As a Minnesota Vikings fan its nice to close out 2011. From the ridiculous lockout to the Donovan McNabb disaster to a three, maybe four, win season to Adrian Peterson's shredded knee. It hasn't been a complete disaster as theVikings may have found their quarterback of the present and future in Christian Ponder. It may not have been a complete disaster but it was pretty bad.
2011 saw the passing of many football greats. The game does no favors to the bodies of the participants so no age is safe. Here's a few that will always be remembered:
Al Davis
Andy Robustelli
John Mackey
Joe Perry
Ollie Matson
John Henry Johnson
Lee Roy Selmon
Pete Pihos
Back to the lighter side. Before we bang in 2012 let's take a look at what we have in the NFL today. There are so many great players in the league. Some of the best we've ever seen. Some are kind of winding down like Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson and New York Jets runningback LaDanian Tomlinson. Others are just getting starting what look like fantastic careers in New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller. The number of great quarterbacks right now is stunning. Hopefully, Peyton Manning will make his return to that group next year.
Here are some of the best to ever play and we're lucky enough to have them now:
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers
Runningbacks: Adrian Peterson, LaDanian Tomlinson
Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson
Tight Ends: Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, Dallas Clark
Offensive Linemen: Steve Hutchinson, Joe Thomas
Defensive Linemen: Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Richard Seymour, Haloti Ngata, Kevin Williams, Vince Wifork
Linebackers: Ray Lewis, DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis
Cornerbacks: Darrelle Revis, Nnambi Asomugha
Safeties: Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu
There are so many young players like Arian Foster, Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Jonathan Joseph, Eric Berry, Aldon Smith, Von Miller, Maurkice Pouncey that may soon join those players. If they haven't already. The NFL is just stacked with talent. 2011 had some terrific stuff outside of Minnesota. 2012 will be even better especially in Minnesota.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Who's Ernie Adams?
"I'll give anyone here $10,000 if they can tell me what Ernie Adams does?"
-then Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell
One of the most interesting, certainly least known, individuals in the NFL is Ernie Adams of the New England Patriots. His job title is Football Research Director. He's a bit of a football history-savant. That would explain his uncanny ability to connect a current offensive formation to one from the '50s. That can come in handy but he does much more for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Adams' relationship with Belichick goes back to their year together at Phillips Andover. Adams loved football. What he lacked in football ability he more than made up for with football knowledge. He devoured "Football Scouting Methods" by Steve Belichick. The textbook for all football scouts that just happened to be written by Bill's father. When recent Annapolis High School graduate Bill Belichick landed at Phillips Andover for a year of post graduate study, Adams noticed the name. With a similar love of football they quickly became friends.
Each went their separate ways for college and life. The separation wouldn't last. It rarely did. Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1975, Adams started pestering New England Patriots coach Chuck Faribanks for an unpaid position. The Patriots, perhaps to quiet the kid, gave Adams the previous year's playbook. In two days, Adams knew and understood it. They gave him the defensive playbook. Same thing. Adams was hired as an administrative and offensive assistant. Fairbanks said that Adams' scouting reports were some of the most thorough that he'd ever seen. When the New York Giants hired Patriots assistant Ray Perkins as head coach, he immediately hired Adams as an assistant working with quarterbacks and receivers. As much as Adams has gone with Belichick to coaching spots this is where Adams brought Belichick along. The future Super Bowl winning head coach had spent his years since college walking the nomadic early days of a football-lifer. Adams convinced Perkins to hire Belichick as a special teams coach. Adams spent three years coaching before moving into the scouting department as pro personnel director. After ten years of NFL work, Adams decided to move to more lucrative Wall Street in 1985. Again the separation from Belichick didn't last long. When the Cleveland Browns hired Bill Belichick as head coach in 1991, his long time football pal was with him coaching tight ends and runningbacks. The Cleveland years with Belichick were a remarkable time. It was a "football think tank." The processes and system that would create a dynasty in New England a decade later were being formed in Cleveland. They had an incredible collection of coaches and scouts. From Nick Saban to Thomas Dimitroff. They just didn't get enough time. Maybe they just weren't ready. Either way, Art Modell ended it when he fired Belichick and and moved the team to Baltimore. Ernie Adams went back to Wall Street.
The separation again didn't last as Belichick brought Adams to their then and still home in 2000. New England. Adams explained his role with the Patriots as "thinking of things that help us win." Tom Brady says that Adams "knows more about football than anyone I've ever met." He's thought of as some kind of secret weapon. His ability to analyze video, statistics and scouting reports and apply his findings to game situations is considered all but unrivaled. On game days, he's in the press box helping with replay challenges. It may be the only time that he's out in public. His profile is so low that Modell never knew what he did despite paying his salary. Some players don't even know who he is. Ernie Adams just lives and loves football. He never wants or takes any of the credit but he's a big reason that the New England Patriots have been great for so long. Every team needs and Ernie Adams but there is only one.
-then Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell
One of the most interesting, certainly least known, individuals in the NFL is Ernie Adams of the New England Patriots. His job title is Football Research Director. He's a bit of a football history-savant. That would explain his uncanny ability to connect a current offensive formation to one from the '50s. That can come in handy but he does much more for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Adams' relationship with Belichick goes back to their year together at Phillips Andover. Adams loved football. What he lacked in football ability he more than made up for with football knowledge. He devoured "Football Scouting Methods" by Steve Belichick. The textbook for all football scouts that just happened to be written by Bill's father. When recent Annapolis High School graduate Bill Belichick landed at Phillips Andover for a year of post graduate study, Adams noticed the name. With a similar love of football they quickly became friends.
Each went their separate ways for college and life. The separation wouldn't last. It rarely did. Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1975, Adams started pestering New England Patriots coach Chuck Faribanks for an unpaid position. The Patriots, perhaps to quiet the kid, gave Adams the previous year's playbook. In two days, Adams knew and understood it. They gave him the defensive playbook. Same thing. Adams was hired as an administrative and offensive assistant. Fairbanks said that Adams' scouting reports were some of the most thorough that he'd ever seen. When the New York Giants hired Patriots assistant Ray Perkins as head coach, he immediately hired Adams as an assistant working with quarterbacks and receivers. As much as Adams has gone with Belichick to coaching spots this is where Adams brought Belichick along. The future Super Bowl winning head coach had spent his years since college walking the nomadic early days of a football-lifer. Adams convinced Perkins to hire Belichick as a special teams coach. Adams spent three years coaching before moving into the scouting department as pro personnel director. After ten years of NFL work, Adams decided to move to more lucrative Wall Street in 1985. Again the separation from Belichick didn't last long. When the Cleveland Browns hired Bill Belichick as head coach in 1991, his long time football pal was with him coaching tight ends and runningbacks. The Cleveland years with Belichick were a remarkable time. It was a "football think tank." The processes and system that would create a dynasty in New England a decade later were being formed in Cleveland. They had an incredible collection of coaches and scouts. From Nick Saban to Thomas Dimitroff. They just didn't get enough time. Maybe they just weren't ready. Either way, Art Modell ended it when he fired Belichick and and moved the team to Baltimore. Ernie Adams went back to Wall Street.
The separation again didn't last as Belichick brought Adams to their then and still home in 2000. New England. Adams explained his role with the Patriots as "thinking of things that help us win." Tom Brady says that Adams "knows more about football than anyone I've ever met." He's thought of as some kind of secret weapon. His ability to analyze video, statistics and scouting reports and apply his findings to game situations is considered all but unrivaled. On game days, he's in the press box helping with replay challenges. It may be the only time that he's out in public. His profile is so low that Modell never knew what he did despite paying his salary. Some players don't even know who he is. Ernie Adams just lives and loves football. He never wants or takes any of the credit but he's a big reason that the New England Patriots have been great for so long. Every team needs and Ernie Adams but there is only one.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Throwback Thursday: Pint-Sized Terror
In an era of penalties and fines if you just look at the quarterback wrong, Hardy Brown would have no place in the NFL. In the 1950s he was a little stick of dynamite that raged all out war on the rest of the league. Brown's destruction on the football field may have been fueled by his shattered youth.
Hardy Brown experienced things that no child should have to experience. He witnessed the murder of his father. Suddenly, Brown and his brothers and sisters were suddenly orphans. They were placed in the Texas Masonic Home in Fort Worth. Hardy Brown found his place on the football field. Author Jim Dent's excellent book "Twelve Mighty Orphans" profiled this incredible team. Brown led his team to the state semifinals his senior year. This is quite an accomplishment for any team in the competitive Texas state tournament let alone a bunch of orphans. Brown continued his underdog journey through Tulsa University and into professional football in 1947.
Brown was one of only two people to play in the All-America Football Conference, the National Football League and the American Football League. His one year in the AFL with the Denver Broncos in 1960 was four years after his last in the NFL. Of his eleven years in the league his best were his five years with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned his one Pro Bowl in 1952. From 1951-55 teams feared the 49ers defense all because of a 6' 193lb linebacker. 49ers quarterback Y.A. Tittle called him "the toughest football player I ever met." Tittle was always thankful that they played on the same team. Brown was known for his numbing shoulder tackle, usually aimed at the head of his opponent. He never used his arms. He got down in a crouch, like a panther waiting to spring on his prey, and when the runner was close enough he would drive his shoulder toward the ball carrier's head. His timing was perfect.
Against the Washington Redskins in 1951 Brown knocked out the entire backfield. Quarterback Harry Gilmer was the only one left in one piece. Brown knocked out 21 players in all that season. Against Detroit he hit a runner so hard that the player bounced off the ground catching Brown under the chin. He required six stitches to close the wound and was back in the game moments later. He once caught Rams halfback Glenn Davis coming through the hole. Brown hit him so hard in the head that the ligaments were torn in his knees. Davis was never the same. Against Pittsburgh, Brown battled extremely tough Steeler back Joe Geri all game. In the fourth quarter Brown decided to end the battle. He hit him so hard that Geri's eyeball popped clean out of the socket. It was hanging down on his cheek.
49ers coach Buck Shaw refused to let Hardy Brown take part in any scrimmages or intrasquad games.
Brown was the perfect middle linebacker in the old 5-3 defenses of the time. His sole job was to plug holes when the guards pulled. Most of his tackles were in the middle of the line at point blank range. In the second half of the '50s the 4-3 became the defense of choice. The middle linebacker had to pursue ball carriers and drop back in coverage. Brown was poor in pursuit and open field tackling. It took him away from his strengths. The new defense essentially ended his career.
The 1950s were such a different time. The football we know is like touch football in comparison. From Hardy Brown's shoulder tackles to Night Train Lane's clothes line hits, it was a brutal time. Brown should not have had a future in the NFL. Certainly not at linebacker. He was too small. His violence kept him in the league. If his game was only a gimmick, he would not have lasted eleven years. His violence made him a dynamite football player.
Hardy Brown experienced things that no child should have to experience. He witnessed the murder of his father. Suddenly, Brown and his brothers and sisters were suddenly orphans. They were placed in the Texas Masonic Home in Fort Worth. Hardy Brown found his place on the football field. Author Jim Dent's excellent book "Twelve Mighty Orphans" profiled this incredible team. Brown led his team to the state semifinals his senior year. This is quite an accomplishment for any team in the competitive Texas state tournament let alone a bunch of orphans. Brown continued his underdog journey through Tulsa University and into professional football in 1947.
Brown was one of only two people to play in the All-America Football Conference, the National Football League and the American Football League. His one year in the AFL with the Denver Broncos in 1960 was four years after his last in the NFL. Of his eleven years in the league his best were his five years with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned his one Pro Bowl in 1952. From 1951-55 teams feared the 49ers defense all because of a 6' 193lb linebacker. 49ers quarterback Y.A. Tittle called him "the toughest football player I ever met." Tittle was always thankful that they played on the same team. Brown was known for his numbing shoulder tackle, usually aimed at the head of his opponent. He never used his arms. He got down in a crouch, like a panther waiting to spring on his prey, and when the runner was close enough he would drive his shoulder toward the ball carrier's head. His timing was perfect.
Against the Washington Redskins in 1951 Brown knocked out the entire backfield. Quarterback Harry Gilmer was the only one left in one piece. Brown knocked out 21 players in all that season. Against Detroit he hit a runner so hard that the player bounced off the ground catching Brown under the chin. He required six stitches to close the wound and was back in the game moments later. He once caught Rams halfback Glenn Davis coming through the hole. Brown hit him so hard in the head that the ligaments were torn in his knees. Davis was never the same. Against Pittsburgh, Brown battled extremely tough Steeler back Joe Geri all game. In the fourth quarter Brown decided to end the battle. He hit him so hard that Geri's eyeball popped clean out of the socket. It was hanging down on his cheek.
49ers coach Buck Shaw refused to let Hardy Brown take part in any scrimmages or intrasquad games.
Brown was the perfect middle linebacker in the old 5-3 defenses of the time. His sole job was to plug holes when the guards pulled. Most of his tackles were in the middle of the line at point blank range. In the second half of the '50s the 4-3 became the defense of choice. The middle linebacker had to pursue ball carriers and drop back in coverage. Brown was poor in pursuit and open field tackling. It took him away from his strengths. The new defense essentially ended his career.
The 1950s were such a different time. The football we know is like touch football in comparison. From Hardy Brown's shoulder tackles to Night Train Lane's clothes line hits, it was a brutal time. Brown should not have had a future in the NFL. Certainly not at linebacker. He was too small. His violence kept him in the league. If his game was only a gimmick, he would not have lasted eleven years. His violence made him a dynamite football player.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Mid Week Final Week Musings
As bad as the knee injury is to Minnesota Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson, the combination of trainer Eric Sugarman and Peterson's work ethic and drive is comforting. I feel confident of a complete and efficient recovery. If there is a concern its in Peterson pushing too hard. He does everything 100%. Sugarman has frequently shown to be a fantastic trainer. Chad Greennway had an amazing recovery from an ACL tear before his rookie year in 2006. He's played stronger and faster each year since. Cornerback Cedric Griffin did the same in remarkable time in 2009. The recovery of EJ Henderson from a gruesome broken femur was a medical miracle. Next week, Peterson goes under the knife. A successful surgery is the first step. I have complete confidence in Peterson and Sugarman taking the next steps. Peterson will be back!
The fans ripping Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier about playing Peterson are being terribly unrealistic. The runningback was healthy. It was a hit that could have happened at any time. The only sure way for a football player to avoid a football injury is to never play football.
When the Vikings placed Peterson on injured reserve they promoted runningback Caleb King from the practice squad to the active roster. King was a very productive back at Georgia. The Vikings signed him after he went undrafted in the supplemental draft. He showed some promise in a couple preseason games. I hope that he gets some carries in the finale against the Chicago Bears. I can easily see him as the third back behind the 100% recovered Peterson and Toby Gerhart next year. I like that trio.
Tight end Mickey Schuler was also promoted to the active roster. He was originally drafted by the Vikings in 2010. They lost him when they tried to sneak him onto the practice squad after the final cuts that year. He bounced around a bit unitl the Vikings signed him a couple of weeks ago. With Jim Kleinsasser retiring and Visanthe Shiancoe hitting free agency, Schuler might be a factor next year. He has some nice potential. Still, I hope that Shiancoe is re-signed.
Congratulations to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers on breaking NFL season records. Plenty of deserving words have been tossed Brees' way. Akers, however, deserves a ton of recognition. He was one of the best free agent signings of this past offseason. If the 49ers have had a weakness this season its scoring touchdowns when in position to do so. Akers has been kicking a bunch and has been automatic. If not for his field goals the 49ers would still be fighting for the playoffs.
Obviously he wouldn't have played in the game but Adrian Peterson not making the Pro Bowl is a joke.
I'm not sure what it means, but all four of the Pro Bowl kicking specialists come from San Francisco and Oakland. Kickers Sebastian Janikowski and Akers. Punters Shane Lechler and Andy Lee. Very deserving all. Congratulation bay area folks.
The fans ripping Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier about playing Peterson are being terribly unrealistic. The runningback was healthy. It was a hit that could have happened at any time. The only sure way for a football player to avoid a football injury is to never play football.
