NFL Season 2009

[taks]

he.just.wouldn't.shut.up!

 

taks

[Enoch]

A few months back, I caught part of a game from about two decades ago being replayed on the NFL Network with Madden in the booth. He was fantastic back then. The schtick has slowly taken over from the interesting analysis, but, IMO, he's still better than probably 60% of the color commentators doing pro games now. (It's a low bar, but it's the only one we've got.) He still can add useful information to the broadcast, while the majority of guys in the booth do nothing but stick to their script of hyping the star players (often regardless of how they're actually performing in the game).

Edited April 16, 2009 by Enoch

[Aristes]

I like Dennis Miller's style. I'm not really qualified to judge his commentary since I have so rarely been able to see the games, but I thought he had his good points and his bad points when I did see him. Some of his jokes fell a little flat and others were funny in their own way, but too cerebral for a yutz like me trying to concentrate on the game. I found myself ignoring him a lot and just watching the plays.

 

Madden might be the bar right now, but I wouldn't be unhappy if they got rid of the color commentary and just talked about the game at hand. That's from someone who doesn't get to see many game, though, so it might be a misguided thought.

 

Remember, this is Dolphins year to go all the way and win! Hey, stop laughing! It's gonna happen!

[Kelverin]

2009 NFL Free Agent Signings List

 

 

ARIZONA CARDINALS

[Gfted1]

New Lions logo. Now with teeth!

[Hurlshort]

Hey, can we do an Obsidian Fantasy Football league this season? I miss doing one, I pay better attention to the season when I'm involved.

[Gfted1]

New York Arena Team Offers Vick a Contract

Apr 28, 2:23 PM (ET) Email this Story

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Michael Vick has a place on a minor league football team if he can get reinstated by the NFL.

The Albany Firebirds, an arenafootball2 franchise, have offered the 28-year-old quarterback a one-year contract at the league standard: $200 a week plus a $50 bonus for a win.

 

Vick quarterbacked the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons before being convicted of bankrolling an interstate dog fighting business.

 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has not said if he will lift Vick's suspension after he completes a 23-month prison sentence. Vick goes from federal prison to home confinement next month.

 

The Firebirds' contract offer requires that Vick donate $100,000 to a local humane society.

 

A call to Vick's agent was not immediately returned.

 

Whaaaaaa? $200.00 a week comes to $3,200.00 over the course of a 16 week season? Thats gotta be a misprint, you can make more at McDonalds. At that rate he would have to play for 31.25 seasons just to pay off the freaking Humane Society "donation", or as I like to call it, extortion.

[Volourn]

"The Firebirds' contract offer requires that Vick donate $100,000 to a local humane society."

 

heh. They really expect him to donate more than the salary they are willing to pay him? Espicially since Vick is in debt. He's turning down that contract since it's only been put out there to insult, ridicule, and put him him down. The league is now considered trash.

 

Besides, he's NFL suspension will be lifted eventually, and a team will give hima contract. It won't be like his old contract but it will most assuredly be better than this one. Heeck, I believe Vick has a construction job offer on the table that will pay him more, and isn't as insulting.

[Enoch]

The AFL2 team doesn't expect Vick to do anything. This is a cheap grab at national headlines for a tiny struggling franchise.

 

Vick is done as an NFL player. By the time that he gets out of prison and past his NFL suspension, the athleticism that made him a useful QB will be long gone. Whatever he offers won't be enough for an NFL team to risk the negative PR associated with hiring him.

[Volourn]

Suspension likely won't be more than a year if even that. And, I guarantee you, one of the 32 teams will most definitely be interested. I cna see the contract already; minium salary + heavy incentives, and very extreme 'moral' clauses. No doubt about it. Players you have done worse things than Vick have come back to play. *shrug*

 

And, that so called 'negative PR' will probably canceled out by all the Vick jerseys that team will sell, and the extra tickets sold, and the high media coverage leading to higher ratings for games Vick plays.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Volourn

[Guard Dog]

Hey, can we do an Obsidian Fantasy Football league this season? I miss doing one, I pay better attention to the season when I'm involved.

