Brett Favre: Where’s The Dignity?

Good ole’ Brett is at it again. He “retired” today, just like he “retired” last year.

What the hell Brett? What’s with this circus?

Don’t go all the way down this path only to turn back. Don’t put teams and fans through all this hope year after year.

Where’s the respect for the game? How about being a class act? This reality show is totally unwarranted. You need to learn how to make a decision and stick with it.

He’s like “the boy that cried wolf.” For every antic Brett pulls, he loses credibility. No one believes him anymore, and everyone is sick of hearing about him.

If Brett really wants to end this saga and gain his credibility back, he needs to just sign his retirement papers already. Until pen hits paper, I refuse to believe him, no matter how many tears come out of his eyes.

Brett Favre has as much credibility as a smoker who always says that he will quit, but never does. Basically, he has no credibility whatsoever. Why should I believe anything he says? 

Brett will say one thing, but then decide to do another. Who knows? He will probably come back and start for the Vikings by Week One.

His actions represent a lack of respect for the NFL and the sport of football. His bait-and-switch maneuver is tactless and unacceptable.

Brett, just have some dignity please, and end this long affair.

Favre Says No, But If Vick Says Yes:The Greatest Madden Team Ever

Like it or not, this is the summer of Michael Vick.

If you are a member of P.E.T.A, then you will be spending the upcoming football season petitioning and protesting outside of an NFL stadium—better pray he doesn’t go to Buffalo fellas.

If you are a fan of an NFL team with a weak quarterback or Wildcat offense potential, then prepare for the media storm coming your way.

No matter who you are you need to know one thing:

Michael Vick will play football in the NFL this year.The NFL just works that way.

But since I’m sure everyone has already had ESPN jam this story down his or her throat more frequently than an organic object in a Jenna Jameson flick, I’ll discuss the more important aspect of the upcoming football season:

Madden 2010 comes out on Aug. 15.

Oh, and there is a possibility that Michael Vick and Adrian Peterson could play on the same Madden team now that Brett Favre declined the offer.

I’ll let that sink in for a second…

Good?

For the inexperienced Madden player, I shall take a break from the confines of this literary wunderkind, this existentialist mind-blower, and delve into hardcore video game knowledge.

Michael Vick is the greatest Madden character ever. He’s faster then most defensive players. He can break tackles from the only players faster than him, which are cornerbacks. He isn’t accurate, but it doesn’t really matter. Someone will always be wide open—this is Madden after all. All he needed was a “burner” or speed receiver, and someone tall he could throw to over the middle.

Minnesota has Berrian to fit the speed role, and Sidney Rice can be that leaping, taller guy.

His only true downfall comes from the ability to “hot route” the QB contain, which means placing a defensive player in to contain after the defensive play is selected and forcing Vick to throw against a defense with 7-8 defenders dropped back.

The weakness in such a defensive strategy comes from having to spread your defensive line outward to make it work. This would leave huge running lanes, only, the Falcons never had anyone capable of making people pay.

Enter Purple Jesus.

Adrian Peterson has secretly become the best Madden running back ever. He’s faster than anybody, stronger than anybody, and can run your defensive linemen over like Pete Rose in the All-Star game.

Dropping 7-8 guys against Adrian Peterson is video game suicide.

This combo would force opposing teams into terrible situations on every down.

If you stack the line, audible into a roll-out.

If they spread the line out, call the draw.

The possibilities are endless.

Is Vick going to be a great quarterback this year or ever?

Most likely, no.

But when has real life ever affected how Madden works. In Madden, the Raiders are really good. In Madden, L.T never gets injured in important playoff games. In Madden, “Mrs. Chicken of the Sea” never derails my quarterback’s season. There are no mentally infantile girlfriends, no Cheddar Bob moments, and most importantly…

There are no dogs.

So please Minnesota, placate me and all the Madden fans around the globe with the single greatest Madden team that we don’t have to cheat the computer to create.

Brett Favre’s Retirement Opens the Door for Michael Vick

Vikings fans everywhere are disappointed about the announcement that Brett Favre has decided to stay retired. 

Even at the age of 40, Favre would bring credibility to any team. Opposing defenses needed to respect Favre’s abilities. He made things happen with the football. He was a gunslinger.

Favre held the Vikings hostage with his indecision, and now Minnesota is stuck with another season of having a passing game that doesn’t scare anyone.

Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson hardly strike fear into the hearts of NFL secondaries.

Minnesota is once again one-dimensional, and has to rely on Adrian Peterson to win their games for them.

Or do they?

The Vikings were ready to take a risk with the aging arm of Brett Favre after the end of the season meltdown he had last year with the Jets. Why wouldn’t they be willing to take a shot on another risky player?

Michael Vick is free and clear to sign with any team in the NFL, but few teams are in need of a starting QB. 

Minnesota already has a “backup plan” in place with Rosenfels and Jackson, but the Vikings know that neither of these guys has the chops, or they wouldn’t have entertained the possibility of Farve’s third coming.  

The Vikings have also constantly shown that they are willing to ignore a player’s off-the-field faults, as was the case with Percy Harvin and Randy Moss.

The addition of Vick just makes sense, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.  It is a risk, but it could pay off.

Aside from the PR frenzy it might cause, (which would go away after a few months) the real question with Vick is if he still has what it takes to play football in the NFL. If he can answer positively to that question, then I can’t see how this doesn’t make sense.

If Minnesota signs Vick, they could have a monopoly in the running game. They would have Michael Vick, a QB with great speed, Peterson, the most dominant running back in the league, and Percy Harvin, a receiver threat who can run the ball.

All the different possibilites that Vick could create are just amazing.  

It makes sense, Minnesota. Embrace the madness and go get Michael Vick!

Jim Johnson Is Gone But Not Forgotten

With the most regret I can offer, Jimmy Johnson, our beloved defensive coordinator, has lost his battle with cancer.

Aside from the spectacular adjustments and play calls that he made as a football coach, Johnson was a model man.

Humble and accomplished.

We will miss J.J. and with a very sad heart I wish his family everything that I can.

The city of Philadelphia hurts right now, but J.J. will never be forgotten. Not by his team, the players, the entire NFL and sports community.

The man is a legend, an immortal, a revolutionary thinker and an example of what all men should aspire to be.

Philly Has Lost A Great One

As first announced on the Eagles’ official website, longtime defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson lost his long battle with cancer Tuesday.

Johnson has long been regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the NFL.  Opponents were constantly on their heals and confused by the variety of schemes and blitzes Johnson’s defenses would run.

Johnson spent nearly 10 seasons as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator under head coach Andy Reid. He made a great impact on the organization.

Johnson had been on a leave of absence to undergo treatments, and the team recently named secondary coach Sean McDermott the new defensive coordinator.

Johnson leaves behind a wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

My thoughts and condolences go out to the Johnson family and the Philadelphia organization.

Brett Favre Wins for Biggest Douche Bag of the Year!

I can’t believe this guy actually put the Minnesota Vikings (and everyone else for that matter) through all this, and ended up staying retired. I used to like Brett Favre and will always remember the way he played with the Packers.

This guy just loves to get his name in the press and can’t get enough of it. True, the NFL is a business and at the end of the day a player or team has the right to part ways if they want to.

That being said, business or no business, Brett’s been coming out and toying with the media this entire time. This guy has become probably the biggest douche bag known to mankind (well maybe Jose Canseco is first). At the end of the day, Favre is just a selfish jerk.

I wonder if this guy backed out in recent days as the Vikings’ players have been putting pressure on him to sign. Hopefully someone on the Vikings will come out and rip this guy for putting the entire organization through this mess and then saying no.

Packers Conspiracy Theory

Or maybe all of this was planned the entire time…

Brett Favre is maybe the most popular Packer of all time, and that is saying a lot for this organization.

There is also no denying that the Packers and Vikings do not get along. They are, in fact, division rivals.

This situation could be interpreted a little differently, as Brett and the Packers may have planned all along to drive the Vikings crazy with all this media attention, and then at the end pull the string and say, “Sorry.”

There is no doubt that the Vikings needed Brett Favre because they only have Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson as quarterbacks.

 

Will Michael Vick Go to the Vikings?

With Brett Favre now gone, maybe the Vikings will make a move for Michael Vick. This team needs a quarterback and Vick has given the Vikings fits in the past.

It will be an interesting situation in Minnesota either way.

 

Fantasy Football Information for the Vikings’ Offense

Everyone on the Vikings’ offense is less valuable without Favre on the team. With Favre, defenses would have needed to respect the pass and Adrian Peterson would of had bigger holes to run through.