When the Vikings placed Peterson on injured reserve they promoted runningback Caleb King from the practice squad to the active roster. King was a very productive back at Georgia. The Vikings signed him after he went undrafted in the supplemental draft. He showed some promise in a couple preseason games. I hope that he gets some carries in the finale against the Chicago Bears. I can easily see him as the third back behind the 100% recovered Peterson and Toby Gerhart next year. I like that trio.
Tight end Mickey Schuler was also promoted to the active roster. He was originally drafted by the Vikings in 2010. They lost him when they tried to sneak him onto the practice squad after the final cuts that year. He bounced around a bit unitl the Vikings signed him a couple of weeks ago. With Jim Kleinsasser retiring and Visanthe Shiancoe hitting free agency, Schuler might be a factor next year. He has some nice potential. Still, I hope that Shiancoe is re-signed.
Congratulations to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers on breaking NFL season records. Plenty of deserving words have been tossed Brees' way. Akers, however, deserves a ton of recognition. He was one of the best free agent signings of this past offseason. If the 49ers have had a weakness this season its scoring touchdowns when in position to do so. Akers has been kicking a bunch and has been automatic. If not for his field goals the 49ers would still be fighting for the playoffs.
Obviously he wouldn't have played in the game but Adrian Peterson not making the Pro Bowl is a joke.
I'm not sure what it means, but all four of the Pro Bowl kicking specialists come from San Francisco and Oakland. Kickers Sebastian Janikowski and Akers. Punters Shane Lechler and Andy Lee. Very deserving all. Congratulation bay area folks.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Just Win
Every team in the midst of a bleak season probably experiences this but I'm sick of hearing Minnesota Vikings fans bitching about the team sacrificing draft position for supposedly meaningless wins. No win is meaningless. I doubt that there is a player in the league that cares about draft position during the season. They probably don't really care about the draft at all until the rookies are actually teammates. As professional football players they only care about the game at hand. They only care about winning. Winning and performance is the only thing that translates into success in their business. Draft position means nothing. The players only care about that which they can control.
These fans say that losing now is good for the future of the franchise. I can't really see losing on purpose as anything but a detriment to the future of the franchise. Who wants to play for a team that has such little respect for the game that they'd simply accept a loss? Accept a loss for the crapshoot that is the draft. History has repeatedly shown that the draft is a gamble at best. There are no guarantees. Even Andrew Luck. The Stanford quarterback would likely be less than thrilled to join a team with so little concern for wins. So little respect for the game. Losses suck. Even in a season with a bunch of them, one more sucks. Wins are special no matter the quality of the season.
The 2011 Minnesota Vikings want no part of the title as worst in team history. Understandable. In a season like this they find motivation in that. The 1984 team ended the season at 3-13 so the current version has guaranteed a tie at worst. There was never a comparison between the two teams. I remember that team far too well. Despite the difficulties, this team has always shown effort and heart. That 1984 team was an absolute disaster. 4 wins is far better than 3 even if it means drafting at 6 rather than 3.
These fans say that losing now is good for the future of the franchise. I can't really see losing on purpose as anything but a detriment to the future of the franchise. Who wants to play for a team that has such little respect for the game that they'd simply accept a loss? Accept a loss for the crapshoot that is the draft. History has repeatedly shown that the draft is a gamble at best. There are no guarantees. Even Andrew Luck. The Stanford quarterback would likely be less than thrilled to join a team with so little concern for wins. So little respect for the game. Losses suck. Even in a season with a bunch of them, one more sucks. Wins are special no matter the quality of the season.
The 2011 Minnesota Vikings want no part of the title as worst in team history. Understandable. In a season like this they find motivation in that. The 1984 team ended the season at 3-13 so the current version has guaranteed a tie at worst. There was never a comparison between the two teams. I remember that team far too well. Despite the difficulties, this team has always shown effort and heart. That 1984 team was an absolute disaster. 4 wins is far better than 3 even if it means drafting at 6 rather than 3.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Week 16
I'm sick of the bullshit defenses designed solely to take out Minnesota Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson. New Orleans idiot defensive coordinator Gregg Williams does this as a matter of routine rather than actually play defense. He had his defense try to, in every sense of the word, take Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship game. Last week he had his clowns, like cornerback poser Jabari Greer, twisting Peterson's ankle after plays were over. The Washington Redskins had defenders, London Fletcher in particular, going at Peterson's knee with their helmets until they scored a hit in the third quarter. Hopefully, Adrian Peterson attacks his long rehab like he has every run. 100%. This offseason, trainer Eric Sugarman might be the most important Viking.
After the Redskins defensive shenanigans took out Peterson and, only a couple plays later, quarterback Christian Ponder, Toby Gerhart and Joe Webb came in to take care of things. Like the Lions earlier in the season, the Redskins had no clue as to what to do against Webb. Kyle Rudolph and Percy Harvin scored big touchdowns. Vikings win 33-26.
In place of Peterson this season, Gerhart has run like he did when he should have won the Heisman. He went over 100 yards for the first time in his two year career. Nice.
Rookie safety Mistral Raymond's first career interception ended the Vikings 10 game interception drought. 10 games!
Redskins kick returner Brandon Banks doesn't play like he weighs about 100 lbs. Tough, tiny, little man.
My 49ers peeps are going to hate me for this but I loved seeing the Seahawks' Heath Farwell block that punt to get his team back in the game. Farwell was a fantastic special teams player for several years with the Vikings. I was very disappointed when Minnesota released him before this season and I'm glad that he caught on with another team. Farwell has always been one of those high effort, do everything players that every team needs. His play is always far greater than his athletic skills should allow.
I had a hunch that Seahawks runningback Marshawn Lynch would pose a serious threat to the 49ers' no rushing touchdown and no 100-yard rusher streak. He ended both streaks but the 49ers still got the win. Wins are the most important. The rest is just gravy.
Interesting that the New York Jets sent only Plaxico Burress out for the coin toss against the New York Giants. Silly little statement by Rex Ryan, I guess.
I'm still stunned that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing this poorly. They are simply getting taken apart every week. I don't see coach Raheem Morris surviving this.
Tim Tebow magic brought 4 magical interceptions.
They're annoying but congratulations to the Detroit Lions for finally earning a playoff spot.
For the first time all year I saw Aaron Rodgers throw less than accurate passes against the Chicago Bears. Even with apparent inaccuracies he ends the game with 21 completions in 29 attempts. He's playing out of his mind. His incompletions only seem to happen when he wants them to. When he's throwing the ball away to avoid a sack. When he's stopping the clock. The only unintended incompletion is usually due to a receiver dropping a perfectly thrown ball. Rodgers is playing at a level rarely seen.
I'm looking forward to the Falcons-Saints game. I think this rivalry has become the best in the NFL. Their past few battles have been fantastic.
On the Sunday Night Football pregame, Peter King reported that the Minnesota Vikings and the state powers that be will soon be agreeing on the construction of a new stadium. In a frustrating season this is fantastic news. Simply fantastic news. Now, King had better hope that he's not blowing a bunch of hooey.
Next week is bad news for the Bears!
After the Redskins defensive shenanigans took out Peterson and, only a couple plays later, quarterback Christian Ponder, Toby Gerhart and Joe Webb came in to take care of things. Like the Lions earlier in the season, the Redskins had no clue as to what to do against Webb. Kyle Rudolph and Percy Harvin scored big touchdowns. Vikings win 33-26.
In place of Peterson this season, Gerhart has run like he did when he should have won the Heisman. He went over 100 yards for the first time in his two year career. Nice.
Rookie safety Mistral Raymond's first career interception ended the Vikings 10 game interception drought. 10 games!
Redskins kick returner Brandon Banks doesn't play like he weighs about 100 lbs. Tough, tiny, little man.
My 49ers peeps are going to hate me for this but I loved seeing the Seahawks' Heath Farwell block that punt to get his team back in the game. Farwell was a fantastic special teams player for several years with the Vikings. I was very disappointed when Minnesota released him before this season and I'm glad that he caught on with another team. Farwell has always been one of those high effort, do everything players that every team needs. His play is always far greater than his athletic skills should allow.
I had a hunch that Seahawks runningback Marshawn Lynch would pose a serious threat to the 49ers' no rushing touchdown and no 100-yard rusher streak. He ended both streaks but the 49ers still got the win. Wins are the most important. The rest is just gravy.
Interesting that the New York Jets sent only Plaxico Burress out for the coin toss against the New York Giants. Silly little statement by Rex Ryan, I guess.
I'm still stunned that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing this poorly. They are simply getting taken apart every week. I don't see coach Raheem Morris surviving this.
Tim Tebow magic brought 4 magical interceptions.
They're annoying but congratulations to the Detroit Lions for finally earning a playoff spot.
For the first time all year I saw Aaron Rodgers throw less than accurate passes against the Chicago Bears. Even with apparent inaccuracies he ends the game with 21 completions in 29 attempts. He's playing out of his mind. His incompletions only seem to happen when he wants them to. When he's throwing the ball away to avoid a sack. When he's stopping the clock. The only unintended incompletion is usually due to a receiver dropping a perfectly thrown ball. Rodgers is playing at a level rarely seen.
I'm looking forward to the Falcons-Saints game. I think this rivalry has become the best in the NFL. Their past few battles have been fantastic.
On the Sunday Night Football pregame, Peter King reported that the Minnesota Vikings and the state powers that be will soon be agreeing on the construction of a new stadium. In a frustrating season this is fantastic news. Simply fantastic news. Now, King had better hope that he's not blowing a bunch of hooey.
Next week is bad news for the Bears!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
All I Want For Christmas
2012 Minnesota Vikings Wish List
First of all I wish Adrian Peterson a quick and total recovery from a torn ACL. May he lose none of his unique speed and power.
Resign:
LB Erin Henderson
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
Free Agent Additions:
WR Pierre Garcon
S LaRon Landry/Michael Griffen/Tyvon Branch
CB Cortland Finnegan/Terrell Thomas
G Carl Nicks
Draft:
Rd 1 T Matt Kalil USC
2 S Mark Barron Alabama
3 WR Marvin McNutt Iowa
The rest of the draft has to concentrate on the secondary, linebacker and a defensive tackle. More offensive line help would help too. The team will likely get compensatory picks for losing Ray Edwards, Sidney Rice and Tarvaris Jackson, maybe Ryan Cook too, in free agency this past offseason. They could have a nice pile of picks come draft day.
I should mention that this changes often during the offseason. Although considering the Vikings severe needs in the secondary and on the line this likely won't change much. The needs are too glaring to vary much.
Merry Christmas everyone!
First of all I wish Adrian Peterson a quick and total recovery from a torn ACL. May he lose none of his unique speed and power.
Resign:
LB Erin Henderson
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
Free Agent Additions:
WR Pierre Garcon
S LaRon Landry/Michael Griffen/Tyvon Branch
CB Cortland Finnegan/Terrell Thomas
G Carl Nicks
Draft:
Rd 1 T Matt Kalil USC
2 S Mark Barron Alabama
3 WR Marvin McNutt Iowa
The rest of the draft has to concentrate on the secondary, linebacker and a defensive tackle. More offensive line help would help too. The team will likely get compensatory picks for losing Ray Edwards, Sidney Rice and Tarvaris Jackson, maybe Ryan Cook too, in free agency this past offseason. They could have a nice pile of picks come draft day.
I should mention that this changes often during the offseason. Although considering the Vikings severe needs in the secondary and on the line this likely won't change much. The needs are too glaring to vary much.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Game Day Bits
So I left tire tracks in the snow yesterday as I led my team out next time will be footprints.
-paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand
Minnesota Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser announced that he intends to retire at the end of this season after 13 years. He deserves better than to go out on a season such as this. I remember reading a scouting report on Kleinsasser when he was coming out of North Dakota that stated if he gets his hands on you its over. You usually read that sort of thing about a lineman. He was a fantastic blocker. One of the greatest blocking tight ends ever to play the game. Adrian Peterson calls him a beast. Kleinsasser wasn't used much in the passing game that last half of his career. That was due more to his importance in blocking schemes than his pass catching ability. I miss watching him rumble down the field with the ball. Defensive backs had no clue as to how to bring him to the ground. Now, I'll miss all aspects of his game. Jim Kleinsasser could have played football in any era. His #40 is the first Vikings jersey I ever owned.
Three high schools from Ouachita Parish, in northern Louisiana, won state football championships this year. West Monroe (Class 5A), Neville (4A) and Ouachita Christian (1A). There's a lot of football talent in Louisiana. Marshall Faulk, the Manning brothers and Reggie Wayne quickly come to mind. Right now there appears to be a lot in one corner of the state.
I hope the days of coaching hires like Buddy Teevens and Tom Holmoe are over in the Pac-12. A third of the schools were looking for new coaches. All of the hires have been impressive. The offensive innovators entering the conference must have defensive coordinators up all night. Rich Rodriguez (Arizona), Todd Graham (Arizona State), Jim Mora Jr (UCLA) and Mike Leach (Washington State) certainly bring some attention to the west. What makes me nervous is the offensive impact. Cal had better be able to run all day.
It feels strange to have a full slate of games on a Saturday. The NFL has played games on Christmas before. I'm not sure why they moved the games this year but I think I like it. Maybe I'll feel differently after the Vikings game.
All season there's been criticism of the Indianapolis Colts for being so ill prepared to carry on without their starting quarterback. The Chicago Bears have been fairly pathetic without Jay Cutler. I haven't seen much criticism thrown their way. Its not unheard of for a team to suffer greatly when they lose their starting quarterback.
Hey, the Colts are on a winning streak.
Speaking of starting quarterbacks, there's been a lot of drooling over Drew Brees' passing against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Brees is a terrific quarterback but the Vikings secondary is a disaster. In the nickel, which is essentially the base defense against the pass happy Saints, the Vikings had Benny Sapp, Marcus Sherels and rookie Brandon Burton at corner. Jamarca Sanford and rookie Mistral Raymond at safety. Come on!
The Colts have played several teams tough. They did so again Thursday against the Houston Texans but they had a bunch of help from the officials.
I'm not sure what Texans rookie JJ Watt did to the officials but he couldn't catch a break. They probably would have flagged him for standing wrong on the sideline. The penalties are ridiculous in the NFL right now.
The NFL needs more players like Arian Foster.
Kudos to USC quarterback Matt Barkley for deciding to be a college student for another year. USC could have a fierce time next year.
Fred Zamberletti was the Vikings trainer from 1961-98. He's remained with the team as a consultant and team historian. He's not feeling well and will miss today's game against the Washington Redskins. It will be the first Vikings game that he's ever missed. Get well soon, Fred.
I guess its a sign of the fantasy football and Madden video game era that fans cheer for a higher draft pick over a hard fought win. Pathetic.
Here's hoping that the Vikings get their third win at the site of Leslie Frazier's first win as the team's head coach.
Go Vikings!!!!
-paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand
Minnesota Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser announced that he intends to retire at the end of this season after 13 years. He deserves better than to go out on a season such as this. I remember reading a scouting report on Kleinsasser when he was coming out of North Dakota that stated if he gets his hands on you its over. You usually read that sort of thing about a lineman. He was a fantastic blocker. One of the greatest blocking tight ends ever to play the game. Adrian Peterson calls him a beast. Kleinsasser wasn't used much in the passing game that last half of his career. That was due more to his importance in blocking schemes than his pass catching ability. I miss watching him rumble down the field with the ball. Defensive backs had no clue as to how to bring him to the ground. Now, I'll miss all aspects of his game. Jim Kleinsasser could have played football in any era. His #40 is the first Vikings jersey I ever owned.
Three high schools from Ouachita Parish, in northern Louisiana, won state football championships this year. West Monroe (Class 5A), Neville (4A) and Ouachita Christian (1A). There's a lot of football talent in Louisiana. Marshall Faulk, the Manning brothers and Reggie Wayne quickly come to mind. Right now there appears to be a lot in one corner of the state.
I hope the days of coaching hires like Buddy Teevens and Tom Holmoe are over in the Pac-12. A third of the schools were looking for new coaches. All of the hires have been impressive. The offensive innovators entering the conference must have defensive coordinators up all night. Rich Rodriguez (Arizona), Todd Graham (Arizona State), Jim Mora Jr (UCLA) and Mike Leach (Washington State) certainly bring some attention to the west. What makes me nervous is the offensive impact. Cal had better be able to run all day.
