The Brett Favre Sweepstakes

NOTE:  I used the Customized Jerseys from the NFL Shop for the following pictures, and they will not let me put “FAVRE” on the back of the Jerseys. So, I had to settle for “FVRE” instead, SMH! I apologize in advance.

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

 

For the sake of arguement, Let’s say that Comissioner Goodell reinstate Brett Favre. Let’s also say that the Packers decided to trade him.  If that is the case, we have nine teams that may make a play for the NFL’s all time passing TD leader.

Baltimore

Sure the Ravens picked Joe Flacco to step in to become the starter but it seems as if Coach John Harbaugh  is willing to make it anybody’s job to win. Right now, on their depth chart, I see two unprovens and a man that can’t throw rice at a wedding let alone a football. Why not stir the pot by getting Favre? In Baltimore, Favre can actually succeed.  With Brett under center, the Ravens could very well evolve from run first offense to the West Coast Offense.  Think about it! Willis McGahee is a decent receiving back and Todd Heap is a phenomenal tight end.  Playing with Brett can make Yamon Figures, Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason better. It is worth the gamble for Ozzie Newsome and Steve Bisciotti to make a play but what or who will Baltimore give up?

Chicago

For the life of me, I don’t understand why the Bears insist on giving Rex Grossman chance after chance to get it right. He is one more bad season away from the inevetiable. The Bears might as well give Brett a try. At least the offense will have a modicum of stability. Favre is resourceful. He can make any situation work.

 

Carolina

The only thing wrong with Jake Delhomme is he’s often injured, and the Panthers backups cannot get it done. If Favre winds up in Charlotte, he will have  Pro Bowl targets in Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad to throw to. Favre can also help make young recievers like DJ Hackett and Dwayne Jarrett better. Also joining Favre in the backfield is DeAngelo Williams. Now, Williams proved himself to be a solid back in the shadow of DeShaun Foster. Last season, Willams registered 717 yards and 4 touchdowns. With Foster gone, Williams can flourish. There is potential for Brett to be successful in the Queen City.

Miami

LOL The Dolphins need all the help they can get. That team is a hot mess! While having Brett will improve things just a tad in Miami, I really dont think that the Dolphins are a good fit because they are such a mess on both sides of the ball.

Tampa

Now, you all know that Jon Gruden (AKA Chucky, AKA The Quarterback Groupie) will try and convince the front office to get at Brett. Being in Tampa can be very familiar for #4 because he knows Chucky. Gruden was an offensive assistant and wide receivers coach for the Packers from 1992 to 1994. Putting Favre in Buccanneer Red and Pewter is not reall an idea fit but it is a better fit than Miami.

San Francisco

The Niner Empire is spoiled, and they have been so for 26 years. If your team had the luxury of having not one but two hall of fame quarterbacks and the greatest wide receiver of all time on your team, you will spoild too.  The 49ers are not getting it done with Alex Smith, and Shaun Hill isnt really convinsing as a starter. If Faver dons the Scarlet and Gold, he will be working wiht a formidable trio in Isaac Bruce, Ashley Lelie, and Arnaz Battle.  Farve is also covered in the backfield with the tandem of Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster. Favre would thrive in the city by the Bay, the Niner Empire will still be spoild, and everyone is happy.

Minnesota

Now, Brett may not have any stand out options in the passing game here, but he’ll have Adrian Peterson. Favre is known for his resorsefulness. In additon to resorcefullness, #4 is also known for drama. What is more dramatic than Brett rolling into Lambeau wearing a purple and gold and white jersey with a pair of Viking horns on his helmet? What is more dramatic than Brett engineering a 87 yard winning drive against his old team. Talk about payback! LOL.

Atlanta

Seventeen years after trading Brett for a first round draft pick in 92 (19th overall, Tony Smith), the Falcons can redeem themselves.  Granted, Atlanta did select Matt Ryan but Favre is a proven winner.  This is a city still trying to move on from the Michael Vick saga; might as well get Favre and put some butts in Georgia Dome seats. On the field, Favre will have another talented running back in Michael Turner to help carry the team.  Joe Horn is dependable as well.

