Once you choke through a painful lead section which juxtaposes Chad Johnson and Brandon Marshall in nauseating fashion, Mike Klis had a couple of interesting things to say this morning; however, the triviality of what follows is symptomatic of a media starved for material as we impatiently wait for the 2008 NFL Draft to begin in two weeks. Isn't it a shame we don't have some tantalizing headlines to carry through a difficult time?
Marcus Thomas writes a bad check. . . to his mother!
Brandon Marshall recants: McDonald's bag was the true culprit; Marshall sues.
Elway assaulted in dark alley, blames Cutler.
Sundquist on Shanahan: "He must be stopped"
Okay, Klis actually had some things worth mentioning. Here they are:
Apparently Texans Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan and father Mike aren't talking right now. The Texan's--who are seven picks removed from Denver on April 26th--feel their draft needs are so similar to Denver's in this years draft that Kyle doesn't want to tip their hand. Consequently, Mike and Kyle have agreed not to talk to each other until May.
Former Broncos ILB Al Wilson balked at a contract offer from the Cleveland Browns for the league minimum. According to the article, Wilson feels his pro bowl resume warrants more consideration than $730,000.
In defense of Chief Asshole and mediocre Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, Norv Turner had the following to say:
"Philip took some heat over some things, yelling from the sideline . . . which was silly," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "One shot of a guy, people get this opinion, which is so far from the truth. Philip's one of the most grounded people you're ever going to be around."
"One shot," eh? Did anyone see the Colts playoff game last year? Make no mistake about it Broncos fan, Rivers is to Cutler like Brian Bosworth was to Elway. And like Elway, it will be Cutler who laughs last. Burn this into your memory, so that you are utterly remorseless the next time we destroy the Chargers on the football field:
That's all I've got this morning. Enjoy the beautiful weather!
As I browse through my daily Broncos RSS feeds, my left eye twitches a bit every time I see another saga in the Cutler-Marshall soap opera in which so many of us have become enamored. I'm going to cut to the chase; here's the bottom line: Brandon Marshall behaved like an idiot, he's gonna be ready for training camp, its over. Get over it.
Let's retrace history a bit. Brandon Marshall admits to "slipping on a McDonald's bag" (a lie). The media--smelling one of the centuries stupidest lies--attack like piranha. Just to inject some ethos into this conversation, recall that I was sick of this fiasco on day one. Shortly thereafter, Woody Paige derides Marshall, telling him to "grow up." Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a big Woody Paige fan. He annoys me. But to me, this comment was right on the money. To which Marshall responds in tabloid fashion. Yada, yada, yada...
So what exactly is Jay Cutler supposed to do? Does a team leader defend a guy who just showed up to a DUI hearing in an arm cast? The answer is simple: it's a lose-lose. If he defends Marshall he's not a leader; if he criticizes him, he's too outspoken. Really, I think Cutler spoke eloquently. His reaction was pretty much what you'd expect.
When did John Elway become a part of this conversation? Here were his recent comments on the issue:
"I was surprised to hear it, actually," Elway said Wednesday during his Colorado Crush Arena Football League news conference. "If that's what Jay feels like he needs to comment on, then he needs to do that. I mean, personally, I would have done it to (Marshall). To me, as teammates — even though I've tried to settle things in the press, looking back over the years, it's not been the right way to do it."
Is it just me or do these comments stink of hypocrisy? The message here is "always criticize privately." Oh really, John? I cannot side with the apologists here who will say that Elway is "just a guy" with every right to voice his opinion. I don't buy that. Elway is more than just a former player; he's an institution. In some ways, he's a euphemism for the whole organization. As a leader, an institution, and perhaps a future owner, I would think he'd be less incendiary.
One could argue that it would be less damaging for Bowlen himself to criticize Cutler. Suppose Isiah Thomas were to criticize the coaching ability of Phil Jackson. Would Jackson care? Would anybody listen? Now suppose Alan Greenspan--a (perhaps unwarranted) world-renowned monetary policy hero--steps in front of a microphone and criticizes Ben Bernanke in the middle of a financial crisis (sound familiar?). Bernanke's job just got a whole lot harder. How irresponsible.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of seeing John Elway's brilliance on the football field. I'm as big an Elway fan as you'll find; but no matter how I rationalize, I simply disagree with his tact in this situation. I think he should heed his own advice and criticize Cutler behind closed doors. Cutler already works hard enough to stay out of Elway's shadow; give the kid a break.
