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$.10 For Father's Day
Authored by Jeff Risdon - 19th June, 2009 - 5:28 pm
Peyton Manning's playoff resume has been greatly debated. Here is how his numbers compare to the regular season, along with Tom Brady and more than two dozen other all-time greats.
There’s a difference between a favorite and a lock. When up against a team with playoff-level talent, it’s rare that the team with the better record ever appears in the second category.
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The NBA and NHL are done, which means it’s the summer sports doldrums. Sure there’s baseball, but if you’re like me you cannot watch more than 2 innings on TV without falling asleep. Fortunately football is just around the corner!
$.01--There is considerable outrage regarding the 30-day jail sentence given to Donte Stallworth for his DUI Manslaughter case. The Browns receiver struck and killed a pedestrian in the wee hours just after the season in Miami, and it turned out he was just above the legal limit. What the terms of the deal tell me: the family of the victim was more than eager to take whatever they could get monetarily, and that the prosecution realized that the victim was unfortunately just as, if not more, culpable in the accident. There were early whispers that the victim might have been drunk himself, though that was abruptly silenced without explanation. Crossing a concrete median into the eastbound lane of a roadway at sunrise more than 100 yards from a crosswalk or light is stupid. What Stallworth did in driving while legally intoxicated is just as stupid, but the punishment fit the crime. Next time you’re driving into a bright sunrise on a freeway, try stopping when a man jumps into your lane out of the sun nowhere near a cross street. I’m not condoning Stallworth’s actions, but don’t be too quick to play the “he bought his way out” card. That’s not the way the legal system works, certainly not in this case. As I finished writing this piece, reports came out that Stallworth has been indefinitely suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell, and I applaud that move nonetheless.
$.02--It’s getting extremely ugly in Denver. The latest act of malfeasance comes from no stranger to controversy, WR Brandon Marshall. In asking for a trade, Marshall piles onto the worst offseason any team has suffered this year. New GM Brian Xanders and coach Josh McDaniels already had some very tall shoes to fill, and with their offseason thus far they’ve done little but shoot off their own toes. Trading Marshall makes no sense, as he is too troubled and unstable to bring back fair value for what all he brings to the field. If they do wind up dealing Marshall, it’s a clear sign the inmates are running the asylum and that the Broncos likely traded the #1 overall pick in the 2010 draft for CB Alphonso Smith. Color me extremely pessimistic on Denver.
$.03--Another 2nd round rookie for whom a 2010 first round pick was dealt is Carolina DE Everette Brown, and the early indicators are that he will be more than worth that pick. I talked to both a Panthers defensive starter and a team official and they both independently told me Brown is the quickest end off the snap and around the edge they’ve ever seen. That includes Dwight Freeney, and these guys were deadly serious in their assessments. The player called him “a short Demarcus Ware”. Granted it’s very early in OTAs, but keep an eye on Brown and also how Julius Peppers responds. Brown was drafted in no small part to succeed Peppers when he hits free agency, as soon as after next season.
$.04--My spies in Detroit, and there are lots of them, are all trying to curb their enthusiasm for this rookie class. Matt Stafford has looked “every bit as good as Matt Ryan”, according to one beat writer who staunchly opposed drafting Stafford. He’s making all the throws and is quickly picking up all the reads and adjustments. But it’s two defensive rookies that are also generating a quietly optimistic buzz in Detroit. Safety Louis Delmas is not just running with the first team but is quickly emerging as the vocal leader of the defense. The coaches love his competitive fire and football IQ; if the season started today, Delmas would be the player wearing the green dot on his helmet in the nickel package, according to one team official. That’s heady stuff for a rookie safety. The other defensive rookie to keep an eye on, and it will be easy as he’s a giant mass of humanity, is tackle Sammie Lee Hill. I’ll give you two quotes, the first from a coach and the second from a beat writer. “Hill is Shaun Rogers without the a**hole issues” and “for coming from where he did (Stillman College, find that on a map!) that guy (Hill) is amazing.” He is also running with the first team defense, though Coach Jim Schwartz insists that no jobs are set yet.
$.05--I’m working on season previews for all the teams, and if you are so inclined to try and predict the surprise teams (in both directions), here are two things to keep in mind. The easiest ways to quickly improve are to cut down offensive turnovers and to improve the sack differential. Two teams near the bottom in offensive turnovers from last year that are primed for big improvements in win totals are Seattle and Cincinnati, both of whom get back very good starting QBs. Heading the other direction (potentially) are the Dolphins and Titans, who combined for fewer turnovers than 8 other teams tallied by themselves. In the sack differential department, if Oakland and Washington can get close to a positive number, and the potential is there for both, expect a nice bump in the win totals. On the other side, beware teams that notched huge sack totals last season or that start greenhorn rookie QBs. Specifically, Dallas (league-leading 59 sacks) and the New York Jets (starting Mark Sanchez). The Lions and Bucs might also start underclassmen rookie QBs, but neither has anywhere close to the expectations of New York.
$.06--Many got great news with the recent deal between the NFL Network and Comcast, allowing the network to be broadcast on the cable system. Sadly I do not get Comcast or have the opportunity to get Comcast, even though if I lived just two miles south, they would be the only cable provider I could use. The monopolistic lack of competition between the cable companies screams of injustice and antitrust. They unfortunately have us by the balls and they know it. I know some of you are sick of my incessant whining on this issue, but when my cable bill tops $120 a month and I still can’t get the two channels (NFL Network and NBA TV) I would watch the most, I feel obligated to kvetch. You want my vote for governor, Rep. Pete Hoekstra? Do something about this obvious miscarriage of capitalism and you’ve got it.
$.07--From the All Favre All the Time Dept.: I’ve traded messages with two different Vikings regarding the greybeard QB and I got essentially the same response from both. Neither player really knew too much about the dealings and both relayed that there has been less chatter about it than you would think. Neither player really wanted Favre but would welcome him if he legitimately beat out the QBs they currently have on the roster. And both players told me they fully expect Brett Favre to be their starting QB in Week 1. I do too.
$.08--My pick for 5 breakout players in 2009:
1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit
2. Zach Miller, TE, Oakland
3. Adam Carriker, DE, St. Louis
4. Kendall Langford, DE, Miami
5. Tracy Porter, CB, New Orleans
$.09--College time! Many of you don’t want to hear it, but Notre Dame is going to be much improved this season. Their starting OL brings back all five starters and loads of experience, and three of them could be NFL draftees. They have as much speed at the offensive skill positions as any team in the country. Their DBs are also much faster than previous editions, and the simplified coverages the coaches have installed suit them well. They’re no BCS bowl candidate, but with their easier schedule the Irish are looking at eight wins minimum, perhaps ten. Will that be enough to get the dogs off Charlie Weis’ embattled legs? Probably not, but you can carve this into the base of Touchdown Jesus: If they don’t win at least seven games this year with this group, you won’t have Charlie Weis to kick around anymore.
$.10--For all you men looking for a good Father’s Day gift for your old man, my humble suggestion: take your Dad to a quiet sports bar (oxymoron alert!) for an extended lunch and the US Open, and ask him about his sports heroes and memories form when he was younger. Listen attentively, ask probing questions, and laugh even if you’ve heard many of the stories hundreds of times before. One of the greatest things about sports is how it draws together fathers and sons, and how personal oral histories present such a unique experience to the teeming masses who all experienced the same events. It’s better than a fresh sleeve of overpriced golf balls or a Slap Chop. Happy Father’s Day, Dad, tell me again about Rex Kern, Mike Ditka the player, Matt Snell filling up the dorm hallway, Gerry Lucas, and Bill Bradley.
