Will Football be back for 9/11?

With what happened last night, writing about the Bears and some stupid draft crap doesn't seem right. The big thing on a lot of American's minds is whether or not football will be back by September 11th. This year is the 10th anniversary and will be even more special now that the man who planned the attack is dead. Sports are a great way to cope with the feelings that these events bring to people. Having football back will be a must. The way sports and patriotism collide was shown even last night at the Phillies game as they simultaneously started chanting USA USA USA. Having football back will bring people together in one big crowd and will show how much patriotism our country still truly has.

Saying that we want football is not going to solve anything. The owners and players need to realize how greedy both sides are being and come to an agreement. Most of the issues aren't even that important, granted I don't know all the details. My personal opinion is that this greediness is just going to make people mad and not get anything solved. If the people who went on this mission were greedy, someone would have gotten hurt, but they knew that together they can accomplish more. When the two sides try to work together and not argue about everything they will go far and make an agreement in no time.

If both sides truly look at the story and think about how terribly greedy they are being, they will lay down the gloves and make an agreement. Right now it's a fight over who can have more control, but if they meet in the middle they can get a lot more solved.

Thank Goodell It's Friday

This guy knows a something about what happens when we let ideas divide us and lead us to hate.

Divided We Fall

I want to make this very clear before I start: I am, and have been for years, a person who considers himself without a political ideology. For me personally, I was once extremely conservative, but time and actual experience living in the world taught me that subscribing to any ideology is like enslaving your mind, and that embracing a centrist, moderate point of view gives a person more leeway to change their mind or have their mind changed, which contrary to current belief, is actually a good thing. Believing in an ideology the way I did, the way so many people do, means your mind is made up, it cannot be changed, you are a slave to your political beliefs, blindly following them to wherever they lead, even if it is the darkest recesses of humanity, and that is an idea that is now anathema to me.

With all of that said, the question that is on my mind right now is: What the hell has happened to my country since I joined the Marine Corps in 1998?

I may no longer be an active duty Marine, but the love I have for my country has never wavered, and I cannot help but notice the shift in national fervor towards more ideology on the fringes, that marches away from the middle, from moderation, in the last 13 or so years. When I graduated from Parris Island, I may have not personally liked the President at that time, but I never felt such vitriolic hatred towards him that it seems half the country felt towards Bush, and now half the country feels towards Obama.

When did our country become so divided, allowing the radicals on both sides of the political aisle control of so much of the message each side blindly believes in?

And people, it is not just about politics. We see it in sports, especially now, with the NFL labor strife. People have taken sides, and they have taken sides with a vengeance. While I am impressed with those people who have passion and who have intelligence in arguing their side, I am thoroughly not impressed by those same people when they act like the other side possesses not one single valid point or intelligence of their own. That kind of slavish devotion to their ideology in this matter is a microcosm to the bigger political and cultural problems facing America today.

I guess I just feel disheartened today.

You know, people like Richard Dawkins, the famous British Atheist, who claim that the world would be so much more peaceful without religion in it are so full of crap. They just use that line of bull to further try and prove their cause for atheism, when the truth is, human beings will always find a reason for war, for fighting, for wanting what someone else has.

Because it is humanity, not religion, that is the problem. Religion is just the excuse. If people were to actually follow their beliefs in Christianity or Hinduism, for example, there would be no war; there would actually be harmony. But human beings who have political ideologies, who are frightened of people who are different, who want what others have, and who cannot stand living in a world where everyone else does not think like they do will always find a reason, an excuse, for war; to fight, to take, to kill.

People with the most extreme point of views will always have the loudest voices. Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck, Dan Rather (a wolf in sheep's clothing if there ever was one), just about every idiot actor in Hollywood, Paul Krugman, Sean Hannity, Richard Dawkins… these people shouldn’t be the voices we listen to or follow. They are the same people throughout history whose voices carried the messages that showed the very worst humanity had to offer: Burn the witch! Blame the Jew! Burn the book! Kill the pig! God is dead!

