General NFL discussion thread

[thefreakytiki]

I feel like an asshole.

That just blows.  Hope she's all right.

 

She's fine.  I told her a couple of embarrassing dating stories I had after a break up.  She laughed at me and felt better. 


The Tiki

[Jim B.]

  We now return you to your NFL discussion thread, already in progress...

[Wood]

A lot of posturing by both sides this last two weeks. Owners filing a grievance for unfair practices against the NFLPA even though it was the owners who walked out of the negotiating session and canceled subsequent meetings. Ownership is convinced the only arrow in the players' unions quiver is decertification, and owners are hoping this preemptive grievance will help stop that from becoming a reality.

Not looking good for an 11th hour settlement.

[ValorPhoeniX]

deadlines in CBAs are meaningless. no matter how far apart two sides are in labor negotiations the easiest thing for them to collectively bargain for is to push back the deadline.

[Dave A]

I've been pretty open about my dislike of the Eagles (in a friendly rivalry kinda way) and of DeSean Jackson (in a "slap that punk in the mouth!" kinda way)... but this is a hell of a story:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6120346

Among the burdens of a married American male are to provide shelter, put food in the cupboards and occasionally sit through showings of "The View."

Which is what my wife and I were doing last week when we saw something that made it hard to speak, much less drink our coffee.

A 13-year-old boy named Nadin Khoury told about how he'd been attacked by seven bigger schoolmates, kicked, beaten, dragged through the snow, stuffed into a tree, and hung on a 7-foot spiked fence, all while adults watched.

The boy was only 5-foot-2, but he'd made up his mind to stand tall no matter how much of his pride bled out. As the brutal video played on a screen behind him, his collar stayed buttoned, his spine straight, but his bottom lip quivered.

"Next time maybe it could be somebody smaller than me," he said, loud and clear, like the Marine he wants to be someday. "Maybe next time, somebody could really get hurt."

That's when host Elisabeth Hasselbeck said, "There are some guys here who want to tell you just how brave you are."
 
From behind the curtain came three Philadelphia Eagles -- All-World receiver DeSean Jackson, center Jamaal Jackson and guard Todd Herremans.

Khoury seemed at once shocked, overwhelmed and redeemed. Where once his chin stuck out as best it could, it now fell open in wonder. He looked like a kid who'd forgotten it was Christmas morning. He wept without wiping his tears. Jackson sat as close to him as possible, as if to make the two one. He praised the boy for his bravery and added, "Anytime ever you need us, I got two linemen right here."

Shut up... it's just a little sumthin' in my eye... 

[Farrell]

Shut up... it's just a little sumthin' in my eye... 

I miss Rick Reilly as a regular columnist in Sports Illustrated.  He used to "put something in my eye" once or twice a month.

[Spigs]

Shut up... it's just a little sumthin' in my eye... 

Karma, got a little chocked up at my desk reading this.

[Jay Tomio]

Wo. Cam Newton is greportedly oing to do a fulll schedule at the Combine. That doesn't happen a lot with top quarterbacks, especially ones that have been on the "rise" leading up to the combine.

Say what you will about the guy, but he's not dodging shit and isn't using his private workout as an excuse not to participate at the combine.

[Wood]

Wo. Cam Newton is greportedly oing to do a fulll schedule at the Combine. That doesn't happen a lot with top quarterbacks, especially ones that have been on the "rise" leading up to the combine.

Say what you will about the guy, but he's not dodging shit and isn't using his private workout as an excuse not to participate at the combine.

I give him credit for this. He's EXTREMELY lucky this is such a weak QB class, because he may actually find himself in the top 10 picks when in four out of five classes he would be a late 1st rounder or more likely 2nd rounder.

My issues aren't with his athleticism though, that was on full display at Auburn. It's with his decision making and maturity.

