Sean Tomlinson

Recent Posts

Someday the public will see proof of the Saints’ bounty program…someday

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Around the league on May 22, 2012

We’ll also see a rainbow, and at the end there will be gold, dancing little green men, and crab people. Yes, crab people.

During his press conference today at the NFL owners meetings in Atlanta, commissioner Roger Goodell was inevitably asked about the Saints bounty allegations on the same day that Scott Fujita vehemently denied any involvement whatsoever (again). And, also quite inevitably, many of the answers he gave were exactly the kind of answers you, me, and everyone else who gags whenever they hear the term “bountygate” expected.

For example, after being asked when the appeals from the four Saints players would proceed, Goodell replied that they wouldn’t go forward until the grievances are resolved. The next grievance will be heard on May 30.

He was also predictably asked about any vendetta he has against the fine people of New Orleans. His reply was that he has nothing against a city where women reveal themselves for the small price of a few beads. Well, he didn’t say that. We did. His reasoning was that he “doesn’t expect all will agree, especially when it comes to discipline.” That point has been obvious for a few months now, but fair enough.

There was one revealing moment though.

“Yes I do,” was his simple response when asked if he thinks the public will see the specific evidence against the Saints someday, after noting that the four players were advised by their union not to meet with the league during the bounty investigation. But as James Varney of the New Orleans Times-Picayune noted, Goodell’s comments indicated that he’ll continue to play hardball with the evidence due to “challenges,” and those challenges are of course the grievances. Translation: we almost surely won’t see any evidence until the grievances are resolved.

So the nauseating circle of nothingness with little information will continue. Eventually we’ll step off this carnival ride, but for now Goodell is still at the controls, and he has the suck knob cranked to 10.

No Comments

Now at a new low price in Toronto: The Bills for five more years

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Bills Toronto Series on May 22, 2012

That’s right kids, you’ll likely be able to step right up to see your favorite Canadian NFL team at a new bargain price for the next five years. If you’re not sewing bright red maple leafs into Bills jerseys by the year 2017 before dousing them in maple syrup, then there’s no hope for the NFL in Toronto. Or so we’re told.

Here’s what we know definitively right now: the league’s international committee has approved a renewal of the Bills’ contract with the Rogers Centre in Toronto, meaning five more regular-season games will be played in Ontario’s capital beyond this year, when the original and ludicrously obese five-year deal between the Bills and Rogers Communications is set to expire. We know this because NFL Network’s Albert Breer says it’s true.

Even with that schedule approved and settled, what we still don’t know yet is exactly how lucrative the new lucrative deal between the Bills and Rogers will be. But if we’re to believe the “people in the know” that Canoe.ca’s John Kryk knows, it’ll be a lot less lucrative. That means you, the faithful but often broke fan, won’t be paying quite as much, we think/hope.

Go ahead, feed our hope, John:

The source said the extension will be “significantly” less lucrative for the Bills. As a result, NFL fans in Ontario and Western New York can expect ticket prices to be “significantly” lower. Rogers has received immense criticism for the high prices of tickets to Bills-in-Toronto games.

After their offseason success during the draft and free agency, optimism is high for the Bills. Still, getting those same feelings to hover around the Bills Toronto Series depends on whether or not the average face-fainted hooligan in Toronto can attend an NFL game.

The primary goal of the series has always been to grow and feed a Bills fan base in Canada’s largest city and around southeastern Ontario that already exists. Although prices were lowered this past year when the Bills defeated Washington to finally win a game in Toronto, the series has been plagued by obscene ticket prices, making it difficult to realize that fan base growth, and by extension achieve the desire profit desperately needed for a team fighting off local blackouts. Buffalo’s had six home games blacked out on local TV over the past two seasons, a fate that even Tim Tebow couldn’t save the Bills from late in 2011.

While the optimist believes that cheaper prices could get a few more fans in Ontario to join Bills Nation and then convince them make a late-season trek to Buffalo where they can freeze their rear region to plastic seats for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, the realist knows there’s only one tonic for that ailment.

Wins.

No Comments

In generic statement, the Cowboys and Redskins say they’ll play along with a ridiculous decision

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Commentary on May 22, 2012

Today we’ve witnessed the culmination of a twisted from of groupthink.

A year ago at this time you were drowning in legal lockout jargon. So while discussing the final decision in the combined $46 million in salary cap penalties given to the Cowboys and Redskins ($36 million to Washington, and $10 million to Dallas), we won’t tip that bucket too much further. You should be allowed to enjoy your May filled with pleasant sunshine viewable only through the cracks in your office window, and a calendar close by that shows how many days are left until the kids are out of school for two months.

