Media and Numbers

I don't know what it is about numbers that gets the media in such a lather. The New York Jets recently said that they want to get new quarterback and savior Tim Tebow twenty snaps a game. The media has gone nuts with that number "20." They are even pulling out some math to determine the percentage of snaps that we can expect to see Tebow in a typical game. A proficient offense gets about 70-75 snaps in a game. The clowns that I listened to grabbed sixty snaps to make the math easier. I saw the same kind of media frenzy when then Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice came up with the "Randy Ratio." He wanted to get the ball in the hands of Randy Moss 40% of the time. Tossing out a number for Moss touches was a mistake and the Minnesota media never let Tice forget it. Moss is the most physically gifted receiver to ever play the game. At that stage of his career great things tended to happen when the ball came his way. It was understandable that he was going to be a huge part of the Vikings offense. Even though it seemed innocent enough at the time Tice shouldn't have tossed out a specific number. That was a mistake. He made it worse by giving that number a name. Still, the media has to understand that a number tossed out in March changes when the games start in the fall. The Minnesota media kept reminding Tice of the "Randy Ratio" in that fall. The New York media will certainly be counting Tebow's snaps this fall. Reminding Jets head coach Rex Ryan of that number. Game plans aren't made in March. Based on a particular matchup Tebow might get only ten snaps one week and 25 the next. The media really has to let these numbers go. Especially when they are tossed out about six months before things really count. Randy Moss was going to get the ball a bunch a decade ago. Tebow is going to get some snaps this fall. The media should just leave it at that.

49ers Quarterbacks

I'm intrigued by the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks. I'm more intrigued by the quarterbacks not expected to start. Alex Smith is expected to be the starter and likely will be. I just wouldn't be too surprised if he isn't. The 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick in the second round last year. Just before Smith was re-signed they added former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Josh Johnson. I wouldn't be surprised if either Kaepernick or Johnson takes the job away from Smith. I really liked both coming out of college. Johnson had the nice advantage of being coached by current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego. He put up insane numbers there, especially in terms of passing efficiency. I liked him for the Minnesota Vikings in the draft but Tampa Bay got him. Kaepernick had an even more outrageous college career at Nevada. I watched him simply take apart Cal. It was a really sad day but a really great day for Kaepernick. Now they are together in San Francisco with one likely being the future of the 49ers, if not the present.

While I've followed both quarterbacks through their college days, I was surprised to learn that both have been tutored by former Cal head coach Roger Theder. The first Cal head coach of which I was aware was Theder in the late 70s. I knew what Mike White's incredible offenses did on the field in the mid-70s but I knew little of what took place on the sideline. I didn't know much at all about White until a few years later. I was aware of Theder because I was more aware of football in general. While Theder may not have had much success at Cal, no coach did back then, he's long had an excellent reputation as a teacher of offensive football. In retirement Theder has clearly become a quarterback guru for promising young throwers. Former Sacramento St and current Vikings quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is another of Theder's pupils. He was also recruited Harbaugh while he was at San Diego. Small world. Theder began training all of them while they were in high school. He's helped when needed on several occasions since.

Theder thinks that both Kaepernick and Johnson could beat out Alex Smith. He could be a bit biased but I agree with him. With four years under his belt and some experience with Harbaugh, Johnson is likely the more ready of the two. Kaepernick may have more talent enhanced by an incredible work ethic. Both have a brighter San Francisco future than Alex Smith.

Throwback Thursday: John Wooten

One of the most intriguing yet least known football players over the last fifty years has to be John Wooten. I first saw his name popping up while reading about Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown. Fitting as they've been teammates and life long friends. Some have referred to John Wooten as the "Godfather of the NFL." All of his adult has been spent in the league and his impact has been remarkable.

Wooten was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1959 NFL Draft out of the University of Colorado. As a guard he helped pave the way for Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. He spent his final season with the Washington Redskins in 1968. His Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship. Wooten was a talented football player often overshadowed on some terrific Browns teams. He was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1965 and 1966 seasons. Jim Brown called him "one of the brightest football players the game has seen." In 2010, Wooten was inducted into the Browns Legends.

While Wooten enjoyed a solid football playing career, his greatest impact on football may have been off the playing field. Jim Brown has always carried a strong voice in the treatment and progress of blacks. He has never been afraid to speak his mind. It is in this arena that I first started hearing mention of John Wooten. He was often the action behind Brown's voice. Wooten knew everyone. When you see the iconic photos of Jim Brown meeting with black athletes like Muhamad Ali, Lew Alcindor, Bill Russell, etc. it was often Wooten that got them all together. His voice may not have been as intimidating and as loud as Brown's but it was often as effective, perhaps more so. Wooten got people together and got things moving in the right direction.

After his playing career, Wooten worked in the front offices of the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. He credits much of his football knowledge to his coach in Cleveland, Paul Brown. That's a good place to start on the field as well as in building a team. Few have ever done it better. Wooten worked for the Cowboys from 1975-91. His best known act is the one that is most painful to a Minnesota Vikings fan like myself. He put together the infamous Herschel Walker trade. A trade that built a Champion in Dallas and did not in Minnesota. From 1992-98 he worked for the Eagles. He was later part of another championship team in Baltimore. The Ravens are a team with a direct tie to the Cleveland Browns team for which he played.

In 2003, Wooten made a different and greater impact on the game. With Johnnie Cochran, labor attorney Cyrus Mehri and Kellen Winslow, Wooten formed the Fritz Pollard Alliance. Named for the pioneering football player, coach and Hall of Famer of the 1920s. Their objective was promoting diversity and equality in the NFL's hiring practices. As chairman of the Pollard Alliance, Wooten worked closely with the NFL decision makers. His work with Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney resulted in the Rooney Rule. NFL teams now have to interview at least one minority for any head coaching vacancy. NFL Executive Vice President for Football Operations Ray Anderson acknowledged Wooten and Rooney as "two gentleman who have made more of a difference for the cause of equal opportunity and diversity in the NFL than anyone that has graced our business." John Wooten's contributions to the NFL are incredible and lasting.

Wasted Research

With the Minnesota Vikings drafting in the lofty third spot of the NFL Draft there's been much debate as to which position is the best choice. The discussion really should be about what player is the best choice. In that case the Vikings can hardly go wrong. Offensive tackle Matt Kalil, receiver Justin Blackmon and cornerback Morris Claiborne are all terrific football players. They all just happen to play at positions of need for the Vikings. Convenient. Since the first two choices will be quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, all three players will be available for the Vikings. Personally, I like the selection of Kalil the best. I see him as the best non-quarterback in the draft and he's in the conversation of the best player in the draft.

Recently, in an effort to show the folly of selecting a lineman so early in the draft a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune researched all the offensive tackles taken among the top-10 selections of the draft in the last twenty years. Starting with Atlanta's selection of Bob Whitfield at #8 in 1992 all the way to Dallas' selection of Kalil's former teammate Tyron Smith last year. This collection of tackles is highlighted by Hall of Famer Willie Roaf, likely Hall of Famers Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones and current stars Joe Thomas and Jake Long. The columnist went on to blame these linemen for the pathetic win totals of their teams. It's ridiculous to blame one player for a teams success or failure, even the quarterback. Despite the overall lack of wins, Pace and Ogden played important roles on championship teams. Elite players can't win championships on their own in football but they can help their team get there. The unfortunate thing for players selected in the top-10 is that the teams that select them are there for a reason. They suck! One player can't turn the team around by themselves. They can help create the change but they'll need some help.

Most coaches and team builders say that you start a team with a quarterback, a left tackle, a pass rusher and a cornerback. You want that guy with the ball and someone to protect the guy with the ball on offense. You want players that disrupt the guy with the ball on defense. Personally, I don't think that there's any one blueprint to creating a champion. The NFL is all about the quarterback right now. In five years a team running the veer might take it all. The only sure thing is that you need talented players that play well as a team to be a talented team. You can find talented players throughout the draft, even after the draft, but there's usually a bunch of them at the top. It's important for a team to make it count when they have a top-10 pick. It's even more important that they never select there again. Twenty years of draft picks isn't going to accurately predict the skills and potential of Matt Kalil or any of the players in this draft. It's fine to discuss the respective merits of Kalil, Blackmon and Claiborne. It just seems to be a waste of time to let twenty years of offensive tackle history impact that discussion. If you're going to do that, do the same with receivers and cornerbacks. I know that Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions shot the hell out of the receiver data.

