Officially, Tuesday 4pm was the beginning of the 2012 NFL Season. Here's what we know so far...
Cutler and Marshall were re-united... again...
Last season, we saw the Bears collapse without a big-play wide receiver, a vague holding call against the Packers pretty much killed their season, and of course, Jay Cutler getting injured... again. While I like the move, I'm scratching my head as to how the Bears got away with robbery by only trading two third round picks for the guy. There's gotta be something going on here... then again, we saw Santonio Holmes traded to the Jets for a 6th-rounder, so I guess there may be some baggage that Marshall's carrying around which could cause problems later on down the line for the Bears, but I don't think you're going to try to pick a fight with Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense. Not only that, they re-signed Tim Jennings which was a great move by the organization and then ended any hopes of Jason Campbell ever starting for another NFL team by signing him to compete at back-up behind Jay Cutler.
Terence Newman is gone....
I guess when you keep getting burned by amateur wide receivers, the club's gonna burn your contract.
Marques Colston re-signed
I guess Randy Moss coming in scared Colston into signing a contract, looks like Carl Nicks won't be back next season though, gonna be hard to replace him. Fortuntely, there's always the NFL Draft... oh wait... the Saints traded their first round pick to New England... crap...
Vincent Jackson is going to Florida....
Good luck catching passes from Josh Freeman, assuming he has the time to get you the ball, but you'll be very rich in Florida where all the old people go after they retire... doesn't look like that's far off in the future of the one known as V-Jax.
Redskins sign Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan!
There's gonna be an awful lot of receivers on the roster next year... Santana Moss is de facto numero uno and Jabar Gaffney was their leading receiver last season, but the guy I think who could be the next great wide receiver and who could possibly get screwed by this: Leonard Hankerson. If he doesn't make the opening day roster for the Redskins, whoever signs him is going to be very, very happy.
Giants re-sign Terrell Thomas
Sure, let's sign a guy who missed the entire previous season with a torn ACL, and while we're at it, let's sign two more corners in Michael Coe and Justin Tyron because there's no way in hell we lose as many corners as we did last season? Right?
Seahawks re-sign Red.
Without Red Bryant, I'm pretty sure Seattle has no defensive line. Period.
49ers get back Carlos Rogers, and then some.
Carlos Rogers is back with the team after exploring his options, Perrish Cox was signed just in case, but he can serve as the nickel. Lastly, Randy Moss is back in the NFL with the 49ers, he's gonna be a much needed improvement over whatever receiving corps they had last year... what's that? They didn't have any wide receiving corps? Well, regardless, it doesn't matter how many people you put on Vernon Davis, now you have two players you have to double-team, otherwise your secondary is going to have a very big problem... now if only they can re-sign Alex Smith....
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The 2nd dumbest trade in football
I'm assuming this is going to be official by 4pm, anyways, you get to read my little rant on it. This is second to Mike Ditka trading his entire 1999 draft class and 1st and 3rd round pick in 2000 for Ricky Williams. I can understand swapping a first rounder and second rounder to move up the first round, but then you trade your first round pick in 2013 and 2014 as well. To move up four spots? The New York Giants didn't sacrifice this much for Eli Manning. Mike Shanahan has pretty much put all his chips in and if he gets fired before the 2014 season, he's screwed the Redskins. They have no opportunity to improve their offensive line or add pieces on defense with game changing players outside of RGIII for the next three years unless they sign up via free agency. 2015 is the next time the Redskins will have a first round pick that is their own. Not only that, they've given the Rams the best opportunity to fix their offensive line problems. They could've gotten Ryan Tannehill with the sixth pick, probably used the second rounder on an offensive lineman, and then 2013 and 2014 first round picks to fill in gaps on offense and or defense, not only that, do you think Peyton Manning will join the Redskins when they've blown 3 first rounders for Robert Griffin the third? This is only going to blow up in Shanahan's face, there's no way the Redskins will win a Super Bowl title for at least 10 years. Shanahan will be fired before the RBIII will actually be good. If by some miracle, RGIII manages to turn the Redskins around next season, I'll be damned.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Bracketology
I honestly haven't paid much attention to college basketball, but with all the upsets of late in Conference tournaments this weekend, just go out on a limb with picks.
First Round
For starters, I'm going with every #1 and #2 pick winning the first round. For the #3 seeds, I like everyone, except Florida St. and St. Bonaventure provides an intriguing match-up. I don't know why, but for some reason I think St. Bonaventure could pull it out, they did go on some crazy run to win the A10 tournament.Moving onto the #4 seeds, I think the only upset will be New Mexico St. over Indiana. The #5 seeds don't look that strong, so I'm picking VCU and Long Beach St. for upsets. In the #6 vs #11 matchups, I like all the #6's, even though NC State has a #11 seed and beat UNC to win the ACC title. I pick Purdue as the only #10 seed. I have no idea how Memphis is a #8 seed, but I guess that's what you get when you play in a terrible conference. #9 seed to pick is UConn.
In the Second Round
Kentucky over UConn, VCU over New Mexico St., Baylor over UNLV, and Duke over Notre Dame, Michigan St. over Memphis, Louisville over Long Beach St., Murray St. over Marquette, Missouri over Florida, Kansas over Purdue, Kansas over Purdue, San Diego St. over Georgetown, UNC over Creighton, Michigan over Temple, Syracause over Kansas St., Vanderbilt over Wisconsin, Cincinnati over Florida St., and finally Ohio State over Gonzaga.
Sweet 16
I love VCU, but Kentucky is just too good. Baylor beats Duke, Louisville upsets Michigan State, Missouri over Murray State, San Diego State beats Kansas to the elite 8, UNC beats Michigan in a close one, Cincinnati beats Ohio State and Vanderbilt falls to Syracuse.
Elite 8
I'm going with Missouri beating Louisville, Baylor beating Kentucky in a huge upset, Syracuse being the only #1, and San Diego State upsetting UNC.
Final Four
Missouri over Baylor
Syracuse over San Diego State
Final
gonna have to go with Syracuse, just way too much Fab Melo
But these are just ramblings of a mad man who has paid very little attention to college basketball this season.
First Round
For starters, I'm going with every #1 and #2 pick winning the first round. For the #3 seeds, I like everyone, except Florida St. and St. Bonaventure provides an intriguing match-up. I don't know why, but for some reason I think St. Bonaventure could pull it out, they did go on some crazy run to win the A10 tournament.Moving onto the #4 seeds, I think the only upset will be New Mexico St. over Indiana. The #5 seeds don't look that strong, so I'm picking VCU and Long Beach St. for upsets. In the #6 vs #11 matchups, I like all the #6's, even though NC State has a #11 seed and beat UNC to win the ACC title. I pick Purdue as the only #10 seed. I have no idea how Memphis is a #8 seed, but I guess that's what you get when you play in a terrible conference. #9 seed to pick is UConn.
