It seems to me that draft picks are more over-valued now than at anytime in my 40+ years of following professional football. When that happened for the NFL as a whole, I can't say for sure, but I think this might have had something to do with it. For the Vikings, it came sometime after the trade for this man. Now that Matt Cassel has been franchised by the New England Patriots, it seems that at a minimum, the Vikings will have to give up a first round draft pick. If they go the traditional route of the non-exclusive franchise tag, they can sign him to an offer sheet and give up two first round picks, or maybe they can do a sign and trade and negotiate and give up something less. I doubt the Vikings want to go three years without a first round draft pick; long term that's not a smart play. But let's say they get some deal worked out that involves this year's first round draft pick, would that be worth it?
To answer that question, I asked a couple of other questions. If the Vikings did trade a first round pick for Cassel, how long would I expect him to be wearing purple? He'll be 27 for the 2009 season, and realistically, most players start dropping off due to injury or ability at about age 33, give or take. So I should reasonably expect 6 years of productive service. What's productive service? Well, since it's hard to quantify when comparing players at different positions, let's call it starting over 66% of the games your team played, just as a starting point. First round draft picks are expected, in this day and age, to come in and start right away, and guys tyou give up for a first round draft choice are as well, so I think 2/3 of the games started over a six year period is reasonable. I then looked at the draft slot of the Vikings in the 2009 first round, which is pick number 22, and looked at every first round player drafted from 2000-2004 at spot 22 or later and determined how many years they stayed with the team that drafted them, how many games they started, and whether or not there were any Pro Bowl appearances. I have completely disregarded salaries for these players, because really, how does that matter? There are always 53 players on a team every year, and every team is under the cap. Does it matter if we think someone gets overpaid? (That was a rhetorical question...it doesn't).
Between 2000-2004, there were only 53 total picks taken from spot 22-31 or spot 22-32 ('00-'01 had only 31 teams). Of those 53 picks, the average time spent with their original team was 4.7 years. 49%, or 26 of those picks, could be considered starters or guys that gave productive service. 10 of those players, or 18%, made All-Pro with the team that drafted them. So realistically, you can trade that draft pick, and you've got a 50-50 shot of the guy even panning out, and chances are if he does pan out he won't be around for more than five years. If you're really lucky, you'll find a diamond in the rough that will develop into a Pro Bowl caliber player.
So what does this mean? Well, primarily, it means I killed a lot of time doing this research when I could have been doing something productive. But for the four of you that look to this as your football salvation, I think it means that you make the trade. If you really think that this guy is the missing piece, and immediately upgrades your team, do it. If you don't, at best, you've got a 50-50 shot of getting the right guy regardless of position, and other than Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, quarterbacks aren't first year salvations.
That said, you can't do another Herschel deal. Two first round draft picks is very steep, and will impact the Vikings being able to replenish the roster with quality athletes. As much as a trade for a quality player helps a team, the majority of your team roster is still filled by the draft, so if you keep doing these type of deals, somewhere along the line you get to a point of diminishing returns. The Jared Allen deal was steep, it was worth it, but you can't do an Allen deal three or four years in a row. It was, for the most part, a one year impact, with the exception of a third round pick in this upcoming draft. Allen lead the NFL in sacks, and his added pressure helped cut the defense pass yards allowed from 31 overall to 18 overall. Could that kind of production come from a guy at the lower end of round one? Maybe, but as even as good as Childress, Spielman, and Studwell have been, that would be a long shot. Can you trade off two more first round picks? I don't think so, but another Allen type trade is very doable, in my estimation.
Just don't let Mike Lynn negotiate the deal.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Super Bowl Thoughts and Recruiting
Hello again. Before we get to my recruiting thoughts, I want to take a minute to talk about the Super Bowl. First of all, I was quite impressed with the game, the telecast, Madden and Michaels, and The Boss was awesome for a halftime show, but I’m a Springsteen fan, so probably no surprise there. And by the way, his 12 minute halftime show was infinitely better than the three hour disaster he gave here in St Louis in October, but I digress. There was one thing that really bugged me about the game, though: The officiating was horrid, and for the greatest sports league in the greatest country in the world, that’s a problem. Would full time refs help? Maybe, maybe not. I’m still not convinced having guys on the payroll all year long are going to make a difference. I mean, do you want them breaking down their performances in March? How does that make them better? No, what makes them better is fines or termination for continually sloppy officiating.
I didn’t really have any particular dog in the fight; I tend to cheer for the underdog in games that I have no vested interest, and I really like Kurt Warner. There’s still a lot of warm feelings for him in the Land of the Arch, and it’s kind of rubbed off on me. That said, with former Vikings Defensive Coordinator Mike Tomlin and former Buckeye Santonio Holmes on the Steelers sideline, I wasn’t at all upset to see them holding the Lombardi at the end of the game. Thanks, Santonio, for making Buckeye Nation so proud! Brought back fond memories of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2005 version of The Game up in Ann Arbor.
Okay, let’s talk recruiting. I’ve made disclaimers in the past that for the most part, I don’t know beans about recruiting, and after doing some anecdotal research that I’m going to share in just a minute, I don’t think most experts do, either. Ranking recruiting classes before the ink dries on the letter of intent has become the college equivalent of handing out draft grades less than 24 hours after Mr. Irrelevant gets his 15 minutes of fame. I’m going to use Scout.com’s draft rankings and look at the past few Ohio State classes to try and substantiate my argument. My point is to not say that one player was terrible and/or over-rated and another is under-rated, but simply to say it’s asinine to rack and stack 17 and 18 year old kids and proclaim them to be either this or that before they play a game in college.
In 2002, the Ohio State recruiting class was 24 strong, and was considered by many to be Jim Tressel’s best class prior to this 2009 class that is about to sign. Among the 24 recruits were 3 5-star recruits, 13 4-star recruits, and 4 3-star recruits. The three five star recruits were Maurice Clarett, Mike Kudla, and Mike D’Andrea. Clarett, well…tragic story of epic proportions, and had it not ended the way it did, was well on his way to becoming an all-time great. The Buckeyes were just a different team, with a different attitude, when he was in there. Sigh. Mike D’Andrea never panned out, battling numerous knee injuries before ending his playing career in 2006. Mike Kudla had a good senior season after overcoming injuries, a position change from LB to DE, and a bizarre, life-threatening disease that nearly killed him in 2003. So out of those three “can’t miss” guys, Clarett was a horrid miss, D’Andrea was a miss, and Kudla ended on a very respectable note, but didn’t do it for his whole career. Most of the four star guys were pretty good, among them the aforementioned Holmes, Bobby Carpenter, Nate Salley, and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. But for every Smith there’s a Justin Zwick, a guy that never seemed to get comfortable playing in the harsh spotlight that is Ohio State football. Then there’s one star recruit Nick Mangold, who went on to become one of the better centers in recent memory, a first round draft pick, and will be going to the Pro Bowl.
