Loaded Colt

Two days ago Sam Bradford had a praised workout that led to rampant specualation, including on my part, that Bradford would be the number one overall selection in this year's NFL Draft.

Today the Rams announced that they would be privately working out former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. Since McCoy is widely considered a second round prospect, this would send the message that they would consider selecting McCoy with the 33rd overall pick next month.

It also sends the message to Sam Bradford's agent that the Rams could still select Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy with the first overall pick.

The fact is the Rams are going to start negotiating a contract with Sam Bradford. If they can dangle the "we can draft Suh and Colt McCoy instead of you" scenario in front of Bradford's agent, they possibly could get Bradford to sign a more "club friendly" deal before the draft.

Just remember this about draft time: where there is smoke, there is more smoke.  I doubt McCoy's private workout has much of an impact on who is drafted where, but this move solidifies my opinion that the Rams are going to draft Bradford.






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The Hangover (Steelers Superbowl Edition)

February 1, 2009 wasn't that long ago. Ben Roethlisberger throwing the game winning touchdown pass to MVP Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone. The Steelers won their NFL record sixth Superbowl and all was perfect in the "Steel City". 


That day seems like ages ago for the organization now. 

In July 2009, Roethlisberger was sued for sexual assault and battery for an alleged incident that took place in 2008.

After a promising 6-2 start to the 2009 regular season, Pittsburgh enduring a tough 5 game losing streak that included losses to Kansas City, Oakland, and Cleveland. The Steelers couldn't seem to be able to put together 60 straight minutes of solid football. They finished the season on a high note by winning their final three games to finish 9-7 but had been left out of the playoffs.


The uninspiring play and disappointing season were bad enough, but things have gotten worse.

In the last month, Roethlisberger was again accused of sexual assault and now recently Santonio Holmes has been in the news for assault and battery. Holmes added to the controversy by telling a heckling fan to commit suicide, via his Twitter account.

Steelers' Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, said he was "concerned" about Big Ben's situation, and Steelers' President, Art Rooney II, said that the organization was "disappointed" with Holmes' lawsuit.

The Steelers are a team in trouble regardless of the outcome of these court cases. These incidents have called into question the character and integrity of their entire organization. It is hard to sell tickets when you don't make the playoffs. It's harder to sell tickets and jerseys when people look at the faces that represent your team and think: "rapist" or "thug".

The Steelers are one of the best franchises in sports. They just need their players to focus on football and not trying to live out a real life version of "The Hangover".







 


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Can the Bears Bare T.O.?

Before I make my point, let me offer you a few facts.

Thanks to the Jay Cutler trade, the Bears are missing their 1st and 3rd round pick in this year's NFL Draft. 

The team's current wide receiver corps consists of Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox, and Devin Aromashodu. 

They have brought in personnel, perceived as malcontents from other teams, such as Jay Cutler, Mike Martz, and Julius Peppers. 

Their two best defensive players, Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher, are aging veterans and have had injury problems in recent seasons. 


Team President, Ted Phillips, was quoted as saying, “There’s a fine line sometimes between winning and losing, but we expect to win now in 2010.” That means General Manager, Jerry Angelo, and Head Coach, Lovie Smith, have to win now.

So my question is: why not sign Terrell Owens? If the key players in the organization are looking to win now, sign the future Hall of Fame receiver for one year.


He is not the deep threat he once was, but he still runs excellent routes and is not afraid to go over the middle. He could teach the Bears' young receivers a trick or two along the way.


Perhaps the Bears are waiting to see what will be available at the receiver postion during the draft, but signing a veteran like Owens before hand could allow you to draft for another position.


I'm no NFL G.M., but this one seems like a no-brainer. Then again, so did the Bears drafting Curtis Enis.

 


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The Trojan Duck

When Pete Carroll was last an NFL Head Coach, he was known as a bright young defensive coach who couldn't hack it as the "big man on campus". Now Carroll re-enters the NFL as a college coaching legend with the expectations of success already firmly attached to his new job.

