LaDainian Tomlinson is now a free agent after being released from the San Diego Chargers today. While many people, including Tomlinson himself, expected this to happen, it’s still a shock to actually hear the news. When I first read the headline on ESPN, the look on my face probably resembled the look after an unexpected fart rips out. After processing the news for a few seconds, I realized this was probably the best route for the team and for Tomlinson as well. He was due to make around $5 million in base salary and bonus for next year and that is money the Chargers can use to help out their waning defense or get Rivers more help at the receiver position. Tomlinson also stated he has expected the move to be made at some point in the offseason and it’s more beneficial for them to do it now rather than wait so he has the chance to continue with a different team.
Many people might be a little confused as to why the Chargers released Tomlinson after the career he has had with them, but the simple fact is he has not been the same running back since the 2007 season. In fact, this previous season is the only of his 9 years where he failed to register a thousand yards, generally given as the benchmark of a productive running back in the NFL. He’s still churning out the touchdowns and has never had a year where he has produced less than 10.
His career stats are pretty unbelievable, and dare I say (Jared) first-ballot Hall of Fame worthy. With 12,490 rushing yards (ranked 8th all time), 138 rushing TDs (ranked 2nd all time behind some guy named Emmitt Smith), and 153 total TDs (ranked 3rd all time), an NFL MVP award, two rushing titles (2006, 2007), and the single season record for most rushing TDs, I think he has made his case to the Hall of Fame voters. Oh yeah, and he’s not quite done with his career just yet. My brother and I have had this conversation many times and I was always adamant in my opinion that he was not a first-balloter, but would eventually get in because of how ridiculously incredible his stats are. It is my opinion that championship rings are what gets the voter attention the most and Tomlinson has yet to add one of those to his collection of memorabilia. I think I will have to change my status on this because just looking at the stats (over a 9 year period, mind you), the voters would have to be insane to keep this guy out just because he was coached by Norv Turner for so many years.
This is not to say Tomlinson is done with his career either. The Chargers’ RB position may belong to Darren Sproles now, but there are plenty of other teams that will be in the hunt for Tomlinson’s services. A few of note: the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, NE Patriots, and the Oakland Raiders.
The case for the Bills: Yes, Fred Jackson is good and Marshawn Lynch (quite possibly the ugliest guy in the history of the NFL) used to be good but the Bills have been terrible for years. Jackson and Lynch are either unproven or unreliable and Tomlinson would have an excellent chance to start for them if he signed even the day before opening weekend. Reasons he would not likely sign with Buffalo: awful team, cold weather, no head coach, Lynch possibly shooting him, team possibly moving to Canada. Reasons he might sign with Buffalo: starting position essentially up for grabs and a terrible QB which equals more running.
The case for the Browns: They have a relatively good running game already and a RB who seems to be heading in the right direction, so this might not be such a good fit for Tomlinson. He would most likely get the starting job, but the team is not in the best position for what he wants, which is a shot at a title. Sure, he may just want a starting job again, but my gut says Tomlinson stays far, far away from Cleveland. Reasons he would not sign: too many RBs, owners won’t pay him what he’s worth (see Josh Cribbs), no shot at a title. Reasons he might sign: starting position probably available, decent offensive line, run-first offense, could probably start at QB if he wanted.
The case for the Lions: There really is no case here except he would be the starter from the day he signed. Just an awful team and really no incentive other than getting a starting job back. Unless he has fantasies about being an older second coming of Barry Sanders, there’s no way in hell he ends up in Detroit.
The case for the Patriots: The running back situation here is very odd because any four of the guys on the current roster could be the starter based on how Bill Belichick felt about his game day breakfast. If Tomlinson became a Patriot, he would probably be the starter, probably not be ran into the ground like he was in the early days of San Diego, and would definitely have the best chance at a championship. This, in my opinion is the most likely future team for him. If I were a betting man (who am I kidding?), my money is on New England. Reasons he might sign: starting position available, best chance at a championship before retirement, get to play with Tom Brady and Randy Moss, not a whole lot of wear and tear on the body. Reasons he may not sign: cold weather, possible contract issues (read: money), rival of former team (which might belong in the other category, who knows?). Again, I believe Tomlinson will be a Patriot by the start of next season.
The case for the Raiders: Al Davis is obsessed with “name” players and will throw more money at Tomlinson than he could spend in his entire life. That’s just about it, if Tomlinson wants to get paid, he’ll go to Oakland. If not, there’s no reason to subject himself to that kind of torture.
