Dallas Cowboys’ Money Receiver Miles Austin and Daddy Warbucks

Wide receiver Miles Austin helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 37-21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

 

Austin, 25, an undrafted free-agent from Monmouth University in New Jersey, had eight receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys improved their record to 4-2.

 

The previous week, Miles established the Cowboys franchise record for receiving yards in a game with 250 in a 26-20 overtime win versus the Chiefs in Kansas City and he now has caught 21 passes for 502 yards and five touchdowns to date in this 2009 season.

 

Austin was a standout athlete at Garfield High School in the Garden State, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track and field.

 

Despite being honored as a high school senior on the gridiron with All-Bergen County and All-State honors, Austin did not garner much interest from major college football programs.

 

So, Austin decided to stay close to his hometown and play for the Hawks in nearby West Long Branch.

 

Monmouth University is a relatively small school that has impressively sent four squads to the NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament since 1996.

 

Beyond their prowess on the hardwood, Monmouth is also known because an academic building located in the center of their pristine campus, Woodrow Wilson Hall, was utilized as “Daddy Warbucks'” mansion in the famed film Annie .

 

Austin and Miami Dolphins tight end John Nalbone are the only two players who attended Monmouth and eventually ascended to the NFL.

 

“He’s definitely a big part of this offense,” Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said of Austin. “I’m glad to see all of his hard work and effort are paying off.”

 

Austin has clearly supplanted the expensive Roy Williams as Romo’s primary receiving threat.

 

The unheralded Jersey superstar is currently projected to conclude this season with 56 receptions for a staggering 1,339 yards and 13 touchdowns.

 

During a scene in the 1982 musical film, Annie says to Daddy Warbucks, “You’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

 

Warbucks responded to Annie by asking, “I beg your pardon?”

 

Annie reiterated her comment and said, “I know it’s none of my business, but you never notice anything.”

 

Romo and Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones have noticed Austin and his stellar abilities on the field.

 

If Austin is able to continue performing at this elite level, soon the entire Lone Star State will think the New Jersey native actually is “the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8663/cowboys-receiver-miles-austin-and.html

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8658/with-shonn-greene-and-danny-woodhead.html

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8630/the-irish-should-axe-charlie-weis.html

 

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The Jets Ground Game Will Fly With Shonn Greene & Danny Woodhead

The New York Jets destroyed the putrid Oakland Raiders 38-0 Sunday afternoon at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

 

Unfortunately for New York (4-3), their dominating triumph came at a great expense.

 

One week after the Jets lost defensive standout Kris Jenkins for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, offensive sparkplug Leon Washington fractured his right fibula on his first carry of the game.

 

Washington, 27, a 2008 Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, had his lower leg snapped when he was tackled by Raiders defenders and the broken bone grotesquely pierced his skin.

 

“I could see blood spurting out,” said one player of Washington’s compound fracture. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

 

Running back Thomas Jones, who had shared carries with Washington in the backfield to date, said the Jets as a team are demoralized by the loss.

 

“The team is devastated; I know I’m devastated,” said Jones, 31, who rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in the victory. “Honestly, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

 

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan stated that he believes Washington will fully recover from the injury and be ready to play by the start of the 2010 season.

 

“It’s a pretty severe injury,” Ryan conceded. “We expect a good outcome. Hopefully, he’ll rejoin us sooner than later.”

 

The Jets will likely be a different and far less explosive team without their best playmaker on the offensive side of the ball.

 

On the positive side of an otherwise glum trip out west, Jets rookie running backs Shonn Greene and Danny Woodhead showed flashes of pleasant brilliance on the gridiron.

 

Greene, 24, the winner of both the Doak Walker Award and Jim Brown Trophy in 2008 when he played for the University of Iowa, ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders anemic defense.

 

“Shonn Greene’s an outstanding player,” Ryan said of the back the Jets traded up twelve spots to select in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. “That’s what we’ve been trying to say since we drafted him in the third round and traded up to get him. There is a reason we had him rated as a first-round talent.”

 

Greene has a chance to be a very forceful and productive player in the NFL.

 

However, he is not considered a viable option to catch passes out of the backfield.

