If many of you watched the Jets Giants game last night, I think it's important to realize what a tricky position both the Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis are in. Without Revis in the line up last night, it's very obvious the Jets are very weak at corner. Cromartie played well, but besides him no one else showed they could make up for the loss Revis. I'm sure the Jets are now evaluating their options to get him signed, but Revis as well is probably doing some soul-searching himself.
Darrelle Revis was without question the best cornerback in the NFL last year. He definitely confirmed that there are still "shut down" corners left in this era of football. At this point he has out played his contract, but for the insane amount of money he wants based off of a deal done by the crypt keeper, Al Davis he and his agent need to use more common sense. This looks really bad for Revis. As a former player I do understand wanting to paid what you're worth. The year I resigned with the Jets I saw a bigger purpose than just being paid crazy money. I could have easily gone out to free agency and gotten paid by many clubs. However, I did not want to start over, I trusted Bill, and I knew we had an opportunity to do something special. Personally, I did not want to miss out on that. Which is why I don't understand the logic behind this hold out.
From what I've read, the Jets offered Revis a 10 year $120 million contract. And Revis is seeking $160 million to "take care of his family". For real dawg ? He can't take care of his family with $120 million ? How many families is he supporting ? Is there a supreme gold addition of Ramen Noodles out there that I don't know about ? To use the "I have to take care of my family excuse" as his reason is total bullbleep. How about this Darrelle, just be honest and tell all your fans, that pay your salary by the way, that you have fed into the hype, your head is the same size as the newly opened Meadowlands Stadiums, and your poo doesn't stink so you should be paid like it. At least we all would respect you more for being honest. Instead, you pulled a cliché statement out of butt and you want us to all jump on your side for your "family". I'm sorry but I can not do that.
It's apparent NFL clubs are taking a harder look at how they are paying players. There are some salaries that have gotten out of control. What Revis and his agent have forgotten is that you can't have the "daddy he got some more money I want some too" attitude. Clubs have different pay scales and guidelines they follow. You have to work within the confines of those guidelines. He can't just say I want this and expect to get it. No matter how good of a player he is, no matter how valuable he is to the Jets, all clubs have the same mentality. You can, and will be replaced. Sure, he can ask for a trade and but from my personal knowledge of GM Mike Tannebaum, they'll ship him off. The only problem with that, is will he sacrifice being on a good team and winning for being on a crappy team and being paid. It will be hard for him to get on certain teams demanding that type of money. What if the Jets end up going to the Super Bowl as predicted ? Then that may be an opportunity missed. We went to the AFC Championship in 98, thinking we would go back, we never had a sniff at it again. Those are things you can't get back, those are the things in life you don't want to look back at and regret.
No one really has leverage here in my opinion. A common ground needs to be reached in some way to get this done. Honestly, I think the offer by the Jets was very fair. It has many advantages, and even though nothing is certain it makes him a Jet for his career. I just don't see the downside in that. On top of that you are playing on a team that wants to win and will do what it takes to win. Revis needs to put his pride aside and leave his ego at the door and just play. He will be rewarded, the Jets have already assured him of that. What does being the highest paid corner in the league do for him ? It doesn't help him win. It doesn't make his career any better than it is or would be if he took less money. Ultimately, if he isn't on a winning team then he is just another corner to pass through the NFL. Now that's something to be proud of. Guess then you could put him and a professional groupie in the same category. Only he would be the highest paid groupie in the league. Karrine Steffans beware, your crown is in jeopardy. There is a new Vixen in the spotlight. I'm not certain of this but he has covered more people than even you.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Selling Out ? Absolutely
Bob McNair, gentleman, philanthropist, businessman, family man. All the qualities every man acquires to possess during our short time here on this little planet. But what measures or decisions helped Mr. McNair become the man he is ? Where does his guidance come from ? In his business ventures what persuades him one way or the other to stay in a deal or cash out ? We don't know the answers to these questions, but his track record has shown a high success rate at doing it.
It leads me to wonder though if Mr. McNair is getting a case of the Lou Pai's. For those of you that don't know or have forgotten, Lou Pai was CEO of Enron Energy Services and Enron Xcelerator. Before the poo hit the fan with the whole Enron thing, Lou or "Louie", went all in and left Enron with over $250 million dollars. We know Mr. McNair is not leaving as owner of the Texans franchise, but with this latest move to fly to New York and hold a "meeting" with Roger Goodell puts him out there a bit.