2003 had one five star guy, Donte Whittner. Yeah, that seemed about right. Whittner had a very good career in Columbus and was a first round pick of the Buffalo Bills. 4 star recruit Luis Irizrry, however, couldn’t saty out of trouble and is in 1-AA. Ashton Youbouty and Kirk Barton were only three star prospects, but sere solid starters and contributors their entire careers.
2005 had a 2 star WR in Brian Robiskie and a 3 star LB in James Laurinaitis turn out to be pretty outstanding, and both ended up playing at least one star above what they were ranked. Maurice Wells was considered one of the hot 4 star RB prospects when recruited, but could never crack the starting lineup, even given every opportunity to do so.
And the list goes on. And it just isn’t Ohio State, this happens with every recruiting class at every school. Except, of course, Notre Dame. Their prospects are all the greatest ever, because they play in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. And don’t give Charlie Weiss a month to gameplan, because he’ll give up 600 yards of total offense in the Fiesta Bowl.
So just keep things in perspective when the 'experts' sdtart proclaiming one thing or the other about a particular recruiting class. Unless, of course, they sing the praises of Ohio State and how gifted, talented, athletic, and fast everyone is.
That will all be true. Enjoy national signing day.
I didn’t really have any particular dog in the fight; I tend to cheer for the underdog in games that I have no vested interest, and I really like Kurt Warner. There’s still a lot of warm feelings for him in the Land of the Arch, and it’s kind of rubbed off on me. That said, with former Vikings Defensive Coordinator Mike Tomlin and former Buckeye Santonio Holmes on the Steelers sideline, I wasn’t at all upset to see them holding the Lombardi at the end of the game. Thanks, Santonio, for making Buckeye Nation so proud! Brought back fond memories of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2005 version of The Game up in Ann Arbor.
Okay, let’s talk recruiting. I’ve made disclaimers in the past that for the most part, I don’t know beans about recruiting, and after doing some anecdotal research that I’m going to share in just a minute, I don’t think most experts do, either. Ranking recruiting classes before the ink dries on the letter of intent has become the college equivalent of handing out draft grades less than 24 hours after Mr. Irrelevant gets his 15 minutes of fame. I’m going to use Scout.com’s draft rankings and look at the past few Ohio State classes to try and substantiate my argument. My point is to not say that one player was terrible and/or over-rated and another is under-rated, but simply to say it’s asinine to rack and stack 17 and 18 year old kids and proclaim them to be either this or that before they play a game in college.
In 2002, the Ohio State recruiting class was 24 strong, and was considered by many to be Jim Tressel’s best class prior to this 2009 class that is about to sign. Among the 24 recruits were 3 5-star recruits, 13 4-star recruits, and 4 3-star recruits. The three five star recruits were Maurice Clarett, Mike Kudla, and Mike D’Andrea. Clarett, well…tragic story of epic proportions, and had it not ended the way it did, was well on his way to becoming an all-time great. The Buckeyes were just a different team, with a different attitude, when he was in there. Sigh. Mike D’Andrea never panned out, battling numerous knee injuries before ending his playing career in 2006. Mike Kudla had a good senior season after overcoming injuries, a position change from LB to DE, and a bizarre, life-threatening disease that nearly killed him in 2003. So out of those three “can’t miss” guys, Clarett was a horrid miss, D’Andrea was a miss, and Kudla ended on a very respectable note, but didn’t do it for his whole career. Most of the four star guys were pretty good, among them the aforementioned Holmes, Bobby Carpenter, Nate Salley, and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. But for every Smith there’s a Justin Zwick, a guy that never seemed to get comfortable playing in the harsh spotlight that is Ohio State football. Then there’s one star recruit Nick Mangold, who went on to become one of the better centers in recent memory, a first round draft pick, and will be going to the Pro Bowl.
2003 had one five star guy, Donte Whittner. Yeah, that seemed about right. Whittner had a very good career in Columbus and was a first round pick of the Buffalo Bills. 4 star recruit Luis Irizrry, however, couldn’t saty out of trouble and is in 1-AA. Ashton Youbouty and Kirk Barton were only three star prospects, but sere solid starters and contributors their entire careers.
2005 had a 2 star WR in Brian Robiskie and a 3 star LB in James Laurinaitis turn out to be pretty outstanding, and both ended up playing at least one star above what they were ranked. Maurice Wells was considered one of the hot 4 star RB prospects when recruited, but could never crack the starting lineup, even given every opportunity to do so.
And the list goes on. And it just isn’t Ohio State, this happens with every recruiting class at every school. Except, of course, Notre Dame. Their prospects are all the greatest ever, because they play in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. And don’t give Charlie Weiss a month to gameplan, because he’ll give up 600 yards of total offense in the Fiesta Bowl.
So just keep things in perspective when the 'experts' sdtart proclaiming one thing or the other about a particular recruiting class. Unless, of course, they sing the praises of Ohio State and how gifted, talented, athletic, and fast everyone is.
That will all be true. Enjoy national signing day.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Mixed Emotions on the NFL Hall of Fame
It's a good day to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, and even a greater day for Randall McDaniel. If ever there was a guy that deserved to be in the Hall of Fame, it was #64.
He was the first round draft pick of the Vikings in 1988, made the all-rookie team, and then the Pro Bowl...every year, except his final season. He was an incredibly durable player, missing only two games in his NFL career. As a guard. Over 14 seasons. He physically dominated just about everyone that he played against, and was the anchor for the 1998 offensive line that protected Randall Cunningham, went 15-1, and set an NFL recors for points in a season. Over the course of his career, teams he played for averaged over 1,800 yards a season on the ground and 14 touchdowns. He blocked for 1,000 yard backs 6 times in his career, and helped Robert Smith to become the Vikings all time leading rusher in the process. I couldn't be happier for him, for the Vikings organization, and Viking Nation. But I do have a few questions I would like to ask:
1) What the hell took so long for Randall McDaniel? He should have been a first ballot guy.
