GarageGabs

Well, I haven’t posted in quite some time, but I had a very dear friend request my opinion on the whole Brett Favre situation.  I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’ve followed this all too closely.  Quite frankly, I grew tired of the whole thing….several years ago.

See, as most people know, this isn’t Favre’s first time pulling this sort of stunt.  More than once he’s left the Packers in limbo as to whether he would return or not.  He’d mull around for half the summer and finally make a decision at the last moment.  I always had a problem with that.  Never really rung as a “team” player to me.  I mean, let’s be real….running an NFL franchise takes an immense amount of planning.  Probably one of the more important places to start is with your quarterback.  If you aren’t solid on him returning for an upcoming season, well, life is in limbo.

Also, Favre is the same guy that criticized Javon Walker for holding out a couple years back. Favre publically stated that Walker was hurting the team and needed to report to camp.  Something along the lines of “take whatever they’ll give you and just play”.  Commenting on a teammates contract situation (especially when you come out against the player) is a BIG NO NO.  Yeah, these guys get paid millions to play a game but the NFL presents one of the more unstable job atmospheres possible.  I don’t even know why they’re called contracts, because players can get cut anytime.  Also, how often to you hear ownership speaking out against ownership?  Never.  Players should stick together, or at worst, keep their mouths shut in regard to such situations.  Obviously, the idea of “if you can’t say nothing nice, don’t say nothing at all” was beyond Favre.  Brett was the LAST PERSON that should have commented on Walker’s situation.  JERK.

Anyway, back to the present.  I got wind of this deal when it all started.  ESPN big-timers started reporting that Favre was having “second thoughts” about his retirement.  Of course, Brett sat back and said nothing.  Packers brass said the rumors were untrue.  I could be wrong, but seems like Favre even came out and said it wasn’t true.  Next thing ya know, it was true.  Favre definitely had the itch to return to the football field.  Why did he take so long to confirm the rumors?

Problem was, the Packers had already planned to move on without Favre.  They’ve been grooming 1st round pick Aaron Rodgers to take over the team in 2008.  Remember, it was Favre who cried at a press conference while announcing his retirement.  Favre got dirty and said that the Packers somehow had him retire.  Rodgers played it perfectly, not saying a word.

One thing led to another.  Packers brass said, sure you can come back, but most likely in a backup role.  Favre stated that he didn’t want to be a backup.  He wanted the Packers to move him or release him.  Apparently the Packers offered him 30 million dollars to just quit.  They then agreed to move him to another team, which hasn’t happened.  Now, he’s been reinstated by the NFL and is gonna show up to Packers camp.  Honestly, I believe the Packers are dragging their feet to keep Favre out of an NFL camp, thus, keeping him from getting any sort of head start on the upcoming season.

What a HUGE mess.

My opinion?  Favre is the biggest cry-baby on the planet.  I get it that he wants to play.  But dude, seriously, make up your mind.  Imagine if year after year you threatened your boss that you were gonna quit.  Then, finally, one year they had a big going away party for you, complete with cake & ice cream, all your co-workers wished you off, and your replacement (an up and coming college graduate) stepped in to take over your duties.  After a couple months, you call up the office and say…”Hi, can I have my job back?”

Brett Favre Retires

How is your boss supposed to take that?  Brett Favre being Brett Favre obviously makes things somewhat difficult.  I mean, he is one of the more storied (and overrated) quarterbacks in NFL history.  Favre owns tons of NFL passing records, (including most interceptions) and is a shoe in for the Hall of Fame….whenever his time comes up.  Green Bay is scared to let the guy go.  Be it fear of ruining his legacy or fear that he’ll come back to beat them in 2008….they’re scared.

My advice?  Let the dude hit the road.  Send him to Kansas City or the Jets where he can have a mediocre season and more than likely miss the playoffs.  Keep in mind that last season was an abnormality on the radar for Favre.  His 28 TD’s and 15 Interceptions were well above the pace he was setting his previous two seasons (38 TD, 47 INT).  Favre isn’t gonna join some other team and blow up.  He’s going to struggle.  He’s going to get sacked.  Hell, he’ll probably get hurt.

