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August 30, 2008

Chad Johnson now Chad Javon Ocho Cinco

Chad Johnson was one of my favorite players in the NFL. He was a little out there like racing horses on a horse track for charity, but he seemed like he was just a guy that had fun with the game. I respected that.



With all of his off-season antics, Chad Johnson became one of my least favorite players. Perhaps, he was easily influenced by his uber-jerk agent, Drew Rosenhaus, but he was a different Chad Johnson. Now, he's an even different Chad Johnson:
The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla., a switch that became official this week.

"It's something I don't think anyone has ever done before," he told the team's Web site. "Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do? I'm having fun."
Many don't like his antics including head coach Marvin Lewis, who has referred to Chad as "Ocho Psycho." But I love the move. Whether you (or I) like Ocho Cinco or not, one thing's for sure. He will always give us something to talk about.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 28, 2008

Shawne Merriman will play in 2008

Shawne Merriman has two torn ligaments in his knee. He has visited four separate doctors looking for the response that he wanted to hear. While they all recommended surgery, Merriman has decided to play in 2008.
Merriman said all four doctors he saw said he needed surgery, but there "just wasn't a time frame on that. My knee still looks pretty good. The decision was left up to me to play. If you give a football player a decision to play, you know, I'm going to play."
Is he making a mistake? I personally feel that he is making a mistake. However, I believe that he's doing the right thing. In other words, I disagree with the decision in the general sense. I wouldn't do it if it were me and I think it's a bad risk-reward decision. But I also feel that everyone has to do what they feel is most appropriate for them.

First, I completely understand his desire to play the game of football and be an integral contributor to a team that has legitimate Super Bowl hopes. In fact, I admire him for it.

But the possibility of a career-ending injury looms. I don't think it's worth the risk for Merriman and the Chargers to take. I realize if Merriman injures his knee to the point that he never plays again, the Chargers will obviously not re-sign him to another contract.

But it is Shawne Merriman's body. He's been visiting top doctors across the country so I'm sure he fully understands the risks involved. It's his decision to make. It would be a mistake if he were caving under pressure from the Chargers management, coaches and players. But it appears that he is not.

However, what kind of precedent is Shawne Merriman setting for other players dealing with injuries?
“Don’t think the next player that has a pull or tear won’t be reminded by his coaches that if Shawne Merriman is still producing for his team with two torn knee ligaments, you should be able to play through [it],” the source opined.

It’s a great point. Usually, it’s the player who’s being cautious and the team cajoling him into playing. Now that Merriman has made his high-profile decision to ignore his long-term health and well-being, the other teams will be able to press the buttons of their own players by merely mentioning Merriman’s name.
Hindsight is always 20-20. For Merriman's sake, hopefully we'll look back at this some day and feel that he made the right decision.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 27, 2008

Bucs to keep or shop Michael Clayton?

In Michael Clayton's rookie season, he had 1,193 receiving yards on 80 receptions with 7 TDs. Since then, he's had a total of 1,029 receiving yards on 87 receptions and 1 TD in 3 seasons.
"I'm interested in Clayton, too. I don't care who else is," coach Jon Gruden said Monday. "We're going to keep our best players, and I'll leave it at that. We've had a real competitive camp, and Mike has done some good things. People call all the time about all kinds of things.

"I thought he played well. He showed what a physical perimeter player he is. He made a great catch on an inside route for a first down away from his body. The touchdown catch was a hell of a catch. He ran a great route. It was good."

That's not to say the Bucs won't entertain trades, but at receiver they are dealing from strength. The Bucs have to cut five players to reach the 75-man limit today and must get down to 53 players by Saturday.
It makes no sense to shop him unless it's to Oakland since Al Davis likes to make awful deals. Otherwise, how much are they going to get for the guy in return? Not much.

He's in a contract year so maybe he plays well and you get more value out of him than you did in the past few years. But don't make the mistake of re-upping and overpaying the guy. Let Al Davis do that...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:51 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Matt Leinart still starting QB?