We must rise above our need to enslave our minds, to follow the loudest voices, and we can start in the smallest of fights, like with this NFL-NFLPA standoff, in which both sides have valid arguments, both sides are not behaving as they should, and both sides share blame in how negotiations fall apart.

Fans, do not hurl insults at writers who are defending the NFLPA, calling them “pinko” or “commie,” there is no reason for that. These people just have different ideas than you do, and hurling insults without arguing logically makes you seem unintelligent. That goes double for some of those same writers (let’s face it, most writers) who side with the NFLPA and act as if the Owners or those arguing for the Owners have no legitimate point of view or arguments, and who act like all of those who say that the Owners have a legitimate argument have bought into the “propaganda” of the NFL. It is okay to be on the side of the NFLPA and admit that they are just as complicit in these matters as the Owners. It is not only okay, it is the truth.

Let us all be civil to one another. Start with the NFL labor mess, and maybe someday soon, move that into the political arena. It is possible to disagree without hate. It is possible to negotiate without vitriol. It is possible to speak to someone who does not agree with everything you believe in and find them to be pleasant company.

We have to move the discourse back to the middle and away from the extremes. Reject Jerry Richardson and DeMaurice Smith. Embrace Robert Kraft, Arthur Blank, and players who, well, who haven’t made themselves known yet because of NFLPA solidarity, but who are moderate and would have preferred to keep on negotiating.

If we can do it with this small argument (in the grand scheme of things), we can move on and reject the politics of Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin, and embrace the politics of Joe Lieberman and John McCain.

Then, maybe, the people who make up the country I love can get back to disagreeing with each other on a more peaceable level, such as it was when I was a boot Private back in the day.

Gameday Predictions (March Madness Edition)

So, it is now Friday, and the NCAA Tournament has been live for a day.

Whose bracket besides mine is now busted beyond all reason?

Why oh why did I buy into ODU? Why I oh why did I buy into the Big East (looking at you, Louisville)?

I am incapable of predicting anything when it comes to college basketball. At this point, I am just praying my Georgia Bulldogs win a single game.

So what’s my prediction for this Tournament, which EVERY sports writer and blabber told us was going to be boring, but has already given us three upsets and two last--shot wins?

Madness.

Oh, and a Duke-Kansas Final. The Dookies win their second in a row, which will probably cause more hate from Jalen Rose and his non-Uncle Toms.

Today in History

On 18 March 1893 former Governor General of Canada, Lord Frederick Stanley pledges to donate a silver cup to use as a trophy to be awarded to the best amateur hockey team in Canada.

This is, of course, the Stanley Cup, perhaps the most famous and celebrated trophy in professional sports.

The Cup would continue to be awarded to amateur hockey teams until 1910, when the various North American hockey leagues began to play for it, pitting champion against champion. The Seattle Metropolitans were the first American hockey team to win The Cup, and since 1926, the Stanley Cup has only been awarded to the Champion of the NHL.

The Jukebox

Lists about “Best Ever…” are subjective things, but they are generally fun because they bring about real passion in the way people will want to argue the merits of any such list, and unlike in most things in modern life, that passion is usually good natured, not anything like what I talked about earlier.

I think I will start to use Film Real, TV Dinner, and The Jukebox to start making some lists every now and again, not for any particular reason, but just because they are fun and lead to pretty good discourse.

Lists, of course, take time, and thought, and both of those I find in short supply at the moment of this writing, so to tantalize you (maybe) about the list you may find here next Friday, I just want to say… Nevermind.

Smart Quote

I love this quote, because in modern times I believe it stands for the slavery of the mind that the blind following of political ideology has brought our country.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free.

Abraham Lincoln, 1858

Hey, Check This Out!

Here is the last-second buzzer-beater that destroyed my bracket this year, as I, a complete idiot, had ODU making the Final Four.

Feel free to laugh at my misery. But you know what, my day was still better than Rick Pitino’s. Heh.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!

Surviving the Lockout in Cleveland

And boom went the dynamite. The lockout has begun, the Players' Union is no more, and we must now prepare for the potentially long winter ahead of us without football activities. How will the Browns handle the changes in their offseason schedule? New starting quarterback Colt McCoy cannot study the playbook to get a leg up on his new offense. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson cannot study the playbook for the new defense he will be leading next fall. Veteran kicker Phil Dawson can still kick as many footballs as he wants in his backyard. So it's not all doom and gloom, even though the Browns will probably be one of the hardest hit teams by the lockout.

I'm not the first to say this, and I'm sure I won't be the last, but this lockout is really bad timing for the Cleveland Browns. Three new coordinators in Cleveland, a new offense, a new defense, a new head coach, and who-knows-how-many new players to add to the mix all mean that the Browns will have a lot of catching up to do before they can realistically compete with the top teams in the AFC North. Fortunately for us fans, the Browns are at the beginning of our latest rebuilding effort so it's not like we were going to contend for the division title anyways. How's that for some optimism? Unlike how Bengals fans must have felt last season, we can begin preparing ourselves for another 4-12 season right now instead of realizing it halfway through the 2011 season! Isn't that something to be proud of?

On the upside, young Colt McCoy was able to gain some valuable experience last season so at least he has something to work off of heading into next season. Fan favorite Peyton Hillis, who wore down at the end of last year, should be very happy about having more time to rest his legs in preparation for another physical season. Running back is a position that doesn't require as much time to catch up as other positions, and Hillis is already well suited to a pass-first offense. Recent second-round picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi should spend their free time working on improving their hands, but they will be a little behind in trying to grasp the West Coast offense concepts because of the lockout. Tight ends Ben Watson and Evan Moore should actually benefit a little from having more time off. Watson is a veteran player from New England, so he should be familiar with pass-heavy offenses and Moore can probably use as much time as possible to make sure he is healthy for next season. The offensive line is made up of veterans and smart young players like Alex Mack. Second-year guard Shawn Lauvao is the only inexperienced lineman on the roster that could see significant playing time next year.

The defensive line and linebacking corps will also have a lot of catching up to do to become acquainted with new coordinator Dick Jauron's scheme. These front seven players have the most transitioning to do as they must now learn how to play the 4-3. Veterans Scott Fujita and Matt Roth have experience playing in this scheme, so hopefully they can help the younger guys learn their new positions quickly. The defensive backfield will be the spot least affected by the scheme change, as Jerome Henderson, the defensive backs coach, was one of the few members of Eric Mangini's staff that was retained. There will be some schematic differences that affect them because of the scheme change, but not as much as other positions on the field.

As far as overall strategies are concerned, the Browns are in a pretty good place regarding the lockout. While there will be no free agency until more progress is made on the CBA, the draft will still go ahead as planned. As teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Green Bay Packers have demonstrated, it is wise to build through the draft and that is exactly what czar Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert will be doing this offseason. So far there have been rumors of many private workouts being held for the Browns, including one for high-profile prospect Cam Newton. As we all know, Holmgren loves working with quarterbacks and any insider info he can glean from a workout can only help us in the future, even if we don't draft a quarterback high in the draft. Overall, I think the concerns about the Browns are a little overblown. Yes, the lockout will hurt, but we are rebuilding anyways so going from a potential 6-10 team to a 4-12 team is not that much of a difference, even for long-suffering Browns fans.

As always, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for a new CBA.

Eagles Prepare and React as Lockout Becomes Real

Before anything, readers please send thoughts and prayers to Japan and the islands affected by the tsunami and continuing earthquake aftershocks. Also, we hope they are able to control and repair the damaged nuclear reactor. If you have the means, please consider donating to the Red Cross or other credible relief organization.

Well, the moment has arrived. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement has expired and we are now in the midst of the dreaded lockout. Planes aren't falling from the sky, and the Y2K bug hasn't decided to strike a decade late, in fact, most people don't even notice it. This blissful ignorance can potentially continue until August, sports blogs and news stories non-withstanding. Meanwhile, the teams, coaches, and players are more than aware of it. The lockout is affecting Eagles players differently, but none more than those with uncertain futures with the organization. Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb leads the list of players unsure about the future and are certainly frustrated by the labor dispute. While Kolb remains stymied by the lockout, the six Eagles recently tendered are sure to wonder about their futures. While the tender allows them to shop themselves around before committing to the Eagles, a lockout means they can no longer shop their services. The anxiety surrounding this quandary will likely increase as the lockout continues, since there will be few well-thought moves made if the lockout suddenly ends in late-July.

The uncertainty works both ways, however, with the Eagles now unable to pursue free agents like the ever-popular Nnamdi Asmougha and other players to improve the game on both sides of the ball. We can only hope that, while the players and coaches are in a blackout, team management continues to work on plans to get these key players, and are ready to implement such plans as soon as the lockout ends.

Despite this, the Eagles have done what they can to prepare the team for a lockout, with new offensive line coach Howard Mudd giving players DVDs to practice with, and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg getting some final sessions in with QB Mike Vick, who Mornhinweg describes as being "in the right frame of mind." Always good to hear about the QB the club has pinned its hopes on.

With all of this in consideration, the lockout may not end in the doom and gloom with which it was anticipated. And even if it does take a toll, the Eagles stand to be one of the few teams in a position to come out of the gate strong, and make smart trade and free agency transactions, putting them ahead of the pack come September.

Three Teams Want Kolb, Westbrook Wants to Return

As expected, the NFL and the NFL Players Association has agreed to a one-week extension to the collective bargaining agreement. The extension adds to the already murky future of the NFL's labor relations. Progress must be made by March 11 for another extension to be put into place, according to the mediator assigned to the case. This promises to be a very long process, and I don't really see the sides coming to any further of an understanding.

The Kevin Kolb sweepstakes are alive and well, according to Adam Schefter. It's unlikely that there will be a deal before the CBA is finalized, but it depends on the Eagles management. While there are definite upsides to keeping Kolb, it may be better to send him elsewhere (just not in the division this time, ok fellas?) once the new CBA takes effect. I've championed the idea of having Kolb and Vick develop Mike Kafka as Kolb's replacement, and I still believe this will be the best way to approach the situation. The lockout could also work in the Eagles' favor, because the longer the labor dispute goes into season prep, the more desperate teams like the Cardinals will be for a quarterback. If this happens, the Eagles could get some really good compensation.

And in former Eagle news, Brian Westbrook has said that he wants to return to Philly. For the eight seasons Westbrook played for the Eagles, he was one of the most consistent players and dangerous weapons. It wasn't until his final season, in which he suffered two concussions, that he began to falter. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers to sit on the bench for most of the season, until Frank Gore was injured in a game against the Arizona Cardinals. While Westbrook can obviously still move the ball, the biggest worry for Philly (or any other team that considers taking him) is the fact that he had those two, close-together concussions. It would be sad to see his career end in a third, debilitating concussion, a scenario Westbrook must take into account. Westbrook did a lot for the Eagles, but if he returned, he must know he would be backing-up LeSean McCoy, just as he did for Gore in San Fran. Probably not the best situation for him.

How Would a Lockout Affect the Atlanta Falcons?

As we move closer to the Super Bowl in a week and a half, we move closer to the end of the NFL season. This particular year, the end of the season brings with it more than the normal, “How will I survive my weekends without football to occupy my time” trepidation. The end of this season brings a question that should never be asked by a football fan: “Will there be football in 2011?”

I don’t want to spend any time on the how’s and the why’s of how America’s most successful and profitable professional sports business could come to a crashing stop. I don’t want to place blame on anyone, even if they actually deserve blame. No, I just want to quantify how the three likely scenarios (and the one, suicidal nuclear scenario) involving a lockout will affect the team I follow, the Atlanta Falcons.

In scenario number 1, the scenario that every single red-blooded American football fan prays for, there is no lockout. Sane men meet in the month of February and learn to share their millions in a way that is fair, that introduces a rookie salary cap (thus diminishing the power of certain men of low intentions), that boots the ridiculous idea of an 18 game season, and that allows all players to report to mini-camps and off-season workouts to prepare for a great 2011 season. I realize that this is second-least likely scenario to happen out of the four, but I can dream, can’t I? This scenario would of course have the minimum impact upon the Falcons. Or would it?

