Since no one gives a shit about the Almost Pro Bowl that NFL commisioner Roger Goodell is selling this Sunday, lets look ahead.
Mike Vick
Though it is hard to imagine Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie not offering Vick a desirable contract, this free agent should get a lot of sumptuous offers around the league after the season he just put together.
Always known as an excellent running quarterback to where he is already second on the NFL list of most rushing yards ever by a quarterback, this four-time Pro Bowler finally showed an ability to play in the pocket folks had been waiting to see since he was drafted in 2001.
The work Vick and assistant coach Marty Mornhinweg put in paid off beautifully for Philadelphia, and some wonder if Vick would want to separate this tandem for a few dollars more. Yet his financial woes are well chronicled after losing most of his money from time spent in prison during 2007 to 2009.
How the league resolves their contract dispute with the players union could have a significant impact on Vick, who will be 31 years old next year. There is a possibility a team like the Oakland Raiders will offer him so much money he chooses to move on.
Lurie might look to match anything thrown at Vick, but having Kevin Kolb under contract in 2011 might have a part in the final decision. Kolb was named the starter in 2010 before getting hurt in the first game of the year and losing his job to Vick.
Wherever Vick ends up in 2011, he will get a substantial increase in pay.
Donovan McNabb
McNabb fell victim to the madness of King Mike Shanahan in 2010. Both entered their first year with the Washington Redskins expected to lift a franchise that has won little since its 1992 Super Bowl win. Shanahan was a head coach who butted heads with several players, as did his son, who served as offensive coordinator.
Kyle Shanahan's treatment of McNabb was well scoffed all year, but it had an everlasting impact beyond the 16 games of 2010. McNabb came in as the anointed saviour and is about to leave town with the "bust" label attached to him.
McNabb was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after Philadelphia decided to part ways with maybe the best quarterback it's ever had. He joined a team with a very mediocre offensive line, questionable running game and extremely inexperienced offensive coordinator.
He was never sharp all year, but once was on pace to set a team record for passing yards in a season. He spent the final three games as a third-stringer because the Shanahans wanted to see what the other quarterbacks on the roster could do for their struggling team. Though McNabb was offered a chance to make the Redskins squad next year, he has been told he will not be a starter,
There are teams that would probably start McNabb in 2011. Arizona is one of those teams, and McNabb has had a home in that state for years. He is 34 years old, but many critics think he has several more years left of productive play. He might not make big money like he has in the past, but it would be reasonable to predict he will resurrect his career in 2011.
Kyle Orton
Orton was well on his way to setting career best marks in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns when he got hurt and missed the last three games of 2010. Rookie Tim Tebow stepped in and played well enough that Orton's future with the Denver Broncos may now be in question.
If the Broncos decide to go with Tebow in 2011, Orton will be a very attractive player on the trading block. He is also under contract for 2011, making him even more desirable. The 28-year-old will enter just his sixth season in 2011, but he has been a full-time starter in four years with two teams and had won 10 more games than he has lost before encountering a disastrous 2010 with a terrible Broncos team that saw them win just four times all season.
Denver got him from the Chicago Bears in 2009 after a blockbuster trade that saw the Bears deal several draft picks and Orton for quarterback Jay Cutler. Since the trade, Orton has thrown for over 500 more yards and has tossed 29 less interceptions with a quarterback rating of about seven points higher than Cutler.
The rebuilding job the Broncos have ahead of them will require an influx of new players, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Though it is wise that a team carries two quarterbacks that can win on the roster yearly, one has to wonder if Orton is willing to sit on the bench watching the young Tebow learn when he has already done so well in only five years.
One plus about Orton is his intelligence and ability to secure the football for his team. He has tossed only 48 interceptions in a career that has nearly 2,000 passing attempts. He isn't huge in stature, strong in arm, nor fleet of foot, but Orton has proved himself to be more than a serviceable quarterback. He has shown himself to be a winner, and that may be more than enough for some team to offer Denver draft picks to attain his
Vince Young
Young has had a roller coaster career since winning the 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and being named to the Pro Bowl with the Tennessee Titans. He was benched in 2008 because he was not progressing as a quarterback, which led to a mental meltdown, then he rebounded the next year with another Pro Bowl season.
His 2010 year began with him being caught on tape attacking a fan jeering him in a night club. Young then battled through the season being dinged up with injuries as the Titans struggled to a 5-4 record. He hurt his thumb the next week and was replaced during the game. This infuriated Young enough to throw his shoulder pads into the stands and walk out on the team after some cross words to head coach Jeff Fisher both personally and via the media.
