One of the most interesting and inspiring stories of this offseason has come to an end. For now. The Atlanta Falcons released linebacker Brian Branks. This ended the comeback attempt for a player that was 10 years removed from organized football after being wrongfully accused of rape as a high school student. This comeback was always considered a longshot but it was impossible not to hope that the football career of this young man might come full circle and be where it might have been. His football future and much of his youth was yanked away from him because of a baseless accusation. Despite all of that, his approach to life is without any bitterness. He wasn't worried about being released from the Falcons because he knew that he had done all that he could to reignite his once promising football future.
Despite being released, Brian Banks made an impact on the Atlanta Falcons. Jay Glazer reported that Banks gave a speech Thursday night to the team that had some vets on the verge of tears, about appreciating every second on that field. Falcons owner Arthur Blank was so impressed by Banks during his time with the team that he's trying to find a career opportunity for him in the Atlanta area. Banks is winning admirers everywhere he goes. The way that he's handled everything thrown at him is simply amazing. So many have come away from a similar path broken and bitter. He's made himself better. Football might not be in his present. Could be in his future. It doesn't really matter. He had to try.
Through his time with the Falcons, did Brian Banks think of the 28-year old linebacker that he could have been if everything had been as it should? Fast forward through a life that wasn't taken away and find the linebacker that might have been? Many of us would think about that. I certainly would. Brian Banks sure seems fine with the man that he is. He just wanted the chance to play football. The freedom to play football. He's just happy to be free.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Settled
The NFL has settled lawsuits brought by 4,500 former players over brain injuries suffered on the field. Former U.S. District Judge Layn Phillips, the court-appointed mediator, announced that the NFL and NFL Properties will contribute $765 million to provide medical benefits and injury compensation for retired NFL players, fund medical and safety research, and cover litigation expenses. The settlement still must be approved by U.S. District Judge Anita Brody.
$765 million! Sounds like a ton but this is an amount that the NFL can handle. That's a total payment of $23.9 million per team over twenty years. For the first three years, each team will pay just under $4 million each year. After that, the cost will drop to about $700,000 per year for the remaining 17 years. Some thought that this lawsuit could bankrupt the league. That would never happen. Like nature, the NFL will always find a way. The league certainly would have preferred to have paid nothing but if this had gotten to a jury the amount would have been so much larger. A jury would have seen the hobbled former players on one side and "fat cat" owners on the other and torn the league apart. The way that I look at this settlement is that this is the money that the league should have been paying into some kind of disability fund for decades. The care for former players has been pathetic. Owners and recent players are rich because of mostly crippled former players. Much of the disrespect for the medical concerns of former players came from a former player, Gene Upshaw. It was sad to see Upshaw turn his back on his peers as the Executive Director of NFL Players Association. These were his teammates and peers that he ignored. He saw himself working solely for the current players. The NFL owners weren't going to help the players that got them all that cash if they didn't have to. Upshaw certainly didn't care if they did.
The problem that I've had with this lawsuit is that every player that has ever played football has known about the dangers of the game. It's never been a secret that head trauma is a possibility when large men collide. That's why football helmets have been available for over 100 years. That's why the helmets have gotten more sturdy over the years. That's why mothers dread the day that their son might want to play football. Only a bit of common sense is necessary to understand the possibility that head trauma could have a lasting impact. People accept that injuries to joints, bones, and muscles can build up over years. It's no great leap to accept that the same could happen with the brain. Did the NFL know more about head trauma than they let on? Who knows? Medical researchers are just now discovering the effects of repeated head trauma. I doubt that the league was ahead of the curve. Some of the owners are geniuses in business but I question whether they know their way around a CAT scan or even the difference between a CAT and a CTE. I just don't think that it matters what the league may or may not have known. The players knew that they were playing a violent, dangerous game. They knew, or should have known, that they'd be paying for it when they were done. That's not to say that the owners shouldn't help those players that literally gave their body and mind when they need it most. For many of those players, it all works out in the end. The NFL should have been taking better care of these players all along. They have to now. The sad part of it all is that maybe former players like Junior Seau, Andre Waters, Dave Duerson, and Ray Easterling might have gotten the help that they desperately needed.
$765 million! Sounds like a ton but this is an amount that the NFL can handle. That's a total payment of $23.9 million per team over twenty years. For the first three years, each team will pay just under $4 million each year. After that, the cost will drop to about $700,000 per year for the remaining 17 years. Some thought that this lawsuit could bankrupt the league. That would never happen. Like nature, the NFL will always find a way. The league certainly would have preferred to have paid nothing but if this had gotten to a jury the amount would have been so much larger. A jury would have seen the hobbled former players on one side and "fat cat" owners on the other and torn the league apart. The way that I look at this settlement is that this is the money that the league should have been paying into some kind of disability fund for decades. The care for former players has been pathetic. Owners and recent players are rich because of mostly crippled former players. Much of the disrespect for the medical concerns of former players came from a former player, Gene Upshaw. It was sad to see Upshaw turn his back on his peers as the Executive Director of NFL Players Association. These were his teammates and peers that he ignored. He saw himself working solely for the current players. The NFL owners weren't going to help the players that got them all that cash if they didn't have to. Upshaw certainly didn't care if they did.
The problem that I've had with this lawsuit is that every player that has ever played football has known about the dangers of the game. It's never been a secret that head trauma is a possibility when large men collide. That's why football helmets have been available for over 100 years. That's why the helmets have gotten more sturdy over the years. That's why mothers dread the day that their son might want to play football. Only a bit of common sense is necessary to understand the possibility that head trauma could have a lasting impact. People accept that injuries to joints, bones, and muscles can build up over years. It's no great leap to accept that the same could happen with the brain. Did the NFL know more about head trauma than they let on? Who knows? Medical researchers are just now discovering the effects of repeated head trauma. I doubt that the league was ahead of the curve. Some of the owners are geniuses in business but I question whether they know their way around a CAT scan or even the difference between a CAT and a CTE. I just don't think that it matters what the league may or may not have known. The players knew that they were playing a violent, dangerous game. They knew, or should have known, that they'd be paying for it when they were done. That's not to say that the owners shouldn't help those players that literally gave their body and mind when they need it most. For many of those players, it all works out in the end. The NFL should have been taking better care of these players all along. They have to now. The sad part of it all is that maybe former players like Junior Seau, Andre Waters, Dave Duerson, and Ray Easterling might have gotten the help that they desperately needed.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Enter "the Freak"
While reading Cris Carter's excellent book, Going Deep, so many memories came flooding back. None gave me more chills than his retelling of the months before the 1998 season when Randy Moss came to town. Thinking back to that 1998 NFL Draft, there was no way that Moss would fall to the Vikings pick at 21. No way. When the Tennessee Oilers, for whatever reason, selected Utah receiver Kevin Dyson at 16, I thought that it might be possible. If a team was willing to select any receiver before Moss there had to be substantial concern around the league about that kid from Marshall. At about that point I was worried that the Vikings might be buying into that concern as well. When the Detroit Lions selected itty bitty Tennessee corner Terry Fair at 20, I realized that the impossible could actually happen. Marshall receiver Randy Moss was sitting there for the Minnesota Vikings at 21. Little did I know then that Vikings head coach Dennis Green had been planning to take Moss from the moment that the draft started. He knew that the troublemaking receiver was going to fall. The Vikings took about as long as it takes to fill out that draft card to make the pick. One of the first things that I thought of when the Vikings made Moss the pick was that the 5'10" Fair was going to have to cover this guy.
There was a lot of excitement in Minnesota during that offseason of 1998. Red McCombs had purchased the team. There always seems to be a jolt to a franchise when there is a change like that. The Vikings had made several playoff appearances under Green. The team had a real nice offense with Cris Carter and Jake Reed catching passes and Robert Smith running. When Moss fell into their laps on draft day, Vikings fans were giddy with anticipation. After the draft, Moss went down to Florida to join Carter, Reed, and a few other teammates for offseason workouts. It was then that Carter realized why Green was so excited about this young receiver. He saw a 6'4" man with the quickness of a receiver who stood 5'9". He glided in and out of breaks and exploded when he had to go to another gear. He always seemed to have another gear.
"The more time I spent around Randy in those early days, the more I sensed that he wasn't going to disappoint. When our offensive coordinator, Brian Billick, called to tell me how great Randy could be, I told him he had no idea what was coming to minicamp in a few weeks."-Cris Carter
Moss changed the way the people viewed the game, how routes could be run. "Everybody was a little in awe of what he was doing," said former Vikings center Matt Birk. "Even in practice, you could tell you were watching something you'd never seen before." Billick had a 45-and-5 rule with his quarterbacks. This meant that on a go route the ball had to travel at least 45 yards downfield and be within 5 yards of the sideline. The idea was to give the receiver enough room to catch up to the football while keeping the throw far enough from the safety, who would be coming from the middle of the field. With Moss, the 45-an-5 rule became the 55-and-5 rule. A few weeks later, it became the 60-and-5 rule. He was too fast for the quarterback's arms. He was changing the game. He changed the Vikings offense. He changed how the Green Bay Packers drafted. He changed what teams looked for in a receiver. As he said that he would, Randy Moss ripped the league apart.
69 catches, 1313 yards, 19.0 yards/catch, 17 touchdowns. The numbers are big. How he made them was even more impressive. He took apart the Packers on a rain-soaked Monday Night. Perhaps more than any of his handful of games before, what he did to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day was the most astonishing. On 3 catches. He had 51-yard touchdown off a flea-flicker(!) on the Vikings first possession. He had a 56-yard touchdown later in that first quarter. His final catch was a quick, little hitch. It should have been a short gain. Moss took off as if he was shot out of a cannon. A stutter-step gave him an opening. This was the first time that I saw that Moss always had another gear.
That 1998 season was such a thrilling ride. It should have had a better ending. That last game was one of those forgettable games that can't be forgotten. Still, it was an exciting season. "The Freak" made the Minnesota Vikings "can't miss" football.
There was a lot of excitement in Minnesota during that offseason of 1998. Red McCombs had purchased the team. There always seems to be a jolt to a franchise when there is a change like that. The Vikings had made several playoff appearances under Green. The team had a real nice offense with Cris Carter and Jake Reed catching passes and Robert Smith running. When Moss fell into their laps on draft day, Vikings fans were giddy with anticipation. After the draft, Moss went down to Florida to join Carter, Reed, and a few other teammates for offseason workouts. It was then that Carter realized why Green was so excited about this young receiver. He saw a 6'4" man with the quickness of a receiver who stood 5'9". He glided in and out of breaks and exploded when he had to go to another gear. He always seemed to have another gear.
"The more time I spent around Randy in those early days, the more I sensed that he wasn't going to disappoint. When our offensive coordinator, Brian Billick, called to tell me how great Randy could be, I told him he had no idea what was coming to minicamp in a few weeks."-Cris Carter
Moss changed the way the people viewed the game, how routes could be run. "Everybody was a little in awe of what he was doing," said former Vikings center Matt Birk. "Even in practice, you could tell you were watching something you'd never seen before." Billick had a 45-and-5 rule with his quarterbacks. This meant that on a go route the ball had to travel at least 45 yards downfield and be within 5 yards of the sideline. The idea was to give the receiver enough room to catch up to the football while keeping the throw far enough from the safety, who would be coming from the middle of the field. With Moss, the 45-an-5 rule became the 55-and-5 rule. A few weeks later, it became the 60-and-5 rule. He was too fast for the quarterback's arms. He was changing the game. He changed the Vikings offense. He changed how the Green Bay Packers drafted. He changed what teams looked for in a receiver. As he said that he would, Randy Moss ripped the league apart.
69 catches, 1313 yards, 19.0 yards/catch, 17 touchdowns. The numbers are big. How he made them was even more impressive. He took apart the Packers on a rain-soaked Monday Night. Perhaps more than any of his handful of games before, what he did to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day was the most astonishing. On 3 catches. He had 51-yard touchdown off a flea-flicker(!) on the Vikings first possession. He had a 56-yard touchdown later in that first quarter. His final catch was a quick, little hitch. It should have been a short gain. Moss took off as if he was shot out of a cannon. A stutter-step gave him an opening. This was the first time that I saw that Moss always had another gear.
That 1998 season was such a thrilling ride. It should have had a better ending. That last game was one of those forgettable games that can't be forgotten. Still, it was an exciting season. "The Freak" made the Minnesota Vikings "can't miss" football.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Childs Waits
The Minnesota Vikings placed receiver Greg Childs on the reserve/physically unable to perform list yesterday. This will keep him from practicing with the team until at least October. He's attempting to become the first NFL player to return from tearing the patellar tendon in both knees. It's an injury that took place in last year's training camp. There was hope, especially from Childs, that he would return for training camp this year but the team is rightfully taking no chances. While this roster move is disappointing, especially for Childs, the fact that the Vikings didn't release him or place him on season-ending injured reserve could be viewed as an encouraging sign.
Greg Childs was one of the Minnesota Vikings' three fourth round picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. At 6'3" and 217 lbs, he was expected to be the big, downfield receiving threat that the team has missed, and needed, since Sidney Rice bolted for the Seattle Seahawks. He started the 2012 training camp in promising fashion. During the scrimmage at the end of the first week, Childs went up for a pass and came down with a torn patellar tendon in each knee. It was a brutal, freaky injury. He'd torn the same tendon in just his right knee while he was in college at Arkansas. There was concern after his devastating training camp injury that he'd never play again. Childs refused to accept that. He attacked his rehab. He stayed in Minnesota through the cold winter and worked. Through all the work he's been upbeat and optimistic. The Vikings experienced a miracle-like comeback last year in Adrian Peterson's return from shredding his knee. Childs' comeback would be even more remarkable as no one has ever returned from tearing both patellar tendons. He feels that he's ready now but the Vikings aren't taking any chances. Childs will be eligible to come off the reserve/physically unable to perform list in the latter half of the season. We'll see how that plays out. It might be best to keep him on the shelf through the season and start fresh in the offseason. He's worked so hard to get back. Whether it's this season or next, Greg Childs will return to the football field.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Cut Down Day
NFL teams have to cut down their roster to 75 players by today at 4pm EST. Some did this dirty work yesterday. The rosters have to be cut further to 53 players by Saturday at 6pm EST. All football coaches likely dread this task more than any other. The players hate it even more. Dreams often end on these days. Some players find new life on the practice squads of teams. Others may be so fortunate as to find a better fit on another team. No matter what happens in future days this day sucks.
The Minnesota Vikings took care of their roster reduction business yesterday with the release of 13 players:
QB James Vandenberg
WR Chris Summers
WR LaMark Brown
WR Erik Highsmith
RB Bradley Randle
RB Jerodis Williams
G Tyler Holmes
C Camden Wentz
DE Lawrence Jackson
DE Marquis Jackson
LB Stanford Keglar
CB Greg McCoy
CB Roderick Williams
The biggest name of the bunch is Lawrence Jackson. He was a first round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2008. His best years were his three years spent with the Detroit Lions. He had a career high of 6 sacks with the Lions in 2010. The Vikings signed him in April to see what he had left. Apparently, it wasn't enough. Stanford Keglar was a fourth round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2008. Jackson and Keglar were trying to prolong their NFL careers. The other 11 players were trying to start their careers. I was a little surprised that Randle was among this round of cuts. He's a smaller back but he sure blocks like a bigger back. I thought that sort of tenacity could earn him a spot on the roster. It still might. He could be signed to the Vikings practice squad.
13 players are no longer in the Vikings locker room. That's rough. This Saturday, or Friday, another 22 football players will be leaving that locker room. That's brutal.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Future Head Coaches?
Mixed emotions follow Minnesota Vikings assistant coaches to their head coaching opportunities. Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, and Mike Tomlin jumped from Vikings coordinator jobs to Super Bowl winners. Dungy waited a long time for his much deserved head coaching gig. He even felt the pain of being fired before he found the thrill of winning it all. Tomlin didn't wait long at all. He even learned from Dungy while he was a young assistant with the Tanpa Bay Buccaneers. As soon he was named the defensive coordinator in Minnesota it was clear that he wouldn't be around very long. It only took one year before the Pittsburgh Steelers came calling. Billick's wait was longer than Tomlin's but shorter than Dungy's. Like Tomlin, Billick won a Super Bowl soon after getting his head coaching job. I have mixed emotions when former Vikings assistants experience the ultimate in professional football head coaching success. I'm happy for them because they truly deserve that success. I'm not exactly thrilled for them because they are experiencing that success with teams that most certainly aren't the Minnesota Vikings. Dungy and Tomlin, in particular, were coaches that I hoped would one day be the Vikings head coach. Fortunately, for them, they were tapped for opportunities with teams that were more ready to win it all.
