August 2009 News

Jerry Jones Wants to See Mat McBriar At Cowboys HQ: NOW!

Published: August 26, 2009

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Mat McBriar, you have lost your mind! You already hit the screen at the sparkling new Cowboys Stadium, now you add insult to injury saying that you were not consulted about its height? 

What on Earth possessed you, the Cowboys punter, to pipe up about the height of the screen in the Dallasium?

U2 are playing a concert at the stadium on October 12th. U2’s staff were consulted about the height of the screen for their gig. Maybe you should have a word about it to Bono because he’s about the only guy that Jerry Jones may listen to.

I would be willing to bet that Tony Romo would take the blame for an architectural oversight rather than blabber about not being consulted about the height of the giant T.V. during the building of the Cowboys Stadium.

Mat, you are a punter! Punters are not consulted by Jerry Jones. Wade Phillips is not consulted by Jerry Jones!

You are on thin ice.

Thank God that you are no longer the highest paid punter in the league, that would have added to the size of the target on your back for being another overpaid media whore on the Cowboys’ roster.

If I were you right now, I would still be taking good care of that foot that was fractured when your punt was blocked by the Cardinals Sean Morey, handing Arizona a 30-24 victory in OT on October 12, 2008.

Maybe even more than the foot, I’d be keeping my head down and dealing with getting back onto the field after suffering your first major injury.

Your estimation of hitting the screen 50 percent of the time is nowhere near as good as the percentage of times you connect your foot to your mouth in the preseason.

Jerry doesn’t like to lose.

Remember what happened to T.O.? Even Bill Parcells was not allowed to call the shots in the Big D.

If you are able to run from the 15 seconds of fame that the Cowboys Stadium has bestowed upon you, you may be safe. Just don’t say another word.

Jerry Jones has been unavailable for comment about the screen height, you should follow suit.

Somehow I can’t see you sitting at a podium in a red leather jacket and wrap around shades, trying to look like a team player, crying that it is not fair to criticize the palace in Dallas.

You’ve had your nanosecond in the sun, now run for the shadows if you know what’s good for you.


Cutler, Orton Refuse to Buy into The Drama Of Matchup

Published: August 26, 2009

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If NBC left it to Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton to hype Sunday night’s preseason showdown in Denver of traded quarterbacks, Sunday Night Football might face instant cancellation.
Fortunately for the network, they’ve got more than enough people hyping the game to make it seem like an August version of the Super Bowl.
The two quarterbacks spent Wednesday downplaying the matchup against their former teams.
“It’s a preseason game,” the Bears’ Cutler said. “We can’t make it more than it is, we just have to prepare ourselves and get ready for a tough team. They’ve got a lot of talent, offensively and defensively, so its going to be a challenge.”
Orton probably went further toward revealing some of his emotions heading into the game in a conference call with Halas Hall reporters when he said the trade took him by complete surprise when it occurred.
“I certainly didn’t expect it,” he said. “I wasn’t paying attention to the whole matter and certainly didn’t expect it. But I didn’t feel sorry for myself or anything really.
“It looked like an opportunity that I certainly could take advantage of.”
Both quarterbacks are coming off strong second preseason game showings on the heels of poor openers.  After going 5-of-10 for 64 yards with an interception in the opener, Cutler came back with 8-for-13 for 121 yards and a touchdown. Orton bounced back from a horrendous three-interception, 9-of-16 effort with 89 yards to complete 18-of-26 for a touchdown and interception and 182 yards.
As much as they downplayed it, there will be a lot of emotions. Orton was particularly popular with Bears players while in Chicago because of his loyalty and toughness.
“It’s going to be different because he’s not in this orange and blue,” tight end Desmond Clark said. “It will be good to see him out there.
“I hope him well in every game besides this one, but in this game I hope he gets sacked five times,” he added.
The real emotion will probably be spent by Denver fans. Cutler has taken note of fansburning their Cutler No. 6 Bronco jerseys over the past month.
Asked how he thinks he’ll be received in Denver, “Probably poorly would be my first guess,” he said.  “I’m not the first player to get traded to a different team—I’m not going to be the last. So that’s their business. That doesn’t concern me.”
Cutler said he hasn’t sought out a conversation with Broncos management after forcing the trade by refusing to play for new coach Josh McDaniels. He doubts if he’ll be talking to Broncos management members at the game.
“I don’t think they want to talk to me,” he said.
Orton got booed loudly by Denver fans at a scrimmage and then at a preseason game.
“It’s tough,” Cutler said. “I feel bad for Kyle, I think he’s going to pull through in the long run.
“Offensively they’ve got a lot of good players, they’ve got a great offensive line, they’ve got good receivers, and Josh McDaniels, you know, he’s an offensive mind. He puts guys in spots to make plays, so I think they’re going to be fine.”
The number of times a Pro Bowl quarterback has forced a trade in NFL history can be counted on one hand, but Cutler wouldn’t be surprised if similar situations occur in coming seasons.
“Whenever you get a different coach in there, different scheme, different personnel guys, they want their type of guys,”  he said. “I can see it happening in the future again.”

