The New York Jets are under fire today, stemming from a recent allegation that a Jets’ team employee was caught videotaping from their sideline in a 30-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The man in question was holding a large camera, New York Jets gear and a lime green vest.

The Jets are already in public relations mode, stating that the cameraman “works for Jets TV and shoots footage for our team programming.” New York has also justified the cameraman by citing the NFL rulebook, which states,”

“[c]lub video crews and video crews from television stations that produce and telecast club-licensed programming (e.g. coaches’ shows, team magazine-style shows, etc.) may also be permitted to have a camera on the sidelines to shoot footage for those club-licensed programs only.”

While the charge seem innocuous, New England fans will point out that the 2007 early allegations (against these very same Jets, mind you) of illegal filming had a similar tone. But Commissioner Roger Goodell eventually docked the Patriots $250,000 (the maximum) and a 1st-round pick, while Coach Bill Belichick was also fined $500,000 for his role.

All of the Patriots’ notes, tapes, and other materials related to the incident were summoned by the league office, and eventually destroyed.

The mere fact that a cameraman was spotted on New York’s sideline, despite their plausible excuse, raises eyebrows. As a matter of fairness, the league office should check the content of the tapes to see if it matches the Jets’ statement.

This is New York’s second incident involving sideline improprieties in the last 11 months. In a December 2010 loss to Miami, New York Jets’ strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi extended his knee and tripped Dolphins’ corner back Nolan Carrol on a third-quarter punt return.

The Jets were fined $100,000 for the infraction and Alosi later resigned.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots.

Over the past three years, NFL coaches, media members and fans have wondered the same question: Will there be a professional football season in 2011? After the league owners agreed to unanimously opt-out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in May 2008, the threat of no football has lingered for three seasons. That fear can finally be put to rest however, as both the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have agreed to a deal that will last through the 2021 season.

The Background

Displeased with their two-year old CBA, the NFL owners exercised their option to opt-out of the deal prior to 2008, ending the deal after the 2010 league year. Citing stadium operating costs (despite many new stadiums being publicly financed) and rising player salaries, all 32 owners agreed to end the CBA after the 2010 season in what appeared to be a clear money grab.

As the 2010 season drew near, it was evident that both sides were already preparing for a nasty lockout. Players’ union head DeMaurice Smith visited the training camp of every team, asking for permission for union decertification as a last resort, which would turn the NFLPA into a trade association. This move would allow the players to file an anti-trust suit, a strong strategic play considering the NFL’s past experience in the court system.

Despite record television ratings, the threat of a prolonged work stoppage loomed as the CBA was set to expire on March 3. In his annual state of the league address prior to Super Bowl XLV, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was bombarded with questions of labor uncertainty, overshadowing a historic matchup between two of the league’s premier franchises in Green Bay and Pittsburgh.

With the March 3 deadline approaching rapidly, attempted negotiations were contentious. Both parties stepped up their rhetoric, turning the labor unrest into a public relations battle in which no fan cared about.

Members of the players’ executive board and the players they represented expressed a blatant distrust of the commissioner, the owners and their negotiating tactics. This distrust was confirmed by Judge David Doty after he sided with the NFLPA in the infamous lockout insurance case.

This case showed how committed the owners were to a work stoppage. In 2009, with a potential lockout two years away, the owners manipulated their television partners into renegotiating their current contracts. The new deals forced CBS, DirecTV, ESPN, FOX, and NBC to continue payments regardless of a 2011 work stoppage, giving the owners a major nest egg to survive a season without games.

Players and owners continued to negotiate the following week, with both sides even agreeing to extend the CBA an additional seven days for one final attempt at a deal. Another week of negotiations followed, but neither side was able to come to an agreement. The owners offered one final 11th hour proposal, but the NFLPA felt slighted and used their only play remaining, decertification to allow for the anti-trust lawsuit named Brady et al vs. National Football League et al. This suit would question the legality of many of the league’s procedures, including the NFL Draft.

At this point, the future of the 2011 season was in the hands of various courts. The players struck a big victory in Minnesota after Judge Susan Nelson deemed that the lockout was illegal, temporarily lifting the lockout in April. The NFL appealed the decision, winning on appeal to keep the lockout in place shortly thereafter. In the short window after Nelson’s ruling, most coaching staffs handed out playbooks so the players could begin preparations if and when the 2011 season occurred before the league continued the lockout.

