The NFL opened its doors, school is in session

The NFL is in full swing!  NFL Kickoff weekend is like the first day of school.  New coaches, new players, new stadiums lead fans to get new TVs, grills, NFL game packages and of course gear.  This is all necessary to start the school year.  Ask any kid; you can’t go back to school without new supplies and new gear!

The two things that always made me anxious about the first day of school were the unknown and a new beginning.  I did not know what to expect from my new teacher.  Older students may have told me about the teacher, but I had not experienced his or her class myself.   Week 1 in the NFL is the same way.  It is the only week that teams prepare for without regular season game tapes of their opponents.  Sure they read about training camp and watch some preseason games, but teams will not truly know what the other teams are made of until the first game of the regular season.

So how was the first day of school?  Let’s take a look.

Welcome Back Carroll - Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks Head Coach, enthusiastically returned to a NFL sideline after coaching the University of Southern California Trojans for 9 seasons.  He was welcomed back with smiles and the smiles got bigger after Seattle trampled on the 49ers 31 – 6.

Unfair Detention – The Detroit Lions loss to the Chicago Bears 19 – 14 at home.  Many blame this on Calvin Johnson’s “touchdown” being ruled incomplete.  For the record, according to NFL Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 it was incomplete.  The rule states:

Going to the ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

The rule may need to be changed, but as Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz said, “He didn’t finish with the football.”  I really respect Coach Schwartz not blaming this loss on one call or one play.  Four quarters of football were played and the loss does not simply rest on a play that happened in the last 31 seconds of the game.  Going forward, the problem for the Lions is that their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, suffered a shoulder injury and may be out 4 – 6 weeks.  Just when I had them winning 4 games this year. 

Needed more summer school – The Redskins beat rival, Dallas Cowboys at home 13 – 7, but it was not because they did anything great.  Redskins quarterback, Donovan McNabb, showed hints that he can still compete at an elite level with nice completions to Santana Moss and one run of 17 yards.  However, the offensive line did not protect well and the defense was lackluster.  On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys offense just couldn’t connect and the defense seemed confused.  Both teams need some work.  It was a disappointing matchup that was supposed to be a battle between archenemies.

Bullies not so scary after all – With thousands of microphones around to catch every word that Cincinnati wide receivers, Ochocinco and T.O. say; I was expecting the dynamic duo to be a threat and… catch a lot more balls.  Despite both receivers reaching milestones, Ochocinco surpassed 10,000 passing yards and T.O. topped 15,000, the offense did not live up to the hype.

Teachers Pet – Over the weekend, Tom Brady, became the highest paid player in the NFL.  The $72 million contract makes the two-time Super Bowl MVP a Patriot for four more years.  New England Head Coach Bill Belichick summed up his feelings on the contract extension by saying, “There’s no other quarterback I’d rather have.”  Yesterday, Brady displayed why.  He had 258 yards, completed over 71% of his passes, did not throw an interception and led the Patriots to a 38 - 24 win over Cincinnati.

After school – Tonight Monday Night Football (MNF) starts the regular season with a double header.  The Baltimore Ravens head to the New Meadowlands Stadium to face the New York Jets at 7 p.m. EST and the Kansas City Chiefs will open its doors to the San Diego Chargers at 10:15 p.m. EST.  My thoughts?  The Jets and Ravens both have strong defenses and new additions to their offense, but I’m giving the edge to the Jets.  As for Kansas and San Diego, there is no competition.  Even without LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers will win in Arrowhead Stadium.

College men - The ACC had a bad weekend because their four ranked teams (Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and last season’s conference champ, Georgia Tech) lost to nonconference opponents.  Miami is the only school that remains in the ranking at #17.  The Big 10 is shining.  Penn State #22 loss to Alabama, but the conferences other three ranked teams (Ohio State #2, Iowa #9 and Wisconsin #12) all pulled out victories.  Michigan entered the top 25 at #20 (AP) and #22 (USA Today) after beating Notre Dame. 

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

College, NFL, fantasy leagues – Are you ready for football?

College football started, the NFL kicks off its season tomorrow and fantasy leagues have completed their drafts.  With so much going on, I decided to take a quick look at all three and give you some info to prepare for this weekend.

College Football

The first weekend of college football was really exciting!  The University of Michigan opened its new stadium to a sold-out crowd by demolishing Connecticut.   Quarterback, Denard Robinson, set a school record rushing for 197 yards at that position.  (I told you that the third year would be a charm.)  Boise State traveled to the nation’s capital and legitimized its #3 ranking by defeating Virginia Tech (#13) at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins.  Boise gets to rest this weekend.  Michigan will go on the road to play non-conference rival Notre Dame led by new coach Brian Kelly.  Both teams are trying to climb its way into the top 25.  The Fighting Irish opened its season with a win over Purdue.  But, I do not think that their defense will be able to handle the speed of Robinson. 

The game to follow will be Ohio State (#2) and Miami (#12) at the “Horseshoe” in Columbus.  Miami lost the 2003 National Championship Game (Fiesta Bowl) to Ohio State in which a controversial call was made against Miami for pass interference.  The Hurricanes will be playing for all of the former players who were on the 2002 team.  They seem good enough to beat the Buckeyes.  I know that football is a team sport, but this is going to come down to the performance of one guy – Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor.  He is good enough to contend for the Heisman, but he also makes decisions that make him look like he should be on the bench.  I have been told that your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.  If TP is the Buckeyes’ greatest strength they will send Miami back to South Beach with an “L.”  If he is the team’s greatest weakness, there will be a serious hurricane in Northern Ohio.

Who Dat going to New Orleans?