According to a report on ESPN, the Arizona Cardinals were going to name Kurt Warner their starting QB. After Matt Leinart's poor performance (4-12, 3 INTs, 2.8 QB rating) in week 3, it made sense to name Warner the starter. In fact, heading into 2008, I thought Warner should have been the starter.

Who led the NFL in 2nd-half passing TDs in 2007? Tom Brady? No. Peyton Manning? No. Tony Romo? No. Kurt Warner? Yes. Kurt Warner's performance on the field last year earned him the right to start once Matt Leinart was healthy again.

Apparently, Ken Whisenhunt doesn't take kindly to rumors about decisions that haven't yet been announced. So much so that he has announced that Matt Leinart is still the starting QB.
"It's still the same," Leinart said Monday of his status.

"Nothing has changed," coach Ken Whisenhunt echoed.
This move is not in the best interest of the football team. It seems to me that he's making the move more to be stubborn and prove the point that he's in "control" of the team. Kurt Warner gives Whisenhunt the best opportunity to win football games.

This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode (and, quite frankly, everything in life can always be related to Seinfeld) where George Costanza was going to break up with a girl. However, when the girl came into the diner to meet George, she mentioned that she ran into Lloyd Braun or someone who told her George couldn't commit. Even though he really wanted to break up with her, he decided that he couldn't do that when someone else said he would.

Ken it's o.k. to break up with Leinart even though Chris Mortensen said you would.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:13 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 26, 2008

Chad Johnson to play with torn labrum

Chad Johnson has a partially torn labrum and has decided to play through the injury.
"I've talked to a lot of people who have played with this injury," said Johnson, who wears a protective harness on the shoulder. "They didn't get surgery, and they played and had a successful season. So I'll be fine."

Johnson said he lobbied coach Marvin Lewis to let him play against the Colts, but was turned down.

"I asked Marvin to play Thursday, not to prove a point but to show that I'm ready to go," Johnson said. "And he told me no, there's no need. I already got hurt in one preseason game, there's no reason for another. I will be ready for the opener."
Last year, Kellen Winslow Jr. played with the same injury and wore a harness. Winslow finished 2007 with 82 receptions and 1,102 yards.

I admire (yes, admire) Johnson for his toughness and grit to play through the pain. Although he claims to have asked Lewis to play in a meaningless pre-season game to show he's "ready to go", I wonder if the injury is a little more severe than is being reported since the Bengals are reportedly shopping Rudi Johnson for a "real receiver." As always with Ocho Cinco, stay tuned...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:33 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 25, 2008

Tom Brady - ready for season opener

Tom Brady has yet to play in the pre-season with a foot injury. He says he will be ready to play when the regular season starts.
"If I don't play [Thursday, when the Patriots play the Giants in their preseason finale] then I'll be ready for Kansas City," Brady said on an appearance on WEEI Radio's Dennis & Callahan Show.
Fortunately, for the Pats and Brady, playing the Chiefs is kind-of like extending the pre-season. The Pats should be favored by double digits (and closer to 20 than to 10) in this game. Brady has the opportunity to work off any rust then.

And if you were sick of all the media attention focused on Brett Favre in the off-season, imagine the hype that will surround the Patriots week 2 matchup (Patriots 2008 schedule).

Jets vs Patriots. Mangini vs Belichick. Now, Favre vs Brady.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chris Williams vs Jerry Angelo

Chris Williams, the 14th overall 2008 draft pick, was supposed to play LT for the Bears and help bolster their offensive line. And then it was reported that he might miss the 2008 season after suffering (reaggravating) a back injury.

