The Raiders Need Rex Ryan

The Oakland Raiders are set to earn another in a long line of top 10 picks in the upcoming draft - being the frontrunners for the #1 overall pick. They lack playmakers and they lack leadership. Interim head coach Tony Sparano is not a legitimate choice to lead the team beyond this season. He's a decent offensive line coach, but this is the same man who's amazing innovation brought an offensive scheme from the 1920's to the 21st century. General Manager Reggie McKenzie knows he needs a head coach who can inspire his players. It would be great if that guy could also help mold Derek Carr, but a solid leader is what they need the most.

Most reports from people with actual connections to the NFL signal that Jim Harbaugh will head to Oakland when he finally wears out his welcome in San Francisco. But why would McKenzie hire a guy who is going to butt heads with him at every turn? Harbaugh does have a track record of turning around teams - see his work at Stanford and most recently with the 49ers. He would also be a great mentor for Derek Carr. However, I think Harbaugh ends up going home to Michigan or, if he prefers to stay in the NFL, ends up taking over for Ryan in New York. I think he'd prefer New York since he'd get to pick his own QB of the future instead of being saddled with Carr.

So Harbaugh would go to New York to battle Bill Belichick twice a year and honestly who doesn't want to see those two game plan against each other!? Ryan, on the other hand, will almost assuredly be let go by the Jets at the end of the season so their GM, John Idzik, can select his own head coach. After missing out on Harbaugh, Ryan makes a lot of sense to lead the Silver and Black.

While he has shown that he cannot develop a young QB, Ryan brings a lot of credentials that Oakland has been missing since Jon Gruden got shipped to Tampa Bay. With his offensive deficiencies Ryan would need to hire an offensive coordinator who can develop Carr, and no, Marty Morhinweg is not the answer. How about Jay Gruden if/when Daniel Snyder fires him for being mean to his beloved RGIII? He helped Andy Dalton look good. Jay hasn't looked at good in our nation's capitol, but Washington is a worse mess than the Jets right now.

The Raiders need help on defense too. If Ryan can convince McKenzie and Mark Davis that he'll bring in a guy to develop Carr then he should get the job. Ryan is a masterful defensive mind and he's a hell of a motivator. Just look at all the current Jets players who are standing up for him to the press. They love playing for him and they play hard for him too. Passion to play the game of football left Oakland 12 years ago and Ryan will bring plenty of passion with him. If he fails, he'll end up becoming a defensive coordinator somewhere - at least for awhile. But why not go big? See if Ryan can bring back some of that excellence Oakland claims to be committed to.

Troy Polamalu - Thank You and Goodbye

I should start out disclosing that I am a diehard Steelers fan and I have loved watching Polamalu fly around, terrorizing opposing offenses for the last 12 seasons. He - along with Casey Hampton, Lamarr Woodley, and James Harrison - has been the heart of the most recent incarnation of the Steel Curtain. Despite everything he's meant to the team, the city, and fans across the country it's time for the Steelers to say good-bye to yet another celebrated and decorated defensive stalwart. Over the past few seasons we have seen Pittsburgh cut or fail to resign Hampton, Woodley, and Harrison when they became too injury prone, expensive, or lost too much of their ability. While the Steelers did resign Harrison (after an uneventful year in Cincinnati), the move was out of desperation after training camp injuries left the linebacking corps thin. There are a few reasons why Polamalu should be the next great Steelers defensive player released during the 2015 offseason.

- Polamalu is 33 years old and has battled injuries the last few years. While he played all 16 regular season games in 2011 (when he won defensive player of the year) and 2013, he missed significant time in 2012 and has missed several more games so far this season. He's missed the last two weeks due to a knee injury. If we apply the theory that the SanFrancisco Giants will win the World Series in even years, then we could also make the argument that Polamalu will be healthy in 2015. However, I fail to see how a (will be) 34 year old safety with a history of bad knees will somehow stay healthy.

- Polamalu's cap hit in 2015 is $8.25 million. That's a lot of money for an injury prone player who's lost a lot of his effectiveness. If the Steelers cut him before the 2015 season they'll have $4.5 million in dead money on their cap. Overall that would mean a savings of $3.75 million. If the Steelers cut him before 2016 (the last year of his current contract) they'd have $2.25 million of dead money out of an $8 million cap hit. They'd save more money waiting a year, but why delay the inevitable?

- The Steelers should use the money they'd save cutting Polamalu (coupled with an extension for Roethlisberger) and use it to upgrade the most neglected part of their team - the cornerback position. And by upgrade I mean stop waiting until the 5th round of the draft to take a corner. Maybe be crazy and take one in the 3rd?

- The Steelers will miss Polamalu's leadership but they have a replacement, from a playing perspective, who will be ready to step in on a full time basis next year - Shamarko Thomas. Thomas will be entering his third season, which is typically when Dick Lebeau expects his players to make a huge leap in their development. Thomas is not the same caliber of player as Polamalu (no one really is), but his play will be better than that of what Polamalu has become.

- Polamalu's game is based on instinct and timing. He has made more than a few spectacular plays over the years because of this, and has even managed a few this year. But more often than not trying to make a big play has left Polamalu out of position and has resulted in more than a few big plays.

Troy Polamalu has meant everything to Steelers fans over his amazing career. He is no doubt a future Hall of Famer. He may still think that he has a lot to offer as a player - his leadership ability cannot be questioned - but if he wants to keep playing, it should not be in Black and Gold after this year. The Steelers need to say good-bye to Troy, just as they have to several defensive greats who have come before him.