He was benched the rest of the year and has been told by the Titans he is no longer a member of the organization, who will decline to exercise a sixth-year option on him. With his contract now expired, Young is a free agent with the label of a malcontent. He had several problems so far in his career that range from being benched to breaking team rules to disappearing for a short amount of time which some feel was blown out of proportion by the media.
Though he has critics that believe Young does not have the talent to be a successful NFL quarterback, he will be just 28-years-old when training camp takes place in 2011. He also had won 26-of-39 regular season starts before this year, which shows he has that winning intangible no coach can teach.
Yet, his mental problems will scare teams looking to upgrade the quarterback position. It is doubtful he will command the type of salary he earned with the Titans until he shows some maturity and sanity, which will take time to prove through demonstration.
The talent is undeniable, as is his ability to win, so he will get offers from someone. What he chooses to do with those opportunities will all be up to Vince Young.
Rex Grossman
Grossman started 31 games between 2003 and 2008 for the Chicago Bears and won 19 times. The 2006 season saw him win 13 times as the Bears reached Super Bowl XLI before losing. He was cut by Chicago after 2008 because he gave the ball to the opponents too many times.
After seeing very limited action for the Houston Texans in 2009, Grossman joined the Washington Redskins last year to back up Donovan McNabb. When McNabb struggled, Grossman was handed the starting job for the last three games of the season.
While he was far from impressive, Grossman's 81.2 quarterback rating was far and away the best of his career. Yet, he still makes ridiculous mistakes as shown in his very first snap of 2010 where he promptly fumbled and watched Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions rumble 17 yards into the end zone to put the game away as the Lions won 37-25.
Though he may return to Washington in 2011, thanks to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan liking him and the fact that Grossman is familiar with Shanahan's system after having spent the past two years in it, there is a slight chance another team calls him in hopes he can be its back up.
His days as a starter do appear over, but his services as a reserve attracts teams because of that Super Bowl season .
Jason Campbell
As crazy as it may seem, Campbell might soon be learning his eighth different offensive system since he started playing at Auburn University in 2001. Though liked by the Oakland Raiders new head coach Hue Jackson, the offensive coordinator last year and compared to Raiders great Jim Plunkett by legendary Hall of Fame Raiders owner Al Davis, he struggled under last year's head coach, Tom Cable.
Cable preferred journeyman Bruce Gradkowski over Campbell, but Gradkowski spent most of 2010 injured. Campbell started 12 games and put up the second best quarterback rating of his career despite throwing to a very young receivers corps behind a porous offensive line.
While some expect Campbell to start in 2011 because he is under contract, there are rumblings the Raiders will go after free-agent Michael Vick. Vick fits the old school Raiders' mold of being once labelled a malcontent, and the Raiders used many of these types of players to win Super Bowls.
The players union contact talks with the NFL may decide the direction Oakland goes at quarterback next year. There is also a chance Campbell would stay on as a reserve if the Raiders sign a guy like Vick to handle the starting job.
Yet there is a chance Oakland looks to trade him if it signs another starter. Campbell has the measurables to succeed in the NFL, and one must admire his intelligence by how he has digested so many different playbooks in just a sort time.
Carson Palmer
Though the Bengals decided not to change head coaches in 2011, it may be time to change their starting quarterback. Palmer, the first overall draft pick in 2003, has been to two Pro Bowls so far but has lost more games than he has won.
Palmer has been the starter since 2004, though he missed 12 games in 2008 because of an injury to his throwing elbow. Many believe he is not the same player since that injury, noticing his passes now lack the zip they once possessed. His 2010 season saw him match a career-high mark of 20 interceptions, as Cincinnati may have been the most disappointing NFL team last year.
After winning the AFC North in 2008, many thought Cincinnati would return to the playoffs. It won just four games instead and again dealt with dysfunction in their locker room. What also stood out was the lack of leadership shown by Palmer, which has to bring into question his abilities to lead a team to a Super Bowl.
The Bengals have a loud-mouthed wide receiver named Chad Ochocinco clowning it up for the media most of his career. They then decided to sign Terrell Owens, a wide receiver more noted for his psychotic behavior rather than his athletic ability. Both are similar in that they demand the ball thrown their way often and will bad mouth anyone who does not agree. They also frequently cry to the media if they feel the ball is not headed their way enough.
Yet, both have aging players who have obviously lost more than a step in their game. This did not dissuade Palmer with trying to force feed the pair much too often at the expense at the team or chance for success. Once Owens was signed, most predicted Cincinnati would lose often because teams that Owens plays on typically lose more than they win.