In one sentence, here’s a review of the basics, complete with conveniently italicized words to indicate areas of particular absurdity that will be clarified below. During the uncapped year of 2010 prior to the lockout, the Cowboys and Redskins manipulated contracts to an extreme extent after the owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement.

The two teams were penalized for their actions. They filed a joint grievance, and the ruling was issued today by Special Master Stephen Burbank. In street parlance, Burbank said “go away,” but in the language of law it was a dismissal granted to the league primarily because the salary money taken from Dallas and Washington has already been reallocated to other teams as part of an amendment to the CBA.

Here’s the statement from the two teams. For a more realistic effect, read it while grinding your teeth:

“We pursued our salary cap claim pursuant to the CBA and we respect and will abide by the arbitrator’s decision to dismiss. We will continue to focus on our football teams and the 2012 season.”

Now for the common sense, or at least the very little of it we can glean from this situation as an intelligent and neutral third party. If you own an NFL team or are in any way affiliated with the NFL, you can’t read on unbiasedly. I’m not sure why you’re reading anyway, because drinking smoothies made with $100 bills sounds far more pleasing.

The Cowboys and Redskins may have indeed exercised some salary cap creativity in 2010, but they did exactly what they were permitted to do in an uncapped year: treat it like an uncapped year. Every other owner agreed to still operate their teams as though a cap existed prior to the lockout, knowing that a CBA will eventually be in place and football would be played in 2011 after the owners attempted to fleece the players.

So there was a gentleman’s agreement of sorts, and a signed one. Or as those in the business of enforcing the laws of our white collar society call it, there was rampant collusion. Rules can’t be broken when on paper, there are no rules. Yet here we are with both Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder agreeing to put down their pen swords after a judge’s ruling.

But as former lawyer Mike Florio at PFT points out, they have other options:

Cowboys and Redskins could sue the NFL for violating internal rules and regulations and/or any applicable fiduciary duties that require the league to represent the interests of all teams equally and fairly.  Burbank’s ruling seems to suggest that the Cowboys and Redskins tried to push such principles under the CBA, which means that they very well could choose to pursue such arguments in a full-blown lawsuit.

For now they’re playing nice and not pursuing further legal recourse. For now.

No Comments

Kraft on Welker: “It takes two sides”

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Around the league on May 22, 2012

"You're a special guy too, Mitt"

Mutual agreement is necessary to accomplish many of life’s most mundane yet important tasks. If you walk to work in an urban setting, consider the simple concept of the crosswalk. You, the humble pedestrian, agree to walk when the friendly walking man lights up, while the drivers agree to wait until they see a green light.

There’s a pact, similar to our pact with the pigeons.

In theory, there’s a pact with employment contracts too, but in the NFL it’s much different. It’s forced, with one side usually using its leverage to gain a distinct advantage.

When he agreed to sign his tender last week, Patriots receiver Wes Welker opened himself up to feel the full power of the Patriot Way. And now with some careful reading of owner Robert Kraft’s comments Tuesday, it seems the inevitable may quickly become a reality.

Sure, they were nice words undoubtedly said with Kraft’s sweet grandpa cadence. But the implication is clear: the Patriot Way remains paramount, and no one man shall be declared superior to the other peon foot soldiers that march beside him.

Kraft spoke to NFL Network’s Kim Jones Tuesday during the league meetings in Atlanta:

“Well we’d like to see him be a Patriot for life but it takes two sides. We’re just happy he’s back in the system. He’s a wonderful young man, and a special guy. I think both sides would like to do a deal, but it requires intelligence and putting our team first.

“Anyone can say whatever they want. He’s done a great job for us, we’re always trying to do whatever we can do to put our team in the best position to win, that means balancing a lot of things, understanding what the cap is, what the cap growth is, how things fit in the system and we try to have values for every position and every player.”

Once you untangle yourself from the friendly negotiation jargon, the key phrases are “putting our team first” and the reference to values for every position and every player.

When he signed his $9.515 million fully guaranteed one-year tender last week, Welker relinquished any leverage he may have had during his quest for a long-term deal to finish his career as a Patriot. And he’s totally fine with that, because his other option was to not play football, and threaten to pull a Logan Mankins on the Patriots management.

That’s not appealing because Welker isn’t the petulant, selfish type, but more importantly with his age (31), his leverage was already minimal. Even though holding out was his only option to retain even an ounce of leverage, it then became even less appealing after the Patriots signed Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, and Anthony Gonzalez.

Kraft can look down the Patriots’ sideline and see Chad Ochocinco, who’s inexplicably still employed in New England and is only three years older than Welker. His plummet has been abrupt, and so were the dives experienced by Terrell Owens and Randy Moss in their mid 30s.

Monetary value always trumps loyalty in today’s NFL. Welker is still extremely productive (1,569 yards in 2011), but that cliff awaits.