Some Thoughts on College Football

It's been a while since my last post and I hope I haven't kept you on the edge of your seat, anxiously waiting for my immortal wisdom. I also hope people who read my post on fantasy football players I like this year aren't too mad - sorry about Toby Gerhart, I should have known better. But who's happy with Phillip Rivers leading their team? Anyone?

Anyway, I was trying to think of something NFL related to write about this time but I'm watching college football as I write. Call it inspiration, or laziness, or whatever - but here are some thoughts on the state of college football.

- Not many, if any, of you who will read this will agree, but I think college football is was more exciting and interesting to watch than the NFL. Maybe it's because I've watched the college game for two more years than the NFL, but I honestly think the games are more exciting. Every single game a team plays matters - though a little less so with the new playoff system, but still important - and you genuinely never know when an upset is going to occur. Boise State beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl (with the Statue of Liberty play no less!) and Appalachian State going into The Big House to defeat Michigan (also in 2007, with Michigan ranked #5 at the time) are two examples of two of the best upsets in football of all time. Upsets in the NFL feel less-fulfilling since, you know, they're all professionals and get paid to play football. I love the NFL, I just love the college game a little bit more.

- One reason college football is a little more exciting this year is the start of a brand new playoff system to determine a "true national champion"! College football is a game of tradition if anything else. The Pac-1o Champ plays the Big-10 Champ in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State and Michigan have and always will hate each other. And every conference has an association with the (now) way too many bowl games that exist. The bowl games have been in place for ever and the Associated Press (until near the end of the BCS era) has determined the top 25 teams in the country basically since teams started playing. Despite not playing a role in the BCS (who can blame them really) and not really factoring into the new playoff rankings, the AP Poll still matters to a lot of people. The problem with that system was that the top two teams in the country never got a chance to play each other in a bowl game to determine the winner. Enter the BCS where we had computers picking the best two teams in the country (after the AP rightfully did not want to be associated with this nonsense). I'm really excited for a college playoff. It just needs to be bigger and I think it will be soon. Let's also hope that the selection committee does an adequate job of selecting the four participants for this year.

- The "experts" tasked to join football's answer to the March Madness Selection Committee recently released their first poll of the season. There's not much to argue with, with it being the initial ranking, since only the final ranking in December will matter - but there's definitely an inherent love of the SEC in these rankings. I know most people who follow both college and pro football think the SEC should just swap places with the AFC South, but the league isn't so much better than the other conferences that those one-loss second place SEC teams should be ranked so much higher than one-loss conference leaders. I think they're setting it up so that a potential one or two loss SEC Champ - and possible a one loss SEC team that doesn't participate in the conference championship game - definitely gets in. I'm one, of many, who think that the college football playoff should only be open to conference champions.

- Speaking of conference champions, I should disclose that I'm a huge Notre Dame fan. You probably hate me a little bit more right now. Despite my fandom, it's time for Notre Dame to join a fucking conference in football. They've already jumped ship from the (now defunct) Big East and have joined the ACC in all other sports. In turn they have made the ACC a mightier powerhouse when it comes to college lacrosse. So just join the conference in football already! Yeah, it doesn't make sense in terms of geography, but the college football geographical landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. In fact, no more independents at all! Every team should join a fucking conference! There are ten conferences (with four independent schools) in the FBS division (Division I, i.e. major college sports). If every team joined a conference and every conference had a championship game, then college football could have a ten-team playoff using some of the current bowl games for playoff match-ups and the top two teams could get a bye. If my math doesn't work out, let the two highest ranked conference game losers in as wildcards and give us a twelve team college playoff! I don't think I'm the only fan who wants to see this.

- A lot of you, even if you don't follow the college game, have heard the name Jameis Winston. He's the defending Heisman winner and widely perceived to be the best player at the college level. He's not. Despite being undefeated (so far) as a starter at Florida State, he makes too many poor decisions. He threw three more interceptions against Louisville on Thursday night (giving him nine so far this year - he threw ten last year when he won the Heisman) and he tends to lock onto his primary receiver or decide to scramble if that guy isn't open. Some people think he's comparable to Cam Newton - I think he's more comparable to Vince Young. He's incredibly immature and thinks he's better than he is because he's treated like a god on his campus. He's going to make an NFL Head Coach and GM regret taking him next April.

- Why do we still pretend that college football players are student athletes when announcers constantly refer to first year players as rookies? They're freshmen - either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen - certainly not rookies.

- I find it humorous that juniors and seniors in college are praised for their game experience but when they reach the NFL commentators note their lack of experience as rookies. Hence the term "rookie mistakes". I know it takes time to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but this is their livelihood and they aren't as inexperienced as commentators lead you to believe.

- I'm watching the TCU-WVU game as I write this and I can honestly say this is the best game I've watched in a while. Both teams are hailed for their offensive ability - TCU had the #1 offense in the nation coming into this game - but the defenses have stolen the show. WVU has played an aggressive defensive scheme. While it hasn't always worked out, it's been awesome to watch when it has. Update: TCU won this game with a field goal as time expired to keep their playoff hopes alive. Great and exciting game!

- Speaking of two Big-12 teams, the conference is underrated and will probably be left out of the first college playoff. That's what happens when you lose a few teams and can't play a conference championship game. Meanwhile, the Big-10 is properly rated (it sucks) and will also probably miss out on the playoff.

- My top four teams as of right now that should be in the playoff? 1 - Mississippi State, 2 - Florida State (they should have lost to Notre Dame but, alas, they are undefeated - for now), 3 - Oregon, 4 - Michigan State. Notre Dame is out because, again, you should win a conference to be in the playoff! That last sentence hurt to write.