Now, Adrian is probably still the No. 1 pick in fantasy football, but he will have to do it the hard way. It’s how he’s done it the last two seasons.

Bernard Berrian is the only wide receiver you should be looking for at this point in time. Berrian would have been a hands down top five round pick with Favre on the team. But now I could see him drop as far as the mid rounds of fantasy football drafts.

In the end this is a sad day for Vikings fans who no doubt have waited for Favre to announce he would play for the team. For him to lead this organization around the way he has and then say no, makes me sick.

Favre, you are a douche bag and a jerk!

Fantasy Football Information Writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

 

What to Watch for in Tennessee Titans 2009 Training Camp

Who I want to hear a lot more about: Chris Johnson 

Not as a running back, because all this speculation about the Titans’ backfield situation bores me. Smash and Dash are still in place for at least another year. Whether Tennessee keeps LenDale White or moves on to Javon Ringer in 2010 is irrelevant right now, because it is premature to speculate about that.

I’m interested in Johnson moving out wide once in a while. Towards the end of the 2008 season, the Eagles had a play where they would have Brian Westbrook and Corell Buckhalter in the backfield at the same time. 

Westbrook would motion out wide, and defenses would focus on him at receiver. The defense would ignore Buckhalter, who’d run up the middle for a pretty good gain. 

This play could be even more successful with White and Johnson in the backfield. If Johnson motions out wide or into the slot, this could give defenses a huge problem. 

If they are in man coverage, not only does one man have to cover him, but a safety would probably have to play deep zone coverage just for the purpose of trying to stop Johnson, who is capable of outrunning the entire defense. This safety playing deep would leave more running room for White.

There’s also the advantage of a personnel mismatch. If a team has two running backs in the backfield, and then a tight end to block and two wide receivers, it looks like a running formation. For that reason, defenses are usually going to be in their base 4-3 or 3-4 packages instead of a nickel or dime.

If Johnson motions out into the slot, a team then has a very pass-heavy formation, with four players lined up in position to run deep routes. This creates a mismatch in the secondary, as there are only four defensive backs. If Johnson is covered one-on-one, he can just go deep on a streak and will have a very good chance of getting open. 

If he is double-covered by two defensive backs—you’re not going to assign a linebacker to help cover someone who runs a 4.24 in the 40-yard dash—then the tight end will probably be covered by a linebacker, which is not a favorable matchup for the defense.

Not only could the Titans stretch the defense by passing deep from this formation, the emphasis on the pass would cause the defense to create more running room for LenDale White. If the defensive backs are playing a few yards off of the line of scrimmage to prevent Johnson or the receivers from outrunning them, the Titans can hit them with short passes, or even set up a screen to Johnson.

Last year, Johnson didn’t display the greatest hands. I’ve read that he worked almost exclusively out wide during OTAs, so I’m thinking if he can improve his pass-catching, he could be a much more complete threat to defenses.

 

Who I don’t want to hear another word about: Vince Young

If he sneezes during practice, hundreds of Titans fans will be on the Internet that night discussing who said “Bless you” to him and who didn’t.

It’s this simple: He is probably one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the league right now. He’s got a big frame, great height, and phenomenal speed. 

His throwing motion is questioned, but his height makes his sidearm release almost a non-issue. He has good arm strength and accuracy and is able to fit passes through the smallest holes in coverage, but his problem is finding those holes. 

Young has nobody to blame for his lack of success but himself. He’s never going to win the starting job back through the media, so he has to stop talking and improve his game.

As I just said, Young has all the physical tools to be great. If he dedicates himself to learning the Titans’ offense and reading defenses better, he can win the starting job back. Though Kerry Collins fans point out the Titans went 13-3 without Young, they ignore that Collins had a much better team to work with than Young did in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006, Collins was 0-3, while Young was 8-5. Similarly, when Collins played against the Texans in 2007 in lieu of an injured Young, the Titans needed a record-setting eight field goals in order to win by two points. When Young returned for the second game against the Texans, the Titans won by eight.

Their stats for those games: Collins completed 25 out of 42 passes for 280 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions and a 79.5 QB Rating. Young’s rating was 99.9, as he completed 21 of 31 passes for two touchdowns and one interception.

Similarly, when they both played in 2006, Collins threw one touchdown versus six interceptions and went 0-3 as a starter. Young, a rookie, threw 12 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, won eight out of 13 games, and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Talent-wise, there is no way you can say Collins is better than Young. Ninety percent of the people who claim Collins is better weren’t saying that a year ago.