Now, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Chris Williams is ahead of schedule and will likely return in the second half of 2008. The bad news is Chris Williams has said that the Bears knew about his herniated disc at draft time.
"I had a herniated disc before I got here," Williams said after watching practice Sunday afternoon at Halas Hall. "We knew that. Everyone knew that. It just was a thing where most people it doesn't affect. It wasn't affecting me so if nothing is broke, you don't fix it. Then something happened in practice that second day, the disc started moving and that caused some problems."
Most GMs would respond to this with a prepared statement and then try to move past this. Instead, Bears GM Jerry Angelo called an impromptu press conference with Bears beat writers.
"Nobody was trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes," Angelo said testily. "Nobody is covering their ass."

"Nobody is twisting the truth or embellishing it," Angelo said. "I could give a [bleep]. I could give a [bleep]. If we screwed up, I would tell you, 'We screwed up.' Hey, if we said this was 50-50 and we just rolled the dice, I would tell you that."

"We're just giving you the minutiae now of everything, which we normally don't do. We don't get into that, the nitty-gritty of everything we do, for reasons like this. We don't want to get into these witch hunts. OK? But let's clear the air."
It looks like Angelo has been hanging around with Lou Piniella and Ozzie Guillen too much. Just let it go Jerry.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:26 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Matt Ryan named starter in Atlanta

So far, Matt Ryan has played well in the pre-season. He has completed 61.5% of passes (32-52) for 277 yards. In those 52 pass attempts, he has only thrown 1 interception.

Aug. 9: 9/15, 113 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Aug. 16: 8/16, 62 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Aug. 22: 15/21, 102 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Matt Ryan's solid play has earned him the starting QB gig. Is it too soon?

I think the Falcons are making the right move. With or without Matt Ryan at the helm, the Atlanta Falcons are going to be awful in 2008. Although using a #3 pick doesn't guarantee success (see Harrington, Joey), Ryan is the Falcons QB of the future.

It makes a lot of sense to me to let the QB of the future get experience in the present so that when the team has a brighter future, their QB will be better-positioned to help lead them.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:38 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 24, 2008

Osi Umenyiora out for year

One of the main reasons the New York Giants are defending Super Bowl Champions was their ferocious pass rush. The Giants led the NFL with 53 sacks in 2007. Now, they will be without the generators of 22 of those sacks in 2008.

Michael Strahan retired earlier in the year although he hinted that he would have returned for $8 million. He had 9 sacks in 2007.

Now, Giants DE Osi Umenyiora, who had 13 sacks in the regular season and 7 in the post-season, has ligament damage in his left knee and will miss the 2008 season. Tom Coughlin said that early indications were that Osi “did not suffer ligament damage.” Umenyiora had an MRI Sunday and that wasn’t the case.
However, an MRI Sunday found a torn lateral meniscus, Dr. Russell Warren told the team. The two-time Pro Bowl choice will have surgery Tuesday and be sidelined for the season.

This is not the first time Umenyiora has required surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery for the same problem at Troy State.
According to Gary Myers of the Daily News:
There is only one call to make: Bring back Michael Strahan.

The Giants need to reach out to Strahan, one of their all-time greats, and sweet-talk him back from retirement. GM Jerry Reese surely has his number as one of his Fave Fives.
It makes sense to give Strahan a call and Strahan may even be able to get the money he initially wanted. Otherwise, the Giants' run may be one and done.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 23, 2008

Usain Bolt in the NFL?

Whether or not a track star can make the transition from the track to the football field is a crap shoot. However, in a world where an athletic quarterback with no receiving experience (Matt Jones) was drafted in the first-round because of his size and athletic ability, it makes sense to give Usain Bolt, the world's fastest human, a shot as Gil Brandt writes for his NFL.com column:
Someone asked me the other day what I thought about the idea of making Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt a football player. Let's put it this way: If Hall of Fame general manager Tex Schramm and I were still running the Cowboys, we'd be in Jamaica right now waiting for Bolt's plane to land.