The team that he had his last job with, USC, is holding their pro day today in Los Angeles. While Carroll's Seahawks are holding the 6th and 14th overall picks in next month's NFL Draft, my advice for Carroll is stay away from picking former Trojans with those picks.


While Taylor Mays, Charles Brown, and Everson Griffin are all possible first round picks, Carroll needs to think about more than just winning media coverage. If he selected one of his players, it would make for a great story and fill airtime during what sometimes feels like never ending draft coverage. 


The problem is what could possibly come next. The jokes about the players having to take pay cuts going from USC to the Seahawks. Pete Carroll being a biased talent evaluator and only liking his former players. And if one or more of them end up not living up to expectations, his old head can find itself on the coach's chopping block. Just ask Steve Spurrier how having a bunch of Florida Gators on his Washington Redskins' squads worked out.

If one of his former players happens to slip to the 2nd round and Carroll has a chance to select one of his former star players, there the expectations would probably be manageable. Carroll just has to be careful of the perception around his draft picks. If anyone in the media or fan base even thinks he is reaching to select a USC player, it starts the discussion going in a negative direction. 


These talented football players need to make their own mark on the NFL, too. Nobody wants to enter an NFL locker room with the "coach's pet" label attached to them. It is difficult enough to get respect as an NFL rookie, and each of these players surely want to make their own name.


So, Pete Carroll, when it comes to the temptation of selecting a Trojan with one of your first round picks: don't, just duck.




 


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No Dough, No Show

The old NFL contract system was flawed. There've been stories of players being accused of faking injuries to get out of "below market" contracts. Then there were players playing hard for a long-term contract with big guaranteed money followed by a mysterious dip in production after getting paid. This type of story has plagued this sport too long.

The problem was that the guaranteed money (most of the money in NFL contracts is not guaranteed) was prorated against the salary cap over the life of the contract, even if all that money was paid to the player upfront. So if a player signed a contract for five years, got paid $15 million dollars guaranteed, and received every cent of that guaranteed money upfront, it counted as $3 million dollars a year for five years against the salary cap for the team. To make it worse, it counted against the salary cap even if the player was released before the contract expired. 


An example of what can happen when a player is shrouded in doubt because of a underpaying contract is Shawn Andrews. After being a first round pick in 2004, Andrews signed a contract extension in 2005 that would make him an Eagle through 2015. The guaranteed money were two $5 million dollar bonuses to be paid in 2005 and 2006. Shawn pocketed $10 million in two years. Not bad. 

He was probably the best guard in the NFL in 2006 and 2007, making the Pro Bowl both years.  His contemporaries like Derrick Dockery were cashing in on free agency:  before the 2007 season, he signed a seven year, $49 million dollar contract, including $23 million guaranteed in the first three seasons.  However, Andrews was to make a comparitively small base salary of $750,000 until 2010. 


Then he didn't show up for 2008 training camp. He claimed he was suffering from depression. When he did show up, he began giving long interviews in front of his locker. He then injured his back the second game of the season and was place on Injured Reserve. He re-injured his back in the 2009 training camp and missed the rest of the season, only to be cut prior to this season.


The perception is Shawn Andrews wasn't as hurt as advertised but the injury was a result of not liking his contract and probably never being able to cash in through free agency. The reality is the contract didn't work. It left the Eagles and Andrews with a bad taste in their respective mouths, and reputations ruined, fair or not.


With the recent lifting of the salary cap, and its restrictions, perhaps the NFL can change this system. Football isn't a career, and the earning window is much smaller than a normal job.  Getting rid of the prorated system and moving to two or three year guaranteed contracts will help minimize players who are under-compensated or overcompensated from under performing because of having a long term contract.

 


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Un-Golden Domer

After hearing all the positive news about Sam Bradford's workout, I thought, where has the positive press been for Jimmy Clausen?

