Aug 01, 2010

What the NBA can learn from the NFL
Posted by Brad Gagnon

Remember when player movement was this really cool, novel idea? Remember when free agency hit the NFL and was supposed to revolutionize professional football, sling-shotting it out of the 19th century, where it had supposedly been stuck?

NFL free agency is fun, but most fans would argue that the offseason carousel hasn’t spun as quickly and as wildly as we all expected when the Green Bay Packers made that initial splash with Reggie White in 1993.

Franchise tags and hefty signing bonuses have made it so that while the NFL is a free market, teams and players are still encouraged, financially, to stick with their teams.

That’s why Peyton Manning is synonymous with the Indianapolis Colts, Tom Brady with the New England Patriots and Brian Urlacher with the Chicago Bears.

Tom Brady is slated to become a free agent next year, but no one believes he's going anywhere.

In the NFL, stars rarely get a chance to jump ship and ditch their original franchises; the system simply isn’t designed to make that process an easy one. When big names do move, it’s usually only once they’ve passed their prime (see: LaDainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, Tony Gonzalez).

Call me old-fashioned, but that’s the way I like it. I am intrigued by a hot trade rumour or a sexy new signing as much as the next sports fan, but I’ve also noticed that the novelty wears off quickly.

Take the NBA: Is this LeBron James-Chris Bosh-Dwyane Wade Miami Heat super team intriguing and exciting? Sure, just as the Kevin Garnett-Ray Allen-Paul Pierce Boston Celtics super team was, too. But the shock value of seeing a dude like Garnett in Celtic green or LeBron in Heat colours doesn’t last forever … and then, eventually, you’re just left with a disparity problem, which is fun for nobody (expect maybe Heat or Celtics fans).

I’m not ready to say that the NBA has a player movement problem on its hands, especially considering this offseason may very well be an anomaly. But if players like Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets continue to push for trades when they see fellow stars meet up in more luxurious locations, you could very well have an issue on your hands.

That’s exactly what Ken Berger of CBSSports.com drove at in a recent column questioning whether the NBA should adopt NFL-like player movement rules.

“As part of the labor negotiations that are expected to resume next month, should the NBA look at an NFL-style system with signing bonuses in lieu of guaranteed contracts? As a way to prevent star players from fleeing their teams as unrestricted free agents, would an NFL-style franchise tag be useful in the NBA?”

And from my NFL-centric perspective, that’s the key: the franchise tag. It’s an easy solution to keep a big-name player in his original city for at least one more year (or more, depending on how things are ironed out in collective bargaining). It rewards the star in question with a contract that immediately makes him one of the five highest paid guys at his position (again, that’s the NFL’s policy) while giving the team in question one more year to get said star the supporting cast he requires/requests/prays for at night.

Only problem: the players hate it.

Obviously, right? I mean, these guys want their money and they want their money now, but they also risk limbs every day they take the field/court/ice and they want long-term security as quickly as possible, which is understandable. As Berger states it, “a series of one-year deals” is not enticing.

And that’s why franchise tags and non-guaranteed contracts (both of which exist in the NFL and not in the NBA) are crucial poker chips in CBA negotiation process.

LeBron James jumped ship and took less money to team up with other stars in Miami.

Berger adds that “if the NFL’s system is so good, the NBA union would argue, why are so many people looking to change it?” And he’s got a point. The NFL’s CBA expires after the 2010 season and it’s completely possible that the franchise tag — again, dreaded by players and agents — ends up in the garbage bin behind the NFL offices at 280 Park Ave. in Manhattan.

And then there’s the idea that player movement isn’t such a bad thing. After all, it does spark interest from fans at what would otherwise be down times.

“Look how much interest there was in the NBA this year with all the player movement,” NFL and NBA agent Mark Bartelstein told Berger. “Look at how much interest there has been in the NFL in the last month with all the player movement and with no salary cap. People like player movement. It drives ticket sales. There’s no question the NBA had the biggest increase in ticket sales it’s probably had in a long, long time.”

But, amazingly, what sells tickets and jerseys (trades and free agency have undoubtedly boosted the jersey market), isn’t always what’s best for the game. And as someone who spends time with sports fans seven days a week at my job and in my personal life, I don’t think I’m off base in saying that the NBA has turned a significant number of fans against it in the last three weeks.

So what if the NBA had a franchise tag in place right now? One that, as Berger proposes, allowed teams to discount the salary of its franchise player from its annual payroll?

James would likely still be a Cavalier and Bosh would likely still be a Raptor. The league would have more parity and — with the extra money made available by the payroll exemption — those teams would have a chance to spend money on complementary players to keep their stars in town long-term.

And what if the NBA had non-guaranteed contracts that hinged more heavily on signing bonuses and less on year-by-year commitments?

