REVIS & JETS ONLY $40 MIL APART, A CHIEFS-FALCONS PREVIEW, HUSKERS & TIGERS LOSE STARTERS & THE "NO AGENTS" CONFERENCE CALL
Tho both sides agreed to not talk about their differences in the media, somehow, someway, the word got out regarding just how far apart the New York Jets & their disgruntled all-pro conerback, Darrelle Revis, are right now. How about $40 million in guaranteed pay? The abyss between the two widened with Jets' coach Rex Ryan's suggestion that the entire team take a full day off practice, have a sit-down & see if they could come up with something that could end Revis' holdout. About an hour later, the club pretty much squashed this brilliant(?) concept, "The New York Jets will not discuss the holdout of Darrelle Revis, nor will the coaching staff or players who are in camp at this time." Rookie Kyle Wilson has been getting the reps with the 1st team ever since training camp opened & he will start in Revis' spot Monday night when they face the Giants. Both NY teams wanted this nationally televised game to be a celebration of their new stadium, not a filibuster on Revis vs. the Jets, which it will be. The Jets started this snowball downhill when two days after the season ended, they told Revis they were "going to take care of him." GM Mike Tannebaum ought to lose his job over this if Revis' holdout lasts into the regular season. Revis is being very selfish in his holdout as well, if he doesn't come in, it will hurt the team no doubt. No one wins in these type of standoffs, the Jets were a preseason darling amongst the media & now if the team doesn't get off to the kind of start everyone is expecting look out. The New York fans & media are brutal & pretty unforgiving as well.
Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis has just about reached his boiling point with offensive tackle Andre Smith. I've discussed this guy at length for well over a year & none of my commentary has been very complimentary. He still hasn't practiced once so far since camp opened & it doesn't appear he'll be impressing Coach Lewis anytime soon. Lewis said yesterday "Andre is going to have to figure out how to become a pro & do things the way it's asked to be done all the time. Otherwise, I'm not going to go thru this year in year out." I can't tell you how many K.C. fans ragged on me for trashing Smith when they were certain he would look great in a Chiefs' uniform. Thank God Scott Pioli didn't reach for him with the 3rd pick last year, Tyson Jackson hasn't shown us much so far, but at least he's in shape & able to play. I question whether Andre Smith will ever be a quality NFL starter.
I received considerable criticism regarding my pre & post-draft opinion of Chiefs' rookie tight end Tony Moeaki. My contention, when the Chiefs traded up to select him near the end of round three, was he has an extensive injury history & a lot of missed playing time at Iowa. This can't be denied, but the bitching began when I speculated the Chiefs could have gotten someone who is a better risk. I made it clear last April I want Moeaki to be great, be a major contributor to the Chiefs' offense & finally shake his injury bugaboo. He missed his 4th practice with an undisclosed leg injury, don't look for him to be in uniform tomorrow night in Atlanta. Since the Chiefs are so tight-lipped regarding injuries, we might not know what's wrong with him until his absence from practice reaches at least a week.
By the way, for those of you who will watch the game tomorrow night, here are a couple of Atlanta players local fans might want to put an eyeball on as they make their professional debut. Atlanta's number one draft pick in April's draft, Mizzou linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, will start & wear #56 for the Falcons. Former Kansas Jayhawk wide receiver Kerry Meier, a 5th round selection, will wear #80. Safety William Moore, a 2nd round pick in 2009 out of Missouri, wears #25.
New Chiefs' additions you'll want to watch include running back Thomas Jones #20, WR/RB/KR Dexter McCluster #22, safety Eric Berry #29, cornerback Javier Arenas #30, linebacker Cameron Sheffield #55 & guard Jon Asamoah #73.
Chiefs' 4-time Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters has been taking a few reps at center, a position I believe he could play easily. The other benefit to it would be moving Jon Asamoah into the staring lineup in Waters' former left guard spot. It's all about getting the best 5 linemen on the field together. Could it happen? Yes. Will it? I have my doubts.
Nebraska & Mizzou lost important starters in the last couple of days. The Cornhuskers will be without offensive lineman Mike Smith for the entire season. The senior has started the last 26-games & played in 39 games overall. Mizzou lost starting wide receiver Jerrell Jackson for 4-6 weeks with a broken scaphoid bone in his left wrist. He was being counted on to fill the rather large shoes of Danario Alexander, who led the entire nation in receiving yards last year. A big loss for both offenses.