Has nursing an injured foot and not participating in offseason scouting workouts hurt Jimmy Clausen's draft stock? 

Until he works out for pro scouts on April 9th, the discussion around Clausen will focus on his "attitude problems" and not on his ability to run an offense.

Where has all this negative press been coming from?  Some teams have been turned off by his NFL Combine interviews.  Being punched in the eye after the loss to UConn last season has raised questions, and some draft posturing by Mike Holmgren has led to a "reputation" for Clausen.


These are for the most part unfounded. NFL teams traditionally put out false reports, in hopes that the player - whose reputation they are damaging - falls to them in the draft. Real classy stuff, I know. Mike Holmgren is either hoping that Clausen falls to him or makes teams aware he is willing to trade down (for valuable draft picks of course) if Clausen falls to Cleveland's pick.

Getting allegedly blind-sided by an over-zealous fan while hanging out with your family and teammates is something that could happen to anybody.


The fact is that quarterbacks are confident by nature. Peyton Manning brought a list of questions to his draft interview with Bill Polian and, in turn, interviewed Polian. Joe Montana thought he was the best quarterback in the NFL before he ever stepped on an NFL field. Scared quarterbacks get hurt, sacked, and throw interceptions.


Only the NFL teams have the real story on Clausen. They know what is fiction, and what is reality. Hopefully, Clausen impresses on April 9th and is drafted appropriately.

 


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Where Dez He Go?

Today, Dez Bryant worked out in Lufkin, Texas. According to Gil Brandt, he posted 40 times of 4.52, 4.68, and 4.52. Not quite the 4.32 that was rumored, but at 225 pounds, I think those will be adequate for Bryant to go in the top fifteen.

His difficult early life and the questionable decision making when it came to hanging out with agents will be a bigger determining factor in where he goes in this draft. That's not stopping Jerry Jones from having dinner with him tomorrow night.

His ability to track down the ball in the air and use his big frame makes me believe that if he falls out of the top 15 picks, he will be a steal. If he can keep that confident attitude in check.

The first round is going to be a fun watch this year.









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Bye Bye Barbarian?

There is a rumor going around the Cowboys are going to trade Marion Barber before the upcoming NFL Draft on April 22nd. If this rumor holds any weight, I think it's a terrible idea.


Marion Barber was a third round pick that was too slow. He is much maligned for being oft injured and overpaid. 


The problem I have with the above statements is the size of Marion Barber's heart cannot be contained in Cowboys Stadium. He gets injured because he plays the game violently and with passion. He is an excellent pass blocker and known as a fine teammate.


Sometimes presence must be weighed against performance. Felix Jones might be faster. Tashard Choice might be younger and cheaper. If it was fourth and one, with a trip to the Superbowl on the line, who would you want to give the ball to?

 


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Later than Sooner

Despite Sam Bradford's flawless workout, the Rams are not done playing NFL Draft poker.


Through some mysterious coincidence, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported, right before Bradford's workout today, that the Rams don't intend to have Bradford's private workout with the team until April 19th, only three days before the draft. The article also states that the Redskins are working out Bradford on April 15th. 


This is typical draft posturing by the Rams. They are leaving open the possibility of Washington falling in love with Bradford. They could then orchestrate a trade, and the Rams would still end up with a premium pick (number four overall), and some extra picks to help out a roster thin on talent. 


I doubt this trade scenario will occur, but it is nice strategy on the Rams' part to keep their options open.


 


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Sam I am a St. Louis Ram

Gil Brandt is reporting that, in his opinion, Sam Bradford had the most impressive private workout "for a quarterback since Troy Aikman." We all know how that worked out.


Brandt stated in his blog, "Bradford threw more than 100 passes during the workout and, in my estimation, didn’t have one that was uncatchable. He moved around well, including throwing on the run out of the pocket, and went through the entire route tree. The scripted workout included three-, five- and seven-step drops, shotgun, and play-action plays, plus sprints and rollouts to both sides."


