I beg for forgiveness from those who checked in with any regularity this last week only to find the cupboard was left barren of fresh and delicious trinkets of wisdom, and all that remained was the discarded old, moldy and previously read blogs. The monotony of life reigned this past seven days along with additional hours at work which left me without the proper amount of time to coherently compose a posting and now even today’s blog is late, very late. Dismay no more, in a football-centric version of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings, I have returned to writing incessantly and without any recognition of a word limit. I appreciate your patience.
To read any of my previous musings, click here.
1.) Matt Cassel was traded alongside Mike Vrabel yesterday, and while I anticipated a bountiful return from the Kansas City Chiefs, all New England received was a second round pick. Really? That’s it? When I heard the Pats were only receiving a single Chiefs pick in return, I immediately assumed it was their first round pick (number three overall), and even then my initial reaction was, “good deal for KC”. After months of supposition that New England would obtain multiple high picks, the Pats gave up their suddenly prized backup for a single second round pick. It appears the franchise that is always one step ahead of its competition just got hosed. This is the same Matt Cassel who is heralded as a much better option for a team in need of a quarterback than anything they’d get in the draft, finished in the top ten in QB rating, touchdowns, yards and completion percentage of those who played in 13 or more games under center in 2008, and is still only 26-years old. Almost two years ago, Matt Schaub was traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Houston Texans for two second round picks, and Schaub only threw 27 passes the season previous to the swap. Three days ago, Sage Rosenfels was traded from the Texans to the Minnesota Vikings for a fourth-round pick. You’re telling me Cassel and Vrabel were only worth a two-round upgrade over Sage? I live in a sports world were the motto is “In Bill We Trust” so I’m assuming another shoe will drop at some point. If this is it, I can’t believe it.
2.) While the economy flounders and companies feverishly look to cut costs by any means necessary, I’ve found a way for ESPN and the majority of major sports news organizations in the country to save a little bit of dough and further propel the unemployment rate into outer space: fire anyone whose sole profession is to create NFL mock drafts. They’re beyond stupid. My sincerest apologies to Mel Kiper Jr., his hair and Swampscott, MA’s Todd McShay, but seriously, what’s the point of wasting our time with draft forecasting when nobody, and I mean nobody, has the slightest clue of what’s going to happen? If events go similar to year’s past, the Madame Cleo’s of the draft will get lucky and be guaranteed one correct slot when the Detroit Lions announce their choice for the number one pick prior to deadline. From pick two on, who goes when is totally unpredictable, especially days, weeks and months before. Not that this will stop the ceaseless prophesying from the talking heads. While teams enter with certain players in mind, to believe their ultimate decision isn’t ultimately based on what happens in the selections made previous is foolishness. As soon as one prediction goes astray, the whole thing goes to hell. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any of last year’s mock drafts, but this season, I am going to save the mock drafts of both Kiper and McShay to gauge how they do. My guess is we won’t be comparing them to Nostradamus.
3.) Speaking of the upcoming draft, I want to tackle the topic of the NFL combine and its standing in my mind as one of the more overrated events in professional sports (apparently I have a real issue with draft coverage). I don’t keep my ear as close to the college football street as I do for the other sport avenues, but when I say I didn't hear much about Vernon Davis prior to his 2006 combine, it should be understandable. The Maryland Terrapin had a respectable college career catching 83 passes for 1371 yards, but the physical freak didn’t truly become a household name for football fans until two months before the draft. He was just a tight end for a 5-6 team that wasn’t even invited to a bowl after all. Davis ran a 4.38 40-yard dash (a time faster than most wide receivers and running backs), benched 225 pounds 33 times, had a 10’8” broad jump, a 42” vertical and as a result of his ridiculously impressive showing, Davis shot up the draft board. In his short NFL career, the 6th overall pick has been a relative bust. If you based your prediction of Davis’ career solely on his combine, he would have been the greatest player of all-time because he did things that day that had never been seen before. According to the aforementioned McShay, Wake Forest's Aaron Curry has "come out of nowhere" to be viewed by many teams as one the best defensive players on the board while USC's Rey Maualuga, one of the most impactful players I watched, is sliding down because of a poor showing in this season’s combine. Too much weight, both positively and negatively, is given to a player's combine performance. It's the equivalent of a soon-to-be free agent having a single great season or postseason prior to free agency and then earning a much larger contract than anyone previously anticipated or a college basketball player having a phenomenal NCAA tournament and flying up the NBA draft board. Take Mark Sanchez for example. McShay said Sanchez' combine showing has really helped his potential draft position. Shouldn't McShay qualify that statement by saying Sanchez looked better than expected dropping back and passing in the perfect weather conditions of a dome, while wearing shorts and a t-shirt, no helmet so his field of vision was perfect, with a crowd of 1,000 rather than 70,000, no blocking scheme adjustments to make against the blitz, no fear of being blindsided by a 300-pound freight train or being tackled at all for that matter, with no read to make since there is a lone receiver to throw to, one who is completely open since there is no opposing defense? While ESPN fills airtime with draft talk and combine performances, they seem to be forgetting that most of the participants showcased what they can do on the field, in real game situations, for two to four years. I can guarantee, that just as the draft predicting will prove fruitless, a number of teams will select a player who became more appealing than previously thought due to their stellar combine performance, and those teams will be left with a player who couldn’t quite live up to it.
