brick in the Box

Catching Up

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Until someone decides to pay me, blog posts will continue to lose out to other things in my life when I don’t have time for both.

That is why I haven’t posted an update on my CrossFit experience the last couple weeks, not because I have given up.

So just a few quick hits on how things are going.

1 – My shoulder seems to be improving

I can’t recommend MobilityWOD.blogspot.com enough. I have made a couple of the shoulder impingement movements part of my daily routine, and I went through a shoulder heavy progression last night with little residual pain. Something that I couldn’t have done a few short weeks ago.
(Post workout Edit: Fuck, 100 Burpees killed that idea)

2 – My knee is a problem

I now have a new part of my CrossFit routine. After a workout I have to Ice my knee down. If I fail to do so, my next day is agony, and as a result I have missed some workouts. I took Friday, Saturday and Sunday off this past weekend, and while things were sore for last nights workout, some ice and elevation last night seem to have me ready for tonight. I am genuinely afraid I will have to see a doctor about this if it persists.

3 – Golf was great

In a past post I wrote about how CrossFit had me pushing aside my ego and letting myself look foolish. Well I am thankful that fear of looking foolish didn’t keep me from getting out on the Golf course for the 1st time in years. I was by no means the worst player in our foursome, hell we used 2 of my balls on the 1st hole (best ball format). Plus it got me out of the office for a day. There was no downside.

4 – I still have bad days at the box

But I also have some great ones. Last night wasn’t much fun, as there were plenty of sit-ups (I’m still fat, but it is improving) and lunges (that whole knee issue). But then there are days like last Thursday.

In honor of Veterans’ day we did a team workout with one rep for every soldier lost in Iraq and Afganistan (5700+).

We split the class into teams and each team took a portion of the reps. Fred and I had a little over 1400 reps to knock out, and we killed it, with over 10 minutes left out of 40 we were done. A few minutes of rest later, we were both feeling good enough to help out a group that was struggling with their rep count.

The class ended up 12 reps short of our goal, which was disappointing. But it is days like that that keep me pumped about getting back to the box.

Mr. Negative

2010-10-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

This has not been a good week; either for work or for me at CrossFit. This has been one of those weeks at work where everything seems to go wrong, all while pulling me in 20 different directions. Then you throw in a couple frustrating days in the gym, and I was more than happy to say Fuck it all, eat a big plate of pasta and pass out on the couch last night.

I was thinking about detailing my struggles with Tuesday’s WOD. But looking at my last few posts; it seems like I do a lot of bitching. So instead, I figured maybe I should spend a little time on a couple of the small victories, the things that keep me coming back to the box.

One month down, and I am 10lbs lighter. This is with no appreciable change in diet. Well, on 2nd thought, maybe there has been a bit of a change.

My diet has always (well since college) been relatively healthy. The problem areas were:

1 – Portion Size, especially at dinner. Sure I was eating healthy food, but I was eating a lot of it.

2 – Ice Cream, I don’t have a weakness for many sweets. But I would have no problem downing a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every damn night given the chance. I may not have actually done this, but I sure did think about it.

3 – Fast Food on the Weekends, This has to be the one that bugged me the most. For about the 1st 5 years after college, I didn’t touch the stuff. But the past couple years in Pittsburgh, it seemed like just about every weekend I hit 1 or more fast food joints. This only got worse this past summer, with me splitting time between Pittsburgh and Raleigh.

So what changed (without any conscious effort).

1 – Portion size decreased. I have been doing the down a glass of water thing to curb your appetite for years. But now, when I finish a workout I am downing water like a camel. There just isn’t room in my stomach for a 2nd helping of dinner.

2 – I’ve had ice cream twice. Both times were nights when the wife and I went out to dinner and stopped for desert.

3 – Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

Throw in the conscious effort that I have made to eat more vegetables with my lunch, and snack on nuts rather than peanut butter crackers, and I’m doing alright.

I wasn’t last to finish, or have the worst time on a couple of WOD’s

This happened a couple of times last week. But the one that really sticks out in my mind was Friday’s workout.
Friday we did a team workout. We paired up in teams of 2 to go through a workout consisting of rope climb (pull up mod for a couple of us), push ups, medicine ball cleans and 100m ball run, as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes, alternating partners every round.

Looking at the teams, one stood out to me as the one to watch. Lori and Shaunie are two of the ladies at CrossFit coastal who seem to kick ass every day that I work out with them. I was teamed up with Tyson, another relative newcomer, who I only knew from the results of the Warrior dash, where he kicked some serious ass.

I figured that the two of us would come in a distant 2nd to the ladies. But when Tyson came running in on the 1st round with a 25m lead over Lori I was bound and determined not to let Shaunie pass me.

I have to admit that the mod on the rope climb probably gave me a sizable advantage over Shaunie. And carrying around an extra 20lbs when you are my size isn’t that big of a deal compared to someone who looks like they weigh 110lbs (disclaimer, I am horrible at guestimating weights of people).

All that said, I was feeling a real adrenalin rush when I maintained that initial lead through my 1st round. I had a slight hick-up in the 2nd as Will stopped me to correct my form in the medicine ball cleans, negating any gains that Tyson had accrued in his 2nd round, but not enough to give up the lead.

Round 3 was uneventful, by round 4 Tyson had stretched the lead to 50m, but I was fading. With my biggest problem being my push-ups as my shoulder was burning.

As Tyson hit the push-ups in round 5, I looked at the clock, and just under 4 minutes remained. I was completely gassed, and was hoping that he would stretch out the last few exercises to eat up the time. But being the endurance athlete he is, he wrapped things up with well over 2 minutes left.

Somehow I dug deep and found the energy to blast through 3 more rope pull ups. Then I hit the push-ups and 5 reps in my shoulder gave (remember I mentioned that I couldn’t sleep Friday and Saturday night thanks to my shoulder). I hit the mat, and almost gave. But with Tyson and will shouting encouragement, I muscled through some sissy push-ups to just keep moving.

I finished up the round with a little under 30 seconds left on the clock, and Tyson, being the freak that he is, flew through a rope climb and the push-ups as the rest of us gasped for air.

We may have tied for most rounds completed in our class, but in my mind we were the winners. It was a great feeling after being the guy to lower the curve for the whole class for the previous month.

It was just a small victory, but god damn, if typing this up hasn’t gotten me pumped up for tonight’s class. Maybe I should be concentrating on the small victories more, than the failures (even if the stories aren’t as funny).

Knowing is half the battle

2010-10-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

“Today’s classes will be going over the Bear Complex, Wendler Strength Progressions, & Push Press/Run. Bring your weightlifting and running shoes.”

And with that, Zeke signed off of CrossFit Coastal’s daily blog post for Monday.
My last post detailed some of the mental anguish I put myself through, psyching myself out on the way home prior to hitting the box. As of Monday, Zeke added a new element to that internal dialog.

I wouldn’t have been overly pumped going in Monday as it was. Friday and Saturday night were torture, as every time I moved in the bed, my shoulder woke me up. Sunday night was better, but I still would have been fighting my internal battle of:
I hope there is no shoulder work today; I hate my shoulder.

However, now I had a whole new demon to face. I knew what awaited me, so it wasn’t just the drive home, but the drive to and from the jobsite, lunch, and any free minute that I found during the day. What is a bear complex? Shoulder press and run; I hate both of those things. My inner voice is a whiny little bitch.

So of course I Googled bear complex; Hoping that it wouldn’t lead me to some kind of gay porn site that I would get questioned about by our IT department. Instead I found out that it was a compound movement combining (in order) power clean, front squat, shoulder press, back squat and another shoulder press. I think I would have been happier to find gay porn on the screen.

So for the rest of my day, when I wasn’t stressing about job related activities, I bugged out regarding what I was about to do to my body that evening.

I joked with Zeke when I got in that he had almost scared me away by posting the workout on the blog ahead of time. He responded that he had stopped doing that for awhile because people were showing up stressed out about the workout before even breaking a sweat.

I held in my reply of “No shit, asshole, why do you think I brought it up”, instead just saying that I think that I like to be surprise when I come in better than knowing ahead of time.

I got through the workout, and ran/jogged a mile and a quarter without stopping (since Will threatened us with Burpees should anyone walk, and the rest of the class seemed just fine with running, not letting the team down is still a great motivator for me). My shoulder felt like it was about to fall off following the workout. So I stuck around for extra stretching, then went home and hit:

Mobilitywod.blogspot.com

This is a great resource for finding ways to twist yourself into a pretzel in order to alleviate some sort of pain or gain some flexibility. A shoulder impingement stretch and a 10-minute squat (I have no Idea why I thought I should try this) later and my shoulder almost felt normal, although now my knees and shins felt like shit.

Which brings us to today; Apparently Zeke is a sick and twisted individual (I should really stop writing bad things about him, just incase he ever finds this blog) because he noted that some people don’t like knowing what is in store for them ahead of time in today’s blog, before posting this:

Skills
Back Squat – 3 Sets of 8 Reps at tempo. High Bar vs Low Bar.
Workout of the Day
3 Rounds/Time
15 Back Squats – 255m/175f
25 CrossFit Games Pushups
35 Kettlebell Swings 1.5/1.0
45 Situps
55 Double-Unders (3:1 sub singles to doubles)

I missed the 3 rounds the 1st time I glanced at this, or maybe I just had a nice case of selective reading, but the result is the same as yesterday. I am checking to make sure that my affairs are in order, should I not survive, and have had little else on my mind in the moments where I find myself thinking of something other than work.

At least there are no shoulder presses today, I guess I have that going for me.

Failing can be fun

2010-10-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

My apologies to those of you who used to come here for my Raiders posts, But the thing is, I only have time for one or two posts a week. Nothing seems to have changed with the Raiders (Offense is only as good as the line, which sucks; Defense is too undisciplined to be consistent). Sure getting the win vs. San Diego was huge, and I even started a post on it Monday. But it wasn’t up to my low standards, so it sits on my desktop unfinished.

So the majority of my writing is focusing on what is getting the majority of my free time focus. And that happens to be my struggle to get myself back in shape, and what I am learning about myself.

The great thing about CrossFit, is that I am already applying lessons from my workouts into my daily life.

One thing about me, I hate looking foolish. I joke about it when something does happen to me that makes me the butt of a joke. But god damn, it burns me inside. If I were to play armature psychologist, I’d say it comes from being a “Husky” kid. Who was teased constantly about his weight throughout my formative years, and learned to cope through a self depreciating sense of humor.

So how does this relate to CrossFit? Well if you have read any of the posts, you will find the constant refrain of me being put into situations where I know I will fail, know I will look foolish and being forced to push through despite my insecurities.

A month ago, when I started this journey, I used my anger at how far gone I was as my motivation to get into the gym. I knew I wasn’t ready, but I didn’t care. But, truth be told, there was still an internal battle every day on the way to the gym.

Everyone there runs better than me, I hope we aren’t running
Everyone there can do unassisted pull ups, I hope we aren’t doing those
Everyone there has better endurance; I hope it is a short workout
I’m going to look dumb because my form on (insert exercise here) sucks

By the time I had finished my 45 minute drive home, I had almost talked myself out of going. I was going to go make a fool out of myself, and these people were quickly becoming “non-strangers”, and if they know me and I look like an idiot, that is even worse. But that driving anger at myself pushed me to get off my couch and to the box.

That’s not to say that my inner fear of embarrassment hasn’t gotten the better of me at times.

Fight Gone Bad was the Saturday after my 1st workout. It also happened to be my wife’s birthday. I would have had to significantly mod the workout to get through it, and hence look foolish. So I was more than happy to use the excuse of my wife’s birthday to wimp out.

Tuesday’s handstands against the wall may very well have gone better, had I not had the underlying fear of looking uncoordinated as I collapsed to the ground following a failed attempt, or even worse, had put a portion of my body through the wall (have I mentioned I am fat).

But I am finding more and more that I am no longer letting this drive me.

Since I can’t do a handstand push-up yet, I found myself with my knees on a box, ass in the air, hands on the ground working those lacking muscles last night. The thought of how foolish I must look the furthest thing from my mind (pain and exhaustion were there instead, which is fine by me).

When I see a workout with multiple runs in it, I no longer swear under my breath. I look forward to seeing how much further I can go, before my stumbling jog turns into a gasping walk.

I may still joke with Will to go get a cot, since we will be here all night waiting for me to finish. But it isn’t so much a self defense to hide my shame, because I feel no shame in pushing myself to get better.

And that is the thing I am finding about CrossFit, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who doesn’t look foolish, or if they don’t they didn’t push themselves hard enough that day.

Just last night I noticed that I wasn’t the only one struggling through the WOD. A couple of the people who seem to make everything look easy to me, were getting their asses kicked, and the one who didn’t get her ass kicked sheepishly admitted that she should have scaled the workout up some.

Following the WOD, while I was doing some stretching and work on my shoulder, those same people who make everything look easy. They were working on an advanced movement, and struggling and maybe looking a little foolish.

As Danielle told me just three workouts in, this isn’t just hard for me; it is hard for everyone. We all look foolish, we all fail. That is part of pushing yourself. And, well to be honest, failing can be fun.

Anyway, this is getting long and I should wrap this up, and point out how this is changing things for me outside the gym. Today I was invited to take part in a golf tournament. I think I have played once in the last two years, and I wasn’t very good to begin with. There will be plenty of people I know there many of them who hold positions well above me.

Instead of declining so as to avoid embarrassment, I let the inviter know that I’m not very good, so if he is looking to field a competitive team, he might want to look elsewhere, but otherwise I’m in. Hell, I always liked getting out to golf, so if they don’t care if I suck, why should I. I’m going to fail, and I’m going to have fun doing it.

Hands on the ground, hands on the ground

2010-10-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Newsflash: I cannot do a handstand

Its not that I thought that I could, and I’m pretty sure that no one would take one look at me and say “now there is a guy capable of standing on his hands”, some may
say “there is a guy who spends most of his day with his head up his ass” but that is a different matter.

But a handstand was on the menu last night at CrossFit, well at least something approximating me putting my hands on the ground, and my feet in the air. Needless to say, this did not go well.

Well, maybe I should backtrack a little. Handstands were not on the menu when I got there, no mention of a handstand was on the board when I got there. There was a warm-up, and a WOD (Helena, 20 minutes of 400m runs and pull ups to failure). Then Zeke called the 6:30 class to order, and started adding items to the board.

3 sets of

30 second handstand
30 second frog stance

Followed by

3 sets of

3 reps handstand pushups

I’m pretty sure when Zeke turned around he quickly noted the glazed over look on 3 of our faces and knew that some remedial education was in order. Sure 2 of us were Crossfit vets, but the rest of us “didn’t have” (Crossfit’s polite way of saying you can’t do something yet) our Handstand.

So we started off with tripods. A movement that looks simple enough. To start you put your head down on an ab-mat. Then you attempt to walk you feet up until you place your knees on your elbows and either hold the pose, or go advanced and lift your legs up into the air.

Like I said, looks simple enough, but having just ran a half-mile, and done other assorted warm-up activities, I was already dripping with sweat. My knees kept slipping off of my elbows, causing my legs to crash to the ground.

After I bumbled through this movement for a couple minutes, Zeke introduced us to the Frog stance. This one didn’t look simple, and made me look even more foolish. Start in a squatting position, like you are stretching your groin. Proceed to move your weight forward onto your hands, and rest your knees on your elbows again, or in the air if you are actually in shape.

One again, an embarrassing display on my part. The mats were a sweaty mess from a combination of the moisture dripping off my head, and where various body parts crashed to the ground.

I spent the next few minutes going through the motions of trying to get our 30 second sets in each pose, but my bad shoulder was starting to act up, and I can’t say that my heart was in it.

We then went over to do some handstand push-ups. Full range of motion was stressed, and ways to advance the movement, or use the bands to help were discussed. Then those of us who “didn’t have our handstand” were taken over to a wall and instructed on how to “get our handstand”.

This pretty much meant flipping yourself ass over head and using the wall to help with balance. Or at least this is what you were supposed to do.

I quickly found that it takes a lot of momentum to get my substantial mid section over my head. After a couple of failed attempts, I manage to get them up there. Only to crash head 1st into the wall once I got suitable momentum. At this point my shoulder went from balking to screaming, and I excused myself to do some range of motion work on my shoulder as I waited for the workout of the day to start.

Things went better for me in the WOD. I ran further than I thought I could before breaking from a jog to a walk only for portions of the last three 400’s. The pull-ups weren’t impressive, as I was using an elastic band for assistance, and gasping for air from the runs. But I got more rounds in than I thought I would and did not allow myself to quit, despite my shoulder airing its grievances throughout the run, and a minor cramp in my side about half-way through.

About a month in, and I am already seeing some results from this workout regimen. I am running further than I have in years. My strength is slowly coming back. (Monday we maxed out in shoulder press, front squat and dead lift, and while I didn’t set all time bests for myself, I did substantially better than I could have a month ago). My mindset is improved, as I am pushing through physical discomfort in the workouts and not quitting on myself.

Other than the return of my aching shoulder, things are looking up.

Standing up to the Bully

2010-10-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Pro-Tip: do not do dead lifts, followed by a “chipper” workout featuring walking lunges, back extensions and about 10 other exercises that tax your core the night prior to a 10 hour drive.

I learned this the hard way last Thursday. As I walked into Crossfit my standard 15 minutes early to start stretching, I noticed that the 5:30 class was dropping like flies as they wrapped up the marathon workout that was on the board.

The warm-up had me gasping for air, a feeling I am growing all to accustom to. Unfortunately, it was just a quick 5 reps of each of the movements that we would be expected to do that night, with plenty of rest in between. There would be no rest during the workout that Will termed a “Chipper” workout, as in just keep chipping away at it.

Then I made my big mistake, since I wouldn’t be around Friday or Saturday, I asked if I should work one of the strength movements prior to the workout, thinking that this would result in a scaled down workout to compensate.

Will seemed to think this was a good idea (the strength work, not modding the WOD), and had me proceed to work on my dead lifts. Initially I was mortified at how little weight I was able to move, but a couple of form tips later, I was banging out some quality reps (well quality for me).

Then it was time to start the workout that the rest of the class was about half way through. “Just keep moving” was the only advice give, not the “cut back by 25%” I had been hoping for.

So I proceeded to begin the Bataan death march of a workout that was laid out before me. My back and hamstrings screamed for mercy. Sweat dripped into my eyes, blurring my vision at times. This was not fun.

With 3 exercises left, I found myself set up for a set of 25 back extensions. I have done these for years, and never before have I found myself jackknifed with my hands on the floor, wondering how I was going to get myself back to horizontal as my lower back and hamstrings burned the way your eyes burn if you take out your contacts after dicing jalapeños (pro-tip #2, wash your hands at least 30 times between these 2 activities).

I then stumbled over to wall-ball, and I can truthfully tell you that I have no idea how many reps I did. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get the prescribed amount, but with Hanna and Will rooting me on, I got myself together enough to string together 5 more reps, before doing 9 pitiful floor to standing pull ups.

I was laid out on the floor for what seemed like 5 minutes before composing myself enough to shakily get to my feet. Every fiber of my body hurt, but I had pushed myself farther than I thought I could. But still not as far as I probably should be able to.

The next morning I struggled to get through my shower, and to get into the truck to drive to Upstate NY. There was not one minute of that drive, or the 40 minute drive to or from the game the next day, or the 20 minutes in the car going to dinner, or the 12 hours back where I was comfortable. It wasn’t until Tuesday around noon that I stood up from a chair without needing 3-5 steps to straighten my back (which included another workout Monday night).

There is a positive end to all of this. After a lackluster workout on Monday, Tuesday’s workout was without a doubt my best so far at CrossFit.

Sure I was still gassed after warm-ups, but I felt good working on both my shoulder presses and front squats, pushing myself in both. Then I felt like I didn’t completely embarrass myself in the WOD. I may have only gotten my knees to chest (or more likely waist) instead of to my elbows for that part of the workout. But I was able to keep a respectable pace throughout.

Sure, for the 6:30 class, I came in a distant 3rd out of 3 participants in the WOD, but I have to remember that I am not competing with the others in the class. I am competing against myself, and my preconceived notions of what I can accomplish.

Not completely embarrassing myself, and keeping a respectable pace, may not sound like a huge accomplishment. But for me there was a world of difference between the way that I have felt walking out of Crossfit last night compared to end of the previous workouts. The bully still had still kicked my ass, but he left with a bloody lip to show for it.

My legs may fell rubbery today, and I am damn glad that tonight I will be having a date night with my wife rather than hitting the gym. But I feel like I may be clearing the 1st hurdle. I still need a lot of work on my endurance, flexibility and mindset, but the way I felt leaving the box last night was awesome. And I can’t wait to hit it hard tomorrow... after resting tonight.

Meeting Murph

2010-09-30T18:47:00.001-07:00

“Are you new here?” She said as she overtook me in the warm-up run.

“Yeah, this is my 3rd workout.”

“Well don’t worry, it doesn’t get any easier, we are all dead by the end of the workout.”

And with those words of encouragement, Danielle blew by me and went on with her run.

I am quickly finding that the words “check your ego at the door” are a requirement of my trips to the CrossFit box.

Be it a 5 foot nothing, 100 and nothing pound girl, or a 6’7” guy, I have found that most anyone can run circles around me or just make me look foolish in any endeavor.

But, here we are, a week and a half into it, and I am finding that I look forward to getting to the box everyday after work. Last night I cursed myself as I was driving home, since I had agreed to take my wife out to a movie, and I hadn’t gotten out of work in time to get a work out in 1st.

And while we are on the subject of discoveries. I have found that Crossfit has a funny way of paying tribute to our fallen soldiers.

Tuesday was my 1st “Hero” workout. These are torture devices named for a brave member of our armed Services who has lost his or her life defending our country.

My introduction to the Hero workout was “Murph” named after a Navy Seal who lost his life in Afghanistan. Later I found out that the mission that he lost his life on has a book written about it call “Sole Survivor”, it has been added to my reading list.

But back to Murph, I’m not sure how they go about picking the workout that is dedicated to the individual, but If it was a favorite workout of the individual for whom it is named, than Murph was a sick fuck. Start with a mile run, then 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats, oh and tack on another mile run just for fun.

Fortunately they let you break up the pull-ups, push-ups and squats however you want. Unfortunately I only made it through about a 1/3 of the prescribed workout before the trainer came over to me and let me know I should start stumbling through my 2nd mile if we ever wanted to get home that night.

So while it may not have been CrossFit’s intention, the result was me cursing the name of a fallen soldier as I jogged around the parking lot in the rain Tuesday night. Actually, it was more me cursing myself for thinking that any workout involving 2-miles of running was a good idea, seeing as it had probably been 10 years since I had run 2-miles in a day, let alone in a workout.

That said, I will be back at the box tonight, hopefully for an indoor workout, since I have been soaked to the bone everyday so far this week, and am quite sick of it. I thought I was moving to Wilmington for the beach and sun, not 20+ inches of rain in 4 days.

I have met the enemy

2010-09-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

The battle to win back my health will not be easy, it will not be fun and it will not be pretty.

Day 2 at CrossFit started off relatively easy. It was a personal workout day, to make sure I knew the basics necessary to join the group workouts. And I started off strong.

A 400m warm-up run/jog to start, and there was no mistaking me for a hero today. I jogged it out, working up a nice base sweat but not gassing myself. Then it was on to a progression of body weight squats (standard, front and overhead) presses (standing, push and jerk) kettle ball swings, sit-ups and back extensions.

I was genuinely surprised when my squat form was corrected. I wasn’t surprised that I needed correction, but was surprised at the correction made. I have never been good at going deep enough, but that wasn’t the issue. It was my foot placement. All my years of training for football, you set up to squat with a football related base, so that you worked the muscles the way you would when firing out of your stance.

Zeke, the owner/head trainer, had me widen my base, and point my toes out. Years of muscle memory screamed in protest, but I was immediately going deeper, but still not below parallel. This will take some getting used to.

From there it was on to my private session; A brief introduction to the Olympic movements. Cleans and Jerks are nothing new to me. These along with squats and bench presses formed the basis of the explosive training that I went through years ago, so I was feeling pretty confident. The snatch would be something new for me, but the start of the movement was familiar, so I guessed I’d be able to figure it out.

I have to say, my trainer, Chris, was excellent. There was quite a bit of rust to be knocked off to begin with, but he broke down the movements in a way that had never been done for me before. The coaches I have worked with in the past would be well served to spend a day with him, and learn how to teach the movements. I am confident that had I ever been instructed in this manner, I would have been putting up a hell of a lot more weight. I’m looking forward to getting my strength back and putting up personal bests 10 years past my playing days.

And while I quickly picked up on the corrections being made to my rusty form, I was shocked at how I was already tiring just moving a wooden dowel and a 45lb bar. I knew coming in that getting my wind back would be one of the hardest parts of the process, but this was nuts.

Then things went wrong. While I put the dowels back, and grabbed some water, Chris consulted with Zeke on what workout I would be doing today. Apparently Zeke hates me already, because his answer was “Fight Gone Bad”.

Yeah, this was the workout that had originally peaked my interest in CrossFit, but my mind screamed “I’m not ready”. Chris reassured me that it would only be 2 rounds, not the prescribed 5. But the damage was done. I tried to put on a good face, and aggressively attack the workout, but it had already defeated me mentally.

Wall Ball was 1st, and I did fairly well, but I was pushing too much with my arms, wasn’t using proper squat form (still need to get that base wider) and I think I was set up too far from the wall (based on watching a video of FGB online to explain to my wife why I was swimming in sweat when I got home).

That was the only positive of the 12 minute workout. Sumo high-pulls were just a sad excuse of going through the motions. My confidence and wind were shot by the time I addressed the box jumps, and only managed some half hearted step-ups. Push press would have been adequate, had it been the 5th round of FGB, not the 1st. And rowing was yet another example of me going through the motions as I gasped for air.

Round 2 made round 1 look inspired. This would have be bad enough, but then came the last 30 seconds of the workout when I went back on the attack on the rows. I put more heart and effort into that last 30 seconds than I had the previous 11 ½ minutes. Prompting Chris to exclaim “where did that come from?”

I was too winded to reply, but deep down I knew. It came from me getting pissed off at myself. Not because I had failed to do the workout, but because I had failed to give it everything I had. There had been plenty of times during the workout that I felt that I could puke, but rather than pushing through that feeling, or puking and rallying (a gift of mine according to my old drinking buddies) I had caved.

If there is one thing that I can take from day 2, it is that I completely overlooked one area that needed serious work. I knew that when it came to endurance and flexibility I was woefully unprepared. I knew that my strength had waned, but had faith in muscle memory helping me through. I had no idea the depths that my mind had slipped.

Looking back at the years of excuses, and the way I quickly faltered in workout #1, I can’t believe I missed this. I have been losing the mental game for years. Pushing through has been getting it’s ass handed to it by rolling over.

I have met the enemy, and it is me.

Fat Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life, So I'm trying to lose weight

2010-09-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am fat and out of shape. I know this, anyone who knows me knows this. It was only Seven short years ago that I was a gym rat and working my body fat down towards 10%. I was in the gym up to 6 days a week, and loved every minute of it.

I moved, I got married, my gym partner relocated to Texas and I started finding excuses not to hit the gym, rather than finding excuses to get there.

It has gotten bad. My brother has expressed to me his concern about my health. My wife noted how I physically looked like my Father, almost 30 years my senior, in a recent photo. At least once a month my mother asks if I had started to work out again…yet.

So here it goes. I am going to document my attempts to get back into some sort of shape.

I am 6’2”, 250 lbs, the majority of which resides around my midsection. If I had to guess I would peg my bodyfat at close to 28% (I will find a way to get this measured to make this more accurate).

About a year ago I first heard of CrossFit. I saw a post about their yearly fundraiser called Fight Gone Bad and was intrigued. Where most people I know looked at the combination of box jumps, rowing, wall ball, sumo high pulls and push press and want to vomit, I looked at them and said, Damn, those are the things I used to love to do, because they make me want to vomit.

Of course I quickly fell into my excuse making habits. I wasn’t in good enough shape to do that program, so I did start going to the gym for a little while. Until I found my next excuse, the nearest Crossfit gym would require me to double my daily commute. And so I slowly stopped going to the gym.

Well last week I finally had enough. I had told myself that I would start running, doing push-ups and sit-ups and using the chin-up bar in the garage once I moved to Wilmington to get ready to go to the CrossFit gym that is less than a mile from my house. And after a month, none of that had happened.

So, pissed at myself, I made the call to CrossFit Coastal and signed up for their Saturday open gym. And I got my ass kicked.

Sure I was pleasantly surprised that I could put together 2 pull-ups in a row. Too bad the warm-up called for 3 sets of 5. Forget the sit-ups, my gut just gets in the way. Run 200 yards once, OK, three times. I am a pathetic excuse for a man.

Then there was the actual workout. I felt pretty good about my chances with the push press, some modified pull-ups might get me through that, then a 200 yard run/jog. Well there was a rest period while my teammate went through the same progression. I can do this.

No I couldn’t, the press was fine, the pull ups, not so great, then I set out at a run and completely gassed myself within the 1st 100 yards. There was no coming back for me. I dropped the weight on the press and did my best not to puke for the next 15 minutes.

I knew I was in bad shape, but I had no idea how bad. Everything from the stretching to the breaking down of the weights at the end was torture. But a funny thing happened.

Others doing the workout, who had never met me before encouraged me as they ran past my stumbling mass. My workout partner cheered me through each transition (sorry about truncating your workout Gabs.) And once I finally caught my breath I felt good about myself.

Not in a, yeah you are in shape way, but in a you finally are addressing the problem way. My entire body was trashed, I felt like I had just gone through the 1st padded practice of 2-a-days. And I found that I had missed that feeling.

So, despite the fact that I am still sore from what is called a light workout on Saturday, I am headed back tonight. And I am looking forward to getting my ass kicked again.

Week 2 Thoughts

2010-09-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

I keep meaning to write posts for this damn blog. But life gets busy. I mean I started a series of posts on why the Raiders would go 16-0. And it would have had me looking like Nostradamus, had Vince Young imploded and been benched one week earlier. But the series remains on my flash drive, seen only by me.

So lets keep things short and simple. I want to write about 2 things, the Raiders and my attempts to get back into shape. So this post will concentrate on the former, and hopefully my next post will be on the later.

The win vs. St. Louis.

1 – Thank god for Jason Campbell

I know this goes squarely against the grain of the general consensus of Raider fans right now. But, had the Raiders not swung the trade for Campbell, I have to believe that JaMarcus would have been the Raiders starter going into week 2. (Remember Grads missed most of the offseason and the start of camp with a torn pec). Even if Grads had started against the Titans, I have trouble believing he would have made it out of that game healthy. Meaning that we would have been treated to the return of JaMarcus to Oakland yesterday. Thanks for the win Jason.

2 – Tom Cable is ahead of the curve on the Oline

Once again, this will be greeted with a collective WTF by the majority of Raider fans. But hear me out. There are two areas of an NFL team where the players have not become specialized. The quarterback (with the exception of teams running a Wildcat) and the offensive line. I believe that within the next 5 years, we will see specialist on the offensive line. Long yardage tackles, who specialize at pass blocking, but suck at run blocking. And their short yardage counterparts.

Lets face it, Mario Henderson is truly lacking when it comes to pass blocking, but has shown beastly flashes in the run game. If Veldheer can come into his own as a pass blocker, the platoon at LT could be a reality in Oakland.

Would it be better to have an Ogden or Jones at LT who can do it all, sure, but those guys are so rare, I think that the reality of the NFL will soon require platoons where possible on the line.

Veldehere is an intriguing prospect to start this movement with in Oakland. He represents a signifigant upgrade at center in run blocking, but has trouble with the blitz pick-up, especially in pass-pro. He is at least Henderson’s equal at pass blocking right now, at that is with three years less experience and a DII background.

Bruce Cambell is equally intriguing in this manner. He could be a great pulling guard, but his body says OT. Right now he is backing up at RG, but the day could soon come that he is a part of the right side rotation.

The key is getting both of these players up to par at multiple positions. Which is at least a season away. But looking forward to next season:

Base/Run downs:

Henderson, Gallery, Veldheer, Campbell, Walker

Pass Situations

Veldheer, Gallery, Satele, TBD, Campbell

Not a complete picture, but don’t be surprised when you start seeing specialists on the line. And don’t be surprised if the substitutions become more frequent in Oakland as the season progresses.

3 – Raiders Busting out all over

Some Raiders that have had the bust lable attached to them seem to be coming into their own.

Darren McFadden has looked like an NFL running back two weeks in a row. His vision is still questionable, and he takes too long to get up to top speed. But he is finally running hard and not falling at 1^st contact. A huge improvement.

Darrius Hayward-Bey is catching balls, not the deep home-run ball we all hoped for. But he seems to be running better routs and getting open. And when the quarterback hits him in stride, the next hit isn’t the ball meeting the ground.

Stanford Routt only took five seasons, but he is playing well at the target corner across from Asomugha. Sure he isn’t perfect, but he looks like a player (and ignore those who claim he got burnt on that long Tennessee TD, that was a zone and he was the only one who recognized the coverage bust, that is why he was the only guy near the ball).

Michael Huff has looked like a decent safety so far this season. The preseason looked like more of the same, but I can’t fault a safety who is repeatedly the 1^st guy to the running back after the front 7 falls flat on their face. Decent isn’t all-pro, but if the front 7 can continue to apply pressure, he could shed the Fluff label.

4 – Gradkowski just gets it done

But there is more to it than the team getting a spark from Grads. The playcalling was appreciably different with Grads, shorter routs, more timing, more taking what was there than trying to force things.

So what is the difference, I think it is the coaches putting too much stock into what they see in practice. I think Campbell is much more confident with that Red Jersey on, and who wouldn’t be behind Oakland’s O-line. That goes to shit once the real bullets start flying.

Gradkowski is equally limited in practice and in the game. Meaning that the gameplan based on what he shows in practice matches what he produces Sunday. It isn’t pretty, but it is effective.

5 – Get healthy soon

Gallery, Bush, Seymore and Schilens all should be major contributors to this team. And if the Raiders want to have any hope of 8-8 they need to be on the field. The Raiders stand a chance without them against a pathetic Arizona squad this week. But need at least Gallery and Seymore back to have a prayer against Houston.

Hall of Shame

2010-07-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

You have got to be kidding me. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is becoming a bad joke.

Today it was announced that Chris Berman would be inducted as the recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

This would not be that egregious of an issue if 1 – if the award weren’t given such a prominent place in the building, 2 – so many deserving players and coaches weren’t on the outside looking in 3 – if Berman had done anything of substance other than stupid nicknames for the past 20 years.

I was pretty much unaware of the award up until my visit to the Hall last season. And chances were would have missed the plaque entirely if it were anywhere else in the building with is overflowing with NFL history.