 

Seattle

I know that the Seahawks do not have QB problems but it will be special to reunite Mike Holmgreen with Favre for the coach’s final NFL season. These two had years of succes in Green Bay. It’ll be exciting if the duo can duplicate past success.

 

So, there you have it folks! If Green Bay want to trade Brett Favre,  Where should he go?  Should he stay retired? Fans, it’s on you.

Where It All Started

This is the intro of the first NFL game I have ever watched: Super Bowl XXIV!  I remember this game and what led up to it fondly.

I was one out of three girls on my block and the boys were interested in football-namely the classic Nintendo Game, Tecmo Bowl. I played a few games with them and in one of those few games, I wondered if the names in the game were real people or computer generated. I wondered if Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton, Steve Largent, Marcus Allen, Joe Montana, and Ronnie Lott were real (remember, I was an 8 year old then)  One day, while the TV was on ESPN, I got my answer when I saw a feature on Montana, Jerry Rice, and the rest of the 49ers. I was watching the buildup before the Super Bowl.

I remember being in front of my fathers TV watching the Niners and Broncos playing in the Superdome for the Lombardi Trophy. In that game, My eyes were on Rice and Elway. I loved watching #80 slicing through the middle on the way to the end zone. I was sitting wondering “what will he do next?” He was amazing. I watched Elway throw interceptions and smiling afterwards. My dad thought that he was on high on something  because he was smiling after those mistakes.

After that game, I became an NFL fan and a Niners fan. After the Broncos’ 55-10 loss to the 49ers, I got the chance to watch more Elway games, and I saw him at his best. I didnt judge him after SB XXIV.  I also, watched L.A. Raider games when they had Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, and a speedy receiver and kick returner named Tim Brown. I enjoyed those guys too.  I am a North Carolinian and for the majority of my childhood, we did not have a pro football team. So, the majority of people were either Redskins, Cowboys,and Niner fans. I pulled for San Francisco and the Los Angeles Raiders. This was before I learned that the LA Raiders moved there from Oakland and these two teams were fierce geographical rivals.

 Although my allegence changed a bit over the years, and there are certain aspects about todays game I don’t like, I still watch and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. If I get married, I don’t see my husband and I arguing over the tv. I see my husband and I arguing over our teams. LOL!

When the Roar Of the Crowd Fade!

  

  

Seventy-eight!

This is the precentage of players that are either divorced, permanately injurjed, or bankrupt after their football career.

One-third!

This is the fraction of retiring players who are college graduates.

Few and far between!

This is the number of active players who are college graduates.

For many NFL players, football is their identity and their sense of pupose. For the majority, the game is all they know. However, there comes a time when it is time to hang up the cleats for good. After the the applause, after the last press confrence, and after the cheering stops, the player is forced to deal with the “real world” Looking at the numbers, most of these guys are not making a successful transisition after the game.

For the college players, I think that it is wise to take your classes and your major seriously. The average NFL career last any where from 3-5 years. If you make it to 10+  years, you are blessed and extremely fortunate! For the future, I think it is wise for the player to make contacts with folks in their field of interest. In the offseason, it is a good idea for the player to have an appreticeship or even an intership. For example, Miami Dolphins RB Samkon Gado wants to be a doctor after football. During his time in Green Bay, Gado was working in a hospital under doctors.  Gado, receieved a bachelor’s degree in health promotions and studied pre med courses at Liberty University. During the offseason, Gado took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). 

Giants CB, R.W. McQuarters own a construction company in Tulsa, Ok where he also works along with his employees.

There are quite a few ex players who made a smooth transistion after the game. Tiki Barber and Keyshawn Johnson are turning out to be solid analysts.  Keyshawn holds a degree from USC in communications and provided an array of soundbites thoughout the years as a player. Going into the booth was a natural fit for this guy.

Barber holds a degree from the University of Virginia in Management Information Systems, but caught the media fever as a player. His elequence caught the eye Fox and later NBC. Now he is on the network’s ‘Football Night In America’.

After an illustrious career with the Seattle Seahawks, hall of famer Steve Largent found his way into politics. In 1994, Largent became a member of the House of Representatives from Oklahoma’s first district. He would hold that position until 2002.  After an unsuccessful run for Oklahoma govenor, Largent is now the President and CEO of the CTIA-The Wireless Association.

