UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Even from 3000 miles away, I can feel the rumble coming from South Philly. It used to be the sound of fans’ discontent with the play of one Donovan McNabb. Now it comes from inside the gates of the NovaCare Complex. Someone is unhappy with his current role on the team. Can you guess who? Last year, he played good soldier. He allowed Andy Reid to plug him in 6-10 plays a game even though he wanted 50. He never spoke out against the starter because he felt indebted to him for the chance to show off his wares again.

By now, you know of whom I speak. We used to call him Superman, but he’s now known as an ex-con. Michael Vick was the most dynamic player from the QB position that we’ve ever seen. I have no idea what role he will play on the Eagles this year, but I can bet that he won’t be as quiet as he was last season. I can bet that he does not have the same respect for Kevin Kolb that he had for the previous signal caller. Hell, I sure don’t and I don’t think that I should be a starting NFL QB.

I don’t blame him. He knows that this is his last year on the team. Kolb just hit the lottery, and isn’t going anywhere. The team is trying to fall in line behind a new leader, and I hope that Vick doesn’t rock the boat. The fact of the matter is that he doesn’t have many years left, and to get paid he has to play. This is no longer a dormant volcano. It is fully active with pressure building under the surface. It’s ready to blow the season up for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. That’s not a view that I share, but then they’re not paying me to drink their Kool-Aid.

I am not big on predictions because, the sun can shine on a dog’s ass any day. I will say this. A couple of things are true about us Eagles’ fans. We hate the Cowgirls, and we love the backup quarterback. If the team gets off to a slow start, or Kolb plays like a dog, it won’t be long before we clamor for Vick. Once that locker room splits, then the season is over. That’s one reason that I have them ranked so low in the off-season Rankings. Hopefully, I’m proved wrong or else I might flag myself for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Ordinarily, I am on the side of ownership. You signed a deal, now play it out. There are  3 years left on a deal that the Titans signed with then rookie running back, Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson(now read, CJ2K) is the exception. Rookie year, he split carries and still broke 1200 yards. Sophomore year, he becomes the 6th player in NFL history to break the 2000 yard plateau. Can I ask, what’s next?

As Jerry Glanville said, the NFL stands for Not For Long. For NFL running backs, that mantra is absolutely true. They have the shortest average career of any position at 2.57 years. That means that going into his 3rd year, he is already above average. His numbers, though, are on another level. That’s why the Titans are completely in the wrong here.

They made the choice to get rid of Lendale White, and to make CJ2K the number 1 back. Great choice, but i’m sure the 500K that he is due in the 2010 is way below the average salary at his position, $957,360. LT leads the list, followed by, Edgerrin James. Edgerrin James? This isn’t 2004. I feel like playing the movie Rounders over and over, “Pay that man his money”.

So we’ll see how this all plays out. The holdout means nothing in May. As we get closer to July and August what will the Titans do then? They don’t dare turn the full time job over to Javon Ringer and Alvin Pearman, do they? Vince Young needs a strong running game to be successful. So does Jeff Fisher who is entering his 15th year as the head coach. He’s also the Executive VP, so this sort of lands at his feet too. Can he look CJ2K in the eye knowing that he’s not showing the full commitment to him that he asks in return? I think not! Remember, this is the NFL. Stands for Not For Long. Well, that’s about how long I expect this holdout to last. Not for long.

So far 1200+ people agree. Just check his online petition for yourself:  PAY CJ2K

1. New Orleans. I’m not particularly sure that they are the best team in the league, but they are the defending champs until someone tells me different. The resigning of Sharper is big, and we’ll see what happens with Bush. I think he needs to come back, or they will drop down in the rankings.

2. Indianapolis. As long as #18 continues to play at this level, Tracy Porter’s pick 6 not withstanding,  they are the de facto best team in the AFC. I don’t care who is playing the other positions. I am intrigued by Garcon, and think that he could play Robin to Wayne’s Batman.