We all know what's going on with Brian Cushing. We know the history and the excuses being made by him assuring us he did not cheat. Honestly, I hope he didn't. It seems like the facts, real facts, are against him. First, tumors caused the positive test for HCG. But according to Long Island doctor Gary Wadler, who by the way works for the World Anti Doping Agency, said "If he had tumors that produced HCG, he wouldn't be playing football. He would be under treatment for a malignant tumor. Malignant testicular tumors producing HCG are rather lethal. It is a fairly aggressive tumor and you're not playing in the NFL with one." Guess that kills that excuse. Next, we have "overtrained athlete syndrome". This according to Cushing and his "people", caused a hormonal spike which caused him to test positive for HCG. According to Mark Jenkins, MD, overtrained athlete syndrome consists of the following. Moodiness, easily irritated, depression, loss of desire to be competitive and enthusiastic, decreased appetite, weight loss, muscular soreness, and increased frequency of viral illnesses. Wonder if he means STDs ? Sorry got a little sidetracked. Also increased incidence of injuries, and decrease in testosterone. Now out of the 14 articles I read, they all were pretty much the same as this article. No where was a hormonal spike listed, in fact it was the opposite.
Which brings me back to Mr. McNair. Why would Mr. McNair, who I'm sure does his research, fly to New York to defend Cushing considering the facts that are stated by many other specialists and doctors ? I would like to know who these one or two doctors are that provided this information. And yes, before I go on, I do believe there are rare occurrences of things that happen with the human body. The human body is still not fully tapped in the field of science and medicine. So why is Mr. McNair willing to take the chance of looking foolish ? I think he realizes this is the year the Texans have a real chance of getting to the playoffs. And this is possibly a make or break year for Kubiak and Rick Smith.
After several 8-8 seasons and a 9-7 season last year, Mr. McNair can no longer stand mediocrity. He voiced his opinions about it last year, and has made it very clear this year. Him coming out from behind the shadows and doing something as public as this let's me know that he is tired of waiting. This is an example of him exhausting all of his efforts in order to help the organization. Even if he looks bad. He has always been involved, but he's never done anything like this.
I wish I was a fly on the wall in the meeting that took place yesterday. I'm almost wondering if some good ole boy whiskey drinking deal making went down. Kinda like the tv show Dallas. McNair is Jock, and Goodell is Cliff Barnes. The episode I'm referring to involves Jock wanting a plot of land for ewing oil, (playoffs for Texans) but barnes used funds (suspension), to stop ewing oil from getting the leases in order to drill. Jock was not happy and allowed Bobby to talk to Cliff, (Cushings people). But if he failed then they would do whatever they had to do, ( McNair flying to NY). Amazing how tv shows are so relatable to real life.
I see the suspension getting reduced to probably two games. Who knows what was said or agreed to during that meeting. What slanderous words were thrown around or blackmailing tactics were used. Or, maybe it was just a meeting of great minds trying to come to a common solution. As an important player for the Texans, is Cushing worth it ? Yes, he is. Only if he returns as the player he was last year. If not, then Cushing will be looked at as a cheater and a fool for sure, but Mr. McNair will look like the ultimate fool for believing him.
It leads me to wonder though if Mr. McNair is getting a case of the Lou Pai's. For those of you that don't know or have forgotten, Lou Pai was CEO of Enron Energy Services and Enron Xcelerator. Before the poo hit the fan with the whole Enron thing, Lou or "Louie", went all in and left Enron with over $250 million dollars. We know Mr. McNair is not leaving as owner of the Texans franchise, but with this latest move to fly to New York and hold a "meeting" with Roger Goodell puts him out there a bit.
We all know what's going on with Brian Cushing. We know the history and the excuses being made by him assuring us he did not cheat. Honestly, I hope he didn't. It seems like the facts, real facts, are against him. First, tumors caused the positive test for HCG. But according to Long Island doctor Gary Wadler, who by the way works for the World Anti Doping Agency, said "If he had tumors that produced HCG, he wouldn't be playing football. He would be under treatment for a malignant tumor. Malignant testicular tumors producing HCG are rather lethal. It is a fairly aggressive tumor and you're not playing in the NFL with one." Guess that kills that excuse. Next, we have "overtrained athlete syndrome". This according to Cushing and his "people", caused a hormonal spike which caused him to test positive for HCG. According to Mark Jenkins, MD, overtrained athlete syndrome consists of the following. Moodiness, easily irritated, depression, loss of desire to be competitive and enthusiastic, decreased appetite, weight loss, muscular soreness, and increased frequency of viral illnesses. Wonder if he means STDs ? Sorry got a little sidetracked. Also increased incidence of injuries, and decrease in testosterone. Now out of the 14 articles I read, they all were pretty much the same as this article. No where was a hormonal spike listed, in fact it was the opposite.
Which brings me back to Mr. McNair. Why would Mr. McNair, who I'm sure does his research, fly to New York to defend Cushing considering the facts that are stated by many other specialists and doctors ? I would like to know who these one or two doctors are that provided this information. And yes, before I go on, I do believe there are rare occurrences of things that happen with the human body. The human body is still not fully tapped in the field of science and medicine. So why is Mr. McNair willing to take the chance of looking foolish ? I think he realizes this is the year the Texans have a real chance of getting to the playoffs. And this is possibly a make or break year for Kubiak and Rick Smith.
After several 8-8 seasons and a 9-7 season last year, Mr. McNair can no longer stand mediocrity. He voiced his opinions about it last year, and has made it very clear this year. Him coming out from behind the shadows and doing something as public as this let's me know that he is tired of waiting. This is an example of him exhausting all of his efforts in order to help the organization. Even if he looks bad. He has always been involved, but he's never done anything like this.
I wish I was a fly on the wall in the meeting that took place yesterday. I'm almost wondering if some good ole boy whiskey drinking deal making went down. Kinda like the tv show Dallas. McNair is Jock, and Goodell is Cliff Barnes. The episode I'm referring to involves Jock wanting a plot of land for ewing oil, (playoffs for Texans) but barnes used funds (suspension), to stop ewing oil from getting the leases in order to drill. Jock was not happy and allowed Bobby to talk to Cliff, (Cushings people). But if he failed then they would do whatever they had to do, ( McNair flying to NY). Amazing how tv shows are so relatable to real life.
I see the suspension getting reduced to probably two games. Who knows what was said or agreed to during that meeting. What slanderous words were thrown around or blackmailing tactics were used. Or, maybe it was just a meeting of great minds trying to come to a common solution. As an important player for the Texans, is Cushing worth it ? Yes, he is. Only if he returns as the player he was last year. If not, then Cushing will be looked at as a cheater and a fool for sure, but Mr. McNair will look like the ultimate fool for believing him.
Friday, August 6, 2010
HOF In or Out
The Hall Of Fame is a special honor. Every NFL player relishes the chance to be considered one of the greats to play the game, and the Hall Of Fame puts you at the pinnacle of the sport. There has been much debate on whether to consider "off the field" actions as a criteria for getting into the hall. There are specific rules put in place by the committee that gives them a gauge on how to vote. So why the debate ? Why do off the field actions matter ? They don't, and never should.
The rules specifically state, "The only criteria for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are a nominee's achievements and contributions as a player, coach, or contributor in professional football in the United States of America." Although the statement "contributions as a player" is open and subjective, it does not pertain to moral standards. It is clear it's in regards to the game itself. That's why I think there is no debate. It's like trying to turn crystal light into Kool Aid. Not gonna happen. Plus Kool Aid is better anyway.
If the law changes and moral standards are considered as part of the process, then it allows players who were average or mediocre to be elected. Does the character of a player represent the NFL in some way ? Absolutely ! I agree with that. That shouldn't make him a Hall of Fame candidate. This is another example of how the governing bodies of our country are trying to turn all sports into the ultimate YMCA league. Celebrating mediocrity. Everyone plays, so no matter how good or how bad, everyone achieves greatness and are the same. Horsepucky !! There is a huge difference between greatness and just being good. What's done on the field has nothing to do with how someone chooses to live his life. Given my inside presence of the game and first hand experience, most of the players elected to the hall might not be in right now.
