Vick Will Not Be a Panther

The NFL is buzzing with news of Mike Vick’s reinstatement.

Once arguably the most hyped quarterback of all time, the disgraced former Falcon is free to sign with any team that will have him. According to the league’s Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson, Vick could play “from week one forward,” if “all goes well.”

The natural reaction for a fan is to wonder how a player like Vick could help their team. The appropriate reaction for a Panther fan is to roll their eyes. 

The most obvious and glaring reason Vick isn’t a fit in Carolina is the quarterback they already have. The Panthers organization smartly saw past Jake Delhomme’s January meltdown and rewarded him for the NFC South crown, playoff birth, and four fourth-quarter comebacks with a new five-year, $42.5 million contract extension.

If it wasn’t obvious that Delhomme was the team’s quarterback before, it should be now. 

A quick glance at statistics will show that, even though last year was Jake’s worst year statistically, it was still better than Vick’s best. Vick has never been known for his accuracy, and in 2006 he completed a mere 52.6 percent of his passes.

Roddy White’s 2007 explosion catching passes from Joey Harrington and Chris Redmon quieted any apologists who would point to Mike’s supporting cast, and I haven’t heard a convincing reason Vick’s accuracy and decision-making would have improved in Leavenworth.

Many point to his ability as a runner and gush about the extra dimension his abilities would add to the offense. I would counter that the Panthers already have a devastating running dimension, and one of them has only fumbled once his entire career (Vick fumbled nine times in 2006.) 

Every time Vick tucked the ball and ran, or was brought in for a speciality package, that’s one fewer carry for DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart, and one fewer opportunity for Steve Smith to make a play. 

The most important reason the Panthers won’t pursue Vick is he doesn’t fit into the image the team and management want to present. The Panthers pride themselves on being a family-friendly team and providing the same kind of environment (PSAs before home games urge patrons not to use profanity).  A convicted felon doesn’t fit into what owner Jerry Richardson wants. 

Furthermore, the signing of Vick would be followed by open revolt. Panther fans spent years watching Vick dash their dreams and break their thoughts. No one has forgotten the 2004 Week 15 game, for example. Fans were trained to loathe the man. 

Jerry Richardson knows this. 

Yes, Michael Vick’s Reinstated, But Will The NFL Blackball Him?

No matter which side of the Michael Vick fence you’ve stood on, his return to the NFL seemed inevitable. Even before he served his time in prison, the sports world’s talking heads were debating his return to the league.

Now, with Commissioner Roger Goodell officially allowing him back with his unusual “conditional reinstatement,” all signs seem to point to Vick stepping onto a NFL sidelines at some point during the 2009 season.

Yet even though he’s back, no team has come calling for his services. Is it possible that no team ever will?

Despite his reinstatement, could the cabal of NFL owners “suspend” him for another year by blackballing him from the league?

Considering Barry Bonds for a moment. Bonds, since ending his time as a member of the San Francisco Giants, had stated he was seeking a new contract with another team. Yet no team ever asked for his services. Not even the Yankees, which always seem willing to bring in people like him.

Even with the allegations of steroid usage and the federal perjury case against him, Bonds could still be on the field, especially in the role of DH in the American League.  Other known steroid users—A-Rod, Tejada, Giambi, etc.—are still playing today.  Why not the all-time HR king?

But no team’s inquired about his services. I believe the MLB owners collectively decided to keep Bonds out of baseball. Effectively blackballing him from the sport.

Considering the MLB’s history of collusion—which has been proven in the courts—the idea of blackballing Bonds isn’t shocking.

Could the NFL owners do the same in the case of Michael Vick? Surely, the owners have the power to do so, along with the plausible deniability to boot. Any owner could say, “Vick has the talent to play, sure. But it’s the character issues that prevented us from signing him.”

Some fans might boo a stated position such as that, but others would applaud it.

So while everything thinks Vick is back, until he’s signed a contract, he’s actually not. The Falcons released him prior to going to prison, making him effectively a free agent for nearly two years. 

No team has asked for his services. None called while he was under house arrest.  None have called since he’s regained his freedom. Who is to say for certain any team will come calling at all this season?

Goodell’s ruling may very well open the lines of communication between Vick and some suitors, since now teams know what they can expect from Michael Vick in terms of service time. But while reports say his agent has been burning up the phone lines on Vick’s behalf, no team has sounded overly interested in signing him.

If no team offers Vick a contract this season, is it due to some sort of collusion or league blackballing? Or would it be because his physical ability has declined over the past two years spent in prison?  Or would it be the “character issues” tied to Vick?

Perhaps a season’s suspension may still happen, albeit in a very different form.

Ten Bold Predictions for the Upcoming NFL Season

In my fantasy leagues I’m famous, err, check that, infamous, for my “bold predictions”. They typically end up as fodder for a good year-end roasting but every so often I hit the nail right on the head. Under the given premise of “very bold” you won’t find anything that a right-minded sports fan would say. Rather, I’m trying to pinpoint the bizarre and unexpected before it happens. Like I said, I’m not always right, but that’s the nature of predictions, besides, even Nostradamus made a few mistakes. So without further adieu, this year’s ten very bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season!

Fantasy Football Profile: Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson showed signs last yer that he can still be a fantasy force when healthy.  Staying healthy is the tricky part though as he missed four games last year matching the four he missed in 2007. 

Despite missing a quarter of the season, S-Jax accumulated 1421 total yards (1042 rushing, 379 receiving) and eight TDs (seven rushing). 

The questions are whether Action Jackson can stay on the field and do they have enough pieces in place to allow Jackson to return to fantasy dominance.  He is likely going in picks four through eight in most fantasy leagues, so he’ll need to produce to justify that early selection.

Jackson will likely take on more of a leadership role with the Rams as Torry Holt and Orlando Pace have moved on. 

Marc Bulger doesn’t appear to be the answer at QB.  Rookie Tackle Jason Smith should help, but he’ll have a learning curve. 

The Rams will once again lean heavily on S-Jax.  If he can shoulder the load he’ll have a monster season.  If not he’ll break down and dash fantasy hopes once again.

Unfortunately for S-Jax owners, the Rams have a fairly difficult schedule with games against the Vikings, the Colts, and the Titans.  He does have a nice three-game stretch in which he plays Detroit, New Orleans, and Arizona.  For the fantasy playoffs the Rams face Tennessee, Houston, and Arizona. 

If he can avoid the injury Jackson should be good for 1600 total yards and 12 TDs.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.

Alex’s 32 Teams in 32 Days: Team 32—Detroit Lions

This is the first installment of my new series in which I will be counting down my 2009 NFL Power Rankings over the next seven weeks leading up to opening kickoff.  Be sure to check in every week day up to Sept. 10 to see the next team.  There will certainly be some controversial rankings.  As T.O. would say, getcha’ popcorn ready.  Enjoy!

2008 Record:  0-16

2008 Season Review:

One season after the NFL saw its first 16-0 team, the Detroit Lions made history by being the first 0-16 team in league history.

After quarterback Jon Kitna went down early on, Dan Orlovsky and Daunte Culpepper struggled to replace him.

The offense struggled, ranking 27th in points scored, and 30th in yards gained.

The defense was even worse as they ranked last in points allowed and yards allowed.

Team President and GM Matt Millen was finally fired.  Head coach Rod Marinelli also lost his job.

Key Additions:

QB, Matthew Stafford (draft), TE Brandon Pettigrew (draft), LB Julian Peterson, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, CB Eric King, Louis Delmas (draft), WR Dennis Northcutt

Key Losses:

CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

2009 Preview:

I have the Lions ranked as the 32nd best team (a.k.a. worst team) in the NFL. 

