Seven deadly truths: why the Pro Bowl deserves to die
Fans don't exactly flock to the NFL's version of an all-star game: the Pro Bowl. From 1980 to 2008, the Pro Bowl's television rating has dropped from 20.0 to 6.3, and its share has dropped from 39 to 12.
Many players aren't too fond of the game, either. Of the 28 players who missed all-star games in 2008, 16 were from the NFL, seven from the NHL, three from baseball and two from the NBA.
Surely, not all of the 16 NFL absentees, most of whom played in their teams' final game, were too injured to suit up. Some of them might have had similar experiences and thoughts to the ones SN's Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and John Elway shared with Sporting News magazine in a piece about the seven deadly truths about All-Star games.
Aikman: "It's an all-star game, and we have like three practices to pull everything together. So they put rules in place for that game, limitations on what a defense can do. One rule is that you couldn't blitz, couldn't bring more than four guys. Well, they were also giving away a Cadillac Escalade [one year] to the MVP, so a lot of guys wanted that.
"So the first play of the game, Derrick Thomas, a linebacker, comes off the edge unblocked on my blind side -- remember, he's not supposed to blitz, so nobody thought about blocking him -- and earholes me, knocks me silly. First play.
"That got me to thinking about what the heck I was doing out there, that somebody -- me -- could get hurt out there."
Elway: "It's difficult to have an all-star game in football. There is just too much to orchestrate. It's a big honor to go, sure, to be voted in by your peers. It's not a smart move to play in them.
"Nobody wants to 'play' in them. Nobody. Well, maybe a rookie or second-year guy. Once you get older, you come to know what you're risking -- your health. Just think, I'm a quarterback playing behind a line. While they're all great individually, they hardly know each other's name let alone have worked together.
"Defensive linemen just dominate. I just remember always getting the snap and looking for the first place I could get rid of the ball. It's not about winning; it's about getting out of there healthy."
Other Pro Bowlers talked about the different atmosphere of the game and the vast difference in preparation.
"The moment I realized that the Pro Bowl was different from the regular season was when the bus ride over to Aloha Stadium was longer than the practices." -- Ahman Green, four-time Pro Bowl running back
"My approach was: A) surviving the game intact; and B) not embarrassing myself. I had gained some weight during the playoff break and needed to bring my weight down, so the entire week of the game I ate oysters and drank beer." -- John Riggins, 1976 Pro Bowl running back
For coaches, the biggest problem is that even with a star-studded roster, you can't make a team in just a few days. Bill Cowher, who has a 4-0 record as the AFC's coach in the Pro Bowl, told Sporting News:
"There's not much time to coach: three or four practices of about 45 minutes each and three or four meetings of about 45 minutes. You condense your offense and keep the defenses basic.
"You just try to get players acclimated to different terminology. You want enough diversity in your plays to have the ability to surprise. There's always a reverse, some fakes and a gimmick play or two. You put in a 1-minute offense and a no-huddle. "
(c) 2009 SportingNews.com
Getting a Vikings stadium is a priority, Goodell says
Roger Goodell did not make any threats about the Vikings leaving Minnesota if they don't get a new stadium, but the NFL commissioner did express some urgency Friday when asked about the team's situation at the Metrodome.
"I know [owners] Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf want to continue to have the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota in a new stadium and I share that," Goodell said during his state of the NFL address in Tampa, Fla. "They have worked very hard to be able to get to that point. They have understood the priorities of the community, they have stood by and they've allowed the baseball stadium and the Gophers [football] stadium to move forward because they recognize those priorities and there are always priorities in the community.
"I think we have to continue to work with the governor and the leadership in that community to understand those priorities and figure out how we get a new stadium built. That is necessary for the Vikings. We all want the Vikings to be there in the long term, successfully. They need a new stadium, that's clear. I think it's recognized by all parties and we need to get down to the difficult business of figuring out how to do it."
The Vikings, who are last in the league in revenue playing in the Metrodome, have a lease that expires after the 2011 season. The team is hoping to get the stadium issue before the Legislature, but that could be a difficult battle considering the state's $4.8 billion budget deficit.
Although the exact financial figures have yet to be set, estimates to date have been that a Vikings stadium would cost about $954 million. Wilf has said the ownership group would contribute $250 million toward the project.