Chris Paul never would have had a chance to weasel his way out of New Orleans, as he very nearly did. He’d have had to play out his contract, because the Hornets wouldn’t have been able to cut bait and pay out his bonus all at once.

The beautiful thing about the NFL, especially this time of year, is the sense of optimism that flows in every city (except Cleveland). Never mind any given Sunday — in the NFL, it’s any given year. No North American sports league has as much balance. And with balance comes hope for every team (except Cleveland), which puts more fans in the seats than almost any trade or signing can.

How many NBA teams will realistically head into training camp in nine weeks thinking they can win an NBA championship? Based on what happened in July, that number probably won’t be very high.

The franchise tag and related restrictions on player movement might feel unfair, borderline anti-democratic. But sports are about the fans first, the people who pay big bucks so that the players and owners can make the big bucks. And while fans might be temporarily dazzled by glitzy trades and tantalizing signings, they ultimately want good games, which come from good competition.

And that’s something you can’t have when one or two super teams hijack a league.

Jul 31, 2010

The first (and last) $50 million guarantee to a rookie
Posted by Brad Gagnon

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Before taking a single snap in the National Football League, St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has signed arguably the most lucrative contract in NFL history.

I say “arguably” because there are two ways to view an NFL contract. And although Bradford’s reported six-year, $78 million deal isn’t the biggest in league history, the reported $50 million in guaranteed money would be a record.

Let me brag for a moment about the league I cover: The NFL is a well-oiled machine, and the most organized, structured, balanced and best operated professional sports league on the planet.

And yet despite being the model for what a professional sports league should be, the NFL’s biggest disgrace, its biggest blemish, has begun to threaten the league’s sparkling image.

Rookie contracts are an embarrassment. In fact, the outlandish deals being handed out to rookies as a result of an out-of-control system that has been hijacked by player agents might be one of the biggest jokes in all of professional sports.

I ranted about the CFL last week, stating that it was humiliating for the league that one man owns 25 percent of its teams. That is one of the CFL’s most noticeable bruises at this moment, but it’s only slightly more stunning than the NFL’s rookie wage debacle.

The current “system” reached a point of insanity mainly because there’s a somewhat inexplicable belief that every year’s draft picks have to make more money than the players selected in the same spots the year prior. On the surface, that makes sense. But the process significantly trumps inflation.

And this is the only reason why a looming lockout (the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2010 season) might be a good thing. No one — not the coaches, the players or even the agents themselves — can say with a straight face that a system that makes a fifth-overall pick the highest paid player at his position in NFL history is even remotely righteous.

And so naturally, the case for a rookie wage scale has become one of the key bargaining chips in CBA negotiations. And I can pretty much promise you that the first thing the NFLPA will concede in the negotiation process is the right to allow the league to structure rookie contracts using a slotting system.

So it’s almost certain that Bradford’s deal will be as bad as it gets. This is the climax, but the resolution appears to be right around the corner.

Nice timing, Mr. Bradford.

Poor timing, Mr. Locker.

Jul 30, 2010

GLS Fantasy WR Preview
Posted by Brad Gagnon

If you believe Gagnon, Calvin Johnson will join Andre Johnson at the top. If you believe Tomlinson, you're an idiot.

The focus of our position-by-position fantasy previews shifts to wide receiver, where Sean Tomlinson and I finally have some serious disagreements.
 
Differences in opinion
 
Gagnon: I suppose we’ll once again start at the top, where I’m going with the obvious choice, Andre Johnson. The guy has dominated for back-to-back seasons and he’s still young (maybe only entering his prime now) and part of a great offence in Houston. I see no reason why he won’t be the best wideout in fantasy this year, and I can’t understand how you, Mr. Tomlinson, have Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss ahead of him.
 
Tomlinson: Much like the running backs, this is a position where there’s little separation at the top in my opinion. I have Fitzgerald ahead because it seems everyone is bolting from the Cardinals after the retirement of Kurt Warner and departure of Anquan Boldin. Few seem to believe in Matt Leinart. But he’s had nearly three seasons to watch and learn from Warner, and while there will be a drop, it won’t be massive. And Steve Breaston had 712 yards as the third receiver buried behind Fitz and Boldin last year, making him a more than capable replacement.
 
As for Moss, he gets the edge over Johnson because I don’t have total confidence in Matt Schaub duplicating his 2009 performance. The Brady-Moss connection has gelled for quite some time, and despite his age, Moss is only two years removed from a 23-touchdown season, and he has Julian Edelman emerging on the other side of the field to attract attention.
 
Gagnon: Yeah, he also has some guy named Wes Welker. But Johnson was even a baller in 2008, before Schaub really took off as a top-end quarterback. It seems like it doesn’t matter who’s throwing the guy the ball. I will give you this: Moss is in a contract year, so there’s a decent chance he becomes a monster again. Still, Johnson is without a doubt the top fantasy receiver, in my opinion.
 
