NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - Off Season

[-Jrabbit]

RIP, Double-D.

[Demonbinder]

DD was a real class act during his time with the Bears and a pretty good player though Buddy Ryan didn't like him. Sorry to hear that he passed away at so young an age. RIP.

[Al B. Sure!]

Speaking of safeties...

Bob Sanders was released by the Colts. Pretty surprising, even with all his injuries.

Another star safety, OJ Atogwe of the St. Louis Rams (probably the best player on the Rams' defense) was also released.

[SlowwHand]

Did you read the particulars on Duerson's death? Self inflicted gunshot to the chest and wanted to donate his brain to science in regard to football related brain trauma.

[-Jrabbit]

Wow.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wow be right

[Al B. Sure!]

Concussions aint no joke. Who was it on here that was asking me if I preferred players playing touch football in tutus because I felt concussions were a problem?

I was never a big fan of the crazy hard hits. Highlights of great throws, catches, and runs attract my attention far more than Desean Jackson and Dunta Robinson colliding or James Harrison leveling someone. Yes, hard-hitting is part of the game and the line drawn between what is acceptable and what is excessive can be arbitrary but my enjoyment of the game is not hindered by protecting players. It is more important to me that these guys have lives after football than that I get some primordial joy out of watching a guy get knocked out.

[SlowwHand]

I like hard hits OK. I understand no hits to the head though. There are some players that I would stop fining and suspend for a season. Fines are a laugh to them.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Depends on the player... would prefer fines get changed to a % of pay instead of just X amount of money.

[SlowwHand]

That makes more sense than what amounts to chump change.

[Al B. Sure!]

That makes more sense than what amounts to chump change.

Yeah and that way the rookie special teamer who may not make the team next year doesn't get stuck paying a fine he probably can't afford.

[Demonbinder]

Players and owners still in negotiations through mediator and amazingly both sides keeping mute like they are supposed to do. Hopefully, they are coming up with an agreement. Meanwhile, here is something interesting - according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com:


"Andrew Brandt, who does a terrific job on the business side of the NFL with the National Football Post, noted in a story Monday that the possible financial windfall from adding two regular-season games is about $500 million. He cites a January interview with NFL negotiator Bob Batterman in which that number was tossed out...you have a win for the players. But not for all the players...It will be the players who hit free agency in 2013 or after who will reap the benefits as the pot grows and the salary cap grows with it."

So players like Tom Brady won't get any effect from this change, if it goes through.

[-Jrabbit]

I have every confidence in the agents to make certain their clients are compensated appropriately.

[SlowwHand]

Who cares if Tom Brady "gets ripped off"? He'll either never have to worry about money in his great grand children's lives or he'll blow it all. Adding more millions will make no difference.

[Al B. Sure!]

Well it's not just Tom Brady. It's all the players with long-term deals who could be just good backups.

Anyone sitting on a 4 or 5 year deal right now wouldn't be able to cash in for a long time, or maybe ever if they are veterans.