Keep Fighting For Those Millions, Michael Crabtree

The 49ers and Michael Crabtree are living a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Money often costs too much.”

An adviser to Michael Crabtree recently said that Michael Crabtree would be willing to return to the 2010 NFL Draft if he didn’t get the money he wanted.

It’s all about the Benjamins, isn’t it?

Sure, that’s what they’re arguing over, but in the end, that’s not what it’s all about.

For Michael Crabtree, it’s costing him valuable time in training camp.  It’s costing him the opportunity to win a starting job (which, with the 49ers current cast of WRs, is about as difficult as a single digit addition problem).

For the 49ers, it’s costing them a chance to win.  Not having Crabtree on the field weakens the already famished weapons for the 49ers starting QB (Shaun Hill…or Alex Smith…or, whoever).

Here’s the thing: I don’t blame Michael Crabtree one bit.

It’s something I’ve said about all athletes; if you can get the money, go for it. 

In today’s economy, sometimes, every penny should be fought for.

Sure, arguing when the figure involves millions of dollars may seem petty, but if Crabtree feels he’s worth more, he should try and get that amount.

The 49ers didn’t have to draft him, after all.

Nine other teams didn’t.  One of those teams, the Raiders, drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey, not Crabtree, with the 7th selection.

He’s making $38 million.

While Heyward-Bey was drafted before Crabtree, he wasn’t projected to.  While it may seem like a flimsy argument, you can’t argue that Crabtree is a great talent.

In the end, there will likely be a compromise between the two sides, and a deal will be reached.

Even when a deal is reached, both sides will have learned a valuable lesson.

Money costs too much.

Time, respect, happiness.

But if, for some reason, Crabtree doesn’t reach a deal, maybe he should re-enter the NFL Draft.

After all, maybe the other Bay Area team, Oakland, will pair you with Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Or, perhaps, the Cowboys will grab you to replace their old drama with some new drama.

On second thought…stick with the 49ers, Michael.

 

Predicting the Entire NFL Season

Be prepared for a long one, folks.

I’m predicting everything! Awards, standings, breakout players.

Everything.

You see the man pictured, Adrian Peterson?

He’s your MVP.

We’ll cover that. Eventually.

Let’s start with some standings, shall we?

From there, we’ll go the Playoffs, Super Bowl Champ, Pro Bowl Roster, and Awards!

Dunta’s Inferno: It’s Time to Settle Dunta Robinson’s Contract

$9,957,000.

Seems like a lot of money, doesn’t it?

Most people would be happy earning it in one year.

Not Dunta Robinson.

It’s not the money that’s the issue; rather, it’s the reason why he is making that money this season.

“…I was told I wouldn’t get (franchise) tagged,” said Robinson back in February. “That’s dishonest, and I’m mad about it.”

It’s now July, and as preseason nears, Dunta’s anger still has not subsided. 

It’s time to end it.

Both sides need to compromise and make a deal before the preseason starts.

Both sides have said the right things, Robinson saying that he wants to retire a Houston Texan, and the Texans saying that they didn’t want to apply the franchise tag, but felt they had to.

Enough of the “he said, they said” business.

The only business that needs to be done is getting Dunta Robinson on the field, while providing tranquility for the team and satisfaction for Robinson.

A way to provide that? Give Robinson some money.

Of course, not $9,957,000. Give him more years, and less money.

Even he has said that’s what he wants.

So, c’mon Houston.

End Dunta’s Inferno with a heavenly solution.

 

 

Texans Provide Interesting Fantasy Options

The key to succeeding in Fantasy Football is simple.

Get lucky.

Fantasy Football players have to work the waiver wire, wheel and deal with the best of ’em, and pray that their players do well while avoiding injury.

It’s even harder than it sounds.

It’s best to cover your ground with players from various teams, but this article will be covering the Houston Texans, specifically their key players that can help you achieve victory in your league.