The Falcons Got Vick; But Who Did the Eagles Draft in 2001?

Published: August 26, 2009

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Michael Vick was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft.

Even with his jail sentence, it doesn’t seem that long ago that Vick was a fresh faced rookie turning around a floundering Atlanta Falcons franchise.

A lot has changed since the first time I saw Vick stand on a football field in Philly—which was November of 1999, my junior year of college at Temple. I (and the 30 or 40 suckers…err, Owls supporters), who actually went to the game, saw Vick’s alma mater, Virginia Tech, roll Temple 62-7.

Vick, who was a red-shirt freshman at the time, had 134 rushing yards, 171 passing yards and four total touchdowns—one of which was a 75-yard scamper where not a soul touched him.

And to think, he left halfway through the third quarter.

I was on the sidelines, videotaping the game for highlights in that week’s edition of “Temple Update.” My roommate was on the football team, and I remember exactly what he said after the game: “(Bleep).”

Oddly enough, 1999 was the beginning of the Andy Reid era in Philly, and the 2001 season ended with the first of the Eagles’ five NFC Championship Game appearances under his watch.

There’s correlation, synergy, or some other buzzword there.

In looking back at the Eagles’ own draft that year, it turned out to be a very fruitful one.

In the first round, the Birds selected No. 25 and took one of the most bizarre characters in team history: Freddie Mitchell.

Yes, “FredEx” was a first-round draft pick.

While he’ll never be forgotten for being the receiver on the business end of  “4th-and-26,” Mitchell’s career in Philly was otherwise a bust. From 2001-04, he recorded 90 catches for 1,263 yards and 5 TD—or roughly what DeSean Jackson has already done in one season.

Following four years of shenanigans and some harsh criticisms of the team, Mitchell was released in May 2005. He caught on in Kansas City, but was dumped before the 2005 season started, and later had failed tryouts for several other teams—including the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

He now owns a Bar-B-Q restaurant in Lakeland, Florida…and he has a blog. And yes, he’s still entertaining.

The middle rounds produced a quartet that sounds like it should be a Chronicles of Narnia book: The Bust, the Breakout, the Backup, and the Bengal.

The “bust” was second round pick Quinton Caver, a linebacker who had all of 19 tackles in two seasons as an Eagle, and faded away after a few more mediocre seasons in the NFL. The “Bengal” was an early fifth-round pick and former Penn State TE Tony Stewart, who caught a half-dozen balls as a rookie, but faded to the practice squad in 2002 and then spent five years in Cincinnati.

The other two are much more noteworthy.

The “breakout” was third-rounder Derrick Burgess. Before he was terrorizing AFC defenses as a Raider (and now a Patriot), Burgess was part of Jim Johnson’s famed rotation at defensive end. And as a rookie in 2001, he played in every game and had six sacks.

Then came the “break”…literally.

