NFL Will Owe Michael Vick an Apology If It Re-Admits Donte Stallworth First

Dog fighting is morally reprehensible, and those who take part in such events are sick and need help. Anyone who trains a dog to fight other dogs and kills such a dog if it’s not doing a good enough job of killing other jobs is truly a sick person.

But, so is anyone who would drink, drive, and kill someone.

I know that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (which I prefer to call People Eager for Tons of Attention) would love nothing more than to see disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick, drawn and quartered and banned from playing professional football ever again.

And while PETA’s an attention hog that focuses on ambulance chasing (evidenced by their ads that eating meat causes impotence), their outrage against Vick is justified.

But I wonder if the NFL will incorporate a double standard.

You remember, right? Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth got liquored up, drove, and killed a pedestrian. He settled with the family and then received a whopping 30 days in jail. Vick served 17 months in prison (and will reportedly avoid more time with good behavior).

What a country!

Only in America can you get 30 days in jail for killing another human being through the irresponsible act of drinking and driving and yet spend more than a year in prison for gross animal cruelty.

Animals have rights (such as the right not to be treated cruelly), but what about drunk driving victims?

Mr. Roger Goodell, if you’re reading this, you will demonstrate something is horribly wrong with the NFL if you allow Stallworth to play football again before Vick.

For more information on drunk driving and the victims it leaves behind, check out this site.

Jamal Lewis In 2009: Still Hungry For More Or Running Out Of Gas?

Written by Daniel Wolf

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source

After two years on the Browns, fans have either accepted Jamal Lewis into their hearts or they are still on the fence about the guy for a few different reasons.

Those reasons are quite obvious.

1) Lewis came from the extremely hated Baltimore Ravens franchise.

2) Lewis was excellent during his first year with the Browns, in 2007, but in 2008 struggled and many fans began to lose faith in his abilities.

First, a moment to step back into time to revisit one of the hated years of Lewis playing for the Ravens back in 2003. This was the year that Lewis ran the ball 55 times for 500 yards and four touchdowns in two games against the Browns.

Many Browns fans still have this memory burned into their brain and it may never be forgotten.

But that when then, and now Lewis is starting his third season in the brown and orange.

In 2007, when Lewis was released by the Ravens, he signed a one-year contract with the Browns, but many football analysts said that Lewis was “out of gas” and “he had already peaked as a NFL running back.”

Those comments fueled the fire within Lewis and he trained harder than he has ever trained before (which is crazy because his workout routines are notoriously grueling).

Former Browns General Manger Phil Savage even said, “a hungry Jamal Lewis is a good Jamal Lewis.”

Even though Lewis had over 200 yards rushing in the second game of the 2007 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, he still started the season off slow until the middle of November, when he finally began running over opposing defenses.

The last seven games of the year Lewis ran for 789 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry which helped give Lewis a new three-year contract with the Browns.

Many said that since Lewis received a new contract, he would no longer be as hungry to prove himself as he was in 2007 because he got a longer contract.

In 2008 Lewis showed he was still hungry, but a few problems occurred for him and the the line in front of him. Granted he ran for over 1,000 yards (barely), Lewis played most of the season with an ankle injury and the offensive line was not as good as the year prior due to injuries.

Even though fans saw that Lewis was not running with as much power, he was more tip-toeing while running the ball, but he was still running with desire and passion through his pain and injury.

There was one moment in 2008 where Lewis, a locker room leader and a passionate player, spoke his mind after a controversial loss to the Denver Broncos, where it looked like some of the Browns players ‘gave up’ playing the game.

Lewis blew up at his teammates by telling the media, “this is the NFL, you can’t call it quits until the game is over.”

“Some people need to check their egos at the door and find some heart to come out here and play hard. This is a man’s game. The way we went out there and played two weeks in a row, finishing the same kind of way, it’s not there. I think there are some men around here that need to check their selves, straight up.”

Many were angered with Lewis’ comments, but at this point in the 2008 season someone needed to say something regarding the teams play (or lack of play).

After the 2008 season, Lewis did the right thing to make his body 100 percent healthy and decided to get surgery on his ankle to clean it out.

So far in the 2009 offseason, Lewis has yet to participate in any team drills or practices, due to his recovery, but he has been working very hard with team trainers to help build back his running strength.

Reported rumors out of the Browns Training Facility say that Lewis will be ready for training camp in August, but without working with the team during mini-camps, will Lewis really be ready to step back into the starting role?