 

“He’s more of a bulldozer type…great vision, great feet,” said Ryan of Greene. “Where Leon is kind of a homerun hitter…catch the ball…you name it.”

 

In an effort to compensate for the loss of Washington and boost the short-yardage passing game, Ryan said that he intends to utilize Woodhead, 24, in the role of a flanker.

 

Woodhead, who was awarded the Harlon Trophy Award for the best player in NCAA Division II football at Chadron State College in Nebraska in 2006 and 2007, was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent running back in 2008.

 

Woodhead, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds at his pro day workout, was the all-time NCAA leading rusher until his mark was broken last winter.

 

Sunday, Woodhead exhibited his quickness and he rushed the ball three times for 24 yards.

 

Greene and Woodhead could very well develop into a formidable trio in the backfield with Jones.

 

However, Ryan quickly squashed any talk that Washington’s injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Jets.

 

“Maybe three or four guys have to replace him,” Ryan said of the former Florida State University star.

 

“He’s so versatile. He’s a Pro Bowl returner. Then you’ve got a back than can run the ball inside and outside. He’s not just a change-of-pace type back, he can do it all. He’s great out of the backfield, he can protect the quarterback. He can run the Seminole package and you can flex him out as a receiver. Really, he is a great versatile player and there is no way one person can replace him.”

 

Jets Pro-Bowl center Nick Mangold claimed that Greene says “about five words” every day.

 

Still, Greene did make it clear that he’s “not going to fill Leon’s shoes.”

 

Nevertheless, Greene is confident that the Jets ground game will continue to fly despite the loss of Washington.

 

“I think we’re running on all cylinders now,” said Greene. “It’s going to be scary.”

 

If Jones, Greene and Woodhead prove to be an effective trio, the Jets are “going to be scary” for all of their opponents henceforth.

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8592/the-jets-will-only-fly-if-their-offensiv.html

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The Jets Will Only Fly If Their Offensive Line and Running Backs Perform

The Miami Dolphins physically out-muscled the New York Jets and earned a 31-27 victory Monday night at Land Shark Stadium in Florida.

 

“First off, it was a complete embarrassment by our defense and by me,” said Jets head coach Rex Ryan to the New York Daily News. “Obviously, we need to prepare better. I didn’t have the defense prepared the way they should have been, and I take full responsibility for that.”

 

Ryan, whose hyped defense surrendered a total of 151 yards rushing and allowed Miami to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone, was not finished expressing his utter disgust.

 

“I’ve been involved in some bad defensive performances, but I’ve never been involved in one as bad as this.”

 

The Jets (3-2) once top-ranked defense was porous on an evening when their offense showed signs of growth and maturation.

 

“The offense was fantastic,” Ryan said. “Every time they put it back on our (defense’s) shoulders we didn’t come through. I’m at a loss for words.”

 

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (12-24, 172 yards) had a solid performance and he was able to develop an instant rapport with newly acquired wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

 

“I felt comfortable,” said Sanchez, 22, who connected with Edwards five times for 64 yards and a touchdown. “I wanted to be smart with the football and I think I did that. After having three picks last week, I didn’t have any tonight.”

 

Edwards, 26, the third overall selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2005 NFL Draft, is by most accounts a living hemorrhoid.

 

However, the former University of Michigan star and 2007 Pro Bowler has tremendous talent and he could prove to be an extraordinary weapon for Gang Green.

 

“I never saw anybody catch the ball like that,” Sanchez gushed about Edwards.

 

Edwards has an opportunity to become as valuable to the Jets as Randy Moss is to the New England Patriots.

 

On the flipside, the native of the gorgeous city of Detroit could fracture the Jets franchise in a manner similar to how Terrell Owens ruptured the Philadelphia Eagles’ and the Dallas Cowboys’ organizations.

 

“It was a proving-it game for me,” said Edwards, the winner of the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2004. “I wanted to prove that I’m a team guy and I’m the guy they thought I was.”

 

There is no dispute that the Jets defense “molested the pooch” last night.

 

Nevertheless, the Jets have a very good defensive nucleus and they faltered against the Dolphins gimmicky “Wildcat” offense that has tortured much of the league for more than a year now.

