Garrard-to-Porter Costs Jaguars $15M a Year
May 14, 2008
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South
How many touchdowns can you buy for $15 million a year?
That’s the question the Jacksonville Jaguars will answer this year. They signed quarterback David Garrard to a 6-year, $60 million deal, and Jerry Porter to a 6-year, $30 million deal. That’s $90 million over 6 years — money that the Jaguars spent to put a lot more points on the board.
Early reports indicate that the Garrard-to-Porter combo is already looking strong in minicamp, with Garrard throwing to his new teammate as often as possible and Porter catching high balls and low balls with relative ease. He’s also saying all the right things:
“It’s a fresh start and a damn good team with high expectations. The team did well without me, and I want to come in and pull my weight and make sure I can help the team in some way.”
Of course, it’s easy to say this is money well spent in May, but if these reports continue to trickle out of Jacksonville, Porter might be a worthwhile fantasy target. Plus, if Garrard-to-Porter opens up the offense, that can only mean good things for Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor.
Chris Berman Has Nothing on Bill O’Reilly
May 13, 2008
Chris Berman Has Nothing on Bill O’Reilly
Filed under: NFL Media Watch, ESPN
In February, a series of videos started appearing on YouTube, showing Chris Berman in the Monday Night Football halftime show studio, talking off-air to ESPN employees and sometimes getting angry and profane. Some people said that was evidence that Berman is a jerk; others said everyone has a few moments in the workplace that would make them look like jerks.
I don’t know if everyone has such moments, but I know of someone who had a worse moment than anything Berman was caught doing: Bill O’Reilly, who gets even angrier and even more profane than Berman did in this video:
That was back in the day when O’Reilly was the anchor of Inside Edition. And despite those outbursts of anger, he still managed to win a Peabody Award Polk Award*.
Previously on FanHouse:
Chris Berman References His YouTube Fame During NFL Draft Coverage
ESPN Says Chris Berman Videos ‘Do Not Reflect His Typical Workplace Demeanor’
ESPN Has Chris Berman YouTube Videos Pulled for Violating Copyright
Chris Berman Complains About the Prompter
Chris Berman Calls Al Michaels a ‘F—head’
ESPN’s Chris Berman Explains How to Smuggle Codeine From Canada
ESPN’s Chris Berman is Sorry to Explode
More Profanity From ESPN’s Chris Berman
Yet Another Chris Berman Video: Who at ESPN Has a Vendetta Against Him?
The Ravens Might Be Spreading Their Wings and Taking Flight in 2008
May 12, 2008
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore
Even though they dumped an offensive “genius” from the head coaching spot, the Ravens could come out with a much more aggressive offensive style in 2008. Word from this weekend’s minicamp is that new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is seriously considering using three wide receivers in the team’s base formation.
There’s a couple of reasons why that’s a curious choice. For one, the presumed trio of Derrick Mason, Demetrius Williams and Mark Clayton combined to score five touchdowns in 2007, all by Mason, and struggled to gain yards after the catch. Mason did catch 103 passes while the other two battled injuries and all three had to deal with some of the worst quarterbacking in the league but it’s not a unit that strikes a lot of fear into the hearts of opposing defenses.
That quarterbacking problem is the other reason it’s an odd direction. A spread formation would require quick, well chosen passes and I don’t think anyone expects that kind of production from Kyle Boller. Troy Smith may have those skills but he’s untested as is first-rounder Joe Flacco. Flacco’s arm strength is his strong suit but he may not get to show it off in an offense predicated on timing not verticality.
Assuming they work out those issues, though, Willis McGahee would benefit from such an alignment. A spread out defense should offer him space to maneuver and help avoid the grinding that takes a toll on his body.
Meet the Robinsons: Packers Cut Koren; Tariq Arrested for Slinging Ecstasy
May 11, 2008
Filed under: Packers, NFC North, Carolina, Milwaukee
It hasn’t been a great week for the Robinson family.
First off, receiver Koren Robinson was cut by the Packers, ending his tumultuous career in Green Bay. Robinson was suspended for a year after alcohol problems but seemed to have turned his life around. Last year, he was a serviceable part of the Packers’ receiving and return corps and putting behind his history of alcohol abuse.
Next comes Tariq Robinson … Koren’s brother … who was arrested for trafficking ecstasy in Cary, NC — just outside of Raleigh.
Koren (who starred at NC State) owns the house that Tariq lives in. The good news is that there seems to be no other link between Koren and these charges. According to WRAL, the brothers have been estranged for over a year.
While this could cause teams to pause from signing Koren … it really shouldn’t keep him from finding another gig somewhere fairly soon. Buzz is that there are teams interested and if Koren really has his ish together, he’ll be fine.
Drew Bledsoe Believes Bill Belichick, Thinks Most Teams Bend the Rules
May 10, 2008
Drew Bledsoe Believes Bill Belichick, Thinks Most Teams Bend the Rules
Former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe isn’t a big Bill Belichick fan, and doesn’t have particularly warm feelings about the way his time in New England ended, with an injury and Tom Brady replacing him.
But Bledsoe takes the side of Belichick and the Patriots in the Spygate story. From the Boston Herald and PFT:
“I’ve followed it,” Bledsoe said. “I’ve talked to some people about it. To be honest with you, my take now is the same as it’s always been. Every team in the league is trying to do everything they can to get ahead. I’m sure most, if not all, are bending the rules in some way, shape or form. This just happened to be one that was very public, and the organization has been reprimanded for it.“As a player here, I never did see anything other than what was already reported. . . . Was it a violation of the spirit of the rules? Absolutely, it was, but I think all of that has been readily acknowledged.”
One of the strongest points in the Patriots’ favor in Spygate is that there are several ex-Patriots who don’t like Belichick, and none of them have come forward to say they think New England taped the Rams’ walk-through before the 2002 Super Bowl. Bledsoe is the latest to take Belichick’s side.
Redskins’ Zorn ‘Excited’ About Jason Campbell’s Hamstring Injury
May 10, 2008
Redskins’ Zorn ‘Excited’ About Jason Campbell’s Hamstring Injury
Filed under: Redskins, NFC East, NFL Injuries, Washington, DC
It is a bit uncommon when a head coach is actually pleased when he starting quarterback gets injured. Well, that just occurred in Washington as new coach Jim Zorn isn’t too bummed about QB Jason Campbell tweaking his hamstring during practice.
“He was feeling his hamstrings all along, and I think it was because I’ve him sinking down a tiny bit,” Zorn stated. “It’s the change. I was kind of excited about it. Not that I wanted him to tweak his hamstring, just the fact that different things are happening to his body. He’s going to be fine.”
Zorn was a quarterbacks coach (uh, and a quarterback) so I’m sure he sees the bumps and bruises as a sign of Campbell following his direction. One of the most important keys in the 2008 season for the Skins is how Campbell performs in the new West Coast Offense.
However, it isn’t encouraging to see the Redskins’ skill players dropping like flies. Campbell’s hammy will injured his development in the new offense. Running back Clinton Portis injured his hip in a race against LaRon Landry; Antwaan Randle El had surgery to remove some cartilage from his knee.
Marvin Harrison Unfairly Criticized for Opening Business in Old Neighborhood
May 9, 2008
Marvin Harrison Unfairly Criticized for Opening Business in Old Neighborhood
Filed under: Colts, NFL Media Watch, Indianapolis, NFL Police Blotter, ESPN
The accusation that Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison shot a man outside his North Philadelphia bar is extremely disturbing, and if it’s true, Harrison deserves to suffer serious consequences.
But there’s one thing that Harrison has been criticized for that is completely unfair: Opening that bar, as well as an auto garage, in that North Philly neighborhood.
Yesterday on ESPN, Skip Bayless and Sal Paolantonio both criticized Harrison for going back to his old neighborhood, referring to it as unsafe and dangerous and saying that Harrison deserves scrutiny simply for being there at all. They couldn’t be more wrong for that.
There are any number of admirable reasons that Harrison might have had for opening a business in North Philadelphia and spending much of his time there when he’s not in Indianapolis: Maybe he wants to be an example to young kids, to show them that it’s possible for someone from the neighborhood to become successful. Maybe he still has friends and family there he enjoys seeing. Maybe he doesn’t see it as a “bad neighborhood” at all, and he thinks it’s a perfectly pleasant place.
It’s been fascinating to watch the reaction to the Harrison case. Many Colts fans (like the first person who commented on my first post about it) have insisted that this couldn’t possibly be true, which is ridiculous, while some in the media act as though he’s required to live where they think rich people should live, which is also ridiculous.
Matt Walsh Sends NFL 8 Tapes, Rams’ Super Bowl Walkthrough Not Among Them
May 8, 2008
Matt Walsh Sends NFL 8 Tapes, Rams’ Super Bowl Walkthrough Not Among Them
Filed under: Patriots, Rams, Boston, St. Louis
Greg Bishop of the New York Times reports that former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh has sent the NFL eight videotapes showing the play-calling signals of five opponents in six games from 2000 to 2002. But Walsh does not have a tape of the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through practice prior to the 2002 Super Bowl.
The most explosive accusation against the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick in the Spygate story was the Boston Herald’s report that they taped the Rams’ final practice before the Super Bowl. Walsh’s lawyer said this about that:
“Mr. Walsh has never claimed to have a tape of the walk-through. Mr. Walsh has never been the source of any of the media speculation about such a tape. Mr. Walsh wasn’t the source for the Feb. 2 Boston Herald article.”
We can’t say much without knowing the precise content of the eight tapes, but right now, this sounds like good news for the Patriots and Belichick. If all Walsh can show is what we already knew — that the Patriots were taping opponents in violation of league rules — the NFL is unlikely to tack on additional discipline.
Houston Texans Cheerleader Judging: Time for Your Turn
May 7, 2008
Houston Texans Cheerleader Judging: Time for Your Turn
Filed under: Texans, NFL Fans, Houston
Recently, I wrote a photo essay about my experiences as a Texans cheerleading judge. Now it is your turn to be a judge. Like last year, the Texans are allowing fans to pick the final spot on the team. The three finalists are Jennifer, Kelli and Krista (pictures here). You can see Kelli and Krista at the end of the above video.
If you are interested in seeing how they dance, their blogs and to vote, go to the ABC Channel 13 cheerleading voting site. Voting ends on Friday. Last year, the Texans claim 60,000 fans voted, and the winner was Amber (her short message to you is below).
Some commenters don’t like when I write about cheerleader stuff. I completely understand that as I have other things I think are more valuable to discuss.
That being said, I don’t know what it exactly says about our society that my writing about Texans cheerleading ends up getting more page views than writing about regular sports stuff.
It probably means that people either really enjoy watching difficult and talented dancing, or the internets are mostly populated by a bunch of cheerleading-loving pervs.* I’m not going to be an elitist and deny the pervs peoples what they want, so this is just your latest off-season cheerleader post when nothing much else is going on.
So, for those of you who consider yourselves experts in such matters, who do you think should have the last spot on the squad?
* the phrase “cheerleader-loving pervs” is not intended to be a pejorative to some in the FanHouse readership, but rather just a descriptive shorthand.
Previously at FanHouse:
Houston Texans Select New Cheerleaders and Some Offensive Lineman Guy
Texans Cheerleading Judging Isn’t Easy: A Photo Essay
Texans Cheerleader Swimsuit Twins Confuse Sports Illustrated
High Tech Texans Cheerleaders Meant to Distract You
Video of Your 2007 Texans Cheerleaders
Jay Cutler’s Diabetes Is Not a Reason to Think He Won’t Be a Good Quarterback
May 6, 2008
Jay Cutler’s Diabetes Is Not a Reason to Think He Won’t Be a Good Quarterback
Filed under: Broncos, AFC West, Denver
When Jay Cutler went public with his diabetes diagnosis last week, perhaps the most surprising thing was how little the disease, which caused him to lose 30 pounds during the 2007 season, affected his play. He ranked 12th in quarterback rating, threw for nearly 3500 yards and didn’t have any difficulties that you wouldn’t ascribe to a starter in his first full season under center.
As odd as it sounds, the diabetes diagnosis makes you feel better about Cutler’s long-term prospects. He’s clearly a good quarterback and now he’ll be vigilant about his diet, mindful of his health and will avoid the kind of physical breakdown he went through last season. For some reason, though, Bernie Linicome of the Rocky Mountain News chooses to focus on the negatives.
Cutler is now identified by his disease, and will be until success reorders things. It is difficult enough to play quarterback in the NFL without the added weight Cutler will be forced to carry, not just the concern of diabetes and managing it, but the peripherals that come with the label.
Linicome then goes on to list athletes like Lance Armstrong, Billie Jean King and Alonzo Mourning who thrived athletically despite battling physical maladies. Those struggles are part of their story, no doubt, but not their entire story. It’s for feature writers to fawn over if they succeed and, judging by Linicome, use as reason to tear them down if they fail.
If he’s good enough to be a NFL quarterback, and it appears that he is, the fact that he has diabetes will only be worthy of mention if he fails to control it. He deserves to be judged as a quarterback, no different from any other, and his success or failure will be because of his talent not because of his disease. Without knowing it, Cutler’s been battling this disease for his entire football career and he’s been winning, now that he knows about it, why would that change?
Lincicome attempts to stigmatize Cutler will hopefully fail. This is a positive for Cutler (knowing he has diabetes not actually having diabetes, of course), for the Broncos and, probably, for others with Type 1 diabetes who see how little affect it has on their ability to live a full life. If there’s anything that should be questioned in light of Cutler’s diagnosis, it’s what the team’s medical staff was doing while he was losing 30 pounds in a couple of months.
