One of the true jewels of professional football is NFL Films. Ed and Steve Sabol have done as much for the NFL's past and it's future as anyone. Ed Sabol's recent induction into the Hall of Fame is much deserved and his son should soon follow. The Flea Flicker wishes Steve Sabol a speedy and complete return to health.
"We were a bunch of young people who loved to make movies, loved pro football, and wanted to convey our love of the game to our audience."-Steve Sabol
Pete Rozelle accomplished many things to make the NFL better and stronger in his 30 years as NFL Commissioner. As great as any was his decision to purchase Blair Motion Pictures in 1965 and create NFL Films. As important was his decision to leave NFL Films solely in the Sabol's hands. Named after his daughter, Ed Sabol's Blair Motion Pictures won the rights to film the 1962 Championship game between the Packers and Giants. Little did anyone know the impact this man and his camera would make. Art, football and quality are words rarely used together. Ed and Steve Sabol brought them together with ease. Sports Illustrated wrote: "the league has the best public relations tool of any coporation in the world-NFL Films".
The NFL Films vault would be my personal Valhalla. Every single play from every single game since 1965 is there. Extensive game film going back to 1948 is there. Measured in film footage, nothing in history has been as well documented.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
QB Prospects and a bit of Cam
As the football world hunkers down for Laborgeddon, the Flea Flicker directs it's steely glare at the QB prospects in the upcoming draft and the idiot comments of one Cam Newton.
While everyone was in a tizzy over Cam's "I wanna be an icon" comment, I was a bit more concerned with this little gem:
"I can say with my chin held high to the sky that if I could do it all over again...those same mistakes that I made at Florida...I wouldn't do that because I know what happens if you do the things that I did at Florida"
Newton's little mistakes at Florida included stealing a laptop and cheating. It doesn't seem to Newton that cheating and stealing are necessarily wrong. It's what happens to you when you are caught cheating and stealing that really needs to be avoided. Newton's football talent is undeniable, but his moral compass is a bit off.
As a Vikings fan, I have been very aware of all the QBs available. Joe Webb and Rhett Bomar are the only QBs on the roster. I really like the poise and athletic ability of Webb, but the position is a huge concern. If the Vikings' people find that Newton is the man, despite his moral wiring, I'm a fan. My personal favorite is Jake Locker of Washington. He might have been a bit wild with a few of his throws in college, but I think that it is all in his footwork. Locker is a leader and a worker. He will never stop working at improving his game. I see a right-handed Steve Young in Locker. That is a fantastic place to start. Florida State's Christian Ponder, and Turlock's very own, by way of Nevada, Colin Kaepernick are also high on my list. So much to discuss over the next month, and it's much more fun than players vs. owners.
While everyone was in a tizzy over Cam's "I wanna be an icon" comment, I was a bit more concerned with this little gem:
"I can say with my chin held high to the sky that if I could do it all over again...those same mistakes that I made at Florida...I wouldn't do that because I know what happens if you do the things that I did at Florida"
Newton's little mistakes at Florida included stealing a laptop and cheating. It doesn't seem to Newton that cheating and stealing are necessarily wrong. It's what happens to you when you are caught cheating and stealing that really needs to be avoided. Newton's football talent is undeniable, but his moral compass is a bit off.
As a Vikings fan, I have been very aware of all the QBs available. Joe Webb and Rhett Bomar are the only QBs on the roster. I really like the poise and athletic ability of Webb, but the position is a huge concern. If the Vikings' people find that Newton is the man, despite his moral wiring, I'm a fan. My personal favorite is Jake Locker of Washington. He might have been a bit wild with a few of his throws in college, but I think that it is all in his footwork. Locker is a leader and a worker. He will never stop working at improving his game. I see a right-handed Steve Young in Locker. That is a fantastic place to start. Florida State's Christian Ponder, and Turlock's very own, by way of Nevada, Colin Kaepernick are also high on my list. So much to discuss over the next month, and it's much more fun than players vs. owners.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Players vs Owners
My optimism failed me. I truly thought that this whole mess would be settled this week. I was wrong, so very wrong.
I don't know much about labor law, and I often struggle to balance a checkbook. However, I follow and love football, and I try to view every situation with an open mind and a bit of logic. I see and hear a lot of people, in fact most people, bashing the players. I don't know if it is because the players are the face of the league, and they see only the players when there is a problem. Some just hate unions, so they hate the players. Some may see a bunch of rich guys fighting over a huge sum of money and flip a coin to decide who to hate. Just gotta hate someone. If people would take the time to look at the situation with an open mind, look beneath the surface, they would see that it has little to do with money. It has a whole lot more to do with the respect that the players seek and the control that the owners want to keep.