Burgess broke his foot in Week One of the 2002 season and missed the whole year—only to also miss 2003 because of a torn Achilles tendon. He returned in 2004 and played well, starting 12 games and recording five and a half total sacks (three of which came in the post-season).

Then he fled to Oakland, and the rest is history.

The “backup” you ask? Why, none other than fourth-round pick Correll Buckhalter.

I really have nothing snarky to say about CB. Sure, he missed three of his first five seasons, but when healthy he did a great job as a backup to/complement with/fill-in for Duce Staley and Brian Westbrook. He even holds the Eagles’ franchise record for rushing yards by a rookie (586, if you’re counting at home).

He’s great…except he’s now in Denver.

But perhaps the greatest—or at least the most ironic—pick was the Eagles’ last: Oregon QB AJ Feeley.

He’s had one heck of a career path. As a second-year man in 2002, he won four of his five starts as a fill-in for Donovan McNabb and led the Eagles to the playoffs.

He didn’t see one snap in 2003, was traded to Miami (and subsequently to San Diego), came back as a free agent in 2006 and has pretty much been Captain Clipboard ever since. Well, minus those two games in 2007 where he almost led the Eagles to wins over Seattle and then-undefeated New England—and probably would have if he didn’t throw seven total picks in the process.

It’s almost fitting that he’s the guy whose job is most in jeopardy because of Vick’s acquisition.

Weird how that works out, no?

Enjoy Michael Vick’s debut. I sure will.


Is Joseph Addai Worth A RB2 Pick In Fantasy Football?

Published: August 26, 2009

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With the NFL season rapidly approaching, just about every eager fantasy football owner is starving for knowledge, and I (Bruno Boys Ziza) am here to oblige.

Leading up to Week 1 of the regular season, I will be tackling the weekly running back risers and fallers for ADP (Average Draft Position). I will be using ESPN‘s live draft ADP feature to fill everyone in on which running backs are increasing, and decreasing in value as the pre-season progresses.

With that said, let’s take a look at the Top 5 risers for the week. The list includes Ladell Betts (+3.8), Felix Jones (+3.5), Jamaal Charles (+3), DeAngelo Williams (+1.1) and Joseph Addai (1.1).

I will be breaking down these players, and providing reasoning of why I believe, or don’t believe that the movement in ADP is justifiable.

1. Ladell Betts (Washington Redskins) – For another consecutive week in a row, Betts has risen up the ADP charts; this time +3.8 ADP spots, or nearly half a round sooner in 10-team leagues.

He did have a scare this week as he was experiencing back spasms during the Redskins’ pre-season game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it is nothing to really be concerned over. He is still going low enough in the draft as the 172.7 player being taken to take a gamble on. The rise remains legit and he is someone that you should take during the latter part of the draft, unless you own Clinton Portis. If you do, its reasonable to handcuff him with Betts a few rounds earlier.

2. Felix Jones (Dallas Cowboys) – Piggybacking off of last season’s showing, Jones has continued the progress this pre-season impressing in both the running game and as a receiver.

While Marion Barber undoubtedly remains the #1 option for the Dallas Cowboys, with the loss of Terrell Owens, Jones should be more active through the air.

At the moment, consider him a low-end RB3, high-end RB4 option. But with the injury concerns of Barber, one never knows when Jones’ value could soar. The +3.5 ADP spots, earning him the 94.7 player off of the board is well deserved.

3. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) – While it is highly unlikely that they will remind everyone of the Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson show from back in the day, Jamaal Charles and Johnson have both been effective during the pre-season thus far.

While Charles is expected to see a lot of the third down load, it would not shock me at all if the Chiefs, who have been struggling in the passing game during the pre-season, put both on the field often.

Charles is still coming off the board later in drafts, meaning he is a low-risk, high reward type of back; one which you will definitely want to keep your eye on come draft day. The +3 ADP shows that he should continue to rise in value.

4. DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) – While Williams has gained only +1.1 ADP draft spots this week, what makes it a huge deal is that he is going 9.4 overall. Meaning his draft position just gained 10 percent in the matter of one week.

