The Weird, Wacky and Awesome World of the NFL - General Banter thread

ArmCandyBaby

Stephen Gostowski signs a new 4 year deal worth 14 million. It's crazy when you think that this contract is worth more than those signed by all but the best premier league players. I know he's good and all but still... that's a lot of money!

tallaghtoutlaws

ArmCandyBaby wrote: »

Stephen Gostowski signs a new 4 year deal worth 14 million. It's crazy when you think that this contract is worth more than those signed by all but the best premier league players. I know he's good and all but still... that's a lot of money!

Works out at $64,000 a week give or take a few dollars which is near enough £42,000 a week. Same as an average Premier League player really. Granted the NFL Season in shorter than the Prem Season but when you break it down weekly it isn't as big as one might think.

Kickers have become very important these days and to be honest with you I don't think that money is high for a guy like Gostkowski. Kickers should earn the big bucks too especially those who are good and can win games for you.

cruiserweight

NFL_UK and a few others have posted the following tweet

Some exciting news to come for NFL fans in the UK on Thursday - fasten your seatbelts!"

cooker3

Got to be SNF surely?

Adam

cooker3 wrote: »

Got to be SNF surely?

here's hoping, i cant pay out for espn but i don't want to miss half the season games

tallaghtoutlaws

Love Rodney Harrison's response to Tom Brady's hating of Hard Knocks:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/30/rodney-harrison-weighs-in-on-the-patriots-jets-hate-fest/

The bit I put in Italics I thought was the best.

Rodney Harrison hasn't played for the Patriots since 2008, but he still has strong feelings about one of New England's AFC East rivals.

Referencing Tom Brady's comments that he doesn't watch Hard Knocks because he hates the Jets, Harrison said he thinks Bardy's comments represent the feelings of the entire Patriots locker room.

"Tom Brady is an honest guy, but Tom never comes out and blatantly says how much he hates a particular team," Harrison said on an NBC Sports media call. "So obviously they're very tired, fed up with the trash talk."

Harrison also noted that Jets coach Rex Ryan has become the most vocal member of the organization. Harrison said that can be particularly galling to players.

"It's one thing if a player trash talks," Harrison said. "But if a coach starts trash talking, guess what? He hasn't made one tackle, he hasn't caught the ball, he hasn't scored one touchdown."

Harrison said he thinks his old team is already getting excited about their Week Two game at New Meadowlands Stadium.

"You better believe, the Patriots have that circled with the Jets," Harrison said. "They hate the Jets, but they hate them even more because they've been coming out saying, 'This is our division.'"

ReacherCreature

I agree with Rodney, I don't like Rex Ryan - he pisses me off!

cooker3

ReacherCreature wrote: »

I agree with Rodney, I don't like Rex Ryan - he pisses me off!

Totally disagree. I'm a Packers fan so fairly neutral but I think he has been a breathe of fresh air in the NFL and while the Jets Patriots rivalry may have mattered to their respective fans it was, frankly, a non-entity to me until last season. I, now, can't wait to see the games. It's also made it a much more exciting division.

ReacherCreature

cooker3 wrote: »

Totally disagree. I'm a Packers fan so fairly neutral but I think he has been a breathe of fresh air in the NFL and while the Jets Patriots rivalry may have mattered to their respective fans it was, frankly, a non-entity to me until last season. I, now, can't wait to see the games. It's also made it a much more exciting division.

Meh I don't think it's 'on' for a coach to be trash talking and the like. Maybe it's a naive view but I'm not a fan of it. Players, yes, they do it but I think the coach should posses more restraint. Mainly it's when he flipped the Dolphins fans off a bit back, that's just ridiculous. He's an NFL coach and does something like that off the field; just childish and immature.

However I respect the job he's done with the Jets defense.

cruiserweight

Sky have announced what games they are showing for the first 4 weeks

http://www.nfluk.com/news/nfl-action-returns-to-sky-sports-260810.html

Thursday September 9th		12:00am		Sky Sports 1	Minnesota @ New Orleans

Sunday September 12th		6:00pm		Sky Sports 4	Carolina @ NY Giants

Sunday September 12th		9:15pm		Sky Sports 4	San Francisco @ Seattle

Sunday September 19th		6:00pm		Sky Sports 2	Chicago @ Dallas

Sunday September 19th		9:15pm		Sky Sports 2	New England @ NY Jets

Sunday September 26th		6:00pm		Sky Sports 4	Atlanta @ New Orleans

Sunday September 26th		9:15pm		Sky Sports 4	Indianapolis @ Denver

Sunday October 3rd		6:00pm		TBC		Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

Sunday October 3rd		9:15pm		TBC		Washington @ Philadelphia

Hazys

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/30/brandon-spikes-naked-chat_n_700008.html

Patriots Rookie Brandon Spikes remakes the Kim Kardashin sex tape...