As May and June passed and the season remained in serious jeopardy, both sides continued to negotiate in anticipation of the court’s final ruling. Judge Kermit Bye of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit encouraged both sides to negotiate, or neither side would like his final decision. This ominous threat persuaded both sides to kick the action into high gear as time grew short.

Throughout July, a cautious optimism permeated throughout the league circles that a deal would be completed before any action was missed. Both parties were able to agree on the economic principles before finally completing the terms of a rookie wage scale and finishing up the final points of the agreement last weekend.

The Aftermath

Despite the loss of organized team activities (OTAs), a full free agency and trading period, the outward results of the NFL lockout appear nil, leaving no black mark on the league. As the season progresses, this summer’s labor issue will be long forgotten as teams vie for a birth in the postseason and the quest for the Lombardi Trophy begins.

Players and coaches will have to work around a slightly shortened training camp, four preseason games and the complete 17-week season.  Veterans and rookies had the opportunity to review playbooks while the lockout was temporarily lifted, while player-led workouts kept most veterans in shape in addition to exposing the rookies to their teammates.

With the agreement in place and training camps starting on Wednesday, fans will return to NFL stadiums in droves. The league is coming off of a postseason that saw its highest television ratings in 15 years. Fantasy football remains immensely popular, and let’s face it, the NFL has no tangible television opponent in either the 1, 4, 8:15 or Monday night slot, despite baseball pennant races and postseason chases (Sorry MLB fans). Some NFL owners even stated that season ticket sales were up during the work stoppage.

Fans will continue to buy team merchandise, advertisers will be satisfied and fans won’t miss any of their favorite team’s action.

Going forward, it will be business as usual for the NFL. With the new CBA lasting until 2021, labor peace will be prevalent going forward for America’s most popular sport.

Comparing the NBA and NFL Lockouts

The NFL is not the only league with a labor strife however, as the NBA is currently engaged in a lockout of its own. Unlike the NFL though, the NBA is no cash cow. Commissioner David Stern claims that 22 of the league’s 30 teams are losing money, with a reported $300 million in losses despite the highest television ratings since 2003.

Several issues dominate this current basketball lockout, as both sides appear to be in a stalemate that has no end date in sight. Owners want the players to take a smaller piece of the economic pie, while also seeking a chance in the league’s current soft salary cap. The players steadfastly refuse to give up such a large portion, leading to the current quagmire.

With owners apparently ready to dig in their heels for what could be a prolonged work stoppage, several players appear willing to take their talents overseas, including Europe or China for the right to still play. Nets superstar Deron Williams has agreed to play in Turkey, while others such as Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard appear to be shopping their services to the right bidder. The fate of the 2011-12 season is without a doubt in question.

Who Won the Lockout? The NFLPA or Owners?

Despite over 130 days of a work stoppage, the owners can ultimately declare themselves winners. Owners were able to increase their share in the economic landscape, completing their ultimate goal. The owners also were able to implement a rookie-salary cap, ending the contract chaos that surrounds high draft picks (such as Sam Bradford receiving $50 million guaranteed in 2010.

In the end, the fans have won as well. While diehards like me will complain that free agency was greatly affected, the casual fan will not miss one iota of action. That, combined with the mere thought that football will be played uninterrupted for the next decade, is a bright spot for all those who love this game.

© Taylor for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Patriots.

We all knew it was going to happen, but it was only a matter of when. After meeting all day Thursday in an Atlanta-area hotel, NFL owners officially voted to approve a 10-year collective bargaining agreement by a vote of 31-0 with the Oakland Raiders abstaining. So everything is all set, right? Not exactly. Now the players themselves must sign off on the deal in order for it to take full effect.

The players have until Tuesday to come to a vote, but early reports indicate that a handshake deal has already been made and that a deal could come as early as Friday. To make this happen, players must re-establish their union quickly and the majority of the 1,900 players would need to approve in order for everything to take effect. An easier way of doing this is to open team facilities as soon as possible and allow a team representative take a vote for his team. Thanks to the owners agreeing to the new deal, NFL owners can open facilities as soon as this Saturday.