I hope that Rams' fans are excited. He is one of the most accurate college quarterbacks I have seen (at least up there with Troy Aikman and Drew Brees). There is nothing that makes a draft more juicy than having a quarterback at the top of it.


This positive media coverage is not going to make it easier to convince the Rams' fans that Ndamukong Suh should be the No. 1 pick. This is a quarterback driven league, and Sam Braford made himself and his family a lot of money today.






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One Big Bust

 I don't enjoy making fun of people. My title is even a little sensational. Unfortunately for Jamarcus Russell, it fits perfectly.


Adam Schefter recently reported that Russell weighed in at 290 pounds at Raiders camp. Combine that with the rumors that the Raiders were the team in hottest pursuit of Donovan McNabb, and I believe the writing is on the wall.


So if that is the case, one could ask the question: is Jamarcus Russell the greatest draft bust in NFL history? 


I discussed the unanimous incumbent for greatest draft bust, Ryan Leaf , in a recent post. To make a fair accessment, I believe we have to look at the other available players in Russell and Leaf's respective drafts.


In the 1998 draft, Leaf was coming off a huge season, in which he helped lead Washington State to the Rose Bowl. His immaturity problems were not known to the public, and the Colts liked him enough to print him a jersey with his name on the back. The consensus was Peyton Manning and Leaf were the top two players regardless of position. The only other player in that draft worthy of the top pick might have been cornerback Charles Woodson, who went to the Raiders with the fourth overall pick.


In the 2007 draft, wide receiver Calvin Johnson was widely considered the best player in the draft. Despite his injury concerns, Adrian Peterson was the type of freakish athlete that the Raiders covet. It was made known that the Raiders went into contract talks with not only Johnson and Russell, but also brought Brady Quinn into the bargaining process. Russell's weight issues and questionable work habits were widely publicized, despite the fact of him having an excellent junior season at LSU.

I hope Jamarcus can turn his career around, but with the competition from Bruce Gradkowski, the trade rumors about McNabb, and now Sage Rosenfels (ouch!), it seems that the Raiders have already moved on.


Some may argue the fact that since Leaf was expected to be great and Russell to be a bust, Leaf is the larger disappointment. When you compare the level of talent available to the Raiders at that pick, there is no argument in my book.  Russell is the worst draft pick in NFL history.


 


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NFL Rehab

I came across a recent story from Dan Le Batard about former NFL first round pick Leon Searcy. He received a $17 million contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the largest ever for an offensive lineman at the time. He ended up flat broke.


Now I know stories come out about player's financial  troubles from time to time, but when I hear them, I truly believe it is only the tip on the iceberg.


In the article, Searcy says, of his downfall, "Dinner and champagne? On me. Strip club? On me. I was popping bottles and making it rain. I was supporting uncles and cousins. I was paying mortgages and first-class vacations. I had an entourage of leeches. Everything was suit, limo, flash and dash. What the hell was the matter with me?"

The most interesting remarks made by Searcy were about the NFL "lifestyle". He said, "I was empty and never had satisfaction before. I was like an addict always looking for that new fix. The NFL lifestyle is very addictive, and when it is over, you are a fiend. There's no rehab or rest home for bad habits. I've been humbled, and it has made me cherish the little things and what is really important. I've got joy now. I talk to my kids every day. This has brought me to a better place. I'm so much happier with myself. I prayed my way out of it after I succumbed to the mess that I had made."

Searcy seems to have genuinely turned things around. Unfortunately, I don't think this is the last time we'll being hearing a cautionary tale from NFL and it's "addicting" lifestyle.



 


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Cardinal Sin

 As many have heard by now, newly signed Arizona Cardinal Joey Porter has been arrested for allegedly being drunk and slapping the hand of a police officer.


This is not shocking news as Porter is known for his pre game antics, having been shot, and allegedly being apart of an altercation with former Bengals offensive tackle Levi Jones.