It’s a sad day for many Chargers fans, the end of an era. Tomlinson did some great things in San Diego and he will be missed, but he will have options going forward if he chooses to continue playing. I believe he will and he’ll be right by Mr. Brady in the backfield come fall. He has always been a class guy and I wish him luck, wherever he lands.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Julius Peppers is a Child
After spending his first 8 years in the NFL as a Carolina Panther, it appears Julius Peppers is on his way out the door. Now, it may seem to many people this has been a work in progress the last few years, which to an extent, it has been.
Beginning after the 2007 season when he totaled a measly 2.5 sacks (the most important stat for a defensive end, in my opinion), Carolina offered him a new contract which would have made him the highest paid defensive player in the entire league. Was this cause for celebration for Peppers? Did he act like he was even remotely excited about the deal? No. He bitched and complained about it and ended up not signing the deal, instead opting to play out his contract and hope for some big payday in the free agent market the next year. He was quoted on a radio show on Tuesday, February 09, 2010 as saying “That deal was to make me the highest-paid defensive player, but slightly, very slightly.” Slightly or not, Carolina had so much faith in a guy coming off the worst year of his entire career (while only missing 2 games all year) they decided to reward him with the highest contract for a defensive player in the history of the NFL. Not only would any non-professional athlete literally run as fast as they could to sign that deal, but hundreds, possibly thousands of professional athletes would do the same. Without question Peppers was worthy of the contract and he is also without question one of the best players on Carolina (quite possibly THE best), but that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted more money after his worst professional season. Go ahead and ask Josh Cribbs how he would feel about making $12 million a year. Would he sign that deal? I believe he would act like Rod Tidwell in Jerry McGuire if he were offered even $10 million a year and quite possibly piss himself during the phone call.
Granted, the 2008 season was a much better outing for Peppers where he recorded 14.5 sacks, but that just fueled the fire even more in his money hunger. Consequently, he asked the team to allow him to be let go in free agency to pursue a huge contract, claiming his biggest gripe with the team was (former) defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac. Proving yet again players are the ones who run the league, Carolina fired Trgovac and let Ron Meeks take over the defense to appease Peppers. Shortly after, the team applied the franchise tag to him which paid him $16.7 million to play in 2009 (just over $1 million a game…think about that for a second: while most Americans are sitting home watching football on Sundays, Julius Peppers made a cool million for suiting up) which also forced any team involved in a trade for his services to part ways with a few draft picks. As you may imagine, Peppers wasn’t too pleased with this information and it took him a very long time to sign his one year contract (a few months if I’m not mistaken) after long-term contract negotiations fell through once again.
The 2009 season went pretty well for Peppers (as it well should based on his paycheck) in which he recorded 10.5 sacks and also became the franchise leader in total career sacks for the Panthers with 81. After the season was over (may as well have been week 5), the front office came forward and said their #1 priority in the off-season was to sign Peppers to a multi-year deal and once again make him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. A few weeks go by and nothing…a few more weeks with no news…and now Peppers wants out (again) because he feels the Panthers are ignoring him. This reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago about a couple that shall remain nameless. In the story, the boyfriend arrives at a party before his girlfriend and mingles, as one might assume would happen at a party. A few hours pass and the girlfriend shows up and makes her rounds, saying hello to friends, etc. Shortly after, the boyfriend comes up to the girlfriend in tears, literally crying because she did not say hello to him first. I’m no expert in relationships (I’ll let you do the research), but in my opinion this should have sent up some HUGE red flags for the girl relating to some possible trust issues or clinginess.
My advice to the Panthers would be similar to what I would tell the girl in the above situation: it might be time to move on. The relationship between Carolina and Julius Peppers has been extremely positive for the most part over the years, but this last interview by Peppers is the crying boyfriend who needs more attention than the franchise can afford to give. Granted, Carolina could put the franchise tag on Peppers again this year, but in doing so they would have to shell out $20.1 million dollars for 1 year of work and effectively murder their cap room and severely limit the capabilities of signing or re-signing other players vital to the franchise (read: a viable option at QB). It is fairly obvious Peppers does not want a long term deal with Carolina and if they do franchise him, the only options are trade for some draft picks or eventually get a long term deal signed. Either way, he must be franchised since he is not under contract and the Panthers need to get something out of the years they spent cultivating one of the better defensive ends in the league. I don’t see this ending well.
Farewell Peppers, it has been fun watching you play. I’m sure you’ll get your big payday from some team but you never forget your first.
Here is the story that inspired this post: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4899375
Beginning after the 2007 season when he totaled a measly 2.5 sacks (the most important stat for a defensive end, in my opinion), Carolina offered him a new contract which would have made him the highest paid defensive player in the entire league. Was this cause for celebration for Peppers? Did he act like he was even remotely excited about the deal? No. He bitched and complained about it and ended up not signing the deal, instead opting to play out his contract and hope for some big payday in the free agent market the next year. He was quoted on a radio show on Tuesday, February 09, 2010 as saying “That deal was to make me the highest-paid defensive player, but slightly, very slightly.” Slightly or not, Carolina had so much faith in a guy coming off the worst year of his entire career (while only missing 2 games all year) they decided to reward him with the highest contract for a defensive player in the history of the NFL. Not only would any non-professional athlete literally run as fast as they could to sign that deal, but hundreds, possibly thousands of professional athletes would do the same. Without question Peppers was worthy of the contract and he is also without question one of the best players on Carolina (quite possibly THE best), but that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted more money after his worst professional season. Go ahead and ask Josh Cribbs how he would feel about making $12 million a year. Would he sign that deal? I believe he would act like Rod Tidwell in Jerry McGuire if he were offered even $10 million a year and quite possibly piss himself during the phone call.
Granted, the 2008 season was a much better outing for Peppers where he recorded 14.5 sacks, but that just fueled the fire even more in his money hunger. Consequently, he asked the team to allow him to be let go in free agency to pursue a huge contract, claiming his biggest gripe with the team was (former) defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac. Proving yet again players are the ones who run the league, Carolina fired Trgovac and let Ron Meeks take over the defense to appease Peppers. Shortly after, the team applied the franchise tag to him which paid him $16.7 million to play in 2009 (just over $1 million a game…think about that for a second: while most Americans are sitting home watching football on Sundays, Julius Peppers made a cool million for suiting up) which also forced any team involved in a trade for his services to part ways with a few draft picks. As you may imagine, Peppers wasn’t too pleased with this information and it took him a very long time to sign his one year contract (a few months if I’m not mistaken) after long-term contract negotiations fell through once again.
The 2009 season went pretty well for Peppers (as it well should based on his paycheck) in which he recorded 10.5 sacks and also became the franchise leader in total career sacks for the Panthers with 81. After the season was over (may as well have been week 5), the front office came forward and said their #1 priority in the off-season was to sign Peppers to a multi-year deal and once again make him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. A few weeks go by and nothing…a few more weeks with no news…and now Peppers wants out (again) because he feels the Panthers are ignoring him. This reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago about a couple that shall remain nameless. In the story, the boyfriend arrives at a party before his girlfriend and mingles, as one might assume would happen at a party. A few hours pass and the girlfriend shows up and makes her rounds, saying hello to friends, etc. Shortly after, the boyfriend comes up to the girlfriend in tears, literally crying because she did not say hello to him first. I’m no expert in relationships (I’ll let you do the research), but in my opinion this should have sent up some HUGE red flags for the girl relating to some possible trust issues or clinginess.
My advice to the Panthers would be similar to what I would tell the girl in the above situation: it might be time to move on. The relationship between Carolina and Julius Peppers has been extremely positive for the most part over the years, but this last interview by Peppers is the crying boyfriend who needs more attention than the franchise can afford to give. Granted, Carolina could put the franchise tag on Peppers again this year, but in doing so they would have to shell out $20.1 million dollars for 1 year of work and effectively murder their cap room and severely limit the capabilities of signing or re-signing other players vital to the franchise (read: a viable option at QB). It is fairly obvious Peppers does not want a long term deal with Carolina and if they do franchise him, the only options are trade for some draft picks or eventually get a long term deal signed. Either way, he must be franchised since he is not under contract and the Panthers need to get something out of the years they spent cultivating one of the better defensive ends in the league. I don’t see this ending well.
Farewell Peppers, it has been fun watching you play. I’m sure you’ll get your big payday from some team but you never forget your first.
Here is the story that inspired this post: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4899375
Monday, February 8, 2010
And here we go...
A few months ago, my brother Jared started writing a sports blog based on issues he felt were important and centered around topics that should be brought up and discussed as he saw fit. As I read his posts on various topics, I felt my opinion needed to be shared as well (as any other self-indulgent American feels¸ wanting his own opinion to be heard), thus the origination of this blog. You will not agree with everything (or possibly anything) I mention here, but that’s the beauty of opinion: it cannot be wrong.
