FINAL DAY AT CHIEFS' CAMP, FAVRE IN....FINALLY, WILDER JR. THROWS A CURVE & MOUNTAIN WEST MAYHEM
So this evening we saw our last Chiefs training camp practice. They billed this as the Chiefs' farewell to St. Joseph, a fun evening for the whole family, etc etc etc. I'd say about 4,000 people paid $10 to sit in Missouri Western's Spratt Stadium for 3 hours & then tried desperately to stay awake. Of the practice sessions we watched while here, this one was easily the tamest & lamest. When the team came out for an autograph session & I saw they were wearing shorts & shells, I knew we weren't going to see very much. Maybe the marketing department & the coaching staff ought to get together before they go overboard touting an evening with the Chiefs. Two of the practices had hitting in them, two did not. To give you an idea how boring this practice was, the biggest cheer came up after Matt Cassel emerged from the Porta-Potty next to endzone after dashing in there during stretching exercises. Get the picture?
All three quarterbacks were dismal most of the evening. A throw by Cassel down the hashmark to rookie tight end Tony Moeaki & one from Tyler Palko to Jamaal Charles down the far sideline were the highlights, 2nd & 3rd on the noise meter behind Cassel's Porta-Potty dash. Cornerback Brandon Carr had a good night, picked off a throw from Cassel & knocked down two others. Travis Daniels also had a good night in the secondary, knocking down a pass & intercepting Palko. Kendrick Lewis continues to amaze me with the closing speed he shows when the ball is in the air.
This morning the practice was going badly & Todd Haley began to lose his cool. When Palko threw a pass in the middle of the field in a situational drill, no timeouts & 20-seconds to play, Haley erupted "why are you throwing the ball there with no timeouts, are you dumb? You probably are I know where you come from." Later when Brandon Carr gave a half-ass effort after Thomas Jones broke into the secondary, "He's a 50-year old running back & he knows how to finish, you do not." Haley said in his 1PM press conference he thought the morning practice was pretty poor although the tempo came up near the end. "These guys know we only have tonight's practice & tomorrow's before driving back to Kansas City. We've had a number of practices under pads & they've begun to lose their focus a little, they feel sorry for themselves somewhat."
He was right about finishing on a high note, the goal line sequences they ran got pretty physical & both sides were exhorting their guys on. When Tim Castille finally scored, he spiked the ball & his offensive teammates embraced him. The defense held again on 3 snaps before Jamaal Charles cut one in for a score, it was obvious that it mattered to both sides, they were really hitting.
I have serious doubts that Tyson Jackson will ever become any sort of a dependable defensive lineman. He doesn't make anything happen & he shows very little enthusiasm or passion for the game. I won't be surprised to see him supplanted by Shaun Smith, who plays with some aggression & is a very loud voice on the defensive side.
Jovan Belcher & Derrick Johnson continued running with the defensive 1's. I want this pair to be the starters at the inside linebacker spots. I hope they play well Saturday night versus the Bucs. Which brings me to my last point, the Chiefs need to show up big Saturday night in Tampa. The Bucs aren't a good team, I don't think they're nearly as good as the Chiefs, so Kansas City had better play well. When the 1st team leaves the game, they better have scored some points & shown something on defense as well as special teams. If they play as poorly as they did in Atlanta, buckle your chin strap, we may be in for another 4-12 season. There will be no excuse for playing badly in Tampa.
Brett Favre decided to return to the Vikings.........end of story.
Just last night I told you James Wilder Jr. was going to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs, hogwash, err make that Dawgwash. Wilder disregarded all the rumors down south & made a verbal commitment to Florida State. My buddy Ed(the Jewish Seminole) in Vegas will be thrilled to get the nations #3 overall prospect.
Mizzou running back Derrick Washington had a monster day in the first intra-squad scrimmage. He carried only 7 times but totaled 133 yards & 2 scores, one on a 70-yard run. The slimmed down senior said he felt much quicker & faster after losing 10-pounds in the off-season. So far so good Tiger fans.
The Giants will be scrambling for a healthy quarterback this week as Eli Manning had already been ruled out for Saturday's game with Pittsburgh. The 3" gash in his forehead required 12 stitches to close & the wound is right where his helmet rubs his forehead. Since it's only a preseason game, Giants' coach Tom Coughlin has already ruled Manning out for the game. His backup, Jim Sorgi, may also be unable to play because of a shoulder injury he sustained on a touchdown pass to Victor Cruz Monday night. That leaves Rhett Bomar as the only healthy signal caller.
Buffalo will be without starting safety Jarius Byrd for the foreseeable future. He underwent his third operation on his groin area(ouch!) in 13-months. He was a top-5 finisher in the NFL defensive rookie of the year award & he was one of the very few bright spots for the Bills.
The Chicago Bears finally signed another quarterback. Former Patriot & Chief, Matt Gutierrez, will officially become a Bear tomorrow.
