Survive the Offseason - Tips #2, #3, #4, #5

#2
Football History - Real
http://www.davesfootballblog.com has fascinating facts about football's origins.
He traces it back to China. (3/19/07 entry)

#3
Football History - Mine
I've been leafing through some of my old football trading cards from the '70s.



The Walter Payton rookie card is getting $175.00 bids on eBay,
whereas Phil Simms' rookie card is holding at .99 cents!

Hmm, I could spend the better part of the offseason tallying up imaginary auction money from my childhood hobby, or maybe I'll just tune into

#4 All the NFL Europe games (There are only 6 teams in the league) which are airing on NFL network starting April 14 and culminate with the World Bowl on June 23rd.

AND/OR

#5 : Three more new episodes of Friday Night Lights! (NBC Weds, 8pm)

Goings on in the plot: A high school coach keep the steroid use of one of his players a secret, QB Matt Saracen miraculouly gets his team to the state championship, and a beautiful single mom in her thirties succumbs quickly to the temptation of young Tim Riggins' physical charms.

Sure, it's hyped up drama, but there remains an emtional truth within this world. Wheelchair bound Herc never lets up on the tough love with Jason Street, the newly paralyzed star quaterback. Though Herc knows it would have been good for Jason's recovery to make the US Olympic Quad Rugby team, "It's a championship, not therapy."

Then there's the moment between the philandering Buddy Garrity and his sweet teenage daughter, Lyla, when Buddy solicits Lyla's help putting together a family photo album to try and win the forgiveness of his betrayed wife. Lyla refuses, saying "I don't want to take sides."

This reminded me quite a bit of my own experiences with my parents as they were splitting up. I couldn't give either of them everything I felt, and the crushed and frantic look that burned onto Buddy Garrity's face reminded me of my own father when he was afraid he was going to lose me, too.

So, what's that got to do with football? Hey, this is survial in the offseason, baby!

Following the Bouncing Players

Free Agency Takes Flight

The Dallas Cowboys cut Drew Bledsoe loose. I think that's the least they could do for him, but I don't get why they signed Brad Johnson. He's been in the league even longer than Bledsoe, and is coming off a terrible season!

I was also surprised to learn that the Bears traded away Thomas Jones to the Jets, when the running combination of Jones and Benson was such a key to their great season. But hey, even Super Bowl Champion Colts RB Dominic Rhodes is visiting the Bills this week.


Green Bay let Ahman Green go, and even though he's been their leading rusher for years, I think it was a good move. I hope Henderson stays, but they still need an explosive back, and they'd better grab a good one in the draft. This time, let's hope they find someone without such a tendency to fumble

Everyone made such a big stink about the building and melding a young offensive line to protect Sir Brett, but don't forget, without a MAJOR running game, Favre is going to be forced to throw way too often, and that's when the interceptions start flying, too.

On the road to the draft / On the road to recovery

NFL Combine wraps up today.
Huge and humble LSU QB Jamarcus Russell impressed a lot of coaches, whereas the favorite QB coming in, Brady Quinn, may have lost a little ground when he declined to work out for the combine. But Quinn is an amazing QB, and I hardly think he will not be snapped up quickly by the NFL. He's talented and increbily confident, not mention he's in amazing shape.

When he stepped on the scale to be weighed wearing just his workout shorts, the male announcers were falling over themselves to admire his physique. "Just look at that body!" They reported. (Hey, they said it first.)



Brett Favre finally has the ankle surgery that he's been putting off for four years!

The bone spur removal procedure went well and the Packers believe Favre will be ready for the post-draft veteran mini camp May 18th.

Funny to think of Iron Man Favre procrastinating surgery for four years. After 257 consecutive starts, broken thumb, concussions and three hundred pound lineman smashing him to the turf, what's he got to be afraid of?

The only thing I can think of is the fear that, at the age of 37, he wouldn't be able to make a full recovery. He'd gotten used to playing with the pain, but surgery was the unknown. My helmet's off to him for his belated bravery.

