A LOT OF NEWS FOR A SATURDAY MORNING
Just two days after his two-year probation for DUI ended, Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga put himself in the crosshairs of the legal system, team ownership & the league office. According to numerous witnesses, Maualuga punched the manager of a Cincinnati upscale night spot square in the face. Maualuga's party was said to be loud & unruly. After failing to respond to securities' request to leave the club, the manager approached & told the group it was time to leave. Maualuga took three steps & punched the manager without warning according to the witnesses. He sustained a black eye & a bloody nose. Maualuga was arrested & charged with misdemeanor assault. After a DUI arrest in 2009, when he was pulled over & found to have a couple of teenage girls in the car with him, checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for alcohol rehab. What happens from here remains to be seen, but if the police reports are correct, he's facing a 4-week suspension to begin the 2012 season at a minimum.
Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox most likely will not be ready to start the 2012 season. He was injured in week 14 versus the Seahawks. After a reception, Knox was approaching the goal line & as he was tackled, another Seahawk defender bent him backwards from the waist up. The hit made me absolutely cringe. He was taken off the field on a backboard in an ambulance. Knox required surgery on his spine, just below the neck. Knox was Jay Cutler's favorite wide receiver before he injured his throwing hand. Knox led all Chicago wideouts with 37-receptions last season. Drafting a wide receiver in round one or signing one in free agency was already a priority, with the latest news regarding Knox's future, it is paramount that Chicago acquire some talented help outside.
Just two days after the St. Louis Rams thought they had bolstered their offensive line with their acquisition of CFL all-star Jovan Olafioye. But Olafioye failed his physical which voided his contract & he will return to the B.C. Lions in hopes of getting well enough to play this season in Canada & then take another shot at the NFL. A kidney ailment was detected that scared the Rams off but the Lions made it clear he was welcome to return & they would do everything to help him put the kidney trouble behind him.
New England tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent ankle surgery on Friday. He tried to play last Sunday against the Giants but he just wasn't able to run & cut on the high ankle sprain. The doctors found other issues in his MRI making the surgery necessary.
The Oakland Raiders began cleaning house late this week. New GM Reggie McKenzie plans to rid the team of some of the bloated contracts issued by owner Al Davis. First to go was cornerback Stanford Routt who was due $5.4 million this season. He had a $5 million roster bonus that was guaranteed & even with his release, the Raiders are on the hook for the entire bonus. Routt played near a pro bowl level in 2009 & '10, but last season he was JAG(just a guy), no better, no worse. Average NFL players don't make $10.4 million per season, which is what the Raiders would've been obligated to pay him in 2012. Routt has already been contacted by Dallas, Minnesota & Kansas City. He will begin making visits ASAP as he will get a big head start on the other unrestricted free agents who must wait for their contracts to expire in early March. If he can return to his form of two seasons ago, he's worth signing for sure.
So what is the Chiefs' angle? Are they trying to scare Brandon Carr into signing a quick deal to stay in Kansas City? Are they willing to let Carr go as an unrestricted free agent & possibly replace him with Routt? Do they want Routt to bolster their depth at cornerback while keeping Carr? I certainly hope it's the last option, I do not want to see Brandon Carr go elsewhere, he has a lot of great football in front of him & I want to see him play it in a Chiefs' uniform.
The Chiefs might be looking at an assistant from the New York Giants to become their offensive line coach.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger spoke out yesterday regarding his new offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. "I've received a bunch of texts, emails & phone calls about him, both good & bad. I'm going to wait until we meet & talk about what it is he wants to do here" Big Ben said. "What I don't think we need is to blow everything up & start from scratch." Unfortunately, that's sounds like Todd Haley's plan when he said "we're going to start with a clean slate & do whatever gives us the best chance to score a lot of points." If Haley & Roethlisberger can get on the same page early on, this marriage can work. Haley's Chiefs led the NFL in rushing in 2010, that's what appeals to the Rooney family as well as head coach Mike Tomlin. I don't know if Pittsburgh can accomplish such a radical change with all their needs on defense, but I think we'll see a different Steelers attack this fall.
The Steelers will also begin to restructure some veteran contracts in order to get some cap space. Lamar Woodley, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, even Ben Roethlisberger are candidates to have a sit down with management regarding their contracts. Veterans Arnaz Battle & Bryant McFadden have already been released. Veteran wide receiver Hines Ward will most likely be a casualty of Pittsburgh's cap woes. The 35-year old Ward is near the end of his career & despite volunteering to take just the veteran minimum, down from his $4 million in 2011, the fact that most 4th & 5th wide receivers having to play special teams, might be the last straw for Wards' time in Pittsburgh.
