DEL RIO: "SCORING WILL DROP," COLTS WORRIED-SIGN COLLINS, CROYLE GETS A JOB TOO & "THE COWBOYS ARE JENNIFER ANNISTON"-SAY WHAT?
This morning, like most mornings, I watched ESPN's Mike & Mike In The Morning. They always have a variety of guests in-studio or by phone, today was no exception. Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio was on & when asked about the new kickoff rule he said "If you back up an offense & make them start at the 20, it reduces their chances of scoring. Scoring will drop." I said the same thing on the radio Monday night. During the 2010 season, 16.7% of all kickoffs were touchbacks. So far in two weeks of preseason games, 37.1% of the kickoffs resulted in a touchbacks. So more than double the 2010 figure. I understand the theory behind this rule change, the league wants to cut down on full-speed violent collisions. By reducing the number of kickoffs returned, the league is hoping to reduce the number of concussions & other serious injuries. As I said Monday night, I have mixed emotions about this rule. It will reduce the number of Devin Hester, Dante Hall-like moments. It will reduce the number of returns outside the 20-yard line, which helps the offense boost their chances of scoring. The shorter the field, the better the chance is an offense can get into scoring territory. Those are the facts regarding this rule change. So the question is, are you happy with more touchbacks & hopefully, increased player safety or do you want to return to the old way of kicking off from the 30-yard line?
The Colts are increasingly worried Peyton Manning won't be ready to start the season after neck surgery this past off-season. Owner Jim Irsay made light of it over the weekend, but it is a very valid question. With Curtis Painter & Dan Orlovsky serving as backups, it becomes quite clear if Manning misses even a couple of games, the Colts could lose the AFC South. Houston is better, no question, so are the Jaguars, so any stumble out of the gate could prove fatal to any playoff chances. Manning or no Manning, Indy isn't the team that won 12 or more games 7 consecutive seasons. So this morning when the Colts announced they had coaxed veteran Kerry Collins out of retirement, it wasn't a huge surprise. I think he'll stay with the team regardless of Manning's status. Watching their QB play thru two preseason games convinced me one of these guys will be released & Collins will be retained. Peyton remains optimistic he will be able to start opening day, but no sense in gambling with Painter & Orlovsky.
Talk about guts, Stephen Cooper, Charger linebacker & Adrian Wilson, Cardinal safety, will both attempt to play with a torn biceps. This is a big-time leadership move by Wilson, if he can play, it should give the Arizona defense a big lift. In Cooper's case, he's playing for a paycheck this season. If he's on the opening day roster, he earns his full salary if he's placed on injured reserve after that. As it stands now, if he didn't choose to play, I believe the Chargers would offer an injury settlement, maybe 25% of his base pay & release him. It's a gamble, he could further injure himself, but that 75% is real incentive. Wilson runs no risk of being cut, he's a team leader & the Cards want to keep him even if they have to place him on I.R.
Plaxico Burress wins the quote of the week award. He tweaked his back in practice Tuesday & when asked if he could go this Saturday versus his old team, the Giants, Plax offered this gem, "it's football, it's not badminton." Jets coach Rex Ryan added "I don't want to be the guy who tells him he can't play." He may not play long, but expect Burress to be in the starting lineup Saturday night.
Carolina's best defender, middle linebacker Jon Beason, will miss opening day at the minimum after undergoing foot surgery. Relieving Achilles tendonitis Beason has suffered from since spring is the reason for the surgery.
Danny Sheridan, long time oddsmaker for USA Today, has entered very dangerous waters with an accusation against the reigning national champions. Sheridan, appearing on a national radio show over the weekend, claimed to know the identity of the "bagman" for Cecil Newton, father of Cam, Heisman winner & quarterback for Auburn last year. At this pont it should be pointed out Sheridan is a lifelong Alabama resident & attended Auburn rival Alabama. That said, Sheridan said this morning the NCAA is sending investigators to interview him about this "person of interest." With all the accusations flying about, NCAA investigators are logging more air miles than a flight attendant. Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, NCAA President Mark Emmert said of the Auburn investigation "when it's closed, it's closed, right now it's open." Newton's father admitted to soliciting $175,000 in cash for his son to sign at Mississippi State. They refused, he moved on to Auburn. Did someone give Cecil Newton a bag full of cash? I've never been a fan of Sheridan but I have to admit, I'm curious.
Want to hear what Panthers' owner Jerry Richardson asked of Newton the first time they met at a pre-draft interview? On PBS' The Charlie Rose Show, Richardson said he asked Newton if he had a tattoo, Newton said no. Did he have a piercing? Again Newton said "no sir, I don't." Richardson said, "good, we'll want to keep it that way & your haircut too, I like your haircut." Picking Newton with the first overall selection is a huge responsibility & Richardson didn't want to leave anything to chance. Does Newton's clean-cut appearance guarantee a great quarterback? Certainly not, but Richardson knows Newton would become the face of his franchise in a fairly conservative market, protecting his investment was his first thought. I don't necessarily agree with his tactics, but Richardson is old school, he's the only former NFL player to own a team. He might not be very progressive, but he does know his market & he has every right to protect his investment in Newton.
