Last time on “All Vince’s Children”.

-Brett said that the Packers’ claims about ‘protecting his legacy’ are a bunch of bull.

-Aaron refused to speculate on the rumors.

-Chargers all pro RB Ladianian Tomlison accused the Packers of forcing Brett to Retire

-There is a leaked version of Brett’s interview with Fox’s Greta Van Sustren where he rips Packers GM Ted Thompson.

Now, in the aftermath of Brett’s interview with Greta Van Sustren, the  Green Bay Packers are now accusing the Minnesota Vikings of tampering with the rights to Favre. Saying  that the latest in this soap opera is bizarre is a gross understatement.

  The Packers’ Brass  is claiming that Brett Favre has had ‘inaproperate dialouge’ with Viking Offensive Coordinator and family friend Darrell Bevell.

Is it me or are the Packers trying to cover their asses here? What do you, the fans think?

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.

You know, when I heard the whispers about Brett Favre mulling a return to the Packers and the NFL, I thought: “This is nothing. Having an ‘itch’ or ‘urge’ to return is what all retired players go through. Brett will get over it”

Well, that was until I saw the headlines of “Brett Favre Returns”, “Favre wants release from the Packers” from various news sources. The only thing I have to say now is Favre should sit his ass down and stay retired. Granted, Favre still can play.  During 2007 season Favre

- Ranked Sixth in the League in passer ratings

-Finished fourth in passing yards and completion percentage

-Led the Packers to a 14-4 record.

However while last season’s accomplishments and the fact this he is considered to be one of the most beloved players in the history of the NFL and probably the most beloved Packer ever, that is not the point right now. The point here is this: Brett should have seriously thought about his desire to play before he made a decision to retire in March instead of stringing the Packers along after the fact.  According to Fox Sports Jay Glazer, Favre’s indecisiveness stared almost immediately after he announced his retirement.

In the article “Sources: Favre flipped-flopped before draft” (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8335678?MSNHPHMA), we now know why the Packers refused to grant Favre a release. According to the article, Favre

-informed Green Bay that he wanted to return in late March. He told coach Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson that he had something left in the tank.

-The Packers front office even flew to Mississippi to officialize a deal for Favre to return but in a role to make Aaron Rodger’s situation easier.

-The move was set until Brett informed McCarthy that he was going to remain retired.

 Three months after the Packers drafted two QB’s to back Rodgers, Favre told the team that he’s ‘itching’ to play.  Now, the Packers are basically saying “Brett, you know there are creams for whatever itch that you may have. We are backing Aaron Rodgers.” I don’t blame the Green Bay Packers for taking this stance because Favre was the one playing all sorts of trifling and pitiful games with the organization. Honestly  Favre’s been toying with the Packers for nearly three years after every season.

It’s unfair for Aaron Rodgers, a man who paced the sidelines for three years to acquiese once again to #4. It is unfair for Rodgers to once again play backup to a man who refused to help him. I really wish that Rodgers would show some balls and speak up for himself to the Packers and against Favre. By doing this, he’ll probably earn the respect of the front office, the locker room, and *gasp* some fans! Hey, nearly anything is possible.

Pending Comissioner Goodell’s approval for reenstatement, there are only three options that the Packers can make here if they won’t release Favre. They can:

-Keep him and push Rodgers to the side

-Keep him as a backup (Talk about payback,lol) 

-Trade Him.

If the Packers can’t or wont take him back or trade him, that just leaves Brett with one option, the sanest option. STAY RETIRED

Retirement is the best bet because for the sake of aruguement, lets just say that Favre winds up on another team. What if Favre can’t get it done for the other team? I tell you what will happen. Favre’s legacy will really be ruined and the media will get all up in his ass for this lastest stunt and play poorly.

League owners voted unanimously today to end their labor agreement with the NFL Players Association in 2011. Both parties reassured football fans that the next three seasons won’t be interrupted by contract disputes.

According to NFL.com, this move was anticipated but not this early in negotiations.

Signed two years ago, the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement was to last for seven years (until 2013) with an option to terminate in five (2011). The owners voted to opt out now because they felt that the current CBA heavily favored the players.

The owners said that they are paying the players $4.5 billion. Currently, League revenues are estimated at around $8.5 billion.

With that said, there are many question and scenarios to ponder.

-Why did the owners agree to this deal anyway knowing that it is ’unfair’?

-The 2010 and 2011 seasons will operate without a salary cap. In what ways will this affect free agency?

-Will there be a strike or a lockout in the near future?

According to NFL.com Senior Analyst Pat Kirwan, this may happen in 2010 if both sides are unable to reach a new deal within two years.

- Free agency will require six years of service instead of four years for the 2010 year.

-Teams will have to use three restriction tags instead of one.

-Teams that go deep in the playoffs could have some spending restrictions.

The ending of the NFL Draft and the creation of a rival league are also some possibilities.

I don’t really feel sorry for the owners, and I disagree with most of their issues regarding the agreement. In 2006, two teams voted against the current CBA. Two years later, those two teams were right while the other 30 played themselves.  It seems to me that the 30 teams that voted for the CBA were afraid of the NFLPA, so they agreed to whatever the union wanted.

