Rogerball

Good King Roger has spoken.  All are punished!

So, in case there was any doubt, you don’t lie to Roger Goodell unless you’re willing to risk being sent to timeout for a year like Saints Head Coach Sean Payton.  Payton, GM Mickey Loomis, defensive assistant Joe Vitt and peripatetic Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams have all been sent to timeout; Williams, the once and former DC for the St. Louis Rams has been suspended indefinitely.  Bummer for new Rams HC Jeff Fisher but based on the stories published, Williams has been a serial abuser of the league’s code of conduct regarding nominal gifts and he was going to have to do hard time.

Too much?  Personally I think a 1^st round pick should’ve been taken away (rather than two 2^nd round picks) but whatever.  Think of it this way.  The Commissioner could’ve vacated the Saints Super Bowl win.  The bounty program was instituted in the 2009 season and infamously culminated in the savage beating dealt to lovable grandpa QB Brett Favre in the NFC Championship.

Don’t think Roger Goodell is enough of a big swinging batshit crazy dick to do that?

I do.

Suffice to say, New Orleans’ buzz has been totally harshed.

The advertised reason for the punishment handed down by Roger Goodell had nothing to do with the integrity of the game, though; it was all about the safety of the players.  If Ranking Roger is guilty of anything, it’s that he cares too much, you see.

Early opinion seems to be that these sanctions may negatively impact the Saints’ Super Bowl chances.  Okay.  Actions have consequences.  This should hurt, shouldn’t it?

Strangely (or not), I don’t sense outrage in the larger community of fans.  Does it seem hypocritical?  These guys are paid millions to hurt each other, aren’t they? 

Okay. 

But we all know a cheap shot when we see it, don’t we?  Sometimes it’s a legal hit but clearly unnecessary.  Cheap shot.  

Guys lose their shit and throw a forearm into some other guy’s facemask.  A crime of passion.  It’s just part of the game.  Sam Huff standing over Frank Gifford’s limp, unconscious body.  Lawrence Taylor wreaking compound havoc on Joe Theismann’s leg.  Stuff happens.

How would we feel if we knew Bernard Pollard was paid $10,000 for taking out Tom Brady’s leg?

That would be worse, wouldn’t it?  It’s premeditated and mercenary.

So suck it, New Orleans.

And thanks.

I remember when the Patriots became the losiest team in Super Bowl history with their 46-10 defeat at the hands of the Bears in XX.  It left a bad taste.  For four years.  Until the Broncos lost 55-10 to the 49ers.  45 points!  The Patriots were no longer the losingest losers from losertown.  Thank you, Denver!

And thank you, New Orleans.  The stank looks good on you.  But don’t worry.  It seems to be a 4-5 year cycle.  Some other franchise should do something just as stupid as Bountygate in 2016 or 2017.

When you’re a Jet you’re a Jet all the way…

Money has changed hands, promises have been made.  Tim Tebow is now a member of Gang Green.

Yahweh clearly works in mysterious ways. 

So, the upside is that Tebow teams with new Jets OC Tony “Wildcat” Sparano who gets to coach the ultimate wildcat weapon on Sundays.  Opponents will need to prepare for both Sanchez and Tebow.  Sparano can put together a 20-play package for Tebow.  Play him in goal line situations.  More touchdowns, fewer field goals.  Improving from 24 points a game to 28 points a game would move the Jets from 13^th in scoring to 5^th, trailing only the Packers, Saints, Patriots and Lions.  Not a bad list, that.  The read option might be good for Shonn Greene, too.  Prepare to thank your Lord and Savior twice on Sunday, New York!

There’s also a downside, of course.

It could be that Sanchez bristles at being pulled from games once the ball is spotted inside the red zone. He’s regularly shown on national TV sulking on the bench while Tebow is crashing into the end zone.  He is moody like, after all.  Pretty soon, it’s clear who is Rex Ryan’s favorite.  Things boil over when unnamed Jets call a code red on Sanchez. 

Quick Aside: Do the Jets have a plan or are they just flipping a coin?  They were winking at Peyton Manning but then the coin came up tails?

What if Santonio Holmes starts freaking out when the passing attempts drop from 34 a game to 20?  What if the Jets start out 1-4-0 and fans begin to clamor of Tebow full time?  Do the Jets have the kind of locker room culture that’s prepared to deal with any of that?

It could be fun to watch.

Good times, bad times, you know I had my share…

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is taking his talents to the banks of the Ohio River.  It was rumored that Green-Ellis would give the Patriots a chance to match and apparently whatever the Bengals offered was more than Belichick was willing to pay.  Or maybe that money was already earmarked for Wes Welker.

Mark Anderson was too pricey at $27.5m ($8m guaranteed) so he will now team with Super Mario Williams in Buffalo.  Not good news for Patriots fans now wondering just how serious Matt Light is about retiring while we quietly freak out about Logan Mankins ACL surgery.  Yikes!

Sign Wes Welker!