The biggest concern with the Cardinals' offseason has been the loss of leadership. Kurt Warner and Karlos Dansby were the leaders of the offensive and defensive huddles. Anquan Boldin was known as a locker room leader, inspite of his contractual circumstances. 


All of them have departed in an offseason that left them with more questions than answers. Early Doucet is a good young receiver, but can he replace Boldin's tenacity and fire? Is Leinart the same guy who beer bongs with college chicks, or is he ready to take over this team? Can Derek Anderson take over if Leinart can't?


Adding a known volatile character to a team searching for a new identity can be - at the least - a huge distraction. At the most, it can divide a locker room.


Porter can still play. The Steelers and Dolphins didn't want him for a reason. I just hope the Cardinals have a behavioral clause in their contract with Porter.


 


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Favre Love Fest Still "Madden"ing

Now I know that Favre Watch hasn't really heated up, and it's a slow news week. Bring John Madden into the fold, and he will champion the cause.

In an interview with Sam Farmer of the Chicago Tribune, Madden said of Favre,"I think he should do whatever he wants to. It's funny, people have taken ownership of his life." He also added, "I remember John Elway told me this years ago, he said, 'It's not your head that tells you when to retire or that you can't play anymore. It's your body.'"

I tend to disagree with the fact that "people" have taken control of Favre's life. I believe that as much as you should believe Favre has taken control of my T.V. with his tired Sears commercials. I can't wait till next season's.

And to compare Elway to Favre:  Elway never ceremoniously dragged on his retirement for four years. He cried and left. The more this drags on and the more 2020 MVP commercials I see, the more I wish Favre would join Madden in riding off into the sunset.



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Roger Dodger?

 The Ben Roethlisberger saga is probably just beginning but for some in the media, it is not moving fast enough. Jemele Hill, of ESPN, believes that Roger Goodell is being more reserved in his approach to the allegations against Big Ben than he has been with other black NFL players (Mike Vick, Adam Jones, Tank Johnson, and Chris Henry).


I have written previously about how I was shocked that victims rights groups had not stepped up and used the media coverage after the Roethlisberger incident to get their agenda across.

Jemele Hill is, in my opinion, the worst kind of sports writer. Goodell is not perfect and perhaps he should suspend Roethlisberger for "determental behavior", but her article seemed to defend those players action in a "backhanded" method. 


Each of the players I mentioned above had be charged, indicted, or jailed for a crime. Roethlisberger has yet to reach that category. 

If people want to be judged on a individual basis, then they shouldn't be so critical of a employer that seems to being trying to do just that.

 


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McNabb Trek II: The Wrath of Mayock

Watching this Donovan McNabb trade rumor fiasco unfold has made me think. Where is the voice of reason in all this wild speculation?

Pro Football Talk has put out a blog basically apologizing for jumping on every “he said/she said” lead. Read it. Laughter will ensue.

In steps Mike Mayock, of the NFL Network, as the voice of reason. I don't have a link or source (because the NFL wants you to riot until you have the NFL Network on your cable or satellite provider), but I will give you the key points to... um... well, his point.

1.Donovan McNabb only has one year remaining on his contract.  So if he doesn't sign an extension, no team is going to give up a second round pick that will be a good player with a cheap four year contract.

2.Donovan McNabb would prefer to hit free agency and dictate money and situation, like possibly being Brett Favre's replacement in Minnesota (they like them old there).


In conclusion: the Eagles don't want to give McNabb away.  As much as everybody likes Kolb's potential and Vick's athleticism, McNabb has been a consistently high performer at the most important position for 11 years. You don't trade that away for a fourth or fifth round pick who might not even make your team. From the other teams' perspective, you don't give away talented young cheap labor for a guy who is only going to be on your team for one season. McNabb won't be traded.

I admire the Eagles organization because they run their franchise with a lot of efficiency. This one has been handled with a type of sloppiness I'm not used to seeing from the Eagles.