As made painfully obvious by their embarrassing playoff beat down at the hands of the Packers (at home), the Falcons have some changes they must make to their team philosophy. Basically, they need to become more aggressive in coaching offense and defense. Mike Smith needs to stop coaching scared. With a full off-season of work and meetings with the smartest GM in the NFL, Thomas Dimitroff, it would boggle my mind if Smith couldn’t be persuaded to change or adapt his football philosophy; to take the shackles off of Matt Ryan and the offense, and to allow Brian Van Gorder to coach the Falcons’ defense as he once did the Georgia defenses that dominated the SEC for the first few years of the 00’s. In that vein of thinking, this scenario would have a fairly large impact on the Falcons and how the team would look for the 2011 season. They would be similar to the 2010 team, but they would be more dangerous and more effective, and dare-I-say-it… more dominating (which, even with 13 wins, they never were particularly dominating). Dimitroff and Smith are smart football men, even though Smith seems far too stubborn for his own good. In this scenario, I could see the Falcons (if they decide to be more aggressive as a team) in a three-way battle with the Saints and Bucs for the NFC South title and making the playoffs at 12-4.

In scenario number 2, there is a lockout causing teams to miss all of the mini-camps, rookie camps, and off-season workouts, not to mention any free agent signing period, but the lockout ends just before the start of training camps. The NFL pushes back the start of the season by two weeks, giving all teams a week to sign free agents and an additional week of practices to get their rookies and free agents up to speed in the team’s playbook. In this scenario, I don’t see the 2011 Falcons from being much different than the 2010 Falcons in the beginning of the season. Thought it could go either way, I see the team continuing to play Martyball to the consternation of fans. Smith will continue to handcuff Ryan and not allow him to run the no-huddle offense any more than he has in the past, even though Ryan is almost as masterful in Atlanta’s no-huddle as Peyton Manning is in his. As the season progresses, the Falcons should be able to open up the offense more, but Mike Smith is a creature of habit as a coach, and that speculation is just that, speculation. In this scenario, I see the Falcons adding a few new wrinkles to their offense and defense, but finishing no better than a 10-6 team, battling it out for the wild card six-seed.

In scenario number 3, the lockout extends until September, and the free agent and training camp period are so compressed to bring the season in three weeks late, that the Falcons are not able to do anything different than they did in 2010. In this scenario, I don’t envision the team approaching the success in 2011 that they had this past season. I see 8-8 or 9-7 and no playoff birth. Playing Martyball simply won’t get it done anymore in Atlanta, and this is the scenario that hurts the Falcons the most, because it forces them to keep their philosophies intact, and doesn’t allow the coaching staff to take better advantage of their personnel (such as Harry Douglas on offense and Sean Witherspoon on defense) that could use more plays designed for their speed and skill. It is in mini-camps and training camp where coaches can really change and improve their team. Without that time, the Falcons are doomed. It goes without saying that they’re doomed anyway if Mike Smith proves intractable when it comes to adapting his team philosophy to better suit the modern NFL. I like Smitty. I want him to win a Super Bowl for the Falcons. I don’t want him to end up like this guy who refused to evolve, who was too stubborn to change; because that’s a road that Smith is in peril of treading.

And what’s the suicidal, nuclear option that’s facing the Falcons and the NFL if a new collective bargaining agreement can’t be reached with the NFLPA? Do I even have to say the words? I’ll just let you click on the links to this guy and this guy to remember what two idiots who allow their leagues to be shut down look like.

If the nuclear scenario goes into effect, NFL fans across the nation (and Antonio Cromartie’s 79 kids) will be the ones who suffer the most. Those of us who also love college football equally (or even more so) will suffer less, of course. Well, that is, unless you’re a fan of a college team coming off of it’s worst season in 15 years sporting an embattled coach and a fan and alumni base divided over the fact that the coach was brought back. Then it could quite possibly be the worst autumn of your life if that program isn’t restored to glory and there’s no NFL to soothe your pain. I’d hate to be that guy.

Oh, wait… crap.

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