That's not to say anyone can predict what the fastest human being alive might do on a football field. But in a sport that places such a premium on raw speed, why not take a chance on a guy who just shattered world records?
Of course, Brandt's opinion is partly based on their success with drafting speedster "Bullet" Bob Hayes with their 7th-round draft pick in 1965. But asked would Bolt make a successful transition, Brandt says:
There's no way of knowing for sure. He's got a tremendous body. The thing that would concern me is that he's such a long strider. Those long legs help him run fast, but they wouldn't do a lot of good making cuts.

That said, he could probably fly past most any cornerback. If he had any hands at all, he'd be scary. Certainly worth giving him a look if you're a team in need at receiver.

You never know when you might strike gold.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:06 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 21, 2008

Top 150 Cheat Sheet Updated

Our new Top 150 Cheat Sheet, which averages out Cheat Sheet positions from ESPN, NFL.com, SI.com, Sportsline, Fox Sports and Yahoo!, was updated 8/19.

Here is the Top 10 (and average cheat sheet position):

1. Ladainian Tomlinson, Chargers (1.0)
2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (2.7)
3. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (3.2)
4. Steven Jackson, Rams (4.8)
5. Joseph Addai, Colts (5.3)
6. Tom Brady, Patriots (5.3)
7. Randy Moss, Patriots (8.8)
8. Clinton Portis, Redskins (9.0)
9. Marion Barber III, Cowboys (9.3)
10. Frank Gore, 49ers (10.0)

Click here to see full 150

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:49 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kevin Curtis to have sports hernia surgery

Donovan McNabb finished 2007 very strongly. In the last 4 games of the season, he completed more than 65% of his passes and threw for almost 1000 yards. He also made good decisions with the football as threw 6 TDs to only 1 interception.

Finishing up so strongly last year, McNabb was one of my sleeper picks that I was targeting in my fantasy football drafts. Well, there is a wrench thrown into the plans. Kevin Curtis is going to sports hernia surgery today and will be out for significant time.
The full extent of the injury will not be clear until the surgery is performed, so no timetable was given for a possible return, but expect it to be a while, given the history of the injury. A reasonable timeframe probably would be six to eight weeks from the surgery, which Curtis told the Daily News will take place Thursday morning. The regular season starts Sept. 7. There is little chance the Eagles' leading 2007 receiver (77 catches, 1,110 yards) will be full-strength before October, at best.

Curtis becomes the third Eagles player to suffer a sports hernia in the last few years. Donovan McNabb had surgery during the 2005 season after trying to play through the injury. L.J. Smith had offseason surgery in the spring of 2007 but the injury lingered, especially after he suffered another injury to the area during training camp. Smith cautioned yesterday that Curtis should not try to come back too soon. Previously, cornerback Sheldon Brown played the 2003 season with the injury, something Brown said yesterday he would not do again.
The Eagles drafted DeSean Jackson, who will help the Eagles in the return game to a greater degree than the passing game. But their WR corps with Kevin Curtis was the weakest in the NFC East.

I still think Donovan McNabb will have a strong year in 2008. However, more of the burden will fall on his and Brian Westbrook's shoulders. And, now the Eagles need Jackson to step up and contribute more than previously required.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:53 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 17, 2008

Ray Rice Looks Solid in Loss

Before Willis McGahee needed to have his knee scope, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron indicated that he was going to increase McGahee’s workload this season.
“There is no question in my mind that Willis McGahee can be a three-down back,” offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. “I think this is the right time in his career to do it. With his ability, there is no reason why he shouldn’t excel on three downs.”
But the Baltimore Ravens invested a second-round draft pick on Rutgers RB Ray Rice. With Willis McGahee out, Ray Rice capitalized in their pre-season loss to Minnesota.
The only bright spot for the Ravens’ offense was Rice, who ran for 77 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings led the league last season by allowing 74.1 rushing yards a game. By halftime, Rice had darted for 71 yards.

Harbaugh downplayed any potential battle for the starting running back job.