3. New York Jets. Florida Marlins reincarnated. The Jets have gone out and signed a lot of veterans and name players, reminding me of Bonilla, Sheffield and friends for the ’97 Marlins. Will they have the same result? Time will tell, but that defense will only be better with the addition of Cromartie, and LT can still find the end zone. Let it be known that I have a man-crush on Rex Ryan.

4. Dallas. Dez Bryant fell in their laps as painful as it is to write that. There is not a team in their division that can matchup with all of those weapons. Felix Jones needs to stay healthy as the lead back. I do have serious misgivings about Phillips leading a champion, but sometimes talent wins out (says Barry Switzer).

5. Minnesota. Favre has ankle surgery or I rewrite this.

6. Baltimore. Air Flacco, baby.  Sophomore jinx is over and Ray Ray is ready for one last shot (plus his friends’ll cut ya).  Anyway, Ray Rice is a stud running behind The Blind Side. If their defense continues the run at the top 5, they can stay in every game. Must sound good in Cleveland, eh?

7. Green Bay. The cool A-Rod really showed up last year. Their defense is as nasty as that winter weather. I think they are ready to take the next step and really give the Vikes a run for their money. I still wonder when Ryan Grant will remember that he’s not all that great, but he’s proved me wrong so far and so I’m starting to believe.

8. San Diego. They almost get the Packers’ spot, but Norvell is the head coach. It’s all about Rivers and the passing game. The defense took a serious step back, so they will need to outscore a lot of teams to be successful.

9. New England. Will the coolest QB around return to form? They will need it because Welker may never be the same. There is no running game to speak of, and the defense is not championship level. Oh by the way, they do still have a pretty good receiver and the Mad Hoodie on the sidelines.

10. San Francisco. My first interesting pick. I have to admit that I am scared of Singletary, so that’s why I have them this high. Gore is a battering ram, and Davis got out of the doghouse to show his potential. The O-line got a lot of help in the draft, now the young bucks must come of age.

11. Cincinnati. Marvin is running out of time, and Ochocino and Palmer are not getting any younger. If Maulauga can get a hold of himself off the field, he can carry the defense the same way his rookie year started. Oh, and Cedric Benson is alive. His comeback was a great story last year and hopefully he doesn’t enjoy it too much since he’s not sneaking up this time around.

12. Tennessee. CJ2000 is all that needs to be said. If VY can get out of his own way, the Titans could be fighting for a playoff spot. I think Fisher is a great coach. I can say that even if he is a Trojan because he is also an Eagle.

13. New York Giants. The 2nd team in a down NFC East. Manning still looks shell-shocked at times and Brandon Jacobs is not always the battering ram that he needs to be. The receivers need to continue improving, and that vaunted pass rush needs to get back up to Giant standards.

14. Carolina. Bye-Bye Peppers, enter Matt Moore? The running game has always been what the Panthers have hung their hat on. We’ll see if Moore can keep the WR’s happy. Waiting in the wings is the heir apparent from ND. It won’t be long before he is the starter. I agree with Mel, the best QB in the draft.

15. Miami. Bill Parcells installed a winning mentality, but now they have to show that they can do something with it. They’ve sent Taylor packing unceremoniously. Chad Henne will need to improve immensely for the fish to be a serious factor.

16. Arizona. Well, the Matt Leinart era begins, a few years later than expected, sans Boldin, Dansby and a few others. They’ll be yearning for Warner by week 4. I like Beanie and Larry, but there’s not enough to really put a scare into the NFC. Wow, what a difference 2 years make.

17. Pittsburgh. Which brings me to the next team; Big Ben will be watching the first 6 games, hopefully not from a bar in Georgia. Leftwich, Dixon, and Batch will try to hold down the fort. The defense is not a question, but this is not the Ravens team that could beat people 6-3. Not to mention they shipped away Holmes and Fast Willie. I wonder how coach is sleeping these days.

18. Chicago. 50 passes a game doesn’t sound like an offense built for the Windy City, but that’s just what we might get from Martz and Cutler. I can’t imagine what he has been diagramming in his years off since failing in Detroit. This is also the landing spot for a pretty good DE to run with an already solid defensive line. Too bad Cutler will set a record for picks in a season.

