I have always been a fan of the Oakland Raiders going back to the 1970's with Head Coach John Madden, QB's Daryl Lamonica and Ken Stabler, Art Schell, Gene Upshaw, Lester Hayes, Cliff Branch, Lyle Alzado and a cast of characters that would take forever to list.
Al Davis was behind all of this after joining the team in 1963 as the general manager and head coach. He later became the owner. When he died the other day at the age of 82, he left a legacy that can never truly be measured. He left a huge imprint on the NFL and it's financial success.
He certainly had critics who felt that he stayed around too long. Many questioned his personnel moves. Pats fans saw it with the acquisition of Richard Seymour and paying exorbitant salaries for free agents.
He was the most colorful character on a team with colorful players. I wish they played better in recent years. Davis was criticized for recent losing seasons. I'm not sure what happened or who is to blame.
I enjoyed following the career of Al Davis and his team. They are a great NFL Franchise.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Not A Great Name
Sports teams sell the naming rights to stadiums for huge amounts of money. The Pats did it with Gillette Stadium after they ended the contract as CMGI Field. Both of these names have a nice ring to them. I think when you name it after a person, the words flow better. CMGI is a defunct company while the razor maker bares the name of its founder, King Gillette.
The Superdome is following the lead of other sports arena and renaming themselves the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. They are naming it after a car brand.
The dome is owned by the state of Louisiana, but the New Orleans Saints have the authority to sell the naming rights. They have a lease on the stadium through 2025.
The price for the 10 year naming rights was not disclosed, but the car company must have paid top dollar for naming a facility that has been the site of numerous high-profile sporting and political events.
At least it doesn't have one of those horrible sounding .com names like they have for college football bowl games.
The Superdome is following the lead of other sports arena and renaming themselves the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. They are naming it after a car brand.
The dome is owned by the state of Louisiana, but the New Orleans Saints have the authority to sell the naming rights. They have a lease on the stadium through 2025.
The price for the 10 year naming rights was not disclosed, but the car company must have paid top dollar for naming a facility that has been the site of numerous high-profile sporting and political events.
At least it doesn't have one of those horrible sounding .com names like they have for college football bowl games.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Quarter Season
The season is one quarter over and some experts seem to think that teams that have good records at this point will make the playoffs. That is so wrong.
Buffalo, Houston, Tennessee, Baltimore, San Diego and New England for the AFC and New York Giants, Washington, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and San Francisco for the NFC all are at 3-1 at this point in the season. A lot will change this weekend.
We can't forget that Green Bay and Detroit are 4-0. It sounds normal for the Packers, but we are in uncharted waters for the Lions. I hope they go a long ways this season.
Buffalo, Houston, Tennessee, Baltimore, San Diego and New England for the AFC and New York Giants, Washington, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and San Francisco for the NFC all are at 3-1 at this point in the season. A lot will change this weekend.
We can't forget that Green Bay and Detroit are 4-0. It sounds normal for the Packers, but we are in uncharted waters for the Lions. I hope they go a long ways this season.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Namath Gets Pounded
Maybe former Jets QB Joe Namath should just make comments to sideline reporters on national television while he is drunk. That seems easier than the firestorm he is in with the current Jet team.
Jets OL Matt Slauson is the latest to tee off on Namath with his quote: "We don't care one bit what Joe Namath has to say. He means nothing to us."
It's unfortunate that things have reached this point with Namath and his former team. Namath is thirty years removed from the game. He is dealing with another generation. His comments seem to have no credibility with the Jets.
I don't know how he can repair his relationship with them. Namath is not a commentator or analyst. Former players such as Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison can criticize their former team because of their new role in the media.
I think Namath will be forever known for his drunken rant while talking to sideline reporter Suzie Kolber. It was not one of his career highlights. He lost a lot of credibility.
Jets OL Matt Slauson is the latest to tee off on Namath with his quote: "We don't care one bit what Joe Namath has to say. He means nothing to us."
It's unfortunate that things have reached this point with Namath and his former team. Namath is thirty years removed from the game. He is dealing with another generation. His comments seem to have no credibility with the Jets.
I don't know how he can repair his relationship with them. Namath is not a commentator or analyst. Former players such as Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison can criticize their former team because of their new role in the media.
I think Namath will be forever known for his drunken rant while talking to sideline reporter Suzie Kolber. It was not one of his career highlights. He lost a lot of credibility.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Many Transactions For One Guy
The road to the NFL has many stops for some players. They are involved in numerous roster transactions before they ever stick around. Troy Brown was like that. It's harder for an undrafted player.
Ross Ventrone is the classic example after not being drafted in 2010. The Pats thought of using the final pick of the entire draft to select him, but instead he was signed as a free agent.