 

More often than not, the Jets defense will flourish on the gridiron.

 

If the Jets can continue to evolve on the offensive side of the football, they will be an extremely difficult team to defeat.

 

“We will be a dangerous offense,” predicted Edwards.

 

Ultimately, the Jets season will be determined by the play of their underachieving offensive line and struggling running back tandem of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.

 

If the Jets line and featured backs perform to the peak of their capabilities, they will absolutely fly henceforth.

 

If those components continue to under perform, the Jets will crash into the swamps of Jersey.

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Aaron Rodgers Will Make Pack Fans Forget About Brett Favre

Geriatric quarterback Brett Favre helped the Minnesota Vikings defeat his estranged team, the Green Bay Packers, 30-23 Monday Night at the Metrodome.

Favre, 40, played brilliantly against his rivals as he completed 24 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite his claims to the contrary, there is zero question that Favre returned to play an 18^th season in the NFL primarily to exact revenge on the Packers for their decision to trade him to the New York Jets last August.

After years of being held hostage by Favre in the offseason, Green Bay’s brass finally tired of his wavering and they decided that the time had arrived to let backup signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, 25, lead their franchise.

Favre, a Green Bay icon who has essentially set every NFL passing record imaginable, was for the first time since 1992 no longer the face of the storied franchise.

Favre’s divorce from the Packers created a civil war of sorts in the state of Wisconsin.

No matter what, many fans will always side with Favre.

On the contrary, much of Cheesehead Nation had grown weary of Favre’s charades and ultimately chose Packers management over their Hall of Fame gunslinger.

Due to no fault of his own, Rodgers, who the Packers selected out of the University of California with the 24^th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, was caught in the middle of the ugly separation.

Regardless of the outcome, Rodgers, a 2004 First-Team All-Pac-10 selection, performed admirably Monday night.

The former standout for the Golden Bears completed 26 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns.

Rodgers, who threw an interception and lost a fumble, posted such impressive statistics despite being frenetically pressured by the Vikings defense on virtually every down.

“Below my expectations, definitely,” Rodgers said. “To have three possessions where you’re in their territory and come away with zero points, two of them are directly related to mistakes by myself, that’s disappointing.”

Rodgers was absolutely too critical of his play.

Granted, the fifth-year pro periodically held onto the ball too long.

Still, without Rodgers behind that porous offensive line, the Vikings would have utterly massacred the Packers.

After the game concluded, Favre sought Rodgers to congratulate his successor for “the way he battled.”

“I thought he hung in there,” Favre remarked. “I’ve been saying all along the guy can play.”

Last October, Rodgers signed a contract extension worth $65 million that likely will ensure that he is the Packers quarterback through the 2014 season.

Rodgers is an elite talent and a class act that is the very definition of a professional.

Plus, “the guy can play.”

Did anyone else just hear Packers fans collectively say, “Brett who?”

 

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Rex Ryan Is Already The Best Coach In The NFL

The New York Jets and their Head Coach Rex Ryan defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-17 Sunday in a rain-soaked contest at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

 

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (17-30, 171 yards) became the first rookie signal-caller in NFL history to lead his team to a 3-0 start.

 

“When Sanchez is playing at the top of his game and the defense is playing like they are, and special teams doing what we do, we’re unstoppable,” said Wallace Wright, a key performer on the Jets special teams unit. “We definitely feel we are the team to beat.”

 

The Jets believe that they are “the team to beat” because Ryan, 46, has instilled a swagger and genuine confidence in his players that has translated into victories on the gridiron.

 

Additionally, Ryan, who served as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator from 2005-2008, has made playing the game of football enjoyable again for Jets players who were smothered by their former coach Eric Mangini’s tyrannical policies for three painstaking seasons.

 

One current Jets player was asked after Sunday’s game what their record would be if Mangini was still the head coach instead of the magnetic Ryan.

 

“We’d be 0-3, maybe 1-2,” said the player, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “I’m serious. No one likes to be over-coached. It’s no fun.”

 

In essence, Mangini is to fun what kryptonite is to Superman. While Ryan has emphatically encouraged his players to speak their minds and voice their opinions.

