Things continue to look worse for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. ESPN.com is reporting that investigators now say they have enough evidence to indict Vick on dogfighting charges stemming from a raid of one of his properties. Whether the investigators have enough evidence to actually successfully prosecute Vick remains to be seen. It is also unknown what the consequences would be in terms of league-mandated punishment if Vick is indeed indicted.
The NFL definitely has its share of blockheads and numbskulls, but Michael Vick has to take the cake. Even if he actually had no idea there was dogfighting on his property (and who among us believes that for a second?), that still makes him stupid. Dude, you’re a multi-millionaire and famous superstar in the NFL. Do yourself a favor and keep abreast of all the laws being broken on all your property. And if you can’t do that, then sell a few of your properties until you retire and can keep a more watchful eye on things.
Am I the only one who is actually rooting for the commish to suspend Vick, even if only to send a message of “Smarten up. You’re one of our most commercially viable superstars. Stop screwing up.” Maybe just four games. Just as a warning.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins has not yet reported to a voluntary workout session for the Panthers, according to th Charlotte Observer. Talk of Jenkins being traded has been floating around all offseason. Though he has not been traded yet, his name continues to remain in the headlines, lately do to Drew Rosenhaus flapping his gums.
Jenkins has been productive for the Panthers, but the longer this situation is allowed to go on, the worse it will be for all parties involved. The Panthers need to decide what to do about Jenkins and do it, before mandatory camps begin. The last thing the Panthers need is a volatile atmosphere during training camp. Carolina has underachieved the past couple of years and absolutely cannot afford to loser their focus going into the 2007 season.
The Chicago Bears do enjoy signing their draft picks. They enjoy it so much that they’ve signed two more, third-round linebacker Michael Okwo and fourth-round guard-center Josh Beekman, both supposedly to four-year contracts. Though there are no official details, the numbers that are floating around seem fair to all parties involved. They Chicago Bears have now signed seven of their nine total draft picks.
The Bears have certainly been busy signing their draft picks quickly this off-season. Why the Bears have worked so quickly to sign all their draft picks is unclear, but they are certainly moving much faster than the rest of the league. As of this writing, the Bears’ contracted rookies comprised more than half of all draft picks to sign contracts so far. The only picks the Bears have set to sign are their first and second rounders. Better get on that, boys.
The tragic death of Marquis Hill continues to dominate the headlines. This story, from the Boston Herald, is from the point of view of Hill’s fiancee. She remembers Hill as strong and kind. As with nearly every account of this young man, it just seems that there wasn’t a bad bone in him. He was truly a wonderful young man.
Hill seemed to represent all the was good about the athletes in the NFL, and in a time when the league is trying to alter its image for the better, it is players like Hill who should be at the forefront. This is truly a tragic and unfortunate loss, for the league, the Patriots, and for Hill’s friends and family. Condolences go out to everyone who was close to Marquis Hill.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
The death of Patriot Marquise Hill has been ruled and accidental drowning, according to a report on espn.com. Hill was apparently out on a personal watercraft with a female friend over the weekend when the two fell into the water into a swirling current without life vests. The woman was rescued. Hill, unfortunately, drowned before the rescue team arrived. His body was found a day later.
Hill was, by all accounts, an amazing young man. He played football with passion and heart, winning a national championship with LSU Tigers before being drafted by the New England Patriots. But his legacy as a man runs much deeper than football. Hill spent much of his free time and extra money helping rebuild the parts of Louisiana that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. He was regarded among those who met him as a hero. He will surely be missed.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at www.stubhub.com
The New England Patriots made another off-season acquisition, signing injury-plagued cornerback Randall Gay to a one year, 1.3 million dollar deal. If Gay can stay healthy, he is expected to play a prominent role in the Patriots secondary, according the the Boston Herald. At the very least, Gay will provide a little more depth to the Pat’s secondary corps.
The Patriots have done everything in their power this off-season to deliver yet another Vince Lombardi Trophy to the city of Boston in the coming season. Coach and team dictator Bill Bellichick has acquired many impact players, and has even taken a few chances, rather uncharacteristically. Rather these chances pay off in the season remains to be seen.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
Mark your calendars. Save the date. Figure out your plans now, people, because Dallas, Texas is going to host the Super Bowl. Their proposal was voted on by the owners, and Dallas beat out Arizona for Super Bowl XLV, mostly due to the one billion dollars they spent on their new state-of-the-art stadium/nearly fully self-sustainable compound.
