Reid Fischer's World of Rants

Looking at the sports world through orange colored glasses

ENOUGH! Shut Up and Play!

Posted by mizzou1028 on March 12, 2009

This is an open letter to Jay Cutler.  I know the odds of him actually reading this are as good as Kansas suffering a 60 point loss to a 15 seed in next week’s NCAA tournament (please?  please?), but it seems like he is getting really bad advice from someone or multiple someones, so here we go:

Dear Mr. Cutler:

First let me say that you are an amazing talent.  Your arm strength alone makes you one of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League.  You’ve shown a great deal of ability in your young career, throwing for a Broncos record 4,526 yards last season and 25 touchdowns.  You’re not afraid to try and make a play, which I greatly admire in a quarterback.  I know your will to win rivals that of any player in the league.  Simply put, the Broncos would have been crazy to trade you for Matt Cassel.  That would be such a downgrade in the quarterback position that there would have been a riot outside Josh McDaniels’ house if he actually pulled the trigger on such a ridiculous deal.  McDaniels knows this, that’s one reason of many why he didn’t pull the trigger on the deal.  The important thing is, you weren’t traded.  That’s the key thing here.  The Broncos didn’t trade you because they want you to be their quarterback, now and into the future.

I can understand your frustration about being mentioned in trade rumors.  Hell, I’d be really upset too if I saw my name on the ESPN bottom line in reference to a potential deal.  If that’s how I found out my name was being bantered about in trade talks, of course it would be upsetting.  No one is faulting you for that.  The thing is, you weren’t traded!  The Broncos are well aware they would have been crazy to trade you for a quarterback who has had one good year and still very unproven over the long haul.   Do you really think the Broncos would be dumb enough to get rid of you when the other available options at quarterback are less desirable than a Tennessee jersey would be to a Vanderbilt graduate?  Are you really crazy enough to think Josh McDaniels would rather turn the offense over to Chris Simms than to have you running it?  

I’m not going to be dishonest, I can’t say the Broncos didn’t have any discussions regarding you or any other player on the roster.  The important thing is, the Broncos didn’t act on them. they didn’t trade you!  There is a reason Pat Bowlen decided to make a coaching change: the team’s 24-24 record over the past three seasons.  This means that no one on the team can ultimately be considered safe.  That’s just the truth.  Any new coach coming in would have looked at the roster the same way McDaniels did, and it’s impossible to say any coach would have retained everyone, that’s just the way it is.  

What you have to remember is that being mentioned in trade talks does not mean that the team doesn’t like you or doesn’t think you’re a great player.  To the contrary, it could mean you’re very valuable.  I want to give you a list.  This list is of great players in many sports (past and present) who have been traded at some point in their careers:

– Joe Montana 

– Brett Favre 

– Steve Young 

– Eric Dickerson 

– Herschel Walker 

– Champ Bailey (you may know him)

– Clinton Portis 

– Jerome Bettis 

– Eli Manning and Philip Rivers 

– Dirk Nowitzki 

– Scottie Pippen 

– Kobe Bryant 

– Kevin McHale and Robert Parish 

– Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 

– Rasheed Wallace 

– Curt Schilling 

– Jeff Bagwell

– Randy Johnson (twice)

– Manny Ramirez

– Lou Brock

– Tom Seaver

– Pedro Martinez

– Mark McGwire 

– Sammy Sosa (twice)

– Nolan Ryan (multiple times, and he’s arguably the best pitcher of all-time)

– Ozzie Smith (greatest shortstop of all-time perhaps?)

– Wayne Gretzky (easily the greatest NHL player of all-time)

– Patrick Roy (more wins than any goaltender in NHL history)

– Ray Bourque 

– Brett Hull

– Peter Forsberg

This list is just a sampling, but I think it more than proves the point.  Look at this list and what do you see?  You see all-stars, hall of famers, some of the greatest players who have ever lived.  (Frankly I think the list of NHL players who haven’t been traded might be a much longer list).  The point here is that teams will do anything at all to try to win and improve.  The point here is that all-stars are not exempt from the possibility of being dealt, that’s just the reality of it.  While admittedly some of these teams got fleeced, in many cases the team trading the all-star got a boatload in return.  Herschel Walker for example got traded for 12 guys, including draft picks that turned into Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman.  

The thing you need to keep in mind, Mr. Cutler, is that for the Broncos to deal you it would take an amazing package.  The Broncos aren’t just going to give away a Pro Bowl quarterback like yourself, but if someone were to give them an offer they couldn’t refuse (say three Pro Bowlers in exchange), they would have to look at that.  This does not mean they don’t like you or don’t think you are a great quarterback, they are simply trying to put the best team on the field that they can.  In the end, they quickly saw that you are a much better quarterback than Matt Cassel, and that is why that deal was not made.  When Josh McDaniels told you on the conference call that no one is untradable, he certainly did not mean he is looking to deal you, he was merely trying to illustrate the business of the NFL.  Trust me when I say the Broncos are not looking actively to trade you, but you have to think as if you were the GM.  You would want to put the best team out there that you can right?  The Broncos want you to be their quarterback, as proven by the fact that they turned down all proposals for you.  Just because they talked does not mean they were seriously considering a deal.