4.) One of if not the greatest quarterback-wide receiver combinations the NFL has ever known was officially broken up Wednesday when Marvin Harrison asked for and received his release from the Indianapolis Colts. The 36-year old receiver’s $13.4 million cap number in 2009 would have been the highest of any NFL receiver, and although Indy hoped to restructure Harrison's contract, team president Bill Polian said there was no feasible way to accomplish that feat. The release of Harrison saves the Colts approximately $6 million, with about $7.4 million in prorated bonuses still on the books. With three-time Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne and the up-and-coming Anthony Gonzalez still on the roster, Harrison’s production, which has significantly declined over the past two seasons, was no longer a necessity, and the Colts’ decision to part ways with Harrision was the obvious one. After an injury plagued 2007, Harrison totals of 60 receptions for 636 yards and five touchdowns in 2008 were the fewest of his career during a full season. Whether Harrison viewed a restructured contract as an assault to his manhood, he wanted a change of scenery or feels he can make more on the free agent market, Harrison’s current stance is a classic case of a veteran not realizing they are no longer as good as they previously were. Looking at the current number one receivers across the league, Harrison wouldn't start ahead of many, if any at all, and he therefore should no longer be earning number one type money. Peyton Manning was not only looking to throw to Wayne more often, but also to Gonzalez and certainly Dallas Clark. Perhaps it's pride or perhaps it's ignorance, but regardless of where he ends up in 2009, Harrison isn't going to make anything close to what he previously earned so why not stay in the only place you've ever played professionally with one of the two greatest quarterbacks of all-time on a team that annually is one of the few true contenders for the Super Bowl. Seems like the obvious decision to me.
5.) I don’t know who’s being more stubborn/stupid, Manny or the Dodgers. Los Angeles offered a two-year, $42 million deal, which Ramirez and his diabolical agent, Scott Boras, responded to with a two-year, $45 million deal with no deferred payment. When the Dodgers stood firm, Boras claims he and his client were willing to split the difference and accept a $43.5 million deal over two seasons. Los Angeles owner Frank McCourt now states negotiations have been “terminated”. Let’s be serious, the Dodgers need Manny enough to spend the extra $1.5 million, and Manny certainly doesn’t need it. In defense of both sides, Los Angeles appears to have been bidding against itself from the get go, and throughout the sports landscape, an overabundance of wealthy athletes have declined contract offers over miniscule monetary amounts (miniscule amounts in their world of course). Ramirez is a quirky character who has had a half dozen grandmothers pass away just late enough he misses a portion of spring training. Maybe, Manny’s killing time so when the parties do finally settle, he won’t have to be bothered with any of that warm-up stuff, although, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t play at all in 2009 or signed on somewhere midseason. But this whole situation has been about money and sitting out doesn’t seem like a good way to make it. If the Dodgers aren’t careful, a team like the Angels, Giants or Yankees could swoop in and steal the hall of famer. Manny is a hired assassin for all intents and purposes. He’ll go where the money is. The Angels’ Arte Moreno is a shrewd owner who, in the waning moments, has kept players from wearing Dodger blue in the past. The acquisition of Ramirez by San Francisco would put them in the driver’s seat of the National League West and help cleanse the franchise of the filth that was the Barry Bonds era, and the Yankees, well, the Yankees spend money like they’re printing it. Manny’s return to Los Angeles has seemed inevitable since Mark Teixeira signed with New York, but the only thing that remains certain at the moment is that Ramirez will not be wearing a Red Sox jersey this season. Takashi Saito took his old number.
If you disagree with my opinion, would like to share your own or want to tell me this is the most intelligent post you've ever read, email TheSportsDon@gmail.com.