 



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Once, Twice, Three Times a Pacman

Adam "Pacman" Jones is apparently being given a third chance at playing in the NFL.  The Detroit Lions have, according to a Pro Football Talk source, signed the former member of the Cowboys and the Titans. 

Earlier this week after Jones' workout, Lions' Head Coach, Jim Schwartz, said, "Not only did we send someone down there to work him out, but also someone to spend some time with him... The workout won't be the final determination.  The workout was just to see what kind of condition he was in, I would say, from a commitment standpoint."

Jones' former level of talent is undeniable, and I'm sure he will make the League minimum.  If anyone knows if Jones is tolerable, it's Schwartz who was his defensive coordinator in Tennessee for two seasons.

I do wish the best for "Pacman".  This is definitely his last chance.  If it's not the Lions, it's probably McDonald's.  Though you could argue that McDonald's has been the better franchise for the last 50 years.


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Reputation Sapped

Ladies and gentleman, I have some breaking news. Bad things can happen while you are out "in da club" (50-cent pun fully intended).

Just ask Warren Sapp after being falsely accused of choking, punching, and slapping around a female "acquaintance" after a night of hanging out on February 6, 2010.  He was then thrown in jail and was "suspended" from his duties as a television host for the NFL Network.

Two days ago he was exonerated of all charges, and the NFL Network was going to meet with his agent. I don't know if the dropping of the charges is going to remove the stain from Sapp's reputation, fair or not.

I'm not suggesting that people can no longer go out and have a good time. I just want to know: what happened to the old saying "beware of the company you keep"?

They say things come in threes, first Ben Roethlisberger, now Warren Sapp. Who's next..............Adam "Pacman" Jones?

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Turning Over an Old Leaf

As the Draft draws near, Ryan Leaf’s name popped up in the news. He received ten years probation for breaking into an apartment to steal prescription drugs.

An unanimous choice for number one all-time Draft busts around the universe, Leaf has become nothing more than a cautionary tale. Being compared to Peyton Manning isn’t really fair to any player, but being selected right after him is criminal. I don’t know if anyone can really completely know the maturity of a 22-year-old man, and the Chargers made what was at the time a “no-brainer” selection of Leaf.

Reading about his continued downfall just reminded of the now infamous question that Bill Polian, General Manager of the Colts, asked both Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. “If we were to make you the No. 1 overall pick, what’s the first thing you would do?” Peyton answered that he would request a playbook so he could immediately begin learning the Colts offense.  Leaf remarked that he would want to take his friends to Vegas for one last fling. That was the deciding factor between Manning and Leaf.

Some people thought he would be a better quarterback than Peyton Manning.  Now he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore:  his only concern is becoming a better Ryan Leaf.

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Get Ya Popcorn Ready

I'm watching The Blind Side tonight. For those of you who are football fans and haven't seen The Blind Side: shame on you. For those of you who aren't football fans: what are you doing on this blog anyway?

All jokes aside, I love a cheesy, “overcoming all the odds”, sports movie, and The Blind Side is one of the better ones I've seen. As far as football movies go, it ranks up there with North Dallas Forty, Rudy, Brian's Song, and Remember the Titans.

I think sometimes that we become desensitized to the fact that this is a story about real people. It may have not happened exactly the way it appeared on the screen, but it doesn't make it any less real. If you still have a beating heart, this movie will make you think about what you do have and maybe worry a little less about what you don't have.

And no, Warner Brothers did not pay me to write this thing.


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Enquiring Minds Want To Know

If you have been following this blog as closely as I have for it’s entire four day existence, then you will notice that my reoccurring theme and interest in football in that the sport is just a microcosm of our society.

My first post was on Tim Tebow and his personality and beliefs causing controversy. So I would like to update you on the latest “controversy” surrounding Mr. Tebow.

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Tebow asked for a prayer before taking a personality and intelligence test at the NFL combine and that an “anonymous” player responded with “Shut the f—k up” and that other players in the room laughed.

