Brett Favre: I don’t care what you do. Just please don’t give any interviews when you have nothing to say. Stay or go, either one is fine. Just don’t take me on a nightly trip inside your decision making process. I don’t care. And frankly I don’t think anyone in Green Bay should be appreciating you dragging your feet.
There will be games on the NFL Network in 2006. Hmmmm. Besides the fact that I vaguely recall the NFL suggesting it wasn’t starting a cable station to compete with the the Big4+ESPN, you have to wonder if this is even in the best interests of the NFL. They are a football league, not a broadcasting network. Isn’t easier and more profitable to cash huge checks from FOX Sports while focusing on keeping football the most competitive and entertaining pro sport in the land (and beyond)? And given the already relative success of the NFL Network, might it not be better to keep that station focused on analysis, stats, and features that supplement the NFL’s cash-cow TV contracts? Just wondering...
The Bengals horrific offseason continues as Bengals WR Chris Henry is toast after getting busted on weapons charges. It sure sounds like he will do time. What a loser. So now it looks like the Bengals will want to have a good Plan B at QB and WR. And that is assuming that everything with Chad Johnson is cool. Interesting note: Henry was apparently packing a Lugar of all guns. A lugar? What is up with that?
If the Ravens really do pursue Kerry Collins as a replacement for Kyle Boller then I think we can officially do away with the whole "Ozzie Newsome is a great GM" thing. I mean, c’mon, did Ozzie see Collins in Oakland this past season? With Randy-freaking-Moss he still couldn’t put up points. While I think Collins isn’t a horrible option in the right system, this just seems like a pathetic attempt at salvaging the 2006 season when the Ravens ought to be getting a younger guy. Heck, why not trade for Matt Schaub? That would at least make a little sense?
Even if you are dreading seeing the Steelers in the SB, take comfort that Bill Belichek will be part of the pre-game show. Maybe they can have Art M*dell on too? Seriously, I’m kind of looking forward to hearing Bill talk in a studio setup. I wouldn’t have thought it were possible in 1994.
Chris Plamer is the QB coach in Dallas. Man, this guy’s career has taken a huge dive. Does he get toe coach Drew Bledsoe now? At least that job is easy -- at this point in his career there is no way Bledsoe is going to change much. He’ll still suck under pressure, he’ll still start the season well then look abysmal later in the year, and he’ll still be somehow considered a good QB.
Who is Jay Cutler? I’ve read he might get drafted ahead of Vince Young. Give me a break. Though after a little reading he does seem like an interesting prospect.
I actually kind of like Matt Leinhart. He seems like a good dude considering his (former) rock star status at USC. I hope he does good things in the NFL, but more than that I hope he’s drafted in the top 3 picks and is rewarded for finishing his college career and trying to win another title. Every time I read about how he might slide or even that people question his competitiveness for not entering the draft last season I just shake my head. Even if they are right, I want them to be wrong. Even though there are a million questins about Lienhart in the pro game, I’d like to think a guy like that would succeed. I’m probably in the minority here.
Gerard Warren is a free agent this year. Anyone want to take a stab at how much money he’ll get? The Broncos local newspaper call him a "key" free agent.
"In 2004, the city condemned 861 structures but had only enough money to tear down 302. Last year, the city condemned 565 structures but bulldozed only 195. "Think about that for a second. Then figure that the city has probably condemned similar numbers of buildings each year for the past 5 or 10 years. Then imagine how many condemned buildinds must still be standing. Then imagine all the run-down structures that aren’t condemned. Then imagine all the one-time and current mortgage holders of those properties and what must have gone on with each of them. That’s a lot of bad stuff. It’s hard to even comprehend.
It makes me wonder -- if the city could raze all those structures, and if buy up every property that could be bought cheaply (say <$5000) and raze those, what kind of impact would that have? Would it hurt the city by creating too much empty space? Or would it help the city by opening up thousands of properties for new development? I tend to think the latter. At the very least, a razed house can’t be a crack house or whatever. The abaove article mentions some council memebers pointed to how Phildelphia boerrowed money to finance getting rid of many condemned properties. I’d like to hear more about it.