Well, the Cowboys left the friendly confines of Oxnard, CA this week and traveled up to Denver to practice with the Broncos Wed - Fri and then the teams played each other last night in their second preseason game. Much to my dismay, Denver looked a bit more ready to play. The starters for the Cowboys, which looked very sharp last week, didn't play as well against Denver...on either side of the ball.
First on offense, Romo wasn't bad but he wasn't what we have come to expect over the last season and a half. He even over threw Sam Hurd who actually had his defender beat for a TD if the two had connected. However, playing in the high altitude of Denver can make balls sail a bit so we can forgive him for that one. However, the starting offense only managed to generate 3 first downs in 2 possessions and didn't have a play more than 10 yards. The running game sputtered as well gaining only 70 yards on 20 carries.
The defense wasn't all it was cracked up to be either. The Broncos starters scored TDs on their first two possessions both of which were against the Dallas starting defense. I know Cutler is good, and probably will be one of the next "greats" if he fulfills all the prophesy by the talking heads, but he looked like the second coming of John Elway last night completing his first 12 passes. The Denver running backs had plenty of running room, gaining 101 yards on the night, and Bronco WRs cut through Dallas' secondary like a hot knife through warm butter.
There were also penalties galore. It seemed like every time Dallas did something well and got a big play on offense or a big stop on defense, a yellow flag would be on the ground shortly after...and they weren't phantom calls either. Marc Columbo had an unnecessary roughness personal foul against him on the Cowboys initial drive, Bradie James was flagged for a late hit which helped sustain a scoring drive for the Broncos (had James not come in late, Dallas would have forced a Denver punt on the play) and Allan Ball was flagged for pass interference which negated a Patrick Watkins interception. Definitely not crisp on defense.
The special teams was a bit better last night but still needs a lot of attention. Again, Dallas couldn't get out of their own way. Tashard Choice blocked a punt but the ball went right back to the Denver punter and, since almost the entire Cowboy punt return team was down back down field setting up the return, the Denver punter ran for a first down. All I could do was shake my head. However, we did get to see what everyone was talking about when Pac Man Jones returned a punt 24 yards. He reminded me a bit of Deion (which I never thought would happen) and had to be tackled by the punter, which I'm sure he will hear about in team meetings. If that guy provides that kind of punch, at least half the time, when returning punts then he will be worth the signing.
The game wasn't a complete disaster though. Brad Johnson, who wasn't good last week, came in and played a lot better. He threw a very pretty 37 yard pass to Miles Austin near the Broncos sideline and hit Austin for a 5 yard touchdown a few plays later. Johnson finished 9-12 for 114 yards and a touchdown. Felix Jones again showed some of the offensive "pop" he has when he took a swing pass 27 yards down the sideline. I am pumped about getting that guy and excited about how Jason Garrett is going to use him. Anytime that guy touches the ball, he has the potential to make a big play. And Martellus Bennett made a nice catch and dragged 3 Bronco defenders with him until they finally brought him down. Unfortunately, that was the only time I remember that guy in the game.
I know this was only their second preseason game but the Cowboys have got to be better than they have the past two games. They are America's Team, on HBO's Hard Knocks, won 13 games in the regular season last year and are the odds on favorite of representing the NFC in the Super Bowl this year. Preseason or no, Dallas is going to get every one's best shot and just because they show up to play doesn't automatically put one in the win column for them. I'm still not overly concerned as they have been playing very vanilla offense and defense however the penalties, special teams snafus, and lax play have got to be improved upon before the season starts or all this hype/expectations are going to come crashing down against just like they did last January vs. the Giants (I still ache a bit when I think about that game).
Maybe they need to concentrate a little more in practice and spend a little less time playing grab ass and joking around. The Cowboys will have another opportunity to live up to the hype of the coming season on Friday evening against Houston. Now, if Houston comes in and beats Dallas, then I will be worried as Dallas is playing at home and Houston is, well, Houston. But a dog can bit you every once in a while if you aren't careful so the Cowboys better tighten the screws a bit this week. Because they definitely need it.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
First Preseason Game - Still Plenty to Work On
Well, the Cowboys had their first preseason game last night against the Charges and even though they lost 17-31, there were many positives they can take back to Oxnard. However, there are just as many, if not more, items they will need to shore up before their next preseason game. The 1st quarter, the team looked very sharp on both offense and defense but the 3 remaining quarters were a bit sloppy. Here are some positives I took from the game:
The 1st team offense went right down the field like a warm knife through butter and scored immediately on San Diego's 1st team defense. Romo looked to be in mid season form already as he was 3 for 3 on the scoring drive. Marion Barber ran like a man possessed...he is simply a beast. Watching him run, you might not have even known it was a preseason game if you didn't already know that.
