Brett Favre Cheated The Minnesota Vikings

Well, Brett Favre has finally retired. For now.

With the whirlwind he created, I beg the question if he robbed the Minnesota Vikings.

It truly seems Brett Favre was to the Minnesota Vikings as Hurricane Katrina was to New Orleans in 2005.

Favre has left the Vikings in shambles.

Actually, he didn’t ever “land” with Minnesota; he stormed through the organization like a raging tornado and left it as quick as Usain Bolt to deal with the problems.

Toying with the Vikings for the entirety of the postseason is one thing. But to turn your back on them, and announce that he is staying retired is a whole other level. Not to mention he did it just two days before Vikings open up Training Camp.

Talk about waiting until the last minute.

There is no question while Favre was waffling with this decision, the Vikings were preparing for that possibility, including re-working their extensive playbook.

Now Favre has left the Vikings out in the cold.

This game of cat and mouse between the Vikings and future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre was devastating for the Vikings.

News broke out last week that Minnesota’s top players, including Adrian Peterson, were texting Favre and insisting he should come out of retirement and play for the purple and gold.

This is bad news for Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, huh? It’s probably as bad as it can get.

There is certainly a lot of negativity to center in on in this mess. But let’s take a gander at the positives.

At least the Vikings will be able to zero in on the real quarterback competition for the entire Training Camp.

At the least, this four-month debacle of a situation is finally at its conclusion.

At the least, there is no more doubt in anyone’s mind that Favre could possibly play with the Vikings.

Or did he leave the door open when he said he could be ready to play by Nov. 1? Did anyone realize this is coincidentally a Vikings-Packers game at historic Lambeau Field?

It’s an interesting fixture, but something that I would rather see closed.

Earlier this summer, I stated my excitment about the possible return of Favre. And, although I am truly disappointed in his decision, I am more excited just to know we can move on.

An incredible amount of a team’s success is based off chemistry, more than the average person believes. And for the Vikings, the reigning NFC North Champions and Super Bowl hopefuls, that can’t be any more true.

With the Favre mess behind us for now, Minnesota can look ahead with their talent-filled roster, defending their division championship, and possibly—I say this optimistically—fighting for the Super Bowl.

And the answer to the earlier question: Yes, Brett Favre robbed the Vikings this offseason.

 

Carolina Panthers: Five Position Battles to Watch at Camp

Now the Panthers do have 21 of 22 starters returning, so don’t expect to see too many battles going on, but here are a few you should keep an eye on going into camp.

 

1. DE

Everett Brown and Tyler Brayton for Left Defensive End. Fox has a tendency to start his first pick in the Draft, but he usually get’s a pick in the first round.

Brown has good speed that will fit better in a Ron Meeks system, but Brayton is the better all around player and the Vet, so this one could get very interesting, especially if Brayton knees Brown in the groin.

 

2. KR

The unquestionably most wide open battle of the training camp this year has as many as seven battling for the coveted spot on the team. But the major players will be Jason Carter, who is playing his way onto the team after he tore his ACL in the last preseaon game last season, Mike Goodson from Texas A&M, and Ryan Robinson who was injured in training camp last season.

And last but not least is Larry Beavers who comes out of Wesley a Div. III school in the NCAA where he set the NCAA record for all-time combined kick return touchdowns.

 

3. WR

Steve Smith and Muhsin Mohammad are the only two locks. Now Dwayne Jarrett is expected to be a lock for the third spot, but that isn’t a guarantee by any stretch of the imagination when you consider his first two seasons with the team. Jason Carter and Ryan Robinson are both expected to compete for the final starting spot, but IMO Carter is the only one that has a real shot at taking the third spot away from Jarrett.

Well that’s it for starting spots, but there are a few going for Depth.

 

4. DT

Lewis and Kemo are the starters and that won’t change baring injury, but depth is a different story.

There is a battle among Corvey Irvin, Nick Hayden, and Lorenzo Williams. Hayden didn’t look too good in his limited play last season, and I’m very curious to see what happens with Irvin because I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about him.