Commissioner Goodell handles the character side of the NFL. That's where it should stay. Professional football is a game of imperfect human beings with individuality. That is in part what makes the game so great. That is what allows some players to be great and some average. There will always be a player with some kind of an issue. Some are more public than others. If those players perform at a high level for a sustained number of years, does his character matter ? No. From the owner all the way down to the water boy, the only thing is expected is to perform on the field and win. Period. That is what fans want as well. Even though owners want "high character" guys on their respective teams, that's not the main focus. So when owners come out and use that as a PR tool to fans to have them come out, it's a semi smoke screen.
Another issue that factors in is that instead of being judged on concrete numbers and play, everything will be subjective. I love peanut butter Twix. The other person may love snickers. The snickers may be put together better, hold it's shape and not melt as easily, but my melted Twix is really damn good. That's my personal opinion. So I prefer the messy sloppy Twix. And that's how the debate begins. The selection process is hard enough as it is already. Throwing personal opinions into the mix makes it that much harder. Which is why the way they select players should stay how it is. This isn't a popularity contest, who cares if the player is a nice upstanding guy all the time. If the player clearly performs at a higher level than others, that is all that matters. It's not fair if a guy gets elected in on borderline numbers and charity work.
Hopefully the committee will stand firm on the way they judge the hall. The format is one of a few things that has some validity to it because there are actual numbers and stats to back up the elected players. We as a people need and want to see greatness. Those that are lucky enough to have the opportunity, can have something to strive for individually as well as collectively winning a Super Bowl. The nature of sports is to be competitive and achieve greatness. Not striving for mediocrity. What kind of message does it send if the Hall Of Fame, associated with one of the greatest professional sports in the world is filled with average players with so so stats ? It makes it just that, so so.
The rules specifically state, "The only criteria for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame are a nominee's achievements and contributions as a player, coach, or contributor in professional football in the United States of America." Although the statement "contributions as a player" is open and subjective, it does not pertain to moral standards. It is clear it's in regards to the game itself. That's why I think there is no debate. It's like trying to turn crystal light into Kool Aid. Not gonna happen. Plus Kool Aid is better anyway.
If the law changes and moral standards are considered as part of the process, then it allows players who were average or mediocre to be elected. Does the character of a player represent the NFL in some way ? Absolutely ! I agree with that. That shouldn't make him a Hall of Fame candidate. This is another example of how the governing bodies of our country are trying to turn all sports into the ultimate YMCA league. Celebrating mediocrity. Everyone plays, so no matter how good or how bad, everyone achieves greatness and are the same. Horsepucky !! There is a huge difference between greatness and just being good. What's done on the field has nothing to do with how someone chooses to live his life. Given my inside presence of the game and first hand experience, most of the players elected to the hall might not be in right now.
Commissioner Goodell handles the character side of the NFL. That's where it should stay. Professional football is a game of imperfect human beings with individuality. That is in part what makes the game so great. That is what allows some players to be great and some average. There will always be a player with some kind of an issue. Some are more public than others. If those players perform at a high level for a sustained number of years, does his character matter ? No. From the owner all the way down to the water boy, the only thing is expected is to perform on the field and win. Period. That is what fans want as well. Even though owners want "high character" guys on their respective teams, that's not the main focus. So when owners come out and use that as a PR tool to fans to have them come out, it's a semi smoke screen.
Another issue that factors in is that instead of being judged on concrete numbers and play, everything will be subjective. I love peanut butter Twix. The other person may love snickers. The snickers may be put together better, hold it's shape and not melt as easily, but my melted Twix is really damn good. That's my personal opinion. So I prefer the messy sloppy Twix. And that's how the debate begins. The selection process is hard enough as it is already. Throwing personal opinions into the mix makes it that much harder. Which is why the way they select players should stay how it is. This isn't a popularity contest, who cares if the player is a nice upstanding guy all the time. If the player clearly performs at a higher level than others, that is all that matters. It's not fair if a guy gets elected in on borderline numbers and charity work.
Hopefully the committee will stand firm on the way they judge the hall. The format is one of a few things that has some validity to it because there are actual numbers and stats to back up the elected players. We as a people need and want to see greatness. Those that are lucky enough to have the opportunity, can have something to strive for individually as well as collectively winning a Super Bowl. The nature of sports is to be competitive and achieve greatness. Not striving for mediocrity. What kind of message does it send if the Hall Of Fame, associated with one of the greatest professional sports in the world is filled with average players with so so stats ? It makes it just that, so so.
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