 

However, the Oklahoman demands that his players exhibit a team-first mentality and he will not accept selfishness on his squad.

 

Promising wide receiver David Clowney learned that lesson when he was benched versus the Titans after he complained on Twitter about a lack of playing time.

 

In the immediate aftermath of Gang Green’s statement victory against the New England Patriots in week two, Clowney tweeted: “one play in the first half, four plays in the second half…A bit disappointed about my playing time but very happy and satisfied about the win.”

 

Clowney, 24, who was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech University, has performed brilliantly in his first two preseason’s with the Jets.

 

Unfortunately, in large part because of a severe collar bone injury he suffered last year, Clowney has not had an opportunity to exhibit his skills on the field during the regular season.

 

It is now apparent that Clowney, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at the NFL Combine, will never be afforded a chance by Ryan in the future either if he continues to be preoccupied with himself.

 

“I was upset with him, yep,” admitted Ryan on Monday. “No individual is bigger than the team. If I feel a guy is not putting the team first, I’ll make that decision to put the guy down.”

 

After he posted the initial tweet that chapped Ryan’s ass, Clowney posted another message that read, “My team always comes first so I’ma just keep grinding.”

 

Ryan said that Clowney responded to being reprimanded in an ideal fashion. In fact, Ryan stated he is considering Clowney for the team’s practice player of the week award.

 

“It could be a misunderstanding between David and I, but nobody’s a bigger fan of David Clowney than I am,” said Ryan. “It’s not head games or anything else.”

 

Despite the fact that he has only three games on his resume, Rex Ryan is simply everything you want in an NFL head coach.

 

He is a player’s coach who requires discipline, he has an exceptional football mind. But, he doesn’t pretend to be a genius who could successfully split the atom.

 

In all probability, Rex Ryan is the man who will ultimately lead the New York Jets to their first championship since the 1969 season.

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New York Jets: Immediate Championship Contenders

The New York Jets bruised and bullied the New England Patriots to earn a 16-9 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands, maintaining New York’s standing atop the AFC East.

The Jets (2-0), who have not surrendered an offensive touchdown to date, are slated to host the Tennessee Titans (0-2) on Sunday afternoon.

“This is where we expected to be,” wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said after Sunday’s game. “The entire off-season we were working hard to be 2-0 at this point.”

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (23-47, 216 yards passing) struggled all afternoon against the Jets’ savage and ferocious pass rush.

“Our defense is just filled with studs,” Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez remarked. “I felt for Tom.”

Brady failed to complete at least half of his pass attempts for only the second time since 2006.

He also threw a critical interception that diminished New England’s chance for a come-from-behind victory.

“It’s definitely exciting when you know that you can rattle arguably the No. 1 quarterback,” nickel back Donald Strickland said. “He didn’t make the clutch throws that he usually makes.”

In stark contrast to Brady, Sanchez (14-22, 163 yards passing) was again steady and he made plays when the Jets needed them most.

“This guy’s not a rookie,” said Leon Washington, who led New York with 58 rushing yards.

Current Jets tackle, and former Patriot, Damien Woody agreed with Washington’s assessment of Sanchez, who is just 22.

Woody believes that the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft is “more advanced” than Brady was at the same age.

“When you have a really good quarterback on the team, it gives your football team so much confidence because you know you’ve got a guy at the helm that can make things happen and always gives you a chance to win,” Woody gushed about Sanchez.

“That’s how I felt when I was in New England. We had Brady and we always had a chance to win. Sanchez is only going to get better.”

Jets fans have often thought their team “had a chance to win.”

Unfortunately, a championship celebration has evaded supporters of Gang Green ever since Joe Namath led New York to its last championship in 1969.

Just last season, the Jets were 8-3 before they crashed and burned in the Jersey swamps.

“The past is the past,” said linebacker Bart Scott, who followed Head Coach Rex Ryan to Gotham from the Baltimore Ravens. “It’s a new day. It’s a new team. It’s not the same old Jets people are used to.”

“I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings,” Ryan said about New England’s three-time Super Bowl champion coach in an off-season radio interview.

Jets fans deserve to feel optimistic about Ryan and the attitude that he has brought to town with him.