That is impressive, and there are a few reasons for that.

First of all, his partner Jonathan Stewart is still suffering from a leg injury that could linger into the season. Secondly, Williams has looked and performed at the same level this preseason that people got used to last year. If Stewart remains an injury concern, expect Williams’ workload to increase. Whether or not that is a good thing, remains to be seen as he is a bit undersized, and he is more of a burner than a power back. The two complement each other well so pray for Stewart to be near 100% when the season is ready to begin.

5. Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) – In what could become one of the better bargains in this year’s fantasy football drafts, Joseph Addai of the Indianapolis Colts has been coming off the board as the 51.5 player.

Two seasons ago, he was a first round pick, and last year he was roughly a high-end RB2 pick, and news out of Indianapolis is that Addai looks to be as healthy as ever. The +1.1 ADP gain this week is a mild accomplishment, but if he really is looking as good as they say, you should see his stock going up each week as we approach the season.

READ MORE ADP ARTICLES HERE…

AVERAGE DRAFT POSITION WATCH


Fantasy Football ADP: Rising Quarterbacks

Published: August 26, 2009

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Now that there’s a couple of pre-season weeks done, it’s time to take a look at the top rising and falling quarterbacks in standard scoring drafts. For this we will be using the Average Draft Position (ADP) from standard ESPN live drafts from the last week.

Some players are boosted by their solidification of a starting spot, such as the San Francisco 49ers Shaun Hill (+7.9) while others are boosted just by signing with a team, like Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings (+5.7).

Thus, below are the top five ADP risers at the quarterback position from the dates of August 18-25.

 

1. Shaun Hill (San Francisco 49ers)

Never mind the fact that Hill didn’t play well in the second preseason week despite being the second quarterback to come in for the 49ers, Hill’s value has risen considerably (+7.9 ADP) since being named the starter in San Francisco.

It’s not too surprising, however, considering Hill was by far the best quarterback the 49ers had last season. Things to like about Hill from last season include his completion percentage (62.8), his average yards per attempt (7.1) and his touchdown to interception ratio (13/8).

Things not to like include Hill throwing eight interceptions in just nine games and that he took 23 sacks in those nine games. Hill makes for a decent backup in standard leagues, but that’s about it right now.

 

2. Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings)

Similar to Hill, Favre did not enjoy a good performance in the second week of the preseason but saw his value skyrocket because he became the definite starter.

Favre completed just 1 of 4 passes in his first action but had only been with the team a few days and thus was still shaking off the rust as well as still learning the playbook.

Favre’s rising value (+5.7 ADP) is attributed to his past accomplishments, ignoring the fact that he threw nine interceptions and just two touchdowns in the final five games last year for the New York Jets.

Favre has a good team around him, but is nursing a bad throwing shoulder and will turn 40 this season. Drafting him to be your starter would be a very risky move.

 

3. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)

After a poor showing in the first week of the preseason, Cutler responded with a good one last week as he went 8-for-13 for 121 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Displaying a new found level of comfort in the Bears offense saw Cutler’s value (+3.4 ADP) rise, though it was already pretty high for a quarterback in the first place.

Cutler has displayed all the attributes you want in a fantasy football quarterback but in Chicago he’s working with a sub-par receiving corps, and that’s a major concern.

Good quarterbacks make their receivers better, but guys like Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis need to display they can step up and be consistent receiving threats for Cutler to maximize his value.

 

4. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

Already considered a top-five fantasy quarterback Rivers has seen his value (+1.8 ADP) rise slowly but steadily after the first two weeks of the preseason.

Rivers has displayed the same traits that made him such a good player last season as he’s completed 66.6 percent of his passes in the preseason and his 10 completions have gone for 142 yards.

One thing that causes a little concern is that Rivers has taken five sacks in the two games so far, and four of those came in the second week.

Hopefully, the San Diego offensive line can get it together, otherwise taking a lot of sacks could lead the Chargers’ offense sputtering at times throughout the season.