- Notre Dame plays Navy tonight. The Fighting Irish are coming off a tough loss to Florida State (again, a game they should have won) and a bye. Navy typically plays them tough but I don't think the game will be close. Instead I'll be paying more attention to Stanford vs. Oregon and Auburn vs. Ole Miss. Stanford/Oregon is a classic old school vs. new school game. Oregon's offense is fast and is innovating even the pro game while Stanford can run and plays stout defense. Auburn/Ole Miss is basically an elimination game for the playoff, based on the current rankings. Update: Stanford/Oregon was a blowout. Notre Dame/Navy was much closer. A little too close for comfort. Glad I mostly stuck with the Notre Dame game.

Thanks for staying with me throughout this. Please leave your thoughts and/or comments below. Also, if there's an interest, I'll do a future post on my idea for a college football playoff that I came up with back in college. Fuck it, I'll end up doing it even if there's no interest.

No Good Bums

In my last post I wrote about some decent options for fantasy football. This time around I'll be listing off some guys that I would not want, or at least hesitate to, draft. Some of the guys I mention below are players that I expect will have a significant decline in their fantasy value while other guys I expect to fall just a hair shy of expectations. I'm not going to list obvious guys like Chris "CJNoK" Johnson or Shaun Hill - nobody wants them.

Lower Your Expectations (Guys I would draft but lower than in previous years/lower than when the experts say to draft them):

Calvin Johnson - WR, Lions: Let's start off with the biggest name that will appear on this list. While he is the greatest wide receiver on the planet and will go down as one of the all time greats at his position, there is reason to believe that he will fall just short of the monster numbers that we're use to seeing from him. Detroit added a 2nd WR (Golden Tate), and they've been really working on screen plays to Reggie Bush and the rest of the running backs. While he'll finish the season as one of the top fantasy receivers (especially with Josh Gordon done for the year), don't expect 100+ yards and a touchdown or 2 every week.

Kyle Rudolph - TE, Vikings: Everyone is predicting that he's going to have a huge year. Why? Norv Turner, that's why. Just look what he did with Antonio Gates! While TE's have thrived in Turner's offensive schemes, there's a lot else going on with this offense. The Vikings have 3 pretty decent WR's (Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Jerome Simpson) and Adrian Peterson is going to be more involved in the passing game. Norv, in my opinion, actually helps out his running backs more. Just look what he did with Emmitt Smith, Frank Gore, and Ladainian Tomlinson. Plus his QB is Matt Cassell. I'll feel better about him once Teddy Bridgewater becomes the starter.

Cam Newton - QB, Panthers: Who is he going to throw to? A rookie, an aging TE, and a bunch of nobodies. His running ability adds to his value but he gets hurt a lot. He needed surgery on his ankles this offseason and now he has a bruised/broken rib. He'll be starting week 1, but how long can he last? He'd be a good mid-round selection if you put off drafting your starting QB for some reason, or a solid back-up for bye weeks and match-up purposes. However, I don't want him leading my fantasy football team.

Andy Dalton - QB, Bengals: He's put up pretty decent numbers throwing to AJ Green the past couple of years, but I don't really trust him this year. Yeah the Bengals just gave him a huge vote of confidence signing him to a big deal. But let's look at another AFC North QB who recently cashed in and then was horrible - Joe Flacco. Dalton probably won't be as wildly inconsistent as Flacco was last year, but I'm not drafting a mid-tier QB who recently signed an elite QB deal to lead my team. Though he's another good back-up option.

Arian Foster - RB, Texans: He's coming off a lost season, is in a new offensive scheme that's not as RB friendly, and his QB is Ryan Fitzpatrick. He could surprise, but in my eyes he's not a first round fantasy pick any more. Maybe not even a second rounder.

Fools Gold (Avoid these guys, they will disappoint!):

Tom Brady - QB & Rob Gronkowski - TE, Patriots: These two are tied together because without Gronk, Brady has no one, NO ONE, to throw to. Gronk is one step away from another season ending injury. Counting on him to stay healthy is like counting on getting struck by lighting, winning the lottery, and surviving the Apocalypse all in one night. Brady, as I mentioned, has no one else to throw to and he just lost his best offensive lineman for future players. Brady's future is now and Belichick continues to waste it. Sorry, Bill and fantasy owners, but 2007 was a long time ago.

Eli Manning - QB, Giants: I've never liked Manning. Out of the 3 top QBs in the 2004 draft, he should have been the last one picked. He was lucky in both Super Bowl runs (aided by great defense - DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!) and is struggling to learn a new offense. All he's ever had is his last name, and he's certainly never come close to being Peyton Lite. Hell, he's never come close to being Cooper Lite.

Maurice Jones Drew - RB, Raiders: One of the best backs in the league finally got out of Jacksonville and then promptly landed with the Raiders. He's getting old (for a RB), he's taken a ton of hits throughout his career, and he's going split carries with Darren McFadden. But then again, maybe he'll become a touchdown vulture for all those points this prolific Raiders offense is going to score this year...

Torrey Smith - WR, Ravens: Smith is still a bit of a one trick pony - he likes to run deep. Though he averaged 17.4 yards per catch last year, he also only scored 4 touchdowns. I don't trust Joe Flacco and Gary Kubiak incorporates his running backs (Pierce could be a steal this year) and TEs more.

Mike Wallace - WR, Dolphins: He was never worth the massive contract Miami gave him a couple of off-seasons ago and he's more of a one trick pony than Torrey Smith. He and Ryan Tannehill have never been on the same page and there's no reason to think it's suddenly going to click. His stats were more in line with a #2 receiver last year and that trend should continue. Plus he gets moody when things don't go well and no one wants to deal with that.