About 50 years ago, future Hall of Famer Jim Ringo walked into Vince Lombardi's office, with an agent, seeking to negotiate a contract. Lombardi left the room for a moment, returned to tell Ringo that he had been traded to Philadelphia. Agents and unions were not allowed near the game then, and if the owners had their way it would be the same today. The owners have always relied upon their control over the players. They have banked on their assumption that the players are stupid. They have laughed at the idea that the players have any other desire than to play football for pay. The players will always take what the owners give them and do what the owners tell them. All with a smile. Those may sound like ancient notions, but the current owners maintain them. The owners have worked too hard to build the league to let some uppity players take some of it away.
The chaos now upon us started when the owners backed out of an agreement only two years after agreeing to it. They then negotiated a sweetheart TV deal that would pay them 4 billion even if there was no football in 2011. The owners claim to be in such financial stress that they need an extra billion bucks before the pot of gold is split. The players have asked for proof of this financial need, for the owners to open their books. The owners refusal is a greater issue than the split of the money. The players have asked for the owners to negotiate in good faith, to treat them with respect. In the past two weeks, there were far too many meetings skipped by the owners, deadlines passed, requests ignored. TV reports showed most of the owners showing up for negotiations. They met amongst themselves, 25 miles away from the negotiations, for a couple of hours and jetted off in private planes without ever meeting with players. The owners have shown no respect, and are shocked that the players are out of control.
I don't know much about labor law, and I often struggle to balance a checkbook. However, I follow and love football, and I try to view every situation with an open mind and a bit of logic. I see and hear a lot of people, in fact most people, bashing the players. I don't know if it is because the players are the face of the league, and they see only the players when there is a problem. Some just hate unions, so they hate the players. Some may see a bunch of rich guys fighting over a huge sum of money and flip a coin to decide who to hate. Just gotta hate someone. If people would take the time to look at the situation with an open mind, look beneath the surface, they would see that it has little to do with money. It has a whole lot more to do with the respect that the players seek and the control that the owners want to keep.
About 50 years ago, future Hall of Famer Jim Ringo walked into Vince Lombardi's office, with an agent, seeking to negotiate a contract. Lombardi left the room for a moment, returned to tell Ringo that he had been traded to Philadelphia. Agents and unions were not allowed near the game then, and if the owners had their way it would be the same today. The owners have always relied upon their control over the players. They have banked on their assumption that the players are stupid. They have laughed at the idea that the players have any other desire than to play football for pay. The players will always take what the owners give them and do what the owners tell them. All with a smile. Those may sound like ancient notions, but the current owners maintain them. The owners have worked too hard to build the league to let some uppity players take some of it away.
The chaos now upon us started when the owners backed out of an agreement only two years after agreeing to it. They then negotiated a sweetheart TV deal that would pay them 4 billion even if there was no football in 2011. The owners claim to be in such financial stress that they need an extra billion bucks before the pot of gold is split. The players have asked for proof of this financial need, for the owners to open their books. The owners refusal is a greater issue than the split of the money. The players have asked for the owners to negotiate in good faith, to treat them with respect. In the past two weeks, there were far too many meetings skipped by the owners, deadlines passed, requests ignored. TV reports showed most of the owners showing up for negotiations. They met amongst themselves, 25 miles away from the negotiations, for a couple of hours and jetted off in private planes without ever meeting with players. The owners have shown no respect, and are shocked that the players are out of control.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Us vs Them
Yesterday's post about the rival leagues and the pattern of those threats got me thinking. Never a safe thing but it does happen. In addition to the upstart leagues, the NFL was under constant attacks from colleges in the early years. According to the colleges, professional football was filled with criminals and would kill the purity of the game. The founding owners had to really fight to keep their league afloat. I think that it might have created an "us vs. them" mentality. It seemed everybody was looking to destroy what they worked so hard to build. The harder you have to work for something, the more protective you become of it. The owners reluctance to reveal their books in the current CBA negotiations could be due to that protectiveness. Some of the original families still own their teams. Dan Rooney of the Steelers and Virginia McCaskey (George Halas' daughter) of the Bears were children when it was mostly a struggle to own a team. They must have seen what their fathers went through. Owning a team was not a wise investment in those days. There was a thrill that went beyond making a bunch of money. Tim Mara owned and kept the Giants more because his sons, Wellington and Jack, loved the team. He kept it for them. It is so different today. Owning an NFL team can be very lucrative. There is certainly still a thrill. There has to be. I still see people owning a team mostly for greed, highlighted by the Cowboys Jerry Jones and the Patriots Robert Kraft. If those two continue unchecked, they could destroy all that has brought the NFL to a position of strength. They should start listening to the people that have seen and experienced the struggles. As long as football is played, the money will follow. If they try and grab too much, it could all fade away like the rival leagues of the past.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Throwback Thursday: The More the Merrier?