For those of you that don’t know, Pro Football Talk is the TMZ of the football media world. Their sheer amount of information and resources make them hard to ignore. This type of story is their expertise.

Tebow denied the story in an interview with PFT and said, ”One of the number one things for me is being someone of character and when I say something people can take it to the bank. That story is absolutely not true.” He also explained that BYU quarterback Max Hall was the only player he spoke to in a room of roughly one hundred.

The question is now this:  what kid would you rather have working for you or with you? The “anonymous” player that blurts out an expletive when you say something he doesn’t agree with or the one that is honest and isn’t hiding from his beliefs or opinions? 

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McNabbed?

Donovan McNabb has no reason to want to leave the Eagles, but apparently they are ready to deal him according to several sources.

While it is reported that the Rams have offered their second round pick in this April’s draft for the star quarterback, that report was quickly denied by Rams General Manager, Billy Devaney. Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network also reported that the Rams were out of the running, but that the Raiders, Bills, and Cardinals were in the mix.

Apparently McNabb is hoping to go to a contender (says “Cardinals” while pretending to cough) but has no leverage in the deal. The Raiders are the team reportedly showing the most interest, but the Rams hold the draft picks with the most leverage.  If you are the Rams and your offensive line lets pass rushers through like turnstiles, why would you want an injury prone quarterback that is making a ton of money and going to be 34 this season? The solution seems stop-gap at best.

For now McNabb is floating in the space between the team he is on not wanting him anymore and not having a team that actually is willing to pony up enough to make him “feel wanted”.

AWWWWWKWARRRRD!

Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Based on a work at www.everymorningqb.com.

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New Post Season Overtime Doesn't Rule

 Yesterday the NFL owners approved new post season overtime rules to make it “more fair”. They decided that because field goal kickers are so good now, teams can no longer win by initially kicking a field goal. I don't want to bore you with the details, but the change was a bit of a pacifier.

I happen to agree with Mike Golic's opinion (Every Morning Quarterback is not liable for any brain damage caused by listening to Merril Hoge) that overtime should be an extension of the regulation game like it is in baseball and basketball.

Making special rules to give everybody the ball is bit much like the “give everybody a trophy” attitude that is sweeping through youth sports. The problem is this is THE NFL. These guys are great athletes and make enough money to handle “extra innings”. Give them an overtime that they deserve.


Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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All Dogs Go To Heaven

While I was in bed the other night, my wife asked me, “Where is the outrage in the Ben Roethlisberger case, like there was in the Michael Vick case?”

Well I decided to do some my award winning journalism (Google searching) and find the venom being spewed in the direction of Mr. Roethlisberger. When typing in his name and “women's groups” along with “victims rights groups” into the search engine, I found............ a TMZ article on how all of the alleged victim's sorority sisters had taken down their Facebook and Twitter pages. Nasty stuff, huh?

Do we really live in a time when as a society when are quicker to react to the plight of dogs than we are to be distraught by the thought of 6' 5” 240 pound man “allegedly” throwing around a 20 year old girl?

I don't know if Big Ben is guilty or not.  But not one group or organization using this as an opportunity to teach and reach? Much more shocking and sad than another drunken night club incident.

Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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The Real McCoy?

Pro Football Weekly recently joined Mike Mayock and Charley Casserly, two NFL Network draft “gurus” who are often maligned or celebrated in ranking DT Gerald McCoy ahead of the de facto best overall player DT Ndamukong Suh. I happen to respect all three sources, because they make their assumptions off their own observations and not because they think the draft is a popularity contest.

The fact that PFW added that they believed McCoy was “a special talent” and did not bestow the same observation on Suh was suprising. They also added that Suh has an “inability to unlock and use the power in his hips.” Ouch.

This all begs the question. Could we see McCoy selected ahead of Suh? Two months ago, I would have been taken out and executed by firing squad for even thinking it. I can't wait for April 22nd.

Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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