My advice to you is: report to camp on Monday.  Sit down with Josh McDaniels (no one else, for I believe your conference call included too many people) and air out EVERYTHING.  Make sure it’s face to face.  Make him look you in the eye.  Be honest with him.  Tell him what you’re feeling and why.  Give him a chance to explain things to you.  He’ll be honest with you.  I would be highly surprised if he didn’t tell you that you are a very important part of the team and that he didn’t want you around.  This is the only way this can be buried in the past.  Surely you can see that this would be much more efficient and smarter than pouting to your buddies and not reporting.  After that? Prove to the Broncos why you are indispensable.   Play your butt off and help the Broncos win football games.  Be the leader the Denver Broncos need you to be.  Take charge in the huddle.  Instead of expressing your frustration and your hurt feelings in your current manner, channel it into your performance in workouts and on the field.  Frankly your current behavior is not that of a team leader.  You think you have a stronger arm than John Elway?  Prove it.  You want to win? Go out there and get it done.  The Broncos need you.  You really don’t want to be labeled as another athlete who held out and ruined his career.  Besides think about it: do you really want to wake up and realize you’re a Detroit Lion?  I can assure you that their left tackle is not near as good as Ryan Clady, and I guarantee you would find yourself wishing you were back in Denver with McDaniels.  

Be a man here, not a child.  If you play this right, this might just give you the kick needed to really get your career off the ground.   If you don’t, you might already be in the process of kissing your promising career goodbye.  The choice is yours.  

Sincerely,

Reid Fischer – a concerned fan

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An Active Denver Offseason. Will It Make a Difference?

Posted by mizzou1028 on March 9, 2009

The Denver Broncos have certainly been active this offseason, there’s no question about that.  The question is: are they a better team?  I think in many ways they could be, but being active isn’t always the best move.  The truth is we won’t know for sure until the first game kicks off in September what kind of impact all these moves will have.  Still, you can’t say that new coach Josh McDaniels isn’t putting his stamp on things.  Here are some of my thoughts on the Broncos’ offseason so far.  

Best signing: Brian Dawkins  I don’t care if he’s on the wrong side of 35, Dawkins can still play.  He made the Pro Bowl last season and basically carried the Eagles defense through December and to the NFC championship game.  Most importantly, he is a tremendous veteran leader that was sorely missing in the Broncos locker room.  To hear Eagles fans say how upset and disappointed they are that Dawkins is leaving tells me all I need to know.  Dawkins was the heart and soul of the Eagles defense, and the Broncos haven’t had a leader like him since Al Wilson’s departure.  Dawkins will make everyone around him better, and that alone makes this a great signing.  The fact that he joined the Broncos also means he believes they are capable of winning.  That is a very encouraging indicator.  

Worst signing: Lonnie Paxton To me this is the biggest head scratcher of the players signed by the Broncos.  The Broncos already had a long snapper in Mike Leach who was nothing but flawless for seven years.  I mean literally, he was PERFECT.  Not a single botched snap his entire time in Denver.  This goes for extra points, field goals and punts.  So why on Earth did McDaniels find it necessary to replace him with Lonnie Paxton?  This was one of the few areas on the roster that didn’t require any tinkering.  For that matter, why commit $1 million signing bonus to Paxton when there are so many other needs on the roster? Leach had two years left on his contract, so money wasn’t an issue.  I do realize that Paxton has been flawless in New England as well, so this opinion is not a reflection on his ability.  A good long snapper is a luxury, and the Broncos already had one.  They should have kept Leach.  Reports say that several players are upset at Leach being let go.  

The Jury is Still Out: Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan The Broncos now have more running backs that seemingly any team in NFL history.  These three players will join an already crowded backfield that includes Ryan Torain, Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young, Tatum Bell and Michael Pittman.  Obviously not everyone is going to make the team, but it seems clear that McDaniels is going with the running back by committee approach that worked so well in New England.  Early reports have Buckhalter and Torain being considered the front runners for the starting role, but both have big time injury history. I do like Arrington as a potential third down back and Jordan is a solid runner between the tackles.  If Buckhalter can stay healthy (which he hasn’t three years in a row) his talent is a tremendous upgrade.  It remains to be seen how many of these backs make the roster, but considering the Broncos very wisely kept running backs coach Bobby Turner and offensive line coach Rick Dennison, it seems that the Broncos running game will continue to be very solid no matter who is back there.  

Quietly Solid: Ron Fields, Andra Davis, Jabar Gaffney Fields comes over from San Francisco, where he played for new Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.  If the Broncos are indeed switching to a 3-4 defense, than nose tackle is arguably the most important position.  Nolan has to have tremendous confidence in Fields if he brought him over, so he’ll at least get a chance to compete for that role (I also hope B.J. Raji of Boston College is there when the Broncos are picking at 12 in the draft, but it seems like he’ll be well off the board by then).  Andra Davis is a solid linebacker who will be counted on to make big plays for the Broncos.  He is also a fiery player in the mode of Brian Dawkins, so it will be nice to see the defense have some attitude again.  I also like Gaffney as a third receiver.  If the Broncos employ a lot of three receiver sets, he’ll be a nice addition as another reliable target for Jay Cutler, particularly if the team is without Brandon Marshall for significant time.  

Please Don’t Do it: Tony Scheffler Reports indicate the Broncos are actively shopping Tony Scheffler.  I plead with McDaniels, STOP!  I mentioned the three receiver sets, these were very common in the Patriots offense and I’m sure McDaniels plans to use them in Denver.  The Broncos have one of the league’s best blocking tight ends in Daniel Graham, and McDaniels is of course familiar with him from their time with the Patriots.  This all being the case, McDaniels may feel Scheffler doesn’t really fit his offense.  The thing is, Scheffler is one of the league’s best pass catching tight ends, and of all the receiving threats in the Broncos offense, he has by far the best rapport with Cutler.  If Marshall is gone for half the season, McDaniels will really be glad he has Scheffler.  Keep him, don’t under any circumstances deal him.