News flash, Brodie Croyle has a job. It's an NFL job playing quarterback at that. The Arizona Cardinals signed Croyle to a 1-year deal this morning. He will replace Max Hall, who was released this morning. Hall missed a lot of playing time last season with shoulder issues & had difficulty staying on the field during Arizona's training camp. Funny, a super-fragile QB is being replaced by a super-fragile QB.
Here's an interesting tale, it's the story of a lost championship ring awarded to a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame long ago. Former Baltimore Colts defensive tackle, Art Donovan, lost his 1958 NFL Championship ring in 1977. The ring disappeared from his Hong Kong hotel room. The hotel was staffed then by temporary workers because of a strike. Anyway, the ring was lost 34-years ago. Donovan, who appeared on Late Night with David Letterman many times, spinning his tales of "the old days when we played without a facemask." Donovan was a hoot, he & his wife owned & operated a country club in Baltimore, providing even more humorous stories. In the late 80's a jeweler contacted Donovan claiming he could put his hands on Donovan's ring for a finders fee. Art told him no & he figured that was the last he'd ever hear about the ring. A few months ago, one of Donovan's lifelong friends contacted him, saying he saw what appeared to be Art's championship ring, on Craigslist. They called another long time friend, a retired cop. He setup a sting with cooperation from Maryland law enforcement & they recovered the ring. The Craigslist seller proved his wife's deceased husband had purchased the ring legally & wouldn't face any charges. Donovan, now 86-years old, said "it's nice but with everything else going on in the world, it's not too important."
I just heard new Chiefs' linebacker Brandon Siler sustained a season-ending injury. According to Adam Teicher of The Kansas City Star, on the last play of yesterday's practice, Siler tore his Achilles tendon. It was surgically re-attached today. I really liked this kid, superb special teams player & I liked the way he played inside linebacker last Friday night. Tough break for a young man who appeared to be stepping up his game.
"The Cowboys are Jennifer Anniston" When I read this quote, I had to read the entire column. I'll freely admit, I didn't get it. I mean I got the connection Jen Floyd Engal of FOXSports.com was trying to make in her column. But it was the way she got there, sort of a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" kind of analogy. Ms. Floyd Engal says Anniston is a "crazy pants" which she explains in a very roundabout way, is a leggy, shapely, hot woman who can't get a man to stay with her. What does Jennifer Anniston being a crazy pants have to do with the Dallas Cowboys? The writer goes on to to say when she was interviewing Cowboy linebacker Brady James, he said their lack of post season success was because of an entitlement mentality. James said the team felt entitled because of their many Hall of Fame alumni, the fact they had made the Cowboys "America's Team." O.K. I can buy that, I've always believed this current Cowboy team thought they were a lot better than they really were, so the entitlement thing made some sense. But drawing such a comparison to a smokin' hot 42-year old movie & TV star is quite a stretch, even to someone like me who lives in the abstract about half the time. I wonder if this will become the Cowboys' battle cry this season? "We are Jennifer Anniston!!" Or what about "Crazy Pants Cowboys?" I'm sure Jerry Jones' marketing people are already designing t-shirts emblazoned with the saying under a picture of Anniston. Sadly, I think they would sell like crazy.
The Colts are increasingly worried Peyton Manning won't be ready to start the season after neck surgery this past off-season. Owner Jim Irsay made light of it over the weekend, but it is a very valid question. With Curtis Painter & Dan Orlovsky serving as backups, it becomes quite clear if Manning misses even a couple of games, the Colts could lose the AFC South. Houston is better, no question, so are the Jaguars, so any stumble out of the gate could prove fatal to any playoff chances. Manning or no Manning, Indy isn't the team that won 12 or more games 7 consecutive seasons. So this morning when the Colts announced they had coaxed veteran Kerry Collins out of retirement, it wasn't a huge surprise. I think he'll stay with the team regardless of Manning's status. Watching their QB play thru two preseason games convinced me one of these guys will be released & Collins will be retained. Peyton remains optimistic he will be able to start opening day, but no sense in gambling with Painter & Orlovsky.
Talk about guts, Stephen Cooper, Charger linebacker & Adrian Wilson, Cardinal safety, will both attempt to play with a torn biceps. This is a big-time leadership move by Wilson, if he can play, it should give the Arizona defense a big lift. In Cooper's case, he's playing for a paycheck this season. If he's on the opening day roster, he earns his full salary if he's placed on injured reserve after that. As it stands now, if he didn't choose to play, I believe the Chargers would offer an injury settlement, maybe 25% of his base pay & release him. It's a gamble, he could further injure himself, but that 75% is real incentive. Wilson runs no risk of being cut, he's a team leader & the Cards want to keep him even if they have to place him on I.R.
Plaxico Burress wins the quote of the week award. He tweaked his back in practice Tuesday & when asked if he could go this Saturday versus his old team, the Giants, Plax offered this gem, "it's football, it's not badminton." Jets coach Rex Ryan added "I don't want to be the guy who tells him he can't play." He may not play long, but expect Burress to be in the starting lineup Saturday night.