 

5. O-Line

The Panthers O-line is one of the best in the NFL. Well they’re starters are at least, the Panthers depth at O-line though was raided like a Spanish Gallion on it’s way back from the New World. And now a lot of that Depth is gone, so what about those left behind?

Well I don’t know, second-year man Geoff “the Dude” Schwartz is a fan favorite because of his impressive size, being 6’6″ 331 pounds, but not much is known about his competition for this training camp. Jonathan Palmer is a pretty big dude himself coming in at 6’4″ 336 pounds. And then there’s Justin Geisinger coming in at 6’2″ 315 pounds, he was drafted in 2005 by the Titans. And our last man is also our smallest is Mackenzy Bernadeau, he’s 6’4″ 308 pounds.

 

I will be going to training camp this year and will be giving updates throughout so stay tuned…

Brett Favre to Take a Year Off in Preparations For 2010 Summer [HUMOR]

Brett Favre confirmed this week he will not be playing football for the Minnesota Vikings in 2009.

So with that in mind…why is the media still talking about it?

I can’t figure it out, unless of course, there is an under-the-table assumption that Favre will do this again next year.

Wait a minute…Yes…I’m receiving confirmation that Brett Favre is taking the year off so he can be ready to keep yet another team in limbo until the week before training camp.

Despite the Vikings adamant stance that they are not going to sign Brett Favre, a stance they took about 10 times this summer, rumors still swirled around the future Hall of Famer in purple and gold.

First, they gave him an ultimatum to make a decision before the draft.

Then, in the middle of summer, the Vikings “suspended talks” with Favre.

The next week, he was a Viking.

It was an unfortunate summer yet again as SportsCenter was forced to cover this story every day to some extent.

Every time Favre stepped onto a field, ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols was there, and Favre was loving every minute of it. 

Lets think about this for a minute.

Brett Favre was working out…at a High School, and ESPN felt the need to send one of its best field reporters to Mississippi and cover the story. Maybe ESPN should reevaluate its priorities.

Every time there was an update on his elbow, ESPN producers were scrambling to put the update on the air. No one was killed, though several were injured.

Now that it is over, one would think the coverage would stop. One would be wrong.

When asked why he wants to take a year off, Favre noted several reasons. Those included were spending time with his family, taking vacation, and the fact that he just can’t perform with his elbow injury.

Let’s be honest people, Favre simply wants to help dominate the media in the infamous summer of 2010, when the likes of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and co. will be free agents.

Favre doesn’t want to have to relegate the spotlight to these sub-par individuals, he wants it all for himself.

“I don’t think it’s fair that the NBA get all the attention next year,” said Brett, “I feel responsible for the publicity of the NFL in off-season, so I want to be 100 percent when that time comes.”

For four straight years now we were forced to hear, day after day, updates on the “Brett Favre Situation.” You can almost be sure there will be a fifth.

I’m half expecting Favre to show up in the new “XX” commercials what with all the media coverage he is receiving.

Stay Thirsty Brett.

Clownin’ Around: David Clowney, Twitter, and Fate

Twitter is either the greatest advancement in the history of social networking, or a sign that humanity itself may be doomed; it just depends on who you ask. 

While the site may provide an unnecessary forum for Aunt Mildred to let friends and followers know that she’s late for her podiatrist appointment, it also connects fans to athletes in a completely new way.

No one expects fans to look at athletes like they used to, when they were viewed only in the context of their sport and often not as people with completely separate lives.  That vision of the athlete was destroyed a long time ago with figures like Broadway Joe Namath, and kept alive by the Tom Brady’s and Alex Rodriguez’s of the sports world. 

Still, a line existed between what fans know, and what they really didn’t have to know.  For instance, if a team’s backup point guard was going to his sister’s house to play Connect Four, a fan doesn’t need to know that.  Or if the team’s new right fielder was out enjoying an off day in the new city with his teammates, no one should care.  However, with Twitter, the casual fan can not only know when these things are going on, but can also in turn make judgments based on what they read.

