Mike Vick Goes for Two, Maclin Loses to Mono

The voting for the Madden '12 cover has come down to a final four battle. On one side, the number three seed, Eagles quarterback Mike Vick, is taking on the number nine seed, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. On the other side, the number one seed, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, is taking on the number ten seed, Browns RB Peyton Hillis. If Vick wins the overall voting, he will be the first player to be on the cover of Madden twice, and in two different uniforms. Vick appeared on the cover of Madden 2004, and fell victim to the Madden Curse, breaking his leg in a preseason game. While some Philly fans have been wary about voting for Vick due to concern for the curse's reach, Vick pointed out on his Twitter account that there is no curse for being on the cover twice. Others argue that an injury would be negated by the lockout, should it extend into the regular season. Whatever your position on the curse, it would be good to have an Eagle on the cover of the newest Madden game. The last Eagle to grace the title's cover was Donovan McNabb on the Madden 2006 game. McNabb was later injured in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, and was replaced by backup QB (and Rutgers alum) Mike McMahon. The Eagles ended with a 6-10 record that year, so vote as your superstition dictates.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is currently recuperating from an illness similar to mononucleosis. Though he lost 15 pounds, the receiver says he's gained about half of it back, and plans on joining Michael Vick and other key Eagles players in southern New Jersey for Vick's informal practices, meant to keep the team sharp. Let's hope it doesn't aggravate anything, or cause any injuries, especially while locked out of the team health plan.

Chuck Bednarick Hospitalized, Lockout Shenannigans

Chuck Bednarik has been admitted to a Bethlehem-area hospital after feeling short of breath. While this doesn't sound like that much of a problem, there has to be more to it, as Bednarik was still listed as being in "serious condition" as of this afternoon. This news comes has many in Eagles Nation worried, as many grew up (like I did), hearing stories about "Concrete Charley" (or "Cement Charley" after a few beers) and his tenure as an Eagle. Bednarik is a true Philly guy, playing football for Liberty High School in Bethlehem, then UPenn in Philly before being drafted by the reigning 1948 NFL champions. As a member of one of the most dominant periods of Eagles history, Bednarik helped propel the Eagles to the first back-to-back shutout championship in NFL history, a record that is still held by the Eagles. Bednarik is a celebrity in Eagles nation, being the last of the 60-minute men, from a time when players played both offense and defense. The former Eagle became a legend after laying a near career-ending hit on the Giants' Frank Gifford. While Bednarik has had his ups and downs with the Eagles, famously for supporting the New England Patriots during Super Bowl XXXIX due to a feud with owner Jeffery Lurie. Still, it's hard to hate Bednarik, responsible for some of the best football in Philadelphia and who had a hand in two NFL championships for the Birds. His recovery will hopefully be swift.

The NFL lockout has affected people in different ways. Fans have taken sides, generally with the players or against the NFL and the players' association. Now the players, with varying degrees of frustration, have begun to speak out, and not always in the best way. Recently, Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson said that the NFL was like modern-day slavery. The comments, as any comment regarding slavery, was received very negatively by many, including Green Bay Packers' running back Ryan Grant. While many voiced their disagreement with Peterson's comments, but Peterson has also had his supporters. Rashard Mendenhall was chief among those supporting Peterson, tweeting that there are parallels between the slavery of colonial America and the NFL's practices. Also echoing Peterson's words was Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver. Immediately following the comments, Weaver received criticism from all corners of Eagle Nation, with fans and beat writers weighing in on the controversy. Yesterday, Weaver tweeted that he would be doing an interview explaining his words, and apologized if he offended anyone. Later, he tweeted a retraction for using the term slavery. The term is a strong one, and shouldn't be used to describe the working conditions of anyone making...well, any money. The players need to refrain from making these kinds of faux pas, otherwise it will erode the fan support players now enjoy.

Moving on to happy misfortune, the Dallas Cowboys were fined for illegal offseason activities. Echoing the fears of many that new coaches need to get in sync with their players soon, the Cowboys' new defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, tried to do just that. Before the lockout began, the league was in a "dead period" where the actions of players and coaches are limited. Four other teams violated the rule and have been fined by the NFL, the fact that the Eagles were not one of these teams could be a good sign. Despite having a new defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo has been with the team and knows the players. Hopefully, this lack of breaking the rules is a vote of confidence in Castillo and his ability to pick up when the season begins. We'll find out when these fellas figure out how to split $9.3 billion. I have a few suggestions.

