How About A New Title?

As I mentioned yesterday, the if the New York Giants really wanted to keep Steve Spagnuolo from heading to his third NFC East team in the Washington Redskins, they would need to get ahead of the curve a la the Cleveland Browns. Before the Redskins' Dan Snyder could even muster up a possible offer, it seems like that is exactly what the Giants did.

Per the New York Daily News:

After a trip down the Canyon of Heroes on Tuesday afternoon, Steve Spagnuolo got another hero's welcome from the Washington Redskins.

But the Giants aren't ready to let their defensive coordinator get away without a fight.

According to a source close to the 48-year-old assistant, the Giants have already told him they're willing to do whatever they can to keep him if he ends up getting offered the Redskins' head coaching job. That would include a raise, a contract extension, and possibly even the title of assistant head coach.

But hold the phone if you think that the Giants will promise their defensive coordinator the head coaching job in the future. The one East team that Spagnuolo has not been a part of, the Cowboys, seemed to do just that with Jason Garrett in order to keep him from leaving for Atlanta. Oh, that and a $3 million per season contract.

We will see if the Giants' efforts are enough to keep the heralded DC in NY. Something is telling me that the money will speak a lot louder than a new title. But maybe that's just me...

Spagnuolo to Washington: Crossing Boundaries, Again?

If you have ever visited any of the key NFC East blogs (i.e. The 700 Level, Mr. Irrelevant), you're likely aware of the disdain that these fans have for the other three teams within their division. In fact, even when they are happy for the other team, they still find a way to crowbar in a little backhand or two. All of us football fans do it, it’s in our blood.

Which is why this piece from the New York Daily News caught my eye. No unit was more heralded in this past weekend's Super Bowl than the defense of the New York Giants; led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Why it was news that the championship team's defensive coordinator was at their celebration parade is beyond me. But the part that followed rang even louder.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was at the parade, but afterwards he was expected to board a flight to Washington where he will meet with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder tonight. He’ll meet again with Snyder and his lieutenants tomorrow morning before returning to New Jersey.

Oddly enough, Spagnuolo was with the Philadelphia Eagles as a linebacker coach before taking the gig with the Giants. Its one thing to take advantage of success, but when curious to see what Giants fans think of this development regarding yet another NFC East team, I put on my detective hat and went to work. Big Blue View, a Giants fan blog had the following to say:

Losing Spagnuolo, whose passion, energy and aggressive style turned a porous defense into a dominant, championship-caliber one, would be a devastating blow
to the Giants. The Giants' defenders, who took so well to his aggressive style and executed his complicated blitz packages to perfection, certainly don't want to go into next season without him.

And the Giants General Manager agrees.

Giants GM Jerry Reese understands what he has in Spagnuolo. "We’ll make every effort to keep him," Reese said. "We sure don’t want to play against him with the Redskins because we know what he’ll bring to the table. If he gets a shot at a head coach’s job, Godspeed."

As a Browns fan, I can understand where the G-men are coming from in the fact that it was rumored that Rob Chudzinski was being sought after by the Baltimore Ravens. The quick fix was GM Phil Savage locking Chudzinksi up with a two-year extension, hoping that he can continue to help Cleveland’s assent in the AFC. Perhaps Reese needs to break out the check book, and pronto, if he intends on holding on to the one defensive coordinator that was able to stop the vaunted New England defense. And just happened to do so on the biggest stage possible.

Of course, they can just let him go to the Redskins, only to have him complete the circle by ending up in a front office job with the Cowboys...

For The Weekend Warriors

What has two thumbs and is heading to Hawaii?

We may not have any football this week, but we do have some good stuff to read...