Sooner or later, Ryan’s peers will be kissing the championship rings on his hand.

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The United Football League (UFL) Will Thrive

The United Football League (UFL) is scheduled to begin their inaugural season on October 8, 2009.

 

The upstart league will have four teams competing in seven cities and games will be played on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

 

The four teams selected to compete in 2009 are the California Redwoods, the Florida Huskers, the Las Vegas Locomotives and the New York Sentinels.

 

A championship game is slated to occur on Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Largely because of the current economic state, many prospective owners decided to initially refrain from establishing a franchise.

 

However, if the UFL experiences some measure of success this autumn, and if the economy does improve, those hesitant owners have expressed interest in expanding the league.

 

The UFL has no affiliation with the National Football League (NFL).

 

Nevertheless, many analysts have speculated that the UFL could ultimately become a developmental league for the NFL.

 

“We are not naïve enough to think our product is going to steal the thunder of the NFL,” said UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue. “We want our fans to be watching the NFL on Sunday. And watching us on Thursday.”

 

The UFL intends to be the polar opposites of their defunct predecessors, the United States Football League (USFL) and the XFL.

 

“We won’t try to do what the USFL did,” Huyghue stated. “We don’t have to go after name players to make the league work. It’s guys who already were there, but never had a chance to step into the limelight that we’re looking for.”

 

The maximum salary for a UFL player will approach $620,000 and the minimum compensation will be $35,000, plus incentive bonuses.

 

“The model for us was one where we realize there’s an abundance of talent out there, but player costs come to nearly 70% in the NFL,” said Huyghue, former vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars. “So we had to make sure to not outspend ourselves with players. The attraction with this league for those players will not be the money but the opportunity.”

 

Huyghue continued to emphasize the importance of an alternate route for ballplayers to ascend to the NFL.

 

“There’s such a lopsided system with the salary cap that keeps players from getting their opportunity in the NFL and we knew the lure of that opportunity would be the hook.”

 

Former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green, who is now the Redwoods head coach, provided examples of players who eventually flourished in the NFL after beginning their professional careers on the gridiron as unwanted journeymen.

 

“I always believed there are these additional players and the NFL can’t get them all: Kurt Warner, Robert Griffith, guys who had to find their way into the NFL and some had to go to other leagues to get there,” said Green. “Fifty years ago, they wouldn’t even have had a place for Lance Alworth in the NFL. They would have said he was too small. They had a set system for players.”

 

Despite the UFL’s alleged desire to become a supplemental league for the NFL, some skeptical onlookers contend that the UFL hopes to become a viable option for players should a labor dispute disrupt the NFL’s season in 2011.

 

NFL sports agent Drew Rosenhaus admitted that the creation of a second pro football league does offer players options.

 

“I hope the UFL is successful because it gives players another form to show that they may deserve another chance to play in the NFL,” said Rosenhaus, who, at 22, became the youngest registered sports agent.

 

Still, despite notions to the contrary, UFL executives are adamant that they are not in any capacity trying to compete with the NFL.

 

If the UFL maintains their stated mission, it is very feasible that the league could prosper and become a legitimate and respected football organization.

 

The UFL’s motto is, “It’s All About U.”

 

Perhaps the UFL’s hierarchy should modify their motto to, “It’s All About Opportunities.”

 

If the UFL truly wants to become a minor-league for the NFL, they have an “opportunity” to become a staple during the fall season.

 

On the other hand, if the UFL foolishly diverts from their plans and eventually tries to dethrone the NFL, the league will fall quicker than leaves in autumn.

Mark Sanchez Makes New York Jets Immediate Contenders

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez played impressively in Gang Green’s 27-25 preseason victory over the New York Giants Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

 

Sanchez, 22, completed 13 of 20 passes for 149 yards in his first start since Head Coach Rex Ryan named him the No. 1 quarterback last Tuesday after a game versus the Ravens in Baltimore.

 

“He (Sanchez) played great,” Ryan said of the former USC signal-caller who the Jets selected in April with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft.  “He is what we thought he was.”

 

Sanchez, a symbol of Mexican-American identity who signed a five-year contract worth $50 million with the Jets in June, displayed great poise and arm strength in the face of the Giants relentless pass rush.

