GRESHAM DONE, CULPEPPER'S CLASS & SEYMOUR IS M.I.A.
Oklahoma's BCS future took another severe hit this afternoon. All-American tight end, Jermaine Gresham, under went an arthroscopic procedure on his knee to determine the extent of the injury he sustained last Thursday in practice. The news isn't good, he had significant cartilage damage & since he was already under general anesthesia, doctors went ahead & repaired it. Since the rehab time for this type of surgery is 5 months minimum, Gresham's playing days at OU are over. Gresham would have been a 1st round pick last April in the NFL draft, where this puts him next spring is unknown. He will have to be completely healed & ready for the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Meanwhile, the Sooners are scrambling to fill his spot in the starting lineup. His backup had been Brody Eldridge, primarily a blocker, but he has been moved to center in an emergency injury replacement. The 2 remaining TE's on the roster have exactly 1 college reception between them. Trent Ratterree & James Hanna, both sophomores, haven't exactly grown into the position either, both weigh less than 230 pounds. Gresham & Eldridge both go 260+. The fact that the retooled offensive line got eaten alive against BYU & now they don't have a big, seasoned blocker at TE, just makes protecting whoever is at quarterback that much tougher. The Sooners had better gameplan for a high percentage of blitzes from everyone on the schedule.
Hope you were able to catch the second half of the Miami-Florida State game last night. Miami won 38-34 after stopping four 1st & goal plays by FSU in the last 19 seconds. I have such a hard time watching the ACC anymore, the conference has fallen so far, many of their games are simply unwatchable. Not so with this one. Both teams played inspired football, plenty of hard hitting, 880 yards of offense & great clutch play by both quarterbacks. FSU coach Bobby Bowden said at the post game press conference this might have been the greatest game he was ever part of. High praise coming from someone who's been a major part of college football for many decades. I heard today the telecast was going straight to ESPN Classic to be rebroadcast a couple of times this week & would be a permanent part of their library. No argument from me, it was a classic.
USC center Kristofer O'Dowd, who has been sidelined with injury since mid-August, guaranteed he would be back in time for the Ohio State game this Saturday. I doesn't look like he's going to make it. Coach Pete Carroll said this afternoon O'Dowd was doubtful for the contest with the Buckeyes. The media is already crowning Matt Barkley as the next Carson Palmer after one game & the public is eating it up too. This game is going as I thought it would. In Vegas it opened at USC -7 & the public has bet it up to USC -8 1/2. My 25 years watching such things tells me it might go even higher, then Friday night or Saturday, the so-called "wise guys"(professional gamblers) will jump on Ohio State, the public is nearly always wrong on games like this.
The Big-12 has 6 teams ranked in the latest AP top-25 poll. Texas remained at 2, Oklahoma State moved up to #5 with their 2-touchdown defeat of Georgia. Oklahoma fell to 13th after their loss to BYU. Nebraska at 22, Kansas at 24 & Mizzou brings up the rear at 25. Half the conference being ranked is pretty impressive, regardless if it's only after one week. I expect all 6 to be there next week as well.
So where is Richard Seymour? The 5-time all-pro was traded by New England Sunday to the Raiders for Oakland's #1 pick in 2011. The Raiders haven't seen or heard from Seymour since the trade was made. Coach Tom Cable, in his usual bumbling way, has given a new version everyday since the trade as to why Seymour hasn't reported. Yesterday Cable said Seymour was happy with the trade & would be arriving last night. This morning Cable admitted he hadn't spoken to Seymour, but expected him to show this afternoon. This afternoon Cable said Seymour had some unresolved financial issues with the Patriots. Huh? What Cable ought to say is "we've declared a moratorium on trading with New England, they always make us look stupid". Let's examine the history shall we? Raiders trade Randy Moss to New England for a 4th round pick. Patriots trade a 5th in 2011 for the Raiders leading pass rusher, Derrick Burgess & now the Raiders have sent their 2011 #1 pick for a guy they can't even get hold of. Plus Seymour is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season & Oakland didn't get a contract extension with Seymour before the trade. Now, Seymour holds all the cards. The Raiders are truly "the biggest clown car in the league".