Owners Meeting

The NFL team owners are meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. Bet it's nice. It's a far cry from a bunch of guys sitting around Ralph Hay's Canton Hupmobile dealership. The owners have a few meetings throughout the year. All are in nice, warm places catering to wealthy folk, like NFL owners. This one is the Annual Meeting, the big one. This one handles the new rule proposals. The rules that pass inspection by the owners go on to the aptly named Rules Committee for the final "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." The owners will also hand out the 32 compensatory picks. These picks in the NFL Draft are meant to compensate team for free agents lost the year before. The losses are balanced by the quantity and quality of free agents signed. So even if a team lost a bunch of free agents they may not get much or any compensation if they signed a bunch of free agents. The important thing is that the Minnesota Vikings were awarded two fourth round picks this year for the loss of defensive end Ray Edwards and receiver Sidney Rice. Losing quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and linebacker Ben Leber may have guaranteed the two picks. The owners dicuss many other matters but the rules discussions likely have the greatest visible impact. I wonder if there has ever been a year when they just left the rules alone.

Here's some of the rules that will be discussed:

1) Overtime-the league is looking to expand the new playoff overtime rules to the regular season. It was idiotic to not include the regular season in the first place. It made no sense. Even if it was an experiment, you do not experiment with the playoffs.

2) Replay-to follow the automatic review of scoring plays, they will look into making calls involving change of possession an automatic review as well. This sounds nice if the replay officials are quick about it.

3)Too many men on the field penalty-the New York Giants "inadvertantly" made this a concern. The Giants gained an unfair advantage at the end of the Super Bowl when they were called for "too many men on the field". The most precious thing in the world to the Patriots at that moment was time. They lost some with the play that didn't happen due to the penalty. The Patriots may have gained five yards but they lost at least five seconds.

4) Injured Reserve-players no longer have to be out for the entire season if they are placed on injured reserve. They can be activated at some point during the season.

5) Trade Deadline-Roger Goodell is envious of the hoopla over the trade deadline in other sports. They think that moving it two weeks later in the sesaon would increase the trade activity. I have my doubts. I don't think that in-season trades in football can have the same impact as other sports. It takes too long to get a player integrated into a new system. I don't think that two weeks will make a difference but I see this passing.

6) Quarterback Horse Collar-currently quarterbacks can be pulled down by a horse collar while in the pocket. I was actually I little surprised when I saw quarterbacks taken down like this without a flag. With all the protection provided to quarterbacks this rule will easily slide through.
7)Concussion concessions-with the warranted concern over concussions this rule would allow teams to declare players with concussion symptoms inactive before game day. This allows time for teams to promote a player from the practice squad or sign a player.

8)Replay again-I doubt this one has a chance. It calls for replays to be decided from the booth rather than by the on-field official. The overhaul is too great to really have a chance.

There it is.

Offensive Line growth

It's interesting to see the increase in size of offensive linemen over the past 50 years.

Decade                       Height             Weight
60s                             6'3 1/8             249
70s                             6'3 3/4             254
80s                             6'4 1/4             273
90s                             6'4 3/8             300
00s                             6'4 3/8             310
10s                             6'4 5/8             314

The increase in height of 1.5" in fifty years is probably little different than society in general. Weight is another story. Especially in the last 30 years. I don't see it increasing much more because I don't see a legion of 350 pound men routinely moving as well as they need to move. Although people said the same thing about 300 pound men in the '80s. There has to be a point where you see diminishing returns with the human body.

I'd love to see the numbers prior to 1960. I imagine that 1920 through the '50s would be as gradual as the the slight '60s to '70s jump. There just wasn't the same nutrition and training emphasis that we've seen in the last few decades. At the same time salaries have increased to the point where football is a full time job. Players can spend the offseason getting better and stronger. It all works out to bigger, stronger, faster. In another few decades will I be writing about players not being able to move well enough at 400 pounds?

This Week In Football

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

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

Anyway,

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

Oh, Cal started spring football.
Go Bears!

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

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

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

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

Only a month until the Draft! Boy Howdy!

Flea Flicker Mock Draft 2.0

With free agency changing the priorities of some teams it felt like time to toss up another mock draft. They are always a gas to do. Here's the new and possibly improved Flea Flicker Mock Draft:

1. Indianapolis Colts  Andrew Luck  QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins  Robert Griffin III  QB  Baylor
3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS  MATT KALIL  T  USC
4. Cleveland Browns  Trent Richardson  RB  Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers  Morris Claiborne  CB  LSU
6. St Louis Rams  Justin Blackmon  WR Oklahoma St
7. Jacksonville Jaguars  Melvin Ingram  DE  South Carolina
8. Miami Dolphins  Ryan Tannehill  QB  Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers  Dontari Poe  DT  Memphis
10. Buffalo Bills  Quentin Coples  DE  North Carolina
11. Kansas City Chiefs  Michael Brockers  DT  LSU
12. Seattle Seahawks  David DeCastro  G  Stanford
13. Arizona Cardinals  Riley Reiff  T  Iowa
14. Dallas Cowboys  Dre Kirkpatrick  CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles  Fletcher Cox  DT  Mississippi St
16. New York Jets  Michael Floyd  WR  Notre Dame
17. Cincinnati Bengals  Janoris Jenkins  CB  N Alabama
18. San Diego Chargers  Jonathan Martin  T  Stanford
19. Chicago Bears  Whitney Mercilus  DE  Illinois
20. Tennessee Titans  Devon Still  DT  Penn St
21. Cincinnati Bengals  Lamar Miller  RB  Miami
22. Cleveland Browns  Courtney Upshaw  LB  Alabama
23. Detroit Lions  Mike Adams  T  Ohio St
24. Pittsburgh Steelers  Cordy Glenn  T  Georgia
25. Denver Broncos  Jerel Worthy  DT  Michigan St
26. Houston Texans  Stephen Hill  WR  Georgia Tech
27. New England Patriots  Nick Perry  DE  USC
28. Green Bay Packers  Andre Branch  DE  Clemson
29. Baltimore Ravens  Luke Kuechly  LB  Boston College
30. San Francisco 49ers  Kendall Wright  WR  Baylor
31. New England Patriots  Mark Barron  S  Alabama
32. New York Giants  Coby Fleener  TE  Stanford
33.  Indianaplois Cots  Donta' Hightower  LB  Alabama
34. St Louis Rams  Stephon Gilmore  CB  South Carolina
35. MINNESOTA VIKINGS  MYCHAL KENDRICKS  LB  CAL

There you go...

Vikings Free Agency

After just over a week of free agency the Minnesota Vikings have been on the light end of activity. I know of six players that the team has brought in for visits. Of those, four have been signed. Here they are and their contracts:

TE John Carlson 5years/25 million
G/T Geoff Schwartz 1/1.5
FB Jerome Shelton 1/700,000
RB Lex Hilliard 1/615,000

BONANZA! By name value and contract value, Carlson is by far the biggest signing. Tight end became a need when Jim Kleinsasser retired and Visanthe Shiancoe wasn't re-signed. Teaming Carlson with emerging second-year player Kyle Rudolph at tight could be potent. Both are very talented. Schwartz could be a huge signing. The Vikings offensive line has to improve. He missed the entire 2011 season following hip surgery. He should have been a restricted free agent but the Carolina Panthers failed to protect him. He's only 25 and has excellent size and skills. His one year contract and fairly light salary is a "show me" deal. After missing an entire he has to show that he's back. I see him as the starting right guard for the Vikings next season and hopefully beyond. He'll improve what should be a very young line. Felton and Hilliard are both big backs.The Vikings have had their eye on Felton for a while. They tried to sign him last season when the Detroit Lions released him but the Panthers got him first. I see both players as an attempt by the Vikings to replace some of the blocking of Kleinsasser. That's a tall order. Both will likely battle incumbent Ryan D'Imperio in camp at fullback. As for the two players that visited but weren't signed, Ted Ginn Jr was apparently offered a contract but chose to, foolishly, re-sign with the San Francisco 49ers. Cornerback Chris Carr was in for a visit last night. We'll see what he decides to do. The Vikings secondary needs vast improvement.

