KURT WARNER AT K.C. PRACTICE, MORE INTRIGUE FROM BIG-12 MEETINGS & I'LL ANSWER A FEW OF YOUR QUESTIONS
What was Kurt Warner doing at the Chiefs' practice on Thursday morning? Turns out Warner & a couple of his kids went to IHOP & then dropped by the practice facility for a quick visit. Todd Haley was Warner's offensive coordinator with the Cardinals from 2006 to 2008 & the pair still has a relationship.
Reggie Wayne has notified the Colts he won't be attending their OTA's, voluntary mini-camp or the mandatory version either. He made it clear he isn't happy with his current contract & will stay in South Florida until something is resolved. Wayne has never participated in off-season conditioning in Indianapolis, always preferring to work himself into shape at home in Florida. He addressed a letter & email to owner Jim Irsay, GM Bill Polian & head coach Jim Caldwell, informing them of his intention to stay home. By not announcing his desire to stay in Florida to the press, Wayne avoided any questions about his messy breakup with his former mistress who has been arrested for running up over $93,000 on a credit card belonging to him.
Another Pro Bowl player who is boycotting his team's mini-camps & OTA's is the Jets' Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, also unhappy with his contract. Revis is scheduled to make $550,000 this season, it was supposed to be $990,000, but Revis requested a hefty advance on his salary last December. Now he's looking for $8-9 million a year. Let's see how long the free-spending Revis can go without a check. He's certainly at the top of his game, possibly the best in the league at his position, but he still has three more years left on his rookie contract totaling almost $21 million & the Jets say they have no intention of renegotiating a rookie contract this early in a player's career.
From the NFL's Concussion Seminar, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen said Thursday afternoon "what we need is an enormous culture change. The youth athletes are looking to the professionals as role models & the professionals now realize they don't do it right. If they don't do it right, the kids aren't going to do it right." He was talking about tackling form, leading with the head, blows to the head & hits that drive a player's head into the ground. Dr. Ellenbogen added "the days of using the helmet as a weapon are over, the sooner the better.
The Big-12 meetings continued on Thursday at Kansas City's InterContinental Hotel & it was anything but dull. Brian Christopherson of The Lincoln Journal Star said "this place has a real weird vibe, very weird." Several online sources reported the PAC-10 was going to invite 6 Big-12 schools to join Arizona & Arizona State, forming a Southern Division of a proposed 16-team PAC-10. The six teams reported as being on the invite list were Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M & Colorado. A PAC-10 official denied this story. Colorado officials said they had been contacted by someone within the PAC-10. Texas A&M officials made it very clear they weren't interested in joining the PAC-10, their complaint was of a geographic one. They would however be interested in the SEC. Utah might be a logical substitution for the Aggies. Missouri & Nebraska are still very interested in listening to Big-10 officials regarding any expansion talks. To that, Big-10 Commissioner Jim Delaney has denied offering anything to anybody. That leaves Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State & Baylor with nowhere to go. I doubt all of these rumors will come to fruition, but I can see a few teams leaving the Big-12. After the meetings adjourned for the day, Big-12 Commissioner Dan Beebe & Texas President Bill Powers were scheduled to have a press conference at 5:15PM CDT. They canceled it at the last minute & as they hopped in an elevator Powers said "I can't say anything, the board agreed there would be no comment tonight." Mizzou's Mike Alden did say during the lunch break the Tigers were willing to listen to any overtures regarding a move. Make no mistake about these meetings, Texas is swinging an even bigger stick now with the rumors of them being invited to play in the PAC-10. I honestly don't believe Texas is going to move into any conference where they aren't the biggest fish. USC is the PAC-10's big dog, been that way for over 40 years, Texas moving out west isn't going to change that. I do think however, Texas is going "all-in" in an attempt to call the bluff of Mizzou & Nebraska, forcing them to decide right now, this week, what their intentions are. Stay tuned, Friday might be really interesting up in Kansas City. The day the first team announces a move, things will happen quickly in regards to other conferences shrinking or expanding.
