After searching and getting denied by as many as 4-5 other teams already this off-season, Terrell Owens finally landed with a team. He will reportedly be paid about $2 million in salary with some other incentives kicking in if he hits certain milestones throughout the 2010-11 NFL season. The milestones aren’t out of Owens’ reach, but he didn’t achieve the required stats last year w/ the Bills so he’ll definitely be calling for the ball a lot now.

The pairing of Terrell and Ochocinco is an odd one, but as workout partners for the last few years and both having their own VH1 reality shows, I’m sure they know each other well and can make the deal work out in the Bengals’ favor.

According to Warren Sapp of the NFL Network, Owens has already requested (paid) Antonio Bryant to give up his #81 jersey number. Owens previously wore the #81 jersey in San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia and last year w/ the Bills.

From a jersey sales perspective, expect Terrell Owens’ Cincinnati Bengals jerseys to sell pretty well. He has been on the top jersey sales list each of the last 2 years – ranked #11 in 2009 w/ Bills, and ranked #17 overall w/ the Cowboys in 2008.

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Two Cleveland Browns Set Records

I feel like starting off w/ some of the positive news that happened on Sunday, which took place in the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs, which the Browns emerged from w/ a win (41-34).

Joshua Cribbs, the featured kick returner, scored not once, but two 100+ yard kickoff return touchdowns en-route to his 7th & 8th overall kickoff returns (NFL record).  Cribbs has become the league’s biggest return threat & he gets plenty tries at it w/ the Browns getting run over on a weekly basis.  It’s quite odd that the Chiefs continued to kick to Josh Cribbs – they had to know he could burn them.  After the first return, at the very least, Kansas City should have started kicking to the other returner or out of bounds.  It surely would’ve saved them some embarrassment and perhaps earned them the win.

Joshua Cribbs Kickoff Return Highlights

Jerome Harrison runs roughshod over the Chiefs weak defense in what amounted to the 3rd highest single-game rushing mark in NFL history.  Harrison finished the game w/ 3 TD’s and 286 yards, eclipsing former Browns’ star Jim Brown’s own record (237 yds) for the team.  Jerome Harrison not only passed Brown, but raised the bar on anyone else who might ever attempt to reach it. Oddly, Harrison didn’t care about passing Brown’s rushing mark, but rather had his attention on teammate (IR) Jamal Lewis record of 295 yds.

“I wanted to (match Jamal Lewis),” Harrison said of the former Brown, who, at 295 yards, has the second-highest single-game rushing total in league history. “I will say that. I wanted to get Jamal. He’s a great guy and been a great mentor to me, so to get him would have been awesome. To be in the same category as those other men is a true blessing.”

Jerome Harrison Breaks Browns Rushing Record

Both records provide a brief bright spot for a rough 2009 season for the Browns, who are anticipating firing 1st year coach Eric Mangini after the hiring of Jim Holmgren as Team President.

Chilly Feud in Minnesota

Before the Carolina Panthers finished off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, quarterback Brett Favre was reportedly asked to leave the game by head coach Brad Childress.  Favre, being the team’s leader and best shot at winning, said “no” to the request, essentially overriding the coach.

The whole situation, depending on who is speaking about it (Favre or Childress), revolves around the lack of production on the offensive side of the ball vs. a tough Panthers’ defensive line and more specifically, Julius Peppers.  Favre was routinely harassed and unable to get much done, so Childress claims he was going to put in Tavaris Jackson due to his mobility and ability to create plays w/ his legs, whereas Brett can’t do that.

One can’t necessarily blame Brett Favre for not coming out of the game – ask any player if they want to come out and they’ll say no – but showing up your coach is certainly not the way to make friends in Minnesota.  If the locker room isn’t already divided on Favre, the latest episode certainly helps push teammates closer to the edge (of distrust, etc.).

It remains to be seen whether the Vikings are controlled by Childress or Favre.  One thing is for sure… if they keep losing, Favre will receive the blame just as he did last year w/ the Jets during their fall from playoff contention in December.