Hall Of Fame Quarterback Steve Young made sure he would not have to struggle after the NFL. During the prime of his career, Young earned his Juris Doctor from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. In addition to that, he is now in the private equity field. If that wasn’t enough, he is broadcasting for ESPN and still getting his yearly annuinity from the USFL.

Players can do it. They can be successful and carve a productive identity after football. The blueprint is there.

Rookies Of The Year

 

Photos from NFL.com

Have you ever had a feeling about a player be it good or bad by just looking at them and briefly watching them play? Well, that is the feeling that I had about Vikings RB Adrian Peterson and Niners MLB Patrick Willis during this year’s draft.  On draft day, the only names that we heard about were JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

After learning about Peterson before the draft, I just knew that he would be a lock for Rookie of the Year. In a Sports Illustrated article that I read, Peterson said that he runs angry. After reading that, I thought to myself, “Adrian will be a great asset to the team that drafts him-definitely rookie of the year material.

Fast forward to week 14, Peterson is 3rd in the league in rushing with 1,278 yards and 12 touchdowns. Already praised as the best back in the league,  Peterson is also the leading vote getter among running backs for the Pro Bowl.

This vicious hit was my introduction to Patrick Willis.  After that hit, I just knew that this guy would be a beast at linebacker. Fourteen weeks later, I was right again. Willis leads the league in tackles with 142 tackles (111 solo). I cant wait until Willis uses his wide receiver speed and start sacking people more often.  Under the tutelage of Hall Of Famer and Niners Assistant Coach Mike Singletary, the sky’s is the limit for this kid. P-Dub is definitely defensive rookie of the year.

Divorce NFL Style Part 1

 

DISCLAIMER: Look, I know this may be trifling and in bad taste. However, I promised that no stone will be left unturned on this blog. Just like the Urlacher paternity issue, Blockbuster divorces in the league is just another part of the seedier side of the game! I hope that the following entries can promote some interesting dialouge to the age old debate about athletes and marriage!

The following appeared in the December 5th editon of the San Francisco Chronicle and their website the SF Gate (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/05/BAUJTO8FM.DTL) :

“Divorce court: Looks like 49ers great Jerry Rice may be about to jump from TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” to “The Bachelor.”

Records on file in San Mateo County family court show that the ex-wide receiver’s wife, Jacqueline Rice, filed for dissolution of the couple’s marriage back in June, and they are due back in court in mid-January. Meanwhile, their Atherton estate is listed for sale for a reported $22 million.

Jacqueline Rice’s attorney, Lindy Barocchi, told us only that “when the parties are ready to talk about it, they will. They have three children, and they would like the media to be mindful of the fact this is very private matter.”

Jerry Rice’s attorney, Stephen Montalvo, did not return calls seeking comment. “

Aight! Now inquiring minds want to know, what happened, while some emotional minds believe that Mrs. Rice had enough.  The cynical mind may say that she’s been talking to Shaunie O’Neal and Juanita Jordan, and want to break Jean Strahan’s record of $15 million dollars.

Folks can think whatever they like but the bottom line is this: 23 years together, and nearly 20 years of marriage is shot for reasons that they only know and what we can only speculate. Real talk, there is alot of speculation in the air.  There are a couple of gossip sites claiming that Jerry’s been “out there” while married, and he’s been out there for years.

Well if this is the case, the questions are: 1. Why did she stay? 2. Why did he get married in the first place?  I’m not even going to talk about the first question because it is not as simple as we may think. However the second question have been on my mind ever since Michael Jordan’s divorce. If you are an athlete and you know you cannot resist temptation, why in hell would you get married in the first place knowing that you may lose half of what you earned and own in the event of divorce?

The Rices and the Strahans are the latest in a growing list of NFL divorces over the past five years or so. Ahman Green is divorced after a domestic violence incident (2005) (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2005-04-28-ahman-green-divorce_x.htm), Coach Bill Parcells divorced his wife of 40 years (2002) (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1319895&type=news), Keyshawn Johnson divorced his wife in 2002 as well.