But there it is, right on the 1st floor as you enter the building, before you start to ascend the spiral ramp to the main museum area. Before you get to the greats of the game, you pay your respects to the media? How is that right. But there it is, with such luminaries as Peter King and Dr. Z listed before the Lombardis, Paytons and Montanas.

To me this is a problem. When a writer such as Peter King can proclaim that a player such as Ray Guy didn’t have enough of an impact on the game to deserve enshrinement, how can he in good conscience accept a prominent place in the hall? Is writing about Mary Beth’s softball exploits or Starbucks coffee more impactful that ensuring your defense great field position?

The roster of deserving players and coaches who are on the outside looking in would field a team that would run roughshod over the league. Ken Stabler throwing to Tim Brown, Chris Carter and Sterling Sharpe in a Don Coryall offense. Dermonti Dawson, Steve Wisnewski, Howard Mudd, Jerry Kramer opening holes for Bo Jackson and Terrel Davis following Alan Ameche. Alex Karras, Jim Marshall, Richard Dent up front on defense. Steve Tasker flying down the field under Ray Guy punts and any kicker you may want (as there are none in the hall) kick offs. I could go on and on.

Instead Brett Favre’s official jock cleaner, Peter King, gets a place of prominence.

Now joining King is none other than Chris Berman, who’s act got tired 2 seasons after it started. A guy who’s most notable contribution to the game is bad nicknames and “HE..COULD..GO..ALL..THE..WAY”, pathetic. Would the NFL be any less popular now had we never been introduced to Natrone Means “Business”, rather than just plain of Natrone Means? Would the Bills failures been any less heartbreaking/hilarious had we never learned of their proficiency in circling the wagons?

I would argue that the league would be in better shape had Berman not done so much to dumb down the discussion of the game. His buffoonery overshadowed otherwise great play, turning the sportscaster into a celebrity, rather than a conduit for information.

If the Hall of Fame is going to display the names of men like Berman and King, it should be reserved for a wing where others of their ilk could reside. Others like the Raiderettes and Cowgirls. Those who appease the casual fan while waving pom-poms for their favorite quarterback the way King has for Favre and Berman for Kelly.

Soccer is now America's Game? Don't fool yourself

2010-07-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

I know I’m a week late on this, but I’ve been looking for a new house and traveling for the 4th of July weekend. But lost in all the hoopla over Landon Donovan’s incredible goal to send the US to the knock out round of the world cup is one simple thing. Nothing has changed.

Before I get labeled as a Soccer hater, let me say that I enjoy watching an occasional game. When it comes right down to it, I follow football religiously, love hockey and will seek out games to watch and that’s just about it. No baseball on TV, I go to a game about once a year with friends or family, no basketball at all and will put a NASCAR race on to help me nap on a lazy Sunday afternoon. So you could almost say I like Soccer since I’ll watch the world cup and enjoy it.

Perhaps some of my reluctance to accept the proclamation that the US finally has it’s defining soccer moment that will change the way the sport is viewed in this country has to do with my experience with the sport. I went to High School in a soccer mad town. The Soccer team was regularly one of the best in the state, and up until my Sophomore year the football team was a joke.

Despite that, I felt that the Soccer jocks still harbored an inferiority complex. Actively seeking any chance to point out how they played the “worlds” sport, that real “football” players didn’t wear pads, how there was so much more skill involved in soccer. It was tiresome at best, and served to only reinforce the negative soccer stereotypes.

I still enjoyed going to the games to support my friends on the team, or to ogle the girls team (all the best looking girls at our school played). And having played youth soccer up until 7th grade, always had a favorable opinion of the game.

So all that said, I would actually like to think that the goal in extra time would actually increase America’s awareness and appreciation for the sport. That maybe it could move up the American sport’s pantheon to the level of basketball. But sadly, beating Algeria inextra time won’t change that.
See here are the problems with this line of thinking as I see them:

The generally accepted fact that American’s love an underdog is false under most circumstances. America loves winners and seeing those on high being knocked from their perch.

Look at the most popular teams in American sports; they all have longstanding winning traditions. The Yankees, Steelers and Cowboys all are at the top of their respective sports in terms of number of championships and have won constantly over the years and have the largest fan bases to show for it. When people root for the teams playing them, it is as much from a desire to see them lose, as to see them win.

America doesn’t want to be the underdog; they want to be the juggernaut. That is why when the world caught up to us in basketball we put together the dream team. It was no fun rooting for our college players as the underdog; it was fun to watch our best destroy all comers.

Plus, it is hard for America to accept the concept that we could be the underdog against a country we see as inferior to us. The lake placid hockey team could be seen as underdogs against the USSR. They were the boogieman from that huge red country across the ocean with their missiles pointed at us. In the minds of Americans, a third world nation the size of the state of Pennsylvania should not be favored over us in soccer, even if the Soccer loving world knows otherwise.

The Internet is doing as much harm as good.

Donovan’s goal became an internet sensation. YouTube tributes spread like wildfire. Bloggers spent days celebrating the goal with flowery prose. Surely more people were exposed to the goal through the internet than would have been in the days of the newpaper.

But soccer also suffered due to the internet and instant scores. When the US upset the USSR in hockey there weren’t tweets and live blogs covering the event so that everyone knew in real time. Sports fans were forced to tune in at night to watch the game on tape delay to learn the result, spoilers were hard to come by. Everyone tuned into that Hockey game got the full range of emotions that occur in a game of that magnitude. The growing hope that the underdog could come through and the exultation when they did was shared by all.

Unless you were one of those who took the day off (more on them later) to watch the game, chances are you knew the result without seeing the game. There was no tension, no overwhelming disappointment as it seemed that the game was slipping away only to be replace with joy as those American persevered to win in the end. The emotion that is so critical to sport was lost.

The hype leading up to the World Cup in America was false.

For the months leading up to the World Cup ESPN had their powerful hype machine on full blast. U2 was brought in to do a theme song. Soccer story after soccer story was pushed. The problem is, Sportcenter is no longer truly a sports highlight show. It is ESPN/ABC’s marketing arm.

One need only look at the way the coverage of the NBA vs. NHL has changed since ESPN dropped the NHL to pick up the NBA. No more NHL tonight, it is a slow day when all of the NHL games get highlight packages. The NBA gets primetime shows and prime coverage year round. The disparity in coverage far outweighs the disparity in popularity.

When ESPN/ABC showed the shots of the fans packed into bars showing the game they tried to sell it as American’s embracing the World Cup, but they were just preaching to the converted. It was the Americans who already loved soccer finding a way to watch the game, not those of us who just liked the game, or were ambivalent.

Nearly all of those who got to experience the emotion of the game already had a deep seeded appreciation of the game. I won’t say that the emotion was wasted on them, but the chance to share it with the rest of America was lost as ESPN relegated the replay in primetime to ESPNU, which many don’t get, or at midnight on the more widely seen ESPN2. Even ESPN didn’t see the value of using prime airtime on this supposedly sport changing game.

These thought were all running through my mind in the days following the game as I looked at the hyperbole being put forth about America embracing soccer through my cynical eyes. Then it was driven home the following Saturday when the US team played Ghana.

Watching the game, I got caught up in it. I held out hope that the US could pull off the upset. Watched them fall behind early only to fight their way back and to ultimately fail. Losing was not unexpected, but there was some emotion there.
T
hat night I went to a baseball game with about 30 of my coworkers. The same crew that had announced the scores of the previous games to everyone else as they came across their computer screens the previous weeks. The same crew that discusses whatever big game was on the night before. The majority of whom are 25-40 year old sports loving American males. The demographic that, according to all reports, had just fallen in love with soccer.

Not a word about the game was uttered the whole night as we ate our burgers and hotdogs and drank our beers. Lebron’s free agency was discussed, baseball talk flowed and talk of the upcoming football season was heard. All that sports talk and Soccer was already an afterthought. So quickly things had gone right back to normal. Nothing had changed.

Return of The King

2010-07-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

What does it take to get brickinthebox posting again?
Is it a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the Raiders?
Is it the arrest of JaMarcus Russell for something that everyone knew was going on
for years? (What is the next shocking headline, Woody Harrelson arrested for pot?)
Is it just to see how many pointless questions I can lead a post with?
No, it is something much more sinister. A beloved American institution is under attack.
The story is all over the news, you can’t turn on the TV or surf the net without being
assaulted by the speculation, the analysis and the hyperbolae.
No we aren’t talking about the oil spill, or whatever Obama is doing. We are talking
about Lebron James’ vicious assault of Brett Favre.
That’s right loyal reader, your summer tradition of breathlessly awaiting word on Brett
decision on retirement has been ruthlessly abducted from the headlines. And perhaps
more disturbing, is the assault on Brett’s cherished title of being the pre-eminent attention
whore in sports.
The outright high jacking of the sporting landscape has obviously been well planned, and
rehearsed for optimal effect. And if you carefully examine the actions of the key players,
you will find the mastermind.
Player #1 – Brett Favre
It would not be surprising to find that Favre was ready to pass the torch to the next
in line, if he were truly contemplating retirement. But his actions show that he was
preparing for another Summer of dominating the headlines and sports talk radio.
Tearfully discuss how this could be the end after costing his team another playoff game –
check.
Carefully timed surgery to keep name in headlines – check.
Meaningless wager with hometown team – check.
Vague quotes served up to long time media accomplices to further agenda – check.
The evidence is clear. Brett actions are those of one who relishes his standing, and wishes
to wear the crown as long as possible.
Verdict – Victim
Player #2 – LeBron James
The heir to Jordan’s throne, I won’t list his on court accomplishments, because I couldn’t
give a fuck about basketball and don’t know them. But with his name and face plastered
all over the media, he appears to have been working hard to replace Favre the past few
years.
Show up wearing out of town gear to rile fans – check.
Avoid answering questions about preferred destination, while accepting any and all
invitations to be interviewed on that very subject – check.
Agree to a one hour special on the occasion of your decision – check.
It would seem to those eager to pass judgment that James and his marketing team are
the masterminds behind this coup attempt. There is only one problem. This is coming
too early in his career. And a true mastermind would recognize this, and the imminent
backlash. No, James’ ignorance of the potential consequences demonstrates that he and
his team are no potential masterminds.
Verdict – Willing Accomplice
This leaves just one potential mastermind. Those of you who are long time readers
will know his name. And if you tune in tonight, I am sure you will see his face.
Player #3 – Stuart Scott
That right, the man who holds an unexplainable hold over the Disney/ESPN empire.
Hiding behind his buffoonish façade, his lazy eye, his penchant for outdated pop culture
references, Stuart Scott has positioned himself to retake his spot as the premier ESPN
talent.
When you follow the breadcrumbs, it isn’t hard to pick up the trail.
Scott had it all. Free reign to impart his will over the worldwide leaders sports
programming. From forcing his way onto the Sunday/Monday night pregame show
to outright flaunting of his powers, such as his poetry jams. Scott could do whatever,
whenever he wanted.
But media power can be fleeting, and any sign of weakness can cost one his perch.
A mysterious Illness, coupled with others getting closer to reigning king of attention
whoring, Favre, than he could (Favre of course is a Southern white boy, read into this as
you will). And Scott new something had to be done.
First, media competition had to be eliminated. Some quick backdoor maneuvering was
all it took to discredit the likes of Steven A. Smith (let us not forget that White Males
from New England share many traits of their southern counterparts, and prefer a “safe”
alternate perspective).
Then a suitable heir to Favre’s throne had to be found. James was the obvious choice.
Willing to be thrust into the spotlight from a young age, desperate for the attention,
immature enough to embrace Scott and talented enough to garner the attention, he was
easy pickings for one as experience in manipulation as Scott.
Finally the hype machine had to be wound up. While Scott had seen his star fade due to
the ascension of those more physically gifted (Erin Andrews) or willing to flaunt their
limited physical gifts (Hanna Storm), or actually adept at their craft (Bob Ley), he still
had his claws deep enough into the worldwide leader to manipulate the weak minded.
And the weak were easily manipulated. Scott’s favorite tool was Bill Simmons. Feeding
on Simmon’s love for outdated pop culture, Simmons was a willing pawn in Scott’s
game. Possessing an internet following that is hard to explain, Simmons reached the
masses with Scotts message of “All that is James must be covered”.
With all the pieces in place, Scott could sit back and watch his master plan fall into
place. The ESPN machine will automatically gravitate towards properties it holds the
rights to (See world cup hype) so Scott, now in place as the man closest to James in the
organization had only to ride the wave.
Tonight a new King of the Attention Whores may be crowned, but while his predecessor
was a master media manipulator, this new King is merely a figurehead. Make no mistake
dear readers, tonight is the start of something far more sinister, The second reign of Stuart
Scott is at hand. The sporting world may never be the same.

3rd Year Rookie QB

2009-09-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Raider Nation,

It has become apparent to me that I have been too harsh on JaMarcus Russell, I have erred in my judgment and become a hater. But I am here to pass my new found knowledge to my loyal reader:

I have learned over the last couple days that since JaMarcus came out as a Junior we should expect less progress than with other QB’s(- 1 year).

We all already knew, that even though he was on the team his rookie year didn't count thanks to the holdout (- 1 year).

Last season had the whole Kiffen fiasco until week 4, then he had to relearn everything with Cable so lets be fair to JR and call it half a season lost (- 1/2 year).

So if you do the math, JR isn't actually a 3rd year player with 2 seasons of experience, you have to subtract 2.5 years from his experience due to circumstances both in and out of his control.

So when you do the Math, Russell is now in week 7 of his senior season of college. You have to understand that there is a huge jump from college to the NFL. You wouldn't expect a College senior to jump right into the NFL and produce.

That is why he is making the same mistakes and problems we saw in his 1st games in the NFL, the same mistakes and problems some of us who watched more than the ND game pointed out prior to the draft.

Anyone who expects progress at this point is clearly just trying to spin this incredible story of a College senior competing (albeit poorly) at the NFL level in a negative light. Which makes them a hater.

Please don’t be a hater Raider Nation, remember this is only Russell’s 3rd rookie season, if he is still not showing progress after about half way through his sophomore season as an NFL QB, then it would be ok to be critical.

So if you do the math, criticism of Russell can fairly begin after at least 2 seasons following this one (~2012), because this year is obviously a wash due to having rookie WR’s starting (- 1 year).

Brick's NFL Season Preview

2009-09-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

Football is back, thank God. Tonight kicks off the NFL season with the Titans visiting Pittsburgh. I’ll be avoiding heading downtown despite the fact that Tim McGraw and the Black Eyed Peas (Isn’t that the punchline to “What happens in Tila Tequila’s bathroom?”) will be performing. I know, hard to resist shitty pop music.

So with the return of the NFL season, it is time for the 2^nd annual Brickinthebox NFL season preview. Where I tell you next seasons draft order, because, how else would you want to look at the NFL season, then by who will suck the most to the least.

Enough preamble, on with the show.

#1 – Detroit Lions (2-14)

A huge step forward for Detroit, as I have them pegged for 2 wins this season, OK, not a huge step, but they have a killer schedule, tough luck Detroit, maybe next year you can pick a Franchise QB, instead of settling for the top rated one.

#2 – Denver Broncos (3-13)

You know, if you look back in the archives, I said that I didn’t think that losing Cutler and adding Orton would kill this team. Fortunately bad draft picks, free agent acquisitions and Brandon Marshall will. And hey, look at that, they have already traded out of the top 10.

#3 – New York Jets (3-13)

I honestly don’t think the Jets are that bad. I like their defense; I like their run game. But they have a brutal stretch to kick off the season, and I just don’t think a rookie QB is ready, and the bad early season momentum could kill this team.

#4 – St. Louis Rams (4-12)

Their left tackle of the future is playing right tackle, there are no weapons for Bulger to throw to, and I don’t think Bulger will be upright long. Hey, at least next year’s draft is deep in QB’s.

#5 – Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)

Matt Cassell is about to get a rude awakening. The offensive line is in shambles, Dwane Bowe isn’t bad, but isn’t Randy Moss, and there is no Wes Welker on the squad. The Defense won’t be horrid, but this team should have just finished the job and traded Larry Johnson, so they could complete the gutting.

#6 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)

Thanks for being interm coach Mr. Morris, now the Glazers can continue their obsession with big name coaches and try to lure Shanahan and settle for Shotenheimer.

#7 – Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Brady Quinn is going to be the staring QB, I though new coaches and GM’s didn’t have to live with the previous regimes mistakes.

#8 – San Francisco 49’ers(6-10)

If the 49’ers had a QB I would be projecting them much higher, hell they would be a playoff contender. But Joe Montana is not walking through that door.

#9 – Buffalo Bills (6-10)

The recent firing of the offensive coordinator leaves me with no confidence in this team starting strong with some tough early games. Early losses should lead to the return of the T.O. show.

#10 – Chicago Bears (7-9)

The 1^st big surprise on my list, I have huge questions about the defense. With Tommy Harris looking like he is done, the middle is open. And I other than at TE and RB, Cutler just doesn’t have the weapons, oh and he is very overrated.

#11 – Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

The Cowboys are going to get Wade fired this season, Jerry isn’t going to put up with empty seats in his shrine to his own ego.

#12 – Houston Texans (7-9)

I keep hearing how this will be the season that Houston gets their shit together and produces a winning season. To me this looks just like the 8-8 team from last season, with a worse back-up QB, which is important when the starter is made of glass.

#13 – New England Patriots (7-9)

Well Holy Shit, I shocked myself when I totaled up the wins and losses at the end of my predicting exercise. Here is what it came down to, I don’t have a lot of faith in the Pat’s offensive line, and the linebackers and secondary are extremely shaky. If a team can rush the passer and throw the rock, I kept finding myself giving them the edge over the Pats. I’m most likely wrong, but would love to be right.

#14 – Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

Face it, the Cardinals got hot at the right time last season, and had some great luck with injuries to get to the Super Bowl. I don’t see Warner staying healthy all season, and I don’t see a return trip to the playoffs for the Cardinals.

#15 – Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)

The 1^st of the two teams I completely whiffed on last season. Injuries were the excuse last season, but I think there was also a huge character void, as some key vets were jettisoned, and turds like Jerry Porter were brought in. They should return to respectability this season, but I don’t see playoffs.

#16 – Oakland Raiders (8-8)

Hey, it’s not a losing record. Raiders fan’s rejoice. There is some good young talent on this team, but the lines need major upgrades. This team is a year away and another reasonable off-season from contending for the division.

This is a long post, take a Random Hottie break

#17 – Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Those who don’t improve themselves will watch everyone else pass them by. That will be the story of the 2009 Carolina Panthers, as they have watched Atlanta and New Orleans improve while they have stood pat.

#18 – Washington Redskins (9-7)

The 1^st of the 9-7 teams, and the 1^st of those to miss the playoffs on a tie-breaker. I like the D with the exception of (D)aGello Hall and I think Campbell takes the next step, but they will still come up just short.

#19 – Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

If this prediction is right, I may have to admit that I was wrong about Matt Ryan. So pretty much I can’t win here. At least I can break even.

#20 – Minnesota Vikings (9-7)

But Lord Favre is in Minnesota; they have to be better than last year. Sorry, but Favre is just as likely to cost a team a game in the crunch at this point in his career, and the temptation will be too great to put things into his hands when things get tough early, instead of sticking to the run game as in the past two seasons. Still I have them sneaking into the playoffs.

#21 – Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

The injury bug is already biting this team, and the loss of Jim Johnson will be felt all season long. Playoffs – yes, Vick in a Super Bowl – NO.

#22 – Miami Dolphins (9-7)

The last of the 9-7 teams, and the only Division Winner, Last season wasn’t a fluke, the Dolphins have put together a slightly better than .500 team. Which, in a down year for the AFC East, is enough to get into the playoffs.

#23 – Tennessee Titans (10-6)

You know, I look at this record, and wonder what I was thinking making the picks. The loss of Haynesworth means nobody to dictate protections for the opponent, and that there will be more blitzing from the Titans, which to me will be too much for this team to overcome. So no playoffs this season, but still a damn good team.

#24 – Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)

Hold on, hear me out. The Defense is much improved, and could be middle of the pack, and I like what I am seeing from Coles and Henry meaning if Palmer is healthy, I see playoff for the Bengals.

#25 – Seattle Seahawks (10-6)

The other team to really screw me last season, the Seahawks were also decimated by injuries. I think this is a bounce back year, with a weak NFC West helping the cause, the lack of a real running game kills them in the playoffs.

#26 – Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

Eleven wins, that sounds about right for the Colts. Moore and Mudd are still with the team as consultants, so the offense should continue to click under Payton. The Defense will have some growing pains as they transition to a more traditional 4-3, but it will be the health of the team that determines how far they go.

#27 – New York Giants (12-4)

This team is built the way that I would build a team, from the front lines out, with a power running component. So it is no wonder I like them to do well. But the lack of a #1 WR leaves them a game short of home field advantage.

#28 – San Diego Chargers (12-4)

This is perhaps the most talented team in the NFL, but they do have a hole on the offensive line, and at the helm. San Diego fans will be treated to yet another season of winning, followed by a post season of disappointment.

#29 – New Orleans Saints (12-4)

If Greg Williams has the right pieces to run his defense (which I think he does) this team will be tough to compete with. Drew Brees and his WR’s are just on another level right now. This will be a fun team to watch, unless your team is playing them.

#30 – Green Bay Packers (12-4)

They were close last season, but a few key loses both of players and games kept them from being a great team. This squad takes the next step this season, and with the right personnel to run the 3-4 they are switching to, they will be a force in the NFC.

#31 – Baltimore Ravens (13-3)

I actually got phone calls last season when I predicted that the Ravens would make the playoffs. But great defenses, good running games, and managing the game passing is a winning formula. As long as the defense stays great, I see this team being dangerous, and I like what I am hearing about Flacco’s development.

#32 – Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)

No, I haven’t gone soft on the Steelers since moving to the Burgh. But when you play the AFC West and get your toughest non-division games at home (Tennessee, Green Bay, Minnesota, San Diego) you get a leg up. Throw in that the Steelers are built right, and you are looking at another Division Crown for the Steelers.

Quick and Dirty Playoffs

In the AFC, Baltimore and Pittsburgh advance to the Championship, with Baltimore winning the rubber match.

In the NFC, The Giants travel to Green Bay in a rematch of two seasons ago. This time Aaron Rodgers leads the Pack to a win.

Playing Chicken with Richard

2009-09-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Richard Seymour is a Raider…or he could be soon…or he might not be. Depending on which side of the debate of the merits of this trade you stand on, you are either elated, or disappointed at this point, and your feelings have most likely changed 10 times in the last three days.

IMO, if the Raiders can sign Seymour to a long-term deal, it is a fair trade for both sides. And most would agree, if they can get by the intellectual dishonesty being spewed by the Boys at Bristol, more on that another time, if the trade goes through.

The thing is, I no longer believe that this is a high stakes game of chicken between Seymour and the Raiders. I think this is a game between the Patriots and Seymour, with the Raiders just willingly going along with the charade, with the hopes that they can reap the rewards should the trains collide.

The leaks of strange information the past few days are what have lead me to this conclusion. Cable’s slip that there are financial issues to deal with in New England, the reports today that Seymour though he was close to signing an extension to stay in New England. Then you take into account that Seymour is the one player who, along with his agent, Eugene Parker, has actually won a stare down with Belichick in the past, and you have the ingredients for something different.

My theory is that Seymour and the Patriots were in discussions on an extension, and things were not going as well as Seymour thought. The Pats, tired of dealing with the unreasonable demands of Parker issued a take it or leave it deal, and Parker thought they were bluffing.

The Patriots then put together a deal with Oakland to send Seymour there for the 1st round pick in 2011, they also gave the Raiders the parameters of the deal that Parker and Seymour were looking for, and the Raiders found it acceptable.

The Patriots have flipped the table and called Parker and Seymour’s bluff.

“You say if you can’t get this deal here, you’ll take it somewhere else, well take it in Oakland”.

Now it is a full-fledged game of chicken between the Patriots and Seymour. Will Seymour blink 1st and accept the deal the Pats have on the table? Will Seymour take the offer in Oakland and report?

One of these sides is going to lose; if Seymour goes to Oakland the Patriots loose a key clog in their attempt to get another ring, a 2011 pick is no help to the team this year, and the window of opportunity in the NFL is too short to count on anything that far down the line.

If Seymour returns to New England at the reduced rate, yet another player will have lost the stare down with Belichick. His last chance at a big payday will be gone, sure he will be well paid, but he could have had more.

And where does this leave Oakland, if Seymour doesn’t come, well the fans will be let down, but the team will be about where it was before, a 6 to 8 win team needing line help. If he does come, the Raiders will be a 7 to 9 win team, needing a little less line help, but with less amo down the line

Cable Makes A Rookie Mistake

2009-09-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

I’d say it was his 1st big mistake as a rookie head coach, but I’m sure some one will bring up breaking jaws, or sticking to long with Kwame, or taking a job in Oakland. But the move that Cable made last week shows that he is new at this whole scheduling thing.

There is a reason that the vast majority of teams broke camp about a week prior to the Raiders leaving Napa. Most teams want to simulate a game week in the days leading up to their 3rd preseason game. Installation, game planning and walkthroughs, all done in the same manner as what will happen in the regular season.

Cable may have run practices, and installed a game plan the same way that he will during the season, but there was one major difference. The players didn’t go home to their wives, kids, girlfriend and strippers each night. Instead they were sequestered in Napa at the Marriott.

Then, following the final walkthrough, Cable released the inmates from the asylum. If you have ever gone through a football camp, you know the feeling of freedom you have after being under lock and key for weeks. Sure you have a couple hours a day to yourself each day, but for the most part you are little more than a prisoner, one who has to work out until you puke.

So it was not the least bit surprising Saturday that the Raiders looked and played like they had hangovers. Chances are many of them did. As noted by recent Raider addition Greg Ellis, who chastised his teammates for being unprofessional.

True it was unprofessional, and lead to being embarrassed on televisions all across the county, but it should have been far from unexpected. This is one of the youngest teams in the NFL, and has little on field leadership. Cable’s scheduling of camp set them up to fail, and fail they did, in a most embarrassing fashion.

One can only hope that Cable knew exactly what he was doing; after all he has been around football his entire adult life, as both a player and coach. Maybe, just Maybe, having the players embarrass themselves was the point. It’s better that they do so in the 3rd preseason game, than in week 1 on national TV, as they have in 3 of the last 4 years.

Is JR Busting out, or just Busting

2009-08-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

I should be the last person to criticize someone for being a little out of shape, I’m not obese, but I sure could stand some time in the gym. But what I should do, and what I will do are two different things. So why not blast JaMarcus Russell for being a fat ass.

Yeah, that was the aptly nicknamed JaDummy telling reporters after the 1st day of practice “I am a little heavy, but I am not 300 pounds like you all said the last time.” Well congratulations JaMarcus, you aren’t pushing for the starting LT spot this season; that is quite an accomplishment.

I know what the Russell apologists will say, this is only the 1st day of camp, there is plenty of time to get into shape. Problem is, this was the same thing they said when those party pictures showed up a couple months back, same thing they said last season, same thing they said when he was drafted.

It is becoming increasingly clear that JR just doesn’t get it. His coach, Tom Cable, publicly called him out a couple times during the off-season, and he missed the 1st week and a half of OTA’s. Now I know his mother had surgery, but how many of you would miss a week and a half of work due to a preplanned surgery for a relative.

He made the gesture of inviting his WR’s to come down to Louisiana to work with him for a week, a move that was generally praised throughout the Raider Nation as a sign that he was turning the corner. But whatever credit he would have gained with this writer was more than negated by the reports that after doing so, Russell cut out of OTA’s a day early.

Not that that should have come as a surprise to those who follow the Raiders closely. Thomas Howard was interviewed in the middle of OTA’s by Sirius NFL radio and refused to comment on how often JaMarcus was attending. Not something you do if your team leader is there every day.

Sure there have been some positive quotes as well, as Michael Bush has stated that JR has much better control of the huddle, and Lewis Murphy has compared Russell’s on field demeanor in practice to Tim Tebow. But unfortunately the news coming out of Russell’s passing camp send a different message.

At this time, it appears that only 4 WR’s attended Russell’s camp, of them, only Murphy appears to have a chance to make the team. Now Walker and DHB had health issues, but of the remaining players projected to make the roster (Higgens, Schilens, Miller etc…) no one seemed to be able to make the time to work with their anointed leader. Hell, Schilens was able to make the time to go play catch with Jeff Garcia, but not Russell.

Now this could say something about the dedication of those players, and how serious they are about winning as Raiders, but I think it says more about how Russell is seen by his teammates. To me it says that Russell has lost the respect of a good portion of this team, if he ever had it to begin with.

Look around the league, the premier quarterbacks all seem to get in extra work with their receivers, be it McNabb bringing everyone down to Arizona, or the Mannings spending extra time in their respective cities. What is the difference between these guys and JR? When they say lets get together, their teammates jump. When JaMarcus says it, they are free to ask, why weren’t the OTA’s a good time to get this work done?

That to me is the worst news to come out of this off-season for the Raiders, if JaMarcus has lost the attention of this team, it will take a hell of a lot of effort and dedication for him to get it back. Problem is, JaMarcus has always seemed content to get by on his incredible physical ability going back to college. Dedication and effort seem to be a foreign concept to him.

A man once said “Fat, Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life”, and while I may try to prove this wrong, it is not the moto that I want to see the starting quarterback of the team I live and die with in the Fall try to prove wrong.

Other Stuff

OH NO, DHB dropped the 1st ball thrown to him in camp, THE SKY IS FALLING.

Damn, some people are so eager to label this guy a bust, lets let this guy get his feet wet before we crucify him. Take a look back at some of the great receivers (Rice and Brown would be a good start) few light up the league from day 1. I’m not saying that DHB is hall of fame bound, but it is a little early for the Troy Williamson comparisons.

Cutting a 6th round pick

Sure cutting Stryker Sulak before camp even opened was a little strange. And wasting any pick pisses me off a bit. But I have a feeling that more draft picks than normal will not make their team’s final 53, the Raiders just started the process earlier than most.

The thing is, most teams have plenty of Cap room this offseason. Where in past years a vet would get the ax before a rookie for financial reasons, team will be able to have more experienced players make up the back end of their roster now. It should make for better special teams play across the league, which is a good thing for football fans.

Goodbye Andrew Walter

I’ve always felt a little bad about the way Walter’s career with the Raiders has gone down. From being thrown out to the wolves under Shell, to being relegated to back-up behind Culpepper and McCown, even if he looked better to me on the field. It seems like he just never got a fair shake.

Well, with DHB signing, the Raiders made the long awaited roster move of cutting Walter. Why this couldn’t have been done months ago, when he could have gotten a full off-season in with his new team, is beyond me, and a black mark on the Raiders. I hope he catches on somewhere else and does well, at least when he isn’t facing the Raiders.

My guess is that he hooks back up with his old College coach, Dirk Cutter, in Jacksonville, and puts some real pressure on David Garrard.

HOF here I come

I’m sure it will be a couple years until I am inducted into the media wing for my outstanding writing, but I will be making my 1st visit to the Hall of Fame this weekend. That’s what the lovely Mrs. Brick gets for leaving the planning of our weekend up to me.

Facebook kinda Sucks

2009-07-29T18:03:00.001-07:00

I’m not real big on the newfangled communication tools out there, and by new fangled I mean anything developed in the last 15 years. I carry a cell phone only because it is required by my job, and they provide it. You won’t find me on any instant messenger, I have sent one text message in my life, and I had to borrow some one else’s phone to do so. To me the internet is for reading about football, fantasy sports and porn, maybe not in that order.

So it was a big surprise to not only myself, but my close friends when I signed up for a Facebook account the other day. I blame my brother, who is the complete opposite of me when it comes to being social. It turned out he knew an old friend of mine who I hadn’t talked to in years was sick thanks to Facebook. So I decided to sign up just to get an update, turned out it was nothing serious.

Much to my surprise, I didn’t stop there. I looked up the names of a couple of other friends and sent out friend requests. Even if a “friend request” sounds like the most pathetic thing a grown person can do to me. “Will you be my friend, I need some sort of public affirmation to make myself complete”. You are probably figuring out real quick why I can count my close friends on one hand, I’m just a little cynical, as if you hadn’t already gathered that from this blog.

So with my 5 or 6 friend requests sent out, what did I do? Well other than putting a picture of myself up, nothing. Chances are with the information that my old friend was cool in my pocket I would never have looked at Facebook again. But then my inbox started getting hit, and my interest grew in this Facebook thing.

See I wasn’t just getting Friend Requests from… well… friends. I was getting them from people I had quite honestly forgotten about. Not sure what that says about me as a person. Most of them I was pretty cool about getting in touch with, however superficial, but some of them left me scratching my head.

I was getting requests from names I didn’t recognize, I had to go to their page and look at the pictures to get some sort of idea if I even knew this person (I drank a lot in college and we referred to everyone by nicknames, so I do have some excuse). Once I figured out who they were, I gladly accepted.

I got friend requests from people I not only had forgotten about, but people that I never would have considered myself friends with in the 1st place. What do I do about these people? Do I accept their request, it’s not like having them in my friend list is going to hurt me in any way. Would it hurt their feelings if I reject them? Do I care since I didn’t consider them friends in the 1st place?

And how did an ESPN writer get a hold of my name? Has my constant bashing of the four-letter network earned me the attention of some one there? Don’t bother checking my friend list for who it was, I haven’t accepted them. Now if they can get me a copy of that Erin Andrews video, they would get instant acceptance.

Now I am putting way too much time and thought into this stupid Facebook thing. It is taking away from important Internet porn time as I read through the newsfeed on my homepage, looking to see if one of the people I am close with has posted something, or if it is just drunken notes and quiz scores. Too much time is being spent looking up who the hell this person requesting to be my friend is, and I don’t even think I have passed the 30 friend threshold, what the fuck are people with hundreds of friends doing? Do they even know or care about half the people on their list?

I knew I never should have signed up for this thing, I was much happier walking around with my Zach Morris phone and having no contact with anyone that isn’t family or living within walking distance. Fuck you bro, I should never have sat around that fire drinking with you, now the Internet time I use looking for celebrity up-skirt shots has been severely compromised.

Vick in Silver and Black?

2009-07-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

et’s start this posting off right, with a hearty Fuck You to Rodger Goodell. See I was putting the finishing touches on a piece about Mike Vick yesterday when the news broke that Goodell had conditionally reinstated the quasi-QB. So that piece just gets scrapped, no reason to belabor that point anymore.

Instead, lets look at what Vick could do for the Raiders. I know, as a Raider fan I am tired of the team being linked to every malcontent and diva that hits the market, but while the press focuses on Washington, Miami and New England as potential destinations for Vick, why not examine the Pro’s and Con(Vicks) of Mike in Silver and Black.

Pro’s

The Raiders have been without a True Playmaker for Years

This has been a constant theme in my writing. The Raiders have lacked anyone who forces Defenses to alter their game plan since Moss gave up on the team. Sure Nnamdi takes away one WR, but the reads remain the same for the QB. No one on either side of the ball affects coverage or protections. McFadden has the potential to, but has yet to show it consistently.