Enter David Clowney, third-year wide receiver for the New York Jets, a twitter user, and a player that’s quickly becoming the poster child for why that can be a very bad thing.  A New York Jets fan site called TheGangGreen.com runs the updates from the Jets’ twitters on the front page of their site, a frequent home for the comments of one Mr. Clowney. Now, I’m not saying that what Clowney is tweeting is all that condemnable. After all, he is only 24-years-old and it’s more-so the way it’s perceived.

If a person wants to stay out at the clubs seemingly all night every single day, that’s his decision. However, when it’s an athlete and the information is displayed to the public, the common fan might get a little worried. 

Of course, that’s not entirely true, but the perception among fans that have been following his twitter is that he isn’t exactly getting himself ready for what could be a big part in the offense.

Is it fair that a large group of Jet fans, who are sitting on their couch, eating bologna by the pound, are judging a professional athlete’s work ethic based solely on a social networking site? No, of course not. However, it’s going to happen, and it will continue to happen, as long as this type of information is readily available.

Just as with celebrity followers who hang on every word posted on People.com, sports fans are yearning to learn more and more about their heroes, and media outlets are doing their best to oblige. It’s interesting how the most telling information about their personal lives would come from the players themselves. 

David Clowney’s saga is just an example of what fans across the sports landscape are now going through, and will be dealing with for the foreseeable future. So don’t just blame Clowney and the other athletes that may take some time to goof off; blame twitter and the technology that makes this information so enticing to us all.

Five Questions Needing Answers at Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp

All NFL teams have questions they need to answer during training camp, even a defending Super Bowl champion with 20 of 22 starters returning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter camp in great shape with a capable front office, solid coaching staff, and a perfect mix of veterans and youngsters on the roster.

The Steelers are in a better position than most defending champs of the past, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some issues.

As training camp opens on Friday, July 31, at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, here are five questions Mike Tomlin and company need answers to if they hope to repeat and grab hold of ring No. 7.

 

1. Will the team be distracted by the impending Ben Roethlisberger civil suit?

The short answer is no.

This is a veteran team composed of leaders who’ve captured two world titles in four years. These accusations will have zero effect on a team like Pittsburgh.

Besides, Tomlin has the personality type that won’t allow for distractions to bother his team and the goals he’s set.

 

2. Can Big Ben stay healthy and off his back in 2009?

For Pittsburgh to get back to the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger must stay healthy. If he goes down, it could be lights out to the season.

The responsibility of keeping Big Ben upright falls to the offensive line, a unit that gave up 58 sacks last season, including the playoffs.

All five starters return to a unit that did play better towards the end of the season and throughout the playoffs. The addition of rookie Kraig Urbik, who will challenge Darnell Stapleton for the right guard spot, could make this line even stronger.

 

3. Who will emerge as the No. 3 receiver?

The Steelers are hoping that 2008 second-round pick, Limas Sweed, will fill the role vacated when Nate Washington signed with Tennessee in free agency.

Sweed struggled to learn the offense, but that happens to most rookie wideouts. The Texas product has size, speed, and good hands, but needs to improve his route running. Another year in the system should see a marked improvement.

If Sweed struggles, look for veteran Shaun McDonald or rookie speedster Mike Wallace to get a chance. If both falter, tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth will be asked to produce even more in 2009.

 

4. Can Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall bounce back from injuries?

When healthy, the Steelers have a nice three-headed backfield with Parker, Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore.

Last season, staying healthy was a big problem.

Parker went down after 11 games, Mendenhall replaced him and proceeded to follow suit. Moore took over and finished out the regular season. The result was a Steelers ground game that fell to 23rd in the league.

The good news: everyone is healthy and now the Steelers have a fourth head in the form of Frank “The Tank” Summers, a bruising back from UNLV. Look for the Pittsburgh ground game to return to form in 2009.

5. Is William Gay the man at corner?

The Steelers lost only two starters on defense in free agency—CB Bryant McFadden and ILB Larry Foote. Both were let go by choice.