According to a USA TODAY article titled “Life After the NFL Typically A  Stuggle”   (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/super/2006-01-28-retirement-perils_x.htm), 78% of NFL players are divorced, bankrupt, or unemployed two years after retiring.

As everyone know by now, California is a community property state. Do the math! We are looking at  nearly 20 years together, three children (2 of them are minors), and 11 million if the house sells, Mrs. Rice is looking at a hefty settlement. Now watch folks ask “How many touchdowns did Jackie score?” just like  the questions of ” How many sacks did Jean Strahan make?”. Watch the outcries of she don’t deserve all of that money or she don’t deserve anything.

I have something for that in the next entry!

Ravens and Niners Fans Unite

Photos from NFL.com

Ravens-9  49ers-7

One hour of football and all these two teams can do is muster up 16 points? Its a damn shame, if you ask me! I’m sure that there are  fans of these two teams that feel the same way.  As a Ravens fan, I can say I am not shocked at the offenses’ dysfucntion. However, I think that they should try to improve and help the defense out.  Like I said before, the defense is tired and there are some key players injured. I can chalk this up to players being out on the field longer than they need to be.

As far as San Francisco is concerned, their offense is one dimensional. For the Niners,  it is all about Frank Gore because for the most part, the wide receivers can’t catch a cold. Well, Niner fans can look on the bright side-their offense have dimension while the Ravens’ offense is fucked up beyond repair.

I look at the situation like this: fans of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers should unite, trade war stories, and threaten to stage a boycott of these franchises if they cannot get it in gear offenensively. The word from the Bay is fans are already calling for Mike Nolan’s head. Fans in Harm City are not too thrilled about Billick either. It seems as if the front offices don’t give a good kitty about the state of their teams. If they did, Baltimore would have a decent offensive coordinator and San Francisco would have tried to bring in some quality, credible receivers instead of focusing on a stadium!

You all may think I am crazy, but these teams have more in common than you think. Billick was the 49ers Public Relations guy when Bill Walsh first started coaching. Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary were both defensive coaches on the Ravens before moving out west. Niners’ rookie Patrick Willis wears #52 because he admires Ray Lewis. Both of these teams have questions around their front office. Most importantly, both teams have atroucious offenses.

Why not unite and stop watching these trainwrecks?

Like Father Like Son

 

A few months ago, USA Today mentioned that John Elway is helping out on his son’s varsity team. Two weeks ago, ESPN featured a story on Joe Montana’s quarterback sons.  What they covered was okay but there is something pretty interesting over here at the Red Zone!

While Jack Elway and Nathainel and Nicholas Montana is receiving the most press, Menlo High’s  Jerry Rice Jr. is making some noise early in his first year of varsity play! That’s right, Jerry Rice’s son is slicing through the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Divison.

In Menlo’s season opener, Rice caught 6 passes for 89 yards. In the second game, Rice exploded for 101 yards rushing, 1 touchdown and 46 yards receiving. During Menlo’s loss yesterday, Rice caught 5 passes for 83 yards and returned a punt to Terra Nova’s 20 yard line.

At this point in the season, Rice compiled 270 yards rushing on 32 carries, 19 receptions for 284 yards, and 7 touchdowns. On defense, Rice made 21 tackles as a safety, and accumulated 183 yards on kick and punt returns.

The scary thing about these stats is this kid is just scratching the surface of his potential!  In a recent interview from Inside Bay Area. com,  Knight’s coach Mark Newton said this about his young Wide Receiver/Tailback/DB “We thought he could be pretty good. He’s young and he is getting better every week. Every week, we see something in practice that make us think ‘wow’ “  Sr. quarterback, Travis Boyce said in the same feature that Rice, Jr. is coming into his own very fast.

After looking at these numbers and the picture above, I’m getting the impression that Jerry Jr will be a great multi purpose tailback! If Coach Newton will feature him somehow in the backfield, this kid will have a chance to further carve his own identity and the team will really be unstoppable.

Regardless of what position he plays,  Rice, Jr has it and he will be a great asset to a Div.1 school or even a pro team!