Chucky the tree

Makes sense, obviously Brady had far more entertaining stuff available for him to watch then hard knocks.

Peyton Manning

Apparently the Bills, Raiders and Giants have all made enquiries about trading for Matt Leinart after it was confirmed that Derek Anderson will be the Cardinals' starting QB this year.

Adam

Archimedes wrote: »

Apparently the Bills, Raiders and Giants have all made enquiries about trading for Matt Leinart after it was confirmed that Derek Anderson will be the Cardinals' starting QB this year.

well if he's alright at handing the ball to hightower we might make up a couple hundred yards of offense for the season....

tallaghtoutlaws

Adam wrote: »

well if he's alright at handing the ball to hightower we might make up a couple hundred yards of offense for the season....

Anderson is a better QB than Leinart.

Adam

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Anderson is a better QB than Leinart.

oh i know, i wasn't comparing QBs, my point/sarcastic joke was that Anderson isn't going to throw screamers all season long so we're going to have to build a running game fast!

mikemac

Was amazed that the Cardinals didn't go for Mark Bulger.

He is quality and didn't always get a chance to show it with the Rams.

And now one of the highest paid backups in the NFL, now with the Ravens.

I do agree Anderson is better then Leinart but Bulger was better then both and a proven starter.

davyjose

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Anderson is a better QB than Leinart.

Why do you think so Tallaght? They've both had mediocre NFL careers so far, but at least leinart had a monster college career.

Anderson has had more opportunity than Leinart, but he was on the same team as Kurt Warner.

I'd say they're 50:50, but the fact that Leinart was supposedly the no1 QB, and hardly put a foot wrong in the preseason, it surprises me he's being sidelined tbh.

tallaghtoutlaws

davyjose wrote: »

Why do you think so Tallaght? They've both had mediocre NFL careers so far, but at least leinart had a monster college career.

Anderson has had more opportunity than Leinart, but he was on the same team as Kurt Warner.

I'd say they're 50:50, but the fact that Leinart was supposedly the no1 QB, and hardly put a foot wrong in the preseason, it surprises me he's being sidelined tbh.

Leinart came into the NFL banking on his college career and his attitude has proven that recently. My own personal preference is to Anderson and I feel now he is away from the god awful Browns he will show us he is capable of being a starting QB. How Leinart wasn't able to prove himself with that WR corp is beyond me.

davyjose

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Leinart came into the NFL banking on his college career and his attitude has proven that recently. My own personal preference is to Anderson and I feel now he is away from the god awful Browns he will show us he is capable of being a starting QB. How Leinart wasn't able to prove himself with that WR corp is beyond me.

I think Leinart was guilty of that a few years ago. Now I feel he's genuinely aware of the work it takes to be an NFL QB. Remember, the cards receiving corp had one of the most accurate QB's the game has ever seen. No disrespect intended, but it was never going to be an overnight success with Leinart.

I think the cards need to look at where they want to be in another three, four, five years. Are they going to stick with Anderson that long? Elite QB's don't grow on trees, and leinart might not be elite, but I think he's got more chance of being an NFL QB in 5 years, than Anderson does.

tallaghtoutlaws

davyjose wrote: »

I think Leinart was guilty of that a few years ago. Now I feel he's genuinely aware of the work it takes to be an NFL QB. Remember, the cards receiving corp had one of the most accurate QB's the game has ever seen. No disrespect intended, but it was never going to be an overnight success with Leinart.

I think the cards need to look at where they want to be in another three, four, five years. Are they going to stick with Anderson that long? Elite QB's don't grow on trees, and leinart might not be elite, but I think he's got more chance of being an NFL QB in 5 years, than Anderson does.

