Commissioner Goodell not popular by demand

The Super Bowl usually has enough stories involving the teams playing the game. This Super Bowl is no exception because of the retirement of Ray Lewis. The Colin Kaeppernick story, Is Joe Flacco elite, The Harbaugh brothers as foes, Frank Gore, Ed Reed sagas and of course the journey that both teams have been on to get here.  That is a lot to cover. Throw in that the game is being played in recovering New Orleans, and you have the full Monty. However there is one major story coming out this week and it is not a pretty one.  The players can't stand the commissioner and they have ample reason to dislike and distrust him.
When Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg at a night club, he was punished as vehemently as one can. He did not brandish the weapon and flaunt it to a crowd of people or anyone for that matter. He was carrying a weapon because the previous week before, his teammate Steve Smith was robbed at gunpoint with his wife by Smith's limousine driver. No one cared that that happened. Burress had the book thrown at him by both the NFL and the New York legal system. In my view, that case was the beginning of the end for Goodell. He has fined players and suspended players at a rate that makes people think he thinks he is executioner too.  The New Orleans Saints blame him for ruining what could have been a super season. James Harrison's paychecks have been garnished for suspension several times.  Ed Reed has made donations as well. He has probably made millions in just collected fine money. He has made his message clear about what he will tolerate or you will pay.  The tackle from the Redskins who was involved with that brawl last week better get ready for a phone call, because you can't be out and get in trouble these days.  Pacman Jones learned the hard way. Mr.Suh too.
Goodell feels he is doing what's best for football and its image with his fines and punishments.  The. Players understand his intentions but do not respect his methods . Brain injuries are killing players.  Concussion are a serious subject. The players feel over legislated and not respected. The league made millions lions for years with those vicious hits videos. Too many rules and constant reprimands have hurt the communication between the players and the league office.  They feel powerless and like slaves in some instances. Had he got his wish to play an eighteen game season anarchy would have run wild in the league. No one is surprised by the disapproval numbers, it should probably be worse. The system could have been a part of the collective bargain agreement, but the players seemed only intent on protecting their money. Now they have to deal with a leader who they did not vote in, but is firmly in charge. No one to blame but themselves....  The commissioner could care less!!

Is the NFL too full of itself?