The only issue that I agree with the owners on is the rookie contracts. These guys are way overpaid, and they don’t deserve those mega contracts because they are unproven.  It is a damn shame that some of these guys act like that it is beneath them to actually prove themselves to the team that drafted them.  Under this CBA, owners spent more on unproven rookies than dependable vets. The veterans suffered and paid their dues in the league, and they deserve a higher percentage of player salaries. Paying $70 million on a first round bust is beyond foolish; it is insane!

What do you all out there think? Do the owners have a legitimate beef? Will the NFLPA and team owners agree to a new deal before 2010?

The Buffalo Bills released TE Kevin Everett Tuesday so he can start receiving disability benefits for the Sept. Spinal Cord injury that cost him his career and nearly cost him his life.

According to AP reports, Everett is now eligible to apply for long term disability benefits, and a one time, lump sum payment under the league’s Health Reimbursement Program.

While this is an honorable and admirable gesture by the Bills, I have two burning questions. Those questions are:

 Is there a guarantee that Kevin Everett would receive his benefits in a timely manner?

Will what the NFL has under their Pension/Disability plan be enough for Everett’s expenses?

Right now, there is a war going on with the NFL Players Association and retired NFL Players over Pension and benefits. There are so many retired NFL players that are suffering with severe, life altering injuries. These men paid countless visits to doctors all across the country. The doctor are all saying that most of these guys are in a bad, bad way but yet the NFL still would not get off of the dime and give these men reasonable benefits. This $5 billion a year business is rationing out anemic benefit packages, and it is not fair at all.

We can only hope that the league will do right by Everett. If not, hopefully the Bills can set up a fund separate from the league.

Tennessee and Dallas made a deal yesterday to send Pacman Jones to the Cowboys for a 4th round pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft. If Jones is reinstated for the 2008 season, Dallas will also send a 6th round pick to the Titans in next year’s draft.

The Cowboys and Pacman also agreed on the terms of a 4 year deal when the cornerback is cleared to play.

You know, I am not really surpised that Dallas picked him up. The Cowboys need help in the secondary and a little bit of drama goes a long way.

Will it work out? Stay Tuned.

photo from losangelesfootballstadium.com

The week’s hottest topics in the NFL excluding the draft are undeniably Chad Johnson’s latest trade demands and another attempt to bring a football team to Los Angeles. What I’m trippin on is how difficult these situations are potrayed to be. To me, it seems as if  the Bengals and the league are  making mountains out of molehills.

Since December, Ocho-Cinco’s been hollering about wanting out of Cincy. He is laying it out there like carpet that he was determined not to be a Bengal in 2008. The Bengals repeately said that the team will not trade their wide receiever.  The Bengals are typical  for saying that because if Chad goes, they are screwed on the field and in their wallets. Not only will the Bengals take a huge salary cap hit, they will be missing an important part of their team.  On the other hand, If they keep Chad, he will continue to raise hell and be a bigger distraction which will be detrimental to the Bengals’ season.

According to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad endlessly talks to him about the drama and problems that the flamboyant pro bowl reciever is having with the team. In a recent interview, Houshmandzadeh beleives that the team should go ahead and give Johnson what he wants.  I agree with T.J. because, if Chad is still with the Bengals next year, he will be a bigger problem than he is now. He would probably have a horrible season on purpose or anything!

The Bengals should just try to work out a draft day deal between Chad and other teams, and call it a day. Cincy’s passing game is still solid with Houshmandzadeh, and free agent pick up Doug Gabriel can and will step up to give T.J. some help. The Bengals should try to improve their defense anyway. Chad Johnson don’t want to be a Cincinnatti Bengal anymore. Let it go and let him go.

Los Angleles Laker and King minority owner, Edward Roski announced plans for a new stadium 20 miles east of Los Angeles in the City of Industry.  Roski said that the 75,000 seat stadium would be privately funded, and will be a part of an entertainment complex including a high end shopping mall.  I’m not in L.A. but I support this latest proposal.

I support it first and foremost for the fact that Roski is using private funds instead of tax dollars, and a stadium along with the mall will help create more jobs  for Industry. I also like the concept of the stadium being built into the existing hillside as opposed to building above ground.

Getting a team to play in this stadium should’nt be hard at all. Its simple really. I say this because the NFL have been whining and crying about returning to the nation’s second largest market for 13 years. There are some teams with stadium  and support issues. How hard is it for one of those team to follow through with moving instead of using LA for leverage for a new stadium?   The Bills, Jaguars, Vikings, and even the Saints could wind up moving. If I was a betting woman, I would say the Vikings would more than likely move. I say this because the team and the State of Minnesota have been at odds for new stadium for years. They just wont build them a stadium. Instead, their focus is on the Twins new facility and the Golden Golphers new football facility. The bridge collapsing made matters worse.

Even Viking owner Zygi Wilf offered to buy some property in downtown Minnapolis but the state legislature decided to sit on that idea. The growing frustration of the Vikings’ brass on this issue can very well drive them out of Minny.

If the league want at team in LA so bad, there is always contraction. The new team whoever it may be, can play in the Colisseum until the new stadium is built.

“There is no greater warrrior or player with a bigger heart than Steve McNair. He came into this game and gave it everything he had. He can now walk away with his head held high”  -Ray Lewis

One of the NFL’s toughest decided to call it a career today.

Baltimore Ravens QB and 2003 NFL Co-MVP Steve McNair announced his retirement from the league in a 1:00 press confrence at the Ravens’ Owing Mills, MD headquarters. McNair basically said his body and mind were not in agreement; that mentally he could return for one more year but his body had enough.

McNair joins Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young as the only quarterbacks that passed for more than 30,000 yards and rushed for more than  3,500 yards during their careers.

While those numbers were impressive, Steve McNair will be remembered first and foremost as one of the toughest men in NFL history. In his 13 year career, McNair made 80 appereances on the injured list. McNair’s former Titans teammate, Eddie George said that “You name an injury, Steve had it and he still showed up. Not only did he show up but he played extremely well.”

Right now, the Baltimore Ravens will have to find a way to fill the void left behind by Air McNair. Mel Kiper and Co are talking about Matt Ryan possibly falling to the number 8 spot or Baltimore trading up.  Another name beign thrown around in the mix is Delaware QB Joe Flacco. While the Kyle Boller experiment was a bust, I believe Troy Smith is capable of making a huge push for starter. Then again, there is always free agency.

As everyone know by now, Packers QB Brett Favre decided to call it a career today as he announced his retirement this mornning.  We also know that he’s been toying and flirting with the ideal of retirement for four years. Every offeseason in recent years was all about Favre’s long and drawn out decisions.

After the year that he just had, I thought that the 2008 season would probably be his last. I, along with many others, guessed wrong.  In my opinion, Favre don’t have a thing to hang his head about. He has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone. He was a three time league MVP, a Super Bowl Champion, and hold every significant throwing record in the books. During the last season, Favre told the critics to “get thier big”.  He proved to those critics and to himself that he is still a great quarterback after three mediocre years before. Favre left it all on the field,and no one should criticize him for that!

The only issue I have with Favre retring today of all days is the fact that this was on the heels of the Patriots re signing Randy Moss for $27 million over three years. We all know that Favre’s been vocal about the Packers’ passisivity in free agency.  The last time the Packers were heavy on their free agent game, was in 1993 when they acquired Reggie White from the Eagles, and that was eons ago. Favre was frustrated with that, and rightfully so.

This morning, the good old folks at ESPN talked this into the ground, and they are still talking.  They at first thought that Favre was just salty because the Packers’ brass did not make a play for Moss.  Favre left a voice message on Chris Mortensen’s phone saying that his decision to retire did not have a thing to do with Randy Moss, and that it had everything to do with “being tired”.

All evening, I heard “Why would he leave now when the NFC is in their hands”.  That line of thinking is assinie and baseless and Favre knew it too.  While the NFC is still considered the weak confrence, there are still some competitive teams like Dallas,  Giants, the Bears, The Saints are honing thier defense. Bottom line, the only guarantee that you have in the National Football League is that the league don’t, won’t, and never will give a hot buttered damn about you when you hang up the cleats, pads and jersey for good.

So for those reporters that’s questioning why he retired now, marinate on this: After the Bears lost Super Bowl XLI,  you thought that they would return as a contender in ‘07, but they ended up sucking. If Favre had a bad year in ‘07 or if he returned for ‘08 and had a mediocre year, you would have said that he stayed a little bit too long.  Just save it!

As for Skip Bayless, man you sounded foolish today-talking about Favre returning and unretiring.  The rest of you that agreed with Bayless’ logic, sound just as foolish.  I dont see Brett Favre pulling a Junior Seau.  The man said he’s tired, just leave it at that. Dry your eyes, you can still live vicarously  through Tom Brady, Tony Romo, and the Mannings! 

I am on the late, late ,late show with the blog and I have been trying to keep up with this year’s offseason moves.  In my opinion, the Browns, Eagles, Saints and Falcons are the ones that are making sensible moves so far.

Philly got their man in Asante Samuel. The move will add more strenght to the Eagles saging secondary.  The addition of Donte Stallworth will definitely make Cleveland better even playoff bound.  The Saints are doing everything they can to make their defense stronger. With the addition of Jonathan Vilma, the Saints are well on their way of accomplishing their goal.

While those acquestions were great, I like Atlanta’s signing of Michael “The Burner” Turner the most. While Moss, and Marion Barber are receiving the most press in free agency, Turner is the steal thus far. While subbing for LT, Turner made good on the opportuniy given and now, he will be the starting RB for a team in turmoil.

A big WTF goes out to the Patriots though. Their D is old and Sameul was one of the few strong spots on that unit. NE did not franchise him, did not work out some sort of a deal before hand, and lost him to Philadelphia.  They recently resigned Teddy Brucchi.

Now, the word is Randy Moss is frustrated with the Pats’ offers, and he is entertaining his options.

And this is all in the first week.

We still have to consider the Chad Johnson and McNabb issues.