It feels strange to have a full slate of games on a Saturday. The NFL has played games on Christmas before. I'm not sure why they moved the games this year but I think I like it. Maybe I'll feel differently after the Vikings game.
All season there's been criticism of the Indianapolis Colts for being so ill prepared to carry on without their starting quarterback. The Chicago Bears have been fairly pathetic without Jay Cutler. I haven't seen much criticism thrown their way. Its not unheard of for a team to suffer greatly when they lose their starting quarterback.
Hey, the Colts are on a winning streak.
Speaking of starting quarterbacks, there's been a lot of drooling over Drew Brees' passing against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Brees is a terrific quarterback but the Vikings secondary is a disaster. In the nickel, which is essentially the base defense against the pass happy Saints, the Vikings had Benny Sapp, Marcus Sherels and rookie Brandon Burton at corner. Jamarca Sanford and rookie Mistral Raymond at safety. Come on!
The Colts have played several teams tough. They did so again Thursday against the Houston Texans but they had a bunch of help from the officials.
I'm not sure what Texans rookie JJ Watt did to the officials but he couldn't catch a break. They probably would have flagged him for standing wrong on the sideline. The penalties are ridiculous in the NFL right now.
The NFL needs more players like Arian Foster.
Kudos to USC quarterback Matt Barkley for deciding to be a college student for another year. USC could have a fierce time next year.
Fred Zamberletti was the Vikings trainer from 1961-98. He's remained with the team as a consultant and team historian. He's not feeling well and will miss today's game against the Washington Redskins. It will be the first Vikings game that he's ever missed. Get well soon, Fred.
I guess its a sign of the fantasy football and Madden video game era that fans cheer for a higher draft pick over a hard fought win. Pathetic.
Here's hoping that the Vikings get their third win at the site of Leslie Frazier's first win as the team's head coach.
Go Vikings!!!!
Friday, December 23, 2011
The Stache
Peter King had new Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan on his podcast this week. It was a very interesting chat. Khan sounds like an excellent addition to the NFL. He's probably one of the few owners to have at one time earned $1.20/hour washing dishes.
Khan was raised in Pakistan until he was 16 when he left to attend the University of Illinois. Hitting a new country alone at 16 is remarkable. I guess if you had to do such a thing college would be the best place to do it. A bunch of young people in a new place and environment. Still, doing so at 16 must be intimidating. Next on his list was to join a fraternity and discover football. Well, I doubt that was his plan but that's what he did. Like George Halas a half century before him, Khan was an engineering major at Illinois. With a math professor as a mother, academics, math in particular, came naturally to him. After college, Khan did extremely well for himself in auto parts. So well in fact that he was eventually able to purchase an NFL team. As Khan's interest in football grew so to did his interest in owning a team. When the Chicago Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois, while Soldier Field was being renovated, Khan met Bears owner Mike McCaskey. He wanted to understand the process of purchasing and owning a team. Who best to talk to. What best to do. In 2006, he introduced himself to the NFL. He got to know and work with NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman. Soon after, Kahn attempted to buy the St. Louis Rams. Stan Kroenke beat him to it when he exercised his option as minority owner to buy the team. Still, Shahid Khan was becoming well known to the NFL folks. Whether any of this helped him in the purchase of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who knows? It certainly didn't hurt. Ultimately it comes down to money and Khan apparently has that. He has a significant amount less now but he's the proud owner of an NFL team.
The Jaguars are often mentioned in any possible move to Los Angeles. Khan, to the relief of Jaguars fans, has said that he has no intention of moving. Simply saying that rarely stops the media and the rumors. However, Khan sounds sincere. He's familiar with Jacksonville through his business interests and sees the potential there. He said that "you go to where opportunity is." In his case that opportunity was in Jacksonville. I think that he's all in.
When you see Shahid Khan his moustache stands out. Its very impressive and it has taken Jacksonville by storm. Its hoped that the "stache" has super powers. He's had it for forty years so he doesn't really think about it much. As a result, he's somewhat surprised by all the attention it draws. Everyone in Jacksonville is sporting a "stache" now. He's created a buzz in a city that's desperate for some. Khan sounds like a tremendous addition to the NFL and that moustache is incredible.
Khan was raised in Pakistan until he was 16 when he left to attend the University of Illinois. Hitting a new country alone at 16 is remarkable. I guess if you had to do such a thing college would be the best place to do it. A bunch of young people in a new place and environment. Still, doing so at 16 must be intimidating. Next on his list was to join a fraternity and discover football. Well, I doubt that was his plan but that's what he did. Like George Halas a half century before him, Khan was an engineering major at Illinois. With a math professor as a mother, academics, math in particular, came naturally to him. After college, Khan did extremely well for himself in auto parts. So well in fact that he was eventually able to purchase an NFL team. As Khan's interest in football grew so to did his interest in owning a team. When the Chicago Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois, while Soldier Field was being renovated, Khan met Bears owner Mike McCaskey. He wanted to understand the process of purchasing and owning a team. Who best to talk to. What best to do. In 2006, he introduced himself to the NFL. He got to know and work with NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman. Soon after, Kahn attempted to buy the St. Louis Rams. Stan Kroenke beat him to it when he exercised his option as minority owner to buy the team. Still, Shahid Khan was becoming well known to the NFL folks. Whether any of this helped him in the purchase of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who knows? It certainly didn't hurt. Ultimately it comes down to money and Khan apparently has that. He has a significant amount less now but he's the proud owner of an NFL team.
The Jaguars are often mentioned in any possible move to Los Angeles. Khan, to the relief of Jaguars fans, has said that he has no intention of moving. Simply saying that rarely stops the media and the rumors. However, Khan sounds sincere. He's familiar with Jacksonville through his business interests and sees the potential there. He said that "you go to where opportunity is." In his case that opportunity was in Jacksonville. I think that he's all in.
When you see Shahid Khan his moustache stands out. Its very impressive and it has taken Jacksonville by storm. Its hoped that the "stache" has super powers. He's had it for forty years so he doesn't really think about it much. As a result, he's somewhat surprised by all the attention it draws. Everyone in Jacksonville is sporting a "stache" now. He's created a buzz in a city that's desperate for some. Khan sounds like a tremendous addition to the NFL and that moustache is incredible.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Throwback Thursday: The Marlboro Man
There was a time when cigarette ads were everywhere. One of the most memorable, most iconic was the Marlboro Man. That rugged cowboy was everywhere. One of the first to play that part was former New York Giants quarterback Charlie Conerly. He didn't get the gig because he was a former football player. Nowhere on the add did it say: Charlie Conerly, former New York Giants quarterback. He got the gig because he was the Marlboro Man. He had the look of a man that had seen some things, been some places.
Charlie Conerly always wanted to play football for the New York Giants. As a boy in Clarksdale, Mississippi he dreamed of it. Conerly was a natural athlete and it took him to the University of Mississippi in 1941. College was interrupted when Conerly joined the Marines and headed to Guam and Iwo Jima during World War II. He returned to Ole Miss and graduated in 1948. The Washington Redskins drafted Conerly but ended up trading his rights to the New York Giants. The dream of little Charlie Conerly came true. As a 27-year old rookie Conerly was impressive in winning Rookie of the Year in 1948. The Giants were experiencing some down years at the time and Conerly was getting destroyed. By 1952, he had enough. He retired and returned to his farm near Clarksdale. In 1953, Jim Lee Howell replaced the legendary Steve Owen as head coach of the Giants. Howell had three priorities:
1) Hire Army assistant coach Vince Lombardi to coach the offense
2) Convince defensive back Tom Landry to serve as player-defensive coach
3) Get Charlie Conerly back to New York
When Howell was able to accomplish all three the New York Giants were back on track. By 1956, they were NFL Champions. Conerly led a potent offense with playmakers Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Alex Webster and Bob Schnelker. For some reason, Howell and Lombardi would have quarterback Don Heinrich play the first series of each game. Supposedly, the coaches thought that Conerly could get a better feel for the game and the opposing defense from the sideline. Conerly disagreed but never complained. It wasn't in his nature to complain. The Giants were regularly winning so it was actually difficult to complain about much. Everything was beautiful in New York and the Giants were kings. They even rivaled the Yankees. Their great run of success took them to the incredible 1958 Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts. Conerly was actually voted the MVP by the writers before the end of regulation. When Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas went heroic in overtime the writers changed their votes. Conerly cared little about the Corvette that went to the MVP. The same couldn't be said for his wife, Perian. She had nightmares about Unitas driving HER Corvette. Instead, Conerly responded with a fantastic 1959 season winning season MVP honors. He again led the Giants to the championship game and again lost to the Colts. The years of beatings started taking their toll as Conerly split time with George Shaw in 1960. By 1961, newly acquired Y.A. Tittle replaced Conerly for good. He retired at the end of the year. He was 40 years old.
The Giants of the '50s were an unusually close team. Nearly all of them lived in the same building near Yankee Stadium. Its difficult to imagine a similar arrangement in today's NFL. Despite saying little, Charlie Conerly was the leader. In an era when quarterbacks called their own plays, he ran an open huddle. He listened to his teammates. One of the most incredible aspects of Conerly's career was his relationship with Vince Lombardi. You can't find two more different personalities but they grew very close. A relationship of respect. Lombardi said that he had never coached a more courageous football player. The Giant players, coaches and fans knew that they had a special football player in Charlie Conerly. In 1959 the Giants held a Charlie Conerly Day. He was given:
-a trailer
-enough cotton seed for the year's crop
-one ton of fertilizer
Perian was given a new Corvette. Conerly lived the life of the quiet, confident Marlboro Man. Despite his dream of playing football for the New York Giants his life was always going to be that quiet one on a farm in Mississippi.
Charlie Conerly always wanted to play football for the New York Giants. As a boy in Clarksdale, Mississippi he dreamed of it. Conerly was a natural athlete and it took him to the University of Mississippi in 1941. College was interrupted when Conerly joined the Marines and headed to Guam and Iwo Jima during World War II. He returned to Ole Miss and graduated in 1948. The Washington Redskins drafted Conerly but ended up trading his rights to the New York Giants. The dream of little Charlie Conerly came true. As a 27-year old rookie Conerly was impressive in winning Rookie of the Year in 1948. The Giants were experiencing some down years at the time and Conerly was getting destroyed. By 1952, he had enough. He retired and returned to his farm near Clarksdale. In 1953, Jim Lee Howell replaced the legendary Steve Owen as head coach of the Giants. Howell had three priorities:
1) Hire Army assistant coach Vince Lombardi to coach the offense
2) Convince defensive back Tom Landry to serve as player-defensive coach
3) Get Charlie Conerly back to New York
When Howell was able to accomplish all three the New York Giants were back on track. By 1956, they were NFL Champions. Conerly led a potent offense with playmakers Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Alex Webster and Bob Schnelker. For some reason, Howell and Lombardi would have quarterback Don Heinrich play the first series of each game. Supposedly, the coaches thought that Conerly could get a better feel for the game and the opposing defense from the sideline. Conerly disagreed but never complained. It wasn't in his nature to complain. The Giants were regularly winning so it was actually difficult to complain about much. Everything was beautiful in New York and the Giants were kings. They even rivaled the Yankees. Their great run of success took them to the incredible 1958 Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts. Conerly was actually voted the MVP by the writers before the end of regulation. When Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas went heroic in overtime the writers changed their votes. Conerly cared little about the Corvette that went to the MVP. The same couldn't be said for his wife, Perian. She had nightmares about Unitas driving HER Corvette. Instead, Conerly responded with a fantastic 1959 season winning season MVP honors. He again led the Giants to the championship game and again lost to the Colts. The years of beatings started taking their toll as Conerly split time with George Shaw in 1960. By 1961, newly acquired Y.A. Tittle replaced Conerly for good. He retired at the end of the year. He was 40 years old.
The Giants of the '50s were an unusually close team. Nearly all of them lived in the same building near Yankee Stadium. Its difficult to imagine a similar arrangement in today's NFL. Despite saying little, Charlie Conerly was the leader. In an era when quarterbacks called their own plays, he ran an open huddle. He listened to his teammates. One of the most incredible aspects of Conerly's career was his relationship with Vince Lombardi. You can't find two more different personalities but they grew very close. A relationship of respect. Lombardi said that he had never coached a more courageous football player. The Giant players, coaches and fans knew that they had a special football player in Charlie Conerly. In 1959 the Giants held a Charlie Conerly Day. He was given:
-a trailer
-enough cotton seed for the year's crop
-one ton of fertilizer
Perian was given a new Corvette. Conerly lived the life of the quiet, confident Marlboro Man. Despite his dream of playing football for the New York Giants his life was always going to be that quiet one on a farm in Mississippi.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sometime Happy Fans
Like mushrooms after a rain, San Francisco 49ers fans start popping up when the wins start coming. Northern California loves a winner. Well, everyone does. People stand a little taller when their team is doing well. There's a spring in their step. Happiness brings company. There seems to be far more fans now than, say, 2005 when Alex Smith was the first pick in the NFL Draft. Its not just 49ers fans that come and go depending on the number of wins. I see it with Cal fans. When I was at Cal in the '80s Memorial Stadium was usually half empty, or half full, on game days. Cal was routinely in the bottom half of the Pac-10. In the late '80s and early '90s, coach Bruce Snyder brought some success. Peaking in 1991 when Cal dismantled Clemson in the Citrus Bowl and ended the season ranked #7. Cal fans dropped what they were doing and went to some games. The stadium was actually full for a few of the games. That success left as fast as it took Snyder to pack for Arizona State. The fans left as well only to return a decade later. The recent success of Jeff Tedford has regularly filled Memorial Stadium. Some have grown annoyed with the lack of a Rose Bowl and wins against USC but Cal fans are generally happy in Berkeley. They keep returning to Strawberry Canyon on Saturdays in the fall.
There's no right or wrong way to cheer on a team. Team preferences and how one goes about being a fan is as individual as anything else that makes us who we are. My father was a 49ers fan from the moment the team opened up shop in the All-America Football Conference. He was never loud in his support of the 49ers but there was rarely any doubt about his true colors. When I was a very young Minnesota Vikings fan he tried to be supportive of my team when they played his. I knew better. I'm glad that he had the chance to see four of the 49ers Super Bowl wins. He was as present in the down years as he was in those great years. I know several 49ers fans and its because of them that I'm happy for the team's current success. I think that coach Jim Harbaugh will keep the team competitive for a while. He's an excellent coach. I'm just really glad that he's no longer showing that excellence at Stanford. Being a fan is always more fun when the wins come frequently. I just wish that more fans would see that sticking with the team through the rough patches on the path to success makes the wins even more sweet. Even more than that I wish that the Vikings path wasn't so frickin' long.
There's no right or wrong way to cheer on a team. Team preferences and how one goes about being a fan is as individual as anything else that makes us who we are. My father was a 49ers fan from the moment the team opened up shop in the All-America Football Conference. He was never loud in his support of the 49ers but there was rarely any doubt about his true colors. When I was a very young Minnesota Vikings fan he tried to be supportive of my team when they played his. I knew better. I'm glad that he had the chance to see four of the 49ers Super Bowl wins. He was as present in the down years as he was in those great years. I know several 49ers fans and its because of them that I'm happy for the team's current success. I think that coach Jim Harbaugh will keep the team competitive for a while. He's an excellent coach. I'm just really glad that he's no longer showing that excellence at Stanford. Being a fan is always more fun when the wins come frequently. I just wish that more fans would see that sticking with the team through the rough patches on the path to success makes the wins even more sweet. Even more than that I wish that the Vikings path wasn't so frickin' long.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Where's Griffen
There's a chance that the Minnesota Vikings entire defensive coaching staff will be dumped after the season. There's been issues with the play calling of defensive coordinator Fred Pagac. While an excellent linebacker coach for the team since 2006, he's been a bit unsteady as the coordinator. I'm not sure that a demotion back to the linebackers would sit well with him. If the Vikings bring in a new coordinator, that person would likely want to bring in people with whom he's comfortable. No matter what happens at the coordinator position I hope that line coach Karl Dunbar is retained. He's been excellent. Maybe he's ready to move up to the top defensive position. There will be changes on the defensive side of the ball.
