THIS AND THAT..........MONDAY
NFL owners have a meeting in Fort Lauderdale beginning tomorrow & there's 3 items on the docket for certain. One, discussing a rookie salary cap, something I've ranted about on these pages. It needs to get done before the owners enter negotiations with the NFLPA for a new collective bargaining agreement. NFLPA boss, DeMaurice Smith said he doesn't plan to get involved in the discussion as unsigned rookies aren't NFLPA members until they've signed their initial contract. I personally think this is a no-brainer, giving rookies astronomical signing bonuses while cutting 8 & 9-year veteran players for salary cap reasons is just bad business. Those veterans that have established themselves in the league & are a known commodity, unlike an untested college player. The veteran player has earned the respect & the money. Now, you can't take away all incentive for a college star to excel, the ones that do, should be rewarded with $6-10 million in guaranteed money, not the $25-45 million they're getting now. Item two is also a bone of contention with yours truly, adding 1 or 2 more games to the regular season & shrinking the preseason to 2 or 3 games. I just believe the wear & tear players absorb in a 16-game season is enough, it's like being in an automobile accident every year. They get beat up, they take 5-6 weeks to rest & then it's right back to the weight room or in many cases, surgical rehab. Yes, they're paid very well but that extra game or two might shorten careers league-wide by 2 seasons. So your owner will only clear $40 million for the year, he'll get by, believe me, he'll get by. Trying to squeeze another $5 million out of the season just isn't a smart decision, because that's what this is all about, money. And more money & more money. Enough already, can't people do the right thing once & a while? Item three will be awarding the Super Bowl to New Orleans, Phoenix or Miami & unless you're a resident in one of these three cities, who cares?
Philadelphia Eagle defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, has left the team for a medical leave of absence. The 68-year old Johnson is battling melanoma & is needing another round of chemo. Head coach Andy Reid said "I'd like to tell you he's great, but he's not. He's struggling right now. I told him, when you feel like it, come back". One of the great defensive minds in football, Johnson has been the Eagles D-coordinator since 1999. In another sad chapter of Andy Reid's troubled son's, his oldest, Garrett, was sent to Pennsylvania's maximum security prison for violating his parole. Reid beat another resident at the half way house he had gone to after his release from jail. He will now have to serve the remainder of his half way house sentence plus another 4 months for the beating.
ESPN announced a change in the Monday Night Football broadcast team. Tony Kornheiser stepped down and former Raider & Buccaneer head coach, John Gruden, will replace him in the 3-man booth. Gruden will join Mike Tiricco & Ron Jaworski. Kornheiser, who won't fly, agonized over the upcoming Monday Night schedule & saw that he was going to have to fly to & from 3 games this season, so he called it quits. He has been a columnist for the Washington Post for years & also co-hosts Pardon the Interruption(PTI) with Michael Wilbon on ESPN, so he already has a full plate. As much as I like Kornheiser, I actually think Gruden, aka 'Chucky', will make the broadcast better. His knowledge of the game far surpasses Kornheiser's & he's just as funny. Some of the 'Hot Seat' coaches I spoke of last week will certainly be glad to see Gruden's on TV & not perched like a buzzard waiting for someone to be fired. His agent said Gruden will be with ESPN for at least 2 years & maybe more if he likes it better than coaching. Why not? He's already won over 100 games as a head coach plus a Super Bowl championship & he's getting $4 million a year from his Tampa Bay contract thru 2011 regardless of what he makes working for ESPN, pretty sweet.
Two notable absentees from the recent Kansas City Chiefs' practices were LB Mike Vrabel & OG Brian Waters. Vrabel has been absent from anything not labeled 'mandatory' for several seasons & Waters has been M.I.A. since his dust-up with new coach Todd Haley in the hallway outside his office. Haley said he didn't expect either player to show for these OTA's(organized team activities). "We know where we are with both of these veteran guys, so it's no big deal, I figured they'd skip it." It was a crowded house, 83 players were on hand for the session.
Denver Bronco public relations people must have been unhappy with an interview rookie tight end Richard Quinn did with a Colorado Springs paper over the weekend. The second round draft pick stated he was shocked to be selected in the 2nd round, he wondered if he'd be drafted at all. The Broncos packaged two 3rd round picks to move back into the second round where they selected the North Carolina prospect. To say his college career was underwhelming is a major understatement, 8 catches for 97 yards as a senior & 12 receptions for his entire 4 years as a Tar Heel. I thought he was a pretty solid blocker, but blocking tight ends don't go in the second round. Plus, a team that is so desperate for defensive players, trades 2 third round picks for the 64th & last pick in the 2nd round, so they can draft a blocking tight end? Many people are still shaking their heads, I'm one of them.