In the Second Round
Kentucky over UConn, VCU over New Mexico St., Baylor over UNLV, and Duke over Notre Dame, Michigan St. over Memphis, Louisville over Long Beach St., Murray St. over Marquette, Missouri over Florida, Kansas over Purdue, Kansas over Purdue, San Diego St. over Georgetown, UNC over Creighton, Michigan over Temple, Syracause over Kansas St., Vanderbilt over Wisconsin, Cincinnati over Florida St., and finally Ohio State over Gonzaga.
Sweet 16
I love VCU, but Kentucky is just too good. Baylor beats Duke, Louisville upsets Michigan State, Missouri over Murray State, San Diego State beats Kansas to the elite 8, UNC beats Michigan in a close one, Cincinnati beats Ohio State and Vanderbilt falls to Syracuse.
Elite 8
I'm going with Missouri beating Louisville, Baylor beating Kentucky in a huge upset, Syracuse being the only #1, and San Diego State upsetting UNC.
Final Four
Missouri over Baylor
Syracuse over San Diego State
Final
gonna have to go with Syracuse, just way too much Fab Melo
But these are just ramblings of a mad man who has paid very little attention to college basketball this season.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
NHL Games of the Week 3/11/12 to 3/17/12
One of the best sports in the world is hockey and the NHL always has great match-ups week in and week out. Here's some games for the week.
Sunday March 11th
Boston Bruins (40-24-3, 83 pts) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (41-21-5, 87pts) - NBC
The Bruins are atop the Northeast, the Penguins would like to be atop the Atlantic. The Bruins are coming off a loss to the Washington Capitals yesterday while the Penguins are rolling on an 8 game winning streak. Both teams are looking to catch-up to the Rangers, but it looks a lot more feasible for the Penguins right now than it does the Bruins. In a match-up of the last two Stanley Cup winners from the Eastern Conference, one will gain two very valuable points, and the other will have to make up ground after today's game.
Philadelphia Flyers (39-21-7, 85pts) vs New Jersey Devils (39-24-5, 83pts)
Two teams that separated by two points, not to mention that they're division rivals as well, expect a lot of penalties, some fights and before the game is up, some hockey. The Flyers are on a five game win streak while the Devils are on a 3 game win streak. One of these streaks is gonna end. Can Bryzgalov continue his hot streak or will Brodeur once again show why he is one of the best goalies of all-time?
Los Angeles Kings (31-25-12, 74pts) vs Chicago Blackhawks (37-25-7, 81pts) - NBCSN
The Kings are currently in 11th place, but a W would put them back in the #8 seed. The Blackhawks are slowly slipping towards the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture and need a big win if they are to catch of their Central division rivals in front of them. The Blackhawks will be missing star center Jonathan Toews, but will need contributions from everyone else if they expect to win this game.
Monday March 12th
Nashville Predators vs Phoenix Coyotes
The Predators are four points behind the Red Wings while the Coyotes are 3 points behind the Stars. Both teams are vying for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Jimmy Howard won't be in net for the Red Wings until Tuesday, so it'll be Joey MacDonald will be facing off against Pekka Rinne. The Predators have 7 wins in their last 10 games while the Coyotes have just come off their 1st win this month against San Jose and hope to build on that.
Tuesday March 13th
New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers
Think of it as Part 2 of Sunday's game.
St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks
A Central division match-up between the top team and the #4 team in the division, 4 point game in the playoffs chase
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames
Two teams not separated by a lot and both will be fighting for a playoff spot
Detroit Red Wings vs Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are fighting for a playoff berth, the Red Wings are fighting for their division lead.
Wednesday March 14th
Colorado Avalanche vs Buffalo Sabres - NBCSN
Two teams that are trying to sneak into the playoffs in their respective conferences. The Sabres are 4 points behind the Capitals for the #8 seed while the Avalanche are tied with three other teams for the #8 seed in the West. The Avalanche are 7-3 in their last 10 games while the Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Both are vying for spots and they're going all out. It'll be Semyon Varlamov vs Ryan Miller tonight.
Phoenix Coyotes vs Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are fighting for the #1 seed, the Coyotes are fighting just to be in. They're 1 point away from being on the outside looking in while the Canucks will be shooting for the #1 seed going after St. Louis, only problem is, the Canucks just came off a flopper against the Canadiens on Saturday and will be looking to redeem themselves. Tonight's match-up will be Roberto Luongo vs the guy who came outta nowhere to keep Phoenix in the playoff race, Mike Smith.
Thursday March 15th
Colorado Avalanche (38-30-4, 80pts) vs New Jersey Devils (40-25-5, 85pts)
The Avalanche are fighting to hold onto the #8 seed in the West and potentially move up to #7 if Phoenix loses tonight. The Devils on the other hand are looking to move up a spot to the #5 seed, but will only tie Philly if they win tonight. Semyon Varlamov has been on a tear as of late while Brodeur and the Devils hope to redeem themselves after the clunker in Philly Tuesday night where they lost 3-0.
Pittsburgh Penguins (42-21-5, 89pts) vs New York Rangers (44-18-7, 95pts)
Atlantic division match-up where the Pens are looking to catch-up to the Rangers for the division lead, and quite possibly, the #1 seed in the Conference. The Rangers have gone on a little two game win streak to push the lead up to 6 points. The Penguins have a nine game win streak and with the return of Sidney Crosby tonight hope to push it an even ten. But Henrik Lundqvist might have something to say about that.
Boston Bruins (40-26-3, 83pts) vs Florida Panthers (33-23-13, 79pts)
This is a big game for both clubs. The Bruins hold a 1 point lead over Ottawa for the division lead while the Panthers hold a 1 point lead over the Capitals for the division lead. Tim Thomas will try to snap the Bruins out of their current three game losing streak while Jose Theodore will try to give the Panthers some much needed breathing room in the Southeast. Neither team will be competing for the #1 seed, but they both will be competing for the #2 seed which Boston currently holds over Florida by 4 points. Big game for both teams tonight.
Phoenix Coyotes (35-25-11, 81pts) vs Calgary Flames (33-25-12, 78pts)
Both teams are separated by a few points, but one's fighting for the division lead while the other is simply fighting to get in. The Coyotes sit two points behind the stars while the Flames sit two points behind the Avalanche for the #8 seed in the West. A loss by Phoenix would pull them back into the pack for the #8 seed which would turn into five teams fighting for two playoff spots, whereas a win would give them a little breathing room and give them an opportunity to fight it out with Dallas for the #3 seed.
Nashville Predators (41-21-7, 89pts) vs San Jose Sharks (34-25-10, 78pts)
The Sharks have been trending the wrong way recently. They only have two wins in their last eight games which has seen them slip from #3 to #9 in the Conference and are currently on the outside looking in. If they win tonight, they can pull even with Colorado (provided they lose to the Devils). On the other side, Nashville can leapfrog Detroit and claim the #4 seed, giving them a great opportunity to chase down St. Louis for the #1 seed. Pekka Rinne vs Antti Niemi, big game for both goalies, which one will come up big tonight?