The Kolb Market Heats Up

Since Eagles head coach Andy Reid's comments that the Eagles will be listening to offers for backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, the buzz about teams in the Kolb sweepstakes has exploded. The team has gotten at least one offer for Kolb that comes with a first-round draft pick, likely from a high-pick team. The Eagles seem to have gone from "interested" to "how can we get the most money" about Kolb, with Reid marketing the QB like no one's business. Since trying (and failing) to re-sign QB Matt Hasselbeck, the Seattle Seahawks have made no bones about their desire to go after Kolb when the market opens up again. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said that the Seahawks tried to go after Hasselbeck, but that the money wasn't there, which sounds like an issue on Hasselbeck's end. Given the lockout, the market after the stoppage is over, and Seattle's stated interest in either Kevin Kolb or Cam Newton, holding out (or whatever derailed a re-sign) probably wasn't in Hasselbeck's best interest, though it may have boosted Kolb's stock considerably.

Another team in the mix for Number 4 (oh, the puns), is the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Leslie Frazier has been very vocal about getting a quarterback, though his idea is a fresh-start draft pick. The obvious target for the Vikes would be Cam Newton, as they have shown interest in him already, though he may not be available by the time the Vikings pick. Unless they trade up several spots, they likely won't be willing to lay it all down for Kolb until after the draft is done. One thing is for sure, if Frazier and the Vikings management hesitates, they could lose both their leading QB candidates. At this point, I think Frazier might even entertain Favre's obligatory offseason musings of a comeback. But not for long.

As the lockout continues, it seems you can catch your beloved Philadelphia Eagles at various area gyms, since the lockout denies the players use of team facilities. While this can get taxing after a while on the players' bank accounts, one hopeful thought is that if all of the players are staying in top condition, maybe Ron Jaworski's predictions of doom won't be as inevitable.

There has been more talk of the Eagles' (and Reid's) interest in Temple's Muhammad Wilkerson, and several defensive pick ups would definitely be a good thing, especially with news that defensive end Brandon Graham will not be ready, should the season begin as scheduled, thanks to a torn ligament. Safety Nate Allen is expected to be ready to play, and the Eagles will need him to step up from his breakout rookie performance and not fall into a sophomore slump.

Lumping together Vick and NFL news, Philly's starting QB recently visited a Florida prison with mentor and advocate Tony Dungy. While there, Vick spoke to inmates and vowed to continue community outreach, lending to the (sorely needed) rehabilitation of his image. While the visit brought the obligatory "Mike Vick Goes to Prison!...As a Visitor" zingers, it also helped Vick's stock in public opinion, continuing to make the QB more acceptable as a marketable brand, despite the lingering hatred for him. Meanwhile, the NFL revised the kickoff rules (because nothing important is going on right now), setting the ball at the 35-yard line, with touchbacks being placed on the 20-yard line. Challenges have been revised, but there is a clause that teams will keep the third challenge, originally done away with, and all scoring plays are now subject to booth review. If only they could work out this whole labor dispute as quickly.

Follow on Twitter: @asprice18

Kolb Talk, Draft Views, GQ Bandwagons, and Dawkins Talks Lockout

Teams from around the league being interested in acquiring Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb is nothing new. Andy Reid acknowledging it, however, is news. Reid said that there has been "a little interest" in Kolb, and that the Eagles would evaluate offers. Some think an offer could come from Minnesota, barring a big pick up in the draft. The 12th pick, however, does not guarantee that the Vikings would be able to pick up a quarterback, especially the ever-popular Cam Newton. Some believe that the Eagles should root for the NFL Players Association's bid to return to usual league business, as Kolb's value has the potential to go down post-draft. While this could happen, his price would likely go up for teams who do not make out as well as they hoped in the draft. Drafting a quarterback, especially in a later round, doesn't always work out as planned, and head coaches around the league know this, which could work to the Eagles' favor come trade time. I may sound like a broken record, but it's my firm belief that the Eagles should use Vick and Kolb to develop third-string QB Mike Kafka before trading Kolb. No matter what happens, one thing no one has talked about is that the first- and second-string QBs in Philly are only signed to one-year contracts. Especially with the prospect of a potentially shortened 2011 season, one (or both) would need to be resigned to a multi-year contract, or Philly could see the beginning of the Mike Kafka era come 2012. Food for thought.

In early draft looks, the Eagles have been looking at Oklahoma State's running back Kendall Hunter. Considered a solid second-rounder, Hunter may be a good pick up to backup for LeSean McCoy. McCoy is the solid RB to start, so Hunter would likely be used as a fullback, rotating in for the injured Leonard Weaver, or in reserve for the Eagles to use in the inevitable injury situation. Another potential draft pick the Eagles have looked at is one of my personal favorites, Muhammad Wilkerson. A potential late first-rounder, the Temple lineman could really help to reinvigorate the Eagles struggling defensive line, especially under the tutelage of Jim Washburn.