Carolina's best defender, middle linebacker Jon Beason, will miss opening day at the minimum after undergoing foot surgery. Relieving Achilles tendonitis Beason has suffered from since spring is the reason for the surgery.
Danny Sheridan, long time oddsmaker for USA Today, has entered very dangerous waters with an accusation against the reigning national champions. Sheridan, appearing on a national radio show over the weekend, claimed to know the identity of the "bagman" for Cecil Newton, father of Cam, Heisman winner & quarterback for Auburn last year. At this pont it should be pointed out Sheridan is a lifelong Alabama resident & attended Auburn rival Alabama. That said, Sheridan said this morning the NCAA is sending investigators to interview him about this "person of interest." With all the accusations flying about, NCAA investigators are logging more air miles than a flight attendant. Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this morning, NCAA President Mark Emmert said of the Auburn investigation "when it's closed, it's closed, right now it's open." Newton's father admitted to soliciting $175,000 in cash for his son to sign at Mississippi State. They refused, he moved on to Auburn. Did someone give Cecil Newton a bag full of cash? I've never been a fan of Sheridan but I have to admit, I'm curious.
Want to hear what Panthers' owner Jerry Richardson asked of Newton the first time they met at a pre-draft interview? On PBS' The Charlie Rose Show, Richardson said he asked Newton if he had a tattoo, Newton said no. Did he have a piercing? Again Newton said "no sir, I don't." Richardson said, "good, we'll want to keep it that way & your haircut too, I like your haircut." Picking Newton with the first overall selection is a huge responsibility & Richardson didn't want to leave anything to chance. Does Newton's clean-cut appearance guarantee a great quarterback? Certainly not, but Richardson knows Newton would become the face of his franchise in a fairly conservative market, protecting his investment was his first thought. I don't necessarily agree with his tactics, but Richardson is old school, he's the only former NFL player to own a team. He might not be very progressive, but he does know his market & he has every right to protect his investment in Newton.
News flash, Brodie Croyle has a job. It's an NFL job playing quarterback at that. The Arizona Cardinals signed Croyle to a 1-year deal this morning. He will replace Max Hall, who was released this morning. Hall missed a lot of playing time last season with shoulder issues & had difficulty staying on the field during Arizona's training camp. Funny, a super-fragile QB is being replaced by a super-fragile QB.
Here's an interesting tale, it's the story of a lost championship ring awarded to a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame long ago. Former Baltimore Colts defensive tackle, Art Donovan, lost his 1958 NFL Championship ring in 1977. The ring disappeared from his Hong Kong hotel room. The hotel was staffed then by temporary workers because of a strike. Anyway, the ring was lost 34-years ago. Donovan, who appeared on Late Night with David Letterman many times, spinning his tales of "the old days when we played without a facemask." Donovan was a hoot, he & his wife owned & operated a country club in Baltimore, providing even more humorous stories. In the late 80's a jeweler contacted Donovan claiming he could put his hands on Donovan's ring for a finders fee. Art told him no & he figured that was the last he'd ever hear about the ring. A few months ago, one of Donovan's lifelong friends contacted him, saying he saw what appeared to be Art's championship ring, on Craigslist. They called another long time friend, a retired cop. He setup a sting with cooperation from Maryland law enforcement & they recovered the ring. The Craigslist seller proved his wife's deceased husband had purchased the ring legally & wouldn't face any charges. Donovan, now 86-years old, said "it's nice but with everything else going on in the world, it's not too important."
I just heard new Chiefs' linebacker Brandon Siler sustained a season-ending injury. According to Adam Teicher of The Kansas City Star, on the last play of yesterday's practice, Siler tore his Achilles tendon. It was surgically re-attached today. I really liked this kid, superb special teams player & I liked the way he played inside linebacker last Friday night. Tough break for a young man who appeared to be stepping up his game.
"The Cowboys are Jennifer Anniston" When I read this quote, I had to read the entire column. I'll freely admit, I didn't get it. I mean I got the connection Jen Floyd Engal of FOXSports.com was trying to make in her column. But it was the way she got there, sort of a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" kind of analogy. Ms. Floyd Engal says Anniston is a "crazy pants" which she explains in a very roundabout way, is a leggy, shapely, hot woman who can't get a man to stay with her. What does Jennifer Anniston being a crazy pants have to do with the Dallas Cowboys? The writer goes on to to say when she was interviewing Cowboy linebacker Brady James, he said their lack of post season success was because of an entitlement mentality. James said the team felt entitled because of their many Hall of Fame alumni, the fact they had made the Cowboys "America's Team." O.K. I can buy that, I've always believed this current Cowboy team thought they were a lot better than they really were, so the entitlement thing made some sense. But drawing such a comparison to a smokin' hot 42-year old movie & TV star is quite a stretch, even to someone like me who lives in the abstract about half the time. I wonder if this will become the Cowboys' battle cry this season? "We are Jennifer Anniston!!" Or what about "Crazy Pants Cowboys?" I'm sure Jerry Jones' marketing people are already designing t-shirts emblazoned with the saying under a picture of Anniston. Sadly, I think they would sell like crazy.
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