Friday March 16th
Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets
Both teams are fighting to win the southeast division, this game will have big implications in that race
Chicago Blachawks vs Dallas Stars
The Blackhawks are hoping to move up in the Central while the Stars will be fighting to lead the Pacific.
Saturday March 17th
Philadelphia Flyers (41-22-7, 89pts) vs Boston Bruins (40-27-3, 83pts)
Philadelphia is 8-2 in it's last 10 games, Boston is 3-7 in it's last 10 games and trending in the wrong direction at the worst possible time. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are going to have to figure out their problems now, otherwise they can kiss their division, and potential playoff spot good-bye. Tim Thomas is going to have to figure out a way to stop the puck from going in the net because as of late, he's looked like the worst goalie in the league while Ilya Bryzgalov has been a man on fire. Will the Bruins reverse the trend or will the Flyers continue to roll?
Pittsburgh Penguins (43-21-5, 91pts) vs New Jersey Devils (41-25-5, 87pts)
This is a very important game for the Devils, not only are they chasing Pittsburgh for home-ice advantage in the first-round, they're looking to move up in their division. The Penguins look to continue their 10 game win streak. They have Crosby back and as they demonstrated to the Rangers on Thursday night, they've pretty damn good. The Devils look to stop the Penguins momentum, but will Sidney Crosby and the Pens get the best of Marty Brodeur and the Devils?
Colorado Avalanche (38-30-5, 81pts) vs New York Rangers (44-19-7, 95pts)
The Rangers desperately need a win and the Avalanche are trying to hold off three other teams vying for the #8 seed. Henrik Lundqvist should be in net for the Rangers tonight while Semyon Varlamov will start opposite him in what should be a great game. Colorado needs every point they can get as they have the fewest games remaining out of any team in the western conference with 9 heading into today. Will the Rangers reverse their trend or will Varly and the Avalanche look to spoil the fun in MSG?
Buffalo Sabres (33-29-9, 75pts) vs Florida Panthers (34-23-13, 81pts)
The Sabres are three points behind the #8 seed Caps while the Panthers are three points ahead of their closest division rivals, coincidentally the Caps, by three points. This is a big game for both teams as the Panthers look to solidify their #3 spot while the Sabres look to close the gap to 1. Ryan Miller and Jose Theodore will duel it out in net Saturday night.
Nashville Predators (41-21-8, 90pts) vs Los Angeles Kings (34-25-12, 80pts)
The Predators are 1 point behind the Red Wings for the #4 seed with a game in hand while the Kings are 1 point behind the Avalanche for the #8 seed with 2 games in hand. After Nashville dropped a win against the Sharks on Thursday, they look to rebound with a big W against the Kings. It should be a great match-up of two Vezina worthy candidates in Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick. Not only that, it's gonna be a great battle between two teams with a ton of underrated talent.Will the Predators climb over the Red Wings or will the Kings slide into a playoff spot after tonight? Gonna have to be up late to check it out!
Detroit Red Wings (44-24-3, 91pts) vs San Jose Sharks (35-25-10, 80pts)
The Red Wings got Jimmy Howard back, but that didn't stop them from losing to the Kings. They continue their west coast roadtrip against the Sharks who are 3-4-3 in their last 10 games but won a big game against Nashville Thursday night. Detroit has a big enough lead that it seems impossible for them to lose a playoff spot. The Sharks are 1 point behind both Phoenix and Colorado with 2 and 3 games in hand respectively as well as 3 points behind the Stars with two games in hand. This is a huge game for the Sharks as they look to make a statement as well as go after the #3 seed in the West. If you're up late, be sure to check this game out.
Sunday March 11th
Boston Bruins (40-24-3, 83 pts) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (41-21-5, 87pts) - NBC
The Bruins are atop the Northeast, the Penguins would like to be atop the Atlantic. The Bruins are coming off a loss to the Washington Capitals yesterday while the Penguins are rolling on an 8 game winning streak. Both teams are looking to catch-up to the Rangers, but it looks a lot more feasible for the Penguins right now than it does the Bruins. In a match-up of the last two Stanley Cup winners from the Eastern Conference, one will gain two very valuable points, and the other will have to make up ground after today's game.
Philadelphia Flyers (39-21-7, 85pts) vs New Jersey Devils (39-24-5, 83pts)
Two teams that separated by two points, not to mention that they're division rivals as well, expect a lot of penalties, some fights and before the game is up, some hockey. The Flyers are on a five game win streak while the Devils are on a 3 game win streak. One of these streaks is gonna end. Can Bryzgalov continue his hot streak or will Brodeur once again show why he is one of the best goalies of all-time?
Los Angeles Kings (31-25-12, 74pts) vs Chicago Blackhawks (37-25-7, 81pts) - NBCSN
The Kings are currently in 11th place, but a W would put them back in the #8 seed. The Blackhawks are slowly slipping towards the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture and need a big win if they are to catch of their Central division rivals in front of them. The Blackhawks will be missing star center Jonathan Toews, but will need contributions from everyone else if they expect to win this game.
Monday March 12th
Nashville Predators vs Phoenix Coyotes
The Predators are four points behind the Red Wings while the Coyotes are 3 points behind the Stars. Both teams are vying for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Jimmy Howard won't be in net for the Red Wings until Tuesday, so it'll be Joey MacDonald will be facing off against Pekka Rinne. The Predators have 7 wins in their last 10 games while the Coyotes have just come off their 1st win this month against San Jose and hope to build on that.
Tuesday March 13th
New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers
Think of it as Part 2 of Sunday's game.
St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks
A Central division match-up between the top team and the #4 team in the division, 4 point game in the playoffs chase
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames
Two teams not separated by a lot and both will be fighting for a playoff spot
Detroit Red Wings vs Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are fighting for a playoff berth, the Red Wings are fighting for their division lead.
Wednesday March 14th
Colorado Avalanche vs Buffalo Sabres - NBCSN
Two teams that are trying to sneak into the playoffs in their respective conferences. The Sabres are 4 points behind the Capitals for the #8 seed while the Avalanche are tied with three other teams for the #8 seed in the West. The Avalanche are 7-3 in their last 10 games while the Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Both are vying for spots and they're going all out. It'll be Semyon Varlamov vs Ryan Miller tonight.
Phoenix Coyotes vs Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are fighting for the #1 seed, the Coyotes are fighting just to be in. They're 1 point away from being on the outside looking in while the Canucks will be shooting for the #1 seed going after St. Louis, only problem is, the Canucks just came off a flopper against the Canadiens on Saturday and will be looking to redeem themselves. Tonight's match-up will be Roberto Luongo vs the guy who came outta nowhere to keep Phoenix in the playoff race, Mike Smith.
Thursday March 15th
Colorado Avalanche (38-30-4, 80pts) vs New Jersey Devils (40-25-5, 85pts)
The Avalanche are fighting to hold onto the #8 seed in the West and potentially move up to #7 if Phoenix loses tonight. The Devils on the other hand are looking to move up a spot to the #5 seed, but will only tie Philly if they win tonight. Semyon Varlamov has been on a tear as of late while Brodeur and the Devils hope to redeem themselves after the clunker in Philly Tuesday night where they lost 3-0.
Pittsburgh Penguins (42-21-5, 89pts) vs New York Rangers (44-18-7, 95pts)
Atlantic division match-up where the Pens are looking to catch-up to the Rangers for the division lead, and quite possibly, the #1 seed in the Conference. The Rangers have gone on a little two game win streak to push the lead up to 6 points. The Penguins have a nine game win streak and with the return of Sidney Crosby tonight hope to push it an even ten. But Henrik Lundqvist might have something to say about that.
Boston Bruins (40-26-3, 83pts) vs Florida Panthers (33-23-13, 79pts)
This is a big game for both clubs. The Bruins hold a 1 point lead over Ottawa for the division lead while the Panthers hold a 1 point lead over the Capitals for the division lead. Tim Thomas will try to snap the Bruins out of their current three game losing streak while Jose Theodore will try to give the Panthers some much needed breathing room in the Southeast. Neither team will be competing for the #1 seed, but they both will be competing for the #2 seed which Boston currently holds over Florida by 4 points. Big game for both teams tonight.
Phoenix Coyotes (35-25-11, 81pts) vs Calgary Flames (33-25-12, 78pts)
Both teams are separated by a few points, but one's fighting for the division lead while the other is simply fighting to get in. The Coyotes sit two points behind the stars while the Flames sit two points behind the Avalanche for the #8 seed in the West. A loss by Phoenix would pull them back into the pack for the #8 seed which would turn into five teams fighting for two playoff spots, whereas a win would give them a little breathing room and give them an opportunity to fight it out with Dallas for the #3 seed.
Nashville Predators (41-21-7, 89pts) vs San Jose Sharks (34-25-10, 78pts)
The Sharks have been trending the wrong way recently. They only have two wins in their last eight games which has seen them slip from #3 to #9 in the Conference and are currently on the outside looking in. If they win tonight, they can pull even with Colorado (provided they lose to the Devils). On the other side, Nashville can leapfrog Detroit and claim the #4 seed, giving them a great opportunity to chase down St. Louis for the #1 seed. Pekka Rinne vs Antti Niemi, big game for both goalies, which one will come up big tonight?
Friday March 16th
Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets
Both teams are fighting to win the southeast division, this game will have big implications in that race
Chicago Blachawks vs Dallas Stars
The Blackhawks are hoping to move up in the Central while the Stars will be fighting to lead the Pacific.
Saturday March 17th
Philadelphia Flyers (41-22-7, 89pts) vs Boston Bruins (40-27-3, 83pts)
Philadelphia is 8-2 in it's last 10 games, Boston is 3-7 in it's last 10 games and trending in the wrong direction at the worst possible time. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are going to have to figure out their problems now, otherwise they can kiss their division, and potential playoff spot good-bye. Tim Thomas is going to have to figure out a way to stop the puck from going in the net because as of late, he's looked like the worst goalie in the league while Ilya Bryzgalov has been a man on fire. Will the Bruins reverse the trend or will the Flyers continue to roll?
Pittsburgh Penguins (43-21-5, 91pts) vs New Jersey Devils (41-25-5, 87pts)
This is a very important game for the Devils, not only are they chasing Pittsburgh for home-ice advantage in the first-round, they're looking to move up in their division. The Penguins look to continue their 10 game win streak. They have Crosby back and as they demonstrated to the Rangers on Thursday night, they've pretty damn good. The Devils look to stop the Penguins momentum, but will Sidney Crosby and the Pens get the best of Marty Brodeur and the Devils?
Colorado Avalanche (38-30-5, 81pts) vs New York Rangers (44-19-7, 95pts)
The Rangers desperately need a win and the Avalanche are trying to hold off three other teams vying for the #8 seed. Henrik Lundqvist should be in net for the Rangers tonight while Semyon Varlamov will start opposite him in what should be a great game. Colorado needs every point they can get as they have the fewest games remaining out of any team in the western conference with 9 heading into today. Will the Rangers reverse their trend or will Varly and the Avalanche look to spoil the fun in MSG?
Buffalo Sabres (33-29-9, 75pts) vs Florida Panthers (34-23-13, 81pts)
The Sabres are three points behind the #8 seed Caps while the Panthers are three points ahead of their closest division rivals, coincidentally the Caps, by three points. This is a big game for both teams as the Panthers look to solidify their #3 spot while the Sabres look to close the gap to 1. Ryan Miller and Jose Theodore will duel it out in net Saturday night.
Nashville Predators (41-21-8, 90pts) vs Los Angeles Kings (34-25-12, 80pts)
The Predators are 1 point behind the Red Wings for the #4 seed with a game in hand while the Kings are 1 point behind the Avalanche for the #8 seed with 2 games in hand. After Nashville dropped a win against the Sharks on Thursday, they look to rebound with a big W against the Kings. It should be a great match-up of two Vezina worthy candidates in Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick. Not only that, it's gonna be a great battle between two teams with a ton of underrated talent.Will the Predators climb over the Red Wings or will the Kings slide into a playoff spot after tonight? Gonna have to be up late to check it out!
Detroit Red Wings (44-24-3, 91pts) vs San Jose Sharks (35-25-10, 80pts)
The Red Wings got Jimmy Howard back, but that didn't stop them from losing to the Kings. They continue their west coast roadtrip against the Sharks who are 3-4-3 in their last 10 games but won a big game against Nashville Thursday night. Detroit has a big enough lead that it seems impossible for them to lose a playoff spot. The Sharks are 1 point behind both Phoenix and Colorado with 2 and 3 games in hand respectively as well as 3 points behind the Stars with two games in hand. This is a huge game for the Sharks as they look to make a statement as well as go after the #3 seed in the West. If you're up late, be sure to check this game out.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Peyton Manning headline
There's a lot of where will Peyton Manning go scenarios flying around. Here's my take, with all 32 teams. I'm going to go in reverse draft order so I can knock out all the good teams first.
1. New York Giants - already have one Manning
2. New England Patriots - Tom Brady
3. San Francisco 49ers - There's been a lot of controversy regarding Alex Smith, but in reality, they only thing that prevented the 49ers from going to the Super Bowl was Kyle Williams muffing two punts, otherwise, they would've played the Patriots. They should re-sign Alex Smith, if not, Peyton Manning would be the perfect fit. Great defense, great offensive line, and they can lure wide receivers for Manning to throw to. But if they fail to re-sign Alex Smith, they risk alienating a fan base that was strongly behind them and Smith all year.