At the very least we should do a weekly pool like we did two years ago...

[Gfted1]

Report: Owner of Arena Team Upset About Vick Stunt

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The owner of a minor league football team that offered Michael Vick a contract told a newspaper he didn't know about the publicity stunt and would not have approved it.

"I'm a dog lover and I don't want anything to do with (Vick)," Albany Firebirds owner Walter Robb told The Times Union for a story posted on its Web site Tuesday night.

 

Earlier in the day, the team an arenafootball2 franchise, announced it had offered the 28-year-old quarterback a one-year contract at the league standard: $200 a week plus a $50 bonus for a win.

 

"That's a joke," Robb said. "Can you imagine him playing for $200 a week? I think (the offer) was a big mistake."

 

The announcement was later pulled from the team's Web site.

 

Firebirds general manager Garen Szablewski told The Times Union the team's marketing department came up with the idea to make an offer to Vick.

 

"The process wasn't thought through properly," Szablewski said. "The right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing."

 

Vick played for the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons before being convicted of bankrolling an interstate dog fighting business.

 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has not said if he will lift Vick's suspension after he completes a 23-month prison sentence. Vick goes from federal prison to home confinement next month.

 

The Firebirds' contract offer also required Vick donate $100,000 to a local humane society.

 

A call to Vick's agent when the announcement of an offer was made was not immediately returned.

[Gfted1]

Gruden Replacing Kornheiser on MNF

 

May 18, 12:22 PM (ET)

 

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is replacing Tony Kornheiser on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team. Kornheiser cited a fear of flying in his decision to leave after three years.

 

The network said Monday that Gruden will be in the booth with Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski when the show starts its 40th season this fall.

 

"If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden," Kornheiser said in a statement released by the network. "He is the two things you most want - smart and funny - and has the two things I don't - good hair and a tan."

 

Gruden led the Bucs to the 2003 Super Bowl title but was fired after this past season after his team lost four straight games to miss the playoffs. He worked as a guest analyst this year with the NFL Network during the draft and scouting combine.

 

"To join Mike and Jaws in the booth and to work alongside this top-notch team is going to be a real thrill," Gruden said.

 

Gruden will make his debut with ESPN with a preseason game on Aug. 13, a Super Bowl rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

Kornheiser will continue to appear on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," and is relieved it doesn't require air travel.

 

"My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true," he said. "When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air."

 

Gruden was an NFL head coach the past 11 seasons, with the Buccaneers (2002-08) and Oakland Raiders (1998-01). He had a 100-85 record, leading his teams to five division titles.

 

His best season came in 2002, when the Buccaneers went 12-4 and then beat the Raiders 48-21 in the Super Bowl. Gruden was 38 at the time and the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.

 

Gruden began his NFL coaching career in 1990 when San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren hired him as an assistant. When Holmgren was hired to coach the Packers in 1992, Gruden became his wide receivers coach.

 

After three seasons, Gruden went to the Eagles as an offensive coordinator, and in 1998 became coach of the Raiders at 34.

 

He should have talked to John Madden.

[Volourn]

Fear of flying? He's been doing it for 3 years... why did he just back out now? WOW!

[Enoch]

Gruden in the booth should be interesting. The most entertaining aspect of NFLN's draft coverage was watching Gruden squirm while on camera, visibly uncomfortable at having to deviate from his normal "4+ F-Bombs per sentence" mode of speaking.

[Gfted1]

Vick to Be Closely Monitored for 2 Months

 

May 18, 2:52 PM (ET)

 

By LARRY O'DELL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -Even though Michael Vick is leaving prison this week, he won't exactly be a free man.

 

For two months, the suspended NFL star will be largely confined to his Hampton home and will wear an electronic monitor that allows federal probation officials to track his movements.