If he can come back at anywhere near his previous form, Vick would force a LB to spy him at minimum. That takes one defender out of the equation, which is all you need. If the WR’s or McFadden can develop, this will create openings across the field.

Now, I recognize that there is a huge question mark when it comes to his current skill level, but the possible reward here is huge.

Russell has yet to Prove himself to be anything but Vick without the wheels

I’m in danger of being labeled a hater when it comes to Russell, but I take the hater label as a badge of honor, it means the other person can’t refute anything you have to say, so they use the hater crutch.

Face it; even with the progress Russell showed at the end of last season, he has yet to prove himself as anything other than a cannon armed, inaccurate, and slow to read defenses QB. Which is pretty much how you would sum up Vick prior to his suspension, with the added factor of Vick’s scrambling ability.

I’m not advocating giving up on Russell for Vick, but Vick would be an excellent compliment to Russell on the depth chart, as you could prepare virtually the same game plan for both. Where as with the current back-ups (Garcia and Gradkowski) you have to adjust to their weaker arms.

He will come cheap

Just look at the Franchise numbers to see what the current going rate is on game changing players. It is a steep price to pay; especially when there is no way of knowing if the guy will produce for your franchise.

Vick won’t get anywhere near franchise money, but he will get much more than the NFL minimum that most columnists seem to be projecting. Why, because the potential to be a game breaker is still there. Now potential gets coaches fired, but when have the Raiders been averse to firing coaches.

Wildcat

Damn, I hate writing that word. The media has blown the whole wildcat thing so far out of proportion. Oh yeah, the Dolphins were the 1st team to have a running option get a direct snap. Tell that to Kordell Stewart, or Randel-El, or Cunningham, hell Darren McFadden lined up at QB in the preseason last year reviving his WildHog roots. But no, the Dolphins unleashed this previously unknown formation on the NFL.

But it brings me to what I see as the best reason to bring in Vick; The versatility that it would afford the offense. With Vick on the field, he, McFadden and Bush would all be threats to run or throw on any play (remember Bush played QB in HS).

This is the kind of thing I want to see in an offense, the ability to put a defense on its heels. The Raiders have been trying to do this with guys who stretch the field for years, and I’m not advocating going away from that, but just adding another element, remember Vick can get the ball down the field, the vertical game won’t go anywhere, it will just have more going on underneath. The more options you have, the more the defense has to account for, and the more likely they are to fuck up.

Con’s

He may well be done

One of my points in the aborted posting from yesterday was that quite simply, I think that Vick will be out of the NFL in three years. He has already missed two seasons in what should have been the prime of his career; the uncertainty regarding the length of his suspension will prevent teams from putting too much time into him this season. He will be nothing more than a limited package player this season. Meaning it will be three full seasons of Vick not being a NFL QB before he competes for a starting job next season.

Chances are, this means his career is as good as over. He was already limited when it comes to QB skills, now he has missed two years of training, Mike being anything more than a gimmick player is a long shot.

PETA

Oh they will protest, they will be at the training camp of whatever team signs him, and they will be at the games; Anything to get themselves on TV. The Raider’s previously relatively calm off season will suddenly revert to the circus tents of the last few years.

Personally, I could give a fuck about PETA, they serve no real purpose, and there are few groups I look on with more disgust. And I have donated to my local animal shelters, love my dog, and think what Vick did was inhuman. But kowtowing to these nut jobs in any way pisses me off. The fact that Goodell even met with these assholes to discuss Vick has made me lose some respect for him.

As far as the Raiders, they are used to distractions, I may not wish another one for them, but this could serve to take some of the heat off of Russell and the much-maligned draft picks of this year.

Where does he fit / Who do you cut

This is a tough one, who do you cut to make room for a part time player? The Raiders just don’t have the depth anywhere to take a chance on Vick. They need three RB’s due to the inability of any of them to stay healthy. The WR’s are young and need time to develop. The Defense needs all the help it can get.

You can say that you would make him the 3rd QB, but that would make him ineligible on game day. It may be the 3rd QB who gets the pink slip, but someone else would have to be inactive on Sunday.

IMO, it would be a WR getting the pink slip. For the simple reason that the team could get by with 4 on the active roster thanks to the versatility of McFadden and Miller. Both of them could split out as a WR when needed. But who do you cut? You can cross Bey, Schillens, Higgens and hopefully Murphy right off the list. Can you afford the cap hit to cut Walker?

Vick will miss the start of the Season

The Raiders start the season with three straight against divisional foes. Having a winning record in division has to be this teams primary goal, as they are still a year or two away from competing against the premier teams in the league.

Signing Vick, when he will miss these games, will do nothing towards achieving that goal. He could provide a nice mid-season boost, but if the Raiders once again fail to come out of the gates hot, it may well be too little too late.

When I add it all up in my mind, I am advocating something I never thought I would. I would like to see the Raiders be the team that gives Vick his 2nd chance. I have written before that I think he should be able to earn a 2nd chance (he deserves nothing) but just not with the Raiders. Well I am officially softening my stance.

IMO, the Pro’s to signing Vick slightly outweigh the Con’s. Due to the potential more than anything else. But there is one other factor that does weigh in this equation for me. The NFL players who have spoken up, have come out strongly supporting Vick’s right to play again. While the media would crucify Al for the move, it would be huge for winning the hearts and minds of the NFL’s players. And with the backlash the organization has experience from former players such as Worthless Sapp, the team could use the positive vibes among the players. I know it is a weak stance, but it may be just enough to sway some potential free agents.

So how would I go about this? Three year, incentive laden deal, if he can push JR to the bench, he would have earned a starters salary, and the contract should reflect this. It would have to be made clear that he is being signed as a limited package player in year 1, the #2 for year two, with the potential to fight for that starting spot.

He would have to be on board for learning the receiver tree, as the best fit for him at this time is being on the field with JR at the same time. Along with McFadden and Bush at other times. He has to be more than a decoy for the defense to respect him when he is on the field.

Can he do all of this, I have no idea, but if he can, I would like to see him do it in Silver and Black.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2009-06-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am of that age where all of my friends are married and having kids. The lovely Mrs. Brick and I have not yet taken that plunge, and while we talk about it on a regular basis, there is always a reason to put procreating off a little longer.

Of course, being a red blooded American male, there is always that nagging little voice in the back of my head asking me “Why would you want to burden yourself with a child?”

I have to say, that nagging little voice is a wise man. I mean its enough of a pain in the when you have a pet. You have to feed him, pay his bills, clean up his shit and god forbid you want to travel, then you have to make separate arrangements for the animal.

As far as I can tell a kid is like a pet on steroids. Not only do you feed, cloth and raise them, but you have years of worrying and the expenses are much greater. My dog was trained to shit outside in a matter of a month or two, a kid, fuck they are in diapers for fucking ever. Then they get older and hate you, my dog loves me no matter what. Fuck as teenagers you have to worry about paying for college, drinking, drugs. And god forbid I have a daughter, my only goal in life at that point will be keeping her a virgin until at least 30, and off the stripper pole. Fortunately I have a shotgun.

Then I saw a phrase the other day that made so much sense to me. A light went off in my head. Two words explained how so many of my male brethren got over these nagging thoughts and did their part towards having a child.

No they weren’t “Busted Condom”, although that does explain many, or “Catholic Faith” it was something much more basic.

See as males, we are in competition from day 1. Nobody wants to be the last guy picked for the pick up football game. Getting cut from a sports team is a fait worse than death. The ultimate goal is a championship, in whatever you are doing. The best rise to the top they get rings, they get accolades. No one remembers the guy in 2nd place. They remember the guy who gets the trophy.

Parenthood for the man is the means to obtaining a living-breathing trophy. That’s right, bang the little lady, knock her up and 9 months later you are at the finish line, able to hold your new trophy for all to see. Friends and family shower you with gifts and accolades as you pass your personal Stanley Cup around to be kissed. Only you didn’t get this trophy for playing Hockey, you got it for Fucking. That’s right my friend you just won a:

FUCK TROPHY

Yeah, laugh if you want, I know I did when I first read those words as they related to having a child. But let it sink in a little, it is starting to make sense isn’t it. From day 1 what have those competitions been about? Has it been being the best baseball, football or basketball player, or has it been something more? Has it been about positioning yourself as the alpha male. The top dog who attracts the primo pussy.
The thing is, 99% of us never attain that alpha male status. We read about the exploits of our favorite athletes, musicians and actors. The piles of money, the jet setting life style, the beautiful women throwing themselves at their feet. We are forced to look elsewhere to obtain our champion status. And at my age, there is one surefire way to obtain the adoration of friends, family and colleagues. Get yourself a Fuck Trophy.

And there is more to it than that. Sure its nice to get the gifts and the congratulatory backslaps. But that little Fuck Trophy is something more. It is a permanent record of the fact that you have had intercourse at least once. Since your first kiss, your boys, no matter how tight you are, have doubted that you are actually scoring as much as you claim. With good reason, everyone exaggerates. But now there is no doubt, pending a DNA test, that you have in fact put your penis inside that woman.

You are a man now, fuck your bartmizfa or commencement, this is the day when all doubt is removed. You got your trophy.

This is not limited to the everyman either. Just take a quick look at the celebrity ranks, and you can see that the pursuit of a Fuck Trophy is universal.

Why would Brad Pitt want to risk ruining Angelina Jollie’s perfect body? They had plenty of kids running about thanks to 3rd world countries. There was no reason to risk marring that figure with stretch marks and sagging breasts. No reason except that Brad needed a Fuck Trophy to prove that he was in fact banging Angelina.

Tom Cruise gets pelted with questions about his sexuality. But what does he have that none of us do? Fuck Trophies from multiple Hollywood actresses.

Hell, even Michael Jackson, as strange and perverted as he may have been, went out of his way to get not one, not two but three Fuck Trophies to hold aloof (and almost drop) for the world to see.

Think about it, everyone knows at least one guy who is way out of his league with his woman. Fate has smiled upon that poor sap at least once in his life. I like to think that some of my friends think that way of me. But I know for a fact that one of my friends is in this boat. Motherfucker stepped up in the bottom of the ninth and hit a grand slam.

So it was no surprise that he quickly went about getting a trophy. Less than a year later his beautiful wife was with child, and he was strutting about like a peacock. But my man was not satisfied. He had his proof that he was hitting that, but he went for the back-to-back championships. Sure he claimed that the 2nd child was not planned, but now that you and I know about the status that comes with a Fuck Trophy, what do you think.

I think that lucky bastard was poking holes in his own condoms. What better way to prove to all that he not only was having sex with a knock out, but was having it on a regular basis. That’s right, multiple Fuck Trophies.

Of course it doesn’t end there. Soon the newness of your Trophy fades, someone else steels the spotlight with a Fuck Trophy of their own, and you are temporarily on the sidelines. But then, if you are lucky, your Trophy enters another phase. Where once again you feel the pride of everyone adoring you seed. That’s right, he or she makes something of himself or herself.

How often do you hear about your coworker’s kid’s exploits on the field, the ice or in school? “That’s my boy” might as well be “That’s my Fuck Trophy”. The old man wants the praise heaped upon his offspring, because it is his way of showing his Fuck Trophy is better than anyone else’s. The better your Fuck Trophy, the better you look, the happier you are.

Do you think Tom Brady’s father is having a mid life crisis? Fuck no; he has the ’86 Bears of Fuck Trophies. His Fuck Trophy has its own rings, millions of dollars and a Super Model wife. You can put that Fuck Trophy up against the greatest of all time, and hold your own.

My old man, well lets just say he bought a Harley.

WORST DRAFT EVER

2009-04-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

According to the Kipers of the world, I should be posting about how I am a beaten man today. The draft is a holiday on my calendar, and that Grinch, Al Davis, stole the tree and all the presents for Raiders fans. The Raiders must be the stupidest team in the NFL, since they didn’t draft according to the experts boards, they reached, and passed up can’t miss players for boom or bust types. Yep, according to them, I should be here ready to turn in my Silver and Black.

I’m guessing if you have read this site before, you know what my answer to that is…

FUCK THAT

Sure I have been expounding on how teams need to maximize the value they get in the draft. Hell, I have spent hours on putting together a chart, and explaining that chart right here. But as a Raider fan, I had no expectation of the Raiders doing that in this years draft, I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid. Al hasn’t hired me yet, I’m sure things will be different once he brings me into the draft room.

So, all that out of the way, lets take a look at the Raider’s 1st day draft picks, I will talk value here, but there are some outside factors to take into consideration, which I will also try to address.

Round 1, Pick #7 – Darrius Heyward-Bey

Right off the bat, the Raiders are the laughing stock of the NFL. I was only watching the NFLN’s coverage, but have read more than enough about BSPN’s coverage. Heyward-Bey, with Crabtree and Macklin still on the board, what the fuck were the Raiders thinking.

From a Value perspective, the pick stinks. Bey was the 3rd ranked WR, I have a hard time believing that any other team would have selected him before 20. This is a classic trade down position if you are drafting for value. Raider apologists keep harping on the “fact” that there was no one to trade down with; Cable claimed in a press conference that the Raiders were reluctant to trade down, since there were teams trying to trade up ahead of the Raiders to grab Bey.

I’m not sure I am completely buying either claim. With all the teams needing an OT, I can’t see Monroe not having enough value to garner a 1 and a 3, but we’ll never know for sure since he went next. As for other teams looking to jump up for Bey? With everyone reportedly looking to trade down, this one is hard to swallow as well.

There was better value to be had, but it is hard to say just how much. The same factors preventing other teams from trading out of the top 10, also affected the Raiders. At some point you have to man up, and play the cards you have been dealt.

Now from a BPA perspective, it all depends on how you rank your board. I could care less who the Kiper’s of the world feel is the best player at any given position. Because, truth be told, they are wrong as often as they are right. Lets think back to some recent drafts, and how the players were ranked, or hyped:

Cutler was ranked behind Leinert and Young
Gallery was a 10 year lock at LT
Jones-Drew wasn’t mentioned in the same breath as Bush
Charles Rogers was ranked ahead of Andre Johnson
Mike Williams was a future HOF WR

I could go on and on, but I won’t. The “expert” rankings of guys like Kiper are great for adding a talking point to the coverage, and handing out instant grades afterwards. But in the end are meaningless. If these guys were really such great scouts, they would be working in the NFL. Instead they stay on the sidelines, with their bad hair, and one size fits all rankings.

One size fits all rankings, now there is an interesting point, glad I thought of it, and it fits what we are talking about to a T.

What do I mean by one size fits all rankings, that’s easy. Kiper comes up with his big board of prospects. Grades them, ranks them, and then rips teams that don’t select players where he sees them.

No consideration is given to scheme, personnel fit. Sure he looks at need, as in the Raiders need a WR, Crabtree is the best WR, the Raiders should take Crabtree. Doesn’t matter that what Crabtree’s skill set lends itself to is a short to intermediate control the ball through the air attack. Not what the Raiders run. In the world of one size fits all rankings, he is the best, so he is the best for the Raiders.

Thing is, the NFL is not a one size fits all league. If it were, there would be no free agent busts. DeAngelo Hall would look just as good in the Raiders man press, as he does in the Redskins off man/ zones.

So that all brings us back to the Raiders, every team ranks the players based on their scouting, their criteria and how they fit their scheme. There is no question that the Raiders had Bey ranked as the best WR on their board. He was the first WR taken in the draft. The Kiper’s will laugh it off as Davis’ fascination with the stop-watch rearing it’s ugly head again. But there are other factors that should be looked at.

Bey played in a pro-style offense at Maryland. He may not have had much pro level talent around him, but there are three key factors that separate him from Crabtree and Maclin.

1 – He blocked in the run game. Bey is given excellent marks in this regard. I have seen his blocking compared to Hines Ward in a couple places. In a run oriented system like the Raiders, this is invaluable.

2 – Playing in a pro style offense, he faced defenses similar to those he will see at the next level. No spread out defenses to be seen here, take away the #1 WR with rolled coverage, press at the line. The Texas Tech offense is designed to defeat this and take the defense out of its comfort zone. Bey did not get this advantage.

3 – Ran a complete pass tree, perhaps the most important of the three. Of the top WR’s, only Hicks in North Carolina can say the same. Bey spent most of his time running the deep stuff, but that is what the Raiders are going to ask him to do. The learning curve has been made significantly less daunting.

Add in that Bey is the ideal combination of Crabtree’s size (actually a little bigger) and Maclin’s speed (actually a little faster), and to just use the one size fits all rankings, and declare that the Raiders made a mistake selecting Bey, IMO, is in itself a reach.

So, while I swore at my TV when the Raiders selected Hayward-Bey at 7 instead of Monroe, Raji or even Orakpo or trading down, after I took a step back. I am satisfied with the pick, not my 1st choice, but as the draft unfolded I felt better and better about it.

So why did I come away feeling better about it. Easy, look at the WR’s available when the Raiders were back on the clock at 40. Mohamed Massaquoi was the best WR still on the board. I had WR ranked as the Raiders number 1 need coming into the draft. Had they come away with Massaquoi and Louis Murphy, I would be very pessimistic about the Raiders having the horses to get JaMarcus to the next level.

So that brings us to the 2nd round.

Right off the bat, the Raiders do the smart thing and trade down. If we take Cable’s press conference at face value, Mitchell was the pick, he was on the board at 40, but the Raiders read the tea leaves right, and got themselves some extra amo later in the draft. Just what this team needed. But at this point, I don’t know who the target is, I just feel better about having a couple more tickets to this year’s lottery.

Then the Raiders send the card up to the table and the announcement comes over the loud speaker:

Round 2, Pick #49 – Michael Mitchell, S

Queue the laugh track from the talking heads. Brick commences swearing at his TV, the lovely Mrs. Brick asks why I am watching this if I am just going to get angry.

God Damn, I knew that Mitchell was a classic Davis pick, he fits the Raiders hard hitting secondary image like a glove. I expected the Raiders to take a flyer on him at some point, but not this early. My slowly growing warm and fuzy feeling with Bey and the trade down for picks was squashed.

I fumed about this for a couple hours, then the reports started to come out. Mitchell claims that the Bears had told him that he would be their pick at 49. Funny, I had missed the fact that the Bears had traded out of their one 1st day spot shortly after the Raiders took Mitchell. But that was just a coincidence…right?

No, the Chicago tribune verifies Mitchell’s story. Holly shit, the Raiders did play this just right. They came within two picks of missing their target. They took the player they wanted at just about the optimum position. That is Value, screw the one size fits all charts, screw the talking heads (credit does go to Mayock for eating crow the next day). Rarely do you get this much info on the inside of the 2 day poker game that is the draft, but damn it feels good when you do, and you team just played their hand perfectly.

In the end, I have to say that I am pretty happy with the way the Raiders handled the 1st day of the draft, all things considered. Two players, who filled a need, fit the scheme and seem to have the work ethic that Cable craves.

Sure it sucks to listen to the callers on NFL radio blast the Raiders. Suck to listen to Adam Schein (well it always sucks to listen to Schein) give the Raiders a “G” since “F” is too high of a grade. But you know what, if there is anything that has proven true about the draft year after year. It is this; nobody knows how these teams did for sure for a couple years. Anyone who claims to know any different is a blowhard.

So for now, I welcome Heyward-Bey and Mitchell to the Silver and Black. Keep that chip on your shoulder, and use it to prove once again that the best use for Kiper’s head is holding up that strange hair, and that the hot air coming out of guys like Schein should be filling balloons for tourists somewhere, not polluting the otherwise outstanding NFL radio airwaves.

QB & OT to drive the draft

2009-04-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from the draft value chart today, to look at how some recent player moves could affect the draft, and how this potentially sets up the Raiders.

There are two positions driving this year’s draft, and it should come as no surprise that they are QB and OT. The face of the franchise and the guy who protects his back, there is a reason that NFL teams place a premium on these two positions.

So how have the recent moves affected these two positions? Lets start with the QB.

IMO, the moves to date don’t affect the QB class. Sure there are some that think that the trade of Cutler to Chicago puts the Broncos in the running for a QB, but I don’t see it. Not with Orton being a great fit for McDaniel’s offense and the large contract given to Chris Sims. I see a late round pick at QB for the Broncos, and the Bears would have been set running with Orton had they not acquired Cutler.

The QB position will drive much of the draft, but the moves are yet to come. So what teams potentially could draft a QB in the 1st round? To me the list looks like this:

Detroit (1, 20)
San Francisco (10)
New York Jets (17)
Tampa Bay (19)

At first glance not a whole lot of teams desperate for a QB, and, IMO, you can take the Jets off this list, as they have 2 unproven youngsters on the roster already, I think they are far more likely to be in play for a veteran.

The intrigue here comes from the potential for a dark horse or three to jump into play. Some of the potential dark horses include:

Seattle (4) – are they sold on Hasselbeck being healthy enough to make another run, or the potential of Wallace to take the reigns if Hasselbeck can’t? Or does the new staff want to start fresh with their own franchise QB?

Cleveland (6)– Is Brady Quinn the future? Giving Anderson his roster bonus this season tells me they aren’t sold yet. Could Quinn be traded, resulting in the Browns taking another 1st round chance on a QB?

Washington (13) – I’m hesitant to throw them in this mix. Snyder is anything but patient, and QB’s take years to develop. Giving up on Campbell now signals that the team is looking at a couple rebuilding years on offense. This hardly matches what their off season moves thus far have indicated.

St. Louis (2) – See Seattle, but without a potential back-up plan in place. Back to back 2 win seasons, and a new coaching staff tells me that this could be a very likely landing spot for a QB.

Add these teams to the potential mix, and you see why there could very well be some movement in the top 10 to get into position for either Stafford or Sanchez, and why Freeman is looking like a top 15 pick, and not a 2nd rounder.

This also points to why things could get a bit complicated. Lets just say that Detroit is willing to send their 20 to Cleveland for Quinn. There is no guarantee that Sanchez or Stafford will still be there when Cleveland drafts at 6. So could the Lions select Sanchez #1, then trade him and the 20 to Cleveland for the 6 and Quinn, well not until the Browns are on the clock and the Lions can safely say that the OT they want is still on the board. In order to get a handle on that, you have to look at the OT class.

Much like the QB class, there are less premier tackles than there are teams that need one. The Bills trade of Peters just adds yet another team with a huge hole to the list. Those that stand out as needing an impact player here are:

Detroit (1, 20)
St. Louis (2)
San Francisco (10)
Buffalo (11, 28)
Washington (13)

Then you add the following teams that may not need one today, but can’t wait much longer to address the position:

Seattle (4) – Walter Jones is nearing the end, the time is now to bring in his replacement.

Cincinnati (6) – Carson Palmer needs to stay upright if the offense is to get back to where they were three years ago.

Oakland (7) – Retreads and projects litter the line.

Jaguars (8) – IMO, the failing of this team last season started on the line, putting this unit back together has to be a priority. Signing Holt opens up the option to pass on a WR.

Green Bay (9) – Free agency has opened a hole here.

This should tell you something about the value of a LT, 10 of the top 15 drafting teams have a need here (sure Buffalo’s need is due to trade, but Peter’s play last season screamed need already). And with only 4 tackles having top 15 grades, demand is much higher than supply.

The top 2 picks are going to go a long way to shaping this draft, and what shape it takes hinges on when the QB’s and OT’s go. If Detroit selects a QB, there will be allot of jockeying to get into position to take the next two guys. However if they select an OT, chaos could result as teams try to jump up. St. Louis’s follow up to Detroit’s 1st pick will cement the start of either the run at OT, or the maneuvering for a QB.

So how does this all affect the Raiders?

As a Raider fan I have to give credit to Davis and Cable, the number of bodies they brought in at OT allows them the flexibility to either stay out of this fray, and select one of the players who could slip due to inordinate demand at other positions. Or to be a player should a team get desperate for that #7 pick as there could very well either be just one OT left or someone could be in love with Sanchez. Or, they could very well grab any one of the 4 OT’s who could be there, with the flexibility to play him at either LT or RT depending on how the others already on the roster shake out.

For once the Raiders have set themselves up very well in the 1st round.

Drafting for Value, Part Two

2009-04-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

First off, I would like to thank the guys over at blackreign.net for their feedback on the 1st column about drafting for value. Allot of what you are about to either read, or scroll past, is in response to their comments.

One aspect that definitely needs further clarification from the last column, is the Team Need Factor.

Determining a teams needs is very subjective. You would have a tough time getting 10 Raider fans to agree on the order of need for the team. And good luck getting behind the shield and finding out the only opinion that counts, Big Al’s.

The Team Need Factor for the Raiders that was used is my opinion. I based that opinion on carefully looking at the depth chart taking into consideration age and contract status. But I can easily see how some may have a completely different ranking when it comes to what the Raiders need. I don’t claim that my ranking is correct; I just think it is better than yours.

Next is the chart itself. I fully admit that this is far from a completed project. In order for the chart to become fully functional as a tool, the needs of every NFL team would need to be entered. You would have to fully stock the talent board (I have only the top 150). Then you could have a tool that is truly useful. Right now, it is nothing more than a concept and a means for explaining the value principle of drafting.

Furthermore, the chart is not intended to be a stand alone tool. There is allot more that should go into draft prep than ranking the players, determining their value in relation to one another, and then determining their value to the individual team. A major outside item would be mock drafts. There is a reason that NFL teams spend weeks with their coaches and scouting staffs locked down, running mocks and various scenarios to see what could happen draft day. This is valuable planning that can be used to prepare a team for what they may see when they are on the clock. Where the chart comes in is to help evaluate how a pick at 40, will affect your value at 71.

So if that is what it would be its best use, lets run through a scenario, a mock draft using the chart as a tool. I will be using the free mock draft from thehuddlereport.com as the basis for the mock. Stopping at each Raiders pick to discuss the options on the table, and how different pick would affect the potential value of the draft.

And we are off:

1)Detroit – Matt Stafford
2)St. Louis – Aaron Curry
3)Kansas City – BJ Raji
4)Seattle – Jason Smith
5)Cleveland – Malcolm Jenkins
6)Cincinnati – Eugene Monroe

So what do the Raiders have staring them in the face right now. By the Raiders player value chart here are the top 5 options with the 7th pick:

Grabbing Crabtree right here looks like a no brainer, his Raider Value is 370 points above the next available option. But, the point of this exercise is to look at the draft as a whole, simply running up to the podium with Crabtree scribbled on a card is not looking past the obvious.

So let’s dig deeper. 1st we will assume that the Raiders stand pat, don’t trade down and take Crabtree, how could that effect their next two picks? Right off the bat, due to the selection of Crabtree, you decrease the Raider Value of any future WR. For this sample’s purposes we will lop 200 points of their value. And we are going to be a little conservative in our projections, and assume any player who’s ranked above the Raiders selection will be gone. So what would the options potentially look like in the 2nd and 3rd round with the value of WR downgraded?

2nd Round Prospects

3rd Round Prospects

Things aren’t looking too bad from a Raiders prospective. With the remaining glaring needs for the team being at OL, DL and S, there are plenty of high value picks projected to still be there in the 2nd but the value potential for the 3rd is limited as there are only 2 picks with values over 700, and by maximizing the 2nd (selecting either an OT or DT) you are counting on a player at a high demand position not jumping. The Raiders can feel confident that they can exceed their target of 6604 value points selecting Crabtree 1st, but can they do better?

Say they select Orakpo 1st, there is more depth at WR in this years draft, so not downgrading the Value of the position opens up many more options in round 2 and affords more flexibility in round 3. The value point ceiling may not be as high, but the floor isn’t as low.

Then there is the large and in charge Andre Smith. The value point hit in the 1st round and subsequent limiting of options in 2 and 3 makes him a bit unpalatable.

As this column is getting a bit long already, and we are only at pick 7, we’ll hold off on trade down options for another post. And acting as the Raiders, we’ll swing for the fences and attempt to maximize our 3 round value by selecting Crabtree at seven.

1)Raiders - Michael Crabtree
2)Jacksonville – Jeremy Maclin
3)Green Bay – Brain Orakpo
4)San Francisco – Andre Smith
5)Buffalo – Everette Browm
6)Denver – Tyson Jackson
7)Washington – Michael Oher
8)New Orleans – Rey Maualuga
9)Houston – Chris Wells
10)San Diego – Eben Britton
11)NY Jets – Mark Sanchez
12)Denver – Brian Cushing
13)Tampa Bay – Josh Freeman
14)Detroit – Peria Jerry
15)Philadelphia – Percy Harvin
16)Minnesota – Darrius Heyward-Bey
17)New England – Aaron Maybin
18)Atlanta – Robert Ayers
19)Miami – Vontae Davis
20)Baltimore – Hakeem Nicks
21)Indianapolis – Kenny Britt
22)Philadelphia – Knowshon Moreno
23)NY Giants – Clay Matthews
24)Tennessee – Darius Butler
25)Arizona – Brandon Pettigrew
26)Pittsburgh – Michael Johnson
27)Detroit – James Laurinaitis
28)New England – William Beatty
29)St. Louis – Brian Robiskie
30)Cleveland – Larry English
31)Seattle – Alex Mack
32)Cincinnati – Max Unger
33)Jacksonville – Alphonso Smith

The Raiders are back on the clock with the 40th overall pick. Crabtree is on a plane to Oakland for a Sunday morning meet and greet with the media. And it is time to get serious again. The Raiders are feeling pretty good right now, and one look at their top 6 remaining players by Raider Value shows why.

Now conventional wisdom may tell you that Delmas is the highest ranked player, and has slipped 6 spots to the Raiders, grab him now. But when you look at the chart, even if he is the highest rated player, his value to the Raiders isn’t as high as the DT who is still there. And a quick look at what remains of the potential 3rd round picks should clear things up.

Selecting Delmas in the 2nd would cause the Raiders to take a 600 point value hit. Without opening up the possibility of making that up in the 3rd. If the Raiders truly want to go with a combination of S & DT in the 2nd and 3rd, Hood and Vaughn gives a value of 2321, while Delmas and Moala gives a value of 1990. And there are higher score possibilities than Hood and Vaughn, Delmas and Moala just about maxes out your potential.

So of course, since we are riding with Big Al, once again we swing for the fences and select Ziggy Hood at the 40 spot.

I’ll save you recapping the rest of the 2nd round and the 3rd, and just point you to:

http://www.thehuddlereport.com/Free/mockdrafts.shtml

It has been entirely coincidence that my Raider picks have matched up with theirs. Lucky for me as it has made this easier. Since my board is currently only good through 3 rounds, we’ll take a look at what is still there for the Raiders, and see how we did.

So based on their mock, what is there in terms of best value for the Raiders at 71?

Some surprises to say the least, conservatively the Raiders had been hoping to get around 700 points of value out of their 3rd round pick. They can now max it out at 1278 by selecting Sidbury (remember since we have already selected a WR, we cut 200 points off their value).

Crabtree – Hood – Sidbury

At 8258 points on the Raider Value board, it would be hard to imagine the Raiders having a better 1st 3 rounds (ok I admit, I have already come up with ways to top it). Having the values predetermined made it easy to decide if you should pass on a sliding player (Delmas) or jump on them (Sidbury) on the fly.

Of course, this is the Raiders I am drafting for, so just before making the call to NY to send in the Sidbury pick, Big Al wakes from his nap, sees Asher Allen on the board and overrules, selecting the CB with great speed.

Crabtree – Hood – Asher

7746 points, still a solid 1st three rounds, but once again Raider fans are fuming as the old man puts the secondary needs in front of building a solid line.

Hope this helped clarify how I see this chart working as one tool among many in evaluating a team’s options in the draft. There are still plenty of things to look at as far as uses for this chart, including trade evaluation and a request for what happens when a premier player slips to the 2nd.

Drafting For Value, A Different Way of Evaluating The Draft

2009-04-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

(Note this is a long one, I suggest you print it out and take it with you to the shitter, thanks goes out to Rupert, for reviewing the 1st draft of this and providing valuable feedback)

For the last couple years I have stressed that teams should not simply draft the Best Player Available (BPA) or to fill a need. I have stressed maximizing the value of a team’s picks, but quantifying this when trying to argue the point with others has been difficult.

Sure it is easy to debate if a RB should ever be taken in the top 10 by a team who isn’t drafting that high due to injuries or trade (the answer is no, and I will argue this until blue in the face, sorry McFadden fans). But to expand this across all positions as a starting point for any team looking at the draft, that is more difficult.

With that in mind, I have tried to come up with a system, one that assigns values to players based on a number of factors, and weighs that against a value chart for the draft and the team’s needs. The goal is to be able to look at the chart and come up with the best case for the Raiders to maximize their value in the 1st three rounds of the draft.

First thing first, I scrapped the traditional draft value chart. The NFL was a different monster when Jimmy Johnson and his brain trust came up with the chart in the 90’s. There was no salary cap, plan B free agency was a joke, and the players at the top of the draft got paid well, but not the absurd sums they do today.

What I came up with is a system where the #1 pick is worth 5000 points, and every subsequent pick is worth 97% of the previous picks value. Then I added some modifiers. IMO the 11th pick of the draft is more valuable than the 10th, since once you get out of the top 10, the salary demands become more reasonable. But the value goes down more after 15, since you then enter the realm of 5 year vs. 6 year deals. Further modifications were made at the 33 spot, as, IMO, 33 is more valuable than 31 & 32 since you get an equivalent player, at a 2nd round price tag.

(Yes I know there is no 8th round, but the NFL hands out about 32 compensatory picks on average, adding the equivalent of an 8th round to the draft, hence the 8 rounds on my chart).

Revised Pick Value Chart

There is no reason that a team wanting to jump from the 3rd pick to the 1st should have to give up a 2nd and 3rd rounder. Under my revised system the value is simply a 3rd rounder. There is a reason so many of the trades in recent drafts make no sense to the talking heads on ESPN as they consult their charts. Their charts are out of date.

So now I have, at least in my mind, my value chart for every pick in the draft. The next step is to stack the draft board regardless of team need. I don’t claim to watch every game, or be very good at evaluating players who are outside of the box. So I grabbed a ranking from a popular site. The Key was to find a ranking that was by grade, not by projected draft spot, or weighted by the value of the position (we’ll do that adjustment ourselves).

Then that ranking was combined with the value chart above, resulting in the following ranking with trade chart value and player grade.

Top 15 Prospects by Grade W/ Pick Value

Still with me? Because now it gets complicated.

Now 3 factors are taken into account to get the players value modifier:

1 – Grade. The most important factor of the rankings I found. The higher the player’s grade, the better the chance that they produce at the next level, in theory anyway. (Well, much better than the ranking by position I originally used).

2 – Number of player at your position in the next 32. This is important for determining the scarcity of players at your position in the draft. For example after Stafford, there are only 2 other QB’s with rankings in the next 32 overall, while Jason Smith gets hurt since there are 4 more tackles in the next 32.

3 – Positional Value Differential. This is used for determining the difference in value between the players at the same position. While there is only a 2 point differential between Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe, there is a 16 point difference between B.J. Raji and the next ranked DT.