Anyway, now, when you think of Brett Favre, you’ll think of this.  Gone will be his all or nothing playing style.  People will just remember him crying and then un-retiring, and then making a big deal out of it.  Maybe he’ll be remembered for leading the Chiefs (or some other run of the mill team) to a 6-10 record in his final season.  Maybe he’ll start for Green Bay?  Who knows.  Either way, it’s a big mess, he created it, and his team is paying for it.  For all the flack guys like Terrell Owens catch for being “distractions” Brett Favre tops them ALL.  Favre has thrown any idea of team player out the door in favor for selfishness and “I’m Brett Favre, let me play” attitude.  I’ve never been a big fan of the guy, always felt he was overrated, (1 Super Bowl Ring with all those great Packer teams) and at times, I’ve thought his gunslinger mentality hurt the team more than helping it.

Brett Favre wants to come back.  WHO CARES.  The guy was hyped too much when he played, and now we continually hear about him when he’s not.

E very so often we are blessed with smallish, white, slot receivers that are blessed with any one of the following: Fantastic Hands, great route running, blazing speed, Unusually high “awareness”, or in this case, just flat out SICK moves. Check out Wes Welker doing his best Dante Hall impression on the Chargers:

Moves like that aren’t really new to Welker

Now, in tribute to Welker, an in depth look at some other smallish white guy WR’s throughout the years.

Fred Biletnikoff: Never known for great speed or athleticism, Biletnikoff made his name with perfect route running and fantastic hands. His numbers pale in comparison to today’s run & gun offenses, but Biletnikoff was one of the best wide receivers of his day, and of all time. A 6 time pro-bowler and MVP of Super Bowl 11, Biletnikoff will always be the poster boy for overcoming athletic ability with sheer desire. A true Raider.

Golden Richards: Best known as a Dallas Cowboy, Richards was a speedster out of Hawaii. Despite only catching 122 career passes & 17 TD’s, Richards had a knack for catching the deep ball. During his 5 years in Dallas he had scoring catches of 53, 52, 58, 46, 43, & 62 yards. His most memorable catch was a 29 yard TD from fullback Robert Newhouse in Super Bowl XXII.

Mike Renfro: One of my personal favorites. I grew up watching Renfro catch passes from Danny White as a Dallas Cowboy. Much like Biletnikoff, Renfro wasn’t blessed with great physical attributes, but was a skilled route runner with great hands. Renfro was probably best known for making the catch that wasn’t during his Oiler days. Renfro caught what appeared to be a game tying TD in the 1979 AFC Championship game vs. Pittsburgh. Officials ruled that Renfro didn’t get both feet in bounds (NBC replays showed Renfro got both feet in) and the Oilers ended up settling for a field goal. The call reportedly became the moment that the NFL seriously began to consider using instant replay as a means of officiating. Renfro never had a 1,000 yard season.

Steve Largent: Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes actually called Largent “the master of tomfoolery”. Largent was another guy that lacked speed and size but made up for it with everything else. Lateral quickness, precise route running, exceptional hands, and just good old trickiness made Largent one of the best receivers of all time. When he retired he held NFL records for most catches, yards, and TD’s (all of which have since been broken by Jerry Rice). Largent appeared in 7 pro-bowls and caught exactly 100 NFL TD’s. After his NFL career, Largent became a U.S. Congressman.