The Vikings have some assistant coaches now that will be head coaches soon. Like Dungy, Billick, and Tomlin, their opportunities will be with other teams. In my opinion, the Vikings are heading in the right direction with head coach Leslie Frazier. Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coach job this past offseason. He didn't get that one but some team will hire him soon. Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh paved the way for the jump from special teams coordinator to head coach. Unlike offensive and defensive coordinators, special teams coaches deal with pretty much the entire roster. That could be an advantage. Priefer has a presence about him that goes beyond his skills and experience as a football coach. His turning the Vikings special teams units into one of the best in the league will get him some notice. Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams may not be as close to head coaching opportunities as Priefer but I think that he's going to be getting some notice in a couple years. I like what he's done with the Vikings defense in his single season. His energy level runs somewhere between the electric Tomlin and the calm Frazier/Dungy. His tenure as the Vikings defensive coordinator is already longer than that of Tomlin. Defensive line coach Brendan Daly has the energy that will appeal to teams looking for a new head coach. His defensive lines with the Vikings and St. Louis Rams have been productive. His current role as a position coach likely puts him a few years away from a head coaching gig. That's fine with me but his work will get him opportunities. Some team tapping him as a defensive coordinator will likely be his exit from Minnesota. If the Vikings new weapons open up the offense, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave might get some attention but there's something about him that strikes me as a career assistant coach. There's a scientist air about him that makes me think that he's far more comfortable diagramming plays than running a team. There may be other Vikings assistants that may one day have a team of their own but I see Mike Priefer, Alan Williams, and Brendan Daly as the coaches most likely to make that jump. I wouldn't be surprised if Priefer has his own team in time for the 2014 NFL season.
The Vikings have some assistant coaches now that will be head coaches soon. Like Dungy, Billick, and Tomlin, their opportunities will be with other teams. In my opinion, the Vikings are heading in the right direction with head coach Leslie Frazier. Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coach job this past offseason. He didn't get that one but some team will hire him soon. Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh paved the way for the jump from special teams coordinator to head coach. Unlike offensive and defensive coordinators, special teams coaches deal with pretty much the entire roster. That could be an advantage. Priefer has a presence about him that goes beyond his skills and experience as a football coach. His turning the Vikings special teams units into one of the best in the league will get him some notice. Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams may not be as close to head coaching opportunities as Priefer but I think that he's going to be getting some notice in a couple years. I like what he's done with the Vikings defense in his single season. His energy level runs somewhere between the electric Tomlin and the calm Frazier/Dungy. His tenure as the Vikings defensive coordinator is already longer than that of Tomlin. Defensive line coach Brendan Daly has the energy that will appeal to teams looking for a new head coach. His defensive lines with the Vikings and St. Louis Rams have been productive. His current role as a position coach likely puts him a few years away from a head coaching gig. That's fine with me but his work will get him opportunities. Some team tapping him as a defensive coordinator will likely be his exit from Minnesota. If the Vikings new weapons open up the offense, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave might get some attention but there's something about him that strikes me as a career assistant coach. There's a scientist air about him that makes me think that he's far more comfortable diagramming plays than running a team. There may be other Vikings assistants that may one day have a team of their own but I see Mike Priefer, Alan Williams, and Brendan Daly as the coaches most likely to make that jump. I wouldn't be surprised if Priefer has his own team in time for the 2014 NFL season.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Favorite Vikings Through the Years
I was lucky enough to fall for the Minnesota Vikings at the right time, the 1970s. Except for Super Bowls, they dominated. When the Vikings made it to the big game they often left their game in Minnesota. Three Super Bowls in four years. This was the time that I found them. The players in those years were some of the best in franchise history. A handful of them are among the best in league history.
Fran Tarkenton, the Purple People Eaters, and Bud Grant were what first attracted to me to the Minnesota Vikings. Being from California, the frigid cold of their Bloomington home also held an unusual fascination. That environment helped make those players seem like warriors from some other world. I was hooked. Fran Tarkenton was my first favorite Vikings football player. He was the most prominent player on the team and his scrambling was a treat. As I learned more about the game of football I grew to greatly appreciate the Vikings defense. Oh my, that defensive line . When they were turned loose it seemed like eight players were rushing the quarterback. Alan Page was in the middle and often the cause of all the chaos. It was amazing to see a football player control a game without having the ball in his hands. I soon came to embrace the running and spinning of Chuck Foreman. With Jim Marshall, I learned how important leadership can be to a football team. Marshall was the heart of those great Vikings teams. Sammie White and Ahmad Rashad started my lifelong passion for the simple, beautiful act of catching a football. Receiver was now my position. As the 1980s approached and the Vikings' brightest years started to dim and the legends faded from the game, Rashad and Matt Blair were my favorites that remained. As their careers came to an end in the early '80s, Joey Browner and Chris Doleman emerged. The '80s wasn't an especially strong decade for the Vikings but it was sure fun to watch those two play some football. Randall McDaniel eventually joined them. It's not often that a lineman, let alone a guard, is a fan favorite but McDaniel was unbelievable. From his funky stance to his devastating blocks, he was a tremendous football player. Anthony Carter brought back the Vikings grand receiver tradition. Steve Jordan, from Brown, was an exciting tight end. In 1990, Cris Carter joined the Vikings. I'd been hoping for his pass-catching skills since his Ohio St. days. The Carter-Carter receiving combination was a special one. That same year, one of the most entertaining Vikings players, ever, joined the team. John Randle. That guy was a wound-up ball of fury that was released anew on every single play. One of the most troubling and spectacular players in team history arrived in 1998. Randy Moss was so easy to love on the football field. While I think that he was largely misunderstood off the field, and sometimes on, he sure made it difficult for anyone to completely embrace him. He was the most physically gifted receiver that I've ever seen. And, I do appreciate the receivers. I try to only remember the truly spectacular things that he did on a football field but then the other stuff creeps in. I wish that the Vikings hadn't brought him back in 2010. That was truly a disaster. It makes the bad stuff even harder to ignore. Jim Kleinsasser arrived the year after Moss. Kleinsasser was simply, and completely, a football player. He did all the dirty work so that others could shine. A devastating blocker. He was key in the run game and the passing game. Antoine Winfield was the Vikings first real stab at the free agency game. It paid off better than they ever could have imagined. Like Kleinsasser, Winfield is pure football player. I've never seen another defensive player like him. At about 5'9" 180lbs, he could chop down the biggest backs in the league. His tackling should be required viewing for every single football player at every single level of the game. Next comes the players that are still paying for the Vikings today. Those start with Kevin Williams. The Vikings have a tremendous tradition at defensive tackle. Page and Randle are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Williams could join them. Like the Carter-Carter receiving tandem, Kevin Williams was perhaps at his best when lined up next to Pat Williams. No one could run on the Williams Wall. Then we have Chad Greenway. I love to see football players running around for the sheer joy of the game. Greenway's love of the game is obvious, always. The beast arrived the year after Greenway. Adrian Peterson. If he stays healthy, every rushing record may be his. He's already in the discussion of best back in league history and he's got, hopefully, many more years to go. An amazing football player. Many that know him say that he's an even better man off the field. Nice. Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin should be among my Vikings favorites but they now play for the Seattle Seahawks. That's about all I have to say about that. A trade brought Jared Allen. Like Randle, he's a character on the field and off. Like Randle, his motor doesn't stop. The recent drafts of the Minnesota Vikings have brought loads of football talent and favorites. Kyle Rudolph and Harrison Smith are favorites already. I have high hopes for Christian Ponder. Rhett Ellison seems like Kleinsasser, without the beard. Sharrif Floyd is taking the defensive tackle torch from Williams. Cordarrelle Patterson might have athleticism like Moss but without the frustration. If Mike Mauti can finally keep his knees intact, he'll be a favorite as well.
My favorite Vikings through the years can be summed up like this:
Tarkenton, Page, Foreman, Marshall, White, Rashad, Blair, Browner, Doleman, McDaniel, Carter, Jordan, Carter, Randle, Moss, Kleinsasser, Winfield, Williams, Williams, Greenway, Peterson, Rudolph, Smith....
And then, of course, the coach. Bud Grant.
There are so many Vikings players not listed that could be. The team has had so many great players, characters, and people. This is more of a listing of my favorites of my favorites. Just to show that I'm not a fan of every player that has worn a Vikings uniform, here's two that will never come close to a list of my favorite players. Dwayne Rudd and Bryant McKinnie. I'll leave it at that. One player that I do have to mention because his dedication to the team is so remarkable is Scott Studwell. He played linebacker from 1977-90. He's been in the front office and scouting ever since. 36 years and no signs of slowing.
One of the more interesting aspects of being a fan of a sports team is the ever changing business of it all. The team is different each and every year. Free agency sure speeds up that turnover. Players come and go, often more quickly than we'd like. I never want to see Adrian Peterson retire. Perhaps more than his eventual retirement, I never want to see him play for another team. I was forced to see that with Page, McDaniel, Randle, and Carter. Rice and Harvin too. Didn't like it then. Wouldn't like it now. New is exciting. But, the old is pretty special too.
Fran Tarkenton, the Purple People Eaters, and Bud Grant were what first attracted to me to the Minnesota Vikings. Being from California, the frigid cold of their Bloomington home also held an unusual fascination. That environment helped make those players seem like warriors from some other world. I was hooked. Fran Tarkenton was my first favorite Vikings football player. He was the most prominent player on the team and his scrambling was a treat. As I learned more about the game of football I grew to greatly appreciate the Vikings defense. Oh my, that defensive line . When they were turned loose it seemed like eight players were rushing the quarterback. Alan Page was in the middle and often the cause of all the chaos. It was amazing to see a football player control a game without having the ball in his hands. I soon came to embrace the running and spinning of Chuck Foreman. With Jim Marshall, I learned how important leadership can be to a football team. Marshall was the heart of those great Vikings teams. Sammie White and Ahmad Rashad started my lifelong passion for the simple, beautiful act of catching a football. Receiver was now my position. As the 1980s approached and the Vikings' brightest years started to dim and the legends faded from the game, Rashad and Matt Blair were my favorites that remained. As their careers came to an end in the early '80s, Joey Browner and Chris Doleman emerged. The '80s wasn't an especially strong decade for the Vikings but it was sure fun to watch those two play some football. Randall McDaniel eventually joined them. It's not often that a lineman, let alone a guard, is a fan favorite but McDaniel was unbelievable. From his funky stance to his devastating blocks, he was a tremendous football player. Anthony Carter brought back the Vikings grand receiver tradition. Steve Jordan, from Brown, was an exciting tight end. In 1990, Cris Carter joined the Vikings. I'd been hoping for his pass-catching skills since his Ohio St. days. The Carter-Carter receiving combination was a special one. That same year, one of the most entertaining Vikings players, ever, joined the team. John Randle. That guy was a wound-up ball of fury that was released anew on every single play. One of the most troubling and spectacular players in team history arrived in 1998. Randy Moss was so easy to love on the football field. While I think that he was largely misunderstood off the field, and sometimes on, he sure made it difficult for anyone to completely embrace him. He was the most physically gifted receiver that I've ever seen. And, I do appreciate the receivers. I try to only remember the truly spectacular things that he did on a football field but then the other stuff creeps in. I wish that the Vikings hadn't brought him back in 2010. That was truly a disaster. It makes the bad stuff even harder to ignore. Jim Kleinsasser arrived the year after Moss. Kleinsasser was simply, and completely, a football player. He did all the dirty work so that others could shine. A devastating blocker. He was key in the run game and the passing game. Antoine Winfield was the Vikings first real stab at the free agency game. It paid off better than they ever could have imagined. Like Kleinsasser, Winfield is pure football player. I've never seen another defensive player like him. At about 5'9" 180lbs, he could chop down the biggest backs in the league. His tackling should be required viewing for every single football player at every single level of the game. Next comes the players that are still paying for the Vikings today. Those start with Kevin Williams. The Vikings have a tremendous tradition at defensive tackle. Page and Randle are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Williams could join them. Like the Carter-Carter receiving tandem, Kevin Williams was perhaps at his best when lined up next to Pat Williams. No one could run on the Williams Wall. Then we have Chad Greenway. I love to see football players running around for the sheer joy of the game. Greenway's love of the game is obvious, always. The beast arrived the year after Greenway. Adrian Peterson. If he stays healthy, every rushing record may be his. He's already in the discussion of best back in league history and he's got, hopefully, many more years to go. An amazing football player. Many that know him say that he's an even better man off the field. Nice. Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin should be among my Vikings favorites but they now play for the Seattle Seahawks. That's about all I have to say about that. A trade brought Jared Allen. Like Randle, he's a character on the field and off. Like Randle, his motor doesn't stop. The recent drafts of the Minnesota Vikings have brought loads of football talent and favorites. Kyle Rudolph and Harrison Smith are favorites already. I have high hopes for Christian Ponder. Rhett Ellison seems like Kleinsasser, without the beard. Sharrif Floyd is taking the defensive tackle torch from Williams. Cordarrelle Patterson might have athleticism like Moss but without the frustration. If Mike Mauti can finally keep his knees intact, he'll be a favorite as well.
My favorite Vikings through the years can be summed up like this:
Tarkenton, Page, Foreman, Marshall, White, Rashad, Blair, Browner, Doleman, McDaniel, Carter, Jordan, Carter, Randle, Moss, Kleinsasser, Winfield, Williams, Williams, Greenway, Peterson, Rudolph, Smith....
And then, of course, the coach. Bud Grant.
There are so many Vikings players not listed that could be. The team has had so many great players, characters, and people. This is more of a listing of my favorites of my favorites. Just to show that I'm not a fan of every player that has worn a Vikings uniform, here's two that will never come close to a list of my favorite players. Dwayne Rudd and Bryant McKinnie. I'll leave it at that. One player that I do have to mention because his dedication to the team is so remarkable is Scott Studwell. He played linebacker from 1977-90. He's been in the front office and scouting ever since. 36 years and no signs of slowing.
One of the more interesting aspects of being a fan of a sports team is the ever changing business of it all. The team is different each and every year. Free agency sure speeds up that turnover. Players come and go, often more quickly than we'd like. I never want to see Adrian Peterson retire. Perhaps more than his eventual retirement, I never want to see him play for another team. I was forced to see that with Page, McDaniel, Randle, and Carter. Rice and Harvin too. Didn't like it then. Wouldn't like it now. New is exciting. But, the old is pretty special too.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Hall of Fame Senior Nominees
The Hall of Fame Seniors Selection Committee has made their selections. Atlanta Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders punter Ray Guy will be among the finalists for the 2014 Hall of Fame class. They still have to face a vote but senior nominees have had great success in getting the necessary votes. Over 80% make it to Canton after the Senior Committee taps them.
Ray Guy is the big one. The debate over whether a punter should be honored as a Hall of Famer has raged for decades. Guy is actually the reason for the debate. There's little doubt that he's the best punter that the game has seen. There's just the question whether punters should be considered football players. I've found this to be a stupid debate. If you can accept that punting is a part of football you should accept a punter as a football player. As such, a punter should be welcomed in the Hall of Fame. Guy has been a finalist an incredible seven times. This is his first as a senior nominee. In the past he has always lost votes to "3-down" football players. As a senior nominee he's not going to lose votes to other players. Voters simply have to decide whether they are for or against a punter in the Hall of Fame. They don't have to decide whether he is more deserving than another player. I think that Ray Guy finally gets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Now, if Guy does make it into the Hall of Fame, does that open the door for Buffalo Bills special teams madman Steve Tasker? He's the best special teams player that I've ever seen.