- It appears that we have moved into the the era of one-year trial periods for coaches. First, Cam Cameron. Now Lane Kiffin? [Signal to Noise]

- It looks like a three-horse race between the fans of the Packers, Raiders and Eagles for "best" fans in the NFL. At least per Fox. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

- Pete Carroll likes them young. [Rumors and Rants]

- If its Super Bowl prop bets that you're looking for, look no further. I'll be adding this one to my bookmarks. [You Been Blinded]

- Jeff Garcia is back in the Pro Bowl. Cleveland, it looks like that season was more your fault than his. [NFL]

- And finally, while magazines out there want you to frill up the Super Bowl, thankfully we have some Ladies... with their heads on straight. [Ladies...]

Have a good weekend, all.

Bloggers Blogging Their Blogs

Greetings, all. I've been putting in a bunch of time over at CSM, so that's why this is the first post of the week. For today's minute, click here. But just because I'm not pumping out a ton of NFL love here, it doesn't mean you shouldn't get to check out what others are saying...

- By now, you've likely heard about the Kelly Tilghman/Tiger Woods fiasco. How she didn't know that the words "lynching" and "Tiger" shouldn't go together is beyond me. But Rumors and Rants thinks Kelly's a softy, and offers some advice. And yes, I know it's not football related - it's just a good post. [Rumors and Rants]

- Clemson's Aaron Kelly is reportedly leaving for the NFL. Let's just say he won't be pulling a 99 in the strength category for next season's edition of Madden. [NFL FanHouse]

- BallHype is rolling out a series on tortured franchises. While I await the Cleveland [enter team here] edition, check out today's version on the Philadelphia Eagles. [BallHype]

- The Jaguars are apparently jumping on the "New England Cheated" bandwagon. Do we really need to get them riled up for the playoffs? [Awful Announcing]

- Niners Nation weighs in on the hiring of Mike Martz. Too bad their first round pick goes to New Englad this year, they could have drafted a nice receiver. Right, Charles Rodgers? [Niners Nation]

That's it for now. I hope to weigh in on some thoughts regarding the Colts and Jags in the next day or so. Come back soon!

"A Little Bit Extra" ... Against The Giants

Two weeks after Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb told the ever-jolly Bryant Gumbel that African-American quarterbacks need to give "a little bit extra" to not get criticized, I’m beginning to think that he has a point. At least he has a point when it comes to beating the New York Giants.

Week one, the Giants were handed a 10-point loss by a pale Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Romo threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns. Solid Effort regardless of what Michael Irvin said about Romo's past...

Week two, Brett Favre and the Packers come to town. This time, more of the same with the grizzly, and very white, veteran throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Again, a superb effort.

Last week, the Giants go on the road – this time facing a Redskins team led by Jason Campbell, an African-American quarterback. What does Campbell provide? A sub-par 190 yards and only one touchdown - resulting in a gut-wrenching loss for his team.

This past Sunday night, the Giants welcomed Donovan McNabb and his Philadelphia Eagles to town. How did the Giants greet him? By sacking him 12 times and allowing only 138 yards through the air. McNabb completed less than half of his pass attempts, averaging less than five yards per completion. Piss poor effort.

If you ask me, the answer is obvious: The New York Giants are easier on Caucasian quarterbacks than those of African-American descent.

The Giants defense has 16 sacks on the season; 14 of which are against the two black quarterbacks that they have opposed. Maybe if Campbell and McNabb gave it a little bit extra, they may have escaped some of the takedowns. Perhaps McNabb could have kept it to single digits, even.

Looking down the remainder of the Giants' schedule, the Blue and White should be able to at least win two more games – coincidently just happens to be the next two times they play Washington and Philadelphia. Fear not Giants fans, as there appears to be some upside!

The Atlanta Falcons (week six) have recently signed Byron Leftwich, who is definitely no Michael Vick Johnson when it comes to agility. He can easily be taken down 13 or 14 times.

Minnesota (week 12) is currently being manned by Kelly Holcomb, who may be as far from African-American as there is in the league. Actually, "manned" may even be a stretch, given that his name is Kelly. However, his performance over the last game allows me to think that the job will not be his when Tavaris Jackson returns. Another black quarterback for the Giants to feast on. Fans, I’d circle this day on my calendar if I were you.