Maybe.

Let’s start off with a sleeper, WR Kevin Walter.

Very few people have heard of him, and it’s possible that only his relatives drafted him last year in leagues, but he has silently put up great numbers alongside Andre Johnson.

ESPN.com’s Cheat Sheet has Walter as the 80th overall player, and the 28th WR on their list. Last season, Walter had nearly 900 receiving yards and eight TDs.

Similar numbers can be expected.

When drafting, Walter would be a solid third WR on your team. Look to pick him up in the middle to later rounds.

Next, let’s go with last season’s breakout Texan, RB Steve Slaton.

Slaton is ranked 15th overall and as the 11th best RB. However, Slaton is a hit or miss player. There are times when he will provide solid points for your team, and times when he have a lackluster game.

Other concerns for this season involve him carrying the full load, along with trying to fend off the dreaded sophomore slump.

That all being said, I would have no qualms with drafting Slaton in the second round. He would be a great second RB, and a solid first RB. 

TE Owen Daniels is the next player to be looked at, and he is ranked 72nd overall. He is the fifth TE, ahead of players such as Chris Cooley and Kellen Winslow.

Daniels is an underrated player that racks up yards like Pac-Man racks up points. He has 862 last season, and I would expect similar numbers in this upcoming season.

If Gonzalez, Gates, and Witten, the highly hyped TEs are gone, don’t fret. Daniels would be a great option at TE.

One of the main components of having a quality team is finding diamonds in the rough, referred to as sleepers. Two players to keep an eye on this season are WR Jacoby Jones and rookie TE James Casey.

In what was the league’s third-ranked offense, these two could see some decent stats.  That being said, do not draft these guys. Just keep your eye on them.

If you are looking for a sure thing, or something close to it, go with WR Andre Johnson.

Who wouldn’t want the second ranked WR and 11th overall player? He had 1,575 receiving yards and eight TDs last season, and while there might be a slight dip in yards, he should have a similar number of TDs.

If you’re drafting in the second round, and some of the higher ranked RBs are gone, go ahead and grab your No. 1 WR.

WRs are becoming more valuable in fantasy leagues anyway, and Johnson is sure to produce.

Finally, we come to the biggest enigma for the Texans, QB Matt Schaub.

Schaub has shown flashes of being an elite QB, but has been bitten by the injury bug in the past two seasons, missing 10 games.

It’s like the TE situation. If Brees, Brady, Manning, and Warner are gone, wait to snag Schaub. He’s a decent option at starting QB, and an elite option at backup QB.

Like Schaub, the Texans as a whole seem to be an enigma when it comes to Fantasy Football.

They could break out and provide your team with victory, or give you nothing but a headache.

Sounds like just about everyone in Fantasy Football, doesn’t it?

Keep Faith in Athletes, Even through Tough Times

We, as fans of many various sports, tend to put our athletes on pedestals.  

“Oh, they wouldn’t do that! They’re athletes!”

Athletes are just like the rest of us. They make mistakes.

Steve McNair’s death has done plenty to highlight this fact.

Football fans know McNair for his tenacity and leadership. They remember the good times and bad times through his career, and how he never gave up.

Outside of football, however, there appeared to be another side of McNair.

I’m not here to gossip about what McNair did outside of his marriage or what kind of person he is, because, honestly, I’m doing exactly what this article will talk about.

Giving athletes the benefit of the doubt and putting faith in them.

I really shouldn’t, as the facts seem to point towards an extramarital affair, but like a lot of people, I have high standards for athletes, and I seem to believe that they all have morals, standards, and hold themselves with class and high character.

Of course, I often find my assumptions to be incorrect, and it has happened often.

How many people expected Michael Vick to be dog fighting? Sure, he wasn’t perfect, but dog fighting? C’mon, there’s no way people were expecting that.