Most Boneheaded Move of All: Brandon Marshall This one has nothing to do with the coaching staff or the personnel department.  This is about Marshall himself being a complete idiot.  He was already suspended once last year for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after several domestic incidents.  His suspension was reduced to one game after he pleaded with Roger Goodell that he would stay out of trouble.  He did seem to mature during the season, even getting involved with charity work in the community.  He even broke up with his girlfriend who seemed to be the cause of most of these incidents.  He is now engaged to a new girl.  So what does he do?  He gets in a fight with his new fiancee at an Atlanta nightclub.  Charges were actually pressed against both of them, and they were dropped the next day.  Thing is, the NFL doesn’t care one bit about dropped charges.  They can punish Marshall completely independently of the legal system, and odds are they will.  To be frank the league was very generous last year and cut him a break based on false promises.  Now that Marshall got in trouble again, he could be suspended for as much half the season, 8 games.  Further, he has just one year on his contract, and he has kissed any hope of an extension goodbye.  Even if he goes free agent at the end of the year, he has surely cost himself millions of dollars.  Brilliant move Mr. Marshall,  you screwed over yourself and the team.  Great work.  

Honestly, I’m not sure how these pieces will all fit.  I’d like to think the offense will be good (the solid offensive line will return intact and untouched), but Marshall’s absence would have a big impact.  It remains to be seen how Jay Cutler’s attitude will affect his season.  Which running back(s) will carry the load?  I like the fact that the new staff is not shy about shaking up the defense.  Top corner Champ Bailey, pass rushing specialist Jarvis Moss and tackle machine D.J. Williams will return to try and fit in with the new pieces.  It does seem that McDaniels thinks he can try to win now, instead of completely gutting and starting over.  The Broncos schedule will be brutal (NFC East and AFC North, plus New England and Indy), so it will be interesting to see what happens.  The draft is of course important too.  Stay tuned.

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Cutler Follow Up

Posted by mizzou1028 on March 4, 2009

Perhaps this story is finally showing signs of having a resolution.  Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels have scheduled a meeting, presumably one where they will try to iron out their differences and move forward.  The Broncos have once again made it clear that they have no intention of trading Jay Cutler.  Their unequivocal statement coming from owner Pat Bowlen himself should put any other silly rumors to rest (including one I saw today that had Cutler and a draft pick going to Cleveland for Brady Quinn and Shaun Rodgers.  Please).  What we’ll never know is how serious the Broncos actually were in making a run at Matt Cassel, and whether they initiated the discussions or considered a move after another team proposed it.  Whether or not they considered it or discussed it should be completely irrelevant.  The point is the deal for Cassel was not made for whatever reason, and the Patriots sent him to Kansas City instead.  The only reason this became a story is Cutler’s reaction.  If Cutler hadn’t complained to the media about his feelings, this would be a complete non-story.  The fact that Cutler got wind of the discussion means that someone leaked the details of the talks to him, but he should realize it’s not unusual for any player’s name to be bantered about in talks.  Just because a player’s name comes up, it does not mean a deal is around the corner.  

It seems as though what we have here is a situation that happens more often than is actually reported in sports. Team A calls team B to talk trade.  Team B listens.  Team A says it wants team B’s star player.  Team B counters with what it would take from team A to make that happen.  Team A dangles a player that it knows will be enticing to team B.  Most of the time these discussions are very cordial and very rarely get serious.  The players never hear about it.  If they did, every player on every team in every league would be stressed out every day about potentially getting dealt.  In this case, the Broncos cannot be faulted for exploring any option to make their team better.  The team hasn’t made the playoffs in three years and blew a three game lead with three to play last season, so no one on the roster can really be considered safe.  In the end, they decided that the offers on the table were not worth pulling the trigger on, so that’s what Cutler needs to realize.

Cutler has a 17-20 career record as a starter, so he hasn’t yet proved himself a consistent winner, but you certainly can’t deny his arm and potential.  I think in the end the Broncos realized you don’t trade a Pro Bowl quarterback for one who had one good year or one who is unproven that they could get in the draft.  This is what Cutler needs to realize.  It is understandable that he would be upset if he indeed thought the Broncos didn’t want him and were actively looking to deal him.  That being said, he isn’t showing much leadership ability by whining and cowering and pointing fingers.  To be quite frank, Cutler has a ways to go if he wants to be a true leader.  Last year he only spoke to the media after wins, not after losses.  The quarterback MUST make himself available after every game, no exceptions.  He can’t keep getting flapped when things aren’t going well, and this goes for on and off the field.  He has a tendency to make bad throws when he gets frustrated, and he also has a hard time dealing with reality off the field when something is going against what he thinks should be happening.  Part of this is a natural adjustment to a young player taking a leadership role, but a lot of it is common sense that he needs to understand.  

I don’t mean to completely rag on Cutler here.  It goes without saying that the Broncos would have been completely nuts to trade him for Cassel.  His progression in many ways isn’t that much different from any other quarterback who has finished his third year.  He is without question a top 10 QB in the league (as Cassel cannot be considered yet), and he should be a top 5 one by the time his career his done if he continues to improve.  His arm strength and ability to grasp playbooks and read defenses are off the charts.  He has a will to win and a drive to be successful.  He certainly can’t be faulted for the team’s atrocity on defense the last three years, including a franchise record rushing day allowed to San Diego in the finale last year.  (I am amused when the defense has blown several games the past few seasons and all anyone wants to talk about is Jay Cutler, and before him Jake Plummer.  Cutler certainly isn’t blameless for the team’s collapse, but he’s not out there missing tackles either.) With the tools the Broncos have on offense, the team has a chance to be even more successful on that side of the ball this year with McDaniels offering his proven fresh ideas.  