Those 3 factors are put into a formula to obtain the player’s value modifier. With the depth of OT’s in the 1st round, Jason Smith only gets a modifier of +4, while Mark Sanchez, due to there being only one more QB with a 1st round grade, gets a huge 113 point boost.

After that the player gets an NFL position modifier. This is based on the scarcity and importance of the position in the NFL game. The highest value goes to QB, as is fitting for the most important position in the modern game. Then from there it hits the other key players on both sides of the passing game (offensive tackles, and the pass rushers who go against them) down to the plug and play positions (RB, FB, S). Look to the franchise numbers assigned to each position to get a good gauge of that position’s value to NFL teams.

The value modifier is added to the original value and the total is multiplied by the positional modifier to get the adjusted player value:

Top 15 Prospects by Adjusted Player Value

Feel like you are reading Pro Football Prospectus yet? I am guessing I have put half my readers to sleep by now. Leaving one of you who has gotten to this point.

As you can see, Jason Smith remains the top rated player in terms of value, but my personal favorite player in the draft, Aaron Curry, drops to 11th.

Curry’s drop should not be surprising. There are 5 other LB’s in the draft with 1st round rankings, and the linebacker position is not valued as much in the current NFL as evidenced by the franchise number for the position when compared to the franchise numbers for QB’s, OT’s and DE’s.

Then there is Josh Freeman, who jumps up to 13. This illustrates both the premium put on his position, and the scarcity of viable quarterbacks in this year’s draft.

All this is great, but we still have to get to the key point. How do you maximize the value of the draft pick for your team? You have determined the player’s value at this point with no consideration for team needs. Now is the time to add in that one final factor.

The team need modifier is based on the same sliding scale as the NFL positional modifier, but of course taking into account the team’s current depth chart and the remaining years of the contracts for the players at the position.

Since I claim to be a Raiders blog, I will obviously use the Raiders for my example. The Raiders low modifier is RB. With Fargas, McFadden, Bush and Rankin already on the depth chart, the Raiders have both depth and youth. The high modifier is WR where the Raiders have plenty of unproven youth, but no depth. WR is closely followed by DT, DE, S and OT. So now with the Raiders needs added in, the Raiders player value for the top 15 players in the draft looks like this:

Top 15 Players By Value to The Raiders

With a revised value chart rating of 4165, the Raiders have plenty of potential picks that represent great value in the 1st round. Not a bad position to be in. The Raiders can stand pat at 7 and easily expect to get no worse than the 6th player in terms of value for their team, and more likely should better that, as both QB’s and Curry could go before the Raiders select.

But the draft is not a one round animal. In order to maximize the value you get in the draft you have to project further than the 1st round. In order to keep this simple (HA, if you are still reading this I am impressed) I will just add in some information on 2nd and 3rd rounders.

With the Raiders drafting at 40, let’s stick to the players ranked from 35 to 50 in adjusted player value to get a realistic feel for who may potentially be there:

Potential 2nd Round Picks

The Value of the Raiders 2nd round pick is 1756 based on my revised value chart. There is far less value for the Raiders at positions of need in the 2nd than the 1st.

So what does that tell you, it indicates to me that this is a very tradable pick for the Raiders. The key is how do you react as the draft unfolds? Do you try to jump up to get a player like Ziggy Hood or Kenny Britt who fills a need and represents great value? Do you stand pat and hope that a value player drops to you and take that player or reach? Or do you wait, see that the value isn’t there for your team, and trade down?

Before we try to answer that, lets look at what may still be there in the 3rd round. And take the 1st three rounds in as a whole.

Potential 3rd Round Picks

With a pick value of 683 for the 71st pick, based on the revised chart, there once again is not allot of value for the Raiders at this position. But, you cannot look at the draft in terms of one round at a time when trying to maximize value. You have to look at your draft as a whole.

When you combine the Raiders 1st three picks this season, you get a total potential value of 6604 on the revised value chart. So lets look at some of the more popular 3 round series that Raider fans and draft experts have thrown out there, and see how they compare to the target value of 6604.

1)Crabtree, Brace, More – 7250 points
2)Raji, Delmas, Robiskie – 6396 points
3)Orakpo, Britt, Chung – 7397 points

Now I am not trying to argue against Raji or for Orakpo at this point, I am merely illustrating how one pick starts the dominos in motion and effects the potential overall value of the draft for the team. We still have two weeks until the draft to discuss potential trades, and who I feel the Raiders should draft 1st to maximize their potential value in this years draft.

That’s right, this column checks in at 7 pages, almost 2000 words and 6 charts, and we are just getting started.

Fuck You very much

2009-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Fuck you very much Peter King. I had this column in my head and was planning on putting finger to keyboard this morning, then I turned on my Sirius NFL radio on my way to work this morning, and you are discussing your latest column, where you express many of the same opinions.

I can’t believe I agree with Peter King, I feel dirty. I still won’t read your column though, I prefer to get my Peter King fill from KSK, they make your drivel much more palatable.

Anyway, on to the Trade of the Decade (for this week anyway).

So little bitch Jay Culter forced his way out of Denver, something he claims to not have wanted all along, and now finds himself in Chicago. Lets play winners and losers, because I have nothing better to do at work this morning.

Winner – Denver Broncos

Sorry Raider fans, but I would not be so quick to crow about the Broncos losing a Pro-Bowl QB. The Denver Broncos are potentially stronger today than they were yesterday morning.

First, lets compare Orton and Cutler. Based on the media’s fawning, you would think that Cutler has 3 rings on his fingers already. The guy has been to one Pro Bowl, and if you have read this blog at all, you know what a joke I think the Pro Bowl is.

Cutler has rare talent, the kind of talent that only comes around once every draft…

Cutler is a strong-armed, pin brained QB. He has done well in Denver so far, but the mistakes you saw day 1 in judgment are still there 3 years later. Rumors abound about his drinking and lack of work ethic.

Orton has ordinary talent, the kind of talent that comes 4 to 5 times every draft…

Orton is an ordinary armed, smart QB. Orton has progressed well, look at his play last season before he was injured, and the last couple weeks as he recovered. This is a QB who has come a long way since being drafted in the 4th round. Sure neck beard has some embarrassing photos out on the Internet showing him drinking, but he was regarded as the hardest working Bear last season.

So the Broncos just went from a scatterbrained strong-armed QB, to an accurate smart QB. What has McDaniel had great success with, that’s right smart QB’s who know how to distribute the ball. Then you through in 2 first round picks and a 3rd. The Broncos lose little if anything on offense, and have the potential to set themselves up well for years to come.

Loser – Chicago Bears

Once you get past Jersey Sales and some good press, I have to ask what the fuck were the Bears thinking.

You can see the Broncos section for how I feel about the quarterbacks. But the Bears have now hamstrung themselves for years to come.

The Bears defense is getting old. They have gone from a top 5 squad, to a middle of the road squad, and they are in desperate need of an infusion young talent. Then you look at the offense, and with the exception of running back and quarterback, the cupboard is bear.

IMO, they have just traded a QB who could manage a game, and allow their defense to perform at their best, for a QB who will lose as many games as he wins, and taken away some of their ability to reload for the future.

Then you throw in that Cutler is a crybaby with Bus Cook for an agent, and the potential for more drama down the line is huge.

Winner – Kyle Orton

The pressure on Kyle is going to be huge. Until he wins a playoff game, every time he throws an errant pass, the Broncos fans will bemoan the fact that he isn’t Jay Cutler.

The thing is, Orton is in a much better position to succeed today than he was yesterday. He has an offensive line in front of him with probably the two best young OT’s in the league. He has outstanding targets at WR now. And while no one Denver RB is as good as Matt Forte, the committee they have is more than capable of moving the rock.

Orton also now gets a chance to work with the best offensive mind of his career in McDaniels. As long as Kyle doesn’t celebrate too hard with the bottle of Jack he has been infamously pictured with, he is set up with the best opportunity of his career to take the next step and become a top 10 QB.

Loser – Jay Cutler

Where to start with Cutler? His image has taken a huge hit. He has gone from young promising QB, to malcontent crybaby. He has alienated one of the most respected owners in the league in Pat Bowlin, and has damaged his future earning potential if he doesn’t turn the Bears offense around.

So with so much of Cutlers future dependant on how the Bears perform under his leadership, lets take a look at that Bears offense.

The offensive line is a mess, their number 1 pick of last year is an OT with back issues. They have brought in a stop-gap in Orlando Pace, who can no longer run block or stay healthy, and a RT in Kevin Schaefer who isn’t a great fit for the Bears power run scheme. The strength of the Bears line is Olin Krutz, who will be 32 when the season kicks off.

The Bears receiving core is a mess, their top receivers last season were two tight ends, a running back and Devin Hester. They need a 1 and a 2 at WR, and don’t have the draft ammo this year or next to address this need, their line and reload the defense. The Bears are going to be forced to go the free agent rout to address these issues, and with the team being notoriously tight fisted when it comes to finances, I don’t see any long term help coming soon.

The expectations in Chicago are going to be sky high now that they have “the best QB in Chicago History” but baring a playoff win this season, and a Super Bowl win under Cutler, this will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history. Have fun Cutler.

2009 Mock Draft - V1

2009-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

(Brick's note (I would say editor, but who would believe I have an editor) this was written a week ago, but I felt like posting it anyway, even with the Broncos trade fucking things up).

Here is about a month until the NFL draft, and since I love the draft, I figured why not do my own Mock Draft. That’s it, just another way to waste time at work and provide some filler so the site doesn’t look dead. No trades, just picks and worthless opinion.

1) LIONS - Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
So much of what the Lions do makes no sense to me, so they very well could go Stafford here, but I’m going to go with logic here, and say they feel they will have a change at a QB later. So the pick is the Franchise LT.

2) RAMS - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
Pace is gone, and nobody on their line looks like an NFL LT to me. They need to keep Bulger healthy and provide holes for Jackson. Monroe may not be a mauler, but he will improve their line from day 1.

3) CHIEFS - BJ Raji, DT, Boston College
This will be a surprise to some. Sure they took Dorsey last season, and they are shifting to a 3-4. But look at Pioli’s history in NE. The Patriots D works because of the big boys up front, Raji provides the Chiefs with their Ty Warren to Dorsey’s Seymore.

4) SEAHAWKS - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
It was a toss up between Curry and Crabtree for me, but Curry wins out due to the trading of Peterson and the signing of T.J.

5) BROWNS - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
I was all set to peg them for a Pass Rusher here until the events of the last couple weeks. Stallworth is facing jail time, Edwards is unhappy, Winslow has been traded, Jerivicios has been cut. The Browns have gone from an embarrassment of riches on the outside to a huge question mark. Crabtree is the answer.

6) BENGALS - Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Some have the Bengals pegged for a WR, but they spent a couple picks there last season, and the passing game will have its biggest weapon in Palmer back. There was thought of Smith for RT, but I think the character issues will give the Bengals pause. So it is a pass rusher to address the weakness at DE.

7) RAIDERS - Everette Brown, DE, Florida St.
A. Smith doesn’t fit the zone system, Oher may not be able to grasp it, Macklin’s twin Higgins is already on the squad. With Burgess in the last year of his contract, and Al still having the mantra of “The quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard” the Raiders get their Dwight Freeny clone.

8) JAGUARS - Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
Most sites would have the Jags picking either Maclin or Stafford with what is still on the board. But what I saw in Jacksonville last season was a failure up front. Oher will start somewhere from day 1, and grow into the LT of the future. WR will be addressed later, and I think Garrard has one more season to prove himself.

9) PACKERS - Brian Cushing, LB, USC
The switch to the 3-4 dictates the need for a LB they can leave on the field all 3 downs. And overrules the needs on the offensive line. Cushing is the 1st of the big 3 USC LB’s off the board.

10) 49ERS - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
Character be damned, the Niners need help up front, and they will feel that Singletary can straighten this young man out.

11) BILLS - Aaron Maybin, LB, Penn St.
The Bills get the pass rusher they so desperately need at the 11 spot. He can play LB in the base and put a hand down on passing downs. Based on their success with Paul P., the Bills don’t hesitate to go to the Penn St. well again.

12) BRONCOS - Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
The Bronco’s D has been rudderless since they lost Al Wilson. The Bronco’s brass will see Rey Rey as the leader they need and the thumper to close the running lanes.

13) REDSKINS - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Portis is on his last legs, and the run game has stalled whenever he has left a game. With the Big 4 at OT off the board, the Redskins look to address the run game with some fresh legs.

14) SAINTS - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
I am torn with this pick, going back and forth between Ohio St. products. The Saints need a replacement for McAllister, but due to their quick scoring offense, need more help in the secondary, and despite the additions through free agency, Jenkins makes too much sense in their scheme as he can provide help at either CB or S.

15) TEXANS - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
Injuries and deficiencies in the CB core make this a good pick for the Texans. And when you play in the same division as Peyton Manning, can you have enough good corners?

16) CHARGERS - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Chargers are as surprised that Maclin is here, and the pundits are that they drafted him. But the Chargers are always seemingly looking for an upgrade to their WR core, and Maclin would be that.

17) JETS - Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
The cupboard is bare at QB with Pennington and Favre gone. The Jets brass is estatic to get their QB of the future at the 17 spot.

18) BEARS - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
For some reason the Bears think they are set at QB, so they get a weapon for Kyle Orton. Opting for Heyward-Bey over Harvin due to size.

19) BUCCANEERS - Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
Wait a minute, I thought they fired Gruden. The QB position has been a revolving door in Tampa since the Super Bowl win. They look to stop the madness with a long term solution.

20) LIONS (From Cowboys) - Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
The Lions are kicking themselves as they watched QB’s go in 2 of the last 3 picks. Instead they look to reload a DL that has lost two outstanding performers through trades in the last 2 off seasons.

21) EAGLES - Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St.
The loss of their TE through free agency has the Eagles looking to upgrade. Pettigrew is an outstanding blocker who will open more running lanes for Westbrook.

22) VIKINGS - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
The Vikings pass game is just sad. Harvin will provide an excellent complimentary weapon to Purple Jesus.

23) PATRIOTS - Clay Matthews, LB, USC
Every year I think the Pats will select a LB, well they did last year but I got the wrong one. They continue to replenish this aging unit with a USC product.

24) FALCONS – James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio St.
With the departure of Brookings, it is obvious the Falcons are looking to go another way with their LB core. That starts with drafting the Road Warriors kid.

25) DOLPHINS - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
Jackson has the size to play DE in Parcel’s 3-4 scheme, he fills a need and is the highest ranked player on their board. Easy pick.

26) RAVENS - Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
Right now the Raven’s depth chart at CB has Chris Carr at 2 or 3, see a problem there?

27) COLTS - Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
The Colts have watched as player after player has disappeared from the top of their board. This is a prime spot for a trade down, but I’m not doing trades, so Harrison’s replacement is the pick.

28) EAGLES (From Panthers) - Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
The Eagles took their chances, and still got the help they wanted at OT seven spots later. If you want to know why OT is an issue, take a look at the last time they played the Giants with their current LT.

29) GIANTS - Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan
Safety was a weak spot on last year’s team. A spectacular DL will make the learning curve easier on the youngster.

30) TITANS - Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
The defense will survive the loss of Haynesworth, but the offense is too one dimensional with no outside threat. Kenny Britt will make the opposing defense play more honest.

31) CARDINALS - LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
With Edge looking to get out of town, the Cards need another back to compliment Hightower. LeSean gets the nod over Wells due to his ability to provide an outlet in the passing game.

32) STEELERS - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
The D-line core is aging in Pittsburgh, and this team likes to have their replacements on board a year early.

Time to Shake Up the Lines,

2009-04-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

I’ve ranted and railed about the Raiders lacking any cohesive vision either on the Defense for years now. I’ve come up with my solutions, my long shot scenarios for how this unit is just a player or two away from being something special. I have argued for giving a much maligned DC the room to do what he was brought in for.

Then I read something like this:

“Tommy Kelly. is one of the best defensive linemen in the league. He’s an outstanding player…Kelly plays everywhere. He’s a little bit like Howie Long in that Howie Long was a guy that they would move along on the front. They would take Howie and mismatch him against whoever they thought the other team’s worst lineman was. There is a little bit of that with Tommy Kelly, too - find a guy that they want to go after and stick him there because he does have the flexibility to play outside and inside. He can pretty much play across the board. He can do everything. Play the run, rush the passer, he’s good in pursuit. He’s a very physical player. He’s pretty good.”

That quote is attributed to none other than Bill Bellichick. Now when Bill stated this is a mystery to me, I got this off another message board, and it could be a complete fabrication. As we all know, commenting about Tommy Kelly like this would likely constitute tampering (since the Raiders have held his rights since day 1).

But it got me to thinking. What the hell has happened to creativity when it comes to the Raiders defense?

I cut my teeth as a Raider fan watching Howie Long. Collected his trading cards, had his poster on my wall. Watching him implode in his final game as a Raider at Rich stadium, enduring the jeers of the Bills fans surrounding me…it hurt, yeah I said it, it hurt me bad.

But the thing about Long was he was used as a weapon. His trading cards listed him as a DT/DE, he never lined up in the same spot from game to game. Got a rookie guard, Howie will kill him, RT is an injury replacement, well now he has Long to deal with.

Now, Long had the great Greg Townsend at DE to compliment him, and a litany of good to great DT’s, who could also move around in complimentary roles. Something this Raider team lacks… or does it.

Here is the thing. Every game the Raiders come out with the same 4 guys up front, in the exact same position. I know some will blame Ryan, but this has been going on almost a decade. This past season (when everyone was healthy) you could read left to right, Burgess, Warren, Kelly, Richardson as your starting 4.

No match-up games were played, hell, barely a stunt was called. Here are our four, they are going to beat your five. Sure Burgess would line up over LT once in a blue moon, and when Sands came in, Warren might line up over LG. But there is no mystery to what the Raiders are going to do.

Thing is, this Raider front 4 is capable of more. And it all starts with the guy that Warren Sapp (I know, I put no stock into what he says either) called the best 3 technique in the league. The guy that Belichick reported called “one of the best defensive linemen in the league”. That right, Mr. Overpaid, Tommy Kelly.

Kelly has the Athletic ability to line up at either end, and the physical presence to line up at either tackle. It is time to start using this to create mismatches. No more of this “My gun is bigger than yours” bullshit. Time to try a little funny business.
It is time for Kelly to start earning that huge paycheck. Got a rookie guard, he should have Kelly lined up over him. Got a injury replacement at RT, let Kelly have his way with him.

Now I am not saying that Kelly is by any means Long’s equal. And Burgess, Warren and Richardson, are by no means Townsend, Davis and McGlockton. But there is enough talent there to get more done than what has been to date.

Brick is back...again

2009-04-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well brick in the box fans, we are deep in the NFL’s silly season. Players are moving, teams are shaping their rosters for next season, and the draft is right over the horizon. And brick in the box has been strangely silent.

Well as my loyal reader knows, I write most of my columns at work. And our IT department has decided to block my blogging access. But I am now armed with a new memory stick, and will continue to write here at work, and will post when I get home.

So what will be the 1st Item to get my attention, well with the draft coming up, lets look at the explosion numbers for some of the defensive players who may be there for the Raiders in the 2nd round on.

Why this focus, well we all know the Raiders need help up front on defense, and in my mind, absent film study, these explosion numbers are one of the best indicators of future success for defensive front seven players.

Credit has to go to Pat Kirwan for bringing the explosion scores to my attention. Do yourself a favor and google his NFL.com article from a few years back for a complete description of the concept (NFL.com is yet another site blocked here at work).

Short and sweet, you take the workout numbers in broad jump, vertical leap and bench press and add them up. Anything over 70 is considered excellent. Now you have to factor in other variables, is the guy a strict weight room guy with a huge bench and not much else, is he a jumper with no strength to finish, do the results on the field match the work in shorts and tees?

Past results speak for themselves, from the 2005 draft here are some standouts:

Luis Castillo – 77
Shawne Merriman – 75
Demarcus Ware – 75
Justin Tuck – 72

So who in this years draft who currently grades out as 2nd to 4th round picks have this rare combination of attributes that cause scouts to drool? Here are a few standouts in my mind:

DT – Ziggy Hood – Missouri – 76

He currently hold a mid 2nd round grade, but watching this guy and looking at his numbers, I would not be surprised if he finds himself in the late 1st round. Now if I am wrong and this guy doesn’t end up being a late riser in the draft, I would be all over him in the 2nd.

DT – Jarron Gilbert – San Jose State – 73

I won’t lie to you, I have not watched a single down of this guy. But the an excellent 40, a good short shuttle and an explosion score of 73 will get my attention, and force me to take a closer look at this 2nd round prospect. Could he project to a base DE?

LB – Conner Barwim – Cincinnati – 72

I think that the Raiders 2nd round pick is too high, and he will be gone by the 3rd. But if he is still on the board in 3 for the Raiders, I would be excited to take this guy as a fix to the SAM backer problems. Either by plugging him in at SAM or at MIKE and moving Morrison over.

LB – Cody Brown – Uconn – 72

See Conner, not as fast so he would be a better fit at MIKE, forcing the move of Morrison.

DE – Lawrence Sidbury – Richmond – 73

Small school standout, sound like something that Big Al would be all over? Well in the 3rd round he could definitely be there. I have seen some highlights which would lead me to think he may be taken as a Rush LB by a 3-4 team. The Raiders don’t need another light in the britches DE, IMO.

DT – Terrance Taylor – Michigan – 76

Now we are talking, I know it may be the Michigan fan in me, but I like what this guy does on the field, and with a late 3rd round grade, this guy could be just what the doctor ordered. He is not fast or quick, but he has the kind of explosion and size you look for in a 2 gap hole plugger. This would allow the Raiders to move Warren to the under position, move Kelly around (a future column will delve into this) and improve the line at 2 to 3 positions.

DT – Roy Miller – Texas – 77

Put this guy in the same category as Taylor. Better speed and agility numbers, less on the field production. Hence the late 4th early 5th round grade. Value Baby.

There are plenty of others, who fit the bill here. Workout darling BJ Raji scored a 74, my favorite of the USC backers, Brian Cushing got a 75, Mr. Shorts and Tee Shirt Michael Johnson blew everyone away with his balanced 77 to go with excellent speed numbers. But I just didn’t see the on field production, or value where the Raiders pick to go any further in depth on any of them.

So there you go, take a closer look at these guys to fix what Ails the Raiders as the draft progresses. And make sure to tell your friends you heard about them at brick in the box first.

Friday Rant

2009-01-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Another college football season is in the books as Florida edged out Okalahoma in a thrilling National Championship Game to become the undisputed National Champions. The BCS is working perfectly. Nope, I couldn’t type that with a straight face.

Fuck you College Football, well at least division 1 BCS subdivision. Once again you presented us with shit, and we ate it up. But thankfully more and more people are getting fed up with it. Why can’t you do the right thing and have a playoff? I know all the arguments, and they are bull.

Students athletes have to be given time to study for finals in December.

Bullshit, 1st of all, you have the name backwards, its Athlete students. You know who is buying the line that these guys get more time to study during the break between the last regular season game, and the bowls. Fucking lame Asses who never strapped on a set of pads.

I played some college ball (DIII) and even there you were faced with an obvious truth from day 1. This is a business, and you are the unpaid day labor. If you don’t do your job you are expendable. This means not only the 2 hours a day allotted for practice, but hours watching film, rehabbing with trainers, and working out.

You know what we did when there was a bye week, we had extra team meetings, not extra study time. Not to mention that the majority of the players did better in school when they was the restrictive schedule of game week, than they did once the season was over.

That’s right, college age young men do better in a regimented schedule then when left to their own devices. Who would have thunk it.

A playoff would damage the longstanding bowl tradition, making lesser bowls irrelevant and lessening the impact of the major bowls.

Give me a break. The lesser bowls already are irrelevant. Nobody, save for the fans of the schools and true football junkies (me included) give a flying fuck about the Poinsettia Bowl. I just watch because I will watch football whenever it is on, not because it means anything.

As for the major bowls, well I recognize that in order to make a playoff work, you would have to include these bowls into the equation. That is not lessening the impact that is increasing their impact. Would the Rose Bowl not have been more interesting this year if it were part of the elite eight? Tell me the ratings wouldn’t have been higher, and more money wouldn’t have been made. Tell me that with a straight face.

The quality of play would suffer, as the teams would be playing too long.

The quality of play isn’t suffering now? Two potent offenses were reduced to pathetic bumbling for almost three quarters last night. Not because the defenses were that good (they are good) but because the timing had been thrown to shit by the long layoff these teams went through.

Not only that, but the NCAA has slowly added to the number of games played each year anyway, from 10 to 11 to 12. Knock it back to 10, and with an Eight-team playoff the championship is only the 13th game, hardly a stretch. Let alone they already do this with a 16-team playoff at every other level.

The regular season would be rendered meaningless.

Oh, its not already, try telling that to Texas or Utah. Who cares that Texas beat Okalahoma, some convoluted tiebreaker and voting system saw things differently. Who cares that Utah was undefeated, your conference is worth less than the Big East or Big Televen. Who cares that the majority of the football-watching world could see that USC was better than either team last night? IMO, Texas, Utah and USC all have as much right to call themselves the National Champions this year as Florida, they all have the same number or fewer losses, and nothing gets decided on the field.

We could go on, but what is the point. The arguments just get weaker from here. You can’t ask the fans to travel to more games, bullshit. How would you determine the number 9 (or 17 seed) in a playoff, who cares, win in the regular season and it takes care of itself. Besides we have something else to rant about.

What the fuck are you crying about fat ass? You are a band geek; you really have yourself so emotionally invested in your schools football team that you are shedding tears over a loss to Florida. Get the fuck over it. Your flute playing ass just got a free trip to Miami in January, what the hell do you have to be sad about.

This is something that always bothered me during my playing days. When we won we had people all over the school and in the community ready to go on about how “WE” won. No we didn’t win, the team (myself included) won. You showed up to the game and ate hotdogs. You didn’t sweat your ass off during two-a-days in August. You aren’t so battered and bruised that you can barely get out of bed the next morning. And in the community I grew up in, chances are you voted against funding for the team, since it went down time and time again.

If you don’t suit up and practice all week, if you aren’t sacrificing all of your free time, your health and possibly years of your life. Drop the “we” shit. I’m as big a Raiders fan as you will find. But we didn’t beet Tampa week 17, the Raiders did. I may be ecstatic when the team wins, and incensed when the team loses or gets a bad call, but I’m not going to cry over it. Crying is for when something happens to your family, or the dog dies in a movie (see I do have a heart). Not when the team you played the same fight song for 800 times a game loses.

Save me the story about how you played your heart out fat girl. Unless you are a player or their family (families give up a lot also, and can be forgiven for the we) you don’t know shit about the sacrifice the players made, you didn’t earn the right to call yourself part of the team, and if you are crying over it and are older than 13, you’re a fucking loser.

But if it makes you feel better, I laughed out loud when I saw your fat face crying on National TV last night, and was overjoyed to see it on the top of the page at deadspin this morning, since that meant I wouldn’t have to screen cap it myself tonight.

2008 - College Bowl Preview - Part 1

2008-12-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hey, it’s Saturday, what the hell am I doing putting up a post. Well I am stuck at work, only have a couple of things to do in the next 6 hours, so figured, why not procrastinate and do a bowl game preview instead.

This will be your typical Brickinthebox look at college football, we are looking for NFL talent, and where you can see it for yourself, so you don’t have to sound like an idiot quoting Mel Kiper.

This will be a long one, even for me, so lets get right into it.

December 20, 2008

EagleBank: Wake Forest (7-5) vs. Navy (8-4)

We start off with a bang for you draft junkies, as the best LB in college football, Aaron Curry, takes the field. Watch him play, if you can get past the fact he doesn’t play for USC, its pretty easy to see why I say he is the best LB this year. Other than that, Wake has a great corner in Alphonso Smith who could go in the 1st, and a safety with 2nd day potential in Chip Vaughn.

Brick’s recommendation: TiVo it, and just watch when Wake’s D is on the field.

New Mexico Bowl: Colorado St. (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5)

Meh, Bear Pascoe, TE, and Tom Branstater, QB, neither excite me.

Brick’s recommendation: There are other things to do on a Saturday afternoon.

magicJack St. Petersburg : Memphis (6-6) vs. South Florida (7-5)

The star here is George Selvie, DE, South Florida. But you should also keep an eye on Tyrone McKenzie, LB, SF and Memphis’s DE Clinton McDonald.

Brick’s recommendation: Tune in for Selvie, and take a nap.

Pioneer Las Vegas: 17 BYU (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5)

3/5ths of BYU’s offensive line should be drafted, they all look alike to me (6’5”, 330lbs) and Arizona has a WR in Mike Thomas who could go on the 2nd day.

Brick’s recommendation: Watch BYU’s lineplay, expand your football knowledge past the QB and RB.

December 21, 2008

R+L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss (6-6) vs. Troy (8-4)

Who am I kidding, your watching the NFL. Your not missing much anyway.

Brick’s recommendation: Skip it.

December 23, 2008

SDCCU Poinsettia: 9 Boise State (12-0) vs. 11 TCU (10-2)

This could be the best non-BCS match-up out there. So you should be watching anyway. If Ian Johnson can run on TCU his draft stock will move up.

Brick’s recommendation: Watch the RB’s on both sides, and TCU linebacker Jason Philips.

December 24, 2008

Sheraton Hawaii: Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6)

Remember when their was talk of ND getting a New Years bowl game, then they fell flat on their faces to end the season, good times. Hawaii has a pair of stud LB’s who should go sometime on Day 2. Some ND player will be overhyped and drafted.

Brick’s recommendation: Wait for a full body shot of Weis, and pause the screen, cut out a Santa suit from construction paper and play dress up. Then read Twas the Night Before Christmas, fun for the whole family.

December 26, 2008

Motor City: Fla. Atlantic (6-6) vs. Central Mich. (8-4)

Not even going to bother.

Brick’s recommendation: Skip it.

December 27, 2008

Meineke Car Care: WVU (8-4) vs. North Carolina (8-4)

Three good WR prospects to watch in North Carolina’s Tate and Foster, and WV’s Pat White. To bad Pat is playing QB, so you won’t get a feel for what he can do as a pro.

Brick’s recommendation: Enjoy this one, should be good football.

Champs Sports: Wisconsin (7-5) vs. Florida State (8-4)

Wisconsin is loaded with 2nd and 3rd round talent on both sides of the ball. Florida has Myron Rolle. Pay particular attention to Wisconsin’s LB’s and DE’s.

Brick’s recommendation: Watch it, most draft prospects to date in one game.

Emerald: Miami (Fla.) (7-5) vs. California (8-4)

Watch Alex Mack (C, Cal) and appreciate great center play, I know its hard but it is worth it. Additionally Cal should have at least 4 players from their defensive front seven drafted, so that is a good place to look when Miami has the ball (since you won’t want to watch Miami’s offense). Miami’s defense has some mid to late round prospects as well.

Brick’s recommendation: Alex Mack, nothing more needs to be said.

December 28, 2008

Independence: Northern Illinois (6-6) vs. La. Tech (7-5)

You can watch Northern Illinois LB, Larry English, or you can find something else to do, I will choose the latter.

Brick’s recommendation: Skip it.

December 29, 2008

Papajohns.com: NC State (6-6) vs. Rutgers (7-5)

Some mid to late round prospects here, nothing that excites me, it’s the last day of Hanukkah so:

Brick’s recommendation: Expand your awareness of other cultures, play with a draydle (and learn how to spell).

Valero Alamo: 25 Missouri (9-4) vs. 22 N'Western (9-3)

Jeremy Maclin, William Moore, Chase Coffman, Evander Hood, Chase Daniel; yeah you should be watching Missouri if you are interested in NFL pro prospects.

Brick’s recommendation: Must see TV.

December 30, 2008

Roady's Humanitarian: Maryland (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5)

The best player to watch is Darrius Heyward-Bey, other than that it’s a forgettable match-up of forgettable teams.

Brick’s recommendation: Never mind.

Texas: Western Michigan (9-3) vs. Rice (9-3)

You probably don’t get NFLN anyway.

Brick’s recommendation: Never mind

Pacific Life Holiday: 13 OK State (9-3) vs. 15 Oregon (9-3)

Best TE in the country vs. one of the better S’s. Pettigrew vs. Chung could be a great match-up. Throw in a little Max Unger, Fenuki Tupou and Jeremiah Johnson and there is plenty to watch when Oregon has the ball as well.

Brick’s recommendation: Get the to thine couch.

That takes us up to the New Year’s Eve bowls. And since a development here at work is going to allow me to leave early, you’ll just have to wait for the rest. And with games like the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl still on the docket, you will definitely want to check back.

7 Things are better than 10 - Walt Coleman as the Grinch

2008-12-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

Well, look at that, I have some time to waste, and a blank word document in front of me. Might as well type out a couple pages and see if we get to me having Seven things, because Seven is better than Ten, but something is better than nothing.

1 – How the Fuck is Walt Coleman still employed by the NFL

Walt proved once again yesterday that he has no clue what the words “indisputable visual evidence” mean. IMO, to be an NFL official, you should have a firm grasp on those three words, as at some time you will be required to put your head into the replay booth and make a call that will determine the end of a game.

As a Raider fan, I have been here before with Walt. It seems like ages ago that I froze my ass off in a blizzard and saw the Raiders lose a game to the Patriots. It wasn’t until I sobered up the next day and checked my voicemail that I had any clue as to the call and subsequent reversal. Sure I knew it looked like Brady fumbled, and that the call was overturned. But I could not hear the words “tuck rule” in the stadium, and had no clue that the Raiders had been hosed.

That day, much like yesterday, Walt Coleman was the head official, who poked his head into the replay booth and made an egregious error.

Was the Tuck rule the right call? Who the fuck knows, but there is ample room for debate, it sure as hell looks like Brady touched the ball with his free hand in one angle, thus “tucking” the ball. But it is up for debate.

Was the touchdown for the Steelers the right call, well as an impartial witness, I can’t say for sure that the ball was or wasn’t touching the goal line when Holmes secured it. Once again there is room for debate.

And that is where “indisputable visual evidence” come into play. If there is room for debate, there is no way the call on the field should be overturned. But every week, some NFL official goes into the replay booth, and comes away changing a play that is very much in dispute. The thing is, Coleman has become notorious for this, and just being an overall poor official.

If he has not learned the meaning of “indisputable visual evidence” in the seven years since the Snow Job, than he is unfit to be an official, and should be handed his walking papers.

2 – More on NFL officiating

Maybe I am becoming more aware of it as I grow older, but the NFL officiating seems to be getting worse every year. Maybe the game is just getting faster, and these guys just can’t keep up, but I think it has more to do with a lack of accountability from the league.

Example #1 from yesterday is obviously the Walt Coleman debacle, but he was hardly alone.

