcons grabbed him.

Dimitroff has appeared on Rich Eisen's podcast several times and he's always entertaining and informative. He's a bit different from most football people. For example, he's a vegetarian. I recently heard Dimitroff talking with Peter King of Sports Illustrated on another podcast. King was recounting his training camp visit with the Falcons. Dimitroff invited King to "high tea" later in the day. Intrigued, King accepted the invitation. Later that day, Peter King and Thomas Dimitroff had a pleasant conversation over green tea and organic cookies. The cookies replaced the more traditional biscuits. King was a little stunned by this experience at an NFL training camp. It reminded him of traveling with John Madden in his cruiser. As they rumbled across the nation, Madden came to a stop to inspect some wild flowers along the side of the road. With field guide in hand, Madden stopped to identify those flowers. "High tea" and wild flowers are things you just don't imagine experiencing in football.

Dimitroff is one of the brightest personnel men in the league. He's also one of the most interesting. He's carrying on the open-minded football work of Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli. Everyone in the Falcons building has a voice and is heard. The NFL is a much better place with people like this.

More Florio

I've mentioned before how Mike Florio and his Pro Football Talk has grabbed more of my football attention. His site is a rumor mill cleverly disguised as a blog. What sets Florio's baby apart from other rumor sites is his writing and his real NFL connections. Florio hit the big time when NBC bought into his world. The big guys were smart in leaving Pro Football Talk alone. Florio also got into TV as part of NBC's Football Night in America. He kept it all small while actually getting bigger.

Enough of the history. What really brings me back to Florio is that in addition to bringing scattered football news together in one convenient place he's often hilarious. With some of the coaches starting to feel some heat, there are many media yahoos bringing up potential coaching candidates. One even speculated that former Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress could be one of those candidates. Florio grabbed this. He was critical of Childress' coaching in Minnesota and is quite skeptical of his future coaching anywhere. Childress apparently sent a "pissy" email when Florio mentioned that Percy Harvin's migraines magically disappeared when the coach was fired. This brought me more than a chuckle. Maybe a guffaw? Whether funny or abrasive, Mike Florio is never boring.

Throwback Thursday: Recruiting Walter Payton

Every now and then a player comes along that transcends a rivalry. Whether it's the quality of the player or the quality of the person, they stand apart. They are special. Aaron Rodgers has that now. Walter Payton had it before. He had it all. I had been amazed by Payton ever since he ran for 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in 1977. I enjoyed his career despite it being with the Chicago Bears. I would have preferred a little less success against the Vikings but you can't have everything. Many know of his wonderful professional career. Much less is known of his early life. As was his career, his college recruitment was unique.

Walter Payton grew up in Columbia, Mississippi. The south was a very different place in 1970. It was an especially challenging place for an elite black running back for Columbia High School. The SEC schools were dragging their feet in recruiting black athletes. They weren't recruiting black athletes. A Florida St. defensive assistant coach named Bill Parcells briefly stopped by Columbia to take a look at Payton. He saw a 5'9" 170 lb back when Payton was 5'10" 190 lbs. Parcells thought that Florida St. had about six backs better than Payton. This defensive coach would make some better decisions later in life. Kansas St. was the lone NCAA Division I school to recruit Walter Payton. Assistant coach Frank Falks recruited him heavily. "Once you saw him, there was no question he'd be great." Falks said, "No question whatsoever." Falks met with Payton's family and followed up with regular phone calls as did head coach Vince Gibson. They thought that they had him. They were sure that they had him when Payton signed a letter of intent to attend Kansas St. At this point the school made a mistake. They relaxed.

