No For Ed

I thought it was a joke, but it was serious. There is a poll being taken by Jets fans to see who should  make the final four for the team's "Mt Rushmore". The list includes legends from the past like Joe Namath, Mark Gastineu and former GM Weeb Eubank. Darelle Reavis is a nominee from the present.

One who didn't make the list was self-proclaimed ultimate fan "Fireman Ed". I don't think he belongs on the list. He never played or coached. He was a very devoted fan who became a darling of the media.

Once you start including fans and mascots on the list, it loses all credibility.

An Officer and a Player

Coach Belichick has reached out over the years to several players from the US Naval Academy. Eric Kettani spent three seasons on the reserve/military list for the Pats after his graduation in 2009. They released him prior to the start of the 2012 season.

He landed on the practice squad of the Washington Redskins. He has completed three years of active duty and now is the only Naval Reserve Officer in the NFL. He is one of the 90 players on the Redskins roster. At the age of 26, he is still looking for his first NFL action.

It remains to be seen what the final outcome will be, but he is a shining example of perseverance and duty. The Redskins would be wise to find a spot for him if they feel he can still play.

The Stewards

I wonder what Robert and Jonathan Kraft think of their team right now. They are the stewards of the Pats franchise. They have a public relations nightmare ready to happen with the Aaron Hernandez situation. They are sitting tight while the investigation continues. Commissioner Goodell will come down strong on him when it's time.

What does Coach Belichick think about all this? No Gronk until at least six games into the season. Hernandez looks very doubtful to even be on the team.

There goes one of the greatest tight end duos in league history. They only had three years together, but made Tom Brady so much better on the offense. What happens now? They have four tight ends on the roster, but none can play like Hernandez or Gronk.

Our Own Mr Irrelevant

TE Justice Cunningham of South Carolina will forever be known as "Mr Irrelevant" of the 2013 NFL draft. He shares that distinction with a special group of players who have the honor of being the last pick. He was selected by the Colts with the 254th overall pick and will be treated to a trip to Disneyland, a big party and a "roast" in Newport, California.

He may never make it through training camp, but there are several players who has good careers.
In 1994, Bill Parecells and the Pats selected LB Marty Moore from Kentucky as Mr Irrelevant. Moore played eight seasons for the Pats and the Cleveland Browns.

It's interesting to note that Moore left the Pats when Coach Belichick arrived in 2000. He played 16 games with the Browns and was reunited with the Pats for the 2001 Super Bowl season. He only played three games, ending up on IR.

He is the only Mr Irrelevant to play in the Super Bowl when he was with the Pats during their 1996 run and their eventual loss to Green Bay.

Just Getting Worse

NFL always means Not For Long. For three years, the Pats had the dynamic duo of tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aron Hernandez. Now, we wonder if they will ever play together again. Gronk deals with his back and arm issues. It seems like he is star-crossed with injuries.

Although Hernandez has not been arrested, the details that keep emerging paint a darker picture. There is also a shooting in Florida and a strip club incident in Providence to deal with.

The investigation needs to take its course. Will he get absolved or let off the hook? What about the other stuff? How will the league react? Will he be suspended?

I'm positive that he will get some type of suspension this season. I don't know if we will ever see Gronk and Hernandez on the field together again. It was great while it lasted, but it looked too good for something not to happen.

Where Will It Go?

Rob Gronkowski should have been the big story for the Pats. He underwent surgery on his back. There is a cloud over him for the 2013 season, but he was upended by Aaron Hernandez.

The story on Hernandez broke early last evening. He was questioned about a murder in North Attleboro. He is not being labeled a suspect, but the leased car that was allegedly used in the crime was under his name.

State Police showed up at his house and removed a few items along with two individuals. Nobody knows where this will lead to. The Pats issued the normal statement that didn't really say anything.

It came as a shock to all fans. Gronk has been surrounded by drama since the end of his season. Hernandez was being counted on for a huge year. The days and weeks ahead should prove interesting if the involvement of Hernandez gets deeper.

In London In The Future

The NFL appears determined to base a team in London.Their bigger concern is whether the fans will support it. The logistical issues of traveling back and forth are a small detail for the league.

The travel distance is a great issue in my opinion. It's not bad for east coast teams, but it only gets worse for those coming from the west coast. There are too many time zones to cross.

So far, the games have been well attended. Will that continue or is it just a passing fad? The Jacksonville Jaguars will be hosting a game in London for the next four seasons. It works for them because they are struggling to attract fans at home. They are often mentioned when franchises are considered for relocation.

The Steelers and Vikings will each play a second game there this season. If the league goes to three contests, the Jaguars are the prime candidate to be the host.

The league has no time frame for having a team there. Would it be an existing one or a new franchise? Whatever decision is made will be motivated by the financial aspects. That's driving the current thought of even playing a game there.

The Clock & Four

The Boston Sunday Globe did a great story about aging athletes in Boston. They profiled Tom Brady 35, David Ortiz 37, Zdeno Chara 38, and Paul Pierce at 35. The clock is ticking down on them. Who knows when they play their last game?

Brady wants to play until he's 40. How many more seasons will TB, Ortiz, Chara and Pierce  play? Nobody knows, but those guys really play for the love of the game at this point.

It's always about the money, but the love of the game is very important.

The Ring Story

Team owner Robert Kraft created some controversy when he spoke about the 2005 incident when Russian president Vladimir Putin pocketed Kraft's Super Bowl ring. At the time, it appeared that Kraft gave Putin the ring as a gesture of friendship between the two nations.

Now, he is saying that it was stolen from him and KGB agents refused to get it back from Putin. The White House contacted Kraft at the time and asked him to back off. Kraft had a replica of the ring made for himself.

Kraft made his comments after receiving the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence awarding New York City. His remarks caught the attention of the media. Putin has insisted that he didn't steal the ring.

It will be interesting to see if the whole controversy dies down or if it continues to fester. I think the story will fade away.

Tuesday For Gronk

It's not a good story when you read that Rob Cronkowski will be having back surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Nobody can really say how much time he will miss. Many think that he will start the season on the PUP List and miss the first six games.

I think that's the most optimistic outlook. The Pats are playing it close to the vest. He won't be ready for training camp or the start of the season. This is the second back surgery for him. It's only going to get worse for him unless something really changes.

Piling On The Band Wagon

Members of Congress love to jump on any cause related to the NFL. This time, some are calling on the Washington Redskins to change their nickname because they feel it's offensive to Native Americans.

This is an old argument. Commissioner Goodell released a statement in support of the team and indicated that the league has no plans to make any changes. This is an easy cause to take up. We saw the same thing happen during Spygate. Back then, some were questioning whether the NFL was violating any parts of the anti-trust laws.

Congress has trouble doing the job they were elected for. They can score political points by jumping on Spygate and the Redskin issue. This is so typical of them to do anything for media attention.

Not Just Another Guy

The Pats are doing their best to keep the Tim Tebow situation from being a distraction. Coach Belichick has been peppered with questions to no end. Robert Kraft has spoken fondly of Tebow in his comments to the media.

He is really just another player trying to make the roster, but brings a circus with him wherever he goes. The team has already decided to make him one of two players who the league allows to meet with the media only once a week. The other is Tom Brady. Vince Wilfork was the other one last year.

Tebow might be one of ninety on the roster, but a third string quarterback is usually lucky to have the media pay any attention to him.