Super Bowl to New York – interesting

by | May 25, 2010 | Super Bowl

One of the first NFL playoff games I remember watching when I was little was the AFC Championship game in 1981 between San Diego and Cincinnati. The game brought the Chargers from California out to Ohio in January when the temperature was -9 degrees and the wind chill was -57 degrees.

The Bengals crushed the Chargers that day setting the stage for Cincinnati to roll into Detroit for Super Bowl XVI, where the San Francisco 49ers would win the first of their handful of championships.

Many famous NFL games have been played in cold weather. Dallas and Green Bay in the Ice Bowl also comes to mind. But none of those cold weather games have been the Super Bowl. The aforementioned Super Bowl in Detroit was played in the Silverdome. A decade later Minnesota hosted the big game in the Metrodome.

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Unenshring Lawrence Taylor?

by | May 11, 2010 | Hall of Fame

Few players in the last quarter century have been more gifted than Lawrence Taylor.

Few stars have been more troubled off the field as well.

Taylor has fought drugs, among other issues, and now he stands accused of paying a 16-year-old girl for sex.

Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN this morning had an interesting conversation about Taylor. I didn’t catch the entire conversation but the gist of it was this: Should he be unenshrined form the NFL Hall of Fame?

At the end of the day removing him from the Hall is highly unlikely, if not impossible. Mike Florio cites Peter King citing rules against using character flaws to determine whether a player gets into the Hall or not.

But are it presents an interesting argument. Should character be a consideration? Are there players you think are being kept out because of character flaws or issues they had off the field? Jim Tyrer is the player I’ve most often heard connected, at least loosely, with this theory.Are there others?

And, then the big one, if it were up to you, would Lawrence Taylor remain a Hall of Famer?

Photo by jacorbett70

Lawmakers introducing Vikings stadium options

by | May 3, 2010 | Business of Football

There are budget deficits and education reform measures facing the Minnesota Legislature during its last two weeks before adjournment but the Minnesota Vikings and the team’s efforts to get approval for a new stadium will at least be discussed, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Low construction costs and the short-term remaining on the team’s lease have lawmakers planning to introduce some options for taking care of the team. The press conference announcing several options comes just weeks after the Minnesota Twins opened Target Field to great acclaim.

There are plenty of obstacles to overcome before a Vikings deal becomes reality. But the team is getting more attention at the Capitol this year, despite huge budget deficits now and projected into the future, than it has in four years.

Raiders’ Russell auditioning for sumo career?

by | Apr 26, 2010 | NFL Random Thoughts

It wasn’t bad enough that JaMarcus Russell was benched for Bruce Friggin’ Gradkowski after throwing three touchdown passes in nine starts.

Or that after Gradkowski replaced Russell, the new guy’s ridiculously journeyman, mediocre level of play immediately made the Raiders competitive (Gradkowski was 2-2 as the starter).

Even the acquisitions of Kyle Boller as a free agent and Jason Campbell during a draft day trade this past weekend weren’t enough incentive for Russell to stay active and prepare for the 2010 football season.

Doesn’t pride kick in at some point?

The top pick in the 2007 NFL draft will soon be approaching Ryan Leaf levels of bust-dom if reports from the National Football Post are true. The publication reports that Russell has ballooned above 300 pounds during the offseason.

Raiders coach Tom Cable indicates that Russell will be able to compete for the starting position with Gradkowski, Boller, Campbell and Charlie Frye. Indications are that he is likely to get cut.

But if he keeps up his eating regimen he might be able to trade his shoulder pads and helmet for a mawashi and compete in a different sport where added weight is almost always a benefit.

Seahawks run game transformed through draft and trades

by | Apr 26, 2010 | 2010 Trades, NFL Draft

Seattle finished 26th in the league last year in rushing, averaging just 97.9 yards per game. They were tied for 25th with a 4.0 yard per carry average and they were tied for 27th with just seven rushing touchdowns.

The NFL is a passing league but the Seahawks’ shortcomings on the ground had to be at least part of the reason why the team finished 25th in the league in scoring with just 280 points.

The Seahawks’ problems in the run game can’t be completely blamed on Julius Jones (leading rusher with 663 yards and a 3.7 yard per carry average. Future likely Hall of Famer Walter Jones missed the season. Matt Hasselbeck missed two games and was certainly not healthy all year. But Jones is hardly inspiring as a team’s top running back option. He’s more typically the type of guy coaches are always looking to replace in the starting lineup (witness Dallas and Marion Barber III when Jones was still there).

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