Because no one was willing to blink, the top-2 quarterback prospects for this April's NFL Draft, Andrew Luck & Robert Griffin III, will have their on-campus pro days on the same day, March 22nd. I expect both prospects to have a minimum of 100-scouts, coaches & front office people at their workouts. Just because Indianapolis has the first pick in the draft, it doesn't mean they're guaranteed to take Luck. Plus there's the trade-up factor for RG3's services. Miami, Washington & Cleveland are candidates to make such a move into the 2nd(St. Louis) or 3rd(Minnesota) overall spot to acquire whoever is left between the two. What happens to Peyton Manning & Packer free agent Matt Flynn will go a long way toward deciding who could still be willing to trade-up for a quarterback like these two.
Alabama safety Mark Barron underwent surgery for a double hernia & will not participate in the scouting combine that begins February 23rd. He will need about 8-weeks to recover & get back into shape for Alabama's pro day in late March. The 6' 3" 227-pound Barron is the number one safety one everyone's list going into the combine.
The University of Buffalo has agreed to take $1 million to be slaughtered by Ohio State in Columbus this year. It's a lot of money for a small program & the Buckeyes are looking for a sure thing. See it's not just Boise State who doesn't schedule more than one tough out of conference game, the big boys have done it for decades to pad their records. Alabama paid $1 million to both Kent State & North Texas to come to Tuscaloosa & get smoked to keep their record clean before the conference grind begins.
The Tiger Club of Kansas City had their monthly luncheon on Thursday & Gary Pinkel & offensive coordinator David Yost came to speak about their recent recruiting class as well as other news regarding Tiger football. RB Henry Josey, one of the nation's top runners last season before he sustained a devastating knee injury versus Texas, will undergo his final surgery on the knee in 3-weeks. Pinkel hinted he might not be ready to go in September & might get a redshirt. "He still has three years to play two seasons" Pinkel said. Pinkel also said the new uniforms are ready & will be revealed very soon. The 2012 recruiting class was shown the new unis when they visited the campus. If they were a sales tool, maybe they won't be so frightening, you know Nike scares the hell out of me. Yost said Kansas City running back, Morgan Steward of Staley High, had gained weight, "Morgan's up from 182 as a senior to 205 now, with no loss of speed." Yost added "if Josey is unable to go in September, I think Steward will get some carries & you'll see what a talented back he is."
Finally, Madonna is hot about the controversy from rapper M.I.A.'s flipping the bird during last Sunday's halftime show at the Super Bowl. I knew she'd weigh in with a comment, she doesn't like being upstaged by anyone, much less by someone most of the world doesn't even know. "I wasn't happy about it" she told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show Friday, It was such a negative thing, such a teenager, irrelevant thing to do. It was just out of place, completely." For once, I agree with Madonna.
Charming
Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox most likely will not be ready to start the 2012 season. He was injured in week 14 versus the Seahawks. After a reception, Knox was approaching the goal line & as he was tackled, another Seahawk defender bent him backwards from the waist up. The hit made me absolutely cringe. He was taken off the field on a backboard in an ambulance. Knox required surgery on his spine, just below the neck. Knox was Jay Cutler's favorite wide receiver before he injured his throwing hand. Knox led all Chicago wideouts with 37-receptions last season. Drafting a wide receiver in round one or signing one in free agency was already a priority, with the latest news regarding Knox's future, it is paramount that Chicago acquire some talented help outside.
Just two days after the St. Louis Rams thought they had bolstered their offensive line with their acquisition of CFL all-star Jovan Olafioye. But Olafioye failed his physical which voided his contract & he will return to the B.C. Lions in hopes of getting well enough to play this season in Canada & then take another shot at the NFL. A kidney ailment was detected that scared the Rams off but the Lions made it clear he was welcome to return & they would do everything to help him put the kidney trouble behind him.
New England tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent ankle surgery on Friday. He tried to play last Sunday against the Giants but he just wasn't able to run & cut on the high ankle sprain. The doctors found other issues in his MRI making the surgery necessary.
The Oakland Raiders began cleaning house late this week. New GM Reggie McKenzie plans to rid the team of some of the bloated contracts issued by owner Al Davis. First to go was cornerback Stanford Routt who was due $5.4 million this season. He had a $5 million roster bonus that was guaranteed & even with his release, the Raiders are on the hook for the entire bonus. Routt played near a pro bowl level in 2009 & '10, but last season he was JAG(just a guy), no better, no worse. Average NFL players don't make $10.4 million per season, which is what the Raiders would've been obligated to pay him in 2012. Routt has already been contacted by Dallas, Minnesota & Kansas City. He will begin making visits ASAP as he will get a big head start on the other unrestricted free agents who must wait for their contracts to expire in early March. If he can return to his form of two seasons ago, he's worth signing for sure.
So what is the Chiefs' angle? Are they trying to scare Brandon Carr into signing a quick deal to stay in Kansas City? Are they willing to let Carr go as an unrestricted free agent & possibly replace him with Routt? Do they want Routt to bolster their depth at cornerback while keeping Carr? I certainly hope it's the last option, I do not want to see Brandon Carr go elsewhere, he has a lot of great football in front of him & I want to see him play it in a Chiefs' uniform.