Have you followed the NFL news recently? Leinart hasn't exactly made himself look rosey.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/01/matt-leinart-faces-uphill-battle-to-be-a-starter-again/

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/01/one-way-or-another-leinart-looks-to-be-done-in-the-desert/

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/01/matt-leinart-doesnt-want-to-be-a-backup-quarterback/

He doesn't get on with Wisenhunt, He stated he should be starting:

"He's done enough in this league ... he wants to be a starter somewhere."

Source:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/126481/index.html?eref=twitter_feed

Dude has an attitude problem simple as.

davyjose

Yeah, I know he's had issues with being overlooked by Wisenhunt this preseason. Reading between the lines, I'm not entirely sure Wisenhunt was 100% honest with him. Look at it from Leiarts situation -- he's the fans favourite (ahead of Warner), starts (ahead of Warner), and plays poorly. he gets benched, and Warner plays some of the best football ever seen by a QB.

I honestly believe that Leinart saw that as some kind of apprenticeship -- sitting behind a great, learning the trade, before taking over. Why else would a Heismann winning, 1st round pick sit around for so long? Now suddenly, he's being benched again -- this time for a mediocre QB! Can't blame the guy for feeling a little ripped off?

tallaghtoutlaws

davyjose wrote: »

Yeah, I know he's had issues with being overlooked by Wisenhunt this preseason. Reading between the lines, I'm not entirely sure Wisenhunt was 100% honest with him. Look at it from Leiarts situation -- he's the fans favourite (ahead of Warner), starts (ahead of Warner), and plays poorly. he gets benched, and Warner plays some of the best football ever seen by a QB.

I honestly believe that Leinart saw that as some kind of apprenticeship -- sitting behind a great, learning the trade, before taking over. Why else would a Heismann winning, 1st round pick sit around for so long? Now suddenly, he's being benched again -- this time for a mediocre QB! Can't blame the guy for feeling a little ripped off?

Did you read the articles though? The reason I ask is down to Boldin's comments about Leinart. It is clear there are players in the locker room that don't like him and Boldins comments back that up. This has been supported by many others in the media recently.

For me Gruden gives a good summary of the situation:

ESPN's Jon Gruden, a Super Bowl-winning coach and quarterback expert, just gave a very blunt assessment of why Matt Leinart hasn't panned out in Arizona. There are multiple reports the Cardinals are actively trying to trade the former USC star, picked 10th in the 2006 draft.

"I just say he hasn't performed," Gruden said Wednesday morning on the network's "Monday Night Football" conference call. "He hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities. He's clearly been average. He hasn't been a guy who's really taken control and choked the opportunity that's been given to him, and obviously there's something missing there.

"Ken Whisenhunt has been watching him closely -- a young guy that has been put in place there in the first round to be the future of the franchise, and he hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities with an outstanding supporting cast. And for that reason I believe the Arizona Cardinals are looking to improve the position. It's that simple.

"There's a lot of guys who don't realize their potential. That's not to say he won't in the future. But the people that know him best in Arizona don't believe he can take them where they want to go, and for that reason they're going to try to upgrade the position."

But also for those who haven't read the PFT article i think is a good read on the whole thing:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/01/matt-leinart-faces-uphill-battle-to-be-a-starter-again/

The Last few Paragraphs stand out: So what has happened with Leinart? It arguably all started in 2005, when he opted not to enter the draft despite winning both the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. He has nothing else to prove at the college level, but he wanted to spend another year as the big man on campus in lieu of embracing the challenge of becoming an NFL-caliber quarterback. It prompted legitimate questions as to whether he truly loves the game, or whether he loves being a celebrity.

Every player has a ceiling on his abilities, and for many it resides between the college and NFL level. Some players have the physical ability, mental capacity, and intestinal fortitude to bust through it. Some don't.

Leinart, at least through four-plus years of his career, doesn't have it. He entered the NFL with an entitlement mentality fueled by years of being surrounded by blue-chip players at every position. At the pro level, he learned that it's no longer easy, and he hasn't been able or willing to do anything about it.

Bottom line? No one will want him as a backup until he shows that he'll accept that role. And no one will install him as a starter based on the things he has done in Arizona.

