Plaxico Burress is in deep DOO-DOO

Plaxico Burress did the right thing and turned himself in. He didn't have a permit to carry a loaded gun in New York and there really was no way for him to get out of it, with such a media circus covering the whole thing. It's rather admirable of him, knowing that he could get 3.5 years of jail time for this silly matter.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg:

Our children are getting killed with guns in the streets. Our police officers are getting killed with guns in the hands of criminals, and because of that, we got the State Legislature to pass a law that if you carry a loaded handgun, you get automatically 3 ½ years in the slammer.

I don’t think that anybody should be exempt from that, and I think it would be an outrage if we didn’t prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, particularly people who live in the public domain, make their living because of their visibility; they are the role models for our kids.

I knew that Bloomberg was tough on crime in New York, but didn't realize he was this tough. I applaud his fearlessness, in the face of fervent Giant fans. It's going to be rather embarassing for Bloomberg if Plaxico doesn't get 3.5 years after such a definitive statement. Yet, something inside of me (disclaimer: I have no legal experience whatsoever) says that he will end up with a much more manageable sentence.

Mikey it seems, shouldn't have been so harsh with his words:

In New York, according to state law, a person carrying a gun without a permit faces at least 3 ½ years in prison if prosecutors prove that the person intended to use the weapon on another person. If intent to use cannot be proved, the person may still face felony charges that could result in up to seven years in prison.

In my opinion it would be tough to prove that a person of Burress's stature really intended to use the weapon on another person. It doesn't help that he shot himself. But, we really have no idea what happened. Burress could have been in the process of using the gun on someone else, but shot himself instead, because he is a dumbass. We'll see how this all plays out.

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What's Up With the NFL? A Team-by-Team Look

Brian Chen: Is it just me, or is football especially out of control this year?
Me: It is.
Brian Chen: Just making sure.
Me: I could make a list that goes on and on with what's wrong with the NFL this season.
Brian Chen: Damn. Please do. That's a genius ATA article.

And thus an article is born. Here's a team-by-team breakdown of why the NFL isn't quite right this year.

Kansas City Chiefs: Larry Johnson (see right). LJ, one of the few superstars who seems to have averted the injury bug this year, can't keep his ass on the field because he can't seem to stop picking fights and throwing drinks in chicks' faces. But that's cool, you never back down from a fight, right LJ?

San Fransisco 49ers: So they finally admitted Alex Smith is a bust. Not only was he outperformed by Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan, but he's also on IR. I thought they were going to ride him out until no team would ever dream of signing him (like poor David Carr). Mike Nolan was the first NFL head coach to bite the bullet this season, and already his replacement Mike Singletary is already making waves by dropping his pants at halftime and sending a potential bust draft pick of Vernon Davis to the locker room early.

Chicago Bears: Grossman? Orton? They've been flipping coins the past years to decide who the starter is. This year Orton won the toss, and guess what? He's actually good. Too bad it looks like he may be out for a while after getting carted off the field in this weeks' game. That is, unless he makes a miracle comeback (word to Paul Pierce).

Cincinnati Bengals: The only thing worse than their disappointing record (and disappointing is an understatement here) is that Chad Ocho Cinco has to wear a fake last name on the back of his jersey. Is this the NFL or the XFL?

Buffalo Bills: After being thrown into the mediocrity pile, Lee Evans is now the third highest-paid WR in the NFL, and he's putting up numbers to show it. Oh and the Bills aren't too shabby either, no longer the coat rack of the AFC East (assuming the Dolphins are its doormat). Bills tied for first.

Denver Broncos: Hi, my name is Jay Cutler. I was so bad that they made fun of me on an episode of South Park. But I'm better this year. In fact, I throw better than John Elway. Alright Jay, let's take a step back for a second. Ok, so you lost a lot of weight, fighting diabetes can do that for you. And yes, you're playing better, throwing up monster numbers, winning games through pure offense, since everyone knows how squishy your defense is. But John Elway? That's like Jordan Farmar saying he passes better than Magic Johnson. Maybe 7 years into the future if you're still putting up obscene numbers and have won some rings, you can claim that. For now, Peter Rabbit would be wise to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden.