2) Why are Jim Marshall and Mick Tingelhoff still on the outside looking in? It's the the NFL Hall of Fame equivalent of the first OJ trial, it's such a miscarraige of justice. it's a sham. It's a travesty. It's a mockery. it's a...travishamockery.
3) How the hell can Bob Hayes make the Hall of Fame before Cris Carter? I mean, he was such a memorable player I had to look up how to spell the guys name. Did I have to add an 'e' in Hayes, or not?
I mean, Jesus doing jumprope, who the hell has Cris Carter pissed off? He scored twice as many yards, scored twice as many TD's, was a Pro Bowler twice as often, and the list goes on. I understand that Bob Hayes was a veteran's committee selection, so if you want to focus on other veteran's that should have been selected over Hayes (ahem, Tingelhoff and Marshall) I'm still your Huckleberry.
But okay, let's look at the contemporary guys that got selected over Carter. Bruce Smith, the second best defensive end behind Reggie White, never won a Super Bowl, got in on his first ballot. Okay, fair enough. He should have been. But Carter, the second best WR ever behind Jerry Rice, didn't get in on the first ballot? Why? Rod Woodson. Rod freaking Woodson deserved it over Cris Carter? Are you kidding me? Look, Woodson is a Hall of Famer, I'm not saying he isn't, but can you honestly say he was the second best defensive back in the history of the NFL? He's a top 5, definitely a top 10, but I'm sorry, he wasn't as good at his job as Cris Carter was at his--Carter played longer and is the best revceiver, ever, in the history of the NFL who isn't named Jerry Rice. Woodson got in on the first ballot. And that's bullshit.
Finally, Derrick Thomas. Great player, died tragically, had numbers that put him in the Hall of Fame discussion, but again, was he as much of a standout over his career, at his position, than Cris Carter? Borderline maybe.
My point of this rant isn't that those other guys don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, it's that Cris Carter shouldn't be denied entry because of some bullshit belief that there's not enough defensive guys in, they already selected a WR so you can't have another, or there's already one Viking picked and you can't have two in the same class. Why? Show me where it's written that only one WR, one Viking, or so many defensive players have to go in over offensive players.
You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Cris Carter clearly is.
Give him that gay ass yellow jacket.
He was the first round draft pick of the Vikings in 1988, made the all-rookie team, and then the Pro Bowl...every year, except his final season. He was an incredibly durable player, missing only two games in his NFL career. As a guard. Over 14 seasons. He physically dominated just about everyone that he played against, and was the anchor for the 1998 offensive line that protected Randall Cunningham, went 15-1, and set an NFL recors for points in a season. Over the course of his career, teams he played for averaged over 1,800 yards a season on the ground and 14 touchdowns. He blocked for 1,000 yard backs 6 times in his career, and helped Robert Smith to become the Vikings all time leading rusher in the process. I couldn't be happier for him, for the Vikings organization, and Viking Nation. But I do have a few questions I would like to ask:
1) What the hell took so long for Randall McDaniel? He should have been a first ballot guy.
2) Why are Jim Marshall and Mick Tingelhoff still on the outside looking in? It's the the NFL Hall of Fame equivalent of the first OJ trial, it's such a miscarraige of justice. it's a sham. It's a travesty. It's a mockery. it's a...travishamockery.
3) How the hell can Bob Hayes make the Hall of Fame before Cris Carter? I mean, he was such a memorable player I had to look up how to spell the guys name. Did I have to add an 'e' in Hayes, or not?
I mean, Jesus doing jumprope, who the hell has Cris Carter pissed off? He scored twice as many yards, scored twice as many TD's, was a Pro Bowler twice as often, and the list goes on. I understand that Bob Hayes was a veteran's committee selection, so if you want to focus on other veteran's that should have been selected over Hayes (ahem, Tingelhoff and Marshall) I'm still your Huckleberry.
But okay, let's look at the contemporary guys that got selected over Carter. Bruce Smith, the second best defensive end behind Reggie White, never won a Super Bowl, got in on his first ballot. Okay, fair enough. He should have been. But Carter, the second best WR ever behind Jerry Rice, didn't get in on the first ballot? Why? Rod Woodson. Rod freaking Woodson deserved it over Cris Carter? Are you kidding me? Look, Woodson is a Hall of Famer, I'm not saying he isn't, but can you honestly say he was the second best defensive back in the history of the NFL? He's a top 5, definitely a top 10, but I'm sorry, he wasn't as good at his job as Cris Carter was at his--Carter played longer and is the best revceiver, ever, in the history of the NFL who isn't named Jerry Rice. Woodson got in on the first ballot. And that's bullshit.
Finally, Derrick Thomas. Great player, died tragically, had numbers that put him in the Hall of Fame discussion, but again, was he as much of a standout over his career, at his position, than Cris Carter? Borderline maybe.
My point of this rant isn't that those other guys don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, it's that Cris Carter shouldn't be denied entry because of some bullshit belief that there's not enough defensive guys in, they already selected a WR so you can't have another, or there's already one Viking picked and you can't have two in the same class. Why? Show me where it's written that only one WR, one Viking, or so many defensive players have to go in over offensive players.
You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Cris Carter clearly is.
Give him that gay ass yellow jacket.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Getting on the QB Carousel
So I’ve been reading in the blogosphere that the Minnesota Vikings need to address the QB position in 2009, and I agree. You can make an argument that Tarvaris Jackson should be given every opportunity to succeed, but let’s say he isn’t the guy, and the Vikes need to find a new guy to run the show next season. Who would the Vikings sign? Now, I’m not looking at this as a fan who would love to see a certain guy, but as a guy that tries to look at how Chilly, Chris Spielman’s brother, and Zygi will look at it, and go from there.