In no-one-asked news, GQ posted a (I'm sure VERY scientific) ranking of the meanest fans in sports. Breaking it down by team, rather than city, the ranking is still blatantly transparent, especially having a tie between the Eagles and the Phillies. This is not New York: for the most part, if you're a fan of one Philly team, you're a fan of all of them. Regardless, Philly once again takes the brunt of the "awful fan" hatred, a tired old shtick that anyone wishing to get in good with the sporting world uses. I'm not going to rattle off the times I've been hassled at opposing venues or even walking down the street with a Shane Victorino jersey on, but I suggest those ranking fans wear Philly sports gear in those situations, or through rival cities (especially New York or the ever-leaching New Jersey). But enough about that, it's nothing but faux-analysis bandwagoning.

In former Eagle news, Brian Dawkins appeared on SportsCenter with Mike Vrabel, Drew Brees, and other players representatives. When asked what could be done, the former Eagles star said that fans should "paint [their] faces and stand outside the courthouse." While the players said they were not willing to negotiate on player health, the benefits and pay they are negotiating for has a strong impact on that long-term health care. Regardless of how the lockout is viewed, or who the villains and heroes are, former Eagle Kevin Turner's recent interview will give fire to the players' argument of veteran care. Turner has been diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease. In the interview Turner claims that it is his belief that his time in football, which he played since a child, is the culprit. While the link between ALS and football is still uncertain, Turner's constant blocking for Ricky Watters could not have helped matters.

NFC North

The Bears won the division this year and I think they will have a good chance to win it again. The rest of the division is strong, but the Bears are strong too and they can compete with every team in their division. The Packers did win the Super Bowl, but I don't care and that won't make a big difference, they can only go down from there so I'm fine with them winning it. The Vikings aren't the same without Favre, but they will have a chance this year. The Lions are up and coming and will probably have a good year, but I can't guarantee that because the Lions always find a way to screw things up.

The Vikings were not good last year. The Bears swept them and the vikings did not live up to the high expectations for the team. Brett Favre was expected to lead them back to the NFC Championship game and farther and he did not. I like the quarterback that they started to play towards the end of the season. He played well and seemed like the right guy for the Vikings. Adrian Peterson was expected to fix his fumbling issues to be solved and they just got worse. I do think they will be better than last year, but I don't think they have a huge chance to win this division. They are a big question mark, because when you think they will be good they are bad and when you think they will be bad they are good. I don't know what to expect truthfully, but I don't believe that they will make a run at the division.

The Packers are probably the best team in the division, as much as it pains me to say that it is true. That doesn't mean they won't make a mistake along the season and end up not winning. The Saints ended up losing there division this year and losing to a bad playoff team. The Packers could make that same mistake. Championship hangovers are real, look at the Blackhawks this year. A championship hangover is more likely with a young team, and the Packers are a young team. I don't want to sound like a stupid Bears fan, so I'm being honest. They are a good team, but sometimes good teams make mistakes and end up having bad years, I hope the Packers make those mistakes. If the Packers win the division, don't call me an idiot, they are contenders but I have faith in the Bears to get better this offseason and win this division again.

The Lions are always a big question mark. I think that they will be a contender, and then they have a bad season. I think the problem last year was that from the first game when that call was made against them they lost all their momentum and hope. Matthew Stafford got hurt in that game and they didn't think they had hope from then on. They do have good players and a pretty good team, they need to figure out how to get over the Lions curse. The curse that every Lions team must be terrible. They have drafted well in the past few years with Stafford, Suh, and Calvin Johnson but that still hasn't been enough to push them to be contenders in the NFC north. Next year will not be their year to climb to the top, because the other teams will be too good, but I think eventually they will be included in division winner talk.





All this talk about the NFC North is only going to be true if the Lockout ends before the season starts. I don't want a lockout, I want football. This is the first I have talked about the Lockout, but I don't want it to happen. People keep asking me which side I am on and I say that I am on the football side. I don't see why Billionaires can't agree with Millionaires about playing football. Just keep things the same, everything was fine. As a fan, I don't care if there is two more games and I don't care if the preseason is boring, it is still football and I want football. Just give the money to charity and play football. This is just getting ridiculous.


Bears YouTube Video Of the Day
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This was my reaction when I found out the Bears clinched the Division. Just kidding, this is a crazy Nets fan that I love in a non-gay way.

