Losing the Love - the Javon Walker Story, IMO

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.

Free Agency - Day 5

If you are reading this site than you already know the big NFL news from yesterday. If you don’t, than what the hell are you doing here? Brett Favre has announced his retirement.

I always enjoyed watching Favre play. He was the kind of QB that I would have loved to see in Silver and Black. The guy was like a big kid on the field, his enthusiasm and love of the game jumped off the TV screen. He is the kind of player that someday I’ll tell my kids about.

There, that’s it for the accolades from me. I’m too fucking sarcastic to keep that up. Now lets get to the fall out. I tuned into NFL radio yesterday afternoon in time to hear a grown man crying. No it wasn’t the replay of the Favre interview from two years back. It was a Packers fan bemoaning the fact that he would never get to see Brett play again.

Are you kidding me, nobody died, he wasn’t a member of your family. He was a QB; get a fuckin grip. Of course the two idiot hosts, Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcotts went on and on about how there was never a QB like Favre and there never would be another. Can we please get a little perspective? Sure Favre never missed a start, but there is another QB out there building a similar record named Manning. Sure Favre was at or near the top for years. Have we already forgotten the names Elway and Marino?

Wilcotts, who is much of a sycophant as Schein, went on to say that Favre went out on top and that you couldn’t have written a better ending to his career. Really Solomon, how about this, Favre doesn’t throw a late INT in Lambeau and goes on to win the Super Bowl. He then retires as a champion, you know like Elway. I’m just some blogging hack and it took me all of 10 seconds to write a better ending.

I’m sure that the accolades will continue for another couple weeks. Then we will kick off the season, Brett will get his Jersey retired and will be a 1st ballot hall of famer. But lets stop pretending that this was a shock, Favre has hinted at retirement for years. Lets stop pretending that this relegates Green Bay to NFC doormat, they were prepared for this and still should be the favorite to win their division. Brett was a great player who was fun to watch, take his dick out of your mouths and leave it at that.

So much for the end of Silly Season

Al Davis has decided the money should not stop flowing just yet. There were still some vets with questionable resumes that he could bring in and resurrect as Raiders. So why not pay them like All pros now, and not like the top of the scrap heap guys they are.

Look, I understand the contract given to Kelly, was it maybe a little more than he deserved, sure, but it’s the going rate for a Swing DE/DT. Did the Raiders shell out more cash than I thought Wilson was worth, yep, but once again he was in demand, and it cost a little more to get a young talent on day 1.

But now is the time when teams start getting value. Now is the time when the players look around and let out a collective “Oh Shit”. The big money their agent promised didn’t materialize on opening weekend and they need to quickly find a home. Last year only 30% of free agents found work with new teams, the rest either went back to their old team at a reduced rate or found work somewhere other than the NFL. The reality is the owners are in a position of strength right now and can pick and choose whom they want.

If Kwame Harris were such a prize, he would have garnered some interest on opening weekend. His only reported visit was with the Raiders. Lets not forget, such stand out offensive lineman as Langston Walker were snatched up in the 1st couple of days of free agency last year. If there was a demand for Harris he would not still have been available almost a week in.

I’ve seen some Raider fans post that if Cable likes him, they have faith that Cable knows what he is doing. Now everyone knows that I have a lot of respect for Tom Cable. Hell he was named Brickinthebox MOY. But this move does not fit into the Gibbs line of thinking on offensive lineman. Under the Gibbs theory you do not pay premier money for offensive lineman, you take coachable athletic guys and get them on the cheap. Harris is athletic, but he sure hasn’t looked coachable in San Francisco.

Harris looks like the classic Al Davis pick-up, 1st round bust that Davis believes will turn into a Super Stud in Oakland. This move will make or break Cable’s Oakland tenure. There are already rumors flying that Cable will move on to Mora’s staff in Seattle next season. Al has now provided Cable what Al sees as a premier talent. If Cable is unable to reach Harris and turn him into a stud in 1 year, Al will be all to happy to let Cable walk and take the zone stretch system with him. So what the Raiders showed huge improvement with Journeymen additions last year under Cable system. Al likes names and power blocking.

Then there was the other jaw-dropping Raider signing of the day, Javon Walker. Well there is an Al Davis signing if I ever saw one. He played for a rival last year, he has butted heads with coaches and there is some doubt that he will ever perform at a high level again.

I could easily have justified the huge money that Walker received almost a week into free agency due to the fact that he wasn’t available day 1 and had been cut after the starters gun had fired. His agent had not been able to get as many clandestine talks going about this client as he was still locked up for another year in Denver when he was talking to NFL execs about guys who were about to enter the market.

But there are two factors which keep this move from being easily justifiable. The 1st being his knee. Now I’m sure that the Raiders medical staff gave him a clean bill of health and the Raiders built in clauses if Walker cannot perform, but 3 injuries to the same knee screams trouble to me. Then there is the fact that Walker has forced his way out of the last two NFL cities he has been in.

Throw in that there are still receivers who very well could be just as good as Walker still looking for work, and now this deal doesn’t look very good sitting here on the outside.

I’ve preached that we need to wait for the real number to come out before we judge these deals, but I’ve also pointed out that the numbers that come out on day 1 are based on some sort of reality, as twisted to the agents needs as they may be. The agents for Harris and Walker had better have done the best spin job in NFL history, or these deals could end up looking like two of the worst.

Big Ben gets Paid

Roethlisberger signed an obscene contract to ensure that he doesn’t hit the market next year. And the city of Pittsburgh rejoiced.

This guy is like a god around here. Well, that’s actually that may be an understatement. The entire team is treated like gods. When Mike Tomlin was named head coach it was the lead story on the evening news. When Tomlin stated that he would be keeping the 3-4 as the base D, it was the lead story on the evening news. Ben isn’t just a God around here; he is the second coming of Jesus (sorry Peterson fans).

Don’t believe me; take a drive around Pittsburgh. You know the ribbons that people plaster the back of their cars with to show support for the troops. Well replace them with yellow ones with “#7” or “Big Ben”. They have replaced Jesus fish as the hot car accessory. I think that you either have to have a Steelers or Big Ben bumper sticker to get your car registered.

During the season, if you go to the grocery store on Sunday morning, it is nothing but Steelers jerseys. Even the employees replace their usual uniform with Steelers garb. The place is packed with people getting their game day grub. Go there after kickoff and the place is empty save for depressed looking employees that are missing the game.

Well I went into the Grocery store Monday night after the announcement, and it looked like gameday. Everyone had pulled out their finest Roethlisberger jersey and was wearing in celebration of the signing. I’ve lived in Buffalo, and on the border of the New England/Giants divide, but I have never experienced anything like the love this city has for the Steelers and Ben.

Is Ben worth the amount of Money he got, off the field, yeah I think so, there would have been rioting next year if he were unhappy, or god forbid left. On the field, that’s another issue. To me he really hasn’t progressed much since year 2, and the Steelers continue to let key components of the offense walk. Seems like a little much to me, when you can’t resign the team around him.