Matt Cassel—Depending on what the Patriots do with him, I think he’s the guy the Vikes will target. Mr. WIlf has shown no reservations to open up the checkbook, so signing him to a big money contract isn’t the issue. If the Patriots franchise Cassel, now you have to look at doing a deal with the devil (Bill Belichick). Do you give the Patriots two first round draft picks for a guy that’s played full one full season? The Lions did for Scott Mitchell. But that’s the Lions…and it was Scott Mitchell. If you take it, you’re pretty much going all in, because you now go three years without a first round draft pick, when you factor in the Jared Allen trade. By the way, there were a lot of people outside of Minnesota who thought that was a bad trade for the Vikings. Turned out okay, it appears. Would the Vikings catch lightning in a bottle twice, or would Matt Cassel turn out to be just another quarterback who looked really good passing to Randy Moss? I think he’d actually be somewhere in between. No question the Patriots, even without Moss, have a better receiving corps than the Vikings, but the few times I saw Cassel play this year (and they were game snippets, not a complete outing) he seemed to play…older, in a good way, than he is. He seemed to have a veteran presence that belies his youth; that “flatline” that Coach Childress discusses so often when talking about quarterbacks. He reminds me a lot of Brad Johnson, circa 1997-98, and that’s a good thing.
Matt Hasselbeck—He’ll be 34 early into the 2009 campaign, and is coming off of an assortment of injuries that caused him to miss 9 games. And the games he did play in he pretty much sucked, quite frankly, although he was playing injured. But he is a quarterback with a proven track record of success that if healthy, can still play at the Pro Bowl level. Seattle’s wide receivers were a horror shop of injuries this year, and that has to be factored in when looking at Hasselbeck’s performance this year as well. He is a good character guy, another flatliner, and with all things being equal I can see the Vikings making a run at him. He has a more proven track record than Matt Cassel, more veteran presence, which I think weighs heavily into this equation based on the sense of urgency the Vikings have to win now, and he could be had much cheaper than a franchised Cassel. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell said on the 9th of January that they won’t trade him, but Seneca Wallace played well in his absence, so never say never, especially if the Vikes dangle a good offer in front of them. Seattle needs help, and a couple of mid round draft picks and/or players might look like a good deal.
Donovan McNabb—The Vikings have been an off-season destination rumor for McNabb for a couple of seasons now, but I really don’t see it. Like Hasselbeck, he is a veteran with a proven track record, he has a good relationship with Childress, and would seem like a perfect fit. Had the Eagles gone 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs, I could see Philadelphia seriously consider a change. I mean, they replaced McNabb in Baltimore, they…tied…Cincinnati, and they would have missed the playoffs. But they went 9-6-1…and went to the NFC Championship, which changes the dynamic. McNabb played very well during the post-season, and that made everything that happened during the regular season sort of drift into the background. His post season exploits have probably held off the Philadelphia dogs for one more season, but I’m sure if the Vikings QB and McNabb struggle again in 2009, we’ll be talking about this again next year.
Michael Vick—Speaking of dogs, how about convicted felon Michael Vick? He has serious character issues since, he’s like, in PRISON, really doesn’t show a propensity as a “flatline” guy when he flips the bird to home fans coming off the field, and if he ever does get reinstated by the NFL, will have gone anywhere from three to five (estimate) years from playing professional football. Thanks for playing in the 2009 Minnesota Vikings quarterback sweepstakes. We have some lovely parting gifts for you.
As John McEnroe would say, ‘you CAN’T be SERIOUS!”
Brett Favre—Oh God, here we go. Let me say this before I go any further: If Brett Favre hadn’t played almost his whole career in Green Bay, would you still want him on your team? Last off-season, the answer was yes, if you looked at the situation dispassionately. Favre, like it or not, is one of the five best quarterbacks who ever played, and was coming off of one of the more remarkable seasons in his career, leading the Packers to the NFC Championship. I was all for Favre coming to the Vikings, and I still am, with a couple of caveats. He’s one year older, and is realistically a one year guy for the Vikings. His shoulder is messed up, and if that isn’t fixed, don’t bother. But IF his shoulder is healthy, and IF he wants to play for Minnesota, I say go for it. I think Favre thought he could orchestrate his departure from Green Bay, and when he landed in New York, his give a crap level went down. I don’t think he half-assed it or mailed it in, but he didn’t play with the passion or fire he has in the past. I think he would in Minnesota, and has one good season left in him.
John David Booty—Maybe JDB will be a good quarterback someday; I hope he is. But this is a veteran team that is built to win now, and I don’t think this is a realistic option. You’d face a mutiny on two fronts: One, you throw Jackson to the curb for a guy that’s never played a regular season down, and you alienate him. Two, you don’t necessarily upgrade the position with a veteran on a veteran team, so you risk losing the locker room. I can easily see the locker room split in a Jackson camp and a JDB camp, and that is a disaster waiting to happen. But that said, no one, and I mean NO ONE thought Daunte Culpepper was ready in 2000 after the Vikings failed to lure Dan Marino out of retirement. Still, JDB isn’t an option for 2009 if the Vikings want to seriously contend for the Super Bowl.
But he should be ready by 2012, when the Vikes have relocated to LA.
BUILD A DAMN STADIUM!!!
Matt Cassel—Depending on what the Patriots do with him, I think he’s the guy the Vikes will target. Mr. WIlf has shown no reservations to open up the checkbook, so signing him to a big money contract isn’t the issue. If the Patriots franchise Cassel, now you have to look at doing a deal with the devil (Bill Belichick). Do you give the Patriots two first round draft picks for a guy that’s played full one full season? The Lions did for Scott Mitchell. But that’s the Lions…and it was Scott Mitchell. If you take it, you’re pretty much going all in, because you now go three years without a first round draft pick, when you factor in the Jared Allen trade. By the way, there were a lot of people outside of Minnesota who thought that was a bad trade for the Vikings. Turned out okay, it appears. Would the Vikings catch lightning in a bottle twice, or would Matt Cassel turn out to be just another quarterback who looked really good passing to Randy Moss? I think he’d actually be somewhere in between. No question the Patriots, even without Moss, have a better receiving corps than the Vikings, but the few times I saw Cassel play this year (and they were game snippets, not a complete outing) he seemed to play…older, in a good way, than he is. He seemed to have a veteran presence that belies his youth; that “flatline” that Coach Childress discusses so often when talking about quarterbacks. He reminds me a lot of Brad Johnson, circa 1997-98, and that’s a good thing.