And my other bone to pick with you is this Calvin Johnson ranking of yours. I’ve seen him ranked low in a few places, but 13th? The guy’s a 24-year-old freak of nature in an offence that continues to get better. I think he becomes a top-three fantasy receiver this year.
 
Tomlinson: Yes, I’ve noticed your Detroit Lions infatuation, and while I’m excited to see Detroit’s young talent grow as well, I don’t quite share it. Ahead of Johnson I went out on a limb with my prediction of a bounce-back year for Dwayne Bowe (more on that later), and Steve Smith can also be questioned in that shaky Carolina offence (more on that too), but the rest are monsters of their own in equally bulldozer-like offences. Look, I like Calvin, and I see him continuing to forge a strong bond with Matthew Stafford. But this is still Detroit, the 21st-ranked passing offence in the league last year.
 
Steve Smith or Steve Smith?
 
Gagnon: Another thing that just blows me away is that you don’t even have Steve Smith of the Giants on your list, yet you have Carolina’s Steve Smith in the 10 spot. This despite the fact you’ve said you don’t believe in Matt Moore. The Giants’ Steve Smith is 25, is only getting better and had way better numbers last year than the Panthers’ 31-year-old Steve Smith, who I believe is in decline.
 
Tomlinson:  You’re right, I’m not a Moore fan, and I may or may not list the Panthers’ Steve Smith as a potential bust (I’m such a tease). But although his yardage numbers dropped off last year, Smith is still reaching the end zone on a steady clip. Numbers aside, the Smith in Carolina presents a far greater home run threat than the Smith in New York, who is largely a possession receiver and narrowly missed out on my top 20. Now, let’s never debate two players with identical names again.
 
Sleepers
 
Gagnon: I’ll agree to that so long as you agree to never refer to yourself as “a tease” again. I really like Jeremy Maclin to bust out this year. The guy might actually be a better player than DeSean Jackson, which sucks from a fantasy perspective because the two are on the same team. I think the Jackson-Maclin duo is the next big wideout pairing in the NFL.
 
Tomlinson: I’m excited about the tools Maclin brings to the Eagles offence as well, but am still mildly concerned about Kevin Kolb, the new starter in Philly who everyone is giddy about after only two starts.
 
I’ll go with Dwayne Bowe as my sleeper candidate, and he’s a sleeper only because you’ll likely get a major discount on the Chiefs receiver following his awful 2009 season. Sure, the Chiefs’ woeful offence had a lot to do with it, and especially the offensive line. But Bowe also missed significant time due to injury and an early season suspension. Charlie Weis is in town now, Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones will keep the running game moving, and, assuming the O-line can make even a modest improvement and keep Matt Cassel upright, things could line up nicely for Bowe.
 
Gagnon: Keep in mind, please, that while Calvin Johnson’s Lions were 21st in passing last year, Dwayne Bowe’s Chiefs were 25th.
 
Also, watch for Malcom Floyd in San Diego. Someone will have to become Philip Rivers’ favourite outside target if Vincent Jackson isn’t around for a good chunk of the season. I also like Devin Aromashodu and Johnny Knox in Chicago. They’ll benefit from the presence of a revitalized passing attack.
 
Tomlinson: Hopefully Mike Martz works wonders and turns around Jay Cutler in addition to helping along the likes of Aromashodu and Knox. I won’t ruin our rookies section like I did in the RB preview, but watch for Mardy Gilyard to emerge late in season on a young receiving corps in St. Louis.
 
Busts
 
Gagnon: Another glaring difference in our rankings is you have Miles Austin fourth while I have him way down in 12th. Austin is my major bust candidate for 2010, mainly because I’m not convinced he’s quite as good as his numbers revealed last year, defences will be preparing for him this year and he not only has to fight for catches with Jason Witten and Roy Williams, but Dez Bryant now too.
 
Tomlinson: No one will be surprised by Austin this year, but that’s no reason to stay away. This is an offence based around a strong aerial attack, and the other targets were there for Tony Romo last season too, when Austin emerged. Witten will continue to be the safety valve up the middle, Williams will be the overrated veteran, and Bryant will present the only true threat to Austin’s touches.
 
Gagnon: Well, I think that could become a significant threat quickly. Don’t you love that the world is right again and we disagree on everything?
 
Tomlinson: It really is a beautiful place. This is awkward, because Steve Smith, the same Steve Smith from Carolina that I defended a moment ago, is my bust. I stuck up for the flag football pro because I like him over his namesake from New York, but that doesn’t mean I’m that high on him overall. Smith will still put up serviceable numbers no matter who is behind centre, as he did with the always erratic Jake Delhomme chucking the ball around. But Smith’s years as an elite wide receiver are behind him, at least until the Panthers get some stability at quarterback.
 
Gagnon: I’m embarrassed for you.
 