If you think about it, a 6-10 record isn’t too bad, and may even get you into the playoffs in the NFC. So, strap in next week as it may be a rough ride against whichever white quarterback the Jets throw the Giants’ way. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel – it’s just not a very white light.

McNabb says black QBs under more pressure [ESPN]

11 Guys With 12 Sacks; Typically An Issue

But not this time.

It's amazing that this is the same Giants defense that simply got torn apart by the Cowboys and Packers in the opening weeks of the season. Six sacks for Osi Umenyiora? Talk about IDP numbers...

After the Jason Campbell-led Redskins lost to the Giants last week, maybe Donovan McNabb has a point...

Enjoy.

Who Needs Melanin?

Given all of the talk regarding Donovan McNabb's comments last week, KSK has pounded out yet another gem.

This time, the insightful (and possibly completely fabricated) thoughts of Kevin Curtis - who is fresh off of a 200 yard, three touchdown week.

If the following preview gets you thirsty, there's plenty of quenching after you click here. Enjoy.

You see, there's not that many European-American wide receivers, so we have to do a little bit extra. Because the percentage of us playing this position -- which people didn't want us to play -- is low, we're held to a different standard.

Ten Inches of Forecasting

As everyone an their step-brother are making predictions for this season, I figured that there's enough room for one more blogger to jump on board.

I had something a bit more colorful planned, but due to a lack of time - all you're getting is content today.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC West: San Diego Chargers

AFC Wildcards: Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals

NFC North: Chicago Bears
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wildcards: Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys

AFC Champ: New England Patriots
NFC Champ: New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl Champ: New England Patriots

And yes, this pick is made strictly based on my ability to curse a team by selecting them. I'm actually going to be pulling for the Saints to win the whole she-bang this season...with the Chargers close behind.

The AFC North is going to be a three-horse race, and I could easily see the Steelers getting that wild card bid over the defenseless Bengals. The Rams may surprise a few people, as well as the Cards - but I'm sticking with my Seahawk-Niners combo. And don't underestimate the Broncos this season...They could easily go 13-3.

But that's why they play the season... Go Browns.

NFL Players Hate Commercials

Memo to athletes. Any time a commercial depicts an athletic event, there's typically someone that wins as well as someone that loses. Do these always directly represent perception? Of course not. If you're going to display competition, someone has to lose...it's the way it is.

Where am I going with this? Remember the LaDanian Tomlinson commerical in my last post? Well, apparently the Chicago Bears are upset that it depicts them looking like swiss cheese as Tomlinson tears them apart one by one. When asked of reaction, Tomlinson replied with the following:

"In fact I read something somebody sent me that Urlacher said to ask me how many yards I had the last time I played them four years ago. There you go. That tells me how they feel about it."

NFL.com reports that Tomlinson was "held" to 61 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in 2003. While nearing four yards a carry isn't exactly what the video shows, its still not bad.

This all goes back to Dallas Clark crying about his Madden character getting nearly beheaded in a commercial. Apparently, EA Sports should be more careful with who they select to get lit up in an advertisement. Of course, when the Colts played the Eagles, Clark did go down with an injury, so maybe the Bears are just looking out for theirs.

Nike will now have to create commercials of all athletes having fun, but not at the expense of anyone else. We wouldn't want anyone's feelings being hurt in the meantime.

Bears and Chargers Subplot [NFL.com]
Dallas Clark Is Not Happy With You, John Madden [Mr. Irrelevant]
School Says Game Of Tag Is Out [Fox News]

Hines Ward Goes Plastic

The same Sunday night Steelers-Eagles game that brought us this, also forced Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward to the sidelines for next day's practice with his leg wrapped in ice.

Typical injuries that involve a leg wrapped in ice could be a hamstring pull, a quadriceps bruise or worst-case-scenario, a knee injury.