Matt Hasselbeck—He’ll be 34 early into the 2009 campaign, and is coming off of an assortment of injuries that caused him to miss 9 games. And the games he did play in he pretty much sucked, quite frankly, although he was playing injured. But he is a quarterback with a proven track record of success that if healthy, can still play at the Pro Bowl level. Seattle’s wide receivers were a horror shop of injuries this year, and that has to be factored in when looking at Hasselbeck’s performance this year as well. He is a good character guy, another flatliner, and with all things being equal I can see the Vikings making a run at him. He has a more proven track record than Matt Cassel, more veteran presence, which I think weighs heavily into this equation based on the sense of urgency the Vikings have to win now, and he could be had much cheaper than a franchised Cassel. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell said on the 9th of January that they won’t trade him, but Seneca Wallace played well in his absence, so never say never, especially if the Vikes dangle a good offer in front of them. Seattle needs help, and a couple of mid round draft picks and/or players might look like a good deal.
Donovan McNabb—The Vikings have been an off-season destination rumor for McNabb for a couple of seasons now, but I really don’t see it. Like Hasselbeck, he is a veteran with a proven track record, he has a good relationship with Childress, and would seem like a perfect fit. Had the Eagles gone 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs, I could see Philadelphia seriously consider a change. I mean, they replaced McNabb in Baltimore, they…tied…Cincinnati, and they would have missed the playoffs. But they went 9-6-1…and went to the NFC Championship, which changes the dynamic. McNabb played very well during the post-season, and that made everything that happened during the regular season sort of drift into the background. His post season exploits have probably held off the Philadelphia dogs for one more season, but I’m sure if the Vikings QB and McNabb struggle again in 2009, we’ll be talking about this again next year.
Michael Vick—Speaking of dogs, how about convicted felon Michael Vick? He has serious character issues since, he’s like, in PRISON, really doesn’t show a propensity as a “flatline” guy when he flips the bird to home fans coming off the field, and if he ever does get reinstated by the NFL, will have gone anywhere from three to five (estimate) years from playing professional football. Thanks for playing in the 2009 Minnesota Vikings quarterback sweepstakes. We have some lovely parting gifts for you.
As John McEnroe would say, ‘you CAN’T be SERIOUS!”
Brett Favre—Oh God, here we go. Let me say this before I go any further: If Brett Favre hadn’t played almost his whole career in Green Bay, would you still want him on your team? Last off-season, the answer was yes, if you looked at the situation dispassionately. Favre, like it or not, is one of the five best quarterbacks who ever played, and was coming off of one of the more remarkable seasons in his career, leading the Packers to the NFC Championship. I was all for Favre coming to the Vikings, and I still am, with a couple of caveats. He’s one year older, and is realistically a one year guy for the Vikings. His shoulder is messed up, and if that isn’t fixed, don’t bother. But IF his shoulder is healthy, and IF he wants to play for Minnesota, I say go for it. I think Favre thought he could orchestrate his departure from Green Bay, and when he landed in New York, his give a crap level went down. I don’t think he half-assed it or mailed it in, but he didn’t play with the passion or fire he has in the past. I think he would in Minnesota, and has one good season left in him.
John David Booty—Maybe JDB will be a good quarterback someday; I hope he is. But this is a veteran team that is built to win now, and I don’t think this is a realistic option. You’d face a mutiny on two fronts: One, you throw Jackson to the curb for a guy that’s never played a regular season down, and you alienate him. Two, you don’t necessarily upgrade the position with a veteran on a veteran team, so you risk losing the locker room. I can easily see the locker room split in a Jackson camp and a JDB camp, and that is a disaster waiting to happen. But that said, no one, and I mean NO ONE thought Daunte Culpepper was ready in 2000 after the Vikings failed to lure Dan Marino out of retirement. Still, JDB isn’t an option for 2009 if the Vikings want to seriously contend for the Super Bowl.
But he should be ready by 2012, when the Vikes have relocated to LA.
BUILD A DAMN STADIUM!!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Random Thoughts
First of all, to my two or three loyal followers, sorry for the length of time between posts. Real life gets in the way of this stuff too often, and frankly it's kind of irritating.
Vikings Thought For the Day: There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth now that billionaire Ed Roski is one step closer to buidling a stadium near the City of Angels. There are a lot of naysayers that think one of two things: foremost, that LA will never build a stadium because LA doesn't want an NFL team there, and two, even if they do, the Vikings will never move. Let's look at those two things a little more in detail.
Even though Los Angeles hasn't been too keen about luring an NFL franchise since the Rams and Raiders left, it's the NFL that wants a team there. There is tremendous amounts of money to be made, and if there is a semi-serious effort to build a facility there, the NFL will bend over backwards to see that it succeeds. Ed Roski is more than semi-serious, and he's cleared a major hurdle. It's not a done deal, but it's further down the rabbit hole than any other stadium effort has gotten in LA.
Most Viking fans think that LA is the only possible destination, and if LA isn't feasible, the Vikes aren't moving. The Vikings are last in the league in terms of value and profitability (they actually went from a $16 million profit to a $19 million loss between '06 and '07) and there is more than one location that would crawl over broken glass to get an NFL franchise in their city. Los Angeles is the pre-occupation in everyone’s mind when it comes to this team re-locating, and you think that if you can somehow cross that city off the list, the Vikings are safe. Not necessarily so. There are plenty of cities that would kill to have the NFL, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Vikings relocate to a city that no one is talking about. Portland, Toronto, Vegas (20-1 longshot there—get it?), Birmingham. Hell, even Chicago wants a 2nd team.
People laughed when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, which was/is considered a cow town. If a city with a decent population wants a team and will build a new stadium, the Vikes will leave, whether it’s LA or somewhere else.
Or how about…London? The NFL sells out an 80,000 seat stadium in 10 minutes, they have a media market that is almost as large as Los Angeles, playing games over there to match a 1 pm EST start means every game in London is in primetime, they have an untapped reservoir of souvenir sales, and a star to market them (AP).
Finally, to those fans that think the Vikes have too much tradition and history with the state to move, I offer up the Baltimore COlts and the Cleveland Browns, two franchises that had a more storied tradition with their cities than the Vikings have with Minnesota. If they can move, the Vikes can move. And they will, if the Legislature doesn't do something.
Still, at the end of the day, when push came to absoulte shove, they got something done for the Twins and Gophers, and I feel they will get something done for the Vikings.
Ohio State Thought For the Day: I got almost nothing. Looks like recruiting is going well, and even though I don't know anything about these guys right now, I'm sure I'll love watching most of them suit up for the Scarlet and Gray in the coming years. 25 years from now, when we look back on the Jim Tressel era, we'll appreciate what he's done even more than we are right now living in the moment.