 

5. Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

It’s a little surprising that Schaub’s +1.4 ADP hasn’t risen more in the last week considering how good he’s been in the first two weeks of the preseason. In the two games Schaub has completed 18 of 23 passes for 167 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Schaub’s potential is great but he’s been injured during parts of the last two seasons so perhaps that’s why people continue to stay away despite his good performances.

One thing is for sure, when Schaub is on the field, he’s pretty good. And with receiver Andre Johnson and running back Steve Slaton to throw to, he’s got the weapons necessary to put up some great fantasy football numbers.

TO SEE OTHER POSITION ARTICLES GO HERE…

AVERAGE DRAFT POSITION WATCH


Is Joe Flacco Ready To Take The Next Step?

Published: August 26, 2009

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Joe Flacco had more playoff success as a rookie than any other starting quarterback in NFL history. However as he enters his second year, the question is whether Flacco can take the next step and become one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.

If the first two preseason games are any indication, Flacco believes that he is ready to be more than simply the “serviceable rookie” from a year ago and instead make the passing game a legitimate offensive option for the Ravens.

In the Ravens nationally televised game against the Jets, Flacco was solid on the field (8 for 18, 120 yards), but seemed especially confident when being interviewed by ESPN’s Michelle Tafoya. Flacco acted and sounded like a quarterback ready to make a splash in 2009.

Throughout NFL history, how a quarterback performs in his second year as a starter often provides great insight into whether he will develop into a superstar or simply be a “serviceable” quarterback.

After moving from semi pro football to the starting lineup for the Colts in 1956, Johnny Unitas made it clear in his second season that he was destined for greatness. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance and passed for 2,550 yards and 24 touchdowns in just 12 games.

Both Joe Montana with the San Francisco 49ers in 1981 and Ben Rothlisberger with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 culminated their second season as a starter with a Super Bowl victory.

Dan Marino fell one victory short of Super Bowl success during his second year under center for the Miami Dolphins in 1984, but his record setting season of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdown passes went unmatched for 20 years.

The man who eclipsed Marino’s touchdown mark, Peyton Manning, took the Indianapolis Colts from a 3-13 record during his rookie season to a 13-3 mark the following season. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance while completing 62.1% of his passes for 4,135 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Because the Ravens had the fourth best running game in the league a year ago, Flacco didn’t have to take matters into his own hands very often as a rookie. Statistically, he was solid with a 60% completion percentage, 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions while starting every game.

Watch for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to give Flacco more chances to shine in 2009. With a veteran receiving unit that includes Derek Mason, Mark Clayton, Kelley Washington and Todd Heap, Flacco has plenty of receiving options and seems poised to make his move towards greatness this season.

 

Check out more from Dean Hybl at Baltimore Sports Then and Now where passionate fans can stay updated on the latest in Baltimore sports while also reliving the great moments, players and teams of Baltimore’s tremendous sports history.


What, What? Seahawks Release TJ Duckett After Signing Edgerrin James

Published: August 26, 2009

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The Seattle Seahawks announced the release of TJ Duckett after they signed former Indianapolis Colts star Edgerrin James.

Can I get a what, what?

OK, so James turned in a good postseason performance for the Arizona Cardinals last January, but this move makes no sense.

At 31, James is not an every-down runner like he was.  Meanwhile, at 28, Duckett is one of the best short-yardage running backs in the NFL.

In 2008, James had three touchdowns, 514 yards, and 24 first downs.  Duckett had eight touchdowns, 172 yards rushing and 26 first-downs.

Keep in mind, however, that James had his yards in a high-flying offense with open lanes, while Duckett earned his stats the hard way.

If the Cincinnati Bengals are reading this, take a look at Duckett, because your team needs another running back and Duckett would be a great fit.


Critical Comments From Green Bay? I’ll Take My Chances With No. 4

Published: August 26, 2009

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I haven’t written any articles for awhile, mostly due to my involvement around Vikings training camp and learning the media side of the NFL.

Now that training camp has subsided in Mankato and the Favre media frenzy has passed, articles and comments from around the national media and on Bleacherreport.com have lit a fire under me.