Of course, if the media didn't proliferate this sickeningly-sensationalized soap opera, its reverberations wouldn't be so frustrating. In an age where the most outrageous journalists seem to garner the most 'clicks', this seems to be what sells. Ultimately, the fans have the power to end the conversation: stop reading.
Speaking of Cutler criticism; this video is some of the best criticism of Cutler I've seen. Enjoy!
The Post Independent reports that Vance Johnson is having severe financial difficulties a year after his son's tragic death. On February 8th, Johnson had his car repossessed. Two weeks later, he was arrested for failing to appear in court for writing two bad checks. On March 28th, Wells Fargo initiated foreclosure proceedings against Johnson for failure to repay a $630,000 note on his home.
On September 9, 2006, Johnson's son Vaughn was killed instantly when his motorcycle collided with an SUV. Vaughn was a community college football star who expected to transfer to the University of Colorado to play football in the fall of 2008. His father has had an extremely difficult time coping with his son's death, saying he shut down emotionally after the loss of his son.
Vance Johnson is still the fifth leading receiver in Broncos history with 415 receptions. Alongside Mark Jackson and Ricky Nattiel, he was among the "Three Amigos," an indispensable piece of an offense that won three AFC championships from 1987 through 1991.
Vance Johnson is a childhood hero of mine. I am saddened by news of all the adversity Johnson is facing. Given his service to the NFL, I wish more was being done for him. As a 9-year (he took 1994 off) NFL veteran, Johnson receives a pension of about $3,000 per year spent playing, or about $27,000 a year. Fortunately, this pension money is out of reach of his creditors; however, this is a paltry sum given the duration of Johnson's career.
Many have criticized the NFL retirement benefits program for failing to properly support NFL veterans. When one juxtaposes the average NFL career (less than 4 years) with NFL revenues (over $6 billion), $27,000 for a 9-year veteran hardly seems fair. A large number of NFL athletes retire with few, if any, other job skills. Those that earn multi-million dollar salaries often lack the financial skills necessary to plan for life after the NFL. There is no shortage of vulturous accountants, attorneys, and financial planners looking to get a piece of these large contracts--monies which have to last these players for the rest of their lives.
I know Broncos fans haven't forgotten a former franchise hero. I only hope that the NFL and the NFLPA won't forget struggling veterans like Johnson when the current financial conflicts come to a head in 2010.
According to an article at Pro Football Weekly, the Pro Football Research Association recently assembled a panel of former NFL players with intimate knowledge of the 3-4. They were asked to name the "All-Time 3-4 Front Seven." Among the starters is Denver Broncos LILB Randy Gradishar.
The other nominees are Lee Roy Selmon (DRE Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Curly Culp (NT Kansas City Chiefs), Howie Long (DLE Oakland Raiders), Lawrence Taylor (ROLB New York Giants), Harry Carson (RILB New York Giants), and recent Hall of Fame inductee Andre Tippett (LOLB New England Patriots). Gradishar, Taylor, and Carson all were picked by 70% of the panel or greater. Other winners were more controversial, in many cases receiving less than 50% of the votes. Gradishar's competition included Saints/Panthers LILB Sam Mills (7 votes) and former Redskins/Raiders/49ers LILB Matt Millen (2 votes).
The leader of the "Orange Crush" defense, Gradishar amassed over 150 tackles for 9 straight years, averaging over 200 tackles for his career. He was NFL Defensive MVP in 1978, leading them to an AFC championship (and a loss to the Cowboys in the Super Bowl) with 286 tackles and 4 interceptions. Gradishar was a two-time All-American in college and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting his senior year. Infamous Buckeye's coach Woody Hayes referred to Gradishar as "the best linebacker I ever coached." The Buckeye's award for the best linebacker is called the "Gradishar Award" to this day in his honor. Thanks to Broncotalk.net for the fantastic summary of Gradishar's career. The article I linked has a much more detailed review of his accolades for those who are interested.
Gradishar was snubbed once again by the Hall of Fame selection committee; however, he was listed among the finalists for the first time since he retired. Perhaps this additional recognition will help tip the scales in Gradishar's favor. Given the laundry list of former Broncos who've been snubbed in recent years, the odds are against him.