The NFL is the strongest league in professional sports. It hasn't been an easy road to the top, especially in the first 20-30 years. The greatest challenges, certainly the most interesting, came from other leagues trying to grab some of the football pie.
Starting in 1920, the NFL was challenged by a rival league in every other decade. After Red Grange exploded onto the professional football stage in 1925, the financial future of the NFL looked a bit better than bleak. There was one problem. Grange happened to have an idiot named C.C. Pyle as his manager. Grange closed out the '25 season with the Chicago Bears. Hoping to make a fortune on Grange's name, Pyle scheduled the Bears for a cross-country barnstorming tour. Grange, Pyle and George Halas did make a lot of money, and the publicity was priceless for a league in need of some, but the schedule was brutal on the players. The financial succes prompted Pyle to demand his own NFL team with Grange as his star. The NFL refused to give him one, so he started his own league, the American Football League. It failed miserably after one year, and Grange returned to the Bears to resume his Hall of Fame career. It's curious that the NFL refused to grant Pyle a team since teams were popping up and vanishing throughout the '20s. I think that the NFL just didn't want to yield to the lunatic.
The next challenge came from the All America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. This league was well organized and fairly well backed financially. It also had some dynamite talent, and one amazing team. The end of World War II left some former NFL players looking for teams. In an era without free agency, the War provided a little taste of some. The AAFC lasted four years and was dominated by the Cleveland Browns, winning all four championships. The San Francisco 49ers challenged the Browns at the end. In 1950, the NFL agreed to add the Browns, 49ers and Baltimore Colts at the expense of the rest of the teams. The Browns proved their worth, and the AAFC quality, by playing in every championship game from 1950-55, winning in '50, '54 and '55.
The most significant challenge to the NFL came in 1960 with another American Football League. The NFL and AFL fought over players and TV money. It led to a combined championship starting in 1966, best known as the Super Bowl, and a full merger in 1970. The only person upset with this outcome was Al Davis, and he hasn't been happy since.
The World Football League presented a meager threat in the '70s, but, like the first AFL, quickly faded away. The United States Football League posed a greater threat in the '80s. Using a spring schedule, this league was banking on the unquenchable thirst of the public for football. They would love football all year long. The league was able to sign some of the best college players, including future Hall of Famers Steve Young, Reggie White and Gary Zimmerman. The USFL did manage to throw a scare into the NFL. Lawsuits were involved, but ultimately the new league failed.
The NFL faced a rival league in the '20s, '40s, '60s and '80s. Unless the current labor issue results in something truly crazy, I see that trend coming to end. The NFL is simply to powerful to challenge now. The Arena Football League has carved out a little niche, but direct competition for players and attention is over.
Starting in 1920, the NFL was challenged by a rival league in every other decade. After Red Grange exploded onto the professional football stage in 1925, the financial future of the NFL looked a bit better than bleak. There was one problem. Grange happened to have an idiot named C.C. Pyle as his manager. Grange closed out the '25 season with the Chicago Bears. Hoping to make a fortune on Grange's name, Pyle scheduled the Bears for a cross-country barnstorming tour. Grange, Pyle and George Halas did make a lot of money, and the publicity was priceless for a league in need of some, but the schedule was brutal on the players. The financial succes prompted Pyle to demand his own NFL team with Grange as his star. The NFL refused to give him one, so he started his own league, the American Football League. It failed miserably after one year, and Grange returned to the Bears to resume his Hall of Fame career. It's curious that the NFL refused to grant Pyle a team since teams were popping up and vanishing throughout the '20s. I think that the NFL just didn't want to yield to the lunatic.