We also got a glimpse at why Dallas drafted Felix Jones rather than Rashard Mendenhall this year. Jones literally has eye popping speed. There were two runs last night where Felix was tackled by the safety or he would have scored. He is going to be fun to watch and an excellent compliment to Barber. Tashard Choice came in and ran very well in the 3rd quarter too so I really think Dallas has their RB position in good shape.
Miles Austin had several good catches and showed that he has good hands and receiving skills to compliment his speed. He made some tough catches in traffic and might be making a move up the depth chart. And if there's one place the Cowboys need more depth, it's at WR.
The 1st team defense held San Diego's starting offense to 3 and out their first series too. Tank Johnson looked sharp and even got a sack. The 1st team defense got good pressure on Rivers and if that is any indication of how the season goes, the defensive backs might have a little easier job in coverage. Mike Jenkins actually started with the 1st team, as Terrance Newman is out with a groin injury, and did a solid job. He broke up a pass and didn't really look like a rookie.
Now that I've gushed about what excited me, lets put the pom pons down and look at what Dallas needs to address:
The game started to go down hill when the starters left the game and the 2nd and 3rd teamers came in. So all that depth the Cowboys have, right now, doesn't look like it's really ready to go. On offense, there were several disappointing things I saw. Sam Hurd was not impressive at all and hopefully just had a bad game. He had a couple of bad drops and just didn't look like his head was in the game at all.
Martellus Bennett likewise didn't look very good. A "typical" TE type pass was thrown to him (he was running down the middle of the field and the pass was right on the numbers) but he dropped it right after he was hit. Witten would have caught that and even though he is a pro bowl player, that is the type of pass Bennett will be thrown...he has to catch those.
And the miscommunication between Brad Johnson and Patrick Creighton was pretty bad as Johnson threw and out and Creighton streaked up the sideline on a fly route. Again, I know it's the first PRESEASON but that was pretty bad.
The defense looked decent however it gave up 3 pass interference calls inside their own 5 (one was committed by the starters though). That was how San Diego got 21 of it's points. But one disappointment of the night, I didn't expect, was the play of Pac Man Jones. I thought that guy would be starting with the 1st teamers but we saw why he wasn't. He committed one of the pass interference plays I reference above and totally ran by a Charger RB. I know he hasn't played in a year and has some rust to shake of but I really didn't think it would be that much rust. Kevin Burnett had a pretty bad game too as he whiffed on an open field tackle, TWICE, when a Charger RB ran straight at him. Hopefully it was just a bad game for him because those were pretty bad misses.
The biggest disappointment of the night and the place that needs the most work is the play of the special teams, more specifically the punt coverage. To say the coverage play was horrible would be a dramatic understatement. Again and again and again they allowed San Diego to get huge run backs on punts. Last year's coverage wasn't great but last night was atrocious. Also, rookie Danny Amendola was too lax with how he was carrying the ball, on a punt he was returning, and had it stripped. Again, I know it's his first game but he should know better than that.
I defiantly think that not doing much, if any, hitting in the first couple weeks of training camp had a negative impact last night. I'm not saying that they need to go full bore every practice and risk an injury but I do think they probably need to do more hitting than they have. So, after objectively looking at the game, I can honestly say that the starters have picked up where they were last season but the team as a whole has a ways to go before the start of the season. I'll be anxious to see what the coaches think of the first game and how the team practices this week.
The 1st team offense went right down the field like a warm knife through butter and scored immediately on San Diego's 1st team defense. Romo looked to be in mid season form already as he was 3 for 3 on the scoring drive. Marion Barber ran like a man possessed...he is simply a beast. Watching him run, you might not have even known it was a preseason game if you didn't already know that.
We also got a glimpse at why Dallas drafted Felix Jones rather than Rashard Mendenhall this year. Jones literally has eye popping speed. There were two runs last night where Felix was tackled by the safety or he would have scored. He is going to be fun to watch and an excellent compliment to Barber. Tashard Choice came in and ran very well in the 3rd quarter too so I really think Dallas has their RB position in good shape.