Talent isn’t keeping Young out of the starting quarterback position.

What’s keeping Young out of the starting rotation is his lack of dedication to the game.  If he truly gave 110 percent this offseason, there will be no way the Titans couldn’t eventually hand him the starting job.

Aside from studying the playbook obsessively, here’s another suggestion for Young.  It sounds crazy, but read my reasoning behind it before you dismiss it as too “out there.”

Vince Young should play a lot of Madden.

I’m not talking about playing against his buddies while eating pizza and having a good time. I’m talking about going into practice mode, playing through one play, and then watching the replay four or five times. 

Think about it: Where else can you see a play, know the exact defensive play that was called, and then see that defense on the “field?” 

If used as an actual study tool, Young’s Xbox 360 could be his best bet of regaining the starting job. This way, he can practice reading defenses on his own time, instead of just during practice, accelerating his development.

No matter what happens in practice, every move of his will be overanalyzed and repeated endlessly. For the sake of all the money the Titans invested in him, I hope he becomes the Titans’ starting quarterback eventually. 

For the sake of my sanity, I hope I don’t hear about him until then.

 

Player under the microscope: Center Leroy Harris

With Kevin Mawae still nursing an elbow injury, Harris will get a lot of time with the starting offensive line. He did a pretty good job in the Divisional round against the Ravens, but that was overshadowed by two botched snaps that led to Collins fumbles.

With Mawae getting up there in age, we will probably see Harris as a starter sooner rather than later. The coaches know this, too, so they will be paying special attention to Harris, and expectations will be high.

 

Player under the radar: Defensive Tackle Jovan Haye 

“Nobody can replace Albert Haynesworth” has become a catchphrase among writers discussing the Titans.

All offseason, we’ve been hearing about how the Titans’ defense is going to have to blitz more in order to make up for the loss. We’ve been hearing about a constant rotation at defensive tackle to try and make up for the impact Haynesworth had.

Haye must be excited. He was a good defensive tackle in Tampa, but he wasn’t a big name among football media and fans. Now he’s in Tennessee, where almost nobody expects the defensive line to be as good as it was last year. 

There is no pressure whatsoever on him, so he might just surprise a lot of people with a great year.

 

Players we’re going to miss: Brandon Jones and Chris Carr

On paper, the Titans upgraded at wide receiver this offseason. However, Kenny Britt is still a rookie and will have a tough transition to the NFL. 

Also, Titans fans acting like the team just signed Randy Moss are ignoring the fact that Nate Washington was a No. 3 receiver in Pittsburgh. 

If both Britt and Washington have a good season, the Titans’ passing game will be able to compensate for defenses that try to put eight men in the box. If either one of them struggles this year, then the Titans’ depth at receiver will be very suspect. 

Jones showed a lot of promise with the Titans, but moved on to the 49ers this offseason. Had the Titans matched the 49ers’ contract offers, they’d be even better equipped to enhance the vertical aspects of their offense.

Carr had a very solid year returning kicks and punts in 2008, and he could constantly be relied on to give the Titans’ offense great field position. With no clearly designated kick returner, the special teams unit might not be as impressive as it was last year.

Also, as a backup cornerback, he had a great game against the Jaguars. The Titans’ depth at corner has gotten very thin this offseason, and keeping Carr would have done a little bit to remedy that.

 

Player we’re not going to miss: Justin McCareins

All he did was occupy a starting spot, preventing Brandon Jones or even Lavelle Hawkins from getting valuable playing time and contributing to the offense.

 

Player we’re going to wish we had acquired in the offseason: Any of the various corners that hit the free-agent market. 

I like DeAngelo Hall, but I wouldn’t advocate giving him the money he got from the Redskins. But Dre’ Bly, Chris McAllister, Ken Lucas, or even Samari Rolle would have been nice to add. 

It seemed to me that there were a lot of free-agent corners this offseason, but the Titans only got Demarcus Faggins. Rumor has it that Texans fans are laughing at the Titans the way Titans fans laughed at the Texans for signing Chris Brown.

 

One thing you wouldn’t expect to see that you probably will see a lot of: Passing 

Though the Titans are a run-first team, and will continue to be so, they worked out of the Shotgun for a majority of OTAs. I think they feel that improving in the passing game will help augment their offense tremendously.