So there you have it, ten guys that people think will help your fantasy team this year but won't. If you disagree with the list and/or think someone else should be added, leave a comment below. You can also send a tastefully written e-mail about how stupid I am to spunkmeyeronsports@gmail.com.

Decent Fantasy Football Options

A couple of years ago Bill Simmons and Grantland held the Fantasy Island competition. One's submission had to list players who wouldn't be highly sought after in fantasy football drafts and poetic reasons why you would want them on their team. Well, Grantland proceeded to select, out of all the submissions including one from your's truly, the worst ten people they possibly could have picked. These people then drafted fantasy football teams and then had to write blog posts each week about their teams, players, etc. The winner of this competition would receive a one-year contract to write about fantasy football for Grantland. This competition was so successful that it ended before the bye weeks began that season. In honor at this failed attempt, I'm going to resurrect, in my own way, the concept of the submission to a failed concept. Below is a list of players that I would want on my fantasy team this year if the value matches up to the draft round or dollar amount for auction leagues.

Quarterbacks:

Drew Brees (Saints): I was going to say any NFC South quarterback, but Josh McCown doesn't strike confidence in anyone but Lovie Smith and Cam Newton has absolutely no one to throw to. Matt Ryan would be another decent choice, but Roddy White tends to get hurt and Julio Jones has been talking too much. So out of the four NFC South quarterbacks I'd take Brees. New Orleans' offense is spectacular and he has some good young wideouts to throw to, plus Jimmy Graham. Plus New Orleans has the best defense (more exact - best secondary) in the division which is a big reason I'd pick Brees over Ryan. Brees knows his window is closing and he wants another ring. This could be his best year yet.

Phillip Rivers (Chargers): This could very well be the first time ever that someone has recommended Phillip Rivers as a viable, dependable starter for fantasy football. If not, it hasn't happened very often. Rivers typically drives fantasy owners crazy with his erratic play. With Mike McCoy (and not Norv Turner) running the show and with the weapons that he has I fully expect Rivers to build on his success from last year. If I can't get Brees, I'd take Rivers. I can't believe I just said that.

Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings): Hear me out on this one. Yes, he's behind Matt Cassell at the moment. But do you really think Mike Zimmer thinks he can win with Matt Cassell? Scott Pioli thought that once and it cost him his job. A lot of people think that whoever wins the job in Minnesota will simply hand off to Peterson. Not going to happen. Peterson is getting older and needs to be used more wisely. The Vikings also have some pretty good receivers and an above average tight end. Bridgewater might not start right away, but he'll start sooner or later this season. Keep an eye on him. He could surprise.

Running Backs:

Matt Forte (Bears): I wrote in a previous post how LeSean McCoy is the best all around back in football. But I never draft high enough to get him. So I'd happily take Forte. He runs, he catches, and Marc Trestman's offense is designed to score points.

Giovani Bernard (Bengals): He's clearly atop the depth chart in Cincinnati. A.J. Green gets all the fantasy football attention, but the Bengals will bring a more balanced offensive attack this year. I don't normally trust second year running back - but that's mostly if they have a lot of success as a rookie. Bernard had an ok year last year, so he should be just fine in 2014.

Toby Gerhart (Jaguars): He put up pretty good numbers in college and he's sat behind Adrian Peterson his entire career. He made some flashes as a backup and now gets a chance to start. Sounds a little bit like some guy who played behind LaDainian Tomlinson and then had a few very successful seasons for the Falcons. Not saying Gerhart will be the next Michael Turner, but he has a shot.

Wide Receivers:

Golden Tate (Lions): Megatron gets all of the attention, but there's a reason the Lions signed Tate. They haven't had a reliable #2 receiver ever. Stafford is going to have to find other players to throw to when Johnson gets double or triple covered. Even with Reggie Bush catching passes out of the backfield, Tate should see his fair share of throws. He probably won't reach 1,000 yards receiving, but he could approach double digit touchdowns. He's worth a mid to late round pick in fantasy drafts.

Hakeem Nicks (Colts): He's greatly upgraded at quarterback (I've never believed in Eli Manning) and he just needs to stay healthy. If he can, he'll become the Colts' #1 receiver. If he does that he'll greatly reward his fantasy owners. He's a high risk/high reward kind of guy.

Jordan Matthews (Eagles): Yeah, he's a rookie but he plays for Chip Kelly. He'll get plenty of opportunities even as a #3 receiver. I also don't have faith that Jeremy Maclin can stay healthy for a full season. Mathews is another potential double digit touchdown guy...that is if LeSean McCoy doesn't steal everyones' scoring opportunities.

Tight Ends:

Jordan Reed (Washington): DeSean Jackson will receive a lot of attention and RGIII won't always be able to wait until he gets open downfield. Reed will be a great second option down the middle of the field. Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts will get some catches, but Reed could, and should, be second on the team with catches. I also don't think RGIII will run as much this year as he tries to prove he's a pocket passer.

Dennis Pitta (Ravens): I don't really trust Joe Flacco but you never know which Joe will show. If it's good Joe, then he can light up that stat sheet. If it's bad Joe, he can still find his receivers some of the time. Pitta also had a chance to shine this year since Gary Kubiak loves incorporating tight ends into the passing game. I wouldn't worry too much about Owen Daniels taking too many catches away from Pitta at this stage of his career.

Tyler Eifert (Bengals): Yeah, Jermaine Gresham is the starter but Eifert still saw a decent amount of playing time as a rookie. Gresham also always disappoints his fantasy owners (trust me, first hand experience here).Eifert has the skills to supplant Gresham as the year goes on and Andy Dalton will need a reliable target when Green is covered too tightly. Eifert is worth a late round selection - just don't rely too much on him at the beginning of the season.