Late in the 4th quarter the lowly 49ers were driving on the Dolphins. Facing 4th down, and needing a touchdown the Niners went for it. Joey Porter blew past the RT and sacked the QB, game over… and then in an incredible display of stupidity Porter jumped up and tossed his helmet across the field. This should have been a 15-yard unsportsmanlike, and perhaps a 1st down for the Niners. Instead there was no call. How the fuck do you miss that one?

Needless to say, I could go on and on, but why bother. You can scream about this stuff until your voice gets horse, and Ed Ferera will just go on NFL Network and claim all is well.

3 – D-IA (or whatever you want to call it) Gets it right
Did you check out the Playoff Subdivision playoffs this weekend. If you didn’t please turn in you football fan card on your way out. The gameplay and officiating may not have been spectacular, but the tension and atmosphere blew away the majority of Bowl games, as it does every year.

The results are inconsequential, since average Joe football fan doesn’t seem to care. I can’t wait to watch the number 5 seed take on the number 7 seed next weekend. And I wish that more football fans would follow my lead. Because one thing that would impress the powers that be in big time college football would be huge rating numbers for the lesser division’s championship game.

If Montana vs. East Bumfuck could garnish a huge rating (I.E. huge money) those money grubbing bastards who steadfastly refuse to dump the antiquated bowl system may have a change of heart.

4 – If there is a personnel Hell for everyone, I know what mine will be

I got dragged to the Mall this weekend, not once, but twice. Both Friday night and Saturday afternoon I found myself in a Mall. I hate the Mall. Not just at Christmas time, but all year long. However that hate grows ten-fold in the weeks following Thanksgiving.

If I were the kind of person who believed in Heaven and Hell, I know for sure what my personal Hades would look like. There would be no fire and brimstone; it would be my own groundhog day, where I spent eternity wandering a Mall during Christmas season.

5 – Read a book

How do I know when I am really enjoying a book? I read it at times other when I am hanging a root. Well I picked up a book this weekend that grabbed me immediately, and other than watching football, I haven’t put down.

“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” by Tucker Max is fucking awesome. So many of the stories remind me of those lost college and early professional years when my entire life revolved around getting drunk and laid. If you can read this and not relate to some of the stories, well then you have lead a boring life, and I feel sorry for you.

6 – The Raiders Suck

Once again I faithfully turned my TV to the Raider game at 4:15 Sunday. Once again the team lowered my expectations.

A coach once said that the Raiders “must be the stupidest team in the NFL” this remark lead him to become a pariah amongst the fans, and hastened his exit from the team. Too bad that looking back on the last 6 years, he looks more like a prophet than an imbecile.

7 – I got nothing

No Seventh thing, I need to get back to work.

7 Things are better than 10 - A Raider Win

2008-11-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I have done a 7 things column, some of that has been how busy real life has had me, and part of it is that I just haven’t felt like it. So here are some random thoughts from the past weekend, if I hit 7 I may call the column 7 things, if not, well who cares.

1 – Raiders Win

Holy Shit, I am still in a state of mild disbelief. I have really come to the point that I expect the Raiders to defecate all over themselves each and every game. Putting together a complete game plan and executing it was the furthest thing from my mind as I sat down to watch the game Sunday afternoon.

But execute a competent game plan they did, and the results were astounding. The Broncos are not a good team, but the Raiders are nowhere near as good as they looked in the second half Sunday. Dare I say that Cable out coached the Rat? What a great surprise that was.

2 – Chinese Democracy

A new Guns N Roses album, what is this 1990? Well I sure acted that way, by heading to a local Best Buy and plunking down $12 for a copy. It has been years since I actually bought a CD, and I knew that I could have gotten it cheaper through other means, but what the fuck, GNR only releases a CD every 18 years.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the purchase. I knew that it could never live up to my hopes for a GNR album. It has been too long, and the band is now Rose and whomever he can pull off the street. Back in the day, Appetite for Destruction blew my young mind, and the Use Your Illusion albums were my bible for a couple years.

Chinese Democracy pales in comparison, but then again any comparison would be unfair. The 1st 3 tracks rock, after that the album loses steam and I can’t say that I am surprised.

But for what will most likely be the last CD I ever buy, at least it is GNR, and not some other garbage that pretends to be music, like so much else that is out there.

3 – JaMarcus Russell

In what was a very solid performance for the young QB, he put up a passer rating of 149.1, lets all jump for joy. Or not, why does the media insist on jamming one game passer ratings down our throats. They have to relies that the passer rating was devised as a tool to evaluate a QB’s performance over the course of a season, not of a game.

A game does not present enough data to formulate a passer rating worth a damn. That is why there are multiple instances of QB’s putting up perfect passer ratings. Has any QB ever had a perfect game, anyone with any sense will tell you no, but the media doesn’t possess much sense, so they will trot out those perfect passer ratings and act like they mean something.

4 – Back Pain sucks

Through my football days I dealt with plenty of injuries, ankles swelled to the size of grapefruit, knees that to this day become painful when the weather changes, a shoulder that will never be right again.

But they all pale to how debilitating a back injury can be. The 1st time I hurt my back was weightlifting in college. Thankfully I healed faster then. For the 2nd time this year I have fucked up my lower back, and there is no position I can put myself in that stops the throbbing pain. Just typing this, I feel like I have hot knives being jabbed into my lower back. And I have a 5 ½ hour drive to look forward to tonight. Awesome,

5 – Michigan

Yep, the Wolverines sucked this season, I expected this, but not for it to be this bad. I figured 6 or 7 wins and some shitty bowl game. The level of sucktitude exhibited by Michigan put them in the Detroit Lions class of football. Which is fitting since they both hail from the same state.

I didn’t see the Ohio St. Michigan game for only the 2nd time that I can remember as I had to work, and I am glad. For me Michigan’s season ended when they at least made it close at Penn St. while I was in attendance. I think I will try to erase my memory of all but the 1st half of that game as far as this season of Michigan football is concerned.

6 – One Day workweeks rock

That’s right, I am at work today, and then I head off to Upstate NY for the rest of the week. Nothing like half-assing a Monday and not having to come back for the rest of the week. Instead I will be hunting, drinking and eating too much. Life is looking good, well at least until next Monday when I have a stack of shit piled on my desk.

7 – I agreed with Simmons

Not sure when the column came out, but when checking one of my Fantasy Football teams this weekend, I saw a Bill Simmons column, and forgetting my boycott I actually clicked the link. And you know what, he was on point. The new NFL stadiums do suck for fans. I have been to a couple of the new stadium, and while the bells and whistles are nice. The game day experience for the average fan has been completely ignored.

I am much happier now to just do my own thing at the house. BarBQ, or put together a pot of Chili or Gumbo, and drink beer from my fridge. No lines at the john, no dealing with other drunks. Even the lovely Mrs. Brick has learned that when the Raiders are on, I am not to be bothered.

The Raiders come to Pittsburgh next season, if work hasn’t relocated me by then, it would be a quick trip in to the game. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I decide to just say fuck it, and watch the way I watch most games, and relax at home. No dealing with ferries (yes I take a ferry across the river from parking when I go to Steelers games) drunken Yintzers, or bathrooms designed for 20 with 200 in them.

Look at that, a Raider win, and Seven things. Who knew one had anything to do with another.

Fixing the Defense...Again

2008-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well we have passed the mid-way point of another season of NFL football, so as Raider fans its time to look to next year…

God that sucks.

But then again, so does this team. From top to bottom this team needs and enema. Or at least I know trying to digest the garbage on the field every week gives me the shits.

So where to start? It was about this time last season I advocated finally letting Rob Ryan do what he was brought here to do, and implement the 3-4/4-3 hybrid defense. Watching the Raiders futile attempts to stop the most basic of run games lets start with the defense, what is wrong, and how GM brick would start to fix it.

1st things 1st, this defense is such a huge mess, in order to fix the problem; we must try to figure out how we got to this point. During the three straight AFC West Championship years the defense was at least above average. Since then things have gone downhill, and while Ryan deserves his share of the blame, I don’t believe that it is entirely his fault.

Ryan was brought on board to run the 3-4/4-3 hybrid defense that N.E. was running with great success, as they utilized a great mix of young guns, over the hill vets and journeymen to dominate the AFC (sound familiar). Things were looking pretty good that off-season as 3-4 vets Ted Washington and Bobby Hamilton were brought on board to shore up the line, along with a number of journeymen LB’s. Then Al Davis stepped in, and in a classic Davis move signed “premier” free agent in Warren Sapp.

Sapp was a horrible fit at DE in the 3-4, and that along with a multitude of injuries among the linebacker core resulted in a horrible season defensively for the Raiders. There were bright spots, including the emergence of an undrafted DE named Tommy Kelly.

The 3-4 was subsequently jettisoned the following season. However, to this day, the personnel remain a miss match to the scheme.

Since this is GM brick’s take, we will work from the inside out, since that is how GM brick thinks you build a defense.

At DT the line-up currently features:

Tommy Kelly, Gerald Warren, Terdell Sands and Fred Wakefield.

Kelly is not a true under (or 3 technique) tackle, his skill set is better suited to a 3-4 end.

Warren is an under tackle, but he is being asked to 2 gap.

Sands cannot seem to 2 gap, but when asked to simply push his guy back 2-3 yards he can be a force.

Wakefield, well this jack of all trades cannot master any.

This is a huge problem for the Raiders right there. Say what you will about the talent level of the defense. There is no depth to this rotation, and the only two players who should be starting are at the wrong position. There are huge holes for the running game as there are two players single gapping (and being handled one on one) and with no depth there are constant breakdowns by the 4th quarter.

Oh, and before I forget, William Joseph has been added back to the mix, once again with the same skill set as Warren and Kelly, just less of it, so maybe I was better to forget this.

Moving to defensive end, things get no better.

The line-up of Derrick Burgess, Jay Richardson, Kalimba Edwards and Trevor Scott strike fear into, well it should strike fear into the Raiders secondary.

Derrick Burgess should be a pass rush specialist, come in on 2nd and long and 3rd down, he should be nowhere near the field on run downs. This is not because of his heart, but physically he cannot handle the pounding of lining up against right tackles all day. His two healthy seasons are proving to be an aberration to his injury marked career. Throw in that I for one feel he is overrated as a pass rusher, as he is a complete hit or miss player, and well, time to move on.

Jay Richardson shows a lot of promise as a base defensive end, however with the Raiders desperate to find any sort of pass rush, he is being asked to fill the void from the injured Burgess, once again here is a player who’s skill set does not match what he is being asked to do.

Kalimba should also be a pass rush specialist, and prior to the Burgess injury, that looked like what the Raiders had planned, but he is a liability anytime the offense runs the ball, as he has no concept of backside contain, and cannot stand up to run blocking.

Trevor Scott…see Kalimba Edwards.

There it is, up and down the defensive line players are being asked to do things they just cannot do. Which leads us to the linebacker core.

The law firm of Howard and Morrison has many Raider fans thinking that greatness is just around the corner. Throw in solid play from the likes of Ricky Brown, Robert Thomas, Jon Alston and the occasional missed tackle from Sam Williams and this unit would seem to have a lot of potential.

Here is the thing, the way these guys are currently playing, that potential is being wasted.

Kirk Morrison is constantly overrated by Raiders fans, in my not so humble opinion, he cannot shed blocks, constantly runs himself out of position, and seems to have put on some weight this season, leaving him a step behind in pass coverage.

Thomas Howard is a beast, and could start for almost any team in the league, but with the limitations of the players around him, he is constantly getting lost in the wash.

The rest of the linebackers are serviceable vets, they all bring limited skill sets to the table, which in the right system could flourish.

The secondary isn’t broken, so I won’t say much, except that to expect anything more than what you are getting without any semblance of a pass rush, or any ability to slow the run is foolhardy.

So how do you fix the front seven? I’m not one to complain without offering a solution. That is why my posts tend to be so long. So lets get right into it.

1st things 1st, pick a scheme and stick to it, and get rid of the players who do not fit what you are trying to do.

If you want to stick with the 4-3, rotate Kelly and Warren at the under tackle. Find a big body to compliment Sands and rotate the two of them. Find a DE to compliment Edwards and rotate Scott, Edwards, Richardson and the DE to be named later.

The linebacker core should be improved just from the moves at the DT position. Howard and Morrison need room to move. And upgrade at SAM would be nice, but there are only so many moves you can make in one off-season. Sounds easy, but the Raiders have struggled to find a DT or DE worth a damn since Howie Long retired, let alone 2 starting quality players in one off-season. Then you throw in that chances are Burgess and Warren most likely will be gone next season, and it’s not so easy.

Or you can work to the majority of you current player’s strengths and move to a 3-4 base.

Kelly and Richardson would be your base ends. Which works out well as this plays to both players’ strengths. Sands would be your NT, lined up head on the center with the green light to try and penetrate and wreak havoc, he might even begin to earn his salary. You no longer need to find players who can win pass-rush match-ups one on one, so the rest of the depth chart can be filled with journeymen.

At LB, you have plenty of flexibility with the current players. Howard and Williams have the speed to rush or drop back. Putting both of these players on the ends at the same time could be a real match-up nightmare. Morrison has the look of a WMLB in the 3-4, free to flow to the play, with no backside responsibility he could look much like Ed Hartwell did in Baltimore. The question becomes can the Raiders find someone to man the SMBL, can Brown, or Thomas step up here? Or is this a position you find through free agency or the draft. Depth is also a problem, as you would need one or two journeymen to fill some voids.

In the end, there is more work to do to get a 3-4 up and running than a 4-3, however I feel the 3-4 is more attainable than the 4-3 given the limitations of the current personnel and what I feel is the pending departure of Warren and Burgess.

So there you go. GM brick would bring in 3-4 personnel and give Rob Ryan one season of free reign to work his magic. Lets see if the apple has fallen that far from the tree, or, if release of the shackles of the current scheme restrictions, Ryan can produce similar results to his father and brother.

Losing Lane, Part 2 - The Aftermath (AKA Sick of it All)

2008-10-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

So it has been almost 48 hours now since the Raiders fired yet another coach. Things seem to have settled down on the Raider boards and in the media. The expected has happened, the majority of sports writers and talking heads have crucified Al Davis. Lane Kiffin has wisely shut his mouth and is now doing household chores for his wife. And reigning Brickinthebox man of the year Tom Cable now sits on the hot seat as Raiders head coach.

If you have followed the Raiders for any length of time, you knew that Davis was in a no win situation here. Fire Lane and say nothing, and the media simply runs the same rumors that they have for the last year and a half, showing how dysfunctional Al is and praises Lane for lasting so long. Have the press conference and address the rumors that have come out, and Al is a vindictive old man.

Few, if any, writers or talking head will stick up for Davis in any manner. Davis has burned too many bridges in the media community. Davis didn’t help things any by referring to Mort as a professional liar in the press conference. Davis’s bunker mentality has allowed the media to run wild for years with disinformation when it comes to the Raiders. So when Al does emerge from his self imposed exiles to address issues, he ends up painting the reporters as liars and rumor mongers. Its no wonder that the media doesn’t like him.

That said, the media response is often comical. Mort went on Mike and Mike to address the Lane Kiffin firing and tried to strike back at Al. In trying to show that Lane wasn’t his source for his information, Mort claimed that he learned that Cable was the next head coach before the announcement. Congratulations Mort, we all did thanks to Adam Schefter. But that is typical ESPN, if someone else breaks a story, than ESPN just plugs in the standard phrase “ESPN has learned” rather than credit any other organization.

Mort went on to defend Lane in the same bumbling manner. He brought up Lane’s attempt to bring his father Monte as the new Raiders defensive coordinator. Mort questioned why the Raiders wouldn’t want perhaps the best defensive coordinator of the last 10+ years as their new DC. Lets keep it simple; Monte was under contract with the Bucs. Any attempt by any member of the Raiders organization to recruit Monte would be considered tampering. That tampering could result in the Raiders forfeiting draft picks. However Mort is willing to overlook this to defend his source in Lane, and his honor as a media member.

It doesn’t stop there with the media. Normally fair minded outlets like Pat Kirwan decided to blast Al and defend Lane. Dismissing the possibility that Lane did anything wrong in this matter, using the same old rumors and innuendo that have circulated around the Raiders for years and miss citing the letter sent to Lane after the Denver game. Why, because Lane is a family fried who regularly appears on his program.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t this has become the story of Al’s later years.

Lane predictably has gone strangely quite now. He rewarded his media outlet of choice, ESPN, with an interview where he squirmed under softball questions and a fluff piece with Sirius NFL radio and his friend Pat Kirwan. After months of leaking information and blatantly calling out the organization in press conferences, Lane decided to choose the high road. You could smell the bullshit through the TV screen and over the radio. Lane publicly undermined the team for months, and now that he was called out he hid behind his boyish smirk.

There is no doubt in my mind that had Al not dressed Lane down in his press conference Lane would have gone forward with his planned press conference Wednesday and put his spin out there on the issues. Al beat him to the punch. Lane didn’t take the high road, he had the rug pulled out from under him by an old man. If Lane ever found himself on the high road he would be telling some balding hunter how he must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

Then there is the final dance partner in this strange threesome. Brickinthebox’s 2007 man of the year; Tom Cable. Obviously I have allot of respect for Cable if I have plastered his face on every page of my website. So how will he fair as the interim head coach of the Raiders, well that is anybody’s guess, lets bore you with mine.

Cable is an ex-offensive lineman, and offensive line coach. Sure he has some experience as a head coach at Northwestern Idaho or something like that (no we don’t have a fact checker here) but the history of ex-offensive lineman dealing with Davis is promising. Offensive linemen generally are not ones to seek out attention and praise. It is a product of the position. If you are getting attention, chances are you fucked up. Working the thankless jobs becomes a way of life.

John Madden was an offensive lineman in his playing days, he may have been linebacker coach prior to taking over as the head coach of the Raiders, but doing the thankless jobs prepared him for working in Al’s shadow. Art Shell was a hall of famer, and say what you will about his last year as the Raider’s HC, his 1st tour of Duty was generally successful, even if he never guided the team to a ring. The key is for Cable to surround himself with coaches who can handle the X’s and O’s, and allow him to work with his lineman, and just take care of the head coach responsibilities of oversight, and clock management. Oh, and living in Al’s shadow.

If Cable can translate his ability to get the most out of offensive lineman, into the ability to get the most out of an entire team, the Raiders should be fine for this season. I’m not seeing playoffs, but respectable play. Will this mean he is retained at head coach at the end of the year, I don’t know. But I think it makes the most sense, as it gives the Raiders their best chance of retaining the offensive staff that has been working with JRuss to date. Which, since it makes the most sense, means it is the least likely outcome.

And finally, how has this affected me. Well we broke all of our traffic records here at Brickinthebox over the last 2 days. Which really excited me, who knows, the Raiders plight could lead to this site taking off. Until I took a closer look at the numbers, it seems that 90% of my hits came from people looking for pictures of Tom Cable, and most of them didn’t stick around long enough to get through one of my diatribes. Oh well, I guess it is back to the grind for me.

Losing Lane, Part 2 - The Press Conference

2008-10-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I won’t lie to you, heading into yesterday’s press conference I was ready to damn Al. I am sick and tired of the revolving door of Raider head coaches. I wish my team had a clear vision for what they are trying to do. Would set a plan and stick to it. I had seen enough of Kiffin so far to say “lets give the kid a little more time and see if he can develop.”

Then I listen to Al as I drove home from work as he laid it all out there. Almost every rumor that we have been subjected to over the past year and a half was addressed. Now I may not take everything Al said at face value, but what he said struck me as being closer to the truth than the reports that we have gotten. I have to face it, when Al speaks, I listen.

So lets break it down.

Al confirmed that there was dissention over the #1 pick in the 2007 draft. This is no surprise, there should be a healthy amount of debate over any pick, let alone one that will receive that much money. As long as both parties agree to disagree and move on this shouldn’t be a problem.

Al confirmed that there was interest in Lane from Arkansas. Now I will leave it up for debate whether or not Lane was interested in them, and if he was upset that he didn’t get the job. Someone at Arkansas contacting Al, does not mean that Lane put his hat into the ring.

Al corrected the whole resignation letter issue from this past off-season. I never put much stock into Mort’s report that Al tried to have Lane resign, the story didn’t pass the smell test. Al and Lane’s lawyers coming up with language to terminate Lane’s contract in the case that Lane wanted to take another job, that jives with me.

Al confirmed that Lane wanted to fire Rob Ryan. Once again, the way Al claims this went down makes perfect sense to me. Lane wanted to bring in his father and the Tampa-2. Not making this move makes sense from a player personnel and contract standpoint. This should have been back burnered until this coming off-season when the elder Kiffin would have been out of his contract.

Al read his letter to Lane. I have written many letters of default, I recognize one when I see it. This was a bad example of writing one, but there is no doubt about what Al was trying to do. This was Lane’s last warning. Frankly too much has been put into this letter by Raider fans. This is not “proof” of any wrong doing by Lane, it is not proof that Lane wanted any of the players mentioned in the letter. A well-written letter of default would have sited chapter and verse the clauses in the contract violated, and how they were violated. This was an emotional warning letter from Al. If I ever sent out a letter like this I would have some serious questions to answer from my superiors.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I supported Kiffin fully this off-season until he called out Ryan in the media. At that point I felt that he had gone too far. I hoped that everything could still be mended, for the good of the team, but apparently that was the last straw for Al. Sure Al’s letter said that Lane could have rectified the situation, but any misstep, no matter how small would have meant the end of the Kiffin era.

Here is the thing, when Al laid it all out on the table, I came to agree that it was time to fire Kiffin. It was clear that the working environment had deteriorated beyond repair. Why, through the actions of Lane Kiffin. The constant blabbing and leaking of information to the media could only have come from one source, Lane Kiffin.

All day I have heard about what a piece of garbage Al is for handling the press conference the way that he did. For airing the Raider’s dirty laundry in the media. The laundry was already out there, it had been hung by young Lane over the course of the last year. All Al did was put the Raider’s spin on it. For Lane to go on Sirius NFL radio and say he wouldn’t stoop to Al’s level was laughable, Lane dragged him down into the mud, Al just finally slung back.

There are times that I hate what the Raiders have become. I hate how they cannot put a competent team on the field the last 5 years. I hate how there is seemingly no coherent plan to build this team back up. I hate the lack of consistency in coaching. I hate how my team has become a laughing stock. And in the end all of these things trace back to the actions of one person, Al Davis. But for one day yesterday, I was back in Al’s camp. The old man still has it.

Losing Lane, Part 1 - Lane the Coach

2008-10-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

First things first, happy Eid to everyone, hopefully the end of Ramadan will mean that I get back to feeling like a normal human being, and for my lucky readers, I get back to a semi-regular schedule of posting.

Now it seems like there is a 300lb elephant in the room, something that I should be writing about. Did something big happen? Wall Street Bailout, presidential debates, no, you don’t come here for any of that. Oh, Lane Kiffin got fired, I almost forgot about that.

My faith in Lane has waned since the start of the season. Calling out Rob Ryan did not sit well with me. The KC game did little for me, because, well it was KC. It was the Buffalo game and the San Diego game that really got me wondering if this guy had what it takes to be a successful head coach.

In Buffalo the offense was putrid. The Rob Ryan bashers loved to point out this as yet another case of Rob calling a prevent D and surrendering a big lead. 1st things 1st, if you believe that Ryan called a prevent D, do yourself a favor. Go learn what a prevent defense is, then watch the tape. Soft zones, go watch the tape, the players are in man the vast majority of the game. That cushion that Hall gives up, that is how he plays man, get used to it.

That game was lost for 2 reasons. One being that the offense failed to have a drive longer than 6 plays the entire game. The other being that the Raiders dressed only 6 defensive linemen for the game. You are going to let your defensive front go up against one of the biggest Offensive lines for almost 40 minutes, with 2 subs. completely asinine.

We then witnessed almost a play for play repeat performance the following week against San Diego. The Defense was brilliant, up until the time the wheels fell off since the Offense could not put together a drive of more than 3 plays.

Time and time again I have said that I don’t put the personnel problems on Lane, now according to Al, maybe I should. But truth be told, until I am hired by the Raiders and have 1st hand experience, you will never be able to tell me that anyone other than Al has the final say on personnel matters. So I will let Lane slide on the only having 6 defensive lineman.

It is the complete lack of anything resembling a competent offense that makes me question Lane. I understand the limitations of the Raider’s personnel. The wide receivers cannot get open. The tackles are suspect in pass blocking. The quarterback is basically a rookie. As a result opposing defenses are free to load up the box to shut down the run game.

However there are ways to overcome these limitations. Motion your receivers; give them some space coming off the ball. Run two tight end sets; chip the defensive ends before going out in pass patterns. Run some screens, not just on 3rd and long, but on normal downs as well. The play calling was so pathetically vanilla that a high school linebacker could read the tendencies.

So while I liked the way that Lane was seemingly a straight shooter (more on this later), how he seemed to have all the players on the same page, and how he seemed to finally bringing back some accountability to the players that had been missing since Gannon and Gruden. I was becoming disenchanted with the way Kiffin called a game, and the way he managed the clock and down and distance.

In the end, at this time Lane did not have what it takes to be a successful head coach at the NFL level. So I am not heartbroken that he is no longer the coach of the Oakland Raiders. There is something to be said for letting a coach grow with his team for continuities sake, but now we have to look at underling factors. Of course this is the Raiders we are talking about, so there is allot to look at. Meaning this column is long enough, and we will split this into two parts, because I need to get some real work done.

Brick's Picks Week 3

2008-09-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Little slow around here this week, seems every time that I think I have some time to type another column something comes up. But that shouldn’t be a problem as I drew the short straw and have to work the night shift tonight. That means no phone calls, nobody stopping into my office and hopefully no emergencies. So lets get right into it.

Didn’t do all that bad last week with the picks, as I went 4 for 5, yes I am counting the everyone looses in the Denver vs. San Diego game, as there has been a weeks worth of controversy and we are all dumber for it.

As for the San Diego fans who are crying over the missed call and the replay equipment malfunction. WHHAAAAAAAAA, cry me a fucking river you front running fucks. Chances are none of you could name a player on the team 5 years ago when you were fighting for 3rd place every year. Now you bandwagoners got a taste of what Raider fans have been complaining about for years. The officials suck.

Did bodybuilder Ed fuck up the call. Sure did, but there are missed calls every game. They don’t always come at such a critical time, but great teams with great coaches don’t get put in the position that the call costs them the game, and have the ability to over come the bad call.

I’m reminded of the snow job that the Raiders were the victims of in New England. Was the call bullshit, if you aren’t a complete hater or a delusional Patriots fan you can admit that it was. But the Raiders had ample chance to salt that game away later and didn’t come through. The Raiders were a better team talent wise than that Patriots squad, but they were not a good enough team to over come that call.

That is where the Chargers stand right now. Talent wise the team is stacked. But with Turner at the helm and a lack of leaders on the field the team is not good enough to overcome a bad call or two. A.J. Smith is a great talent evaluator, but seems to put talent over character and leadership. Say what you will about the Rat, but he consistently gets the most out of his offensive talent on game day. That is why the Broncos are tough, and the Chargers have tough luck.

On to the picks:

As always, these are the games that I will be making a point to check out at some point of the day, not necessarily the best match-up, just the ones I am the most interested in.

Oakland +9.5 at Buffalo

I like just about everything about these Bills except the coaching. Dick Jauron just doesn’t seem to have the balls to make the tough choice when necessary. Instead he calls the game by the book. Jauron would never have gone for 2 the way the Rat did against the Chargers. This will cost the Bills when they reach a big game. This week however the Bills seem to be a little better than the Raiders at just about all phases of the game, and should win a close one, but not by enough to cover the spread:
The Pick – Oakland with the points.

Dallas at Green Bay +3

This to me is a great match-up, Dallas’s offense looks like it could be a Juggernaut, but Green Bay will give them their stiffest test to date. The over/under is 51, which is the easy pick (over), the game itself is much tougher, which is why I will be paying attention. I think in the end Dallas’s 3-4 will be too tough of a nut for Aaron Rogers to crack.

The Pick – Dallas

Jacksonville +5 at Indianapolis

Well my preseason Super Bowl pick of Jacksonville is looking pretty bad right now. Injuries have decimated the squad, but in the Colts they face another team with huge problems. No Bob Sanders should open up the run game for Jax, and lead them to a win…I hope.

The Pick – Jacksonville

Pittsburgh +3.5 at Philadelphia

The local Yintzers are going crazy as their Steelers have opened up the season 2-0. Color me less than completely impressed. The opening day blowout of the Texans was nice, but Houston is still a year away from being able to compete with the best. If you read the site you know that I was down on Cleveland from the start, and I was more surprised by how close they managed to keep things that by Pittsburgh’s win. Philly will give them their 1st real test, and the fire zone defense will utterly confuse Pittsburgh’s line. This will be a physical low scoring game with Philly coming out on top.

The Pick – Philly

NY Jets +8.5 at San Diego

Thank god for the mute button, I don’t think I would be able to watch the Monday night crew verbally fellate Favre without it. San Diego will come together this week and stomp the Jets, not much more needs to be said.

The Pick – San Diego

Thats it, I'm having connection problems now, so just watch the interior line play of the LSU vs. Auburn match-up. Pro tallent on both sides when LSU has the ball.

7 Things From a Football Packed Weekend

2008-09-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Another week another Seven things, this is starting to become a habit. This weekend was pretty boring, other than football anyway, so lets just get right into it.

1 – Fat equals Funny

Tom Brady blowing out his knee was funny because it hurt so many stupid people. Charlie the Whale blowing out his knee was god damn hilarious. I mean look at this video:

I can’t stop laughing, can you? If you can than go fuck yourself that is some funny shit there. It was even better in HD as I replayed it over and over again. Go ahead and watch it one more time, TIMBER!!!!!!!!!

2 – An Open Letter to Sweater vest

Dear Sweater vest, if you aren’t going to play Terrell Pryor, why the fuck did you recruit him. He was by far the best offensive player on the field for THEO this weekend. Fuck the senior, he isn’t going to amount to shit anyway, or he would have by now. If you want to stop loosing to top teams, you are going to have to embrace Pryor. Ehh, forget it, I like it better when you get embarrassed every time you play a top 10 team not from the Big-Televen.

3 – Vince Young is Fuckin Crazy

You want to quit you fucking pussy, you run up against the 1st adversity that you have experience in your young life and you are ready to throw in the towel. You know what, go ahead, commit suicide you dumb motherfucker. Just don’t try slitting your wrists, you will probably cut short of the vein. And don’t try to kill yourself with your car, you’ll miss the tree wide right. And don’t try to overdose on pills, you’ll just one hop them all off your chin.

That’s right Vince, you suck so bad, I bet you couldn’t even commit suicide right.

Look I understand there is allot of pressure in being an NFL quarterback, but I can’t relate, see I’m not paid Millions of dollars to play a kids game. A little bit of getting boo’ed as a trade off, I guess I can see how that would break you down, you fucking vag.

4 – Hurricanes are awesome.

Killer floods, windows blowing out, tornadoes, fucking up NFL passing attacks, its like a real life Michael Bay movie, except entertaining. Plus you get to see news people make complete asses of themselves. I think it was on CNN that I saw a monster truck being used to help rescue people. To which the anchor expressed how bizarre it was to see a monster truck out on the streets.

Do even know where you are? You overly primped microphone jockey. You are in Texas you queer, there is a monster truck on every block. Fuck if you are a Texas born male, and don’t own a monster truck at some time, chances are you are a Faggot, sort of like your average newscaster.

Hmmm, Monster Trucks, maybe Michael Bay did direct Hurricane Ike, it was his best work yet, just needed more boobies.

5 – Overrated, Underrated, time for new ratings

I saw a ranking of the top 50 NFL players this off-season that had Antonio Cromartie listed as the 2nd best CB in the NFL. Well if that is the case, Brandon Marshall is superman. Look, I admit that Cromartie is a physical freak, whom had quite a breakout year last year. But if you look at his game he is far from a polished product, and now that NFL team have had a chance to see him on tape, he is going to struggle until he raises his game.

But this is just the way things are. For some reason there is a race to be the 1st to either label a player a super star, or a bust. Some Raider fans wanted to label Michael Huff a bust after two solid seasons playing out of position, why? because he didn’t put up INT numbers.

So get all caught up in the hype if you want, I mean based on this last week Darren McFadden is the NFL’s best running back, Cromartie is the worst CB and the Jets still can’t beat the Pats, even with Favre. But try to remember, a season is 16 games, and if a guy is worth rating, wait at least until their 3rd season so you get a true feel for what they are going to be.

6 – Fantasy Football is fucking with me

Have I told you I am in 5 leagues, pretty pathetic right. Not as pathetic as what is going on right now in those leagues. In the no-money involved, I could give a flying fuck leagues I am a combined 5-1, with my loss coming in a week 1 134-131 shootout (no other team broke 90). In my two money leagues I am winless and yet to break 65 points.

So whom do I blame, David Garrard and Carson Palmer.

Get your fucking heads out of your Asses. I know you both have WR problems, and Carson I know you had to deal with a stiff breeze this weekend. But there is no excuse for the numbers you are putting up.

Oh, and don’t think I forgot about you Colston, owe I hurt my thumb, get out on the field and catch the ball one handed you cunt.

MJD, oh my entire offensive line has fallen apart, Justin Fargas, my groin hurts, Nate Burleson, I only think knee injuries are funny when they happen to people I don’t have on my fantasy team.

FUCK

7 – Raiders

I am hesitant to write about how encouraged I am about the team’s play, because it looks like Al is dead set on sending the team back 2 years again. I know I have said that I didn’t believe the media’s reports of how bad it was in Raider Land, and that I supported Lane’s questioning of the talent acquisition. But I think he went a step to far last week.

Essentially Lane tried to pass the buck for the play on the field. Sorry coach, once the games start, you are responsible. We all know that you have no control over the defense, but what you did will do more to foster a defense vs. offense mentality in the locker room, than to gain any real headway in working with Al.

Face it, Lane pretty much called Ryan a puppet, and said that it was Al calling the defense, and calling it poorly.

What we have here are two men who are acting like idiots. Al refuses to admit that some parts of the game may have passed him by. Lane refuses to work within the system, a system that he claims that he knew about when signing his deal with Al.

All of which serves to overshadow a dominant in division performance by the team. Sure the Chiefs are the new Cardinals, but division rivals usually put up more of a fight than that, regardless of how shitty they are.

So yay, the Raiders won, Bush and McFadden looked good, the QB’s went down, and the coverage was decent. Hell Warren looked like the DT he was drafted to be eight seasons ago. But if this Kiffin / Al relationship has progressed to the point where it cannot be salvaged, I fear that the progress of JaMarcus, that which is most important to the franchise right now, is about to get tossed out the window.

Brick's Picks Week 2

2008-09-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

It is already Thursday; goddamn this week is flying by. Since I don’t know if I will have time to write anything tomorrow I decided to flip a coin and either write an NFL preview, or One Game to Watch. Then I decided that everyone is going to be watching USC destroy THEO anyway, so why bother, every player on USC is a future All-Pro, and the Buckeye are sure to have a bunch of assholes. So that made the decision easy. NFL preview it is.