“[When] Willis is healthy and he’s ready to go, he’s our starter,” Harbaugh said. “But [Rice] played like a starter.”
I agree with Harbaugh that Willis McGahee should be the starter. However, should the Ravens be increasing McGahee’s workload when he comes back and he’s healthy like Cameron suggests? It doesn’t make sense to me. In today’s era, RBs should share the load. It’s such a physically demanding position. Why not try to preserve both?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:14 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 16, 2008

Zygi Wilf - Fielding Punts and High-fiving Tailgaters

Every sports team owner should be a big sports fan (not always the case). Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf personifies what a good owner is in my opinion:
Owner Zygi Wilf is a frequent visitor to practice, and this is what I like about him: Not only is he approachable, he does not draw attention to himself while standing on the sideline. Here's something else I like about him: When a trainer challenged him to field punts one afternoon at practice, insisting he couldn't catch one, Wilf took him up on it -- walking on the field in front of an audience of Vikings fans. He caught three of six. I knew there was a reason I liked this guy.
Here is a You Tube video of Wilf tailgating:

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brandon Marshall appeals suspension

Brandon Marshall was suspended by Roger Goodell for 3 games (can be reduced to 2) under the Personal Conduct Policy. Well, he has filed an appeal to...umm, the Commissioner:
Brandon Marshall formally appealed his three-game suspension Thursday to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to a league source. Goodell had found the Broncos' receiver in violation of the league's personal conduct policy. An appeal hearing has not been set, although it's expected before the season-opening week.

Appeal aside, Goodell said he would consider reducing the suspension to two games if Marshall met certain conditions.

The New Orleans Saints, the Broncos' Game 3 opponent, might be interested to learn the most significant condition is for Marshall to stay free from trouble and disturbances through Sept. 15, which is when he can be reinstated.
Makes no sense. His chance to appeal was when he met with Roger Goodell. The Commissioner isn't going to reduce or cancel the suspension now.

Filing an appeal is just going to give the impression that he doesn't understand why he's being punished under the policy possibly influencing his explanations if to the Commissioner if (when) he gets in trouble again.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:12 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

August 14, 2008

Adam Jones to mail reinstatement letter

In late-May, Adam (don't call me "Pacman") Jones met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Goodell partially reinstated Jones on June 2nd. The "partial" reinstatement meant that Jones could practice with the Cowboys and participate in pre-season games.

Tomorrow, Adam Jones will mail his request to be fully reinstated. So far, Jones has kept his nose out of trouble.
Since being traded to the Cowboys, Jones has tried to surround himself with a better support group. He's befriended former Cowboys Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders. Jones also has become friends with several of his new teammates, including Tank Johnson, whom the Cowboys helped return from a similar suspension last season.

"The important thing is getting him here and getting him acclimated," Johnson said. "I have told him you are a good kid, we know you and we're looking forward to having you on the team and we're excited about you proving everybody wrong."
Provided that he continues to stay out of trouble, it's very likely that Jones will be reinstated. Jerry Jones is making cautious statements, however, to not ruffle Goodell's feathers.
Jerry Jones wouldn't speculate on when he expected to hear from Goodell, acknowledging that the decision "probably will be very late in the preseason." Jones did say, however, that he anticipated to at least "get a feel" of what to expect before the Cowboys have to cut their roster to 53 players on Aug. 30.

"I'm just guessing that," Jones said.
Although Adam Jones was rusty in the Cowboys first pre-season game at San Diego, I expect Jones to be fine come the start of the 2008 season. And with Jones playing at his full ability, the Cowboys arguably have the best secondary in the NFL.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:58 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 10, 2008

Brett Favre fumbles...and then runs

Brett Favre has told Eric Mangini that he wants to be treated like everyone else. Eric Mangini has said that is one of the things he likes about Favre. In any event, when Favre and Nick Mangold fumbled a QB-C exchange, the defense started chanting for them to run. So, they did...