I am as big a sports fan as they come in this great land that we live in and I have to tell you that I am concerned about the entity that we call the NFL.  Over the past four years we have had a commissioner who acts like he is God, we have owners who don't want share money with people who make them the money, players who spend about as much time in the police blotter as they do in the training room, former players suing the league for not being given enough information about concussions and head injuries, and now the integrity of the game is being questioned because of non professional referees.  What I just written down is about 30 talk shows worth of topics in five sentences.  We all concede that the most popular sport in America is Pro Football. Baseball is no longer America's past time, (over reaction Monday is) Football has replaced it.  The NHL and NBA are only relevant in the post season.  Golf is only great when Tiger is succeeding and playing.  Boxing is often angry water cooler conversation, tennis is non existent and no one will openly admit that they sat and watched 42 cars go around an oval 500 times for three hours. I blogged weeks ago that no one messes with the NFL because everyone has an opinion and knowledge of the sport.  People will argue with you till they are blue in the face about their teams and everything about their teams. We have made the NFL what it is and now it has gone way too far.
The NFL is full of itself because we have allowed this nonsense to go this far.  As a consumer, we have a choice.  We can watch what is on television, go to the game or not get involved at all.  Because we buy the Directv packages, the merchandise, the product advertised durning the game, the NFL will act like a dictator in our lives.  Everyone who follows football know that not paying the referees a raise is moronic and controlling.  32 teams are dividing a television contract that earned them 9 billion dollars.  The players are getting paid more, the price of tickets are not getting cheaper,  food at the concessions stands, jerseys, hats, mecrhandise in general are not getting cheaper. Rookies are being paid less money so that veteran players who have earned the money can actually get paid somewhere if not from that team that he is fighting for a contract from.s every where in the NFL!!!  So with the price everything rising, why shouldn't referees get a raise as well?  The NFL knows that you, me, the martian on venus will watch their product no matter who is calling the game, reffing the game or playing the game.  There have been tons of complaints lobbed at the league for missed calls, the length of games, and the misuse of rules in the games. What does integrity mean to the league?  Absolutely nothing.  The league knows that you are going to watch no matter what.  Buffalo plays Cleveland this weekend.  The game will sell out in Cleveland and the game will be on televisions everywhere.
Another example of the NFL is too full of itself is this bounty scandal involving the Saints.  The fact the league produced a face saving affadavit this weekend as to why Jonathan Vilma was suspended for a season is evidence that the commissioner probably glared at Greg Williams and said how badly do you want to coach again in this league. Now i am not acusing the commissioner of coercion but they said that they had evidence way back months ago to convict Vilma of putting up 10,000 to anyone who knocked out Brett Favre.  So why do they use a letter signed three days ago to further implicate Vilma?  Vilma says he has 9 letters that will prove that he didn't say that. Who are we to believe?  Drew Brees was outspoken months ago that they saw no proof of the involvement by the players.  Dont you think that if that information about Vilma's involvement was available last month or three months ago or five months ago that that would been the nail in the coffin for Vilma and everyone else involved?  The fans like that Goodell is trying to clean up the negative image of football players.  The fans don't like someone bieing accused or scandal to explain a scandal.  We want things to be crystal clear.  The Commissioner will probably re-suspend the players because the players foolishly did not in the latest collective bargining agreement address the power of the commissioners office. The biggest mistake they could have ever made.
We will still watch because we are fans of the games... Maybe we are all addicts and need our fix of the NFL drug. Shame on us for that, shame on them for playing to our weakness..

My final football post of the pre season..