There is talk about an NFL team ending up at a privately financed $800 million stadium in Industry, Calif., that billionaire real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. wants to build. The Vikings, Chargers and Jaguars also have been mentioned as possible candidates.
"Many people view the Vikings as a viable candidate to relocate to the Los Angeles market due to the lack of action on our stadium front," said Lester Bagley, vice president of public affairs and stadium development for the Vikings. "But we are focused on and committed to resolving the issue here in Minnesota."
Birk up for NFL honor
Vikings center Matt Birk, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner are the three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The winner will be announced Sunday.
The award, which honors a player's community service and performance on the field, has been presented every year since 1970 when Johnny Unitas won it. In all, 17 members of the Hall of Fame and six Super Bowl MVPs have won the award.
"What an honor it is to be up for this award," Birk said. "Obviously, anything that has Walter Payton's name on it is certainly ... the words are beyond me. I really can't describe it."
Birk and the Vikings have had no contact on a contract extension, so the 11-year veteran is prepared to test the free-agent market.
"I was blessed to play for 11 years so far," Birk said. "I know God has a plan and is watching out for me. How things work out, that's how they're supposed to work out."
Hall call for three?
Former Vikings Cris Carter, Randall McDaniel and John Randle will be among the 15 modern-era players who will be discussed during today's Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee meeting at the Tampa Convention Center.
Two Senior Committee nominees will be voted on first. Then the 15 modern-era players will be cut to 10 and then five. Those five will be voted on and must receive 80 percent of the 44 votes to be selected.
(c) 2009 Star Tribune
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz on his new coordinator, Gunther Cunningham
Quote of the week III: "The best way I can describe Gunther Cunningham, and what I tell people who don't know him, is that every minute of every day, it's fourth and one, and that's the way he approaches football and life. That's what we need in Detroit.'' -- Detroit coach Jim Schwartz on his new defensive coordinator, Cunningham, on our Sirius NFL Radio show, The Opening Drive, last week.
(c)2009 mlive.com
Finally, it feels good to be a Cardinals fan
The St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL were not really a team that I paid much attention to. They were usually never a factor in the league's playoff picture. They were that team with the boring uniforms and the old-fashioned gray facemasks, and despite the fact that they had exciting players like Roy Green, Neil Lomax and Ottis Anderson over the years, they were an afterthought. I was a New York Giants fan, and could usually count on at least one win, if not two, over St. Louis every single year.
But then, in 1988, the St. Louis Cardinals bolted the Midwest, and headed to the desert. The Phoenix Cardinals became the Valley's second major league franchise.
I had longed for an NFL team for Phoenix, whether it was an expansion club or a relocated franchise, and my wish had come true. My father, also a Giants fan, was excited about the prospect of the NFL coming to Phoenix, and purchased two season tickets for the 1988 season. We were there for the first home game, a Monday Night game against Herschel Walker and the Dallas Cowboys. We got our first taste of Cardinal frustration that night, watching kicker Al Del Greco try to run in a fake field goal right before halftime, and failing miserably. The Cardinals lost to the Cowboys that night 17-14. But the team recovered, and won 5 of their next seven games to push their record to 5-4.
We were there when Neil Lomax rallied the Cards to an improbable victory over the San Francisco 49ers in week ten, a game in which they trailed 23-0. We watched in amazement as the fans left in attendance littered the field with their souvenir cups.
The next week, I faced my first dilemma. The New York Giants, the team that my father had conditioned me to root for from as long as I knew what a football was, took on the Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium. Who would I root for?
Game day arrived, and I headed to the game with my Dad, wearing a Cardinals shirt, and a Giants cap. Lame, I know! As the game wore on, I found myself rooting for the Cards. I was hooked at that point. The Cards won the game to improve their record to 7-4 and move into a share of first place in the NFC East. But, in true Cardinal fashion, they stumbled down the stretch and finished 7-9.
My father and I kept our season tickets for several years. We dealt with the stadium full of Cowboy fans, or Packer fans, or Eagle fans seemingly every week. And seemingly every week, we would leave after another defeat, and get razzed by those fans in other team colors. It didn't take us long to figure out that being a fan of the Phoenix Cardinals wasn't the easiest thing in the world.
After six straight losing seasons, the Cardinals made a splash by changing their name, and hiring a new coach. The new Arizona Cardinals tabbed Buddy Ryan, best known for his stifling 46 defense of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears. Ryan boldly announced "you got a winner in town", and convinced linebacker Seth Joyner and defensive end Clyde Simmons, both of whom he coached in Philadelphia, to sign with the Cardinals. Suddenly, there was a buzz and an optimism about the Cardinals, and Dad and I bought it hook, line and sinker. For opening day 1994, we jumped on a plane and flew to Los Angeles, rented a car, and drove to Anaheim to watch our Cards take on the Los Angeles Rams. Others had the same idea. Our 45-minute flight to L.A. was wall-to-wall Cardinal fans, all drunk with optimism about the upcoming season. The optimism didn't last long as Rickey Proehl dropped a touchdown pass, and Larry Centers' fluky fumble was returned for a touchdown by Todd Lyght, and the Rams beat the Cardinals 14-12. Here we go again.
The Ryan experiment lasted two forgettable seasons, and Vince Tobin, a respected defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, was hired in 1996, which was also the same year I got my first job in sports radio. Since I was working on Sundays during home games, Dad and I stopped going to games. But we'd still get together and watch the road games on tv, and usually walk around in a bad mood most Sundays after another inevitable loss.
We watched a rare Cardinal playoff win over Dallas in the 1998 season, and were convinced that Tobin wasn't human. How else could you explain this mild-mannered, soft-spoken man taking this team to a place they hadn't been in 51 years? We, like most Cardinal fans were convinced that the 1998 season was the beginning of big things for the franchise. It wasn't. Management let core players Lomas Brown, Jamir Miller and Centers leave via free agency. The Cardinals followed up their playoff trip with a 6-10 season in 1999, and after a poor start, Tobin was fired midway through the 2000 season.
Things remained pretty much the same until 2006. But after waiting 18 years, the Cardinals finally got a new home, the state-of-the-art University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. I caught the fever as a fan again, and a bought a season ticket along with a friend. I was able to finagle an extra ticket to the Cardinals-Rams game in week three, and Dad came along. The Cardinals lost 16-14, but more importantly, it was the last game my Dad was healthy enough to attend. He's still kicking at age 77, but a myriad of health issues has made it impossible for him to watch games at the stadium.
I gave up my tickets this year. But I watched the game on Sunday with my Dad, and the rest of my family, and something magical happened. The Cardinals exorcised their demons, dating back to their days in St. Louis and Chicago. After squandering an 18-point lead in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they embarked on a memorable championship-winning touchdown drive that lasted over seven minutes, crushed the hopes of the Eagles, and sent the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl ever. As the last seconds ticked off the clock, with tears in my eyes, I hugged my Dad, both of us in complete disbelief. All of the embarrassment of being a Cardinal fan, all of the abuse we took from other teams' fans, all of the money spent on tickets and paraphernalia, all of the gut-wrenching losses were all memories. This is actually happening.
A small part of me regretted that I wasn't in Glendale on Sunday. But the rest of me knew that I was in the right place, watching with my Dad. What a day!
Twenty-one seasons of frustration and anger and embarassment are things of the past. There's a weight lifted off my back today, and other long-suffering Cardinal fans know the feeling I'm referring to.
Imagine how the Bidwills must feel.
Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Fanster.com
NFL Playoffs: What The H*** Is Going On Out There?
Ah yes, the immortal words of the great Vince Lombardi, and I too ask, "What the hell's goin' on out there?"
From my perspective, 'tis not the season to be a prognosticator of the football playoffs. Maybe there are those shouting that they should be heading to Vegas, but as for me, I'm glad I don't gamble.
All indicators pointed to a New York Giant/Carolina Panther championship game and a Pittsburgh/Tennessee championship game; both rematches, and very intriguing games. Most of you who have read my columns know that I am a Viking fan, and so I sit on the sidelines wishing, hoping, and praying for 2009 to be a good one for us.
In the meantime though!
What do we make of those Arizona Cardinals? Could they be this year's football version of the Devil Rays? It seems that every 5 years or so (Pittsburgh for SB XL, and the Ravens in SB XXXV) we get this Cinderella story, and this year the Cardinals have taken away the Eagles (the Donovan benching, having the stars align for them to even make the playoffs) Cinderella role.
The Eagles are playing some pretty good football, but after watching Carolina implode, I would have to say the Cardinals are playing pretty well also. Jake Delhomme was not wearing an eye patch, so he had both eyes available, but the Cardinals made it seem like there were 13 defenders out there.
The question this year is will there be a road team who wins the championship game and goes on to represent their conference in the Super Bowl? By all accounts most people would say the Eagles have the better chance of the two. Other than last year's Giants, what these teams have been able to do is remarkable.
In the AFC, Pittsburgh seemed to TCB (take care of business) against a team that looked like it was overmatched. It was a complete game, and the score was not indicative of the whooping placed on the Schwarzenegger inspired "Let's GO Chargers!" It will be interesting to see a third game between the Steel bunch and a Ravens defense that looks to be flying around as such. Tennessee left their game in the film room. Even after losing Chris Johnson, they could have kept the pressure on, but those nasty turnovers will get you every time.
You also saw how pedestrian a running back that Lendale White is. I was hoping the Titans would have won just to play Pittsburgh again. I am sure the Steelers would have had something to say about White's stomping of the Terrible Towel a few weeks back.
Credit goes out to the Ravens; they survive, and they have a QB who reminds me of a Roethlisberger. Remember, Roethlisberger in those early years was very efficient when he needed to pass, and the result was a SB title. Could the same bode for this year's Ravens? One thing I hope for in that game is snow; now that is January football.
Okay, having consulted the bones, spitting into a pit, and whirling 3 rotations, it is prediction time:
NFC: Cardinals 31, Eagles 21,
AFC: Steelers 16, Ravens 10.
The way I have been picking games though, don't be surprised to see an Eagles/Ravens SB.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Steelers hope for repeat performance
The Steelers beat the Chargers, 11-10, in Heinz Field on Nov. 16 in a weird game on a cold and snowy day. For one, it's the only time in the history of the NFL a game was decided by that score. For another, Roethlisberger threw for 308 yards, Willie Parker ran for 115 and Hines Ward caught 11 passes for 124 yards and Pittsburgh did not score a touchdown. The Steelers outgained the Chargers 410 yards to 213 but had 13 penalties to just two for San Diego.
And, safety Troy Polamalu's fumble return for a touchdown on the last play of the game was disallowed, costing those who bet on the Steelers giving the five points. The NFL later admitted referee Scott Green should have ruled it a touchdown.
"It's always good to see what a team likes to do the first time around," Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said of the rematch. "I'm sure they're going to have new stuff. It's great to go out and play a team well. For us, it's just trying to get some of their tendencies we saw the past couple weeks but they are a good football team."
Roethlisberger far outplayed Rivers that day. He completed 31 of 41 passes with no interceptions and had a rating of 96.4. Rivers, the NFL's ratings leader, was 15 of 26 for 164 yards, two interceptions and a season-low rating of 44.4.
"Let's hope he has another day like that, huh?" said Pittsburgh defensive end Aaron Smith.
The Steelers held the Chargers to just 66 yards rushing. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who likely will not play this Sunday, had 57 of them. Darren Sproles, who had a career day last Saturday against the Colts, had one carry in Pittsburgh for no yards, one reception for nine yards, one kickoff return for 12 yards and one fair catch on a punt. Tight end Antonio Gates caught two passes for 10 yards.
"We have to stop Gates and try to control their passing game, and try to control Sproles," Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "Hopefully, it will be snowing and 20 degrees. But it really doesn't matter. At this point, it's one game and go home; everyone knows that you work all season to get to the playoffs."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "They happen every week in football. You just hope that he can respond well and come back from it and get a chance to practice and doesn't have any lingering effects from it." - Backup quarterback Byron Leftwich on the effects on Ben Roethlisberger from his Dec. 28 concussion.
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 - Steelers' string of victories in their first playoff game after earning a bye, dating to 1994. Their last bye came after the 2004 season.
PLAYER/PERSONNEL NOTES: QB Ben Roethlisberger did not practice last week when the Steelers worked on Tuesday and Wednesday. He should be ready to practice this week and play on Sunday. ... LB James Harrison, who left the season finale with a hip pointer, did not practice last week but should resume on Monday. ... RB Mewelde Moore began the season returning punts and kickoffs. He has not returned a punt in the past four games and returned one kickoff in the past five. ... CB Ike Taylor had just one interception this season, but he led the secondary with 14 passes defensed, three more than S Troy Polamalu, who had seven interceptions. ... WR Hines Ward led the Steelers' non-kickers in scoring for the first time since 2005. He had seven touchdown passes.
Copyright (c) 2009 SteelCityInsider.com and Scout.com
Running down the odds on Super Bowl hopefuls
This column is supposed to be a wrap-up of the week's NFL action, but I doubt anyone cares about that when we have playoff matchups to look forward to.
So let's take a look at each team's odds of winning the Super Bowl five weeks from now.
Arizona Cardinals (9-7, No. 4 seed in NFC): There are three things we know about winning in the postseason. One, you have to have a good defense. (The Cardinals do not.) Two, you have to be able to run the ball. (The Cardinals cannot.) Three, you can't be the Cardinals. (The Cardinals are the Cardinals.)
Odds: 50:1
Minnesota Vikings (10-6, No. 3 seed in NFC): Tarvaris Jackson has been solid down the stretch, but it's difficult to see him winning a Super Bowl this season. Despite that, the Vikings have the defense and running game to play well in January. Now they just need to really pump the air conditioning at the Metrodome.
Odds: 35:1
Miami Dolphins (11-5, No. 3 seed in AFC): Like the rest of the AFC East, the Dolphins benefited from an easy schedule this season, getting to beat up on the AFC West and NFC West. So are the Dolphins for real? It's difficult to tell. But their Wildcat offense surely will give playoff opponents a headache. Think of it as Joey Porter's mouth in offense form.
Odds: 30:1
San Diego Chargers (8-8, No. 4 seed in AFC): San Diego has the talent to go all the way -- and the embarrassingly awful record to be overlooked. Well played, Chargers, well played.
Odds: 20:1
Atlanta Falcons (11-5, No. 5 seed in NFC): Matt Ryan has been outstanding all year. But rookie quarterbacks usually struggle in the postseason. Of course, most rookie quarterbacks aren't able to warm up in the postseason by playing the Cardinals.
Odds: 18:1
Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1, No. 6 seed in NFC): The Eagles are a solid team that played seven games with a final margin of seven or fewer points. All those tight games should have them well prepared for the postseason. I would just hate to see what would happen in the playoffs or Super Bowl if they tied someone.
Odds: 15:1
Tennessee Titans (13-3, No. 1 seed in AFC): The Titans have the best record in football, but do they have the best team? Will Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth be 100 percent? Is Tennessee's 3-3 record down the stretch a sign of vulnerability? Does anyone honestly believe Kerry Collins can quarterback a team to a Super Bowl title? Will this write-up be nothing but questions? No.
Odds: 12:1
Indianapolis Colts (12-4, No. 5 seed in AFC): Hey, have you heard that Peyton Manning and the Colts have won nine in a row and are "flying under the radar"? Yeah, me too. Lucky for me, I have another kind of radar that detects things that are said all the time, and "Colts under the radar" is pretty much filling the entire screen.
Odds: 11:1
Baltimore Ravens (11-5, No. 5 seed in AFC): The Ravens always have a strong defense, but now their offense can move it on the ground or through the air. But a lot of people don't give them their due respect. Take Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia on Sunday, for example. The Bucs weren't even playing the Ravens, yet Garcia chose to mock Joe Flacco's eyebrows. Ridiculous.
Odds: 10:1
Carolina Panthers (12-4, No. 2 seed in NFC): The Panthers have been the NFC's best team down the stretch, but that close loss at the Giants in Week 16 means they likely will have to go on the road to reach the Super Bowl. But I think any team with Steve Smith has at least a puncher's chance.
Odds: 8:1
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, No. 2 seed in AFC): With their elite defense and talented offense, the Steelers are an attractive Super Bowl pick. But to win it all, they must find a way to limit Ben Roethlisberger's turnovers. (Although I thought strapping him down was a bit excessive.)
Odds: 7:1
New York Giants (12-4, No. 1 seed in NFC): With no other clear favorite, you have to go with the defending champions, who earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The reason is Tom Coughlin. In a season full of distractions, he has kept the team together. Even yesterday, in a game at Minnesota that meant nothing for the Giants, he got a good effort out of his team and was able to rest some starters at the same time. Best of all, as a master stroke, he was able to rest his starters and keep them out of sweatpants at the same time.
Odds: 6:1
(c)2008 ESPN Internet Ventures
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