I'm not sure if running laps after fumbles will win him any fans on the team (although actual fans cheered him running), not running certainly would have caused him friends on the team. Perhaps not surprisingly, he isn't winning everyone other on the team.

On Alan Faneca's comments about Brett Favre, here's what Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote:
The Favre-Faneca relationship is definitely something to watch. Faneca probably thought he’d walk in as the leader of the offensive line, if not the entire offense. Now, it’s Favre’s show. If Faneca doesn’t like Favre and/or resents all the attention Favre is getting, things could get even more interesting in New York.
And Laverneus Coles, someone with whom Brett Favre would like to be on the same page, had a close relationship with Chad Pennington.
"I just need some time," Coles told a member of the Jets' public-relations staff.

Coles was said to be very upset Wednesday night, when the team learned that Pennington would be released to make room for Brett Favre.

Toward the end of practice, Coles stood alone on the sideline, away from his teammates - unusual for him. Clearly, something is bugging him.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:37 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 09, 2008

Kids Swearing at Aaron Rodgers

Although Aaron Rodgers hasn't always said the perfect thing throughout the Brett Favre vs Green Bay Packers saga, I think he has done pretty well at maintaining the right outlook and handling it with class. The "get on board or shut up" statement was ill-advised, but that is the exception to the rule.

Discussing what gets to Aaron Rodgers, he said:
"The things I can't understand, the things I really take personally, is when I'm driving up to the (parking lot) gate and punching in my punch code and somebody says ‘F.U.' to me. That kind of bothers me. Or when a little kid is yelling swear words at me. That kind of gets to me. The boos, they expect a high level of play and they miss Brett Favre. I understand that. But the ‘F.U.' and the little kids saying swear words to me, I don't understand that."
I can definitely understand why Rodgers would feel this way. What I don't understand is the level of hatred some folks have towards Aaron Rodgers. He wasn't responsible for Brett Favre leaving Green Bay.

It really came down to Packers management (Murphy, Thompson, McCarthy, etc.) vs Brett Favre. Not Brett Favre vs Aaron Rodgers. Granted, he's taking over, but because Packers management decided to move on. I guess in some ways Rodgers was right: Packer fans need to "get on board or shut up."

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:36 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 08, 2008

Ryan Torain - out 3 months

According to the Denver Post, Broncos rookie RB Ryan Torain will miss up to 3 months. He is scheduled to have shoulder surgery Friday evening.

Many people expected big things from this 5th-round rookie RB including Mike Shanahan.
"He's one of the most gifted running backs I've been around for a long time," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday. "He is very similar to Terrell Davis when he came in."

"It's a big loss," Shanahan said. "I thought he had a chance to compete to be the starting running back."
If you've ever owned a Broncos RB on your fantasy football team, you know that Torain (or any Broncos RB) has a chance to start. While this hurts the Broncos overall, it helps Selvin Young's fantasy draft value.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:50 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 03, 2008

Mike Shanahan: "We're not going to miss the playoffs"

If Mike Shanahan reads The Daily Blitz, he must have thought I was referring only to players when I mentioned that making guarantees is unnecessary and foolish in response to Donte Whitner's playoff guarantee for the Bills.

Well, Coach, the same applies to coaches. Although he can't take it back, this is what Shanny said:

"We're not going to miss the playoffs," Shanahan told The Sports Guys on KKFN (104.3 FM) when queried about the vital nature of the upcoming season in Denver.

Shanahan then was asked if he was making a guarantee after back-to- back seasons without a postseason berth for the Broncos.

"Sure sounds like it," he responded.

So, I guess Mike Shanahan doesn't think too highly of Donte Whitner's "Creskin" abilities since Whitner guaranteed a Bills playoff berth last month.