1st things 1st, there is something I need to get off my chest; this whole Tom Brady thing has really been getting to me. I admitted that I reacted with Glee when I saw the Golden Boy go down on Sunday. Then time and time again I heard how terrible it is that people cheer because Tom Terrific got injured, how it is a sign of our downfall as a society, and it really made me think, it made me think:

SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU LIMP WRISTED PILLOW BITERS

Oh, so you have never taken joy in the misfortune of others. Bullshit. We all do it, all for our own reasons. See the brand new Mercedes driven by some prick back into a telephone pole, hilarious, see the red neck get busted on cops, laugh out loud, see the pretty boy get broken, funny as shit.

Now think about it, why are each of these funny, and worth watching time and time again. If you own a Mercedes chances are you are a pretentious fuck, and need to be taken down a peg, we all hate you and its fun to watch you suffer. Do I really need to explain how funny it is to watch trailer trash get busted for meth? And then there is dear old Tom.

When I cheer, I am not so much cheering for Tom’s injury, I am cheering for the shattered dreams of Millions of New England band wagoners. The insufferable lot that has become worse than Yankee fans the past 7 years. It wasn’t bad after the 1st Super Bowl win, everyone knew it was a joke and they had been handed the game by the refs, deep down I’m pretty sure that the Pats fans did too. But then things snowballed, the Pats won again and again, the Sox won twice, hell I hear that the basketball team did well also.

The level of hubris is New England became staggering. Talking to a Red Sox fan became the same as talking to a Yankee fan when they were on their run. The Pats fans constant claims that no one respected them were pathetic. Did they really feel that they were entitled to at least a full hour of SportsCenter devoted to their team; yes the sense of entitlement really had gotten that out of control.

So seeing one of the key players on their team go down, and potentially throw their whole season into turmoil was worthy of being cheered. I have nothing against Brady, I will still marvel at the way he picks apart defenses while his line holds away, and it could have been any one of a number of Pats getting injured that would have caused me delight. Not due to the physical pain inflicted on the player, but for the mental anguish inflicted on the Fans.

On to the Picks:

Remember these are the games that I plan on watching a good portion of, so they may not be the best match-up, but they are the ones I care about.

Raiders + 3.5 at Chiefs

As good as I felt about the Brady injury, a Pats fan actually made a great point to me this week. As bad as the Matt Cassel era may turn out to be, he would actually rather watch that than the product the Raiders have put out on the field the last 5 years. And I couldn’t disagree. So is this the week that the defense gets its collective heads out of their Asses? Chances are no, but I am a homer so:

The Pick – Raiders

New England +1.5 at NY Jets

A week ago I would have done anything to avoid watching this game, I am so sick of Attention Whore Theater staring #4. But now, with Matt Cassel at the helm, I am going to delight in rubbing it in to Favre fans when the Patriots, without their franchise QB, still beat the hugely overrated Jets.

The Pick – New England

Pittsburgh at Cleveland +6

The Steelers have a Great week 1 victory against the Texans, and Brady gets hurt and now they are Super Bowl favorites? Really, has anyone looked at their schedule and their O-line? Now I don’t expect them to have much trouble with Cleveland this week, but reality is going to hit the Steel City hard in a couple weeks.

The Pick – Pittsburgh

San Diego at Denver +1.5

Is Denver for real, or is Oakland really that bad. What a shitty reason for watching a game. Fuck I hate how my team sucks.

The Pick – We all loose

Philadelphia +7 at Dallas

Is it just me, or does the Eagles offense have some incredible week 1 performance every other year? Well I for one hope it continues this week, if only because it is fun to listen to Cowboys fans make excuses, and Eagles fan is so miserable that you kind of have to pity them. Sort of the way it used to be with Yankees and Red Sox fans. So for that reason I hope the City of Philadelphia never wins a Championship again, we can’t afford any more fan bases going the way of Boston’s.

The Pick – Philly with the points

Enjoy your weekend, am root along with me for the following things:

Randy Moss to return his head to up his ass
Another Seahawk receiver to get a season ending injury
Ben Roethlisberger to choke to death at Primantis
The accidental dropping of a Bomb at Invesco

7 Things are better than 10 - Kick Off Weekend

2008-09-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

7 things is a day late this week for two reasons, 1 the Raiders played Monday night so the new week didn’t officially start until today, and 2 this was an incredibly shitty week, and yesterday I had no internet for most of the day. Anyway, I’m not going to bitch about my life here, at least not for another paragraph or two, so on with the show.

1 – I suck at picking games

Or at least you think I do. I picked 7 games in my last column, and of those I got right 2 (at least I think New Orleans covered, I’m not checking right now). But there were mitigating factors:

- Those weren’t my locks; those were the games I went into the weekend planning to watch. For my locks of the week I was a perfect 9 for 9, at least as far as you know.
- Never, and I mean NEVER, pick your favorite teams game. I obviously had some rose colored glasses on when I picked the Raiders to beat Denver.
- Its week 1, everyone’s picks suck week 1.

2 – I am a Hater

You know I have continued to lie to myself and to you, my reader, about how I respect the Patriots, I enjoy watching them play football at the highest level. I admit rooting for the underdog, but its not the team I cannot stand, it is the Fans.

I was wrong. I shouted for joy when Andrew Siciliano cut to the Pats game for breaking news and it was Tom Brady lying on his back in pain. Then they showed the replay and I jumped again. It had finally happened, the Pats streak of incredible luck since the Snow Job had ended. Andrew Siciliano, in his gravest, most serious voice, a voice reserved for the assassination of presidents, said “Tom Brady Limped off the Field”.

I joyfully grabbed my laptop, logged on to the fantasy football sire where I was playing a Pats fan that had Brady as his QB and typed in my new team name:

“Tom Brady Limped off the Field”.

I am a Hater after all.

3 – Hey Assholes it is only week 1

I am so fucking sick of listening to fucking retards go on an on about how their team is either going to the Super Bowl, or will be on the clock in January based on their week 1 performance.

Dear Dipshits, there are 15 games left, plenty of ACL’s will be blown out as they are played over the course of the next 4 months. So as we remember that the Super Bowl winners from last season were blown out, lets also remember the following.
- Beating the hapless Dolphins does not mean that the Jets are any better for trading for Favre. They are still a 7-9 to 9-7 team, just like with Pennington. The only difference is now that Brady is down they may be able to slip into a wild card spot with an extra win.

- Michael Turner is not going to set a new NFL rushing record, he played the Lions.

- Kansas City staying within 7 of New England does not mean that they are an improved team. It means that Brady blew out his ACL. (Ok I admit, I just wanted to type that again).

- The Bears are not back, the Colts are not falling apart, and the Titans, well hold up with Vince Young hurt and having emotional issues, maybe the Titans could win some games. Maybe you can learn something from week 1.

4 – Even when the Games suck, college football fuckin rocks

I didn’t post a 1 game to watch column last week, as there were time constraints, and there really wasn’t a match-up that was that great from a looking at NFL talent standpoint. So I skipped it. And I also agreed to go with my wife to the new outlet mall Saturday Morning. Which meant I got the following call from my neighbor.

Auburn - “DUDE, why aren’t you over here watching football”

Brick - “I’m at the new outlets with my wife”

Auburn - “DO you know what the score of the Ohio St. Ohio game is.”?

Brick - “I’m guessing that Ohio St. is losing if you called me”

Auburn - “Fuck yeah, how did you get roped into going to the outlet Mall”

Brick - “I didn’t want to go tomorrow when the NFL kicks off”

Auburn - “Ummmm…. My wife wants to know if the Mall is any good, she wants us to go there tomorrow, I hate you”

That is what he gets for calling me to gloat that he is watching football when I obviously am not. He can see my driveway from the chair he watches the game in, so he knows damn well that I am being tortured in some way if my truck is not there on a College or Pro Football game day.

So I missed the Ohio vs. Ohio St match up until I got into my car as Ohio St returned a kickoff or punt, what ever. But I still got home in time to see San Diego St. almost nock off ND, and Florida get all they could handle from a rebuilding Miami squad for a half, plus a little hand job action in Texas. Not bad for starting the day at an outlet mall.

5 – Some People do not have the Red Zone Channel

You stupid fucks, that is what you get for settling for cable. Every time I get a call from a cable company offering some great deal to sign up with them I ask them 1 question.

Do you have Sunday Ticket?

I have had a number of different responses, never an outright no. There have been offers to check into that, to put me through to an advisor, and an outright lie of “yes, Verizon Fios comes with Sunday Ticket, should I sign you up?”

And being the incredibly friendly guy that I am, I usually tell them not to call back until the cable company gets Sunday Ticket, and for my lying friend, I wasted his time for at least 15 minutes asking if I would get certain match-ups with Verizon’s Sunday Ticket, since I knew I would get them with Direct TV.

But the best part of the Sunday Ticket, with Free Super Fan Package just for logging a random complaint and asking for the cancellation department when my incredibly unreasonable demand wasn’t met, is the Red Zone Channel. I didn’t have to wait for a break in the action for the CBS to break into the Steelers game to show me Tom Brady going down (yep forced it in again), The Red Zone channel switch me over in time to see him still lying on the field. Matt Ryan’s 1st NFL completion for TD, saw it before it posted on ESPN’s Fantasy tracker.

Yeah, if you don’t have the NFL Sunday Ticket with Super Fan package, you pretty much suck at life.

6 – Yeah, the Raiders

I think I just vomited in my mouth; well that is what went through my mind a number of times last night.

I put this one off as long as possible, because they sucked out loud last night. I could make some excuses, because the officiating was horseshit, but even if the game had been called well, the Bronco’s still would have won handily. So lets just get some quick hits out of the way, and maybe I’ll break down a player later.

RunDMC, you know how I questioned his vision; yeah that is why he is running into the backs of his blockers all the time. I have no doubt if he were to ever get the ball out in space he might be special, but right now he is Reggie Bush part 2, which isn’t that bad, it just isn’t worth a top 5 pick. If you are lucky, in a few years he turns into Brian Westbrook, but that will be incredibly lucky.

Me Angelo Hall, put another one on the board for good old brick, too bad this is one that I hate getting right.

D-Russ, not bad rook, too bad you wasted last season so you could take the same contract that was on the table in April after missing training camp. Because I can’t wait to see how you look after two training camps.

Ehh, enough negativity, lets move on to some thing more fun.

7 – Solomon Wilcots has a job for what reason?

Anyone else catch at least part of the Titans vs. Jags match-up? Anyone else notice the constant excuses made for Vince Young by Solomon? There is one of two things going on here. Either these two are sucking each other off, or Solomon likes Vince because he is black.

Because no white hetero sexual QB will ever get the kind of ball washing despite a horrid performance that Young got from Wilcots last weekend.

That’s right, I am pulling the race card. Its time that white boys pull it with reckless abandon. There is a 50% chance of a black man being president. So that means everything must finally be equal. So race card, come to PAPA.

Solomon Wilcots, you are a racist. If Vince Young was not a black man who enjoyed giving you blow jobs during the pregame interviews you would not be lavishing such praise upon his pathetic ass…

Hmm rereading that, maybe Solomon Wilcots is just gay, and there is nothing wrong with that, so long as you don’t allow it to interfere with your work.

Week 1 NFL Picks by Brick

2008-09-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

Maybe I am just a little over excited for the start of the NFL season, but damn, there are some match-ups that look great on paper this weekend. Looking over these match-up reminds me why I prefer the NFL game to the college game.

The NFL just does it right, it truly is an “Any Given Sunday” proposition. There is not one match-up this weekend where I cannot make an argument for how the underdog could pull out a victory. Sure College Football has Appalachian St. vs. Michigan, or USC vs. Stanford, but there are far too many ND vs. Sister Mary’s School of the Blind for my taste.

The NFL also is just a better product than college football. Say what you will about the emotion or the passion of college football, but the NFL game is so much more complex in terms of schemes, College is checkers to the NFL’s chess. There is just no argument there, if you think differently you are clueless, get out of my blog.

So that brings us to the point of this column, lets make some picks. If you have read this far, you might as well keep reading, its not like its going to get any dumber. I'm just going to look at the games where I think there is a strong chance that I'll be putting this game on my TV for at least a quarter. If you want someone to pick ever game, and get most of them wrong, go read Simmons.

Washington Redskins + 3.5 at NY Giants

Of course I’ll be watching this one, it is only the fucking 1st game of the season. As for the winner, There is a reason I didn’t pick the Giants to make it back to the playoffs, one is that they have regressed from last season, while the rest of the Division at least maintained, while others improved, and this was a tight division to begin with. So with the Giants regressing, and the Redskins standing firm, the Redskins have move ahead of the Giants.

The pick – Redskins

Seattle +1 at Buffalo

I’ll be checking this game out more due to the fact that it features two teams that I think could make playoff runs that any real feel that it will be an exciting game. As for the spread, I think this is more due to the general public’s reluctance to accept the Seahawks as a good team, than any real indicator of how good or bad either team is. The Hawks have some questions at both WR and RB, but the rest of the team is better than anything Buffalo has to offer.

The Pick – Seattle

Jacksonville +3 at Tennessee

I’ll be watching this since I have MJD and D. Garrard on a couple fantasy teams, and because I love being right about what a shitty NFL QB Vince Young has turned into. As for the pick, I don’t care if Jacksonville doesn’t have any WR’s, they didn’t last year either and they kicked ass.

The Pick – Jaguars

Tampa Bay +3 at New Orleans

Here is a great example of how the NFL just does it right. Division match-up, week 1, two teams with Super Bowl aspirations. Right here is the game of the week. I don’t care about either team, but I’ll be watching due to the match-up. I don’t care who wins, but since I’m writing a pick column I guess I’ll take:

The Pick - Saints

Chicago +9.5 at Indy

Here is a great one to make some money on, IMO. Peyton hasn’t ever played with his starting center this week. Chicago’s defense is still very good. Indy will win, but it will be closer than the spread. So as you end your Sunday football orgy, enjoy a game that is going to be easy to fall asleep to.

The pick – Chicago plus the points

Minnesota at Green Bay +2.5

Monday nights appetizer for the Main course of the Raiders. I’ll have this game on as I try to pass the time until kick-off at 10:15 (oh yeah there is a major rant coming about that BS). So in a battle of two outstanding defenses with offenses having major question marks, I’m going with the team that should do a better job of shutting down the run due to superior DT’s.

The pick – Minnesota

Denver at Oakland +3

That’s right, the icing on the cake that is NFL kickoff weekend. The Raiders take on the Broncos. I am constantly amazed by how confident that Bronco’s fans are that Shanahan has this team on the right track. I cannot believe how many places pick the Broncos to be a playoff team. What am I missing, they can’t stop the run, they have moved away from their dominant run game, and they have nothing at WR other than Brandon “I hate my TV” Marshall. Look, I don’t claim that the Raiders are world beaters, but they match-up extremely well with the Bronco’s, I am taking the Raiders outright, the points are just gravy.

The pick - The Raiders

Seven games out of 16, that right there is a good goal. And thanks to the red zone channel I’ll be sure to catch parts of just about every game out there. These are just the games that I will definitely tune into for at least a drive or two, depending on how good they actually are.

2008 - NFL Season Preview - Part 3 Part 2 The rest of the Playoffs

2008-09-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have reached the final chapter of our NFL season preview. Which may actually mark the 1st time since high school that I have stayed with something this long. Yeah, that is both impressive and depressing. Anyway, we gave you the preview so far in terms of draft order. But I think the playoff teams deserve a little more attention, well that or I figure I can kill two birds with one stone and give you who will the Super Bowl at the same time.

What, you mean that you have read that opening paragraph before; well here have some Ice Cream:

I knew that would get you back, anyway on with the Divisional Round

AFC Game 1

Indianapolis (Wild Card)

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New England Patriots (projected record 12 – 4, Division Winner)

Is there really any question which team will win the AFC East? Look at who the Pats get to play twice a year. Through in the fact they get the NFC West this year and it tells you how much I think this team has slipped that I haven’t predicted them to go undefeated again. Duct tape and Belichick’s unused sleeves are holding the Secondary together. The D-Line is arguably the best in the league, when Seymore is healthy. Brady is Brady, but I have huge questions about that O-line, and Moss is due for a breakdown. Still I only see 4 losses on the schedule, until this one:

Winner Indianapolis Colts

AFC Game 2

Baltimore Ravens (Wild Card)

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Jacksonville Jaguars (projected record 14-2, Division Winner)

Ok, this is way to high a win total for Jacksonville, I actually expect them to be around 12 wins, but I don’t look at the record until I am done going through the schedule, and I was surprised that Jax came out this high. I like everything about this team, except the wide receivers. Face it, if Jerry Porter is the answer, you got problems. But everything else here is solid, and this team is built to win playoff games so that is what I expect them to do.

Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC Game 1

Minnesota Vikings (Division Winner)

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Dallas Cowboys (projected record 12-4, Division Winner)

Look, I think that this team might implode this season, all the ingredients are there for a nuclear meltdown, but somehow they have held it together this long, and I think they will for most of the season. The biggest weakness on the team, #2 WR, but with T.O. and Whitten who cares who #2 is. And if Pac Man can stay out of trouble, that just adding a top 10 defensive player to an already good defense (yes Pac Man was that good two seasons ago). I think the Cowboys will do a better job covering up Roy Williams this season and will go deep in the playoffs, so we have:

Winner – Dallas Cowboys

NFC Game 2

New Orleans Saints (Division Winner)

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Seattle Seahawks (projected record 13-3)

I don’t think the Seahawks are that good, they are just better than anyone else they play. With 2 games each against the Niners, Rams and Cardinals, plus one each vs. the Bills, Jets and Dolphins the Seahawks should be 9-0 without even trying. So I have them going 4-3 against real competition, yep they should be a little over 500 team, but thanks to their division they have home field advantage in the playoffs. Too bad you have to play top teams in the playoffs.

Winner – New Orleans Saints.

You know what, I have given you a capsule for each team, you now know who the final 4 will be so for the Sake of brevity (ha, there is a word that should never be associated with this blog) your Super Bowl will be.

Jacksonville

Over

Dallas,

With Jacksonville announcing during the ceremony to award the Lombardi that the team is moving to LA since the team didn’t sell out a single playoff game.

Have fun in Vegas with your newfound knowledge.

2008 - NFL Season Preview - Part 3 Wild Card Round

2008-09-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have reached the final chapter of our NFL season preview. Which may actually mark the 1st time since high school that I have stayed with something this long. Yeah, that is both impressive and depressing. Anyway, we gave you the preview so far in terms of draft order. But I think the playoff teams deserve a little more attention, well that or I figure I can kill two birds with one stone and give you who will the Super Bowl at the same time.

Wild Card Round:

AFC

Indianapolis Colts (projected record 12-4, Wild Card)

This prediction for the Colts is completely dependant on Manning being able to play from week 2 on. Though that is in greater doubt due to Jeff Saturday’s injury. This team could go either way this season, Super Bowl or top 10 pick, which is completely nuts, but shows just how important Manning is to this team.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (projected record 9-7, Division Winner)

The Steelers are a good team, not a great team, but their schedule is absolutely brutal, and I have serious questions about their offensive line. I have them winning the division, but that isn’t saying much with a 9-7 record. Now I must fear for my life walking the streets of Pittsburgh.

Winner – Colts

AFC Wild Card Game 2

Baltimore (projected record 8-8, Wild Card)

I know most people are down on Baltimore this season, but I see a mini resurgence. The schedule, much like the Steelers, is brutal, but here is the thing, the Defense will be back on top this season. The injury problems from last season should be mitigated by a few key off season pickups. And the combination of McGahee and Rice at RB will be more than enough to give the Defense some time to rest. I know they have a shitty QB, but how many times in the last 10 years have the Ravens made the playoffs despite a shitty QB?

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San Diego Chargers (projected record 10-6, Division Winner)

I may not like San Diego, but they will be on top in the AFC West once again this season due to an incredible collection of talent. But I don’t have them going much further, as I believe that this is the year that LT breaks down, and Philip Rivers just doesn’t seem like he can handle the pressure of the offense running through him. They may win the west but injuries and age of key players will lead to an early playoff exit.

Winner – Baltimore Ravens

NFC Wild Card Game 1

Tampa Bay (projected record 12-4, Wild Card)

Lost in all the hype of New Orleans now having the greatest show on turf, is that Tampa Bay has quietly reloaded their defense, the offense is looking better than it has in years, and Jeff Garcia is definitely not gay…OK chances are his playmate wife is a beard, but whatever. This team is poised to make a Super Bowl run this year, unfortunately they play:

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Minnesota Vikings (projected record 12-4, Division Winner)

Yeah, I know Tavaris Jackson is the starting QB, that isn’t a good thing, and there are questions as to whether or not Allen will play in the scheme, or if he will continue to just go for sacks. But I think the WR’s are better than last season, and Tavaris will be able to do just enough to keep Defenses honest and allow Peterson and Taylor to run wild. Against Tampa the run game for Minnesota is the difference allowing them to advance.

Winner – Minnesota Vikings

NFC Wild Card Game 2

Philadelphia Eagles (projected record 10-6, Wild Card)

It is amazing to me how much of an afterthough the Eagles seem to have become in the NFC East, but I believe they will be a playoff team this season. They have reloaded both the offensive and defensive lines the last couple drafts, and that is where the game is won or lost. I am not a fan of Samuals, I don’t think he will perform up to that contract in Philly’s system. And that is why I don’t think they will make any noise in the playoffs, the D isn’t as good as it once was, and there is still a lack of a consistent threat at WR.

At

New Orleans Saints (projected record 12-4, Division Winner)

This is a team that should be fun to watch this season. They have all the tools on offense to score at will, and they have all the holes on defense to allow the other team to pass at will. This team will fair well against teams with lesser offensive lines, as the pass rush should be good, but they will loose to the better lines in the league. Philly’s lack of playmakers at WR leaves them unable to take advantage of New Orleans’ holes.

Winner – New Orleans Saints

Holly Shit, we are at 3 pages, and we have only done the Wild Card round. This is regoddamndicules. Fuck it, I’ll finish this later today, I do have to work some.

7 Things are better than 10 - Labor Day

2008-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

I need more 3 day weekends, not so much because I make better use of my time, (although sleeping on the couch all day Sunday isn’t as bad when you have Monday to make up for lost time), but so that I can look forward to only going to work four days each week.

But there is a downfall to 4-day weeks. How am I going to get all of my regular Brickinthebox columns out, along with finishing my NFL season preview prior to the season starting. I’ll tell you how, by doing less work at work and more blogging, and by starting right now with 7 things you already knew, but I’m going to tell you again anyway:

1 – Sex Sells

At least I hope it does. I keep looking at these other successful blog sites and asking myself “why is this site successful” and the answer comes down to two things, tits. Yep both the left and the right one, that’s two things.

Sure I’m not as funny as some sites, my analysis is usually off base and incredibly bias, but that can’t be why I am not getting as many hits. It has to be the lack of pictures of random hot chicks in varius stages of undress. So from here on out we will be adding random pictures of barely dressed women to random posts, starting with this one.

You’re welcome.

2 – Brett Keisel is a god damn star.

OK, if you aren’t a Steeler fan you might not even know who this guy is. I was vaguely aware of him heading into this season. But he is a 3-4 DE, his job isn’t to collect eye catching stats, it is to collect blocks to allow the LB’s to reign havoc upon the offense. This is something that Keisel does well, but it isn’t anything that will get a stadium to go nuts at the mention of your name.

So Thursday night when I was at the Preseason crap fest between the Steelers and Panthers I was shocked to hear the Steelers Faithful go nuts when Keisel was introduced. I thought to myself, wow I know this is a good city for football knowledge, but I figure this kind of response would be saved for the Jersey sellers, and Polamalu’s response did blow Keisel’s out of the water, as did Bettis just being on the sideline.

Then the truth hit me. Pittsburgh is no more appreciative of their blue collar players than any other team. Brett Keisel is a star in Pittsburgh for a reason completely unrelated to his play on the field. Brett Keisel is a dancer. Yeah, you heard that right, a dancer. When the Steelers play their pump up the crowd music leading up to the opening kickoff (the OH OH OHOH OH song) the image of Brett jumping back and forth dancing to the music fills the high def jumbotron.

Some days I love the city of Pittsburgh, others, I wonder if there is anyone home.

3 – College Football is Back

Well if you watched my 1 game to watch this week, you saw that there definitely is some young talent on that Alabama squad, and Clemson is incredibly overrated. And if you watched the game that I told you that if you weren’t watching you shouldn’t even read this site, well you know what happened, since you are reading this site. Great Game, right, no it was sloppy, as fuck and Fulmer should be fired today.

Anyway, along with the aforementioned games, I also caught bits and pieces of a number of games, and watched the Michigan game in its entirety. Look, I don’t expect much from Michigan this year, but that O-line was offensive, the defense was put into so many bad situations by the offense that I was impressed that they kept it as close as they did. Michigan will get it somewhat together this season and make a bowl game, but it will be some piece of shit, congrats on winning 6 games bowl.

Much more shocking to me that Michigan’s loss to Utah, was VT’s loss to Eastern Carolina. That is pathetic. Once again VT’s offense looks completely out of sorts. I swear that this team is under the curse of Mike Vick. Have they had a decent QB since Vick? And, 80% of the time, the better QB wins college football games. VT wins with D and ST’s, if they ever get a QB who can move the chains they will be scary.

4 – Raider Stuff

The Raiders signed a punter to the practice squad…WHAT THE FUCK, the practice squad is for getting players who are a little rough around the edges a little more work with the team so that they can potentially develop into an NFL player. A punter needs an open field and a bag of balls to practice.

Now some may say that the practice squad is for giving the 1st teams some looks in practice. So what is the purpose of keeping a punter on the squad? If you need to get some extra works fielding kicks, use a juggs machine, every team has two or three of them hanging around.

No the only reason that is at all reasonable for the Raiders to have kept Glenn Pakulak on the squad is if they are extremely concerned with Lechler’s health, and want someone at the ready should Shane be unable to answer the bell. However you look at it, a punter on the practice squad is not a good thing.

5 – More Raider Stuff

Ashley Lelie, Chad Jackson, this is what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket, and that basket happens to be Javon Walker. The Raiders could have spent the money in the off-season that they spent on Javon to bring in 2-3 other receivers with better talent/heads than either Lelie or Jackson and had them on the roster all off season. Instead the Raiders are now picking up other teams trash again, desperately trying to field a competent roster of WR’s.

I’ll tell you the truth; I would rather that the Raiders just went with the youngsters already on the squad. I would much rather try to develop one of the unknowns already on the Raider’s squad, than sign some guy who is already a known turd.

6 – What is the point of the beach if there is nothing to look at?

Look, there aren’t a lot of beaches here in Pittsburgh. We have a shortage of ocean around here. And have you looked at the three rivers lately? Not exactly the kind of water you want to dip your toes in.

But go to the beach is what the lovely Mrs. Brick wanted to do for Memorial Day. Fortunately there is a state park nearby with a little man made stretch of sand where you can lay out and take a dip in some relatively fresh water. Plus since it is a State Park there were plenty of trails to hike before we went to the beach, so at least I wouldn’t be bored out of my mind the whole day.

But there was a huge problem when we got to the beach. There wasn’t one decent piece of ass to be seen. What the fuck am I going to do at the beach if I can’t spend my time staring at some strange. I may not be able to touch, but there better be something to look at if I am going to go to a beach.

There was one girl on the whole beach that caught my attention, and she never got off of her blanket, there was no way to properly assess her assets. What a waste of an afternoon, I was forced to pay attention to my wife. (Its probably a good thing my wife never reads this blog anymore, between random hottie pictures, and this post I could be in trouble).

7 – NASCAR and Baseball, good-bye losers.

Both of these Sports have a major problem; they both start to get interesting (well relatively so) right about this time of year. And you know what else happens this time of year, that’s right, FOOTBALL MOTHERFUCKERS.

NASCAR has this stupid chase for the championship that they have tried to force on us the last couple years, in some wasted attempt to add the thrill of playoffs to their last 10 races. Sorry it isn’t working. I like NASCAR, going to races is great, turning on a race on a Sunday afternoon and sleeping through it, is one of the great things to do after a busy weekend, or to get rid of a hang over. But NASCAR needs to face the facts; they have nothing else to offer me as of next week. The rest of the season is meaningless, as nobody will be watching.

Baseball is even sadder. It used to be the pennant chase was the lead story. Hell, baseball ruled into October. But baseball is now worthless. Every year it is the same 5 contenders, and then 3 random teams who have managed to overcome the inequities of the system to actually contend for one season before being dismantled because the team cannot afford the salaries.

So here we are, the time of the year when Baseball should be King, and you know if Brett Favre stubs his toe on Tuesday, baseball will be relegated to the 3rd or 4th story mid week, let alone on the weekend when there is actual football being played. It has been quite a fall from America’s pastime to America’s past.

2008 - NFL Season Preview - Part 2

2008-08-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

It’s time for part two of our NFL record predictions. Today we will finish up the non-playoff teams. As we described in our last post, the teams are being listed in the order that they will be drafting next April. Just to recap, picks 1-10 look like this:

1 – Atlanta Falcons
2 – St. Louis Rams
3 – Cincinnati Bengals *
4 – Miami Dolphins *
5 – Kansas City Chiefs *
6 – Chicago Bears *
7 – Arizona Cardinals *
8 – San Francisco 49ers *
9 – Cleveland Browns **
10 – Tennessee Titans **

* Subject to tie breakers (4-12 teams)
** Subject to tie breakers (6-10 teams)

And now without further ado:

11 – Oakland Raiders (projected record 6-10)

I hope I am wrong on this one, in the past I have found myself to be way to optimistic when putting these projections together and picking Oakland to win all the close ones, hopefully I have swung too far in the other direction this year. Oakland has three glaring weaknesses, the WR’s, the pass blocking, and the ability to stop the run, in that order. Those weaknesses combined with a rookie QB make anything more than 6-8 wins a real long shot, but the rest of the team is solid enough that anything less would be a real letdown.

12 – Detroit Lions (projected record 6-10)

Here is the thing; I like the kind of team that Rod Marinelli is putting together (no I do not give Millen much credit, these are Marinelli players coming in). The Lions are becoming a team of blue collar, lunch pail bringing mutherfuckers. But I still believe they are one more year from truly being able to contend for the playoffs. Unfortunately if they do not contend this year it could mean Marinelli’s head, as Millen will be feeling the heat and need a scapegoat.

13 – Buffalo Bills (projected record 7-9)

There were a couple Bills games that I came real close to picking them on, but ended up going the other way. Including the week 1 match-up against Seattle. And that sums up my feelings on this team pretty well, so close, but not there yet. The problem I have with this team starts at HC, where Dick Jauron does just enough not to win. I just don’t think Jauron will nut up when the game is on the line, and say punt on 4th and 2 down by 6 with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter on the opponent’s 48. That is the kind of chicken shit play calling I have come to expect from Jauron, and while his chart may say it is the right choice, to the offense it say “I have no confidence in you”.

14 – Houston Texans (projected record 7-9)

I know 7-9 is a step back from last year’s record for this team, but I actually think they are better than last year, but the schedule is tougher. I expect this team to flirt with 500 all season, but a brutal stretch in November into December will dash their playoff hopes. However if this young offensive line can gel, and the defensive line keeps improving at their current pace, this team will contend for the AFC South crown next season.

15 – Denver Broncos (projected record 7-9)

God this one pained me, I so wanted to put the Raiders a game ahead of the Broncos in the final rankings, but in the end it came out this way. The difference to me is the experience of Jay Cutler vs. the inexperience of Russell. Other than that these teams are very similar, can’t stop the run, huge question marks at WR, great defensive backfields. But at least Broncos fans will be down about yet another non-playoff year.

16 – NY Jets (projected record 8-8)

Guess what, this has nothing to do with everyone’s favorite attention whore, in fact I would have given them another early win with Pennington at the helm thanks to his experience in the system. The O-line is nowhere near as good as advertised. The defense is still in transition and I don’t like some of the personnel moves. This team is better than last year’s version, but that is largely due to playing the NFC West.

17 – NY Giants (projected record 9-7)

The Giants are still a good team, but the loss of Osi, Strahan, and Wilson on the D will be too much to overcome. The secondary is going to get exposed on a weekly basis, and while I don’t like Shockey, he is a better overall TE than Boss and Boss’s limitations will slow the offense. This team will still be in playoff contention until the final week, but comes up just short.

18 – Carolina Panthers (projected record 9-7)

Here is how I see Carolina’s season. They struggle early without Steve Smith and due to a tough 1st 3 weeks. Turn it on mid season before falling apart in November. A big part of the problem here is there is no one across from Peterson to draw the offense’s attention, and with no other pass rush this team will struggle. They will still be in the hunt deep into December, but there just isn’t enough there to say playoffs.

19 – Washington Redskins (projected Record 10-6)
I really have no Idea why I like the Redskins this much. Their offensive line looks putrid in the preseason, Clinton Portis is due to breakdown, Campbell is still making rookie mistakes due to being in his 5th offense in 5 years and the defense has already had the injury bug hit. But for some reason I expect this team to win a few shockers and contend deep into December, getting bounced from the playoffs due to tiebreakers.

20 – Green Bay Packers (projected record 10-6)

The last of our non-playoff teams is the 3rd that I have missing out due to tiebreakers. There are two key reasons why I do not see this team making the playoffs this year. One being that I do not see Aaron Rogers remaining upright all season, and two being the moves on the defensive line. This is still a young team that is set up well for the future, but there will be a season of growing pains for Green Bay as they make the transition from Favre to Rogers.

Twenty teams down, twelve to go. When Brickinthebox returns with part 3, we will give you our playoff teams along with the predictions for how they will fair come playoff time. That’s right, the 1st annual Brickinthebox put it on the board lock for Super Bowl winner will be announced next week. Try not to bankrupt Vegas, I don’t need them coming to break my fingers.

2008 - NFL Season Preview - Part 1

2008-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

The NFL regular season is upon us. So it is time for Brickinthebox to do what every other site that talks NFL does, make some worthless predictions about how teams will fair this season.

Here at Brickinthebox we are going to break this thing up into parts. There are only so many hours a day I can waste at work without forcing myself to stay late to take care of actual work. The goal being to have all the predictions for team records out by Thursday, and maybe a closer look at each division as well.

So here is how we came up with this mess. I went through the NFL schedule and assigned each team a win or loss for each game. Then I told my spreadsheet to tally up the record, and I was surprised by some of the results.

Then I had to decide how to present this wealth of misinformation. Some sites present it by division, some by record. I’m going to do things a little differently; I am going by draft order in next year’s draft. So with all the BS out of the way, the 1st team on the clock is:

1 - Atlanta Falcons (projected record 2-14)

What a freaking mess, their two best players going into last season are now in prison and on the Oakland Raiders (no that is not the same thing wise ass). They are starting a rookie QB, Matt Ryan, whom I believe is incredibly overrated (go look in the archives for why). They have two sample size superstars (TM footballoutsiders.com) in the backfield. They are starting a rookie at LT, who I believe should have been moved to guard, or even better center. Then you look at their defense. There is just nothing to like about this team this season. Next…

2 - St. Louis Rams (projected record 3-13)

Look, this team has the potential to do much better than this I admit that. But they also have the potential to beat out Atlanta for the 1st pick. Their offensive line is in shambles, Pace is already injured. Bulger looks shell shocked, and Trent Green and his vacant stare is backing him up. Steven Jackson is the lone bright spot on offense, and he just got paid, the carrot has been taken out from in front of the horse. The defense has some young talent, but way too many holes. This is going to be a long year for St. Louis.

3 – Cincinnati Bengals (projected record 4-12)

I am not going into the tiebreakers, and I have a ridicules number of teams at 4-12, so I am just going with the order that the spreadsheet sorted them. So Cincinnati gets the #3 pick. I would like to pick the Bengals to perform better, I have Carson Palmer on two of my fantasy teams, but I just kept giving the edge to the opponent for two reasons. One being that the Bengals defense sucks, and two being the offense looks to be falling apart due to injury. I will say that of all the teams I have picked to go 4-12, the Bengals are the one in my mind most likely to go 8-8, whoopee.

4 – Miami Dolphins (projected record 4-12)

After last year’s debacle, this is a great turn around for this team. I like allot of what the Dolphins have been doing. The O-line has some of the best young talent in the league; the running backs look good if they can stay healthy. Pennington is a gamer, say what you will about his arm, and Henne is a great Parcells type QB. But it is going to take at least one more season for the Dolphins to get the personnel they need on defense, and there is no one to catch the ball. The Dolphins will play allot of teams tough, but fall short most of the year.

5 – Kansas City Chiefs (projected record 4-12)

I kept asking myself as I picked Chiefs games, are they really this bad, or is it just my anti-Chief bias? The answer, they really are this bad, and I could have just as easily picked them to go 1-15. Croyle sucks, Herm sucks, the defense sucks, the receivers other than Bowe suck and LJ has the curse of 370 (TM footballoutsiders.com) hanging over his head. Other teams are going to run and pass at will against this team, and the offense will face 8 and 9 in the box all day. But remember Chiefs fans, this is a rebuilding season, as will be next year, and the year after, and the year after…

6 – Chicago Bears (projected record 4-12)

There were plenty of games where I could have gone either way with the Bears. I kept saying to myself, “the defense should keep them in this, but can the offense score?” unfortunately I could only see the defense pulling out 4 wins. When you QB choice is Orton or Grossman, you really don’t have a choice. The receiving core is abysmal. I do like the young backs, but the O-line will struggle to open any holes. Four wins sounds about right for this team.

7 – Arizona Cardinals (projected record 4-12)

Wait a minute, isn’t this the year the Cardinals finally turn it around and compete for a playoff berth? Well if you have believed this the last 10 years, you probably believe it again. I like coach Wiz, Boldin and Fitz are an incredible WR pairing. But I don’t trust Edge to hold up, I don’t trust the line to give them enough time and the defense is Swiss cheese. If Arizona can work out there differences with Boldin and keep Wiz around I expect them to improve, next year.

8 – San Francisco 49’ers (projected record 4-12)

I will say this upfront, hiring Mike Martz was a huge mistake. His schemes do not fit the personnel. His personality will clash with Nolan’s, and this team will be a mess by midseason as fingers get pointed at everyone. There are good young players to build around on defense, but the Vets that have been brought in don’t make sense. The offense is Frank Gore, and Gore cannot carry a team this bad alone. And in case you haven’t been paying attention, San Fran makes three of the NFC West teams drafting in the top 8. What a pathetic division.

9 – Cleveland Browns (projected record 6-10)

If anyone in Cleveland read this blog, I would be getting allot of heat right now. Fortunately I have 3 readers, so there will be no backlash. For Cleveland I kept thinking “can the offense score enough to keep up” and the answer time and time again was no. Derrick Anderson is the big question mark here. Will he recover from his concussion and prove that last season wasn’t a fluke? I believe that the answer is no, last season was a fluke, his WR’s & TE’s will return to earth, and the Dog Pound will be calling for Quinn by midseason. But the real problem is on D. Shaun Rogers will break down early after looking unblockable the 1st few weeks. And there is just nobody in the secondary that can cover. This is a great team for fantasy production, both for and against.

10 – Tennessee Titans (projected record 6-10)

BrickintheBox’s favorite idiot, Adam Schein, went off on a caller the other day for referring to the QB situation in Tennessee as the “Vince Young Experiment”, but what should it be called. Everyone loves to point out that Vince was a probowler as a rookie (just proves how worthless the probowl is for accessing talent) and the Titans winning percentage under Vince. Well the record is more due to a tough defense getting by despite Vince. This year some of that D starts to show its age, and Vince will be forced to carry more of the load. Vince cannot handle the load, and when the Titans are forced to go away from their run heavy ways they will lose, and lose often.

There you have it, the top 10 picks in the 2009 NFL draft will look something like this, if not I will give you your money back (as this site is free you are looking at $0, spend it wisely). Keep checking back for the next segment where we will go into the rest of the non-playoff teams.

The Myth of the 3rd Preseason Game

2008-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Every season we as fans get geared up for the 3rd preseason game. We have been lead to believe that the 3rd game is a dress rehearsal for the regular season. The 3rd game is when the coaches gameplan like this is a regular season game and we as fans get a true feel for how our team will stack up come the regular season.

It’s time that this myth gets debunked.

Do the majority of the starters get more time in the 3rd preseason game get more time than in any other preseason game, sure. Do teams actually set up a scout team to mimic some of the things the other team does, probably. Do the coaches put in specific packages to attack the other teams weaknesses and hide their own, most of the time, no.

Dan Reeves was on Sirius NFL radio this afternoon discussing this very same topic. He brought up specific examples of what they would do going into a 3rd preseason game. Was his team going up against another team that ran a 3-4 front, then they would look at that in practice. But that sort of thing was the extent of the extra preparation that was made.

His co-host, Jim Miller, brought up a couple examples of how during his playing days that they would call certain protections based on the other teams tendencies as they came into the 3rd game. But that was as far as they went. They didn’t plan to attack a corner who was week, or had a specific tendency.

This is a basic truth of the NFL that has been overlooked for years. Why is hard to say. Personally I feel that it is due to the fans desire to actually get some feedback on their team, it has been since December or January since most of us have seen a meaningful snap for our team. Finally our starters will be on the field for the majority of the game, we want them to succeed, and we want some sort of insight into how our team will perform in September.

Oh, and the rantings of Dennis Green and his “They are who we thought they were” breakdown. Lets not dwell too long on the rantings of a man who had clearly lost it in assigning our value on one game.

Keep these truths in mind when you watch your team play a preseason game:

- The defense is vanilla; few teams show their more exotic schemes in the preseason. If they do show an exotic blitz, front or coverage, there is as good a chance that they are trying to put something on film that future opponents have to plan for, as they are actually planning to make that a regular part of their offense.

- The offense is basic. The team is not looking at the tendencies of a DE who takes himself out of a play by getting to far up field, and exploiting it. That double reverse they ran, well there is a good chance that is a red herring for a future opposing DC to spend time game planning against.

- The coaches talk before the game about things they want to see, and would like the other team to try. You don’t play preseason games against other teams in you division, chances are if you want to work on your 2-minute drill, the other team wants to work on its prevent D. Everyone has lots to work on, there is no rule against working together to make both teams better.

- What game planning that is done is more geared towards what a team needs to work on, rather than finding holes in the other teams game. When you hear that the Raiders put in a specific package for the Arizona game, chances are that package was set up as a generic package with little or no regard put into the Cardinals team. It is more of a walkthrough for the players on the Raiders letting them know, this is how many plays, packages and protections we put in during a typical week.

Now I do know that there occasions and teams that do put more stock into the 3rd preseason game. There have been instances of teams putting together an opponent specific game plan for the 3rd preseason game. But this is the exception rather than the rule. Teams with 1st year head coaches sometimes due this in an attempt to get the players to buy into a system. With success they can go to the team and let them know, if you buy in this in the kind of result you can expect.

But as I said when the preseason started, nothing can be gained by looking at the wins and losses in the preseason. What you can do is look at individual players and their fundamentals, Johnny Free Agent RB who is ripping up the league for over 100 yards rushing per game right now, will probably find himself on the bench in two weeks. Steve Spurrier’s fun and gun offense looked like it was going to take the league by storm after 4 preseason games. 16 regular season games later Spurrier went back to college with his tail between his legs.

Enjoy the preseason for what it is, glorifies practice. Putting more stock in it than that is foolish, just ask the Colts, their record is something like 3-13 since Dungy took over as HC, I think they have been doing alright once the real bullets start flying.

If you only watch one game this weekend - 2008 CFB week 1

2008-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

With my focus being on the Raiders preseason the last couple weeks, the College Football Season has snuck up on me. That’s right, the College game gets started Thursday night. Hallelfuckinujah, the long wait is over, real football is back.

So with that, the return of a regular column (well as regular as any column here) is warranted. That’s right, it’s “If you only watch one game this weekend”.

As always, I may not pick the best match-up, I watch College football to root for my favorite teams, and to look at guys with NFL potential. So if you read this column I hope to give you an Idea of what players to keep an eye on so that you can bring more to your NFL draft discussion in April than rehashing whatever Mel Kiper has told you.

There is an easy choice this week for everyone to watch, as Tennessee travels to UCLA to take on the Bruins. But that is Monday night, what else are you going to be doing as you digest that big BarBQ meal. Honestly, if you aren’t planning to watch that game, just leave my site. That’s right, go click somewhere else you damn commie.

Ok, if you are still here, it is safe to assume you are watching that game anyway. So lets look at another match up that you should be spending your valuable long weekend watching. If you already have Saturday night plans, well set the TiVo and watch Sunday morning as you nurse your hangover. Because Alabama vs. Clemson bears watching.

Alabama

I won’t lie to you, there isn’t allot of talent held over here from the pre Saban regime. But there are a couple Jr’s and Sr’s worth watching.

Andre Smith, OT (6-4, 340)
A first team All-SEC selection as a sophomore, Smith should only build on that success in his Jr year. Smith is already projected as a potential 1st round prospect. Keep an eye on the Match-up between Smith and fellow Jr Ricky Sapp, as it will give you a feel for how both of them stack up vs. top competition.

Antoine Caldwell, C (6-3, 305)
Caldwell had an excellent sophomore year, but injuries all over the line cause him to be shuffled around last year. That movement along the line may actually increase his draft stock as NFL scouts now have film on him at both guard positions as well as center. Nasty player, and a team leader, Caldwell should here his name called in the 1st 3 rounds if he continues to build on the last 2 seasons.

Like I said, this is a little thin, but there will be plenty of freshman and Sophomores to peek your interest. I could tell you about Leigh Tiffen (K) but he is a kicker, who cares.

Clemson

Now here is something to get excited about, when Clemson has the ball the talent is all over the field, and should give you plenty to watch.

Cullen Harper, QB (6-3, 220)
Harper is listed just under the NFL’s desired size for a QB, but his play on the field last year has garnered some 1st round buzz. If you read the football outsiders (and why wouldn’t you, go to their site and buy a ProFootball Prospectus) you know that the best predictor of future success for QB’s is games started and completion percentage. For his 1st season as a starter, Harper was 2nd in the SEC in terms of completion percentage. If he can stay healthy this year, he will be looking at 26 career starts. A repeat of last season’s success will have him high on many boards.

James Davis, RB (5-11, 210)
A two time First Team All-ACC selection, Davis suffered a setback in spring practices with a separated shoulder that required surgery. He is expected to return to form this season, and should be looked at as a potential 1st – 2nd round pick if he does.

C.J. Spiller, RB (5-11, 193)
If Davis isn’t ready to go, Spiller is more than capable of picking up the slack. He is already a dangerous kick returner, and should get more looks coming out of the backfield this season, as he is a better receiver than Davis. Don’t be surprised to see this junior enter the NFL after this season, as he could immediately start many places as a 3rd down back.

Aaron Kelly, WR (6-5, 190) & Jacoby Ford, WR (5-10, 188)

Clemson brings a formidable pair out as their starters at WR, Kelly has been rated as the top WR in the ACC by CollegeFootballNews. He may lack the ideal speed for the NFL, but his size will garner him some long looks. Ford may not have Kelly’s ideal size, but he more than makes up for that with his explosion. His season was ended early due to injury last year, but he should be able to come back from that broken ankle and cause headaches for opposing DC’s. Both currently carry 2nd-3rd round grades.

When ‘Bama has the ball:

Michael Hamlin, SS (6-3, 206)

The Tigers leader on Defense, Hamlin has the size, speed and ball hawking ability that will get the attention of NFL scouts. His speed will be called into question, but even with that concern he should go on the 1st day if he continues to play as he has in the past.

Ricky Sapp, DE (6-4, 242)

Sapp bears some close watching, as the back-up to Gains Adams in 2006 he still was 2nd in sacks on the team. He seemed to take a step back in the 2007 season as a starter at the Tiger’s “bandit” DE position. His numbers were good, but you would expect better based on what he showed in flashes the previous season. If he wants to go pro after this, his junior, season he needs to take his game to the next level. If he does, you are looking at a 1st day pick, with 1st round potential.

There you go, you want to impress your friends with you knowledge of the college game when NFL draft season commences, watch this game and keep an eye on the players listed above. Its not that hard, sit on your couch, turn on the TV, open your beer. Life is good again, football is back.

2008 - Fantasy Football Draft review

2008-08-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

As I previously mentioned in the last two 7 things are better than 10 columns, I attended fantasy football drafts the last two Saturday nights. I’m not going to bore you with the details of the drafts, no round by round analysis, but hey, I’m bored at work and feel like wasting my time banging out a column. On with the show:

- Is it just me, or has the NFL’s emphasis on Parody lead to more teams who you just don’t want to touch?

This was actually a topic of conversation I had with a fellow drafter as we drove the last hour together to the first draft site, and was brought up after the 2nd draft. It seems that every year there are more and more teams that I have so many questions about that I don’t even want one of their players on my squad. Think about it, do you feel that any of these teams will be competitive enough on offense to take any of their players before the last couple rounds:

Miami
NY Jets
Kansas City
Oakland (sorry Nation)
Tennessee
San Francisco
Atlanta
Chicago
Carolina

Sure most of the teams listed above have a player or two highly ranked on most draft boards, but truthfully do you think Larry Johnson will A. Stay Healthy, and B. Face less than 8 in the box at any time? That didn’t stop players from these teams from getting selected early and often. Vince Young was a keeper in one league, are you kidding me, has he gotten moved to RB? Darren McFadden was selected 1st round in the same, maybe Adrian Peterson syndrome, because he looks like Reggie Bush part 2 to me.

I remember having two or three teams that I wanted nothing to do with in the past, but this season is the worst I can remember. This year about a quarter of the teams in the NFL as so pathetic, or experiencing so much upheaval that I have no desire to have any of their players on my team. In other words, this has become like baseball, where a good portion of the teams are out of it before the season starts, and that sucks.

- The top of the draft is more of a crapshoot this year than any other year I can remember.

My thoughts on this may be clouded due to our league rules, But in our keeper league top 4 available players looked like this:

L. Tomlinson
T. Brady
P. Manning
S. Jackson

I’ve written here about how I believe that the wheels are about to fall off of Tomlinson. Brady has not played in a preseason game yet, and there are injury rumors. As for Pey-Pey, he just went under the knife, and the team is being very tight lipped about his availability. Steven Jackson went through a protracted hold out, and as a former owner of Jackson, I know full well how he performed last year after missing the preseason.

But it goes further than that. Of the other players ranked in the top 10 most places do you really feel good about Randy Moss (tied to Brady’s health, injury history and his head problems), Adrian Peterson (huge injury red flag), T.O. (Dallas is about to implode, IMO)? Of the top 10, I am down to 3 guys I feel confidant will live up to that billing. I am sure that I am wrong about 3-4 of these guys, but which ones?

- Don’t show up to the draft at your own risk

We only have 10 teams in the 1st league to draft. Its cool since most of us have known each other for years, it makes the hazing all the more fun. But the most brutal hazing may have been done by those selected by the 2 absent owner to pick their team for them. When your QB’s look like this (we start 2, yeah we are wild and crazy) E. Manning, Leinart and Edwards, or Anderson (keeper) Hasselbeck and Matt Ryan, you have just been royally fucked over by your “friend”. The best part of it, those who were there selecting made no secret that they didn’t give a fuck. (Although one claimed that the absent owner was going to be happy with Matt Ryan, (Boston sports homerism knows no bounds).

We also had two no-shows for the 2nd draft, but these guys were much more civil about it. You know what I blame it on, the Mid-west mentality. These guys just aren’t as cutthroat around here. I guess Pittsburgh is just a nicer place than Boston.

- The draft 2 RB’s 1st strategy may be dead (at least for this year)

I have 10 RB’s listed in my top 20 players, I have already expressed my concerns with a number of them, and while most of those I haven’t mentioned I feel pretty good about, Frank Gore and the San Fran mess is on that list. After that you are seriously reaching to draft any of these guys in the 1st two rounds. Maroney, went down that road last season, Larry Johnson, not with a 10 foot pole, Ronnie Brown, will he even start in Miami? But all of these guys will go in the 1st two rounds in most drafts, just not to me. When I drafted RB’s in the 1st two rounds I got Lynch and Jones-Drew, I was drafting 11th, don’t you wish you were as smart as me.

- If your keepers include Crumpler and Nick Folk (he is a kicker, wouldn’t want you to have to look it up).

Thanks for your donation.

- Parody has struck the TE position

This may be more due to Gates and Gonzalez falling back to the pack, but in my 1st draft 11 TE’s were selected, and there are still 5 out there that I would feel good about starting on my squad. To the point that now I regret taking one as early as I did, since I could have grabbed one in the last couple rounds, when you should be selecting other positions where there is little to no drop off, like Kicker and Defense.

I took this advise to heart in the 2nd draft, and was the last person to select a TE, getting Zach Miller in the 12th round, I’m willing to put money on Miller being a top 10 TE this season, and there are still two players out there I think will put up better numbers than 7 of the TE’s selected in that league.

- If you draft Houshmandzadeh and Jerome Harrison as the 12th & 13th Pick

Thanks for the donation. I mean…WOW, were you trying to hide the fact that you made a poor pick in Housh, by making an unfathomable pick in Harrison, I had to look up who the hell he was, and this was the 1st pick of the 2nd round. Usually I go 15 rounds without having to ask who someone is, or what team they play for.

Unfortunately that is it for live drafts for me this year, I have a couple online drafts to take part in, but those just aren’t as much fun, and I honestly have much less interest in those leagues as there is no money on the line. I’d give you a list of players that I think should have been drafted, and I am considering picking up off the waiver wire, but some guys in these leagues read this, I’m not helping them out.

7 Things are better than 10 - End of August Edition

2008-08-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Damn, I feel like I just typed up one of these columns yesterday, that is just the way that these last couple weeks have been. It’s felt like I haven’t had the time to take a good shit. And it’s important to be able to have the time to take a good healthy dump, because sometimes that’s the only place where the wife will leave you alone. Anyway, enough preambles, lets get right into what is on my mind after this past weekend.

1- Layoff Lane

I feel like this is quickly becoming the Lane Kiffin apologist blog, but the criticism of Lane following Saturday’s game is astounding. The bulk of the critique is aimed at Lane’s decision to let the world know that the Raiders were going to come out passing against the Cardinals.

The critics have lambasted Lane, “why would you announce ahead of time of your intentions”, “this was a major tactical error”, “when it wasn’t working they should he should have gone back to the run”.

Dear Critics, you are idiots, this is the preseason, the game doesn’t count.

The point of telling the other team that you are going to come out passing is that you want them to gameplan for that. You want to see how your passing attack stacks up against a team trying to shut it down. You want to know how the team is going to perform when it has to pass, and when you have to pass the other team knows it and attacks accordingly.

Trust me, Lane is hardly the only coach who is letting the other team know what they are doing prior to a preseason game. Detroit came out and ran their two minute offense to start this past weekends game, and if you take a look, the other team ran their prevent to start the game. You think that wasn’t planned out ahead of time between the coaches? The only thing that Lane did differently was he let all of us in on the secret prior to the game.

2 – I need to get my Fantasy draft review out

Had my second live draft of the season this past weekend. Got together with a bunch of Guys here in the burgh and sat around a living room drafting. And holy shit; there were some confounding moves. I mean stuff that really hurt my brain trying to figure them out.

Needless to say, when I tell you who the last pick of the 1st round was, and the 1st pick of the 2nd round was you are going to be lining up to get into this league next season and try to win the pot, since there is at least one player just lighting Franklins on fire.

3 – Nature rocks

Lots of time spent out in nature this weekend. I needed to get out and away from the house, cell phones and computers. Saturday morning we went hiking some mountain bike and horse trails nearby, at one point we stopped for five minutes and just watched a spider spin its web. I don’t know if that qualifies as a Zen experience, but just stopping to appreciate nature is something everyone should do.

Sunday I made the trek down to WV to the family land solo. While the local park was relaxing, it just doesn’t compare to the relaxation I get from hiking out into the forest where there is no one for miles. Brought my lunch, by bow and a target. Took target practice for about an hour, then I started hiking. Stopping at a ridgeline where I could over look the valley and the mountain across the way and just soaked in the sun as I devoured a sandwich. Watched a turkey strut, and squirrels frolic. To me there is nothing better that just being alone where I can quietly watch the world without any other people around.

4 – I don’t care who you are, your shit stinks too

I have a co-worker, we will call him Frank, Frank has a reputation for being one of the best in the company at his job. Frank fully believes that he is the best at his job, Frank believes that he is infallible, and that he knows best how to get any task done.

For the last three months Frank has been droning on and on at every meeting that he wants a certain task performed his way. We have been performing the task as per his instructions. Now there is a problem. Frank has disavowed any knowledge of ever instructing us to perform in the manner resulting in the problem. This is typical Frank.

Now don’t try to tell Frank that you have been doing what he wants, according to Frank that’s just not true. Don’t try telling the Project Manager, he loves Frank, Frank can do no wrong. I hate Frank.

5 – As much as I love going there, I could never live in WV

A sad truth struck me this weekend. As much as I love going to the Family land in West Virginia, I could never set up a home and live there. And there is one simple reason for this: I can’t grow a beard.

As I drove up the dirt road to the land I pass some of the neighbors (i.e. people who live within a mile of us). All of them proudly wore full beards. When I stopped at the local general store, only three miles from my place, even the 17 year old behind the register had the scraggly start to his facial masterpiece on display.

I am well into my 3rd decade on this planet; I still need only to shave twice a week. I would never be able to fit into the mountain man culture down there, I just wouldn’t be able to fit in, and that saddens me, damn you genetics.

6 – The injury bug hits, and proves Lane right

Back to the Raiders, there were two major injuries to the Raiders this weekend as both Carter and O’Neil went down with season ending knee injuries. Of course, as luck would have it, both of them play positions where there is little to no depth behind them.

We all knew coming into this season that the Raiders were one injury away from major problems at WR, hell there were major problems there without injury. As camp progressed we were regularly informed that the receivers on the roster just weren’t getting it done, and many of them were having trouble staying on the field.

At FB, the Raiders looked damn good at both starter and back up. Griffen plays at a probowl level, and O’Neil was pushing him for playing time last season, combined with the RB’s, the Raiders had an embarrassment of wealth at the position. But looking at the depth chart the Raiders were only 2 deep at FB, sure Rankin was getting some time at H-back, but for all the wear and tear a FB receives, you should at least have a camp body there.

Now the Raiders have a major problem, cut downs are upon us, and there is nobody to step up, nobody has been brought in to get some sort of handle on the system. The Raiders are either going to have to keep a WR that should be on the street or pick up someone who has no experience in the system.

At FB, the Raiders now have to bring in another body, once again some one with no experience in the system, the Raiders are a run 1st team, and now Griffen will have to play extra time, opening him up to injury. Bad things man.

7 – For those looking for Haters

Raider Nation loves to claim that the media is full of Haters, everyone is out to cut down the Raiders at every chance they get. Well Nation, we finally have a true outlet in the media for your disdain.

Marty Schottenheimer has joined Sirius NFL radio. As I type this he and Adam Schein are discussing the Raiders potential for the upcoming season. Marty has the Raiders pegged for 3 wins. When pressed on the issue, his reasoning is…”They are the Raiders”. That’s it, no insight, no reasoning; just “they are the Raiders”.

OK, I will give you that one Nation that is a hater. Schottenheimer went on to disparage Al Davis’s contributions to the league, claiming that he never did anything for the good of the league, he only looked out for the Raiders. Go Fuck yourself Marty, Davis has arguably done as much for the league as any other Owner.

You want to know why you are no longer a coach in the league Marty, because of one thing, when it came to the playoffs you knew that your team was going to lose, for one simple reason, “(Insert Team Name) is coached by Marty”.

Steroids for the Win

2008-08-21T12:43:00.001-07:00

I guess it pays to be an asshole. In yet another move that I cannot fathom, FSN has hired Shawne Merriman to be an analyst on their NFL preview show.

Merriman continues to prove that being a cheat will have no detrimental effect on your potential earnings in America. Somehow coming off a season where he was suspended four games for steroid abuse he managed to become the face (along with Steven Jackson) of Nike’s huge ad campaign. I guess just do it includes just injecting yourself in the ass to get ahead.

Merriman also continues to prove that the majority of the sports world cannot get past certain numbers. For baseball it is homeruns (who cares if you strike out every other time at bat), for football it is touchdowns on offense, and sacks on defense. Merriman is a hell of a pass rusher; I will give him that. But he is incredibly weak at the point of attack, and god save him if he is asked to go into pass coverage. He is a one dimensional player if there ever was one. But don’t tell that to the pundits who list him as one of the top linebackers in the game.

Now Merriman will bring his “insight” to FSN’s preview show. I have to wonder what king of knowledge he will bring to the table. I can see it now:

Glazer – Green Bay is going to have its hands full Monday night trying to contain Allen without Bryant McKinnie.

Merriman – Allen ain’t *bleep* what is that he is doing after the sack. That ain’t no sack dance, this is a sack dance (starts spastically jumping around, breaking two lights on the set). HA lights out mother*bleep*.

Gene Upshaw #63

2008-08-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here at Brickinthebox we take a quick break from our normal poor analysis and off color jokes to mourn a legend.

A Raider legend passed today. Gene Upshaw was a member of three Raider Super Bowl teams, including two winners. He is the only player to ever reach the Super Bowl with the same team in three decades. When you start naming off the All-time Raider greats, you don’t get very far before Mr. Upshaw’s name passes your lips.

Honestly I am too young to remember Upshaw the player. Sure I have watched the old NFL films where he and Art Shell locked down the left side of the line and demolished some of the best Defenses of the day. But during my time watching football was the Union head. Sure I was aware of his past greatness, but my focus was on his actions as they pertained to the business of the league.

I often disagreed with Upshaw’s stances on issues, the rookie cap comes immediately to mind, but you had to respect the man for the way he conducted business, and for the way he championed the player’s cause.

Raider Nation has lost a legend today, the NFLPA has lost a man who has become synonymous with the players cause, but most importantly his family has lost a father and husband.

Calling out the Raiders, the Lane Kiffin way

2008-08-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Much of Raider Nation is abuzz with the latest installment in the Lane Kiffin vs. Al Davis soap opera. We have not progressed much since Lane was rumored to be on the chopping block and didn’t wear Raider apparel at the Senior Bowl. It is the same old shit, just a different day.

So why has the latest installment drawn much of my, and the rest of Raider Nation’s attention? Well for those who follow the media’s spin job, it’s just the latest example of the Raiders internal dysfunction, and a sure sign that Lane is angling for his release. For me it’s something different. It is a sign of a young coach finding his voice, and for better or worse it warrants comment.

The momentum has been building on this issue since the start of preseason as Kiffin has been quoted saying the following:

Day 1 of training camp: "When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize most guys don't last really long, so that is what it is." (He added that he and Davis have a "working relationship" and a shared desire to win.)

Day 3 of camp: After praising defensive lineman Tommy Kelly's potential, Kiffin noted: "He's got a lot to prove now with that contract."

Last Monday, Aug. 11: Disappointed by the team's depth, Kiffin said: "It's been a situation that, unfortunately, we haven't brought guys in. I control what I can control. We come out every day and get our guys as good as we can. I'm pleased with the top of our roster, but we need to add to the bottom of our roster. We need more competition."

"You've got to be willing to release 'em and live with it, and pick other people up for more competition."

Friday night, after losing at Tennessee: In terms of who might supplant punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins, Kiffin said: "I really don't have anybody to look at, that's the problem. There isn't anybody there that's very dynamic with the ball."

Saturday media conference call: Rightfully irked by wide receiver Javon Walker missing two catch-able passes Friday, Kiffin said: "... That's discouraging because he was paid an awful lot of money, paid like one of the top five receivers in the NFL. We need him to make those plays."

When you read through those quotes can you find one that you disagree with? Davis changes coaches like he changes his underwear. Kelly and Walker both got paid before proving anything. There are problems with the depth on the Raider’s roster. And if Higgins continues with the constant brain farts, do you see anyone on the roster that can replace him (Hall or McFadden, but they are too valuable elsewhere).

Lets start with the Kelly and Walker comments. If this were any other coach, he would be commended for the honesty. The media loves Bill Parcels, despite his disdain for them, due to his frank nature and how he holds the players publicly accountable. The players who bust ass for Parcels love him, because the loyalty is returned. You know who you don’t hear complaining about Lane’s comments? The players, they demand to be treated like men, and Lane is giving them that. He is demanding accountability from the players; in return he will get it. For those who think he is trying to distance himself from these signing, why would he bother? Lane seems to be a smart individual; he knows that no one puts the Raiders roster on the coach. IMO, this is a coach using the media to put pressure on the players, look at the top coaches in the league, and you will see them all use this technique in varying manners.

The depth question does speak to his relationship with Davis, and I believe goes back much further than this preseason. Davis has become so paranoid that a player he releases will become a superstar elsewhere, that he has become almost paralyzed when it comes to roster movement. Lets face it; Davis has seen a lot of talent blossom elsewhere in recent years. Le’roy Glover and Rod Coleman became household names after leaving the Raiders. Randy Moss returned to superstar status as a Patriot. The only player whom I can think of who has come to the Raiders and became a superstar in recent years is Rich Gannon.

Think back to last season, Lane was forced to keep the worthless husk of Lamont Jordan on the Roster, and IR Michael Bush so that Jordan wouldn’t rediscover himself elsewhere. The Raiders waited weeks to release Coop when he was injured in preseason, why, its not like he was going to latch on elsewhere, as proved by how long the Raiders were able to wait before bringing him back.

Kiffin needed to call out Davis on this one, as nobody else would. The place you will truly see the depth of a team is on special teams, a unit that plays 1/3 of the game, but is made up of all the borderline roster players. The Raiders special teams have been abysmal in recent years. The back end of the roster needs to be upgraded. Those who think “why bother, if the guy was going to contribute he would be on a roster” are flat out wrong. There are plenty of players out there who could upgrade the back end of the roster. Why hold on to an injured 3rd string lineman for a week, rather than reach an injury settlement and get some fresh legs in to compete.

Once again, look at the guys who are the best at building a team right now, hardly a day goes by without some waiver wire work from the New England’s of the league. They realize the importance of the backend of the roster, not just the big names.

Which brings us back to quote #1, "When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize most guys don't last really long, so that is what it is."

Lane is approaching this differently than other recent Raiders coaches. Which is why I think he has a chance to endear himself to Davis. Davis reportedly loves a good debate on football, and loves the people who tell it like it is, but he also has a habit of surrounding himself with yes men. Shell and Turner spring to mind as coaches who would just take whatever they were given, and never risk tipping the apple cart. Kiffin is proving that he is not going to be the pushover coach that has lead the Raiders into their recent malaise. He has found his voice, and is proving that he will stand up to Davis in ways that few coaches will.

Lane is demanding accountability from everyone, whether it be coach, player or Managing General Partner. Since the days of Gannon, there has been no one in the organization with the balls to demand the accountability, combined with the self-discipline to be accountable themselves. Sapp was verbal in demanding that the other players show up, while he was putting forth little effort on the field. Lamont Jordan loved to call out the team… from the trainer’s table. Jarrod Cooper calls out the team, while making mental mistakes every time he actually set foot on the field.

Kiffin has found his voice; I for one encourage the members of Raider Nation to back his play. I believe that he should be applauded for his honesty, and his demands for accountability, since, as Lane so astutely pointed out:

"The other way hasn't worked around here for the last five years."

Skewering the Media - Peter King Edition

2008-08-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder how the hell members of the media get away with printing the drivel that regularly comes out in print or online. Regularly the mistakes are glaring, and show that the writer has done little more than spout off whatever has come to the top of his head.

But that isn’t what we are going to focus on today. Today a pompous ass has drawn the bull’s-eye here at Brickinthebox. No, not Bill Simmons, it’s been so long since I have read a column by him, I don’t even know if he is still spewing BS. No today it is NFL writing royalty that draws my ire. Peter King, come on down.

Due to restrictions at work, I rarely read Peter King’s Monday morning quarterback anymore. But in reading this week’s column, I doubt that I would anyway. Lets take a look at some of his quick hits:

3. I think when I see Michael Phelps give his quasi-goofy thrill-of-victory smile and aw-shucks look, I see a lot of the Eli Manning aw-shucks look. Giants fans, you know what I'm talking about.

Really, I know I throw some fluff into my 7 things sometimes, but now we are comparing the smiles of Phelps and Manning.

4. I think I don't want to hear what great fans the Jets have. Not for a long time. That crowd Saturday night was a disgrace. At least half the stadium was empty for Favre's debut in a Jets' uniform. I expressed my amazement to a few fellow scribes Saturday night -- emphasizing that N.Y. traded for an all-time-great quarterback, not a broken-down one -- and they gave varying reasons for the poor turnout. Like it's the middle of vacation month for New Yorkers, and it's a preseason game. Horsefeathers. If you really love your team, and you have season tickets, you should have been at that game unless you were in Tibet. Ridiculous.

I know that King has his head firmly implanted in Favre’s ass, but this is just ridicules. Nobody cares about the preseason. The games don’t count. Nobody is going to remember Favre’s 1st preseason TD as a Jet. The only thing here that is ridiculous is Kings expectation that Fans are going to come in droves to the Meadowlands for a meaningless game, get raped for parking, food and drink so that they don’t miss out on his hero’s first game. There are plenty of reasons to ridicule Jets fans (hell they are Jets fans) but no showing to Lord Favre’s 1st appearance isn’t one of them. I can’t wait until Favre gets booed for one of his patented 3 INT performances, and Kings response.