4. Baltimore Ravens - more committed to Joe Flacco for the long haul
5. Green Bay Packers - already have Aaron Rodgers
6. New Orleans Saints - depends on whether they will re-sign Drew Brees (odds are, they will)
7. Houston Texans - interesting dilemma with Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates, I think there's more stuff to deal with in-house than bringing someone else in. Besides, T.J. Yates will probably be their QB after Schaub.
8. Denver Broncos - I believe they will be more committed to Tim Tebow for the long haul
9. Pittsburgh Steelers - Roethlisberger has already won them two Super Bowls
10. Detroit Lions - more committed to Matthew Stafford for the long haul
11. Atlanta Falcons - more committed to Matt Ryan for the long haul
12. Cincinnati Bengals - more committed to Andy Dalton
13. Tennessee Titans - already have Hasselbeck and I believe Jake Locker is their future
14. Chicago Bears - here's the thing. The Bears have a great defense, a great running back, and decent WRs. With Peyton Manning in Chicago, that could get the Bears in the playoffs and give them a legit shot at winning a title. However, they would need to lure a few targets for Manning to throw to.
15. San Diego Chargers - more committed to Philip Rivers for the long haul
16. Oakland Raiders - just burned 1st round draft picks on getting Carson Palmer
17. New York Jets - here's the interesting thing. The Jets have talent at every position except quarterback. Mark Sanchez is not the QB the Jets thought they drafted and has shown to be more of a liability under center. Peyton would have great weapons at his disposal with Burress, Holmes, Green, and Keller, as well as LT as a back-up. (Damn, this group would be sick 5 years ago!)
18. Philadelphia Eagles - committed to Michael Vick
19. Dallas Cowboys - committed to Tony Romo
20. Arizona Cardinals - this could be similar to what they did with Kurt Warner. The Cardinals are not a bad team, but they had some shoddy QB play and their O-line is suspect, that being said, the perks are that they play in a dome, their division has some great places to play, he would have Larry Fitzgerald to throw to (who wouldn't want to throw to Fitz?), and they have a young emerging defense that can give the team a chance to win any game. Kurt Warner took this team to the Super Bowl, why can't Manning?
21. Seattle Seahawks - there is a lot of talent in Seattle, and the division is not very strong. The location would be ideal as it never gets too cold in Seattle, and they have a lot of great weapons in Lynch, Rice, and Miller. Let's not forget, this was also a team that knocked off the Saints two years ago in the playoffs.
22. Kansas City Chiefs - another interesting scenario, but not likely, they're committed to Cassel and have a good defense and some great weapons on offense, with Moeaki and Charles returning from injury, Dwayne Bowe staying put for another year, it could be opportunistic for Peyton, however, the only problem would be the weather.
23. Buffalo Bills - just signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a long-term contract
24. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, end of story
25. Miami Dolphins - here's my take: It seems a lot of talent is heading to South Beach. I actually pity Chad Henne because that dude had a solid start to the season, but the team couldn't win, and when he went down, the season was pretty much over. Peyton Manning will most likely be in Miami by the draft. Reggie Wayne came from the U and would be happy to play for Miami. Brandon Marshall is already there. Reggie Bush is already there. Their rush defense was phenomenal last season, their pass defense... not so much. But Miami would be the perfect fit for him.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars - I believe they will stick with Blaine Gabbert
27. Washington Redskins - Another team that would be a great fit for Manning. They have a solid defense, their running backs emerged at the end of last season in Roy Helu and Evan Royster. While they didn't have a 1000 yard receiver, they have talent in Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney, Leonard Hankerson, Fred Davis, and Chris Cooley. Bringing in another WR like Reggie Wayne or Vincent Jackson and suddenly their offense looks incredibly dangerous. (Edit: I had originally written this before the Redskins decided to mortgage their future in RG3)
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -the Bucs just imploded this past season. I think they'll stick with Josh Freeman and try to patch up their defense.
29. Cleveland Browns - there's no way Peyton will play for Cleveland, they need a lot more pieces before he signs with them.
30. Minnesota Vikings - a solid defense, a great running back, one good WR. Peyton could play in Minnesota, but the fact that he's gotta play Green Bay and Chicago in the cold will not bode well for him.
31. St. Louis Rams - I believe they will stick with Sam Bradford.
32. Indianapolis Colts - unless he's willing to take a pay cut, Peyton is not coming back to Indy.
So, the top five most likely destinations are as follows:
1. Miami Dolphins
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Washington Redskins
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. New York Jets
There's two sleeper teams that could also get him
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. New Orleans Saints (if they dont' re-sign Brees)
1. New York Giants - already have one Manning
2. New England Patriots - Tom Brady
3. San Francisco 49ers - There's been a lot of controversy regarding Alex Smith, but in reality, they only thing that prevented the 49ers from going to the Super Bowl was Kyle Williams muffing two punts, otherwise, they would've played the Patriots. They should re-sign Alex Smith, if not, Peyton Manning would be the perfect fit. Great defense, great offensive line, and they can lure wide receivers for Manning to throw to. But if they fail to re-sign Alex Smith, they risk alienating a fan base that was strongly behind them and Smith all year.
4. Baltimore Ravens - more committed to Joe Flacco for the long haul
5. Green Bay Packers - already have Aaron Rodgers
6. New Orleans Saints - depends on whether they will re-sign Drew Brees (odds are, they will)
7. Houston Texans - interesting dilemma with Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates, I think there's more stuff to deal with in-house than bringing someone else in. Besides, T.J. Yates will probably be their QB after Schaub.
8. Denver Broncos - I believe they will be more committed to Tim Tebow for the long haul
9. Pittsburgh Steelers - Roethlisberger has already won them two Super Bowls
10. Detroit Lions - more committed to Matthew Stafford for the long haul
11. Atlanta Falcons - more committed to Matt Ryan for the long haul
12. Cincinnati Bengals - more committed to Andy Dalton
13. Tennessee Titans - already have Hasselbeck and I believe Jake Locker is their future
14. Chicago Bears - here's the thing. The Bears have a great defense, a great running back, and decent WRs. With Peyton Manning in Chicago, that could get the Bears in the playoffs and give them a legit shot at winning a title. However, they would need to lure a few targets for Manning to throw to.
15. San Diego Chargers - more committed to Philip Rivers for the long haul
16. Oakland Raiders - just burned 1st round draft picks on getting Carson Palmer
17. New York Jets - here's the interesting thing. The Jets have talent at every position except quarterback. Mark Sanchez is not the QB the Jets thought they drafted and has shown to be more of a liability under center. Peyton would have great weapons at his disposal with Burress, Holmes, Green, and Keller, as well as LT as a back-up. (Damn, this group would be sick 5 years ago!)
18. Philadelphia Eagles - committed to Michael Vick
19. Dallas Cowboys - committed to Tony Romo
20. Arizona Cardinals - this could be similar to what they did with Kurt Warner. The Cardinals are not a bad team, but they had some shoddy QB play and their O-line is suspect, that being said, the perks are that they play in a dome, their division has some great places to play, he would have Larry Fitzgerald to throw to (who wouldn't want to throw to Fitz?), and they have a young emerging defense that can give the team a chance to win any game. Kurt Warner took this team to the Super Bowl, why can't Manning?
21. Seattle Seahawks - there is a lot of talent in Seattle, and the division is not very strong. The location would be ideal as it never gets too cold in Seattle, and they have a lot of great weapons in Lynch, Rice, and Miller. Let's not forget, this was also a team that knocked off the Saints two years ago in the playoffs.
22. Kansas City Chiefs - another interesting scenario, but not likely, they're committed to Cassel and have a good defense and some great weapons on offense, with Moeaki and Charles returning from injury, Dwayne Bowe staying put for another year, it could be opportunistic for Peyton, however, the only problem would be the weather.
23. Buffalo Bills - just signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a long-term contract
24. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, end of story
25. Miami Dolphins - here's my take: It seems a lot of talent is heading to South Beach. I actually pity Chad Henne because that dude had a solid start to the season, but the team couldn't win, and when he went down, the season was pretty much over. Peyton Manning will most likely be in Miami by the draft. Reggie Wayne came from the U and would be happy to play for Miami. Brandon Marshall is already there. Reggie Bush is already there. Their rush defense was phenomenal last season, their pass defense... not so much. But Miami would be the perfect fit for him.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars - I believe they will stick with Blaine Gabbert
27. Washington Redskins - Another team that would be a great fit for Manning. They have a solid defense, their running backs emerged at the end of last season in Roy Helu and Evan Royster. While they didn't have a 1000 yard receiver, they have talent in Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney, Leonard Hankerson, Fred Davis, and Chris Cooley. Bringing in another WR like Reggie Wayne or Vincent Jackson and suddenly their offense looks incredibly dangerous. (Edit: I had originally written this before the Redskins decided to mortgage their future in RG3)
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -the Bucs just imploded this past season. I think they'll stick with Josh Freeman and try to patch up their defense.
29. Cleveland Browns - there's no way Peyton will play for Cleveland, they need a lot more pieces before he signs with them.
30. Minnesota Vikings - a solid defense, a great running back, one good WR. Peyton could play in Minnesota, but the fact that he's gotta play Green Bay and Chicago in the cold will not bode well for him.
31. St. Louis Rams - I believe they will stick with Sam Bradford.
32. Indianapolis Colts - unless he's willing to take a pay cut, Peyton is not coming back to Indy.
So, the top five most likely destinations are as follows:
1. Miami Dolphins
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Washington Redskins
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. New York Jets
There's two sleeper teams that could also get him
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. New Orleans Saints (if they dont' re-sign Brees)
Friday, March 9, 2012
The "Bounty-gate"
"Bounty-gate" is the result of three things. First, ESPN over-running their limit on how much coverage they should put on this; second, the rift between casual fans and hard-core fans regarding the ethics of putting "bounties" on players; and lastly the fact that this happens all over the NFL.
This "Bounty-gate" is getting too much hype, and I blame ESPN for this. While is it an important topic in the world of "News", a show like Sportcenter should not be spending so much time into the matter because Sportscenter should cover everything evenly, not spend a good 10 minutes covering "bounty-gate". The reason ESPN does this is to blow everything out of proportion so that you'll keep watching to see what will be said next. Here's the straight-up facts. Gregg Williams, during his tenure with the Saints, would take money collected from player fines and redistribute them to the players for their performances. Players who would knock out star offensive players would generally receive money as would players who had an outstanding performance on defense during the week. The fine money came from players being late to meetings or doing stupid things either in the game or during practice. Instead of pocketing the money, it would be redistributed to the players based on performance.
Let's move this from a football field to an office. Many offices do different things, so here's how I'll make it simple. Assume the players are the employees than you have out in the cubicles. Assume the assistant coaches are the managers that have the offices around the cubbies, and then assume that the big managers have offices either upstairs or in the corners. Let's say there is a policy to fine employees for stupid things. Let's say, there's a $50 fine for being late, $25 fine for goofing around during office hours, etc. Instead of the managers pocketing this money, they use it to reward their employees. $500 for an awesome presentation, $1000 getting a new contract for the company, $250 for sales, etc. You get the idea, it's a performance incentive. Now let's say they're competing with a rival company on getting a bid or job. Paying your employees to delay the other company from getting to a meeting or sabotaging their presentation, while unethical, and a bit disgraceful, gets them $500-$1000. While it is unethical, it is not looked down upon. In the corporate world, you are going to have to climb over people to get on top. No single person in corporate America gets to the top by playing by the rules or playing nice. It's a dirty world out there and you have to be willing to get your hands dirty to get somewhere. Everyone knows that in the NFL, as a coach, you want to be the head coach of a team someday. You want to run a team and make the big bucks. You're not going to get there by being a nice guy, you gotta earn it. Gregg Williams, while what he did is being blasted by critics, is what any person who wants to get to the top would've done. If I'm a manager, and there's a $100 million contract out there, I know I'm going to put as much effort as I can out there to get the job. Would it be wrong to pay off a tech guy to hack into the other company's server and mess with their presentation the night before? Absolutely. Would I do it if it's a ton of money riding on the table? Absolutely. To Gregg Williams, he's giving his defense incentives to do their job well so that he can succeed and receive a head coaching job somewhere.
The second issue is the ethics of what he did. Here's what I'm going to say, if you have played football, either in college or a strong high school football program, you know what this is. This isn't news to you, you get benefits all the time for performing well on game day. I personally played football for a short time in middle school until I separated my shoulder. While my middle school did not have a football team, I played for the local youth association which had a lot of it's players play for a very very good high school football program that won the state football championship in 2000 for it's division and the district has produced a participant at the state championship game every year from 2000-2007. So let me tell you how it works. You want your players to perform at their highest level to give you the best chance to win, and to get them to perform at their highest level, you give them incentives to do so. Just to give you an idea of what I've seen at the high school level (not necessarily at the high school I attended), and a bit at the college level (my college doesn't have a football team, so this is from visiting other campuses).