The Vikings relative inactivity in free agency was not taken to well by most Vikings fans. Most have been losing their minds. Their reactions have been depressing and ridiculous. This past Wednesday was a different day. The signing of Schwartz combined with the release of very disappointing defensive tackle Remi Ayodele sent those very sad Vikings fans into fits of euphoria. A calm settled over Vikings nation. Ginn's visit helped the happy feelings as well. It's funny how things can change so quickly. The Vikings improvement through free agency is questionable at best. Like the draft, true impact can't be judged until the  season starts. I expect Carlson and Schwartz to make an immediate impact and improvement. That's something. Free agency is far from over but the pickings at defensive back and, in particular, receiver are getting thin. The Vikings may need to look at the draft and their own young players to improve the receiver position.

Welcome to Minnesota new Vikings!

Who Dat?

Roger Goodell brought the hammer down on the New Orleans Saints for their little bounty games. It was severe yet deserving. Goodell showed that he doesn't just discipline players. He'll go after anyone that threatens the game. Here's the punishment:

-The New Orleans Saints are fined $500,000.
-The Saints will forfeit their selections in the second round of the 2012 and 2013 NFL Drafts
-Head Coach Sean Payton is suspended without pay for the 2012 season, effective April 1.
-General Manager Mickey Loomis is suspended without pay for the first eight regular season games of the 2012 season.
-Former Saints (and current St. Louis Rams) defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely from the NFL, effective immediately. Commissioner Goodell will review Williams' status at the conclusion of the 2012 season and consider whether to reinstate him.
-Saints assistant Head Coach/linebacker coach Joe Vitt is suspended without pay for the first six regular season games of the 2012 season.
-Individual players will be disciplined at a later date.

I assume that the loss of two second round picks is due to the Saints not having a first round pick this year. Personally, I'd have taken the second this year and the first next year. At first, I was a little surprised that Payton was suspended for the entire season. That was until I read the statement from the league and saw all that I pretty much already knew laid out nice and neat. It was a fitting punishment that fit the crime. What was incredibly surprising was Payton's and quarterback Drew Brees' reaction to the punishment handed down. Payton was "speechless". Brees "wants an explanation." They lived this fiasco. They should have seen something severe coming. It's a complete disconnect from reality to be surprised by the punishments for bounties on opposing players. It's a serious, dangerous game that these clowns played. They lived it and they still don't get it? To summarize, Payton encouraged a nasty defense, acknowledged Williams' bounty system, ignored his own boss when told to end it, and then lied about all of it and encouraged his staff to do the same. Payton's very lucky that he wasn't suspended indefinitely with his idiot defensive coordinator. It's remarkable that any involved with this mess can still express surprise or anger to the punishments or the reactions of most. Everyone involved knew that they were doing something wrong. Why else would they have lied about it? For about the fiftieth time former Saints safety Darren Sharper hopped on a TV studio set and denied everything. Denied that his team did anything wrong. Payton, Williams, Loomis, everyone has confessed. There's no denying it. It's out there and the Saints hammered the integrity of the game. Face the music and enjoy that tainted Super Bowl.

Misguided Trojan

With the quarterback shuffling starting to settle I can't help but ponder the two-faced talk of former USC and current Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. At one time he was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings so I try to think of him fondly. His unforgivable time spent at USC started to tarnish those fond thoughts. Pretty much everything that he's said since leaving that shaky school has killed them. Shortly after the Seahawks signed former Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson last summer, Carroll criticized the Vikings for never giving his new player a chance. He said that Jackson was repeatedly pushed to the bench to make room for old farts like Brad Johnson, Gus Frerotte and Brett Favre. First of all it's not really Carroll's place to speak out about what took place in Minnesota. He wasn't there. He has no clue. So be it. What really struck me was that as Carroll was speaking his nonsense he was doing to Charlie Whitehurst the very same thing that he criticized the Vikings for doing to Jackson. Whitehurst was sitting at the top of the Seahawks' quarterback depth chart after trading for him to be the starter and after winning a couple of big late season games the season before. Without ever taking a practice snap Tarvaris Jackson was set to be the starter. Now, Whitehurst is back in San Diego. Discarded by the Seahawks. As soon as free agency started this offseason Seattle went looking for a quarterback. First they went after Peyton Manning. When that didn't come to be they went after Matt Flynn. Got him. Despite a promising 2011 season Tarvaris Jackson was pushed aside. Now, Carroll is doing to Jackson the very same thing that he did to Whitehurst. Oh, Pete Carroll says that there will be a quarterback competition. I just wouldn't trust anything that former Trojan says.

Broncos Win!

For the second time a Hall of Fame quarterback drafted by the Colts will be playing for the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning is headed to the Mile High City to continue his fantastic quarterbacking career. Interestingly, the old one hired the new one. Hall of Famer John Elway is in the Broncos' front office and he shook off Tim Tebow like the plague to get Manning on his team. In 1983, Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts. He didn't much care for the prospect of playing for the team so he used the possibility of a baseball career to force a trade to the Broncos. He never threw a pass for the Colts but he threw a bunch for the Broncos. Ending his great career with two Lombardi Trophies. Elway hopes to get some more of those trophies with Peyton Manning leading his team. The Colts got a lot more mileage out of Manning than they did out of Elway. They even got their own Lombardi Trophy. It's a shame that Manning won't continue his career with the Indianapolis Colts. It'll be difficult to see him in a uniform other than the blue and white of Indianapolis but it'll be great to see him back on the football field.

All of Denver is happy. Most of all has to be Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and the rest of the Broncos receivers. Thomas made a statement the last half of this past season. He showed the playmaking skills of the first round pick that he was. A statement that was greatly helped by a Minnesota Vikings defense that found not guarding him at all to be a nifty strategy. Decker is the one that I think will really take off. He suffered a late season knee injury but apparently it's not as bad as it initially looked. He has great size and receiving skills. Decker and Manning could be a very dangerous combination. Happy times in Denver.

Scoring Up

While sitting and waiting on Peyton Manning's decision this came across the desk:

Minnesota Vikings Getting New Scoreboards

The Vikings actually needed the new scoreboards after the 2009 season but so few points were put up in the last two seasons that the decision to replace the scoreboards was put on the back burner. The scoring this year will be a whole different story. Get ready for that.

Here's the exciting news.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission has approved plans to replace two of the Metrodome's four long auxiliary scoreboards with new LED-display boards. The estimated cost of the scoreboards is $300,000, but they could be moved and used in the new stadium should one be built for the Vikings, stadium commission executive director Bill Lester said. Funds are available in the budget for the boards.

The 23-year-old scoreboards, each measuring 4x51 feet, can't be fixed because the South Dakota-based manufacturer Daktronics no longer stocks spare parts for them. Shocking, since that piece-of-shit stadium was about 10 years outdated when it opened in 1982. The old scoreboards will be used to supply parts for the two remaining scoreboards that still work. The linear scoreboards provide game score information on the faces of the upper deck on each side of the arena. The commission is scheduled to get a bid recommendation at its April 19 meeting. The work would be finished in time for the opening of the Vikings 2012 season.

If anyone's keeping track, it's interesting to note that the Metrodome will have two new scoreboards and a new roof. They replaced the roof last offseason when the old shit-covering roof ripped open and dumped a bunch of snow on the fresh new turf. New scoreboards, new roof, new turf. If the Wilf family is willing to wait another couple decades (it probably won't take that long), more shit will fall apart and need replacing that they might finally have a new stadium. That would be a more efficient route than waiting on the bill currently bouncing around the clowns in the Minnesota legislature.

The 2012 Vikings are going to keep those new scoreboards, and the remaining old ones, buzzing!

Now, back to the Manning wait. Some have compared this process to that of Brett Favre. It's not even close to the same thing. Favre had difficulty deciding whether he even wanted to play. Manning knows that he wants to play. He's just deciding which team and offer is best for him. It's really no different that any other free agent pursuit. It's just under a greater microscope. We rarely here about all the visits and communications between most teams and free agents. With Manning, every person with a microphone or a keyboard is spouting news or whispers.