His career is an interesting summary of player transactions:
Played the first pre-season game against the Saints before being waived on Aug 15, 2010.
Signed on Aug 23, 2010. Played the final two pre-season games before being released in the final cut on Sept 4.
Signed to the Practice squad on Oct 19, 2010
Signed a Futures Contract on Jan 18, 2011
First game played against Buffalo. Released on Oct 1, 2011
Signed to the Practice Squad Oct 4, 2011
Future actions to be determined.
His brother Ray followed the same path. He seems to have found a home with the Cleveland Browns. It remains to to be seen what the future holds for Ross.
Ross Ventrone is the classic example after not being drafted in 2010. The Pats thought of using the final pick of the entire draft to select him, but instead he was signed as a free agent.
His career is an interesting summary of player transactions:
Played the first pre-season game against the Saints before being waived on Aug 15, 2010.
Signed on Aug 23, 2010. Played the final two pre-season games before being released in the final cut on Sept 4.
Signed to the Practice squad on Oct 19, 2010
Signed a Futures Contract on Jan 18, 2011
First game played against Buffalo. Released on Oct 1, 2011
Signed to the Practice Squad Oct 4, 2011
Future actions to be determined.
His brother Ray followed the same path. He seems to have found a home with the Cleveland Browns. It remains to to be seen what the future holds for Ross.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Vague Injury Report
The Pats were unable to escape the Raiders win without injuries to players. I never use the term "key players" because everyone on the roster is important or they wouldn't be there. (as Bill Belichick would say).
Danny Woodhead had some type of ankle injury while Jerod Mayo left with a "sprain of his MCL". That is about as vague as you can get. I once had a MCL sprain. It hurt a great deal. I wondered back then how these guys are able to play with such injuries.
Mayo could be out 2-6 weeks. This will certainly impact the defense for the rest of the season. No matter how good his rehab goes, there is no way that he comes back in 2-6 weeks and plays like he didn't get hurt.
The same thing happened a couple of years ago. He had surgery and came back too soon. He was never the same player for the rest of the season.
As with any injury, we need to look at its long term impact on the player's career. Any player in the NFL could show us an endless list of injuries and surgeries.
Danny Woodhead had some type of ankle injury while Jerod Mayo left with a "sprain of his MCL". That is about as vague as you can get. I once had a MCL sprain. It hurt a great deal. I wondered back then how these guys are able to play with such injuries.
Mayo could be out 2-6 weeks. This will certainly impact the defense for the rest of the season. No matter how good his rehab goes, there is no way that he comes back in 2-6 weeks and plays like he didn't get hurt.
The same thing happened a couple of years ago. He had surgery and came back too soon. He was never the same player for the rest of the season.
As with any injury, we need to look at its long term impact on the player's career. Any player in the NFL could show us an endless list of injuries and surgeries.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Defense Will Hurt Them
It's great that the Pats are 3-1 and averaging over 30 points in each of their games. I think they are relying on Wes Welker too much. If anything happens to him, the team is in deep trouble.
The bigger problem is on defense. They can't keep letting teams pile up over 400 yards of offense every week. This is going to come back and bite them at some point.
They can go through their schedule and assemble a record good enough to make the playoffs, but I think they are headed for another repeat of the last two seasons when they lost in the opening round.
The bigger problem is on defense. They can't keep letting teams pile up over 400 yards of offense every week. This is going to come back and bite them at some point.
They can go through their schedule and assemble a record good enough to make the playoffs, but I think they are headed for another repeat of the last two seasons when they lost in the opening round.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
A Different Approach
There is such a difference in the physical toughness between football and baseball players. A couple of weeks ago, the Red Sox were involved in a crucial day/night double-header. Carl Crawford said he couldn't play because of a stiff neck.
We can contrast this to Cowboy's QB Tony Romo who will play this week with a fractured rib he suffered a couple of weeks ago. He also had a partially collapsed lung.
Romo said he will take a pain injection shortly before the game and wear a Kevlar vest to protect his ribs. The pain after the game will be significant once the medication wears off.
In a league with contracts not being guaranteed on the long term, NFL players certainly take a different approach to the game than MLB.
We can contrast this to Cowboy's QB Tony Romo who will play this week with a fractured rib he suffered a couple of weeks ago. He also had a partially collapsed lung.
Romo said he will take a pain injection shortly before the game and wear a Kevlar vest to protect his ribs. The pain after the game will be significant once the medication wears off.
In a league with contracts not being guaranteed on the long term, NFL players certainly take a different approach to the game than MLB.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Playing on the Same Field
It's hard to believe that the Oakland Raiders play in a stadium that also has baseball games. Multi-sport facilities are relics of the past. They can make for some very awkward site lines.
