A COUPLE OF QUICK NOTES & I'LL BE BACK FULL TIME TOMORROW
I hope everyone had a safe holiday weekend, my family is still here having their usual good time. Most will be here thru Monday & then we're back to just the four of us(my wife, sister & bro-in-law) here on the hillside for a while. Lot more rumors floating about tonight concerning a possible deal in the NFL labor talks, lets get to a few of them.
Today & tomorrow Judge Arthur Boylan will preside of the talks that will include only lawyers from both sides. This could be a good sign, were they sent in to get the legalese written down so we can get this deal finalized very shortly? It could also be a setback as the lawyers from both sides have been banished from the bargaining table repeatedly for causing major distractions. I hope DeMaurice Smith & Roger Goodell treated these sharks like hired hands & gave them specific instructions as to exactly what they expect to be accomplished by Thursday, when both players & owners return to the bargaining table.
The Hall of Fame Game will be played on August 7th as scheduled. The game's ticket sales are anything but brisk, nearly half the seats remain unsold. But then people have their doubts, justifiably so, as to whether or not this game will actually kickoff at all.
A very knowledgeable source claims someone very knowledgeable in the Redskin organization has said there will be a handshake deal this Sunday & that's what the lawyers are working on right now, the last details. I've also heard the rookie wage scale is one of the biggest sticking points currently. The other is the league asking for a "right of 1st refusal" on 3 unrestricted free agents per team. They want the option to match an offer to retain an UFA. I can't see the players going along with that, It's another way to bring the limited free agency signing period to an absolute crawl, something we can't afford. This has been part of restricted free agency for years but I just don't see it's place this season.
Word out of Washington, Chicago & Minnesota is all coaches were to report for full time duty immediately, to map out their training camp schedules, discuss free agents & undrafted college players.
The word out of Houston is the Texans will be very interested in All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. I doubt Raider owner Al Davis will make an offer close to what he had already paid him, so he'll be on the open market. Personally, I don't see the Texans as being a major player for Asomugha's services. They had an excellent corner in Dunta Robinson & let him walk away to Atlanta in free agency last year. Why would they pay nearly 75% more for Asomugha than it would have taken to retain Robinson? Yes, Asomugha is a fine corner, but he's not $7 million better than Robinson. Houston has some fine players & adding Wade Phillips as D-coordinator was a smart move, but this team has never impressed me as being anything more than what it's been for years, a middle-of-the-pack team. Been in the league since 2002, never been to a playoff game & only one winning season, a barely there 9-7 in 2009. This team needs a lot of defensive help, signing Asomugha really wouldn't help that much. Better yes, serious contender no. If you're going to pay a free agent $12-15 million per season, they better put you over the top or damn close to it. The Texans still aren't there & Asomugha turns 30 today.
Nnamdi Asomugha - Free Agent
Lorenzo Neal was one of the best blocking fullbacks in NFL history. He was lead blocker for 11 consecutive thousand-yard rushers. Neal retired to his native Fresno before the start of the 2009 season & took a position with SRS, Safe Rides Solutions. Neal was the Chief Information Officer for the company that was founded to deter drunks from driving. SRS is essentially a car service people who have been drinking can call to get a safe ride to their destination & to keep them from getting behind the wheel. Yesterday Neal was arrested in Fresno for, you guessed it, DUI. He played golf in the afternoon & on his way home, Neal rounded a corner, lost control of his truck & hit a pole. Officers administered a field sobriety test, he failed & was placed under arrest. Me thinks Neal no longer holds much credibility as Chief Information Officer at SRS.
Lorenzo Neal
The University of Baylor has a very unusual marketing ploy to drum up new season ticket sales. They told the world whatever the temperature was in Waco for the Fourth of July, would determine a special price for select season tickets. The thermometer registered 101 degrees Monday, so from July 5th thru the 10th, a season ticket for Bears' football could be purchased for just $101. That's an 8-game slate for just $101 or $12.62 per game. That's a heckuva deal especially since their home schedule includes TCU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech & Texas. Those in the Waco area better act quickly, you only have till Sunday to get this ridiculous price.
Today & tomorrow Judge Arthur Boylan will preside of the talks that will include only lawyers from both sides. This could be a good sign, were they sent in to get the legalese written down so we can get this deal finalized very shortly? It could also be a setback as the lawyers from both sides have been banished from the bargaining table repeatedly for causing major distractions. I hope DeMaurice Smith & Roger Goodell treated these sharks like hired hands & gave them specific instructions as to exactly what they expect to be accomplished by Thursday, when both players & owners return to the bargaining table.
The Hall of Fame Game will be played on August 7th as scheduled. The game's ticket sales are anything but brisk, nearly half the seats remain unsold. But then people have their doubts, justifiably so, as to whether or not this game will actually kickoff at all.
A very knowledgeable source claims someone very knowledgeable in the Redskin organization has said there will be a handshake deal this Sunday & that's what the lawyers are working on right now, the last details. I've also heard the rookie wage scale is one of the biggest sticking points currently. The other is the league asking for a "right of 1st refusal" on 3 unrestricted free agents per team. They want the option to match an offer to retain an UFA. I can't see the players going along with that, It's another way to bring the limited free agency signing period to an absolute crawl, something we can't afford. This has been part of restricted free agency for years but I just don't see it's place this season.
Word out of Washington, Chicago & Minnesota is all coaches were to report for full time duty immediately, to map out their training camp schedules, discuss free agents & undrafted college players.
The word out of Houston is the Texans will be very interested in All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. I doubt Raider owner Al Davis will make an offer close to what he had already paid him, so he'll be on the open market. Personally, I don't see the Texans as being a major player for Asomugha's services. They had an excellent corner in Dunta Robinson & let him walk away to Atlanta in free agency last year. Why would they pay nearly 75% more for Asomugha than it would have taken to retain Robinson? Yes, Asomugha is a fine corner, but he's not $7 million better than Robinson. Houston has some fine players & adding Wade Phillips as D-coordinator was a smart move, but this team has never impressed me as being anything more than what it's been for years, a middle-of-the-pack team. Been in the league since 2002, never been to a playoff game & only one winning season, a barely there 9-7 in 2009. This team needs a lot of defensive help, signing Asomugha really wouldn't help that much. Better yes, serious contender no. If you're going to pay a free agent $12-15 million per season, they better put you over the top or damn close to it. The Texans still aren't there & Asomugha turns 30 today.
Nnamdi Asomugha - Free Agent
Lorenzo Neal was one of the best blocking fullbacks in NFL history. He was lead blocker for 11 consecutive thousand-yard rushers. Neal retired to his native Fresno before the start of the 2009 season & took a position with SRS, Safe Rides Solutions. Neal was the Chief Information Officer for the company that was founded to deter drunks from driving. SRS is essentially a car service people who have been drinking can call to get a safe ride to their destination & to keep them from getting behind the wheel. Yesterday Neal was arrested in Fresno for, you guessed it, DUI. He played golf in the afternoon & on his way home, Neal rounded a corner, lost control of his truck & hit a pole. Officers administered a field sobriety test, he failed & was placed under arrest. Me thinks Neal no longer holds much credibility as Chief Information Officer at SRS.
Lorenzo Neal
The University of Baylor has a very unusual marketing ploy to drum up new season ticket sales. They told the world whatever the temperature was in Waco for the Fourth of July, would determine a special price for select season tickets. The thermometer registered 101 degrees Monday, so from July 5th thru the 10th, a season ticket for Bears' football could be purchased for just $101. That's an 8-game slate for just $101 or $12.62 per game. That's a heckuva deal especially since their home schedule includes TCU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech & Texas. Those in the Waco area better act quickly, you only have till Sunday to get this ridiculous price.
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