Cardinals Thought For the Day: Did George Paletta get his degree from Jose's school of Medicine in Grenada or something? I mean, Troy Glaus had shoulder issues late last season, and the Cardinals JUST NOW operated on him??? I understand that injuries are a part of the game, I get it. But is it me, or have the Cardinals had WAY more than their share of bizrre shit happen to their marquee players over the last 4-5 years. Mark Mulder, Chris Carpenter, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Ballgame, Mike Matheny, and now Glaus? The Cards had some power issues before this happened, and now it looks like Glaus will miss the first part of the season. He's a historically slow starter to begin with, so does this mean his power issues will linger into possibly June or July? On the positive side, everything points to Chris Carpenter being on track and ready to go on opening day. But we've been down that road before. Good luck to Mark Mulder, by the way. I heard on local sports talk radio that he was going to throw for a couple of teams this week and that could end up as a spring training invite as a non-roster player. I know there's a lot of anger towards him from Cardinal fans that felt the Cards got screwed in a deal that saw Dan Haren blossom into a star in Oakland, but I never saw a guy work as hard as Mulder did to try and get back into game shape. I wish him nothing but the best.
Vikings Thought For the Day: There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth now that billionaire Ed Roski is one step closer to buidling a stadium near the City of Angels. There are a lot of naysayers that think one of two things: foremost, that LA will never build a stadium because LA doesn't want an NFL team there, and two, even if they do, the Vikings will never move. Let's look at those two things a little more in detail.
Even though Los Angeles hasn't been too keen about luring an NFL franchise since the Rams and Raiders left, it's the NFL that wants a team there. There is tremendous amounts of money to be made, and if there is a semi-serious effort to build a facility there, the NFL will bend over backwards to see that it succeeds. Ed Roski is more than semi-serious, and he's cleared a major hurdle. It's not a done deal, but it's further down the rabbit hole than any other stadium effort has gotten in LA.
Most Viking fans think that LA is the only possible destination, and if LA isn't feasible, the Vikes aren't moving. The Vikings are last in the league in terms of value and profitability (they actually went from a $16 million profit to a $19 million loss between '06 and '07) and there is more than one location that would crawl over broken glass to get an NFL franchise in their city. Los Angeles is the pre-occupation in everyone’s mind when it comes to this team re-locating, and you think that if you can somehow cross that city off the list, the Vikings are safe. Not necessarily so. There are plenty of cities that would kill to have the NFL, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Vikings relocate to a city that no one is talking about. Portland, Toronto, Vegas (20-1 longshot there—get it?), Birmingham. Hell, even Chicago wants a 2nd team.
People laughed when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, which was/is considered a cow town. If a city with a decent population wants a team and will build a new stadium, the Vikes will leave, whether it’s LA or somewhere else.
Or how about…London? The NFL sells out an 80,000 seat stadium in 10 minutes, they have a media market that is almost as large as Los Angeles, playing games over there to match a 1 pm EST start means every game in London is in primetime, they have an untapped reservoir of souvenir sales, and a star to market them (AP).
Finally, to those fans that think the Vikes have too much tradition and history with the state to move, I offer up the Baltimore COlts and the Cleveland Browns, two franchises that had a more storied tradition with their cities than the Vikings have with Minnesota. If they can move, the Vikes can move. And they will, if the Legislature doesn't do something.
Still, at the end of the day, when push came to absoulte shove, they got something done for the Twins and Gophers, and I feel they will get something done for the Vikings.
Ohio State Thought For the Day: I got almost nothing. Looks like recruiting is going well, and even though I don't know anything about these guys right now, I'm sure I'll love watching most of them suit up for the Scarlet and Gray in the coming years. 25 years from now, when we look back on the Jim Tressel era, we'll appreciate what he's done even more than we are right now living in the moment.
Cardinals Thought For the Day: Did George Paletta get his degree from Jose's school of Medicine in Grenada or something? I mean, Troy Glaus had shoulder issues late last season, and the Cardinals JUST NOW operated on him??? I understand that injuries are a part of the game, I get it. But is it me, or have the Cardinals had WAY more than their share of bizrre shit happen to their marquee players over the last 4-5 years. Mark Mulder, Chris Carpenter, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Ballgame, Mike Matheny, and now Glaus? The Cards had some power issues before this happened, and now it looks like Glaus will miss the first part of the season. He's a historically slow starter to begin with, so does this mean his power issues will linger into possibly June or July? On the positive side, everything points to Chris Carpenter being on track and ready to go on opening day. But we've been down that road before. Good luck to Mark Mulder, by the way. I heard on local sports talk radio that he was going to throw for a couple of teams this week and that could end up as a spring training invite as a non-roster player. I know there's a lot of anger towards him from Cardinal fans that felt the Cards got screwed in a deal that saw Dan Haren blossom into a star in Oakland, but I never saw a guy work as hard as Mulder did to try and get back into game shape. I wish him nothing but the best.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Vikings Draft Musings
With a division title under their belt and only a few needs that need to be addressed this coming off-season, the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a somewhat enviable position as they prepare for the 2009 draft. Unlike years past, where there were almost too many holes that could be plugged with the draft, the Vikings have only a few needs, and it’s almost a stretch to say that. With maybe the exception of the quarterback position, the Vikings enter the 2009 NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting with a pretty strong roster from top to bottom. There are several positions that need to be addressed, but with the overall strength of the roster, the Vikings can go with the “best player available” strategery at the expense of having to reach for a player at a position of need. See Underwood, Demetrius. These needs are in no particular order, and with the willingness of owner Zygi Wilf to spend money for whatever free agent the club identifies as a need, these could very well be taken care of prior to the draft.
QB: Is it going to be Tarvaris Jackson or not? If it is, he needs a backup, unless the legend that is John David Booty will suffice. If it isn’t, there won’t be a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan in the low 20’s available, and let’s face it, the Vikings aren’t going to draft a quarterback on the first day to be a backup. If you think that QB is your number one priority, make a trade for a proven guy that’s going to hit the free agent market, and don’t half ass it. Whoever you deem the top quarterback on the free agent market to be, go get him. I would be utterly shocked if the VIkes use a first day pick on a quarterback.