19. Washington. Another solid season awaits Donovan McNabb. The difference is the city will enjoy it, and the jersey isn’t green. Shanahan arrives with much fan fare, but little talent. They should be better than last year, with a championship level defense. They should be fun to watch. Snyder finally has made some solid moves.

20. Philadelphia. I would love to have them higher, but until Kolb plays well in meaningful late season games, I am not optimistic. The defense is not what we are used to but Stewart Bradley’s return could be huge. The leadership has been ushered out and they now look like the NFL version of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It should be a fun ride for a young but explosive bunch. The schedule gods did them no favors.

21. Houston. They’ll be picked to make the playoffs for the 4th year in a row, only to end up 8-8 or 9-7 for the 4th year in a row. Schaub to Johnson is prolific but this isn’t fantasy football. It’s put up or shut up time, and based on my rankings, you can tell where I’m leaning.

22. Denver. Coach Baby Mad Hoodie found true love with Tebow. Too bad he can’t help them win games now. They are in full rebuilding mode. Patience Broncos fans, you could be in the running for some good defensive help in next year’s draft.

23. Cleveland. Prospects are not good for the Dawg Pound. Their draft was not spectacular and they are giving the keys to Delhomme. Good thing they aren’t a high performance vehicle just yet.  They have some talent but are at least 2 years away before McCoy can be of any help.

24. Atlanta. At 9-7 they were solid last year and could be ready to get right back into the thick of things. Michael Turner’s health will determine how quickly they can get the dirt bird going again. Ryan to Gonzalez was as advertised but they need more than that to keep up with the rest of the conference.

25. Seattle. Win Forever was the motto in South Central. Can that carryover to the Pacific Northwest? The draft was great to everyone not named Taylor Mays, but Charlie Whitehurst will make it hard to enjoy this year for the 12th man.

26. Jacksonville. Put Del Rio out of his misery already. Mojo is the truth but he can’t play QB, WR, and defense. It will be a long 17 weeks before the coach’s execution, but the highlights from  #32 are worth the 30 second spot on SportsCenter.

27. Detroit. Year two of Stafford to Johnson, and the draft was kind to them as well. They still won’t win 6 games, but the play will be NFL quality rather than what we normally see up at Ford Field. I hope the Schwartz is strong since someone has to be.

28. Tampa Bay. I love the two defensive line pickups, but the coach is still pretty green. His energy might be good for these young guys, but he sure was eaten up when the games began.  Josh Freeman will be fun to watch but Warrick Dunn and Warren Sapp are not walking through the door, so the cannon might not get much action.

29. Oakland. I don’t have much to say about the Silver and Black. The draft and picking up Jason Campbell were enough to get them out of last place in the rankings. Al Davis is still running things which equals…well, you know the rest.

30. Buffalo. Bills fans will not agree with a ranking below the Raiders, but sorry. No defense, no offensive line, an unhappy Lynch and Chan Gailey are all the support that I need for my case. Your Honor, the prosecution rests.

31. Kansas City. Charlie Weis must believe that he is the reason that Brady has had all this success. Why else would he sign on to coach the Chiefs? Matt Cassell did not inspire much confidence last year and the D was poor. Jammal Charles is a bright spot, but not an everyday back.

32. St. Louis. Welcome to the NFL Sam Bradford. You are the number one pick and your prize is a whole lot of cash, and a whole lot of hits. Enjoy.

I am going to take this moment to throw my first flag of the year. Andy Reid, you’re lucky that I don’t send you to the showers. Rodgers, Ryan, two Mannings, Cutler. Schaub, Favre, Romo, and McNabb. That is a list of the quarterbacks on the Eagles’ schedule. Their draft was a bit confounding to me. There was a glaring NEED at safety. They traded up to 13 and took… wait for it… a defensive end. That was a WANT. Nate Allen better be ready to contribute because he is the McNabb pick and the Eagles passed on Earl Thomas to take him. I think more of an effort should have been made to upgrade the secondary.  Maybe I missed something, but they passed on the best safeties and corners in this year’s draft. There’s always the chance that undrafted free agents like Devin Ross, that they signed from U of A that might help, but really? The only drafted CB was Lindley,  from KENTUCKY, in the 4th round? This isn’t basketball, Reid. Let’s see, Marlin Jackson, 2 ACLs. Lindley was injured last year, and by all accounts was a better junior than senior. Samuel has hands but apparently not when they are needed to wrap up and tackle. Hobbs had a career-threatening neck injury, and Joselio Hanson couldn’t make a 4-win Niner team 3 years ago. Only Mikell can be what is called serviceable, but without Dawkins to cover his ass, his numbers dropped significantly. You would think that after watching Macho Harris and Sean Jones stink out loud, last year, the Eagles would have taken note, but as always Reid went near and dear to his heart with a lineman. Not surprising, that has been his M.O. since he came to Philly. Funny, you’d think as an old O-Line coach, he would run the ball more… but I digress. As you can see I’m still steaming, and I thought a few days off would allow me to decompress, but nope. I am not looking forward to them trying to outscore every team on the schedule. Last year, the Eagles could not stop either the run or the pass consistently. This year it pains me to see more of the same. In the immortal words of one Chuckster, I maybe wrong, but I doubt it!

At 6’2 275, I am hardly starving. There is nothing, though, that can quench my appetite for football. The upcoming draft has got me drooling like the Tazmanian Devil at Thanksgiving. It’s not an average year for me, though. The ante has been upped. I am what some might call a crazed fan of the Philadelphia Eagles; old enough to remember Carmichael, Montgomery, Spagnola, and Quick; strong enough to have survived the Swamp Fox and Rich Kotite. They were almost discarded until one Donovan F. McNabb was drafted. I’ll get to that later. There are so many story lines to be followed, so I plan to try and highlight some, and bring to the table what only the Sendog can.

1. The Eagles Draft. I wonder who gets booed Thursday night. A decade ago it was the franchise savior. The last 11 years have been a roller coaster of emotions, punctuated by trading the best QB in franchise history to the Dead, I mean Redskins. Really Andy? The Redskins? Anyway, personal feelings aside, it’s time to show and prove. Dawk, BWest, Sheldon, and Mac5 are gone. This new squad is all Andy’s, so if it doesn’t work out, no one left to send away besides him. Hope he’s got the family in order, because I think he’ll be spending a lot of time with them in the near future. PS rumors about Spiller going to Philly. His bad. That’s where running backs go to disappear.

2. Big Ben really done as a Steeler? Only time will tell, but he sure seems to be on the outs. The Rooneys look like the parents of a rebelling 16 year old. I would not be surprised at all to see him wearing Silver and Black since Mr Davis has an affinity for retreads.

3. QBs. Sam Bradford is the consensus number one. After that, where will Jimmy Clausen end up? I think the Bills, but I also think there is a good possibility that he goes to the Vikings at the end of round one as well. How about Tebow? He is the most hyped QB to not be taken number one, ever. He brings up the question, can you be a bust if you’re taken in the 3rd round? We’ll find out. I can’t wait to see about Chippewa Dan. He has all the numbers, and he could be the unsung hero of the draft.

4. Trades. I can’t wait to see who blows up all the mock drafts. It’s bound to happen. We can always count on the Raiders, but why let them take all the glory?  Roger has done a great job of being progressive with the league, and because of that, I think this will be the best draft ever. Most teams don’t have the time to trade in rounds 2 and 3. Now they’ll have a full day to get something cracking… oh the possibilities.

5. Busts. Ryan Leaf, someone will take your place at sometime. You can’t always be the President of the Bust Fan Club. There will be a reach that causes Kiper’s hair to stand on edge. Some that come to mind.. Mike Mamula, Darius Heyward-Bey, Vernon Gholston, Akili Smith, Ki-Jana Carter. Sorry Bengals fans, but you have a long history, and I don’t have enough room… Klingler.. ok, I’ll stop.

As you can see, I have an addiction. Some might call it a football sickness. In fact, if you end up on this blog, you can be sure that you’ve had some type of unsportsmanlike conduct… HOLLA!