NFL Network Coverage of Scouting Combine Starts Today!

February 22-28:

The top 300 NFL football prospects from colleges across the nation strut their stuff to try and earn a spot in the NFL draft. Live press conferences, all the physical drills and even player interviews will be broadcast this year.

Not only do the athletes have to be faster than the wind and bench press their guts out, they have to take The Wonderlic Test, an Intelligence test the NFL has been administering for about thirty years. ESPN's Jeff Merron provides some sample questions, if you're game. I admit, I got three wrong.

NFL prospects score about average. Chemists and doctors a bit higher, but when's the last time you saw a Chemist somersault into the end zone?

For the complete listing of NFL combine coverage, go to NFL Network TV schedule.

Survive the Offseason - Tip #1

1. Watch Friday Night Lights on NBC, Wednesdays at 8pm.

For those not familiar, it's based on the book by H.G. Bissinger, and chronicles the small Texas town of Dillon and its passion for high school football. The hopes and dreams of the players are intertwined with the town itself.

The TV series opened with the star quarterback taking a hit that put him in a wheelchair. While certainly guilty of pulling emotional strings with its audience, this device has worked to shake much of the usual teenage artifice from the characters, and how they relate to each other.

Breaking records, but not our hearts..?

Brett Favre means more to the Packers team and fans with each passing year, but I hope he's not coming back just to break John Elway's victory record or complete more touchdown passes than Dan Marino. He has to know he is beyond records and into legend already.

I'm thrilled that I don't have to see him go yet,

but I really won’t be able to stand it if I have to see him fail.


CONGRATS TO THE COLTS!

Debating Super Bowl commercials is not usually my thing, but I have to speak up against this one, disguised as an interview...

In the post game show with Deion Sanders, rookie Kelvin Hayden said a Tiki Barber "Cadillac" commerical inspired his dream that he was going to run an interception in for a score! If I'm not mistaken, this is product placement! I know he wasn't voted MVP, but does Hayden get a free Escalade for saying that?

How Close did You get to the "Big Game?"... PLUS Snacks!

I am basking in the feeling of "one more meaningful game," and I don't care how many times I hear about Bears and Colts carrying the dreams of their families and communities!

Peyton Manning, after nine years in the league, college, high school, and back to the previous generation. Rex Grossman’s father played college ball, and grandfather played in the NFL - for the Colts, no less!

That’s not to say the parents, much less the public, hasn’t realized their own share of dreams, but the closest I ever got to my “big game’ was high school basketball, and you might have nicknamed me the "Archie Manning" of point guards.

http://www.porktenderloinsandwich.com/

If you're a Colts fan looking to serve some authentic Indianapolis food at your SB party, look no further than the Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.

The pictures alone are enough to give me indigestion, but the natives swear by it.

Did you know a pro football player burns through about 4,000 calories during a game? Thanks, L.A. Times Health section, for reminding me that my guacamole dreams far out"weigh" my caloric couch reality.

Who scored more points this year,
the Colts or the Bears?

Answer: they both scored an EQUAL 427 points!

Last Stop before the Super Bowl

'Twas the night before the Conference Championships and all through the league,
not a pundit really knew just which teams would succeed.

Peyton Manning in his helmet and Dungy in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's snap.

When what to their gaping eyes did appear, but Teddy Bruschi unchecked
and the fans holding their cheer.

On tackle, on center and Addai who can block
Halt Blitzn' right now or I'm going to get sacked!

Ha-ha.

Tomorrow the Super Bowl teams will be decided.
I'm rooting for Colts because Tom Brady's already won three Super Bowls.

You Sir, are No Devin Hester

Those were my thoughts when the Chargers' Eric Parker fumbled that punt return in the AFC playoff game against the Patriots, because during the Bears game the day before, even though I was aghast at the way Hester kept boggling his punt returns, on none of said boggles did Hester actually LOSE the ball, and I give him credit for being able to recover from his jitters so quickly.

