Bear Backer

Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks likely earned himself a nice payday after his performance at the Scouting Combine. It was widely expected that North Carolina's Zach Brown would run away with the best 40 yard time among the linebackers. Some, Mike Mayock, even speculated that Brown would run the fastest 40 ever for a linebacker at the Combine. Wrong. Mychal Kendricks was the fastest linebacker with a 4.47. Brown was right behind him at 4.50. Kendricks had the best vertical and broad jumps as well. He was also among the best in all of the field drills. It was likely an eye opening performance for many of the NFL decision makers. The performance revealed Kendricks to be an explosive athlete. His college career revealed him as a dynamite football player. When the scouts and coaches take a closer look at his play on the football field, they'll likely be more impressed than they were in Indianapolis. He was a weekly highlight reel for Cal.

I was a little surprised by Kendrick's speed. He made plays all over the field for Cal. I saw his tremendous range as due more to instincts than speed. Now I see it was likely a bit of both. Everyone needs fast, instinctive linebackers. Kendricks qualifies. He was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. It was also his first year as an inside linebacker. He adjusted well to the switch. Showing his versatility and adaptability. He'll likely stay inside with a 3-4 team but I think that he could play any spot in a 4-3.

Kendricks is a hiccup under 6'. This could turn teams away. Teams willing to take a less skilled 6'4" linebacker doesn't deserve Mychal Kendricks.

Flea Flicker Mock Draft 1.0

Mock Drafts are essentially a grand fun waste of time. I try to stay away from doing my own but that pad of paper always creeps closer. Usually I only work them out to the Minnesota Vikings selection. This year that would only be to pick #3. That doesn't reveal too much. So, I'll take the Flea Flicker Mock Drafts all the way to pick #35 and the Vikings second selection.

Mock Drafts are all guesses. Factoring in trades take them even further from reality. I usually avoid trades when messing around with mocks. However, right now I see Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III as the second pick in the draft and I really don't see the St Louis Rams making that pick. Many "experts" predict that the Cleveland Browns will be that team because the team is armed with two first round picks. One of them being #4. I'm not sure that the Browns have given up on quarterback Colt McCoy. If they stick with McCoy and stay at #4, they could end up with Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon. Adding Blackmon to McCoy might be more promising than just adding Griffin and subtracting valuable draft choices. Right now I see the Washington Redskins, at #6, the Miami Dolphins, at #8, and the Seattle Seahawks, at #12, as more likely teams to jump up to #2 to draft Griffin. For pure convenience sake, I have the Browns and Rams swapping spots in this mock draft. It also helps that it easily makes Griffin and Blackmon the top 4 selections that they likely will be. Mock Drafts should not require this much explanation.

Finally, here's the Flea Flicker 2012 Mock Draft 1.0, there'll be revisions to follow:

1. Colts  Andrew Luck  QB  Stanford
2. Browns  Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
3. Vikings  Matt Kalil  T  USC
4. Rams  Justin Blackmon  WR  Oklahoma St
5. Buccaneers  Morris Claiborne  CB  LSU
6. Redskins  Ryan Tannehill  QB  Texas A&M
7. Jaguars  Melvin Ingram DE  South Carolina
8. Dolphins  Trent Richardson  RB  Alabama
9. Panthers  Michael Brockers  DT  LSU
10. Bills  Quinton Coples DE North Carolina
11. Chiefs  David DeCastro  G  Stanford
12. Seahawks  Dre Kirkpatrick  CB  Alabama
13. Cardinals  Riley Reiff T Iowa
14. Cowboys  Janoris Jenkins  CB  North Alabama
15. Eagles  Luke Kuechly LB  Boston College
16. Jets  Courtney Upshaw  LB  Alabama
17. Bengals  Lamar Miller  RB  Bengals
18. Chargers  Mike Adams  T  Ohio St
19. Bears  Michael Floyd  WR  Notre Dame
20. Titans  Whitney Mercilus  DE  Illinois
21. Bengals  Cordy Glenn  T  Georgia
22. Browns  Kendall Wright  WR  Baylor
23. Lions  Jonathan Martin  T  Stanford
24. Steelers  Kelechi Osemele  T  Iowa St
25. Broncos  Jerel Worthy  DT  Michigan St
26. Texans  Dontari Poe  DT  Memphis
27. Patriots  Dont'a Hightower  LB Alabama
28. Packers  Stephon Gilmore  CB  South Carolina
29. Ravens  Peter Konz  C  Wisconsin
30. 49ers  Alshon Jeffery  WR South Carolina
31. Patriots  Andre Branch  DE  Clemson
32. Giants  Devon Still  DT Penn St
33. Colts  Coby Fleener  TE  Stanford
34. Rams  Zach Brown  LB North Carolina
35. Vikings  Mark Barron  S  Alabama

Well, there it is. This changes often. I would love it if the Vikings could somehow come out of the first round with Kalil and DeCastro. Blackmon, Claiborne and Brockers too. That'd be nice.

New Season

The Scouting Combine can be seen as the kickoff of the new season. that's good news for pretty much every team but the New york Giants. The Super Bowl champs only get three weeks to enjoy it. I'm feeling the excitement build but I'm a little nutty like that. In the past, free agency started just days after the Combine. This year we have to sit around until March 13. This gives teams some extra time to deal with their own free agents.

As for the Combine, the offense had center stage over the weekend. The defenders and Rich Eisen get their shot today and tomorrow.

Here's some Flea Flicker thoughts from the weekend:

I'm completely sold on USC tackle Matt Kalil as the Minnesota Vikings first pick at #3. With the Indianapolis Colts likely taking Andrew Luck first overall and all the talk of the St Louis trading the #2 pick to a team drooling over Robert Griffin III, it looks like Kalil to the Vikings has a real good chance of happening. That would make Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson and me very happy. If Kalil is gone, Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon or LSU corner Morris Claiborne would be nice consolations.

Boise St quarterback Kellen Moore and Fresno St receiver Devon Wylie looked like a couple kids that crashed the festivities. They are both very good football players. I hope they get a shot.

It's kinda silly to have offensive linemen run anything longer than 10 yards.

Speaking of linemen, I don't see how any can have less than 25 reps on the bench press. There are receivers that can hit that.

Speaking of receivers, I hope that some team grabs Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd before he gets to #19 and the Chicago Bears. I don't really want Jay Cutler throwing to that guy. That could get scary.

I don't know how Georgia Tech gets receivers. They run a unique flex option offense that leaves receivers more as decoys and blockers. They run nearly every down yet they send receivers not backs to the NFL. Denver Broncos receiver and Vikings killer Demaryius Thomas was a first round pick out of Georgia Tech. Stephen Hill just had a combine performance that might have pushed him into the first round. Big, fast, nice hands.

Former Cal players, receiver Marvin Jones and tackle Mitchell Schwartz, helped themselves this weekend. I like Jones a lot. I was curious about his speed and he put up a nice 4.48. Schwartz had a puzzling college career. His freshman year was his best. From that performance I thought that he was on his way to becoming one of the best Cal linemen I've seen. Better than Todd Steussie and Tarik Glenn. Schwartz is huge and can move well. Neither can be taught. He'll get a shot.

Robert Griffin III is fast.

Andrew Luck put up workout numbers nearly identical to Cam Newton.

I'll never understand why players pass on working out in all or portions of the combine. The top three quarterbacks, Luck, Griffin and Ryan Tannehill, all chose not to throw. At least Tannehill had a real excuse. He was injured.