Media members have seemed to automatically slip the Vikings to third in the NFC North, most notably Sirius NFL Radio host Adam Schein, since the signing of quarterback Brett Favre this off-season.

Then again, I’ve learned to deal with these sort of comments that seem pretty out there to me.

These people say the Vikings can’t win until they bring in a consistent quarterback and when they do, they say it is not the right guy and the team will be penalized for it the upcoming season.

Although they seem to get under my skin, comments from national media are not the reason I am writing this article.

The comments that did came from right over the border in Cheese Land.

I knew the Favre-bashing would come the first few days after his signing from Packer fans, and I can’t blame them too much. This was the guy that took their team to the last Lombardi Trophy and was the face of the franchise for more than a decade.

But now they are getting to be too much.

Sports radio, television, blog, forums; you name it, Packer fans are giving their two cents on why Brett Favre is comparable to Satan himself.

Well now, it’s my turn.

During Favre’s retirement and unretirement in Green Bay after the 2007 season, the part that will never leave my mind is General Manager Ted Thompson making sure Favre never entered the Packers facility when training camp was about to open.

I also remember Favre’s family commenting on the organization during this time, saying that it seemed Brett had always been under the pressure to end his time so the young Aaron Rodgers could start a new era in Green Bay.

While I did meet my share of Favre followers who couldn’t let go of their hero, I heard a majority of fans saying they were ready for Rodgers to take over, supporting the organization’s decision of telling Brett that his time was up.

Now, after one season of seeing their former quarterback in a different jersey and conference while also watching Rodgers play sufficiently for the most part, Favre has done the unthinkable and signed with the Vikings, even undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder to enable him.

And Packer fans from all over are saying that what Brett is doing is terrible, a crime even, and that he will never be liked again.

But wait, weren’t these the fans that though it was right to move on without Brett because he had already retired?

Weren’t these the fans that said he should stay at home in Hattiesburg, Miss.. on his lawnmower?

Yeah, those ones.

Well, now they see what the one-time Packer has went to. A team that is No. 1 at stopping the run and the best running back in the NFL right behind him when he is under center.

Yeah, I guess you have a right to be angry, only please admit it’s out of frustration.

Most of you wanted him gone, and you got your wish behind Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy. 

Here’s to payback in week four at the Metrodome.

Go get ’em, Brett.


Pattern Recognition Of Pro Football HOF Recipients By Year, Part One

Published: August 26, 2009

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There are so many ways to look at NFL or Hall of Fame data. Here is a simple analysis to see if there are patterns in selected data, aggregated by year.

Frequency Distribution of Data on Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees

Year          Number of HOF Recipients

1963         17         xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      

1964         7          xxxxxxx                   

1965         7          xxxxxxx                     

1966         8          xxxxxxxx                 

1967         8          xxxxxxxx                   

1968         7          xxxxxxx                   

1969         5          xxxxx

1970         4          xxxx

1971         7          xxxxxxx

1972         4          xxxx

1973         3          xxx

1974         4          xxxx

1975         4          xxxx

1976         3          xxx

1977         5          xxxxx

1978         5          xxxxx

1979         4          xxxx

1980         4          xxxx

1981         4          xxxx

1982         4          xxxx

1983         5          xxxxx

1984         4          xxxx

1985         5          xxxxx

1986         5          xxxxx

1987         7          xxxxxxx

1988         4          xxxx

1989         4          xxxx

1990         7          xxxxxxx

1991         5          xxxxx

1992         4          xxxx

1993         5          xxxxx

1994         6          xxxxxx

1995         5          xxxxx

1996         5          xxxxx

1997         4          xxxx

1998         5          xxxxx

1999         5          xxxxx

2000         5          xxxxx

2001         7          xxxxxxx

2002         5          xxxxx

2003         5          xxxxx

2004         4          xxxx

2005         4          xxxx

2006         6          xxxxxx

2007         6          xxxxxx

2008         6          xxxxxx

2009         6          xxxxxx

There are many observations that can be made. Several simple ones are:

1. There was a decline in the number of NFL players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, from 1963 to 1964.