Cincinnati will have the fourth pick of the 2011 draft, and many feel it will go for a defensive player. Heisman winner Newton and the technically-sound Gabbert are two quarterbacks many experts feel will be the first quarterbacks drafted, and it would not be nonsensical for Cincinnati to at least consider them.
Though just 31 years old, the fading arm strength and losing record of Palmer deserves more scrutiny than it has gotten so far. It may be unlikely another quarterback replaces him in 2011, but that might be the right move for the Bengals.
Derek Anderson
Anderson is an enigma. Tall with a strong arm, he put it all together in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl for the Cleveland Browns. He became wildly inconsistent after that, playing a timid game. This caused the Browns to cut him after 2009.
He joined the Arizona Cardinals last year with a juicy invitation to resurrect his career. The Cardinals were full of excellent wide receivers, led by Larry Fitzgerald. Anderson flopped so bad he was benched by a pair of rookies twice throughout the season.
Many expect Arizona to draft a quarterback with the fifth overall selection this year. Anderson, who signed a two-year deal worth $7.25 million last year, will most likely be cut. Though it appears he will never again regain his Pro Bowl form, there could be a few teams interested in him as a reserve because of his game experience.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Virtually every season in the history of the National Football League has experienced change at the quarterback position. From starters losing their jobs to upstart reserves or injuries, change at this position is almost as inevitable as the planets rotating throughout their universes.
Though Andrew Luck has decided to play one more year of college football, there are several prospective rookie quarterbacks who will look to earn a starting job upon their selections. Men like Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett and Blaine Gabbert are considered the best of a group available in the 2011 draft.
If a rookie earns a starting job, a common occurrence, that means another veteran will be looking for work. There are also several others looking for work right now months ahead of the draft. An NFL team must soon decide whether to go with one of these veterans next season or gamble the rookie they desire will fall into their laps and meet expectations through performance.
This is all assuming the players resolve their union contract woes and decide not to strike. If this happens and there are NFL games in 2011, here are a few quarterbacks you may see wearing uniforms in just seven months.
Michael Vick
Nick Laham/Getty Images
Though it is hard to imagine Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie not offering Vick a desirable contract, this free agent should get a lot of sumptuous offers around the league after the season he just put together.
Always known as an excellent running quarterback to where he is already second on the NFL list of most rushing yards ever by a quarterback, this four-time Pro Bowler finally showed an ability to play in the pocket folks had been waiting to see since he was drafted in 2001.
The work Vick and assistant coach Marty Mornhinweg put in paid off beautifully for Philadelphia, and some wonder if Vick would want to separate this tandem for a few dollars more. Yet his financial woes are well chronicled after losing most of his money from time spent in prison during 2007 to 2009.
How the league resolves their contract dispute with the players union could have a significant impact on Vick, who will be 31 years old next year. There is a possibility a team like the Oakland Raiders will offer him so much money he chooses to move on.
Lurie might look to match anything thrown at Vick, but having Kevin Kolb under contract in 2011 might have a part in the final decision. Kolb was named the starter in 2010 before getting hurt in the first game of the year and losing his job to Vick.
Wherever Vick ends up in 2011, he will get a substantial increase in pay.
Donovan McNabb
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
McNabb fell victim to the madness of King Mike Shanahan in 2010. Both entered their first year with the Washington Redskins expected to lift a franchise that has won little since its 1992 Super Bowl win. Shanahan was a head coach who butted heads with several players, as did his son, who served as offensive coordinator.
Kyle Shanahan's treatment of McNabb was well scoffed all year, but it had an everlasting impact beyond the 16 games of 2010. McNabb came in as the anointed saviour and is about to leave town with the "bust" label attached to him.
McNabb was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after Philadelphia decided to part ways with maybe the best quarterback it's ever had. He joined a team with a very mediocre offensive line, questionable running game and extremely inexperienced offensive coordinator.
He was never sharp all year, but once was on pace to set a team record for passing yards in a season. He spent the final three games as a third-stringer because the Shanahans wanted to see what the other quarterbacks on the roster could do for their struggling team. Though McNabb was offered a chance to make the Redskins squad next year, he has been told he will not be a starter,
There are teams that would probably start McNabb in 2011. Arizona is one of those teams, and McNabb has had a home in that state for years. He is 34 years old, but many critics think he has several more years left of productive play. He might not make big money like he has in the past, but it would be reasonable to predict he will resurrect his career in 2011.
Kyle Orton
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Orton was well on his way to setting career best marks in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns when he got hurt and missed the last three games of 2010. Rookie Tim Tebow stepped in and played well enough that Orton's future with the Denver Broncos may now be in question.