When I found out that Donte’ Stallworth killed a man in an accident, I immediately made assumptions about the victim. “Maybe he wasn’t paying attention. Maybe he wasn’t in the right state of mind.”

It turns out that those maybes applied to Stallworth, not the victim.

It’s like my friend, a reporter from the USA Today, told me: “In journalism, you often times find yourself disappointed.”

I have something I’d like to add.

In sports, you often times find yourself disappointed.

In life, you often times find yourself disappointed.

Think about it. How many times have you hoped for your teams’ victory, only to watch them lose in a soul-crushing defeat?

How many times in life have you hoped for something, or put your faith in someone, only to have it completely backfire?

The same happened with Steve McNair.

We saw the tough-nosed quarterback. We wanted to believe he was as good off the field as he was on it.

So why do we continue to put our faith in athletes?

It’s as Batman says. “Sometimes, people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”
We put our faith in most, if not all, athletes. Sometimes, we do find ourselves disappointed. But ever so often, we find a diamond in a pile of rocks, someone to depend on.
 
Someone to cheer for.

Someone that deserves it.

So while we see another athlete leave us stunned and with a heart full of questions, there’s always going to be more athletes that we put our faith in.

Sometimes, we’ll be shaken by their actions, words, and appearance.

But through giving them the benefit of the doubt, putting them on pedestals, and watching their every move, we are provided with role models to look up to.

As The Dark Knight explained, Gotham needs its hero, its White Knight.

We do, too.

“Super” Mario Wililams Proves Doubters Wrong

Let me tell you something about Mario Williams.

The man has faced as much scrutiny as the President.

After becoming the first selection in the 2006 NFL Draft over hyped college stars Reggie Bush and Vince Young, Williams has been watched by just about everyone doubting the decision.

Slowly but surely, however, people are starting to see that Williams is becoming one of the best DEs in the game.

But it wasn’t always like that.

The day after the draft, Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com said “Houston could have chosen USC tailback Reggie Bush, but instead got sloppy drunk on ‘measureables’ and potential rather than actual production. Hel-lo, did you see how many contrails and broken ankles Bush left behind this season?”

He wasn’t the only one. 

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports graded Mario Williams as the worst pick for the Texans, saying that they “…should have drafted Reggie Bush.”

The majority of sportswriters, players, and fans agreed, myself included.

Well, I’ve had my fair share of crow, and I’m making sure that everybody has a hearty helping of it as well.

Some people are refusing to eat it.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle claims that he “…was on the Mario Williams bandwagon from the start.” 

Really?

He described the Texans decision to pass on Bush as smacking of stupidity and looking dumb.

Yeah, on the bandwagon the whole time.

Mario Williams is a good player. 

Great, even. 

Better than Reggie Bush and Vince Young.

Fun Fact: Mario Williams scored a touchdown before Reggie Bush did in 2007.

Does that prove Mario is better? 

No.

But it’s bragging rights for all Houston Texans fans.

Williams has had 30.5 sacks in his three season career and looks to be destined for many, many more.  Meanwhile, Bush has faced injury problems and has been overshadowed by Pierre Thomas, while Vince Young has taken a backseat to Kerry Collins.

Still worthy candidates for the first overall selection?

So, as Mario provides pain to Quarterbacks around the league, he should remember the pain that sportswriters caused him in the beginning of the career. 

On second thought, scratch that.

Be forgiving, Super Mario.

They’re like Bowser, and we all know Mario beats Bowser in the end and saves Princess Peach in the process.

Texans fans, including myself, are Princess Peach. 

Save us from mediocrity and bring us to the playoffs.

Please?

My 10 Candidates for NFL Rooke of the Year

Having just finished hearing about Brett Favre for the 500th time, I want to mark this memorable occasion by discussing the new players of the NFL, drafted in last April’s Draft. Each year, viewers of the NFL see rookies step up to great lengths and succeed in the NFL.

Who could win the Rookie of the Year trophy this season? Here’s 10 possible players.

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