Worst Play-call of the Year

Perhaps Jim Zorn was shoving his middle finger in owner Daniel Snyder’s face for openly discussing his replacement in front of him (the week before) or maybe he’s just not that good of a football coach.  Regardless, the play call to end the 1st half of Monday night’s game against the New York Giants was downright ludicrous.  You have to see the series of events and the final play to really understand just how dumb a move it was.

After lining up for in a standard 4th down formation, the Redskins quickly sent 6-7 players to the edge of the sideline for what appeared to be a trick play.  Tom Coughlin quickly called timeout for the Giants to stop the play from happening.

What happens next is pure stupidity… Zorn calls the same play again.  This time, the Giants are ready for it and rush the placeholder/kicker to kick his a**.  The ball is thrown up (think hail-mary) and ends up NY ball via interception.

Redskins Trick Play on MNF

Bill Belicheck’s call to go for it on 4th down that cost them the Colts game is damn near the dumbest play of the year, but I think Zorn’s “they smelled it out too quickly” play on MNF takes the cake.

Washington fans… say goodbye to the Zorn-meister.

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While most of the stories surrounding the NFL right now are positive (e.g. Saints, Colts, Favre, Young), there are some others being dramatized by national/local media analysts and other individuals covering sports that may not have (full) merit.  I’m not arguing that the players/teams in these discussions should be ignored, nor am I making excuses for them, but in some cases, the media is putting way too much blame on an individual player.

Quarterbacks are responsible for wins & losses (misconception?)

There is a common ideology among NFL analysts and writers that the quarterback’s play is ultimately responsible for how the team will fair throughout the season or an individual game.  While the QB is certainly one of the most influential players on the field (1/2 of the time mind you), they aren’t the one’s responsible for their team’s failure all the time – nor should they be rewarded for the successes.

Special players do exist that can transcend and dominate a game – Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre – but these guys can’t win on their own.  Brady throws the ball and hands it off, but that’s where his responsibility ends – if his receivers can’t catch the passes or the running back can’t gain a first down, is Brady still blamed for the team’s woes?  Of course not… so why are we constantly judging others who are in the same position, arguably with less talented teammates and coaches.

Case (1) in point… Jay Cutler is the scapegoat in Chicago, even though the Bears really have no receivers to speak of.  Devin Hester is a converted defensive player & kick returner, Johnny Knox is a rookie and Earl Bennett is a 2nd year player.  Not exactly a group of guys that can take you places (no offense to them).  Cutler has made some bad throws – I can’t argue that one bit, but he’s in no way the only reason the Bears are doing as poorly as they are.

Matt Forte’s impressive season last year appears to be a fluke, because he’s struggling to do anything in the running game.  Fault the line or Forte himself, but a lack of a running game forces a quarterback into more precocious situations throwing the ball… the defense knows he’s throwing the ball every time.

Cutler is passing a lot – 381 attempts on the year behind only Brady (+12) & Manning (+7).  Cutler is throwing more than Kurt Warner (-9), Matt Schaub (-16) and Drew Brees (-61), despite those respective teams being known more for their passing attacks than anything else.  The 381 passing attempts is further exasperated by the fact that Forte has only had 157 carries (3.29 yds/carry).

Player X or Player Y can’t play anymore (or aren’t the same player they once were)

Sure, everyone loses a step and can’t play at the same level “eventually”, but too often players are written off due to the situations they are in.  The may still be a Pro-Bowl type player, but on a horrible team that isn’t taking advantage of their strengths & limiting their weaknesses, that player is not going to succeed.

Case (2) in point… Terrell Owens is often lauded for his “me first” attitude, but the guy leaves everything out on the field – he is a play maker.  Sure, he drops a few passes here and there (he’s got 8 on the season in 10 games), but if you throw him the ball he’s going to make a play most of the time.  This season, Owens has been a part of one of the worst offenses in the league.  The quarterback position is poor at best, the coaching ranks & management are a mess, and the team is generally lackluster on the field.  In week 11, Owens exploded for 197 yards on 9 receptions, including a 98-yard touchdown catch.

In that game, Terrell Owens caught what amounts to 26% of his total season’s receptions (only 26 thru 9 prior games) and 35% of his total receiving yards FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON to-date.  Note that Owen’s 35 receptions don’t even put him in the league’s Top 50 (total receptions).  Even w/ the 8 passes he’s dropped, if he caught half, he’d still be in the low 40’s overall.

Prior to this game, a lot of people were saying Owens was done, that he probably wouldn’t get another NFL contract.  I hardly think you can blame Terrell for the Bills’ overall ineptness or discredit his abilities on the football field at this point.

You might read this and think I am a big supporter of both Cutler and Owens, but really I’m not.  Cutler is a whiney POS in my book and I could care less if he played another down.  Terrell Owens isn’t quite that far down in my dog house, but he wouldn’t make my Top 50 players list either.  Still, I think it is unfair for the media to keep putting all the blame on these players for their “teams” performance.  Yell at the coach – yell at management – yell at the defense – yell at the offensive line – there’s plent of blame to go around.

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The last unsigned 1st round pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, has officially signed w/ the San Francisco 49ers.  Off to a 3-1 start and leading the NFC West, the 49ers were actually in a good position to negotiate w/ the wideout from Texas Tech – they really showed they didn’t need him (vs. the other way around).

Michael Crabtree had been holding out seeking more money from the 49ers, even though they were offering him fair (or above) value for the 10th pick in the draft.  Crabtree was especially peeved about the Oakland Raiders paying the 7th pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey, more than SF was offering… because Crabtree and his agent feel he was a higher pick than he ended up.  Unfortunately in the NFL, you get paid based on where you’re drafted – quarterbacks are often the exception – wide receivers not so much.

Crabtree, the No. 10 overall draft pick, received $17 million guaranteed from the 49ers in a six-year deal that has a base value of $32 million and a maximum value of $40 million.

Crabtree’s contract voids to five years if he has Pro Bowl seasons in two of the first four years. In that case, the base value would be $28 million.

The 49ers had previously offered a five-year deal with about $16 million guaranteed, and the sides worked hard through the night, making some tradeoff in terms of the length of the contract, as well as the guaranteed money, according to the league source. Crabtree expressed a strong desire to be a 49er during his meeting with team officials, which proceeded the heavy negotiating. The deal was completed around 2 a.m. Wednesday.  Source: NFL.com

For 49ers fans who already bought a #15 Michael Crabtree jersey in anticipation of the WR starring on the team’s offense… you can now relax, because he should be able to play (if not start) within a game or two.  It really shouldn’t take Crabtree too long to get the plays down and get into the games.

Michael Crabtree News, Highlights (Media)

For the San Francisco 49ers, the signing couldn’t come at a better time.  Minus a Brett Favre miracle w/ 0:04 seconds left, the Niners would be sitting at 4-0 instead of 3-1.  Despite the loss, the team still leads the NFC West by 2 games over the Arizona Cardinals.  They are playing inspired football – the offense isn’t so spectacular, but the defense is exceptional.  This is in large part, to head coach Mike Singletary’s strong beliefs & hard work ethic.  He is (so far) a great leader & motivator for his team and it is playing significant dividends on the field.

Michael Crabtree has signed a 6-year deal w/ the 49ers, including$17 million in guaranteed money.  Shortly following the draft, Crabtree’s 49ers jersey was a hot seller, but cooled off late in August as the (unsigned) rookie quickly began making enemies in the media (via his inability to reach a deal). His #15 uniform is likely to start rising on the list of top selling NFL jerseys (once again) now that he has officially signed.  He had previously peaked in the high teens, so look for him to be in that range again before the end of 2009.

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Also on the list is Brett Favre’s Minnesota Vikings jersey (at #1).

As it was last year, the top selling jerseys list is dominated by quarterbacks, with 60% of the players on the list being signal callers.

Click here for the Top Selling NFL Jerseys of 2008

The Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers are well represented on the list as well, coveting 3 of the 20 top jerseys (Polamalu, Roethlisberger & Ward).  The Vikings and Dallas Cowboys are the other teams with more than one player on the list for 2009 (so that makes 7 of the 20 by 3 teams).  13 other jerseys were split among individual teams, which would seem to be a good sign that the league is more diverse and other markets are enjoying some success.

Rookies making an appearance on the list include: Mark Sanchez (Jets) and Michael Crabtree (49ers), although Crabtree has yet to sign a contract and may hold out for the 2009-10 season.

Here is the full list of jerseys for April-August 2009, according to NFLShop.com (Source: CNBC):

1. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
2. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
3. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
7. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
8. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
9. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
10. Eli Manning, New York Giants
11. Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills
12. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
13. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
14. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
15. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
16. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
17. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
18. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
19. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
20. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers

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Chad Ochocinco extra point video – 8/20/09

No, the video of Chad Ochocinco above kicking a point after for the Cincinnati Bengals is not a spoof or some type of cruel joke.  The point after (PA) gave the Bengals a 7-6 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday, August 20, 2009.

Ochocinco is Cincinnati’s emergency backup kicker and coach Marvin Lewis apparently thought that Chad needed some extra practice (wtf… really?).  Chad also completed a decent kickoff, spotting the ball around the 10 yard line, but was pretty ineffective (lazy) in chasing down the kick returner.

The fact that players can do virtually anything on the field should be considered by those playing fantasy football this year.  As we pointed out earlier this week, in custom scoring leagues, you could get points for the performance of your player – regardless of which category of scoring the “event” occurred in.  Take this reco’ w/ a grain of salt of course… Chad Ochocinco is unlikely to be used for field goals, PA’s or other special teams related plays during the regular season.  The only reason he got to kick last night, is the fact that they are still in the preseason and it was essentially pointless.  Other players, however, should be taken seriously for fantasy points on more than one side of the ball (offense, defense & special teams) – Wes Welker often returns kicks for New England; Devin Hester did the same for Chicago.  The point is, look for guys that can get you the most points – however they can, whether it be on returns or on the rare occurrence, kicking a PA.

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Unretired after only 3 weeks, quarterback Brett Favre has resurfaced and signed w/ the Minnesota Vikings. Favre is expected to start Friday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after joining the team for practice on Tuesday.

Brett Favre Vikings jerseys are now on sale

Brett Favre Vikings Jersey - $4.99 Flat Rate Shipping (per order)

Favre had the best selling NFL jersey last year w/ the NY Jets & this year should be no different. Minnesota & Favre fans alike, will be scooping up these new Brett Favre Vikings jerseys at a high rate. With the season starting in just a few weeks, the Favre Vikings uniform is a must-have for the die-hard fan.

The signing of Favre comes after months of speculation that the Vikings were interested in the former Jet/Packer, but only weeks after he announced his 3rd retirement, which preceded his 2nd and 1st retirement, respectively.

Brett Favre Vikings 1st practice (Favre enters around 6:30 mark)

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Matt Cassel Signs 6-yr, $63m Contract w/ the Kansas City Chiefs

While Matt Cassel’s 2008-09 run as the replacement quarterback for the New England Patriots was good (not super good), he is certainly benefiting from the opportunity to show his stuff, as evidenced by the huge contract he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs recently.  This, after getting franchise tagged and receiving $14+ million for the 2009-10 season anyway (before being traded to KC).

Kansas City, without seeing Cassel take a single snap in a real game for their franchise, essentially buried themselves financially for the next 3-4 yrs (assuming other contracts come off the books before Cassel’s 6-yr deal does).  Cassel thrived in New England, but his team and surrounding players were heads & shoulders above what he’ll have to work with in KC.  Randy Moss & Co. are certainly at a higher level than Dwayne Bowe and the other Chiefs’ receivers (no disrespect).  It doesn’t help either, that KC traded away their star tight end, Tony Gonzalez, in the NFL offseason as well.

The Chiefs could have (& should have) waited to see how Cassel performs in a new system, w/ a new head coach, new teammates, etc.  There was absolutely no reason to bet the farm on this guy so early after trading for him.  While I wish the guy the best of luck, I can’t help but think this move will come back to bite the team in the near future.

Ben Wallace Signed by the Chicago Bulls in 2006

Fresh off four straight Eastern Conference championship appearances and an NBA Championship, F/C Ben Wallace of the Pistons decided to bolt Detroit for more money in Chicago.  The Bulls, desperate for a low post defender and rebounder, overpaid greatly for the then 31-yr old veteran, signing him to a 4-yr, $60 million contract.

The signing of Wallace effectively utilized the Bulls’ entire available salary cap for the year and prevented them from picking up other players who might’ve been able to contribute more than Wallace, a poor (horrible) offensive player.

It didn’t take long for Chicago fans to see what they had just purchased – an older, slower, less motivated former Defensive Player of the Year.  A player who did not mesh well w/ the young nucleus of the Bulls and ended up riding pine pretty early in the contract.

Fortunately for the Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers stepped up and took Wallace off their hands in February 2008.  The damage, however, had already been done in Chicago, as they were unable to re-sign Luol Deng and Ben Gordon to the amounts that they probably deserved (& were asking).  Deng has since been re-signed, but Gordon, their reliable 6th man and bench scorer, left for Detroit this offseason.

Andruw Jones Signs as Free Agent w/ the Los Angeles Dodgers

Andruw Jones was heralded as arguably the best center fielder of the mid-to-late 1990’s and early 2000’s even, as a member of the Atlanta Braves. Jones took his reputation into the free market in 2007 and the Dodgers, hungry for a star and/or power bat, took the chance and overpaid for the (fading) outfielder.

Jones came to Los Angeles as a five-time All-Star who had won 10 straight Gold Gloves with the Atlanta Braves and as one of 10 players in baseball history to hit 300 homers before the age of 30. He had 342, tying him with Mel Ott and Henry Aaron for the sixth-youngest player to reach that milestone. >> From an article by the Associated Press on ESPN.com

One of the biggest busts in recent MLB history, Andruw Jones was released by the LA Dodgers in early 2009.  Jones’ batting average and power numbers dropped significantly from his historical numbers and the Dodgers had no choice.  The impact on the franchise, besides two shitty years of watching him play… $22.1 million to walk away and never come back.  Not a bad day at the office if you ask me.

Jones is now w/ the Texas Rangers and is playing much better, although his batting average is still pretty bad – the power numbers are there, however, even in a reserve role (DH).

In summary…

Not all deals turn out bad – certainly there are exceptions – but if history is any indicator, the Chiefs will be looking back at the signing of Cassel w/ regret.  The Dodgers are regular salary eaters (e.g. Kevin Brown) so their poor decisions are a bit more routine than those of the Bulls or the Chiefs.  There will be new instances of teams signing unproven and/or older players to expensive contracts…  my bet will, more often than not, be on the teams regretting their decisions, much like L.A., Chicago and KC (will) do.

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Fans wanting to pay their respects to former NFL quarterback Steve McNair can do so at the stadium where he created so many memories. The Tennessee Titans are opening LP Field on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., so fans can honor McNair.   Continue reading on NFL.com

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Steve McNair, the NFL’s co-MVP in 2003, has been found dead according to the Nashville police. An unidentified woman was also found dead at the scene.   Continue reading on NFL.com

From all accounts, McNair was a player’s quarterback – everyone loved him.  The Titans, Baltimore Ravens and the entire NFL community are devastated w/ the loss of such a great human being.  Teammates throughout the league have been speaking high praise since news of his demise.

Steve McNair Media Reports, Player Reactions & BIO

The situation surrounding Steve’s untimely death are still unknown, although police are reporting it as a murder-suicide at this point.  McNair and a “girlfriend” were found dead in a condo rented by Steve in Nashville (within view of the Titans’ stadium).  Despite McNair’s marriage and 4 children (all boys), it looks like he was not on the up & up when it comes to being faithful or staying out of trouble.

Two days prior to his murder, McNair and the girl were pulled over and she received a DUI – McNair bailed her out. Considering she was only a waitress at Dave & Buster’s, it would appear that Steve had serious issues at home (w/ his wife), or he was seeing this girl for other means (sex, drugs, etc. – only speculation at this point).

Tragic loss all-around, regardless of the circumstances.

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