If the Broncos decide to go with Tebow in 2011, Orton will be a very attractive player on the trading block. He is also under contract for 2011, making him even more desirable. The 28-year-old will enter just his sixth season in 2011, but he has been a full-time starter in four years with two teams and had won 10 more games than he has lost before encountering a disastrous 2010 with a terrible Broncos team that saw them win just four times all season.
Denver got him from the Chicago Bears in 2009 after a blockbuster trade that saw the Bears deal several draft picks and Orton for quarterback Jay Cutler. Since the trade, Orton has thrown for over 500 more yards and has tossed 29 less interceptions with a quarterback rating of about seven points higher than Cutler.
The rebuilding job the Broncos have ahead of them will require an influx of new players, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Though it is wise that a team carries two quarterbacks that can win on the roster yearly, one has to wonder if Orton is willing to sit on the bench watching the young Tebow learn when he has already done so well in only five years.
One plus about Orton is his intelligence and ability to secure the football for his team. He has tossed only 48 interceptions in a career that has nearly 2,000 passing attempts. He isn't huge in stature, strong in arm, nor fleet of foot, but Orton has proved himself to be more than a serviceable quarterback. He has shown himself to be a winner, and that may be more than enough for some team to offer Denver draft picks to attain his services for 2011.
Vince Young
J. Meric/Getty Images
Young has had a roller coaster career since winning the 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and being named to the Pro Bowl with the Tennessee Titans. He was benched in 2008 because he was not progressing as a quarterback, which led to a mental meltdown, then he rebounded the next year with another Pro Bowl season.
His 2010 year began with him being caught on tape attacking a fan jeering him in a night club. Young then battled through the season being dinged up with injuries as the Titans struggled to a 5-4 record. He hurt his thumb the next week and was replaced during the game. This infuriated Young enough to throw his shoulder pads into the stands and walk out on the team after some cross words to head coach Jeff Fisher both personally and via the media.
He was benched the rest of the year and has been told by the Titans he is no longer a member of the organization, who will decline to exercise a sixth-year option on him. With his contract now expired, Young is a free agent with the label of a malcontent. He had several problems so far in his career that range from being benched to breaking team rules to disappearing for a short amount of time which some feel was blown out of proportion by the media.
Though he has critics that believe Young does not have the talent to be a successful NFL quarterback, he will be just 28-years-old when training camp takes place in 2011. He also had won 26-of-39 regular season starts before this year, which shows he has that winning intangible no coach can teach.
Yet, his mental problems will scare teams looking to upgrade the quarterback position. It is doubtful he will command the type of salary he earned with the Titans until he shows some maturity and sanity, which will take time to prove through demonstration.
The talent is undeniable, as is his ability to win, so he will get offers from someone. What he chooses to do with those opportunities will all be up to Vince Young.
Rex Grossman
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Grossman started 31 games between 2003 and 2008 for the Chicago Bears and won 19 times. The 2006 season saw him win 13 times as the Bears reached Super Bowl XLI before losing. He was cut by Chicago after 2008 because he gave the ball to the opponents too many times.
After seeing very limited action for the Houston Texans in 2009, Grossman joined the Washington Redskins last year to back up Donovan McNabb. When McNabb struggled, Grossman was handed the starting job for the last three games of the season.
While he was far from impressive, Grossman's 81.2 quarterback rating was far and away the best of his career. Yet, he still makes ridiculous mistakes as shown in his very first snap of 2010 where he promptly fumbled and watched Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions rumble 17 yards into the end zone to put the game away as the Lions won 37-25.
Though he may return to Washington in 2011, thanks to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan liking him and the fact that Grossman is familiar with Shanahan's system after having spent the past two years in it, there is a slight chance another team calls him in hopes he can be its back up.
His days as a starter do appear over, but his services as a reserve attracts teams because of that Super Bowl season on his resume.
Jason Campbell
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
As crazy as it may seem, Campbell might soon be learning his eighth different offensive system since he started playing at Auburn University in 2001. Though liked by the Oakland Raiders new head coach Hue Jackson, the offensive coordinator last year and compared to Raiders great Jim Plunkett by legendary Hall of Fame Raiders owner Al Davis, he struggled under last year's head coach, Tom Cable.
Cable preferred journeyman Bruce Gradkowski over Campbell, but Gradkowski spent most of 2010 injured. Campbell started 12 games and put up the second best quarterback rating of his career despite throwing to a very young receivers corps behind a porous offensive line.