When asked why Ward had missed the practice, coach Mike Tomlin replied with, “Hines is Hines.” Great, coach. Thanks for the straight-laced answer.

Well, today, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reveals that it was nary the aforementioned injuries. In fact, it didn’t even have to do with his legs.

He broke his nose.

Yes, his nose. Apparently, Ward didn’t mention the injury to anyone and had no discoloration to indicate such. I'm no doctor, but shouldn't there be some visible evidence of a break in something as fragile as a beak?

The veteran receiver had surgery to correct the issue on Tuesday, and is reportedly going to be perfectly fine to start the opening week game against the Cleveland Browns.

This leads me to believe two things. One, Hines Ward had a nose job. And two, it’s going to be a VERY long season in terms of coaches and their injury reports. Looks like Bill Belichick has rubbed off on a few people, aside from this woman. Take note, Las Vegas. Take note.

Jeremiah Trotter Is Not Chris Rock

There has been a lot of speculation as to why the Phialdelphia Eagles parted ways with veteran linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, but a post at the Philly Purge has shed some new light.

When does a joke cost you your job? When it’s a joke about the boss and he doesn’t have a sense of humor. In this case, when Trotter was overheard joking about Andy Reid and his family problems concerning his sons in some locker room banter.

For those that are unaware, Andy Reid's son has encountered even more problems - this time entailing a DUI arrest in the middle of the afternoon. Well, it appears that Coach Reid is a bit sensitive on the matter.

Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins are about as in tune with the franchise as any players in the league, and the release caught both players by surprise. If this in fact is true, it likely won't be confirmed. However, given the way that Reid has acted in the past regarding some of his players, it wouldn't surprise me.


(Philly Purge via FanIQ)

Morning YouTubeness: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Welcome back to another work week. I couldn't wait to post this one as I was fortunate enough to see this take place live. One guy who wasn't so fortunate? This referee.

All I know is that Ed Hochuli wouldn't have been phased. Just more proof that the DVR may be the best invention ever. Big props to the defender for using the line judge, Ron Marinucci, as a screen. Enjoy.

Morning YouTubeness: T.O. Lewis

Rise and shine!

Yea, this video is pretty dated by now but I felt that Terrell Owens hasn't been in the news enough this preseason. No sit-ups in the driveway, no failed suicide rumors, nothing! So, here's the video, in not so high quality, of T.O.'s touchdown against the Ravens a few seasons back. Enjoy.

Full Throttle, Captain

Remember Jason Short? No? I'm not surprised.

Short is a Cleveland, Ohio native who had a brief career in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was there that he earned the nickname "Full Throttle" for his special teams ability to break up the wedge on kickoffs.

The position lended itself to a few more injuries than most players would experience, landing him on the Injured Reserve several times in his career.

The Cleveland Browns official website reports today that Short is "fighting" for a roster spot as a linebacker, and with that, Browns fans may have a new favorite player.

...Having turned just 29 last month, he's not quite ready to be a retired football player.

And mostly because "it's Cleveland."

"Being here, being home and representing the team I grew up loving, there's nothing better than that," he said.

His style of play seems to be right up the alley of a lot of Cleveland fans. Let's face it, the Browns haven't exactly been a team that anyone in the league fears, so why not add a player that may have that impact. Dude was one of the top-10 most feared players in the NFL at one point. You're telling me you wouldn't sign that?

Short talks of "being fearless," of taking on as many as three opponents during kickoff coverage so "other guys on our side can run free. You have to have something in you that says you're gonna get the job done. That's it."

The Browns has had plenty of fearless people, but in most cases they take out their lack of fear on a motorcycle in parking lots. If Short makes the team, do not be surprised to see a few custom-made jerseys around Browns Stadium this season.

Morning YouTubeness: Akers San

Another day, another kicker. Who knew David Akers was so deep? Enjoy.