Rookie head coach Jim Schwartz brings over great defensive knowledge and a plan to win.  However, it’s going to take more than just one season to fix the many problems they have in Detroit. 

Who will start at quarterback?

They used the first overall pick on Matthew Stafford who has great expectations for his career, but will he get a chance to at the starting job in ’09?  Former Pro Bowler Daunte Culpepper is the favorite to win the job to at least start the season.

Adding linebackers Julian Peterson and Larry Foote will certainly help the defense.  They bring much needed discipline, and experience to the Lions’ front seven.

The Lions’ new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham will add new life to the defense. 

Cunningham loves to blitz and perhaps has the tools to do so successfully in ’09.  With the additions of Peterson and Foote, as well as the return of Ernie Sims, the Lions have quite the linebacking corps.

Veteran wideouts Bryant Johnson, and Dennis Northcutt will certainly add some much needed depth behind superstar Calvin Johnson.

Second year running back Kevin Smith will need to make a major impact in ’09.  With the possibility of a rookie quarterback under center, the run game will be essential to Detriot’s offensive success.

Bottom line:  I don’t see the Lions winning any more than two or three games in 2009 and they will once again have the first pick in the draft.

 

Be sure to watch for tomorrow’s unveiling of team No. 31.  This ranking could be a surprise to many people.  Who will it be? Stay tuned.

Why Would Michael Vick be a “Great Fit” for the Pittsburgh Steelers?!?

This morning, I was watching SportsCenter and they were discussing Michael Vick’s conditional reinstatement into the NFL.

Chris Mortensen was brought on to talk about how it affected the league. Then they got into talking about possible teams for Vick and Mortensen said possibly the most mind-blowing and unexpected thing he could have ever said at that particular moment.

“I can make a great case for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a two-time Super Bowl Champion QB in Ben Roethlisberger, he could be a backup for him.”

Oh yeah, and there is more. Mort goes on to say, “They have an interesting backup situation and Mike Tomlin knows Michael Vick.”

Consider your mind officially blown.

What?!? Why?!?

I don’t really know how somebody can make even a below average case for the Steelers to get Vick, let alone a great one.

I would think that the Steelers are at the very bottom of the list of teams that could use Vick along with likes of the Atlanta Falcons or the Indianapolis Colts. And there are several glaring reasons why.

As Mort said, “two-time Super Bowl Champion QB Ben Roethlisberger”…enough said…and we already have two acceptable backups currently in Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch.

Also, we aren’t too fond of criminals. Remember we got rid of both Plaxico Burress and Joey Porter a few years ago. Oh, and we don’t like Ray Lewis too much either.

We are owned by the Rooney family who doesn’t take kindly to off-field issues (see above).

Our previous QB who could throw and run didn’t work out so well. I think another “Slash” would only be detrimental to the team.

And the team doesn’t need another distraction along with this crazy woman from Tahoe, making these absurd and bogus rape accusations against our quarterback.

Pittsburgh is about as good a fit for Vick as it would be for Brett Favre. And the fans of Pittsburgh would want him about as much as they would want a root canal.

Mort’s comment is about as astonishing as last year when Cris Carter said that Jeff George, yes, Jeff George, was a better quarterback than Ben Roethlisberger.

I don’t know where Vick will end up, nor do I care, but I can safely say that he will not end up in western Pennsylvania.

Sleeper Watch: Jerious Norwood

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Jerious Norwood is once again being heralded as the sleeper of the year. The same Jerious Norwood who has been the biggest tease to fantasy football owners the last few years.

He passes the eye test. He certainly has the numbers. The Falcons use him fairly often, despite never giving him the chance to be a starter. And he now plays on a much improved offense with a pocket passer in Matt Ryan.

So are fantasy owners really going to go down this road again?

It does not look like it based on early draft results.

Norwood is the 51st running back off fantasy boards according to mock draft results from the Fantasy Football Calculator. His average draft position of 133.6 makes him a 12th round draft pick in standard drafts.

Obviously there has been some love lost for this perennial sleeper.

Everyone and their mom knows that it is Michael Turner’s job to be the primary ball carrier in this offense. But for as good as Turner was rushing the football last year, he was equally deficient as a pass catcher. And that is where Norwood makes his living to stay relevant in the fantasy game.

Norwood has carved out his niche in this maturing offense. But the Falcons were poor defensively last season and there are some concerns this offseason that the defense has not improved enough. So if Atlanta gets behind in games and needs to throw the ball, Norwood will see plenty of action.

And then there is the elephant in the room. 376 carries. That is how many times Turner toted the rock last year, a number that carries a great deal of significance and fear among the fantasy football public.

Can Turner recover, physically and/or mentally, from such a demanding work load? Can he overcome the curse of 370 like few before him have been able to do?

If not, Norwood is the next in line and ready to step in and be a dynamic, multi-purpose option in the Falcons’ offense. Grabbing a guy with starting talent playing behind another guy with a statistical disadvantage this season in the 12th round of redraft fantasy football leagues sounds like the biggest bargain of the summer.

Then again, Norwood has been that guy before.

Thank you for reading the latest post from The Hazean. Please visit our web site for more great fantasy content!

Michael Vick on Buccaneers’ Radar Via Tony Dungy?

Okay, let’s connect the dots.

Tony Dungy, the beloved, celebrated, and highly respected former coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the NFL-appointed official/unofficial guardian and mentor for Michael Vick and any future he may have in football.

Dungy is a Tampa resident.

No doubt, Dungy is a man who Raheem Morris and just about anybody in the United States would hold in esteem and whose counsel would be listened to.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Vick could be a phone call away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Vick WILL play somewhere now and will perhaps be less of a villain due to Dungy’s presence and willingness to help him.

It would certainly cut down on any bad feelings Tampa fans might put forth.

After all, if Tony says, “Give this guy a chance,” then who’s to say, “The heck with you Tony Dungy!” Very few, if any.

Tampa could certainly use some sort of infusion of talent at quarterback.

Does anyone out there believe that Vick couldn’t outplay Byron Leftwich?

It’s a long shot.

It’s a theory.

Dungy is right here in Tampa, right at what would be ground zero for the bomb that would be the signing of Vick.

Stranger things have happened.

A Visitor’s Guide to the Oakland Coliseum

If you’re planning on attending your first sporting event in Oakland, or even if you just haven’t been in a while, there are a few things you’ll need to know.

Lucky for you, the Oakland Sports Examiner is here to tell you what those things are:

 

1) Weather

If you’ve never attended a baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum, there’s one thing you need to know about the weather: Everything changes once you enter the stadium.

Say you show up 20 minutes before a 7:05 game, on a picture-perfect summer evening. Seventy degrees outside, nice sunset, the works.

By the sixth inning, you’ll be ready to commit assault for a warm blanket and paying $90 for a hideous yellow jacket suddenly won’t sound unreasonable.

In the afternoon, it’s just the opposite.

That’s because the Coliseum holds the world record for most pounds of concrete per square inch. It’s great for fending off invading armies, but it doesn’t lend itself to airflow.

If you’re not prepared, a nine-inning afternoon game can leave you feeling like human stir fry in the Coliseum’s concrete wok.

 

2) Tickets

The biggest advantage to supporting a small-market team with a poor record isn’t ticket availability, it’s seat availability.

Attending an A’s game this season means you and 8,000 of your closest friends will be the only ones there, which allows you the opportunity to explore new real estate.

Buy a second-deck or bleacher ticket, and move down to the lower deck. If no one else is going to sit there, you may as well.

Also, you don’t need to purchase a ticket before you arrive. The scalper network at the Coliseum is extensive, and they’ll have everything you need.

They may claim that you need to buy seven seats together, or that they only have two-and-one-half tickets left, but haggle with them for a few minutes and you’ll get what you’re looking for.