Cleveland Browns: A trendy pick for many to breakout this season, they now have a bigger problem than making the playoffs: preventing more staph infections. Seriously guys, you're an NFL franchise. You can afford to clean up a little more thoroughly.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Pushing for an NFC South title, and almost lost to Kansas City. That's all I have to say.

Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner must have gotten his hands on some sort of NFL-viagra, because he sure seems to be getting it up this season. Third in the league in passer rating, and second in passing yards. Matt who?

San Diego Chargers: So much for Super Bowl bound. Let's get to .500, then we'll talk.

Indianapolis Colts: A perennial lock to win the AFC South, the Colts will have to fight for a wild-card birth. Unless Tennessee drops 5 of the last 8.

Dallas Cowboys: Life without Tony? The Cowboys are a lot like Jessica Simpson: without Tony Romo both would just be sad, lost little puppies. Thank God Romo is coming back soon and Jess is talking marriage.

Miami Dolphins: They're .500. The bad news: they're still in last place in their divison. And they actually have a quarterback. Movin' on up like George and Wheezy.

Philadelphia Eagles: 5-3 and they're in third place in their division. There's something wrong with that. If Westbrook had stayed healthy, there would have been something wrong with that too.

Atlanta Falcons: 5-3 and they're in third place in their division. Wait, I just said that. Two years removed from the Michael Vick circus, they look like they have their quarterback of the future in Matt Ryan. Surprising they have a winning record at this point in the season, no?

New York Giants: The defending NFL champions have one blemish on their season, a loss to the lowly Browns. Forget the almost boo boo against the Bengals, a W is still a W last time I checked.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A team that many, myself included, believed to be ready to snatch away the AFC South title from the Colts is tied for last with who? The Texans.

New York Jets: Brett Favre, as ancient as he is, can still throw. Problem is his offense isn't tailored around him. Favre leading the NFL in interceptions thrown. Never thought I'd see that day.

Detroit Lions: After taking receivers with their top pick in 3 of the last 5 drafts, they still have no quarterback and have only one of said receivers left on their roster. The result: 0-8.

Green Bay Packers: 4-3 and gave Aaron Rodgers a huge extension. Now they're 4-4. It's far too soon to be asking "Brett who?"

Carolina Panthers: They switch between looking impressive and unimpressive. At least they're sitting pretty on top of their division.

New England Patriots: Starting a quarterback who was only a second string player throughout college and still 5-2?? I'm impressed.

Oakland Raiders: Al Davis. 'Nuff said. I'll throw in a "JaMarcus Russell sucks" plug just for Brian Chen. The highlight of their season? Outgoing Lane Kiffin making Sebastian Janikowski try a 76-yard field goal into the wind.

St. Louis Rams: Torry Holt is no longer the #1 option. I liken that to Manny Ramirez batting 7th.

Baltimore Ravens: They actually have a solid running game, AND a decent passing game. It's not just about defense anymore folks.

Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell hasn't thrown a pick all season. He's not that good. First year coach Jim Zorn is doing a hell of a job.

New Orleans Saints: This team produces enough firepower to take down a small European country's army. Defense has yet to show up. No surprises there. Being behind the Falcons and last in their division IS a surprise though.

Seattle Seahawks: 2-6 and tied for second in the NFC West. I don't know what's more wrong here, their record or the NFC West.

Pittsburgh Steelers: There is life without Willie Parker. Well, that's shocking to me.

Houston Texans: David Carr is gone?!?! Yes, they finally decided to give up. Seems they finally figured a way to get those beer goggles off.

Tennessee Titans: UNDFTD.

Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson can't carry this team by himself like I thought he could. Their defense is nowhere near as good as it was being touted as before the season began.

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Caption This!!

This is Anquan Boldin (81) being congratulated by teammate Elton Brown after one of Boldin's 3 touchdowns on the day. Boldin played out of his mind against the Dolphins accumulating 140 yards on 6 receptions and scoring 3 touchdowns. I guess Brown was really really excited about winning.

Caption this!

