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“NFL-12 Month Calendar-Screwed Up”

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The ‘Good Ole Days’…that’s what some people call them.

Back in the day the NFL used to play 7-exhibition games, that’s right.

In those days clubs could bring in 120-players to camp to survive the rigors of two-a-days and all those preseason games.

In that the NFL has now become all about money, and the Union has gotten so powerful, lots of things have changed.

Included in preseason are lots of new rules, but many say not for the better.

Over the last two years, the NFL invoked limitations in off-season workoouts.

Complaints mounted that football was becoming an 11-month a year job, and that players had little or no time to recover from the wear and tear of a 16-games schedule, with post games added on.

With cutbacks negotiated thru the union, players were barred from practice facilities for a near 3-month span.

Teams now have a 90-man roster limit.

You now have a 3-day rookie orientation camp in May right after the draft..

They added 3-weeks of OTA workouts, with limited time on the field in helmets and shells, no pads, no contact, but more teaching and film work than actual on the field activity.

Preseason camp under the new rules has virtually done away with 2-a-day drills. Now a padded practice and a walk thru. Days in pads and contact workouts have been limited to alternating days in practice.

The NFL put an arcane rule into effect that draft picks cannot take part in OTA drills, if their schools have yet held graduation ceremonies. Ridiculous considering virtually all draft picks drop out of school in January to train for the combine, and they are not student-athletes when the OTA’s start.

But we still have a four game preseason schedule. We still have heavy criticism that it is nothing more than a money grab.

And we have lots more injuries, preseason thru regular season.

The NFL, plagued by a concussion crisis, now has problems too with massive numbers of ruptured achilles tendons and ACL injuries. Many believe it is a by-product of less off-season team-training sessions.

Two years removed from the installation of all these new off-season rules, changes are in the offing.

Coaches want more off season access to players to teach fundamentals, install systems, and get them in better game shape. Players themselves say they need more coaching.

GM’s want more time to evaluate their younger players, and need that in off season camps.

Roger Goodell wants the 4th preseason game dropped. He wants it replaced by just a rookie scrimmage. He may push to add extra weeks to the OTA schedules in the spring as a teaching tool.

Of course it has been rumored, the NFL would really consider dropping the one preseason game, if they could add games to the regular schedule, going from 16-to-18 games.

That will never pass because of the injury crisis in the league. Goodell should count up how many players are on NFL-IR by the last week of December. And you want to add a 17th and 18th game to the schedule?

Oh that’s right, because the NFL is all about making more money, isn’t it.

So as the NFL preseason schedule kicks into high gear tonight, teams will hardly play starters, will charge full ticket prices to see rookies and free agents, and will try to avoid catastrophic injuries.

Somewhere between what the NFL used to be in the off season, to where they are now, there has to be a middle ground.

Most feel the season is too long, but now they gripe the off season is too short.

Everyone seems to be getting screwed. The coaches don’t have enough time to evaluate players. The players get hurt. The fans get charged high ticket prices.

And Jerry Jones, Bob Kraft and Dean Spanos all make more money.

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“College Football-None So Blind-Those Refuse to See”

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The college coaches football poll is out, and it is so very important to everyone who roots, cheers, writes checks for the Power 5-Football powers.

So Alabama, with its dynamic QB-Jalen Hurts, is preseason ranked one. No argument there.

Florida State, loaded with talent, per the norm, is ranked 2nd in the country.

Ohio State, with a stable of running backs and its Buckeye defense is 3rd in the nation.

And USC is returning to glory, with QB-Sam Darold leading a parade of talent that stormed to the finish line after a (1-2) start.

But missing in the top 25, is the team that finished the Bowl season in the Top 25…San Diego State.

You remember them?

The Aztecs, who beat Josh Allen in Laramie in the MWC-championship game, and then smoked the Houston Cougars in their bowl game.

They return a ton of talent, led by the 3rd year QB-Christian Chapman (13-3) as a starter, and thousand yard rusher Rashaad Penny, and its defensive front seven, and its great field goal kicker John Barron…and above all, coach Rocky Long

Oh by the way, SDSU gets Boise State here, the team that they have started to beat with regularity. They play an unheard of 7-home games this year, including Stanford, preseason ranked too.

Of course the Aztecs did not get ranked. Agonizing to see Boise State ranked ahead of them in the poll too, knowing that the Aztecs have been them multiple times now over the past few seasons .

Go figure the voters, uninformed, not paying much attention, the same group of people that had SDSU finish in the top 25-to end the season.

The same thing happened to the little guy on the other street corner, in Division 1-AA football..

Dale Lindsey’s USD Toreros, the perennial Pioneer Champion.

The Blue put together another great season, getting into the polls, and then winning a playoff game at Cal Poly-the school that gives out 63-scholarships.

Befitting, the voters did the same thing to USD. Did not rank them, but ranked Cal Poly, despite what happened last season-post season.

Well we will wait to see what kind of message USD delivers with QB-Anthony Lawrence, TE-Russ DeWilley and pass rusher Jonathon Peterson, and a talent laden returning roster.

It would be nice if somebody nationally, these coaches, and these pollsters actually paid attention, and might try to recall what these coaches and their kids did last year at SDSU and USD.

Last I checked, it would mean a lot to a lot of people who pour time, money and heart into the Red & Black and the Blue. It is just as meaningful as it is in Tuscaloosa and other spots on the college football road map

The pollsters, none so blind as those who refuse to see, how good these teams here, are.

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“Why Do That?”

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Controversy here-there-everywhere.

Miami…So they sign Jay Cutler to a 1-year contract worth 13M. When last seen, he was quarterbacking Chicago into another losing season. He was such a hot commodity on the free agent market, he didn’t get one offer. And now Miami, losing starter Ryan Tannehill to knee surgery, chooses him over you-know-who?

San Francisco…Colin Kaeperneck remains unemployed. Is it because he is toxic or talent-less. In an NFL that hires women abusers, past drug users, and guys suspeneded for domestic abuse and DUIs, the ex-49ers quarterback is being penalize for speaking his mind, as unpopular as his public stance might be. Can you say blackballed despite the lst Amendment.

Washington…Robert Griffin III is still unemployed, but this probably has more to do with his dropoff in talent post knee and shoulder injuries. That and the fact he has yet to prove he can be a quality pocket passing quarterback.

Waiting and Watching…how fast DeShone Kiser gets on the field in Cleveland as quarterback, after impressive OTA’s and work last week in camp.

Wating and Watching #2…Houston says Tom Savage starts at QB-but to hear coach Bill O’Brien say it, Clemson rookie Deshaun Watson is the most impressive rookie QB he has ever seen.

Waiting and Watching #3…It might be awhile, like maybe a whole year plus before Mitch Trubisky gets to play for the Bears and Patrick Mahomes goes at Kansas City. Their work in mini-camps and now thru week one of preseason has been real shaky…interceptions..bad throws…timing..

Keeping score of mistakes….You’d fill a notebook with the problems surrounding the operation of the Rams. Yes they have Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, but that’s about all. The offensive line is in constant shuffle. They dumped lst round draft pick Greg Robinson, a two year failure. They are letting CB-Trumaine Johnson walk after this year as a franchise-tagged free agent. They let their other top corner Janoris Jenkins go a year ago to free agency. They have the Aaron Donald holdout-grossly underpaying the highly productive defensive tackle. They have 14-wide receivers in camp but no deep threats. Can you say football driven dysfunction? GM-Les Snead goes to the front of the line on GM-Death Watch, and we haven’t even started the season.

Where is Johnny Football….Johnny Manziel isn’t going to any NFL camp…but it is a mystery why he has not sales pitched himself to go to the CFL, where the Hamilton Ti-Cats, who own his rights, haven’t met with him. You know those TiCats if you follow the CFL. They are (0-6) and were beaten a week ago by the Calgary Stampeders (60-1)…yes (60-1) in a game.

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“Superstar Comments from Hall of Famers”

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They laughed, they joked, they teared up at the podium. They told stories, they remembered, they looked forward also. They spoke about football, racism, opportunity and culture.

It was a unique cross section of thoughts in the acceptance speeches at the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Some of their best quotes

LaDainian Tomlinson
..Did Deeper..Run Harder
..I have gratitude for God and my family
..We have a responsiblity beyond football to everyone
..Honor him and God will take you places
..Time to be part of the solution-be part of the change
..Relationship with the Spanos family-most important of my life
..Marty Schottenheimer-best coach I ever had
..I represent the next generation of Tomlinson’s
..Father-stepfather-gave me heart and love

..If this was my final speech on earth..170-years ago my great-great-great grandfather came here on a slave ship…his owner Tomlinson-the slave holder-gave him this last name…he grew up on Tomlinson hill a slave plantation…I come from a mixed family…God chose me to bring two races together…I am an American story..US should become Team America…We should dedicated ourselves to be Team America
Yes we can.
——-

Jerry Jones
..Winning is the name of the game
..Canton is the birthplace of football
..I was on the 13th unit at Arkansas
..Frank Broyles-my coach-most important part game-4th quarter
..We are in the 4th quarter of life
..My philosophy-grit your teeth-buckle your chinstrap
..Life is about battles and wills
..Keep on keeping on.
..Tom Landry is the Dallas Cowboys
..Jimmy Johnson-great team leader
..Football changes lives
..NFL is about urgency
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Kenny Easely
..Grateful be among your ranks-religion and football
..Black Lives Matter-So do all lives
..Stop carnage among black men
——–

Jason Taylor
..Jimmy Johnson-guide-pioneer-believer-dream maker
..Agent-Gary Wichard-father I never had
..No bigger blessing than to be a father
———

Morten Anderson
..Appreciation and love for Denver and for the US
..Life is about opportunities
..Have perserverance in everything you do
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Terrell Davis
..Overwhelming feeling of gratitude about my life
..Setbacks test your will and character
..Everything in life has a price-are you wiling to pay it
———

Kurt Warner
..My wife has travelled the road of highs-lows-roadblocks
..Moments matter in life-make the most of them
..NFL scouts don’t come to Aisle 7-looking for QBs in supermarket
..Al Luginbill-Dick Vermeil-Mike Martz-found me-believed in me
..I share this Gold Jackets with all my teammates
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“The Hall of Fame Walk”

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They come from all different walks of life, and this weekend they will jointly walk to the podium for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speeches in Canton.

Who could have imagined some of them would wind up here. It was because of opportunity and talent, and luck, and health too.

LaDainian Tomlinson will go into the Hall as a San Diego Chargers. He walked, ran, powered his way to Canton with an enormous work ethic. The mighty mite of a running back out of TCU heads in with (13,684Y) rushing and 145-TDs. Add in 642-receptions for another (4,772) and you can tack on 7-TD passes on half back options.

He was a spectacular leader and teammate. It was his work ethic, coupled with the arrival of Marty Schottenheimer’s offense (Martyball) that helped make LT so special.

San Diego should put aside for one afternoon, the hurt and hate directed at anyone named Spanos, to remember the Sunday’s of joy our community shared with Tomlinson’s talent.

Deserved too is the self made quarterback Kurt Warner. How do you explain an undrafted passer from Division 1AA-Northern Iowa? The tenure in the Arena League with the Iowa Barnstormers. Life in NFL Europe. And then the arrival with the Rams.

When he was done , he had thrown for over 32,000-yards and 208-TDs in career that began with him stocking shelves at a Hyvee supermarket, waiting for a chance to go play semi pro ball.

Jason Taylor did not come from a football factory. If you ever saw the Rubber Bowl at the University of Akron, you would now know how hard he worked to become how great he was with 99-quarterback sacks with the Dolphins.

Kenny Easley was everything to the Seattle Seahawks in the secondary. Big hitter, big on turnovers, big on leadership. 32-interceptions later he will speak at the podium.

So will Morten Anderson, who came from Denmark, to kick an amazing (565) field goals in Atlanta and New Orleans.

Adversity is the word that describes Terrell Davis, what he went thru, what he became with the Denver Broncos. He crossed the finish line with 4-phenominal seasons, before knee injuries shortened that career. But he piled upper (7,600) yards in that short span. Not bad for a nose-tackle in high school, whose college program, Long Beach State, folded, taking him to Georgia.

Again opportunity opened the door to so many things in his life.

Jerry Jones, the old Arkansas Razorback, made his money in gas and oil drilling, but made his fame as the big business owner in Big D, leading the Cowboys to success on the field and at the box office. He probably made it to the Hall on his business acumen, not just because of his franchise success.

This is indeed a unique class, where success came for opportunities that led to amazing individual accomplishments.

They all ‘earned it’. Nothing given to them ever, except this weekend where NFL fans will cheer from the heart for what each of these accomplished.

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