The Chiefs might be looking at an assistant from the New York Giants to become their offensive line coach.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger spoke out yesterday regarding his new offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. "I've received a bunch of texts, emails & phone calls about him, both good & bad. I'm going to wait until we meet & talk about what it is he wants to do here" Big Ben said. "What I don't think we need is to blow everything up & start from scratch." Unfortunately, that's sounds like Todd Haley's plan when he said "we're going to start with a clean slate & do whatever gives us the best chance to score a lot of points." If Haley & Roethlisberger can get on the same page early on, this marriage can work. Haley's Chiefs led the NFL in rushing in 2010, that's what appeals to the Rooney family as well as head coach Mike Tomlin. I don't know if Pittsburgh can accomplish such a radical change with all their needs on defense, but I think we'll see a different Steelers attack this fall.
The Steelers will also begin to restructure some veteran contracts in order to get some cap space. Lamar Woodley, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, even Ben Roethlisberger are candidates to have a sit down with management regarding their contracts. Veterans Arnaz Battle & Bryant McFadden have already been released. Veteran wide receiver Hines Ward will most likely be a casualty of Pittsburgh's cap woes. The 35-year old Ward is near the end of his career & despite volunteering to take just the veteran minimum, down from his $4 million in 2011, the fact that most 4th & 5th wide receivers having to play special teams, might be the last straw for Wards' time in Pittsburgh.
Because no one was willing to blink, the top-2 quarterback prospects for this April's NFL Draft, Andrew Luck & Robert Griffin III, will have their on-campus pro days on the same day, March 22nd. I expect both prospects to have a minimum of 100-scouts, coaches & front office people at their workouts. Just because Indianapolis has the first pick in the draft, it doesn't mean they're guaranteed to take Luck. Plus there's the trade-up factor for RG3's services. Miami, Washington & Cleveland are candidates to make such a move into the 2nd(St. Louis) or 3rd(Minnesota) overall spot to acquire whoever is left between the two. What happens to Peyton Manning & Packer free agent Matt Flynn will go a long way toward deciding who could still be willing to trade-up for a quarterback like these two.
Alabama safety Mark Barron underwent surgery for a double hernia & will not participate in the scouting combine that begins February 23rd. He will need about 8-weeks to recover & get back into shape for Alabama's pro day in late March. The 6' 3" 227-pound Barron is the number one safety one everyone's list going into the combine.
The University of Buffalo has agreed to take $1 million to be slaughtered by Ohio State in Columbus this year. It's a lot of money for a small program & the Buckeyes are looking for a sure thing. See it's not just Boise State who doesn't schedule more than one tough out of conference game, the big boys have done it for decades to pad their records. Alabama paid $1 million to both Kent State & North Texas to come to Tuscaloosa & get smoked to keep their record clean before the conference grind begins.
The Tiger Club of Kansas City had their monthly luncheon on Thursday & Gary Pinkel & offensive coordinator David Yost came to speak about their recent recruiting class as well as other news regarding Tiger football. RB Henry Josey, one of the nation's top runners last season before he sustained a devastating knee injury versus Texas, will undergo his final surgery on the knee in 3-weeks. Pinkel hinted he might not be ready to go in September & might get a redshirt. "He still has three years to play two seasons" Pinkel said. Pinkel also said the new uniforms are ready & will be revealed very soon. The 2012 recruiting class was shown the new unis when they visited the campus. If they were a sales tool, maybe they won't be so frightening, you know Nike scares the hell out of me. Yost said Kansas City running back, Morgan Steward of Staley High, had gained weight, "Morgan's up from 182 as a senior to 205 now, with no loss of speed." Yost added "if Josey is unable to go in September, I think Steward will get some carries & you'll see what a talented back he is."
Finally, Madonna is hot about the controversy from rapper M.I.A.'s flipping the bird during last Sunday's halftime show at the Super Bowl. I knew she'd weigh in with a comment, she doesn't like being upstaged by anyone, much less by someone most of the world doesn't even know. "I wasn't happy about it" she told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show Friday, It was such a negative thing, such a teenager, irrelevant thing to do. It was just out of place, completely." For once, I agree with Madonna.
Charming
Big Ben might want to make an appointment to see Haley, or he could get the Waters treatment.
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Madonna is so irrelevant that I couldn't believe my ears when the NFL announced this old, worn out hag with a fake accent was gonna be the halftime show. How about Bob Seger? Bruno Mars? Coco Montoya? The stage was killer.
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Seger, Bruno(he was great at the Grammy's), Alicia Keys(she was too!), Jennifer Hudson, or Faith & Tim would all make more sense than what we watched last halftime. I'd love to see Coco, but never gonna happen, blues & jazz are way over most people's heads. Sorry if that offends some of you, but it's true. Zero produced sound, the very best musicians on the planet outside of the philharmonic, really honest, creative music. No pelvic thrusts, no flippin' the bird & no acts where shock value is more important than actual musicality.
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