Tom Waddle: Ok, this guy had zero athletic ability. In fact, he was often referred to as “the slow white guy”. Despite this moniker, (or perhaps because of it) Waddle was a fan favorite in Chicago. In 1991, due to lack of depth in the Bears receiving corps, Tom Waddle somehow became the Bears “go-to” guy. He capped the season off vs. Dallas in a divisional playoff loss by grabbing 9 passes for 104 yards and 1 TD. Many of the catches were “acrobatic”, and Waddle was often assisted to the sidelines after getting plastered by Dallas defenders. The Chicago crowd actually began to chant “Waddle, Waddle, Waddle”. That 1991 season earned him a spot on the “All-Madden” team. By 1992, Waddle had become a starter & caught a game winning TD in the opener with only 1 second remaining. He further delighted fans later in the year by burning Deion Sanders for a TD. Waddle fizzled out after 1993 as the Bears began to look for more speed at wide receiver. He caught 9 career TD’s.

Tim Dwight: 5′8″ of pure speed. The ultimate do-it-all guy. Dwight scored 17 receiving TD’s, 3 rushing TD’s, 2 kickoff return TD’s, and 3 punt return TD’s. Honestly, I’m not quite sure if he’s still in the league, he spent last season with the New York Jets. Just a pure burner, who if he had a sliver of room….was gone.

Steve Tasker: Another guy that was absolutely loved by fans. Tasker made his name as a special teams demon (got him to 7 pro bowls), but would occasionally catch a ball or return a punt. Tasker finished his career with 9 TD catches and is now in the Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame.

Don Beebe: Best known for running down Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII & knocking the ball out of his hands, Beebe was actually a pretty good receiver. In 9 NFL seasons, Beebe scored 25 TD’s; 23 receiving, 1 kickoff return, and 1 fumble recovery.

Wayne Chrebet: 5′10″, undrafted out of Hofstra. Somehow this guy survived for 11 NFL seasons. Another fan favorite (see the trend? fans relate with people their size or smaller), Chrebet caught 41 TD’s and tallied one 1,000 yard season. Chrebet was known as “Mr. 3rd Down” because 379 of his 580 career receptions were 1st downs. Chrebet had his career ended prematurely due to a concussion. Despite being unconscious and lying on the field for several minutes, Chrebet still made that final 3rd down grab, symbolic of his entire career.

Ed McCaffrey: Doesn’t really qualify because he’s 6′5″, but he still had the prototypical white wide receiver skill set. A very good receiver in his day, caught 55 career TD’s.

Today’s Smallish White Wide Receivers: Just a few of the guys that join Wes Welker these days

Brandon Stokely

Kevin Curtis

Mike Furrey

Who’d I forget? I know I didn’t think of all the smallish white guys. Let me know who I forgot!

Absolutely Freaking Hilarious.  You had to have seen THIS VIDEO to get it.

Only a few more months until football season.  Not to be left out of this video are many of the throws from Drew Brees, who really has become a great NFL quarterback.

Two weeks after after making the Hall Of Fame, ESPN has decided to let Michael Irvin ride into the sunset.  You know the routine, Irvin has been working with the network since 2003 but has ruffled a few feathers due to his off the wall comments.  Of course, ESPN says that this was simply a talent decision.  Either way, Irvin now has the opportunity to chase what I’m sure will be a storied career on the big screen.

I never really had a problem with Michael Irvin.  So what, he always had T.O.’s back, (Irvin was one of the FEW that told felt ESPN was jumping the gun) he thought Tony Romo might be black, he wore loud obnoxious suits, and yeah, he was usually loud and obnoxious himself.  I’ll take Irvin over Steve ‘I have no personality’ Young any day.  Also, I wonder if Michael Irvin would have sat back and let Rush Limbaugh say what he did about Donovan McNabb like Tom Jackson did??  You can’t tell me you aren’t tired of Chris Berman?  I think I lot of people disliked Irvin for many different reasons, but he actually wasn’t that bad of a studio guy.

Breaking: Michael Irvin Out At ESPN   (The Big Lead)

Michael Irvin Not Returning To ESPN  ( Dallas Morning News)

ESPN is reporting that the Chargers have fired Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer 

I just don’t get this move.  Well, yeah I do….sorta.  After losing both coordinators and a couple of other coaches, Chargers brass decided that the Marty headache just wasn’t worth it any more.