Now that we’ve gotten past the boring part of this story, let’s get to the fun stuff. A) The nightlife in Dallas is fairly awesome, with a fun-loving crowd and plenty to do. The Super Bowl in Dallas should be a freaking party. Dallas is no San Diego or Miami, but it’s no Jacksonville either. So at least we’ve got that going for us. B) Traffic is going to be a nightmare. That’s going to be fun to watch. C) The women in Dallas. If you’ve never been there, then you just don’t know. Women in Dallas, Texas love football. I can’t say much more than that, or my bosses will be upset. But I can’t say enough about how great Dallas women are.
You can get all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com
Former number one draft pick Keyshawn Johnson is slated to announce his retirement this afternoon from a press conference held at USC, espn.com is reporting. Citing his agent as their source, espn.com reports that Keyshawn will apparently leave the NFL to take a job as broadcaster with the 24 hour sports network.
This may come as a shock to many of Johnson’s fans, especially those in the Oakland and Nashville areas. The Raiders and Titans were two teams who were reportedly interested in signing Keyshawn and adding a veteran receiver to the corps in the offseason. While Johnson expressed interest in returning to the field of play after being released by the Panthers soon after the NFL draft, it seems he has received a better offer from ESPN, though details have not yet been released.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
The Panthers are going with veteran safeties this season, after failing to acquire any standout free agent safeties or any safeties in the draft, according to The Sporting News. Carolina wasted no time giving away Keyshawn Johnson’s numer 52 to former Clemson receiver Kevin Youngblood, who signed with the team in this off season. Johnson’s replacement, USC Trojan standout receiver Dwayne Jarrett, switched his number to 80.
In other news, the Panthers are converting their power blocking system to a new zone blocking ideology under new Offensive Coordinator Jeff Davidson. It will be interesting to see how these changes and more affect the team next season. The Panthers are coming off a depressingly disappointing 8-8 season, and will be looking to improve that record substantially next year.
You can buy all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
Finally making headlines for something football-related, much maligned Bears starting nose tackle, Tank Johnson, has returned to practice and conditioning work at the Bears facilities, according to espn.com. Johnson has also released his first public statements since leaving jail, where he served half of his 120 day sentence before being released on good behavior.
In his statements, Johnson seems geniuinely reticient and ready to accept whatever ruling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hands down. The way Johnson has conducted himself since his altercations may bode extremely well for his future in the NFL, as it has seemed that the players who have been suspended or come under the microscope have only offered half-hearted apologies for their actions at best.
Here’s hoping Tank Johnson has turned a corner in his life, as he is an extremely talented football player, and he has the absolute coolest name for a nose tackle ever.
You can buy NFL Tickets at stubhub.com.
Chicago Bears fifth round draft pick, Kevin Payne, has signed with the team, according to the Bears’ website. This marks the second Bears pick to sign with the team, with third round pick Garrett Wolfe being the first rookie to sign on the dotted line. The Bears and Payne agreed to undisclosed terms on a four year deal.
Payne, a multi-talented player who had playing time in college as a running back, safety, and punter will be a strong defensive back for the Bears. He offers an explosiveness and ability to play the run that appeals to coach Lovie Smith. The Bears are smart to have drafted him and signed him so quickly. By all accounts Kevin Payne is a good kid who plays hard. He should have a very productive NFL career.
You can get all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
In what has become a disturbing “will he or won’t he?” soap opera, unbecoming of both the Packers and their future Hall-of-Fame Quarterback, Brett Favre now says he will attend Green Bay’s mandatory mini-camp. Not only that, but Favre says he expects to be out there, competing on his recently surgically-repaired ankle.
Am I the only person who finds this to be not only extremely perplexing, but almost comical? One day it’s being reported that Favre wants to be traded. The next day he says he wants to retire as a Packer. One day Favre is quoted as saying he won’t attend minicamp because his ankle still hasn’t fully recovered, and his daughter is graduation high school the same weekend. The very same week it’s reported that Favre will not only be at minicamp, but his ankle is fine, and he will be out on the field.
Whatever is going on, this type of behavior is beneath Brett Favre. Either play or retire, but don’t finish out your season pulling the kind of crap we expect from people like T.O.
You can get all your NFL tickets at stubhub.com.