Hopefully all parties learned something here.  Hopefully McDaniels learned as a young coach that talks can’t ever be trusted to be kept private, especially if they start to turn serious.  Hopefully Cutler can realize that he needs to show maturity in these situations and realize that no player is ever untouchable.  In the end, I really think the two sides will be able to put things aside after Monday’s meeting and work together to try and win football games.  I think the two sides have no choice, considering Cutler has two years remaining on his deal, and the Broncos don’t have any remotely serviceable options at quarterback out there to even look at should they deal Cutler.  McDaniels realizes Cutler’s talent gives him a great shot to win, and I think Cutler will eventually see that McDaniels’ offense will have a lot to offer.  

Of course, the Broncos now have another issue looming, and that’s how many games Brandon Marshall might miss after being involved in another altercation in Atlanta.  We all know Roger Goodell is not kind to repeat violators of the league’s personal conduct policy.  More on that coming soon.

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It’s a No Brainer: Stick with Cutler

Posted by mizzou1028 on March 2, 2009

First, my apologies for the long delay between posts.  That’s what dental surgery will do to you.

I would like to say that I am generally pleased with the Broncos offseason movement (especially the signings of Brian Dawkins and Correll Buckhalter), but I am very, very disturbed by the latest saga involving Matt Cassel going to the Chiefs.  This is not in any way because I am concerned about Cassel landing in KC, but because of the ripple effects and rumors that happen to involve the Broncos.  This is the background, or at least as concise a summary as I could find.  Basically, in trying to digest information from all of the reports out there, it seems that the Buccaneers called the Broncos, and inquired about getting Jay Cutler.  This would make sense for Tampa Bay because they are in desperate need of a quarterback after jettisoning Jeff Garcia.  Depending on the report, it seems that the Lions and Patriots were also involved in the discussions about a potential multi-team deal.  I’m not sure exactly what the deal would have been for sure, but the root of the rumor seems to be that Cutler would have ended up in Tampa, Cassel in Denver, and perhaps Tony Scheffler going to Detroit and maybe the Broncos first round pick (12th overall) to New England.  There were also reports of other various draft picks being exchanged, including Detroit’s number one overall selection going somewhere if they landed with Cutler instead of the Buccaneers.  

Of course this is all rumor and didn’t happen, so the rumors should be a moot point.  Conversations like this happen all the time.  Most people don’t know that John Elway was thisclose to being traded to Washington following the 1991 season.  This is when Dan Reeves and Elway were really butting heads and ultimately the Broncos chose to keep Elway and they fired Reeves.  The point is that a conversation does not mean a trade is imminent or even on the table.  If I am the GM of an NFL team, and I was stuck with Dan Orlovsky or Brian Griese at quarterback, of course I’m going to call every team to see if I could maybe swing a deal for their QB.  Just because the Broncos take the call and chat doesn’t mean they’re necessarily going to be eager to deal.  In this case, the Broncos very wisely decided that they would rather not make the deal, and now Cassel is in Kansas City (along with Mike Vrabel), and the Patriots got a second round pick for him in exchange.  Cutler is still the quarterback of the Broncos.  As the attached link indicates though, Cutler is very upset about being mentioned in trade rumors at all, and now the pressure is on Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders to repair the relationship with their quarterback immediately if not sooner.  This needs to happen today.  

Now, if at any point at all Josh McDaniels thought he would rather have Cassel than Cutler, then he seriously needs to get his head examined.  I realize McDaniels and Cassel have a working relationship, and perhaps the new Broncos coach would be more comfortable with Cassel than he would be with an unknown commodity Cutler, who frankly has shown to have an attitude problem at times.  The thing is, I don’t think anyone who knows anything about football could make a rational argument that Cassel is a better quarterback than Cutler.  Admittedly, Cutler has shown at times to make bad decisions (witness his 18 picks last year), but he really came a long way overall in his third season.  He made the Pro Bowl after setting franchise single season records for yards and touchdowns, and his ability and potential have still yet to be completely tapped.  He even said that he was over his disappointment over the Mike Shanahan firing, and was really excited to work with McDaniels.  Cassel had one good year, but was it him? Or was it the system in New England?  Was it actually McDaniels working with him that made the difference?  Besides, wasn’t it McDaniels ability to work with quarterbacks that was one of the biggest selling points of him getting the job?  Wasn’t one of the biggest reasons he was hired was so that he could work with Cutler and help control his on-field decision making and attitude?  

From Cutler’s perspective, if he is really that bent out shape about being mentioned in a rumor, than he frankly needs to grow up.  It seems that the Broncos weren’t actively shopping him around, but rather were listening to other teams that called.  Frankly the management team of any franchise should always listen, because you never know.  What Cutler should realize is the Broncos decided not to deal him in the end, so regardless of whether McDaniels was flirting with the idea of Cassel or not, he ultimately decided against it.  So it would be very immature of Cutler to demand a trade now.  I think ultimately this relationship can be repaired, but the damage control needs to be done now, and certainly by draft day.  