Miles Austin had several good catches and showed that he has good hands and receiving skills to compliment his speed. He made some tough catches in traffic and might be making a move up the depth chart. And if there's one place the Cowboys need more depth, it's at WR.
The 1st team defense held San Diego's starting offense to 3 and out their first series too. Tank Johnson looked sharp and even got a sack. The 1st team defense got good pressure on Rivers and if that is any indication of how the season goes, the defensive backs might have a little easier job in coverage. Mike Jenkins actually started with the 1st team, as Terrance Newman is out with a groin injury, and did a solid job. He broke up a pass and didn't really look like a rookie.
Now that I've gushed about what excited me, lets put the pom pons down and look at what Dallas needs to address:
The game started to go down hill when the starters left the game and the 2nd and 3rd teamers came in. So all that depth the Cowboys have, right now, doesn't look like it's really ready to go. On offense, there were several disappointing things I saw. Sam Hurd was not impressive at all and hopefully just had a bad game. He had a couple of bad drops and just didn't look like his head was in the game at all.
Martellus Bennett likewise didn't look very good. A "typical" TE type pass was thrown to him (he was running down the middle of the field and the pass was right on the numbers) but he dropped it right after he was hit. Witten would have caught that and even though he is a pro bowl player, that is the type of pass Bennett will be thrown...he has to catch those.
And the miscommunication between Brad Johnson and Patrick Creighton was pretty bad as Johnson threw and out and Creighton streaked up the sideline on a fly route. Again, I know it's the first PRESEASON but that was pretty bad.
The defense looked decent however it gave up 3 pass interference calls inside their own 5 (one was committed by the starters though). That was how San Diego got 21 of it's points. But one disappointment of the night, I didn't expect, was the play of Pac Man Jones. I thought that guy would be starting with the 1st teamers but we saw why he wasn't. He committed one of the pass interference plays I reference above and totally ran by a Charger RB. I know he hasn't played in a year and has some rust to shake of but I really didn't think it would be that much rust. Kevin Burnett had a pretty bad game too as he whiffed on an open field tackle, TWICE, when a Charger RB ran straight at him. Hopefully it was just a bad game for him because those were pretty bad misses.
The biggest disappointment of the night and the place that needs the most work is the play of the special teams, more specifically the punt coverage. To say the coverage play was horrible would be a dramatic understatement. Again and again and again they allowed San Diego to get huge run backs on punts. Last year's coverage wasn't great but last night was atrocious. Also, rookie Danny Amendola was too lax with how he was carrying the ball, on a punt he was returning, and had it stripped. Again, I know it's his first game but he should know better than that.
I defiantly think that not doing much, if any, hitting in the first couple weeks of training camp had a negative impact last night. I'm not saying that they need to go full bore every practice and risk an injury but I do think they probably need to do more hitting than they have. So, after objectively looking at the game, I can honestly say that the starters have picked up where they were last season but the team as a whole has a ways to go before the start of the season. I'll be anxious to see what the coaches think of the first game and how the team practices this week.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Hard Knocks and St. Farve
NFL Films is sheer greatness. Anytime I see anything on ESPN from NFL Films, I make a point to stop down and watch it. The slow motion, the dramatic music, the low tone narration…it’s just all great. Listening to John Facenda talk about Vince Lombardi or Tom Landry is almost poetic. So leave it to HBO to team up with NFL Films to make an all access series about NFL training camp. I’ve watched all the all the “Hard Knocks” (Baltimore, Dallas, KC, Dallas again) and each were great in their own rights. The last time the Cowboys were on “Hard Knocks”, Dave Campo was their head coach and Emmitt was still on the team. Now that they are again the subject of the series, many things have changed but America’s Team is still America’s Team.
On last night’s initial episode of “Hard Knocks”, the curtain was pulled back a bit and we got to hear conversations between Jerry and the agents of Terry Glenn and Felix Jones. I was a bit surprised at the conversation with Glenn’s agent because it wasn’t as amiable as we were all led to believe. However, it reinforced the fact that the WR corps has little proven depth behind TO Owen (who took full advantage of the time on HBO to plug a new business venture, TO Tees). They interviewed Patrick Crayton and replayed his dropped pass vs. the Giants and to tell you the truth, I had forgotten how painful that was. I actually yelled at the tv, again…my wife thought I was loony.