In fact, by the end of the game I was wondering why they don't put Hester in as a receiver some time? They could get him a short pass or set up a screen and see how many defenders he could fake out!

Football is fantastic because NO ONE gives up. The Pats defense was on its heels in the first half but the offense came in and kept firing away. Stalwart Tom said it for all the kiddies out there at his press conference, "Even though it doesn't all go well, you still have to believe in yourself and still have confidence and go out there and play."

Why wouldn't LT want to bust wide open seeing that dance at midfield after the game?

However, can someone fill me in on why he would slam Belichick at the press conference? That seems foolish, especially since he's been through the locker room and had an opportunity to prepare himself.

TONY ROMO's slip gives him heaviest chin in NFL

Tony Romo started the year with something to prove, and ended it with something to overcome.

Football players talk a lot about character, about never giving up and getting up after you've been knocked down. I think Romo will use this to his advantage in the coming seasons. Maybe it's a good thing in the long run that he didn't get too much too fast. Look what happened to Ben Roethlesburger. Super Bowl Champ his rookie year, then flat on his face the next.

I hope Parcells comes back, and I think how they just lost will definitely be a factor in his decision. He will want to redeem himself.

Everyone's got sympathetic comments for Romo, from T.O. at the post game press conference to the bloggers at www.ivillage.com/femalefan. Several posts at the Cowboys fan forum are even floating the idea that the ball that slipped through Romo's fingers may have been "greased," but there's no getting away from the fact that this botched snap "monkey" is going to be on Romo’s back unless and until he can get the Cowboys beyond the first round of the playoffs, no matter how much his teammates (or even Carrie Underwood) try to comfort him.

It's so amazing how one mistake can instantly re-define a player. I just hope it doesn’t re-define his whole career.

I love my family, but I wanna watch the game!

I know, 'tis more important to cherish precious moments with one's non-football fan family during the holidays, but why do I hafta miss the Eagles/Cowboys game?

So I'm not perfect. I "let" my son turn on a football game while we were staying out of town with my mother, and I found myself resorting to peeking over Mom's shoulder and into the other room, trying to glimpse a mirrored reflection flickering onto her glass china cabinet.

Alas, I will not, as it suggests at www.ivillage.com/femalefan, experience the pairing of candy canes and chicken wings this Christmas. I have a feeling I am not alone. Happy Holidays, and may all your TiVos run smoothly.

Football onscreen and off

I went out in the backyard for a game of catch with my son after the second quarter of the Broncos/Chargers game, and didn't see Cutler make the plays that brought Denver back in it for a while, but what I did see was that call to go for it on 4th down with over 11 minutes to go in the game! The risk was just too big, the way the Chargers offense was playing. That's when I got the feeling that Shanahan was just fine with throwing the season away.

My son is 8 and we're at the point where I can throw a football as far as I want and he'll catch it. It's all well and good now, but if and when he wants to join a team I'm going to have some anxious times ahead and hope he doesn't get hurt.

My husband is not exactly a football widow, but I have to admit I enjoy knowing more about the game than he does. I don’t think I show off too much. I mean, know Keyshawn Johnson played with the Jets, Cowboys and Bucs before he joined the Panthers, but I can’t tell you what a “cover 2” is..

Here’s one I just recently noticed. When the referee stops the play with a yellow flag the penalty will usually go against the offense. When a flag is thrown and the play is allowed to continue, it’s because the offense will have a choice to accept or decline the penalty after they’re finished.

At www.ivillage.com/femalefan, I read about a couple of fellow California Girls who went to freezing Soldier Field for that game against the Vikings, and met some awesome Bears fans, so I was really pleased to get to see Hester and Grossman strut their stuff on Monday Night Football last night.

To me, all the replacement talk about Rex Grossman, even after last week's performance, just seemed absurd. Lovie Smith didn't have to point out to me that they won the game, that they only had two losses on the season. Those are the most important facts, and questioning replacing the QB against those facts makes no sense. The media started it but the public made it bigger, and then we hear last night from the MNF booth that Rex has just been beside himself about it, that he really is trying to figure out what's going on. Is his thinking too much? Or is this just adding fuel to the fire of a media and public that want to mess with an athlete's head?

The Bears can drive the ball, are explosive on special teams and have a fully conditioned defense. It's too bad we don't live a world where that gets a chance for purer expression

Is Keyshawn Johnson a Hall of Famer?

Joe Theisman posed the question last night on Monday Night Football. To me there's no doubt. He's got his Super Bowl win with Tampa Bay, and he's creeping up on reception records held by Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.

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Oh, the frustration of that Lito Sheppard interception! I have always been a Keyshawn fan, and that hurt. Small mercy the refs let his helmet-launch slide without a yellow flag. Was there a touch of sympthy, humanity?

Broncos start Rookie Jay Cutler

Last week I felt sorry for Jake Plummer being replaced. This week I feel sorry for Jay Cutler coming into a tough situation. But I was impressed with Cutler's confidence. They almost won! I think he will become a strong QB, just tough to watch the rookie throwing the ball up for grabs and tripping over his own feet.

www.ivillage.com/femalefan puts up contenders for Sunday Night's Sexist players, and this week I voted for Cutler simply because of those sad post-game puppy dog eyes.



What is up with the blame game this season regarding quarterbacks? Bledsoe and Plummer lose their jobs midseason, and now the media is after Chcicago Bears' Grossman. (Okay, it was a good idea to take out Bledsoe, I give you that.) But I've got to hand it to Lovie Smith for standing behind Grossman when the press keeps hounding him about putting in Griese. The Bears are 10-2, and if it's all about winning, then don't rock the boat! Sure, Grossman makes mistakes, so sometimes it's going to have to be the defense or special teams stepping up, and thank goodness for that this week.

Broncos are Making the QB Switch

I feel for Jake Plummer. The Broncos are still in it at 7-4 and they abandon the vet for an untested rookie? Makes me wonder how much influence the media has on the decisions of the coaching staff. Similarly, I couldn't believe it last night when the MNF booth started theorizing about replacing Hasselbeck after he struggled in the first half. The guy has been out for a month and oh, by the way, it's snowing! I guess Kornheiser should just stick to ranking his "favorite bald guys." His commentating about Hasselbeck was just about as relevant as that.

Patriots Shine, Falcons Whine

I have to hand it to Tom Brady Tom Brady, putting it on the line and being able to fake out Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher and get the big first down himself. With as much experience defending the run as he's got, Urlacher still went for the little swaying hip move Brady put on him. When all is said and done, a fake can fake out the best of them and the real deal is still Tom Brady.


I'm just sorry Michael Vick had to try and do it all himself vs the Saints. I tuned in to see the Vick magic, I love the way he moves, but when the magician has to perform the same trick over and over again because his "assistants" can't hold onto the passes, the defense is gonna catch on, and the audience is gonna see what he's really got up his sleeve -- not a rabbit, but "the bird!"

A Female Fan on Sunday Night

What does it mean to be a mom/football fan in this new era of the best game of the week airing on Sunday Nights?

It means sacrificing seeing the first and maybe second quarter of the game because I am cooking a lovely meal for my family.

It means my 8 year old son gets a chance to work on his play by play skills, as he yells to me from living room to kitchen, "Chargers have the ball, pass complete, first down!"

It means my husband and I sit at the coffee table and our son gets the TV tray. Of course, we don't call it a TV tray, we call it the "Sky Box."

By halftime everyone is happy, and I get to cheer and groan with my mouth full.

Cowboys vs. Colts

Got the chance to see one NFL game from beginning to end this weekend, and it was a great one. I was rooting for the unbeaten Colts, but I have to admit, Romo's win was darn convincing, and it's nice that this young man got a win at his first start in Texas Stadium.

