Oh boy. It's been a long night. Last night, the first night of the 2012 draft, the Jaguars were to pick 7th overrall. They moved up to the 5th pick. Unbeknownest to me, apparently the Jaguars outfoxed Coach Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams. He apparently wanted Trent Richardson RB Alabama and then he was taken. He also wanted Justin Blackmon WR OSU. OOPS. The Jaguars traded up and took Blackmon 5th overrall. He was soo upset he shouted an expletive and slammed his glasses on the table. *giggle* Outdone by the Jaguars again. Flash forward to tonight's draft, 2nd and 3rd round. 2nd round, the Jaguars take Andre Branch DE from Clemson Then the 3rd round draft pick heard round the world was spoken: the Jacksonville Jaguars pick Bryan Anger California University. His position? PUNTER. Yes, Punter.We used our 3rd round pick for a punter. The NFL Network and Twitter had a field day. And yes I hung my head in shame.
However, upon further review, several things must be taken into consideration. First, Anger was the top punter in the draft class. by all accounts is phenomenal. Second, the Jaguars gave up their 4th round pick to move up to take Blackmon. So, they would not pick again until the 5th round. And apparently, they wanted a punter badly. Well, ok.
In my first fantasy football draft, I became disoriented by the drafting process and thought kickers were disappearing in the 3rd round. So I pulled the trigger, chose a kicker, and the move still lives on in my fantasy league. Every year, there's usually a chuckle around the 3rd round. I get asked, don't you mean to pick a kicker? I never did that again. Last season was particularly brutal at the punting position for the Jaguars. They tried to make Matt Turk a directional punter. He was not a directional punter and he ended up kicking for 20 yrds. here and 25 yrds. there. PAINFUL. All this could have been avoided if the Jaguars and Gene Smith would've paid Adam Podlesh. They didn't. And the Bears did. In addition to ALL that went wrong, a no brainer like punting wasn't a no brainer. Hence the 3rd draft pick is a Punter. God bless him.
We must protect this house.
MDK in the House
Stadium2
Friday, April 27, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Is a Big Splash In Free Agency Necessary? And Miscellaneous
Some of you may have been wondering why I have been silent on the Jaguars for awhile. Well, I'm just trying to give them some breathing room. They have a new coach and a new owner. I don't like to start hating until I've seen something. This whole thing is almost brand new for me. So, I'm going to give them plenty of slack. And to all of you fans out there that are mad there was no BIG splash in free agency. I give you this analogy (or metaphor or whatever it's called) Ever watch diving in the Olympics? The person with the least splash usually scores higher. It's not just about splash. Style points are given as well. So all you haters listen up. It's not about the BIG splash.
Miscellaneous:
Jimbo. Jimbo. Jimbo. Jimbo Fisher. Dude, you knew this was coming. I would like for him to DO several things in this off season. Please work on your 4th quarter time management skills. They leave little to be desired (UVA game). Please accomplish something when you start yelling and screaming at officials. You are starting to look like Will Muschamp. Just because you vacation together that does not excuse the fact you are acting like a Gator and nullifying your contract with FSU fans. Please train E.J. Manuel to look like he belongs in the HALLOWED halls of Florida State Football (I.E.- Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke both Heisman Trophy winners). I still wish you would consider hiring an Offensive Coordinator. You continue to prove you can't do it alone. The last thing you can do for me Jimbo, please let us live up to the hype so I don't have to hear the trash talking from the Gators. We've beat them 2 years in a row, that should be enough. With UF, it's never enough.
From the beginning with Bobby Petrino. Let's start with his contract with Louisville. He began coaching at Louisville in 2003. By July 2006 they offered a contract of 10 years, 25.6 million dollars, which he accepted. In January 2007, he accepted a head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons. December 2007, in the proverbial middle of the night and several games left in the NFL season, Petrino takes a job at Arkansas. Fast forward to last month. Petrino gets Jessica Dorrell hired and then they have a motorcycle accident. He lies and says he was alone. None of this is really that earth shattering if you look at his whole body of work. He left the Falcons without a proper goodbye to players that struggled all year without Michael Vick. Be a man for heaven's sake. Do the right thing for once. How does his wife and kids stand him? I guess only time will tell.
MDK in the House
Miscellaneous:
Jimbo. Jimbo. Jimbo. Jimbo Fisher. Dude, you knew this was coming. I would like for him to DO several things in this off season. Please work on your 4th quarter time management skills. They leave little to be desired (UVA game). Please accomplish something when you start yelling and screaming at officials. You are starting to look like Will Muschamp. Just because you vacation together that does not excuse the fact you are acting like a Gator and nullifying your contract with FSU fans. Please train E.J. Manuel to look like he belongs in the HALLOWED halls of Florida State Football (I.E.- Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke both Heisman Trophy winners). I still wish you would consider hiring an Offensive Coordinator. You continue to prove you can't do it alone. The last thing you can do for me Jimbo, please let us live up to the hype so I don't have to hear the trash talking from the Gators. We've beat them 2 years in a row, that should be enough. With UF, it's never enough.
From the beginning with Bobby Petrino. Let's start with his contract with Louisville. He began coaching at Louisville in 2003. By July 2006 they offered a contract of 10 years, 25.6 million dollars, which he accepted. In January 2007, he accepted a head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons. December 2007, in the proverbial middle of the night and several games left in the NFL season, Petrino takes a job at Arkansas. Fast forward to last month. Petrino gets Jessica Dorrell hired and then they have a motorcycle accident. He lies and says he was alone. None of this is really that earth shattering if you look at his whole body of work. He left the Falcons without a proper goodbye to players that struggled all year without Michael Vick. Be a man for heaven's sake. Do the right thing for once. How does his wife and kids stand him? I guess only time will tell.
MDK in the House
Monday, April 9, 2012
Bountygate Part II
As the dust was beginning to settle on the suspensions for Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, Joe Vitt and Mickey Loomis, a gasp was heard around the world last week. Or at least in my office. That gasp came in the form of an email I received from an update contain a recording. At first, I thought nothing of the update that promised audio of Gregg Williams, the Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, talking about bounties to the team before a game. Really? Wouldn't I have already heard this by now? Enough with the dramatics. I click on it. I listen to a 4 letter word laden pep talk by Williams before a game. "Go after the head". I was shocked, hence the gasp, but I try to take a realistic spin on everything. So, I actually thought maybe everyone thought he was speaking figuratively. I also did not like the fact that the audio was edited. That doesn't sit to well with me. I want to hear it in it's original context. I want it all.
Rewind to my post in March: Bounty, the Quicker Picker Upper:
To me it's really amazing with all of the light on injuries in the NFL, that a successful D-Coordinator kept a Bounty System going that supposedly created season ending and career ending events for players. Isn't that a bit narcissistic? He's such a GREAT Defensive Coordinator that he had to use cash incentives so players would give a little extra and end up ruining other players lives? And what if opposing players did the same against him and his team? I'm also surprised given the light that has been on Steve Gleason, a former Saints Defensive player, who has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Presumably from taking and delivering brutal hits. His website http://www.teamgleason.org/ is worth reading. He was also showcased on the pre-game Super Bowl Show this year. I think of something a wise person said: "You never know how the things you do today, can have an impact on others in the future." Should Gregg Williams continue to coach?
Now, on Saturday, I was in Orlando and had a particularly stressful and fun day on Friday, so I slept in a little Saturday. I was still in bed, scrolling through Facebook and noticed someone re post a twitter post about a blog from Sean Pamphilon, who recorded the audio. Against my better judgment, I decided to read it. It took me the better part of 45 minutes to read it on my IPhone. Sean Pamphilon was recording for a documentary called the United States of Football. He was in this meeting on an invitation by Steve Gleason. The former player with ALS. So, let's make sure we have this right. Gregg Williams is giving this "pep talk/ mercenary mission" in front of a documentarian and Steve Gleason who is suffering from ALS (which is thought to have been from the repeated head traumas he took while playing football). Okay. I think we are on the right track.
During this Pep Talk/Mercenary Mission Assignment, Gregg Williams did not ask Pamphilon to turn off his recorder unlike Joe Vitt did earlier. And now the knowledge that he had this dialogue with the players with Steve Gleason in the room is astounding. How does Gregg Williams look Steve Gleason in the face? So, is it safe to assume he feels that Steve's illness is from weakness? What a piece of work.
Then there is the releasing of this tape by Pamophilon. He was under an agreement that said Steve Gleason and his family had total control over what was done with the recordings and Pamphilon released them anyway. Pamphilon says his motivation is protecting young children from injury. I believe that's all, well, fine and good. But why not honor the wishes of someone like Steve Gleason whose motto is "no white flags"? He clearly doesn't blame the Saints and has a good relationship with them. They even gave him a Super Bowl ring and he wasn't even playing when they won. Do the right thing by him. It's his life and his choices.
I am not terribly eloquent. I in NO WAY am saying that Gregg Williams is exempt of his responsibility in these terrible acts. He knew it was wrong and did not stop. I think criminal charges might be in order for him. Nor am I saying that football isn't brutal. I don't think the NFL should be a flag football league. I just think there is a right way to do things. Make sure players are well educated about injury and long term effects. Take care of the players upon retirement. The NFL makes billions every year. Take care of the players that got you there.
Ultimately, in this game of football, it is the choice of the players. To a certain extent, they know the consequences of the daily physical beatings their bodies take. Does that mean the NFL has a responsibility to keep the Bounty gate from happening again? Yes. Does it mean the NFL needs to regulate illegal hits? Yes. I have never wished an injury on a player. In fact, I'm on record saying that Peyton Manning should not play. When he does, he will have a GIGANTIC bulls eye on his back. I would rather see him retire in honor than leave the field on a stretcher. Lots of people have said that will never happen. I know his injury. Trust me, one hit to the ground and it won't be pretty.This Pamphilon guy has questionable intentions. (personally I thought his statement sounded a little star struck). To him I would say: Honor your agreements.
MDK in the House
P.S. Terrance "Potroast" Knighton we are hoping you are better soon and have a full recovery.
Rewind to my post in March: Bounty, the Quicker Picker Upper:
To me it's really amazing with all of the light on injuries in the NFL, that a successful D-Coordinator kept a Bounty System going that supposedly created season ending and career ending events for players. Isn't that a bit narcissistic? He's such a GREAT Defensive Coordinator that he had to use cash incentives so players would give a little extra and end up ruining other players lives? And what if opposing players did the same against him and his team? I'm also surprised given the light that has been on Steve Gleason, a former Saints Defensive player, who has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Presumably from taking and delivering brutal hits. His website http://www.teamgleason.org/ is worth reading. He was also showcased on the pre-game Super Bowl Show this year. I think of something a wise person said: "You never know how the things you do today, can have an impact on others in the future." Should Gregg Williams continue to coach?
Now, on Saturday, I was in Orlando and had a particularly stressful and fun day on Friday, so I slept in a little Saturday. I was still in bed, scrolling through Facebook and noticed someone re post a twitter post about a blog from Sean Pamphilon, who recorded the audio. Against my better judgment, I decided to read it. It took me the better part of 45 minutes to read it on my IPhone. Sean Pamphilon was recording for a documentary called the United States of Football. He was in this meeting on an invitation by Steve Gleason. The former player with ALS. So, let's make sure we have this right. Gregg Williams is giving this "pep talk/ mercenary mission" in front of a documentarian and Steve Gleason who is suffering from ALS (which is thought to have been from the repeated head traumas he took while playing football). Okay. I think we are on the right track.
During this Pep Talk/Mercenary Mission Assignment, Gregg Williams did not ask Pamphilon to turn off his recorder unlike Joe Vitt did earlier. And now the knowledge that he had this dialogue with the players with Steve Gleason in the room is astounding. How does Gregg Williams look Steve Gleason in the face? So, is it safe to assume he feels that Steve's illness is from weakness? What a piece of work.
Then there is the releasing of this tape by Pamophilon. He was under an agreement that said Steve Gleason and his family had total control over what was done with the recordings and Pamphilon released them anyway. Pamphilon says his motivation is protecting young children from injury. I believe that's all, well, fine and good. But why not honor the wishes of someone like Steve Gleason whose motto is "no white flags"? He clearly doesn't blame the Saints and has a good relationship with them. They even gave him a Super Bowl ring and he wasn't even playing when they won. Do the right thing by him. It's his life and his choices.
I am not terribly eloquent. I in NO WAY am saying that Gregg Williams is exempt of his responsibility in these terrible acts. He knew it was wrong and did not stop. I think criminal charges might be in order for him. Nor am I saying that football isn't brutal. I don't think the NFL should be a flag football league. I just think there is a right way to do things. Make sure players are well educated about injury and long term effects. Take care of the players upon retirement. The NFL makes billions every year. Take care of the players that got you there.
Ultimately, in this game of football, it is the choice of the players. To a certain extent, they know the consequences of the daily physical beatings their bodies take. Does that mean the NFL has a responsibility to keep the Bounty gate from happening again? Yes. Does it mean the NFL needs to regulate illegal hits? Yes. I have never wished an injury on a player. In fact, I'm on record saying that Peyton Manning should not play. When he does, he will have a GIGANTIC bulls eye on his back. I would rather see him retire in honor than leave the field on a stretcher. Lots of people have said that will never happen. I know his injury. Trust me, one hit to the ground and it won't be pretty.This Pamphilon guy has questionable intentions. (personally I thought his statement sounded a little star struck). To him I would say: Honor your agreements.
MDK in the House
P.S. Terrance "Potroast" Knighton we are hoping you are better soon and have a full recovery.
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