I told you Jared Gaither was lost for at least the preseason, maybe longer, with a torn back muscle.The Ravens plugged Oneil Cousins into his right tackle spot but today, Cousins was carted off the practice field after suffering what is believed to be a concussion. Now Baltimore is down to Tony Moll, a former 5th round pick of the Packers in 2006 who played in 5 games for Baltimore last season. Cornerback & right tackle woes have plagued this team now for months.
Back to the New York Giants for a minute. They are cultivating a public relations nightmare. The team has about 2,500 unsold seats in the lower deck of their new stadium, which they intend to sell individually since they have been unable to sell them in season ticket packages. No big deal right? Wrong, every other ticket sold in the lower deck was sold along with a PSL(Personal Seat License) that ranged in price from $2,500 to $20,000 per chair. If you have season tickets, you laid out thousands for PSL's in the new Giants Stadium. So now if 2 buddies want tickets, here's how they go about beating the system. Buddy "A" buys 2 seats for 4 regular season games. Buddy "B" buys 2 seats for the remaining 4 regular season games. They don't but a season ticket, don't but the required PSL & aren't stuck purchasing the 2 preseason game tickets. Cool huh? Not for guy sitting next to them who did pay for all of the above, hence the possibility of a public relations mess.
I read the Newark Star Ledger this morning with amusement. Some of the Jets, Kris Jenkins & Calvin Pace, were gloating about the shot Eli Manning took on Monday night & said the new stadium was going to be a "House of Pain" for opposing teams. "They're really going to bring it" said Pace. Jenkins said the hit on Manning was "just the beginning." Did you watch the game? The game the Giants won 31-16? Gloating over "the clean hit on Manning" which really began with Manning's own running back, Brandon Jacobs, running into him, standing him up & stunning Manning. Then he was hit by Pace & he fell against the face mask of Jet safety Jim Leonard. Apparently the Jets have decided selective memory can also be a weapon. Boy oh boy, talk about spin.
The Mountain West Conference played musical teams today with one prominent member withdrawing while adding two new schools as members. Brigham Young decided to go the way of the Irish, becoming an independent that is. They will become an independent in 2011, no longer a member of the MWC. Then by 5PM, the conference added two former WAC schools, Fresno State & Nevada. So to summarize, since May, the Mountain West Conference has added Boise State, lost Utah to the PAC-10, lost BYU to independence, added Fresno State & Nevada. Got it?
Headed for Kansas City tomorrow to celebrate my father-in-law's 84th birthday with a nice dinner at V's. Then it's home on Friday after a quick stop at my buddy Chuck's for lunch. Chuck patrolled the sidelines at Arrowhead for over 20-years taking pictures. The Chiefs told him recently his services were no longer needed. He's just one of many long timers forced out by the new management. I have some thoughts on this purge, some of the people brought in & their qualifications. I'll get to that next week.
All three quarterbacks were dismal most of the evening. A throw by Cassel down the hashmark to rookie tight end Tony Moeaki & one from Tyler Palko to Jamaal Charles down the far sideline were the highlights, 2nd & 3rd on the noise meter behind Cassel's Porta-Potty dash. Cornerback Brandon Carr had a good night, picked off a throw from Cassel & knocked down two others. Travis Daniels also had a good night in the secondary, knocking down a pass & intercepting Palko. Kendrick Lewis continues to amaze me with the closing speed he shows when the ball is in the air.
This morning the practice was going badly & Todd Haley began to lose his cool. When Palko threw a pass in the middle of the field in a situational drill, no timeouts & 20-seconds to play, Haley erupted "why are you throwing the ball there with no timeouts, are you dumb? You probably are I know where you come from." Later when Brandon Carr gave a half-ass effort after Thomas Jones broke into the secondary, "He's a 50-year old running back & he knows how to finish, you do not." Haley said in his 1PM press conference he thought the morning practice was pretty poor although the tempo came up near the end. "These guys know we only have tonight's practice & tomorrow's before driving back to Kansas City. We've had a number of practices under pads & they've begun to lose their focus a little, they feel sorry for themselves somewhat."
He was right about finishing on a high note, the goal line sequences they ran got pretty physical & both sides were exhorting their guys on. When Tim Castille finally scored, he spiked the ball & his offensive teammates embraced him. The defense held again on 3 snaps before Jamaal Charles cut one in for a score, it was obvious that it mattered to both sides, they were really hitting.
I have serious doubts that Tyson Jackson will ever become any sort of a dependable defensive lineman. He doesn't make anything happen & he shows very little enthusiasm or passion for the game. I won't be surprised to see him supplanted by Shaun Smith, who plays with some aggression & is a very loud voice on the defensive side.