 

He will be allowed to go to his full-time construction job and likely will be allowed about five hours a week for other court-approved activities, according to Ed Bales, managing director of Federal Prison Consultants, an inmate rehabilitation advocacy group.

 

Permissible activities for inmates on home confinement typically include things like medical appointments, religious obligations and meetings with probation officials. No dinners out. No chilling at a friend's house.

 

And definitely no bars.

 

"He's going to be pretty much read the riot act: 'If we catch you in one situation like that, it's back to you know where,"' Bales said.

 

The tight restrictions are designed to ease Vick's transition from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., back into the community. He is serving a 23-month sentence for a dogfighting conspiracy and is expected to be released from federal custody on July 20.

 

After that, Bales said, Vick will have 72 hours to report to the probation officer to find out what new rules he will have to follow during three years of supervised probation. Typically, those rules include travel restrictions, holding down a job and avoiding known criminals.

 

One restriction tailored specifically for Vick: He can never again own a dog. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson already made that decision when he sentenced Vick. He also ordered enrollment in a substance abuse program if Vick's parole officer deems it necessary.

 

During the day, Vick will earn $10 an hour as a general laborer at one of W.M. Jordan Co.'s 40 commercial construction sites, company president John R. Lawson has said.

 

Bales said less than 5 percent of federal inmates are transferred directly from prison to home confinement. The more usual scenario is a transfer to a halfway house, but all the beds in the area were booked beyond Vick's release date.

 

In some ways, Bales said, a halfway house is an easier gig than home confinement. Residents generally have a couple of hours of free time after work and are furloughed on weekends, he said. The downside: "You're with other people, and there are problems that can occur," Bales said.

 

The only people Vick will be with during his home confinement are is fiancee and their children. The five-bedroom, 3,538-square-foot brick home has an assessed value of $748,100, according to Hampton city tax records.

 

You know, I dont know why, but it really aggravates me how much this guy is getting raked over the coals. I know we all have to go pale with moral outrage but FFS, all this just seems so over the top. Two YEARS in prison, huge fine, house arrest, etc... Give it a rest already.

[Volourn]

It's real simple. It's about money, and fame. If it wasn't for who Vick is, people would read his story, say what he did was wrong, and then they'd move on. But, because it's Micheal Vick, they want him tortured as inhumanely as possible in some sick twisted revenge. Not ebcause those people care about the dogs; but out of sheer jealousy of what success he has had.

 

He'll rebound. He'll be back in the NFL contrary to what some want. Seriously, epople will not be happy until he is literally fed to dogs as a meal.

[Enoch]

OK, who went and encouraged Volo in his "pity the poor millionaire athletes" schitck? Yes, there is an emotional reaction at play here-- fans feel betrayed when someone they previously believed in and cheered for turns out to be have despicable aspects to his habits/personality-- that sometimes generates overreactions. And the prosecution was understandably focused on Vick as the money behind the dogfighting and gambling operations. (From the NFL's point of view, the latter element is the more serious one, along with the fact that he lied to the Commissioner and the Falcons owner when asked directly about his involvement.) But, public/media reactions aside, Vick's treatment by the authorities and by the League has been, in my view, pretty reasonable considering the scope of his actions.

 

 

Personally, my guess is that Vick won't play in the NFL again. Not because he'll get banned, but because after 2 years in prison, away from NFL-caliber conditioning, training, diet, etc., he's just not going to have the athleticism that made him such a dangerous player in the first place. (And his passing skills absent that athleticism were never strong enough to make him a credible starting QB.)

[Gfted1]

Well, IMO, they went after him with the dogs (lulz) and threw the book at him. The punishment does not fit the crime here. You can go bash someones face in with a pipe and you wont get two years in the pen + ridiculous fine to show the ASPCA just how sorry you are + home confinement? Come on.