The next challenge came from the All America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. This league was well organized and fairly well backed financially. It also had some dynamite talent, and one amazing team. The end of World War II left some former NFL players looking for teams. In an era without free agency, the War provided a little taste of some. The AAFC lasted four years and was dominated by the Cleveland Browns, winning all four championships. The San Francisco 49ers challenged the Browns at the end. In 1950, the NFL agreed to add the Browns, 49ers and Baltimore Colts at the expense of the rest of the teams. The Browns proved their worth, and the AAFC quality, by playing in every championship game from 1950-55, winning in '50, '54 and '55.
The most significant challenge to the NFL came in 1960 with another American Football League. The NFL and AFL fought over players and TV money. It led to a combined championship starting in 1966, best known as the Super Bowl, and a full merger in 1970. The only person upset with this outcome was Al Davis, and he hasn't been happy since.
The World Football League presented a meager threat in the '70s, but, like the first AFL, quickly faded away. The United States Football League posed a greater threat in the '80s. Using a spring schedule, this league was banking on the unquenchable thirst of the public for football. They would love football all year long. The league was able to sign some of the best college players, including future Hall of Famers Steve Young, Reggie White and Gary Zimmerman. The USFL did manage to throw a scare into the NFL. Lawsuits were involved, but ultimately the new league failed.
The NFL faced a rival league in the '20s, '40s, '60s and '80s. Unless the current labor issue results in something truly crazy, I see that trend coming to end. The NFL is simply to powerful to challenge now. The Arena Football League has carved out a little niche, but direct competition for players and attention is over.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Media Fools
The Monday Flicker about Blanton Collier had me thinking again about the Hall of Fame selection process. This topic was raging inside of me about a month ago with the latest balloting. I didn't want the Flea Flicker to start with that kind of anger. So, I let it simmer for a month, hoping to calm down a bit, but writing about Collier brought it back to a boil.
The media should not be allowed near the Hall of Fame ballots. Tell them the field is rectangular in shape, they probably respond, "stop lying". They know nothing about football, and they show it every year. Even when they try to correct past mistakes, like finally inducting Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman about 70 years after they played, they often do it by making new mistakes. They approach each year with agendas and quotas. Such as, Jerry Rice is going in this year so we can't have another receiver, so many defensive players this year, a coach next year, an offensive lineman the year after that. A player either deserves to be a Hall of Famer or he doesn't. Sometimes a player comes around that has a career that gains appreciation over time. Their impact isn't truly felt until some time has passed. Former Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall could be such a player. He was a very good player, the unquestioned leader of some very good teams. He was also an iron man. He played every game at one of the most grueling positions for nearly 20 years. His achievement should gain significance as every player falls short of what he did.
Blanton Collier and Don Coryell are coaches that immediately come to mind as Hall of Fame worthy. Last year Dick LeBeau was inducted. After his selection, I heard some media say that LeBeau could open the door for other deserving assistant coaches. LeBeau is an amazing assistant coach, but he went into the Hall as a player. The media should have known that. They voted for him. My main criticism right now, and for the past four years is Cris Carter's omission. It's truly mind numbing that he has been eligible for four years and is still waiting. Even a media member with an infant's grasp of football, which is about all of them, should see that Carter's ability to catch a football is special. Terrell Owens makes a mockery of catching a football. I doubt that he waits more than four years for induction. Carter's receiving skills are nicely complimented by his stastics. Few have ever played the wide receiver position better.
I have often wondered about a better selection process. The media has repeatedly proven to be clueless. Voting Michael Vick as Comeback Player of the Year is further proof of that. There has to be media members that know football and have respect for it's past. If it weren't for the fact that they are eligible for induction themselves, I would recommend Ed and Steve Sabol. Few have their passion for football. I could do it. The Pro Football Research Association members are better qualified than any currently voting. The input of former players should be considered. To hear former players speak of playing against Alex Karras, you would think that he was already in Canton. He's not. He should be. All I know is that the current system is a joke. As along as Cris Carter is sitting outside the Hall, it's quality is severely lacking.
The media should not be allowed near the Hall of Fame ballots. Tell them the field is rectangular in shape, they probably respond, "stop lying". They know nothing about football, and they show it every year. Even when they try to correct past mistakes, like finally inducting Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman about 70 years after they played, they often do it by making new mistakes. They approach each year with agendas and quotas. Such as, Jerry Rice is going in this year so we can't have another receiver, so many defensive players this year, a coach next year, an offensive lineman the year after that. A player either deserves to be a Hall of Famer or he doesn't. Sometimes a player comes around that has a career that gains appreciation over time. Their impact isn't truly felt until some time has passed. Former Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall could be such a player. He was a very good player, the unquestioned leader of some very good teams. He was also an iron man. He played every game at one of the most grueling positions for nearly 20 years. His achievement should gain significance as every player falls short of what he did.