 

3) Transportation

When traveling to the Coliseum, you have three primary choices: taking BART, driving and parking in the Coliseum lot, or driving and parking outside the Coliseum lot.

Parking in the Coliseum lot will cost you what the A’s are paying their centerfielder this season, and you’ll have to come to grips with the fact that you paid for another one of Al Davis’ sweatsuits.

Park outside the Coliseum lot, and you may receive a good Samaritan award. After all, you will have donated your stereo and at least one of your car’s windows to the local community, in addition to anything you may have left in your trunk.

Don’t bother trying to track it down, either, because your belongings have already been sold four times at the flea market next door. But thanks for playing.

BART, on the other hand, is cheap, convenient, and reliable, dropping you off on the Coliseum’s doorstep. You’ll also have commanding views of the Bay, the Oakland hills, and everyone who ignored this advice and drove to the game.

 

4) Food and drink

Before attending a game in Oakland, repeat the following mantra: I will not rely on the Coliseum to feed me.

The food at the Coliseum is no different than a high school cafeteria: It has things you like to order, but they’re usually not as good as you hope, and you’re never glad you ate it.

Instead, stop across the street for an animal-style double-double at In N’ Out or a double-double helping of MSG at Panda Express.

As for drinks, there’s a reason the postgame parking lot looks like Mardi Gras just rolled through. The Coliseum is the only place where beer is more valuable than gasoline, and it’s created a new level in the beer economy:

In high school, “beer money” meant throwing down $20 for whatever the guy with the fake I.D. was willing to buy.

In college, “beer money” meant $10 for a 64-pack of Natural Ice.

At the Coliseum, “beer money” means 10 pieces of leprechaun gold and a pint of dragon’s blood for two oversized MGD’s.

You’ve been warned.

 

5) Company

If you bring a date to the Coliseum, you’ll need to temper expectations accordingly.

At the Coliseum, there isn’t much to keep a casual fan (or non-fan) entertained. Where AT&T Park has gorgeous views, boat traffic, and a giant slide in left field, the Coliseum has 3 PM firebombings courtesy of the local army of seagulls.

For a brief period, the Warriors offered a fun environment for non-diehards, but ownership cured that like a bad rash.

The Raiders are the best team in Oakland now, but girls at Raiders games are likely to either get scared or stolen.

If you’re bringing a date, it’s probably best to stick with an A’s game.

 

The Oakland Sports Examiner: New columns every Tuesday and Thursday.

Fantasy Football Profile: LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson did not live up to his top two (along with Adrian Peterson) draft status last year.  He “only” had 1,110 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.  He did add 426 yards receiving and a touchdown to give him 1,536 total yards and 12 touchdowns.  Though it’s not what fantasy owners came to expect of LT, it is still very good fantasy production, especially considering he was hobbled by injury last year. Tomlinson recently turned 30, and coupled with Darren Sproles playoff run, have caused many to question LT’s fantasy value.  While he will likely never return to his 2002-2007 level, there is no reason to think he can’t match or exceed last year’s production.  Since he is being taken in the mid-to-late first round in fantasy drafts, he should be an excellent value in 2009.

LT has some great matchups this year.  He faces Oakland in weeks one and nine, Kansas City in weeks seven and 12, Denver in weeks six and 11, Cleveland in week 13, and Cincinnati in week 15.  He does have some tough games on his schedule (Baltimore in week two, Pittsburgh in week four, and Philadelphia in week 10, but they do not fall in his fantasy playoff schedule.  He faces Dallas, Cincinnati, and Tennessee in weeks 14-16.  Tennessee could be a tough matchup in the fantasy football championship, but they won’t be the same without Albert Haynesworth.

I can see LT going somewhere between the fourth and 10th pick. Personally I would take him with the fifth pick.  I expect him to put up 1,700 total yards and 10+ TDs next year.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.

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