The real question will arise if (when) he's cut on Saturday. Will Pete Carroll give him a roster spot? Or will Pete realize that the concerns he once expressed regarding Mark Sanchez apply with equal if not greater force to Leinart?

davyjose

There's a few misnomers in there, though. First off, it wasn't four years, it was a year and a half, and he definitely did screw up, but then lost his place to a man who, in the last 8 games of 2007, rivalled Tom brady, and continued at that level for another two years. Leinart could never compete with that -- and neither could a 24 year old Manning or a twenty four year old Brady have. In one way, it's admirable he sat in the shadow of a great. rodgers gets praised for doing the same.
The criticism of him staying an extra year in college is BS -- I've seen as many QB's getting slated for not staying a 4th year, as I have for staying. being an excellent college QB should not be a punishment at this level.

The Boldin Quotes, well, he doesn't seem to condemn Leinart, he simply seems to say it would never worked between Wisenhunt and him. In which case, why weren't the cards trading him two seasons ago. That's before Boldin made it clear he didn't really care anymore.

I hold serious doubts that you can be a Heismann winner, and BCS champion, and lack talent or ambition. You're looking at a fairly high standard of football when you get to National champions level, IMO.

I'm not entirely throwing myself in the Leinart camp, but I do think Arizona are mad not giving the guy a decent shot.

tallaghtoutlaws

davyjose wrote: »

The criticism of him staying an extra year in college is BS -- I've seen as many QB's getting slated for not staying a 4th year, as I have for staying. being an excellent college QB should not be a punishment at this level.

He could have went in the top 2 had he left college a year earlier and the recent articles are not the first time to suggest Leinart favoured the party life and big man on campus attitude over going a year earlier.

The Boldin Quotes, well, he doesn't seem to condemn Leinart, he simply seems to say it would never worked between Wisenhunt and him. In which case, why weren't the cards trading him two seasons ago. That's before Boldin made it clear he didn't really care anymore.

Maybe Wisenhunt wanted Leinart to prove himself. The differences between the two have always been there it has been said many time over the last 2 days. As to why the Cards never got rid of him earlier who knows the answer to that. But one thing is clear he didn't see eye to eye with his Coach.

I hold serious doubts that you can be a Heismann winner, and BCS champion, and lack talent or ambition. You're looking at a fairly high standard of football when you get to National champions level, IMO.

Ryan Leaf???? Granted only a Heisman finalist but prime example of a guy who favoured the good life over a high standard of football. Success at any level can bring out the big head in some folk. Just because Leinart won the BCS and the Heisman doesn't make him exempt from favouring the good life.



In my opinion he hasn't done enough. And it is clear he fell out with his coach over the last few seasons. Wrong thing to do if you are looking for your shot.

frostie500

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

In my opinion he hasn't done enough. And it is clear he fell out with his coach over the last few seasons. Wrong thing to do if you are looking for your shot.

I'd have to agree, I liked Leinart at USC and think he was one of the best college players I've seen in my twelve or so years watching the game. He hasn't transitioned well to playing in the pros at all. He clearly has an attitude problem, seems that its based on a sense of entitlement as a high draft pick and he has maturity issues. A qb is supposed to be a leader but has anyone heard anyone from the Arizona Cardinals say anything truely positive about Leinart in recent years? I havent heard anything that would make me believe anyone views him as their QB of the future, and that has to be the most telling thing about him as a starter in that organisation

Peyton Manning

The Bills and Raiders have called out Adam Schefter on his bullshít reports about interest in Leinart. Fabricated the whole thing, both teams have said they have no interest in Leinart whatsoever and never so much as expressed a slight interest. ESPN strikes again. :rolleyes:

eagle eye

Archimedes wrote: »

The Bills and Raiders have called out Adam Schefter on his bullshít reports about interest in Leinart. Fabricated the whole thing, both teams have said they have no interest in Leinart whatsoever and never so much as expressed a slight interest. ESPN strikes again. :rolleyes:

Its really sad too because Schefter was the one you could depend on but whatever it is about ESPN, as soon as they join up they start making up stories.

mikemac

With all the talk of cuts I forgot to post one good story

No. 3 Victor Cruz, a undrafted free agent makes the NY Giants team. Grew up in New Jersey, just a few miles from the stadium.

No matter what the team, I love seeing undrafted players getting a shot and he was super in the preseason and I was watching out this week to see if was getting cut.

FreeOSCAR

Revis signs

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81a4d456/article/peace-at-last-revis-agrees-to-new-jets-deal-ending-holdout?module=HP_headlines