So lets finish the discussion about football before thegames begin in both College and the NFL.  They stories in College are extremely intriguing.  What kind of season will Penn St. have?  They will be the most scrutinized team this year and now the story wont go away.  I blogged how disappointed I was that the school did not fight for their rights, and now the members of the trustees are finally stepping up and in.  It is bad for the school because everyone just wants to sweep the situation under the "football rug". The school is uniting in  all sports  to show that Penn St. has moved forward and cannot control what happens off the field.  The students make the University and hopefull this fall they will represent their families, friends, and themselves with class and dignity.  I feel for the victims, but no one can fix what happened.  Good Luck Penn St.
Another story is several college athletes came back to college for one more year for a chance at a title.  Matt Barkeley would have been a first round pick.  Montee Ball and Landry Jones too. They have the world on their shoulders this season and relish the opportunity to get it done this fall.  Expectations are extremely high at those Universities this fall.   Tyrann Matthieu came back as well but addiction has ruined his college career.  It is tragic and hopefully he will get the help he needs. 
Speaking of the SEC will they win another BCS title?  Georgia, is joining the fray this year as they have the quarterback in Murray to compete with the big boys. If South Carolina can control their turnover problems of years past they will be their as well.  USC, Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon feel like they have enough to end the run of the SEC.  Florida St. and Virginia Tech always possess potent defenses and good enough players to play with the SEC schools.  I think the reign comes to an end this year.
I think the title game will be USC and Oklahoma. Bama and LSU have a lot of unanswered questions on both sides of the ball.  They are both giving way too many new players an opportunity to be great this year.  Look out next year though..
Denard Robinson will win the Heisman.  He will combine for more than 50 touchdowns this year.  Geno Smith in West Virginia may as well. West Virginia is a sleep team to win the title as well.  they have a sick offense coming back.  They scored 70 points in a bowl game last year and were just in year 1 of learning the offense of the new coaching staff.  I cannot wait to see how it unfolds..
How about teams changing leagues just to make more money and a chance toplay for a title.  Texas A&M in the SEC. Boise St. to the Big East.  Missouri in the SEC. Just to name a few.  Doesn't Pittsburgh, Syracuse move to the ACC soon? How about new coaches at schools?  Charlie Weiss in Kansas? Kevin Sumlin in Texas A&M.  Mike Leach at WSU? Bill Obrien at Penn St.? Urban Meyer at Ohio St.? Who will win more games?  Ohio St. has sanctions coming.  Can Texas rebound from last years meltdown?  Notre Dame is playing the most brutal schedule I have ever seen.  No cupcakes anywhere.  They start the year in Ireland against Navy and then all breaks loose with their schedule. 
In the NFL.. I gave you my predictions of who will win the divisions.  I think New England, Baltimore, Houston, and Denver should prevail in AFC with Pittsburgh and San Diego making the playoffs.  I think that Houston and New England will play for AFC title and Houston will emerge as champion.  Houston has the defense and schedule to be really good this year.  Home field advantage will be their launching pad to the Super Bowl. 
I think Andrew Luck will be AFC rookie of the year and will not disappoint.
The NFC I think that the Niners, Giants, Packers, Saints win divisions.  I think Philly and Chicago get wild cards.  I am wavering on the wild card picks because Atlanta is very good.  Detroit is as well.  I just think Atlanta has the wrong success model.  They keep bringing in the wrong veteran players.  Asante Samuel has been on three teams now in the last five years because he cannot cover like he believes he can.  The Falcons can score with anyone. can they stop anyone? Detroit needs a running game to gurantee that Stafford will be on the field this year for 16 games.  He showed last year that if healthy he can put up huge numbers and be a superstar.  I think that their defense is one year away from greatness but off the field matters will haunt this team.  This team will be great in 2013 mark my word.  Maturity wins titles.  They will be forced to grow up pretty quickly.  The NFC is much better than the AFC this year.  There are more teams that have playoff ability in that conference.  Dallas is better than most AFC teams and will be at home watching the post season.  I already mentioned Atlanta and Detroit.  Carolina is up and coming and Seattle will be a pleasant surprise.  The final two in the NFC will be Green Bay v New Orleans.  New Orleans will become the first team to host the super bowl. 
The referee lockout is a disgrace to the league.  The NFL make 9 billion dollars a year and they do not want give a raise to the men who give the games its integrity? The replacement refs will do a good enough job that wont cause a calamity, but why risk it?  Yes every week we hear the pundits criticzie the refs for blown calls and it repercussions for teams, coaches and players.  I understand that noone is perfect but at least we kindof understand when a ref misses a call. We dont understand when a ref misses a basic rule.  the replacement refs had a game this preseason where they thought the 4 yard line was the end zone line.  They marked a penalty 11 yards that was to be 15 or cannot explain why a call was made to the audience.  They have even faced the wrong way talking to the camera.  I wonder what is going to happen if in week 1 the Niners play Green Bay and blown call gives the game to one team and they lose out on homefield advantage 15 weeks down the road.  A hefty price to pay when the refs are only asking to be compensated because everyone else involved in football is getting raises.  We hope the best even though we know this is going to be ugly..
My super bowl of Houston and New Orleans will be fun to bet on and attend.  The Saints will win and tell the league to kiss their *** when they are praising Sean Payton for organizing such a fine team.  Brees is your M.V.P. .. Let the games begin

The next two weakest divisions are...