2. There was a minimum of three inductees in 1973 and in 1976.

3. The mode in the distribution of inductees is 4, occurring 15 times in the data set.

    The mode is also 5, occurring 15 times in the data set.  It is a bi-modal distribution.

4. The maximum number of inductees occurred during the first year of the induction process, with 17 players enshrined in 1973.

5. For four consecutive years, there are six inductees for each year, starting in 2006 to 2009.

6. For two consecutive years in 1966 and 1967, there were eight inductees for each year.

In order to get a better picture of the inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sociocultural factors, colleges and universities, and names of the last team the inductee played for (or the team that dominated the career of a player) will be aggregated to learn more about the patterns of the awards.

You are invited to make comments and more observations to stimulate a discussion of the data. 

A similar study of the Heisman Trophy winners showed a trend. Those observations may be discussed in a future B/R article. See link: Trend of Heisman Awards

 

 

 


Preseason More Puzzuling Then Proving for the New York Giants

Published: August 26, 2009

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The New York Football Giants have raised a few eyebrows lately especially after a poor performance in a meaningless game against the Chicago Bears.

I think the picture for this article says it all, they are trying really hard and just can’t seem to get where they want.

So I am throwing together a short little article of my reflections of the mid-way point of the preseason.

Not everything the Giants have done has been bad. In the first game against Carolina Osi walked away with a sack after only a few series. The Defense looked unbelievably fast, and put up strong pressure throughout the night. Danny Ware also had a solid night, along with all the other backs.

Including Allen Patrick, a rookie out of Oklahoma, he’s a long shot to make the roster but he did have a solid first game, (he did not play against the Bears) and with Brown out for the season could pull of an upset in camp.

Carr also had a very solid night although it is essentially meaningless barring an unforeseen injury…knock on wood.

A quick note about the O-Line, they looked great. Down two starters in the Carolina game they completely dominated. Through both games they showed food form and have made some really nice holes for the backs to slip through.

Some negatives I’ve noticed include Lawrence Tynes. I have truthfully never been a fan of him. He didn’t win me over in the NFC Championship game against Green Bay and he isn’t doing a better job now. I wanted him gone two years ago when he had a position battle in camp with Josh Huston, and I thought after an old geezer in Carney showed him up he would be gone for sure. Obviously, that is not the case and he is still around and still missing crucial kicks.

The Giants have a habit of being unlucky with kickers, I think it would be wise to focus on that position in the near future.

Another concern would be Andre Woodson, he threw a pick in his first game. He better be careful or he will be cut. Bomar is doing a ton in camp to impress the coaches and even he may be practice squad guy. As much as I like Woodson I have to believe his days are numbered. Then again he did significantly pick up his game when he faced the Bears.

David Tyree is a similar story. His one-hit wonder Super Bowl performance has faded a bit and his lack of playing time suggests the obvious, he should keep his bags packed because it is any day situation for him now.

One of my biggest concerns has been the receivers. No one particularly stood out against Carolina, however they picked it up a bit while facing the Bears. Individually no one was spectacular but as a unit they had eleven catches for then or more yards. Also, Nicks showed his deep play capability with a fifty-five yard reception. Unfortunately, Moss and Manningham were absent from any of this success against the Bears.

I cannot stop raving about the running backs, they are doing a phenomenal job and each have great potential. They all pick up each others slack and it is like a well oiled machine.

It should be interesting watching the rest of the preseason. Look for the D to continue its domination, they just look strong. The receivers need to pick it up and establish themselves as a unit. Two or more need to emerge as the leaders and they need to do it fast. If the Giants are going to live up to the hype then as a team they need to start playing like it. They have only had a few speed bumps thus far but it would be nice to see those ironed out as soon as possible.

There will be a lot to look for in the rest of the preseason, hopefully by the time cuts are made the coaches will have a good feel for who needs to go and everything will be set for the season start.


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