-Players getting free meals at restaurants, either the coaches or boosters pay for them, or the team will not have them pay and distribute the cost amongst the rest of the players
Ex: Offensive linemen getting free pancakes for having a great performance on game day, not all of them, but generally one or two on the team when the linemen go out for pancakes
-Players taken to sporting events in which their cost to attend is covered
-Coaches having a couple gifts or gift cards to give out in the locker room to their best players after a win
-Catered events
-Invitations to high-profile events
There's a lot of things that go on in football when it comes to getting the best out of your players, and you'll do whatever you can to earn those rewards. So here's the thing, especially on defense, your coaches want you to pretty much pitch a shutout. 0 points on the scoreboard, by whatever means necessary, does the game plan include knocking out star players? No. Is the coach happy if you do? Yes. Because it's part of the game. On defense, there is a certain pride of not letting players in the end zone. There is a lot of pride by defensive players, and the more you score on them, the more pissed off they get. Defensive players come out hitting hard because they want you to remember them when you try and do it again. So to be quite fair, ethically, it's alright for players to play as hard as they can, and if they "accidentally" take out a star player, and that helps your team win, it's your choice to reward them or not. This is all part of the game of football. People get hurt, it's a violent sport, suck it up America. Players get concussions all the time. As parents, don't tell me that you don't enjoy your kid being a star player on the football field. Fathers live vicariously through their sons. If their son is lighting up the football field, earning those freebies every week, you feel proud, you are happy. The problem is with mothers protecting their children. It's not wrong, a mother's natural instinct is to protect their children from harm. That's really where this line of division comes in, whether you as a person care about protecting your players or care about winning games. Neither side is wrong on how they feel about this. Those that want to protect their star players have every reason to feel that way because those star players give you the best chance of winning. Those on the other side that want to do whatever it takes to win games, want to do whatever it takes to win games. No fan likes to see their team lose a game or lose a star player. But both sides have to acknowledge the other and I think that a good majority of Americans are missing out on why this cash for performance is instituted in the first place, because you want to get the best out of your players. But I won't lie about these alleged "bounties". As players, there's been instances where in other sports, you want to take the other guy out. You want to hit the opposing star player as hard as you can when he's got the puck in hockey. Best case scenario if you're getting shut down by a pitcher in baseball, nail him with a come backer so that your team can hit off the next guy they put in. When it comes to basketball, you're always going to make it difficult for the other team's star player to score, whether you gotta foul him, make him shoot two free throws or take as many cheap shots as you can to rattle him, don't tell me you didn't see that in the NBA back in the late 80's to the early 2000's. A prime example is across the pond in their game of football where players will maliciously slide tackle star players to knock them out of the game or feign malicious injury to get their opponent's star player out of the game, an art known as diving. You think none of these acts have gotten players money or benefits under the table? The only thing I urge you as the reader is to think about how this happens in other sports before going crazy about "Bounty-gate"
The last thing I want to point out is that there are many teams that institute performance based incentives on game-day. Many of the best defenses in the league have a sort of performance based incentive system to get their players to play hard defense on game-day. You can look no further than some of the best defenses in the league and look at why their players play so hard, not only that, but they play with an edge, like they really want to win games regardless of who gets hurt. Just look at the teams that made the post-season this year and their players, while not all of them were necessarily fined, they're guys that play on the edge
Atlanta Falcons - Dunta Robinson, Curtis Lofton
Baltimore Ravens - Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata
Cincinnati Bengals - Manny Lawson, Chris Crocker
Denver Broncos - Elvis Dumervil, Brian Dawkins,Von Miller
Detroit Lions - Ndamakong Su, Cliff Avril,Stephen Tulloch, Nick Fairley
Green Bay Packers - Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Tramon Williams
Houston Texans - Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt, Danieal Manning
New England Patriots - Andre Carter, Jerod Mayo, Rob Ninkovich, Patrick Chung
New Orleans Saints - Jonathan Vilma, Shaun Rogers, Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins
New York Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips, Justin Tuck
Pittsburgh Steelers - Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, Ryan Clark
San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks
These guys have players that are going to make you hurt and bring the pain, there's a reason their teams made it to the playoffs. A lot of their players go after the other team's stars, specifically the quarterback, cept for the safeties and corners teeing off on wide receivers and James Harrison just teeing off on anybody. These guys play with an edge. Patrick Willis at the end of the Giants-49ers game was going nuts trying to get to Eli Manning and every time he did, he put him in the ground. When Rex Ryan got to the Jets, they became very much a hard-hitting team. When Gregg Williams came to the Redskins, Sean Taylor, without a doubt was the most feared safety in the league. When Bill Parcells got to the Cowboys, Roy Williams, already a great rookie, became one of the most notorious hitters in the league and they even created the Horse Collar rule because of him, he wasn't just trying to bring you down, he was trying to make it hurt when he tackled you. Julius Peppers was also a feared defensive end, and you can add linebackers Brian Urlacher and DeMarcus Ware to the list. When Bill Belichek actually had good defensive players, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour were players no team wanted a piece of. The list goes on and on, but there are players on every team that would make those bone-crushing hits.
So in retrospect, a lot of teams, while not necessarily having a "bounty" system, make a point to hit players as hard as they could. You hit a player hard, it could cause a fumble, maybe the receiver won't catch it and it'll bounce up in the air for an interception or fall for an incomplete pass. It's how this game has been played for years and it will continue to be played that way. Goodell can try to get rid of having a "bounty" system, but players will still be getting their pocket change from big hits and game-changing plays.
This "Bounty-gate" is getting too much hype, and I blame ESPN for this. While is it an important topic in the world of "News", a show like Sportcenter should not be spending so much time into the matter because Sportscenter should cover everything evenly, not spend a good 10 minutes covering "bounty-gate". The reason ESPN does this is to blow everything out of proportion so that you'll keep watching to see what will be said next. Here's the straight-up facts. Gregg Williams, during his tenure with the Saints, would take money collected from player fines and redistribute them to the players for their performances. Players who would knock out star offensive players would generally receive money as would players who had an outstanding performance on defense during the week. The fine money came from players being late to meetings or doing stupid things either in the game or during practice. Instead of pocketing the money, it would be redistributed to the players based on performance.
Let's move this from a football field to an office. Many offices do different things, so here's how I'll make it simple. Assume the players are the employees than you have out in the cubicles. Assume the assistant coaches are the managers that have the offices around the cubbies, and then assume that the big managers have offices either upstairs or in the corners. Let's say there is a policy to fine employees for stupid things. Let's say, there's a $50 fine for being late, $25 fine for goofing around during office hours, etc. Instead of the managers pocketing this money, they use it to reward their employees. $500 for an awesome presentation, $1000 getting a new contract for the company, $250 for sales, etc. You get the idea, it's a performance incentive. Now let's say they're competing with a rival company on getting a bid or job. Paying your employees to delay the other company from getting to a meeting or sabotaging their presentation, while unethical, and a bit disgraceful, gets them $500-$1000. While it is unethical, it is not looked down upon. In the corporate world, you are going to have to climb over people to get on top. No single person in corporate America gets to the top by playing by the rules or playing nice. It's a dirty world out there and you have to be willing to get your hands dirty to get somewhere. Everyone knows that in the NFL, as a coach, you want to be the head coach of a team someday. You want to run a team and make the big bucks. You're not going to get there by being a nice guy, you gotta earn it. Gregg Williams, while what he did is being blasted by critics, is what any person who wants to get to the top would've done. If I'm a manager, and there's a $100 million contract out there, I know I'm going to put as much effort as I can out there to get the job. Would it be wrong to pay off a tech guy to hack into the other company's server and mess with their presentation the night before? Absolutely. Would I do it if it's a ton of money riding on the table? Absolutely. To Gregg Williams, he's giving his defense incentives to do their job well so that he can succeed and receive a head coaching job somewhere.
The second issue is the ethics of what he did. Here's what I'm going to say, if you have played football, either in college or a strong high school football program, you know what this is. This isn't news to you, you get benefits all the time for performing well on game day. I personally played football for a short time in middle school until I separated my shoulder. While my middle school did not have a football team, I played for the local youth association which had a lot of it's players play for a very very good high school football program that won the state football championship in 2000 for it's division and the district has produced a participant at the state championship game every year from 2000-2007. So let me tell you how it works. You want your players to perform at their highest level to give you the best chance to win, and to get them to perform at their highest level, you give them incentives to do so. Just to give you an idea of what I've seen at the high school level (not necessarily at the high school I attended), and a bit at the college level (my college doesn't have a football team, so this is from visiting other campuses).
-Players getting free meals at restaurants, either the coaches or boosters pay for them, or the team will not have them pay and distribute the cost amongst the rest of the players
Ex: Offensive linemen getting free pancakes for having a great performance on game day, not all of them, but generally one or two on the team when the linemen go out for pancakes
-Players taken to sporting events in which their cost to attend is covered
-Coaches having a couple gifts or gift cards to give out in the locker room to their best players after a win
-Catered events
-Invitations to high-profile events
There's a lot of things that go on in football when it comes to getting the best out of your players, and you'll do whatever you can to earn those rewards. So here's the thing, especially on defense, your coaches want you to pretty much pitch a shutout. 0 points on the scoreboard, by whatever means necessary, does the game plan include knocking out star players? No. Is the coach happy if you do? Yes. Because it's part of the game. On defense, there is a certain pride of not letting players in the end zone. There is a lot of pride by defensive players, and the more you score on them, the more pissed off they get. Defensive players come out hitting hard because they want you to remember them when you try and do it again. So to be quite fair, ethically, it's alright for players to play as hard as they can, and if they "accidentally" take out a star player, and that helps your team win, it's your choice to reward them or not. This is all part of the game of football. People get hurt, it's a violent sport, suck it up America. Players get concussions all the time. As parents, don't tell me that you don't enjoy your kid being a star player on the football field. Fathers live vicariously through their sons. If their son is lighting up the football field, earning those freebies every week, you feel proud, you are happy. The problem is with mothers protecting their children. It's not wrong, a mother's natural instinct is to protect their children from harm. That's really where this line of division comes in, whether you as a person care about protecting your players or care about winning games. Neither side is wrong on how they feel about this. Those that want to protect their star players have every reason to feel that way because those star players give you the best chance of winning. Those on the other side that want to do whatever it takes to win games, want to do whatever it takes to win games. No fan likes to see their team lose a game or lose a star player. But both sides have to acknowledge the other and I think that a good majority of Americans are missing out on why this cash for performance is instituted in the first place, because you want to get the best out of your players. But I won't lie about these alleged "bounties". As players, there's been instances where in other sports, you want to take the other guy out. You want to hit the opposing star player as hard as you can when he's got the puck in hockey. Best case scenario if you're getting shut down by a pitcher in baseball, nail him with a come backer so that your team can hit off the next guy they put in. When it comes to basketball, you're always going to make it difficult for the other team's star player to score, whether you gotta foul him, make him shoot two free throws or take as many cheap shots as you can to rattle him, don't tell me you didn't see that in the NBA back in the late 80's to the early 2000's. A prime example is across the pond in their game of football where players will maliciously slide tackle star players to knock them out of the game or feign malicious injury to get their opponent's star player out of the game, an art known as diving. You think none of these acts have gotten players money or benefits under the table? The only thing I urge you as the reader is to think about how this happens in other sports before going crazy about "Bounty-gate"
The last thing I want to point out is that there are many teams that institute performance based incentives on game-day. Many of the best defenses in the league have a sort of performance based incentive system to get their players to play hard defense on game-day. You can look no further than some of the best defenses in the league and look at why their players play so hard, not only that, but they play with an edge, like they really want to win games regardless of who gets hurt. Just look at the teams that made the post-season this year and their players, while not all of them were necessarily fined, they're guys that play on the edge
Atlanta Falcons - Dunta Robinson, Curtis Lofton
Baltimore Ravens - Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata
Cincinnati Bengals - Manny Lawson, Chris Crocker
Denver Broncos - Elvis Dumervil, Brian Dawkins,Von Miller
Detroit Lions - Ndamakong Su, Cliff Avril,Stephen Tulloch, Nick Fairley
Green Bay Packers - Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Tramon Williams
Houston Texans - Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt, Danieal Manning
New England Patriots - Andre Carter, Jerod Mayo, Rob Ninkovich, Patrick Chung
New Orleans Saints - Jonathan Vilma, Shaun Rogers, Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins
New York Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips, Justin Tuck
Pittsburgh Steelers - Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, Ryan Clark
San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks
These guys have players that are going to make you hurt and bring the pain, there's a reason their teams made it to the playoffs. A lot of their players go after the other team's stars, specifically the quarterback, cept for the safeties and corners teeing off on wide receivers and James Harrison just teeing off on anybody. These guys play with an edge. Patrick Willis at the end of the Giants-49ers game was going nuts trying to get to Eli Manning and every time he did, he put him in the ground. When Rex Ryan got to the Jets, they became very much a hard-hitting team. When Gregg Williams came to the Redskins, Sean Taylor, without a doubt was the most feared safety in the league. When Bill Parcells got to the Cowboys, Roy Williams, already a great rookie, became one of the most notorious hitters in the league and they even created the Horse Collar rule because of him, he wasn't just trying to bring you down, he was trying to make it hurt when he tackled you. Julius Peppers was also a feared defensive end, and you can add linebackers Brian Urlacher and DeMarcus Ware to the list. When Bill Belichek actually had good defensive players, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour were players no team wanted a piece of. The list goes on and on, but there are players on every team that would make those bone-crushing hits.
So in retrospect, a lot of teams, while not necessarily having a "bounty" system, make a point to hit players as hard as they could. You hit a player hard, it could cause a fumble, maybe the receiver won't catch it and it'll bounce up in the air for an interception or fall for an incomplete pass. It's how this game has been played for years and it will continue to be played that way. Goodell can try to get rid of having a "bounty" system, but players will still be getting their pocket change from big hits and game-changing plays.
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