Foote was replaced by emerging Lawrence Timmons and McFadden’s spot at right corner will be taken by Gay, entering his third season with Pittsburgh.

Gay started four games last season and looked the part when given the chance. The show is his now and he must perform at a high level. Rest assured, opposing offenses will focus on him until he proves his worth.

 

As the Steelers head to training camp most of these questions will be answered. The important thing to remember is as long as the Steelers have Roethlisberger and a Dick LeBeau-led defense, the Super Bowl is always within their grasp.

Best Linebackers Not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Our position-by-position look at the best eligible players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame continues with a position that includes both players who served as the quarterback of the defense and others that disrupted offenses with their prowess rushing the passer.

Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, many top middle linebackers became familiar figures as the defensive quarterback on the field. Players like Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Tommy Nobis, Willie Lanier, Bill Bergey, Lee Roy Jordan, Jack Lambert, Harry Carson, Nick Buoniconti and Mike Singletary were recognized as the defensive leader for their team and every team looked to find their own stuffer in the middle.

Until players like Lawrence Taylor changed the game and made outside linebackers regular pass rushers, the outside backers were generally more involved in pass coverage and stopping the run than in putting constant pressure on the quarterback.

There are 18 modern era linebackers in the Hall of Fame, but when you look at the list of those not in the Hall of Fame, there seems to be an equal number of deserving linebackers still waiting for induction.

Only five linebackers have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the last decade and 10 have been enshrined since 1989.

Ranking the top 10 linebackers not in the Hall of Fame was a challenge partly because of such a disparity in statistics. Sacks were not kept as an official stat until 1982 and most tackle numbers are unofficial and inconsistent.

For that reason, I weighed heavily such factors as Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. I also looked at how defensive units ranked in points and yardage allowed.

So, here is my list of the top 10 eligible linebackers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I look forward to your comments, discussion, and disagreements.

Vikings’ Udeze Retires: A Sad and Inspiring Story Gets Lost in the Shuffle

Kenechi Udeze, a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2004, has decided to retire.

Players retire from the NFL every year, and a lot of the time we don’t even notice except for maybe a passing story.

However, this retirement is as heartbreaking as you’ll ever find.

Udeze was forced to sit out the 2008 season after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, Udeze decided to return to the field after a year of rehab, bone marrow transplants, and other treatments.

“I’d be lying if I said it was easy,” Udeze said back in late May at Minnesota’s OTA’s. “There was never an easy point. The first time I went back to USC and started working out with the fellas, I fell.”

“I took two steps and I fell. I took small steps at first and, to where I am now, I can’t complain.”

At the time, Udeze was fresh off a bone marrow transplant and a biopsy. He showed incredible strength and willpower to simply be standing, let alone out on a football field.

“That’s where they go in and take a little piece of your bone marrow and it hurts the day after,” Udeze said. “Like I said, I’ve seen children deal with what I’m dealing with. And if they can deal with it, then I shouldn’t make any complaints.”

Udeze never complained about his condition. He never just sat down, gave up, and asked, “Why me? Why me?” like some would do. And you know what; I don’t think I could blame anyone who would. Leukemia is a terrible disease to deal with, and could certainly be enough to break a man down.

But Udeze was a fighter. He was determined to beat his illness and make his way back onto the football field where he felt he belonged, and he did just that.

That is, until Wednesday, July 29th when he decided that he simply could no longer pursue an NFL career any longer.

He has not been available for comment, although I’m sure with the decision of Brett Favre conquering the news, and regarding the same team, not many people are beating down his door for comment.

However, while this is a sad day for Udeze in terms of his football career, he can always appreciate that he was able to play in the NFL, no matter how short his time, and that he has received a new lease on life.

With the recent death of great men like Jim Johnson and Harry Kalas, that new lease on life is certainly a far richer reward than any NFL contract.

 

Also Check Out 2 Minutes to Midnight Green.

Eagles’ D Is Now McDermott’s Domain…and They’ll Be Fine

It’s a sad week in Philadelphia as the Eagles family (and NFL fans alike) mourn the passing of former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson.