 

One thing you’ll expect to see a lot of, but probably won’t see: The Wildcat Formation. 

Though I believe that the Titans are going to use it early and often in the regular season, I don’t think they’ll want to display it in practices that are open to the public.

BREAKING NEWS: Brett Favre Will Stay Retired

The Star Tribune reports Brett Favre informed Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress that he will stay retired.

Childress confirmed to the Star Tribune the news of Favre’s continued retirement.  This leaves the competition open between Tarvaris Jackson and former Houston Texans QB Sage Rosenfels for the starting position. Favre had surgery in May to repair a torn biceps tendon that he suffered from last season.

“I just think it was a rare opportunity to explore a Hall of Fame quarterback who had background in the NFC and in this division,” Childress said to the newspaper.  “He knows our system inside out…This doesn’t change anything about how I feel about our football team.”

If this is indeed the end for Favre, he finishes his career with 5,720 career completions; 9,280 career passing attempts; 464 career TDs; 65,127 career passing yards; and 310 interceptions.  He started 269 consecutive games (291 including the playoffs). He was a 10-time Pro Bowl Selection (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001-2003, 2007, 2008), 3-time First All-Pro Team Selection (1995-97). Also a 5-time NFC Player of the Year (1995-1997, 2002 & 2007) and 3-time Second All-Pro Team Selection (2001, 2002, 2007). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 in the second round.  Favre went to Green Bay and played 16 seasons with the Packers.  He won his first Super Bowl in 2007, when the Packers defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.  He won three consecutive AP MVP awards (1995-1997), last shared with Lions RB Barry Sanders, as one of only two NFL players (Peyton Manning) to do so.

Favre previously announced his retirement on March 4, 2008.  Later, he was reinstated with the NFL on July 29, 2008.  The Packers then traded Favre to the New York Jets on August 4, 2008, in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick.  In his time with the Jets, they went 8-3 before a 1-5 collapse toward the end of the season.  His best game was against the Arizona Cardinals (56-35, Jets over Cards) where he went 24 for 34, threw for 289 yds and 6 TDs with an INT in Week 4.

On February 11, 2009, Favre told the Jets that he was going to retire after playing 18 seasons in the NFL.

Relax Packers Fans, Brett Favre To Stay Retired and Not Play For The Vikings

ESPN has reported that after all the speculation the last few months and all the waiting by the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre has decided that for now he is done playing pro football and will stay retired.

With training camps opening at the end of the week, Favre had said last week he would make a decision and then put off his answer until this week. Several players for the Vikings even had contacted Favre and asked him to come and play for Minnesota.

For now, Favre will remain retired. That is until the first snap of the new season and depending on injuries, could go on until late in to the season.

Favre haters and Packers fans can stop crying now about ruined legacies and more acts of betrayals than a cheating spouse. I have said many times I would love to see Favre come back and play, only to hear Green Bay fans complain about how he would have scorn them.

If the haters and Packers fans had a part in Favre’s decision to return to the NFL, I never want to hear a Packer fan talk about how much you miss him. If you love a player and enjoy watching him play, you should take it however you can.

I was hoping Favre would come back and some of my child-like love of the game would go with him. No matter what, I wish Favre the best and hope the haters and Packers fans realized what they have really lost.

 

 

The Favre Saga Is Over, Decision Is Revealed!

Brett Favre has made a decision on his NFL Future.

The 39-year-old has decided to remain retired.

This offseason has been filled with rumors of his return and possibility of joining Minnesota.  Over the last few weeks Favre continue to struggle to come to a decision.

But as ESPN reports, Favre will not make another return.

Coach Brad Childress confirmed the reports to the Star Tribune.  He told the paper Favre did not want to play through the grind of another NFL season.

“I just think it was a rare opportunity to explore a Hall of Fame quarterback who had background in the NFC and in this division,” Childress said to the newspaper. “He knows our system inside out…This doesn’t change anything about how I feel about our football team.”

“As we have consistently communicated, we feel good about our team and they have put forth a tremendous effort this offseason preparing for the season ahead,” Childress said in a statement on the team’s Web site. “With this behind us, we look forward to getting to Mankato and getting training camp under way.”

Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels will compete for the Vikings’ starting quarterback job.

It was an interesting offseason, but Brett, enjoy retirement!

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