While some expect Campbell to start in 2011 because he is under contract, there are rumblings the Raiders will go after free-agent Michael Vick. Vick fits the old school Raiders' mold of being once labelled a malcontent, and the Raiders used many of these types of players to win Super Bowls.
The players union contact talks with the NFL may decide the direction Oakland goes at quarterback next year. There is also a chance Campbell would stay on as a reserve if the Raiders sign a guy like Vick to handle the starting job.
Yet there is a chance Oakland looks to trade him if it signs another starter. Campbell has the measurables to succeed in the NFL, and one must admire his intelligence by how he has digested so many different playbooks in just a sort time.
Carson Palmer
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Though the Bengals decided not to change head coaches in 2011, it may be time to change their starting quarterback. Palmer, the first overall draft pick in 2003, has been to two Pro Bowls so far but has lost more games than he has won.
Palmer has been the starter since 2004, though he missed 12 games in 2008 because of an injury to his throwing elbow. Many believe he is not the same player since that injury, noticing his passes now lack the zip they once possessed. His 2010 season saw him match a career-high mark of 20 interceptions, as Cincinnati may have been the most disappointing NFL team last year.
After winning the AFC North in 2008, many thought Cincinnati would return to the playoffs. It won just four games instead and again dealt with dysfunction in their locker room. What also stood out was the lack of leadership shown by Palmer, which has to bring into question his abilities to lead a team to a Super Bowl.
The Bengals have a loud-mouthed wide receiver named Chad Ochocinco clowning it up for the media most of his career. They then decided to sign Terrell Owens, a wide receiver more noted for his psychotic behavior rather than his athletic ability. Both are similar in that they demand the ball thrown their way often and will bad mouth anyone who does not agree. They also frequently cry to the media if they feel the ball is not headed their way enough.
Yet, both have aging players who have obviously lost more than a step in their game. This did not dissuade Palmer with trying to force feed the pair much too often at the expense at the team or chance for success. Once Owens was signed, most predicted Cincinnati would lose often because teams that Owens plays on typically lose more than they win.
Cincinnati will have the fourth pick of the 2011 draft, and many feel it will go for a defensive player. Heisman winner Newton and the technically-sound Gabbert are two quarterbacks many experts feel will be the first quarterbacks drafted, and it would not be nonsensical for Cincinnati to at least consider them.
Though just 31 years old, the fading arm strength and losing record of Palmer deserves more scrutiny than it has gotten so far. It may be unlikely another quarterback replaces him in 2011, but that might be the right move for the Bengals.
Derek Anderson
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Anderson is an enigma. Tall with a strong arm, he put it all together in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl for the Cleveland Browns. He became wildly inconsistent after that, playing a timid game. This caused the Browns to cut him after 2009.
He joined the Arizona Cardinals last year with a juicy invitation to resurrect his career. The Cardinals were full of excellent wide receivers, led by Larry Fitzgerald. Anderson flopped so bad he was benched by a pair of rookies twice throughout the season.
Many expect Arizona to draft a quarterback with the fifth overall selection this year. Anderson, who signed a two-year deal worth $7.25 million last year, will most likely be cut. Though it appears he will never again regain his Pro Bowl form, there could be a few teams interested in him as a reserve because of his game experience.
Alex Smith
Despite putting up the best quarterback rating of his career in 2010, the Alex Smith Experiment may be over for the San Francisco 49ers. The first overall pick in 2005 has lost much more than he has won so far, and has often been benched in favor of journeymen-types because he has failed to progress much.
The Niners have the seventh pick of the draft this year, and many critics are split on who they will pick. Though Smith is entering the final year of a contract that has handed him $49.5 million, some think a quarterback will be drafted and groomed to take over by 2012 if not sooner.
Smith has played so erratically in his career that the bust label follows him everywhere. His lack of improvement has also brought out more critics and concern. If the Niners stick with him in 2011, it would hardly be a surprise to see him benched yet again.
Brett Favre
Before you start singing "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead," never count out the Hickocrite.
Yes, he has turned in his retirement papers to the NFL offices, but Favre has done this a bunch of times already.
Yes, it appears his legendary career is over, and an induction at Canton will be his next move, but he could be a phone call away from donning his Crocs again at the end of a training camp.
Who knows what his next move is. It is doubtful Favre himself knows.
Besides, what will ESPN do if they can't say his name every 15 seconds?
For those who missed Monday Night Football last night, you didn't miss much...It was another clunker...MNF games have sucked this year...But there was a good moment...Here it comes, my Tool of the Week nomination...