It’s NFL Kickoff in the Big Easy!  Drew Brees and the Saints start the road to defend their Super Bowl Title at home against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow.  Both teams have their quarterbacks intact, but Favre’s ankle is still questionable.  The last time the teams played was earlier this year in the NFC Championship game.  In that game, Favre took a tough hit that injured his left ankle and threw an interception that ended the game.  Favre did not come back at 41 after major surgery on his ankle to lose.  I see him willing his way to victory and avenging his performance in last season’s NFC Championship game.  OK, I need him to do well because he is my fantasy QB.  Which brings me to…

Fantasy Football

You drafted your players and selected your defense.  Don’t worry if you did not get everyone that you wanted.  You can trade and draft new players throughout the season.  If you are new to fantasy football these three easy things will help you be successful with your team:

1. Keep up with your players’ schedules and do not have them on your roster when they have a “Bye” week.

2. Check in on injury reports and make sure that you are starting players who are still healthy and able to play.

3. Have patience and don’t trade immediately.  A player may start off slow and end up with a great season.  Try benching a player before you trade.

Now turn in your rosters and kick butt!  Just don’t mess up your heels.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets

I could say a lot about LeBron’s past, but I’ll just talk about the future

Last week LeBron James announced “The Decision” live on ESPN.  We all know that his decision was to take his talents to South Beach, Florida and join his friends and 2008 Olympic teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh at the Miami Heat.  Since that time a lot of critics, sports pundits and Cavs fans have expressed their disappointment in his decision and the way he announced it.  There have also been a lot of comments about LBJ’s legacy and how he will never be in the same company of players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.  The most shocking comments came from the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert.  He went on a tirade in an open letter to Cavs fans referring to James as a coward and quitter who betrayed him and Cleveland.  I am still baffled at his crass, unprofessional response.  I find it interesting that he lost his temper, displayed poor sportsmanship, and yet proclaims that LeBron’s behavior is damaging to our children.

With everything that has been said, there are a lot of things that I could say, but I won’t.

I could respond to Mr. Gilbert and illustrate that he acted like a spoiled brat and sore loser and showed every current and future free agent just how professional and appreciative he is of his players.  But, I won’t.

I could list all of LBJ’s accomplishments and what he did for Cleveland and send it to all of the Cavs fans that now say he is nothing but an arrogant basketball player as they burn his jersey.  But, I won’t.

I could highlight that LeBron James acted like a professional by thanking the Cavs and the City of Cleveland, withholding any negative or disappointing experiences he may have had, and not responding to the comments of his former boss.  But, I won’t.

I could refute sports journalists like Mitch Albom and tell them that watching a professional athlete chart his own course is exactly what children, in particular urban youth, need to see.  But, I won’t. 

I could simply define the term free agent for Cavs fans and tell them that LBJ is not “theirs.”  He is not bound to Ohio or responsible for building their economy.  He is also not the savior born to reverse “the curse.”  But, I won’t.

I could discuss the fact that professionals athletes are traded all of the time without prior knowledge.  Many times they are informed after the deal is completed.  But, I won’t. 

I could point out that the media, which is speaking of LeBron as an egotistic, media hound is the same establishment that began covering him as a sophomore in high school and deemed “King James” the future of the NBA.  I could even say it’s ironic. But, I won’t. 

I won’t because like LeBron Raymone James, I want to discuss the future.  

“The Decision” last week has strong implications about what is going to happen on the court this fall in Miami; but it will have an even bigger impact on what happens in professional basketball off the court.  This is a notice to owners, general managers and the NBA that their players are professional athletes.   Yes, they are the “product” that entertains all of us, but they are not plastic commodities that owners can just buy and sell.  They are professionals and responsible for managing their careers.  Like any other professional highly sought after, LeBron listened to presentations and made the best decision for him.  The problem is that for years sports leagues (not just the NBA) have treated their players as lifeless commodities that go and do what they are told.  They can't fathom that a player would conduct the free agency process, make a decision and announce it on his terms.  The fact that players discussing the possibilities of working together before free agency begins is not prohibited or considered tampering indicates that the owners and the NBA do not think of the players as “role players” in the boardroom.  They never thought that the players would one day host their own “summit” and put together a game plan to land on the same team.  This is the real reason why LeBron is no longer in Cleveland.   

Dan Gilbert and the Cavs miscalculated.  They prepared for their presentation to LeBron like it was 2009 which means they were unprepared.  The key components to a successful negotiation are: understand what is most valuable to the person on the other side of the table; do not take your opponent for granted; know your weaknesses and do not overestimate your strengths.  The Cavs spent too much time, money and energy trying to sell LeBron on things that were not his top priorities.  They took him for granted, thought too highly of their advantages and couldn’t conceptualize that there was any meaning to any conversations he had with his friends Bosh and Wade.  They felt comfortable because they knew that the other teams could not speak to him until July 1, but they did not realize that those conversations with his friends were actually very serious.

It is refreshing for me to see Bosh, James and Wade take control of their careers and navigate the ships instead of simply riding the wave.  This will motivate other players to do the same thing.  We are going to see more players get active in the boardroom, free agency and their contract negotiations.  I think history will look back on this and talk more about the big three in Miami being game changers on the business side and opening the door to a new era of free agency.  We will now specify free agency activity as B.T.D and A.T.D.  (Before The Decision and After The Decision).  Owners better get ready for A.T.D. and respect all players as professional athletes on and off the court.

I could suggest Dan Gilbert start by reading one of my favorite business books, “Winning with Integrity,” by Leigh Steinberg.  But, I won’t.

I’m looking forward to players leveling the field in the boardroom.  And I can't wait to watch the new trio in Miami go to work this fall.  Countdown to NBA Opening Week!

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets