Another Day At The Office

Today should be a huge day for players who played high school football in the Western Pennsylvania region to get drafted.  One was selected by the Steelers in Ohio State OT Mike Adams. Adams grew up in Farrell, PA but played his high school football in Dublin, OH.  The Steelers obviously went with 2 offensive linemen to attempt to shore up an area of need.  Stanford's David DeCastro has the ability to come in and have an impact right away at a OG slot.  As does Ohio State's Mike Adams who can become the third tackle behind Willie Colon and Marcus Gilbert.  It can happen that these players can make an impact immediately but also they can create a higher level of competition at these positions.  The third round selection, ILB Sean Spence is a solid inside linebacker who can make plays from sideline to sideline and penetrate the gaps.  Today(Day 3 of the Draft)can be very interesting.  The Steelers have 7 choices remaining.  You can find some gems in these 4th through 7th rounds.  The Steelers have 4 seventh round selections and may use a few to trade up in a round.  But one of the Steelers best 7th round selections of all time is DE Brett Kiesel.  We will find out when training camp rolls around.

One pick at a Time

Interesting time of the year for the draftniks out there.  Who are the Steelers going to draft or who should the Steelers draft in the First Round.  The Steelers front office has done very well in their # 1 selections during the last decade.  Picking #24 leaves the door open for a pick that could surprise many Steelers fans. But it looks good that Alabama ILB Dont'a Hightower may be available at selection #24 Thursday night. And by the way, the Steeler faithful will be watching this draft closely like they have done in the past.  Rumor has it that the Baltimore Ravens may attempt to trade up and move ahead and choose Hightower before the Steelers make their selection.  It is just a rumor but it could happen.  Anyhow, what do the Steelers need?  Defensive Backs=Yes, Linebacker=Yes, Defensive linemen=Yes, Offensive Linemen=Yes, TE=No(with acquisition of Leonard Pope), Wide Outs=Maybe(depends on status of Mike Wallace), Running Backs=Maybe(depends on Mendenhall's injury status), QB=No(not yet).  There are a lot of players I like in this draft that the Steelers can get in mid to late rounds but one they should consider maybe in the first round is Wichita Falls, TX Midwestern State U. OG/OT Amini Silatolu.  Only a Division 2 player, this guy physically reminds me of former Steeler Carlton Hasselrig.

Remember in the 2011 drfat, only 4 Division players were selected. Let's take it one pick at a time.

Interesting Stuff

Are the Washington Redskins in a panic mode or is this trade yesterday for the better of the franchise. Granted Robert Griffin is a very talented and intelligent player and can be explosive running the football combined with talent throwing the football. BUT, the Redskins gave up a lot. A First and Second rounder this year going to the St. Louis Rams to move up to the second position in the draft, plus a First rounder in the 2013 and 2014 NFL draft. Can I remind the football fans out there what Coach Mike Ditka did a decade ago, trading the entire Saints draft to get the opportunity to draft U. of Texas RB Ricky Williams. What did Ricky Williams do for the Saints? Basically very little and I really do not think Ricky Williams had the sense of urgency to play football. The Washington Redskins have averaged 6.6 wins a season in the last 20 years. Redskin owner Daniel Snyder has been hiring and firing coaches on a regular basis. On the flip side, a talented quarterback is a major part of the puzzle to develop a franchise. Baylor's Robert Griffin is talented, but I think the Redskins gave up too much. Just my opinion, If I was the Redskin brass, I would have traded my 2012 #1 selection to the Green Bay Packers for talented back-up QB Matt Flynn, who is ready to play immediately. Very interesting stuff. Stay tuned.

P.M. time

Lots of talk flying around nationwide media circles, the NFL Network, and especially the Indianapolis sports media about what is up with Peyton Manning. Manning will go down as one of the top QB's of all time. It is very difficult to say who the best quarterback is and will be in NFL history, but certainly Peyton Manning name is mentioned around these circles. Manning wants to continue his career and probably not with the Indy Colts. It looks like the Colts are going to draft Andrew Luck with the first choice in late April's draft. But could they make a analytical change and draft Baylor's QB Robert Griffin. I doubt it but stay tuned. Getting back to Peyton Manning, I think the guy should retire. He has had 4 neck surgeries in the past 2 years with 3 operations on his neck in 2011. Manning is cleared to play football but this is not elbow surgery in his non-throwing arm. Peyton Manning loves the game of football but in my opinion, he should continue in the game in another capacity. He is very close to 36 years old. He is well spoken, has excellent football IQ, and has the potential to be another Jim Harbaugh(not as a player)but as a coach. Manning is going to the Hall of Fame and he has nothing left to prove. It is not worth it to potentially injure his neck again with some violent hit. His football future is on the sideline in a coaching capacity or up in the booth expounding on the game.

Coming to an End

I took a short break for a while and a lot has happened. What a stellar career Wide Out Hines Ward has had. He has more receptions that both Lynn Swann and John Stallworth combined and all of us know that Swann and Stallworth are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hines Ward gave the Pittsburgh Steelers 14 real good years. The question I have is? Does Hines Ward still have gas left in his tank? Is another NFL team going to claim him and give Ward ample opportunity to compete for a starting position. Lynn Swann had 5462 yards receiving and Stallworth had amassed a total of 8723 yards. Hines Ward has over 12000 yards receiving and 85 touchdowns. Ward still can play plus he has the ability to block but he has lost some of the quickness he possessed. He has stated over and over again that he wants to continue playing but in my humble opinion, I think Hines Ward should retire. He has what it takes to become a commentator for the NFL Network. He also has the potential to become a football coach. Imagine if he was an assistant at his alma mater U of Georgia and came into a recruits house for a home visit. I think he could coach receivers in time at the NFL level. Hines Ward has great knowledge of the game and he needs to implement this knowledge to the game of football in some capacity. Good luck Hines Ward and thanks for a great career in Pittsburgh.

Stability is needed

The coaching carousel continues at the U. of Pittsburgh. This is hard to fathom, but Pitt may be setting a NCAA Division 1A record for the number of Head Football Coaches it has had in the past 13 months. Let's start with Coach Dave Wannstedt who finished off his stay at Pitt in early December, 2010, then came Coach Mike Haywood who lasted less than 3 weeks. Then Pitt had an interim coach, Coach Phil Bennett(who is now an assistant at Baylor), to coach the Bowl Game last January. Next Pitt hired Coach Todd Graham from Tulsa, who bolted Pitt within 11 months of signing his contract. Now Pitt is going to have Coach Keith Patterson, an assistant to Coach Todd Graham, direct the bowl game in Birmingham, AL on January 7, 2012. And coming up shortly, Pitt will hire another coach to take Pitt into the future. That is 6 Head Coaches in 13 months(of which 2 were interim). With all this going on, the U. of Pittsburgh left the Big East and joined the ACC. I know some of the coaches that the Pitt administration is interviewing, but I have no idea who the Pitt Panthers should hire. I know one thing, the U. of Pittsburgh football program needs stability. The coach that they do hire needs to remain here for some period of time. Is playing at Heinz Field a problem for the program. Many experts say NO and some say Pitt needs its own on campus stadium. The administration really needs to hire the correct coach for this Head Football Coaching Position. They cannot be hasty with this hiring. The Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC)football is no walk in the park so the Pitt Panther Football Program needs to be stabilized.

Look at drafting a Quarterback

Injuries are piling up this season at a rapid rate. When the NFL has a physical 16 game schedule and a 4 game pre-season schedule, numerous injuries are going to occur. Big Ben Roethlisberger is very fortunate that he did not suffer a torn ACL or a broken ankle after a Cleveland Brown defensive player rolled up into his leg area. What a tough guy and a team player Big Ben is, coming back into the game last Thursday after this injury and basically playing on one leg. This is Roethlisberger's 8th NFL season and he will be 30 years old this Spring. There is a lot of gas left in his tank but I think the Steelers should draft a quarterback in the April 2012 NFL draft to be brought along at a nice pace to replace Big Ben down the road(similar to what Green Bay did with Brett Favre and Aaron Rogers). Big Ben would be an excellent teacher for this young QB if he is drafted next April or the April after, but the Steelers need to develop a young QB. Roethlisberger's back up QB's now are Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, and Dennis Dixon. Batch is near retirement and has the potential to be a real good quarterback coach for someone. Former #1 draft pick Byron Leftwich and also Dennis Dixon have the ability to play but have injury histories. Do you spend a #1 draft pick on a quarterback? That is a good question? The Steelers may need to address their offensive line issues at the number 1 slot in April because they have had multiple injuries to their O-Line. Then the next question, can you find a QB later on the draft? I like a quarterback out of Texas A&M named Ryan Tannehill. Does Ryan Tannehill have the ability to be a #1 selection next April. Maybe or maybe not. Tannehill may slip into the mid-rounds especially if Andrew Luck and USC QB Matt Barkley become early entries. The Pittsburgh Steelers draft in the past years under Kevin Colbert have been productive especially in the first and mostly in the second rounds. But in my opinion, the Steelers need to start looking at a young quarterback.

Bring Back NFL Follies

It finally happened, Ndamukong Suh got suspended for 2 games. The NFL headquarters put Suh in his place. He has been out of control for the past 2 seasons. Next should be Buffalo Bills wide out Stevie Johnson. Playing games in the end zone like he has pistols in his belt, falling on the ground like he has been shot, but really just putting on a show. Johnson received a $10,000. fine for his antics last Sunday vs. the NY Jets. If we recall, wasn't he the receiver that just flat out dropped the easy pass in the end zone from Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Steelers that would have won the game in 2010 for the Bills. There are enough good players out there that are high character guys that would love to play in the NFL. The NFL does not need players like Stevie Johnson and Chad Johnson, who has to put on his H.O.F. jacket during a game a few years back for the Bengals. The NFL is a top of the line organization that should not condone this type of behavior. What is wrong with a player being humble? The coaches of each team also need to put their foot down on this nonsense. Remember when Randy Moss squirted water at a referee during a game! When you look back, it seems many of the problems and glorified antics are situated amongst the wide receivers. This is a ridiculous thought, but I would like to see the NFL allow Jerry Jones to spike a football after the Cowboys score a touchdown. Why not, Jerry Jones is down on the field anyways. One final thought: have you ever seen a placekicker run into the goal post area after he has kicked a field goal, retrieve the football, and slam dunk the ball over the crossbar. Never going to occur. He is not a wide receiver. Bring back NFL Follies!

Act Like You Have Been There Before

Every week the NFL is levying fines on a multitude of players. A few weeks back Woodland Hills grad Rob Gronkowski was fined 7500. for spiking the ball too close to a NY Jets defensive back. Earlier in the season, Ravens OC Matt Birk was fined 5000. for removing his microphone because it was bothering him. The NFL reversed the fine after an appeal by his agent. Steelers safety Ryan Clark got nailed for a 40000 fine on a helmet to helmet hit vs. the Ravens. These fines are getting ridiculous. But there is a reality check here. Football used to be a contact sport but now it is a collision sport. Players get paid to make plays. Injuries are a major part of the game. Is the League attempting to cut back on the injuries? Yes but Players are going to get injured in football. There is no way around it. When you have 22 players flying around the field at high rates of speed and aggression, people are going to get hurt. Leading with the helmet by a defensive player seems to stir up the most controversy and potential injury and therefore these defensive players are being levied the most fines. But what about running backs who lead with a helmet. No fines are levied against running backs. I am all for ELIMINATING the fines or just get rid of the facemask. But if you get rid of the facemask, then the players faces will be chewed up and damaged. So what is the answer? Rather than fine players, give the players a series of warnings followed by SUSPENSION without pay if they do not adhere to the warnings. Lions DT Ndamukong Suh has been out of control the past 2 seasons. Roger Goddell has even called him into the NFL headquarters to discuss his style of play. What he did on Thanksgiving day was ridiculous by stomping on a Packer offensive linemen after pushing his helmet into the ground multiple times. Just suspend Suh for a series a of games without pay. If he does not stop his over-aggressive antics, then suspend Suh for the season without pay. Suspension will make it stop. Are the NFL football fans going to games to see Rob Gronkowski spike the football or are they going to see Rob Gronkowski make catches, run after the catch, and score points. Are the fans of the NFL going to N.O. Saints games to watch TE Jimmy Graham catch, run, and score or are they going to see Jimmy Graham dunk a football over the crossbar, pull the crossbar out of position, and then subsequently see the game delayed to repair the crossbar. The players need to" Act Like They Have Been There Before "when they score a Touchdown. I am tired of seeing wide receivers like former NFL player Terrell Owens do his mime routine after he scores or do a dance routine in the endzone. Who cares? Play the game like it is supposed to be played.

Tidbits

If I would have told you around the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day 2010 that these 5 universities would have new football coaches on Thanksgiving Day 2011, would you have believed me? The universities are Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, West Virginia, and Pitt and most likely you would probably have laughed at me in dis-belief. If I also would have told you last Thanksgiving 2010 that the Indianapolis Colts would be 0 and 10 and the San Francisco 49ers would be 9 and 1 during Thanksgiving week of 2011, would you have believed me? If I also would have explained to you on Turkey Day 2010 that the U. of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University would join the A.C.C. and West Virginia University would be joining the Big 12, would you have believed me?..........A new trend may be starting:coaches coming out of the booth to get back into the coaching circles. After a 10 year hiatus, Coach Bob Davie(Moon Township native and former Notre Dame Head Coach)accepts the U. of New Mexico position and with a short lived position at CBS Sports, Coach Rich Rodriquez takes the U. of Arizona position. Skeptics think RichRod should have never left West Virginia for U of Michigan but let's see what RichRod can do with the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac 10. Who is going to be next to come out of the booth?

T-bow

Everybody around the NFL circles are talking about Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow(former Florida Gators QB). The Broncos have won 4 out of the last 5 games with Tebow at the helm. But the nationwide media is giving Tim Tebow a tremendous amount of credit for this run by the Broncos. Tebow deserves the recognition but lets give credit to some other areas of the Denver Broncos team. Lets talk about the Broncos defense. In these 4 victories in the past 5 contests, the turnover ratio is a Plus 4 for the Broncos. Their defense is shutting teams down, especially the last 2 games vs. the Chiefs and the Jets(many teams can do this). Then on the offensive side, the Broncos are running the football. John Fox and the Broncos offensive staff have utilized Tim Tebow's talents and that is running a different style of offense not used much in the NFL. It is the spread option. Tim Tebow is running the ball out of this offensive scheme and it is working. In these 4 Bronco victories, Tebow has passed for a pathetic 458 yards(about 115 yards per game)and in the Chiefs game, Tebow only completed 2 passes, one shy of an all time low record held by Chargers Ryan Leaf. Flip the page and Tebow has rushed himself for 388 yards in these 4 games(just a shade under 100 yards per game). Since Tebow has been a starter, the Broncos are 4 and 1. They had a bad game vs Detroit losing 45 to 10 is this 5 game sequence. Against the Lions, the Broncos turnover margin was -3. With Tim Tebow at the helm, the Broncos are going to run the football, attempt to take care of the football, and use a sophisticated passing game that matches Tebow's talents. I will repeat myself again, throw to score, run the football to win.

NFL MVP

After 10 weeks of the NFL season with a multitude of unpredictable games the past few weeks, who would be the league's MVP up to this point. I would cast my vote for Green Bay's QB Aaron Rogers. Others to recognize are SF 49ers RB Frank Gore or Houston Texans RB Arian Foster or Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson or Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. In my estimation the real Most Valuable Player is the National Football League this 2011 season should be Peyton Manning. How can I say this, Peyton Manning is not even playing. I am making this statement on the mere fact that the Indianapolis Colts are 0 and 10, have a legit shot at going 0 and 16, and basically cannot score points. Early in the season, the Colts battled the Steelers in a close contest. But since then, the Colts have gone in the tank. With Peyton Manning at the helm, the Colts are a totally different team. Their offense under Manning can be explosive and his TE Dallas Clark at times was one of the NFL's leading receivers. Dallas Clark is non-existent this 2011 season. The Colts used to run the football well. The Colts defense is constantly on the field. They had a shot to win yesterday vs. the Jaguars but only had a field goal. They may be the NFL's next 0 and 16 team. It is either going to be Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck next year at the the Colt's helm.

Huge Game

The football game tomorrow is a very large game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are tied atop the AFC North at 6 and 2 but the Ravens are 2 and 0 in the Division while the Bengals are 1 and 0. Whereas the Steelers are 6 and 3 overall but 0 and 2 in the Division. This game on Sunday November 13th is a MUST win for the Steelers. If the Steelers go down to defeat to the Bengals, they will drop to 0 and 3 in the AFC North and 6 and 4 overall. At 0 and 3 in the division, there chances are slim and none to win the division. The Steelers would virtually have to win out or proceed to go 5 and 1 their last 6 games to get a shot at a wild card. If the Pittsburgh Steelers win tomorrow, they will be 1 and 2 in the Division, 7 and 3 overall, and must continue to win to shoot for a lock at a wild card slot. Now it would depend what the Baltimore Ravens do the rest of the way. In the National Football League, there are no sure fire wins anymore. Miami goes into Kansas City and pounds them last week. The NY Giants go to New England and beat them. The Ravens and Joe Flacco have to drive 92 yards at the end of this contest to beat the Steelers at Heinz Field. With a 16 game schedule, injuries all over the place in the NFL, another upset waiting to happen, a holding call to damage a drive or a kick return, in other words, nothing surprises me anymore in the National Football League. The Bengals game tomorrow is a large game.

Too early for hoops

It is hard to believe, but NCAA Division 1 basketball is commencing already. It is only November 8 and today was like a summer day and basketball is starting . I know practice by NCAA rules was allowed to begin until 12:01 AM October 15th. No problem, but I would rather have practice begin on either November 1 or November 15th. My rationale is that the men's and women's basketball players are supposed to be student-athletes. Now you have an NCAA sport here, basketball, that encompasses 2 semesters, the Fall and the Spring. Wouldn't it be more feasible for the players involved, to play their first game sometime in December right after final exams are completed. Practicing is OK but travelling can cut into class and study time. Most Division 1 teams are going to play 27 to 30 regular season games. Play these games from December 10th until the Middle of March, then start the NCAA tournament later on in March and finish the tournament near the middle of April. Anyhow Division 1 football is still in full swing so why overlap two sports. Most Division 1 programs complete their regular football season just before final exams. You turn on the television and you can see both football and basketball, plus NHL Hockey, and even some late season Golf. I guess there is a market for it.

Can Penn State go 10 and 2?

Where are all the critique artists about Joe Paterno being too old to coach at Penn State University? Penn States is steadily moving up the polls being close to the Top 15. At 8 and 1 Penn State is putting itself in position to go to a real good bowl game. Now wait a minute! Proponents are saying who have the Nittany Lions beaten. They beat Indiana State, they beat Eastern Michigan, they squeaked by Temple(who is a good team now)and they beat 5 Big Ten opponents. There only loss is to #2 Alabama Crimson Tide. The final 3 games of the regular season will tell the football gurus a lot, but many experts had Penn State going 6 and 6 or 7 and 5. Let's give some credit here to Coach Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lion staff. Lets give some credit to Defensive Co-ordinator Coach Tom Bradley. Can Joe Paterno coach 5 more years? He has surpassed fabled Grambling State U Coach Eddie Robinson 408 victories. If Penn State goes 10 and 2, Joe Paterno may get Coach of the Year honors. Or should Tom Bradley get assistant coach of the year honors. They are 8 and 1 shuffling in-between 2 quarterbacks. Maybe shuffling in 2 quarterbacks is confusing other teams defensive co-ordinators with too much to prepare for. But whatever is it, it is nice to see a coach that will be 85 years old on the first day of winter with a chance to challenge for the Big Ten Title.

Betting on High School Games

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review came out with an interesting article(Sunday October 30, 2011) about Betting on High School Football Games. As WPIAL Executive Director Mr. Tim O'Malley quoted in the Trib as being "borderline ridiculous." I agree with Mr. Tim O'Malley. Sports betting has trickled down to the high school football level. Nothing surprises me anymore. A gambling group called 5Dimes is putting the lines out there on high school football games particularly the ones that have live TV coverage. This has been going on since 1997. And if no one would put a wager on a high school game, then the lines would not be available. There must be a market for this type of wagering. If people will bet the coin toss(heads or tails)at the Super Bowl, then gambling freaks will bet almost anything. My question is, how do they know what line to set for a particular high school football game? Is someone from this 5Dimes doing research on these teams to be able to come up with a spread on these TV games? And down the road, you know someone is going to entice a high school football player to fix a game. When ESPNU is televising high school football games on a weekly basis, then there must be a market for this venue. High School football is popular, but wagering on high school games is very questionable.

Time Out T.O.

T.O. means Time Out. Terrell Owens needs to end his football career. Maybe NFL teams are doing it for him. Owens is going to be 38 years old this December and played 15 seasons in the NFL. On the field, he had a very good career with 153 touchdowns for an average of 10 a season. Fantasy Football Players loved this guy in his prime. But on the sidelines, Owens always expressed his opinion about things and was very vocal about not getting the ball thrown to him. During this past April, 2001, Terrell Owens suffered an ACL tear and had to have surgery. This past week, he and his agent conducted a personal workout to show NFL teams that Terrell Owens was ready for a comeback after the knee surgery. Not one NFL team showed up. I like his fortitude about his desire to play again, but there is a time when you have to give it up. Maybe someone will give him a chance this season or next, but after an ACL tear at his age, it may be remote. Somewhere down the line, Terrell Owens will show up again. It may not be in uniform but Terrell Owens is good copy and you never know, for he may appear on the NFL Network as an analyst. NFL Network hired Deion Sanders, who is actually doing a pretty good job. One of Terrell Owens quotes always stuck in my mind, "The fans love to hate me." I wonder why.

Mid Season Jargon

5 and 2 is a good start for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Big Ben and Mike Wallace have become maybe the best if not the BEST wide receiver-quarterback combination in the entire NFL. Another QB/WR combo that can match the Steelers combo is this week's opponent New England's Tom Brady/Wes Welker duo. I personally think the Steelers have a shot at a season with more than 10 victories. Let us look at the teams the Steelers have beaten so far. The Colts at 0 and 7 have gone in the tank. The Arizona Cardinals with Kevin Kolb at the helm are a dismal 1 and 5. The Jacksonville Jaguars with a rookie QB leading the way are a weak 1 and 5 but played the Steelers pretty tough especially in the second half losing 17 to 13. The Seattle Seahawks are a sub par 2 and 4 and the Steelers rocked their world. And the Tennessee Titans, who started off well beating the Ravens in game 2, are a mediocre 3 and 3. The Titans got pounded at home by the Houston Texans, who by the way held Chris Johnson to 18 yards rushing and the Steelers bounced the Titans around also. When the dust clears after 7 games, the Pittsburgh Steelers 5 victories are against teams with a combined record of 7 and 24. The next 4 games will tell the fans around here something. First at home vs. New England, then here comes the Baltimore Ravens into Heinz Field, then at the respectable Cincinnati Bengals, a Bye week is next which looms large, and then a trip out to Kansas City to play the Chiefs who started off poorly but now have won 3 in a row. There are some very interesting games in the very near future for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Like Father Like Son

Like father, like son. That is New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan motto. NFL fans know about Rex Ryan's father Buddy Ryan. Buddy had all kind of media quotes. He had a feud with Mike Ditka when they coached together for the Chicago Bears. He punched Offensive Co-ordinator Kevin Gilbride in the jaw during a game when they coached together for the Houston Oilers. Buddy Ryan blamed Gilbride,because of his offensive scheme, causing 2 injuries to his defensive players. Gilbride implemented the "Run and Shoot" offense for the Oilers and Buddy Ryan called it the "Chuck and Duck" offense which irritated Gilbride. Then during a game the punch was thrown. When Buddy Ryan was coaching the Eagles they had some key injuries to some running backs and were looking for a trade. The Steelers at the time had some good running backs. A reporter asked Buddy Ryan about a trade for Steelers RB Earnest Jackson. Buddy Ryan's quote was "I wouldn't trade a Six Pack for Earnest Jackson." Upon taking the Arizona Cardinals job in 1993, Buddy Ryan was quoted by saying"You got a winner in town." 8 and 8 during the 1993 season and then the Cardinals took a nosedive and went 4 and 12 in 1994, and just like that Buddy Ryan retired. Like father, like son. Rex Ryan made a quote this past week, that if he was coaching the San Diego Chargers, he would have won a couple of Super Bowls by now. In 2009, he was noted by saying to a reporter "Why are all these cameras outside our(NY Jets)locker room?" "Barack Obama must be here. He doesn't need to be here because we will be visiting him in the next couple of years." Rex Ryan should flip flop his quotes and tell the media that we are going to stink this year and then maybe they might get to the Super Bowl and I mean MAYBE.

Hopefully a new format

It took the NFL a long time to submit to the fact that it needed to implement the 2 point conversion. College football had the 2 point try long before the National Football League. Now my next point is the challenge. The NFL needs to get rid of it and go to the format like college football has. A referee in the booth buzzes the head official and says the play is under review. This is more feasible than a coach having 2 challenges during the game. Right now the NFL reviews every touchdown so why not review close plays and forget the coach's challenge. For example, in the Lions vs 49ers game this past Sunday, Ted Ginn returned a punt to the Lions 40 yard line, but after a commercial break, the ball was inexcusably placed on the Lions 35 yard line. This is where a booth official could buzz the Head Official, stop play, and get the ball placement correct. No excuses, the NFL needs a solution. College football does it and it works so why can't the hierarchy of the National Football League implement this strategy. You do not want to remove the human element out of the game of football, but there are certain times that calls need to be corrected. The NFL can make this adjustment and should consider it in the near future. Why not? When you have 22 players flying around the field, mistakes are easy to make.http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/19/nfl-admits-bad-spot-gave-49ers-five-free-yards/