On the sidelines, while down 18 points, Cardinals QB, Derek Anderson and O-lineman Deuce Lutui were talking and smiling...It looked as if they were cracking jokes, and analyst Jon Gruden voiced his displeasure with it...I was right there with him...How can you be getting your ass kicked, and just be sitting there, grinning, and shootin' the shit?
Thankful after the game a member of the media asked Anderson about it, and it gave a us a instant, classic, flip out!
Did he just say he wasn't laughing...Did he just try to blow it off..."That's fine, that's fine, that's fine." What a fucking child...What a dolt...Derek, are you sure you weren't laughing and/or smiling? I think this clip shows it differently than you remember...
What a fucking tool! I'm so glad you aren't a Brown anymore!
I think it rather amazing the connection between art and life and how each imitates the other. Some commercials these days are really high tech ways of controlling our thoughts, impulses and perceptions.
In keeping with that idea, we will embark on a journey, where we control the horizontal, we will control the vertical, we can change the focus to a soft blur to crystal control. For next few minutes we will control all that see you and hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to the Outer Limits.
I love the commercial where the narrator asks if it is a good idea to have a snowball fight with former pitching great Randy Johnson. This year another flame throwing is moving up through the Red Organization. His name Aroldis Chapman. Like Randy Johnson, he has yet to harness his vast potential and part of that is to find a speed compatible with good control. He has been recorded as high as 103.9 mph this year.
So at #1 on my commercial review is the ad that features Randy Jackson. Is it a good idea to bat against Chapman?
Formerly of the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team, the third baseman was picked by the Cardinals in the last amateur draft. He will possibly be a longterm answer in the future and the 3rd base position and a shot at bolstering a minor league system that has been according to some, depleted.
At #3 is the Geico Commercial asking if Abe Lincoln really honest? In this scenario I am asking where Tony LaRussa was honestly trying to win. The first that comes to mind was that loss to the Mets in like 20ish innings. It was as though they considered that but one game and I just have to wonder if that logic is terribly flawed and perhaps was a portent of bad things to come.
There were other situations too. Players on the injured list for extended periods of time. Examples were Ryan Ludwick, Colby Rasmus and others.
At number 4 on my list of GEICO commercials is Andres Cortes and his bizarre scorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre. In this instance I am trying to convey that the Cardinals offense was many times punchless. Being shut out over 10 times this season. Scorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring was at a premium and mediocre pitches often appeared like Cy Young. And sadly, the Cardinals had two pitchers and perhaps three, who could have won the award, if the Cardinals would have scorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred.
Number 5 on my GEICO list is R. Lee Ermey's depiction as a psychiatrist. I use this example to vent against Cardinal's underachiever and malinger Brad Penny. This guy strains a leg muscle after hitting a grand slam and as a consequence was on the DL for the rest of the season. He was mamby pampy and symptomatic of a listless mentality that seem to only awaken for three days after the big brawl.
There is an influx of little men in the 2010 NFL season expected to make significant impact. Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers has been making an impact with his team since 2005. He excels on special teams, but also makes a contribution on offense as well as a 5'6" running back.
Dexter McCluster is said to stand 5'8" , though some say he is shorter, and weighs 170 pounds. He was drafted in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010. Though he is listed as a kick returner, running back, and wide receiver, the Chiefs are expected to use him in a variety of ways.
Brandon Banks reportedly stands 5'7" and weighs just 149 pounds. He joined the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent rookie this year, and has done well returning punts. He scored on an electric 77-yard return, but has a propensity to fumble. He coughed up the ball three times in preseason.
Trindon Holliday tips the scales at 5'5" and 165 pounds. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by the Houston Texans. Considered one of the fastest men ever in college football, he hurt his thumb in the preseason and will miss the rest of the year.
This recent influx of tiny players is nothing new for the league, but has been seen less and less over the past few decades. The 1980's had Joe Morris, Stump Mitchell and Lionel "Train"James, three smaller running backs. Morris was listed at 5'7" and played with the New York Giants from 1982 to 1988. He went to the Pro Bowl twice, ran for over 1,000 yards three times, and led the NFL with 21 touchdown runs in 1985. He ran for a career best 1,516 yards the next year, helping the Giants get to Super Bowl XXI. He scored once in the New York victory over the Denver Broncos. He attempted to play for the Cleveland Browns in 1991, then retired.
His younger brother Jamie, also listed at 5'7", played three years in the NFL. He once carried the ball a whopping 45 times for 152 yards in a game for the Washington Redskins during the 1988 season. It is still an NFL record for the most carries in a single game.