To Mike in Iowa: Thank you for reading, I'm going to paraphrase your question if that's OK, language & all. I have no ax to grind with Tony Moeaki, I like him a lot, when he's healthy, that's the key. He missed so much time at Iowa & he's yet to participate in Kansas City. Guys with so much to learn can't do so sitting on an exercise bike in the endzone.
To Daryl in California: Thank you for reading, get out your atlas & check it for yourself, Boulder Colorado is nearly as close to Tucson as Waco, it's just the Oregon & Washington schools that would increase their travel mileage. But if they are to be in a "Southern Division", they wouldn't be traveling to the Northwest on a regular basis.
To KCKrissy: Thank you for reading, if anything, I'm misunderstood. People think I live to criticize the Chiefs & nothing could be further from the truth. I love this team, as I sit here in front of my computer I'm wearing a Chiefs' T-shirt, one of maybe 25 I own, I was a season ticket holder for 16 seasons, I traveled at great expense to see games in Arrowhead every year I lived in Las Vegas & for heaven's sake even our cat is named Chief O.K.? I wish I had nothing to bitch about, but 2 playoff wins in 40 years hardens even the most devoted fan. Can you name the only other NFL teams with 2 or less playoff wins over the same 40-year period? Anybody? Here's your hint, there's only two.
To Wyatt: Thank you for reading, regarding your questions about Jarrad Page, Kansas City can't trade him, he hasn't signed his tender offer, so he is in complete limbo, can't be traded, can't be signed by another team. He is apparently not in their plans, his name isn't even mentioned, but that could be a ploy by Scott Pioli. I thought Page was better than any safety on the roster prior to the draft. I question whether he wants to play football anymore, it's like he fell off the edge of the earth.
To CenterFan: Thank you for reading, as far as I can tell, LeRon Council isn't with the Vikings at this time. He isn't listed on their extended roster & he was invited to Minnesota's rookie tryout camp without a contract. If anyone out there knows where this former Center H.S. & NW Missouri State running back is these days, drop me a line, I'd like to keep track of his attempts to make it in professional football.
Reggie Wayne has notified the Colts he won't be attending their OTA's, voluntary mini-camp or the mandatory version either. He made it clear he isn't happy with his current contract & will stay in South Florida until something is resolved. Wayne has never participated in off-season conditioning in Indianapolis, always preferring to work himself into shape at home in Florida. He addressed a letter & email to owner Jim Irsay, GM Bill Polian & head coach Jim Caldwell, informing them of his intention to stay home. By not announcing his desire to stay in Florida to the press, Wayne avoided any questions about his messy breakup with his former mistress who has been arrested for running up over $93,000 on a credit card belonging to him.
Another Pro Bowl player who is boycotting his team's mini-camps & OTA's is the Jets' Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, also unhappy with his contract. Revis is scheduled to make $550,000 this season, it was supposed to be $990,000, but Revis requested a hefty advance on his salary last December. Now he's looking for $8-9 million a year. Let's see how long the free-spending Revis can go without a check. He's certainly at the top of his game, possibly the best in the league at his position, but he still has three more years left on his rookie contract totaling almost $21 million & the Jets say they have no intention of renegotiating a rookie contract this early in a player's career.
From the NFL's Concussion Seminar, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen said Thursday afternoon "what we need is an enormous culture change. The youth athletes are looking to the professionals as role models & the professionals now realize they don't do it right. If they don't do it right, the kids aren't going to do it right." He was talking about tackling form, leading with the head, blows to the head & hits that drive a player's head into the ground. Dr. Ellenbogen added "the days of using the helmet as a weapon are over, the sooner the better.