 

“I was impressed by the rookie, I really was,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said of the native of Long Beach, California.  “We had some pressure on him all game, and he was able to make some big plays.”

 

The 2009 Rose Bowl MVP, who flourished for a season in Coach Pete Carroll’s sophisticated, pro-style offense as a Trojan, led the Jets to four scoring drives in only two-and-a-half quarters.

 

“He played against great competition at S.C., and I don’t think the big stage is anything that he’s not used to,” added Tuck, 26.  “He handled himself very well.  When we got a lot of pressure on, he found a way to scramble and make good plays under pressure.  It looks like they made the right decision to make him their starting quarterback.”

 

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora mentioned Sanchez’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey after he had been flushed out of the pocket.

 

“He threw it up there,” said Umenyiora, 27, a two-time Pro Bowl selection for the Giants.  “Thankfully for him, the Lord answered his prayers.  I think he’s going to be pretty good.”

 

Despite being physically manhandled by the Ravens ferocious defense in his previous outing, Ryan liked what he saw from Sanchez and he decided to officially declare him the victor in the quarterback competition against Kellen Clemens.

 

After being informed by Ryan that he would start Opening Day versus the Houston Texans, Sanchez said he was “a little more confident.”

 

“You talk a little different, you walk a little different, you act a little different,” admitted Sanchez, a 2008 First Team All-Pac 10 selection and All-American honorable mention.  “Once they name you the guy, there’s a quiet calm that comes about you.”

 

The New York Jets offensive and defensive lines are extremely solid.

 

Additionally, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington comprise one of the most formidable running back tandems in the sport of football.

 

Sanchez does not need to be the reincarnation of “Broadway” Joe Namath to immediately thrive under the immense glare of New York’s spotlight.

 

With the capable supporting cast that he has been surrounded by, he simply needs to be Mark Sanchez, and that should be enough for the Jets to have a very productive season in 2009.

 

Knowing that a ballplayer like Mark Sanchez is now the face of the Jets organization, supporters of Gang Green can finally enjoy a “quiet calm” and realize that the franchise is about ready to fly.

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8366/with-mark-sanchez-the-jets-are-immediate.html

 

Philadelphia does not deserve a class act like McNabb

The Philadelphia Eagles signed banished quarterback and convicted canine killer Michael Vick last week to a one-year contract worth $1.6 million.

 

Vick, 29, is permitted to participate in all team practices and meetings, as well as the Eagles’ last two preseason games.

 

Vick, whose alias is Ron Mexico, will be eligible for full reinstatement by week six at the absolute latest.

 

Longstanding Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb reportedly sent his coach Andy Reid a text message that read “sign him” shortly after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled that Vick would be allowed to play at some point in the 2009 season.

 

McNabb, 32, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and the winner of the 2004 NFC Offensive Player of the Year award, is the Eagles’ all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.

 

Nevertheless, despite McNabb’s remarkable success in “The City of Brotherly Love,” many repugnant Eagles supporters have booed their famed signal-caller from the very instant he was selected with the second overall pick in the 1999 draft.

 

Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins said he was surprised that his former team signed the much-maligned Vick.

 

However, Dawkins was not at all shocked that McNabb would endorse Vick.

 

“Signing him surprised me,” said Dawkins, 35, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. “But Donovan being behind it…no. No surprise at all.”

 

Dawkins, a five-time All-Pro selection and member of the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, continued.

 

“I remember many times when Donovan would be talking to Michael on the phone, either in the locker room or out somewhere. Donovan took his relationship with Michael very seriously. He’s always been the kind of guy to reach out to young quarterbacks, particularly young African-American quarterbacks, because he felt if he could help them early in their career, he wanted to do that. He’d tell Michael, and some of the other guys, ‘Come to Arizona and train with me.’ He just felt it was part of his job as a guy who’d been there before.”

 

Despite McNabb’s enormous heart and vast football pedigree, he has often been plagued by injuries that have shortened a number of his seasons on the gridiron.

 

Additionally, like most professional athletes, McNabb has periodically struggled at his craft.