Claude Humphrey should have made it long ago. Like Guy, he's made it to the final discussion before. He was a traditional finalist three times (2003, 2005, 2006). Surprisingly, this is the second time that Humphrey has been selected by the senior committee. He was tapped in 2009 as well. Humphrey's best years were my early years as a football fan. He played for terrible Atlanta Falcons teams but he was a nightmare for offensive tackles. I didn't know a lot about what I was watching in those days but it was obvious that Claude Humphrey was a terrific football player.
The Seniors Selection Committee is picking excellent, deserving football players. There's no denying that. Their choices aren't wrong. There are just too many missing from the early years. Lavvie Dilweg, Duke Slater, Verne Lewellen, and Glenn Presnell should have been in any of the first dozen Hall of Fame classes. Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard weren't inducted until 2005. Those two are game and league changing players. The history of the league could not be written without them. They shouldn't have gone in over forty years after Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski. Although Les Richter and Jack Butler have made it in recent years, the senior committee seems to be concentrating on players from the '60s and '70s. Just because players are no longer with us doesn't mean that their deserved induction should be set aside for another day. If there are deserving players from the '20s and '30s, and there are, get them in now. I think that there should be a pre-1950s player among the two that the senior committee picks each year. While my main concern is for the players from the '20s and '30s, there are deserving players throughout the history of the game. I don't understand the avoidance of Alex Karras. The absence of Jerry Kramer is mystifying. It almost seems like the senior committee is keeping Kramer out simply because everyone says they shouldn't. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I favor Mick Tingelhoff's rightful place in Canton. He apparently received serious consideration by the senior committee this year. As with every year before, Tingelhoff waits. For Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey, hopefully their wait ends in February.
Ray Guy is the big one. The debate over whether a punter should be honored as a Hall of Famer has raged for decades. Guy is actually the reason for the debate. There's little doubt that he's the best punter that the game has seen. There's just the question whether punters should be considered football players. I've found this to be a stupid debate. If you can accept that punting is a part of football you should accept a punter as a football player. As such, a punter should be welcomed in the Hall of Fame. Guy has been a finalist an incredible seven times. This is his first as a senior nominee. In the past he has always lost votes to "3-down" football players. As a senior nominee he's not going to lose votes to other players. Voters simply have to decide whether they are for or against a punter in the Hall of Fame. They don't have to decide whether he is more deserving than another player. I think that Ray Guy finally gets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Now, if Guy does make it into the Hall of Fame, does that open the door for Buffalo Bills special teams madman Steve Tasker? He's the best special teams player that I've ever seen.
Claude Humphrey should have made it long ago. Like Guy, he's made it to the final discussion before. He was a traditional finalist three times (2003, 2005, 2006). Surprisingly, this is the second time that Humphrey has been selected by the senior committee. He was tapped in 2009 as well. Humphrey's best years were my early years as a football fan. He played for terrible Atlanta Falcons teams but he was a nightmare for offensive tackles. I didn't know a lot about what I was watching in those days but it was obvious that Claude Humphrey was a terrific football player.
The Seniors Selection Committee is picking excellent, deserving football players. There's no denying that. Their choices aren't wrong. There are just too many missing from the early years. Lavvie Dilweg, Duke Slater, Verne Lewellen, and Glenn Presnell should have been in any of the first dozen Hall of Fame classes. Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard weren't inducted until 2005. Those two are game and league changing players. The history of the league could not be written without them. They shouldn't have gone in over forty years after Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski. Although Les Richter and Jack Butler have made it in recent years, the senior committee seems to be concentrating on players from the '60s and '70s. Just because players are no longer with us doesn't mean that their deserved induction should be set aside for another day. If there are deserving players from the '20s and '30s, and there are, get them in now. I think that there should be a pre-1950s player among the two that the senior committee picks each year. While my main concern is for the players from the '20s and '30s, there are deserving players throughout the history of the game. I don't understand the avoidance of Alex Karras. The absence of Jerry Kramer is mystifying. It almost seems like the senior committee is keeping Kramer out simply because everyone says they shouldn't. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I favor Mick Tingelhoff's rightful place in Canton. He apparently received serious consideration by the senior committee this year. As with every year before, Tingelhoff waits. For Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey, hopefully their wait ends in February.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Jenkins-Baldwin
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Pittsburgh receiver with high hopes in the 2011 NFL Draft. They probably felt pretty lucky to get him with the 26th pick of the first round. At 6'4" and 230 lbs, Baldwin has unique size and speed. Talent-wise, he's a top-10 pick. The Chiefs have added some real nice offensive playmakers in recent years. Jamaal Charles, Tony Moeaki, Dwayne Bowe, Dexter McCluster. Playing Baldwin opposite Bowe, the Chiefs passing game was ready to soar. At least that was how the thinking in Kansas City went. Baldwin fell to the Chiefs in the draft mostly due to maturity issues. For some reason, many receivers have their priorities leaning far toward the self. No offensive skill position has a greater dependence on his teammates than receiver. You'd think that they would be much less selfish and have a better appreciation of those around them. Baldwin hasn't come close to the expectations that the Chiefs had for him. It's pretty safe to say that the Chiefs, as a team, have fallen short of expectations. An unbelievable string of injuries played a significant role but the lack of wins ultimately led to an overhaul of the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff and front office. The new Chiefs had no ties to Baldwin so they sent him on his way.
The San Francisco 49ers were a couple of plays from the Super Bowl in 2011. They had become one of the elite teams in the league and had few holes heading into the 2012 NFL Draft. Receiver was one position that could use a boost. They were still strong enough to gamble on a receiver that had potential. The 49ers selected Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins with the 30th pick of the first round. He had nice speed and big play ability. Alshon Jeffery, T.Y. Hilton, and Rueben Randle might have been more ready for the pro game but Jenkins had the opportunity to learn behind Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, and Mario Manningham. Anything that Jenkins could provide as a rookie would be appreciated. Instead of providing even a little, Jenkins provided absolutely nothing. The 49ers basically filed his rookie season away as a redshirt season, a rookie season 1A. A learning experience? Hopefully. They really had no choice. Rookie season 1B started with an offseason that showed little improvement. Training camp did little to sway the 49ers growing frustration with A.J. Jenkins.
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs swapped disappointing first round receivers. Jonathan Baldwin is now a 49er. Jenkins is a Chief. This is an interesting trade. Maybe a change of residence will be enough to bring out the best in the talented players. Based solely on natural talent, I give the 49ers a huge win in this trade. At least Baldwin has done something in the NFL. In two seasons, he has 41 catches for 579 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins doesn't even have a catch. Baldwin is a game-changing talent. While visiting the Chiefs training camp, NFL correspondent Ian Rapoport said that Baldwin was the best football player on the field. If this trade is the slap that triggers something in the receiver, the 49ers could have a dangerous receiving duo in Crabtree and Baldwin moving forward. I certainly have more faith in Baldwin turning things around than I do with Jenkins. No matter what happens with the two disappointing, so far, receivers, this is a trade that has no losers. Both teams lost when they selected the two players in the draft. Both teams have already said bye-bye to those mistakes. Now, they have something new.
The San Francisco 49ers were a couple of plays from the Super Bowl in 2011. They had become one of the elite teams in the league and had few holes heading into the 2012 NFL Draft. Receiver was one position that could use a boost. They were still strong enough to gamble on a receiver that had potential. The 49ers selected Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins with the 30th pick of the first round. He had nice speed and big play ability. Alshon Jeffery, T.Y. Hilton, and Rueben Randle might have been more ready for the pro game but Jenkins had the opportunity to learn behind Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, and Mario Manningham. Anything that Jenkins could provide as a rookie would be appreciated. Instead of providing even a little, Jenkins provided absolutely nothing. The 49ers basically filed his rookie season away as a redshirt season, a rookie season 1A. A learning experience? Hopefully. They really had no choice. Rookie season 1B started with an offseason that showed little improvement. Training camp did little to sway the 49ers growing frustration with A.J. Jenkins.
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs swapped disappointing first round receivers. Jonathan Baldwin is now a 49er. Jenkins is a Chief. This is an interesting trade. Maybe a change of residence will be enough to bring out the best in the talented players. Based solely on natural talent, I give the 49ers a huge win in this trade. At least Baldwin has done something in the NFL. In two seasons, he has 41 catches for 579 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins doesn't even have a catch. Baldwin is a game-changing talent. While visiting the Chiefs training camp, NFL correspondent Ian Rapoport said that Baldwin was the best football player on the field. If this trade is the slap that triggers something in the receiver, the 49ers could have a dangerous receiving duo in Crabtree and Baldwin moving forward. I certainly have more faith in Baldwin turning things around than I do with Jenkins. No matter what happens with the two disappointing, so far, receivers, this is a trade that has no losers. Both teams lost when they selected the two players in the draft. Both teams have already said bye-bye to those mistakes. Now, they have something new.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Throwback Thursday: The Catawba Claw
As I was watching the Minnesota-Buffalo preseason game last weekend, I noticed a Bills defensive back by the name of Jumal Rolle. Another Rolle? There's been quite a string of defensive back-playing Rolles to hit the NFL in recent years. Samari Rolle, Antrel Rolle, Myron Rolle, now Jumal Rolle. I checked to see if Jumal played at at a Florida college like the rest. Instead of Florida St. or Miami, I found little Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. This brought a rush of memories. Memories of Steve Sabol talking about "the Catawba Claw." One of the greatest nicknames in NFL history.
Bucky Pope flashed upon the football world in 1964. Then, he was gone. He might have been lost in history if not for his fantastic nickname. Pope was a two-sport schoolboy sensation in Crafton, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Football and basketball. Duke recruited him to play basketball. He played freshman ball there but grades became an issue. They wanted him to attend summer school to work on those grades. He didn't want to go. So, he returned home. A friend suggested that he check out Catawba. He wasn't too enthusiastic about the place at first. The school eventually grew on him and he enrolled in 1961. Basketball again came first. Pope became eligible on January 27, 1962. He scored 28 points in his first game against rival Lenoir-Rhyne. He averaged 19.4 points in the 61 games that he played for the Indians. Football found Pope when Catawba coach Harvey Stratton noticed him flying around in a flag-football intramural game. "He asked if I'd played football, and I said was from western Pennsylvania, where everybody played football," Pope recalled. The Catawba basketball coach didn't much care for his new star playing football. The two coaches reached an understanding. Pope would play end for the football team but only to make receptions and defend passes. An interesting arrangement. In two seasons, he caught 66 passes for nearly 1200 yards. His huge season was 1962 when he was a startling new weapon for the Indians. His numbers dropped a bit in 1963 due to persistent double coverage.
While Bucky Pope was at Catawba, an artist portrayed him in a cartoon as a hybrid sports hero-half basketball player, half football player. His left arm extending skyward like a claw. "The Catawba Claw" was born.
Pro football scouts had heard about 'the Catawba Claw" despite only two years at a small college in Salisbury, North Carolina. The Los Angeles Rams sent, soon to be Hall of Fame receiver, Elroy Hirsch to check out the young receiver. The Rams saw enough in Pope to pick him in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft. At 6'5" and fast, he would fit in well today. His size and speed was unheard of in 1964. In an early training camp practice, Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel threw a pass as far as he could. Pope ran it down. The Rams had something.
In an early season game against the Detroit Lions, Pope caught an under-thrown pass while lying on his back. He hadn't been touched so he got up and ran for a long touchdown. Then came a breakout game against the Chicago Bears. A three touchdown game against San Francisco. A 95-yard touchdown against Green Bay. By December, Pope was in Sports Illustrated. People couldn't get enough of "the Catawba Claw." His rookie season in the NFL was terrific. 25 receptions for 786 yards for an incredible 31.4 yards per catch. He tied Chicago's Johnny Morris and Washington's Bobby Mitchell for the league lead with 10 touchdown receptions. His impact on the league as a rookie reminds of the arrival of Randy Moss in 1998. Both brought jaw-dropping big plays every time they stepped on a football field. Both forced defenses to reevaluate how they approached these unusual receivers.
After the 1964 season, Bucky Pope had six months of reserve duty with the army. This forced him to rush back for an exhibition game prior to the 1965 season. He injured his knee in that game. He was never the same. He missed the entire 1965 season. He played a little in 1966. His one reception was a 14-yard touchdown. He had eight receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns in 1967. He was in Atlanta's training camp and played briefly for Green Bay in 1968 before calling it quits. He knew that it was over. "The knee-I'd lost the speed, couldn't make the cuts." said Pope.
Roman Gabriel insisted that Bucky Pope was one of the best that he'd ever seen. "The Catawba Claw" was a one season sensation. There's no way to know for sure what he might have been. His unusual size and speed made him a nightmare for defenses. The Rams were always close as the '60s became the '70s. Maybe, Pope would have been the difference. Instead, we are left with one dynamite season and nickname. "The Catawba Claw."
Bucky Pope flashed upon the football world in 1964. Then, he was gone. He might have been lost in history if not for his fantastic nickname. Pope was a two-sport schoolboy sensation in Crafton, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Football and basketball. Duke recruited him to play basketball. He played freshman ball there but grades became an issue. They wanted him to attend summer school to work on those grades. He didn't want to go. So, he returned home. A friend suggested that he check out Catawba. He wasn't too enthusiastic about the place at first. The school eventually grew on him and he enrolled in 1961. Basketball again came first. Pope became eligible on January 27, 1962. He scored 28 points in his first game against rival Lenoir-Rhyne. He averaged 19.4 points in the 61 games that he played for the Indians. Football found Pope when Catawba coach Harvey Stratton noticed him flying around in a flag-football intramural game. "He asked if I'd played football, and I said was from western Pennsylvania, where everybody played football," Pope recalled. The Catawba basketball coach didn't much care for his new star playing football. The two coaches reached an understanding. Pope would play end for the football team but only to make receptions and defend passes. An interesting arrangement. In two seasons, he caught 66 passes for nearly 1200 yards. His huge season was 1962 when he was a startling new weapon for the Indians. His numbers dropped a bit in 1963 due to persistent double coverage.
While Bucky Pope was at Catawba, an artist portrayed him in a cartoon as a hybrid sports hero-half basketball player, half football player. His left arm extending skyward like a claw. "The Catawba Claw" was born.
Pro football scouts had heard about 'the Catawba Claw" despite only two years at a small college in Salisbury, North Carolina. The Los Angeles Rams sent, soon to be Hall of Fame receiver, Elroy Hirsch to check out the young receiver. The Rams saw enough in Pope to pick him in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft. At 6'5" and fast, he would fit in well today. His size and speed was unheard of in 1964. In an early training camp practice, Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel threw a pass as far as he could. Pope ran it down. The Rams had something.
In an early season game against the Detroit Lions, Pope caught an under-thrown pass while lying on his back. He hadn't been touched so he got up and ran for a long touchdown. Then came a breakout game against the Chicago Bears. A three touchdown game against San Francisco. A 95-yard touchdown against Green Bay. By December, Pope was in Sports Illustrated. People couldn't get enough of "the Catawba Claw." His rookie season in the NFL was terrific. 25 receptions for 786 yards for an incredible 31.4 yards per catch. He tied Chicago's Johnny Morris and Washington's Bobby Mitchell for the league lead with 10 touchdown receptions. His impact on the league as a rookie reminds of the arrival of Randy Moss in 1998. Both brought jaw-dropping big plays every time they stepped on a football field. Both forced defenses to reevaluate how they approached these unusual receivers.
After the 1964 season, Bucky Pope had six months of reserve duty with the army. This forced him to rush back for an exhibition game prior to the 1965 season. He injured his knee in that game. He was never the same. He missed the entire 1965 season. He played a little in 1966. His one reception was a 14-yard touchdown. He had eight receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns in 1967. He was in Atlanta's training camp and played briefly for Green Bay in 1968 before calling it quits. He knew that it was over. "The knee-I'd lost the speed, couldn't make the cuts." said Pope.
Roman Gabriel insisted that Bucky Pope was one of the best that he'd ever seen. "The Catawba Claw" was a one season sensation. There's no way to know for sure what he might have been. His unusual size and speed made him a nightmare for defenses. The Rams were always close as the '60s became the '70s. Maybe, Pope would have been the difference. Instead, we are left with one dynamite season and nickname. "The Catawba Claw."
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Confusion?