OT: Todd Steussie, I mean Ryan Cook, has become a false start machine, which is great if there was a need in the NFL for offensive lineman who twitch more than Michael J. Fox when they go in the set position. There isn’t, so that’s a big drawback for the big man. When the Vikings actually get the ball snapped, his run blocking is pretty good, and in my opinion he tends to get better in that department as the game progresses, but he seems very inconsistent as a pass blocker. He’s a serviceable lineman, but is still sub-par as an NFL starter. Same for the two primary backups, Marcus Johnson and Artis Hicks. All three seem to do pretty good for short periods of time, but none of them can elevate their performance and stay consistent for an entire game, like former journeyman Anthony Herrera has done. On the other side, Bryant McKinnie isn’t going to go to the Hall of Fame, but it’s not his on field performance that is the problem. If he doesn’t get his off the field issues straightened out, he could be facing a one year suspension. Therefore, I think it’s necessary for the Vikings to look for a tackle in the draft.
C: The most unsettled position next to quarterback is the center position, and that is very troubling. Matt Birk has played at a very high level for 10 years, and it seems that the Vikings are lukewarm, at best, to bring him back for the 2009 campaign. As good as the left side of the line has been, it’s the center that makes the blocking audibles at the line, and Birk has been almost taken for granted he’s been go good at it. If the Vikings aren’t going to bring Birk back, then the question remains whether or not it will be Cook or John Sullivan that will take over. If it’s going to be Cook, who was a center in college, that makes the drafting of a tackle even more imperative. If it’s going to be Sullivan, then the Vikings will need to find a backup for him.
DB: CB Antoine Winfield and S Darren Sharper have been great players for the Vikings, but Sharper seemed to have lost a step this year, and with the combination of age and reckless abandon that Winfield approaches the game, he’s down to maybe two years left at the high level he’s playing at. He is north of 30, and has never shied away from contact. The Vikings got younger last year with the selection of Tyrell Johnson, but when Sharper went out in the playoff game against Philadelphia, deep pass coverage took a noticeable drop. Madieu Williams was a significant upgrade over Dwight ‘The Original Stairmaster’ Smith, so the Vikings are drafting both the CB and S position for depth and eventual successor to a proven veteran, although the CB has a chance to be a nickel guy right off the bat, depending on the status of Charles Gordon.
DE: I think this depends a lot on what the status os Kenechi Udeze is. First of all, I hope that he lives a long and healthy life, whether he steps between the lines again or not. If doctors clear him to play, I really, really like the line of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Udeze, with Robison, Edwards, and Evans being the primary backups. Maybe throw Jimmy Kennedy in there, too. He seemed to be okay as a late season fill-in. So, Udeze healthy I think the Vikings bypass DE in the draft, if not, they draft for depth.
If I had to place a bet, I'd say the Vikes address the QB issue through free agency, and my money there is on Matt Cassel. Then they spend the first couple of picks on the defensive backfield and then move to the offensive line.
Of course, all rational bets are off if James Laurinaitis or Malcolm Jenkins are still on the board. If one of those two guys fall to the Vikings, I'd soil myself with joy if the Vikings picked them.
But that's just me.
QB: Is it going to be Tarvaris Jackson or not? If it is, he needs a backup, unless the legend that is John David Booty will suffice. If it isn’t, there won’t be a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan in the low 20’s available, and let’s face it, the Vikings aren’t going to draft a quarterback on the first day to be a backup. If you think that QB is your number one priority, make a trade for a proven guy that’s going to hit the free agent market, and don’t half ass it. Whoever you deem the top quarterback on the free agent market to be, go get him. I would be utterly shocked if the VIkes use a first day pick on a quarterback.
OT: Todd Steussie, I mean Ryan Cook, has become a false start machine, which is great if there was a need in the NFL for offensive lineman who twitch more than Michael J. Fox when they go in the set position. There isn’t, so that’s a big drawback for the big man. When the Vikings actually get the ball snapped, his run blocking is pretty good, and in my opinion he tends to get better in that department as the game progresses, but he seems very inconsistent as a pass blocker. He’s a serviceable lineman, but is still sub-par as an NFL starter. Same for the two primary backups, Marcus Johnson and Artis Hicks. All three seem to do pretty good for short periods of time, but none of them can elevate their performance and stay consistent for an entire game, like former journeyman Anthony Herrera has done. On the other side, Bryant McKinnie isn’t going to go to the Hall of Fame, but it’s not his on field performance that is the problem. If he doesn’t get his off the field issues straightened out, he could be facing a one year suspension. Therefore, I think it’s necessary for the Vikings to look for a tackle in the draft.
C: The most unsettled position next to quarterback is the center position, and that is very troubling. Matt Birk has played at a very high level for 10 years, and it seems that the Vikings are lukewarm, at best, to bring him back for the 2009 campaign. As good as the left side of the line has been, it’s the center that makes the blocking audibles at the line, and Birk has been almost taken for granted he’s been go good at it. If the Vikings aren’t going to bring Birk back, then the question remains whether or not it will be Cook or John Sullivan that will take over. If it’s going to be Cook, who was a center in college, that makes the drafting of a tackle even more imperative. If it’s going to be Sullivan, then the Vikings will need to find a backup for him.
DB: CB Antoine Winfield and S Darren Sharper have been great players for the Vikings, but Sharper seemed to have lost a step this year, and with the combination of age and reckless abandon that Winfield approaches the game, he’s down to maybe two years left at the high level he’s playing at. He is north of 30, and has never shied away from contact. The Vikings got younger last year with the selection of Tyrell Johnson, but when Sharper went out in the playoff game against Philadelphia, deep pass coverage took a noticeable drop. Madieu Williams was a significant upgrade over Dwight ‘The Original Stairmaster’ Smith, so the Vikings are drafting both the CB and S position for depth and eventual successor to a proven veteran, although the CB has a chance to be a nickel guy right off the bat, depending on the status of Charles Gordon.
DE: I think this depends a lot on what the status os Kenechi Udeze is. First of all, I hope that he lives a long and healthy life, whether he steps between the lines again or not. If doctors clear him to play, I really, really like the line of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Udeze, with Robison, Edwards, and Evans being the primary backups. Maybe throw Jimmy Kennedy in there, too. He seemed to be okay as a late season fill-in. So, Udeze healthy I think the Vikings bypass DE in the draft, if not, they draft for depth.
If I had to place a bet, I'd say the Vikes address the QB issue through free agency, and my money there is on Matt Cassel. Then they spend the first couple of picks on the defensive backfield and then move to the offensive line.