San Diego and New England will win the AFC West and AFC East, respectively. And, at least, 2 teams will come out of the AFC South (Indianapolis and Jacksonville). That means, it's either Denver or Buffalo (or neither).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:25 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 02, 2008

Al Davis talks Javon Walker out of retiring?

After getting hurt last year in game 3, Javon Walker only had 9 catches for 57 yards in the final 4 games of the year. Surprisingly, he was able to get Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders to give him a huge deal (6 years, $55 million) in the off-season.

Then, after a night of partying and spraying the crowd of a nightclub with champagne, he was abducted and beaten.



Despite making a mistake with Walker and other players like Tommy Kelly, apparently Al Davis had his chance to reverse a bad decision.
...Javon Walker, struggling with his performance during training camp, told the team Thursday he intended to retire and offered to return his $11 million signing bonus.

According to a source, Raiders owner Al Davis persuaded Walker to remain with the team.
I like that Al Davis is an owner that wants to "just win baby", but it's becoming more and more obvious to me that Davis needs to step down. He just doesn't have it anymore.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:53 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sooners dismiss Josh Jarboe

Josh Jarboe, ranked in Top 10 WRs of 2008 high school prospects by ESPN and Rivals.com, was dismissed by the Oklahoma Sooners.
Jarboe...was sentenced in May to two years' probation and 80 hours of community service for carrying a gun on the grounds of his high school in Decatur, Ga. An assistant principal caught him there with a pistol in his possession in the school parking lot.

Jarboe was initially charged with a felony, but his charges were reduced to a misdemeanor.

Earlier this week, Jarboe was the subject of a 74-second video posted on YouTube. Jarboe's obscenity-laced rap included references to shooting people and guns.



Considering his previous misdemeanor and what has happened on high school and college campuses like Virginia Tech, it is only logical to treat this matter seriously. Bob Stoops made the right decision to kick him off the team. But he probably shouldn't have recruited the kid to begin with.

The question now is who takes a chance? With 46 players arrested since 2002, maybe it's Joe Pa and Penn State. (Just kidding)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:54 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 01, 2008

Steve Smith knocks out Ken Lucas at practice

Steve Smith was kicked out of Carolina Panthers practice for punching Ken Lucas in the eye.
According to several eyewitness, the two teammates were on the sidelines discussing a play that happened previously at camp and Smith wound up slugging Lucas while the cornerback was resting on one knee.

A scuffle ensued and punches were thrown as teammates and coach John Fox charged in to break up the fight. Linebacker Jon Beason had to pull Smith away from Lucas. It took several people to restrain the men and restore order.

Lucas was then taken under the tent at the practice field and treated by trainer Ryan Vermillion. His face was bloodied and he appeared to have a large gash under his left eye. He held ice on his left eye for several minutes.
After knocking out Ken Lucas, is Dwayne Jarrett next?
Shortly after the fight Smith came over, with Muhsin Muhammad and another coach by his side, and tried to reconcile with Lucas. The two men briefly exchanged a hug. Smith, who seemed upset by the incident, then walked over and talked to friend John Kasay, who has helped him through some tough times in the past.
In the midst of training camp and the summer heat, tempers are bound to flare up. But it's good to see that the two players seem to be making an attempt to put it behind them. But it's not the first time they've had an incident:
A few years ago at training camp, not long after the cornerback signed to a six-year, $36 million contract to come to Carolina, Smith was heard talking trash to Lucas on the field. After he beat Lucas for a touchdown, Smith turned and said, "I'm earning my money; you better start earning yours."

A few minutes later, Smith beat Lucas for another score and said, "That's two, bitch."
Back in 2002, Steve Smith went at it with Anthony Bright and he was subsequently suspended for one game. While the article indicates that John Fox is "considering disciplinary actions", since Fox is on the Hot Seat, it'll be interesting to see if he suspends their best (by far) offensive weapon.

(Update: Steve Smith will be suspended for the first 2 games of the season (at San Diego and vs Chicago).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)