Real classy when Virginia Tech running back David Wilson showed up for his press conference in a suit and tie. No one could remember a player ever doing that.

I would love to see any of the following receivers as the Vikings second or third pick: Alshon Jeffery, Stephen Hill, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Jeff Fuller, Jordan White. If Stanford's Chris Owusu could ever stay healthy, he'd be there too.

The Vikings need Matt Kalil, receiver, defensive tackle, linebacker, safeties and cornerback. That's a 3-13 team need list.

Congratulations to all the people involved with Undefeated on their Best Documentary Oscar last night. I can't wait to see that flick.

Undefeated

Seeing as it's Oscars night tonight, it just seemed right to mention that a football movie produced by a former football player is up for best documentary. Undefeated spends a season following the Manassas High School Tigers, a football team from inner-Memphis, which, in its 110 year history, has never made it to a playoff. But then six years ago, in walked Bill Courtney, who committed himself to working with these kids to change all that.

Directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin caught wind of the story from an article in the Commercial Appeal, a Memphis daily. Written by Jason Smith, the article, "Raising O.C.: Three Families Have Arms Around This Top Prospect," told the tale of O.C. Brown, a Manassas High School offensive tackle who at 16, and 315 pounds was a sweet, soft-spoken behemoth with a talent for as Smith put it, "plowing through defenders like a Mack truck through a flower bed." Brown's academic issues led to a living situation than rang a familiar note. Big, black offensive tackle living with white folks in Memphis. Before you start thinking Blindside II, this documentary is about the school where Michael Oher should have been enrolled. All the players at Manassas High have a story like Oher. None had Sandra Bullock to look after them.

Pretty much anything football has my attention. Some have compared this film and this story to a real life version of TV's Friday Night Lights. Like that terrific program, Undefeated is about far more than football. It's about people coming together to make a bad situation better. It sounds like a flick for the Flicker.

It would be irresponsible to aknowledge football on Oscar Sunday without mentioning Rooney Mara. She is nominated as best supporting actress for her role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. As part of the New York Giants' Maras and Pittsburgh Steelers' Rooneys, she is football royalty.

Nitpickin'

While discussing an upcoming draft, Bill Walsh once told his staff, "I don't want to know what he can't do. Tell me what he can do." The NFL Draft has come to be under such a microscope that finding holes in a player's game becomes more important than determining whether the player can help a team win games. Ray Lewis was too slow. Maurice Jones-Drew was too small. John Randle was too everything to even be drafted. Can he play football? Can he win games? Those should be the questions.

On his recent podcast, Rich Eisen asked Charles Davis what sort of nitpickin' will be done on Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III between now and the Draft. What will be found to separate Griffin from Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. I know that sparking debate and discussion is Eisen's job. I just don't see the need to separate players by tearing one of them down. It's likely that the Indianapolis Colts is the only team that has to make the decision between the two. My guess is that the choice will be Luck. I was more sure of that with the prior coaching staff but I still see Luck as the more likely choice. Rather than nitpick the abilities of Griffin I think a better discussion is what team best suits his unique skills. Any offense is going to look a whole lot different with Griffin running it. Bottom line is that Griffin is an excellent quarterback and football player. He can  play in any offense but he will change that offense. His speed will spread out the defense. Cam Newton's success this past season helps Griffin and Griffin throws the ball better than Newton coming out of college. Talk about that. Is he too short? Is he too slight of build? Too many times supposed physical limitations have proven ridiculous when called to nitpick an excellent football player. Talk about which teams might trade up to get the quarterback that the Colts don't take. Those questions are far more interesting. I suppose that it's the glass is half full/half empty view. I'd just rather see players judged by what they can do. Those are usually the skills that translate into wins on the football field.

RIP Tom Martinez

Every football player that makes it to the NFL had coaches that helped get them there. The names of those coaches are rarely widely known. Tom Martinez was one of those names and one of those coaches. His name is known because Tom Brady made it so.

Martinez died of a heart attack around 1pm Tuesday while receiving a dialysis treatment. It was his 67th birthday.

"He was 67 and along with wife, Olivia, leaves three children...their spouses...six grandchildren and hundreds of young athletes in the Bay Area and around the country," said Olivia Martinez.

Martinez worked with Brady when he was a teenager growing up in San Mateo, where Martinez coached at the College of San Mateo. Their relationship continued through Brady's NFL career. Brady frequently sought the coaching and guidance of Martinez whenever his throwing went awry. Most recently, prior to the start of this past season. Brady responded with 517 yards passing against the Miami Dolphins.

Martinez had a greater impact on the College of San Mateo. Hired to coach football and teach physical education, he added softball and women's basketball to his coaching load. He was coach of all three teams at the same time. Over 32 years, his teams won 32 championships. He was most proud of the fact that none of his players in any sport ever experienced a losing season during his CSM tenure. After retiring from CSM in 2007, Martinez began a highly successful career as quarterback coach and mentor to hundreds of young men all over the country.

RIP Tom Martinez.

Throwback Thursday: Workout Warriors

The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week in Indianapolis. Wasn't the NFL just there? The first few days are mostly check-ins and weigh-ins, interviews and medical checks. The actual workouts start Saturday with the offensive linemen and tight ends. Some good does come out of the combine but it's mostly a ridiculous meat market. Of course, I still watch and follow it. I look at it as an entertaining part of the draft process. I just see little direct translation to football ability. Teams often get too wrapped up with the performances. Nothing beats actual performance on the football field. These performances over three or four years of college are the best indication of football ability and instincts. I've never understood the importance placed on numbers generated at the Combine. They only thing that reliably comes out of these numbers is the dreaded "workout warriors." The football players that "look like Tarzan but play like Jane." Teams fall over themselves to get these players. Often drafting them ridiculously early. Always forgetting that these workouts have absolutely nothing to do with wins on a football field. The players train specifically for these physical tests. It's like taking a test and already having the questions. Some "workout warriors" happen to also be fantastic football players. They time well. They lift well. They move well. They measure well. They also happen to dominate on the football field. Those are the ones remembered for their play on the football field. The workout numbers never mattered much. The ones that did little to nothing on the football field are the ones that get saddled with the "workout warrior" label. The teams that drafted them are considered fools. The players are considered deceitful. Everybody else claims to have known it all along. Here's a few of those "warriors" from years past:

Mike Mamula, DE, Boston College: He's often considered the first "workout warrior". Whenever a football fans think of the term they think of Mamula. A player with a 3rd draft grade was drafted 7th overall by the Philadelhia Eagles in 1995 when he ran like a linebacker and lifted like an offensive lineman. He was an average player, at best, in the league.

Vernon Gholston, DE/LB, Ohio St.: His amazing 2008 workout combined with his "one-year wonder" in college made him the 6th pick in the Draft by the New York Jets. Gholston had 14.5 sacks in his lone stellar year at Ohio State. He's still looking for his first sack in the NFL.

Matt Jones, WR, Arkansas: Jones was a versatile college quarterback that went nuts at the 2004 Scouting Combine. At 6'6" and 237 lbs, he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash. Had a 39.5" vertical leap and 10'10" broad jump. Players that size are not supposed to move like that. The Jacksonville Jaguars grabbed him in the first round. He's done nothing for them.