Also featured were the on field battles between TO Owens and Pac Man Jones. Jones looks smaller than I thought he was (even my wife commented on that) but when he gets the rust knocked off his game (and IF he can keep his nose clean) he is going to be good. Owens got the best of Pac Man though so at least it shows that TO is ready for the season. The first preseason game is on Saturday against the Chargers and even though the starters probably won’t play but a quarter, I’m giddy to see some football.
And the Brett Farve saga took another turn today as he was dealt to Broadway and will be playing for the NY Jets (which is ironic because he is on the cover of Madden '09 in his GB uni). The trade was for a conditional draft pick and depending on how much Farve plays and how well the team does, the higher the draft pick Green Bay will receive. IF the Jets go to the Super Bowl (which is HIGHLY doubtful), Green Bay will receive a 1st round pick from the Jets. So I guess that St. Farve will get a chance to prove how good he still is, or isn’t. However, I really wanted to see him playing in Minnesota or Chicago. It would have been delicious to see Farve going back to Green Bay playing for one of their hated rivals. It would have been interesting to see how the fandom at Lambeau would have reacted to that. I guess we’ll never know now unless the Jets somehow get to play the Pack next year. Now that’s worth praying for.
On last night’s initial episode of “Hard Knocks”, the curtain was pulled back a bit and we got to hear conversations between Jerry and the agents of Terry Glenn and Felix Jones. I was a bit surprised at the conversation with Glenn’s agent because it wasn’t as amiable as we were all led to believe. However, it reinforced the fact that the WR corps has little proven depth behind TO Owen (who took full advantage of the time on HBO to plug a new business venture, TO Tees). They interviewed Patrick Crayton and replayed his dropped pass vs. the Giants and to tell you the truth, I had forgotten how painful that was. I actually yelled at the tv, again…my wife thought I was loony.
Also featured were the on field battles between TO Owens and Pac Man Jones. Jones looks smaller than I thought he was (even my wife commented on that) but when he gets the rust knocked off his game (and IF he can keep his nose clean) he is going to be good. Owens got the best of Pac Man though so at least it shows that TO is ready for the season. The first preseason game is on Saturday against the Chargers and even though the starters probably won’t play but a quarter, I’m giddy to see some football.
And the Brett Farve saga took another turn today as he was dealt to Broadway and will be playing for the NY Jets (which is ironic because he is on the cover of Madden '09 in his GB uni). The trade was for a conditional draft pick and depending on how much Farve plays and how well the team does, the higher the draft pick Green Bay will receive. IF the Jets go to the Super Bowl (which is HIGHLY doubtful), Green Bay will receive a 1st round pick from the Jets. So I guess that St. Farve will get a chance to prove how good he still is, or isn’t. However, I really wanted to see him playing in Minnesota or Chicago. It would have been delicious to see Farve going back to Green Bay playing for one of their hated rivals. It would have been interesting to see how the fandom at Lambeau would have reacted to that. I guess we’ll never know now unless the Jets somehow get to play the Pack next year. Now that’s worth praying for.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Training Camp Starts Today!
The dog days of summer are almost over. This is one of my favorite days of the year as Cowboys training camp gets underway, which means football season (both pro and college) is just around the corner. Just about everyone that I’ve seen or heard is picking Dallas to win the NFC so this is the first time in over a decade the Cowboys have entered training camp a legitimate contender to not only go to the Super Bowl but win it. However, just because they ended up with the #1 seed in the NFC last year doesn’t automatically mean they will even make the playoffs. Of the 19 #1 seeds that didn’t make it to the Super Bowl in the previous season, more failed to reach the playoffs the following season than won the championship: 6 miss the playoffs altogether, 5 lost in the wild care or divisional round, 2 lost in the conference championship game, 2 lost in the Super Bowl and 4 won the Super Bowl.
However, it is my opinion that the Cowboys will win the NFC and get back to the Super Bowl for a record 9th time. They are absolutely loaded at just about every position. And really, the only glaring weakness I see on the team is at strong safety (Roy Williams) and by middle of the season he might be buried on the roster or traded altogether depending on how Adam Jones works out. Every position, except defensive line, boasts of at least 1 pro bowl player and Dallas has kept key free agents from leaving the team (Flozell Adams, Ken Hamlin), have made solid additions to the team through free agency (Adam Jones, Zach Thomas) and the draft (Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Mike Jenkins and Martellus Bennett).
Even though Dallas is favored to make it back to the Super Bowl, there are a few things that could derail a trip to Tampa in early Feb. ’09:
-First and foremost is the play and health of Romo. Even though he had an outstanding season overall last year, his play in December dropped and, well, we all know what happened in the playoff game vs. New Yawk. Romo was not completely to blame for the loss but his play during the game was not on par with what he did during the season. I don’t think any of the “drama” regarding his tabloid romance with Daisy Duke will matter though although I am getting tired of hearing or reading about it. As the play of Romo goes, so goes the team.
-The injury bug didn’t really hit the Cowboys last year and that is a rarity in the NFL. And even when it did (Terry Glenn) it didn’t seem to really affect the team. If Dallas has the same good fortune, then book your hotel reservations in Tampa. However, since last year was rarity, I wouldn’t count on that happening again. Dallas has solid depth at most positions but if a key injury occurs to either the WR corps or the offensive line, things could get a little dicey.
-As a follow up to the above paragraph, TO Owens has to stay healthy. If he goes down, this team goes from elite to pretty good overnight. Unless Dallas picks up Anquan Boldin from Arizona, the WR position is without adequate depth if an injury crops up. So, hopefully if/when a season ending injury strikes, the WR corps can dodge it.
America’s Team is back in the elite company of the NFL and hopefully will stay for a while. Here’s to the start of training camp and my favorite time of the year.
However, it is my opinion that the Cowboys will win the NFC and get back to the Super Bowl for a record 9th time. They are absolutely loaded at just about every position. And really, the only glaring weakness I see on the team is at strong safety (Roy Williams) and by middle of the season he might be buried on the roster or traded altogether depending on how Adam Jones works out. Every position, except defensive line, boasts of at least 1 pro bowl player and Dallas has kept key free agents from leaving the team (Flozell Adams, Ken Hamlin), have made solid additions to the team through free agency (Adam Jones, Zach Thomas) and the draft (Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Mike Jenkins and Martellus Bennett).
Even though Dallas is favored to make it back to the Super Bowl, there are a few things that could derail a trip to Tampa in early Feb. ’09:
-First and foremost is the play and health of Romo. Even though he had an outstanding season overall last year, his play in December dropped and, well, we all know what happened in the playoff game vs. New Yawk. Romo was not completely to blame for the loss but his play during the game was not on par with what he did during the season. I don’t think any of the “drama” regarding his tabloid romance with Daisy Duke will matter though although I am getting tired of hearing or reading about it. As the play of Romo goes, so goes the team.
-The injury bug didn’t really hit the Cowboys last year and that is a rarity in the NFL. And even when it did (Terry Glenn) it didn’t seem to really affect the team. If Dallas has the same good fortune, then book your hotel reservations in Tampa. However, since last year was rarity, I wouldn’t count on that happening again. Dallas has solid depth at most positions but if a key injury occurs to either the WR corps or the offensive line, things could get a little dicey.
-As a follow up to the above paragraph, TO Owens has to stay healthy. If he goes down, this team goes from elite to pretty good overnight. Unless Dallas picks up Anquan Boldin from Arizona, the WR position is without adequate depth if an injury crops up. So, hopefully if/when a season ending injury strikes, the WR corps can dodge it.
America’s Team is back in the elite company of the NFL and hopefully will stay for a while. Here’s to the start of training camp and my favorite time of the year.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Ron Artest, Eat Your Heart Out
Who says that the WNBA is boring…
And this was also at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit where the Pistons and Pacers brawled in ’04. Maybe it’s the building…
And this was also at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit where the Pistons and Pacers brawled in ’04. Maybe it’s the building…
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Disturbing News for Cowboy Fans and As if I Needed Another Reason to Dislike the Saints
On Sunday, the Washington Deadskins made a trade with Miami to acquire defensive end Jason Taylor. The six-time Pro Bowler and 2006 defensive player of the year was traded to Washington for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and sixth-rounder in 2010. Taylor had fallen out of favor with Big Bill Parcells, who is now running the ship down in Miami, for being on Dancing With The Stars this past season and while Taylor is not quite the player he was in the late 90’s and early 00’s, he is still a very effective pass rusher who can wreak havoc on opposing QBs. As a Cowboys fan, I’m a little unnerved by this move because Dallas will now have to face Taylor twice a year. Washington without a doubt improved their defensive line with this addition. And while I still think Dallas is the class of the division, this move upped the ante a bit. Taylor is a quality guy and a great player so I'm more than just a little disappointed he is now playing to little Danny Snyder.