Of course, all rational bets are off if James Laurinaitis or Malcolm Jenkins are still on the board. If one of those two guys fall to the Vikings, I'd soil myself with joy if the Vikings picked them.
But that's just me.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Random Thoughts
Viking Thoughts for the Day: Well, I guess there’s going to be an open competition for the quarterback position next season. That’s a good thing, but I hoped it isn’t rigged in the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals sort of way. Of course, if Tarvaris Jackson had played football like the Globetrotters play basketball, maybe there wouldn’t be a need for an open competition…Not sure who the quarterback competition will be, but if I had to guess it will be someone that currently isn’t on anyone’s radar…I have mixed emotions about Leslie Frazier being in the running for a head coaching vacancy. As a fan of the game, I think he deserves a chance to be a head coach. His body of work over the years shows that he knows the defensive side of the football, and indicates he can make a successful transition from top assistant to numero uno honcho. As a fan of the Vikings, I’d like a defensive coordinator to stick around longer than a teenage baby daddy, because defensive coordinators leave Minnesota with more regularity than a drunk leaves a Wisconsin bar. And is it just me, but do the Vikings have more than their fair share of assistant coaches that leave Minnesota and the success of the remaining head coach elsewhere? Brian Billick, Mike Tomlin, Tony Dungy…Speaking of Tony Dungy, he announced his retirement today, and he got his career started in Minnesota, so I think it’s more than appropriate I spend a minute or two on this…Many of you remember him as an up and coming defensive coordinator that turned the Vikings defense of the early 1990’s into a fearsome unit, but how many of you remember him as the starting quarterback at the University of Minnesota in the 1970’s, or as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers ‘Steel Curtain’ defense? There’s not a lot of guys better than Tony Dungy, and he proved it could be done with a calm voice and a nudge as opposed to yelling and a swift kick in the ass. He will be missed, but you get the feeling Dungy will make a far greater impact in whatever he does next than what he did in football…If I had to lay odds on Gus Frerotte coming back to the Vikings, I’m giving it about as much chance of Kevin James pushing back from the buffet table...
Ohio State Thought for the Day: Goodbye, Beanie, and good luck in the NFL. I wish you had been healthier while you were in Columbus, but thanks for pouring the 55 gallon drum of whoop ass on Michigan while you were here…I don’t think any other Buckeye has a decent chance of being a first day draft pick if they leave early, so I hope no one does. Jim Cordle is okay, but will help himself more by staying. The wildcard has to be Ray Small, but I don’t think he’ll go. He has a good chance to start next year, and if he leaves now he could have that dreaded “attitude problem” tag attached to his name. You could argue that Brian Hartline should leave early because he’s going to graduate in May, but I think that’s the perfect reason to stay. No school to worry about, degree in hand, still on scholarship AND playing at Ohio State? I mean, it’s not like the guy is passing up NFL millions.
Tim Tebow Thought for the Day: This is my usual spot for my Big 10 thought of the day, but as you know, the Big 10 is part of college football, and Tim Tebow is college football right now, so by federal law, I must now rename this the Tim Tebow section. Look, I have nothing against the guy. I want to hate him, and I want to hate Florida, but I don’t. You would think it would be easy to because I witnessed Florida’s dismantling of Ohio State live and in person, but it’s not. You see, all the Florida people I ran across after the game were the most gracios, humble, and complimentary winners I have ever been around. So as much as I want to hate Tebow and Florida, I don’t. I can’t stand the fuckin’ SEC, but that’s something else entirely. So there. And if St Tim of Gainseville played for OSU and got this much attention, I’d be eating that shit up. I’d even offer to have his child out of wedlock. But that’ll never happen because I don’t look like this, he doesn’t play for OSU, and I’m not gay. So really, can we stop with all the ‘Tebow is Jesus” bullshit? Besides, I thought Barack Obama was Jesus. I mean, Tebow just plays football and has questionable mechanics to make it at the next level, but Obama’s gonna pay all my bills. But back to Tebow. He’s good, I get it.
St Louis Cardinals Thought for the Day: I have none. They’ve kind of pissed me off with their inactivity. Do something! Anything! Get a starter, find another bat, just stay away from low hanging fruit!
Ohio State Thought for the Day: Goodbye, Beanie, and good luck in the NFL. I wish you had been healthier while you were in Columbus, but thanks for pouring the 55 gallon drum of whoop ass on Michigan while you were here…I don’t think any other Buckeye has a decent chance of being a first day draft pick if they leave early, so I hope no one does. Jim Cordle is okay, but will help himself more by staying. The wildcard has to be Ray Small, but I don’t think he’ll go. He has a good chance to start next year, and if he leaves now he could have that dreaded “attitude problem” tag attached to his name. You could argue that Brian Hartline should leave early because he’s going to graduate in May, but I think that’s the perfect reason to stay. No school to worry about, degree in hand, still on scholarship AND playing at Ohio State? I mean, it’s not like the guy is passing up NFL millions.
Tim Tebow Thought for the Day: This is my usual spot for my Big 10 thought of the day, but as you know, the Big 10 is part of college football, and Tim Tebow is college football right now, so by federal law, I must now rename this the Tim Tebow section. Look, I have nothing against the guy. I want to hate him, and I want to hate Florida, but I don’t. You would think it would be easy to because I witnessed Florida’s dismantling of Ohio State live and in person, but it’s not. You see, all the Florida people I ran across after the game were the most gracios, humble, and complimentary winners I have ever been around. So as much as I want to hate Tebow and Florida, I don’t. I can’t stand the fuckin’ SEC, but that’s something else entirely. So there. And if St Tim of Gainseville played for OSU and got this much attention, I’d be eating that shit up. I’d even offer to have his child out of wedlock. But that’ll never happen because I don’t look like this, he doesn’t play for OSU, and I’m not gay. So really, can we stop with all the ‘Tebow is Jesus” bullshit? Besides, I thought Barack Obama was Jesus. I mean, Tebow just plays football and has questionable mechanics to make it at the next level, but Obama’s gonna pay all my bills. But back to Tebow. He’s good, I get it.
St Louis Cardinals Thought for the Day: I have none. They’ve kind of pissed me off with their inactivity. Do something! Anything! Get a starter, find another bat, just stay away from low hanging fruit!
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