I really think that what happened here is that the Broncos’ were not the initiators of these discussions.  I believe other teams (specifcally Detroit and Tampa) called the Broncos making an offer or offers.  I believe some deals may have been discussed, but McDaniels and Xanders were not behind it.  I believe they listened and discussed, and maybe even got to stage of drafting a potential deal, but of course they decided not to act on it.  Cutler needs to realize that just because another team called the Broncos and asked about him, and just because a deal may have been floated, does not mean that the Broncos want to get rid of him.  Obviously they don’t, because they declined the deal.  The Broncos staff however needs to realize that their franchise quarterback is a very sensitive individual, and perhaps should have more clearly and unequivocally denied the rumors if indeed they are on board with Cutler staying.  Frankly, unless the name on the other end of the conversation is Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, or Ben Roethlisberger (maybe a couple of others), the Broncos should say thanks but no thanks and hang up the phone.  Of course it is McDaniels’ prerogative if he really thinks that Cassel would have been a better fit, but it would have really concerned me to see Cutler traded and Cassel plugged in.  Jay Cutler is a better quarterback than Matt Cassel, period.  This doesn’t mean that Cassel won’t find success in Kansas City, for he just might be good fit there, but I would rather have Cutler any day of the week.  If my team’s quarterback was Tyler Thigpen, I would be excited to get Cassel, I just wouldn’t want to get rid of Cutler to get him.  I just hope now that Cutler isn’t so disgruntled that he gets traded somewhere and becomes a star, while the Broncos are still looking for a quarterback in five years.   I implore McDaniels and Xanders to repair this damage quickly.  The last thing the Broncos want is an unhappy Culter counting down to his free agency eligibility.

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Revamped Defense Indeed

Posted by mizzou1028 on February 19, 2009

I can’t say I’m surprised that the Broncos are practically cleaning house on defense.  As a matter of fact, I’m very much in favor of the concept after the entire unit got rolled over at the season at the end of the season last year.  Still, it’s a little bit of a scary proposition when you have no clue who will be lining up at several key positions, even though the players who are being released were clearly not productive and will likely not be missed.  

Dre’ Bly’s departure will have a significant salary cap hit of $9 million, so it is clear that new GM Brian Xanders (yes that is the correct spelling of his name) and coach Josh McDaniels don’t think much of Bly’s ability.  Bly was brought in two years ago to play opposite Champ Bailey, and he simply was not the playmaker that he was early in his career.  We actually had a nickname for him at work during the games: toast.  This was because he got burned so often that we started calling him toast.  The Broncos will certainly need another corner, but this move is as clear an indicator as any that a new sheriff is in town running things personnel wise.  This release wipes out one of the biggest trades of the Mike Shanahan era.  The irony here is Bly never would have been acquired had Darrent Williams not sadly been killed on New Years Eve following the 2006 season.  If that event had never taken place, Williams would still be the corner opposite Bailey.  

The other names released are not what you would call big name guys, but their departures still speak volumes.  Niko Koutouvides in particular was a free agent bust from the word go, a player who received a lot of money from Shanahan prior to last season to be the starting middle linebacker even though he had essentially been a special teams contributor in Seattle.  Thing is, Koutouvides didn’t win the job with the Broncos either.  He didn’t even come close, and proved to be a very expensive and very mediocre special teams player.  Even when the Broncos were losing linebackers due to injury left and right, the Broncos asked Spencer Larsen to play both ways before they called on Koutouvides.   That says a lot right there about his ability or lack thereof.  Clearly the new regime agrees that this was a boneheaded signing and they moved to correct that immediately.

The player that won the middle linebacker job last year, Jamie Winborn, is also gone.  He was released this week too despite leading the team in tackles last season.  There is chatter that he and new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan didn’t get along to put it kindly in San Francisco, and that the risk of them butting heads is part of the reason for the departure.  I’m not sure how much that plays into it, if at all, but regardless it is clear that Xanders and McDaniels are not afraid to shake things up.  Also gone are safety Marquand Manuel, defensive end John Engelberger, and defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson.  It’s no coincidence that every one of these players was brought in via free agency or trade recently by Mike Shanahan.  I’m not sure whether the new pieces to replace any of these players will be an improvement, but it is clear that there is a difference in philosophy here.  

I think in this case I’m mostly excited to see these moves made because, let’s face it, the defense can’t be much worse than it was last season anyway.  As bad as it was (especially in that last game against San Diego, which should have had the intensity of a playoff game, only the Broncos allowed a franchise record rushing day for the Chargers), I think it is clear that some changes needed to be made, and that process has clearly begun.  The draft in April is very important for the Broncos especially from a defensive standpoint.  They don’t have the cash to make a run at Albert Haynesworth, Julius Peppers, or Terrell Suggs in part because the players listed above will be on the payroll next year even though they’re no longer with the team.  They might be able to sign some mid level players, but the bulk of their upgrading is going to have to be done through the draft.  The Broncos know they have pieces in place offensively, so this offseason will be focused on upgrading the defense.  I’m willing to be patient, but so far I like the initiative of the new staff to make things happen.  Should make for a fun offseason.

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Random Thoughts

Posted by mizzou1028 on February 12, 2009

– I am getting really sick of hearing about steroids and baseball.  We know players cheated.  We know there were more players hopped up on performance enhancers in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s than we’ll care to admit.  I actually applaud Alex Rodriguez for his honesty and coming clean, but baseball has a real problem on its hands that just won’t go away, ever.  It’s not as if Rodriguez is the only player that used.  Odds are he was hitting off home runs off of pitchers who were also using.  Obviously that doesn’t make it right, but it is impossible to know for sure which players used and which didn’t, and how much of an advantage those that used really got. 

– The fact is the steroid era encompasses much of recent baseball history.  Is it practical to wipe out records or to keep some of these players (like Mark McGwire) out of the Hall of Fame?  Be honest, how many Yankees fans are going to refrain from buying tickets at the new Yankee Stadium this season because A-Rod admits he used steroids?  None.  How many Yankee fans will cheer him if he hits 50 home runs and leads the Yankees to a title this year?  All of them.  One of baseball’s problems with this is that the fans don’t seem to be near as appalled as they are made out to be.  Ticket sales are way up, ratings are up, and MLB isn’t exactly a struggling operation.  When teams lose, that’s when fans stop going to the games.  A key player gets busted for steroids?  That doesn’t have near the economic impact as a struggling team, so MLB owners will continue to have this issue on their hands. 