The Redskins loved to use small running backs in that era. Reggie Brooks stood 5'8", and gained 1,063 yards during his 1993 rookie year. Keith Griffin also stood 5'8", and was an important reserve who helped the team capture Super Bowl XXII.
James, like Sproles, stood 5'6" and played for the San Diego Chargers from 1984 to 1988. He led the NFL in kickoff returns and yards as a rookie before playing his way into the starting lineup the next year. He led the league with a then NFL record 2,535 all purpose yards. He had 1,027 yards receiving, which was then a record for a running back, on 86 catches. He once gained 345 yards in a single games as well.
Mitchell, who played with the Saint Louis Cardinals from 1981 to 1989, was said to have been shorter than his listed height of 5'9". He led the NFL in kickoff return yards as a rookie, and became a 1,000 yard running back five years later after averaging a NFL best 5.5 yards per carry.
Buddy Young is easily the most famous small player in pro football history, standing just 5'4" and weighing 175 pound. He join the New York Yankees of the All American Football Conference, the precursor to the NFL Colts franchise, in 1947.
Known as "The Bronze Bullet", Young was considered one of the greatest football players of that era. He was an All-American in his freshman year at the University of Illinois after equalling several of Red Grange's school records, including touchdowns scored in a single season. Like many players, he then had to joined the military to serve because of World War 2 after his freshman season.
When he fulfilled his obligations in 1946, he spurned offers to turn pro and returned to Illinois. Young then helped them win the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl. He was also an All-American in track. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Young was a trailblazer, being one of a few African-American players to play professional football then. He joined the Yankees and formed one of the more electrifying backfield tandems in pro football with Spec Sanders and gained a career best 712 yards on 116 carries, a 6.1 yards per carry average, as a rookie playing fullback. Young was also a superb return specialist. In his first year, he scored a touchdown on both a punt return and kickoff return. He was fifth in the AAFC in total yards, and was named Second Team All-AAFC that season.
The Yankees became the New York Yanks in 1950, then became the Dallas Texans in 1952, and he stayed with the team even though bigotry in Texas was so bad that season the team had to play many of their home games in Hershey, Pennsylvania and Akron, Ohio. He still led the NFL with 23 kick returns for 643 yards for a team that failed to win a single game.
The Texans became the Baltimore Colts the next year, and Young was still with the team. He returned 11 kicks for 378 yards, a career high 34.4 yards per return average, and scored on a 104 yard return. It was the second longest return in NFL history at the time, and is still the 13th longest ever.
He made his lone Pro Bowl squad in 1954. His last season as a player was in 1955. He then retired and became the first Colt to have his jersey retired. He continued to break new ground after retirement. Young became the first African-American to be hired as an executive by the NFL, and later was named Director of Player Relations.
Buddy Young was a tough man who preferred to play without a face mask and hardly any pads. He was the fastest player in the FL at one time, and once tied the 60-yard indoor dash record of 6.1 seconds. He even beat a race horse in a 100 yard dash while with the Colts.
The shortest player in NFL history was Jack "Soapy" Shapiro of the the 1929 Staten Island Stapletons. He stood five foot and a half inch, weighing just 119 pounds. Though he is officially recognized to have played blocking back in one game, records in those days were poorly kept. Shapiro clams he was with the team three regular season games and two exhibition games, playing in three games total.
There have been diminutive quarterbacks that excelled in the NFL. Eddie LeBaron supposedly stood 5'9", but reportedly was closer to 5'7", and weighed 168 pounds. The tenth round draft choice lasted 11 seasons in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl four times.
Davey O'Brien stood 5'7", weighing 151 pounds, and was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1939 after winning the Heisman Trophy. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie before suddenly retired to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and there is an award named after him that is annually given to the best quarterback in college football.
Doug Flutie was the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner. Because he appeared to be shorter than his listed height of 5'9", the Los Angeles Rams drafted him in the 11th round. Flutie opted to play a season in the United States Football League before giving the NFL a try. He started with the Chicago Bears, who had traded for his rights, but did not last eve two years with them before being moved to the New England Patriots. After winning eight of 13 starts over three years, he was released.
Finding no job offers he liked in the NFL, he went to the Canadian Football League and played with three teams over eight years. After winning three CFL championships, and setting numerous records, he returned to the NFL for eight more seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl once. He converted the first successful drop kick in over 65 years during the 2006 season.
There are countless other stories of small men who were superb in the NFL. In 2009, there were 27 players listed at 5'8" or shorter on rosters. Men like Darrell Green and Barry Sanders were Hall of Famers from the 1990's, while others like Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, Kevin Faulk, Jim Leonhard, and Bob Sanders star in the game today.