[Jay Tomio]

I give him credit for this. He's EXTREMELY lucky this is such a weak QB class, because he may actually find himself in the top 10 picks when in four out of five classes he would be a late 1st rounder or more likely 2nd rounder.

My issues aren't with his athleticism though, that was on full display at Auburn. It's with his decision making and maturity.

Oddly, the only time I saw (which doesn't mean every play or game) him be less than decent was the the title game, where he was apparently injured early. I thought he was pretty inaccurate and made some pretty lousy throws/decisions and worse, looked like he didn't have options/reads to go further than those lousy decisions.  That said (and this may sound silly), I liked his presence in that game, and the way he stood in the pocket (not talking mobility, but his body language). He never seemed to lose personal composure, even though it had to be a bummer to be injured and him not playing well in a game of that magnitude (and a personal showcase). It might very well be because he's just a big dude and the D he was playing was undersized, but he looked like an NBA player standing in the middle of a middle school game.

Also, while I don't presume that how you interview and talk on camera has anything to do with smarts or potential on field production, he doesn't seem like the most articulate cat out there for sure. I wonder how he will interview, which I think will be HUGE for him at the combine.

[elemental]

I give him credit for this. He's EXTREMELY lucky this is such a weak QB class, because he may actually find himself in the top 10 picks when in four out of five classes he would be a late 1st rounder or more likely 2nd rounder.

My issues aren't with his athleticism though, that was on full display at Auburn. It's with his decision making and maturity.

Like throwing a laptop out of the window (This would be easier to let go if John Brantley could complete a pass)

[Jay Tomio]

Like throwing a laptop out of the window (This would be easier to let go if John Brantley could complete a pass)

Not that he wasn't anyway, but he'd have been BEASTLY at Florida.

As an FSU fan, I can relate via Randy Moss.

[thefreakytiki]

The union decertified... Shits gonna get nasty now.

The Tiki

[Spigs]

I'm of two minds on this, on the one hand I want there to be football, I want everything resolved, and having a family member who works for one of the teams I am concerned about the effects of a long term stoppage on their job.  On the other hand as a law student with an interest in sports and labor law I am fascinated to see how this law suit is going to play out.  I think it's especially telling that one of the named parties in the case for the players side is an incoming rookie, which to me suggests they are going to attack the draft as part of the antitrust claims.

[Deputy]

I really really really hope there is a season. . .

[elemental]

I think it's especially telling that one of the named parties in the case for the players side is an incoming rookie, which to me suggests they are going to attack the draft as part of the antitrust claims.

It sounds like the NFLPA are encouraging the top draft prospects not to attend the draft, this put these young men in a very difficult situation

[Spigs]

Yeah unfortunately that posturing has started and it's really unfortunate.  I get where both sides are coming from on the issue but this is just posturing at this point.  If I'm an incoming rookie, especially a prospective top draft pick, I've been dreaming about getting drafted probably my entire life.  Now I have to choose between living the dream of walking across that stage and putting on the hat and getting the handshake but potentially pissing off the people I will be playing with and against, or missing out on that once in a lifetime moment.  Not an easy place to be.

[thefreakytiki]

It sounds like the NFLPA are encouraging the top draft prospects not to attend the draft, this put these young men in a very difficult situation

Not really.  Keep in mind that the agents are on the NFLPA side in this battle.  The agents are paid to guide/negotiate the players in their best interest.  If the NFLPA is going to have their own "show" the rookies will still receive a hat and a jersey with a #1 on the back for the cameras.  Another thing to consider is who would you rather have you handing you the hat... Roger Goodell or Drew Brees/Tom Brady/Peyton Manning etc. Representing their new team.

The Tiki

[elemental]

I was thinking more in the line of who would you rather piss off, your future colleagues or future employer

[thefreakytiki]

I was thinking more in the line of who would you rather piss off, your future colleagues or future employer

Who would you rather piss off, the group who has your back or the employer who can terminate your contract to improve his bottom line?

The Tiki