Blanton Collier and Don Coryell are coaches that immediately come to mind as Hall of Fame worthy. Last year Dick LeBeau was inducted. After his selection, I heard some media say that LeBeau could open the door for other deserving assistant coaches. LeBeau is an amazing assistant coach, but he went into the Hall as a player. The media should have known that. They voted for him. My main criticism right now, and for the past four years is Cris Carter's omission. It's truly mind numbing that he has been eligible for four years and is still waiting. Even a media member with an infant's grasp of football, which is about all of them, should see that Carter's ability to catch a football is special. Terrell Owens makes a mockery of catching a football. I doubt that he waits more than four years for induction. Carter's receiving skills are nicely complimented by his stastics. Few have ever played the wide receiver position better.
I have often wondered about a better selection process. The media has repeatedly proven to be clueless. Voting Michael Vick as Comeback Player of the Year is further proof of that. There has to be media members that know football and have respect for it's past. If it weren't for the fact that they are eligible for induction themselves, I would recommend Ed and Steve Sabol. Few have their passion for football. I could do it. The Pro Football Research Association members are better qualified than any currently voting. The input of former players should be considered. To hear former players speak of playing against Alex Karras, you would think that he was already in Canton. He's not. He should be. All I know is that the current system is a joke. As along as Cris Carter is sitting outside the Hall, it's quality is severely lacking.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Dreaded CBA
Is anyone else losing sleep over the current NFL labor issue? I can't be the only one that thinks important matters take place this time of year.
I am an optimistic chap, so I don't see this labor battle lasting too long. I feel that the one week extension agreed to last Friday is a promising sign. I think that it will end this week. I was actually hoping that it would end before the Flicker had a chance to run with it. Maybe, I should wait a day or two more.
I typically side with the player in these situations. Despite being very well paid, they tend to get the short end in pretty much everything. The players are the face of the league yet they have no say in which team drafts them, in which city they live and work. They have to play in that city for four years or more before they get a chance to pick their own home. Stastics show that the average NFL career is only about four years. The window to earn the big bucks is often so brief. Even after a 15 year career, a 35 year old player is ancient in this league. A football players career is over when most people are fresh in the middle of theirs. The NFL business is a very lucrative one. 9 billion a year and growing if some of the owners don't screw it up. Due to the brief career of the players, the only people guaranteed of these great profits for an extended period of time are the owners. Owning an NFL franchise is no longer a gamble. If one is wealthy enough to own an NFL franchise, increasing that wealth is guaranteed. The only thing that changes is the players that represent those teams. The pot being fought over is so huge that both parties should be ecstatic, not fighting.
It is unfortunate that the other group affected by this battle is one that has no say in the battle. Most fans won't care about this until it cuts into the games next fall. Some, like me, see the impact now. The players and owners had better see the fan's side. It's the fans that ultimately pay for the whole thing. In that respect, the players and owners work for us.
I am an optimistic chap, so I don't see this labor battle lasting too long. I feel that the one week extension agreed to last Friday is a promising sign. I think that it will end this week. I was actually hoping that it would end before the Flicker had a chance to run with it. Maybe, I should wait a day or two more.
I typically side with the player in these situations. Despite being very well paid, they tend to get the short end in pretty much everything. The players are the face of the league yet they have no say in which team drafts them, in which city they live and work. They have to play in that city for four years or more before they get a chance to pick their own home. Stastics show that the average NFL career is only about four years. The window to earn the big bucks is often so brief. Even after a 15 year career, a 35 year old player is ancient in this league. A football players career is over when most people are fresh in the middle of theirs. The NFL business is a very lucrative one. 9 billion a year and growing if some of the owners don't screw it up. Due to the brief career of the players, the only people guaranteed of these great profits for an extended period of time are the owners. Owning an NFL franchise is no longer a gamble. If one is wealthy enough to own an NFL franchise, increasing that wealth is guaranteed. The only thing that changes is the players that represent those teams. The pot being fought over is so huge that both parties should be ecstatic, not fighting.
It is unfortunate that the other group affected by this battle is one that has no say in the battle. Most fans won't care about this until it cuts into the games next fall. Some, like me, see the impact now. The players and owners had better see the fan's side. It's the fans that ultimately pay for the whole thing. In that respect, the players and owners work for us.
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