For some unknown reason, Browns coach Eric Mangini, refuses to publicly name his starting quarterback. Is it Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson? Is Mangini trying to confound the Vikings as to who to prepare for? News flash.....they're the same guy! Both are pocket passers who are very similar & I doubt there's one iota of preparation by the Vikes that would be different regardless of who starts. So why is Mangini doing this? Could it be in this era of Facebook, Twitter etc, he wants to see if he can trust his team with a secret? I can't think of any other reason. The players & coaches obviously know, the starter is getting 80% of the reps in practice, but can they keep it to themselves.
I think the Buffalo Bills might be the first team to unravel this season. There's quite a few things that point me in that direction. The signing of Terrell Owens, the trade of all-pro left tackle Jason Peters, moving mediocre right tackle Langston Walker to Peters' LOT spot, #1 pick Aaron Maybin was the league's last first rounder signed, head coach Dick Jauron being summoned to Detroit to confab with Bills owner, Ralph Wilson. The next day offensive coordinator Turk Schonert was canned & Schonert didn't go quietly, accusing Jauron of being a "Pop Warner coach". Today, six days before they open in New England on Monday night, the Bills released Langston Walker, preferring to go with 2008 7th round pick, Demetrius Bell. Now going back thru my notes from that draft I had Bell ranked behind ex-Chief Barry Richardson. The fact that he's NBAer Karl Malone's illegitimate son makes no difference, he's an underpowered 'lean blocker'. Like Richardson, a gentle giant, not a mean bone in his body. Now he's the Bills' left tackle. Very nice. My buddy Joe Z. made a good point today, let's see how agreeable T.O. is when the Bills are about 3-7, it's snowy & about 18 degrees?
I've got to hand it to Daunte Culpepper for how he's handled himself in a quarterback competition that was basically unfair from the beginning. Now that Matt Stafford has been named the starter, Culpepper was first in line to throw his complete support behind Stafford. Realistically, the Lions could probably win a game or two more with Culpepper at the helm, but Lion management & coach Jim Schwartz decided to sacrifice wins for experience, Stafford is the future of the franchise. Still, there are veterans who wouldn't take this news as well as Culpepper did, he's a class act.
The Steelers will apparently be without inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons for a week or two. His high ankle sprain hasn't responded well enough to practice & since they open their season Thursday night, he'll probably sit. The potential Timmons showed last season is the main reason Pittsburgh let veteran Larry Foote go free agent to Detroit. Backup Keyaron Fox will start in Timmons spot.
Denver rookie tight end Richard Quinn spent the night in jail Monday after being booked for domestic violence. The second round pick, that puzzled me from the instant Denver selected him, saw a judge this morning & was released on bond. Quinn was primarily a blocker at North Carolina & most draft pundits had him as a 5th or 6th round prospect. He's listed 3rd on their depth chart.
Today's real name of the day; Jehuu Caulcrick, running back, New York Jets practice squad.
Hope you were able to catch the second half of the Miami-Florida State game last night. Miami won 38-34 after stopping four 1st & goal plays by FSU in the last 19 seconds. I have such a hard time watching the ACC anymore, the conference has fallen so far, many of their games are simply unwatchable. Not so with this one. Both teams played inspired football, plenty of hard hitting, 880 yards of offense & great clutch play by both quarterbacks. FSU coach Bobby Bowden said at the post game press conference this might have been the greatest game he was ever part of. High praise coming from someone who's been a major part of college football for many decades. I heard today the telecast was going straight to ESPN Classic to be rebroadcast a couple of times this week & would be a permanent part of their library. No argument from me, it was a classic.
USC center Kristofer O'Dowd, who has been sidelined with injury since mid-August, guaranteed he would be back in time for the Ohio State game this Saturday. I doesn't look like he's going to make it. Coach Pete Carroll said this afternoon O'Dowd was doubtful for the contest with the Buckeyes. The media is already crowning Matt Barkley as the next Carson Palmer after one game & the public is eating it up too. This game is going as I thought it would. In Vegas it opened at USC -7 & the public has bet it up to USC -8 1/2. My 25 years watching such things tells me it might go even higher, then Friday night or Saturday, the so-called "wise guys"(professional gamblers) will jump on Ohio State, the public is nearly always wrong on games like this.