Backup Jerome Harrison has been taking a lot of snaps with the first team offense and rookie James Davis has been seeing a lot of snaps too.

Browns coach Eric Mangini has stated that he loves the style of running Lewis brings to the game of football and with that being said it pretty much secures Lewis’ position as the starting running back of the Browns, unless Lewis struggles.

Lewis may not show the power running skills of the past right away in August, but his desire to play football and his dedication to keeping his body conditioned all year long will keep him in top form even though he is turning 30 before the 2009 season begins.

Supposedly, once a NFL running back hits 30, it is only downhill from there, but Lewis may be the exception to that rule.

Since his performance in 2008 was mediocre, look for a hungry Lewis once again in 2009, and with a bigger and stronger offensive line in place, Lewis should be able to find bigger holes to pound his way through defenses.

Also, with a better rotation of backups, Harrison and Davis, look for a fresh Lewis at the end of games to continue pounding already fatigued defenses.

Is Lewis running out of gas?

Not in his mind, but his performance will need to prove that to the masses.

Is Lewis still hungry for more?

Lewis seems like that rare breed of player who will always be hungry for more until the day he can’t run a football anymore.

Why Won’t ESPN Report on the Roethlisberger Situation?

I’m a begrudging fan of ESPN. I watch their coverage of sports, and I usually have SportsCenter in the background in the morning, or while I’m doing random stuff.

But I also don’t like their seeming lust for controversy, how they put people like O.J. (who hasn’t played football in decades), Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, or even Terrell Owens on the top of the coverage, at the expense of real sports news and/or highlights.

When I got home late Monday night, I heard a thing on the radio about Ben Roethlisberger being accused of assault. Wow, I thought, ESPN is back in their element.

I got home, clicked on ESPN.com, expecting to see a front page spread about Big Ben. You know, the standard witty pun for a headline, an in-game shot of Big Ben looking distraught, the whole standard Pacman, T.O. drill.

It wasn’t there. I was surprised, but I thought that it probably came at the end of their news cycle, and maybe they had someone like John Clayton working the scoop, so it would be up bright and early Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning, check the site, still nothing.

It’s at the top of every other mainstream sports news website, Fox Sports, CNN/SI, at least a mention is. It’s the first topic talked about on the radio.

Nothing on SportsCenter, nothing on ESPN’s radio station, nothing on ESPN.com.

And this is the worldwide leader in sports?

Look, I admit it, I hate the way ESPN puts controversy to the forefront, but if the alternative is a complete and total blackout, then what kind of news organization do they think they are?

How can any legit organization claiming to be in the news business not discuss a story where the Super Bowl champion quarterback is accused of sexual assault, even if it’s just a civil lawsuit (this is very important for later, so make a note)?

In fact, as came out later in the day, not only was ESPN not reporting it, they issued a strict “Do Not Report” memo to their employees, telling them not to address the situation.

Now things are getting a little fishy. What kind of organization sweeps something like that under the rug?

Can you imagine being someone like John Clayton? He’s one of the most plugged in reporters to the NFL in the world, and he’s sitting on the 5 p.m. SportsCenter talking about Michael Vick, and whether or not Brett Favre will be playing for the Vikings.

How does he not explode and just talk about it? ESPN is muzzling their journalistic talents, and that’s the most unforgivable sin in the world of media.

When Michael Vick first got in trouble, there were some people claiming racism, saying that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning was accused of the same crime, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

I was always against that notion. I think it would have been a much bigger deal.

Vick has had troubles before with weed, flicking off fans, and other stuff. Same with Pacman.

Not to mention Terrell Owens. I remember going to work one morning a few years ago, and TO had gone to the hospital on an “Overdose” and ESPN was in full crisis mode, dispatching reporters and personailities to every corner of the Dallas area to find out whatever information they had.

But now, I have to wonder? Is Big Ben getting ignored because he’s pretty much the poster boy for a successful, clean, white athlete?

The answer is no. I think no organization would tread down such dangerous territory. I’m not one of those people that thinks the media in inherently racist, but it did cross my mind.

But apparently, we have a reason for the “Do Not Report” memo. Apparently it’s an ESPN policy not to report on civil suits involving athletes.

Hm…they don’t…report…on…civil…lawsuits…?

Glad we got that out of the way.