Defense: Pick the highest rated one when you think it's appropriate. Preferably late. Let other people waste early draft picks on defense.

Kicker: Pick one last or you will be made fun of relentlessly for the entire season. It doesn't matter which one you pick, you will change kickers - maybe more than once.

Do not take this as you need most or all of these players. These are just players that I happen to like for this upcoming season and I think could help your fantasy football team. There are certainly better options out there than the players on this list. These are (mostly) supplemental guys - not guys you want to rely on week in and week out. Also, if anyone from Grantland happens to ever read this: You didn't pick me for your failed Fantasy Island competition, but I still get to write about fantasy football! I just don't get paid and I probably have a really small audience. So take that! 



 

The NFLPA Needs to Step Up

The NFL and the NFLPA need to step up and fix the broken mess of a system of NFL suspensions. Seeing that Orlando Scandrick was suspended for four games for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is another black mark on the Ray Rice suspension. Especially when reports suggest that he tested positive for recreational drugs during the off-season. Not sure why his suspension was listed as PEDs since recreational drugs do not enhance performance. You also may have noticed that there have been quite a few notable suspensions so far this year. According to Matt Verderame at SBNation, there have already been 16 notable suspensions this year, with one more high profile case being decided - Josh Gordon. You can see his article here. When you look at the chart that Verderame created, you'll notice that there is a column that lists the reason for the suspension. Most of the suspensions are for PEDs and Substance Abuse (usually recreational drug use). Two players were suspended for Conduct Detrimental to the League. One was Nigel Bradham who is expected to fill in for the injured Kiko Alonso for the Bills. The other was Ray Rice for - well, we all know what Ray Rice did. These two suspensions are also the shortest on the list. Many of us are left wondering how a player could be suspended longer for recreational drug use than for knocking their significant other unconscious? Well, one is collectively bargained (PEDs & Substance abuse) and all the other stuff isn't. Let's take a look at a few other notable cases.

Plaxico Burress was suspended for four games by the Giants (not the NFL) in 2008 after his gun went off in a NYC nightclub, resulting in him shooting himself in the thigh. The length of the suspension doesn't bother me since it was for the remainder of that season and then Burress went to jail for two years. The problem I have is that Burress was reinstated right after he got out of jail and did not face any further suspension. I know he served his time, but couldn't the NFL have stepped up and suspended him at least another two games? You know, to help advocate for gun safety?

Michael Vick was arrested in the 2007 offseason and served a little less than two years in jail for running a dog fighting ring. After being reinstated in 2009, he was suspended for three games by the NFL. Seems like an appropriate amount of games for someone who committed a felony, right? Also, why was Vick suspended after serving his jail sentence but Burress wasn't? Was it just the timing of the arrests?

Ben Rothlisberger has twice been accused of sexual assault, but did not face a suspension until the second charge in 2010. Despite charges being dropped, Goodell suspended Big Ben for six games, though that amount was later reduced to four. What was the basis for this suspension if law enforcement officials decided there wasn't enough evidence to pursue charges? If the suspension was for conduct detrimental to the league, why did Goodell wait until after the charges were dropped to issue it?

Four players who committed (or allegedly committed) serious crimes that ultimately served NFL suspensions equal to or less than those that violated the leagues substance abuse policies. I'm not saying that drug use is not a problem in our society. I understand that it is and drug use should be taken seriously. But shouldn't gun safety also be taken seriously? What about animal cruelty? What about sexual assault? What about domestic violence? Who is Roger Goodell to decide which crimes are less important than others?

But what can be done to help fix this sad state of suspension affairs in the NFL. As I started this post - DeMaurice Smith and the NFLPA need to step up. For the meantime, Smith and union reps should announce that they want to work with Goodell in the future in handling non-PED/Substance Abuse suspension cases. You know, the stuff that isn't collectively bargained. Having more than one voice should at least help make future suspensions more consistent than they currently are and the players will feel that they will be more accurately judged - which should increase the likely hood of accepting the suspensions. When the time comes, however, the NFLPA needs to step up to the negotiating table with the owners and demand reforms to suspendible offenses. They need to demand that a panel of league and union appointed arbitrators will be in charge of hearings and issuing suspensions. Five of them would be a great starting point - 2 from the league, 2 from the union, and 1 jointly appointed. Goodell has shown that he cannot handle making suspension decisions on his own. I also strongly believe that players should be suspended from all team contact and activities if they are charged or arrested until the matter has been solved in court. After that, the panel of arbitrators can issue further punishment if necessary. This should include all PED/Substance Abuse cases. Goodell should handle none of it, but should be allowed to speak to the panel regarding owner concerns.

I don't know what the NFLPA would have to give up or give in to in order for the changes to be accepted by the owners, but anything (except for a longer regular season) should be on the table. After all, since when did cheating at a game become worse than breaking the law?

LeSean McCoy is Right

LeSean McCoy recently ignited debate amongst football fans, and even from some players, by saying that he’s the best running back in the NFL. I tend to agree with him based off of his production and his versatility. However, conventional wisdom says that Adrian Peterson is the best back in the league. One could even argue that Peterson will one day be regarded as the best running back in league history. Although I contend that Barry Sanders will always hold that title. Either way, McCoy’s comments and the backlash that followed got me thinking: Who is the best running back in the league? When considering this, I don’t only want to look at rushing stats, as running backs need to contribute in the passing game these days, so I’m going to look at them as well. To make this a little more interesting, I’m going to compare the top-5 running backs (stats wise) from the 2013 season. This includes McCoy, Peterson, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte, and Alfred Morris. For comparisons sake I’ll be looking at stats from 2011-2013, a good although not completely telling window. All stats for this post were found courtesy of ESPN at www.espn.go.com/nfl/statistics.