Since the day Johnson announced his sabbatical – and now-permanent replacement Sean McDermott was named interim coordinator – the big non-health question Eagles fans have been asking is “what does this mean for the defense?”

Prior to Tuesday, the task of taking over the Eagles’ defense was going to be hard enough for McDermott as it was. If his defense struggled, if he tweaked too much…really, if it didn’t run like the well-oiled machine that carried the Birds to the NFC Championship Game last year, he would be second-guessed to no end.

“Maybe he should listen to Jim,” fans might say, or the similar “maybe he should run Jim’s defense as is.” Or better yet, the old “maybe Jim will come back soon!” mantra would carry them – us, as I have to count myself as a fan – through the interim.

Let me let you in on a sad fact of life, Eagles fans: Jim Johnson was never coming back. The day he “stepped down” was always going to be his last hurrah. Of course no one knew (or wanted to admit) that, as the seriousness of Johnson’s cancer was left publicly unsaid for reasons I’m sure I don’t have to describe.

And let me tell you something else: That’s why they picked McDermott as his successor.

It would be crazy for McDermott to run the defense exactly as Johnson had. Really, even if he was the “interim” coordinator, Sean would be dumb not to add his own little tweaks. Whether they work or not, there are obviously things he sees that no one else does. It’s human nature.

But if there’s anyone who can do it with almost 100% precision, it’s McDermott.

He’s coached both the secondary and the linebackers in his five years as an Eagles assistant. In his one year as LB coach, they were the most productive that unit has been in recent memory. Brian Dawkins aside, he’s helped turn Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard into Pro Bowlers, developed Quentin Mikell to the point that the Birds felt they could let Dawkins walk and managed a secondary as well as you can.

McDermott knows the defense. And he knows how to “bring the pain” the way Johnson did, if you will.

So he’s going to…because he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There is one thing I know, and that is that this system, it works,” McDermott said in his introductory press conference. “Jim (Johnson) has spent a considerable amount of time in his coaching career researching and finding things that work and finding things that didn’t work, quite frankly, and I’m going to respect that and we’re going to build on that. From there, we’ll add wrinkles.”

Now, those wrinkles will be added in memory of Johnson, not just in place of him.

But again, McDermott knows what he’s doing.

“What haven’t I learned from Jim? I don’t think it would be fair to Jim, in this setting, to try and limit in one statement, one press conference, the effect that Jim has had on my life.”

That’s more of a tribute to Jim Johnson the man, the football coach and the genius than any scribe could pump out in 500 words.

Soon, we’ll learn from McDermott. The student always becomes the teacher eventually, just not always under these circumstances.

But that’s just more motivation for the Birds’ defense…and God help the rest of the league because of it.

The Greatest Charger: A Title Fit For Three

 

Muhammad Ali is the greatest and Saturday, Chargers fans will get to weigh in on the issue.

 

No, they won’t argue the merits of Ali over Dempsey, Louis or Marciano but they will get to apply the concept of greatest to create an all-star Chargers squad, and possibly include the likes of Ernie Ladd who spent his second career in the ring as a pro wrestler.

 

In recognition of the Chargers’ 50th season, fans are extended the opportunity to select their choice for the 50 greatest players in franchise history filling each position at least two deep while including a head coach and return men.

 

A <a href=”http://bleacherreport.com/articles/182234-the-all-time-all-star-chargers-a-team-with-serious-cred/”> similar roster </a> was floated in this space last month, one that picked all starters.

 

Fans will also get the chance to pick the greatest moments in team history with balloting to take place on Chargers.com and Brigantine Restaurants.

 

But who would win the title of greatest Charger of them all?

 

Plenty of worthy candidates have taken the field for the Chargers since its inception in 1960 with names like Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Paul Lowe and Junior Seau dotting the landscape.

 

Handling the job of truly carrying the mantle of greatest in franchise history, though, would fall to one of the triumvirate of Lance Alworth, Dan Fouts and LaDainian Tomlinson.