Jovan Belcher & Derrick Johnson continued running with the defensive 1's. I want this pair to be the starters at the inside linebacker spots. I hope they play well Saturday night versus the Bucs. Which brings me to my last point, the Chiefs need to show up big Saturday night in Tampa. The Bucs aren't a good team, I don't think they're nearly as good as the Chiefs, so Kansas City had better play well. When the 1st team leaves the game, they better have scored some points & shown something on defense as well as special teams. If they play as poorly as they did in Atlanta, buckle your chin strap, we may be in for another 4-12 season. There will be no excuse for playing badly in Tampa.
Brett Favre decided to return to the Vikings.........end of story.
Just last night I told you James Wilder Jr. was going to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs, hogwash, err make that Dawgwash. Wilder disregarded all the rumors down south & made a verbal commitment to Florida State. My buddy Ed(the Jewish Seminole) in Vegas will be thrilled to get the nations #3 overall prospect.
Mizzou running back Derrick Washington had a monster day in the first intra-squad scrimmage. He carried only 7 times but totaled 133 yards & 2 scores, one on a 70-yard run. The slimmed down senior said he felt much quicker & faster after losing 10-pounds in the off-season. So far so good Tiger fans.
The Giants will be scrambling for a healthy quarterback this week as Eli Manning had already been ruled out for Saturday's game with Pittsburgh. The 3" gash in his forehead required 12 stitches to close & the wound is right where his helmet rubs his forehead. Since it's only a preseason game, Giants' coach Tom Coughlin has already ruled Manning out for the game. His backup, Jim Sorgi, may also be unable to play because of a shoulder injury he sustained on a touchdown pass to Victor Cruz Monday night. That leaves Rhett Bomar as the only healthy signal caller.
Buffalo will be without starting safety Jarius Byrd for the foreseeable future. He underwent his third operation on his groin area(ouch!) in 13-months. He was a top-5 finisher in the NFL defensive rookie of the year award & he was one of the very few bright spots for the Bills.
The Chicago Bears finally signed another quarterback. Former Patriot & Chief, Matt Gutierrez, will officially become a Bear tomorrow.
I told you Jared Gaither was lost for at least the preseason, maybe longer, with a torn back muscle.The Ravens plugged Oneil Cousins into his right tackle spot but today, Cousins was carted off the practice field after suffering what is believed to be a concussion. Now Baltimore is down to Tony Moll, a former 5th round pick of the Packers in 2006 who played in 5 games for Baltimore last season. Cornerback & right tackle woes have plagued this team now for months.
Back to the New York Giants for a minute. They are cultivating a public relations nightmare. The team has about 2,500 unsold seats in the lower deck of their new stadium, which they intend to sell individually since they have been unable to sell them in season ticket packages. No big deal right? Wrong, every other ticket sold in the lower deck was sold along with a PSL(Personal Seat License) that ranged in price from $2,500 to $20,000 per chair. If you have season tickets, you laid out thousands for PSL's in the new Giants Stadium. So now if 2 buddies want tickets, here's how they go about beating the system. Buddy "A" buys 2 seats for 4 regular season games. Buddy "B" buys 2 seats for the remaining 4 regular season games. They don't but a season ticket, don't but the required PSL & aren't stuck purchasing the 2 preseason game tickets. Cool huh? Not for guy sitting next to them who did pay for all of the above, hence the possibility of a public relations mess.
I read the Newark Star Ledger this morning with amusement. Some of the Jets, Kris Jenkins & Calvin Pace, were gloating about the shot Eli Manning took on Monday night & said the new stadium was going to be a "House of Pain" for opposing teams. "They're really going to bring it" said Pace. Jenkins said the hit on Manning was "just the beginning." Did you watch the game? The game the Giants won 31-16? Gloating over "the clean hit on Manning" which really began with Manning's own running back, Brandon Jacobs, running into him, standing him up & stunning Manning. Then he was hit by Pace & he fell against the face mask of Jet safety Jim Leonard. Apparently the Jets have decided selective memory can also be a weapon. Boy oh boy, talk about spin.
The Mountain West Conference played musical teams today with one prominent member withdrawing while adding two new schools as members. Brigham Young decided to go the way of the Irish, becoming an independent that is. They will become an independent in 2011, no longer a member of the MWC. Then by 5PM, the conference added two former WAC schools, Fresno State & Nevada. So to summarize, since May, the Mountain West Conference has added Boise State, lost Utah to the PAC-10, lost BYU to independence, added Fresno State & Nevada. Got it?
Headed for Kansas City tomorrow to celebrate my father-in-law's 84th birthday with a nice dinner at V's. Then it's home on Friday after a quick stop at my buddy Chuck's for lunch. Chuck patrolled the sidelines at Arrowhead for over 20-years taking pictures. The Chiefs told him recently his services were no longer needed. He's just one of many long timers forced out by the new management. I have some thoughts on this purge, some of the people brought in & their qualifications. I'll get to that next week.
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