Jackson St. is a historically black college in Mississippi. They also wanted Walter Payton to play football for them. Jackson St. had a few advantages over Kansas St. Payton's brother, Eddie, was already playing football there. To make things even more like home they offered a scholarship to best friend Edward Moses. Jackson St. was also closer to home. Payton then accepted his brother's suggestion to come to Jackson for summer school. Moses came along too. They enrolled in classes. Payton was further set up with a "go-if-your-very-bored" job at a gymnasium. It was a different time. Head football coach Bob Hill made the mistake of checking on Payton a little too frequently. This drove Payton and Moses to check out Pearl River Junior College. That didn't work out and Payton headed home. Unsure of what to do next he found a one-way plane ticket to Manhattan, Kansas waiting for him. His dorm room and #22 jersey were waiting for him there. Kansas St. made the mistake of flying him out of Jackson. Payton packed his things and headed back to Jackson. He arrived five hours before his flight. This allowed him time to visit with friends, his brother and talk to coach Hill. He wasn't fully swayed but he missed his flight. Kansas St. was waiting.

Kansas St. was still waiting while Payton drove back to Columbia with coach Hill.  The coach even let Payton drive his beloved car. Its fairly well known that Payton doesn't drive slow. This generosity of the coach was significant. Once at home and still undecided, his mother simply said, "You're going to Jackson St." That ended the recruitment of Walter Payton.

The administrators at Kansas St. were furious. President James McCain called John Peoples, his counterpart at Jackson St., threatening to report them to the NCAA. Claiming, of all things, that Jackson St. kidnapped Walter Payton. It didn't stick and an extraordinary career was about to take off.

LA Vikings?

Viking hearts are breaking everywhere. Minnesota lakes are overflowing with tears. The idiots at the capitol are apparently doing nothing to proceed with the financing of a new stadium. They are doing nothing to keep the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota. They were elected to make decisions yet they won't. Instead of doing what they were elected to do they are sending the decision to a voter referendum. That won't take place for another year. A year after the lease on the Metrodome expires. The Vikings can't wait another year. They've been waiting for a decade. They even stepped aside so that the Twins and the University could get new stadiums. They've waited. They've waited long enough. The Wilf family and the Vikings have done everything asked of them. They've done more than was asked of them. They've done far more than the 49ers who seem to be waltzing into a stadium with little effort. The Minnesota legislators won't be legislators long if they let the Vikings walk out of the state.

Personally, I don't think that the Vikings will leave Minnesota. I'm typically optimistic and I just don't see it happening. The legislators simply can't be that stupid. Politicians usually drop a few IQ points as soon as they take office, but they just can't be that stupid. I should temper my optimism. No one thought that the Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Colts would bolt their loving homes. I can't temper my optimism. I still say that the Vikings stay. No state that has lost the Lakers and the North Stars can lose their football team too. No one's that stupid. Not even politicians. If needed there will be a last minute save. Hopefully, we don't have to wait that long.

Suh's Troubles

It was amusing to hear that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh scheduled a meeting with the NFL officials responsible for discipline. Usually its the other way around. The league calls in the player. Much like being hauled into the Principal's office. Players never call these meetings.

Suh wants to find out what he's doing wrong. Why the penalties and the fines? Why all the attention? He's just playing football. The main problem is that Suh is often an idiot when he plays football. With the pampering of the quarterback its difficult to do more than breathe on the money-maker. Its actually kind of sad. Football isn't supposed to be like this. Still, Suh leaves little room for sympathy or his defense. Even by the standards of decades ago, Suh is frequently over the line. He's one of the most powerful players in the league. Even a little from Suh does a lot. He often does a lot and often does it late. He's already made the play and he does a little more.

Its fairly obvious what Suh shouldn't do. I'm not sure why he finds the need to meet with league officials to have it explained. Maybe he's really going to New Tork to catch a show. Even if he's going to explain his side of things the meeting should be short. If he continues as he is, he may kill someone. All Suh has to do is play between the whistles. He doesn't really have to play any differently. He just needs to know when to stop.

I would love to see Ndamukong Suh on a defensive line with players like Doug Atkins, Deacon Jones and George Trafton. Other players with murderous intent. Those were better days for the defense. Today its all about the offense. Despite the rules, defenses will catch up. Suh could be a part of it. In fact, he could be the cause of it. He just has to stay on the field.