Rod Smith retires

by | Jul 25, 2008 | NFL Random Thoughts

This wasn’t a surprise after the announcement that he was going to need another hip replacement surgery, but Denver Broncos wideout Rod Smith announced his retirement Thursday. He entered the league as a free agent with Denver in 1995 and 12 seasons later he leaves with 849 catches and two Super Bowl rings.

With some of the prima donna crap that goes on in pro sports these days Zoneblitz offers a tip of the cap to a player who, by and large, not only played well but did so in a mostly quiet and classy way. I don’t know if he’s a Hall of Famer or not, though coach Mike Shanahan thinks so.

Regardless, he made the most of his ability, he put up some solid, solid years, and he took pride in being a teammate, lining up next to Shannon Sharpe and blocking for Terrell Davis. There’s got to be something said for that. Good luck in your retirement, #80.

Colts add Lorenzen, Gray

by | Jul 24, 2008 | NFL News

Is it for training camp competition or is the injury to Peyton Manning’s knee worse than previously acknowledged by the Indianapolis Colts?

The team remains one of the league’s strongest as long as Manning is able to play most of the season. But if the Colts have to use Jim Sorgi or one of their new signees, Quinn Gray and Jared Lorenzen, for any length of time, the team suddenly looks less imposing.

And in an improving division with Jacksonville, Houston and Tennessee all nipping at Indy’s heels, a couple games could make the difference between a first-round playoff bye and a couple of road games en route to the Super Bowl.

Coach Tony Dungy has expressed his belief that Manning will be back by the time the season starts from
surgery to remove an infected bursa sac. Manning, according to the Associated Press, says he’s not in much pain. But the star QB is expected back anytime from opening day to week three. And it wasn’t until this week that the team decided to upgrade its backup quarterback situation, dropping camp fodder QB Josh Betts to add the new guys. Again, only time will tell.

Fans at shareholder meeting split on Favre

by | Jul 24, 2008 | NFL News

A thanks to The Gun, a Packers fan and Zoneblitz reader, for pointing out this (and other) tip:

About three minutes into today’s Green Bay Packers shareholder meeting Mark Murphy, president of the board, addressed the Brett Favre situation, according to Don Walker’s blog at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Murphy called it a “sensitive situation” with long-term ramifications for the franchise and made clear he was involved in the decisions regarding Favre’s future, which he called football matters.

But when he made reference to the franchise’s decision makers, including GM Ted Thompson, all being in unison about wanting to move on without Favre this season, one fan stood up and yelled “We’re not.”

After the fan outburst there was a mix of boos and cheers, according to the story. Thompson was generally greeted with cheers, it seems clear that fans are still divided on the decisions made by the brass. If the Packers come out and do well under Rodgers they’ll probably be fine. But what happens if Rodgers is a bust and the Pack lose 10 games this year after their NFC Championship run in 2007?

Most of the time it wouldn’t matter much and maybe it doesn’t here. But the Packers and their small-town feel along with the public ownership structure … potential problems going forward? Only time will tell.

Favre case gets yet weirder

by | Jul 24, 2008 | NFL News

So … the Green Bay Packers either have records of Brett Favre making and/or receiving calls from Minnesota Vikings coaches Brad Childress and/or Darrell Bevell … or they don’t.

Today’s Green Bay Press Gazette cites a source close to Favre saying the retired-or-not quarterback doesn’t have a team-issued cell phone. That contradicts reports from earlier in the week indicating that the team had records of Favre having discussions with the aforementioned coaches … from a team-issued cell phone.

Just when you thought this situation couldn’t get any weirder …

So, if the Vikings could face fines and the loss of draft picks if they were tampering is there any penalty against the Packers if they were fishing? Not saying they were, not saying they weren’t – just curious.

Bevell and Childress and Favre … oh my

by | Jul 22, 2008 | NFL ... something, NFL Rumors

In October 2000, the NBA discovered that the Minnesota Timberwolves had entered into secret contracts that allowed them to circumvent salary cap rules. While teams in all sports stretch the rules, the Wolves and Smith exacerbated this particular situation by putting their agreements down on paper.

NBA Commissioner David Stern at the time handed out one of the most severe spankings a professional sports franchise has ever received. He voided Smith’s contract with the Wolves, fined the team $3.5 million and took away their first-round picks for the next five seasons – a move the organization from which the organization is still recovering.

One must wonder after reading ESPN’s snippet of a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Packers Insider story if the Minnesota Vikings might soon be in for the NFL’s version of the Wolves’ punishment. The paper reports that the tampering charges the Green Bay Packers filed against the Vikings are based on phone records showing that Brett Favre had numerous conversations with both his friend, Darrell Bevell, the team’s offensive coordinator, but also head coach Brad Childress.

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