The expression that the size of the heart overcomes the size of the body is modeled by these people. With the inevitable growth of the human race each generation that is shown by the fact that a man rarely under 300 pounds plays in the NFL trenches anymore, these little guys give hope to the ordinary man who still hangs onto childhood dreams of having the ability to play the game.
They keep us grounded as they soar in the eyes of appreciation. For it is these David's that walk in the land of Goliath not needing a sling shot to win.
Week One Picks
Cleveland @ Tampa Bay : Cleveland gets one of their few wins of the year. Of course, the Bucs could be saying the same thing.
Miami @ Buffalo : If the Dolphins are going to get respect, they must win these type of games.
Cincinnati @ New England : A playoff game on opening day. If Cincy runs, then it will open the pass. The Pats have a very happy quarterback intent on earning his $72 million.
Indianapolis @ Houston : The Colts were flat in preseason, while the Texans get a lot of love as a team on the rise. I expect these two to split the series this year.
Denver @ Jacksonville : The Broncos seem to start each season fast recently. An opening day win seems probable if Orton can throw well, since there is no running game yet.
Atlanta @ Pittsburgh : A lot was made of the loss of Ben Roethisberger for a month, but the Steelers still had three very capable quarterbacks on their roster. After an injury to one, they have two. How many teams can claim this?
Oakland @ Tennessee : I expect the Raiders to be much better than some expect. They had a very good offseason.
Carolina @ New York Giants : The Jints need this "W" bad to stay pace in the NFC East already. Carolina will struggle against all of their receivers.
Detroit @ Chicago : The Lions are no longer the joke of the NFL, and the Bears learn this Sunday.
Arizona @ Saint Louis : The Cards might be able to win this with even Matt Leinart at quarterback. MAYBE.
Green Bay @ Philadelphia : Maybe 80 passes will be thrown....or more. Shoot out here perhaps.
San Francisco @ Seattle : The Niners defense will be the difference here.
Dallas @ Washington : The best rivalry in the NFL. A flat Dallas against a beat up Redskins. The Cowboys have a history of healing against the Redskins.
Baltimore @ New York Jets (Game of the Week) : Ray Lewis is saying his ex-defensive coordinator, now current Jets head coach, Rex Ryan is trying to cash in a check his mouth can't cover. Baltimore has too many weapons and much too much pride to lose here.
San Diego @ Kansas City : The Chiefs are better, but they just aren't ready to be on the Chargers level yet.
It's the most wonderful time of the year folks...Football season is here...Yes, I'm a huge Hockey fan, and there's nothing better than the Stanley Cup Playoffs...But growing up in North East Ohio, it is all about Football...And here, the season started last Friday...The kids and I followed the High School Band down to the stadium, and watched our team take on their neighborhood rival...The owned us, 26-0...They needed to get payback for the beating we gave them last year...
Tomorrow night the College Football season kicks off with a few games...A little warm up for Saturday...Ahhh, Saturday...Fighting Irish Football returns as they take on Purdue...The first step to the turnaround many of us have been waiting for...I'm ready for it!
I have to fired up for College Football, because living in Cleveland, I don't have much faith in the Browns...Thank God there's Fantasy Football to keep me interested in the NFL...Speaking of Fantasy Football, here's a tip from the Beeze...
DON'T DRAFT THAT HACK MATT LEINART! While you're at it, just avoid drafting any Arizona Cardinals...If Derek Anderson starts, he'll throw just as many to the opposing team as he will to his own guys...Believe me, I saw him do it last year! Cardinals receivers numbers will be down...And don't think Beanie Wells will be the key...teams are gonna put 8 in the box to stop the run, 'cause they don't fear anyone at the QB position...
Back to College Football...Many expected the University of North Carolina Tar Heels to have big season this year...Well, things aren't looking so good anymore...As the 'Heels are getting ready to open their season, they're being investigated by the NCAA for multiple violations...There are rumors of players having contact with an agent...Also there has been even more talk about some inappropriate academic behavior having to do with the teams former tutor...Accusations include, the tutor doing assignments for some of the players...It's also been said the tutor also worked for Coach Butch Davis' family...Well, Butch, you were dolt in Cleveland, why would that change just 'cause you moved back down south?
Now to the important stuff...On this fine Hump Day, which cheerleader tops your preseason rankings...
A. Some Beaver power from Oregon State!
B. How about some practice time with a Sooner?
C. Who wants to see if those Clemson Tigers growl?