If the players vote to ratify the new deal, then league business will officially start Wednesday, July 27th. This means Free Agency and player trading can immediately go into effect.

As a result of these lengthy negotiations, the scheduled NFL Hall of Fame game on August 7th between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears has been cancelled. The good news is that the season opener between the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints is still set for Thursday, September 8th.

It’s all in the hands of the players at this point. As Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “It’s time to get back to football”

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, News, Patriots, Top Story.

Anyone remember “V For Vendetta?” Pretty good movie, definitely the best Alan Moore adaptation so far (“Watchmen” was more accurate, but also more boring), even if some of its message about terrorism’s potential upside hasn’t held up in the five years since its release. Point is, there’s a line in it where Mr. Creedy, head of the black ops “fingermen,” tells police inspector Finch, “At this time it would behoove you to cease any investigation of matters that have long since passed, and concentrate on the concerns of the present.”

Minus the approving opinion of mass murder and scorched earth strategies (unless he thought he might get a mid-level draft pick out of it two years down the road), we have a real-life “Creepy” Creedy in Patriots coach Bill Belichick. And NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell is definitely Mr. Finch. In a recent article by Sports Illustrated, Gooddell said that he feels “deceived” by Belichick’s stonewalling the press on the “SpyGate” issue. Gooddell said he expected Belichick to clear the air about the decision-making process that led to his getting fined a half-million dollars for illegally videotaping opponents’ sidelines and coaches. But when Belichick was told of Gooddell’s reaction, he basically told ESPN that he never agreed to full public disclosure, only saying that he felt he dealt with the issue appropriately at the time. Cue Sinatra singing “My Way.”

So now Gooddell is pissed. I only have one question for Gooddell: really? Well, OK, here’s a few more questions: You’re actually going to get mad that Belichick wasn’t forthcoming with the press? Have you ever talked to Belichick? Have you ever watched a press conferece? Belichick is never forthcoming. When his team wins, he spreads credit all around without singling out a single player for a specific achievement. When his team loses, he similarly spreads blame, often onto himself. His voice never wavers, his emotions never change. Straight, flat affect, all the time.

And let’s not even start talking about Belichick’s injury reports. For some reason, Belichick gets off on sticking it to the press, and he does so by revealing as little as possible, week in and week out. The injury report is Belichick’s idea of a joke. The only other time Belichick shows a sense of humor is when he can evade a reporter’s question with a quick, sarcastic barb. Belichick isn’t forthcoming about anything. Why on earth would he be forthcoming about an incident as humiliating as the fines and lost draft picks of “SpyGate?” If he won’t talk about why his team won or lost, who’s injured, or what the Patriots’ strategy is for their next opponent, why on earth would he talk about why he cheated and for how long he’s been doing it?

And don’t pretend that any of these tendencies are somehow new. We all remember Bill Belichick’s press conference after winning his third Super Bowl with the Patriots, cementing the team’s dynasty status and his personal place in history as one of the all-time great coaches. Did he allow himself a moment to reflect on the magnanimity of what he’d just accomplished? Did Belichick even smile?

Gooddell took over in 2006. Belichick’s song-and-dance was old long before then. So for Mr. Gooddell to sit there and say he felt deceived by Belichick’s withholding SpyGate details from the press shows an ignorance that borders on delusion.

Look, Commissioner, you got what you secretly wanted. The Patriots lost their bid at perfection in 2007, and have since lost two straight home playoff games. Their credibility as a franchise wanes a little more with each consecutive playoff loss. So why are you still harping on something that happened over three years ago. Don’t you have more pressing matters to deal with? Maybe the public relations nightmare that will result if the accused rapist quarterbacking the Steelers wins the Super Bowl? Or how about the two possible class-action lawsuits you’re about to face from former players who suffered brain damage playing for your league?

The matter of SpyGate has long since passed. Gooddell would do well to let it fade into history, and concentrate on the concerns of the present.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

There were quite a few helmet hits this past week in the No Fun League, which is truly living up to that moniker. In response to hits they deem illegal, the NFL has released a 4:02 video to all NFL teams with instructions to play by the rules. The problem is, what are the rules now? Nobody seems to know anymore. James Harrison even threatened retirement, though we all know that’s not going to happen. So exactly what’s going on with the NFL threatening suspensions and fines, and what will it do?