The Big-12 meetings continued on Thursday at Kansas City's InterContinental Hotel & it was anything but dull. Brian Christopherson of The Lincoln Journal Star said "this place has a real weird vibe, very weird." Several online sources reported the PAC-10 was going to invite 6 Big-12 schools to join Arizona & Arizona State, forming a Southern Division of a proposed 16-team PAC-10. The six teams reported as being on the invite list were Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M & Colorado. A PAC-10 official denied this story. Colorado officials said they had been contacted by someone within the PAC-10. Texas A&M officials made it very clear they weren't interested in joining the PAC-10, their complaint was of a geographic one. They would however be interested in the SEC. Utah might be a logical substitution for the Aggies. Missouri & Nebraska are still very interested in listening to Big-10 officials regarding any expansion talks. To that, Big-10 Commissioner Jim Delaney has denied offering anything to anybody. That leaves Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State & Baylor with nowhere to go. I doubt all of these rumors will come to fruition, but I can see a few teams leaving the Big-12. After the meetings adjourned for the day, Big-12 Commissioner Dan Beebe & Texas President Bill Powers were scheduled to have a press conference at 5:15PM CDT. They canceled it at the last minute & as they hopped in an elevator Powers said "I can't say anything, the board agreed there would be no comment tonight." Mizzou's Mike Alden did say during the lunch break the Tigers were willing to listen to any overtures regarding a move. Make no mistake about these meetings, Texas is swinging an even bigger stick now with the rumors of them being invited to play in the PAC-10. I honestly don't believe Texas is going to move into any conference where they aren't the biggest fish. USC is the PAC-10's big dog, been that way for over 40 years, Texas moving out west isn't going to change that. I do think however, Texas is going "all-in" in an attempt to call the bluff of Mizzou & Nebraska, forcing them to decide right now, this week, what their intentions are. Stay tuned, Friday might be really interesting up in Kansas City. The day the first team announces a move, things will happen quickly in regards to other conferences shrinking or expanding.
To Mike in Iowa: Thank you for reading, I'm going to paraphrase your question if that's OK, language & all. I have no ax to grind with Tony Moeaki, I like him a lot, when he's healthy, that's the key. He missed so much time at Iowa & he's yet to participate in Kansas City. Guys with so much to learn can't do so sitting on an exercise bike in the endzone.
To Daryl in California: Thank you for reading, get out your atlas & check it for yourself, Boulder Colorado is nearly as close to Tucson as Waco, it's just the Oregon & Washington schools that would increase their travel mileage. But if they are to be in a "Southern Division", they wouldn't be traveling to the Northwest on a regular basis.
To KCKrissy: Thank you for reading, if anything, I'm misunderstood. People think I live to criticize the Chiefs & nothing could be further from the truth. I love this team, as I sit here in front of my computer I'm wearing a Chiefs' T-shirt, one of maybe 25 I own, I was a season ticket holder for 16 seasons, I traveled at great expense to see games in Arrowhead every year I lived in Las Vegas & for heaven's sake even our cat is named Chief O.K.? I wish I had nothing to bitch about, but 2 playoff wins in 40 years hardens even the most devoted fan. Can you name the only other NFL teams with 2 or less playoff wins over the same 40-year period? Anybody? Here's your hint, there's only two.
To Wyatt: Thank you for reading, regarding your questions about Jarrad Page, Kansas City can't trade him, he hasn't signed his tender offer, so he is in complete limbo, can't be traded, can't be signed by another team. He is apparently not in their plans, his name isn't even mentioned, but that could be a ploy by Scott Pioli. I thought Page was better than any safety on the roster prior to the draft. I question whether he wants to play football anymore, it's like he fell off the edge of the earth.
To CenterFan: Thank you for reading, as far as I can tell, LeRon Council isn't with the Vikings at this time. He isn't listed on their extended roster & he was invited to Minnesota's rookie tryout camp without a contract. If anyone out there knows where this former Center H.S. & NW Missouri State running back is these days, drop me a line, I'd like to keep track of his attempts to make it in professional football.
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