– On the plus side, it’s hard to believe that pitchers and catchers are already reporting this week.  If the Rockies weren’t destined to be so awful in 2009, I might be actually be excited about this.  I just don’t think they got enough in return for Matt Holliday, and if Jeff Francis actually does have shoulder surgery later this month as rumored, the rotation is already in trouble.

– It’s also hard to get excited when the Yankees have an unfair advantage that allows them to buy whatever free agents they want.  MLB needs a salary cap in the worst way, but the players union will never agree to it.

– At least we have college basketball for another month.  Other than the NFL, this is my favorite sport.  The college game is so much better than the NBA in absolutely every way it’s not even funny.  For starters, it’s not about individual players.  The college game relies on a team working together.  This is much more fun to watch than an NBA game where an individual tries to take over while three of teammates are standing around watching.  Plus, it’s hard to beat an atmosphere where the crowd is actually into the game and cares about the outcome.  Not that NBA fans don’t care, but there is a big difference between passionate student sections and corporate yuppies that stroll in around the second quarter and leave midway through the fourth.

– I’m also excited about the college game because Missouri (my alma matter) is finally good again.  After a five year absence from the NCAA tournament, the Tigers are 21-4 and 8-2 in conference play. 

– Most of all, the college games are just more intense, competitive and fun to watch.  I am already looking forward to the NCAA tournament.

– It will also be an interesting off season in the NFL.  There are several receivers who could end up moving (including T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Anquan Boldin, and possibly Terrell Owens) plus there are several other big time free agents out there such as Julius Peppers and Albert Haynesworth.  Free agency opens on the 27th after the scouting combine, so we’ll delve more into offseason movement then.  It will be interesting to see which teams try to make splashes and which don’t, keeping in mind that big ticket signings don’t always guarantee success and in some cases quickly blow up in a team’s face.  Look at the Jaguars, who spent big money on Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence last offseason, and released them both this week.

– I will not believe that Brett Favre is actually retired until I see that he is not on the field playing for some team in week one.

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Shannon Sharpe Should be in the Hall of Fame

Posted by mizzou1028 on February 2, 2009

I think it is inexcusable that Shannon Sharpe did not get in the Hall of Fame this weekend.  I know he will get in eventually and that it is only a matter of time, but I thought for sure he would be a first ballot lock.  Sharpe retired with record for tight ends in receptions (815) and  yards (10,060).  Granted, those records have now been broken by Tony Gonzalez, but that doesn’t take away from what Sharpe accomplished in his career.  It seems as though Sharpe got caught in a numbers game because it is hard to make a case against the six guys who were enshrined (Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson, Bob Hayes, Ralph Wilson, Derrick Thomas and Randall McDaniel).  The guys who got in were all very deserving, but Sharpe should have been a first ballot lock with his career resume, which includes three Super Bowl rings.  The rules stiuplate no fewer than four inductees and no more than seven in a given year, so I am at a loss why Sharpe couldn’t have been the seventh candidate.  A case could be easily be made for Cris Carter as well (who I also think should be in and will be in eventually). 

I will preface the following by saying that I am clearly biased as a Broncos fan, but I think it is nothing short of ridiculous that only two Broncos are enshrined in the Hall (John Elway and Gary Zimmerman).  The Broncos have made it to six Super Bowls in their history, have won two of them, and have been one of the league’s most consistent franchises in the 80s and 90s with a lot of great players.  For example, I am convinced that linebacker Randy Gradishar, a seven time Pro Bowl selection and 1978 defensive player of the year, would be in the Hall of Fame had he worn the jersey of an east coast team.  It seems there is a bias against the Broncos that they have only two players in the Hall of Fame, especially when compared to other teams:

– The Cardinals have 11 players in the Hall of Fame, yet they haven’t won a title since 1947, and up until this season had won just one playoff game in 20 years

– The Lions have 13 players in the Hall, even though they’ve long been a league standard for futility.  To be fair, many of the enshrined players are from when the team was successful in the 1950s. 

– The Chiefs have 9 players who are enshrined (including Thomas), even though they haven’t won a playoff game in 15 years and were a league standard for futility throughout the late 70s and most of the 80s.

– The now defunct Houston Oilers have seven representatives, even though they consistently underachieved in the postseason.

Other teams with a lot of guys in: Redskins (17), Giants (18), Browns (16), Rams (13), 49ers (12), Chargers (7), Steelers (18), Raiders (13), Colts (10), Cowboys (11), Packers (21) and Bears (26). 

There are other teams besides the Broncos with room to gripe (for example the Patriots and Jets have four guys each), but for a team with a history such as the Broncos to only have two guys in is absolutely ridiculous.  I know Sharpe will get in eventually, and I think guys like Rod Smith and Terrell Davis should at the very least be considered.  I would like to see some old Broncos like Gradishar and Floyd Little get consideration eventually from the seniors committee as well.  I know a lot of teams think they should have more guys in, but it does seem there is not a balance here.

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Super Bowl Thoughts

Posted by mizzou1028 on February 2, 2009

At the risk of bouncing all over the place with no clear order to my comments from the Super Bowl, I offer my thoughts on the game in a quick hit format:

– What a fantastic game.  For the second straight season, the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl was scored with 35 seconds remaining.  As a fan you can’t ask for much more than that. 

– What a phenomenal job by Ben Roethlisberger on the final drive.  I lost count of how many guys he escaped from during the game, and on the final drive especially he kept plays alive with his feet and made perfect throw after perfect throw.  His pass to Santonio Holmes for the winning touchdown was threaded perfectly through three Cardinals defenders.

– It’s almost hard to realize that Roethlisberger has already won two Super Bowls in his first four years as a quarterback.  The way he can scramble and keep plays alive actually reminds me of my favorite player of all-time John Elway.  There is a certain irony that Roethlisberger wears Elway’s number seven.  While I have certain bitterness toward Roethlisberger and the Steelers because of their AFC title game win over the Broncos three years ago (and my anger over how many Steelers fans elbowed their way into Invesco Field that day), it’s impossible not to applaud his athleticism and the way he gets the job done in crunch time.  I think he should have the MVP, but Holmes is deserving as well. 

– Speaking of which, that was an awesome catch by Holmes for the winning score, and a great job to touch both feet in bounds, but I think David Tyree’s catch in last year’s Super Bowl was much more impressive.  Still, Holmes really stepped up with big catches on the final drive. 

– I don’t think Arizona’s scheme defensively was the problem on Pittsburgh’s final drive.  Roethlisberger and Holmes made a series of terrific plays that any defense would have been hard pressed to stop.  I actually thought Arizona’s defense really stepped things up in the red zone throughout the game, holding the Steelers to two field goals inside the five yard line. 

– Great job by the Cardinals to battle back, overcoming an early 10-0 deficit to get back in the game in the second quarter, and again overcoming a 20-7 deficit to take the lead.  Pittsburgh doesn’t usually lose when they have a double digit lead, and while moral victories don’t count for anything in the NFL, Arizona deserves to be commended for nearly pulling it off.

– James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return at the end of the first half was the play of the game.  Had the Cardinals scored a touchdown, they would have had a 14-10 halftime lead, plus the ball to begin the second half.  The interception and ensuing return caused a monster momentum swing had a big effect on the game.  To be honest I thought the Cardinals were almost done and buried when they didn’t do anything on their first possession of the second half, so they deserve a lot of credit for battling back. 

– On that play, it appeared to me that Kurt Warner misread the coverage by the Steelers defense.  It seemed like he thought the Steelers were going to blitz, and that Anquan Boldin was going to be wide open on the slant pattern.  Instead, Harrison sat back, and saw where Warner was going with the football.  It was clear watching the replay that Boldin was nowhere near open and that throw should not have been made, so it seems to me that Warner may have been expecting something different from the Steelers defense. 

– Give Harrison credit for the job he did on the play.  He read Warner perfectly, and then made a phenomenal run for the touchdown.  His touchdown carried a lot of importance given that time expired during the play, which means that had he been bumped out of bounds at the 2 yard line, the half would have been over and Pittsburgh wouldn’t have been able to add to the 10-7 lead. 

– Larry Fitzgerald deserved a ton of credit during the play too.  If you missed his effort on the play, try to watch him during one of the 50,000 replays you’ll see today on ESPN.  He started chasing Harrison from four yards deep in the end zone (and to boot Fitzgerald was on the opposite side of the field on the play, so he was chasing Harrison at a diagonal from the opposite corner), and kept hustling despite getting blocked by a Steeler defensive linemen.  At one point Fitzgerald even bumped into a teammate at the 30 yard line along the sideline, shoved him out of the way, and very nearly caught Harrison before he scored.  Even though Fitzgerald didn’t prevent the touchdown, his hustle on the play and refusal to give up is something we don’t see often enough from players. 

– I love the way Fitzgerald plays the game, he’s the anti-TO, unselfish, humble and willing to go all-out on every play.  He doesn’t whine when he doesn’t get the ball.  I wish he was on my team.

– The game was terrific, but in theme with the 2008 season, the officiating was, ahem, questionable at best.  Check that, Terry McAulay and his crew were awful.  Consider:

– How is it that the final play of the game (not counting the kneel down) was not reviewed??????  I’m talking about the strip and fumble recovery by the Steelers defense with five seconds left.  It seemed to me that Warner’s arm may have indeed been going forward, and that should have been an incomplete pass.  I am befuddled as to why there is not a bigger stink being made about this.  I’m not sure if the replay was conclusive, but my opinion is the arm was going forward and it should have been ruled an incomplete pass, not a fumble.  At the very least, the play should been reviewed by the booth upstairs.  Even if the call stood, at least everyone would know that it was reviewed.  Why do we even bother to have replay if the biggest play of the entire season is not subject to a review?  It is absolutely inexcusable that a Super Bowl crew wouldn’t look at that play.  Factor in there was a 15-yard penalty assessed on the Steelers following the play, and a reversal would have allowed the Cardinals one shot for a hail mary from the 30 yard line.  Terry McAulay and his crew should be ashamed they allowed this to happen.  Really, I am astounded that this is not a much bigger topic in the media today. 

– Consider also the number of calls that were missed in the game.  For starters, how was Holmes not assessed a 15-yard excessive celebration penalty following his winning touchdown?  The rule says you’re not allowed to use the ball as a prop in a celebration, yet he clearly did.  How about a roughing the passer penalty against the Cardinals for a hit on Roethlisberger, yet a much later after the play and more brutal hit against Warner wasn’t called?  How about the roughing the holder penalty against the Cardinals’ Adrian Wilson?  Seemed to me that was not an intentional blow by Wilson.  What about Roethlisberger getting away with at least two very blatant intentional groundings that weren’t called (one where the refs claimed he was out of the pocket and clearly was not)?  Consider also that the Cardinals were correct on two challenges during the game.  This means that the calls were originally missed by the officials.  All told, there were a lot of flags thrown during the game, but perhaps it’s the ones that weren’t thrown and should have been that made as much of a difference.