Adam Archuleta, S, Arizona St.: I always felt that teams hoped that Archuleta would be the next Pat Tillman. Both played a similar safety/linebacker hybrid at Arizona St. Archuleta was more physical freak where Tillman was more football player. Archuleta, a huge safety at 225lbs, ran a 4.42 40, 39" vertical leap and benched 225lbs 31 times. The Rams drafted him 20th overall and saw little.

Darius Hayward-Bey, WR, Maryland: It's way too early to write off Hayward-Bey but the Oakland Raiders made him the first receiver selected in the 2009 NFL Draft solely on his speed. He ran a 4.3 40 at the Combine. Receivers really need to catch the ball to be effective. It doesn't matter how fast you get there if you don't have ball with you. Hayward-Bey might be stuck in the "workout warrior" corner more because Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Kenny Britt and Hakeem Nicks were drafted after him. While the first receiver selected is still trying to establish himself those selected after are four of the top young receivers in the league.

The NFL Scouting Combine serves a great purpose in the draft process. It just shouldn't be as important as some make it. It should supplement the solid football work these kids have put out there in college. If teams do their work completely the "workout warriors" will no longer be considered draft busts as well.

Taggin' Time

Monday was the first day that NFL teams could use their franchise tag designations on one of their own unsigned players. The window to do so is open until March 5th. Even though the franchise tag carries a nice little title, "franchise player", and a very nice pay day, most players hate it. The teams hate to rely on it but they love having it when they need it. The franchise tag is used when a team can't come to a contract agreement with one of their own unsigned players prior to the whirlwind of free agency. This year that begins on March 13th. They can continue neogtiating with the tagged player until mid-July. If no agreement is reached by then, it's either the franchise tag contract or a holdout. The teams have two levels of franchise tagging. Exclusive rights and non-exclusive rights. The former prevents the player from negotiating with any other team. The latter allows for the player to negotiate with other teams but the tagging team is compensated with two first round draft picks if the player signs with another team. It's a steep price so the franchise tag pretty much means that the player isn't moving any time soon. Both types of franchise tags guarantee a one-year contract based upon the highest contracts at that position in the league. The exclusive rights tag guaranteeing a larger contract than the non-exclusive. So, the tagged player is going to be very well compensated for the one year and it's all guaranteed. Even the best negotiated contracts have only portions of it guaranteed. The players usually hate the franchise tag. First of all, the one year nature of the contract provides no long term security. There's no comfort in knowing where he and his family will be for the next few years. Most importantly, the franchise tag provides no signing bonus. In a negotiated free agent contract a player receives a whole bunch of cash upon signing. Sometimes the majority of the money in the contract might be tied to that bonus. A player saddled with the franchise tag sees nothing until he starts playing the next season. Some players don't mind the franchise tag because they might have some understanding with the team that negotiations on a long-term deal will continue. There's a mutual interest in working something out and the tag is just a temporary thing.

Personally, I think that the franchise tag is a lazy way of doing business. It covers for an inability to get a deal done. Just like with the lockout last year, I'll never understand why two parties that want to work together can't come to some agreement in the given time frame. The objective of both parties is the same. Just meet in the middle. But that's just me and my pretty little view. The teams love using the threat of the tag to try and force a long-term contract out of a player. It's the last tool remaining from the owner-dominated old days to control the player. They used to control all of them, signed and unsigned. Now, they can control one. I'm actually a little surprised that the franchise tag made it into the new CBA. So, it's around for at least the next ten years. Now, let the taggin' begin.

Seattle Finally Does Something Good

I've grown tired of the Seattle Seahawks poaching Minesota Vikings. Just out of spite, they grabbed grabbed Nate Burleson a few years ago. Last year alone, the little birdies signed receiver Sidney Rice, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Losing Rice was particularly appalling. He was one of my favorites and the perfect compliment to Percy Harvin. It was a very sad day when Sidney Rice left Minnesota.

These bitter feelings softened a little when the Seahawks hired former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze as a coaching intern, working with the defensive line. He'll be reuniting with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, his college coach at USC. The reason that this is happy news is that Kenechi Udeze is fortunate to simply be alive. In 2008, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He was fortunate that his brother was a perfect bone marrow match. He beat back leukemia and incredibly was ready to play again in 2009. He was in shape and in training camp. Unfortunately he was hit with peripheral neuropathy, a result of chemotherapy. It caused numbness in his feet that prevented him from planting and creating any up field burst. He wouldn't be the same football player. Udeze retired that summer. He was a new man with a new passion for life. He went back to school. Unfortunately that school was USC. In May 2010, Udeze graduated with a degree in Sociology. Former USC assistant coach and current Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian hired Udeze as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, also working with the defensive line. Udeze knows a little something about strength. He also works heavily with charities that help raise money for cancer research.

Too many of these stories don't end well. As much as I miss Kenechi Udeze on the football I'm more happy that he's well and getting better and now coaching. Unfortunately that team is the Seattle Seahawks.

"Third and Long"

NFL Network's two part documentary "Third and Long" is terrific. It profiles the breakdown of segregation and the too slow advancement of blacks in professional football since 1946. These advancements shouldn't be that significant because blacks shouldn't have had to make them. Most of my early knowledge of those far away football days come from my father. He never presented those days to me in black and white. When he talked of those days he talked of football players and football games. He talked of Bill Willis, Marion Motley and Joe Perry no differently than he talked of Otto Graham, Elroy Hirsch and Frankie Albert. Like Paul Brown and Vince Lombardi, my father was color blind. They were all football players. I viewed the players of my youth in the 1970s in the same way. While the presence of blacks in professional football in the 1970s was no longer in question, where they could play on the football field was. They couldn't play down the middle of the field. They couldn't play quarterback, center, middle linebacker or safety. They couldn't play the "thinking" positions. Blacks were athletes. They could only play running back, receiver and cornerback. Of course the quarterback position was the greatest void. This caused no end of confusion for this little kid. Whenever I saw a black quarterback play well, it seemed the team sought to avoid it continuing. Prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers emergence as the team of that decade, they seemed to trot out any one of three quarterbacks. Each Sunday I might see one of the Terry's, Bradshaw or Hanratty, or Joe Gilliam. If the Steelers were on TV, I never knew which would start until they broke the huddle. I did know that Joe Gilliam was excellent every time I saw him play. I actually thought that Gilliam was better than either Terry. Bradshaw certainly went on to prove that he was the one to lead the Steelers to greatness. Still, I never understood how Joe Gilliam was out of football a couple years later. I had the same confusion over Warren Moon. He was fantastic at the University of Washington. I never understood how the NFL found no room for him. Canada did. When Moon returned to the states he showed what he should have been allowed to do all along.

Through the words of those that changed the game, "Third and Long" is a sad but amazing tale. Brave men broke down beliefs and barriers put up by a stupid and insecure society. As these men changed a game they changed that society.

Great Vikings News!

Friday brought terrific news on two unfortunate situations in Minnesota. Even though the excitement from both should be throttled back, it's difficult to do so. A lot of work still needs to be done but it's a fantastic start.

First of all, Vikings  running back Adrian Peterson is set to start running at the end of February. Normally, this would be a ridiculous thing to announce. A running back running? Big deal. In this case it's a huge deal. Peterson tore up his left knee on Christmas Eve against the Washington Redskins. A terrible knee injury. One that brought into question next season as well as his career. He had reconstructive surgery December 30th. His rehab has progressed so well that he's set to start running only two months later. Peterson is rewriting the book on this sort of rehab. The typical schedule is running at closer to four months after surgery. Adrian Peterson is a genetic freak. My biggest worry has always been that he'd push too hard to get back. I know there's no chance that the Vikings would allow any risks. Peterson is far too valuable to the team to take any chances. Peterson is just a different sort of physical beast. He'll be back for the start of the season. He'll be his typical dominant self. Maybe, even better than before.

The second great news item is that the Minnesota Vikings, the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis have finally agreed on a site and financing structure for a new stadium. This is just excellent news. The three parties have never been on the same page. At times they were so far apart that it seemed that the Vikings were on the next train out of town. There's still plenty of work to be done in that the state legislature and Minneapolis city council still have to approve the financing package. Considering the political insanity in Minnesota (Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachman, Jesse Ventura, etc.) this could be a chore. The Vikings had a similar agreement with the city of Arden Hills last spring. It didn't fly as the state wasn't behind it. The political powers that be have spent the months since that agreement directing the stadium back to Minneapolis. They have it now. If everything is passed, the stadium will be built next to the Metrodome. It will allow for the Vikings to play in their current home nearly to the completion of their new one.

At a time when the Minnesota Vikings are in need of some serious healing, two of the most significant issues look to be getting much better.

Happy Anniversary...

...to me.

One year ago today the Flea Flicker was kick started. It's been a blast. At first glance it was the wrong year to start as the NFL offseason went up in smoke with the lockout. It was a very frustrating time but it sure provided daily Flicker filler. Just not the fun stuff.

None of this would have been possible without Mrs. Flea Flicker. It's a bit corny to say that she's "the wind beneath my wings" but she is. She's my rock and my muse. She got me started and kept me going. Hopefully, the football bombardment on her has lessened. What was once thrown her way now has a home here. Thank you Mrs. Flea Flicker for everything. You are the best.

What will the next year of football bring? Well, I hope that it starts with a new Minnesota Vikings stadium and ends with a Vikings Super Bowl win. In between, it'll be refreshing to have an intact offseason. Whatever happens in the football world will be tackled by the Flea Flicker.

Bye Bye Jaws

I was saddened to hear that Ron Jaworski is leaving the Monday Night Football broadcast booth. ESPN is turning to a two man team of Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden. It's a bit of a gamble seeing as Gruden could bolt for a coaching gig at any moment. Tirico and Gruden are a fine team but Jaworski's football expertise will be missed. Thankfully, he isn't leaving ESPN completely. He'll still be doing his excellent breakdowns as part of the NFL Matchup shows.

I often hear people complain about Jaworski's broadcasting. They're often the same one's that complained about John Madden. I think that these critics are out of their minds. I don't see how anyone that enjoys football can listen to Ron Jaworski break down a play and not learn something. He's one of the best at explaining what's happening on the field. If people would stop complaining and listen, they might learn this and learn some football. I think that Jaworski's a "film guy" at heart and maybe enjoys the studio work more than the broadcast booth. I hope that this move was a mutual decision between Jaworski and ESPN. I'd hate to see one of the best football analysts around get phased out because some people don't take the time to listen.

Throwback Thursday: Lenny Moore

I've long been fond of the Baltimore Colts teams of the late 1950s. It's easy to have an appreciation for a team quarterbacked by John Unitas. They were also a fantastic team, winning league titles in 1958 and 1959 and contending nearly every year after. The team was loaded on both sides of the ball. Hall of Famers were everywhere. John Unitas, Raymond Berry, Jim Parker, Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan and coach Weeb Ewbank. Running back, receiver, anything-you-need Lenny Moore may have been my favorite.

Lenny Moore played at Penn State before Joe Paterno was the head coach. It's difficult to imagine that there was ever such a time. Moore was the Baltimore Colts first-round draft pick in 1956. Starting out as a combination running back-flanker. Moore was an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year. Despite his early success with the Colts, Moore was a little confused by John Unitas' after practice work with Raymond Berry and other receivers. He wondered why Unitas didn't invite him to these workouts. Berry told Moore that Unitas doesn't invite players to do what it takes to get better. You have to want to get better. Soon, Lenny Moore was working with Unitas after practice and the Colts were headed to championships.

In the 1958 NFL Championship game against the New York Giants, Moore had five catches for 99 yards. His greatest impact may have been as a decoy. Not known to the Giants was that Moore was playing injured. The Giants were terrified of the Colts' versatile weapon and rolled coverages his way. Drawing attention away from Raymond Berry. In a game destined to go into overtime and be considered the greatest ever played, Unitas and Berry took over the game at the end.

In the 1960s, Moore moved to running back full time. Injuries plagued his 1962 and '63 seasons. He bounced back in a big way in 1964 and enjoyed the finest season of his career, scoring 20 touchdowns. That year, one of the wire services named him the Comeback Player of the Year and another named him the Most Valuable Player. From 1963-65, Moore scored touchdowns in, an NFL record, 18 consecutive games. The record stood alone until LaDanian Tomlinson tied it in 2005. Moore is the only player to score 40 touchdowns both rushing and receiving. He scored 113 total touchdowns in his career. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. The Colts retired his #24 jersey and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Often one can tell the level of skill of an athlete by the number of nicknames. Lenny Moore had a few. "Sputnik," for the fear he incited in opposing defenses; "The Reading Rambler" and "Lightning Lenny," for his unmatched speed; and "Spats," for the way that he taped his high top shoes, making them look like low tops. "Spats" may have been the most frequently used, especially by his peers.

I have always favored versatile football players, players with unique skills. Lenny Moore had talents rarely seen before and only occasionally seen in more recent times. He could run like Gale Sayers and catch like Lance Alworth. Lenny Moore would likely have made the Hall of Fame at either running back or receiver. Instead, he made at both.

Moss Back?!

It looks like Randy Moss isn't quite ready to say goodbye to football just yet. He's always walked to a different beat but I always expected a return. When he passed on filing retirement papers it seemed that something was in the wind. His 2010 season was no way to end a fabulous career.

That 2010 season was a disaster much like his time with the Oakland Raiders. Sputtering effort on the field mixed with unpredictable behavior off of it. More than most, Randy Moss just wants to be loved. If he feels it, you'll see an incredible football player. If he doesn't feel it, you'll see a pain-in-the-ass. The not so funny result of Moss' 2010 season was the end of Brad Childress' Minnesota Vikings coaching career. The Moss mess in Minnesota played a crucial role in the firing. Moss' handful of games with the Tennessee Titans were the last games coached by Jeff Fisher. That was likely more coincidence than anything else. Moss' one-handed touchdown grab against Darrelle Revis was about the only pretty thing to come out of that disaster season.

I find it hilarious that Randy Moss' interest in returning to football sparks so much excitement among many Vikings fans hoping for a third visit. They can't get enough of him. They can't let him go. Moss brings back memories of the dynamite receiver that took apart the league in 1998. Few players have ever had such an impact on a team and on the league. Lawrence Taylor is the only football player that immediately comes to mind that left opponents with a similar lack of answers. No receiver has ever been as physically gifted as Randy Moss. Height, speed, leaping ability, body control, hands, football smarts. Moss had absolutely everything except for maybe the head to handle it all. When the team was winning, when he was happy he could handle it. When the slightest perceived slight was felt it could become a nightmare.

I'd love to see Randy Moss return. I'd love to see a fantastic receiver end his career on a higher note. He can with the right team. Cris Carter says that Moss can still run a 4.3. He's never had a significant injury. He could play at a high level for another year or two or three. I think that a New England return is the right place. The Patriots are a strong, always contending team. I think that there is still a mutual respect between Moss and Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft despite the manner in which things ended two years ago. Minnesota is not the right place. The Vikings are trying to regain their footing. A young quarterback like Christian Ponder doesn't need any potential issues from a sometimes unpredictable receiver.

I'd love to see Randy Moss play some football again, not in Minnesota, but somewhere in the NFL.

Confusion

As I was stalking Aaron Rodgers on the Pebble Beach golf links recently I was stylishly sporting a Minnesota Vikings cap and a #8 Cal jersey. It was stunning to experience the confusion caused by this fabulous outfit. I'm a blatantly obvious Vikings fan and nearly as obvious Cal man. Unlike many NFL executives and coaches I had a great appreciation for Rodgers' outstanding passing skills at Cal, thus his #8 jersey. I went to the golf tournament as a Vikings and an Aaron Rodgers fan. Nothing that I wore showed any interest in the Green Bay Packers. Still, I was asked on several occasions how I could be a Vikings fan and a Packers fan. It's inconceivable! I had to set all of these fools straight. If I was a Packers fan, I'd have no idea that Rodgers went to college. Let alone which college. Just like so many NFL people most are oblivious to the amazing, too brief, Cal career of Aaron Rodgers.

Would anyone think that a fan wearing a Joe Montana Chiefs jersey was a 49ers fan?

Usually when someone is demonstrating an allegiance to a particular team they actually display the colors and/or name of that team. I wasn't.

Golf Nuggets and Football Bits

The Flea Flicker was on the beautiful Pebble Beach links the past several days. It wasn't all about the game that is a walk in the park to whack a little ball. Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Bill Belichick, Herm Edwards, Nick Saban and Bob Stoops were all here as well. The Flea Flicker was on the job.

Caught this nugget on an exchange between an older female Green Bay Packers fan and Aaron Rodgers while golfing at Spyglass:
Fan: "Hey Aaron, you're my favorite pecker."
Mrs. Flea Flicker: "I hate to know how she knows"

I'm certainly no golf expert but it was easy to see that Rodgers had great drives and decent putting. If it weren't for occasional wild moments, he looks to be a fine golfer.

Perhaps the highlight of Rodgers' golf time, at least in terms of entertainment, was when he did the "Raji" on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach.

The Tony Romo-Tiger Woods pairing drew huge crowds. I'm glad that I stuck with Rodgers. They were always on the same course but always very far apart.

Bill Belichick is a very sweet man. This is the second time that I've seen him at this golf tournament and he spends more time than most signing autographs. He also makes each moment personal as he asks everyone their name.

Many have criticized some Patriots about how they spend their post-Super Bowl loss time. Belichick says that Pebble Beach and the tournament played here are the best place and time to unwind from the disappointment. People (media) really have to stop forcing their opinions on others. Let people do what they feel comfortable. Everyone is different.

Bob Stoops is somewhat goofy and very personable. He kept complimenting and thanking the spectators for braving a very light sprinkle.

Nick Saban has a large head.

There was a line of military folks along one of the greens at Pebble Beach on Saturday. Aaron Rodgers went over and shook every hand. It was a much appreciated gesture. Rodgers has always shown class. It was evident all week.

It's fun to see the football peeps outside of the sport in which they are comfortable and excel. To see the person behind the football persona.

A few football bits:

I didn't mention much about the Honors awards show held by the league on the eve of the Super Bowl.
I might have still been upset that Terrell Suggs of the Ravens took home the defensive player of the year award over the Vikings' Jared Allen. Suggs is a fantastic football player but he's just part of a dominant Ravens defense. Allen was often the only defense that the Vikings had on the field. Opposing offenses concentrated on him and still couldn't stop him. 22 sacks speak to that.

Aaron Rodgers again showed his class when he accepted the MVP award from Peyton Manning. Acknowledging his sharing of the stage with the 4-time winner of the award and hoping to see Manning on the field next year. It was Rodgers' moment and he still took the time to acknowledge the importance of Peyton Manning to the game.

I heard that Cris Carter lost Hall of Fame votes because some voters think that he's a jerk. I hate to break it to these idiots but the Hall of Fame is not a popularity contest. It's about special football players that had special football careers. Anybody that says that they won't vote for a player because they don't personally like him has to be kicked out of that room.

Vikings director of player personnel George Paton was the top choice of the St. Louis Rams for their general manager position. Falcons director of player personal Les Snead is now the Rams general manager. I was very pleased to see that Paton chose to stay with the Vikings as the assistant general manager rather than take the top job with the Rams. It says a lot that I like to hear about the Vikings front office.

Just like I can't imagine Peyton Manning playing anywhere but Indianapolis, I can't imagine Hines Ward playing anywhere but Pittsburgh. I really hope that both stay where they are.

The Minnesota Vikings need a new stadium. Nuff said.

Football-less Sunday

The first football-less Sunday is here. It's always so sad when it hits. Last September seems so recent. Next September seems so far away. With the scouting combine in a couple of weeks, free agency, the NFL Draft and a handful of mini-camps, there will be some football stuff. It's just not the same as the games. I miss them.

Football Bits

Tough job: The NFL Network producer tasked with putting together the Super Bowl XLVI highlight package is a big New England Patriots fan.

I wonder if kids today learn their Roman numerals first.

I have no problems with Gisele Bundchen sticking up for her husband. If anything I find it funny that anyone really cares.

I also have no problem with Matt Light and Rob Gronkowski dancing a jig just hours after a Super Bowl loss. Maybe they were dancing off their frustration. Maybe it was therapy for Gronk's gimpy ankle. Again, who really cares. If we didn't have such an invasive society, we wouldn't even know about it.

As of today, my Minnesota Vikings draft wish list is this:

1. Matt Kalil T USC
2. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St.
3. Morris Claiborne CB LSU
4. Riley Reiff T Iowa

Reiff is a recent addition. I'm becoming more intrigued by his potential. Kalil is considered more polished, more ready but Reiff may have a higher ceiling. I also wouldn't be opposed to the Vikings trading with a team hot for quarterbacks Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III to gather a few nice picks. I just don't want to see the Vikings drop so far as to lose a shot at one of these four players. It's, hopefully, not often that you draft this high and have a shot at players this skilled. Especially at positions of such desperate need. Free agency could change some priorities but I don't see it changing the tremendous need at left tackle.

I Hate You!

As I was scurrying about the various football sites that I scurry about I found the results of a "most hated NFL player" poll. I can think of a few thousand polls that would be more productive than this but I still had to check the results. Some were predictable.

Michael Vick             60%
Plaxico Burress          56
Ben Roethlisberger    49
Albert Haynesworth   46
Jay Cutler                  38
Chad Ochocinco       35
Vince Young              32
Carson Palmer          31
Tony Romo               29
Jeremy Shockey       29

This particular poll was apparently taken in November. Since his Thanksgiving day tantrum, Ndamukong Suh has entered the fray. The thing that bothers me most about Suh is the constant stream of excuses he gives for his ridiculous behavior. Vick is an automatic. All future "hate" polls can start at two. Vick will always be #1. I really don't understand how people can hate Burress for shooting himself. I get the hatred for Roethlisberger, Haynesworth and Shockey. Cutler may have annoying expressions and mannerisms that come across as ambivalence but he's a terrific quarterback and is never a problem off the field. Ochocinco is simply misunderstood. He's harmless and often hilarious. Romo is much like a happy Cutler. Palmer and Young did nothing but leave the team that drafted them. I have no idea what either one did to be hated. If Bengals fans hate Palmer for choosing retirement over playing for their team, they're misguided. The Bengals have been a mess for a while. The Raiders gave up enough for Palmer to make even the most hateful Bengals fan a happy one.

Except for a couple of these players, "hate" seems a little strong. I like "annoying" better. Still, it's all about opinions and every one's got one.

Throwback Thursday: Old Tyme Tales

The following are excerpts from Richard Whittingham's terrific book What a Game They Played.

George Halas told this story many times. In 1927, an aging Joe Guyon, then thirty-four years old, was in the backfield for the New York Giants. As he faded back to pass, Halas, the Bears' right defensive end, burst through. Guyon's back was to Halas, a perfect set-up for a blind-side hit, maybe a fumble, but if nothing else a reminder that the game of football was a rough one. At the last second, however, Guyon unloaded the pass and wheeled around to greet the charging Halas with his knee. It broke several of Halas' ribs. Guyon shook his head at the grimacing Chicago Bear on the ground.
"Come on, Halas," he said. "you should know better than to try and sneak up on an Indian."

Red Grange remembers that refereeing was a little looser in the 1920s and early '30s than it is today, open, so to speak, to improvisation.
"They had a referee in the 1920s, Jim Durfee, who was a character. He and George Halas were pretty good friends. But Durfee loved to penalize the Bears right in front of the bench. When Halas was riding him pretty hard in a game one day, Jim began marching off a 5-yard penalty. Halas got really hot. 'What's that for?' he hollered.
"'Coaching from the sidelines,' Jim yelled back. (It was in fact illegal in those days)
"'Well,' said George, 'that proves how dumb you are. That's fifteen yards, not five yards!'
"'Yeah,' said Jim, 'but the penalty for your kind of coaching is only five yards.'
"Another day Jim was penalizing the Bears 15 yards and Halas cupped his hands and yelled, 'You stink!' Jim just marched off another 15 yards, then turned and shouted, 'How do I smell from here?'
"After the game, however, they'd probably have a drink together."

George Musso, great guard for the Chicago Bears from 1933 through 1944, recalls the legendary collisions between his teammate Bronko Nagurski and Clarke Hinkle of the Green Bay Packers:
"Hinkle once plunged into the line and ran past me only to meet Nagurski, our linebacker, head-on. Nagurski hit him so hard that Hinkle was knocked back. He went backpedaling past me into the Green Bay backfield. But somehow he stayed on his feet and charged right back past me again. It was the only time I ever saw a back go by me three times on one play."

Ray Flaherty, who made the Hall of Fame as an end with the New York Giants, was also a fine head coach for the Washington Redskins from 1937 through 1942. The story of his first encounter with "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh, his rookie quarterback in 1937, is a classic.
At the team's first workout at summer camp, Flaherty wanted to see just how good a passer Baugh was. He told Wayne Miller, the Redskins' all-Pro end, to run a short pattern over the middle and buttonhook just behind the middle linebacker. Then he turned to Baugh, "I want you to hit him square in the eye with the ball," Flaherty said.
"Sure, coach," the rangy twenty-three-year-old Texan said and moved into his then-tailback position to take the snap from center. Then Baugh looked over his shoulder at Flaherty and said, "One thing, coach. Which eye?"

Odds Are...

Another indication that football never sleeps is that some gambling peeps, called Bovada, got busy and presented odds for Super Bowl XLVII. Already! Here they are:

6/1     Green Bay Packers
7/1     New England Patriots
8/1     New Orleans Saints
12/1   Houston Texans
12/1   Philadelphia Eagles
12/1   Pittsburgh Steelers
14/1   Baltimore Ravens
15/1   New York Giants
16/1   New York Jets
16/1   San Diego Chargers
18/1   Dallas Cowboys
18/1   Detroit Lions
18/1   San Francisco 49ers
22/1   Atlanta Falcons
30/1   Arizona Cardinals
30/1   Chicago Bears
35/1   Miami Dolphins
40/1   Cincinnati Bengals
40/1   Tennessee Titans
50/1   Carolina Panthers
50/1   Denver Broncos
50/1   Indianapolis Colts
50/1   Kansas City Chiefs
50/1   Oakland Raiders
60/1   Buffalo Bills
60/1   Seattle Seahawks
65/1   Washington Redskins
75/1   Minnesota Vikings
75/1   St Louis Rams
75/1   Tampa Bay Buccaneers
100/1 Cleveland Browns
100/1 Jacksonville Jaguars

Now, there's a bunch wrong here, besides posting odds for the next Super Bowl the day after the last Super Bowl. First off, how can the Giants get so little love after winning a title. The Jets are a mess right now and the Giants have only slightly better odds. The Giants have to be among the top four. They have the most complete team in the league. They may not be as explosive as the Packers or the Saints but they aren't far behind. On defense, few are better. Speaking of defense, the Giants were lucky to get by the 49ers defense in the Conference Championship game. Saddling the the 49ers toward the middle of the pack with 18/1 odds is ridiculous. They are right with the Packers, Saints and Giants in the NFC. I really do not understand the love for the Eagles. Until proven otherwise the Eagles are as dysfunctional as the Jets. I'm not sure that Bovada has seen much football.

The Vikings are a must bet at 75/1. Fortunes are near. Next year is bad news for any team that has to line up against the Vikings.

Of course, none of this is for gambling purposes. The odds posted here are best used to make fun of Bovada.

And They're Off

With Super Bowl XLVI behind us the race to Super Bowl XLVII begins. The New York Giants are the only team happy right now but all teams have work to do. It's crazy but there really is no rest. Teams are looking at their own roster. Judging if improvements in weak areas can be made with what they already have. Teams have to decide which of their own free agents need to be signed. They have to decide whether to improve positions in free agency or the draft. How best to work their money within the constraints of the salary cap.

The next date on the calendar is the Scouting Combine in a couple of weeks. Free agency starts nearly a month after that. The NFL Draft comes up a month later. Between then and training camp it's scattered mini-camps. Actually, all that busy work is a blessing compared to the ridiculous lockout of a year ago.

The players have a little time off now. Then it's getting stronger, getting better, getting ready.

For everybody, next season has already started.

Super Bowl Stuff

Congratulations New York Giants!

Eli Manning is an elite quarterback.

Looks like Mario Manningham is this year's David Tyree. His catch on the sideline to help drive his team to the winning touchdown was fantastic. The throw was great too.

I didn't like the safety call to open the Super Bowl scoring.  Intentional grounding on a pass that Tom Brady threw about 40 yards downfield is a difficult call to make. Difficult to make in a regular season game let alone the Super Bowl. Technically it's the correct call as Brady was getting rid of the ball to avoid a safety. Passes heaved downfield and out of bounds are basically the same. In fact, Eli Manning did just that later in the first half. Nothing is called on those throws but the purpose is the same as Brady's throw.

I hate it when teams allow a touchdown at the end of the game to get the ball back with some time left. I know it's good strategy but I absolutely hate the idea of giving a team anything. It's just not supposed to be done.

Maybe Tom Coughlin's job is safe for a little while.

Not to take anything away from the current Tom Brady. He's an outstanding quarterback. I just find it interesting that he won three Super Bowls in his first four years as a starting quarterback. He's zero for two as one of the best of all time. This is more about the Giants doing what they need to do than Brady not doing what it takes. It's just something that I find interesting.

The Patriots are doing terrific things with their tight ends but they could still use a receiver or two to go with Wes Welker.

I really enjoy seeing competitive, exciting, fun Super Bowls. You could probably count on one hand the decent championship games from the mid-70s through the 90s. We've had a bunch since the turn of the century.

Just a little more Hall of Fame stuff:

The Minnesota Vikings now have 11 players, coaches, and administrators in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
Bud Grant
Fran Tarkenton
Alan Page
Paul Krause
Ron Yary
Carl Eller
Jim Finks
Gary Zimmerman
Randall McDaniel
John Randle
Chris Doleman
That's a pretty nice total for a team that's been around since 1961 and has failed to win a Super Bowl. Cris Carter should make it 12, soon! Vikings fans complain regularly about a voter bias against the team. The Dallas Cowboys have been around a year longer and have 5 Super Bowl wins. They have 13 Hall of Famers.

With another year shunned, Cris Carter looks to the 2013 class. It'll be a tough one. Offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen and defensive linemen Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp will be eligible.
I consider all four automatic. The voters are idiots so who knows? One thought occurred to me. The voters are ridiculously committed to agendas and quotas. Four grunts from the trenches might allow for a playmaker like Carter to finally enter. We can only hope.

Thanks for this year's memories NFL.

Hall of Fame Crap and Some Super Bowl Bits

Strike five for Cris Carter. Hall of Fame voters can suck it. They need to watch some football. Learn some football. Actually they need to get out and let those that care about the game and its history take over.

Three out of the five years that Carter's been robbed a former Vikings player has made the final cut. I think that's been done to keep me from coming completely unhinged. Randall McDaniel, John Randle and now Chris Doleman. It does help.

My favorite Doleman moment was a series of plays against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989. He ran over and around, just took apart Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz. It was unbelievable. Congratulations Chris Doleman.

One last piece of advice to the voters. Saying that Cris Carter will some day get his day does not make it okay.

Its difficult but yesterday is really about those that made it.

Congratulations to Chris Doleman, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy and Jack Butler.

The NFL pulled out their version of the Oscars last night. Congratulations to those that won awards and to Jared Allen for deserving one.

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees
Defensive Player of the Year: Terrell Suggs-Suggs was fantastic but this award goes to Jared Allen. Suggs should have won the part of a great defense(Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata)defensive player of the year. Allen had little to no help and offenses couldn't handle him this year. 22 sacks!
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller
Comeback Player of the Year: Matthew Stafford
Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh
Walter Payton Man of the Year: Matt Birk

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that he's had about 50 concussions. That explains so much.

I sure wish that Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay would shut up. The media is annoying enough with the Peyton Manning drama. Irsay keeps fueling that fire.

So, there's a big game today.

Real brutal reality of life in football: The New England Patriots released receiver Tiquan Underwood the night before the Super Bowl. It wasn't anything that Underwood did. It was more about the position that he played. The bottom of the roster is often juggled based upon numbers. The Patriots must have felt the need for an extra lineman rather than a receiver.

I still can't believe that its been 35 years since the Vikings played in this game.

I think that the Patriots take this game. That means little since I've picked about two games right this entire post season. Never underestimate the importance of momentum based on emotion. The Patriots are driven to win this title for owner Robert Kraft. Its been a tough year with the passing of his wife, Myra. This is a very close franchise. Myra Kraft meant a lot to all of the players. Maybe my pick is based upon my hope that this happens. Most of the time I just hope for a Super Bowl game. I think that the Patriots and the Giants are set to provide that.

Canton Lacking

"As long as Cris Carter is outside the Hall of Fame, Canton will be lacking"
                                  -me

On a Monday night in 1995 I was sitting in Candlestick Park watching a late season game between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers. The game was a mismatch on paper. The 49ers were the defending champions. The Vikings struggled to make the playoffs each year. When they did make it they usually left the party early. To me, this game was a battle between Vikings receiver Cris Carter and 49ers receiver Jerry Rice. It was beautiful to watch. In my opinion, Carter and Rice are the best to have ever played the position. This game was close because of Cris Carter. The 49ers jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Carter pulled the Vikings back into the game. The 49ers led 27-20 at the half. The second half was a push and a 37-30 49ers win.

From a stastics point of view, Jerry Rice was out of control in this game. 14 receptions for 289 yards. He even had a ten yard run to close in on 300 total yards. Three receptions went for touchdowns. Rice's skill and dominance has never been in doubt. He's the best football player at the position to have ever played. One of the best at any position to have ever played. It's Cris Carter's impact on the Vikings and football that has been questioned. I just don't understand it. In this Monday Night game, Carter had 12 receptions for 88 yards. He scored two of the touchdowns in the second quarter that turned a blowout into a game. His impact on this game is one that had to be seen rather than counted up at the end. It felt like Carter had more like 150 yards. I was actually surprised when I saw that he had 88. Its not often that you see a receiver put a team on his back and carry it. Carter did it that night and he did it often in the '90s. He was a leader. No receiver ever got open and caught the ball better than Cris Carter. Those are the two most important requirements for a receiver. No one ever worked the sidelines and endlines better. All of these are skills that need to be seen rather than looked at on a stat sheet. An incredible eight yard reception on the sideline that moves the chains and stops the clock late in the game can be the difference between a win and a loss. Its simply an eight yard catch in the books. Statistically, it fades in comparision to those 60-yard touchdowns in a blowout.

Its not like Carter doesn't have the statistics to merit induction into the Hall of Fame. His 1,101 receptions for 13,989 yards and 130 touchdowns are among the best in history. Some of the idiots that vote on the Hall of Famers worry that today's passing game will make all these receiving statistics obsolete. That's ridiculous. That's like saying that Jim Brown doesn't deserve to be in Canton because Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton zipped past him. Its also an indication that the voters rely too much on statistics to do their jobs. If they are the keepers of the Hall they have to actually do some work. They have to look beyond the statistics. They have to see how the players played the game. They have to see the impact they made on their team and on the game. You can't always find that in statistics.

Carter's impact on football has continued long after he retired. He helped receviers like Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald become better receivers, better football players. He showed many, all who hoped to become better, that the football doesn't stop at the end of the season. He showed them the importance of offseason workouts. Rice worked incredibly hard in the offseason but he did it by himself. Carter will impact generations of receivers as Fitzgerald continues to pay it forward by helping Sidney Rice, Eric Decker, Victor Cruz, Antonio Brown and whoever wants to get better. Few football players have ever worked to help others get better like Carter.

Of course, this is personal to me. Cris Carter was the best receiver that I ever saw play the game. Jerry Rice may have been a better football player but Carter was the better receiver. From getting open to catching the ball, no one ever did it better than Carter. He became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2007. He's missed that final cut four times. That's four times too many. Each successive time has been a greater crime. Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal for every football player. Absent that, the Hall of Fame is the greatest validation of a special career. Carter deserves that. He deserved it in 2007. He was a once in a lifetime receiver. Many have said that his absence is okay because he'll get in eventually. That's ridiculous. Each year he's not in is another spit on his career. Its time for the spitting to end. The Hall of Fame is lacking until Cris Carter is in it.

First Super Bowl Party

Its disappointing that my first Super Bowl party turned out to be the last time that the Minnesota Vikings played in the Super Bowl. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Super Bowl XI was the Vikings third Super Bowl in four years. If not for a ridiculous pass interference not called by a clearly blind official in the 1975 playoffs, the Vikings would have been to four straight title games. They, at least, challenged for the Super Bowl every year. It was supposed to always be that way. Every eleven years they put another threat together but they haven't made it back to the big game since that January day in 1977.

I mostly watched games with my brother and father back then but I'd watched some with others, mostly Thanksgiving games with family, but I'd never gone to another home for the sole purpose of watching and celebrating a football game. The Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI would be my first. There were only six of us but it was a party like no other. It was sure to be fun with a Vikings win. Fran Tarkenton said so! It started out great when Vikings linebacker Fred McNeil blocked a Ray Guy punt and recovered on the two-yard line. Two runs up the middle didn't get the first touchdown of the game but the second run gave the ball back to the Raiders on a fumble. Oakland still had about 99 yards to go to score and of course they went 99 yards to score. The Vikings never recovered from the sudden reversal of fortune and the Raiders never looked back. The rest of the game was Raiders receiver Fred Biletnikoff being brilliant and the Raiders offensive line being destructive. Biletnikoff was the MVP but it was Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and the rest of the line just burying the Vikings defense. Its amazing what a three hour football game can do to a kid, adults too.

Despite being hosted by a Raiders fan, the party and group environment was super. I haven't been to many Super Bowl parties since then. They can be distracting if you want to just watch the game. Too many people go more for the party than the game. With the games being more competitive in the past decade the distractions seem even greater. Maybe I'm just waiting for the Vikings to get back to where they belong.  Maybe its just that no Super Bowl party now can measure up to that group and that game when I was 12.

Throwback Thursday: Should Be In

Seeing a list of players that have been overlooked by the Hall of Fame voters is reason alone for booting most, if not all, of the voters. They are clearly failing at honoring the players and the history of the game. Sometimes I think that the players themselves should have some say in the election process. They know far better than the writers which players were truly great. Maybe my pals with the Pro Football Researchers Association should have a say. This organization is far more concerned with getting football history right than filling quotas and agendas.

Here are some players that I think should be in Canton:

Cris Carter
Receiver
Vikings, Eagles, Dolphins
-as long as Carter is out, Canton is incomplete
Jerry Kramer
Guard
Packers
-5-time All-NFL, Kramer's absence is probably reasoned by voters as due to the large number of Packers from his era already in the Hall. The greatness of those Packers teams is the reason for the large number of Packers. Kramer was a huge part of that success.

Alex Karras
Defensive Tackle
Lions
-I've long felt that Karras' absence was due to his gambling suspension in 1963. If true, the voters are hypocrites as well as stupid. Paul Hornung was also suspended for gambling in '63 and his bust is in Canton. The Rooney and Mara families got their financial starts in gambling. Hearing Lions' opponents speak of Karras is the source of my feelings that players should have a say in the process. They rave about him. He was a nightmare for offenses. I compare Karras' play to that of Warren Sapp. Absolutely disruptive in the middle of the line. Sapp will likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Mac Speedie
Receiver
Browns
-Only Chuck Long might have had a better football name. Speedie provided the bang to the fantastic Browns offenses of the '40s and early '50s. A tremendous deep threat. As with Kramer, voters may feel that too many Browns of that era are in the Hall. "They couldn't possibly have been that good." They were and Speedie should be in Canton.

Don Coryell
Coach
Cardinals, Chargers
-Coryell's offenses still impact the league nearly thirty years later. Ask any offensive coach now who influenced him, and Coryell and Bill Walsh will be mentioned.

Claude Humphrey
Defensive end
Falcons, Eagles
-There are players that some people just assume are in the Hall but they aren't. I've run across people that honestly believe that Humphrey is in. He isn't and he should be.

Glenn Presnell
Back
Portsmouth Spartans, Lions
-One of the most versatile backs of his time. He could do everything extremely well. Run, catch, defense, kick. He kicked a 54-yard field goal when the ball rarely traveled half that distance.

Charley Conerly
Quarterback
Giants
-Another player that many assume is already in the Hall. Led the Giants to the 1956 title. He was the heart behind the great Giants teams of the '50s.

Otis Taylor
Receiver
Chiefs
-I've checked the Hall of Fame website so many times to verify that Taylor isn't there. Its truly shocking. The Chiefs of the late '60s were awesome. The Vikings first Super Bowl loss was to Taylor's team. He gashed them. There are many Chiefs in Canton. Otis Taylor should be one of them.

Lavvie Dilweg
End
Milwaukee Badgers, Packers
-Considered the best all-around end of his time. Starred on the Packers three championship teams 1929-31.

Maxie Baughan
Linebacker
Eagles, Rams, Redskins
-A coach on the field. Could diagnose plays before they happened. 9 Pro Bowls.

Ken Kavanaugh
End
Bears
-If not for World War II and Don Hutson, Kavanaugh might be considered the greatest end of the first 30 years of the league.

Verne Lewellen
Halfback
New York Yankees, Packers
-One of the best backs of the '20s. In an era when punting was critical, Lewellen was one of the best. Packers won three titles during his career.

Mick Tingelhoff
Center
Vikings
-Tingelhoff seems to suffer from voter animosity towards players on teams that fail to win championships. It seems that players that never get to the championship game have a better shot than those that get to the game but lose. Tingelhoff was the starting center on four Super Bowl teams. He also started an incredible 240 consecutive games. Tingelhoff did in the NFL in the '60s what Raiders center Jim Otto did in the AFL. They had similar postseason honors and recognition. Otto's Raiders also failed in the Super Bowl. Jim Otto is in the Hall of Fame. He should be but Tingelhoff is deserving as well.

The list goes on.

LOI

Letter of Intent day. Today is the first day that high school football recruits can sign their name and commit to their chosen college. Some have already made verbal commitments. None of those truly matter until they sign today. Some wait longer. Terrelle Pryor didn't sign with Ohio State until weeks later. The pressure on these kids is immense. Family, friends, teammates(past and future), media, coaches and the notorious boosters all demand to know. All want a say. All have an opinion. Ultimately, this is the kid's decision, his life.

Only a couple weeks ago, Cal had a recruiting class unlike any they had ever seen. A national top-10 ranking with great potential for more. All that exploded when Washington bought Cal recruiter and defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi. 5-star defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy dropped Cal for UCLA. 5-star safety Shaq Thompson hints at following Lupoi to Washington. 5-star lineman Arik Armstead, thought to be leaning towards Cal, verbally committed to Oregon. We'll find out today how things shake out. Even if things fall as they seem, this looks to be a terrific Cal recruiting class. The play on the football field over the next 3-5 years is far more important than any ranking now.

San Ramon Valley quarterback has been the ideal recruit. He went to a Cal interview wearing team colors, riding a blue and gold bike. He's attended Cal football camps since jr. high. He's already enrolled at Cal and attending classes. There's little doubt where he's signing today. Kline had comments about the kids wavering and bolting after the Lupoi heist. Comments about committing to a school and a program rather than the whim of a position coach.

Today should be a day of celebration for the kids. They're committing to the next step in their life. For some it could be their last four years of football. For the very best it could be the last step before the NFL. For all its the end to the chaos of recruiting.