Category: NFL General

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NFL General

Brady Quinn did not lose $17M waiting in the green room


Darren Rovell’s story over at CNBC is getting a lot of attention around the blogosphere because he calculated that Brady Quinn lost $17M in guaranteed money after sliding down to No. 22 instead of being taken at No. 3 by the Browns.


So here’s how I come up with the number. At the No. 3 pick, I project Cleveland would have signed Quinn to a six-year deal worth as much as $60 million, about $27 million of which would be guaranteed — that includes the quarterback premium. At No. 22, Quinn will sign a six-year deal closer to $30 million, with $10 million guaranteed. That’s a $17 million loss.

Here’s what’s wrong with this calculation: Cleveland was never going to take Brady Quinn with the No. 3 pick so saying that he lost that money is inaccurate. However, you could make a strong argument that the Miami Dolphins should have taken Quinn at No. 9. (Instead they took Ted Ginn Jr, who Cam Cameron said would be an awesome kick returner… wait, that’s supposed to placate angry Dolphins fans?) With the ninth pick, Quinn’s contract would have been more in line with Matt Leinart’s 6-year $51M with $14M guaranteed contract. Even if you bump it up to $15M in guaranteed money, Quinn only lost about $5M instead of the $17M that’s being tossed around.

As Jaws mentioned last night, what might have cost Quinn a lot of money was a coin toss in February that gave the Browns the third pick and the Bucs the fourth. It is conceivable that the Bucs would have taken Joe Thomas 3rd and then Cleveland would have taken Quinn with the 4th pick. Still, considering how crazy the draft was and how wrong everyone’s mock drafts were, there’s no guarantee that the Bucs would have taken Joe Thomas 3rd.

Links:
[CNBC]: The $17 Million Slide & Draft Day Notes

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NFL General

17 regular season NFL games?

Roger Goodell is wearing bad idea blue jeans again. The NFL is making a major push towards expanding to Europe and beyond (the first regular season game played in Europe will take place in London this year between the Dolphins and the Giants) and the in order to “create more inventory,” the NFL is considering expanding the regular season to 17 games by shortening the preseason.


One negative [to playing overseas games] is you’re taking a game away from fans here,” Goodell said before an annual meeting of sports editors at league headquarters in New York. “We’ve discussed whether to cut one preseason game and add a 17th week. It would create more inventory, and that has some appeal. We’re chewing on that. The issue is: How do you create more inventory?

Translation: how can we line our pockets with more dough? The NFL sees the international appeal of basketball and baseball and wants a piece. But the problem here is that you can’t add European or Asian games without putting a huge burden on the teams that have to travel. Unlike baseball and basketball where you can have a terrible road trip and just shake it off with a nice homestand, the short NFL season and grueling games make it so much harder for teams to rebound.

Some might argue that a trip to Europe would be like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to Seattle for a game. Yes, it’s about the same distance, but how many times have you picked against a team in your office pool (and we know you have an office pool) because they had to travel all the way across the country in the previous week or had to travel for a Monday Night game? Plus, if you had a team other than an east coast team flying to Europe, it’d be an even longer distance to traverse.

The NFL desire to expand to Europe is a great idea… for the owners. Sure, we’ve been clamoring for one less preseason game, but that was to minimize injury risk in meaningless games, not to create an extra game we can’t even attend. This cash grab is not in the best interest of the game.

And finally, what would 17 games do to all our records? We’d have more asterisks than a Barry Bonds wikipedia entry.

Links:
[Washington Post]: NFL Considers 17th Regular Season Game

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NFL General

Now you can own something that Bill Cowher considered to be junk

Sorry guys, but this is coming
with me.

Bill Cowher had been in Pittsburgh for a long time, and when in you stay in one place for that many years there’s a good chance that you’ll accumulate a butt load of crap. So, when The Chin left the Steelers organization for the hills of North Cackalacky, he decided to leave a few of his personal belongings behind and clear out some clutter. And as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; so here’s the perfect opportunity for Pittsburgh fans to go high class dumpster hopping in hopes of grabbing a spittle covered memoir.

Dargate Auction Galleries will now be in charge of auctioning off over 130 individual pieces from the Cowher home on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Some of the pieces up for grabs include a foosball table, pinball game, patio furniture, a desk and chair, some china, a pool table and several pieces of designer furniture.

And if you’re feeling a bit frisky you could even bid on the coach’s bed or a shag rug that would make Austin Powers cringe. But if it’s strictly Steelers stuff you desire, then you’ll be forced to take a long look at an ice bucket with the logo imprinted on it or a Pittsburgh Steelers desk clock.

Most people with bank accounts as big as Cowher’s would have simply paid the movers to pack up the left over junk and haul it to the vacation home in Maine or at least rent (or buy) a storage unit (or complex). But hey, it’s classier than taking out an ad in the local paper and throwing your ex’s stuff on the lawn for a garage sale millionaire style.

Links:

[KDKA.com]: Items from Bill Cowher’s Home on Auction Block

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NFL General

Eddie George returns to stardom, kinda

There has been a ton o’ talk about the Madden curse with Vince Young grabbing the cover. Well, here’s a story that shows there can be life after Madden.

Former NFL running back Eddie George had his pro career virtually ended when he became the first victim of the Madden jinx, but he’s now prepared to take on a new role as a reality show douche on TV One’s newest program called “I Married a Baller.” If you can’t tell from the title of the show, George isn’t the star in the show; that distinction goes to his wife Tamara A. Johnson-George, aka “Taj” from the R&B group SWV, aka “Sisters With Voices.” But don’t expect to see the alcohol fueled tirades that accompany most crappy reality shows because the Georges appear to actually be a normal, adjusted, happy couple. Well, there go the ratings.

Unfortunately, everyone isn’t going to have the pleasure of watching the couple as they “get on each other’s nerves occasionally, rely on family and friends, and come across as loving parents to their children” because the alternative to BET, TV One, is only available in central Ohio on Time Warner. So, don’t delay, contact your local cable operator today and tell them that you want your TV One. George seems to enjoy watching himself on the tube and you will too.

You just see how precious and blessed you are to have your kids and your wife and the things you do have,” George said. “Watching on television, you’re like ‘You know what, man? I’m an all right guy.’

Links:

[The Columbus Dispatch]: New show stars wife of gridder, by George

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NFL General

2007 NFL Draft: 3 out of the top 10 prospects admit marijuana use


Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams, and Amobi Okoye admitted to having used marijuana in standard interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine. Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson is arguably the best player in the draft (though he might not go first because of team needs), Clemson DE Gaines Adams is expected to go #2, and Louisville DT Amobi Okoye is the 19-year-old phenom that just graced the cover of the latest ESPN magazine.

Now, we suspect that most of the players in the first round entire draft have smoked marijuana (isn’t that what college is for?) but only these three have the honesty (stupidity?) to admit it to the NFL scouts.

Whether admitting to using marijuana is going to be a liability depends on the team that’s looking to draft the players. Some will see the admission as a sign of maturity, while some will steer clear because the new emphasis on personal conduct by the commish. If you’re the Cincinnati Bengals, for example, you can’t risk drafting a player with any black marks on his record, not just because Goodell is going to start fining teams but because of the bad PR.

If your team is drafting later in the first round, you are hoping this issue spins out of control so that one of these three will fall to you. There are no sure things in the NFL draft but having one of the top 10 teams pass on any of these players because of marijuana use would be a gift.

Links:
[NFL Fanhouse]: NFL Draft: Johnson, Adams, Okoye Admit Smoking Pot
[Pro Football Weekly]: Three potential top-10 draft prospects admit to marijuana use

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NFL General

Odds and Ends: You know who Chunky Soup should sign? Jesus


Chunky Soup has announced their latest lineup of “Mama’s Boys” and fans are hoping that their players aren’t affected by the Chunky Soup Curse. The eight man roster of LaDainian Tomlinson, Matt Hasselbeck, Vince Young, Larry Johnson, Jonathan Vilma, DeMarcus Ware, Devin Hester and Todd Heap is the largest that Chunky has ever had.

In a completely unrelated bit of info, we’ve previously stated that Jesus shouldn’t have any part in sports, especially in the Masters, but apparently some people don’t agree. And apparently he plays for the Dallas Cowboys.

In other news…

[Our Book of Scrap]: Speaking of curses, some Chargers fans are so concerned about the Madden Curse that they’ve started a petition against having LaDanian on the cover.

[10,000 Takes]: Cedric Griffin kicked out of a nightclub for not pulling up his pants. Hey, at least it wasn’t for pulling down his pants.

[Yahoo]: Oh sure, Agassi, go to the ‘I accidentally hit my wife with a racket during a fundraiser’ excuse. Jason Kidd sure does wish he’d thought of that one.

And finally, we’ve seen elephants playing soccer and puppies getting flagged for pooping in the Puppy Bowl but this might take the cake. Check out this video of a bunch of crazy Japanese drivers in some sort of weird demolition derby/soccer game.

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NFL General

Goodell’s conduct policy already having an effect



Joey Porter is listening

Joey Porter may be a blowhard and a tool but he’s no fool. A day after Roger Goodell announced his new conduct policy and dropped the hammer on Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, Joey decided he better make nice to Levi Jones for (according to Levi) ambushing him out in Las Vegas.


I wish it never would have happened. I don’t know how Levi feels, but the faster we can get this behind us, (the better).

I don’t mind calling him. If he truly believes, if he feels like I was wrong, I’m sorry. I can apologize. I am reaching out now.
…
At the end of the day, none of us is going to get anything good out of this.

You see Joey working here? By “none of us” he means himself. Having your posse ambush another football player and being charged with misdemeanor battery falls within the personal conduct policy. It’s amazing how a threat of losing paychecks immediately puts everyone in line. Goodell got exactly the reaction he was looking for.

Links:
[Cincinnati Enquirer]: Porter sort of says sorry to Bengals tackle Jones

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NFL General

The NFL countdown has officially begun: 2007 NFL Schedule released



Well, almost everyone is
ready for some football.