No matter what happens with the defensive coaches I think that defensive end Everson Griffen has to be on the field. He has to be on the field a lot. He's played in spots to give Jared Allen and Brian Robison a breather. He always adds a spark. The Vikings have also experimented with him at linebacker this season. Griffen would be super in a "roving" defensive role. The Baltimore Ravens did similar things with Adalius Thomas a few years ago. He played nearly every defensive position for the Ravens. Eversin Griffen, like Thomas, is a unique talent. He has defensive end size and linebacker speed and movement. He makes plays and the Vikings need more of that. This season Jared Allen has been the only player on the defense that could be counted on to make "splash" plays. The Vikings have to take advantage of Griffen's skills. They have to get creative. Make the offense account for his presence and location. Mix it up. Use him as a stand up rush end, hand in the dirt at tackle or end. Off the line as a linebacker or safety. Blitz or drop back in coverage. If the Vikings stick with the Tampa 2, drop him back to the deep middle rather than the middle linebacker. Or even use him in the middle. Just keep the offense guessing as to where he is every play. Offenses are getting more creative each year. Defenses are often slow to respond. The Vikings don't have to be that defense. Surprise the offense at the snap of the ball. After it too. Changes are in store for the Vikings this offseason. I just hope that utilizing the versatility of Everson Griffen is one of them.
No matter what happens with the defensive coaches I think that defensive end Everson Griffen has to be on the field. He has to be on the field a lot. He's played in spots to give Jared Allen and Brian Robison a breather. He always adds a spark. The Vikings have also experimented with him at linebacker this season. Griffen would be super in a "roving" defensive role. The Baltimore Ravens did similar things with Adalius Thomas a few years ago. He played nearly every defensive position for the Ravens. Eversin Griffen, like Thomas, is a unique talent. He has defensive end size and linebacker speed and movement. He makes plays and the Vikings need more of that. This season Jared Allen has been the only player on the defense that could be counted on to make "splash" plays. The Vikings have to take advantage of Griffen's skills. They have to get creative. Make the offense account for his presence and location. Mix it up. Use him as a stand up rush end, hand in the dirt at tackle or end. Off the line as a linebacker or safety. Blitz or drop back in coverage. If the Vikings stick with the Tampa 2, drop him back to the deep middle rather than the middle linebacker. Or even use him in the middle. Just keep the offense guessing as to where he is every play. Offenses are getting more creative each year. Defenses are often slow to respond. The Vikings don't have to be that defense. Surprise the offense at the snap of the ball. After it too. Changes are in store for the Vikings this offseason. I just hope that utilizing the versatility of Everson Griffen is one of them.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Week 15
The Minnesota Vikings had Benny Sapp, Marcus Sherels and Brandon Burton at cornerback for most of the game. Against Drew Brees! Game over. Sapp did play well. 42-20 Saints.
It was fantastic to see Adrian Peterson run again. I missed watching him run. 10 carries is at least 10 too few.
Everyone pegged Saints coach Sean Payton as a genius for his onside kick in the Super Bowl. Well, he was an idiot for pulling a similar stunt in the second quarter with a 14-6 lead and few worries. It set the Vikings up nicely for a touchdown. Sweet call, Sean.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had no time to throw against the Saints. He showed some good stuff late in the game but it was exhibits A-Z plus some more that left tackle needs to be addressed in the first round of the draft. The secondary needs serious help but left tackle is priority #1. Capitol 1. Matt Kalil?!? I'd like to know the future plans of Alabama's Barrett Jones. Stanford's Jonathan Martin?!? Adding that one left tackle improves the entire line and it needs serious improvement.
It was interesting to see a Vikings defensive front of Everson Griffen, Fred Evans, Letroy Guion and Christian Ballard on a fourth and one late in the game. They made the stop. Just saying the Vikings have some nice depth on the defensive line.
I'm surprised that little is being said about Drew Brees' consecutive games with a touchdown streak. He's currently six behind Johnny Unitas' record of 47 consecutive games. Perhaps the lack of attention is because the record wouldn't be broken until next year. Unitas put the record so far out there that it was at one time considered untouchable. Right now, its hard to imagine Brees not reaching it.
So, the Colts win their first game the same week the Packers lose their first game.
Tim Tebow finally led a touchdown drive in the first quarter. That was more incredible than the Packers losing to the Chiefs. He could have used some of that first quarter magic in the fourth quarter. Tebow time ran out of time.
Nice "fumble-rooski" type play by the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton sure puts a lot of pressure on a defense.
I wonder who Tebow credits when he throws an interception or, heaven forbid, loses a game.
The New York Giants had another one of those unexplained down weeks. I just don't understand the inconsistencies in that team.
Its frustrating to hear fans and media hacks write of players or teams after one mediocre or worse game. Rough games happen during the regular season. The Packers lose one game and suddenly the Saints are the team to beat. The Saints lost to the Rams. If one game writes off a team, the Saints should be out of it entirely for losing to the Rams. People should let the season play out before they spout their nonsense.
If "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" is played in an NFL stadium that team should no longer be in the NFL. Denver pulled out that musical gem and I don't think that it was even John Denver belting out the words.
Nice comeback win by the Detroit Lions over the Oakland Raiders.
Good to hear that Chicago Bears receiver Johnny Knox will make a full recovery. He's due to have back surgery but should be fine for next year. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a player bent in half quite like that.
I love watching Ray Lewis play football. I'm not sure that he'll ever retire.
Its hard to imagine any team going an entire calendar year without a loss. Congratulations Green Bay Packers for doing just that.
Next week is bad news for the Washington Redskins. I really mean it this time.
It was fantastic to see Adrian Peterson run again. I missed watching him run. 10 carries is at least 10 too few.
Everyone pegged Saints coach Sean Payton as a genius for his onside kick in the Super Bowl. Well, he was an idiot for pulling a similar stunt in the second quarter with a 14-6 lead and few worries. It set the Vikings up nicely for a touchdown. Sweet call, Sean.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had no time to throw against the Saints. He showed some good stuff late in the game but it was exhibits A-Z plus some more that left tackle needs to be addressed in the first round of the draft. The secondary needs serious help but left tackle is priority #1. Capitol 1. Matt Kalil?!? I'd like to know the future plans of Alabama's Barrett Jones. Stanford's Jonathan Martin?!? Adding that one left tackle improves the entire line and it needs serious improvement.
It was interesting to see a Vikings defensive front of Everson Griffen, Fred Evans, Letroy Guion and Christian Ballard on a fourth and one late in the game. They made the stop. Just saying the Vikings have some nice depth on the defensive line.
I'm surprised that little is being said about Drew Brees' consecutive games with a touchdown streak. He's currently six behind Johnny Unitas' record of 47 consecutive games. Perhaps the lack of attention is because the record wouldn't be broken until next year. Unitas put the record so far out there that it was at one time considered untouchable. Right now, its hard to imagine Brees not reaching it.
So, the Colts win their first game the same week the Packers lose their first game.
Tim Tebow finally led a touchdown drive in the first quarter. That was more incredible than the Packers losing to the Chiefs. He could have used some of that first quarter magic in the fourth quarter. Tebow time ran out of time.
Nice "fumble-rooski" type play by the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton sure puts a lot of pressure on a defense.
I wonder who Tebow credits when he throws an interception or, heaven forbid, loses a game.
The New York Giants had another one of those unexplained down weeks. I just don't understand the inconsistencies in that team.
Its frustrating to hear fans and media hacks write of players or teams after one mediocre or worse game. Rough games happen during the regular season. The Packers lose one game and suddenly the Saints are the team to beat. The Saints lost to the Rams. If one game writes off a team, the Saints should be out of it entirely for losing to the Rams. People should let the season play out before they spout their nonsense.
If "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" is played in an NFL stadium that team should no longer be in the NFL. Denver pulled out that musical gem and I don't think that it was even John Denver belting out the words.
Nice comeback win by the Detroit Lions over the Oakland Raiders.
Good to hear that Chicago Bears receiver Johnny Knox will make a full recovery. He's due to have back surgery but should be fine for next year. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a player bent in half quite like that.
I love watching Ray Lewis play football. I'm not sure that he'll ever retire.
Its hard to imagine any team going an entire calendar year without a loss. Congratulations Green Bay Packers for doing just that.
Next week is bad news for the Washington Redskins. I really mean it this time.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Game Day Bits
The California High School championships were held Friday and Saturday. I'd like to see a state playoff more like Texas and most other states. All the playoff games in California lead to section championships. Then a mess similar to the BCS takes place with representatives from northern and southern California being chosen to play for the championship. Anytime the play on the field is secondary to opinions you have problems. It sounds like a regional semifinal game will be played starting next. That's an improvement.
Congratulations to the California High School football champions:
Open Division: De La Salle
Division I: Santa Margarita
Division II: Helix
Division III:Washington Union
Divsion IV: Sierra Canyon
The South thought that they had a sweep. Then De La Salle took the field. 35-0 thrashing of nationally ranked Westlake.
Its College Bowl Season!!!!
From its name to the stupid blue field, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is just wrong.
33 years ago yesterday I attended my first NFL and Minnesota Vikings game. Grant, Tarkenton, Yary, Tingelhoff, Marshall, Eller, Krause, Foreman, Rashad....Fantastic day.
I can't wait to see Adrian Peterson run again.
Drew Brees is just over 700 yards from Dan Marino's season passing yardage record. He could reach that today against the Vikings.
In an era of extreme passing numbers its remarkable that Marino's record has stood as long as it has. Its beaten back fantastic seasons by Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. This year a bunch might break it. Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Eli Manning all have a shot. Its incredible.
I think that Tebow time runs out today against the New England Patriots.
It was pretty funny to see Detroit Lions coach Jim Scwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham huddling on the sidelines during the game last Sunday. They had no clue as to how to defend Vikings quarterback Joe Webb.
Sam Hurd is a turd.
Nice move by the Vikings to sign center John Sullivan to a very well deserved 5-year extension. He's played very well this season. The line has had a very up and down season. Sullivan's season has been consistently up.
Every once in a while a player makes the jump from the Canadian Football League to the NFL. The success of Miami Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake increased interest in players north of here. The next player could be British Columbia Lions tackle Jovan Olafioye. The Dolphins and Vikings have already brought him in for workouts. The Browns, Steelers and Jets are getting in line. Olafioye has to wait until Jan. 2 to sign with a team but it looks like the interest is there.
I still can not believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers free fall.
Today is bad news for the Saints.
Congratulations to the California High School football champions:
Open Division: De La Salle
Division I: Santa Margarita
Division II: Helix
Division III:Washington Union
Divsion IV: Sierra Canyon
The South thought that they had a sweep. Then De La Salle took the field. 35-0 thrashing of nationally ranked Westlake.
Its College Bowl Season!!!!
From its name to the stupid blue field, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is just wrong.
33 years ago yesterday I attended my first NFL and Minnesota Vikings game. Grant, Tarkenton, Yary, Tingelhoff, Marshall, Eller, Krause, Foreman, Rashad....Fantastic day.
I can't wait to see Adrian Peterson run again.
Drew Brees is just over 700 yards from Dan Marino's season passing yardage record. He could reach that today against the Vikings.
In an era of extreme passing numbers its remarkable that Marino's record has stood as long as it has. Its beaten back fantastic seasons by Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. This year a bunch might break it. Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Eli Manning all have a shot. Its incredible.
I think that Tebow time runs out today against the New England Patriots.
It was pretty funny to see Detroit Lions coach Jim Scwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham huddling on the sidelines during the game last Sunday. They had no clue as to how to defend Vikings quarterback Joe Webb.
Sam Hurd is a turd.
Nice move by the Vikings to sign center John Sullivan to a very well deserved 5-year extension. He's played very well this season. The line has had a very up and down season. Sullivan's season has been consistently up.
Every once in a while a player makes the jump from the Canadian Football League to the NFL. The success of Miami Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake increased interest in players north of here. The next player could be British Columbia Lions tackle Jovan Olafioye. The Dolphins and Vikings have already brought him in for workouts. The Browns, Steelers and Jets are getting in line. Olafioye has to wait until Jan. 2 to sign with a team but it looks like the interest is there.
I still can not believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers free fall.
Today is bad news for the Saints.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
"If You Build It, They Will Come"
The California Golden Bears are getting a new home. The facilities are new. The stadium isn't new, thankfully, but its sparkling like new with a facelift. The difference is stunning in the players it seems to be attracting. "If you build it, they will come" is proving true.
In the past decade, coach Jeff Tedford has changed the culture and attitude at Cal. The students and alumni have seen that the Bears can play with the USC's of the world. Haven't always won but the playing field is no longer tilted away from Berkeley. Cal's recruiting classes have improved dramatically since the sad '80s. The classes have improved even more dramatically under Tedford. Still, the recruits pale compared to USC and some other schools in name and talent. Receiver DeSean Jackson, and possibly defensive ends Reagan Upshaw and Andre Carter, are the only 5-star recruits to come to Cal that I can recall. There's been a bunch of the 4- and 3-star variety but few 5's. That looks to be changing this year. Its due mostly to the facilities. Cal's weight room was below the standards of even some high schools. Certainly below the standards of their competitors in the Pac-12. I would imagine that some recruits had to laugh. This year Cal already has a commitment from 5-star receiver Bryce Treggs and a likely commitment from another in safety Shaquile Thompson. Apparently these two outgoing, enthusiastic kids have taken on the role of recruiters. They're bringing in other top talent. Among them might be the top player in the nation in lineman Arik Armstead. In turn, Armstead might be bringing his brother, and current USC lineman, Armond to Cal as well. Its stunning to see players of this level mentioning Cal, let alone seriously considering the school.
Of course, all of this beautiful on paper. Rankings and player ratings mean little if they don't translate to play on the field. Getting the talent is the first step and Cal is making an impressive first step. The long overdue improvements on campus facilitated it all. Now, it's up to the coaches and players to take that next step. Taking care of business and improving on the football field.
In the past decade, coach Jeff Tedford has changed the culture and attitude at Cal. The students and alumni have seen that the Bears can play with the USC's of the world. Haven't always won but the playing field is no longer tilted away from Berkeley. Cal's recruiting classes have improved dramatically since the sad '80s. The classes have improved even more dramatically under Tedford. Still, the recruits pale compared to USC and some other schools in name and talent. Receiver DeSean Jackson, and possibly defensive ends Reagan Upshaw and Andre Carter, are the only 5-star recruits to come to Cal that I can recall. There's been a bunch of the 4- and 3-star variety but few 5's. That looks to be changing this year. Its due mostly to the facilities. Cal's weight room was below the standards of even some high schools. Certainly below the standards of their competitors in the Pac-12. I would imagine that some recruits had to laugh. This year Cal already has a commitment from 5-star receiver Bryce Treggs and a likely commitment from another in safety Shaquile Thompson. Apparently these two outgoing, enthusiastic kids have taken on the role of recruiters. They're bringing in other top talent. Among them might be the top player in the nation in lineman Arik Armstead. In turn, Armstead might be bringing his brother, and current USC lineman, Armond to Cal as well. Its stunning to see players of this level mentioning Cal, let alone seriously considering the school.
Of course, all of this beautiful on paper. Rankings and player ratings mean little if they don't translate to play on the field. Getting the talent is the first step and Cal is making an impressive first step. The long overdue improvements on campus facilitated it all. Now, it's up to the coaches and players to take that next step. Taking care of business and improving on the football field.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Viking Treasure
Last week I received a great treasure. The past. From a fellow Vikings fan I received a box of Minnesota Vikings game DVDs. Amazing stuff. Good timing as this disappointing 2011 Vikings season is a great springboard for thoughts of better days. For Minnesota fans the '70s were very happy times. A certain trophy was still missing but those years of incredible success sure were fun. Its beautiful to see old Metropolitan Stadium again. I believe that stadium looked old even when it was new. The Met is where my passion began. The Mall of America now stands where the old stadium did. I've walked through that mall imagining Alan Page rushes. Chuck Foreman touchdowns. Paul Krause interceptions. Lonnie Warwick tackles. Good times. Those DVDs brought those days back.