Topic #1: The conundrum of “us” and “we” in regards to sports teams.
We have all heard it before and will continue to hear it regardless of how hard it grinds the gears: “we had a great game today,” “we’re going to be awesome this year,” “I think we’re really under the radar this year.”
The phrases listed above and many very similar are said every day by sports fans around the world but most people don’t bat an eye. In my opinion, the only reason for anyone to refer to themselves as a part of a team are for the following reasons: 1) you are a current or former member of said team, 2) you are an owner or shareholder of the team, 3) you are an employee of the team (and even the janitorial staff are a part of this category), and 4) you are a spouse, family member, current student or alumnus of the team. Any other reason (of course I may be missing some sort of connection) does not give you the right to refer to yourself as a part of the team you claim as your favorite. You may have been rooting for this team since you were a child and have the paraphernalia to prove it¸ or your mood may swing as far as a menopausal woman depending on the win/loss ratio, but that does not give you a right to say you are a part of the team. It is completely fine to openly root for a team, but you cannot be considered part of the team, and thus cannot refer to the team as “us” or “we” unless you possess an actual connection aside from merely being a fan.
It is my goal in this specific post to debunk a few myths regarding this connection many feel they have to their favorite team.
Myth #1: Without my money/support, the team would not exist as it does today.
To an extent, you are correct. Money and fan support are the driving forces of any organized team. However, the #1 reason for anyone to own a major league team (and for all intents and purposes, I will be focusing on the NFL and NBA since those are the only sports that matter to me) is to make an ungodly amount of money legally. Most of the money in any professional sport comes from a variety of different places. I haven’t done any research on this but my assumptions would provide the following in no particular order: ticket sales/parking at venue, concession sales, and merchandise sales. As you probably noticed, all three of those are fan based which gives you a valid point in your “us” and “we” fan point of view. However, what you may fail to realize is you are only one person and only one fan. Without your specific support, the team would not notice any drop in sales in any of the three major categories. If you suddenly stopped supporting your team financially (i.e. buying tickets/merchandise/concessions/parking), would they miss your few hundred dollars a year? I’m no financial analyst, but I’m guessing they wouldn’t know if you dropped off the face of the earth. The only way for these teams to feel any real financial hurt is if hundreds of thousands of fans stopped caring and stopped buying their stuff. Ask the Detroit Lions how it was last year when they literally couldn’t give away tickets to home games. I read a story in a newspaper about a bar in Detroit that had a special promotion during the NFL season that went like this: buy a beer (yes, one single beer for $2.50) and you get a free ticket (worth upwards to $30) to a home Lions game of your choice for that season. The owner of the bar said sales during that promotion were an all time low in the history of the bar. He literally could not give away tickets to one of the worst franchises in the NFL during that season. This is how fans can affect a team. Mind you, not one specific fan but an entire grouping of fans decided enough was enough and just gave up. I think of it like the presidential election: one specific vote does not matter in the whole scheme of things. However, if everyone who supported one candidate decided to just not show up and stop supporting him/her and not vote when it mattered, what would happen? The candidate would go up in flames, similar to the Lions last year. The bottom line is this: YOU DO NOT MATTER TO YOUR FAVORITE TEAMS. Without your individual support, another fan is lining up to take your place. Without your support and his/her support, another is lining up and one behind them and so on and so forth. The moral of the story is fans in general do not matter to owners or players for the most part because there are always going to be others to fill in the empty spaces. The question becomes, why do fans put so much energy into entities that don’t care about them?
The reason is because fans want and need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves and attach themselves to a favorite team. They are putting so much time, energy and money into being attached to the team it becomes natural to feel a real connection besides just fandom. Since they are already attached to the team, why not take the extra step and make themselves a part of the team by referring to it as “my team?” This is where the problem lies and also the reason people will never stop. There really is no answer to give because it has become an epidemic in the sports community. More and more people are starting and continuing this behavior and passing it on to future generations so it has become the norm for people to say “hey, we may not make the playoffs this year, but we always have next year.” No, sir, YOU will not make the playoffs next year, but your favorite team just may. They won’t care if you show up or buy that shiny new playoff shirt, but your friends might be impressed by the story. Just remember to save your receipt.
I have no myth #2, I just like making lists…maybe next time
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