                Rush     Rush      Rush                 Rec.    Rec.     Rec.   Total   Total 

    Yards    Avg.       TD      Rec.        Yards  Avg.     TD     Yards    TD       

McCoy:

2011:         1,309    4.8          17        48         315     6.6           3        1,624    20

2012:            840    4.2           2         54         373     6.9           3        1,213      5

2013:          1,607    5.1          9         52         539    10.4          2        2,146    11

Average:    1,252     4.7         9.3      51.3       409    7.97        2.7       1,661    12

Peterson:

2011:            970     4.7         12        18         139      7.7          1         1,109    13

2012:         2,097     6.0         12        40         217      5.4          1         2,314    13

2013:         1,266     4.5         10        29         171      5.9          1         1,437    11

Average:  1,444.3    5.1       11.3       29        175.7   6.3           1        1,620  12.3

Charles:

2011+:            83     6.9          0          5             9       1.8          1             92     1 

2012:         1,509      5.3         5         35         236       6.7         1         1,745    6

2013:         1,287      5.0        12        70         693       9.9         7         1,980   19         

Average:    959.7     5.7        5.7       36.7     312.7     6.1         3       1,272.3  8.7  

Forte:

2011:          997       4.9         3          52         490       9.4        1        1,487      4

2012:       1,094       4.4         5          44         340       7.7        1        1,434      6 

2013:       1,339       4.6         9          74         594       8.0        3        1,933     12

Average: 1,143.3    4.6        5.7       56.7      474.7      8.4      1.7       1,618     7.3

Morris*:

2012:       1,613      4.8        13         11          77         7.0         0        1,690     13

2013:       1,275      4.6          7           9          78         8.7         0        1,353       7

Average:  1,444      4.7        10         10        77.5        7.9         0       1,521.5   10

All five of these players should, and very often do, make up the first five picks of fantasy football drafts. The order that they go in depends on the mindset of individual fantasy owners, with Peterson being the first pick a majority of the time. That’s fine and all for fantasy football, but in real life I’ll take McCoy. Peterson has more rushing yards but McCoy is more involved in the overall game. For my money McCoy is the best running back in football today, Forte is second, and Peterson comes in third.

Please share your thoughts about who you think the best running back in the NFL is and why.

+ Although all of the backs on this list suffered a bad injury at some point, this is the season that Charles blew out his knee in the second game of the season.

*Morris’ rookie year was 2012. His average is based on two years worth of stats.

Major League Baseball Joins the 21st Century

Baseball is a curious sport. It has old, deep-rooted traditions that don’t make a lot of sense to a lot of people. I’m a huge fan of the sport and grew up learning the ins and outs of the game. One of those deep-rooted traditions is that umpires have full discretion over all calls in games. While it’s been admitted that umpires are fallible as humans, that human element is joyously celebrated as a charm of the game. This kind of thinking has led to many, many, many wonderful manager tirades over the years. Despite how awesome it is to see a manager flip his shit, it’s about damn time that MLB has joined the 21^st century and instituted replay. This replay is far from perfect and a few managers have already voiced, to put it mildly, their displeasures with the current system. Jayson Stark and Tim Keown wrote well thought out articles over on espn.com, with Stark praising the system and Keown suggesting that it needs changed. I tend to agree with Keown but my views are a little more extreme. Here are my thoughts on how MLB can improve their medieval version of instant replay.

Put replay monitors in the actual stadiums:

The NFL does it and they (according to public perception) get more things right than MLB. Currently there is a team of replay officials sitting in MLB headquarters in New York who review every play. When a play is challenged during a game, umpires put on their little headsets and talk to an official in New York who tells them what the correct call should be. Talk about taking the power away from the umpires. This also increases the time that it takes to review plays. The only question is who would be reviewing plays in the stadiums? Simple…

Hire extra umpires and place them in a stadium booth to view plays:

The umpires’ union would certainly go along with this deal as it would add extra jobs by creating teams of six umpires instead of the current five. Hell, you could also have each team employ a replay official (don’t tell me owners don’t have the money to do this). The replay official from both teams could join the replay umpire in the booth or you could even have an employee of MLB in said booth. Not only would this speed up replay calls, but also it would allow the umpires the chance to see the game from a different point of view. I’m one to believe that this would increase umpire quality.

And finally…

Stop letting managers decide when to challenge a call:

As it currently stands, managers have 30 seconds to decide whether they want to challenge a call or not. Like NFL coaches, most MLB managers already have too much on their plates and most of them mess that up! Try pointing out a manager who can correctly manage their bullpen, pinch-hitters, and their line-up cards. There are a few who can do it, but most of them are like Andy Reid mismanaging timeouts. Instead of adding this task to the manager’s job description, let the replay umpire and officials in the stadium booth tell the umps on the field when to review a play. Have the crew chief wear a buzzer (or home plate umpire if the crew chief is in the booth) and have the replay umpire and officials buzz him if a reviewable call needs to be corrected. This would speed up the time of replays and slow down the pace of the game much less than the current system.

As I mentioned before, I, like most baseball fans, enjoy seeing a manager flip his shit when arguing a call. Thankfully, managers will still be able to go out and talk to the umpires about disputed calls. They’ll still put on a show. All have, always will. I wouldn’t deny them the ability to do this. Just don’t let them have the burden of deciding what plays to actually challenge.   

Kickers Are People Too

The NFL Owners meeting is coming up and, as always, rule changes are going to be discussed.  One topic of conversation that keeps being brought up is how the NFL can change the extra point after a touchdown.  While teams can always go for two, NFL head coaches are averse to doing so unless their little 2-point conversion chart tells them to do so.  While recent statistics note that kickers made 99.6% of extra points last year, some of the proposed rule changes seem, well, ridiculous. 