Free Agency, So Far

One thing is for certain. This March has been a whole lot better than this time last year for football peeps. Much of the 2012 version of free agency has been spent following the wanderings of Peyton Manning. On Friday, maybe before, the San Francisco 49ers entered that little party. They entered late but I think have the best shot to get the big guy. Manning has to like what Jim Harbaugh has created in San Francisco. The defense, if not the best in the league, is in that discussion. On offense, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis are terrific. The offensive line could soon be dominant. Manning and Randy Moss get football in all the ways that Michael Crabtree doesn't. Hopefully those greats can get that guy on track. A football team led by Harbaugh, Manning and Patrick Willis is a very scary football team. One thing that I found curious about Manning's tour is the frequent visits to Durham, NC for his throwing sessions. What's up with that?

With Manning dropping the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals from the chase it has come down to the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and 49ers. It's interesting to see that those three have been somewhat frugal so far in free agency. They certainly weren't alone.

Here's how NFL Free Agency 2012 has gone in the first handful of days. Of course, we lead off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Vikings: TE John Carlson
-with Carlson and Kyle Rudolph the Vikings have their own version of the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and Anthony Hernandez. I'm real curious to see what offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is cooking up in Minnesota. Outside of do-everything Percy Harvin they have little proven at receiver.
Tomorrow, the Vikings have a meeting with former Panthers offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz. He's young, versatile and talented. He could help a line that needs some serious improvement. The Vikings need some DBs. There's reported interest in Alan Ball. His versatilty at both CB and S is intriguing. CBs Aaron Ross and William Middleton look interesting. S Reggie Nelson does too. There's a couple linebackers in Stephen Tulloch and David Hawthorne that could help the middle of the Vikings defense. As for receiver, with Mario Manningham now off the market I wouldn't mind Early Doucet or Steve Smith (not the Carolina one) if healthy. Outside of Harvin, Michael Jenkins had a nice rapport with Christian Ponder before he got hurt. Youngsters Emanuel Arcenaux and, in particular, Stephen Burton have nice potential.

Cardinals: G Adam Snyder
-they might be scrambling after missing out on Manning. That whole thing likely did the confidence of Kevin Kolb wonders.

Panthers: S Haruki Nakamura
              LB Kenny Onatolo
-well, the special teams got better

Bears: traded for WR Brandon Marshall
           QB Jason Campbell
            WR Eric Weems
            ST Blake Costanzo
-adding Marshall as soon as the gun sounded was one of the big moves of this young offseason. Cutler and Marshall together again. Campbell provides security that really could have helped last year. The Bears are always excellent on special teams. They're coverage units got even better by adding one of the best in Costanzo. If Marshall behaves, the Bears could be very dangerous next year.

Cowboys: CB Brandon Carr
                 LB Dan Connor
                  Gs Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings
                  S   Brodney Pool
                QB Kyle Orton
                 FB Lawrence Vickers
-for a team that might be strapped for salary cap cash due to league sanctions the Cowboys did a bunch. I like Carr a lot but I'm real curious to see how he responds to being one of the highest paid corners. The Chiefs didn't do a lot to keep him. The linebacker group of DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee and now Connor could challenge the 49ers as best in the league. The defense did a lot to improve, on paper.

Saints: G Ben Grubbs
-the Saints did a great job keeping Marques Colston. Losing G Carl Nicks hurts but they replaced him with a good one in Grubbs.

Giants: TE Martellus Bennett
-the Champs didn't need to do a lot. They have injuries at tight end and they added talent there in Bennett. Plus, they took him from a division opponent, Dallas.

49ers: WR Randy Moss
           DB Perrish Cox
           RB Rock Cartwright
           WR Mario Manningham
-Moss will be key. I've followed that crazy kid, very closely for a very long time. I can't believe that it's been over a decade since his unbelievably explosive early days in Minnesota. The 49ers under Harbaugh provide a football environment that Moss will embrace. He's an incredibly smart receiver and football player. If Crabtree can pull his head out of his ass and follow Moss, the 49ers might finally see the talented receiver that they thought they drafted. If they add Manning and he can play like he can play, the 49ers become the Super Bowl favorites. Manningham could be catching passes from his second Manning.

Rams: CB Cortland Finnegan
            C  Scott Wells
          DT Kendall Langford
-Finnegan is an excellent signing.

Seahawks: DT Jason Jones
-I've thought of Jones as an emerging lineman. I guess that he wanted out of Tennessee.

Buccaneers: WR Vincent Jackson
                       G Carl Nicks
                    CB Eric Wright
                    QB Dan Orlovsky
-the Buccaneers had a ton of money to spend. They spent a lot of it. Jackson and Nicks, with Manning and Mario Williams, were the biggest names in free agency. I'm not sure about spending the kind of money it took to get a receiver that's a whisper from 30. It was a five-year contract but the Buccaneers are probably only looking at about three at the level that Jackosn has been playing. Nicks is awesome. The Buccaneers have a lot of young talent. I'm still at a loss as to why they were so horrible last year. Maybe it was all on then head coach Raheem Morris.

Redskins: WR Pierre Garcon
                WR Josh Morgan
                   S  Brandon Merriweather
                CB  CedricGriffin
-the Redskins are the other team that was looking at salary camp sanctions. Like the Cowboys, it didn't stop them. They were the most active on the first day. Brandon Carr and Pierre Garcon were at the top of my Vikings wish list. I'm glad that the Vikings didn't get in a bidding war with owners, Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones, that rarely lose bidding wars. If Morgan can stay healthy he could be terrific.

Bills: DE Mario Williams
-this was the big one. Williams spent about three days at the Bills facility before he signed his contract. I always wonder if kidnapping charges can be filed when that happens. Very suspicious. 6 years for anywhere from 96-100million dollars. 50 of that guaranteed. He's now the highest paid defensive player in the league. It's funny now, and in my opinion always was funny, that the Houston Texans were widely criticized for taking Williams ahead of Reggie Bush in the draft. It just goes to show you once again that the media rarely knows a thing. One of the wonderful developments of the 2011 season was the emergence of the Texans' defense. Most of that was done without Williams. Proof again of how good Wade Phillips is as a defensive coordinator. Williams was very good as a 3-4 linebacker. He's even better as a 4-3 defensive end. The Bills got themselves a terrific football player.

Bengals: G Travelle Wharton
             CB Jason Allen
-the Bengals were asleep until yesterday

Browns: DEs Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker
-Frostee and Juqua rushing the passer!

Broncos: S Mike Adams
-probably waiting on Manning. I wonder what Tim Tebow is thinking.

Colts: DE Cory Redding
           S  Tom Zbikowski
-I really like both of these signings. New coach Chuck Pagano know them well as he coached them both as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. With Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis I have to think that Redding will move inside from his 3-4 end position with the Ravens.

Jaguars: WR Laurent Robinson
             QB Chad Henne
-for a young, emerging receiver it's puzzling that Robinson is with his fifth team. Was last year's breakout a mirage. He's also had potential. Maybe he's just now "getting" the NFL. If he continues to improve Blaine Gabbert should be happy. Gabbert probaly was the most shaky of the rookie QBs last year. Henne will push him and provide insurance. Both are smart signings.

Chiefs: TE Kevin Boss
           RB Peyton Hillis
           QB Brady Quinn
             T  Eric Winston
-the Chiefs really wanted to sign John Carlson. He apparently cut his Kansas City visit short to fly to Minnesota. I like hearing those things but only when it's in the Vikings favor. Boss was the fall back but a very good fall back. Hillis is very talented and a bit crazy. Winston is a nice addition.

Dolphins: DB Richard Marshall
-like the other teams hoping for Manning I think that the Dolphins were holding off doing other things. Marshall's a very good football player.

Patriots: DLs Jonathan Fanene, Marcus Harrison and Trevor Scott
               S   Steve Gregory
             WR Anthony Gonzalez
             WR Brandon Lloyd
-players that interest Bill Belichick always interest me. He's able to see players more in terms of what they can do in specific situations rather than what they have done. Sometimes he'll gamble on his team's ability to influence a talented head case. Albert Haynesworth and Adalius Thomas. Sometimes they work, Randy Moss. Sometimes they don't, Haynesworth, Thomas. Anyway, his interest in Gregory prompted me to look at the player more closely. I like the kid and I wish that I had followed him more. I was only really familar with Eric Weddle in the Chargers defensive backfield. I think that Fanene will be a very good player for the Patriots. Gonzalez too.

Jets: WR Chaz Schilens
        QB Drew Stanton
-I like Schilens

Raiders: CB Ron Bartell
               G  Mark Briesel
-the Raiders had to cut so much salary to get under the cap that they couldn't really do too much. They didn't.

Chargers: LB Jarrett Johnson
               FB  LeRon McClain
               WRs Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal
               QB Charlie Whitehurst
                 S  Atari Bigby
-I think that Chargers general manager is an ass so I like it when his moves look like ones made by an ass. I was disappointed with what the Chargers have done so far. They lost Vincent Jackson but they got younger and perhaps more versatile with Meachem and Royal. Meachem, although not as big, provides the same sort of deep threat as Jackson. Royal could be dynamite with Philip Rivers. Johnson and McClain are terrific football players. Adding Whitehurst is interesting. A few years ago, the Chargers were grooming him as a very good backup to Rivers when they Seahawks came calling. They wanted that potential franchise QB and saw it in Whitehurst. The Cardianls saw it too. A minor bidding war brought a decent return to the Chargers. The Seahawks got their potential franchise guy only to replace him with Tarvaris Jackson a year later. Now the Chargers get him back and the Seahawks are now chasing after Matt Flynn.

Titans: G Steve Hutchisnon
-the last team waiting on Manning. I hope that Hutchinson ends his career on a high note. I loved his time with the Vikings. He and Antoine Winfield were, by far, the Vikings greatest free agent additions. Hutchinson should end up in Canton. I wish that something could have been worked out between the Vikings and Hutchinson. Fantastic football player. He visited the Seahawks. I'm glad that he didn't return to them. He deserves better. If Manning doesn't go to San Francisco, I like him in Tennessee with Hutchinson.

The Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Packers, Ravens, Texans and Steelers have done nothing but sign their own free agents, so far. The Eagles went insane last summer so that could be the reason for sitting quiet. The Lions wisely spent their cap space for the next half dozen years on an extension with Calvin Johnson. The Falcons, Packers, Ravens, Texans and Steelers are in pretty good to great shape and can wait for the bargains and/or the draft.

      

New Vikings Guard

After releasing guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera the Minnesota Vikings found a new guard in Nick Taylor. He's a little small for a guard in football but he was just fine for a point guard in basketball. In his final season at Florida International in 2009 he was listed at 5-10 and 165 pounds. He had a marginal collegiate basketball career. He had no collegiate football career. Taylor spent last season playing cornerback in a minor arena football league. He's got a long way to go be part of a 53 man NFL roster but stranger things have happened.

Taylor, 23, worked out at FIU's pro day on Wednesday, where he clocked at 4.34 and 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Vikings apparently thought enough him to bring him to Minneapolis for a private workout on Friday. They signed him shortly thereafter. Taylor said that team officials told him his long-shot bid to make the roster will include a look at cornerback, punt returner and perhaps receiver, too.

I actually like that the Vikings are kicking all the bushes to find football talent. It certainly can't hurt. San Diego's all-pro tight end Antonio Gates spent his college career at Kent St. on the basketball court rather than the football field. Who knows? Maybe, Taylor becomes a punt return demon. The Vikings have checked out some non-football players in recent years. Track star Todd Lowber had a shot. He didn't make the team but he bounced around some practice squads and played in the Canadian Football League. Wrestler Brock Lesnar tried out as a defensive end. He was a huge attraction with the fans at training camp but was an early cut. Those two didn't work out with the Vikings. Maybe, Nick Taylor can. You never can tell.

Welcome to the NFL Nick Taylor.

Offseason Show

It's not sour grapes. I'm content with the Minnesota Vikings being careful in free agency. It's not like the team is only a player or two away from returning to the conference championship game. Flying with an inexperienced quarterback like Christian Ponder tends to force a team to pump the breaks a little. Being competitive next year isn't out of the question. They have some talent. There's a chance. The expectations are just more modest than most in the NFC North. All that being said, I'm not going after all teams that go "all in" with free agency but I often wonder if teams spend a bunch on free agents simply to show that they can. Grab a bunch of stars from other teams to entertain a fan base suffering football withdrawals. The Washington Redskins have often signed players that simply don't fit what they do. Two words. Albert. Haynesworth. The signings frequently look fantastic on paper but do zero on the field. Many have been old. Stars a few years ago but fading now. The Philadelphia Eagles were ridiculous last summer. They were playing fantasy football for real. Nnambi Asomugha is a dynamite cornerback but his skills didn't really fit what the Eagles do. He'll no doubt adapt and be more comfortable next year but it was a stretch to assume that he'd be his usual All-Pro self right away. They'd already paired Dominique Rogers-Cromartie with Asante Samuel in the secondary. Now they had three top corners and not one was comfortable playing nickel. It just didn't work with what they were trying to do. Jason Babin was terrific so not all of their signings struck out. Free agency can become much like a poker game. Bluffs and overbidding. Teams see players that perform well in another system and assume the same production will carry. The bidding leads to overspending and increased expectations. When the player signs his name on a contract a game is won. There's a celebration within the team's facilities and with every fan. It's a game that really means nothing now. It's a show for the media and the fans.

Welcome Home John Carlson

No Throwback Thursday today. It's Free Agency today. Oh, there might be some past free agency references for those that miss those days long ago. Yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings dipped into the free agency pool. They found themselves a new tight end in John Carlson. He's from Litchfield, Minnesota so he's coming home. By way of Notre Dame and the Seattle Seahawks, he's coming home. He'll form an interesting duo with fellow Notre Damer Kyle Rudolph at tight end. With the retirement of Jim Kleinsasser and now free agent loss of Visanthe Shiancoe, tight end had become a need for the Vikings. I was hoping that Shiancoe would be re-signed but the team got younger and perhaps more versatile with Carlson. The New England Patriots have made a nice blueprint of the possibilities of tight ends that can produce like receivers. It was a nice start for the Vikings in the 2012 free agency market but most fans of the team found it a day late and not nearly enough.

There was a suicide watch in Vikings Nation on the first two days of spending. Too many football fans are raised on Madden and Fantasy Football. Every player is available and every player is a perfect fit and every player is dying to play for your team. Of course, teams are created in a day of spending. The Vikings' supposedly faithful fans lost a little more of their minds with each signing made by another team. Sure, I would have loved for the Vikings to have signed Pierre Garcon and Brandon Carr but I don't make those decisions and they may have had no desire to move to Minnesota. Some fans simply don't get that players might prefer to play in certain cities. I also wouldn't pay the prices that it took to buy those players. Sometimes it's smart to sit out bidding wars that you're not sure that you want to win. When a player signs quickly and for a ton it's clear what's on their mind. They aren't shopping around as much as they are looking for that one great pay day. Sometimes it's fun to be players in free agency. It's like Christmas in March. 2006 was a blast when the Vikings signed Steve Hutchinson, Chester Taylor, Ben Leber and Ryan Longwell in the first few days. All were smart signings with only Hutchinson being an elite player. All were solid performers for the Vikings and helped form the core of the 2009 team that should have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. It pays to be smart in free agency. The Washington Redskins during owner Dan Snyder's reign have often gone a bit nutty in free agency. They don't have much to show for it. The Philadelphia Eagles put together the supposed Dream Team last summer. That team was a mess. Big spending never creates a team. Smart spending usually does. Spending big on difference-makers has had it's moments since the first true free agent class of '93. Reggie White's impact on the Green Bay Packers created a Champion. Deion Sanders did it twice in San Francisco and Dallas. Drew Brees turned around the New Orleans Saints. That's not a lot in twenty years of dealing. Fans from most teams should back away from the cliffs. If history repeats, it's the fans of teams spending big that should probably worry. Besides, nothing is won in March.

Move To The Top

It's a dandy scene when two quarterbacks rise to the top of an NFL Draft. Especially if your team drafts third and they aren't looking at quarterback. The Washington Redskins made their intentions clear when they sent three first round picks and a second this year to the St Louis Rams for the second pick of the draft and a shot at Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Since the Indianapolis Colts are likely selecting Luck with the first pick it's looking just as likely Griffin will be the man in Washington.

This was an unusual trade. I've never seen a trade of draft choices that didn't involve the top pick over a month before the draft. The Redskins don't know for sure which quarterback will still be there at #2. Clearly they like both players but they can't know for sure which player that will be. Personally, I'm glad that this trade was made early. It clears the draft path for the Minnesota Vikings selection at #3. They now know that they will have the first choice of the best non-quarterback in the draft. Since they have high hopes for quarterback Christian Ponder they aren't looking at the position. The best non-quarterback in the draft looks to be USC tackle Matt Kalil. I see Kalil being the Vikings pick. I wouldn't be disappointed if they selected Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon or LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. I'm nearly certain that the choice will be one of those three but I think that you have to go with the left tackle. Protect Ponder and open holes for the great Adrian Peterson.

Vikings To Do List

The NFL Free Agent frenzy begins this afternoon. The Minnesota Vikings opened some salary cap room over the weekend by releasing guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera and cornerback Cedric Griffen. The team now has over $20 million in salary cap room to improve a 3-13 team. I don't see them getting into any bidding wars but I see them doing some bidding. I see them getting younger by going after players in their mid-20s coming off their first contract. Between free agency and the draft they have to improve the offensive line and the secondary. They could use some receiver help too. Here's some of what I expect them to do.

re-sign:
DT Letroy Guion 
LB Erin Henderson
          
sign:
CB Brandon Carr
 S   Reggie Nelson
 R   Pierre Garcon

Draft:
1. Matt Kalil  T  USC

Free agency will obviously influence the rest of the draft. The following are the positions that likely will addressed:
more secondary, in particular another safety
more receiver
middle linebacker
defensive tackle

If the bidding gets too high for Brandon Carr, which is looking more likely, Terrell Thomas and Tracy Porter could be less expensive alternatives.

Long Lost Treasure

I'm always amazed by some of the long forgotten items that people find in a closet, basement, attic or yard sale. Recently, a Michigan family was cleaning out an old farmhouse and stumbled across a long-sought after collection of football cards. It's worth thousands of dollars and considered the rarest such collection in history.

In 1894, the P.H. Mayo tobacco company produced the first ever set of collectible cards to feature only football players. The 35-card set only contained players from the "Big Three" Ivy League schools, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, as these three colleges were by far the most dominant in the young sport at the time. The cards were small by today's standards and featured a sepia-toned portrait on a black border that contained the player's last name, school and the Mayo Cut Plug logo. The card backs were blank and black. One of the cards did not identify the player shown. Early checklists simply listed this card as "anonymous." The player has since been identified as John Dunlop of Harvard. There are only ten Dunlop cards known to still exist. Depending upon the condition of the card it can be worth anywhere from $10,000-60,000.

The find in Michigan has sent waves through the football card collecting world. "We get a lot of calls from a lot of people saying they've got something, and usually it's not what you expect," says Lou Brown, president of Legends Sports and Games. But Brown says that this set is something different entirely. "It's the 'Holy Grail' of football cards."

Gotta Fly

I was surprised to see former Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob pop up in the news recently. I was even more surprised by the reason. Ayoob had the misfortune of following Aaron Rodgers as Cal's quarterback in 2005. That's a tough chore. Ayoob bounced around in the smaller football world and kind of drifted on until recently. A few weeks ago, inside a hanger at McClellan Air Force Base outside Sacramento, Ayoob threw a paper airplane 226 feet, 10 inches. The mighty throw shattered the previous record of 207 feet, 4 inches. Verification of Ayoob's throw would seem to be a mere formality, especially since one of the judges was the previous record holder, Stephen Kreiger.

The plane was designed by John Collins, a producer at KRON-TV, in San Francisco. He's designed planes since childhood and has also studied origami. Known as "the Paper Airplane Guy," Collins has been pursuing the record in earnest for three or four years. He's studied aerodynamics, trajectories and the all-important verification process for Guiness World Records. Collins knew that he needed aquarterback to provide the arm strength to challenge the record, so he sought the help of former Cal quarteback Mike Pawlawski and former Portland St quarterback Jimmy Collins. Both participated but Pawlawski had to bow out after neck surgery and Jimmy Collins had scheduling conflicts. Enter Ayoob, who had worked at KRON as an arena football broadcaster. Ayoob has thrown his share of paper airplanes. His quarterbacking skills helped achieve the balance, arm angle and strength needed for the mighty throw. Collins said that Ayoob has thrown his glider as far as 240 feet in practice and he thinks much greater distances are possible.

Joe Ayoob may not have matched the heights achieved by Aaron Rodgers as a quarterback at Cal but he he's now thrown a paper airplane farther than anyone ever has.

Wasted Newsprint

The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently ran a column saying that the Minnesota Vikings late season win against the Washington Redskins was the costliest in team history. About the only accurate claim this column made was the "costly" knee injury to fantastic running back Adrian Peterson. As tragic as that injury was it's the risk you take in football. The only way to guarantee injury-free football is to not play the game at all and that would just be silly. Peterson will be back and ready for week 1! The real problem with this column is the writer's claim that the "meaningless" win over the Redskins cost the Vikings the second pick in the upcoming draft. These "could've been" views are a waste of time. The people diddling with these sad thoughts are likely the same people that wanted the Vikings to lose games just to get a shot at Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Losing is never a good thing. During the season the coaches and players don't, and shouldn't, care too much about what might happen in the NFL Draft. With the presence of two terrific quarterbacks in this particular Draft and the Inianapolis Colts' likely selection of one of those quarterbacks #1, the price tag for the second pick is going to be pretty steep. As the holder of that pick the St Louis Rams are listening to all offers. They could get as many as three #1 picks. The bidding likely starts in that ballpark. The Star Tribune writer moans that this could've been the Vikings. It's not! So what? Personally, it's difficult to imagine being anything but ecstatic at the prospect of possibly adding USC tackle Matt Kalil to the Vikings needy offensive line. Teams dream of plugging a player as talented as Kalil in at the critical left tackle position. He's been compared to current top tackles like Cleveland's Joe Thomas and Miami's Jake Long. Even Hall of Famers and former USC tackles Anthony Munoz and Ron Yary are mentioned in the same sentence as Kalil. Possibly because they all went to USC but mostly because Matt Kalil is really good at knocking people down. It's a stretch to compare a player that has yet to take an NFL snap to those greats but Kalil has the skill and look of a player that will excel for a long time. Quartebacks, running backs and coaches sleep easier knowing that the blindside is protected for a decade or more. If teams wisely use the picks that they do have there's no reason to cry about the picks that they never had.

More Bounty Nonsense

It's really no surprise that the "talking heads" are all over the Saints' cheating ways. There's no denying the serious nature of it all. It's just really bothering me that they can't keep a couple of things straight.

First of all, the bounties are solely the incentives to inflict bodily harm. The encouragement to injure opponents. The desire to literally take players out of the game. The bounties in question have absolutely nothing to do with the incentives for interceptions, sacks, fumbles, even hard hits. Yet they keep grouping them with the serious bounties, the real bounties. Whenever there is a discussion about this mess, current and former players and coaches, the media, pretty much everyone speaks of all teams using these incentives for big plays on the field. Those are not the problem and they in no way justify intentionally injuring other players. The next time these clowns mention incentives for big on-field plays I may slip into a coma. These incentives aren't part of the problem and they shouldn't be part of the discussion.

Second of all, people scoff at the dollar amounts of these bounties for taking players out of the games. They wonder why anyone would do these terrible things for anywhere from $100 to a couple thousand. Some might more understand Jonathan Vilma's offer of $10,000 to anyone that can get Brett Favre out of the game. That's a bit more hefty but wouldn't come close to paying the likely fine for the hit. It should be obvious that none of this is about the money. It could be a buck and the results would be the same. The desire to injure would still be the same. It could be for a dinner or a beer. It's all about the appreciation from your teammates. Their praise and applause.

Football is a violent game. That's part of the appeal to playing the game and to watching it. Despite all that violence there's a great deal of respect among the people that play football for the people that play football. They realize that they are all in this physical, dangerous game together. Players are so big, physical, strong and fast that they can literally kill each other. The rules and, most importantly, the respect that they have for each other prevent that slaughter. The bounties that the Saints put down blow that respect all to hell. Any integrity is gone.

Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson made a great point when he said that a good coach and good football players shouldn't need motivation through these ridiculous bounties to perform.

Throwback Thursday: Game Changer

Pro football was the first sport to reopen their doors to blacks in 1946. Less than two decades later they were the first to venture into the South. The National Football League had the Dallas Cowboys. The American Football League matched that with the Dallas Texans and the Houston Oilers. It's always tough to break through idiot prejudices. It's never easy but sports are often a few steps ahead of society. It's far easier to accept a black running back than a black neighbor. So many people risked a bunch to move ahead in sports and in society. So many events changed opinions. One such event was the AFL All-Star game following the 1964 season. Few remember the game and less knew that it even happened at all.

New Orleans wanted a professional football team at that time. For a fleeting moment they thought that the Oakland Raiders were on their way. That fell through. The city hoped that hosting the All-Star game could lead to getting an AFL franchise. That desire forced them to make some changes. They guaranteed that the black players could stay in downtown New Orleans, the French Quarter, Bourbon Street. Eat. Do whatever. It was all cleared. It was a nice gesture in theory but it didn't work out that way in reality. From their first step at the airport in New Orleans the black players weren't welcome. They couldn't even get a taxi from the airport. They were there for hours. Finally, they were told that they had to call colored cabs. The only places cleared were the hotels for the respective All-Star teams, the Roosevelt and Fontainebleau Hotels. From there they were repeatedly turned away from establishments in the French Quarter, anywhere they wanted to go. One player had a gun pulled on him by a businessman not wanting him in his establishment. All the blacks ran into discrimination and decided that they'd had enough. They met in Room 990 of the Roosevelt Hotel and decided to boycott the AFL All-Star game. Some white players, led by Jack Kemp and Ron Mix, joined the black ranks. They all refused to play the game in New Orleans and left the city. To save face and the game the AFL turned to Houston. The crowd at Jeppensen Stadium numbered all of 15,446 for the hastily arranged game. Five West players scored in the 38-14 victory over the East.

This game showed that blacks could force some changes. It also showed that changes needed to be made. New Orleans had a bunch to make. The city would get the Saints a couple years later. This game might have started the wave of professional sports teams that spread across the South. What took place in Room 990 of the Roosevelt Hotel should be better known and recognized as the step forward that it was.

Say It Ain't So

Barring any sudden change of heart, Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts career is coming to an end. It's just not right. I should have been better prepared. The complete turnover of the Colts front office and coaching staff was a pretty good sign of things to come. It wasn't so much that I didn't expect this to happen. I just didn't want it to happen. I hate seeing players so connected to a franchise leave that franchise. I should be numb to it by now because it happens all the time. Paul Krause is the only Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer to retire as a Viking. Fran Tarkenton did too but he spent a five year chunk in the middle of his career with the New York Giants. Chris Doleman took his pass rushing ways to the Falcons and 49ers before returning home to the Vikings. Seeing Alan Page close out his amazing career with the Chicago Bears was the most painful of all. I know exactly how many Packers fans felt watching Brett Favre lead the Vikings. No matter how many times it happens I hate seeing players fade into retirement with a team they do not belong.

In my opinion, Colts owner Jim Irsay has been an ass throughout this drama. Perhaps it's best for Manning to take his passing to another team. The Colts are no longer the team he knew. Wherever Manning goes I hope that it's a team that's able to compete right away. Manning can make most teams competitive just by entering the huddle. He doesn't need much. I just hope that he inherits a line that can provide some protection.

I really look forward to seeing Peyton Manning back on the football field. It'll be strange to see him without that horseshoe on his helmet. Johnny Unitas retired as a Charger.

Franchising Time

The crazy fun of free agency starts one week from today. To protect some of those potential free agents several teams took advantage of the franchise tag. More teams than I've ever seen took advantage of the tag. Maybe there's been more than 21 teams in a given year but I can't recall one. The Indianapolis Colts slapped the tag on defensive end Robert Mathis as a precaution. Only hours later the player and team agreed to a new contract. By the end of the day, the last day to use it, 20 teams used the franchise tags. Here are those players:

Raiders: Tyvon Branch, safety
Eagles: DeSean Jackson, receiver
Falcons: Brent Grimes, cornerback
Redskins: Fred Davis, tight end
Ravens: Ray Rice, running back
49ers: Dashon Goldson, safety
Bears: Matt Forte, running back
Cardinals: Calais Campbell, defensive end
Bengals: Mike Nugent, kicker
Browns: Phil Dawson, kicker
Saints: Drew Brees, quarterback
Lions: Cliff Avril, defensive end
Jaguars: Josh Scobee, kicker
Broncos: Matt Prater, kicker
Titans: Michael Griffin, safety
Patriots: Wes Welker, receiver
Cowboys: Anthony Spencer, linebacker
Buccaneers: Connor Barth, kicker
Giants: Steve Weatherford, punter
Chiefs: Dwayne Bowe, receiver

The one thing that immediately leaps from this list is that 5 kickers and 1 punter were franchised. It's likely due to the reasonable price tag for those positions. It's probably not much more than what those teams hope to sign the player to long term.

As a Minnesota Vikings fan I was disappointed to see safeties Branch, Goldson and Griffin protected. Not only does it take perhaps the top 3 potentially available safeties off the market it also increases the demand for the few that are left. The Vikings need at least one safety from both free agency and the draft. The Vikings current siuation at the position is a disaster. They could also use some help at cornerback. Cortland Finnegan of the Titans and Brandon Carr of the Chiefs dodged the tag and hopefully will have a plane flight to Minneapolis planned for the afternoon one week from today. Maybe Thomas DeCoud and Pierre Garcon too.

Bounties Abound

The NFL has found themselves in a bit of a pickle. It looks like current St Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ran his own little mercenary business at every stop of his NFL career. A career that could be ending soon. From Tennessee to Buffalo to Washington to New Orleans. Each stop had a bounty system to take out opposing players. Jacksonville has yet to check in but he was there for only one year. He probably didn't have the time. He was the head coach in Buffalo so imagine the havoc he could have caused there. Fortunately he couldn't achieve the on field success to keep his job and his little games. Initially, I saw this mess as solely a problem for the Saints. Clearly the Saints are in some trouble. General manager Mickey Loomis lied. Head coach Sean Payton ignored it all. The Saints players went after opponents with the intent to injure. Despite all that the main problem child is Williams. At first I felt that any punishment of him would be unfair punishment of the Rams. Now, I believe that Gregg Williams has coached his last game in the NFL. The Rams just have to deal with it. The NFL should have seen this coming and they should have dealt with it long ago.

When I was a football tadpole learning about the game in the 1970s the Oakland Raiders were pulling similar stunts with malicious intent. They had a defensive backfield filled with fools playing a nasty game. Jack Tatum, George Atkinson and Skip Thomas earned points for on field mayhem. If one of these clowns knocked out an opponent, they earned a point. If the injured player was carted off the field, they earned even more points. Who knows what the winner earned? Maybe it was a beer at the end of the season. The equivalent of a $100 bounty to the well compensated player of today. The meager rewards were nothing compared to the respect and praise when one of these idiots ended the career of one of their peers. On August 12, 1978, Jack Tatum hit New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley in an exhibition game. Stingley never walked again. When he passed away in 2007 at the age of 55, Stingley had spent the majority of his shortened life in a wheel chair. I wonder if Tatum won the game in 1978. As a child, I was stunned by this ludricrous game that the Raiders defensive backs played. No one else seemed to care. The league had to know of this game. If I did, they did. I find it kind of sad that the players that have to do this are usually marginal players at best. The only way that they can survive in the league is by playing the game more brutally than the rest. They don't have the football skills to otherwise survive in the NFL. Raiders cornerback Willie Brown didn't need play this injury game. Neither did Mike Haynes. They could play tough football without the need to intentionally injure another player. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of football but when injuring a player becomes the objective there's obviously a serious problem. Injuries were the objective of the idiots in the Raiders secondary. It was the objective of the players coached by Gregg Williams. From the nasty play of George Trafton in the '20s to the brutal ballistics of Hardy Brown and clothes line tackles of Night Train Lane in the '50s, players have played a violent game. That violence is the appeal to many. The Raiders defensive backs crossed a line in the '70s. Gregg Williams has crossed it again. The NFL can't ignore it this time.

The most important thing to any organized sport is the integrity of the games. The observer, the fan has to be able to trust what takes place on the field. Usually this involves gambling. This bounty business also threatens the integrity of the game. When the Saints' Jonathan Vilma throws down $10,000 for the player that takes Brett Favre out of a game the integrity of that game is threatened. The real objective of each play becomes questionable. The NFL could have dealt with this sort of thing forty years ago when some of the Raiders played their stupid little game within a game.

Run Eisen Run

Rich Eisen's annual 40-yard run to close out the Scouting Combine may have had innocent beginnings but it's big time now. It's evolution is perhaps best seen in Mike Mayock's growing acceptance of it. When it first started Mayock thought that it deserved little to no attention. It was a waste of time and had no business being a part of something as serious as the Combine. Now, Mayock is a part of it. He even sits at the 40-yard mark and hand times Eisen. I have always found Eisen's run in his suit awesome. Charles Davis' narration is classic. The most fun is found when Eisen's run is shown on top of the fastest runners and the slowest runners from the Combine. They give Eisen a head start and let the real performers run him down. The entire production is hilarious. It has also grown to the point where NFL players, coaches, scouts, management, etc. are looking forward to it. Mayock told of how Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan wanted to talk to him. Mayock assumed it was about the prospects at the Combine. Nolan wanted to talk about Eisen's 40-yard run.

Rich Eisen really wants to break 6.0 seconds. He nearly did it this year when he clocked in at 6.03. So close. He has another whole year to get there next year.

Bountygate

The New Orleans Saints finally got busted for posting bounties on opposing players. The only real surprise here is that it took this long. Idiot defensive coordinator Gregg Williams only said that his minions were looking to take out Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre before the 2009 NFC Championship game. It was no secret. It was the only defense that the idiot could come up with. I was surprised that the Saints weren't punished in some way simply for talking about taking out players. It shouldn't have mattered whether there was money on the table for the hits. Idiot Williams spoke of taking out players several times over the past few years. There are now reports that he did this when he coached for the Washington Redskins. Idiots never learn. The Saints efforts on the field simply confirmed things. Just this past season Vikings running back Adrian Peterson spoke of Saints defensive back Jabari Greer executing some "after the play is dead" extracurriculars upon his ankle. Twisting it, and such. Anything to get a player that the Saints couldn't otherwise stop out of the game. Just sad, coward football.

These efforts by the Saints should have brought about a punishment even before this bounty news. Speaking of injuring players and trying to injure players is deserving of penalties. Now that it's known that the Saints paid players for taking out opponents they have to be punished. This is a worse offense than the Spygate situation of the New England Patriots. They were fined heavily and lost a first round draft pick. The Saints should receive an even more harsh punishment. It's unforunate that idiot Williams has taken his stunts to St. Louis. It's not right to punish the Rams for something that the idiot did with the Saints.

Beyond the player safety issues, the bounties violate salary cap rules. Whatever punishment is dropped on the Saints should reflect that. When Saints owner Tom Benson caught wind of this he instructed his employees to stop. General manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton knew and still did nothing except ignore their boss.

When the Vikings signed former Saints defensive tackle last summer I wondered if the truth would follow. I wonder if Ayodele and the Vikings were the whistle blowers. It's sad if it took something like that for the NFL to investigate. The comments by the idiot over the past few years should have been enough.

Could It Be?

The Minnesota Vikings have taken the next big step in their frustrating quest for a new stadium. The Vikings, the sate of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis have reached an agreement on the financing, location and maintenance of the stadium. The bill still has to be presented to the State Legislature and the Minneapolis City Council. The next step is a chore but so was this agreement. Could it actually happen? The stadium will be located just east of the existing Metrodome. The location will allow for the Vikings to continue playing in the current hunk of shit for at least two seasons while construction is taking place. The final construction stage will force the Vikings over to the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium for as little as a handful of games. If all proceeds smoothly the Minnesota Vikings will open their new stadium for the start of the 2016 season.

Some financing particulars:
Total Project Cost: 975 million
Minnesota Vikings share: 427
State of Minnesota: 398
City of Minneapolis: 150

Of the expected 20.5 million in annual operating costs the Vikings will cover 13. The city of Minneapolis will cover the rest.

Any purchase of this size causes pause. Mostly by those that care little for sports. Significant is that none of the public financing will involve new taxes or general fund revenues. The financing will involve electronic pull-tab gaming and redirect of existing convention center sales and hospitality taxes. It's been said that Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and Minneapolis mayor RT Ryback wanted no part of an agreement that had little chance of getting through the legislature and the City Council. Still, this agreement has it's share of critics. The most frequent criticism is the view that the people of Minnesota are being asked to build a palace for and line the pockets of rich out of state Vikings owners, the Wilf family. Zygi and Mark Wilf likely will make a bunch of money. They have to in order to properly compete in the NFL. The city of Minneapolis and state of Minnesota will also make a bunch of money. From the stadium and from the income taxes of a bunch of wealthy football players. The Vikings, at best, will only use the stadium twelve days out of the year. The city and state will benefit far more often. High School football games, concerts, Major League Soccer, conventions, Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, etc. Indianapolis received much deserved rave reviews for their hosting of the recent Super Bowl. The close, hometown atmosphere of the city put on a show that likely exceeded the experiences of the previous 45 Super Bowls. Minneapolis could put on a similar small town, big city show. I attended the 2001 NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis. That Indianpolis Super Bowl show was the same type of feel that I found in Minneapolis. It also revealed the Metrodome as the hunk of shit it has always been reported to be. It was a hunk of shit when it opened in 1982. It's an old hunk of shit now. Minnesota and the Vikings deserve better. The people of Minnesota will benefit in all ways financial and personal in the construction of this stadium. Even the critics have to see that.

Throwback Thursday: Spec

Orban Eugene Sanders was born on January 26, 1918. Everyone saw that mass of freckles on young Orban's face and started calling him "Spec." The name just stuck.

Buddy Young, who saw a lot of football as a player and later as a league official, once described Spec Sanders as being in a class with just a handful of other backs, including Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Hugh McIlhenney and Lenny Moore. That's a pretty select group. Only Sanders is missing from the Hall of Fame. Sanders lost the early years of his career to World War II. His best years were in the All America Football Conference with the New York Yankees. So his efforts have mostly been ignored by the NFL. That's unfortunate as his 1947 season was one of the best ever. He led the AAFC with 231 carries, 114 points and his 18 rushing touchdowns was a professional record that stood until Jim Taylor broke it in 1962. His 1432 yards rushing established a record that stood until 1958 when Jim Brown ran for 1527 yards. He could the throw the ball too, completing 93 passes for 1442 yards and 14 more touchdowns. He also returned kicks, taking one kickoff back for another score. Although he was used sparingly on defense, he intercepted three passes. He also averaged 42.1 yards on 46 punts. In a game against the Chicago Rockets, Sanders gained 250 yards rushing, a mark that went untouched for more than 25 years. He was removed from the game after only three quarters. If he'd remained in the game, Adrian Peterson's 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers might still be looking up at Spec Sanders. An incredible season. When viewing season statistics of this era, Spec Sanders' 1947 season is so outlandish it strikes one as a misprint.

Sanders suffered from knee woes and retired after the 1948 season. Despite playing only three seasons, he finished as the AAFC's second leading all-time rusher, leader in touchdowns, fourth in total points, and still found time to finish eighth in passing.

Sanders was lured out of retirement to play in the NFL in 1950 with a different but similarly named New York Yanks. Because of the knee problems, he opted to play only defense that year. In his one year in the NFL Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl after his record setting 13 interception season.

Spec Sanders had only a four year career with only one in the NFL. World War II and knee problems kept it brief. It's unfortunate that his three incredible years in the AAFC are largely forgotten. Those that saw Sanders play football never fogot him.