7. I think this would be a good category for MMQB: Like Father, Like Estranged Son Dept. And this would be my first entry: On Wednesday, Belichick told his players he would cancel night meetings and waive curfew if nose tackle Vince Wilfork caught a punt while holding a football in either arm. Wilfork caught the punt, and the players, smelling freedom, went wild. On Thursday, New York Jets coach Eric Mangini told his players he would cancel night meetings and waive curfew if kicker Mike Nugent made a 53-yard field goal. Nugent made the field goal, and the players, smelling freedom, went wild.
8. I think I wonder where Mangini learned that one.

Well knock me over with a feather; a coach gave his team time off based on some meaningless challenge at the end of practice. That must be a Bill Belichick original. There is no other coach that has ever done that. Lets just ignore the fact that this has been done at every level of football forever. I think if you have to wonder where Mangini learned that one you are a moron.

n. So I see Gary Myers of the New York Daily News in the press box at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. He tells me the doctor about to give him a colonoscopy last year says to him, "Do you know Peter King?'' Myers says yes, and the doc proceeds to tell him what a kook I am for beginning the prep work for my bowel cleanout just before a two-hour-and-40-minute plane trip. You think that's the first time I've heard that one, doc?

Just keep that to yourself.

p. There will come a day -- I don't know when; five years, seven maybe -- when you will have the same number of satellite radios in your possession as cars. It's coming. It can't be stopped.

And just proving that no research, or real thought is put into this drivel. SiriusXM has deals with all of the major auto manufactures to put their radios into every new car sold. Hell I have 2 cars (mine & my wife’s) and three radios, since my truck came with XM when I bought it, but I had Sirius. So yes, if you buy a new car within the next five to seven years, you will have as many satellite radios as cars, thanks Nostridumbass.

7 Things are better than 10 - Back for 2008

2008-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

It’s been slow here at Brickinthebox despite the return of football (well at least preseason anyway). Well my excuse (notice I always have one of these) is that I have been traveling. Hell I have been driving 24 of my last 92 hours on this planet. So I guess I haven’t had time for you, my loyal reader.

But hey, my inactivity has given me enough time to come up with some observations, some deep insights, and now I am prepared to share them with you. That’s right it is the return of everyone’s favorite column where I cleverly tell you something you already know.

Seven things are better than ten (go fuck yourself Peter King).

1 – HD TV, how did I ever live without you, you glorious bastard?

In my travels this week I was forced to watch the Raiders vs. Titans without the benefit of my beloved HD and Tivo. I had to time the refilling of my drink or my bathroom breaks with commercials, no pausing the TV. I could not see every individual blade of grass on the field. It was a real nightmare. Honestly, how did man survive all those years without TiVo in HD? While I could see clearly that Vince Young is a complete failure at QB, without the benefit of HD, I didn’t feel that I could taste his salty tears of failure.

I was so relieved when I finally returned home last night that I immediately turned on the Pats at Bucs, just so I could count the beads of sweat on Matt Cassell’s brow, as he watched his career flush down the toilet.

If I ever get divorced, I think I will fight for 2 things; my dog and the HD with TiVo everything else just doesn’t matter.

2 – This goddamn Favre thing just won’t end.

He is having doubts, he feels comfortable in his uniform, and he threw a TD. He takes a shit every morning at 8:15 am. He hates all this attention, but please look at him take a lap, since he is just another player.

Ok, so you already knew that the Favre thing wouldn’t end if you read this blog, I have stated it numerous times. But I continue to be amazed at the number of people who think Favre will actually make a difference in New York, and the amount of press he is getting.

Then there is this from Kissing Suzy Kolber:

Peter King was at the Jets preseason game on Saturday and, of course, his only focus was Favre. Dude was even wearing a green shirt. His first stop was Dustin Keller, to ask him how honored he was to have caught Favre’s first Jets preseason touchdown.

Here at Brickinthebox (along with every other blog on the net) we have joked in the past about how far up Favre’s ass Kings head resides, but this is just asinine. I honestly think that King purchased the new Madden just to jerk it to Favre’s picture on the cover.

3 – What the fuck is wrong with New Jersey

Not only is Peter King from that god-forsaken state, but also the people there have no Idea how to drive. I am speaking in particular about the asshats driving minivans.

Dear Minivan driver, if you are not passing get the fuck out of the passing lane. I spent the better part of an hour Sunday driving through New Jersey following minivans passing no one in the passing lane. They were just out there in case they ever came across someone driving under the speed limit. But hey, at least I got to watch Dora for an hour through their rear windows, oh and laughing at the Rav-4 with spinners driving next to me, who couldn’t seem to find a big enough opening on the right to pass the minivan convoy.

4 – Nothing brings us together like football

I suck at keeping up with old friends. Other than spamming them to check out this site, I am terrible at keeping up with their lives. One of my best friends from College had a son seven months ago; I think I found out three weeks back. I don’t text, I hate talking on the phone, and my email skills are lacking.

But once a year we get together to draft our fantasy football teams. I won’t bore you here with the details of the draft (I need to save some material for another column). But after laughing so hard that it hurt a number of times, I left wondering why the fuck we only get together once a year. And I owe what little contact I still have with these people to Football.

So for the next couple months, as we talk trash via email on a regular basis, I will once again feel close to these old friends. Then football season will end, and I will once again forget half of their names until its time to bring everyone together again next August. I am a sad sad man.

5 – Raiders Stuff

You know I can’t do one of these without discussing the plight of the Raiders. Watching the Titans game without the benefit of HD and Tivo, I was unable to go into the depth I usually do breaking down the game (fear not, I Tivo’ed the game at home and will take a closer look later). But I did manage to come away with a few thoughts.

For all the off-season spending, the Raiders are not appreciably better at their weak points from last season. Special Teams still sucks, so what Higgins had a TD return against San Fran, that shows more how pathetic the Niner’s are. Coverage and return blocking are still weak. The offensive line still requires too much help to stay in when pass blocking, limiting the number of receivers going out. The defensive line still can’t hold its ground, and there is no #1 receiver on the field.

The Raiders are still going to have trouble stopping the run, they are still going to see 8 in the box as the receivers worry no one, and Jamarcus will run for his life every time he drops back to pass.

Sure the starting defense looked good Sunday, but that was more due to Tennessee trying to pass with Vince Young at QB, and the only receiving core sadder than the Raiders. The Raiders are better than last year, but it is going to be a long season.

6 – Remember when you were good at stupid stuff

I used to be scary good at Darts. Not much of a life skill, but I could go to bars and win myself free drinks for much of the night, as suckers stepped up, and got their asses kicked. It wasn’t rare for me to close out a game of Cricket in 3-4 rounds.

Well Saturday night after the draft, I was more than happy to actually play some darts. I stepped up to the line, and the darts fluttered like a Philip Rivers deep ball. Rarely hitting the mark. Sure there was the occasional shot that drew praise from the guys I was playing with, but my deft touch was gone.

It got me to thinking, I used to play this game constantly, and I also used to play Madden like it was a full time job. Sure I have picked up new pursuits over the years. I have gotten married, I spend a lot of my free time outside, either hiking, or hunting, oh and I have a job now. But those things I used to love doing I seem to have pushed aside.

So Sunday morning before my long drive home I dug through the basement in my old house looking for that old dart board so that I could bring it with me, and maybe I could rediscover that lost skill. But when I found that old board, it was much like my game, deteriorated and covered in mold. But the darts just needed to be dusted off, and they made the journey back with me. Who knows, maybe sometime soon I will get a new board and return to my past glory.

7 – The Greatest American Athletes are at the Olympics

No, no they are not. I am not trying to take away from the accomplishments of Michael Phelps, or any of the other amazing athletes at the Olympics, but America’s best are not jumping into the pool, or running in circles around a track.

In the US the best athletes head to where the money is. That money is not found at the bottom of a pool, or in a starters block. That money is found putting a ball in the basket, or launching a tight spiral. The next time that anyone in this country shows any interest in a swimmer, or a track star will be 4 years from now in London, unless of course there is a doping scandal.

Much of Phelps success is attributed to his build, and how it is perfect for swimming; he is tall (relatively anyway) and has an incredible wingspan. The thing is on any college basketball team you can find a player with a similar build, but none of those guys are jumping in the pool, because there is no money in it.

Its funny, since the US still leads the medal count, despite the majority of these events holding little more than fringe status here in the States. The rest of the world should be thankful that we don’t give a flying fuck about their past times. Otherwise we would really be rubbing their noses in it.

Preseason Game 1 - Quick Hits

2008-08-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well I have cautioned against putting too much stock into what we see in preseason game, especially the 1st one. But none the less, I have watched the starters 3 times now, and have the backups on my TV screen as I type, and of course have had some things stick out in my mind.

Observations from Friday's game:

- I said I was going to be keeping a close eye on Jake Grove and I did. Save for 1 play he looked very good out there. He handled Franklin one on one when called on to do that, and got to the 2nd level very well on inside zones. The one bust was where Russell got sacked. The Niners stunted out of a 4 man front on the plays, and the whole line was a cluster fuck. Hard to say who blew the assignment, but Grove definitely didn't help things.

- Did Nike fit Gerard Warren with roller skates rather than cleats? He was regularly blown 3-5 yards off the line.

- Howard looks much more aggressive against the run this year.

- Tommy Kelly getting quick penetration blew up 2 plays on the Niner's initial drive. It is hard to pull when the DT has pushed his blocker back in the way. He will have to do a better job with double team though. He got his ass handed to him when the Niners doubled him.

- For all the consternation about the Raiders ability to pass block, they did an adequate job of picking up the blitz, with the aforementioned stunt being the 1st teams only real breakdown.

- The Raiders looked better against the run, but I think we may be getting a false read due to the sucktitude of the Niners, there were some gaping holes available due to Kelly's penetration, combined with Burgess taking it wide, and Warren having a brand new pair of roller skates. A better running team will take advantage of this if it isn't shored up.

- I've already read how McFadden has proved the naysayers (haters) wrong with his strong showing at RB. Look, I've held back on my rhetoric about what a poor pick he was, lets all hold off on anointing him as a Superstar until he shows a little more. Like maybe breaking a tackle. Sure Papa said he broke a tackle almost every time McFadden touched the ball, but running through the hole is not breaking a tackle. He did a great job of falling forward after contact, but in the NFL you have to break tackles to be great.

Overall the Raiders looked good for this point of the preseason. The Passing game is always the last thing to come around, add in a QB in Russell who is essentially a rookie, and I didn't expect much. Bush showed some real promise as the Thunder to Bush's lighting. And the Raiders 2nd/3rd string defensive line looked like there could be a couple diamonds in the rough out there. Sure this was to moribund Niners, but this is the kind of football the Raiders will need to play to win this season, Pound the rock, with the TOP and turnover battle, and get some big plays along the way. Very encouraging.

Preseason SuperStars

2008-08-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Robert Meachem is going to be a star in the NFL. How do I know this, the former 1st round draft pick torched the Cardinals 3rd string in last nights preseason game. The injuries and poor work habits are behind him, the one year wonder label attached to him in the draft has been ripped away. Once he lines up across from Colston and with Shockey in the line-up the Saints will be unstoppable.

Wow, that paragraph looks pretty ridicules when you read it doesn’t it. But it isn’t that far off from the kind of thing you are going to read and here in the coming weeks as the NFL preseason hits full stride.

This morning on the Sirius Blitz, Brickinthebox whipping boys Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots expressed how they knew this kind of breakout was coming based on what they had learned from talking to Saints players and staff this off-season. Never mind a week ago when Wilcots was at Saints training camp he made a point of not mentioning Meachem when discussing the Saints outstanding depth at WR.

Meachem wasn’t the only player to gain the attention of the media and fans last night. In the New England / Baltimore game Lamont Jordan had a good night for him. Leading the aforementioned windbags to transition from their Meachem praise to talking about what a great fit Lamont is in New England. Lets remember one thing before we hand Lamont the comeback player of the year award, you give a RB that you are sure of the rock almost 20 times in a preseason game.

And while we are on the subject of the Pats / Ravens game, a couple Raiders sites I frequent are abuzz with the performance of Fabian Washington in that game. He came away with two picks. Before you get your dander up over the Raiders letting Washington get away, look at whom he did this against. It wasn’t Brady, Moss and Welker. It was Matt Cassel and Gutierrez. With the kind of pressure the Ravens bring, Washington better look good against these scrubs.

Which brings me to the point of this posting. As we watch these preseason games, you need to take everything with a grain of salt. Next to no game planning goes into the 1st two games. The Raiders haven’t put in special protections for the Niner’s 3-4. The Raiders defense hasn’t spent time studying the Martz offense. Sure they practiced against each other a couple days ago, so they have a better feel for the opponent then most teams do going into the 1st game of the preseason. But it is going to be base offense and defense calls.

So enjoy finally getting to watch you team this weekend, it has been Seven long months since we could enjoy any form of NFL football. But don’t put much stock into how a player looks this week, especially if they are playing after the 1st two series. Look for solid fundamentals, and pray for no injuries. At this point that is all that can truly be taken from these games. Wins and losses don’t matter and stat lines are meaningless. You are getting to see players take a mid-term exam during the learning season. Finals won’t be for a few weeks.

The Attention Whore Chronicles

2008-08-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Even here at BrickintheBox we can’t ignore the biggest NFL story of this off-season. Some sights will call this the biggest ever, but we seem to remember something to do with dogs, and another thing where players gained free agency, and I fail to see how an aging Diva overshadows those items, but none the less. We have decided to go with the time honored tradition of naming winners and losers long before the smoke clears and an actual game is played.

Brett Favre – Loser

Face it, Favre was going to get the loser tag no mater how this played out. His constant cries for attention grate on this blogger, he has gone from Green Bay Icon to a Diva the likes of T.O. But what cements his place in the loser category is where he ended up, the New York Jets.

Favre has gone from one of the youngest, best built teams, to the Jets. The Jets reek of desperation, and the Farve trade is just the latest lame attempt at regaining relevance. The Jets have watched the team they share the NY market, and a stadium, with win three Super Bowls since the Jets last appearance, they have failed at an attempt to get their own stadium, they have become an afterthought in their own division and their own city.

This off-season has seen them overpay for questionable talent in a manner that only Al Davis could truly appreciate. They have a coach, that thanks to busting his ex-employer in the spygate scandal, knows that once his welcome runs out here he most likely will be a pariah in NFL circles. They have a GM that knows his fate is tied to the pariah coach. This team must win at all costs, or these gentlemen will be on the streets.

It all adds up to an unfavorable situation for any player, let alone Favre, and then you look at the two offenses, and you have to wonder why Favre would accept a trade to the Jets.

Offensive Line – A quick look at the two teams and the Jets definitely have more name recognition across the line, but does that make them better? I say no. In fact the only starter on the Jets who I would take over the Green Bay starter would be Nick Mangold, who is one of the best young centers the league has seen in years. Ferguson is unsteady and could still go either way. Faneca was brought in with much fanfare, but those who call him the best guard in the league stopped watching the game in 2005. And Woody at right tackle, the Jets might have been better served to sign a NY subway turnstile.

While I wouldn’t put any of the Green Bay interior lineman above the Jets interior players, there is not as much of a difference as name recognition would lead you to believe, and Green Bay holds a decided advantage at tackle.

Wide Receivers – This isn’t even close. Would you take Driver, Jennings and Jones or Coles, Cotchery and ummm….yeah you get the point. Lets not forget the tight ends here either, Green Bay has Donald Lee, the Jets counter with Chris Baker, Dustin Keller (a.k.a. the 800th TE drafted in the 1st round by the Jets in the last 15 years) and Bubba Franks, well at least Favre will have someone to go to dinner with.

Running Back – Well here we go again. The Jets have Thomas Jones who proved he has little left in the tank last season, and Washington who is a great kick returner. The Packers have Ryan Grant, who may well be a one hit wonder, but behind him are a couple solid guys in Jackson and Morency.

Add it all up and Favre is going to go from National Media darling, to New York media punching bag as quickly as Lindsey Lohan downs a bottle of Dom. Mr. Attention Whore is going to get loads of print, but somehow I doubt he is going to want to read it. But at least Mrs. Attention Whore is getting a bigger market to parade herself on; maybe she can get a reality show out of the deal.

Green Bay Packers – Losers

They can’t like the way this all transpired, and this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Ted Thompson will be followed around by this Brett Favre trade for the rest of his career, hell his life. The only way that the Packers come out on top in this one is if Aaron Rogers leads them to a Super Bowl win this year. So in other words, they are losers also.

N.Y. Jets – Losers

Yeah Favre is an upgrade over Pennington, but they are the Jets, you can’t spell Jets without the letters L, O, S, E, R, S.

Tampa Bay – Winners

Sure they are going to have to deal with a disgruntled Jeff Garcia, but I see no way that Favre and Gruden could co-exist and succeed. Gruden is too controlling and Favre too much of a Gunslinger, that’s oil and water right there. The Bucs are better served to stand pat and try to win a week NFC South, where their only real competition is the Jeckle and Hyde franchise in New Orleans, than bring in Favre and his media circus.

And Finally, IMO, the biggest losers here are the fans. Not just those in Green Bay and New York, but all NFL fans. This story isn’t going anywhere. Every week will be a compare and contract of Rogers. We have weeks of preseason left for interviews with Farve, Pennington, the coaches and GM’s. This just isn’t going to end.

God, I hate when Attention Whores get what they want.

Bringing The Nasty Back

2008-08-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Attitude, if there is one thing that I came away with from my time playing and coaching the Oline, it is that you have to have a certain attitude to be successful. That attitude is one that is hard to develop; the player must come into it on their own. They must believe that they cannot be stopped, they must have a firm grasp of what they are doing and go into each play with the confidence that what they are about to do is right and that they have the ability to get it done.

It wasn’t until my playing days were over and I was coaching that I latched onto this belief. It was as I worked with high school lineman and saw guys with all the physical advantages play at a lower level than the guys who had that elusive attitude.

Of the time that I played, I only really had that attitude for a couple seasons. Sure I had it as a JV, but I was going against lesser physical talents. Getting bumped up to Varsity I at first looked at myself as a back up. If that is your attitude you will never get to that next level. Sometime during my junior of high school year it clicked for me. I didn’t care who you put in front of me; I was going to beat them. This attitude leads to a nasty disposition on the field. A failure of any type enraged me; I had that nastiness that draft nicks expound on when trying to describe an offensive lineman.

The thing about this attitude is that it can be fleeting. I went into college with this attitude. I took personal offense to a list of key freshman omitting my name, and listing another player at my position. Unfortunately health problems kicked in (try showing up for camp a week removed from food poisoning and play center at 205). My reduced weight, and poor attempts to put it back on lead to escalating injuries, the loss of that attitude, and eventually the end of my playing days.

It was in the subsequent year, working with high school players that I discovered the importance of attitude. I would call it confidence, but it is something more. There were many times that I had a player who wasn’t confident in what they were doing, but the attitude was “I will get it done anyway”. A coach can only do so much to develop the attitude; you can line the player up against an inferior player only so many times. You can coddle, or yell in an attempt to find a way through to the player. But in the end something must click inside the players, they must find that next level on their own.

So what is this diatribe doing on a blog about the Raiders? I never played for them, hell I was never at the level of any of these guys. It is because based on reports out of camp, it seems like a player that many have affixed the bust label seems to have rediscovered this attitude.

Jake Grove was called “Nasty Jake” during his time at VT. With a family member at Tech, I took a special interest in their team. Grove was a pleasure to watch as a guy who focuses on line play when he watches the game. I was genuinely excited when the Raiders selected him in the 2nd round. Tops on my Christmas list that year was an authentic Grove jersey.

Grove failed to earn the starting center spot his rookie year, but to do so is rare in the NFL, the center is the brain of the offensive line, he must have a full grasp of everything the offense is doing and what the defense will try and counter with. Maintaining a veteran presence at the position for a team with playoff aspirations came as no surprise, even if it was the questionable skills of Adam True.

Since that rookie year, Grove has struggled with injuries; he has played in a different system almost every year (this year being the 1st where he will have the same coach and system in consecutive years). When I watched Grove in the limited time that he was on the field, the nastiness was gone. He made the occasional good play, when I graded players he regularly did well, but there was a major difference between watching him and the elite, the attitude was gone.

Last season the Raiders did have a center with the attitude, Newberry however was all attitude, his body was failing, but based on camp reports, it seems some of that attitude may have rubbed off on Grove.

Grove did not enter this year’s camp as the anointed starter, despite the loss of Newberry. Veteran John Wade was brought in as competition for Grove and Chris Morris. If you had to assign a favorite it would be Wade based on health and body of work. But don’t try telling that to Grove this year. When asked about the center competition Grove responded:

"I plan on starting, we'll see what happens. But I feel if I can go out there and do what I can do, it won't be a problem."

Those 1st four words stood right out to me. He isn’t planning on competing, he is planning on starting, in his mind he is the best out there, whether or not it translates onto the field, he seems to have rediscovered that attitude. Camp reports seem to back this up, as Grove has reportedly grabbed the starting spot by the balls. The 1st game depth chart still lists both Grove and Wade as starter, but if those at practice are to be believed, the competition is essentially over.

Friday, we the fans get our 1st chance to see if this attitude translates into production on the field. The majority of the Raider Nation’s eyes will be firmly focused on Russell, McFadden and Harris as they attempt to get some feel for if this season will mark the 1st step in a return to respectability. However mine will be on #64 (at least on the 1st viewing) the attitude, or lack thereof, won’t be determined by the wins and losses on individual plays, it will be determined by the follow-through on the wins, and the reaction to the losses. When you have the attitude, the nastiness, the wins are dominating, and the losses result in an obvious reaction and a far different result the next time. With a man head up on Grove with the Niner’s 3-4, this game will be a great gauge of where Grove’s attitude truly lies.

Losing the Love - the Javon Walker Story, IMO

2008-08-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Lamont is gone, Nnamdi is in camp, Lane seems to have the ear of the troops, I was starting to think that the Big-Top was too busy in Green Bay to set up a 3rd ring in Oakland. Well I was proven wrong Saturday.

Javon Walker had to be talked out of retiring earlier in the week. Here comes the fucking clown car.

I wasn’t a fan of the Walker signing. The guy was coming off of a serious injury, and had reportedly been having trouble getting his head back in the game since witnessing Darrent Williams murder. Walker was a huge risk for the Raiders, and they compounded that risk by handing him a huge contract, filled with guaranteed money.

Since OTA’s, there has been little positive news coming out of practices on the Javon front. According to reports and Lane, he showed up out of shape, and showed little of the burst that had gotten him big contracts in Denver and Oakland.

Then the whole Vegas incident hit the wires, complete with unbelievable stories of being abducted from hotel rooms and spraying of Champagne.

Honestly at that point I was ready to cut bait with Javon. He was partying like a rap-star instead of getting ready for an OTA that week, or attending an event in William’s honor. He was once again making the bad decisions that he is becoming known for.

Lucky to be alive, and miraculously not suffering from any career threatening injury, Javon showed up to training camp ready to compete…physically. And here is where I believe the real issue lies. Javon has all the physical tools that he needs to be a dangerous WR for the Raiders. What he lacks is the mental fortitude to be an NFL receiver.

The report that Javon wanted to retire casts many of his actions since the days in Green Bay in a new light for me. The truth is, many NFL players don’t play for love of the game. I know that is a hard pill to swallow for NFL fans, many of whom would give up their right nut to suit up one day in the NFL. Now the lack of love is usually attributed to the big-nasties on the line, who have been pushed into football since child hood since they were bigger and stronger than their classmates. But limited the pool of players who play for money only to guys over 300 lbs is foolish.

Javon put up 1 big season in Green Bay and then looked for his payday. NFL careers are short, so I really don’t fault him for wanting to get paid, but the way he went about it, publicly calling out the Packers struck me as wrong. The fact that his teammates (Brett Favre in particular) came out on the side of management was confounding. Players rarely speak out against fellow players, unless there is something more there.

After his short hold out, Javon lasted 1 game before going down with injury. An off-season trade to Denver seemed to give Javon the fresh start he needed. And he did produce that 1st season in Denver. Then things turned sour in Denver also. Walker held Williams in his arms as he died. He returned to Denver and was no longer the clear cut #1, a young receiver was pushing him for that featured role. Then the injury bug returned.

I believe that Walker has lost whatever love for the game he ever had. He has gotten a bad taste of the business side in Green Bay; his teammates have turned on him in two separate cities. He has twice seen the bad side of what the NFL spotlight has to offer.

Who’s love wouldn’t be tested by what Javon has been through? Would you still love the game if it had cost you as much as it has cost Javon?

I’m not trying to start a pity party for Walker, I still say that one needs to have the wherewithal not to put themselves into a strangers car in Vegas, that his actions that night were inviting trouble. His decision-making has been questionable since the Green Bay days. But if you look at his decisions to date, is it that hard to think that he has placed the blame for what has happened to him on football? Could he think that his success in the game has been more curse than blessing?

That is why I question the Raiders desire to talk him out of retirement. I don’t see this year’s Raiders being the kind of team that can help Walker rise above and rediscover a love for the game. The Raiders have too many soap opera storylines floating around, to give Walker the support he needs. Walker needs some time as a role player, where little would be expected of him. He needs his Plunket year(s) on the bench where the mistakes of the past can fade. Right now the weight of the Raiders expectations for the passing game rest squarely on Walker’s shoulders, I believe he will crumble under the pressure at this point, hell he already is.

I have developed some sort of sympathy for Walker over the last few weeks. Something I didn’t expect from my cynical ass. But even with my newfound sympathy, I see no reason for the Raiders not to grant Walker his wish, and let him walk away from the game. There is too much money tied up in Walker’s contract for a player who has no love for the game. A Larry Brown type signing is the last thing this team needs as it struggles to return to respectability.

Al, If I am right about his mental state, Javon will come to you again this off-season with his desire to leave, I urge you to accept. Cut your losses. I know you have resurrected many a player’s career. But those players had the fire; they just lacked the proper outlet. Walker has the outlet, but no fire, and that fire is hard to reignite when you have nothing to play for. Walker has the money, he has the fame, and the NFL has nothing to offer him. There is no spark for Javon in Oakland as things stand.

Brett Favre's True Legacy

2008-07-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Well what do you know, after seeing how well it has worked for Favre and Strahan, somebody else has decided to jump on the “this might be my last season, love me” bandwagon.

Welcome to full time attention whore status Tony Gonzalez.

Here is the best part, Tony is 95% sure he will return next year, but would most likely retire if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Holy Shit, Tony no need to go attention whore to increase your visibility to better your chances of a media spot when you retire. Your future clearly is in comedy. By your estimation the Chiefs have a 5% chance of winning the Super Bowl. How many concussions have you had? Because that is pure comedy gold right there.

Tony, I know you are a football player, and math may not be your strong suite. But if all things were equal, your team would only have a 1 in 32 shot at the Super Bowl, that’s 3%. And all things aren’t equal, your team sucks, Raiders fans look at the Chiefs and go “At least we aren’t them”. Hell Lions fans have Matt Millen running the show, and they have more reason for optimism.

Nope, there is one thing that is clear here; Tony has no intention of retiring after this season. Tony has an eye on retiring in 2 or 3 years, and is trying to increase his visibility in places other than Kansas City. Tony has seen what success Strahan had with toying with retirement, Jason Taylor had as a dancer who then threatened to retire, and the permanent circus Tent erected by the number 1 retirement waffler, Brett Favre. They have all elevated their status from Pro Bowl footballer, to solid B-list celebrity by having their names constantly in the headlines.

So welcome to Attention Whore status Mr. Gonzalez, lets hope your future cries for attention are as comical as the Chiefs having a 5% shot of winning the Super Bowl this season, my sides are still hurting from that one.

Camp Reports – Opiate of the Football loving masses

2008-07-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

The reports are starting to filter out of Raiders camp; the NFL’s slow season (the NFL is too big to truly have an Off or dead season) is truly over. As fans we have been salivating for Football since February, and Raider football since, well 2003. So every little drop of information is scrutinized and picked over in a desperate attempt to gain some insight on the status of our team. We are truly addicts looking for a fix.

Day 1 of camp gave us a laundry list of tasty nuggets. Tommy Kelly and Derrick Burgess were unblockable, at LT Harris was a turnstile, and when someone was foolish enough to throw at Nnamdi, he picked the ball for 6.

This is all well and good (except of course for Harris) but we need to remember, this is practice. Often the offense and defense knows what the other guy is going to try on them. A D-lineman often knows that the play the offense is going to run is a pass, and abandons any semblance of run responsibility. D backs look like heroes as they go against WR’s they see every day, and know inside and out. Running backs look like future hall of famers, as the D is instructed not to take them to the ground, so they can dance like Jason Taylor.

One need only think back to last year, when Warren Sapp was revitalized due to his weight loss, Donovan Darius was going to bring back the fear factor, and the offense, well we knew the offense would suck.

Every season there is some incredible hype that comes out of training camp. Randy Moss is ready for his best season ever, and Kerry Collins is the best QB he has ever played with. This is Jerry Porter’s breakout year. Kenny Shed is ready to give the Raiders a legit #2 across from Tim Brown.

So enjoy the Hype and Hyperbole, we need it, otherwise what would we read about, Baseball? Fuck that shit. But take it all in with a grain of salt. Every year there will be another great training camp story, the coaches will lavish praise on a player, and the media will eat it up and regurgitate it to the masses. And the fans will get wet with anticipation of their new star. I won’t claim to be above it all, I’m sure I’ll go overboard reading into some report or another, but hey I need my fix too.

But if you find yourself getting hyped up over a player who has reportedly put it all together this season, or some undrafted rookie who is hauling in rainbow after rainbow for huge gains, just remember 1 name:

Quentin Moses

The unblockable, unquestioned steal of the draft from last years training camp. In the end these reports mean next to nothing when the players take the field in September. Now where the hell is Jerry Mac’s next Raider blog entry, I need my fix.

Football Is Back MotherF-ers

2008-07-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Its here, its here, Football Season is upon us as training camps open up across the NFL. Preseason games start in a little more than a week with the Hall of Fame game. Sure the starters will barely touch the field, and I don’t even know what teams are playing this year, but its still real football, even if it is more watered down than my old man’s Vodka after my parents entrusted their teenage sons to watch the house for a weekend.

Of course the focus here will be the Raiders, and then will branch out to college football in another month. And we should finally have some real news to break down as Raiders camp opens today. No more talk of Javon Walkers inability to hit his mouth with Champagne, or get in the right car. Finally the players on the field will be the big story.

And Raiders camp has kicked off with a bang, as Nnamdi Asomugha showed up yesterday and signed his tender. No holdout to try and force the Raiders to agree to not franchise him next year. Nnamdi showed up and proved his commitment to this team. Lets hope the team does the right thing and rewards him next off-season. Nnamdi has saved the team from a huge distraction, there will be no protracted media circus, and the last thing this team needs is another circus.

Oh, wait… never mind. The Raiders have told Lamont Jordan not to show up to camp, So much for no media circus. Al is seemingly intent on setting up a big top in Napa. Honestly, what is the point? We all know Lamont won’t be a Raider this season. We all know he has little to no trade value. And most of us remember what happened with Steve McNair in Tennessee. The Raiders cannot prevent Lamont from showing up, no matter how much they ask. If Lamont wants to force their hand, all he has to do is show up. Then the Raiders have to cut or trade him, or risk being on the hook for his salary should he injure himself during camp. And if there is one thing Lamont has proved during his time in Oakland, he can find the trainers table with his eyes closed.

Fortunately the Lamont circus should be over by the end of the weekend. He will show up, and the team will trade or cut him. Oh, who am I kidding, this thing has the potential to go weeks with Al pulling the strings.

But at least between the constant questioning of every team member and water boy about their thoughts on Lamont, some actual reports of the players on the field should start leaking out tomorrow. We’ll get to hear about every rookie mistake JaMarcus makes, every block Harris misses, every coverage Hall blows.

That’s right, Raider Football is back Baby.

Procrastination costs the Raiders

2008-07-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

It’s a sad day for Raider Nation. We are less than 3 hours from the deadline to sign Nnamdi Asomugha to a long-term deal under the franchise tag, and there seems to be no movement on getting the deal done.

Sure Al has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, and deals have gotten done when there was no prior indication that talks were even ongoing. Snatching Warren Sapp from Cincinnati immediately comes to mind. But in this case the silence has been deafening since the tag was applied months ago.

Al has played this game before. I need remind no one of the multiple years that the tag was applied to Charles Woodson. Al doesn’t redo contracts ahead of time, players are expected to play out their deal, and then Al will take care of them. Unless of course they under perform, then Al will look for them to redo their deal or cut them. Look, I understand this is how the NFL CBA is set up, and its Al’s prerogative to deal in this manner with his players. Unfortunately Al has started to get stuck in a trend of not being able to retain his best players and overpaying to keep those that stay.

Woodson, Coleman, Barton, Jackson, the names of players who should have stayed in Silver and Black, but ultimately went elsewhere and performed continues to grow. None of these players leaving came as a surprise, as they out performed their initial deals, and Al failed to restructure them with a year remaining. All were allowed to ultimately test the free agent waters, and found that they could go somewhere that would treat them better in the short term.

Had Al taken care of Nnamdi last off-season, after his breakout year, the deal most likely could have gotten done much cheaper than what the current market is demanding for a premier corner. Nnamdi had just one outstanding season under his belt. And the market was about 2 mil less a year than it is now.

Instead Al waited to see Nnamdi do it again, know that he could always just use the franchise tag if a deal didn’t get done. He didn’t count on Nnamdi actually becoming the premier shutdown corner in the league. Teams went so far in avoiding Nnamdi that this years ProFootball Prospectus had to adjust their requirements to even rank Nnamdi.

Then the off-season hit, and the corner market got even more insane. Guys who aren’t in Nnamdi’s league (Samuels, Hall) got deals that a year before would have been up for biggest ever. The price that Nnamdi could now command entered a league previously know only to quarterbacks with names like Brady and Manning. The worst part, Al helped drive this market into the stratosphere with his overpaying of the exceedingly average Daunte Hall.

With the time expiring on the window to sign franchise players long term, the Raiders are left with two choices next season. Franchise Nnamdi for a 2nd season (at a 20% increase over this years tender, or 11.36 million) or let him test the free agent market, where chances are he will go elsewhere.

And if the Raiders do franchise Asomugha for a 2nd year in a row, they are really compounding their problems going into the following season when Howard, Morrison, Routt, and Janowkowski will also be looking at free agency.

So enjoy what may well be the last season of Asomugha in Silver and Black Raider fans. Chances are if not next season, then the following, Nnamdi will be patrolling the secondary for another NFL squad. And the Raiders will be left with the imposing tandem of Hall and Routt (well if he doesn’t leave for greener pastures) to stop the pass. But hey, at least we know that Al has nothing against spending 1st round picks on CB’s to replace his Probowl corners.