And staying with other NFC East news…
As if I needed another reason to detest the Saints, the world champion New Yawk Giants (or “Jints” as a friend of mine calls them) have traded the much over-hyped Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans for a second-round and sixth-round pick in the 2009 draft. I’ve never been a big fan of Shockey’s. And even though he has made Roy Williams look down right silly in trying to cover him (who hasn’t done that to Roy?), that’s not the reason I’ve never been a big fan of his. I have seen Shockey rip off his helmet and light into his QB on numerous occasions, act like a jerk on the sideline and pretty much embody all that is wrong with NFL. I know there are plenty of players who also do this (namely one that wears #81 and plays for Dallas) but I don’t really care for them either. I don’t remember Jerry Rice, Steve Largent or Jay Novacek throwing their helmets on the sideline in disgust toward their respective QBs. Shockey is loud, boisterous and high maintenance…and he’s only a tight end and not a wide receiver (like the aforementioned #81 for Dallas).
Unfortunately, Shockey is going to a team that will probably benefit from his services. Sean Payton, the Saint’s coach, was Shockey’s offensive coordinator in New Yawk during Shcokey’s first season. Shockey thrived that season winning Rookie of the Year. However, the Saints big problem last year was not the absence of a tight end but the absence of a defense. So, unless Shockey starts playing linebacker, New Orleans is going to still have problems stopping people from scoring.
And staying with other NFC East news…
As if I needed another reason to detest the Saints, the world champion New Yawk Giants (or “Jints” as a friend of mine calls them) have traded the much over-hyped Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans for a second-round and sixth-round pick in the 2009 draft. I’ve never been a big fan of Shockey’s. And even though he has made Roy Williams look down right silly in trying to cover him (who hasn’t done that to Roy?), that’s not the reason I’ve never been a big fan of his. I have seen Shockey rip off his helmet and light into his QB on numerous occasions, act like a jerk on the sideline and pretty much embody all that is wrong with NFL. I know there are plenty of players who also do this (namely one that wears #81 and plays for Dallas) but I don’t really care for them either. I don’t remember Jerry Rice, Steve Largent or Jay Novacek throwing their helmets on the sideline in disgust toward their respective QBs. Shockey is loud, boisterous and high maintenance…and he’s only a tight end and not a wide receiver (like the aforementioned #81 for Dallas).
Unfortunately, Shockey is going to a team that will probably benefit from his services. Sean Payton, the Saint’s coach, was Shockey’s offensive coordinator in New Yawk during Shcokey’s first season. Shockey thrived that season winning Rookie of the Year. However, the Saints big problem last year was not the absence of a tight end but the absence of a defense. So, unless Shockey starts playing linebacker, New Orleans is going to still have problems stopping people from scoring.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Still Here…
Well, I’m still here and as I wrote previously, the dog days of summer haven’t given much to write about. I mean, the Rangers have been doing well (at least compared to what they normally do) but there really is only so much you can say about them. Once NFL training camp gets rolling at the end of this month, I will probably have a few topics to write about. However, I want to express my thoughts on Brett Farve’s recent “about face” in regards to his March 6th retirement.
First off, while I’ve never been a big Farve fan, I do recognize his greatness and respect what he has accomplished over the course of his career. With that being said, I am sick to death of hearing about the teeter-totter soap opera regarding Farve’s future. For the past 3 years (until this year), the minute the off season hit, Farve would “contemplate retirement” only to indicate he would come back for another year in June or July. This basically held the Packers franchise in limbo because they never knew what their plans were at QB until training camp was about to start. And even though I’m not a Packer fan, I think that is just wrong.
I know Farve is one of the all time greats and I know he holds virtually every QB record this is. But dude, make a decision! And when you have, stick to it! Don’t come on ESPN in a teary press conference and announce you are done for good only to completely reverse yourself 4 months later after the Packers have moved on. If this would have been the first time he had done this, then I might understand and wouldn’t really hold it against the guy. I heard Troy Aikman say that it took him 3 years to get that “I still can play, I still want to play” feeling out of his system…and Troy had medical issues (concussions) that forced him to retire. Farve is still relatively healthy so I don’t fault the guy for still wanting to play. I fault him for basically holding the Packers hostage the last few years and then having a big fond farewell only to come back and say just kidding.