The Big-12 has 6 teams ranked in the latest AP top-25 poll. Texas remained at 2, Oklahoma State moved up to #5 with their 2-touchdown defeat of Georgia. Oklahoma fell to 13th after their loss to BYU. Nebraska at 22, Kansas at 24 & Mizzou brings up the rear at 25. Half the conference being ranked is pretty impressive, regardless if it's only after one week. I expect all 6 to be there next week as well.
So where is Richard Seymour? The 5-time all-pro was traded by New England Sunday to the Raiders for Oakland's #1 pick in 2011. The Raiders haven't seen or heard from Seymour since the trade was made. Coach Tom Cable, in his usual bumbling way, has given a new version everyday since the trade as to why Seymour hasn't reported. Yesterday Cable said Seymour was happy with the trade & would be arriving last night. This morning Cable admitted he hadn't spoken to Seymour, but expected him to show this afternoon. This afternoon Cable said Seymour had some unresolved financial issues with the Patriots. Huh? What Cable ought to say is "we've declared a moratorium on trading with New England, they always make us look stupid". Let's examine the history shall we? Raiders trade Randy Moss to New England for a 4th round pick. Patriots trade a 5th in 2011 for the Raiders leading pass rusher, Derrick Burgess & now the Raiders have sent their 2011 #1 pick for a guy they can't even get hold of. Plus Seymour is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season & Oakland didn't get a contract extension with Seymour before the trade. Now, Seymour holds all the cards. The Raiders are truly "the biggest clown car in the league".
For some unknown reason, Browns coach Eric Mangini, refuses to publicly name his starting quarterback. Is it Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson? Is Mangini trying to confound the Vikings as to who to prepare for? News flash.....they're the same guy! Both are pocket passers who are very similar & I doubt there's one iota of preparation by the Vikes that would be different regardless of who starts. So why is Mangini doing this? Could it be in this era of Facebook, Twitter etc, he wants to see if he can trust his team with a secret? I can't think of any other reason. The players & coaches obviously know, the starter is getting 80% of the reps in practice, but can they keep it to themselves.
I think the Buffalo Bills might be the first team to unravel this season. There's quite a few things that point me in that direction. The signing of Terrell Owens, the trade of all-pro left tackle Jason Peters, moving mediocre right tackle Langston Walker to Peters' LOT spot, #1 pick Aaron Maybin was the league's last first rounder signed, head coach Dick Jauron being summoned to Detroit to confab with Bills owner, Ralph Wilson. The next day offensive coordinator Turk Schonert was canned & Schonert didn't go quietly, accusing Jauron of being a "Pop Warner coach". Today, six days before they open in New England on Monday night, the Bills released Langston Walker, preferring to go with 2008 7th round pick, Demetrius Bell. Now going back thru my notes from that draft I had Bell ranked behind ex-Chief Barry Richardson. The fact that he's NBAer Karl Malone's illegitimate son makes no difference, he's an underpowered 'lean blocker'. Like Richardson, a gentle giant, not a mean bone in his body. Now he's the Bills' left tackle. Very nice. My buddy Joe Z. made a good point today, let's see how agreeable T.O. is when the Bills are about 3-7, it's snowy & about 18 degrees?
I've got to hand it to Daunte Culpepper for how he's handled himself in a quarterback competition that was basically unfair from the beginning. Now that Matt Stafford has been named the starter, Culpepper was first in line to throw his complete support behind Stafford. Realistically, the Lions could probably win a game or two more with Culpepper at the helm, but Lion management & coach Jim Schwartz decided to sacrifice wins for experience, Stafford is the future of the franchise. Still, there are veterans who wouldn't take this news as well as Culpepper did, he's a class act.
The Steelers will apparently be without inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons for a week or two. His high ankle sprain hasn't responded well enough to practice & since they open their season Thursday night, he'll probably sit. The potential Timmons showed last season is the main reason Pittsburgh let veteran Larry Foote go free agent to Detroit. Backup Keyaron Fox will start in Timmons spot.
Denver rookie tight end Richard Quinn spent the night in jail Monday after being booked for domestic violence. The second round pick, that puzzled me from the instant Denver selected him, saw a judge this morning & was released on bond. Quinn was primarily a blocker at North Carolina & most draft pundits had him as a 5th or 6th round prospect. He's listed 3rd on their depth chart.
Today's real name of the day; Jehuu Caulcrick, running back, New York Jets practice squad.
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