No Comments

The tight end trend continues to grow with Winslow’s move to Seattle

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Commentary on May 22, 2012

The cycle of NFL offensive innovation can often resemble the path of the typical grade 10 English essay. One really smart kid writes something that’s really smart, and then said smart words are passed around the classroom and modified until 26 essays are submitted, and each paper is only slightly different than the original model.

Wash, rinse, and repeat. If the system is effective, then duplicating and repeating it until it’s effectiveness fades makes sense. This is where we’re at in the NFL following the success of dual tight end systems thanks to Jedi pioneer Bill Belichick. The latest student to copy his essay could be Pete Carroll in Seattle following the acquisition of Kellen Winslow Jr. late last night.

After the Buccaneers made it clear to Winslow that he wouldn’t be a part of the young team’s rebuilding process, GM Mark Dominick had then successfully lowered the veteran’s trade value to slightly above the asking price for a 1980 Pinto. The Seahawks became the willing trade partner, bringing in Winslow for a seventh-round pick that could turn into a sixth rounder if the F—ing soldier meets performance-based incentives. The Bucs already had Winslow’s replacement lined up in the form of Dallas Clark, who was signed to a one-year contract shortly after the trade.

Winslow is a replacement too, but more importantly, he’s an upgrade, and hopefully another reliable outlet for a team that’s high on hope, but low on certainties at quarterback. The departed John Carlson combined with Zach Miller–who was signed last summer as a free agent–for just 551 receiving yards from the team’s top two tight ends last year. Winslow easily trumped that production despite receiving passes from the highly inconsistent Josh Freeman in Tampa when he finished 2011 with 763 yards.

There’s never a shortage of criticism thrown in Winslow’s direction, which I suppose happens when you’ve spent a career generally being a jerk. But he still produces, and he does it consistently. On mostly bad teams in Tampa, he led the Bucs in receptions in each of the past three seasons, and over a seven-year career he’s averaged 690.6 yards per season, a number that’s dragged down by his major knee injuries. His 437 receptions since 2004 puts him behind only Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, and Antonio Gates among tight ends during that stretch. He was also the fourth most targeted tight end last year.

Paired with Miller, he’ll now be asked to do something he hasn’t done often before: share. The prominence of dual tight end sets and two TEs who become the focal point of an offense is rapidly rising, largely due to Belichick’s work with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. We’re just less than a month removed from a draft when the Colts spent back-to-back picks on tight ends in the second and third rounds (Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen), and Cam Newton made frequent connections with both Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen last year.

Exactly how often dual TE sets are utilized between Miller and Winslow in Seattle remains a guessing game at this point, especially with Winslow’s creaky knees. But with the exception of the oft-injured Sidney Rice, Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson (most likely Flynn) will be throwing to a wide receiver corps that’s still high on upside, and low on experience between the likes of Tate Graham, Deon Butler, and Doug Baldwin.

This is still an offense that will lean heavily on the running game with Marshawn Lynch. But the added threat of Winslow when he’s alongside Miller gives the Seahawks a weapon to capitalize on the seams opened up down the middle by Lynch’s pounding, and also a tool to draw attention away from the young speed on the outside.

No Comments

Links: Don’t worry guys, Tom Coughlin isn’t retiring anytime soon

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under Links on May 22, 2012

Tom Coughlin is old. This is a plain and simple fact, and one that’s easily verified by his birth certificate. It’ll tell you that he’s currently 65, and that he’ll turn 66 only a few weeks before the start of the 2012 regular season.

What it won’t tell you, though, is that he’s the oldest coach in the NFL, an aging process that’s perhaps been accelerated by the life-sucking leach that is the New York media. He’s repeatedly been fired by those who write scathing columns, just not fired in reality. His fate was said to be sealed following two underwhelming seasons prior to 2011 in which the Giants missed the playoffs.

Yet he remained, and despite some trying times and disgruntled locker room personalities (that’s you, Osi Umenyiora) the Giants thrived this past season, winning their second championship over the past five years.

Now despite his age and the presumed mental weight of not just coaching, but coaching in New York, Coughlin still isn’t seeing any light inviting him into the football afterlife. He spoke to the Florida Times-Union during his 17th annual Jay Fund golf tournament Monday to benefit cancer-stricken families, and said he’s given very little thought to retirement.

From Gene Frenette:

“I’m not mentally, not physically, ready [to retire]. I feel I have good energy. I’m excited every day. The competitiveness, the nature of the business, is something that I’m still excited about. I don’t wander down that path. I don’t think about retirement. I enjoy the situation I’m in. I appreciate the backing I’ve received from [Giants] ownership and the way the players have responded to our program.