 

I also think he'll play again. There are plenty of teams that will instantly become better at QB the minute he steps on their practice field. Whipping him back into shape is a summer at most.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Gfted1

[Volourn]

"Not because he'll get banned, but because after 2 years in prison, away from NFL-caliber conditioning, training, diet, etc., he's just not going to have the athleticism that made him such a dangerous player in the first place. (And his passing skills absent that athleticism were never strong enough to make him a credible starting QB.)"

 

An NFL calibre player like Vick who isn't some old geezer isn't all of assuden gonna be so out of shape that some training and hard work can fix. If 40 year olds cna 'retire' and come back, I'm sure a man around 30ish can do it espciially when that player had freakish innate athleticism like Vick does.

 

 

 

"(And his passing skills absent that athleticism were never strong enough to make him a credible starting QB.)"

 

Simply not true. While his apssing skills aren't gonna be confused with Montana or Manning; he was still a good enough passer to be a top 32 QB. Easily.

 

He'll be back in playing in the NFL barring any new legal problems. The NFL will lift his suspension, and a team will sign him. Likely minimum salary + incentives to start with.

 

 

"But, public/media reactions aside, Vick's treatment by the authorities and by the League has been, in my view, pretty reasonable considering the scope of his actions."

 

Doubtful. I'm sure the vast majority of animal cases don't face as strict punishment as he has. The guy went from Richie Rich to pretty much poor house (relatively speaking), has spent a couple of years in prison, and just as much to do with who he is as what he has done.

 

 

"fans feel betrayed when someone they previously believed in and cheered for turns out"

 

They 'feel' betrayed because they ar emorons. In order to be betrayal there has to be loyalty. The 'fans' had no loyalty to him nor did he have loyalty to them. As for the Falcons, and the NFL. No loyalty there as loyalty cannot be bought.

 

 

"OK, who went and encouraged Volo in his "pity the poor millionaire athletes" schitck?"

 

yeah, yeah, they're rich. That's why it's okay to not treat them like humans. Just admit your jealousy and envy, You wouldn't care one whit about Micheal Vick abusing animals if you didn't know he was. In fact, if he was an unknown, he could have been shot a dozen times, raped, thrown in the ditch to die, and you would go 'how sad' and move on.

 

CELEBRITIES > JEALOUS PEOPLE WHO ACT INDIGNANT

[Enoch]

Vick's career stats

 

He has a career 53.8% completion rate, good for a pitiful 5.6 yards/attempt. Comparing to 2008 QBs, that's Derek Anderson - Ryan Fitzpatrick level. And, on top of that, he took a sack on an astounding 9.8% of all his dropbacks and threw an INT on 3.0% of his passes (which would be in the bottom-5 of 2008 starters). He also averaged 13 fumbles per 16 game season, which would've been enough to tie for the league lead in 2008 (with Tony Romo).

 

Based on subjective observation, the guy simply couldn't throw with any 'touch' on the ball, nor could he consistently read complicated professional defenses quickly enough to get the pass where it needs to go in time.

 

Vick had one great year in 2002, his second, when the Falcons upset the Packers in the Wildcard round at Lambeau. At that point, everyone (including myself) thought that he was the Next Big Thing, and would continue to improve into a dominant player. Instead of improve, though, he regressed after that point, never again matching the passing efficiency he achieved that year. He remained a dynamic runner, though, and the threat of his running really helped open things up for the other Falcons RBs.

 

Even if he spends the summer getting "whipped back into shape," he simply isn't going to have the same body he did when he was 25. Plus, those years away from the coaching and film study can't have helped his already mediocre recognition and comprehension skills.

 

 

@ Volo, the overly dramatic trolling for reaction was fun the first 726 times, but it has worn a little thin since then.

[Volourn]

"@ Volo, the overly dramatic trolling for reaction was fun the first 726 times, but it has worn a little thin since then."