Bill Belichick’s Proposal:

This idea was officially proposed by the Patriot’s front man/czar but seems to be a favorite amongst league official.  The idea here is to move the extra-point to the 25-yardline.  This is a drastic change going from roughly a 17-yard field goal attempt to roughly a 42-yard field goal attempt.  While kickers this past season made a little over 90% of their kicks from this distance, this rule will end up taking points off the board.  Then there’s the issue of if a coach wants to go for two.  I haven’t heard where the ball would be spotted if a coach decided to forgo a kick for a 2-point attempt, but it would eliminate any fake field goal tries.  Basically, this idea is stupid.

Mike Tomlin’s Proposal:

Tomlin goes in the opposite direction from Belichick and wants to move the point after attempt closer to the goal line.  He wants to move the spot of the ball after a touchdown from the 2-yard line to the 1-yard line.  The idea here is that it would lead to more coaches going for two.  However, I tend to believe that if you can get one yard than you should be able to get two.  This also creates a little less space for players to run routes if a team wants to pass on a two-point conversion, again limiting options on this type of play.  This idea also seems stupid and pointless.

My proposal – not that anyone in the NFL gives two shits about my thoughts:

Place the ball at the five-yard line for the point after play.  As an added twist, mark the ball like you would for any other play.  If a touchdown is scored on the left then place the ball on the left hash mark.  If scored on the right side of the field then place the ball on the right hash mark.  If the touchdown is scored between the hash marks then place the ball accordingly.  This would add a little degree of difficulty to an extra-point kick.  If a coach wanted to go for two, the ball would be close enough to the endzone where a team could still try to run the ball or allow a little more room for receivers to run routes on passing plays.

The extra-point play does not need to be tampered with but the NFL Owners seem intent on doing something in the name of improving the game.  This seems like a silly topic for them to tackle and there are certainly bigger issues in the game that need to be dealt with.  While my proposal probably needs some tweaks, I still think it’s better than anything else that’s been offered up.  Please share your thoughts below.

The NFL and The Simpsons: Part I

I love The Simpsons and I love the NFL.  So I’m combining these two passions and assigning a Simpsons character as a mascot for each NFL team.  My reasoning behind each selection probably won’t be coherent, but this was really fun to write.  The first installment will include the NFC East and NFC West. 

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys = Abe Simpson

Abe Simpson likes to tell a lot of old stories that don’t make a lot of sense and lives in the past.  Sounds a lot like Jerry Jones, but instead of reliving his army days, Jerry likes to pretend it’s still the 1970’s or early 1990’s.

New York Giants = Squeaky Voiced Teen

The New York Football Giants have had some success not that long ago but keep believing in a quarterback who’s only famous because of his last name.  Squeaky Voiced Teen works seemingly every unwanted job in Springfield, but also has success in that he’s sometimes the manager.  People keep giving him chances but he always proves he doesn’t know what he’s doing, much like the current Giants.

Philadelphia Eagles = Moe Szyslak

Moe and the Eagles have both gone under transformations over the years, and we still don’t know quite what to make of either.  In reality, Eagles fans are more like Moe in that they’re quick to anger and will turn on you in a second.  But, Moe and the Eagles have their moments where you can’t help but root for them.

Washington Redskins = Hank Scorpio

Dan Snyder and Hank Scorpio are both insane.  The only difference is that Scorpio was successful in conquering the East Coast.  They both also have affections for people they shouldn’t because they’re incompetent and won’t help finish the job.  For Hank that’s Homer, for Dan that’s every high priced free agent they’ve regretted signing.  Maybe Snyder should just invest in a flamethrower.

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals = Gil Gunderson

Both the Cardinals and Gil are troubled with bad luck.  Whenever they catch a break – like when Gil takes a job in Scottsdale, AZ – something always messes that up.  Neither can ever get anything right (Arizona had some luck with an old Kurt Warner throwing to Fitz, but haven’t found a QB yet & Arizona has never had an offensive line) and rely on castoffs from others just to get by.

San Francisco 49ers = Sideshow Bob

Both are crazy – we know Bob is, and you can’t tell me that Jim Harbaugh isn’t.  While Sideshow Bob is constantly seeking revenge against Bart, the 49ers are left seeking revenge against the Seattle Seahawks.  Plus, we all know Alcatraz would do a better job of containing Sideshow Bob than Springfield Penitentiary

Seattle Seahawks = Bart Simpson

Bart is the original bad boy and the Seahawks are the bad boys of the NFL.  You want to tell Richard Sherman differently and see how he reacts?  They both are held back by bumbling sidekicks – Bart has Milhouse, and Seattle by every quarterback and head coach before Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll – but you can never count either out.

St. Louis Rams = Seymour Skinner

The Rams are lucky to be part of the NFL as they’ve bungled personnel decisions since The Greatest Show on Turf days.  Principal Skinner somehow manages to keep his job as head of the worst school of whatever state Springfield is in.  The Rams are currently embodied by the fragile and seemingly lacking in self-esteem Sam Bradford.  Skinner has never had self-esteem, not even in his army days in Vietnam.  St. Louis also decided to keep Bradford (and his enormous rookie contract thanks to the old CBA) much like how Skinner has always stuck by his mother instead of any other woman on The Simpsons.