So it’s clearly not the “civil lawsuit” thing that’s holden them back. So what is it?

Does ESPN not want to alienate a 27-year-old 2 time Super Bowl champion, for fear of losing access? Do they dear losing page hits from the most rabid (read: obnoxious) fan base in football?

Does this mean if T.O. or Michael Vick were to win a Super Bowl, that ESPN would stop reporting on their various incidents?

Does this mean if Matt Ryan or Mark Sanchez were to get in some sort of trouble, that ESPN would ignore it for fear of damaging access to a future superstar?

Does this mean success or popularity affects the facts about a person? Where is the line drawn?

As a journalist, this is the worst crime they could commit. It’s also a crime that will not go unnoticed in today’s age of watchdog blogs.

At the top of the mountain of the sports world, ESPN is already the target of every other outlet trying to climb that mountain, and they’re not doing themselves any favors with garbage like this.

2009 NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

Logo Sponsoring NFL Practice Jerseys?

The Chicago Bears have reached an agreement with NorthShore University HealthSystem to sponsor their practice jerseys.

 

Because nothing says NFL football like NorthShore University HealthSystem, right?

 

What’s next?

 

I understand that the NFL is just a business and that team owners want to do everything possible to make money, but where is this going to end?

 

We already watch games at US Cellular Field, FedEx Field, University of Phoenix Stadium, and Bank of America Stadium just to name a few.

 

Now, we are giving away rights to jerseys?  So the Chicago Bears practice jerseys are brought to you by NorthShore University HealthSystem. What do they stand to gain from this? 

 

I would be interested to find out the corollary between a 3.5 inch by 4.5 inch patch being placed on a NFL team practice jersey and profits produced by it. I cannot see it being worth that much to their company. But, again, what do I know?

 

I’m just worried that this is going to lead to teams allowing corporate logos on their game jerseys. All it would take is Reebok to get a cut of the money, and I’m sure it will happen.

 

And, if that happens, what is next?

 

Are the cities going to sell the rights to the team name, so that we will be watching the Brookfield Zoo Bears play the Betty Crocker Broncos?

 

I am not upset by this news, and don’t think that it is a majorly bad move by the NFL, or any other sport, but I think that some people will take issue with the fact that pro sports teams are selling off all the rights to their teams, stadiums, vendor services, etc., and while they are making more profits, the price of going to a game continues to rise for the fans.

 

Why not use the money they make off of licensing deals such as these to help make it more affordable for fans to enjoy a game at the stadium/park/field/whatever? 

 

And, I don’t care about the reports that say average ticket prices have gone down, because those reports are doctored by the fact that the nosebleed seats have gone down in price. 

 

None of the seats that people truly want to sit in have gone down in price. And, if they have, maybe they went down from $105 to $100 or so, just so they can release statements saying they have lowered ticket prices.  But, little do the fans know that the price of beer, or a hot dog, or parking have been raised a little to offset the loss of that $5.

Yes, sports has become big business. But, it is still the fans that make it a big business. It’s not the big corporations of the world that make the NFL what it is. It is the fans who sit through three hours of a Bears-Packers game in the middle of December, in minus-20 degree weather, with only a t-shirt and jeans on. 

 

It’s the fans that you no longer allow to tailgate finding new parking lots to park in six hours before the game to cook up some dogs and brats, play bags, and wait 20 minutes in line to go to the bathroom at the two port-o-potties at the nearby stations.  hose are the people that make your league what it is. 

 

Let’s allow some of those fans to have patches on your practice jerseys. Or let those fans pay you a certain amount to have the stadium named after them for a week, so that they can hear the announcers say, “Coming to you from Scott Ottersen Stadium, it’s the Bears-Vikings on Fox.”

 

No Bears fan cares that the practice jersey is sponsored by NorthShore University HealthSystem. I doubt 90 percent of the Bears fans even know about it. And maybe that is the reason they agreed to this deal, but I still find it an odd pairing. 

 

That’s all I have to say about that. Let me know what you think.  

Five favorable Fantasy Playoff Schedules

Thinking down the line is pretty common in fantasy football. Owners all too often prepare in advance for NFL bye weeks, even though it may be better to ignore bye weeks during the course of a draft.

But thinking way, way down the line? That could be where fantasy championships are won.

Marc is doing just that for you guys today; talking teams with the best fantasy playoff schedules. Agree or disagree? Let’s hear it in the comments.

