Epistle to the NFL

The NFL had better be careful. Right now, they've got the goose that lays golden eggs, and everyone wants an egg. But if they screw around and 1) there's a work stoppage or 2) the season gets delayed or canceled or 3) the whole standoff stays in the news for too long--then, they are going to kill the goose. It's not going to matter which side is more greedy than the other. The general public will perceive both sides as greedy--NO MATTER WHAT. And it's ugly. Sickening and freakin' ridiculous. This is a nation built on blue-collar backs. We're carpenters, steel workers, doctors, and teachers--getting paid pidly compared to both sides in this argument.

Owners and Players ought to look at this as an opportunity to right some long term wrongs, to make the game more enjoyable for loyal fans too.

Players: Obscene rookie contracts are an insult to every professional athlete. To pay a guy who's never taken an NFL snap ridiculous money is INSANE. Give rookies the NFL minimum as a standard salary, but make the contract laden with performance incentives; the more incentives reached the more bonus money, and the higher the base contract goes with each successive year. Build in an insurance clause which pays the rookie big money if there's a career ending injury or some such. Reducing the rookie salary to the incentive-dependent minimum is going to leave a HUGE chunk of change in the collective pot. With that, provide stat bonuses and veteran bonuses for those who've proven themselves already. Perhaps let their be NFL bonuses for statistical leaders across the board.

For the Owners: You absolutely have to provide $$$ for injury insurance. The guys are out there putting their lives and futures on the line, playing a sport that thrives due to its violent contact. You've got to cover the players and their families. Someone gets a career ending injury, the insurance kicks in. The slush money that's still left from the minimal rookie contracts should be funneled into research and development of new helmets and pads to better protect players from injury. The number of concussions these days is alarming. If something isn't done, we'll soon be getting pretty close to the Roman Coliseum. Those people who deplore Michael Vick for the dogfights, turn around and cheer when a quarterback gets destroyed by a DL who is twice the QB's size.

For the Teams: Rosters need to increase in size. If we go to 18 games, that's a no brainer, but even if not. Every team should be able to be 4-deep at every position. Salary Caps are still a must so that all market teams can compete. But the whole Free Agency thing has to change. How many times have fan fanatics been hurt when long-time team player favorites have asked for more money than they are worth to keep and ended up shipped off to finish their career on some other team. Many times, the team would love to keep those players, but the cap is prohibitive.

There should be a "Legacy Exemption," maybe as many as three per team, where fan favorite veterans could be paid extra $$$ to keep them on their home team without impacting the salary cap. No more Joe Montana playing for the Chiefs, Art Monk for the Jets, or Brian Mitchell to the Eagles.

Next, you have to blast these so called "voluntary meetings" and "OTA's". Players need time to heal. Players need time with family. Make several mandatory minicamps, but be done with it.

That's my .02. I love the NFL. I hope they don't drink the kool-aid.  

Take a lesson on Character from the NFL; Who'd have thunk it?

If the title of this post made you gag, get a quick drink of water and bear with me. Just a single day after posting an article insisting that ex Florida Uber Quarterback Tim Tebow's faith would get in the way of his being picked by certain teams in the NFL Draft, Yahoo Sports turned around and published an article about how important a role Tim Tebow's character played in him being drafted so highly.

Just to be clear, I'm not knocking Yahoo for hypocrisy. Two different authors with two very different takes on the state of the NFL. In fact I laud Yahoo for publishing today's article because it was all about the NFL reevaluating what's important when it comes to draft day. At least with Round 1 of the NFL draft, there were several surprising developments, and they all involved teams choosing character over better talent.

In the first round, Tim Tebow (above) was chosen by the Broncos over several quarterback choices, even though many "experts" don't believe Tebow has the form/tools to be a star NFL QB. But in the wake of Steelers QB Ben Rothleisberger's recent troubles with morality, it seems the Denver Broncos wanted a "good guy" to captain their team. Bravo for them. The Broncos also selected wide receiver Demaryius Thomas over ultra talented Dez Bryant. Why? Character. Bryant's had troubles, lots of questions about his work ethic, etc. Not so with Thomas. Thomas (below) is a "good guy."

The San Diego Chargers went out of their way, trading up to select running back Ryan Matthews, stressing that he is the kind of guy they want as a leader in their locker room. Ryan, we learn, keeps his commitments. He signed to play college FB with Fresno State, but after that, several bigger, more influential schools came asking and offering. He turned them down. He's a good guy.

So what can we learn from the NFL? Well, maybe we can learn that when we do our inevitable picking in life, maybe we can make our picks based on character and substance over flash and style. No, we don't hold a draft for picking friends, girlfriends, or spouses, but we all go looking. How do you choose? I remember high school too well to have lost the chip I had on my shoulder then. It used to make me ill that so many of the girls I had crushes on went after the rudest, most disrespectful, foul mouthed guys in the school.

And how many times has "Nice Gal A" made a mess of her own life by marrying "Bad Boy A?" Too many to count. Some of our readers will probably support that. And it's not just the ladies choosing flash over faithfulness. Men often become bumbling idiots, fawning over the babe with the low cut neckline. Shame on us. We ought to be fighting to lay down our coats for the sweetheart next door. And forget romance for just a minute, what about plain old friends. Who do we hang out with? Do we gravitate towards good character? I contend that we should.

What would happen if we did? What would happen if we all chose friends, romantic friends, spouses, careers, neighborhoods, etc. etc. based on quality of character? My hunch is, we'd end up with a tenfold better society. Why? Supply and Demand. As a middle school teacher of 19 years, I've noticed something very interesting. If you have a class where the good kids get the majority of the attention, disciplinary issues begin to vanish, and good kids multiply. If the opposite occurs, and the idiots get most of the attention, sooner or later, you'll end up with a room full of idiots.

Imagine a high school where the girls all went after the "nice guys." Pretty soon, the jerks and blowhards would straighten up. Think about it, ladies, who do you really want for a husband? The cute high school guy who cuts class, smokes, and defies authority? Extrapolate what that will look like in ten years. Uh, yeah, not so good. And guys, who are you going to bring roses to? The sexy party girl who flirts with ALL the boys? What kind of mother will she be for your kids? Hmmm...

And if you do decide to hang with the kid who drinks underage and occasionally shoplifts, where do you think you'll end up? I'm just asking. Because if the NFL can figure out that character matters, should we be able to figure it out as well?

Mock Draft 2010: Washington Redskins

I grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. Redskins Territory. My whole family rooted for the Skins in the down years and in the Super Bowl seasons. I bleed Maroon and Gold. If you follow the NFL, you know that the Redskins have suffered through some lousy seasons of late. Well, I think that's about to change. We have football people in charge of the team again. The players are buying in and excited. And the NFL draft is just a month away. For those who don't follow football, the draft is where pro teams pick players who are coming out of college.

I'm no expert, but I've seen so many Mock Drafts this year that I decided to get into the action. I'm only going to tell you who the Redskins will pick, not the other teams. I'm also going to give explanations to provide comedic reading when the draft occurs and everyone realizes just how wrong I was. lol The Skins have only 5 picks this year. But I think they'll make the most of them. They have the following picks:

Round 1    4th Pick    4th overall   
Round 2    5th Pick    37th overall   
Round 4    5th Pick    103th overall   
Round 5    4th Pick    135th overall   
Round 7    4th Pick    211th overall     

Here's how I think it will go:

Round 1    4th Pick    4th overall   Redskins Pick: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

This is a shocker. Most folks predict Suh will be gone already. Here's my thinking: I suspect the Rams will take Bradford as expected. Detroit will throw everyone a curve by taking studly OT Russell Okung. Tampa will have to choose between two incredible DL prospects. I think they'll take McCoy. The Redskins will then find themselves with a happy problem. They really need offensive line, but with Suh available, they'll take him. Can you imagine the apocalyptic defense the Skins could run if they had Haynesworth and Suh on the D-Line. {Chills} If the Lions don't take Okung, the Redskins have to get him. They really do need someone to protect the QB. If Okung and Suh are gone, I see the Skins taking worldbeater free safety Eric Berry. That way they can move LaRon Landry back to his natural Strong Safety Position.

Round 2    5th Pick    37th overall   Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

The Redskins will be shocked to find Campbell hanging around this late in the draft. This former Terp wowed everyone with his athleticism at the NFL Combine, but lots of teams will pass because Campbell is unpolished. The Redskins won't care. This guy is for real and will start at left tackle this year.

Round 3 (In a trade with Tennessee or Atlanta)  Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

The Redskins will trade DE/LB Anthony Carter to Ten or Atl for a 3rd round pick. Those teams could use a pass rusher DE or OLB. With Suh already in the stable, we suddenly have even more DL surplus. Carter is the odd man out. Forget mechanics. Tebow is a winner at QB. The Redskins need a leader at that position and have Campbell for another season, so they won't have to throw Tebow to the wolves right away. Tony Pike is also a possibility here.

Round 4    5th Pick    103th overall    Shelly Smith, OG Colorado State

The Redskins continue to build their offensive line by selecting Smith. At 6-3, 300lbs, this big man still posted 5.10 forty time. Ideal speed for kick out blocks, pulls, screens, and Shanahan's zone block system.

Round 5    4th Pick    135th overall    Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

Mike Shanahan has a habit of taking middle to late round RBs and turning them into absolute studs in the pros. Tate is a late bloomer who really hit his stride in his senior year. With Portis and Johnson already on the roster, Shanahan is thinking of the future. And Tate is it.

Round 7    4th Pick    211th overall       Andrew Lewis, OG, Oklahoma State

The final piece to the O-line puzzle. The Redskins like Lewis' size and speed. He might be a project this year, but look for him to develop into a starter in 2011.


Well, there you go. Fantasy author's take on the 2010 Redskins Draft. I don't expect to be right, but I hope I am.