“I really don’t feel any pull or tug in another direction. I look at it on a yearly basis. In our business, no matter how many years they give you on the contract, it’s a one-year deal anyway.”

Coughlin’s style of both controlled intensity and controlled chaos hints at a sense of longevity, which could lead to some history. Although as he said the job security of an NFL coach is minimal, when he blows out the candles on his latest birthday cake in August Coughlin will be six years removed from the age of 72, which is the mark Marv Levy and George Halas set as the oldest coaches in NFL history.

For most, that benchmark would still be far away. But for Coughlin, it feels close.

And now you want to know the rest of the story…

  • In today’s proof that NFL players aren’t normal people, Browns GM Tom Heckert said he’s 100 percent sure that Phil Taylor will be playing football during the 2012 season after recovering from a torn pectoral. [Cleveland Plain-Dealer]
  • When humans spend nearly as much time with their co-workers as they do with their families, anger will happen. For Detroit’s Titus Young, that anger manifested itself in the form of a sucker punch to Louis Delmas’ face. [Detroit Free Press]
  • Winning the offseason doesn’t always lead to wins when actual wins can be achieved. The Eagles learned this last year, and Bills fans could be given that education this fall. But for now, expectations are high in Buffalo. [Buffalo Rumblings]
  • If the Dolphins can learn anything worthwhile from their Florida neighbors, it’s that players with hot wives have confidence, or something. Regardless, they don’t plan to push Ryan Tannehill early and shatter his confidence, as owner Stephen Ross said that Matt Moore will likely be the Week 1 starter. [National Football Post]
  • Michael Vick tried to be Michael Vick far too often last year, and that in part led to Philadelphia’s 38 turnovers. Reversing that trend and eliminating the plays when Vick tries to do too much will be a focal point during the Eagles’ offseason. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
  • As expected, LaRon Landry missed the first day of OTAs. He’s still recovering from an Achilles’ injury. [ESPN New York]
No Comments

You have to buy the Pro Football Halftime Activity Book right now

Posted by Sean Tomlinson under What the hell? on May 14, 2012

When you work in a sports office (or at least sit at a desk located in a sports office) random pieces of memorabilia and literature find their way onto your desk. Often you have no idea how they arrived, so they just sit there occupying space, and sometimes embarrassing you.

Example: inexplicably on my desk right now there’s a copy of In a heartbeat, the book written by the Tuohys, the brave and incredibly rich white collar heroes from The Blindside. It will never be read, but it can’t be moved because it landed there on its own, and it’s earned that place. These are the laws of the sports office.

But there’s another, far more fantastic football-related book that found itself on my desk too, and I’ve read this one cover-to-cover multiple times. Whatever you’re doing right now, you need to stop, and buy Dan Cuison’s Pro Football Halftime Activity Book.

He’s not paying me to write this, honest. Cuison’s 41 pages of awesome give you a way to occupy yourself during those 15 minutes every Sunday when your significant other may attempt to squeeze in some kind of domestic chore. Or, perhaps worse, you eat your seventh meatball sandwich of the day.

The book takes you back to those kindergarten days of glory when you’d get a coloring book and make the grass purple, just because you could. Only this time, you get to connect dots to make Tom Landry’s hat, color in a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and match the famous mustache to the famous football face.

And it gets better. Much, much better.

From the Amazon.com description:

NFL fans can relish in their team’s victories—and even challenge some of their fumbles—in this hilarious book full of mazes, word scrambles, football ad-libs, and more. Whether styling Troy Polamulo’s hair, helping Plaxico Burress pick his next self-mutilating weapon, or directing Jim Marshall to the correct end zone, these humorous and irreverent activities tackle football’s famous—and infamous—players, games, coaches, cheerleaders, and half-time performers. Superfans can rethrow the immaculate reception, connect the dots on a Green Bay cheesehead, decode Ditka’s secret code. Sure to delight all football enthusiasts, this send-up of the revered athletes and their exploits is perfect for Super Bowl parties, tailgates, and commercial breaks.

Here are a few of my favorites…

Can you fill in Dennis Green’s blanks?

I’m not sure if Dennis Green could fill in Dennis Green’s blanks.

If only it was this easy, Bills fans

Quite appropriately, only one of the six options is going through the uprights.

One of the few remaining ways that Boomer Esiason is useful

Just be thankful Cuison didn’t go with T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Pursuing pictorial justice

Welp, we know that O.J. Simpson would never, ever wear an oven mitt, so that’s out.

A visitor’s guide to the Factory of sadness

I have to pick 10? I can only see one item that wouldn’t be permitted. Dog the Bounty Hunter isn’t allowed to further disgrace Cleveland’s majestic shoreline.

1 Comment
« Older Entries