As a long time fan of the Minnesota Vikings and California Golden Bears, I've seen no ultimate victory, a lot of marginal success, some painful disappointment, and so much interesting and incredible football action. It's been fantastic to be a fan of the Vikings and the Bears. Super Bowls, Rose Bowls, and such will happen. I just know it will. In about forty years of fun I've never faced a season as potentially confusing as this 2013 season.
The Vikings have the best running back in football, and one of the best players overall, in Adrian Peterson. His presence on the field greatly diminishes the playing time of other backs on the Vikings roster. Toby Gerhart is a terrific runner and the first off the bench. The third runner usually just sees special teams action and a few carries at the end of blowouts. The training camp battle for that third spot is one of the better battles in camp. Matt Asiata had the role last year and likely leads the chase this year. Bradly Randle, Joe Banyard, and Zach Line have had some nice moments and will make that final decision a tough one. Zach Line is the guy that might make this football season a fairly confusing one. He's also making a run at fullback time. That position versatility helps his cause. His 61-yard touchdown catch and run in the first preseason game is the Vikings offensive highlight so far. He also had a nice catch and run for a first down in the second preseason game. He had a terrific career at SMU where he threatened the rushing records of Eric Dickerson. He's got some skills. If he doesn't make the Vikings 53-man roster, he's got a real strong shot at the practice squad. Either way, his potential presence as a Minnesota Vikings football player might make this season so confusing.
Then we come to Cal's quarterback competition. This came down to a battle between true freshman Jared Goff and redshirt freshman Zach Kline. In an effort to ease my confusion, head coach Sonny Dykes tapped Goff as the starting quarterback. I seriously doubt that my potential confusion played a role but Dykes still greatly eased my worries, for now. Zach Kline is still a Golden Bear and will most likely see the field at some point during this potentially confusing season. See my dilemma?
Zach Line, Zach Kline. Line, Kline, Zach, Zach. Oh my, this could be a tough one.
The Vikings have the best running back in football, and one of the best players overall, in Adrian Peterson. His presence on the field greatly diminishes the playing time of other backs on the Vikings roster. Toby Gerhart is a terrific runner and the first off the bench. The third runner usually just sees special teams action and a few carries at the end of blowouts. The training camp battle for that third spot is one of the better battles in camp. Matt Asiata had the role last year and likely leads the chase this year. Bradly Randle, Joe Banyard, and Zach Line have had some nice moments and will make that final decision a tough one. Zach Line is the guy that might make this football season a fairly confusing one. He's also making a run at fullback time. That position versatility helps his cause. His 61-yard touchdown catch and run in the first preseason game is the Vikings offensive highlight so far. He also had a nice catch and run for a first down in the second preseason game. He had a terrific career at SMU where he threatened the rushing records of Eric Dickerson. He's got some skills. If he doesn't make the Vikings 53-man roster, he's got a real strong shot at the practice squad. Either way, his potential presence as a Minnesota Vikings football player might make this season so confusing.
Then we come to Cal's quarterback competition. This came down to a battle between true freshman Jared Goff and redshirt freshman Zach Kline. In an effort to ease my confusion, head coach Sonny Dykes tapped Goff as the starting quarterback. I seriously doubt that my potential confusion played a role but Dykes still greatly eased my worries, for now. Zach Kline is still a Golden Bear and will most likely see the field at some point during this potentially confusing season. See my dilemma?
Zach Line, Zach Kline. Line, Kline, Zach, Zach. Oh my, this could be a tough one.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Chargers Wideouts
Injuries have made this a particularly brutal training camp and preseason. The Philadelphia Eagles were especially hard hit early. Three ACL tears in the first week. Dreadful stuff. Injuries are never good but it was good for the Eagles that their losses were spread out over several positions. That has not been the case for the San Diego Chargers. I've never seen one team have one position so severely hit as the Chargers receivers. Danario Alexander was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Malcolm Floyd went down a week later. The team dodged disaster when his injury was found to be a "strain." He could be out anywhere from two to six weeks. More recently, the Chargers other veteran receiver Eddie Royal suffered a concussion and bruised lung. Less serious was Vincent Brown's hamstring injury.
San Diego is running out of warm bodies to fill out training camp receiving drills. The team recently added some depth when they signed Seyi Ajirotuju. The top of the depth chart is manned by Robert Meachem and third round pick Keenan Allen. I don't care that Allen has been slow to step up to the pro game, he's going to be a dynamic receiver. I'm a bit biased by his Cal days but I've seen enough of Keenan Allen to know that he's a terrific football player. Brian DePalma, Deon Butler, Mike Willie, Luke Tasker, and Richard Goodman fill out the Charger depleted receiver depth chart.
If the receivers don't get healthy and stay healthy, the Chargers might have to depend on the tight ends and running backs more than expected to support the passing game. Fortunately, Antonio Gates is still a beast to cover. Youngster Ladarius Green can spell Gates and form a potentially difficult presence with Gates. Versatile backs like Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown will help quarterback Phillip Rivers. All is not lost for the Chargers but they really need that injury bug to swing out of San Diego.
San Diego is running out of warm bodies to fill out training camp receiving drills. The team recently added some depth when they signed Seyi Ajirotuju. The top of the depth chart is manned by Robert Meachem and third round pick Keenan Allen. I don't care that Allen has been slow to step up to the pro game, he's going to be a dynamic receiver. I'm a bit biased by his Cal days but I've seen enough of Keenan Allen to know that he's a terrific football player. Brian DePalma, Deon Butler, Mike Willie, Luke Tasker, and Richard Goodman fill out the Charger depleted receiver depth chart.
If the receivers don't get healthy and stay healthy, the Chargers might have to depend on the tight ends and running backs more than expected to support the passing game. Fortunately, Antonio Gates is still a beast to cover. Youngster Ladarius Green can spell Gates and form a potentially difficult presence with Gates. Versatile backs like Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown will help quarterback Phillip Rivers. All is not lost for the Chargers but they really need that injury bug to swing out of San Diego.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Vikings-Bills Notes
It was rough having to wait 39 hours to finally watch the Minnesota Vikings-Buffalo Bills preseason game. Fox Sports North had their rebroadcast Saturday night. For reasons lost to all, Directv saw fit to blackout the game. How does anyone blackout a rebroadcast? The game was played Friday at 4pm PST. I saw it Sunday at 7am PST. Thankfully, NFL Network eventually airs every preseason game.
Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills announcers had this rebroadcast. I can often handle the most biased of announcers. It's often sickening but I can handle it. I can mute the game if gets really bad. I can't handle announcing and production idiots. Several times the Bills TV clowns showed a Vikings coach on the sideline that they acknowledged to be head coach Leslie Frazier. Every time that coach was quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson. You'd think that someone at some point would catch this ridiculous mistake. Each time that they didn't simply made it worse.
Oh, the Bills won this game by a score of 20-16.
The worst thing about waiting 39 hours to watch the Vikings lose a preseason game is having to listen to fans crying about the disaster of the Vikings losing a preseason game before I can see the game. A preseason game. Hearing about how quarterback Christian Ponder is a disaster. The line sucks. In game adjustments by the coaching staff are a train wreck. The sky in Minnesota is simply falling. Then, I finally watch the game and see little of the disaster that so many others seem to see. It's as if all these fans have to see midseason efficiency in August or the season is lost. The Vikings play certainly wasn't perfect but there's still nearly a month before the games actually matter.
Adrian Peterson was a sideline spectator. When he's on the field, things change.
Every team approaches preseason games differently. It's apparent that rookie Bills coach Doug Marrone is putting more emphasis on winning than Leslie Frazier (or, for the Bills TV team, Craig Johnson). He blew out the Indianapolis Colts in the first week. The Bills dialed up blitzes all night long against the Vikings. Those blitzes were were mostly effective against a vanilla Vikings offense with vanilla blocking schemes. It's a nice learning experience for the line and Ponder in the preseason but it's mostly handled with the game planning that goes into a regular season game. Preseason games are never as good as a great win or as bad as a disappointing loss.
The Vikings starting defense shut out the Bills starting offense. That's something.
The Vikings third down conversion rate was terrible even for a preseason game. 3-16 is just sad. 2-3 on fourth down helps a bit but the offense has to be far more efficient than that.
Rookie Jeff Locke punted seven times. It's nice that he averaged nearly 50 yards but no one should see the punter on the field seven times.
I think that the Vikings keep six receivers. One more than they've kept in recent years. Right now, I see these six:
Greg Jennings
Jerome Simpson
Jarius Wright
Cordarrelle Patterson
Stephen Burton
Joe Webb
At 6'5", Chris Summers and Rodney Smith are the big body receiver that none of those six are. Summers and Smith also made some nice catches against the Bills. The receiver cuts that the Vikings decision makers will have to make are going to be tough.
Defensive back cuts are going to be tough too. Bobby Felder (not Feldman, Bills TV clowns!) made a statement to be one of those final defensive backs with his play on special teams. He downed two punts inside the 5-yard line and had some nice returns.
The Bills got some criticism when they selected Florida St. quarterback EJ Manuel in the first round. Most draft criticism comes from media hacks that really know far less than any critic should so I doubt that the Bills lost any sleep over it. Manuel looks like he belongs. I really liked the Bills 2013 draft class. I thought that Robert Woods was one of the most polished and ready receivers in the draft. Linebacker Kiko Alonso and safety Duke Williams were nice additions to the defense. I think that the Bills are heading in the right decision. Everybody in the AFC East looks up at the New England Patriots. As long as Bill Belicheck and Tom Brady are there that will be the case. The Bills future looks promising. The Miami Dolphins have made some bold moves. The AFC East really isn't a one-team division anymore.
Next week the Vikings travel to San Francisco for the third game of the preseason. The best thing about this game is that it's televised nationally. I won't have to wait 39 hours to see it.
Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills announcers had this rebroadcast. I can often handle the most biased of announcers. It's often sickening but I can handle it. I can mute the game if gets really bad. I can't handle announcing and production idiots. Several times the Bills TV clowns showed a Vikings coach on the sideline that they acknowledged to be head coach Leslie Frazier. Every time that coach was quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson. You'd think that someone at some point would catch this ridiculous mistake. Each time that they didn't simply made it worse.
Oh, the Bills won this game by a score of 20-16.
The worst thing about waiting 39 hours to watch the Vikings lose a preseason game is having to listen to fans crying about the disaster of the Vikings losing a preseason game before I can see the game. A preseason game. Hearing about how quarterback Christian Ponder is a disaster. The line sucks. In game adjustments by the coaching staff are a train wreck. The sky in Minnesota is simply falling. Then, I finally watch the game and see little of the disaster that so many others seem to see. It's as if all these fans have to see midseason efficiency in August or the season is lost. The Vikings play certainly wasn't perfect but there's still nearly a month before the games actually matter.
Adrian Peterson was a sideline spectator. When he's on the field, things change.
Every team approaches preseason games differently. It's apparent that rookie Bills coach Doug Marrone is putting more emphasis on winning than Leslie Frazier (or, for the Bills TV team, Craig Johnson). He blew out the Indianapolis Colts in the first week. The Bills dialed up blitzes all night long against the Vikings. Those blitzes were were mostly effective against a vanilla Vikings offense with vanilla blocking schemes. It's a nice learning experience for the line and Ponder in the preseason but it's mostly handled with the game planning that goes into a regular season game. Preseason games are never as good as a great win or as bad as a disappointing loss.
The Vikings starting defense shut out the Bills starting offense. That's something.
The Vikings third down conversion rate was terrible even for a preseason game. 3-16 is just sad. 2-3 on fourth down helps a bit but the offense has to be far more efficient than that.
Rookie Jeff Locke punted seven times. It's nice that he averaged nearly 50 yards but no one should see the punter on the field seven times.
I think that the Vikings keep six receivers. One more than they've kept in recent years. Right now, I see these six:
Greg Jennings
Jerome Simpson
Jarius Wright
Cordarrelle Patterson
Stephen Burton
Joe Webb
At 6'5", Chris Summers and Rodney Smith are the big body receiver that none of those six are. Summers and Smith also made some nice catches against the Bills. The receiver cuts that the Vikings decision makers will have to make are going to be tough.
Defensive back cuts are going to be tough too. Bobby Felder (not Feldman, Bills TV clowns!) made a statement to be one of those final defensive backs with his play on special teams. He downed two punts inside the 5-yard line and had some nice returns.
The Bills got some criticism when they selected Florida St. quarterback EJ Manuel in the first round. Most draft criticism comes from media hacks that really know far less than any critic should so I doubt that the Bills lost any sleep over it. Manuel looks like he belongs. I really liked the Bills 2013 draft class. I thought that Robert Woods was one of the most polished and ready receivers in the draft. Linebacker Kiko Alonso and safety Duke Williams were nice additions to the defense. I think that the Bills are heading in the right decision. Everybody in the AFC East looks up at the New England Patriots. As long as Bill Belicheck and Tom Brady are there that will be the case. The Bills future looks promising. The Miami Dolphins have made some bold moves. The AFC East really isn't a one-team division anymore.
Next week the Vikings travel to San Francisco for the third game of the preseason. The best thing about this game is that it's televised nationally. I won't have to wait 39 hours to see it.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
It's Goff
New Cal head coach Sonny Dykes has selected true freshman Jared Goff to quarterback his offense. Having never played college football wasn't really a hindrance for Goff. None of the other quarterbacks competing for the position had played in a college game. Zach Kline is a redshirt fresman. Junior Austin Hinder may have the most experience at Cal but he has as much college playing experience as Goff and Kline. None. Dykes' fast-paced, timing-based, spread-like Bear Raid offense is new to all three quarterbacks. Goff graduated early from Marin Catholic and jumped to Cal in January. All three quarterbacks have been learning this new offense together. In many ways, Goff had an edge on his position competition. He played in a similar offense in high school. It's interesting that all three committed to Cal and Jeff Tedford's pro-style offense. They weren't expecting a Sonny Dykes offense but that's what they got. All maintained their commitment to Cal. The new coach knew that in coming to Cal he'd be going with a quarterback with zero experience in college. Usually, starting a true freshman at quarterback is a gamble. In this case, everyone involved was basically starting from scratch. New coach, new offense, all three quarterbacks never having thrown a pass in a college football game. The only edge came from Goff's experience in high school. There was no gamble. There was just the fact that everything about the football program at Cal was going to be brand new this year. Well, they do have Brendan Bigelow and a talented group of young receivers.
The worst thing about young, talented quarterbacks competing for the #1 spot on a college team is that only one can win. Unlike all of the other positions on a football team, there is only one quarterback that plays. This competition really came down to a battle between Jared Goff and Zach Kline. Both are tremendously talented quarterbacks. Despite being brought in only a year apart, they were recruited to stop the decline of the quarterback performance at Cal . Both have the potential to play at the next level. Only one can play at this level at Cal. Despite all of the clowns in the media and on message boards speculating that he might transfer, Kline has maintained his commitment to Cal. He loves being in Berkeley. I love hearing that. Most importantly, he's not giving up. He's still fighting for that job. That's good. Even though only one quarterback can play at a time, coaches often change their mind. Dykes has even done so. The quarterback that starts the season isn't necessarily the quarterback that finishes it. Even if there is no quarterback change, the backup still has a shot at the NFL. Matt Cassel sat behind Matt Leinart at USC. Cassel has been far more productive in the NFL. Jay Schroeder and Brad Johnson spent most of their college careers on benches at UCLA and Florida St. Each won Super Bowls. Zach Kline should keep fighting at Cal. Nothing is over.
I really like the potential of Jared Goff and Zach Kline. I just wish that they were recruited 3-4 years apart as I think that both can do extremely well. I can't wait to see Goff direct Sonny Dykes' offense. I hope that he succeeds as the better that he plays, the better that Cal plays. I like that Kline is there to step up if Goff falters. Cal has lacked talent at quarterback since Aaron Rodgers. It's nice to have nice potential again. I don't even care that neither has any experience in the college game. This is going to be an exciting season of Cal football mostly because so much is new about it.