The Super Bowl years of 1969, 1973, 1974 and 1976 are highlighted on one disc. I received the game DVDs of Super Bowl IV, Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI. The Chiefs, Steelers and Raiders somehow scored more points on those day. Its a mystery as to what funk fell upon the Vikings in Super Bowls. I have the saddest game of all. The 1975 playoff game against the thieving Dallas Cowboys. The Hail Mary game. Some consider the '75 team the best Vikings team of them all. The officials took the game and the season from the better team that day. I remember it well. I have the 1976 playoff games against the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Rams. Those games are fantastic because, unlike the Super Bowls, the Vikings win. I have the 1980 regular season game against the Cleveland Browns. The Joe Senser to Ted Brown hook and ladder. The Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad hail mary pass that followed. A good hail mary this time. An iconic game for Vikings fans. The retirement of Bud Grant and the demolition of Metropolitan Stadium brought some sad Vikings years. In the late '80s a little magic returned. In my DVD treasure chest I have highlights of the 1987,1988 and 1989 seasons. These were very talented teams led by a defense that sparked memories of the Purple People Eaters. The highlight of those years was an incredible run in the 1987 playoffs. I have the Wildcard demolition of the New Orleans Saints. That was topped the next week by one of the great upsets in NFL history. The Vikings rocked Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. Keith Millard and Chris Doleman chased Montana from the game. Montana benched! That's inconceivable! The mere mention of Anthony Carter sends 49ers fans running.
My last two DVDs are much more recent. They hold a great hope for the future. In this season of too many losses I see hope in quarterback Christian Ponder. Maybe, like Joe Kapp and Fran Tarkenton before him, Ponder can lead the Vikings to Super Bowls. His career started against the defending champion Green Bay Packers. The next week he earned his first win against the Carolina Panthers. Both games are in this Vikings treasure.
Its always nice to look back at successful days in Minnesota Vikings history. Especially those days in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. These DVDs provide the window. Those games are still thrilling. Unfortunately, even the best seasons ended short of the goal. It'll get done. Perhaps with Christian Ponder and much of this current team. When those joys become memories I'll have them on whatever media is used at the time.
The Super Bowl years of 1969, 1973, 1974 and 1976 are highlighted on one disc. I received the game DVDs of Super Bowl IV, Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI. The Chiefs, Steelers and Raiders somehow scored more points on those day. Its a mystery as to what funk fell upon the Vikings in Super Bowls. I have the saddest game of all. The 1975 playoff game against the thieving Dallas Cowboys. The Hail Mary game. Some consider the '75 team the best Vikings team of them all. The officials took the game and the season from the better team that day. I remember it well. I have the 1976 playoff games against the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Rams. Those games are fantastic because, unlike the Super Bowls, the Vikings win. I have the 1980 regular season game against the Cleveland Browns. The Joe Senser to Ted Brown hook and ladder. The Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad hail mary pass that followed. A good hail mary this time. An iconic game for Vikings fans. The retirement of Bud Grant and the demolition of Metropolitan Stadium brought some sad Vikings years. In the late '80s a little magic returned. In my DVD treasure chest I have highlights of the 1987,1988 and 1989 seasons. These were very talented teams led by a defense that sparked memories of the Purple People Eaters. The highlight of those years was an incredible run in the 1987 playoffs. I have the Wildcard demolition of the New Orleans Saints. That was topped the next week by one of the great upsets in NFL history. The Vikings rocked Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. Keith Millard and Chris Doleman chased Montana from the game. Montana benched! That's inconceivable! The mere mention of Anthony Carter sends 49ers fans running.
My last two DVDs are much more recent. They hold a great hope for the future. In this season of too many losses I see hope in quarterback Christian Ponder. Maybe, like Joe Kapp and Fran Tarkenton before him, Ponder can lead the Vikings to Super Bowls. His career started against the defending champion Green Bay Packers. The next week he earned his first win against the Carolina Panthers. Both games are in this Vikings treasure.
Its always nice to look back at successful days in Minnesota Vikings history. Especially those days in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. These DVDs provide the window. Those games are still thrilling. Unfortunately, even the best seasons ended short of the goal. It'll get done. Perhaps with Christian Ponder and much of this current team. When those joys become memories I'll have them on whatever media is used at the time.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Throwback Thursday: Stock Options
The Green Bay Packers are one of the unique business operations around. Certainly the most unique in sports. The team is essentially owned by the fans. Yet, the stock that the fans buy and own is worthless. It has no resale value. It all started out of desperation. They first sold shares in 1923. Last week they did so again for the fifth time. In the first two hours and twenty minutes alone, 28,000 shares were sold. At $250 apiece, that's $7 million of revenue in less than three hours. The Packers will likely generate $62.5 million with the sale of 250,000 shares overall. Its remarkable. The stock certificate may be worthless but they are priceless to Packers fans.
Prior to last week's sale of stock, a total of 4,250,937 shares were owned by 112,158 shareholders. The first sale took place in 1923 after two years in the new NFL. Curly Lambeau was desperate. The team was in serious danger of closing their doors. A town meeting was held to ask for support from Green Bay area businessmen. It worked as $5,000 was raised on the sale of 1,000 shares. The shareholders were also required to purchase six season tickets. A five member board of directors was formed to oversee the team. Lambeau still made all football decisions. The Packers survived the tough early days of the NFL. The fans were soon rewarded with incredible success.
In 1935, the Packers were again feeling some financial stress. At this point the nonprofit Green Bay Packers Football Corporation was reorganized as the Green Bay Packers, Inc. Through another sale of stocks the team raised $15,000. They were again on their way.
In 1950, people all over Wisconsin jumped at the chance to buy $25 shares. $50,000 was raised over an 11-day period. $118,000 was raised overall. One woman showed up with $25 in quarters stashed in a matchbox to buy her share.
In late 1997 through early 1998, the Packers added 105,989 new shareholders. This raised $24 million. It enabled the team to move forward with Lambeau renovations.
The NFL has grown into a business giant. The Green Bay Packers have grown too but still remain small. The fans count in a way so very different from any other team. On the surface the Packers seem to have an always ready ATM. It runs so much deeper than that. In a small town this NFL team has a unique relationship with its fans. If I was lobotomized and as a result a Packers fan I would love to hold some worthless team stock. In Green Bay fan support takes on a whole other meaning. Its a wonderful relationship.
Prior to last week's sale of stock, a total of 4,250,937 shares were owned by 112,158 shareholders. The first sale took place in 1923 after two years in the new NFL. Curly Lambeau was desperate. The team was in serious danger of closing their doors. A town meeting was held to ask for support from Green Bay area businessmen. It worked as $5,000 was raised on the sale of 1,000 shares. The shareholders were also required to purchase six season tickets. A five member board of directors was formed to oversee the team. Lambeau still made all football decisions. The Packers survived the tough early days of the NFL. The fans were soon rewarded with incredible success.
In 1935, the Packers were again feeling some financial stress. At this point the nonprofit Green Bay Packers Football Corporation was reorganized as the Green Bay Packers, Inc. Through another sale of stocks the team raised $15,000. They were again on their way.
In 1950, people all over Wisconsin jumped at the chance to buy $25 shares. $50,000 was raised over an 11-day period. $118,000 was raised overall. One woman showed up with $25 in quarters stashed in a matchbox to buy her share.
In late 1997 through early 1998, the Packers added 105,989 new shareholders. This raised $24 million. It enabled the team to move forward with Lambeau renovations.
The NFL has grown into a business giant. The Green Bay Packers have grown too but still remain small. The fans count in a way so very different from any other team. On the surface the Packers seem to have an always ready ATM. It runs so much deeper than that. In a small town this NFL team has a unique relationship with its fans. If I was lobotomized and as a result a Packers fan I would love to hold some worthless team stock. In Green Bay fan support takes on a whole other meaning. Its a wonderful relationship.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hall of Fame Musings
As a Hall of Fame voter, Sports Illustrated's Peter King has some decisions to make in the coming weeks The voters have to chop the current 26 eligible players down to a final list of 15 to be debated at the Super Bowl. There are also two nominees from the Senior Committee. Last week, Peter King shared his thoughts on the 26 on his podcast.
I value King's opinions more so than most. King's thoughts got me thinking. I seriously question the votes of nearly all of the remaining 43 voters. Too many value quotas and agendas over true football merit. This year there are no slam dunk, automatic players that can walk straight into the Hall. This is actually good in that it allows the voters to clean up some of their past mistakes. There is a growing log jam at receiver and it has to be cleared. This is topped by Cris Carter. He should have been in Canton years ago. King actually thought that he would be in already and is surprised by Carter's continued absence. Tim Brown and Andre Reed are nearly as deserving. If either make it without Carter, the voters should be permanently banished from having anything to do with football. I doubt that all three make it but Carter and most likely Brown should. Runningbacks Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis have a very good chance. Center Dermontti Dawson has the best chance among the offensive linemen. Another former Viking, defensive end Chris Doleman, has a good shot. He had some mediocre years but he also had some years that were simply dominating. He took apart the great Anthony Munoz in one memorable game. One player that I hope makes it, but probably won't, is former Bronco linebacker Karl Mecklenberg. He was very underrated but every time that I saw him he made plays all over the field. A super football player. Coach Don Coryell should have made it a long time ago. His offenses inspired so many and his route trees and numbering are still in use today. His impact is incredible. He should have made it when he was alive. If not for Coryell, Bill Parcells would make it. Coaches shouldn't take up two spots and its a crime that Coryell isn't in Canton. Both Senior Committee nominees should make it. They usually do. I'd just like to see the committte do more homework and discover players like Mac Speedie, Alex Karras and Claude Humphrey. Those players have been ignored far too long.
If I had a vote the 2012 Class would include:
Cris Carter
Tim Brown
Jerome Bettis
Dermontti Dawson
Don Coryell
Jack Butler
Dick Stanfel
Doleman might make it instead of Dawson but I'm going with seniority. Dawson has waited longer.
Most might see my love of Carter as a Minnesota Vikings bias but its really a football bias. I value the history of football too much to view any of this with purple shades. The voters need to gain a better understanding of football. No receiver has performed the basic act of catching a football better than Cris Carter. His skills were remarkable. They certainly weren't ignored by defenses the way that they have been ignored by the people that unfortunately grant entrance into the Hall of Fame.
I value King's opinions more so than most. King's thoughts got me thinking. I seriously question the votes of nearly all of the remaining 43 voters. Too many value quotas and agendas over true football merit. This year there are no slam dunk, automatic players that can walk straight into the Hall. This is actually good in that it allows the voters to clean up some of their past mistakes. There is a growing log jam at receiver and it has to be cleared. This is topped by Cris Carter. He should have been in Canton years ago. King actually thought that he would be in already and is surprised by Carter's continued absence. Tim Brown and Andre Reed are nearly as deserving. If either make it without Carter, the voters should be permanently banished from having anything to do with football. I doubt that all three make it but Carter and most likely Brown should. Runningbacks Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis have a very good chance. Center Dermontti Dawson has the best chance among the offensive linemen. Another former Viking, defensive end Chris Doleman, has a good shot. He had some mediocre years but he also had some years that were simply dominating. He took apart the great Anthony Munoz in one memorable game. One player that I hope makes it, but probably won't, is former Bronco linebacker Karl Mecklenberg. He was very underrated but every time that I saw him he made plays all over the field. A super football player. Coach Don Coryell should have made it a long time ago. His offenses inspired so many and his route trees and numbering are still in use today. His impact is incredible. He should have made it when he was alive. If not for Coryell, Bill Parcells would make it. Coaches shouldn't take up two spots and its a crime that Coryell isn't in Canton. Both Senior Committee nominees should make it. They usually do. I'd just like to see the committte do more homework and discover players like Mac Speedie, Alex Karras and Claude Humphrey. Those players have been ignored far too long.
If I had a vote the 2012 Class would include:
Cris Carter
Tim Brown
Jerome Bettis
Dermontti Dawson
Don Coryell
Jack Butler
Dick Stanfel
Doleman might make it instead of Dawson but I'm going with seniority. Dawson has waited longer.
Most might see my love of Carter as a Minnesota Vikings bias but its really a football bias. I value the history of football too much to view any of this with purple shades. The voters need to gain a better understanding of football. No receiver has performed the basic act of catching a football better than Cris Carter. His skills were remarkable. They certainly weren't ignored by defenses the way that they have been ignored by the people that unfortunately grant entrance into the Hall of Fame.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
No Ordinary Joe
Before I get to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb I have to revisit something that I mentioned yesterday. I forgot to mention another element of Vikings receiver Percy Harvin's incredible skill set. He blocks. Blocks extremely well. Harvin transitions from route runner to blocker instantly. There's a handful of receivers in the league that block willingly and effectively. Percy Harvin is one of them.
The Vikings really need to get Joe Webb on the field. He's listed as quarterback and he can certainly play the position. Last year in Philadelphia and this past Sunday against Detroit proved that. His skills are too great to keep on the bench. Christian Ponder is the Vikings present and future quarterback but there is still room for Webb on the field. Defenses will be driven nuts trying to figure out where Webb and Harvin are on every play. The more playmakers a team has the more worries that they present to the defense. Adrian Peterson, Harvin and Webb can all make plays. Each can break a game wide open on one play. Its difficult enough to stop one let alone all of them. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has to get creative. He has all offseason to do so. Something that was taken away from him last year by the ridiculous lockout. Being new to the team, Musgrave needed that time to get to know the weapons present on the Vikings. Webb was a mystery. Musgrave didn't have the chance to get creative with Webb last year. He has that chance this year. He might want to spend some time looking at what the Cleveland Browns have done with Joshua Cribbs. Like Webb, Cribbs was a college quarterback that can do a bit of everything. Cribbs has been a dynamite kick returner for years now. The Browns have never really bothered playing him at quarterback. Offensively, they have only had him handle the ball in their version of the "wildcat" and at receiver. His presence on the field has increased each year. I still don't think that its near enough especially considering the lack of playmakers in Cleveland. Its still far more opportunities than the Vikings are currently giving Webb. Right now, Webb is the backup quarterback. Its not too wise to gamble with the health of that responsibility. Newly added quarterback Sage Rosenfels will hopefully be up to speed with the offense soon. If that can happen soon perhaps the Vikings can experiment with Webb in the few games remaining this year. This offseason is critical, franchise changing. Ponder's in place. Work Peterson, Harvin, Webb and tight end Kyle Rudolph into the offense. Hopefully add a solid receiver in free agency. I like Pierre Garcon. Bring all those players together and the Vikings might have an offense that is very difficult to defend. One thing is certain. Joe Webb has to be a part of it.
The Vikings really need to get Joe Webb on the field. He's listed as quarterback and he can certainly play the position. Last year in Philadelphia and this past Sunday against Detroit proved that. His skills are too great to keep on the bench. Christian Ponder is the Vikings present and future quarterback but there is still room for Webb on the field. Defenses will be driven nuts trying to figure out where Webb and Harvin are on every play. The more playmakers a team has the more worries that they present to the defense. Adrian Peterson, Harvin and Webb can all make plays. Each can break a game wide open on one play. Its difficult enough to stop one let alone all of them. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has to get creative. He has all offseason to do so. Something that was taken away from him last year by the ridiculous lockout. Being new to the team, Musgrave needed that time to get to know the weapons present on the Vikings. Webb was a mystery. Musgrave didn't have the chance to get creative with Webb last year. He has that chance this year. He might want to spend some time looking at what the Cleveland Browns have done with Joshua Cribbs. Like Webb, Cribbs was a college quarterback that can do a bit of everything. Cribbs has been a dynamite kick returner for years now. The Browns have never really bothered playing him at quarterback. Offensively, they have only had him handle the ball in their version of the "wildcat" and at receiver. His presence on the field has increased each year. I still don't think that its near enough especially considering the lack of playmakers in Cleveland. Its still far more opportunities than the Vikings are currently giving Webb. Right now, Webb is the backup quarterback. Its not too wise to gamble with the health of that responsibility. Newly added quarterback Sage Rosenfels will hopefully be up to speed with the offense soon. If that can happen soon perhaps the Vikings can experiment with Webb in the few games remaining this year. This offseason is critical, franchise changing. Ponder's in place. Work Peterson, Harvin, Webb and tight end Kyle Rudolph into the offense. Hopefully add a solid receiver in free agency. I like Pierre Garcon. Bring all those players together and the Vikings might have an offense that is very difficult to defend. One thing is certain. Joe Webb has to be a part of it.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Week 14
The Minnesota Vikings continued their generous ways in Detroit. The Lions had a 21-0 lead before the 1st quarter was half gone. Fumble recovered for a touchdown on the Vikings first offensive play. Interception led to a touchdown. Interception returned for a touchdown. Just to spread some more Lion cheer a fumble led to a field goal in the 2nd half. Nearly all of the Lions production was really produced by the Vikings. When Minnesota didn't give the ball away they actually moved it down the field. The Vikings never wilted. Quarterback Christian Ponder was benched in the second half. He was banged up so its difficult to know if it was due to health or performance. Joe Webb entered and rallied the team mostly with his feet. 65 yard touchdown run and several 3rd down conversions. The officials conveniently ignored an obvious facemask to end the game in the Lions favor. 34-28 Lions.