I went to a baseball game in Oakland back in the 90's. The Raiders had recently constructed some luxury boxes. It was easy to notice that the stadium was not conducive to football.
I think it's a bad idea to have a baseball infield as part of the gridiron. The Raiders were planning to put turf down for Sunday's game because the baseball season is over.
Loose turf can always cause problems for both teams. I would like to see the league have a uniform playing.surface for all teams. I doubt it will happen because of stadium ownership issues across the league.
I went to a baseball game in Oakland back in the 90's. The Raiders had recently constructed some luxury boxes. It was easy to notice that the stadium was not conducive to football.
I think it's a bad idea to have a baseball infield as part of the gridiron. The Raiders were planning to put turf down for Sunday's game because the baseball season is over.
Loose turf can always cause problems for both teams. I would like to see the league have a uniform playing.surface for all teams. I doubt it will happen because of stadium ownership issues across the league.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Tale of Seymour
When Richard Seymour played for the Pats there was always the concern that they could not sign him to a long term contract after the 2009 season. They traded him to the Oakland Raiders shortly before the start of the season.
He was reluctant to go to Oakland, but reported a few days late. The Raiders were unable to work a long term deal so he played the 2010 season for $12.4 million. They finally gave him a two year, $3o million contract through 2012. That means he has a potential to make over $30 million through his time in Oakland, in addition to the money he made in 2009.
Mnay players talk about getting a Super Bowl ring. He has three from his time with the Pats. It's also important to make money while you still have a career. Seymour did both. The only problem for him is that he plays in Oakland which has rabid fans, but an owner who is a control freak.
When Seymour looks back on his career he can say he won three championships, made a lot of money and finished his carer with a big contract on a lousy team.
He was reluctant to go to Oakland, but reported a few days late. The Raiders were unable to work a long term deal so he played the 2010 season for $12.4 million. They finally gave him a two year, $3o million contract through 2012. That means he has a potential to make over $30 million through his time in Oakland, in addition to the money he made in 2009.
Mnay players talk about getting a Super Bowl ring. He has three from his time with the Pats. It's also important to make money while you still have a career. Seymour did both. The only problem for him is that he plays in Oakland which has rabid fans, but an owner who is a control freak.
When Seymour looks back on his career he can say he won three championships, made a lot of money and finished his carer with a big contract on a lousy team.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Mr Ed
I have always been fascinated with Ed Anzalone, also known as Fireman Ed. Since 1986, he has been a fixture at New York Jets games, leading the fans in the J-E-T-S chant. He retired from the FDNY back in 2007.
He has made a second career of being the team's mascot. Television networks always show him leading the chant during the game.
I recently saw an ad in the New York Post that promoted his personal appearance at a bar during the recent road game against the Oakland Raiders. The New York City bar was telling fans to "watch the game with Fireman Ed". They also advertised $4 beers and chicken wing specials.
I wonder if he got paid. I assume he did. He has a great gig going for himself.
He has made a second career of being the team's mascot. Television networks always show him leading the chant during the game.
I recently saw an ad in the New York Post that promoted his personal appearance at a bar during the recent road game against the Oakland Raiders. The New York City bar was telling fans to "watch the game with Fireman Ed". They also advertised $4 beers and chicken wing specials.
I wonder if he got paid. I assume he did. He has a great gig going for himself.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Rex and Joe
Apparently, Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan has taken a page from Tom Brady's comments about the Chad Ochocinco and Tedy Bruschi verbal spat. He blasted former Jets QB Joe Namath for his comments about the team's loss to the Raiders.
Much like Brady, he said that Namath was not qualified to make his comments because he was not around the team on a daily basis. He even offered Namath a chance to be the back-up QB.
Is this starting a trend in the NFL where the analysts and commentators can no linger criticize their former teams? Namath has been removed from the game for 30 years. Tedy Bruschi no longer suits up, but they still have their own perspective. Neither of the players are around the team daily, but they played the game long enough to have some credibility.
Pretty soon, criticism will no longer be allowed because feelings are being hurt. Maybe Chad, Tedy, Rex and Joe should have a beer summit with President Obama.
Much like Brady, he said that Namath was not qualified to make his comments because he was not around the team on a daily basis. He even offered Namath a chance to be the back-up QB.
Is this starting a trend in the NFL where the analysts and commentators can no linger criticize their former teams? Namath has been removed from the game for 30 years. Tedy Bruschi no longer suits up, but they still have their own perspective. Neither of the players are around the team daily, but they played the game long enough to have some credibility.
Pretty soon, criticism will no longer be allowed because feelings are being hurt. Maybe Chad, Tedy, Rex and Joe should have a beer summit with President Obama.
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