The worst thing about young, talented quarterbacks competing for the #1 spot on a college team is that only one can win. Unlike all of the other positions on a football team, there is only one quarterback that plays. This competition really came down to a battle between Jared Goff and Zach Kline. Both are tremendously talented quarterbacks. Despite being brought in only a year apart, they were recruited to stop the decline of the quarterback performance at Cal . Both have the potential to play at the next level. Only one can play at this level at Cal. Despite all of the clowns in the media and on message boards speculating that he might transfer, Kline has maintained his commitment to Cal. He loves being in Berkeley. I love hearing that. Most importantly, he's not giving up. He's still fighting for that job. That's good. Even though only one quarterback can play at a time, coaches often change their mind. Dykes has even done so. The quarterback that starts the season isn't necessarily the quarterback that finishes it. Even if there is no quarterback change, the backup still has a shot at the NFL. Matt Cassel sat behind Matt Leinart at USC. Cassel has been far more productive in the NFL. Jay Schroeder and Brad Johnson spent most of their college careers on benches at UCLA and Florida St. Each won Super Bowls. Zach Kline should keep fighting at Cal. Nothing is over.
I really like the potential of Jared Goff and Zach Kline. I just wish that they were recruited 3-4 years apart as I think that both can do extremely well. I can't wait to see Goff direct Sonny Dykes' offense. I hope that he succeeds as the better that he plays, the better that Cal plays. I like that Kline is there to step up if Goff falters. Cal has lacked talent at quarterback since Aaron Rodgers. It's nice to have nice potential again. I don't even care that neither has any experience in the college game. This is going to be an exciting season of Cal football mostly because so much is new about it.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
5 or 6?
I should probably just sit back and wait to see how the Minnesota Vikings receiver position shakes out. I should just wait to see who and how many receivers they trot out to face the Detroit Lions in week 1. I think that it's the Vikings most intriguing training camp battle and I just can't stop myself from speculating. Minnesota usually keeps five receivers on the roster. They haven't had too many NFL quality receivers in recent years, let alone five in a single year. This training camp is a little different. The talent level is actually bringing some optimism for 2013. At the end of the 2012 season it didn't look that way. The Vikings receiver position looked pretty bleak after they traded Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks. For a brief moment Jarius Wright sat on top of the depth chart. He'd just completed his rookie season and had about a dozen career receptions. Wright is well on his way to becoming a terrific receiver but the talent pool is pretty shallow if he's on top of it. Since that shaky moment, the Vikings have re-signed Jerome Simpson, added Greg Jennings in free agency, moved Joe Webb from quarterback to receiver, and drafted Cordarrelle Patterson in the first round. A few months ago the receiver position was a weakness. Now, it may be a strength. Nothing is certain until the regular season starts but quarterback Christian Ponder should be much more comfortable. He has weapons besides handing off to Adrian Peterson and playing catch with tight end Kyle Rudolph. For a team with a strong receiver tradition, it's nice to finally have some talent at the position again.
This talent increase will force some tough roster decisions for coach Leslie Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman. It's been assumed by most that Jennings, Simpson, Wright, and Patterson are locks to be on the 53 man roster. Simpson might be the least secure but his experience and big play potential is too important to let go. Third-year Stephen Burton has had a terrific camp. He's always had nice potential. His play is now approaching that potential. If the Vikings keep only five receivers, Burton is likely the fifth right now. That leaves Joe Webb on the outside. Webb might be the most physically gifted athlete on the team. Dabbling at quarterback for three years set him back as a receiver now. He's learning the nuances of the position but coming along nicely. There's just not a lot of time in the "what have you done for me lately" NFL. Webb is also a terrific teammate. He brings intangibles beyond being a fantastic athlete. Personally, I think that he's too valuable to the Vikings to release to the league. I think that Joe Webb forces the Vikings to keep six receivers.
Then, there's Greg Childs. As a rookie last year, he tore the patellar tendon in both knees during a scrimmage at training camp. He's been doing a terrific job with his rehab. So good, in fact, that he may be on the cusp of returning to the football field. No one has ever returned from this injury. A healthy Childs is talented enough to force further difficult decisions. He's on the PUP list now. He can remain there through much of the season but at some point soon the Vikings will have to make a decision on Childs. I'd like to see him return to the field this season. He's worked too hard. Perhaps the best, and safest, option is to sit Childs for another season. If he can make it back, he'd likely take Simpson's spot with the receivers.
No matter how this position shakes out, the Vikings pass catchers will be greatly improved this season. Jennings, Wright, Simpson, Patterson, Burton, and/or Webb have a chance to be dynamite.
This talent increase will force some tough roster decisions for coach Leslie Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman. It's been assumed by most that Jennings, Simpson, Wright, and Patterson are locks to be on the 53 man roster. Simpson might be the least secure but his experience and big play potential is too important to let go. Third-year Stephen Burton has had a terrific camp. He's always had nice potential. His play is now approaching that potential. If the Vikings keep only five receivers, Burton is likely the fifth right now. That leaves Joe Webb on the outside. Webb might be the most physically gifted athlete on the team. Dabbling at quarterback for three years set him back as a receiver now. He's learning the nuances of the position but coming along nicely. There's just not a lot of time in the "what have you done for me lately" NFL. Webb is also a terrific teammate. He brings intangibles beyond being a fantastic athlete. Personally, I think that he's too valuable to the Vikings to release to the league. I think that Joe Webb forces the Vikings to keep six receivers.
Then, there's Greg Childs. As a rookie last year, he tore the patellar tendon in both knees during a scrimmage at training camp. He's been doing a terrific job with his rehab. So good, in fact, that he may be on the cusp of returning to the football field. No one has ever returned from this injury. A healthy Childs is talented enough to force further difficult decisions. He's on the PUP list now. He can remain there through much of the season but at some point soon the Vikings will have to make a decision on Childs. I'd like to see him return to the field this season. He's worked too hard. Perhaps the best, and safest, option is to sit Childs for another season. If he can make it back, he'd likely take Simpson's spot with the receivers.
No matter how this position shakes out, the Vikings pass catchers will be greatly improved this season. Jennings, Wright, Simpson, Patterson, Burton, and/or Webb have a chance to be dynamite.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Comparisons
I hate to do it but I really can't help myself. I think that it's wrong to compare football players. Every player is different. Like snowflakes. Around draft time, prospects are always compared to established NFL veterans. The comparisons are done simply to help us better understand the skills of the youngster. I remember Ashley Lelie being compared to Randy Moss. Tall. Fast. Why not? It's no real stretch to say that Lelie, while a decent receiver, never lived up to the comparison. As much as I hate comparing players in this manner, I routinely do so. Sometimes I do it without even realizing that I'm doing it. "Hey, that elusive back reminds me of a young Barry Sanders." I suppose that it can be an honor to be considered the standard for a skill or a position. It really does the youngster no good to suddenly be saddled with the expectations that come with these comparisons. Young players with terrific skills probably still enjoy these comparisons. No matter how much they hope to make their own mark they likely don't mind being seen with NFL potential or similar to an NFL star.
Still, I find myself always doing what I claim to despise. I see John Randle in Geno Atkins. I see some Derrick Thomas in Von Miller. I see a very chatty Lester Hayes in Richard Sherman. I can't help myself.
I love it when a player comes along that defies comparisons. A player that brings a new mold for his unique skills. Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft, I saw an entire article comparing Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. At that point I hadn't seen enough of Patterson to agree or disagree with the comparison. I knew that the two pass catchers have similar size and speed but that was about it. I've come to realize that now Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is a new kind of football player. I know of no other receiver, past or present, that is 6'3" and 220 lbs with Patterson's movement skills. He runs with the ball like a smaller receiver. He may have the size of Julio Jones but he moves more like Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb. He leaves defenders grasping at air like no other receiver his size. He's a unique football talent. If he keeps working at it he could become a very unique football player. I may even, reluctantly, compare young football players to him one day.
Another unique football talent is Adrian Peterson. He's unlike any back that I've ever seen.
Still, I find myself always doing what I claim to despise. I see John Randle in Geno Atkins. I see some Derrick Thomas in Von Miller. I see a very chatty Lester Hayes in Richard Sherman. I can't help myself.
I love it when a player comes along that defies comparisons. A player that brings a new mold for his unique skills. Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft, I saw an entire article comparing Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. At that point I hadn't seen enough of Patterson to agree or disagree with the comparison. I knew that the two pass catchers have similar size and speed but that was about it. I've come to realize that now Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is a new kind of football player. I know of no other receiver, past or present, that is 6'3" and 220 lbs with Patterson's movement skills. He runs with the ball like a smaller receiver. He may have the size of Julio Jones but he moves more like Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb. He leaves defenders grasping at air like no other receiver his size. He's a unique football talent. If he keeps working at it he could become a very unique football player. I may even, reluctantly, compare young football players to him one day.
Another unique football talent is Adrian Peterson. He's unlike any back that I've ever seen.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Throwback Thursday: The Staley Swindle
Many people view professional football history as starting with the first Super Bowl. There were 34 NFL Championship games before the Green bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs took the field. 35, if you count the one that got the Packers to that first Super Bowl. There were even twelve titles before the football powers that were decided that playing a game to decide it all might be a nifty idea. When there is no single game to crown the champ, there is often problems. That was the case in 1921. The Buffalo All-Americans had concluded their regular season with a record of 9-0-2. The 7-1 Chicago Staleys (Bears) suffered their single loss in a Thanksgiving Day game against the All-Americans. Buffalo owner Frank McNeil claimed the title of the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922). That's when it got a little screwy.
Chicago people call the mess that followed their first championship. Buffalo people call it the "Staley Swindle." No one involved in professional sports likes to lose. Staleys owner George Halas took hating to lose to a whole other level. He'd do pretty much anything to get a win. In those rough early days of professional football, teams often scheduled postseason "exhibition" games to make some extra money. McNeil scheduled one of these "exhibition" games with the tough Akron Pros for Saturday, December 3rd. While McNeil saw extra game cash, Halas saw an opportunity. He challenged McNeil to a game on December 4th. McNeil accepted the challenge on the condition that it be considered a postseason exhibition game and not counted in the final standings. The Buffalo All-Americans defeated the Akron Pros on Saturday, 14-0. They then hopped an all-night train to Chicago to face a well rested Staley's team on Sunday. Chicago defeated Buffalo 10-7.
Frank McNeil still believed his team to be the 1921 APFA Champions. He even invested in tiny, gold footballs for his players to recognize them as a championship outfit. While McNeil was doing that, Halas was scheming. He quickly scheduled games against the Canton Bulldogs and Chicago Cardinals in the hopes of matching Buffalo's win total. A 10-0 defeat of the Bulldogs and a scoreless tie against the Cardinals brought the Staleys record to 9-1 (ties were dropped in those days when determining the champion). Conveniently, this matched the 9-1 record of the All-Americans. Halas decided that the 1921 title belonged to Chicago and began to persuade the other owners to view it the same. He claimed that a rematch game mattered more than an earlier contest. He also claimed that the combined 16-14 score in the two games favored his Staleys. Halas' first argument proved to be the winner. The league instituted the first ever tiebreaker for the championship. It also became a league rule. This new rule stated that if two teams played multiple times in a season, the last game between the two carries more weight. The league was also forced to put a finite end to the season after this incident. The Chicago Staleys were named the 1921 APFA Champions.
Frank McNeil went to his grave fighting for an overturn of the championship decision. Who can blame him? I don't understand how McNeil's belief that the rematch with the Bears was an "exhibition" game could just be washed away like it was. It makes no sense that he'd even play the game if there was ever any doubt. Unless I'm missing something, it looks like the revised final standings for the All-Americans reflects the Staleys game but not the game against Akron Pros. If one game counted in the standings, shouldn't the other game? I have the All-Americans at 10-1 to the Staleys 9-1. None of this mess was right. Part of the problem was the leadership void in the new professional football league. Jim Thorpe was more figurehead than action as the first commissioner. Joe Carr would change that but he was just getting started as 1921 was closing. Instead, Buffalo was without a title and soon a team. The All-Americans had been one of the stronger professional teams since 1918. That run pretty much ended with the 1921 season. Play on the field gradually declined over the following years and the team finally folded in 1929. George Halas' Staleys/Bears has been one of the flagship franchises since the birth of the APFA/NFL. Much on Halas' sheer will. The mess in 1921 was also an example of the power that Halas held. It's difficult to hate him as the league likely wouldn't have survived without him. I'm sure that many owners still found a way to despise him. Frank McNeil was likely among them.
Chicago people call the mess that followed their first championship. Buffalo people call it the "Staley Swindle." No one involved in professional sports likes to lose. Staleys owner George Halas took hating to lose to a whole other level. He'd do pretty much anything to get a win. In those rough early days of professional football, teams often scheduled postseason "exhibition" games to make some extra money. McNeil scheduled one of these "exhibition" games with the tough Akron Pros for Saturday, December 3rd. While McNeil saw extra game cash, Halas saw an opportunity. He challenged McNeil to a game on December 4th. McNeil accepted the challenge on the condition that it be considered a postseason exhibition game and not counted in the final standings. The Buffalo All-Americans defeated the Akron Pros on Saturday, 14-0. They then hopped an all-night train to Chicago to face a well rested Staley's team on Sunday. Chicago defeated Buffalo 10-7.
Frank McNeil still believed his team to be the 1921 APFA Champions. He even invested in tiny, gold footballs for his players to recognize them as a championship outfit. While McNeil was doing that, Halas was scheming. He quickly scheduled games against the Canton Bulldogs and Chicago Cardinals in the hopes of matching Buffalo's win total. A 10-0 defeat of the Bulldogs and a scoreless tie against the Cardinals brought the Staleys record to 9-1 (ties were dropped in those days when determining the champion). Conveniently, this matched the 9-1 record of the All-Americans. Halas decided that the 1921 title belonged to Chicago and began to persuade the other owners to view it the same. He claimed that a rematch game mattered more than an earlier contest. He also claimed that the combined 16-14 score in the two games favored his Staleys. Halas' first argument proved to be the winner. The league instituted the first ever tiebreaker for the championship. It also became a league rule. This new rule stated that if two teams played multiple times in a season, the last game between the two carries more weight. The league was also forced to put a finite end to the season after this incident. The Chicago Staleys were named the 1921 APFA Champions.
Frank McNeil went to his grave fighting for an overturn of the championship decision. Who can blame him? I don't understand how McNeil's belief that the rematch with the Bears was an "exhibition" game could just be washed away like it was. It makes no sense that he'd even play the game if there was ever any doubt. Unless I'm missing something, it looks like the revised final standings for the All-Americans reflects the Staleys game but not the game against Akron Pros. If one game counted in the standings, shouldn't the other game? I have the All-Americans at 10-1 to the Staleys 9-1. None of this mess was right. Part of the problem was the leadership void in the new professional football league. Jim Thorpe was more figurehead than action as the first commissioner. Joe Carr would change that but he was just getting started as 1921 was closing. Instead, Buffalo was without a title and soon a team. The All-Americans had been one of the stronger professional teams since 1918. That run pretty much ended with the 1921 season. Play on the field gradually declined over the following years and the team finally folded in 1929. George Halas' Staleys/Bears has been one of the flagship franchises since the birth of the APFA/NFL. Much on Halas' sheer will. The mess in 1921 was also an example of the power that Halas held. It's difficult to hate him as the league likely wouldn't have survived without him. I'm sure that many owners still found a way to despise him. Frank McNeil was likely among them.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Vereen's Time?
Every time that I've see Shane Vereen carry the ball for the New England Patriots, he's been effective. With the stress that Tom Brady's passing puts on a defense, the Patriots ground game has a good chance to be successful. Stevan Ridley hasn't done too badly as the starter, so Vereen's carries have been limited. He's had to make the most of them. It seems that he's done enough to make the Patriots find new ways to get the ball in his hands. The team has run a tight end friendly offense for the past couple of seasons. Events of the past offseason has forced them to look for other options. Vereen could be the beneficiary of that change. I've heard mention that he might be put in the slot or split wide. I can see this working out well for the back and the team.
I was always impressed with Shane Vereen while he was at Cal. He spent his first two years backing up Jahvid Best. With Best's unfortunately frequent injuries, Vereen was often on the field. He wasn't the flashy, game-breaking back that Best was but he moved the chains. When Best left for the NFL following the 2009 season, Vereen had his chance to be the main ball carrier for Cal. He made the most of that chance. 231 carries for 1167 yards. 5.1 yards/carry. 13 touchdowns. Very nice numbers. And, he had another season to build on that fine start. His senior season could be a big one. As a Cal fan, I was disappointed and surprised when he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft. He had graduated in December 2010 and obviously felt that he was ready for the NFL. He was proven right when the Patriots selected him in the second round.