 

If McNabb at all toils this autumn, there is no question that the disloyal Philly faithful will turn on the Eagles leader and demand that Vick is granted time over behind center.

 

“I’ll just say that if there’s anyone who’s been through the fire as a quarterback, it’s Donovan,” said Dawkins. “The crowd in Philadelphia has chanted for A.J. Feeley, for Koy Detmer, for Kevin Kolb. Donovan stood strong. This is no different.”

 

Feeley, Detmer, and Kolb are all sub par quarterbacks, and it is comically typical that Philly’s legion of cheese-steak-eating cretins would press for any one of them to replace a warrior like McNabb.

 

On the other hand, although he was frequently inaccurate and undependable when he was behind the gun as an Atlanta Falcon, Vick is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who is blessed with otherworldly skills.

 

McNabb, one of six quarterbacks in NFL history to have over 25,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards, needs to thrive from the outset this season or the subhuman fanatics from Filth-Adelphia will quickly cry for his scalp.

 

“Signing Michael means Donovan will make sure his game stays tight,” added Dawkins.

 

If McNabb stays healthy, it is safe to presume that he, the man with the third best touchdown to interception ratio ever, will continue to perform at an advanced level.

 

If McNabb happens to get hurt, it is very feasible that Vick will be given a chance, and that he will ultimately fulfill his superior potential and become the elite quarterback that many analysts believe he is destined to become.

 

Either way, McNabb does not deserve the city of Philadelphia and the city of Philadelphia categorically does not deserve a class act like McNabb.

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8303/philadelphia-does-not-deserve-a-class.html

 

*R-I-P-C-N-G-N-S-P

If Michael Vick Can’t Play in the NFL, How Can He Become a “Different Person”?

Disgraced football superstar Michael Vick completed his prison sentence under house arrest Monday at his home in Hampton, VA.

 

Vick, 29, who had been caged in a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas since December of 2007 for serving as the kingpin of an illegal dog fighting operation, was released by the Atlanta Falcons this past June. He is currently a free-agent suspended from playing in the NFL.

 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that he will consider reinstating Vick provided he exhibits “genuine remorse” for brutally slaughtering and torturing canines for his own entertainment purposes.

 

The NFL’s head honcho labeled Vick’s actions, “Not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible.”

 

“He’s going to have to demonstrate to the larger community, not just to the NFL community and me, that he has remorse for what he did and he recognizes the mistakes that he made,” Goodell informed USA Today last month.

 

Vick, who received treatments for herpes under the alias “Ron Mexico” and still decided to bang women and share the disease anyway, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy protection in July 2008.

 

It has been reported that Vick, who lost both his NFL and product endorsement incomes because of the pooch scandal, has $20.5 million in liabilities and assets of only $16 million.

 

One of “Mexico’s” bankruptcy attorneys was quoted as saying that “Mr. Vick has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career, and be able to earn a substantial living.”

 

Vick, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season, was raised in an utter war zone called Newport News, Virginia.

 

The first overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft for the Atlanta Falcons told Sporting News that same year, “Sports kept me off the streets. It kept me from getting into what was going on, the bad stuff. Lots of guys I knew have had bad problems.”

 

Andrew Young, a black member of the Falcon’s board of directors and an ordained minister, claims he was long worried about how much time Vick spent with his flunkies from the old neighborhood.

 

Young told Sports Illustrated that he offered Vick advice and guidance, but “everything (he) tried failed.”

 

The cleric labeled most of Vick’s friendships and bonds as “ghetto loyalty.”

 

Falcons owner Arthur Blank told ESPN he would like to see Vick play in the NFL again and that, “Hopefully, after spending a couple of years in jail, he’ll come out a different person.”

 

Michael Vick was a spectacular athletic talent who committed horrific and sadistic crimes against animals.

 

In light of his wrongdoings, Michael Vick lost his freedom, his finances, and his livelihood.

 

The fallen hero has paid his debt to society, and he deserves a chance to correct his life and career.

 

If Vick isn’t afforded that opportunity, how can he be expected to become a “different person?”

 

http://www.newyorkyankeesnews.com/colin815/weblog/8104/if-michael-vick-cant-play-in-the.html

 

R-I-P-C-N-G-N-S-P

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