Detroit has way too much swagger for a team that has done basically nothing since the '50s. Having just seen the Oakland Raiders display a year's supply of stupidity, the Lions play the same game. Head coach Jim Schwartz does nothing, despite what he says, to stop it. Which only enhances it. He's a big part of the problem. He has either lost the team or just doesn't care. I feel bad for the decent folk on the Lions like Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson.
One of the few positives in a shredded Vikings season is the effort each week. No one has quit. Those wishing for the firing of Leslie Frazier should consider that.
Kinda funny when Vikings-Lions announcer Brian Billick spoke of how the Lions running game has suffered since Jahvid Best's season ended with a concussion. The stats on the screen showed the opposite.
This is the third straight week that Billick has called the Vikings game. One would think that as a professional he'd get it right in the first. It is J-A-R-E-D Allen not Gerald Allen. Sheesh.
As a Vikings fan it is terrifying to see Marcus Sherels lined up opposite Calvin Johnson.
Congratulations to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen on 100 career sacks. Another 3 today for 17.5 on the season. Michael Strahan's season record of 22.5 is possible with three games remaining.
I hated seeing Christian Ponder benched but its fun to see Joe Webb play. Ponder's the future but the Vikings need to find ways to get Webb on the field. His skills are many.
Rushing, receiving, returns, Percy Harvin does it all and he does is it very well. Fantastic football player.
Congratulations Rob Gronkowski on breaking the season touchdown receptions record for tight ends. He was a very good tight end in college at Arizona. He's a great tight end for the New England Patriots.
The "youngry" Tampa bay Buccaneers were supposed to be great this year. Well, I thought that they'd be great this year. I thought that Tampa Bay would fight New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South. Didn't happen that way but they are still young.
Its a mystery when media whacks talk of the emergence of Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson. They talk of his becoming a very good receiver as if he wasn't a couple of years ago. Coming from nowhere to become a contributing member of a great team. Nelson is far more than a modestly skilled football player. He was a 2nd round pick and he was absolutely not a reach. Great hands, great routes, very good speed. He's an excellent football player and he has been for a while now. Many of the people with a national voice should do some homework.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers sure make it look easy.
The Houston Texans just keep getting it done. Its amazing. Down to T.J. Yates at quarterback they sneak by a very good Cincinnati Bengals team to clinch the AFC South. Its difficult to imagine Yates leading the Texans deep into the playoffs but they've been getting it done all year. I wouldn't bet against them.
I have no issue with what Tim Tebow is doing in Denver. I just wish that someone would acknowledge that there are other players on the team. The defense has done far more than Tebow in this nice stretch of games. Give Von Miller credit. Champ Bailey too. Elvis Dumervil as well. Matt Prater's kicks today were incredible. 59 yards! Tebow didn't do Prater any favors. Today Marion Barber had as much an impact in the Denver win as Tebow. Just like Christian Ponder last week. Give credit where its due not all to Tebow. Its a team game. It always has been.
The San Francisco 49ers really need to start scoring touchdowns instead of field goals. I was still very surprised that the Arizona Cardinals grabbed the win.
Sleeping on it didn't help. I just don't understand how the officials can keep the flag tucked nicely in a pocket while Joe Webb gets his facemask jerked to the side. I've seen way too many officials call facemask penalties that weren't to accept them missing one that was. The officiating has been horrible for too long. The NFL strives to make the game better. They should do nothing else until the officiating improves. Hiring officials full time would be a start. None of these part officials that prove week after week that they can't do the job. A game can't end on a defensive penalty. Yesterday, one did.
Next week is bad news for the New Orleans Saints.
Detroit has way too much swagger for a team that has done basically nothing since the '50s. Having just seen the Oakland Raiders display a year's supply of stupidity, the Lions play the same game. Head coach Jim Schwartz does nothing, despite what he says, to stop it. Which only enhances it. He's a big part of the problem. He has either lost the team or just doesn't care. I feel bad for the decent folk on the Lions like Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson.
One of the few positives in a shredded Vikings season is the effort each week. No one has quit. Those wishing for the firing of Leslie Frazier should consider that.
Kinda funny when Vikings-Lions announcer Brian Billick spoke of how the Lions running game has suffered since Jahvid Best's season ended with a concussion. The stats on the screen showed the opposite.
This is the third straight week that Billick has called the Vikings game. One would think that as a professional he'd get it right in the first. It is J-A-R-E-D Allen not Gerald Allen. Sheesh.
As a Vikings fan it is terrifying to see Marcus Sherels lined up opposite Calvin Johnson.
Congratulations to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen on 100 career sacks. Another 3 today for 17.5 on the season. Michael Strahan's season record of 22.5 is possible with three games remaining.
I hated seeing Christian Ponder benched but its fun to see Joe Webb play. Ponder's the future but the Vikings need to find ways to get Webb on the field. His skills are many.
Rushing, receiving, returns, Percy Harvin does it all and he does is it very well. Fantastic football player.
Congratulations Rob Gronkowski on breaking the season touchdown receptions record for tight ends. He was a very good tight end in college at Arizona. He's a great tight end for the New England Patriots.
The "youngry" Tampa bay Buccaneers were supposed to be great this year. Well, I thought that they'd be great this year. I thought that Tampa Bay would fight New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South. Didn't happen that way but they are still young.
Its a mystery when media whacks talk of the emergence of Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson. They talk of his becoming a very good receiver as if he wasn't a couple of years ago. Coming from nowhere to become a contributing member of a great team. Nelson is far more than a modestly skilled football player. He was a 2nd round pick and he was absolutely not a reach. Great hands, great routes, very good speed. He's an excellent football player and he has been for a while now. Many of the people with a national voice should do some homework.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers sure make it look easy.
The Houston Texans just keep getting it done. Its amazing. Down to T.J. Yates at quarterback they sneak by a very good Cincinnati Bengals team to clinch the AFC South. Its difficult to imagine Yates leading the Texans deep into the playoffs but they've been getting it done all year. I wouldn't bet against them.
I have no issue with what Tim Tebow is doing in Denver. I just wish that someone would acknowledge that there are other players on the team. The defense has done far more than Tebow in this nice stretch of games. Give Von Miller credit. Champ Bailey too. Elvis Dumervil as well. Matt Prater's kicks today were incredible. 59 yards! Tebow didn't do Prater any favors. Today Marion Barber had as much an impact in the Denver win as Tebow. Just like Christian Ponder last week. Give credit where its due not all to Tebow. Its a team game. It always has been.
The San Francisco 49ers really need to start scoring touchdowns instead of field goals. I was still very surprised that the Arizona Cardinals grabbed the win.
Sleeping on it didn't help. I just don't understand how the officials can keep the flag tucked nicely in a pocket while Joe Webb gets his facemask jerked to the side. I've seen way too many officials call facemask penalties that weren't to accept them missing one that was. The officiating has been horrible for too long. The NFL strives to make the game better. They should do nothing else until the officiating improves. Hiring officials full time would be a start. None of these part officials that prove week after week that they can't do the job. A game can't end on a defensive penalty. Yesterday, one did.
Next week is bad news for the New Orleans Saints.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Game Day Bits
Army-Navy. Always impressive.
Congratulations Robert Griffin III on winning the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Fantastic football player. Great student-athlete.
What a difference decent facilities make. Cal has finally reached their rivals and modern times with their sparkling High Performance Center. This weekend Cal is hosting a bunch of top recruits. Among them are defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Shaq Thompson. Two of the top recruits in the nation. Armstead is considered the top player by many. These are the type of recruits Cal could never touch. Visiting is far from a commit but its remarkable that these players are making official visits to Berkeley.
The Pac-12 saw a third of their coaches fired this year. Both Arizona schools, UCLA and Washington St. Those schools weren't messing around when they went after new coaches. Washington St hired former Texas Tech head coach and offensive genius Mike Leach. Arizona hired spread guru Rich Rodriguez. UCLA hired former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. Arizona apparently offered then withdrew a contract to former Hawaii and SMU coach June Jones. I'm not sure what's going on there. All the hires so far have been impressive. Washington St and Arizona will be difficult to defend. The offenses of Leach and Rodriguez give defensive coordinators nightmares. Mora is an excellent coach. He'll have UCLA back on track. If the pursuit of Jones is any indication, Arizona St is also looking to open up the offense. Maybe things will still work between the two. Nice influx of coaches in the Pac-12.
De La Salle High School is a machine. Winning their 20th consecutive North Coast Section championship. They defeated San Ramon Valley 49-13. I was especially curious about this game because San Ramon Valley quarterback Zach Kline is headed to Cal. Headed there soon as he'll be a college kid in a few weeks. He's enrolling early to get a jump on things and take part in spring practice. De La Salle linebacker Michael Barton is also a top Cal recruit. San Ramon Valley fumbled inside the De La Salle five-yard line early when they could have tied the score at 7. It was downhill from there.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still upset that Cal was robbed of the Rose Bowl after the 2004 season. Texas coach Mack Brown started begging for votes that enabled his team to leap over Cal during an idle week. It was a ridiculous stunt by Brown. Its a nice coincidence that Cal's opponent in the Holiday Bowl this year just happens to be Texas.
There's been talk of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning getting votes for MVP. That's nuts. Manning hasn't taken a snap all year. That pretty much rules out the "P" part of MVP.
The damage that the Detroit Lions might inflict on the Minnesota Vikings thrashed secondary is fairly scary. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew might all have career days. The Vikings might have to do something crazy like playing 8 defensive backs every play. After the Lions have their fun the Saints come to town.
I sure hope that Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson can take the field today. Perhaps the Vikings can control the ball and the clock. Keeping the ball away from the Lions potent offense might be their only chance.
That sure was a shiny suit worn by LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu at the Heisman festivities. Fitting since "Honey Badger" has some shine on him. Flashy little player is a big play machine. Great for LSU, too bad for the NFL that he's only a sophomore.
I'd like to see the Vikings get a division win before the year runs out. Today against the Lions and the Bears on the final day of the season are the remaining chances.
Go Vikings!
Congratulations Robert Griffin III on winning the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Fantastic football player. Great student-athlete.
What a difference decent facilities make. Cal has finally reached their rivals and modern times with their sparkling High Performance Center. This weekend Cal is hosting a bunch of top recruits. Among them are defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Shaq Thompson. Two of the top recruits in the nation. Armstead is considered the top player by many. These are the type of recruits Cal could never touch. Visiting is far from a commit but its remarkable that these players are making official visits to Berkeley.
The Pac-12 saw a third of their coaches fired this year. Both Arizona schools, UCLA and Washington St. Those schools weren't messing around when they went after new coaches. Washington St hired former Texas Tech head coach and offensive genius Mike Leach. Arizona hired spread guru Rich Rodriguez. UCLA hired former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. Arizona apparently offered then withdrew a contract to former Hawaii and SMU coach June Jones. I'm not sure what's going on there. All the hires so far have been impressive. Washington St and Arizona will be difficult to defend. The offenses of Leach and Rodriguez give defensive coordinators nightmares. Mora is an excellent coach. He'll have UCLA back on track. If the pursuit of Jones is any indication, Arizona St is also looking to open up the offense. Maybe things will still work between the two. Nice influx of coaches in the Pac-12.
De La Salle High School is a machine. Winning their 20th consecutive North Coast Section championship. They defeated San Ramon Valley 49-13. I was especially curious about this game because San Ramon Valley quarterback Zach Kline is headed to Cal. Headed there soon as he'll be a college kid in a few weeks. He's enrolling early to get a jump on things and take part in spring practice. De La Salle linebacker Michael Barton is also a top Cal recruit. San Ramon Valley fumbled inside the De La Salle five-yard line early when they could have tied the score at 7. It was downhill from there.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still upset that Cal was robbed of the Rose Bowl after the 2004 season. Texas coach Mack Brown started begging for votes that enabled his team to leap over Cal during an idle week. It was a ridiculous stunt by Brown. Its a nice coincidence that Cal's opponent in the Holiday Bowl this year just happens to be Texas.
There's been talk of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning getting votes for MVP. That's nuts. Manning hasn't taken a snap all year. That pretty much rules out the "P" part of MVP.
The damage that the Detroit Lions might inflict on the Minnesota Vikings thrashed secondary is fairly scary. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew might all have career days. The Vikings might have to do something crazy like playing 8 defensive backs every play. After the Lions have their fun the Saints come to town.
I sure hope that Vikings runningback Adrian Peterson can take the field today. Perhaps the Vikings can control the ball and the clock. Keeping the ball away from the Lions potent offense might be their only chance.
That sure was a shiny suit worn by LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu at the Heisman festivities. Fitting since "Honey Badger" has some shine on him. Flashy little player is a big play machine. Great for LSU, too bad for the NFL that he's only a sophomore.
I'd like to see the Vikings get a division win before the year runs out. Today against the Lions and the Bears on the final day of the season are the remaining chances.
Go Vikings!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Heisman Hopefuls
The 2011 Heisman Trophy goes to.......
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III
Maybe. Maybe not. A poll of a couple hundred Heisman voters showed that Griffin has passed Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck as the expected winner. I like Griffin a lot. He's very deserving. Its actually kind of refreshing to not see the qauarterback or runningback from a top team automatically get the award. Its supposed to go to the best college football player. It rarely does. If Griffin does win, I'll be mildy disappointed that Luck missed again. I see Luck as the college player best suited for NFL success. That doesn't necessarily mean that he was the best college player this year. In all honesty that player was probably Griffin. His performance has been incredible. Without him Baylor wouldn't even be a thought on the national level. He's elevated the program to heights rarely seen in Waco. I was absolutely floored when I saw that he had more touchdown passes than incomplete passes after the first handful of games. After Griffin and Luck, Runningbacks Montee Ball of Wisconsin and Trent Richardson of Alabama have been fantastic all year. Ball will likely break Barry Sanders' season touchdown record in the Rose Bowl. You'd have few complaints if any of those four left New York with the trophy. Defensive players are unfairly pushed aside in Heisman voting. Ndamukong Suh was deserving a couple of years ago. Charles Woodson won in the '90s with defense and incredible return skills. This year LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu has made a Woodson-like impact. I don't think that it was enough to take the Heisman from the offensive players. Its unfortunate that defensive players are always at a disadvantage. Right now there is little doubt that the award is going to one of the quarterbacks. Whether it goes to Griffin or Luck this year, it goes to a fantastic college football player. That's far better than most years.