I don't know about anyone else, but I believe there needs to be something done about the timing of throwing the challenge flag. Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were behind but had just completed a long pass and had gotten inside the Dallas twenty. Manning was doing his bit before the snap, pointing to defenders and pumping his leg up and down, then finally he gets under center, the play clock is ticking down to :o2, to :01 and then right as he snaps the ball the refs blow their whistles because Parcells throws the challenge flag. So, what would have been a completed pass at the goal line is whistled dead, the call on the field is upheld and the Cowboys are charged with a timeout. Well, boo hoo for them, they'll take that, because it forces the Colts to try again, and they fail to get the yardage, allowing Dallas to take over on downs and win the game.

There should be a rule! Something like, the coach's challenge can't interrupt the flow of the play. Once the QB is calling signals, you can't stop the play.

Dungee's later challenge, which in my mind was a desperate attempt to get the ball back, was at least made before Romo got under center!

"Field Position" What Women Get From NFL Football

I have been a football fan since I was little. I like the crack of the tackle, and also what that contact represents. It's the crispness of the aggression. The ballet of steel and power, the driving ahead, the impossible bounce of the ball that swings momentum like a wrecking ball. Grace under pressure, broad shoulders, snug pants, white shoes, and speed. The player is as big and as strong as he can be. He uses one hundred percentgravity to become the opposite of gravity. It is athleticism and power and drama of the game, the teamwork, movement and personality of its players.

Perhaps my childhood football fantasies were bigger still because I was a girl. Because I knew that I would never actually be able to play. I was a physical, athletic child, refusing the pink Barbie aisle in favor of cowboy outfits and cap guns, but at the same time I was mooning over Drew Pearson's sweet smile on a Dallas Cowboys rookie card. I could have it all in watching football. And it made me different, it made me feel special. I traded cards with a boy around the corner, and played pick-up football with boys at the park (until they realized I was a girl).
Sunday afternoons meant rooting for the Oakland Raiders' in a fourth quarter come-from-behind win. Ken Stabler would be back to pass, the pocket crumbling aroundhim, and he'd find Dave Casper at the sideline, and Casper, the big tight-end, would tilt and bend over backward and pick the ball out the fog, sacrificing his body for the first down. The drive stays alive! And it has for me. Whether it's Tony Dorsett behind the fullback, Lynn Swannin the corner of the end zone or a Brett Favre bullet pass into joyous jubilation and winning smile. I like watching the whole game, and how it develops.

-- Fourth and one... This is a big play.
-- Montana is out and Young is in..."
-- Earl Campbell or Mike Alstott in a flat footed rumble, a barge barging ahead.
-- The neat, straight lines before the ball is snapped, and the pool-break effectwhen the center hikes the ball and everyone goes into action. Scattering and bashing,hidden patterns and a quaterback's threaded needle pass to a fully extended receiver.

I also like the mud soaked mistakes, the drama of the fumble, the pinched look of a coach.

When a player gets hit and grabbed at to the point of where his shoulder padshave been yanked over his jersey, I love it when the camera catches one of his teammatesfixing his shirt for him. In this mess and mass of competition and intimidation, I find this gesture so touching among the players. Team mates -- this whole sense of connection and belonging comes over me. It's the dance of a running back, the fakes and sidesteps. Moving in twodirections at once. I like the way it looks when the defender just misses the tackle andyou see his arms fall off his opponent like feathers.

I like the instant replays, slow motion that removes it for a few moments from the raw reality and takes it to another level of beauty. I like the close-ups. Televisionlets you see their eyes. Under all those pads they are a bunch of people who mustmaintain an amazing level of intensity through all of football's fits and starts. I won't sayI'd rather be capable of doing this, I'm just saying I appreciate what they have to do to getthe job done. It's like watching an action movie where the hero gets trampled by life'sadversity and keeps struggling -- banged up and bruised, muddy and thwarted by fate – to the end toward victory. Except in football it's just gotta be a team effort or the whole game is lost.