So i guess the next two "weakest divisions" by default are the NFC South and AFC east.  Both divisions are extremely top heavy and extremely weak at the bottom.  In the NFC South, the Saints and Falcons are coming off of playoff seasons that  ended in shocking performances.  The Falcons got smacked around by the Giants.  They scored 2 points and looked quite intimidated in Giant stadium.  The Saints went into San Francisco and played the way the normally play but could not stop the anemic offense of the Niners and allowed Alex Smith to drive 80 yards for a victory.  No one could have ever predicted that the niners would score 39 points in a game.  The AFC east is headlined by the Patriots.  They represented the AFC in the Super Bowl and fell shortto the New York Giants. They have a loaded offense but defense failed them last year. I think they ran into a team that simply has their number. The Giants defeated the Patriots during the season and ended their 20 game home winning streak on a fourth quarter drive. The Patriots need to just simply avoid the Giants and they would have several more championships. Lets analyze both divisions..
The AFC east has three quarterbacks trying to find themselves and Tom Brady.  The New York Jets play solid defense but cannot get a pass rush.  They try blitzing everyone but once the blitz gets picked up they are vulnerable except of course on Revis island.  On offense the Jets need to get back to running the ball and with the departure of L.T. they brought in Tim Tebow to bolster that attack.  He can run and he needs to work on his throwing.  The Jets have no receivers.  They have Dustin Keller who can play but he cannot be affective if the Jets core of receivers cannot get open.  The Jets talk alot and are media darlings for not doing anything.  They are the Kardashians of sports and it is time to show up, put up or quietly shut up...
The Buffalo Bills got off to a great start last year.  Then Ryan Fitzpatrick got a huge contract extension and then the Bills fell off a cliff.  They couldn't beat Alabama after week 5.  They have seriuos weapons on offense.  They can run the ball with jackson and Spiller.  Johnson is a star in the making.  They play probably in the worse play to play for a team that can pass the ball as well as they do.  Their defense thinks that this year their line is the best in football. The signed Mario Williams to give them the pass rush they need to cover up their weaknesses at linebacker and cornerback.  If they can stay healthy and confident,they have enough to compete for a wild card spot.
The Miami Dolphins just named Ryan Tannehill their starter for the season.  He has serious upside, but he has only play 19 games as a starting qb in college and he needs more class room time. Reggie Bush had his first season as a 1000 yard rusher. He is poised to prove that last year was not a fluke.  They just released Chad Johnson and traded away Brandon Marshall.  So who is Tanneyhill going to throw the ball to?  They have a solid tight end in Fasano but who else?  Defensively the Dolphins have a pulse. They can rush the passer quite well.  Cameron Wembley was a sweet surprise last year. They are starting a new with a new coach and coordinator.  They are a work in progress.  They will struggle this year some.
The Patriots needed defensive help and drafted 6 new defensive players.  they realize that they cannot win the big game with offense only.  If their offense does not get on the field then they are being wasted.  They still need a running game. Brady is Brady and he has made stars of both tight ends and Welker is in his final year with the Pats.  They have not given him a longterm deal which is a joke.  The Patriots improve on defense they could unbeaten in the regular season...
The NFC south has star potential all over the place.  The Tampa Bay Bucs flopped last year.  They have to regroup with a new coach in Schiano and get Freeman his confidence back.  Theyhave weapons on both sides of the ball and last year clearly the coach lost that team.  They have running backs and young talented receivers who can stretch the field.  The defense is fast and opportunistic.  They just don't know how to play yet.  This year they will improve some but Freeman has to healthy and play with the confidence of two years ago.
The Carolina Panthers has no where to go but up.  Cam Newton re-wrote the rookie record books with his play last year.  Steve Smith found the fountain of youth.  They ran the ball well and really are a couple of defenders away from being ready to compete for the division.  Newton still has a lot to learn and he must take care of his body this season because teams will be gunning for him.  Football cannot be this easy.  If they can run it better than they did last they could contend for a wild card.  Their defense has a lot of promise.  They just play in the division that youhave to be able to score points or you cannot compete.
The Atlanta Falcons need a defense to match their offense.  They can score with anyone.  They have great running backs and receivers and tight ends.  The Qb play is all pro level.  They need someone on the defense to make a play and get off the field on 3rd down.  They need better play calling and smart play calling.  They should be ashamed of themselves for what they did last year. They think that winning comes in the form of outscoring people.  They need to understandthat you have to make a stop once in a whlie or ball control to keep Brees or Rodgers off the field.  If the Falcons can figure that out, they could have a super season...
The Saints have the pressure of hosting the super bowl this year, a scandal that has rocked the league, and no head coach to guide them through.  Drew Brees set the NFL record for yards in a season last year and just got paid a beaucoup dollar contract.  They have the offense of the present but dont have a defense at all.  They bend but dont break. They can intercept any pass, cause thousands of fumbles, but always have at least 2 or 3 games that defy logic.. This season they have to prove that they are even more special than ever because they are being asked to coach themselves.. It should be wild..
The outlook this season.. New England:14-2, Buffalo:9-7, New York Jets 9-7, Miami 3-13
The outlook this season.. New Orleans: 13-3, Atlanta: 11-5, Carolina: 7-9, Tampa bay 5-11
The player to watch in the AFC east: Mark Sanchez. the jets go as far as he takes them
The player to watch in NFC south: Drew Brees The pressure is squarely on his shoulders.

The Saints and Peyton Manning headline the sports stories of the upcoming season

The NFL opened its slate of preseason football games last weekend and finally we can get our minds wrapped around football.  To the chagrin of most people, the two major stories going into this season have nothing to do with Tim Tebow.  The two most compelling storyline to follow all season long are the New Orleans Saints and Peyton Manning.  Yes Manning was brought in to replace Tebow, but Bronco fans will not be clamoring for Tebow after a few wins by Manning. The New York Giants are the defending champs but even they have to take a back seat to these stories.  The Saints have had a hurricaine rip through their organization because of a scandal so foolish that no one understands why they would engage in such tomfoolery.  The "bounty" scandal is a juvenile and foolish as this grown man sitting next to me in the library doing moves from a nicki minaj video.  He knows that library is supposed to be silent and yet he is blasting his ipod away and dancing.  The Saints were warned to not engage this type of behavior and they continued. We will dive into it more in a minute.  Peyton Manning wants to get hit so badly that his neck hurts!!! No pun intended but he is so sick of answering questions and cannot wait to play against the Bears on Thursday that I am sure he is bouncing off walls.  Lets analyze my points.
The New Orlenas Saints were less than 2 minutes away from hosting the NFC championship game last season.  They allowed Alex Smith to drive down the field and win an epic playoff game in San Francisco.  There organization has been rocked by scandal and you all know what the punishments are for their actions.  Can this team rebound and play an entire season without their head coach and architect of the most prolific offense in football?  They still have Drew Brees and he  has a ton of weapons to throw to.  If Mark Ingram stays healthy they may actually have a running game which would take the pressure off of Brees to make every play.  Their schedule is tough but I think more teams are more worried about playing the Saints than the Saints are worried about playing them.  The Super Bowl is in New Orleans and the Saints have designs on being the first team to host the big game in their home stadium.  The latest drama around this team is simply ridiculous.  Jonathan Vilma is suing the NFL for defamation and supposedly the league either is trying strike a deal with him to drop his suit.  The league denies there has been no deal made or talks about lessening the suspension.  I just want to see the evidence against Vilma.  he vehemently denies what he is being accused of and is not going to let his name continue to be destroyed by the league. How do the Saints make it through the season without two such vital parts?  They are really going to hope to have an injury free season.  An injury to Brees and this season is a wrap.  Their defense is not very good on the road anyways so the loss of Vilma weakens them on that side of the ball.The Saints will try to score and score and score.  We shall see if Jimmy Graham is the real deal this year.
The Broncos had a good defense last year and if you take away games against New England, Green Bay and Detroit, they would have had an elite defensive ranking.  We know that they got rid of two qb's that started last year and have brought in the ultimate weapon in Manning but their schedule is unfair.  They play several teams that were in the playoffs last year.  They play New Orleans, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, and Cincinnati just to name off of the top of my head.  The have to contend with the AFC west that has three other quarterbacks who cna play when healthy.  The Raiders will be better now that Plamer is getting a full off season.  The Chiefs get back Cassell who played under Crennel in New England plus Jamal Charles is ready to roll.  San Diego is on its last legs with the group they have and continue to wonder what kind of team they would if they all stayed healthy for a full season.  Peyton Manning is walking into a hornets net without a pesticide.  They have the toughest first 8 games to start a season than I have ever seen.  They have to play New England as well.  What are their goals?  They must be at .500 at the bye week and be ready to play Cincinnati after the bye. They maybe they can make a run.  They still have to play Carolina and Tampa who are expecting improvement from last season.  All in all the Broncos have been set up to fail.
As much as I will be following my Giants I will be watching these two teams to see if the are pretenders or contenders.  I am just happy that Peyton is back and the Saints will have a serious chip on their shoulders throughout this season for sure.  They even play one another in the first few months of the season.  I cannot wait...

reason 5 the Saints will win... Intangibles

What is an Intangible? An in tangible is something that is undefined. It is that certain "je ne c'est pas" that a team or a player has. An intangible is something that one cannot explain but some how or some way we all know what a person is talking about. The Colts are a very up front in your face type of team.. They win because Peyton Manning. That is it. They have no running game, a defense that bends but does not break, and a non existent special team. They have won 7 games in the fourth quarter due to Manning and his ability to finish. That is why he won league M.V.P. over Brees and Favre. When you play the Colts, you know what you are going to get and you must find a way to stop them. The Jets had the plan but played way too conservative to keep the plan going. If the Saints have an 11 point lead in the game, I guarantee you they will go for more. They wont turn around and give ball to the back and try not to lose the game. The Saints are explosive in any quarter and in any game. Think back to the Dolphin game this season. Brees threw interceptions and the Saints were down by 18 points at one point in the first half. They outscored the Dolphins 43-14 from the 2 minute warning till the end of the game!!!! That is insane!!!In the game against the Redskins they were down big as well and it looked like they were finished and then they come back to win the game when the kicker misses a 20 plus yard field goal!!! The Cowboy game though they lost, the kicker from the Cowboys missed a chip shot kick and gave the Saints the ball and a chance. They are built for this moment. They put 4 guys over 6 feet and say split the seams and force your safeties to cover them. Bill Bellichick, the defensive guru of the league said that this team is unstoppable. They could have scored 50 on the Patriots if he hadn't called off the dogs. Look at the Vikings game, the Saints did not play a great offensive game but forced 5 turnovers and found a way to win against the Vikings. The only reason the Saints are not favored is that they played poorly in the Championship game. Had they won 44-21 the would have been favored in this game. They make plays to win games and they will show that on Sunday.
I am amazed at how much the world loves Peyton Manning. It reminds of something that I heard throughout the college football season. Every week we kept hearing about how great Tim Tebow was. How he is the greatest college player ever and that if he has the ball in the fourth quarter, the Gators would be unbeatable. Then Alabama shut all of that nonsense up with tough defense and a running attack that the unbeatable Gators could not stop. Tebow and Manning have a ton in common in terms of leadership. Just as the 'Bama players got sick hearing about Tebow, the saints players are probably sick of hearing about Peyton Manning. The Saints scored 510 points this year. Not the Colts. The Saints played six similar opponents to the Colts and beat all of them by double digits except the Rams!!!! Think about that for a second. They defeated the Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Patriots, Cardinals, and Rams. The Colts are a great team and should have gone for the perfect season. They ended up getting hurt in the playoffs anyway. Freeney is not going to be a factor in this game for a full four quarters. If I was the Saints I would run the ball right at him and make sure that he spends the entire game on his ass looking up at the sky.
The City of New Orleans is owed a day other than Fat Tuesday to celebrate. Saints 41- Colts 28.