Rookies
 
Gagnon: It’s tough to become a fantasy threat as a rookie receiver, but usually two or three guys emerge each year. This season, Bryant is the obvious first choice, but beyond that I’m feeling Demaryius Thomas, simply because there aren’t a lot of other options in Denver and Josh McDaniels will make that passing game better than it looks on paper.
 
Tomlinson: Aside from Gilyard and his impressive length, and Bryant, who everyone expects to be a factor, Golden Tate is the rookie with the best chance to produce. He’ll likely break camp as Seattle’s third receiver behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch, and will be a boom-or-bust option that could be used as a surprise deep-play threat.
 
Gagnon: Arrelious Benn is an intriguing option in Tampa, too. With no proven starting receivers on the Buccaneers roster, a good preseason from Benn or fellow rookie Mike Williams could make either into a legit starter quickly. But I wouldn’t draft either until there’s an indication that things could swing that way.
 
Alright, that’s it for wide receivers. Tight ends are next. And unfortunately, I’m not referring to these.

 BRAD’S LIST 
1Andre JohnsonMost productive wide receiver in the league for two years running.
2Calvin JohnsonThis is the year the 24-year-old takes off, along with the rest of that offence.
3Reggie WayneVery consistent and you can’t really go wrong with Peyton Manning.
4Larry FitzgeraldWorried about what Kurt Warner’s retirement and the loss of Anquan Boldin.
5Brandon MarshallHe’ll lead the league in receptions.
6Randy MossIs this the year age catches up to him?
7Sidney RiceOnly going to keep getting better.
8Wes WelkerObviously the knee is something to keep an eye on.
9DeSean JacksonI love the guy, but I feel Jeremy Maclin will get a lot of looks, too.
10Roddy WhiteSee: Sidney Rice
11Steve Smith (NYG)Only small concern is there are a lot of potential options for Eli Manning.
12Miles AustinI can just see Roy Williams and Dez Bryant stealing some of the spotlight.
13Greg JenningsNumbers dipped a bit last year, but you know what you’re getting.
14Anquan BoldinA bit of a mystery, but should see plenty of passes in Baltimore.
15Marques ColstonToo inconsistent to be a No. 1 fantasy receiver.
16Vincent JacksonSuspension and potential holdout kill his value.
17Dwayne BoweGiving him a bit of a mulligan for last year’s mess. Still young and talented.
18Michael CrabtreeShould bust out in his first full season.
19Mike WallaceCould step into Santonio Holmes’ shoes.
20Jeremy MaclinMy biggest sleeper. Can honestly see him pushing DeSean Jackson on paper.
 SEAN’S LIST 
1Larry FitzgeraldDon’t be scared away by Matt Leinart.
2Randy MossPatriots offence is still the Patriots offence.
3Andre JohnsonJust simply strong and fast with great leaping ability.
4Miles AustinDez Bryant only real threat to steal touches.
5Reggie WayneConsistent with at least 1,200 yards in three of his last four years.
6Roddy WhiteEven with Matt Ryan’s struggles still had highly productive year.
7Greg JenningsBlazing speed as main option in high-octane passing offence.
8Brandon MarshallHeight and hands went nowhere, but questions surround Chad Henne.
9DeSean JacksonLove the offence overall, but still unsure of Kevin Kolb.
10Steve Smith (CAR)Diminishing, but still home run threat.
11Marques ColstonGreat talent, but offence too spread out.
12Dwayne BoweHealthy, and prime bouce-back candidate with Weis running offence.
13Calvin JohnsonA monster in a young, highly skilled offence.
14Sidney RiceBrett Favre will come back, Rice’s rise will resume.
15Chad OchocincoNow shares the ball with Terrell Owens.
16Anquan BoldinNow the first option again with move to Baltimore.
17Vincent JacksonStays here only if regular-season holdout avoided (unlikely).
18Michael CrabtreeShaky QB situation, but still showed enough to believe in breakout this year.
19Percy HarvinAdds electric return ability to speed as slot receiver.
20Santana MossUncertainty with declining Donovan McNabb.

Jul 30, 2010

So, about that Ravens Super Bowl prediction….
Posted by Brad Gagnon

Larry French/Getty Images

I haven’t formally announced it on here, so it legally hasn’t happened, but I’ve mentioned on Twitter here and there that the Baltimore Ravens are my early Super Bowl pick for 2010.

I love what the Ravens brought to the table in 2009 and think Joe Flacco will only get better with the addition of Anquan Boldin. I also love their top two picks in the draft, pass-rushing threat Sergio Kindle and run stuffer Terrence Cody.

But the summer hasn’t gone Baltimore’s way. Their weakest point — the defensive backfield — has taken several hits.

Superstar safety Ed Reed is already expected to miss a significant chunk of games as he recovers from offseason hip surgery; veteran cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington are both trying to recover from ACL injuries; and another corner, Cary Williams, is suspended for the first two games of the season.

And now the biggest blow of all: Cornerback Dominique Foxworth has torn his ACL and is out for the season.

Making things extra tough for the secondary is that Kindle, who would have been able to relieve some pressure up front, recently fell down two flights of stairs and fractured his skull.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Considering how badly things have gone this offseason in Pittsburgh and considering that there’s no way the world would let Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens be successful together, I’m thinking we’re about to see a major surprise in that division.

Your 2010 AFC North champions: the Cleveland Browns.

Jul 30, 2010

Lunch Links: When nature calls, Albert Haynesworth answers
Posted by Sean Tomlinson

Let’s be honest. Newspapers are so 2001, and the blogosphere is just too big to sift through every day for your football fix. We have you covered with the latest stories, topics, and opinion from the World Wide Web here at the Goal-Line Stand with our Lunch Links.

+ I’m running out of ways to ridicule Albert Haynesworth, as I’m sure many bloggers and beat writers are at this point. So I’ll keep it simple today: the league’s most entertaining defensive lineman failed another conditioning test, and the big man is still sitting on the sidelines while his teammates practice.

+ Jason Reid of the Washington Post provides the details behind Haynesworth’s failed test, with the Redskins’ strength and conditioning coach revealing the requirements of each test and why Haynesworth failed. Anyone surprised that a bathroom break played a part in his failure on Thursday? The Haynesworth eruption can’t be too far off either, because he’s already getting tired of all this B.S..

+ Turning to the Washington Post once more, Reid also reports that Mike Shanahan’s handling of the Haynesworth mess could be creating a rift in the locker room. Not exactly the start the Redskins were looking for with their shiny new, Super Bowl champion coach. Profootballtalk reports that the NFLPA is beginning to monitor the situation closely, fearing that Shanahan is unjustly trying to enact punishment on Haynesworth, and Chris Chase from Shutdown Corner finds amusement in Haynesworth’s teammates actually saying he is in better shape now than he was last season.

+ And why not give you one more dose of big bad Albert, because there’s just so much of him to love. Here’s a video of Haynesworth “working”  by himself with coaches. Would it kill him to smile? h/t to the D.C. Pro Sports Report:

+ As if the Ravens’ secondary wasn’t hobbled enough with Ed Reed, Fabian Washington, and Lardarius Webb all coming back from offseason surgery, Dominique Foxworth will now miss the regular season after tearing his ACL in a non-contact drill. For Ravens fans like those at Ebony Bird, this is kind of a big deal.

+ Brad Childress isn’t a big Toby Gerhart fan right now. Toby, this happens when you’re the last pick to sign.

+ Tom Brady addressed the media for the first time during training camp, and as we’ve come to expect from the super model marrying boy wonder, he said all the right things.

+ In what will continue to be a major signing period for top picks, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson and Packers first-rounder Bryan Bulaga both signed on Friday.

Training camp run down

Here are the teams opening camp today. They really should just make this week a national holiday, and we’ll all just bring coolers, campers, and lawn chairs to our favourite NFL sites. Yes, I’m a country boy at heart.

+ Cleveland Browns, Berea, OH

+ Houston Texans, Houston, Texas (is there an echo in here?)

+ Miami Dolphins, Davie, Fla

+ Pittsburgh Steelers, Latrobe, Pa.

+ San Diego Chargers, San Diego

+ Arizona Cardinals, Flagstaff, Ariz.

+ Chicago Bears, Bourbonnais, Ill.

+ Detroit Lions, Allen Park, Mich.

+ Green Bay Packers, De Pere, Wis.

+ Minnesota Vikings, Mankato, Minn.

+ St. Louis Rams, Earth City, Mo.

+ Seattle Seahawks, Renton, Wash.

+ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay

Jul 29, 2010

Lunch Links: Even in retirement, Aikman still scrambling…and fumbling
Posted by Sean Tomlinson

Let’s be honest. Newspapers are so 2001, and the blogosphere is just too big to sift through every day for your football fix. We have you covered with the latest stories, topics, and opinion from the World Wide Web here at the Goal-Line Stand with our Lunch Links.

+ When normal people start their first day at a new job, first impressions are very important. After the first week or so you can relax and be yourself, but that first day is crucial. We’re well aware that Terrell Owens isn’t normal, and that the normal rules of society don’t apply to him, but missing a flight to his first practice as a Bengal certainly isn’t a good first impression.

+ And while we’re singling out football players and their poor public images, Troy Aikman seemingly appeared to be more than willing to throw away a perfectly good image and sign up for another round of NFL dancing embarrassment. The legendary Cowboys quarterback told TMZ that he’ll be appearing in the next series of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. No sport seems more obsessed with this showcase of bad celebrity hip thrusting than the NFL, and it’s a shame, because I don’t think I’ll look at Emmitt Smith the same again. Add Chad Ochocinco, Jason Taylor, Jerry Rice, and Michael Irvin to the DWTS alumni, and we’re halfway to a Pro Bowl team. He sounded sincere enough in the TMZ clip, but Aikman has since denied the story, saying it interferes with the American Idol auditions, which is likely a vague and poor attempt at a cover up.

+ We’ll continue the public embarrassment theme with Albert Haynesworth, an endless fountain of shame if there ever was one. Haynesworth didn’t attend any offseason training activities held by the Redskins because of his request to be traded, so it makes sense that the team would test his conditioning before allowing him to practice. Even though his attitude was lacking, it was easy to assume Haynesworth would pass because he reportedly lost 32 pounds working out on his own. Not so fast. There are conflicting reports as to whether or not Haynesworth flunked, with Jay Glazer tweeting that he failed the second part of the test, while Jason Reid of the Washington Post says otherwise. Either way, having conflicting reports on a mundane conditioning test is never a good thing.

+ Glazer later tweeted that the Redskins made Haynesworth essentially run 12, 50 yard sprints. Might have had something to do with Fat Albert taking his $21 million bonus and then wanting to bolt town.

+ Two more draft picks signed Thursday, most notably the Oakland Raiders’ eighth overall pick, Alabama linebacker Ronaldo McClain. The signing should speed up Buffalo’s negotiations with their first-round pick, running back C.J Spiller. The Vikings also signed cornerback Chris Cook, a second-round pick.

Training Camp Run Down

It’s beginning to feel a lot like football with training camps opening. Today and tomorrow are the busiest days for teams hitting the field for the first time. The next few days are really like one long, glorious Christmas.

Some teams like the Browns and Patriots had their rookies come in early, while others like the Cowboys have already been holding their full camp for a few days (Dallas started on July 24) Here’s a list of the teams opening camp today and their location:

+ Buffalo Bills, Pittsford, N.Y.

+ Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville, Fla

+ Kansas City Chiefs, St. Joseph, MO.

+ Atlanta Falcons, Flowery Branch, Ga

+ New Orleans Saints, Metairie, La.

+ Philadelphia Eagles, Bethleham, Pa.

+ Washington Redskins, Ashburn, Va.

And we digress…

There are certain things you just don’t wear to a sporting event. It’s all about timing really. Wearing a Blue Jays Roger Clemens jersey to Fenway Park at any point in the 1997 MLB season wouldn’t be such a great idea. And neither is wearing a LeBron James jersey anywhere in Cleveland right now, especially if it has James’ name on the back, and the Miami Heat emblem on the front.

This guy is either very bold and brave, a huge jerk, amazingly stupid, or some combination of all three, but someone wearing the hated James jersey in the Mistake by the Lake was going to happen eventually. But this is far too soon:

Jul 28, 2010

Are the Chargers committing football suicide?
Posted by Brad Gagnon

From left to right: Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill and Shawne Merriman want new contracts.

I can’t for the life of me figure out what the San Diego Chargers are doing.

I understand that they’re uptight about the looming labour strife, but they’re on the verge of ruining a promising season simply because they’re too stubborn to open their wallet for three of their most important players.

It’s no secret that Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill and Shawne Merriman — respectively the best wide receiver, offensive lineman and pass rusher on the team — want new contracts. In fact, things are getting intense, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson.

“Speaking about McNeill and Jackson, [general manager A.J. Smith] said in a phone interview Wednesday that he has been told that the two players will be ‘out for a considerable amount of time.’

“Smith said he, at this point, is expecting that both McNeill and Jackson will hold out for the first 10 games of the regular season and then report to accrue an NFL season. Smith admits he is disappointed that both players are likely to hold out for the long-term. Still, Smith said because of the CBA uncertainty the Chargers are reluctant to give out long-term deals.”

But the funny thing is that they do give long-term deals. Just today, they gave a lucrative five-year extension to Antonio Gates, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

So why give Gates more money when Jackson, McNeill and Merriman are the guys complaining? It could be marginally punitive. With three of his top players stumping for new contracts three weeks ago, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum inexplicably re-signed D’Brickashaw Ferguson to a long-term deal. Maybe Smith is following suit.

Of course the more realistic explanation is that Smith is bluffing. I find it hard to believe he’d let Philip Rivers’ blind-side protector and best target sit out more than half the season.

“Whether they come back as starters, role players, or as injury replacements, that remains to be seen and will be up to Norv Turner,” Smith told Williamson. “But six games is still a significant part of the season.”

 But 10 games is a more significant part, and a Week 12 return might be too little, too late.

Jul 28, 2010

Why spoiled athletes keep blaming the media for their problems
Posted by Brad Gagnon

From left to right: Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens and C.C. Brown are the latest NFL players to blame their problems on the media. (Getty Images)

It’s funny. Professional athletes have the thickest muscles, the thickest heads and the thickest wallets. But their skin? As thin as Saran Wrap.

The thin-skinned nature of star athletes has been epitomized in NFL circles over the last few weeks. July has been Blame the Media Month around the National Football League.

A few weeks ago, it was Terrell Owens blaming the media for his (hilarious) unemployment.

“People have listened to a lot of the commentaries throughout a lot of the media outlets, mainly ESPN, that has my character in question as far as things that have happened in the past … I may do 99 good things right and if I do one thing wrong, ESPN and the people on there … make it out to be the worst thing ever … I think with the years that I’ve had, the last three to four years, I feel like I’ve tried to turn over a new leaf. But still they won’t let go of what I did in the past.”

Then, last week, it was C.C. Brown who took shots at the New York media and the Giants, going as far as to say that the media controlled the team.

“I don’t even want to comment on that, because I still, at times, get sensitive about how they did me [wrong] there … The biggest thing with New York is the media controls the team. So whatever the media says, that’s what’s gonna happen.”

Now, this week, it’s Dez Bryant claiming that the whole hazing controversy where he refused to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads only became an issue because the media made it one.

“It was never an issue. Y’all made it an issue. It was never nothing. Y’all are trying to turn it into something … I have been trying to do the right thing. Y’all are trying to turn it into something negative. I am going to continue to do the right thing … Everybody on the team likes me and I like everybody on the team. Y’all are trying to put me and Roy against each other. That is not going to happen. We are trying to do something real special here. We are going to continue to keep trying to do that.”

This is nothing new; blaming the media is and always has been the easy way out. The media can’t sufficiently defend themselves without risking their reputation and/or burning bridges with the players and teams they cover.

So a guilty athlete pointing his finger at the media isn’t much different from a 4-year-old blaming his toddler brother for the crayon marks on the wall.

Some players simply can’t fathom that their own mistakes make them look bad, and the media is merely relaying said mistakes to fans.

And while we’ve already come to expect such absurdity from guys like Owens and Bryant, Brown’s bitter blast of all things New York is the best of the three examples, probably because there isn’t a single NFL coach who loathes the media quite as much as Tom Coughlin, Bill Belichick included.

Unless he’s a deadpan aficionado, Brown actually expects anyone — someone – to believe that grumpy old Coughlin opens up the New York Post and thinks, “That’s a genius idea!” The whole thing is straw-grasping at its best.

As for Bryant, an arrogant drama queen who’s never played a down of pro football – he just fails to see that  his far-fetched complaints about the media sensationalizing a story in Dallas, football’s sensationalism hub, only exacerbates a negative stigma that has surrounded him ever since he was (allegedly) a meeting-skipping, class-missing punk at Oklahoma State.

And when Owens is still a free agent in July, you’d have to assume that his past transgressions are a factor. Because he’s a simple-minded blockhead, T.O. assumed that he’d never pay the price, that he’d never face the consequences for insinuating that his quarterback in San Francisco was gay, for throwing his quarterback in Philadelphia under the bus, for wearing a throwback Michael Irvin jersey as a member of the Eagles, for fighting Hugh Douglas in the Eagles locker room, for calling the Eagles a classless organization while they paid him millions, for spitting in DeAngelo Hall’s face (and admitting to it). Should I stop there? I don’t think I even need to get into the whole hydrocodone overdose/suicide attempt nightmare to illustrate that the dude has baggage.

The point is that players like Owens — and now Brown and Bryant and many others — don’t seem to understand that it’s the media’s job to simply relay the facts. The above facts don’t make these respective players look good, but that isn’t the media’s fault.

Divas like Bryant and Owens and Chad Ochocinco, et al will always try to convince fans to shoot the messenger. And that’s because it’s usually either the easy way out or the only way out.

And for inflated egos with god complexes, any way out will do, so long as it doesn’t take the shine off of them.

Jul 28, 2010

Lunch Links: Sorry HBO, Rex Ryan’s shower is off limits
Posted by Sean Tomlinson

Let’s be honest. Newspapers are so 2001, and the blogosphere is just too big to sift through every day for your football fix. We have you covered with the latest stories, topics, and opinion from the World Wide Web here at the Goal-Line Stand with our Lunch Links.

The man indicated by the arrow is now worth over $2 million.

+ Not sure anybody knows about this yet, so I’m pretty excited that this is my first time breaking news. Ready? OK this is huge…Terrell Owens signed with the Bengals yesterday. No doubt that was the first time you’ve read about T.O. in months, because I never link to Owens news. So to get you caught up here’s Gagnon’s reaction, and some more reaction from around the league. After a night to let the news settle, Yahoo’s Joe Cole says the move could recreate the Bengals’ magic of 2005. But the always polarizing figures of Chad Ochocinco and Owens continue to be, well, polarizing, with Fanhouse’s Jay Mariotti calling the duo a match made in hell (the Ren and Stimpy analogy in the lede is especially enjoyable).