After having the off season exploits of Pacman Jones shoved down our throats for the past few months, we can now turn our collective attention back to on-field issues because the head honchos over at NFL headquarters have finally decided to release this year’s complete schedule.

The season opens up with the Saints at the Colts on September 6 and ends with a Monday night double-header that is highlighted by a contest between division rivals as Baltimore and Cincinnati hook up for an early season, smack talking showdown. The NFC champion Bears will have to bounce back from a Super Bowl loss and be prepared to deal with LaDanian Tomlinson’s Chargers right off the bat. All in all, it’s a pretty solid schedule for the first week of the season, but after going without any helmet smacking for over six months, fans would be happy with a Texans/Raiders match-up.

The really juicy games come later in the season, like in Week 3 when last year’s rookie sensations Vince Young and Reggie Bush get together on Monday Night Football. Or in Week 8 when the league’s golden boys line up across from one another as Tom Brady travels to Peyton Manning, or perhaps you’ve heard of their teams; the Patriots and the Colts.

In Week 10 the Super Bowl MVP and the regular season MVP will battle it out as Indy goes to San Diego for a Sunday night primetime game. And the in Week 13, LT’s Chargers will take on another studly RB when they travel to Kansas City. But forget about the fireworks on the field, everyone is waiting for Joey Porter and Levi Jones to meet up on December 30 in the rematch of their Vegas fight.

Now that your whistle has been wet, just think, only five more months until the opening kick.

Full 2007 NFL Week by Week Schedule after the jump

Continue reading “The NFL countdown has officially begun: 2007 NFL Schedule released”

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NFL General

And we thought Chris Leak was dumb


We didn’t think anyone could do worse than Chris Leak this year on his wonderlic test. (You have to be borderline retarded to get an 8 on the Wonderlic.) But somehow, 3 people have managed to… er…. beat him. David Irons (CB, Auburn), Bo Smith (S, Weber State) both scored a 4, and Earl Everett of Flordia scored a 5.

Here’s the rest of the bottom 10:

James Jones, WR, San Jose State: 9
Turk McBride, DT, Tennessee: 9
Julius Wilson, OT, UAB: 9
Brandon Mebane, DT, Cal: 10 (So which Cal student wrote his papers?)
Matt Trannon, WR, Michigan State: 10
Baraka Atkins, DE, Miamia: 11
Alonzo Coleman, RB, Hampton: 11

Ouch. That’s a list you don’t want to be on. The good news is that if you’re on that list, you can’t even read it.

Now, wonderlic scores are no indication of your football performance and ability (see Vince Young) but you have to feel sorry for these “student”-athletes. Can you imagine the negotiations between David Irons or Bo Smith and an agent?


Agent: So, the league is offering you $2M a year for 4 years. You got that? 2 and 4 is the deal. So that means you’ll get $2.4 MILLION if you play the entire 4 years.

Player: 2 point 4? Wooohooo! Someone told me I was only gonna get 4. Now i get a 2 in front of it? You’re the best agent ever.

Agent: Who loves you baby? By the way, I’m gonna take my 3% as we agreed so that means you only are gonna get $2.1M ok?

Player: Where do I sign?

Sad. By the way, we still haven’t been able to track down JaMarcus Russell’s wonderlic score. Something is rotten in Baton Rouge.

Links:
[ESPN Insider]: Raiders, Lions face tough decisions

[Stealing is Good]: sample wonderlic test

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NFL General

Jesus tells Irvin to assault contractor


Former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin has allegedly made a fool of himself again, but this time it’s not for wearing a ridiculous suit on national television. The latest incident involves Irvin’s current version of the “White House.”

Apparently, Irvin was not pleased with the final cost of a fountain that contractor Shawn Vandergrift was hired to install. So, Irvin resorted to his playmaking days and gave the guy some lip service and even grabbed his arm. Sure, if it’s true, then Irvin was out of line, but something about this lawsuit stinks worse than Mary Swanson’s bathroom after Lloyd gave Harry the ol laxative cocktail.

Vandergrift is claiming that he is now permanently disabled with a hip condition as a result of being grabbed by Irvin. Now, we’re no doctors but the last time we checked the arm bone wasn’t connected to the hip bone. Hell, even Stuart Scott’s lazy eye can see that this doesn’t add up.

And in typical loudmouth fashion, Irvin couldn’t resist hopping on the airwaves to state his side of the case as he joined KTCK-AM 1310 on Tuesday morning.

The only injury he has is an old injury he already had,” Mr. Irvin said of Mr. Vandergrift.

Mr. Irvin accused the hosts of going with a story they had not verified.

“Don’t you think you guys should have called and asked me about something before you went on the air (with it)? … I still believe you should have made the effort of calling me,”
he said.

Maybe they should have, but c’mon Mike; it’s not like you’re an angel here. Oh, wait; you were probably just shoving the contractor for a friend of yours. Like that time you got busted throwing away your friend’s crack pipe.

Links:

[KVUE.com]: Michael Irvin accused of assaulting contractor