I saw a few things in tonight's Carolina-Baltimore game that really caught my attention. Panther journeyman defensive end Tyler Brayton flat beat Raven left tackle Michael Oher for 2 sacks. On the second one, Brayton got his left ankle rolled up on & it looked like a high ankle sprain. Panther left tackle Jordan Gross, a pro bowler, was flagged twice for holding, both times by the umpire in his new position, which is basically right behind the left tackle. I think you'll see more holding calls with this new positioning of this official. Carolina rookie defensive end Greg Hardy is off to a flying start with 2 sacks tonight. Hardy plummeted on draft boards around the league after beginning last season near the top of all defensive linemen. He fell clear into the 6th round in April, but he looked like the pass rushing threat he was as a junior at Ole Miss. Raven rookie nose tackle Terrence Cody gave the coaches good news & bad news. On a third & short from the Carolina 15, Cody entered the game as a blocking fullback, a 349-pound blocking fullback, a job he had done at Alabama & promptly fell out of his stance drawing a false start penalty. Raven QB Joe Flacco was sacked on the next play & they settled for a field goal. Later in the 1st quarter, Cody made the kind of play that's been expected of him. I've criticized Cody on numerous occasions, but I have to give him his props on this play. He stood up Carolina Pro Bowl center, Ryan Kalil, with his left hand & held him right there & when running back DeAngelo Williams came by, Cody took him down with his right hand, it was awesome. If he can make a couple of plays like that every week, he'll be just fine, even if he can't play more than 15-20 snaps a game. But he better learn the snap count if he continues to be used in the backfield as a short-yardage blocker. Carolina rookie QB Tony Pike played only one series, not a good sign for his future with Carolina. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, looked pretty good for a rookie playing on the road, in the rain, in his pro debut. I hate his throwing motion, but his accuracy was decent.
Brandon Marshall has a plan already in place if there's a lockout next year. He's going to play in the NBA. Just like that? Yes, I thought it was all tongue-in-cheek, but apparently it isn't. He said he'd like to play for the Denver Nuggets so "he could hear the cheers of the fans, after they booed him for forcing his way out of Denver." Marshall went onto say "if the Nuggets don't want me, then I'll play for Miami." That's when I thought he was kidding, LeBron & Brandon? I don't think so. But when a reporter laughingly asked Marshall what his real plans were in case of a lockout, he got kinda snippy, "you think I'm not good enough?" He walked away, refusing anymore questions. Hmmmmm.
On Wednesday there was a conference call between several college coaching elites, NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith & NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The topic was "how can we fix this agent/player crisis that is hurting college football?" Alabama's Nick Saban, Florida's Urban Meyer & Ohio State's Jim Tressell represented the college side of the problem. They want the NFLPA or the league to either suspend(never gonna happen) or fine(maybe) players who willingly take money from sport's agents or marketers & then leave their former team in dutch with the NCAA. Reggie Bush is certainly the poster boy for this problem. He & his folks reportedly took over $300,000 in cash & gifts while playing for the Trojans. USC had some severe sanctions imposed on them, 2-year bowl ban, losing 30 scholarships over three years & probation for 4-years. Bush went onto the NFL & suffered no financial consequences. These coaches, as well as many more, want this changed. I watched Oklahoma coach Bob Stoups on ESPN's Mike & Mike In the Morning & he is totally in agreement with Saban & the others. This afternoon, he was on College Football Live, with my girl Erin Andrews, Stoups said "I doubt we'll ever get the NFLPA to agree to suspend players when they haven't violated any professional rules." He's right, but maybe the NFL & the player's association will agree to large fines for people like Reggie Bush. The NFLPA has the most control over agents but I think the somewhat acrimonious negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement will push any serious discussions regarding agents & the players they pay, onto the back burner. Like Lou Holtz said "these kids know damn well they're doing wrong when they take this money, make no mistake about it." He's right, there's no gray area here. Should universities give their athletes a small stipend? Absolutely, but until that happens, these athletes know taking money from or having contact with any sport's agent or marketer, is dead wrong. If the coaching staff does wrong, fine, but when players take money, it's almost impossible for the schools to know about it, yet they are the loser when the transgression is exposed. Yes, sometimes the coaching staff would have to be almost blind to not see it, like in the Reggie Bush case, but you can't monitor players in the off-season, you can't put them under surveillance 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. I don't see anything coming out of this conference call other than to alert the pros just how P.O.'d a lot of college coaches really are. They can really make things difficult for NFL scouting departments by banning them from watching any practices, but that's about the only leverage they can wield over the NFL & the NFLPA.
This crappy economy is affecting those who hang on every word I write here. O.K. they don't hang on every word, but it is busting up the gang over at Ozark Ready Mix, longtime fans of this site. The company is closing all but one of their plants in Central Missouri for the foreseeable future & guys, I'm truly sad to hear that you'll soon be on the street looking for work like so many of our fellow Americans. Times really stink right now & I don't see it turning around anytime soon. Watch how many empty seats you see in football stadiums around the country & it won't be all because of a team's record, it's also an indication of how tough times are right now. The county in which we live has an unemployment rate of nearly 16%, a direct reflection on the bottomed-out vacation housing market & a seasonal economy. Hard-working middle-class people I used to build two beautiful homes here on the Lake, are scurrying to find enough work to keep the wolves from the door. Many have left the area, unable to find work after searching high & low for well over a year. I know a number of people in my age group who, despite their superior work record, are out of work & their age is against them finding any employment that's close money-wise to what they had. Some have been out for two years, others new to the unemployment scene in 2010, but the feeling of futility is a common one for many people over 50. Where's our bailout? Good luck to my friends at Ozark Ready Mix & anyone else who's searching for work.
Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis has just about reached his boiling point with offensive tackle Andre Smith. I've discussed this guy at length for well over a year & none of my commentary has been very complimentary. He still hasn't practiced once so far since camp opened & it doesn't appear he'll be impressing Coach Lewis anytime soon. Lewis said yesterday "Andre is going to have to figure out how to become a pro & do things the way it's asked to be done all the time. Otherwise, I'm not going to go thru this year in year out." I can't tell you how many K.C. fans ragged on me for trashing Smith when they were certain he would look great in a Chiefs' uniform. Thank God Scott Pioli didn't reach for him with the 3rd pick last year, Tyson Jackson hasn't shown us much so far, but at least he's in shape & able to play. I question whether Andre Smith will ever be a quality NFL starter.
I received considerable criticism regarding my pre & post-draft opinion of Chiefs' rookie tight end Tony Moeaki. My contention, when the Chiefs traded up to select him near the end of round three, was he has an extensive injury history & a lot of missed playing time at Iowa. This can't be denied, but the bitching began when I speculated the Chiefs could have gotten someone who is a better risk. I made it clear last April I want Moeaki to be great, be a major contributor to the Chiefs' offense & finally shake his injury bugaboo. He missed his 4th practice with an undisclosed leg injury, don't look for him to be in uniform tomorrow night in Atlanta. Since the Chiefs are so tight-lipped regarding injuries, we might not know what's wrong with him until his absence from practice reaches at least a week.
By the way, for those of you who will watch the game tomorrow night, here are a couple of Atlanta players local fans might want to put an eyeball on as they make their professional debut. Atlanta's number one draft pick in April's draft, Mizzou linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, will start & wear #56 for the Falcons. Former Kansas Jayhawk wide receiver Kerry Meier, a 5th round selection, will wear #80. Safety William Moore, a 2nd round pick in 2009 out of Missouri, wears #25.
New Chiefs' additions you'll want to watch include running back Thomas Jones #20, WR/RB/KR Dexter McCluster #22, safety Eric Berry #29, cornerback Javier Arenas #30, linebacker Cameron Sheffield #55 & guard Jon Asamoah #73.
Chiefs' 4-time Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters has been taking a few reps at center, a position I believe he could play easily. The other benefit to it would be moving Jon Asamoah into the staring lineup in Waters' former left guard spot. It's all about getting the best 5 linemen on the field together. Could it happen? Yes. Will it? I have my doubts.
Nebraska & Mizzou lost important starters in the last couple of days. The Cornhuskers will be without offensive lineman Mike Smith for the entire season. The senior has started the last 26-games & played in 39 games overall. Mizzou lost starting wide receiver Jerrell Jackson for 4-6 weeks with a broken scaphoid bone in his left wrist. He was being counted on to fill the rather large shoes of Danario Alexander, who led the entire nation in receiving yards last year. A big loss for both offenses.
I saw a few things in tonight's Carolina-Baltimore game that really caught my attention. Panther journeyman defensive end Tyler Brayton flat beat Raven left tackle Michael Oher for 2 sacks. On the second one, Brayton got his left ankle rolled up on & it looked like a high ankle sprain. Panther left tackle Jordan Gross, a pro bowler, was flagged twice for holding, both times by the umpire in his new position, which is basically right behind the left tackle. I think you'll see more holding calls with this new positioning of this official. Carolina rookie defensive end Greg Hardy is off to a flying start with 2 sacks tonight. Hardy plummeted on draft boards around the league after beginning last season near the top of all defensive linemen. He fell clear into the 6th round in April, but he looked like the pass rushing threat he was as a junior at Ole Miss. Raven rookie nose tackle Terrence Cody gave the coaches good news & bad news. On a third & short from the Carolina 15, Cody entered the game as a blocking fullback, a 349-pound blocking fullback, a job he had done at Alabama & promptly fell out of his stance drawing a false start penalty. Raven QB Joe Flacco was sacked on the next play & they settled for a field goal. Later in the 1st quarter, Cody made the kind of play that's been expected of him. I've criticized Cody on numerous occasions, but I have to give him his props on this play. He stood up Carolina Pro Bowl center, Ryan Kalil, with his left hand & held him right there & when running back DeAngelo Williams came by, Cody took him down with his right hand, it was awesome. If he can make a couple of plays like that every week, he'll be just fine, even if he can't play more than 15-20 snaps a game. But he better learn the snap count if he continues to be used in the backfield as a short-yardage blocker. Carolina rookie QB Tony Pike played only one series, not a good sign for his future with Carolina. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, looked pretty good for a rookie playing on the road, in the rain, in his pro debut. I hate his throwing motion, but his accuracy was decent.
Brandon Marshall has a plan already in place if there's a lockout next year. He's going to play in the NBA. Just like that? Yes, I thought it was all tongue-in-cheek, but apparently it isn't. He said he'd like to play for the Denver Nuggets so "he could hear the cheers of the fans, after they booed him for forcing his way out of Denver." Marshall went onto say "if the Nuggets don't want me, then I'll play for Miami." That's when I thought he was kidding, LeBron & Brandon? I don't think so. But when a reporter laughingly asked Marshall what his real plans were in case of a lockout, he got kinda snippy, "you think I'm not good enough?" He walked away, refusing anymore questions. Hmmmmm.
On Wednesday there was a conference call between several college coaching elites, NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith & NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The topic was "how can we fix this agent/player crisis that is hurting college football?" Alabama's Nick Saban, Florida's Urban Meyer & Ohio State's Jim Tressell represented the college side of the problem. They want the NFLPA or the league to either suspend(never gonna happen) or fine(maybe) players who willingly take money from sport's agents or marketers & then leave their former team in dutch with the NCAA. Reggie Bush is certainly the poster boy for this problem. He & his folks reportedly took over $300,000 in cash & gifts while playing for the Trojans. USC had some severe sanctions imposed on them, 2-year bowl ban, losing 30 scholarships over three years & probation for 4-years. Bush went onto the NFL & suffered no financial consequences. These coaches, as well as many more, want this changed. I watched Oklahoma coach Bob Stoups on ESPN's Mike & Mike In the Morning & he is totally in agreement with Saban & the others. This afternoon, he was on College Football Live, with my girl Erin Andrews, Stoups said "I doubt we'll ever get the NFLPA to agree to suspend players when they haven't violated any professional rules." He's right, but maybe the NFL & the player's association will agree to large fines for people like Reggie Bush. The NFLPA has the most control over agents but I think the somewhat acrimonious negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement will push any serious discussions regarding agents & the players they pay, onto the back burner. Like Lou Holtz said "these kids know damn well they're doing wrong when they take this money, make no mistake about it." He's right, there's no gray area here. Should universities give their athletes a small stipend? Absolutely, but until that happens, these athletes know taking money from or having contact with any sport's agent or marketer, is dead wrong. If the coaching staff does wrong, fine, but when players take money, it's almost impossible for the schools to know about it, yet they are the loser when the transgression is exposed. Yes, sometimes the coaching staff would have to be almost blind to not see it, like in the Reggie Bush case, but you can't monitor players in the off-season, you can't put them under surveillance 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. I don't see anything coming out of this conference call other than to alert the pros just how P.O.'d a lot of college coaches really are. They can really make things difficult for NFL scouting departments by banning them from watching any practices, but that's about the only leverage they can wield over the NFL & the NFLPA.
This crappy economy is affecting those who hang on every word I write here. O.K. they don't hang on every word, but it is busting up the gang over at Ozark Ready Mix, longtime fans of this site. The company is closing all but one of their plants in Central Missouri for the foreseeable future & guys, I'm truly sad to hear that you'll soon be on the street looking for work like so many of our fellow Americans. Times really stink right now & I don't see it turning around anytime soon. Watch how many empty seats you see in football stadiums around the country & it won't be all because of a team's record, it's also an indication of how tough times are right now. The county in which we live has an unemployment rate of nearly 16%, a direct reflection on the bottomed-out vacation housing market & a seasonal economy. Hard-working middle-class people I used to build two beautiful homes here on the Lake, are scurrying to find enough work to keep the wolves from the door. Many have left the area, unable to find work after searching high & low for well over a year. I know a number of people in my age group who, despite their superior work record, are out of work & their age is against them finding any employment that's close money-wise to what they had. Some have been out for two years, others new to the unemployment scene in 2010, but the feeling of futility is a common one for many people over 50. Where's our bailout? Good luck to my friends at Ozark Ready Mix & anyone else who's searching for work.
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