+ Jimmy ClausenJon Gruden’s least favourite rookie QB who is not-so-coincidentally South Bend’s favourite punching bag–signed a four-year deal with the Panthers worth a reported $6.3 million Wednesday morning. The boys over at Cat Scratch Reader break down the details of the contract, noting that in an offseason of minimal spending for the Panthers, Clausen still received a bigger than expected payday.

+ Continuing the stream of signings likely to come as camps start to open, the Patriots become the second team to sign a first-round pick, locking up cornerback Devin McCourty to a five-year deal. Elsewhere, the Seahawks kept second-round pick Golden Tate away from the donut shop long enough to sign Clausen’s former target at Notre Dame to a four-year contract.

+ Tim Tebow, the newest NFL underwear model, is also reportedly close to signing with the Broncos.

+ Hey, remember that time the Bengals thought Antonio Bryant would be a nice complement to Ochocinco? And then they made a big splash and signed T.O.? Good times. Well, Bryant is still in Cincinnati, and while ProFootballTalk speculated he could be headed for the PUP list with his injured knee, the Bengals’ official Twitter account says no dice.

+ With Owens signed, we’re screwed for fun news on intriguing potential moves until training camp heats up. Oh yeah, Albert Haynesworth is still around, and he still doesn’t like playing for the Washington Redskins, and especially that wonky 3-4 scheme that gives him regular nightmares. But maybe there’s hope for Haynesworth in Washington after he had productive meetings with head coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

+ I challenge anyone to find something more entertaining on TV over the next month than the newest version of HBO’s Hard Knocks, this time featuring the New York Jets . Unfortunately, if you had your fingers crossed hoping for footage of Rex Ryan in the shower you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Jul 27, 2010

Evening Links: What they’re saying about ‘TOcho’
Posted by Brad Gagnon

As you’ve probably heard by now, it looks as though Terrell Owens will be a Bengal in 2010. And when T.O. does something — anything — the world reacts. Start by reading my reaction, and then check these hot links out, too:

+ Gregg Doyel at CBSSports.com is pissed at the Bengals:

I have never been afraid to dislike a team. If you’ve read me at all, you know that. Having said so, I’ve never disliked a team as much as I dislike the Bengals at this moment. They better cut some guys, or we’re going to have a problem.

+ ESPN.com’s James Walker has five reasons why T.O. will work in Cincinnati. The most interesting reason is Walker’s last:

5. The AFC North has secondary questions

Analysis: The Baltimore Ravens’ secondary is banged up. The Cleveland Browns have young corners and safeties, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still have work to do to get back to their 2008 form. Adding Owens will help strengthen Cincinnati and take advantage of other division teams’ weaknesses.

+ But Walker also wonders whether Owens will start in Cincinnati. Remember, the Bengals also added Antonio Bryant earlier in the offseason.

It will be interesting to see how Bryant reacts if/when he’s relegated to the bench. Bryant came to Cincinnati to be the starter, and getting reduced opportunities as a No. 3 receiver isn’t what Bryant signed up for.

+ Making things easier for Owens is that Bryant could be headed for the PUP list.

+ ESPN’s KC Joyner, who is clearly much smarter than Sean Tomlinson or myself (I guess that isn’t saying much), says the numbers reveal that Owens won’t be very effective this year:

When Cincinnati brought in Bryant, they were taking a chance he would give them off-field headaches in exchange for the on-field aspirin his metrics said he was capable of bringing. In the case of Owens, those off-field headaches are just as much of a concern but the numbers say he isn’t going to deliver the aspirin the Bengals need when it comes to beating top-level competition.

+ CBSSports.com’s Clark Judge doesn’t have a positive outlook on the situation either. He fears Owens, Chad Ochocinco and Bryant won’t be able to get along:

Look, the problem here is that it’s not just T.O.; it’s T.O. in Cincinnati where you have two guys cut from the same mold. Ochocinco likes the spotlight as much as Owens, and he’ll do anything … and I mean anything … to get it. So you have two guys playing the same position, demanding one football and playing to one camera, and that sure sounds like trouble waiting to happen — with Lewis and Palmer the first casualties.

+ Yahoo! Shutdown Corner has a look at Ochocinco’s excited Tweets.

+ Gregg Rosenthal at ProFootballTalk wonders if Owens will be too motivated to reach the $2 million worth of incentives in his contract.

+ The guys at Cincy Jungle note that if Owens hits said incentives, the Cincinnati offence can dominate. (But just because incentives exist doesn’t mean they’re realistically reachable.)

+ The guys at Stripe Hype are “anxcited (anxious but excited) about all things T.O.”

+ Oh, and ESPN.com has video of Ochocinco discussing the signing: