Jock Jerseys’ Flash

As NFL training camps get ready to open up (some already have), prognosticators are plentiful, but no one will really know with absolute certainty who this year’s Super Bowl champion will be.  There are many possibilities, including 3-4 “pencil them in” candidates, as well as 3-4 other teams who could pull off a stunning playoff run (e.g. 2000’s St. Louis Rams).  Last year provided some intense moments, record breaking performances and an unlikely NFL champion in the New York Giants.  With several teams fielding almost identical rosters from last year, it will be interesting to see how this year’s NFL season develops.

NFC Contenders

New York Giants
You can’t write a list of contenders without including last year’s Super Bowl champs.  They lost Michael Strahan to retirement, but Eli Manning’s confidence should be through the roof and the offense is virtually the same as last year.  If the running backs can stay healthy and the defense can survive (mentally) without Strahan, the Giants will be in the mix late in the season. [New York Giants jersey]

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have beefed up their payroll (and problem child’s) this year, but there’s hope in Big D.  Tony Romo has another year of experience and is primed for a better season.  Terrell Owens is a monster receiver, but could be  the cause of more headaches that he’s worth.  The recent signing of Adam “Pacman” Jones is risky as well, considering he’s not been reinstated to play this season, but if he is allowed to play, the defense should be outstanding.  There are only 2 threats for the Cowboys: the Giants and themselves. [Dallas Cowboys jersey]

Philadelphia Eagles
Another NFC East team - another contender.  The Eagles have a strong offense and defense; much like the Giants.  When healthy, they can compete with anyone.  If Donovan McNabb can stay on the field all season, Philadelphia will make the playoffs and be in good position for the playoffs. [Philadelphia Eagles jersey]

Nobody
Yes, these above are the only 3 serious contenders in the NFC from my perspective.  Carolina, New Orleans, Washington, Minnesota and Green Bay round out the “maybe’s”, but they all have issues that could keep them from winning a title.

AFC Contenders

New England Patriots
After finishing the regular season undefeated and reaching the Super Bowl, only to lose to New York, the Patriots will be out for blood in 08-09.  Randy Moss is on board, Tom Brady is still there and they still have their asshole coach, so you know they will perform well all season.  Less focus will be paid this year on finishing with a “perfect record”, but they may still have one when all things are said and done. [New England Patriots jersey]

Indianapolis Colts
Another extremely strong & well-coached team, the Colts are serious contenders for the NFL championship as well.  With Peyton Manning at the helm and Tony Dungy on the sidelines, this team can beat anybody and could also challenge the Patriots for a perfect regular season record.  They will have to figure out how to beat the Patriots (again), and face extremely competitive challenges from the Jaguars, Chargers and/or Steelers if they want to try for their 2nd championship in the last 3 years. [Indianapolis Colts jersey]

San Diego Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson… One player who could almost single-handedly put his team in the playoffs.  Add Phillip Rivers, w/ another year of experience, a decent wide receiving core and a solid defense, and you have a contender.  I’m not sure this crew has enough to get past the Colts or Patriots, but they’ll certainly give it their best shot. [San Diego Chargers jersey]

Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben and Co. will be seeking their 2nd championship this decade, featuring a lineup of Willie Parker, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu.  This team is explosive on offense, controls the clock well and punishes the opposition on defense.  To be a serious contender, the Steelers will need to average at least 20-22 points per game - their defense will handle the rest. [Pittsburgh Steelers jersey]

Others
The Jagaurs have a good shot, as do the Broncos, Browns and Bengals of making the playoffs.  They will struggle against the elite teams, but will put together strong games and be competitive until they are eliminated.

Super Bowl Preview
I see the Patriots vs. the Cowboys in the championship game, w/ the Cowboys taking it. 

I’d love to get some other predictions… leave your comments.

Updated 7/22/08

Brian Urlacher is the latest NFL player to “re-work” an existing deal before the first one is up. This new deal adds to the existing 9-yr deal he was still under (until 2011), to the tune of $18 million - $6 million signing bonus. Urlacher is now signed w/ the Chicago Bears until 2012… wow, a whole year? Thanks for the commitment.

These incidents are ridiculous - Brian cannot argue that he’s “underpaid” when he already has a $57 million contract that he’s supposed to be honoring. The timing is also key, considering the Bears reported to training camp today.

Original Story 6/17/08

Recent developments involving two Pro-Bowl receivers and their “contract disputes” have me questioning how much power athletes have been given. In today’s sporting world, it seems like a player who’s unhappy w/ his current pay, can basically force his team into renegotiating his salary and signing bonus.

The two players who have been mentioned most recently, but are certainly not the only players griping, are the New York Giants’ Plaxico Burress and the Arizona Cardinals’ Anquan Boldin. Both players are certainly worthy of their current contracts in my opinion and possibly more, but if they wanted more, they should have negotiated that amount from the get-go.

Each of these players has 3 years remaining on their current contracts - THREE YEARS - and they’re already throwing fits about how little they’re being paid. Btw… both the Cardinals and Giants are near the bottom in terms of total team salaries (for 2007); the Giants had the lowest payroll in the NFL. (Source: USAToday 2007 Team Salaries)

Here is a breakdown of how these two players stand up, in terms of base salary & signing bonuses, on their own team, as well as for their positions:

Plaxico Burress

• $3.2 mil annual (3rd on team, 9th in NFL for WR)
• $5 mil bonus (3rd on team)

Anquan Boldin

• $2 mil annual (tied 10th on team, 24th in NFL for WR)
• $5 mil bonus (tied 4th on team)

Ok, so Plaxico is paid like a Top 10 wide receiver while Boldin is certainly underpaid. Among the less quality receivers making more money than Boldin are: Chris Chambers (#1 paid receiver - are you kidding me?), Roy Williams, Deion Branch, Marty Booker, Nate Burleson, David Givens, Amani Toomer and Justin McCareins. I’m not listing all of these wide receivers to dog on them for getting a good paycheck, but give me a break… how many people would pick one of these players ahead of Anquan in a fantasy football draft?

Where I think the rub is from these players, is when they look at the NFL Draft and see how well the 1st round picks are being paid, and then compare that with their own salaries, they’re getting chump change. The NFL rookies have no experience, no accolades to speak of, etc., but they continue to receive 8-figure signing bonuses and guaranteed money. Look no further than the Atlanta Falcons recent signing of quarterback Matt Ryan - 6 yrs for $72 million - $34.75 of it guaranteed. Not only did they sign him for a huge guaranteed amount, but they also paid him more than the picks before him and more than the previous year. Most players won’t make $34.75 million in their entire career, let alone get that guaranteed without even taking a snap on the field.

Ultimately, the over-spending owners are causing these problems and forcing unnecessary grief on themselves. If I was a year-to-year Pro-Bowl caliber player and a rookie came in and made 10x what I was making, I would probably ask for a new contract as well. At the same time, an NFL contract is a contract, one that should be upheld between both parties involved.

If you have something to say, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear your opinions.

Freakishly quick & agile, the New Orleans Saints’ Reggie Bush is a rare NFL running back.  He reminds a lot of NFL fans of Barry Sanders, but until Bush proves he can handle the workload in New Orleans, he’ll still just be “Reggie Bush”.  With the Saints primary running back, Deuce McAllister injured, Bush had to step up this year in an attempt to carry the load.  He was doing an admirable job until he partially tore his posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

In addition to the stress of being a high NFL draft pick, Reggie has also challenged the NFL odds that his skills would translate to the professional game.  It’s one thing to exceed in NCAA football, but the NFL is a whole other ballgame.

Bush created quite a following while playing college football for USC, where he won several national championships and the 2005 Heisman Award as a Trojan.  Reggie’s electrifying plays and acrobatic moves delighted the nation for a number of years, but he is now in danger of losing his Heisman, since he accepted money and benefits while playing.  The verdict is still out on exactly what ramifications that Reggie will face because of his actions.

Despite all that is going on negatively, the Reggie Bush jersey is still one of the top selling NFL jerseys this year (& last year).  Below, we’ve got a full selection of Bush jerseys (authentic, replica, signed, etc) - heck, there are even pink jerseys for the ladies:

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If you don’t see the Reggie Bush jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

The New England Patriots are on the verge of completing the unthinkable… going undefeated in the regular season and tying the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Facing the Miami Dolphins (ironically) in week 16, the Patriots jumped out to a large lead and coasted to their 15th straight win.  Their final game, next weekend, will be in New York against the Giants.  This is hardly a gimme, but the Patriots will be the favorites.  The only question will be whether or not coach Belichick sits his regulars in the regular season finale.

With the team coasting into the playoffs, it would be stupid to risk injury to your star players.  However, quarterback Tom Brady is on the verge of setting a new single season NFL record for touchdown passed - he’s currently at 48 TD passes, only 1 behind the record held by the Colts’ Peyton Manning.  Wide receiver Randy Moss is also on the verge of breaking the record for most touchdown receptions - he trails the legendary Jerry Rice by 1 touchdown heading into the final game.

Before we get into all the records that New England has already broken this year, take a look at the most popular Patriots jerseys below:

Ok, sorry… here are the NFL records that the New England Patriots have tied or broken already this year:

• NFL record for most touchdowns in a season
• Highest regular season point differential
• First team to start season w/ 15 straight wins
• Tied record for most regular season wins
• Brady-to-Moss most pass/catch TD combo in single season

The Patriots have exceeded all expectations this year and they’re doing it in a record setting style.  Give praise to Belichick, his staff, and the players on the team for putting together such a remarkable run.  Whether you like New England’s team (or coach) is irrelevant… this is history baby!

Former superstar and sometimes bad boy Randy Moss appears to have turned the corner since joining the no-nonsense New England Patriots.  After breaking into the league as a cocky wide receiver from Marshall, Moss has struggled to maintain his image and the way the league’s players and coaches see him.  It’s only one season, but Moss and quarterback Tom Brady are tearing up the record books and leading the Patriots into the playoffs as Super Bowl favorites.  Randy appears happy and is helping the team win, something that you can’t really say about his time in Oakland.

As the NFL playoffs near, the time to get your Randy Moss jersey is now (before they win the championship).  Show your support for the Patriots by picking up a Moss jersey and wearing it proudly:

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If you don’t see the Randy Moss jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

The season started with a lot of hope & promise for the Falcons, including a new offense geared towards quarterback Michael Vick’s talents - hint: it’s not throwing.  Bobby Petrino was brought in from Louisville, where he’d been extremely successful. 

Before the season was underway though, things got messed up. Vick was accused of being involved with dog fighting - he denied it.  After investigators found more evidence, Vick could no longer deny it and finally fessed up to being involved.  This week, Vick learned his punishment for the crime - 23 months in prison.  Two full years (nearly) in prison for being involved w/ dog fighting… how many days did Paris Hilton get for her DUI(s)?  Which is worse?

Without Michael Vick, the Falcons plain sucked.  They’ve gone through 3 quarterbacks and have only won 3 games all year.  The pressure to win, despite not having his best player, finally got to Petrino, and on Tuesday he bolted Atlanta for another college coaching job - this time at Arkansas.

You have to feel for the Falcons’ players and staff - they’ve just been stabbed in the back.  You don’t leave your team w/ 3 games left - you finish it out.  Is it tough? Sure… Is it hell? Maybe… But you’re getting paid close to $5 million per year to deal w/ it, so GET OVER IT!

These two incidents have left the Atlanta Falcons in shambles.  They will be able to rebound and turn this into a positive, but it could take a year or two before everything turns around.

One of the hottest running backs in the NFL right now, rookie Adrian Peterson is tearing up the record books for the Minnesota Vikings. Coming out of the University of Oklahoma, Peterson was supposed to be good, but nobody expected this.  Adrian Peterson is not only this year’s fantasy stud at running back, but he’s also leading the Vikings on a push to the playoffs.  Things can change, but right now his future in the NFL is very bright.

We’re glad to provide you with a full selection of Adrian Peterson jerseys to choose from below:

View all Adrian Peterson jerseys
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If you don’t see the Adrian Peterson jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.