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III
Maybe. Maybe not. A poll of a couple hundred Heisman voters showed that Griffin has passed Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck as the expected winner. I like Griffin a lot. He's very deserving. Its actually kind of refreshing to not see the qauarterback or runningback from a top team automatically get the award. Its supposed to go to the best college football player. It rarely does. If Griffin does win, I'll be mildy disappointed that Luck missed again. I see Luck as the college player best suited for NFL success. That doesn't necessarily mean that he was the best college player this year. In all honesty that player was probably Griffin. His performance has been incredible. Without him Baylor wouldn't even be a thought on the national level. He's elevated the program to heights rarely seen in Waco. I was absolutely floored when I saw that he had more touchdown passes than incomplete passes after the first handful of games. After Griffin and Luck, Runningbacks Montee Ball of Wisconsin and Trent Richardson of Alabama have been fantastic all year. Ball will likely break Barry Sanders' season touchdown record in the Rose Bowl. You'd have few complaints if any of those four left New York with the trophy. Defensive players are unfairly pushed aside in Heisman voting. Ndamukong Suh was deserving a couple of years ago. Charles Woodson won in the '90s with defense and incredible return skills. This year LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu has made a Woodson-like impact. I don't think that it was enough to take the Heisman from the offensive players. Its unfortunate that defensive players are always at a disadvantage. Right now there is little doubt that the award is going to one of the quarterbacks. Whether it goes to Griffin or Luck this year, it goes to a fantastic college football player. That's far better than most years.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A Kid's Decision
I've never understood the criticism tossed at a kid when he decides to forgo the NFL draft and stay in school. Its his decision. How can it possibly be the wrong one. There's often some nice words too. Last year, many people praised Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck for staying in school. Most were probably Stanford fans but the sentiments were genuine. Most, however, thought that Luck was a fool. Who cares if the kid values his education, his college years and his team? Most didn't. I listened to USC quarterback on Peter King's podcast this week. As soon as I saw that the kid was a guest I knew the reason. Everyone wants to know if he's entering the draft. Barkley's stock is soaring. By the end of the season USC may have been one of the top teams in the nation. Fortunately for potential opponents USC is on probation. I doubt that anyone wanted a part of them in a bowl game. I 'm sure that Oregon was relieved that UCLA backed into the Pac-12 Championship Game. Barkley and his team are through for the year. So, is he staying? Everybody wants to know. Like Luck last year, I can easily see Barkley staying for another year. USC returns an extremely talented team. They usually do have a ton of talent but it doesn;t always come together like it did at the end of this season. With Barkley the ceiling will be very high next year. A season that will finally matter. None of the current players had anything to do with the infractions that led to the probation. Unfortunately, the NCAA frequently sees fit to punish the innocents while the idiots make off to places like Seattle and Miami. Next year will be what brought these players to USC in the first place. A chance for a championship. Barkley might want to be a part of the fun. If he decides that he doesn't, that should be cool as well. After all, its his decision. I find it kinda funny that people rarely criticize a kid for jumping to the NFL. I guess that they better understand the draw of money over school. Just let the kid's decide. Then live with it.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Throwback Thursday: Vanishing Bowls
I really miss the New Years Day Bowl games. Oh, some games are still played on that first day of the New Year. This coming year they won't be as the NFL has dibs on the day. So, its the second day of the New Year this time around. It doesn't really matter anymore as it just isn't the same as it was back in the day. The BCS has hacked up college football. In trying to keep the Bowl Games they've destroyed them. I loved the dawn to dusk and beyond run of big Bowl Games on New Years Day. Each game was huge. Each on the level of a championship game. Each with a traditional matchup. The voters settled things after the game but on that day everything was settled on the field. Maybe that is part of the disaster that is the BCS. All the bickering and controversy takes place before the games. It creates a cloud over the games before the teams even play. To begin with the BCS is a mess. Then it becomes a bigger a mess when it spits out the matchups. This mess simply detracts from the games. The old, beautiful Bowls mostly had set matchups. It was up to the teams to earn those matchups. College football is such a wonderful thing. The big, beautiful Bowl games brought out the best in the college game. The pageantry. The schools. The colors. The kids. Everything seemed so pure and simple. Just football. Now, the cloud starts to settle about the time of the first BCS rankings. It just gets darker after that. The Bowl games just aren't the same.
Coaching Security
Coaches are fired for so many reasons. A lack of wins is usually the primary reason. Many Minnesota Vikings fans are calling for Leslie Frazier to be fired. I suppose that the media is as well when owner Zygi Wilf has to publicly state that Frazier is safe. Personally, Leslie Frazier's job should be safe. The Vikings lack talent at key areas, in particular offensive line and the secondary. In this past game against the Denver Broncos the offensive line nearly got rookie quarterback Christian Ponder killed. The secondary did kill the Vikings in the second half. It will always be difficult to overcome a lack of talent in the NFL no matter how great the coaching.
The Vikings effort in games this season says so much more about Frazier's coaching than the 2-10 record. I remember the Les Steckel coached team of 1984. That was a disaster. Bud Grant had to come out of retirement to put that team back together a year later. This season has not been a disaster. It hasn't been a lot of fun and its certainly been humbling. Most of this team was one play from the Super Bowl only two years ago. Perhaps that is what drives the fans to call for the sacking of the coach. With age and injuries this is a far different team than that 2009 team. This Vikings team could have won at least half of the ten losses. That's due to effort despite the lack of talent. Frazier has to be given the opportunity to build the team his way. He needs to be given the opportunity to rebuild the offensive line and the secondary. The areas of greatest concern. In a quarterback driven league this season has become more about establishing Christian Ponder. Seeing what they have in him. His ability to handle a difficult rookie season may go a long way in making him the player that can lead this team. So far it looks promising. Now they need to protect him with a line that won't get him killed. Success is a process and this season has been a part of that process. I don't see it as a step back. Frazier has seen the ultimate team success as a player and as a coach. He knows what it takes. The team has not quit and this team may have finally found their quarterback. I see that as a greater testament to the performance of Leslie Frazier and his coaches than the lack of success on the field.
The Vikings effort in games this season says so much more about Frazier's coaching than the 2-10 record. I remember the Les Steckel coached team of 1984. That was a disaster. Bud Grant had to come out of retirement to put that team back together a year later. This season has not been a disaster. It hasn't been a lot of fun and its certainly been humbling. Most of this team was one play from the Super Bowl only two years ago. Perhaps that is what drives the fans to call for the sacking of the coach. With age and injuries this is a far different team than that 2009 team. This Vikings team could have won at least half of the ten losses. That's due to effort despite the lack of talent. Frazier has to be given the opportunity to build the team his way. He needs to be given the opportunity to rebuild the offensive line and the secondary. The areas of greatest concern. In a quarterback driven league this season has become more about establishing Christian Ponder. Seeing what they have in him. His ability to handle a difficult rookie season may go a long way in making him the player that can lead this team. So far it looks promising. Now they need to protect him with a line that won't get him killed. Success is a process and this season has been a part of that process. I don't see it as a step back. Frazier has seen the ultimate team success as a player and as a coach. He knows what it takes. The team has not quit and this team may have finally found their quarterback. I see that as a greater testament to the performance of Leslie Frazier and his coaches than the lack of success on the field.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Flea Flicker Bowl Picks
Just for giggles as this is not for gambling purposes:
The Biggie: Holiday Bowl: Cal over Texas
BCS Title Game: Alabama over LSU
Orange Bowl: Clemson over W. Virginia
Sugar Bowl: Michigan over Virginia Tech
Fiesta Bowl: Stanford over Oklahoma St.
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin over Oregon
New Mexico Bowl: Temple over Wyoming
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio over Utah St.
New Orleans Bowl: San Diego St over La-Lafayette
Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Marshall over Florida International
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU over Louisiana Tech
Maaco Bowl: Boise St over Arizona St
Hawaii Bowl: S. Mississippi over Nevada
Independence Bowl: Missouri over North Carolina
Little Ceasar's Bowl: W. Michigan over Purdue
Belk Bowl: NC State over Louisville
Military Bowl: Toledo over Air Force
Champs Sports: Florida St over Notre Dame
Alamo Bowl: Baylor over Washington
Armed Forces: Tulsa over BYU
Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers over Iowa St
Music City Bowl: Mississippi St over Wake Forest
Insight Bowl: Iowa over Oklahoma
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Northwestern over Texas A&M
Sun Bowl: Utah over Georgia Tech
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: UCLA over Illinois
Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt over Cincinnati
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Auburn over Virginia
TicketCity Bowl: Houston over Penn St
Capital One Bowl: South Carolina over Nebraska
Gator Bowl: Ohio St over Florida
Outback Bowl: Michigan St over Georgia
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas over Kansas St
BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh over SMU
GoDaddy.com Bowl: N. Illinois over Arkansas St
The MAC is a fun conference. I think that it would be a blast to play at any of the schools. I think that it would be a blast to be a student at any of the schools. They placed 5 in bowl games: Ohio, Toledo, Temple, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. The NFL finds athletes throughout this conference. If I was a bowl honcho, I'd rather have a MAC school than many Big East schools.
The Biggie: Holiday Bowl: Cal over Texas
BCS Title Game: Alabama over LSU
Orange Bowl: Clemson over W. Virginia
Sugar Bowl: Michigan over Virginia Tech
Fiesta Bowl: Stanford over Oklahoma St.
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin over Oregon
New Mexico Bowl: Temple over Wyoming
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio over Utah St.
New Orleans Bowl: San Diego St over La-Lafayette
Beef O'Brady's Bowl: Marshall over Florida International
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU over Louisiana Tech
Maaco Bowl: Boise St over Arizona St
Hawaii Bowl: S. Mississippi over Nevada
Independence Bowl: Missouri over North Carolina
Little Ceasar's Bowl: W. Michigan over Purdue
Belk Bowl: NC State over Louisville
Military Bowl: Toledo over Air Force
Champs Sports: Florida St over Notre Dame
Alamo Bowl: Baylor over Washington
Armed Forces: Tulsa over BYU
Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers over Iowa St
Music City Bowl: Mississippi St over Wake Forest
Insight Bowl: Iowa over Oklahoma
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Northwestern over Texas A&M
Sun Bowl: Utah over Georgia Tech
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: UCLA over Illinois
Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt over Cincinnati
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Auburn over Virginia
TicketCity Bowl: Houston over Penn St
Capital One Bowl: South Carolina over Nebraska
Gator Bowl: Ohio St over Florida
Outback Bowl: Michigan St over Georgia
Cotton Bowl: Arkansas over Kansas St
BBVA Compass Bowl: Pittsburgh over SMU
GoDaddy.com Bowl: N. Illinois over Arkansas St
The MAC is a fun conference. I think that it would be a blast to play at any of the schools. I think that it would be a blast to be a student at any of the schools. They placed 5 in bowl games: Ohio, Toledo, Temple, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois. The NFL finds athletes throughout this conference. If I was a bowl honcho, I'd rather have a MAC school than many Big East schools.
Weak 13
The Minnesota Vikings-Denver Broncos game was much less about the almighty Tim Tebow and more about the Vikings generosity at the end. You can not just hand the ball to any team, let alone a hot team, at that stage of the game. Super example as to why the Vikings are now 2-10. Broncos 35-32.
Its unfortunate that Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder will likely remember that nice little gift wrapped interception at the end of the game over all that he did before. That's unfortunate. He set a Vikings rookie record with 381 yards passing. He made key throws. He made great throws. His two interceptions ultimately cost the Vikings the game but his passing made it a game. He's a rookie. He'll learn. This whole season has become more about the future for the Minnesota Vikings. Ponder has proven that he's a bright part of that. He's a keeper.
Toby Gerhart ran well in place of All-World Adrian Peterson. I like the way Gerhart runs. He's more shifty than he looks like he should be but he's really about power running. He doesn't always get there but its fun when he does.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Vikings secondary is a mess. They made a good receiver in Demaryius Thomas look like Jerry Rice. It was truly sad.
Calvin Johnson coould have 400 yards next week. They only player paid by the Vikings with a prayer of staying with Johnson is Chris Cook. He's, ummm, on leave. Yea, that's it.
Hey Brian Billick, his name is Jared Allen. For two weeks now he's been calling him Gerald Allen. How does someone make that mistake so consistently?
Congratulations Stephen Burton. The Vikings rookie receiver from West Texas A&M made his first NFL reception. He also added a key 3rd down conversion late in the game. He's not real tall at 6'1", but at 224 lbs he could be the big, physical receiver that the Vikings desperately need.
Vikings rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph has fantastic hands. His 19-yard touchdown reception was beautiful. With his height, catch radius and hands, he'll be a serious weapon for years.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Percy Harvin is a beast. 156 yards receiving. Another 19 rushing. Two touchdowns of 48 and 52 yards. He's the only real offensive threat without Peterson and he's destroying defenses despite the extra attention.
It doesn't look like all the stupidity on the Lions left with the Ndamukong Suh suspension. That team sure has a tub full of fools.
New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz has been impressive all year. If the Giants could ever get their receivers healthy at the same time, they'd have a dynamite group.
Deion Sanders simply cracks me up on NFL Network's GameDay Final.
Colts-Patriots has been such a fantastic rivalry for so long now. Its sad that this game has become another casualty of a season without Peyton Manning.
The ideal is that the season is decided by the play on the field. This season may be decided by those that best survive injuries. The Kansas City Chiefs had a promising year derailed early by the losses of Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry and later Matt Cassel. The Houston Texans have been rocked. Now the Chicago Bears have been hit hard. Jay Cutler a few weeks ago. Now, its Matt Forte with a knee injury. Injuries have always been a part of football. Always will. I've never before seen so many key players go down.
Packers carry on. But the Giants were right there.
Holiday Bowl: Cal vs Texas. Go Bears!!!
Flea Flicker congratulations to the Vanderbilt Commodores on their Liberty Bowl bid. A school that does it right in a conference that often doesn't.
Next week is bad news for the Lions.
Its unfortunate that Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder will likely remember that nice little gift wrapped interception at the end of the game over all that he did before. That's unfortunate. He set a Vikings rookie record with 381 yards passing. He made key throws. He made great throws. His two interceptions ultimately cost the Vikings the game but his passing made it a game. He's a rookie. He'll learn. This whole season has become more about the future for the Minnesota Vikings. Ponder has proven that he's a bright part of that. He's a keeper.
Toby Gerhart ran well in place of All-World Adrian Peterson. I like the way Gerhart runs. He's more shifty than he looks like he should be but he's really about power running. He doesn't always get there but its fun when he does.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Vikings secondary is a mess. They made a good receiver in Demaryius Thomas look like Jerry Rice. It was truly sad.
Calvin Johnson coould have 400 yards next week. They only player paid by the Vikings with a prayer of staying with Johnson is Chris Cook. He's, ummm, on leave. Yea, that's it.
Hey Brian Billick, his name is Jared Allen. For two weeks now he's been calling him Gerald Allen. How does someone make that mistake so consistently?
Congratulations Stephen Burton. The Vikings rookie receiver from West Texas A&M made his first NFL reception. He also added a key 3rd down conversion late in the game. He's not real tall at 6'1", but at 224 lbs he could be the big, physical receiver that the Vikings desperately need.
Vikings rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph has fantastic hands. His 19-yard touchdown reception was beautiful. With his height, catch radius and hands, he'll be a serious weapon for years.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Percy Harvin is a beast. 156 yards receiving. Another 19 rushing. Two touchdowns of 48 and 52 yards. He's the only real offensive threat without Peterson and he's destroying defenses despite the extra attention.
It doesn't look like all the stupidity on the Lions left with the Ndamukong Suh suspension. That team sure has a tub full of fools.
New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz has been impressive all year. If the Giants could ever get their receivers healthy at the same time, they'd have a dynamite group.
Deion Sanders simply cracks me up on NFL Network's GameDay Final.
Colts-Patriots has been such a fantastic rivalry for so long now. Its sad that this game has become another casualty of a season without Peyton Manning.
The ideal is that the season is decided by the play on the field. This season may be decided by those that best survive injuries. The Kansas City Chiefs had a promising year derailed early by the losses of Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry and later Matt Cassel. The Houston Texans have been rocked. Now the Chicago Bears have been hit hard. Jay Cutler a few weeks ago. Now, its Matt Forte with a knee injury. Injuries have always been a part of football. Always will. I've never before seen so many key players go down.
Packers carry on. But the Giants were right there.
Holiday Bowl: Cal vs Texas. Go Bears!!!
Flea Flicker congratulations to the Vanderbilt Commodores on their Liberty Bowl bid. A school that does it right in a conference that often doesn't.
Next week is bad news for the Lions.
Game Day Bits
With an apparent lack of better things to do in Wisconsin, a Public Polling Service took it upon themselves to determine the most popular peeps in their state. The results were astonishing. (% of respondents mentioning the person on their list of favorites)
Abe Lincoln 91%
Jesus Christ 90
Aaron Rodgers 89
George Washington 86
Mother Theresa 83
NFL clown Ndamukong Suh celebrated his idiocy, suspension and lost appeal of his suspension by crashing his car into a tree and fountain in Portland. Nice.
Players might want to stay closer to home during the season. In addition to Suh doing stupid stuff in Portland, Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain decided to have some gun play in Alabama. Suh may not see the field for a couple weeks. It could be a longer absence for McClain.