 

Any of the three would be fine representatives.

 

Alworth’s credentials are exemplary. He was the perfect complement to a league that was looking to brand a new style of football, one that was wide open, high-scoring, unafraid of the pass and not your father’s NFL.

 

Drafted in 1962 by both the Niners (first round) and Raiders (second round), Alworth made his way to San Diego when the Raiders traded his rights to the Chargers and he opted for the upstart AFL over the NFL.

 

Sent packing for Oakland in that deal? Running back and flanker Bo Roberson, quarterback Hunter Enis and offensive lineman Gene Selawski. Only Roberson logged significant time with the Raiders, scoring 10 touchdowns over parts of four seasons.

 

Alworth eclipsed that in 1963, his second season with the Chargers and first full campaign which also began a string of six-straight All-AFL nods and seven straight appearances in the league’s all-star game.

 

Three times each did Alworth lead the league in TDs, receiving yards and receptions, and scored 70 touchdowns from 1963-68. He also had at least 1,000 yards receiving with no fewer than 61 receptions in each season from 1963-69.

 

A trade to Dallas before the 1971 season added a Super Bowl ring to the AFL Championship he won with the Chargers in 1963 but he was utilized more as a blocker on the Cowboys’ predominant ground game. Alworth’s crowning achievement came with his election to Pro Football’s Hall of Fame in 1978, the first AFL player to be named.

 

Fouts, another Hall of Famer, helped restore glory to the franchise and revitalized the Chargers’ image as an offensive powerhouse.

 

A third-round draft choice out of Oregon in 1973, Fouts first competed for the starting QB job with the likes of Johnny Unitas and Jesse Freitas, and struggled through his first five seasons. Never once in those years did he throw more touchdowns than interceptions.

 

Of course, those were woeful years for a team that also did not post a winning record. But his fortunes changed in 1978 when head coach Tommy Prothro was replaced by Don Coryell four games into the season.

 

Prothro had essentially built the team with his strong eye for talent during his four plus years, but it was Coryell’s design of a high-octane offense that eventually propelled the team to three straight AFC West titles, a pair of AFC Championship appearances and four straight trips to the playoffs.

 

It was largely possible because of Fouts, however, who had the obscene luxury of throwing to John Jefferson, Wes Chandler, Winslow, and Joiner while also supported in the backfield by Chuck Muncie.

 

From 1979-82, Fouts led the league in passing yards and through 1983 he also led in yards per game average. Those four playoff appearances did not produce a Super Bowl, though, a run that included the thrilling overtime victory in Miami followed quickly by the Ice Bowl loss in the AFC title game in Cincinnati after the 1981 season.

 

Possibly the greatest disappointment of the Fouts era was 1979, a year in which they were 12-4 and earned their first division title as members of the NFL. But Fouts threw five interceptions and no touchdown passes in a 17-14 second-round playoff loss at home to the Oilers.

 

A victory would have produced an AFC Championship in San Diego against the Steelers and a possible Super Bowl berth up the road at the Rose Bowl against the Rams. Earlier in that ’79 season, the Chargers dismantled the Steelers at home, 35-7, as the Chargers intercepted Terry Bradshaw five times. The Chargers had also defeated the Rams that year.

 

Still in progress, of course, is LT and the point may be moot when his tenure with the Chargers is complete.

 

No doubt is he the greatest running back in franchise history and he has a chance at becoming the NFL’s career rushing TD champ with Emmitt Smith’s 164 in sight; Tomlinson trails by 38.

 

Before LT, only Paul Lowe had multiple 1,000-yard rushing campaigns and he had a pair. Tomlinson has eight and counting, including twice leading the NFL in rushing yards and three times leading in rushing touchdowns. He also set the NFL scoring and touchdown records during his 2006 MVP, with 186 and 31 respectively.

 

Like Fouts, though, LT has not delivered a title — a claim that only Alworth can make as a Charger.

 

So the question of who is the greatest Charger is open to debate and possibly leads to a better question: does it really matter?

 

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