United States District Court Judge, Henry Hudson, has put a few extras in Michael Vick's requirements for prison release. He must wear a monitoring ankle bracelet for 4 months. He is not allowed to leave home except for his job as a construction company laborer for any destination other than his probation officer's appointment, church or a doctor's appointment. That's it, no eating out, no bars, no gym, no hanging with the homeys. He's not allowed to have anyone at his house other than his fiance' & their two small kids. He's also forbidden to ever own another dog as long as he lives. Certainly a break for the canine population. I think NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is going to suspend Vick for 1-4 games after someone signs him. I've spoken my peace on Michael Vick here before, I think his crimes were reprehensible & shockingly cruel, but our system provides for a second chance after you've served your time & Vick should get that 2nd chance.
Philadelphia Eagle defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, has left the team for a medical leave of absence. The 68-year old Johnson is battling melanoma & is needing another round of chemo. Head coach Andy Reid said "I'd like to tell you he's great, but he's not. He's struggling right now. I told him, when you feel like it, come back". One of the great defensive minds in football, Johnson has been the Eagles D-coordinator since 1999. In another sad chapter of Andy Reid's troubled son's, his oldest, Garrett, was sent to Pennsylvania's maximum security prison for violating his parole. Reid beat another resident at the half way house he had gone to after his release from jail. He will now have to serve the remainder of his half way house sentence plus another 4 months for the beating.
ESPN announced a change in the Monday Night Football broadcast team. Tony Kornheiser stepped down and former Raider & Buccaneer head coach, John Gruden, will replace him in the 3-man booth. Gruden will join Mike Tiricco & Ron Jaworski. Kornheiser, who won't fly, agonized over the upcoming Monday Night schedule & saw that he was going to have to fly to & from 3 games this season, so he called it quits. He has been a columnist for the Washington Post for years & also co-hosts Pardon the Interruption(PTI) with Michael Wilbon on ESPN, so he already has a full plate. As much as I like Kornheiser, I actually think Gruden, aka 'Chucky', will make the broadcast better. His knowledge of the game far surpasses Kornheiser's & he's just as funny. Some of the 'Hot Seat' coaches I spoke of last week will certainly be glad to see Gruden's on TV & not perched like a buzzard waiting for someone to be fired. His agent said Gruden will be with ESPN for at least 2 years & maybe more if he likes it better than coaching. Why not? He's already won over 100 games as a head coach plus a Super Bowl championship & he's getting $4 million a year from his Tampa Bay contract thru 2011 regardless of what he makes working for ESPN, pretty sweet.
Two notable absentees from the recent Kansas City Chiefs' practices were LB Mike Vrabel & OG Brian Waters. Vrabel has been absent from anything not labeled 'mandatory' for several seasons & Waters has been M.I.A. since his dust-up with new coach Todd Haley in the hallway outside his office. Haley said he didn't expect either player to show for these OTA's(organized team activities). "We know where we are with both of these veteran guys, so it's no big deal, I figured they'd skip it." It was a crowded house, 83 players were on hand for the session.
Denver Bronco public relations people must have been unhappy with an interview rookie tight end Richard Quinn did with a Colorado Springs paper over the weekend. The second round draft pick stated he was shocked to be selected in the 2nd round, he wondered if he'd be drafted at all. The Broncos packaged two 3rd round picks to move back into the second round where they selected the North Carolina prospect. To say his college career was underwhelming is a major understatement, 8 catches for 97 yards as a senior & 12 receptions for his entire 4 years as a Tar Heel. I thought he was a pretty solid blocker, but blocking tight ends don't go in the second round. Plus, a team that is so desperate for defensive players, trades 2 third round picks for the 64th & last pick in the 2nd round, so they can draft a blocking tight end? Many people are still shaking their heads, I'm one of them.
United States District Court Judge, Henry Hudson, has put a few extras in Michael Vick's requirements for prison release. He must wear a monitoring ankle bracelet for 4 months. He is not allowed to leave home except for his job as a construction company laborer for any destination other than his probation officer's appointment, church or a doctor's appointment. That's it, no eating out, no bars, no gym, no hanging with the homeys. He's not allowed to have anyone at his house other than his fiance' & their two small kids. He's also forbidden to ever own another dog as long as he lives. Certainly a break for the canine population. I think NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is going to suspend Vick for 1-4 games after someone signs him. I've spoken my peace on Michael Vick here before, I think his crimes were reprehensible & shockingly cruel, but our system provides for a second chance after you've served your time & Vick should get that 2nd chance.
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