Everyone needs a leg up on the competition during their fantasy draft. I decided to take a look at the NFL schedule during the fantasy playoff schedule, weeks 14, 15 and 16.

The five teams with the best fantasy playoff schedules are seen below.

Arizona Cardinals
Week 14 @ San Francisco
Week 15 @ Detroit
Week 16 v. Rams

The Cardinals are already expected to be a top offensive club in 2009. After taking a look at their playoff schedule, it might be smart to value Cardinals players a little higher. The Cards are facing the 49ers, Lions and Rams during weeks 14, 15 and 16. Arizona should use this easier end-of-the-year schedule to make the playoffs and help fantasy teams in their playoffs.

Houston Texans
Week 14 v. Seahawks
Week 15 @ Rams
Week 16 @ Dolphins

The Texans are expected to be a surprise team in 2009 with upstarts Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson leading the way for the offense. The Texans also face the Seahawks and the Rams followed by the Dolphins during the fantasy playoffs. I obviously don’t expect much from the Seahawks or the Rams this season.

Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 v. Buffalo
Week 15 v. Cleveland
Week 16 @ Cincinnati

The Chiefs have a young offense that could surprise people this season. The “Killer B’s” — Bills, Browns and Bengals — are as weak as ever. Kansas City’s playoff schedule seems ripe for a playoff run. If the Chiefs can gel as a team, their soft schedule could help your fantasy team when it matters most.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14 @ Cleveland
Week 15 v. Green Bay
Week 16 v. Baltimore

The Steelers won the Super Bowl and are blessed with a rather easy fantasy playoff schedule. They start the schedule off with games against the Browns and Packers, two teams on which Pitt can put up big points. However, you might want to have a back-up plan for the championship game because Pitt plays against the Ravens in week 16. I expect the Steelers to be at the top again this season and playing for a first round bye, therefore the game against the Ravens should still mean a lot to the Steelers in week 16.

Tennessee Titans
Week 14 v. Rams
Week 15 v. Dolphins
Week 16 v. Chargers

The Titans have questions at quarterback, but their running game is expected to excel again in 2009. They will play the Rams, Dolphins and the Chargers during the course of the fantasy playoffs. I would recommend snatching up Titans running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White early. If the Titans have any type of passing game to take pressure off the running backs, the offense could be hard to stop — especially during the three most-crucial weeks for fantasy owners.

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

Fantasy Football Profile: Matt Ryan

To say that Matt Ryan exceeded expectations last year is a vast understatement.  He started off slow averaging 167.3 yards per game in the first four games with 2 TDs (0.5/gm). 

He tore it up in October and November averaging 244.5 ypg with 11 TDs (1.375/gm).  He fizzled a bit down the stretch averaging 203.8 ypg with 3 TDs (0.75/gm).  You would expect some growth from him in his second year, especially with the addition of Tight End Tony Gonzalez, who will team with Roddy White to give the Falcons an excellent one-two punch.

Michael Jenkins made strides last year and should benefit from Gonzo’s arrival as well.  Throw in an excellent running game with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood and the Offense should be firing on all cylinders.

His fantasy schedule isn’t too frightening.  He plays at home against New Orleans, at NY Jets, and at home against the Bills.  His regular season is pretty tough being in a good division, facing the AFC East and the NFC East.  With his  weapons he still should be able to move the chains and put points on the board.

I’m expecting him to throw for around 3600 yards and 22 TDs.  He won’t dominate the fantasy scene, but he should be a pretty good value in the eighth round or so.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.

Will 2009 Be The Year We Finally Cut Peyton Manning Some Slack?

I watched Rudy last night and right at the end of the movie when the rest of the Fighting Irish players carried the diminutive hero off the field to the screaming roar of the 80,000 fans who had been chanting his name, I immediately though of Peyton Manning. 

Why do we love Rudy? He played exactly two plays in his college career and didn’t even make it to the pro’s yet that scene at the end of the movie would have us believe that he was one of the greatest players in the storied history of the Fighting Irish.

Of course we don’t love Rudy because of what he has done on the field or during his career. 

We love Rudy because of what he had to do in order to be on that field at all. You see there is something deeply routed within the human brain that compels us to pull for the underdog. We are almost programed to pull for someone that has overcome adversity and climbed to heights that nobody ever thought possible. 

Whether it was Alex Zanardi climbing back into the racing cockpit after losing both of his legs in an auto accident. Brett Favre playing the game of his life the Monday after his father died. Rudy, the little engine that could defying all logic and getting on that field of play for the Fighting Irish. 

These are the stories that captivate our imagination and make common men into heroes of legend. 

But what happens when the Hero doesn’t overcome any adversity. What happens when there is no long shot. What happens when the 2-1 favorite of the horse race absolutely slaughters the 50-1 longshot and leads wire to wire. I believe that Peyton Manning is a victim of exactly that phenomenon. 

Since Highschool Peyton has been regarded as a cant miss NFL QB. Peyton was a blue chip prospect in College and could have gone number one overall in 1997 or 1998. As a number one pick overall and the new face of the franchise in Indianapolis, Peyton was expected to succeed. 

Since he came into the NFL there has been talk of him owning all the major passing records by the time he hangs them up and in 2006 his team won that elusive Superbowl to fill out an NFL resume that includes 3 regular Season MVP’s, 1 Superbowl MVP, 9 Pro-bowl appearances and 6 straight 12 win seasons.

The on-field body of work that Peyton Manning has put together should be enough to silence even his loudest critics. Yet, strangely, its not enough. I am left to wonder if we hold his accomplishment in a much different light if Peyton Manning had been a QB picked in the later rounds rather than a first overal pick. 

Would that give him that marketable edge if he was a sixth round QB who beat the odds to become a succesful QB?

If the on-field body of work isn’t enough to convince people, surely what Peyton Manning has done off the field should have been enough to win him support in this highschool game of popularity we play with our favorite athletes.  

To name just a few of the causes Peyton lends his name, time and pocketbook too; 

 

Peyton’s Peyback foundation – A non-profit organization setup by Peyton Manning to provide leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. 

 

Manning Passing Academy –  A skill development camp for young players where they combine teaching the skills to play the game with sportsmanship, hardwork and dedication.

 

Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincents – After a lengthly relationship wtih the hospital, Peyton Manning was honored after the new Children’s hospital was opened and named after him.   The motto for the hospital is helping kids get back to being kids.

 

Manning’s pitch in for Hurricane Katrina Relief – Among the many athletes and celeberties that pitched in when Katrina hit New Orleans were Peyton Manning and his brother. They hired a 747 in Atlanta and filled it with clean water, childrens supplies and food and delivered it to New Orleans people who needed the help.

 

These are just a few of the more notable examples of how Peyton Manning has given back to the communities he is involved in. Yet again, there is no story there. He didn’t orchestrate a dog fighting ring, he didn’t get drunk and kill a pedestrian, he didn’t get produce any children out of wedlock, none of that good stuff that sells papers. 

In fact if Mike Vick comes back and wins an MVP in the NFL it could prove to be a bigger story than if Peyton Manning was to go on and win a fourth. Again, people would paint a picture of a redeemed Mike Vick, how he had it all, lost it all, and then gained it back. Unfortunately that is the kind of plot that we are programmed to respond to. 

Perhaps I am way off base and there are perfectly sound reasons that Peyton Manning can often do no right. Perhaps this Quarterback who has had everything handed to him on a silver platter deserves all the negative press because heck, it comes with the job. 

Yet, I am not wrong about the perception that is out there. Its cool to bash Peyton Manning. 

When Manning speaks his mind as did this season about the uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff of the Colts this year, we tear him to pieces as a bad teammate. When he doesn’t speak his mind, we tear him apart for being a generic robot with no personality.

When Manning gets visibly upset on the field, we point that out as a flaw. Nobody likes a whinner right? Yet when he doesn’t show emotion on the field he gets called out as someone that isn’t invested enough to win… Remember our idiot kicker!!!

When the Colts couldn’t win a Superbowl everyone figured they had found the flaw in the NFL’s golden boy. Once his team did win the Championship the new flaw was that they should have won more. 

When Peyton starts an incredible 176 games in a row that isn’t a testment to his toughness. Rather he just doesn’t take enough hits to win the big games, or has benefitted from an unusually talented offensive line.

For every positive, someone out there inevitably feels the need to throw out two negatives. As if they personally have to be the ones to show the world that Peyton Manning isn’t as great as he seems. 

Would people still feel this way if Peyton wasn’t expected to succeed? Would it somehow matter to people if Peyton perhaps had to overcome cancer and make a triumphant return, or if the Colts had taken him with the first pick in the 6th round, rather than the first pick in the first round?

Do people look for reasons to hate Peyton Manning simply because he isn’t Rudy Ruettiger, beating the odds to step on the field when everyone else told him it would impossible.

I am left to wonder in spite of all the negative press that surrounds Peyton Manning, is it simply no longer good enough just be as good as advertised. To receive top billing and then go out and deliver the goods.  

Will 2009 be the year that we cut Peyton Manning some slack. He doesn’t embody everything that is wrong with the NFL….Far from it in fact. This season Peyton Manning should climb the ladder into the top 3 all time in most of the major passing category. 

As a someone who is has been along for the ride, both good—2006 Superbowl Win- and the bad—pick your first round playoff exit—I am excited to see Peyton take those steps up on the podium he will share with the other great QB’s in history.  

Even if the rest of the popularity gang chooses not to acknowledge Peyton I am okay with that. Truth is I wasn’t very popular in highschool myself either.  Heck, guess I finally have something in common with Peyton Manning.

NFL Scheduling: What About Helping the West Coast?

The NFL is changing upcoming schedules to benefit the East Coast teams who have to make the long trek out to the West Coast. 

The new changes will prevent East Coast teams from having to play more than two West Coast games per season, and completely eliminating any chance that they would be matched with back to back West Coast away games.

Seahawks, 49ers, Chargers, Raiders, Cardinals fans—I invite you all to collectively roll your eyes.

No one can deny that there are more teams on the East Coast, and that it is an acceptable proposal—understandable and fair.

That said, what about the 10 AM Pacific Time, early bird special games that we (West Coast Teams) have to travel 3,000 miles to, just to get get stomped on?

I can mainly put the Seattle Seahawks’ awful season in 2008 down to the fact that in addition to the injury plague they played four games on the East Coast (Buffalo, Miami, Tampa Bay, and New York). Only one was not played in the morning (Tampa Bay), and all four were losses, with one the third worst in franchise history (Giants).

The Giants meanwhile had played three of there last four games at home. The Buccaneers also had played three of there last four at home before facing Seattle. The Dolphins were on a three game home-stand when they faced the Seahawks.

Arizona played back-to-back games and lost both, to the Redskins and the Jets. They were blasted by the Jets in the second game, getting 56 points bombed on them. They also got shredded in a 40 point loss to New England in a morning start. The Jets also had played three out four games at home at the time they played the Cardinals.

The Chargers played three morning games in a span of four weeks at the Dolphins, Bills, and Saints (In Europe)—all three were losses. The Dolphins had played four out of five games at home when they faced the Chargers. 

The 49ers went 2-4 in their morning games, actually faring better than the aforementioned three. They went 1-2 in their morning East Coast games (losses to Giants, Dolphins), but one win was against an inept Bills offense that was spluttering at the time, and only managed to score three points. The Giants had played three out of four at home when they played the 49ers. The Dolphins had played four out of five games at home before facing the 49ers.

The Raiders went 1-3 in their morning East Coast games (losses to Dolphins, Ravens, Bills), the one win proving to be an exception to the rule—a dramatic upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that kept them out of the playoffs. The Dolphins were on a three game home-stand before they faced the Raiders. The Bills had played three of there last five at home.

It has become all to much of a reality to fans of West Coast teams that we are put at a severe disadvantage because of the early start to these games.

Now, while the East Coast teams are whining about traveling on their private jets, with their custom leather seats, I see an East Coast bias clearer then ever. 

I don’t propose the same change for West Coast travel. We are accustomed to the long haul, especially up in Seattle, 900 miles removed from even the nearest West Coast team. We don’t whine about our constant (except for the three consecutive road games?, damn, c’mon guys), travel because, it really doesn’t affect us.

These 10 AM PT starts are what murders us. If the NFL is going to feed its East Coast bias monkey and take away our small advantage, fine. 

Start games on the East Coast at 4:15 ET, 1:15 PT. That’s not even asking for a schedule change, it’s asking for a sparing of sanity. 

We won’t whine about back-to-backs, we won’t whine about two East Coast games in three weeks, or even three in four weeks.

It allows us West Coast teams to wake up and have some Starbucks, rather then getting routinely trampled by teams who are already onto their lunches.

If you’re going to give the East Coast teams a full massage, give us a foot rub—start games at 1:15 PT.

 

Pick Your Poison: Thomas Jones Vs. Larry Johnson

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