Equality and the NFL

The notion of equality stretches across many parts of our society.  People are fighting all over the country for quality education, acceptance, and to stand up to bullying.  In the non-professional athletic portion of society we are taught to embrace these qualities.  There can be consequences if we try to bully or discriminate against someone else.   However, it seems that these qualities do not carry over into the world of the NFL.  There have been three recent events concerning the NFL that have shown how the league’s, and those that cover it, culture runs counter to the rest of society.  Let’s take a look at them:

Richard Sherman’s Exuberant Post Game Interview

We all know what happened after Sherman’s game saving play in the NFC Championship game.  Erin Andrews had to interview him moments after and he was so pumped on adrenaline that he gave one of the most talked about interviews in American sports history.  Many NFL analysts and news personalities re-acted to this by calling Sherman a thug.  They hated how brash he was even though many of them complain how boring post-game interviews are.  They called him uneducated – despite having a GPA over 4 in high school and a Stanford education – because he’s from Compton.  These same people who salivate over the brutality that is professional football were somehow offended when a player showed raw, extremely raw, emotions very shortly after making the play that sent him team to the Super Bowl.

Michael Sam Announces He’s Gay

Sam, the reigning SEC defensive player of the year, announced that he is gay shortly after the NFL season ended.  As of right now, before the pre-draft process begins, he is considered to be a 3^rd round pick.  He played defensive end in college but many scouts consider him to be a candidate to switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.  Everyone praised his decision to come out and called it a defining moment to equal opportunity in the NFL.  Despite hearing all of the right talk there are reports coming out that not everyone is comfortable with an openly gay player in the NFL.  Like in other parts of society, it is not surprising to hear that there are some players are not comfortable with this, but it is more than a little surprising to hear that there are NFL general managers and even some team executives who feel the same way.  It is quite possible that Sam will slip in the draft because some team leaders cannot get passed their own homophobia instead of focusing on how Sam the football player can help their team.

The Miami Dolphin’s Situation

It is unfair to call this the Incognito/Martin scandal as the recent Well’s report has implicated many more parties in this situation.  This whole ordeal has shown us greater insight into NFL locker rooms than any Hard Knock’s episode.  The Well’s report has faulted Incognito, two other linemen, and the offensive line coach in the harassment and bullying of Martin and another player.  This report also cleared head coach Joe Philbin and the Dolphin’s front office of having any knowledge of this situation.  If this is true then the Dolphin’s have a lot more problems than any one realizes.  If it’s not true, than the Dolphin’s leadership is guilty of allowing, perhaps even encouraging, this problem to grow to the point where one player, one man, felt it necessary to walk away.  Many players were quick to call Martin weak for abandoning his teammates, but imagine if more of us had the courage to walk away from an unhealthy situation.

While these three situations are only a sliver of the NFL world they still show a side of the NFL that we would not tolerate in any other forum.  We watch NFL games for entertainment but we do not have to stomach players, or anyone else involved in the game, devalue the game through bigotry.  Some will point out that the culture of the NFL is just different from the rest of the society but that’s no excuse to lessen the value of education, not support players from all walks of live, and to support those who need to make themselves feel better by making others feel worse.  As fans we pour our time, money, and hearts into our favorite franchises.  Maybe it’s time we let them know that we will not tolerate these kinds of behaviors if they want our continued support.        

The Pro Bowl Sucks

For years now the NFL Pro Bowl has been awful.  I, like many fans, do not watch the game because it is not reflective of the football that we all love.  In an attempt to fix the game, the powers that be have changed the format in an effort to gain more viewership.  This year, they enlisted the help of Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders to be the general managers of the two squads and had them draft players. Players loved the new format, allowing them to play with cross-conference colleagues, but the novelty will soon wear thin.  There are many problems with the Pro Bowl that need to be addressed, most notably that players do not want to risk a career threatening injury in a meaningless game.  So how do we fix the NFL’s All-Star game?  Here are a few thoughts:

Change the Date:

The current version of the game is played the week before the Super Bowl and it had previously been played the week after the big game.  The problem with this timing is that it excludes players who play in the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.  It also does not allow time for injured players to rest so that they can participate.  Solution: play the game at the end of February.  The league has pushed offseason dates later and should do so for this event.  Pushing back the date of the Pro Bowl would allow for players to rest and heal after the season and allow for greater participation.

Change the Voting:

Pro Bowl voting is just a popularity contest and all of the biggest names receive votes because of who they are, not how they’ve played the past season.  Change the voting system to give equal weight to fans, players, coaches, and team executives.  This could help some lesser-known names be recognized for having a successful season.

Do Not Change the Location:

Stop rotating the site of the Pro Bowl.  It is not the Super Bowl and should not be treated as such.  Pick Hawaii as the location for festivities and keep it that way.  Yeah, players and coaches in the NFL can afford to go on their own, but it’s a nice reward for the players and showcases the game in an area where fans cannot attend other games.  Plus, what better place is there to be in late February than Hawaii?

Change the Game:

All of the other major sports leagues hold complimentary events to help showcase their All-Star games.  The slam-dunk contest, the home run derby, and the NHL skills competition are all successful and highly viewed.  On Pro Bowl Saturday, hold a skills competition to show who is the fastest, who can kick the farthest/most accurately, who has the best hands, who can throw the farthest/most accurately, and anything else you can think of.  You could even involve the Sports Science guys at ESPN to talk about how these guys are able to do these things.  As far as the actual game, it’s an exhibition game and should be treated as such.  No one wants to get hurt and therefore don’t give the 100% effort they would in any other game.  Solution: change the actual game to a flag football game.  You could still have offensive and defensive lines, you still have to block, and this would allow the players to show off their skills, agility, and speed.  As an added bonus, you greatly reduce the risk of injury and still produce an entertaining game.

These proposed solutions are by no means perfect but I feel they are a step in the right direction for the league to showcase their best players in a fun environment.  Please share your thoughts below.