Despite Ridley's solid play, I feel that Vereen is the most talented back on the Patriots roster. Even with the addition of LeGarrette Blount. They certainly have a nice stable of running backs now. I may be a little biased in my opinion of Vereen's skills but he really is a terrific runner and receiver. It's his versatility that I've always liked. That versatility might finally get him his NFL opportunity.
I was always impressed with Shane Vereen while he was at Cal. He spent his first two years backing up Jahvid Best. With Best's unfortunately frequent injuries, Vereen was often on the field. He wasn't the flashy, game-breaking back that Best was but he moved the chains. When Best left for the NFL following the 2009 season, Vereen had his chance to be the main ball carrier for Cal. He made the most of that chance. 231 carries for 1167 yards. 5.1 yards/carry. 13 touchdowns. Very nice numbers. And, he had another season to build on that fine start. His senior season could be a big one. As a Cal fan, I was disappointed and surprised when he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft. He had graduated in December 2010 and obviously felt that he was ready for the NFL. He was proven right when the Patriots selected him in the second round.
Despite Ridley's solid play, I feel that Vereen is the most talented back on the Patriots roster. Even with the addition of LeGarrette Blount. They certainly have a nice stable of running backs now. I may be a little biased in my opinion of Vereen's skills but he really is a terrific runner and receiver. It's his versatility that I've always liked. That versatility might finally get him his NFL opportunity.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Kosar Is An Idiot
There was a time when I thought that Bernie Kosar was a very good quarterback. His potential coming out of the University of Miami was such that there was pretty much a draft war over him between the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings but that's a whole other story. If not for some late game, John Elway heroics, history might even view Kosar as an excellent quarterback. As near as I could tell, Bernie Kosar seemed to be a pretty decent guy. Those opinions changed last Thursday. Bernie Kosar is an idiot.
Working as the color analyst for the Cleveland Browns preseason game against the St. Louis Rams, Kosar didn't hold back with his observations and opinions. Here are some of his ridiculous gems:
After an incomplete pass intended for Tavon Austin: "I really think that he didn't overthrow him and that Austin has to make that catch in the NFL. I see why Sam (Bradford) has been struggling watching how bad these receivers have been for him."
-he could have just left it at "Austin has to make that catch in the NFL"
After Nick Johnson dropped a pass: "This is actually not a bad throw. These St. Louis receivers are horrible. That's a drop there."
-sounds like a bitter, little quarterback
When play-by-play man Jim Donovan asked Kosar what he'd think if he knew that some of the Rams receivers parents were watching, Kosar said he "would be embarrassed."
-that's not right
"I'm checking through the itinerary here of guys and coaches to see who the receivers coach is to make sure I don't know who this guy is because he's not doing very good either."
-the receiver coach is Ray Sherman. If Kosar did his job, he wouldn't have to look it up during the game. Clown.
For whatever reason, Kosar has a particular issue with Rams backup quarterback Kellen Clemons. He even admitted that "me and him haven't done too well with each other..."
Later, when Clemons entered the game, Donovan relayed a story about Clemens giving an autograph to Pope Benedict XVI. Kosar said that he didn't think that he'd ever want it, and then took another shot at Clemens.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," Kosar said. "I have to watch the whole fourth quarter."
-Idiot
When Rams coach Jeff Fisher had this to say about Kosar's idiotic remarks:
"I'm just surprised that Bernie has such a lack of respect for players and for this game. So I lost a lot of respect for him."
-me too
Who does this? I wonder if Kosar is just bitter that his NFL career didn't have the glory that he'd hoped it would? A TV analyst is expected to be objective, even a little critical. In this game, Kosar was just mean. He wasn't even clever. If you're going to be an idiot on TV, you really should be clever about it. I guess.
Working as the color analyst for the Cleveland Browns preseason game against the St. Louis Rams, Kosar didn't hold back with his observations and opinions. Here are some of his ridiculous gems:
After an incomplete pass intended for Tavon Austin: "I really think that he didn't overthrow him and that Austin has to make that catch in the NFL. I see why Sam (Bradford) has been struggling watching how bad these receivers have been for him."
-he could have just left it at "Austin has to make that catch in the NFL"
After Nick Johnson dropped a pass: "This is actually not a bad throw. These St. Louis receivers are horrible. That's a drop there."
-sounds like a bitter, little quarterback
When play-by-play man Jim Donovan asked Kosar what he'd think if he knew that some of the Rams receivers parents were watching, Kosar said he "would be embarrassed."
-that's not right
"I'm checking through the itinerary here of guys and coaches to see who the receivers coach is to make sure I don't know who this guy is because he's not doing very good either."
-the receiver coach is Ray Sherman. If Kosar did his job, he wouldn't have to look it up during the game. Clown.
For whatever reason, Kosar has a particular issue with Rams backup quarterback Kellen Clemons. He even admitted that "me and him haven't done too well with each other..."
Later, when Clemons entered the game, Donovan relayed a story about Clemens giving an autograph to Pope Benedict XVI. Kosar said that he didn't think that he'd ever want it, and then took another shot at Clemens.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," Kosar said. "I have to watch the whole fourth quarter."
-Idiot
When Rams coach Jeff Fisher had this to say about Kosar's idiotic remarks:
"I'm just surprised that Bernie has such a lack of respect for players and for this game. So I lost a lot of respect for him."
-me too
Who does this? I wonder if Kosar is just bitter that his NFL career didn't have the glory that he'd hoped it would? A TV analyst is expected to be objective, even a little critical. In this game, Kosar was just mean. He wasn't even clever. If you're going to be an idiot on TV, you really should be clever about it. I guess.
Monday, August 12, 2013
A Little Bit Closer Now
Last summer I had the unique and wonderful opportunity to visit NFL Films. Amazing! Last weekend I was in Canton, Ohio for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductions. Incredible! As a result of these great events I feel closer to the NFL. It may be a strange thing to consider but since my return from Canton I've been thinking about my relationship with the league. It doesn't seem so far away anymore.
Despite being the fuel that runs the league, fans are really on the outside of this professional football business. Perhaps I view the fan relationship this way because I've spent my life following a team that's half a continent away. Physically, I've never been very close to the Minnesota Vikings. No season tickets. No annual training camp visits. Actually, no training camp visits at all. That really has to change. Until Directv's Sunday Ticket thankfully arrived at my home, I was at the mercy of the NFL schedule and TV decision makers for my Vikings game viewing. My relationship with the Vikings and the NFL has always been of the long distance variety. The internet has brought Minnesota closer as technology continues to shrink the world. While I regularly run into fellow Vikings fans, I know very few. Message boards, for good and bad, have introduced me to a bunch. All of this has brought the Minnesota Vikings closer to me. I can see the games. I can see the TV shows, the press conferences, and the interviews. I see the players and coaches more than I ever thought possible. All things Vikings are closer to me. Despite all of this, I've still felt that the NFL was outside my reach. I can play fantasy football. I can draft players and call them my own. I can put real NFL players in my fantasy lineup as if they actually played for me. I can read every football item, historic and current, in print and on a computer screen, tablet, or smart phone. None of it really bridged the gap that I felt between me and the NFL. I'm sure that Roger Goodell would hate to hear this. Much of what the league and the commissioner has done has been to make the NFL more accessible to the fan. Most fans likely see things differently but it really hasn't worked for me. I didn't realize this until I found my way to Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and Canton, Ohio.
Visiting NFL Films was like a dream. That facility is a football heaven. I wish that I could have met Steve Sabol. Unfortunately, he passed two months after my visit. Fortunately, his vision lives in the artists that continue to create football magic. Seeing that place, walking through those buildings brought me closer to the NFL. I may not have met Ed and Steve Sabol but I felt like I did. I met the world that they created and I feel closer to the NFL as a result of it.
For six years, I pushed and screamed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction of former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter. This Flea Flicker was my little platform. My shouts probably never reached anyone that had a vote but I sure tried. I still like to think that I did my part to get Carter his much and long deserved honor. When he finally made it, I knew that I had to be there for him, and for me. I had no doubt that my entire time in Canton would strike me much like Mt. Laurel had. Visiting Canton has been a dream since I've known that the place existed. It's always cool when high expectations are topped by an even greater experience. As soon as I stepped on Stark County soil, I knew that I was walking through professional football history. The museum is incredible. It's been said that only about 5% of what they have is on display. That's both sad and great. I want to see that other 95%. Induction time is simply amazing in Canton. The relationship between the town and the Hall of Fame is a special one. It's obvious everywhere you look. There's also football everywhere you look. It's a beautiful thing. I saw NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith strolling through the exhibits. I talked to Pro Football Hall of Fame president Stephen Perry. Asked about job opportunities. I saw where the meeting took place in 1920 that kick-started this NFL. My goodness, I saw Jim Brown. Willie Lanier, Marv Levy, Roger Staubach, Jerry Rice, Raymond Berry, and Willie Brown were walking by me. I met Forrest Gregg. I saw Cris Carter inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Above all of this, I met Alan Page! Incredible, incredible stuff. The NFL was all around me. So close to me that I could reach out and touch it. For the first time in my life as a football fan, I felt like I was a part of it all.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Something for Joey
The Minnesota Vikings have been honoring their own in a Ring of Honor since 1998. The number honored will increase to 21 with the induction of former safety Joey Browner. He will be immortalized at halftime of the Sunday Night Football game vs. Green Bay on October 27.
Drafted with the 19th pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of USC, Browner played nine seasons with the Vikings from 1983-91. From 1987-90, he played safety as well, or better, than any in the game. In the 1988 Divisional Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, Browner dominated. He took over the game and drove the Vikings to a 28-17 win. This led Rams coach John Robinson to call his former USC player the best defender in the league. For a while, he was that great. Injuries concentrated Browner's career to a handful of brilliant seasons. The unfortunately shortened career didn't prevent him from gathering a bunch of individual honors. He went to six straight Pro Bowls from 1985-90. He was a 3-time AP All-Pro honoree. He was named to the NFL's Team of the Decade for the 1980's. He's a member of the 50 Greatest Vikings team. If injuries hadn't sapped his play in his final years, he'd already be honored in Canton. Even so, his eventual induction is possible. He's right there with Ronnie Lott, Charlie Waters, Kenny Easley, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu as the best safeties that I've seen play. Joey Browner is a very deserving member of Vikings Ring of Honor.
Here are the now 21 members of the Vikings Ring of Honor:
Fran Tarkenton
Alan Page
Jim Finks
Bud Grant
Paul Krause
Fred Zamberletti
Jim Marshall
Ron Yary
Korey Stringer
Mick Tingelhoff
Carl Eller
Cris Carter
Bill Brown
Jerry Burns
Randall McDaniel
Chuck Foreman
John Randle
Scott Studwell
Chris Doleman
Matt Blair
Joey Browner
I can see Ahmad Rashad, Grady Alderman, Bobby Bryant, Jeff Siemon, Steve Jordan, Anthony Carter, and Carl Lee joining them in the coming years.
Congratulations Joey Browner!
Drafted with the 19th pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of USC, Browner played nine seasons with the Vikings from 1983-91. From 1987-90, he played safety as well, or better, than any in the game. In the 1988 Divisional Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, Browner dominated. He took over the game and drove the Vikings to a 28-17 win. This led Rams coach John Robinson to call his former USC player the best defender in the league. For a while, he was that great. Injuries concentrated Browner's career to a handful of brilliant seasons. The unfortunately shortened career didn't prevent him from gathering a bunch of individual honors. He went to six straight Pro Bowls from 1985-90. He was a 3-time AP All-Pro honoree. He was named to the NFL's Team of the Decade for the 1980's. He's a member of the 50 Greatest Vikings team. If injuries hadn't sapped his play in his final years, he'd already be honored in Canton. Even so, his eventual induction is possible. He's right there with Ronnie Lott, Charlie Waters, Kenny Easley, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu as the best safeties that I've seen play. Joey Browner is a very deserving member of Vikings Ring of Honor.
Here are the now 21 members of the Vikings Ring of Honor:
Fran Tarkenton
Alan Page
Jim Finks
Bud Grant
Paul Krause
Fred Zamberletti
Jim Marshall
Ron Yary
Korey Stringer
Mick Tingelhoff
Carl Eller
Cris Carter
Bill Brown
Jerry Burns
Randall McDaniel
Chuck Foreman
John Randle
Scott Studwell
Chris Doleman
Matt Blair
Joey Browner
I can see Ahmad Rashad, Grady Alderman, Bobby Bryant, Jeff Siemon, Steve Jordan, Anthony Carter, and Carl Lee joining them in the coming years.
Congratulations Joey Browner!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Take Off That Blue Shirt!
The Cal student section has long done vile things to anyone walking by wearing a red shirt. Stanford Red. It starts with chants of "Take off that red shirt." If the shirt isn't removed right away, it can escalate from there to something closer to assault. If the offending person still refuses to remove the red shirt, they are often grabbed, lifted off the ground, and passed above the heads of the students to the top of the stadium. They arrive there shaken and often missing articles of clothing. The Cal students find this hilarious. It's a tradition.
If tales from his first year as the Ohio St. football coach are true, Urban Meyer has a similar disdain for shirts of a certain color. Unlike the Cal students, it's blue shirts that Meyer can't stand. Michigan Blue. While Cal people usually save their clothing-based attacks for game days, Meyer takes issue with blue shirts on anyone and everyone at Ohio St. practices. Including NFL scouts. Meyer has been instructing scouts wearing blue shirts to change into something else before viewing practice. Apparently, extra red shirts are available. That's very nice. I wonder if those shirts are for keeps. NFL people don't really like being told what to do. Let alone, what to wear. I can't imagine that Urban Meyer is making many friends with these scouts. No matter how pissy the NFL might get over Meyer's new clothing rules I doubt that this will keep them from drafting Ohio St. players.
Urban Meyer is going to find himself in a sea of blue when Ohio St. visits Berkeley this fall. His new clothing rules won't mean a thing. And, it would be wise of Meyer to stay far away from Cal students if he's sporting his snappy red attire.
If tales from his first year as the Ohio St. football coach are true, Urban Meyer has a similar disdain for shirts of a certain color. Unlike the Cal students, it's blue shirts that Meyer can't stand. Michigan Blue. While Cal people usually save their clothing-based attacks for game days, Meyer takes issue with blue shirts on anyone and everyone at Ohio St. practices. Including NFL scouts. Meyer has been instructing scouts wearing blue shirts to change into something else before viewing practice. Apparently, extra red shirts are available. That's very nice. I wonder if those shirts are for keeps. NFL people don't really like being told what to do. Let alone, what to wear. I can't imagine that Urban Meyer is making many friends with these scouts. No matter how pissy the NFL might get over Meyer's new clothing rules I doubt that this will keep them from drafting Ohio St. players.
Urban Meyer is going to find himself in a sea of blue when Ohio St. visits Berkeley this fall. His new clothing rules won't mean a thing. And, it would be wise of Meyer to stay far away from Cal students if he's sporting his snappy red attire.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Football's Back!
Football never goes away. It's the games that have returned. The first game of the 2013 NFL (pre)season was the Hall of Fame game. The Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins took the field in that game last Sunday. I was there so I know that it happened. I may have been paying more attention to Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter prowling the sidelines but there was a football game. Cowboys won. The Hall of Fame game has always had a false start feel for me. I've always felt that the NFL's preseason schedule really starts the weekend that all the teams take the field. It's a fairly stupid feeling as all these games are exhibition games. None of them really count. The Hall of Fame game kicked off the new football season on paper. Yesterday's slate of games kicked off the new football season in my little mind.
Six games last night. Including the pairing that many think could be repeated in the Super Bowl. San Francisco 49ers-Denver Broncos. Eight more games tonight. Including the Houston Texans-Minnesota Vikings. That should be a fantastic preseason game. The last two games of the opening weekend of the preseason are tomorrow. Even if is only the preseason, NFL games are back. It's a great thing.
The significance and future of preseason games are often debated. It's become quite obvious that Roger Goodell wants to link these games with his ridiculous dream of expanding the regular season. He sees dropping two preseason games as a fair trade for adding two regular season games. It's a foolish view. Sixteen games that count is enough. I also think that four games that don't count is the right number. I enjoy watching them but I'm likely in the minority. The majority want to see a real football game and that's not going to happen. Preseason games are a coaching tool. They always have been. They are simply meant to be a more intense practice. More intense because your team is finally hitting a team in a different uniform. Coaches need to see many of their players in an environment like that. That is even more true now with the lightened practice rules found in the new CBA. I doubt that there is a coach in the NFL that thinks anything less than four preseason games is enough. Fans just need to try and accept these meaningless games as the more intense practices that they are. Appetizers? Now, I don't think that the owners should charge regular season prices for preseason games. That's just wrong.
The best thing about preseason games is that regular games are near.
Six games last night. Including the pairing that many think could be repeated in the Super Bowl. San Francisco 49ers-Denver Broncos. Eight more games tonight. Including the Houston Texans-Minnesota Vikings. That should be a fantastic preseason game. The last two games of the opening weekend of the preseason are tomorrow. Even if is only the preseason, NFL games are back. It's a great thing.
The significance and future of preseason games are often debated. It's become quite obvious that Roger Goodell wants to link these games with his ridiculous dream of expanding the regular season. He sees dropping two preseason games as a fair trade for adding two regular season games. It's a foolish view. Sixteen games that count is enough. I also think that four games that don't count is the right number. I enjoy watching them but I'm likely in the minority. The majority want to see a real football game and that's not going to happen. Preseason games are a coaching tool. They always have been. They are simply meant to be a more intense practice. More intense because your team is finally hitting a team in a different uniform. Coaches need to see many of their players in an environment like that. That is even more true now with the lightened practice rules found in the new CBA. I doubt that there is a coach in the NFL that thinks anything less than four preseason games is enough. Fans just need to try and accept these meaningless games as the more intense practices that they are. Appetizers? Now, I don't think that the owners should charge regular season prices for preseason games. That's just wrong.
The best thing about preseason games is that regular games are near.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Why Canton?
I can't imagine the Pro Football Hall of Fame being anywhere but Canton. I felt that way before I visited the city and the Hall of Fame. I most certainly feel that way now. It's a natural relationship. The reasons always given for the location are these:
a) It was the birthplace of the American Professional Football Association (the forerunner of the NFL)
b) Jim Thorpe first played pro ball in 1915 with the Canton Bulldogs.
c) The Canton Bulldogs had the NFL's first little dynasty, winning titles in 1922 and '23.
The first one is really the only reason that I ever needed to feel great about the location. The city of Canton shows every year that it was the right choice. Really, the only choice.
Still, there were other contenders. The city of Latrobe, Pennsylvania was actually awarded the site of the Hall of Fame in 1947. This was based on the assumption of the historians at the time that the first paid professional had played for a Latrobe football team. That player was John Brallier. It wasn't until the early 1960's that it was discovered that William "Pudge" Heffelfinger had been paid to play football for the Allegheny Athletic Association a few years before Brallier. It didn't really matter as Latrobe was never able to get the project off the ground.
On December 6, 1959, the Canton Repository issued a Hall of Fame challenge to the city of Canton. The newspaper's headline read: "Pro Football Needs a Hall of Fame and Logical Choice is Here." Canton answered the challenge. In particular, H.H. Timken Jr., chairman of the board at the Timken Roller Bearing Company, was intrigued. On January 25, 1961, at the NFL's owner's meeting in New York City, Canton made a formal bid for the Hall of Fame. Detroit and Pittsburgh were in the running but Canton was too far ahead. The Canton representatives estimated the cost of the Hall of Fame to be three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The city of Canton would donate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while Timken himself would donate one hundred thousand dollars. The NFL owners listened when they learned others would pay the bills. Three months later, Canton was selected as the site of the Hall of Fame. A fund raising campaign was started on December 7, 1961. In less than three months, the city raised $378,026 through community pledges.
On April 4, 1962, the Hall of Fame made a brilliant move by hiring Richard (Dick) McCann as its first director. McCann resigned as the general manager of the Washington Redskins, a job that he'd held for fifteen years. It was his responsibility to collect the football memorabilia that would help trace the history of the game. It was his innovation and dedication that made the Hall of Fame a success from the very beginning. Ground was broken on August 11, 1962. NFL. The building opened to the public on September 7, 1963, with the enshrinement of 17 charter members. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio was on it's way.
More than 10 million fans have visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame since its opening fifty years ago. The attendance pace was slow at first but saw a dramatic increase in the 1970s. That increase is actually quite curious. The greatest attendance numbers in the history of the Hall of Fame are found in the decade of the '70s. I guess that the 1971 Class of Vince Lombardi, Jim Brown, Y.A. Tittle, Andy Robustelli, Norm Van Brocklin, Bill Hewitt, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard kicked started some interest. That is quite a class.
After seeing first hand the way that the city of Canton embraces the Hall of Fame and the annual inductions, I'm convinced that there could be no better location. I only saw a fraction of all that Canton does and it was amazing. From the parade to the volunteers to all the pageantry that we see on TV, it's a beautiful experience to see a city showing that it truly cares about the Hall of Famers and the Hall of Fame. I want to go back as often as I can. Thank you Canton, Ohio. It's a wonderful thing that you do.
a) It was the birthplace of the American Professional Football Association (the forerunner of the NFL)
b) Jim Thorpe first played pro ball in 1915 with the Canton Bulldogs.
c) The Canton Bulldogs had the NFL's first little dynasty, winning titles in 1922 and '23.
The first one is really the only reason that I ever needed to feel great about the location. The city of Canton shows every year that it was the right choice. Really, the only choice.
Still, there were other contenders. The city of Latrobe, Pennsylvania was actually awarded the site of the Hall of Fame in 1947. This was based on the assumption of the historians at the time that the first paid professional had played for a Latrobe football team. That player was John Brallier. It wasn't until the early 1960's that it was discovered that William "Pudge" Heffelfinger had been paid to play football for the Allegheny Athletic Association a few years before Brallier. It didn't really matter as Latrobe was never able to get the project off the ground.
On December 6, 1959, the Canton Repository issued a Hall of Fame challenge to the city of Canton. The newspaper's headline read: "Pro Football Needs a Hall of Fame and Logical Choice is Here." Canton answered the challenge. In particular, H.H. Timken Jr., chairman of the board at the Timken Roller Bearing Company, was intrigued. On January 25, 1961, at the NFL's owner's meeting in New York City, Canton made a formal bid for the Hall of Fame. Detroit and Pittsburgh were in the running but Canton was too far ahead. The Canton representatives estimated the cost of the Hall of Fame to be three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The city of Canton would donate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while Timken himself would donate one hundred thousand dollars. The NFL owners listened when they learned others would pay the bills. Three months later, Canton was selected as the site of the Hall of Fame. A fund raising campaign was started on December 7, 1961. In less than three months, the city raised $378,026 through community pledges.
On April 4, 1962, the Hall of Fame made a brilliant move by hiring Richard (Dick) McCann as its first director. McCann resigned as the general manager of the Washington Redskins, a job that he'd held for fifteen years. It was his responsibility to collect the football memorabilia that would help trace the history of the game. It was his innovation and dedication that made the Hall of Fame a success from the very beginning. Ground was broken on August 11, 1962. NFL. The building opened to the public on September 7, 1963, with the enshrinement of 17 charter members. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio was on it's way.
More than 10 million fans have visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame since its opening fifty years ago. The attendance pace was slow at first but saw a dramatic increase in the 1970s. That increase is actually quite curious. The greatest attendance numbers in the history of the Hall of Fame are found in the decade of the '70s. I guess that the 1971 Class of Vince Lombardi, Jim Brown, Y.A. Tittle, Andy Robustelli, Norm Van Brocklin, Bill Hewitt, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard kicked started some interest. That is quite a class.
After seeing first hand the way that the city of Canton embraces the Hall of Fame and the annual inductions, I'm convinced that there could be no better location. I only saw a fraction of all that Canton does and it was amazing. From the parade to the volunteers to all the pageantry that we see on TV, it's a beautiful experience to see a city showing that it truly cares about the Hall of Famers and the Hall of Fame. I want to go back as often as I can. Thank you Canton, Ohio. It's a wonderful thing that you do.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Guard Speaks
"She cooked two chickens, french fries. Baked me a cake. And gave me a 40-ouncer. I knew then. That was my wife."
-Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen
Allen had his audience rolling when he spoke of the first date with his future wife. This might have been the sound bite of the 2013 Hall of Fame induction speeches. As one that has never been comfortable speaking in front of others, I've always been nervous for others with the same issues. Most offensive linemen prefer to stay anonymous. If they perform their on-the-field job to perfection, they are rarely mentioned. Of the 2013 Hall of Fame inductees, I figured that Larry Allen would have the most difficulties with that speech. When his nomination was announced in February it seemed that he'd prefer to be a million other places. In the months since he's been in front of the camera more than he ever has. I'd be surprised if he enjoyed any of it. When it came time for him to be on stage, in front of millions, he was ready. It was clear how much this honor meant and he did a fine job of showing his appreciation for all those that helped get him to that stage. I saw a side of Larry Allen that I'd never seen before.
I didn't know much about Allen before he was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1994. Playing at Sonoma St. will do that. He played a quiet position at a quiet college. That college got my attention and his play on the football field sealed it. Allen proved early that it didn't matter where he played football in college. He could play in this league. His ability to play all over the line was incredible. He could have been all-pro at all four tackle and guard spots. An amazing talent. He simply dominated his opponent. He really had no weakness in his game. His out-of-this-world strength set him apart but it was just a part of his overall game. He was technically sound. He had quick feet. He was fast for his 6'3" 350 lb size. He was fast for a 280 lb man. Basically, he was so strong, so quick, so completely overpowering that I imagine opposing defensive coaches conceding that they will get little to nothing attacking that area of the Cowboys offense. The defensive tackles, ends, and linebackers that entered his area were in for a very long, frustrating, humbling day. As an observer, unless you specifically followed him all game, you'd likely see very little excitement. On the field and off, it's quiet around Larry Allen. So, I worried a little about his speech. I shouldn't have. He did a fine job. As NFL Network's Rich Eisen stated, it was likely the first Hall of Fame speech to have mention of a "40-ouncer." His speech spoke well of a player that always let his game do his talking.
-Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen
Allen had his audience rolling when he spoke of the first date with his future wife. This might have been the sound bite of the 2013 Hall of Fame induction speeches. As one that has never been comfortable speaking in front of others, I've always been nervous for others with the same issues. Most offensive linemen prefer to stay anonymous. If they perform their on-the-field job to perfection, they are rarely mentioned. Of the 2013 Hall of Fame inductees, I figured that Larry Allen would have the most difficulties with that speech. When his nomination was announced in February it seemed that he'd prefer to be a million other places. In the months since he's been in front of the camera more than he ever has. I'd be surprised if he enjoyed any of it. When it came time for him to be on stage, in front of millions, he was ready. It was clear how much this honor meant and he did a fine job of showing his appreciation for all those that helped get him to that stage. I saw a side of Larry Allen that I'd never seen before.
I didn't know much about Allen before he was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1994. Playing at Sonoma St. will do that. He played a quiet position at a quiet college. That college got my attention and his play on the football field sealed it. Allen proved early that it didn't matter where he played football in college. He could play in this league. His ability to play all over the line was incredible. He could have been all-pro at all four tackle and guard spots. An amazing talent. He simply dominated his opponent. He really had no weakness in his game. His out-of-this-world strength set him apart but it was just a part of his overall game. He was technically sound. He had quick feet. He was fast for his 6'3" 350 lb size. He was fast for a 280 lb man. Basically, he was so strong, so quick, so completely overpowering that I imagine opposing defensive coaches conceding that they will get little to nothing attacking that area of the Cowboys offense. The defensive tackles, ends, and linebackers that entered his area were in for a very long, frustrating, humbling day. As an observer, unless you specifically followed him all game, you'd likely see very little excitement. On the field and off, it's quiet around Larry Allen. So, I worried a little about his speech. I shouldn't have. He did a fine job. As NFL Network's Rich Eisen stated, it was likely the first Hall of Fame speech to have mention of a "40-ouncer." His speech spoke well of a player that always let his game do his talking.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Hall of Fame Thoughts
Wow! Four days in Canton was the dream that I expected it to be. Incredible. 122 of the 162 surviving Pro Football Hall of Famer returned for the 50th Anniversary of the Hall. It was a fantastic turnout for a fantastic event. I had to find my way to Canton to honor Cris Carter and his much deserved induction. I'd like to make the visit every year.
I wasn't the only Minnesota Vikings fan to make the trek to Canton. There was a bunch. The Baltimore Ravens had nice representation to honor Jonathan Ogden but Vikings purple ruled the day. I've never before been surrounded by so many of my own kind. It was terrific.
I met Pro Football Hall of Fame president Stephen Perry. Asked him about employment opportunities.
I also saw Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith strutting through the Hall. The funny thing about that appearance was the slim numbers that actually recognized the man. One guy even took a picture with Smith and then asked who he was. That was a bit of a puzzle. I really think that people should recognize one of the most significant people in football today.
I met Alan Page. Boy howdy, that was a wonderful moment. I still have chills. Carter and Page are my two favorite Minnesota Vikings players. I was there for one and met the other.
As we were searching for the plaque marking the site of that first meeting of the NFL founding fathers, we found a parade. I had forgotten about the Hall of Fame parade. The Hall of Famers were riding in fancy cars. Another Vikings player, Chris Doleman was the first player that I saw. Steve Young, Lynn Swann, Lenny Moore, Ken Houston. Oh my. I even saw Gale Sayers zip by, faster than the rest.
I saw Willie Lanier, Ronnie Lott, Raymond Berry, another Viking, Carl Eller.
Jerry Rice, in a snappy hat, with quarterback Young speeding by in a golf cart.
Heroes of the game were everywhere.
I saw Willie Brown, Randall McDaniel, John Hannah, Marv Levy, and Lem Barney.
And, we haven't even set foot in the stadium for the Induction Ceremonies.
I saw the NFL Network crew Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci with the Hall of Fame friends Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Michael Irvin.
I saw Jon Gruden and Jerry Jones.
Jim Brown was there, fercryinoutloud.
Bobby Bell, Ted Hendricks, John Madden, Bob St. Clair, Tom Mack, Howie Long, Jack Ham, James Lofton, Mel Blount, Floyd Little, Troy Aikman.
My goodness, it was amazing to be there for the Induction Ceremony. It was amazing to be walking around some of the greatest to ever play the game.
I met Green Bay Packers great Forrest Gregg at the airport as we tried to find our way home after a beautiful weekend.
As I was in Canton, I was saddened to hear that the number of surviving Hall of Famers dropped by one. Baltimore Colts great defensive tackle and NFL funnyman Art Donovan passed this weekend. Donovan was one of the most entertaining former players. Not many former players in any sport have moved from the playing field to entertaining talk show guest. Affectionately known as "Fatso", Art Donovan will be greatly missed.
I haven't even spoken of the amazing exhibits found in the museum.
I'll likely be talking of this weekend for a while as football winds through the preseason schedule.
The Flea Flicker says, "get to Canton."
I wasn't the only Minnesota Vikings fan to make the trek to Canton. There was a bunch. The Baltimore Ravens had nice representation to honor Jonathan Ogden but Vikings purple ruled the day. I've never before been surrounded by so many of my own kind. It was terrific.
I met Pro Football Hall of Fame president Stephen Perry. Asked him about employment opportunities.
I also saw Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith strutting through the Hall. The funny thing about that appearance was the slim numbers that actually recognized the man. One guy even took a picture with Smith and then asked who he was. That was a bit of a puzzle. I really think that people should recognize one of the most significant people in football today.
I met Alan Page. Boy howdy, that was a wonderful moment. I still have chills. Carter and Page are my two favorite Minnesota Vikings players. I was there for one and met the other.
As we were searching for the plaque marking the site of that first meeting of the NFL founding fathers, we found a parade. I had forgotten about the Hall of Fame parade. The Hall of Famers were riding in fancy cars. Another Vikings player, Chris Doleman was the first player that I saw. Steve Young, Lynn Swann, Lenny Moore, Ken Houston. Oh my. I even saw Gale Sayers zip by, faster than the rest.
I saw Willie Lanier, Ronnie Lott, Raymond Berry, another Viking, Carl Eller.
Jerry Rice, in a snappy hat, with quarterback Young speeding by in a golf cart.
Heroes of the game were everywhere.
I saw Willie Brown, Randall McDaniel, John Hannah, Marv Levy, and Lem Barney.
And, we haven't even set foot in the stadium for the Induction Ceremonies.
I saw the NFL Network crew Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci with the Hall of Fame friends Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and Michael Irvin.
I saw Jon Gruden and Jerry Jones.
Jim Brown was there, fercryinoutloud.
Bobby Bell, Ted Hendricks, John Madden, Bob St. Clair, Tom Mack, Howie Long, Jack Ham, James Lofton, Mel Blount, Floyd Little, Troy Aikman.
My goodness, it was amazing to be there for the Induction Ceremony. It was amazing to be walking around some of the greatest to ever play the game.
I met Green Bay Packers great Forrest Gregg at the airport as we tried to find our way home after a beautiful weekend.
As I was in Canton, I was saddened to hear that the number of surviving Hall of Famers dropped by one. Baltimore Colts great defensive tackle and NFL funnyman Art Donovan passed this weekend. Donovan was one of the most entertaining former players. Not many former players in any sport have moved from the playing field to entertaining talk show guest. Affectionately known as "Fatso", Art Donovan will be greatly missed.
I haven't even spoken of the amazing exhibits found in the museum.
I'll likely be talking of this weekend for a while as football winds through the preseason schedule.
The Flea Flicker says, "get to Canton."
Friday, August 2, 2013
Canton
Ah, Canton. Since my first days as an itty-bitty football fan I've wanted to be here. It's taken a while but I'm glad that Cris Carter brought me here. Well, I brought myself here. Carter likely doesn't know. My great appreciation for his football skills is why I'm here.
Every step in this area of Akron and Canton is a step in football history. Even without stepping into the Hall of Fame. This is the birthplace of professional football as we know it. Massillon-Canton football wars. Ralph Hay's old Hupmobile dealership is where Joe Carr, George Halas, Carl Storck and the boys met to kick start a professional football league. I never knew what a hupmobile was but I bet was grand. The Frank T Bow building now stands where the football founding fathers met. I'd like to find that building. I could lose myself in football history without even finding my way to the "Juicer", the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The unique shape of the Hall of Fame has always intrigued me. I can't wait to see it. I can't wait to see all that is inside. Fortunately and unfortunately, I'm here to see Cris Carter inducted into the Hall of Fame. I won't have near enough to time to investigate all the "goodies" in the building. Maybe, I should use this as a scouting trip. Scouting for my next trip. Maybe, for Adrian Peterson's induction. Hopefully, that won't be for quite some time. He still has a whole lot of football left to play. After all, he has to catch Emmitt Smith. Peterson will still be well represented in the Hall now.
Oh, by the way, there are six other football greats that will be honored this weekend. The 2013 Hall of Fame class is a great one. Actually, all Hall of Fame classes are great. I just really like this one. I like that it's loaded with big guys. Carter is actually the only little guy. Warren Sapp, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen, Curly Culp, Dave Robinson, and the coach Bill Parcells. Great, fun class.
Every step in this area of Akron and Canton is a step in football history. Even without stepping into the Hall of Fame. This is the birthplace of professional football as we know it. Massillon-Canton football wars. Ralph Hay's old Hupmobile dealership is where Joe Carr, George Halas, Carl Storck and the boys met to kick start a professional football league. I never knew what a hupmobile was but I bet was grand. The Frank T Bow building now stands where the football founding fathers met. I'd like to find that building. I could lose myself in football history without even finding my way to the "Juicer", the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The unique shape of the Hall of Fame has always intrigued me. I can't wait to see it. I can't wait to see all that is inside. Fortunately and unfortunately, I'm here to see Cris Carter inducted into the Hall of Fame. I won't have near enough to time to investigate all the "goodies" in the building. Maybe, I should use this as a scouting trip. Scouting for my next trip. Maybe, for Adrian Peterson's induction. Hopefully, that won't be for quite some time. He still has a whole lot of football left to play. After all, he has to catch Emmitt Smith. Peterson will still be well represented in the Hall now.
Oh, by the way, there are six other football greats that will be honored this weekend. The 2013 Hall of Fame class is a great one. Actually, all Hall of Fame classes are great. I just really like this one. I like that it's loaded with big guys. Carter is actually the only little guy. Warren Sapp, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen, Curly Culp, Dave Robinson, and the coach Bill Parcells. Great, fun class.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Welcome To Canton Mr. Carter
Cris Carter will receive his snappy, yellow jacket tomorrow evening. He'll be presented and officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. The Flea Flicker will be there.
Jerry Rice was the best receiver to play the game. Cris Carter was the best pass catcher that I've ever seen. The supposed simple act of catching a football. No one did it better than Carter. There were other terrific aspects to his game. His feet. Getting open. Positioning. He did so many things well. Any receiving hopeful would be greatly assisted by watching how Cris Carter played the game.
Those hands. I can't recall him ever dropping a pass. It was so rare an occurrence that a drop would be quite memorable. I can't remember one. It's shocking to see the number of receivers that take the supposed simple act of catching a football for granted. Cris Carter never did. He never stopped working on his pass catching. His football workouts were legendary. Working his hands was always part of them. He took care of those hands too. Keeping them soft. Keeping them pretty. It's been said somewhere. Can't remember where. "He took care of the hands that took care of him."
I was in the Candlestick stands for one of the best examples of Cris Carter's game. A Monday Night game. Dec. 18, 1995. The San Francisco 49ers were one of the dominant teams in the league. The Minnesota Vikings were a frequent one-and-done playoff team. The 49ers jumped all over the Vikings early. Jerry Rice was pretty much unstoppable. No surprise there. Before the first half was over, Carter started pushing and pulling his team back into the game. It's quite remarkable to see a receiver to put a team on his back and carry it. Carter did that this night. For a fan of receivers, this game was amazing. It turned into a duel between Jerry Rice and Cris Carter. It was simply beautiful. In the days before the fantasy football revolution, in-game stats weren't paraded around a stadium. People attending an NFL game in the '90s were mostly in the dark as to how "their players" were performing. It felt like Carter and Rice were putting up similar numbers. One would match what the other did. I figured that each future Hall of Fame receiver had about 10 catches for over 150 yards. I was fairly shocked to see this in the paper the following morning:
Carter 12-88yds and 2 TDs
Rice 14-289yds and 3 TDs
Rice even had one carry for another 10 yards. He was a yard short of 300 total yards! This was the best statistical game for the best receiver the game has ever seen. It wasn't so much that Rice's game was so outrageous that surprised me. It was how pedestrian Carter's game looked on paper. I learned then that Cris Carter had to be seen to be properly appreciated. I also think that this why it took Carter six years longer than it should have to make it to Canton. The Hall of Fame voters rely too heavily on stats. Carter has the stats for Canton but his game has always been better than his stats. 12 catches for 88 yards doesn't open a lot of eyes. What Carter did with those catches can open eyes. He moved the chains. He scored touchdowns. He carried his team down the field. All of his 88 yards were important yards. That's not to say that there are unimportant yards. It's just that sometimes a 4-yard reception for a first down, during a critical drive, is sometimes as important as a 30-yard gain. That night, it felt like Carter and Rice had similar games. The 49ers won the game, 37-30. It was quite a game after Carter pulled the Vikings back from a 21-0 first quarter deficit.
There are football players that make each generation a special time to be a football fan. I'd love to have seen Red Grange run, Dutch Clark lead, Don Hutson play, Sammy Baugh pass, Deacon Jones rush, Jim Brown and Gale Sayers carry the ball. I'd love to have seen the greats from generations past. Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, and Ed Reed are just a few that have made my generation special. Cris Carter is in that group. He helped make his generation of football great. No one caught the ball better. It was a true honor to watch Cris Carter play football. That honor continues on Saturday when he finds his home with the best.
Jerry Rice was the best receiver to play the game. Cris Carter was the best pass catcher that I've ever seen. The supposed simple act of catching a football. No one did it better than Carter. There were other terrific aspects to his game. His feet. Getting open. Positioning. He did so many things well. Any receiving hopeful would be greatly assisted by watching how Cris Carter played the game.
Those hands. I can't recall him ever dropping a pass. It was so rare an occurrence that a drop would be quite memorable. I can't remember one. It's shocking to see the number of receivers that take the supposed simple act of catching a football for granted. Cris Carter never did. He never stopped working on his pass catching. His football workouts were legendary. Working his hands was always part of them. He took care of those hands too. Keeping them soft. Keeping them pretty. It's been said somewhere. Can't remember where. "He took care of the hands that took care of him."
I was in the Candlestick stands for one of the best examples of Cris Carter's game. A Monday Night game. Dec. 18, 1995. The San Francisco 49ers were one of the dominant teams in the league. The Minnesota Vikings were a frequent one-and-done playoff team. The 49ers jumped all over the Vikings early. Jerry Rice was pretty much unstoppable. No surprise there. Before the first half was over, Carter started pushing and pulling his team back into the game. It's quite remarkable to see a receiver to put a team on his back and carry it. Carter did that this night. For a fan of receivers, this game was amazing. It turned into a duel between Jerry Rice and Cris Carter. It was simply beautiful. In the days before the fantasy football revolution, in-game stats weren't paraded around a stadium. People attending an NFL game in the '90s were mostly in the dark as to how "their players" were performing. It felt like Carter and Rice were putting up similar numbers. One would match what the other did. I figured that each future Hall of Fame receiver had about 10 catches for over 150 yards. I was fairly shocked to see this in the paper the following morning:
Carter 12-88yds and 2 TDs
Rice 14-289yds and 3 TDs
Rice even had one carry for another 10 yards. He was a yard short of 300 total yards! This was the best statistical game for the best receiver the game has ever seen. It wasn't so much that Rice's game was so outrageous that surprised me. It was how pedestrian Carter's game looked on paper. I learned then that Cris Carter had to be seen to be properly appreciated. I also think that this why it took Carter six years longer than it should have to make it to Canton. The Hall of Fame voters rely too heavily on stats. Carter has the stats for Canton but his game has always been better than his stats. 12 catches for 88 yards doesn't open a lot of eyes. What Carter did with those catches can open eyes. He moved the chains. He scored touchdowns. He carried his team down the field. All of his 88 yards were important yards. That's not to say that there are unimportant yards. It's just that sometimes a 4-yard reception for a first down, during a critical drive, is sometimes as important as a 30-yard gain. That night, it felt like Carter and Rice had similar games. The 49ers won the game, 37-30. It was quite a game after Carter pulled the Vikings back from a 21-0 first quarter deficit.
There are football players that make each generation a special time to be a football fan. I'd love to have seen Red Grange run, Dutch Clark lead, Don Hutson play, Sammy Baugh pass, Deacon Jones rush, Jim Brown and Gale Sayers carry the ball. I'd love to have seen the greats from generations past. Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, and Ed Reed are just a few that have made my generation special. Cris Carter is in that group. He helped make his generation of football great. No one caught the ball better. It was a true honor to watch Cris Carter play football. That honor continues on Saturday when he finds his home with the best.
Pro Bowl Saved?
The Pro Bowl, as we know it, will be no more. The players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches, and players. The selected players will then be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft. This draft will, of course, be televised on NFL Network. Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will serve as alumni captains. They will be tasked with the drafting of the two teams. Each will be assisted by a fan from the NFL.com fantasy league. They may or may not be further assisted by the top offensive and defensive vote-getter in the Pro Bowl balloting. So, there will still be 43 players on each team but they will no longer be defined by their respective conferences.
There will be a bunch of other changes.
-the ball will change hands after each quarter. Each quarter will have a two-minute warning and the resulting two-minute offense
-no kickoffs. A coin toss will still determine which team is awarded first possession. The ball will be placed at the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scoring plays.
-the kick return specialist will be replaced by an extra defensive back.
-defenses will be allowed to play "press" and "cover two" coverage. Previously, teams could only play "man' coverage.
-stopping of the game clock. Beginning at the two-minute mark of every quarter, if the offense does not gain at least one yard, the clock will stop as if it were an incomplete pass. This will force the offensive team to attempt to gain yardage toward the end of each quarter.
-more game clock. The game clock will start after an incomplete pass on the signal of the referee, except inside of the last two minutes of the two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.
-a 35-second/25-second play clock will be adopted instead of the 40-second/25-second clock.
-the game clock will not stop on quarterback sacks outside of the final two minutes of the game.
There you go. Personally, I didn't think that any changes needed to be made to the Pro Bowl. The effort put forth in the game two years ago was pathetic. That couldn't happen again. At some point, you'd expect pride to kick in. That didn't happen then. If the players played the game like they have since 1951 there would be no problem. The people that bitch about the game in general miss the point of the game. It's an all-star game. It's an exhibition. No one should expect the effort that is given in games that mean something. The effort given two years ago was something closer to a walk-through. It was less than your typical practice. The Pro Bowl is supposed to be a fun game. It's supposed to be an enjoyable gathering of the best players in the game. Players have managed to make it an enjoyable, competitive game for over fifty years. It's only in recent years that people suddenly have an issue with the game. I'm a traditionalist. I like the game the way that it was. Moving the game to Hawaii about thirty years ago was a brilliant move. Getting rid of the AFC-NFC teams is a terrible move. I hate the idea of Chad Greenway possibly tackling Adrian Peterson. I don't know. Perhaps, this new game will grow on me. I hated it when the NFL Draft was moved from a weekend to a prime time event. Now, the new Draft format has kind of grown on me. Maybe, a couple of years from now I'll be loving this new Pro Bowl game. All I know now is that the new Pro Bowl is better than dropping the game completely.
There will be a bunch of other changes.
-the ball will change hands after each quarter. Each quarter will have a two-minute warning and the resulting two-minute offense
-no kickoffs. A coin toss will still determine which team is awarded first possession. The ball will be placed at the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scoring plays.
-the kick return specialist will be replaced by an extra defensive back.
-defenses will be allowed to play "press" and "cover two" coverage. Previously, teams could only play "man' coverage.
-stopping of the game clock. Beginning at the two-minute mark of every quarter, if the offense does not gain at least one yard, the clock will stop as if it were an incomplete pass. This will force the offensive team to attempt to gain yardage toward the end of each quarter.
-more game clock. The game clock will start after an incomplete pass on the signal of the referee, except inside of the last two minutes of the two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.
-a 35-second/25-second play clock will be adopted instead of the 40-second/25-second clock.
-the game clock will not stop on quarterback sacks outside of the final two minutes of the game.
There you go. Personally, I didn't think that any changes needed to be made to the Pro Bowl. The effort put forth in the game two years ago was pathetic. That couldn't happen again. At some point, you'd expect pride to kick in. That didn't happen then. If the players played the game like they have since 1951 there would be no problem. The people that bitch about the game in general miss the point of the game. It's an all-star game. It's an exhibition. No one should expect the effort that is given in games that mean something. The effort given two years ago was something closer to a walk-through. It was less than your typical practice. The Pro Bowl is supposed to be a fun game. It's supposed to be an enjoyable gathering of the best players in the game. Players have managed to make it an enjoyable, competitive game for over fifty years. It's only in recent years that people suddenly have an issue with the game. I'm a traditionalist. I like the game the way that it was. Moving the game to Hawaii about thirty years ago was a brilliant move. Getting rid of the AFC-NFC teams is a terrible move. I hate the idea of Chad Greenway possibly tackling Adrian Peterson. I don't know. Perhaps, this new game will grow on me. I hated it when the NFL Draft was moved from a weekend to a prime time event. Now, the new Draft format has kind of grown on me. Maybe, a couple of years from now I'll be loving this new Pro Bowl game. All I know now is that the new Pro Bowl is better than dropping the game completely.
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