RED ZONE’S SEASON FORECAST: NFC WEST

  

1.49ers

Now, this is my pick as the NFC darkhorse. These guys showed some shades of promise late last season. I think that rookie LB Patrick Willis will make an immediate impact for the defense. Alex Smith will become more comfortable in his role as QB and shut up his naysayers.

2007 projected record 10-6

2.Rams

With St. Louis, I see a middle of the road team that was once great. The 49ers caught up to them.

2007 projected record 9-7

  

3.Cardinals

While they have the ingredients to be great, I’m not really sold on Matt Lineart leading this team. Look for Edge and Fitz to bail Matt out

2007 projected record 6-10

  

4.Seahawks

Shaun Alexander cannot win games alone. I’m expecting a struggle with this team.

2007 projected record 5-11

NFL IDOL

For the longest, I always thought that the Bears were the only ones that did a music video.  To my shock and horror, I was wrong. I found on you tube the Cowboys, LA Raiders and the infamous 49er Rap. Since the Bears have company in the cheesy songs and videos category, I think it’ll be fun to compare and contrast.

Bears- Super Bowl Shuffle

Niners-49er Rap

Cowboys-Living The American Dream

Raiders-Silver and Black Attack

 

Now, you have the vids! Which ones were decent? Which ones were a hot mess?

BILL WALSH: 1931-2007

 

“Bill pushed us all to be perfect. That’s all he could handle as a coach, and he taught all of  us to be the same way.”

-Joe Montana

“For me, Bill was like a father. I could talke to him about football, about relationships, about the business of being a professional athlete. He even hand the same body language of disapproval that my own father had: that stern look, that crossing of the arms, that raised eyebrow. It said it all to me. I never wanted to let my father down and now I never wanted to let Bill down. He knew when to turn on the emotion, when to keep it light, and when to raise his voice. And did I mention that he was a true genius?”

-Jerry Rice, in his autobiography “Go Long: My Journey Beyond The Game and The Fame”

“In the recent or modern history of the NFL, no coach has been more influentional and innovative than Bill Walsh. That includes his coaching on the field and his thoughts and action on how franchises can work together to win  championships. His influence is espically seen on the offensive side of the ball. We should call what many teams currently run exactly what it is– the “Walshinan Offense.” His mark on the NFL is also seen by the “Walsh Tree”. He doesn’t  get enough of credit for the work he did behind the scenes to advance his assistants. He was tireless in promoting his fellow coaches. Like others, I could never repay him for how he helped me. The best we can all do to salute Coach Walsh is to do the same for our fellow coaches.”

Former 49er Assistant Director of Public Relations and Current Baltimore Ravens Head Coach, Brian Billick

Today, the football world  lost a legend and the San Francisco 49ers have lost an innovator, mentor, patriarch, coach and friend.

Legendary Coach Bill Walsh died this morning following a three year battle with Leukemia. Walsh was 75 years old.

Where do I begin? Words cannot do any inkling of justice to describe and express the massive impact that one William Earnest Walsh had on the game of football. This was a man who defined and refined the modern era of the NFL with the creation of the West Coast Offense. Not only did that system help Walsh to a 102-63-1 record and three Super Bowl titles (XVI,XIX,XXIII), but the system inspired many teams to upgrade their offense and attempt to use the percise and meticilous set of  short passing plays. As great as those stats may sound, they are nothing compared to what Walsh did for coaching.

Twenty years ago, Bill created the Minority Coaching Fellowship program, helping minority coaches break into what was considered to be a lilly white profession.  Coaches such as Marvin Lewis, Dennis Green, Herm Edwards, Tyrone Willingham, and Tony Dungy, are alums of this program.

Away from the field, Walsh was seen as a father figure to many of his players. Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Merton Hanks proudly stated thsee sentiments at one point or another. All four of these players and many more said that Walsh was concerned about not only the player but the person.  Even when the playing days ended for members of his teams, Walsh was concerned with their lives outside of pads and cleats. From 1979 to 1989, everything that the 49ers did during that time was first class, and Bill Walsh had everything to do with that.  In tribute to the greatest football coach and front office man of all time, I want to end this entry with the play that signaled the dawn of the Niner Dynasty and  Footage from Super Bowl XXIII

 

RIP, Genius!