Now, the Packers are in a conundrum because half their fan base wants Farve to come back and play for the Cheese Heads and the other half wants the team to move on with Aaron Rogers. Since Farve never signed his retirement papers with the NFL, he technically never retired and his contract is still the property of Green Bay. So the Packers can do one of a few things here: They can 1) bring him back; 2) they can trade him (and Farve would have no say in where he would play); or 3) they can give him an outright release (which Farve wants because they he essentially is a free agent).
And if you’re Aaron Rogers, what are you thinking? This is a kid that was drafted in the first round several years ago to be Farve’s successor. And the only real playing time he has had was this past season in the game vs. the Cowboys…and even then he came in when Green Bay was pretty far behind but played very well in the loss. Rogers only has a couple of years left on his contract and if Green Bay brings Farve back, Rogers may just ask for a trade or a release himself. And even if Green Bay does neither of those, he probably won’t stick around too long when he becomes a free agent…and then Green Bay is really messed.
If I were a Packer fan, there is no way I would want to see #4 playing for any other team but Green Bay. He is a shoe in first ballot Hall of Famer and the thought of him playing for Baltimore, Miami or (heaven forbid) Minnesota or Chicago would turn my stomach. But on the flip side, the fact that he has done this time and time and time again would leave me with a sour taste too. That is why I think half the Packer faithful would like to see him retire…so they don’t have to deal with his off season soap opera again but also so they won’t have to see him in any other uniform.
It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens with this though, that’s for sure.
First off, while I’ve never been a big Farve fan, I do recognize his greatness and respect what he has accomplished over the course of his career. With that being said, I am sick to death of hearing about the teeter-totter soap opera regarding Farve’s future. For the past 3 years (until this year), the minute the off season hit, Farve would “contemplate retirement” only to indicate he would come back for another year in June or July. This basically held the Packers franchise in limbo because they never knew what their plans were at QB until training camp was about to start. And even though I’m not a Packer fan, I think that is just wrong.
I know Farve is one of the all time greats and I know he holds virtually every QB record this is. But dude, make a decision! And when you have, stick to it! Don’t come on ESPN in a teary press conference and announce you are done for good only to completely reverse yourself 4 months later after the Packers have moved on. If this would have been the first time he had done this, then I might understand and wouldn’t really hold it against the guy. I heard Troy Aikman say that it took him 3 years to get that “I still can play, I still want to play” feeling out of his system…and Troy had medical issues (concussions) that forced him to retire. Farve is still relatively healthy so I don’t fault the guy for still wanting to play. I fault him for basically holding the Packers hostage the last few years and then having a big fond farewell only to come back and say just kidding.
Now, the Packers are in a conundrum because half their fan base wants Farve to come back and play for the Cheese Heads and the other half wants the team to move on with Aaron Rogers. Since Farve never signed his retirement papers with the NFL, he technically never retired and his contract is still the property of Green Bay. So the Packers can do one of a few things here: They can 1) bring him back; 2) they can trade him (and Farve would have no say in where he would play); or 3) they can give him an outright release (which Farve wants because they he essentially is a free agent).
And if you’re Aaron Rogers, what are you thinking? This is a kid that was drafted in the first round several years ago to be Farve’s successor. And the only real playing time he has had was this past season in the game vs. the Cowboys…and even then he came in when Green Bay was pretty far behind but played very well in the loss. Rogers only has a couple of years left on his contract and if Green Bay brings Farve back, Rogers may just ask for a trade or a release himself. And even if Green Bay does neither of those, he probably won’t stick around too long when he becomes a free agent…and then Green Bay is really messed.
If I were a Packer fan, there is no way I would want to see #4 playing for any other team but Green Bay. He is a shoe in first ballot Hall of Famer and the thought of him playing for Baltimore, Miami or (heaven forbid) Minnesota or Chicago would turn my stomach. But on the flip side, the fact that he has done this time and time and time again would leave me with a sour taste too. That is why I think half the Packer faithful would like to see him retire…so they don’t have to deal with his off season soap opera again but also so they won’t have to see him in any other uniform.
It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens with this though, that’s for sure.
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