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Matt Cassell Sings Better Than Tom Brady

Check out the guy in the blue jeans. That's Matt Cassel (pronounced "Castle") singing along to The Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way. LOL!

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You Wanna Be Ocho Cinco? $4.8 million dollars please.

If Chad Johnson wants to be Chad Ocho Cinco, he's going to have to cough up $4.8 million says the NFL.

Reebok is complaining because they had already pre-made 100,000 C. Johnson jerseys whose value would be drastically cut if the official jersey read Ocho Cinco.

a source with knowledge of the situation said it would cost him the cost to make the jersey, which is roughly 60 percent of the retail price. That would be about $48 a jersey or $4.8 million if that 100,000 number is reality.

There's actually a precedence to this matter as Jerry Porter wanted to change his number after the 2007 season. The NFL said he too would have to buy up the unused inventory of jerseys. Sadly his total was only $210,000.

Maybe Chad Whatever can pawn off his grillz to help pay off the $4.8 million. I think it's worth it!!

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Knowshon Moreno??

Right smack on the front page of Yahoo, the largest internet portal in the world, was an article about Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, being "robbed" because his hurdle wasn't shown on ESPN. Enough!

Now this is a real hurdle. (Wait for the second half for Moreno's hurdle)

So, Moreno's was decent. But it was no Reggie Bush. How happy is everyone that he is finally being who we thought we would be?

And for all you USC fans, this one's for you.

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Los Angeles and Football

Week 1 just finished and the Raiders and Rams still suck...

Football, the sport where grown men in tights throw around inflated animal hides and knock the living feces out of each other. Sounds fun, America loves it, but it's deathly boring to watch without a team to support. Each play lasts a mere 5 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of ass grabbing, and that is assuming there are no challenges, penalties, injuries, streakers, foreign debris, etc. Oh and when the offenses blow and they go three and out, good old television commercials will follow. Yes sir! Football is like the last minute of a tight basketball game, super-slow and occasionally exciting, but sixty times longer in duration. Welcome to my Los Angeles mindset.

In the heart of the West Coast, Sundays are not spent tailgating or watching football for hours on end, Sundays are special days meant for rest and relaxation. To spend time with the family, read about George Bush's stupidity in the paper, get dragged to church, to recover from that extra tequila shot after a UCLA victory (or eight after a loss).

Only a handful of people care about the outcomes of NFL games because there's no team to care about. LA is not home to an actual pro team, there are no rivals that we pray to see lose, no playoff race to follow, and the teams we use to have are gang affiliated (Raiders) or terrible (Rams). The only reason people still watch Sunday football is to fulfill their manhood requirements or watch TO's touchdown celebration (the Usain Bolt was awesome).

The definition of football in Los Angeles is USC's recent domination. But then again, USC football is not exactly exciting when considering how easily they bulldoze through opposing teams, week in and week out. And rooting for LA’s second team, UCLA, does not seem to be an attractive alternative for Angelinos (though we all know UCLA games are more competitive and exciting).

The only reason there is even buzz regarding pro-football is due to the pride and competition of fantasy football. If you are not going to own a team, might as well draft a few players to call your own and watch on television. There is nothing quite like the week 1 anticipation of destroying the opposing team with Tom Brady on your fantasy team; but then again, I have never felt so crushed and uninterested going into week 2 (freaking Tom Brady, ACL BS, DIE).

Okay, so maybe this is all a lot of nonsense to passionate football watcher, but honestly, how many die-hard football fans are there in Los Angeles? Correct, just a handful. You might ask someone in LA, “Hey, who’s your favorite NFL team?” and they will lie and say some nonsense team like the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously, this person has Adrian Peterson on his fantasy team. Do not be alarmed by this type of behavior in Los Angeles, it is rampant and uncontrollable because there is no such thing as professional football here.

My favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys and TO is on my fantasy team.

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Fantasy Football With the Pros

So world-class football players should have world-class fantasy football minds, right?  Wrong, Colt Brennan.  Wrong.

HAHAHA I can't believe he said gay pick...

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NFL Opening Week: Priority List

The NFL season looms, with question marks everywhere throughout the league. How badly injured are the Super QB Duo of Brady and Manning? What is Brett Favre going to do in a different shade of green, and can he shift the New York spotlight from the champion Giants? How are the Saints going to deal with Hurricane Gustav? Individuals face new challenges and teams fight for supremacy, all while mother nature wreaks more havoc than Justin Tuck facing that porous Patriot line. Some solutions will be found immediately, while others need an entire season's worth of information. We here can only go week by week, however, thus the seven games to watch for during week one of the NFL season:

• Washington Redskins at New York Giants (Thurs., Sept. 4): The opening game of the season, featuring the newly crowned kings of New York. The Giants have done a bit to cover the loss of Osi Umenyiora, but is it enough to uphold the previously dominant D-line? And can the ever-inconsistent Eli Manning continue to shine and actually earn his Oreo commercial contract? If Clinton Portis runs all over New York and Jason Campbell runs his offense efficiently, the Champs are going to have all they can handle.
  

• New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (Sun., Sept. 7): Brett Favre is manning a new ship; for the first time in FIFTEEN years, we'll see Favre in something other than a Packers jersey. To add to this drama, the quarterback the Jets shunted away due to Favre's presence faces his old team in the very first game of his season. Chad Pennington will be out for revenge against the team he had spent his previous eight years with. With a downgraded Dolphins defense, Pennington will need to step up, as Favre shouldn't be too challenged; if Brett is, however, he might need yet another retirement ceremony this year.
  

• Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Sun., Sept. 7): The 18-1 Patriots. Never before has one loss meant so much. Brooding in his hole all summer long, one can only assume that Darth Belichick has another evil plan lined up for this year. Then again, if Brady, Moss, Maroney, and the gang can get even close to their play last year, Darth over there won't have to boil up anything too diabolical. Oh yea, the Chiefs aren't too bad either, barring another injury to Larry Johnson. This should be a fun game.
  

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (Sun., Sept. 7): What's going to happen with Gustav still blowing? The Saints offense is fully loaded, but if they can't even take the field, what's the point? Tampa Bay survives year after year, plowing along with a team that no one ever expects much out of. This would be a great game, but will the city of New Orleans be ready? Most of southern Louisiana has evacuated, so say Gustav does blow over, will anyone even be present at the game?

• Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns (Sun., Sept. 7): The game most likely to be immensely competitive. Dallas is being listed as a Super Bowl favorite, while the Browns figure to go deep into the postseason. Tony Romo vs. Derek Anderson. Terrell Owens vs. Braylon Edwards. Jamal Lewis vs. Marion Barber. Both defenses are also quite talented. Hell, I'd watch the game on the sole hope that Pac-Man Jones goes crazy and starts choking TO on the sidelines. Oh yea, and Josh Cribbs is a ridiculously entertaining player to watch.

• Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts (Sun., Sept. 7): A rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago sees a game likely to be nowhere nearly as exciting. The Bears offense is in shambles, though the defense can still compete. The Colts are as powerful as ever, as long as Peyton is healthy. Devin Hester's increased presence on the field can only make things more exciting, however, as he's a potential score with every touch.

• Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Mon., Sept. 8): The Vikings are reloaded on D, and Adrian Peterson is ready to show how good he really is. The Packers face a Favre-less backfield for the first time in over a decade. It's time to see if the Green Bay receivers were as talented as they played like last year, or if last seasons deep run was just a fluke. Aaron Rodgers faces an extraordinarily difficult test to begin his career; not many people face such a stacked D while under the pressure of replacing the face of a franchise, all of this happening at home. Half of Green Bay worshiped Favre as a god, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the boo birds coming out early of Rodgers can't produce.
  

Good luck stopping this man GB.

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Bolt to Become a Bolt?

Lightning Bolt speed... A build like a doped-up gazelle... An attitude fully immersed in cockiness and the full belief in being the G.O.A.T... Hell, he even has a celebration dance. Usain Bolt is ready.

The NFL is the American league with football surpassing baseball as the American sport. With the passing of these Olympics, two superstars rose to the forefront above all others: Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. Now eight gold medals is no feat to take lightly, but the Jamaican blur is the one that has more potential to affect the American sports community, for rumors have been floating around concerning a number of NFL teams' (including the San Diego Chargers) interest in the world's newly crowned fastest man.

A wide receiver needs speed, strength, and the confidence to go above and beyond to get what they want. They are the NFL divas, as the sprinters are in track and field. Not since Bob Hayes has a sprinter been so successful in football, but not since Bullet Bob has such a physical specimen been so otherworldly. If Bolt's 100 meter race time is applied to the combine-heralded 40 yard dash, he would blow out the competition with a time of 3.54 seconds (the fastest time at the 2007 NFL combine was Yamon Figurs, who ran a 4.3). His 6'5", 190-pound frame would tower over cornerbacks, and if he turned out to play for San Diego, how awesome would a Chargers' jersey with Bolt across the back be.

Though he would probably be better suited for a job as a punt or kickoff returner due to the extra amount of room he would be able to take off with, a spot as the slot receiver could work well. If he were to gain any separation, no one on the field could touch him. Though no one knows anything about his route running ability or catching and jumping skills, even if they were decent at best, Usain would still be amazing. So here's to hoping that LT finds himself teamed up with the explosive kid from Trelawny, Jamaica.

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The All-NBA Gridiron Team

Even though ESPN’s Sports Center is overrun by the upcoming NFL season, I really want the NBA season to hurry up and start. In my attempt to celebrate the massive anticipation of both leagues, I’ve decided to create my own football dream team, composed of NBA players.

Offense:

Quarterback: Allen Iverson. (pictured right) Considering his toughness, speed, and dominance as a high school quarterback, he is arguably the most qualified quarterback in the NBA. He’s the NFL’s Michael Vick… pre-dog-fighting.
Back-up: Kevin Love. First of all, good luck trying to sack a 6’10” 270 pound beast. And secondly, no one throws a quicker and more accurate deep ball than Kevin Love.

Running-back: Lebron James. You cannot bring down Lebron James. He’s too big, too strong, too athletic, too quick, and too fast for you and anyone else. I think every NFL team should try to convert 6’8” 240 pounders into running backs; championships guaranteed.
Back-ups: Baron Davis. Played high-school ball. Has an awesome beard.
Chris Paul: He’s quick, crafty, and has amazing vision. No one else works better in traffic than the elusive CP3.

Full-back: Derek Fisher. With his muscular lower body and dedication to getting low on defense, D-Fish will clear out some major space for the running backs. He is freaking buff.
Back-up: Tyrus Thomas. There’s nothing quite like brute strength to get rid of defenders. He also attended LSU where all students are required to understand the ins and outs of football, so he should know a thing or two about the sport.

Wide-receivers: Kevin Garnett. At 6’11”, very few people are better than him at catching lobs and alley-oops. His speed, athleticism, and focus should make every bomb and fade seem like a walk in the park. And if you do manage to get in the way, he will scream at you.
Dwyane Wade: Probably the best route runner in the NBA. His explosiveness and ability to change directions make him the most difficult player to defend without the ball. Unfortunately, the expiration date on his ankles is rapidly approaching.
Back-ups: Jamario Moon and Rudy Gay. The concept of football is simple. Throw the ball high in the air and Moon or Gay will jump and come down with it.

Tight end: Dwight Howard. If you’re the quarterback and Dwight Howard is your 6th blocker, you’re going to feel safe. Also reassuring is how well the 6’11” monster catches.
Back-up: Andrew Bynum. Not as intimidating as Dwight, but he’s a bigger body with softer hands.

O-line: I wanted to take the most physically gifted players with mass and put them on my offensive line. I highly doubt that you would feel confident in your pass rushing abilities when my seven guys averaging 6’10” 270 pounds know a thing or two about holding their ground.
LT: Jason Maxiell. Frightening powerhouse with sufficient speed to pick up blitzes and protect my potential quarterbacks’ blind sides.
LG: Kendrick Perkins. Big body and a filthy face.
C: Shaq O’Neal. Playground football; put the fattest kid as the snapper. Plus, he loves being the center of attention.
RG: Glen Davis. The last person who tried spent 3 months trying to get around “Big Baby.” Good luck getting to the QB.
RT: Matt Harping. WTF Matt Harping? He’s probably the most physical player on my line and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. His intimidation alone earns him a starting gig.
Back-ups: Jason and Jarron Collins. These big seven-foot brothers are terrible basketball players and most likely terrible football linemen; but 260 pounds should be somewhat effective.

Kicker: Steve Nash. Canadian.
Back-up: Kobe Bryant. His ability to speak Italian comes with soccer talent.


Defense:

D-line: Ben Wallace. Something about his mental capacity seems to match perfectly with football.
Marc Gasol. Seven feet tall and he reminds me of a hardcore outdoorsman. In my head he should be wielding an axe in a red flannel and Wrangler jeans when he’s not playing football.
Elton Brand. I see him as a brute force type of guy.
Mark Madsen. Every coach loves a Mark Madsen type player, even if he does lack athleticism, skill, speed…. But somehow he’ll make the play.

Linebackers: Ron Artest. He will probably win a fistfight versus anybody in the league, and that is because he probably hits really hard. Receivers and backs would most likely do "the quarterback slide" to avoid getting toppled by Artest.
Corey Maggette. Corey is the most chiseled man in the NBA and he wants to hit you hard.
Lamar Odom. LO is a notorious for his lack of inspired play, but when he is inspired, WATCH OUT.
Back-up: Maurice Evans. Think Corey Maggette, but not as buff. Mo Evans understands this and will take out his frustrations on the opposing team.

Cornerbacks: Kobe Bryant. There’s a reason he was called the Doberman during the Olympics, football shall not be any different.
Bruce Bowen. He does have the quickness and footwork to stay in front of any player, but really, the dirtiest player in the NBA should fit right at home in a full-contact game.
Back-up: Raja Bell.

Strong safety: James Posey. He’s quick and strong. But the deciding factor was his mouth-piece, which demonstrates that he’s prepared for violence of the gridiron.
Back-up: Kenyon Martin. Similar to Ben Wallace, he’s not very bright, but he is damn strong and athletic. I wouldn’t mind having a blue-collar guy like him knocking some sense into unsuspecting ball-carriers.

Free Safety: Nate Robinson. You should first be recapped on the NYK vs. Denver scrap a couple years back. You should notice how at 5’7” he is right in the middle of the squabble, not backing down to anyone. And even after his mini-altercation with JR Smith, he’s still punking Carmelo for sucker punching his teammate. Nate Robinson, you are the man.

Punter: Steve Nash. Canadian.

I just created an NFL dynasty team, now only if salaries were not an issue...

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ATA's Fantasy Football Post-Draft Analysis

Well folks, the NFL preseason is rapidly drawing to a close and the NFL season is about to kick off. What does that mean? It's time for some FANTASY FOOTBALL! My cohorts here at After the Anthem created a league for the writers and a few friends, and here we will go over the draft with some comments and added anlysis. Of course, one caveat - our league only included 8 teams, so the depth of our league might be a bit misleading. That said, let's jump in to our round by round break down!




Round 1 Thoughts:
This was a fairly textbook first round. A few notable picks might be ATA's David P. taking Tom Brady with his first pick, and the inclusion of Marshawn Lynch in the first round. With top rated fantasy performers like Gore and Portis still on the board, it would be interesting to see why r2ro opted to go with Lynch and Moss over any combination of Gore, Portis, Manning or Romo. Lynch certainly had a promising debut season, performing well when he played, but he certainly has to answer some questions about his durability. If Buffalo's passing game doesn't perform (highly likely) Lynch may justify r2ro's decision to take him with his first pick.

Best pick: LT. It's LT, nothing to say here.
Worst pick: Lynch. There were several RBs on the board with proven track records - taking a sophomore back with your first pick is risky, so while it may turn out well, the first round ought to be a sure thing. Considering that, I don't like taking risks with the first pick.



Round 2 Thoughts:
In the 2nd round we saw the fantasy dominance of RB's continue, as 12 of the first 16 picks taken were RBs. Textbook fantasy drafting strategy is to take two RB's with your first two drafts, and it seems that several of the drafters in this draft got that memo. No real surprises here, as each pick was fairly solid value.