Love Smith

At the beginning of the year Lovie Smith's job was a question mark. A lot of people thought that he should have been fired after last year, but Angelo gave him one more year and Smith lead the Bears to a 11-4 season and an NFC North Championship. I don't know about you, but I think think thats pretty good for a guy who was supposed to be hired. I don't always like the things that Lovie does. He leaves me scratching my head often. I still think that having him as the head coach is better than taking a chance with a guy who will do worse. I say that Angelo should give him another year and if he screws it up, he should be fired. I think the Bears are headed in the right direction and hiring the coach stops that momentum. The boys in the locker room like this coach and as long as they are winning while playing for him and they like him the GM should be happy. The situation in Minnesota is the opposite of what a GM wants. They want a coach that wins games and is loved, or at least liked, by the players. Right now Lovie is doing that so there is no reason to fire him. That would just add negative attention to the team and stop the progress they are making as a team. If you fire him right now you lose what could be a really good season next year and I don't want to see that happen. No fan should want to see that happen.

5 Links From The NFL

The Green Bay Packers Veterans are focused on their opportunity to not only get to, but win the Super Bowl.

The Bears on the other hand have a running back named Matt Forte, and he wants to be a key role in the game against the Packers.

The Steelers players have a message for the fans: "Be LOUD"

The Jets are practicing and practicing hard. Clearly they want to win by the effort and attitude they are putting forth.

Bengals and Coach Marvin Lewis hosted ex-Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress, and discuss defensive strategies and were seen eating at an up-scale restaurant called Jeff Ruby's.

BREAKING NEWS: QB Coach Bill Musgrave Leaving the Falcons - What Does it Mean for Team / Ryan?

ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reported on his twitter account at 1725 today (@mortreport) that Atlanta Falcons’ QB Coach and Assistant Head Coach Bill Musgrave has decided to take the Offensive Coordinator job on Leslie Frazier’s staff in Minnesota. What is Minnesota’s gain could very well be bad news for the Falcons’ Matt Ryan.

Bill Musgrave has been Matt Ryan’s QB Coach since his arrival as the number three pick in the 2008 Draft, and Musgrave’s input on Ryan’s ascension as an NFL QB is incalculable. While this new job in Minnesota provides Musgrave with a bump in responsibility (and probably pay), it remains to be seen how losing a trusted coach and confidant will affect Ryan, especially so soon after a devastating playoff loss in which he did not perform well.

Losing Musgrave will no doubt create more worries for Falcons fans in Georgia who are already puzzled at the way in which Mike Smith and Mike Mularkey choose to run their offense. It is possible that as QB Coach for the team, Musgrave would have provided a sympathetic ear for Ryan who may also have felt frustrated by the leash that Smith and Mularkey seem determined to use to hold him back from his full potential on the field. With Musgrave gone, will any possible small frustrations that Ryan may have with his head coach and offensive coordinator bubble over into something bigger?

It is obvious from the team’s playoff performance that Smith and Mularkey’s Martyball ways must change, and it may also be that Musgrave leaving provides the opportunity for a new voice to enter into the silent circle in Flowery Branch that handles all of the decisions regarding football philosophy. Many Falcons fans have been dreaming for months of what a creative offensive mind like Josh McDaniels could do with talents like Ryan and Roddy White, but now that McDaniels is going to use his considerable genius to turn Sam Bradford into the next great NFL QB, it is imperative that GM Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Mike Smith not bungle the hiring of a new QB coach, and in fact, that they hire a QB coach with a fresh perspective in regards to offense in the NFL.

Change must come to the Atlanta Falcons offense. They can no longer afford to handcuff their young, talented QB to a 20^th Century Offense in a 21^st Century NFL. It is beyond time for Smith and Mularkey to loosen the reigns they have on Ryan and let him be the QB everyone sees when he's running the no-huddle offense. What Smith and Mularkey are doing in regards to Ryan's learning curve, handcuffing him the way they do with their vanilla, ultra-conservative offense, could be causing irreparable harm to the QB's vast potential.

Musgrave leaving the team to further his own career is giving Smith an opportunity to change his need to micro-manage and control every aspect of the offense, taking away all creativity and explosiveness this offense could have with the core of young talent present. Martyball is not winning football and it's not winner's football; especially seeing as that particular offensive philosophy has never won a single game that meant anything in January (or February).

Congratulations to Coach Musgrave and his family in their new adventure in Minnesota (bring a jacket, the weather's a little different than Georgia's)...

... and to Coach Smith and Mr. Dimitroff a message: don't screw up this chance that fate has presented you for a change... you may only get the one shot.

You can follow me on twitter at @UGABugKiller.