Whatever.  The guy got you to 14-2 with an untested QB and no real wide receivers.  Also, everyone knows that Marty and G.M. A.J. Smith do not get along.  The Chargers aren’t trying to hide that this was the biggest part of the equation.  So now the Chargers are left without a coaching staff in what is a very thin head coaching market.  There just aren’t any big names left.  I’ll have more on this later, I just wanted to jump in while the jumping was good.

I know I didn’t.  If you didn’t, it appears you missed a fairly good game as the NFC rallied from 28-14 with 3 minutes remaining, only to have victory snatched from them as time expired.

Trailing 28-14, Steven Jackson scored from 4 yards out for the NFC who then failed on a 2 point conversion, leaving the score at 28-20.  Then, Ronde Barber recovered an onside kick, Tony Romo found Anquan Boldin for a 47 yard TD pass, and finally hit Steve Smith for a 2 point conversion, knotting things up at 28.

Carson Palmer got the AFC over midfield and then was aided as Adrian Wilson interfered with Chad Johnson at the goal line.  Wilson thought the ball had been tipped.  Nate Kaeding came in and kicked a 21 yard game winning field goal, giving the AFC a 31-28 win.

In the “go figure” moment of the game, Drew Brees played just 2 series before leaving the game with a dislocated elbow.  Sweet huh?

Anyway, I wish I would have at least DVR’d the game, I’ve heard that Tony Romo had to do some holding on kicks, I wonder how that went.  Also, this was Tiki Barber’s last pro effort,  he ran for 4 yards on 7 carries, caught an 8 yard pass, and did score the games 1st TD, a 5 yarder.

Ok, I really tried to take up for Sean Salisbury, but now he leaves me no choice.  Salisbury, who has been under constant attack from the blogging community just doesn’t know how to let things die it seems.  Most of us here in what Salisbury considers some “alternate realm” listened to this audio and concluded that he did use the word “jew” BUT he didn’t mean anything by it.  Even Deadspin (Obi Wan to Sean’s Vader) kinda let things drop by saying…here’s the audio, you decide.  Story over.  No big deal, you accidentally used the word “jew”.  It happens, you were talking fast, and a different word than intended came out of your mouth.

Well, Sean couldn’t let it ride.  In a Chicago Tribune Article Sean said the following:

“I said crunch and chew. I don’t know where a Jewish comment would have any place in talking about a quarterback driving down the field. If a blogger heard what he wanted to hear, there’s nothing I could do about that. But I didn’t say anything remotely close.  People who know me know when it comes to religion, race, color, sexual preference, those things don’t matter to me.  At some point you’ve got to defend yourself. We’ve all made mistakes, but that wasn’t a mistake.”

Ok, now he’s asking for it.  No one heard what they wanted to hear.  We all heard you use the word “Jew” and didn’t feel it was a big deal.  Your character wasn’t being assaulted, you were being let off the hook for misspeaking.  It happens.  I suggest that Salisbury actually sit down and listen to the audio himself and see if he said anything “remotely close” to the word “Jew”.  Why not just admit you misspoke?  When you get SO defensive you start to seem a bit guilty.  No one is asking you to say you hate Jews or admit that you care about sexual preference….but you said the word Sean.  I’m sure this story is going to carry on even further now.  Yes, I believe the blogging community has it out for Salisbury….but not nearly as much as he has it out for the bloggers.  The great thing about blogging is the opinions of viewers/readers are allowed all the time, for all to see.  With venues such as ESPN you get your news from their homers and that’s just how it be.

Sean Salisbury Should Probably Relax A Little Bit  (Deadspin)

Sean Salisbury Audio  (Pro Football Talk)

Chicago Tribune Article 

Sean “The Greek” Salisbury  (GarageGabs)

Ok, at this point, I’m starting to feel bad for Sean Salisbury, a guy whom I previously didn’t care for.  First, he got hit with the whole penis picture thing.  Now, it appears he used the word “JEW” as he described Peyton Manning and the Colts overcoming adversity.
Here is what I think he said:

“No need to panic, we’ll nip, we’ll tuck, we’ll go, we’ll punch, we’ll jew,  we’ll do it all, and they nickeled and dimed em, and Peyton made the play when it mattered.”

Profootballtalk.com was kind enough to extract the actual audio, so you can listen for yourself.

I really don’t see the big deal.  I think he used the word “jew” but I don’t think he intended to.  I think maybe he meant to say juke….who knows.  Either way, I bet he gets fired for this.  ESPN is reporting that he said “chew”, so obviously, they are a bit worried as to the implications.  Seriously though, people always complain about living in such a PC world, and now we are ragging this poor guy to death.  I for one, am going to let up on Salisbury.  Everything reported about him has been pure speculation, he’s probably just a normal guy, just like the rest of us.  He obviously has a passion for football.  Good luck with this one Sean.

The Salisbury Audio: Decide For Yourself  (Deadspin)

If you haven’t heard, it appears Donovan McNabb has been a bit upset with the Eagles since his knee surgery. According to ESPN he has 3 gripes, one of which I agree with. Apparently, McNabb wanted to travel with the team during the playoffs, but he wasn’t allowed to because of a team rule. I agree with McNabb on this one, I think you make exceptions to all rules from time to time. This is a time where I would have made an exception if the guy wants to be with the team.

The other two gripes are just McNabb at his McVery best. According to sources that are “close to McNabb” (ummm, ok) he gets the feeling that many of his teammates prefer Jeff Garcia over him. Quite honestly, it doesn’t surprise me that this might actually be happening or that McNabb would be upset by it. I’ve been urging people to read Terrell Owens’s book T.O. for several months now just to get an idea of what kind of a heel McNabb is. Owens made it pretty clear that McNabb HAD TO BE the face of the Eagles. This latest report only validates Owens theory.

McNabb is also upset at how his mother is being portrayed by the media and by Eagles fans for comments she wrote in her blog: Evidently she said something to the effect of: watching the Eagles win without Donovan was “bittersweet”. Hey, Donovan, I totally understand you being upset at how someone in your family is being portrayed…but guess what? Your mom opens herself up to public scrutiny by

A. Appearing in commercials.

B. Having a blog where she discusses the Eagles. Yeah, I’ve got a blog myself, and I am open to public scrutiny as well. However, my opinion or commentary isn’t really all that important to anyone, as I am not related to any NFL stars.

So what happens in Philly? Not much, if they let McNabb go, they are insane. Jeff Garcia had a nice run, but he isn’t the future, past, or present of this team. They need to bring BOTH guys back, with McNabb being the starter, Garcia waiting in the wings.

McNabb isn’t the only person sounding off recently. Terrell Owens fired some jabs at departing Bill Parcells, comparing him to his grandmother:

“I am just hoping his retirement brings promise to what the team has to offer,” Owens said. “This past year was a big letdown. On paper we were as good as anybody we played against every week. The end result didn’t show that. Our play was not indicative of what we could have done. What we should have done. Hopefully, the owner will hire a coach to take the team to the next level.”

I’m no longer going to attempt to defend Owens. I think he is seriously blaming 2006 on Bill Parcells. Well, he might be right. Having known a couple of alchoholics in my life, Bill Parcells was what is called an “enabler” for Owens. Parcells, in his old age, allowed Owens to pretty much have his run with things, and it led to a pretty weird season. Just think, if Owens catches the easy TD vs. Washington, Dallas is seeded higher….honestly, I believe Dallas lost a couple games thanks to T.O.’s lack of catching ability. Not that I’ve ever pointed a finger at the guy, but if you are going to point fingers at coach…well, look in the mirror T.O. I can’t believe Owens thinks that coaching was part of the problem. If you are keeping score that’s Terrell Owens 1, Dallas Cowboys 0.