Player Protection

“Protecting players from needless injuries is our goal.”

This was the topic sentence from the instructional video, narrated by NFL Executive VP of football operations Ray Anderson. But do they? We’ve all heard the jawing about how retirees don’t get taken care of, how their health benefits are virtually non-existent, and how a less than four year average career just gets players thrown up and thrown out.

But then again, the NFL is concerned with protecting players from needless injuries. The Peyton Mannings and the Tom Bradys of the world. Remember when Brady went down? How much money do you think the league lost when people couldn’t see Tom Brady? The Tuck Rule and the Brady Rule (the ankle thing) were all named after him.

The NFL has quite the history of protecting stars (quarterbacks, kickers, guys that get attention), and we’ve never heard about the NFL doing anything for anyone else that isn’t as well-known as Brady (Lofa Tatupu). Essentially, the NFL is protecting its investment.

What’s Prohibited

Initial contact in the neck or head area with a forearm, shoulder, or helmet is prohibited.

Yeah, I can see that. No intentional hits. But what if it’s an accident? Players naturally curl up when they’re about to take a hit, which naturally lowers their head. Or what about when a player gets hit and gets taken down an inch or two RIGHT before you hit him?

ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley described when he was with the Bills and went to sack Peyton Manning. IMMEDIATELY before he got to Manning (6’5″), a teammate just hit Manning, knocking him down a little (6’3″). As a result, he hit Manning’s helmet, obviously by accident, when he was obviously going for the chest area before Manning went down. He got a Fed-Ex envelope with a $10,000 fine for a “targeted” hit. Would that have happened if it were some nobody at quarterback?

Hits are illegal when it suits the NFL to make them illegal, I.E. when it potentially costs them business. Brandon Meriweather’s hit was the only intentional one that should be punished; the other hits were either completely accidental or barely even tapped the helmet.

Hypocritical Moment Worthy of Jon Stewart

A hit on a defenseless receiver attempting a catch, shoulder to chest hit that achieved the desired result. No launching, no neck or head impact, tough, clean football.

This was a mention of Ray Lewis’ tackle against the Jets. While I’m all for causing sadistic bodily harm to everyone on the Jets’ roster (Brett Favre tried to do some serious harm to Jennifer Sterger’s body, which I may or may not have wanted to watch), look back at I haven’t seen anything this blatantly hypocritical since Rick James (1:15-1:50). Ray Andreson spent nearly 3/4 of the video saying hits against defenseless receivers were outlawed, and now he’s saying they’re good? The whole point of being a defenseless receiver is that he’s defenseless. A shoulder to the sternum/ribs still causes massive damage; how about just leaving the spears to Edge altogether? I know Roger Goodell doesn’t have a heart to damage, but that doesn’t mean others don’t either.

Douchey “Can Dish it Out But Can’t Take it” Moment

We repeat to all of you; we will not apologize for or be defensive about aggressive enforcement to protect players from illegal and potentially life-altering blows to the head and neck. Another priority is respect: respect for each other, respect for safety, respect for the rules, and respect for the game.

So let me get this straight; you’re basically admitting that you’re wrong with contradictions within your own video, and now you won’t hone up to it? So much like the power-hungry refs in other leagues.

And why should we respect you, NFL, when you’ve done nothing to earn it? You are screwing these players over more than an inappropriate Ben Roethlisberger rape joke, except for those who won your popularity contest, and now you demand respect? Respect has to be earned; that’s why Odysseus got near-destroyed by Poseidon and co. Only when he earned the respect by humbling himself was he able to slaughter Penelope’s suitors.

The Effects of the Rule

Here’s what will happen. Players don’t know what will be fined, result in a suspension, or be completely legal, because it’s almost the same thing all around. Some players will go lower, others will keep going, and some fines and suspensions will be given out. For complete accidents. Other severe crushes will be against no-names and not be punished.

The NFL won’t overreact to every hit because it can’t. There will be so much backlash from fans, analysts, and players, that the elasticity of demand will cause the NFL to lose money (out of others’ rage) from excess fines. Plus, the new collective bargaining agreement will probably be completely screwed up if the NFL throws fines and suspensions around like Oprah throws out cars. And we know the NFL is all about money.

Besides, concussions, while severe and having some lingering effects, result in a player being able to return relatively quickly, while something like an ACL tear (which we could see more of once players hit low to ensure not being fined or suspended) takes a year to complete, unless you’re Wes Welker and use the midi-chlorians to heal super fast. And you’re never 100% after any injury, but especially knee injuries; football players are constantly juking this way and that, and putting untold strains on their knees.

Inside Joke of the Day

So the NFL wants to prevent many 850.0s, with probable 780.4. You’ll still have those, plus more 844.2s when players stay far away from the head area. What are you doing to prevent 807.09 while you’re at it? Some health coverage would help with any potential 733.81 too. I’m contracting 312.00 and 300.4 just thinking about it.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

One of the great things about the NFL is that the schedule doesn’t feel like it’s too long as a fan. Training camps start in the summer, preseason games are at the end of the summer, the season is September through December and then the playoffs begin. By the end of the first week of February, the ups and downs of rooting for your football team can be stored away for a few months. Anytime a season gets longer, a fan is more likely to be burned out. With less down time between the end of a season and beginning of the next, there is the risk that a fan could have less time to let the stresses of caring about their favorite team disappear.

Furthermore, the longer the season, the more of a grind it is on players, health-wise. More games means more chance for injuries and more likelihood of having backup players playing. Increasing the season length without increasing the roster size would be a huge mistake. With a roster size increase, we’re still likely in for a decrease in quality of play, and it’ll become all too likely that a playoff team is derailed later in the year by an injury, as regular season games would go until mid-January, when more games would be taking place in midst of rain and snow.

Also, in a recession, expanding the schedule means more games to purchase in a season ticket plan and more money to spend. Not everyone would be willing to pay for that and that would increase the number of games eligible to be blacked out, which should never be the goal of a league.

Finally, after the abomination that was Sunday’s Cowboys-Packers game, a longer season increases the chances that we see more clunkers like that. I was openly pining for a change to another game, that’s how poor the quality of play was. An increase in the numbers of games would, just by random chance, make it more likely to have another poor game broadcasted to too many people.

So, combining all of these factors, especially when asking people to pay more money to see a lesser product is not a formula for success, I think we can see there’s good argument against increasing the schedule. I’m not a fan of any sort of NFL expansion at the moment. When the time comes that there are a lot of closely packed teams, more than we would normally expect via a normal distribution, then we can look into those items as ways of shaking up the makeup of the league.

© Adam for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots.

Another week, another blowout. The Patriots didn’t need much to beat the winless Bucs, but the offense had another great game in the 35-7 blowout. Tom Brady threw for another three touchdowns, giving him 15 on the season (were we actually worried about this guy?), and the defense continued to play well with Meriweather’s two interceptions (one for a touchdown). We saw the returns of Junior Seau and Tully Banta-Cain (it’s like he never left) while Sam Aiken scored his first career offensive touchdown. Overall, it was a very solid game for everyone on the Patriots, minus the running game (read below) and the Patriots showed that no matter where the NFL makes them play football, they will beat up on inferior opponents. Next stop, Mars!

Honestly, when the team is rolling like this and playing inferior competition, there isn’t much to talk about. If I had to write this column in 2007 I would be pulling my hair out trying to think of things to write (there are only so many “Wow! Brady is so awesome!” articles one man can write). Do not fear, however, because I did manage to think of four other talking points that tie-in with the Patriots. Well, one may be a stretch, but regardless here are my thoughts.

The NFL’s Sudden Disparity

The fact that the Patriots have played two consecutive winless teams made me think about how bad the NFL is this year. The competition in the NFL has gotten relatively weak and it was on showcase this Sunday as the average margin of victory in the 12 games was 21.2 points. 

By taking a quick look at the standings, you will see that there are still three teams yet to record a victory (Rams, Titans, Buccaneers). In addition to those three teams there are also three more teams that are in shambles and wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t win another game this year (Browns, Raiders, Chiefs). (Note: Of course that last sentence isn’t entirely true because these three teams will play each other, but you get the point.) Keep in mind that I haven’t even mentioned the Dolphins, Bills, Panthers, Seahawks, Lions or Redskins, all of whom just flat out suck. Do you see where I’m going with this? I just named 12 teams that would probably lose to the NCAA All-Star team. I can’t remember the last time the bottom of the NFL was this weak.

Welker is irreplaceable

I’m sure everyone holds onto something that makes them feel safe. For some people it’s a blanket and others maybe a baseball bat. Well, for Brady it’s Wes Welker. It is clear that when Welker is on the field, this offense runs much more efficient. He has a great ability to catch the ball in traffic, make plays after the catch and run precise routes. I looked up some numbers after Sunday’s game to see how much of an impact Welker has had on our offense. The biggest difference I found was to be in red zone offense. Here are the numbers:

• With Welker, Brady is 16-for-25 for 144 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception in the red zone.
• Without Welker, Brady is just 6-for-18 for 27 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.
• In five games with Welker, the team has 17 red zone trips (11 TD, 5 FG, 1 INT).
• In two game without Welker, the team has eight red zone trips (1 TD, 7 FG).
• In the red zone, Welker has eight targets, five receptions, and three touchdowns (all team-highs).

It is very clear that Welker makes a huge difference and Brady looks his way often in the red zone. When the field shortens, guys like Randy Moss are more limited in their options because they cannot utilize their speed as much, but players like Welker who are quicker than they are fast, are useful in all situations and it shows. It is remarkable to me that, despite missing two games, Welker ranks first in the NFL in receptions (46), fifth in targets (62) and third among wide receivers in yards after the catch (192). All we did was trade a second and seventh round pick in 2007 to get this guy, which should go down as one of the best trades in Patriots history.

Stick a fork in Maroney

It’s over. We have to just realize we missed badly on this pick and move on because Maroney just isn’t an every-down NFL running back. Against Tampa Bay (fourth-worst against the run), Maroney ran the ball just 13 times for 44 yards and a touchdown. He’s shown us time and time again that doesn’t hit the hole hard enough and he’s tentative in the backfield. His only good quality is that he has decent hands and when he gets in space he is a legitimate home run threat, but other than LenDale White, who isn’t? To think we could’ve had DeAngelo Williams with that pick…

Roger Goodell is nuts if he actually thinks the NFL in London is a good idea

Excuse me for being rude, but if the NFL is serious about putting a team (or division) out in Europe they are out of their minds. Yes, the London game sells out in a heartbeat, but that’s because it’s just one game. Put the pro bowl in London and call it a day. That way they get their superstars and the NFL gets the revenue.

Not only do I object to expanding the league (have you seen how many awful quarterbacks there are?), but putting teams across the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t make any sense logistically. In order to avoid racking up ridiculous frequent flier miles, the international teams would have to play road games in bunches. Also, do you think any players would want to go play football in London? Maybe Tim Tebow because he would see it as a call from God to spread the good word of the NFL to the rest of the world, but I would guess 90 percent of the players in college would rather stay in the United States. NFL Europe died for a reason. Take the hint!

© George for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Patriots, Top Story.

Stallworth plead guilty to DUI manslaughter earlier this summer and received what some felt was a light 30 day sentence in jail – of which he only served 24 days. Stallworth served his time and recently met with Goodell to discuss the matter. Goodell said in a statement that further consequences were necessary after the legal aspect was finished.

Stallworth becomes the second player under Goodell to be suspended for an entire season because of player conduct, Pacman Jones being the other. Michael Vick was under a blanked indefinite suspension.

Stallworth played for the Patriots in 2007, catching 46 balls for 697 yards and three touchdowns.

© Jeff Christenbury for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: News, Patriots.

Now, I understand what he did here. The NFL Draft brings in an absurd amount of viewers so adding another day will only help the NFL on the business aspect of it. They will bring in more money due to more advertising and all that jazz. Plus, for the teams it gives a whole day in between the first and second round so we could see some different drafting strategies and there is sure to be more trades. That’s all fine and dandy, but this is simply terrible for the fans.

First off, how in the world are people going to travel to watch the draft live? You would basically have to take off two days of work or class and travel into New York City during mid-week traffic. Not good.

Having the draft on Saturday and Sunday meant cooking out with your friends, drinking some beer, and hanging out all day laughing at Mel Kiper and at teams like the Oakland Raiders. With this move, that will not happen. Maybe Goodell doesn’t realize but people actually have jobs, and the biggest population of fans, people aged 15-24, have class. In his statement, Goodell said that this is more “accessible to more fans.” No it isn’t you fool. You’re making it nearly impossible for people to attend the event. For the people who watch it from their own homes, you’re making it less fun; to be frank.

Now, I have to go to class for three hours, come home do my homework, study a little bit and BAM get right into draft mode? No. In all reality every college student who watches this yearly event will skip class Thursday and some crazy people will skip work. See what you did Goodell?

The funny thing about this is Saturday. People could still cook out and do all that fun stuff Saturday but then you realize it’s Rounds 4-7 and the excitement is lost. I just can’t wait for Mel Kiper to start putting projections on where he feels players will end up because I’m dying to hear this; “To me he looks like a third day prospect.”

A third day prospect…and we can thank Mr. Change, Roger Goodell. The draft was perfectly fine on the weekend; we even all warmed up to the change where it was just the first and second rounds on Saturday. But now you take away our weekend and instead expect us to be pleased with watching this during the week?

Obviously I’ll still watch every single selection, but I’ll be doing this while I’m preparing for an exam the next morning. Thank you Roger Goodell.

© Matthew Marcantonio for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: College, Featured, Patriots.

Are Brett Favre and Roger Clemens Similar?

Much like Roger Clemens’ many returns, Favre wants to come back at an age that is much above the average age of a player in his league. Physically, we even have similarities of minor injuries in some of their final seasons. But the difference between Favre and Clemens is that Clemens was finally forced away from the game by not performing well anymore.

Favre seemed to be headed that way until this season, when having solid offensive options around him rejuvenated his game and led to one of his best seasons in the past five years. Since he can still perform, certainly Favre coming back would not be an old star looking for a cheap way to win a Super Bowl ring. Favre is obviously a QB in the top half of the league performance-wise.

Does Favre Crave Attention?

Many people are going to argue that he has created a media circus and shouldn’t come back because he obviously wants the attention. Really, that’s their argument, as if he’s done something to harm the integrity of the game by deciding he wants to play again. Of course he’s going to want the attention, the more prominent he is, the more money he can get from advertising deals. Are we to fault an older player for not being able to decide whether he wants to come back?

Obviously, the grind of the season is much more stressful to Brett now than it was 8-10 years ago and at the end of the season he thought it was too much. Many athletes find that once their career is over, they are lost and often don’t have another job they can find for themselves. So obviously, some combination of Brett healing up and feeling much better than he expected and the bleakness of not having a regular job to go to weighed in on his mind.

Wait, Don’t the Packers Already Have a QB?

Another argument that people have made is that Brett is putting the Packers at a disadvantage by trying to come back. The Packers committed to Aaron Rodgers as their starting QB when Brett announced his retirement. They’ve even made it clear to Brett that that was the case. However, the Packers can trade Favre and receive some value in return for doing so. Considering Brett’s talent, they should even be able to find suitors in the AFC, and if not, certainly outside of the NFC North.

Furthermore, Brett’s responsibility as a member of the players union is not to answer to the team and their every wish. He could choose to do so if he felt it would improve the chances of the team winning the Super Bowl. However, given that he’s been a starter for well over 15 years and with how he performed last year, it’s hard to see the alpha dog personality in Brett being able to sit on the bench and watch Aaron Rodgers learn the Green Bay offense.

What’s Next for Favre?

Now that the NFL has reinstated Favre, the Packers have a couple options. They’ve already offered him $20 million to stay retired. They could let him compete for the starting QB job with Aaron Rodgers, or they could trade him. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has reported that the Packers have contacted the Vikings (yes, an NFC North team) about a possible trade including Brett Favre.

So given that Brett can still perform as an above-average quarterback, he will get some value for his team in return and he did not truly do this out of a desire for more attention, I think it’s safe to say Brett Favre should return on his own terms.

© Adam for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments
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