For some better news, thanks for the memories Donovan McNabb. Rumor has it you tried to get free meals in Mankato. Fact is you didn't need them. Welcome back Sage Rosenfels. The Vikings added Sage to back up Christian Ponder for the rest of the year. I like the idea of keeping Rosenfels next year and beyond. He's a very good backup. Rosenfels provides a solid presence and significant experience. He's a reassuring presence. All quarterbacks want a chance to play but there are only 32 starting jobs.
This week the state of Minnesota discovered about 876 million unaccounted for dollars. I'm not sure how this happens and I question the future employment of those involved. I just hope that this helps the Vikings quest for a much needed new stadium. It certainly can't hurt.
Speaking of stadium news. It looks like the San Francisco 49ers are well on their way to a new one. I've followed as closely as possible the Vikings ten year quest for a new stadium. They've gone over so many hurdles and through so many hoops especially in the five years that the Wilf family has owned the team. The 49ers simply strolled into a cozy little deal. They'll pay 30 million per year in rent and any cost overruns.
The Vikings have put 425 million and cost overruns up front and yearly maintenance and upkeep. Now, I believe that all NFL teams deserve a nice home and pretty much all have one. The 49ers deverve one. The Vikings desperately need one. Last year's dome collapse screamed that need. I simply can't believe how easy the 49ers stadium situation progressed. The Minnesota legilature needs to wake up.
I tuned into the Conference USA Championship game between the #7 Houston Cougars and the #24 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the third quarter. S. Mississippi had just opened up a 14-point lead. It didn't get any better for Houston. The Cougars were unbeaten and looking at a nice BCS bowl game. That ended. Cougar quarterback Case Keenum went over 5,000 passing yards in a season for an incredible third time. His slight Heisman hopes likely ended with the outcome of this game. The Houston offense produces bloated passing numbers but Keenum's accomplishments are still amazing. Southern Mississippi looked good in the 49-28 win.
I'm more amazed with every kick return taken back by LSU's Tyrann Mathieu. No wonder Patrick Peterson returned so few while he was there.
Despite not winning a conference championship or even playing in a conference championship game there is little doubt here that Alabama deserves to play LSU for the title. A rematch might bore some but without a national playoff you have to pick the two best. Like it or not that's LSU and Alabama. Defensive battles make for fine football too. Its early but I pick Alabama to win that fancy crystal ball.
Oklahoma St has a beast of an offense but I'm surprised that they handled Oklahoma so easily. I still don't see Oklahoma St in the championship game. They lost to Iowa St.
I wish that I had set aside about four hours yesterday for the Big 10 Championship Game. That was a fantastic game. No offense intended to Archie Griffin but they should drop the Griffin from the Grange/Griffin Trophy for the game MVP. Congratulations to Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson for winning said trophy. Great kid.
38 touchdowns on the year for Wisconsin back Montee Ball. That's a crazy total, but its still one less than former Oklahoma St star and pretty decent NFL player Barry Sanders. With the Rose Bowl still to play, Ball has an excellent shot at Sanders' record.
Speaking of the Big 10 Championship Game, I like Charles Davis as an announcer. He first popped into my awareness during the NFL Network's broadcast of the 2007 NFL Draft. He's been part of the Network's coverage of and lead up to the draft ever since. He's informative and entertaining. He does a great job. It got him a shot at announcing games. I've only seen a few of them but I like his calls.
Tebow time is about up.
Abe Lincoln 91%
Jesus Christ 90
Aaron Rodgers 89
George Washington 86
Mother Theresa 83
NFL clown Ndamukong Suh celebrated his idiocy, suspension and lost appeal of his suspension by crashing his car into a tree and fountain in Portland. Nice.
Players might want to stay closer to home during the season. In addition to Suh doing stupid stuff in Portland, Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain decided to have some gun play in Alabama. Suh may not see the field for a couple weeks. It could be a longer absence for McClain.
For some better news, thanks for the memories Donovan McNabb. Rumor has it you tried to get free meals in Mankato. Fact is you didn't need them. Welcome back Sage Rosenfels. The Vikings added Sage to back up Christian Ponder for the rest of the year. I like the idea of keeping Rosenfels next year and beyond. He's a very good backup. Rosenfels provides a solid presence and significant experience. He's a reassuring presence. All quarterbacks want a chance to play but there are only 32 starting jobs.
This week the state of Minnesota discovered about 876 million unaccounted for dollars. I'm not sure how this happens and I question the future employment of those involved. I just hope that this helps the Vikings quest for a much needed new stadium. It certainly can't hurt.
Speaking of stadium news. It looks like the San Francisco 49ers are well on their way to a new one. I've followed as closely as possible the Vikings ten year quest for a new stadium. They've gone over so many hurdles and through so many hoops especially in the five years that the Wilf family has owned the team. The 49ers simply strolled into a cozy little deal. They'll pay 30 million per year in rent and any cost overruns.
The Vikings have put 425 million and cost overruns up front and yearly maintenance and upkeep. Now, I believe that all NFL teams deserve a nice home and pretty much all have one. The 49ers deverve one. The Vikings desperately need one. Last year's dome collapse screamed that need. I simply can't believe how easy the 49ers stadium situation progressed. The Minnesota legilature needs to wake up.
I tuned into the Conference USA Championship game between the #7 Houston Cougars and the #24 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the third quarter. S. Mississippi had just opened up a 14-point lead. It didn't get any better for Houston. The Cougars were unbeaten and looking at a nice BCS bowl game. That ended. Cougar quarterback Case Keenum went over 5,000 passing yards in a season for an incredible third time. His slight Heisman hopes likely ended with the outcome of this game. The Houston offense produces bloated passing numbers but Keenum's accomplishments are still amazing. Southern Mississippi looked good in the 49-28 win.
I'm more amazed with every kick return taken back by LSU's Tyrann Mathieu. No wonder Patrick Peterson returned so few while he was there.
Despite not winning a conference championship or even playing in a conference championship game there is little doubt here that Alabama deserves to play LSU for the title. A rematch might bore some but without a national playoff you have to pick the two best. Like it or not that's LSU and Alabama. Defensive battles make for fine football too. Its early but I pick Alabama to win that fancy crystal ball.
Oklahoma St has a beast of an offense but I'm surprised that they handled Oklahoma so easily. I still don't see Oklahoma St in the championship game. They lost to Iowa St.
I wish that I had set aside about four hours yesterday for the Big 10 Championship Game. That was a fantastic game. No offense intended to Archie Griffin but they should drop the Griffin from the Grange/Griffin Trophy for the game MVP. Congratulations to Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson for winning said trophy. Great kid.
38 touchdowns on the year for Wisconsin back Montee Ball. That's a crazy total, but its still one less than former Oklahoma St star and pretty decent NFL player Barry Sanders. With the Rose Bowl still to play, Ball has an excellent shot at Sanders' record.
Speaking of the Big 10 Championship Game, I like Charles Davis as an announcer. He first popped into my awareness during the NFL Network's broadcast of the 2007 NFL Draft. He's been part of the Network's coverage of and lead up to the draft ever since. He's informative and entertaining. He does a great job. It got him a shot at announcing games. I've only seen a few of them but I like his calls.
Tebow time is about up.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Mayock's Path
I always enjoy learning the stories behind the players, coaches and persons in football. From Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff's days on the Cleveland Browns grounds crew to Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier starting the Trinity College football program from scratch. Everyone has a unique story. I heard a little more about NFL Network announcer and draft guru Mike Mayock's story recently. Its a good one.
Unlike Mel Kiper, Mike Mayock did play football. He was a good college defensive back at Boston College. He hung around the NFL for a little while with the New York Giants. He fell into a real estate job when his football playing career ended and he was miserable. He knew that he wanted to be involved in football but didn't know where to begin. As a coaches son he had a solid football background. He broke down film with his dad as a kid and he'd always been around and played the game. Having gone to the same high school, but years apart, he blindly visited Steve Sabol at NFL Films. They made a short audition tape that he could show around. It didn't kick down any doors but it set Mayock on his preferred path.
He did get some broadcast work around New Jersey. Announcing high school games, sideline reporting at Princeton and Rutgers. Eventually he landed some work with the Canadian Football League and the ridiculous job of actually interviewing Wayne Gretzky's statue in Edmonton. He started his career climb in earnest as part of the #2 CBS college football broadcast team.
When the NFL looked to start its own network Mayock pursued and interviewed for the anchor of Total Access. Obviously that gig went to an ESPN refugee, Rich Eisen. Due to his strong understanding of football, the NFL Network wanted Mayock to be their "draft guy." Their version of Mel Kiper. A Mel Kiper that actually played and knows the game. Mayock was hesitant at first but accepted. It was an excellent choice as he is brilliant with the draft. He pushed the network to cover the Senior Bowl and the Combine. Both are now highlights of the NFL offseason. Its been fun watching him become more comfortable in the role and on TV in general. I rarely saw him smile in the early days. Now those smiles come easy. He's become so comfortable that he's now a big shot announcer too. He has the prime Notre Dame broadcasts on NBC, the NFL Network's Thursday Night games and most importantly the Minnesota Vikings preseason games. He's proven that it was a smart move to seek out Steve Sabol and start on his football path.
Unlike Mel Kiper, Mike Mayock did play football. He was a good college defensive back at Boston College. He hung around the NFL for a little while with the New York Giants. He fell into a real estate job when his football playing career ended and he was miserable. He knew that he wanted to be involved in football but didn't know where to begin. As a coaches son he had a solid football background. He broke down film with his dad as a kid and he'd always been around and played the game. Having gone to the same high school, but years apart, he blindly visited Steve Sabol at NFL Films. They made a short audition tape that he could show around. It didn't kick down any doors but it set Mayock on his preferred path.
He did get some broadcast work around New Jersey. Announcing high school games, sideline reporting at Princeton and Rutgers. Eventually he landed some work with the Canadian Football League and the ridiculous job of actually interviewing Wayne Gretzky's statue in Edmonton. He started his career climb in earnest as part of the #2 CBS college football broadcast team.
When the NFL looked to start its own network Mayock pursued and interviewed for the anchor of Total Access. Obviously that gig went to an ESPN refugee, Rich Eisen. Due to his strong understanding of football, the NFL Network wanted Mayock to be their "draft guy." Their version of Mel Kiper. A Mel Kiper that actually played and knows the game. Mayock was hesitant at first but accepted. It was an excellent choice as he is brilliant with the draft. He pushed the network to cover the Senior Bowl and the Combine. Both are now highlights of the NFL offseason. Its been fun watching him become more comfortable in the role and on TV in general. I rarely saw him smile in the early days. Now those smiles come easy. He's become so comfortable that he's now a big shot announcer too. He has the prime Notre Dame broadcasts on NBC, the NFL Network's Thursday Night games and most importantly the Minnesota Vikings preseason games. He's proven that it was a smart move to seek out Steve Sabol and start on his football path.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tim Tebow Comes To Minnesota
This week seems to be a good time for the Minnesota Vikings to finally grab win #3. The Vikings can't defend the pass and Tim Tebow can't throw a pass.
So much is made of Tebow leading the Broncos resurgence. One would think that no one else plays for the team. The Broncos defense has been terrific. In particular, rookie linebacker Von Miller has been more than the team could have hoped when they chose him second overall. With 10.5 sacks on the season, he has Jevon Kearse's rookie record in his sites. Miller is going to be a nightmare for the Vikings. He's going to be a nightmare for offenses for his entire career. Von Miller is a good one.
One of the most telling examples, for me, of Tebow's impact is the Broncos receivers. Eddie Royal and Eric Decker seem to have bought into the new offense. Receivers only get a handful of chances each game. In this crazy offense, with Tebow and runningback Willis McGahee handling the ball, the receivers see the ball far less than that. Apparently they enjoy winning more. Unfortunately, we don't see that attitude, wins over attention, too often in the NFL. Especially from receivers. I still question the long term success of this offense. It has a lot of surprise value to it now but defenses will catch on. They always do.
So much is made of Tebow leading the Broncos resurgence. One would think that no one else plays for the team. The Broncos defense has been terrific. In particular, rookie linebacker Von Miller has been more than the team could have hoped when they chose him second overall. With 10.5 sacks on the season, he has Jevon Kearse's rookie record in his sites. Miller is going to be a nightmare for the Vikings. He's going to be a nightmare for offenses for his entire career. Von Miller is a good one.
One of the most telling examples, for me, of Tebow's impact is the Broncos receivers. Eddie Royal and Eric Decker seem to have bought into the new offense. Receivers only get a handful of chances each game. In this crazy offense, with Tebow and runningback Willis McGahee handling the ball, the receivers see the ball far less than that. Apparently they enjoy winning more. Unfortunately, we don't see that attitude, wins over attention, too often in the NFL. Especially from receivers. I still question the long term success of this offense. It has a lot of surprise value to it now but defenses will catch on. They always do.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Throwback Thursday: The Sugar Land Express
Glades Day High School running back Kelvin Taylor recently broke Emmitt Smith's 25-year old Florida high school career rushing record. Taylor inherited serious football skills from his father, former Jacksonville Jaguars back Fred Taylor. The younger Taylor's 8975 yards ranks second all time nationally behind Sugar Land, Texas' Kenneth Hall. As great as Taylor's accomplishments are he's still far behind the Sugar Land Express. Everyone is.
Whenever Texas high school football is mentioned the name Kenneth Hall isn't far behind. He's the legend and his records will probably never be touched. From 1950-53, Hall rushed for 11,232 yards. As a single wing quarterback he also added 3,326 passing yards to that total. He rushed for over 3,000 yards in a season three times. In his senior season he had the insane total of 4,045 yards. His 32.9 points per game that final season is still the national record. He scored 899 points in his prep career. In a single game against Houston Lutheran, Hall ran for 520 yards on 11 carries. His records don't even seem real and they were set nearly sixty years ago. He led Sugar Land to three state titles in football, one in basketball and two in track and field.
Kenneth Hall chose to attend Texas A&M under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He was a draft pick by the Baltimore Colts. Prior to being drafted he played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He played for the Colts and the Chicago and St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL and the Houston Oilers of the AFL. Hall never achieved the level of success as a professional that he achieved in high school. How could he? He was still part of league championship teams in Baltimore and Houston.
Hall was enshrined in the National High School Hall of Fame in 1983. He also belongs to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored in 1999 with the Kenneth Hall Trophy. Serving as the nation's highest high school football honor, the Kenneth Hall Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding football player in the nation. Not only that, there's a Kenneth Hall Stadium, a 40-acre subdivision in Sugar Land named Hall Lakes, and Ken Hall Blvd. In a state that has produced running backs from Doak Walker to Earl Campbell to Adrian Peterson it is Kenneth Hall that stands above the rest.
Whenever Texas high school football is mentioned the name Kenneth Hall isn't far behind. He's the legend and his records will probably never be touched. From 1950-53, Hall rushed for 11,232 yards. As a single wing quarterback he also added 3,326 passing yards to that total. He rushed for over 3,000 yards in a season three times. In his senior season he had the insane total of 4,045 yards. His 32.9 points per game that final season is still the national record. He scored 899 points in his prep career. In a single game against Houston Lutheran, Hall ran for 520 yards on 11 carries. His records don't even seem real and they were set nearly sixty years ago. He led Sugar Land to three state titles in football, one in basketball and two in track and field.
Kenneth Hall chose to attend Texas A&M under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He was a draft pick by the Baltimore Colts. Prior to being drafted he played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He played for the Colts and the Chicago and St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL and the Houston Oilers of the AFL. Hall never achieved the level of success as a professional that he achieved in high school. How could he? He was still part of league championship teams in Baltimore and Houston.
Hall was enshrined in the National High School Hall of Fame in 1983. He also belongs to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored in 1999 with the Kenneth Hall Trophy. Serving as the nation's highest high school football honor, the Kenneth Hall Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding football player in the nation. Not only that, there's a Kenneth Hall Stadium, a 40-acre subdivision in Sugar Land named Hall Lakes, and Ken Hall Blvd. In a state that has produced running backs from Doak Walker to Earl Campbell to Adrian Peterson it is Kenneth Hall that stands above the rest.
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