 

Stop trolling me. I'm talking about Micheal Vick, and the NFL. The topic isn't Volourn. If you want tod iscuss a poster named Volourn make a topic.

 

And, you can quote all the statistics you want, none of the numbers prove that he isn't worthy of being a top 32 quarterback passing or otherwise.

 

And, this was proven where the Falcons crashed and burned in his absence. They just got some luck with another good young QB this season which is the only reason why they managed to rebound so quickly.

 

 

"He also averaged 13 fumbles per 16 game season, which would've been enough to tie for the league lead in 2008 (with Tony Romo)."

 

Except, unlike Romo, Vick ran a heck of a lot more and was basically acting like a secondary running back at times so of course he fumbled more. Most QBs only have to worry about fumbling when being sacked..., Romo had to worry about fumbling when running.

 

Fcats speak for themselves. Vick had a pretty good record as a NFL QB. that was luck, fluke, or coincidence. It was pure talent, and skill.

[Gfted1]

The

in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium being tested. Its ridiculous. Said to provide a better picture then if you were sitting in your home in front of a 60" HDTV. Edited May 21, 2009 by Gfted1

[Gfted1]

Stallworth pleads guilty, gets 30 days in jail

 

Jun 16, 11:48 AM (ET)

 

By CURT ANDERSON

 

MIAMI (AP) - Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth is going to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.

 

The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years' probation and do 1,000 community service hours for killing a pedestrian he hit with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.

 

Police say Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar before the March 14 crash that killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes. Tests showed Stallworth's blood-alcohol content was .126.

 

Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes' family. A person close to the negotiations told The Association Press about the agreement on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the deal.

 

 

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

 

MIAMI (AP) - Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth has agreed to plead guilty to DUI manslaughter charges Tuesday, and reached a financial settlement with the family of the pedestrian he struck and killed in a March car crash, a person with knowledge of the deal said.

 

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they were not authorized to talk about the settlement. The person said the terms of the agreement are confidential but will avoid a potential wrongful death lawsuit from the family of 59-year-old Mario Reyes.

 

Stallworth, 28, is expected to receive a short jail sentence and a lengthy term of probation if his plea deal is accepted by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy.

 

Miami Beach police said Stallworth was drinking at the swank Fontainebleau hotel bar before the March 14 crash. He left to go to a nearby home - he owns three properties in the Miami area - in his black 2005 Bentley on MacArthur Causeway, which links the beach to downtown Miami.

 

Prosecutors say Stallworth hit Reyes, a construction crane operator who was rushing to catch a bus after finishing his shift around 7:15 a.m. Stallworth told police he flashed his lights in an attempt to warn Reyes, who was not in a crosswalk when he was struck.

 

A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said Reyes' family has been pushing hard to resolve the case.

 

"We have been in intense negotiations for the past couple of days," spokeswoman Terry Chavez said. "We always take the victim's wishes into account."

 

Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison on the DUI manslaughter charge, but the plea deal calls for far less time.

 

Stallworth had a blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, well above Florida's .08 limit. Stallworth has also has cooperated with investigators and issued a statement shortly after the crash expressing sympathy for Reyes' family.

 

Stallworth stopped after the crash and immediately told officers he had hit Reyes. Police estimated Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone.

 

Stallworth signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns before last season but was injured much of the year. He also has played for New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans.

 

The National Football League has said it will review the matter for possible disciplinary action after the legal case is completed.

 

David Cornwell, a Stallworth attorney handling the NFL situation, said he has kept top league officials apprised of the case.

 

"Whenever it is appropriate to do so, we are prepared to discuss the circumstances under which Donte' will resume his career," Cornwell said.

 

 

Wow, only 30 days for running over someone while drunk. That must have been a big ass check!

[Volourn]

No doubt. And, the mayor wants to throw Burress in jail for 3 years for shooting himself when most people charged with what Burress is tend to get no jail time or very little jail time. L0L

 

Stallworth got really, really lucky.