– Don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh deserved to win the game.  They made the plays when they had to especially on the final drive, but you can’t deny that McAulay and his crew had an adverse impact on the game.  I’ll say it again, I am STUNNED that there isn’t more of a fuss being made about the lack of a review on the final play.  The league is very fortunate that the officials’ poor performance is overshadowed by the terrific finish and the great game.  It is ironic though that each of Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl wins in the past four years is marred by poor officiating. 

– All that being said, this is not to take away from the Steelers’ victory.  Roethlisberger and Holmes were amazing on the final drive, and James Harrison had a big impact on defense.  I am confident that future Super Bowls will be along the lines of the previous two years: close games with exciting finishes.  It was a terrific game, one that is hard to top in excitement from a fan’s perspective.

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Super Bowl Pick

Posted by mizzou1028 on January 29, 2009

Before we get to talking about the Steelers and the Cardinals, it’s interesting to note that this Super Bowl seems to be more under the radar than any that I can recall in my life.  This is especially true when compared to last year’s game, although to be fair just about everyone had a rooting interest one way or the other last season.  Patriots fans wanted to see Brady and company complete a perfect season, while virtually everyone else in the country was rooting for the underdog Giants to pull the upset.  For whatever reason though, this year’s game does not seem to be getting near the attention.  Perhaps it’s because people are still getting over the shock of the Cardinals making it to the big game.  Maybe it’s because this is a matchup that doesn’t have a lot of quote unquote star power (i.e. a Manning or Brady-esque player in the lead).  Perhaps the economy is a factor in that people are more concerned about the goings on in their lives.  Whatever the reason, the hype for this game does not seem to match that of previous seasons, and it seems like this game is really sneaking up on people this year. 

As far as the game itself, I think most people would agree that picking the Super Bowl is not the same as picking a regular game.  As I pointed out last year in my correct prediction of the Giants’ upset of New England, once the game kicks off, everything that happened during the season prior to that point is completely irrelevant.  Last year it didn’t matter that the Patriots were an unstoppable force heading into the game, what mattered was that the Giants figured out a way to slow them down.  The key play of that game, David Tyree’s incredible catch, could not have been predicted based on any amount of statistics and game data from the season or even in the previous playoff games.  The Super Bowl is a one game situation, and as such the unpredictable has the potential to decide the game.   Any team with a perceived advantage coming into the game is not guaranteed to enjoy that advantage during the game, and often times gets beat (see Giants-Bills in ’90, Broncos-Packers in ’97, Patriots-Rams in ’01, Giants-Patriots last year, and so on).  This makes predicting the outcome of the Super Bowl next to impossible in most years, because what happens after kickoff in the Super Bowl is often no reflection of what the numbers say should happen.  The old saying “any given Sunday” really applies to the Super Bowl, because anything can happen in one game. 

I think it is interesting that the Steelers are favored by seven points.  I agree that they are the favorite coming in, but a full touchdown seems like a lot.  I believe that the days of mega blowouts in the Super Bowl are over for several reasons, largely because of the parity of the league.  I think this is a very intriguing matchup because of the contrast in styles, but both teams have shown they can go against the grain of their perceived style.  The Cardinals are known for their passing offense, and it has been dynamic this postseason (especially Larry Fitzgerald), but in the playoffs they have also  shown they can run the ball effectively.  The Steelers are known as a power running team, and they  have run well, but they have also made big plays in the passing game during the playoffs (in large part thanks to Ben Roethlisberger being able to extend plays and avoid sacks with his escape ability). 

I actually think this has the potential to be a high scoring game.  Both teams have outstanding quarterback play, both have shown they can run the ball this postseason, and both have talented receivers.  Both quarterbacks have won a  Super Bowl before, so neither one will get rattled about being in the big game.   Pittsburgh does seem to have the much stronger defense on paper, especially against the run where they have been nothing short of dominant in two playoff games.  The Cardinals though have been very surprising with their defensive play in the playoffs, including the 5-interception effort against Jake Delhomme in the divisional round.  While I highly doubt the Cards will get five picks on Sunday, I think they do have better ability to cause havoc than people seem to realize.  All that being said, I have a feeling both defenses will end up giving up points on Sunday. 

Honestly, we could break this game down until we’re blue in the face, but the reality is this has been an NFL season of unpredictability for sure.  It has long gotten to the point where I am not surprised to see anything, including a Super Bowl appearance by the Arizona Cardinals.  Going with that theme, I think stats and trends,  numbers and even personnel don’t mean much in regard to picking this game.  In the theme of unpredictability, my pick is….

 Arizona 28 Pittsburgh 24.  It would just be too fitting for a season filled with wackiness and craziness not to end with the Cardinals winning their first championship since 1947.  The Steelers may have the history edge (5 Super Bowl wins to none), may have better tradition, and may be more impressive on paper, but favorites have not carried the day in the NFL this season.  Arizona wins the Super Bowl, and thus we have the ultimate symbol for the 2008 season of unpredictability.

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There Are Things More Important Than Football

Posted by mizzou1028 on January 27, 2009

On a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to remember Milo Salomonis.  I’ll let this website explain it, because the circumstances are too painful for me to type here: http://www.milosalomonis.org/.  I urge everyone to visit the site and remember that there are things that are infinitely more important than football.   We shouldn’t need tragedies like this to remind us of that, but football is just a game.  Granted, it’s a game many of us are very passionate about and we may care about it a great deal, but sports is not life.  We all need to remember that.

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