Best pick: Clinton Portis. Great value pick here, starting a team with LT/Portis is very solid.
Worst pick: Reggie Wayne. Considering draft position, I believe this was a bit of a reach



Round 3 Thoughts:
In the third round we see all the elite level WRs come flying off the draft boards, along with a few owners trying to flesh out their RB situation with all the top tier RBs taken in the first two rounds.

Best pick: Tony Romo
Worst pick: T.J Houshmandzadeh. We do not know just how healthy Housh will be, and considering all the turmoil surrounding the Bengals this season, we do not know what kind of stats Housh will be posting. With players like Colston, Fitzgerald, Holt, and Marshall still available, the Housh pick here leaves me scratching my head.



Round 4 Thoughts:
This was a round with a few head-scratching choices, like Darren McFadden and Steve Smith. McFadden is just a rookie on a terrible Raiders team. McFadden would have been available 2 or 3 rounds later, and what makes the pick even more confusing is that r2ro already has two RBs in Lynch and Maroney.

Best pick: Torry Holt. Getting Holt with that pick is solid.
Worst pick: McFadden.

Analysis of the remaining 11 rounds to come.

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All Brett, All The Time

Just to make sure that you have your daily face stuffing of Brett Favre, there's been an update.

Today NFL Comissioner Roger Goodell officially reinstated Brett Favre back into the team, abiding by his effort to "force the issue."

I figured this was the commish forcing the issue and the Packers having to swallow it. But, the Packers team president has issued a statement today also:

“Although we built this year around the assumption that Brett meant what he said about retiring, Brett is coming back,” said team president and CEO Mark Murphy. “We will welcome him back and turn this situation to our advantage.”

I must say, the Packers are acting very respectably in this situation. We still don't know what the team is going to do with him. Interestingly enough Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal is reporting from a team insider that Favre will be allowed to compete for the starting job with Aaron Rodgers.

I'll believe it when I see Brett Favre spiralling Aaron Rodgers down the field. I still think Brett, baby, should take that $20 mil. Especially if it's an upfront deal.

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Favre offered $20 million, to go away--please!

Not only do the Packers want to get rid of the whole Favre hoopla, but NFL commission Roger Goodell wants the dispute settled by Monday.

Goodell made it clear he thinks the situation has lingered long enough.

“I think we have to force it,” Goodell said. “I think it’s come to the point where there need to be some decisions made on behalf of the Packers, on behalf of Brett, on behalf of all the fans.”

The Packers have reportedly offered Favre $20 million over 10 years to basically go away. That compares to $12 million he would receive next year if he were to play for the Packers.

If Favre comes out of retirement, he might have 2 maybe 3 years left before he gets dangerously close to permanent brain damage. Next year he'll be paid $12 million, but thats from a lingering contract. I don't see him making much more than $20 million for the rest of his NFL career.

Favre needs to accept the "marketing contract" the Packers offered that might even go higher than $20 million, because he's not only saving himself from having to practice every day, he's saving his health, and his family from unnecessary stress.

There's no question about it, Brett Favre wants to return so that he can play in the playoffs again. The little Brett inside of him is not aching to rejoin his teammates on the practice field, he just wants to shove it to the new quarterbacks du jour like Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

I'm starting to think that the only reason Brett Favre wants to come back is because he saw Eli Manning win a Super Bowl. It wasn't even that Eli got carried to the Super Bowl, he suddenly magically turned into a clutch player and drove the Giants to the championship. The same guy who had a 32.2 QB Rating against the Buffalo Bills in the second to last game of the season.

I couldn't believe my eyes, so I can't imagine what Brett Favre was thinking.

$%!@#%$%$%$#@!!!!!
I'm a billion times better than that mothe#@$#@$%$#@!!!

I feel for you Brett, but let it gooooo. Think of it this way. Eli will only make $8.5 mil next year and $9 mil in 2008. You can pocket that amount for doing nothing! You have officially become $20 million worth of annoyingness. Janice from Friends bows to you.

I don't know if these pictures are real. But these are supposedly Eli at his finest:

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