NFL 2008

[Vendetta]

He quit halfway through because playing for Detroit is a loss fucking cause.

Oh and The Raiders will continue to suck because Al Davis is a twat and needs to just shut the fuck up and write the checks. Owners have no business other than that.

[DMN in the House]

My ass. Al Davis is probably one of the greatest football minds of the past century. Without Al Davis, there is no NFL as it is today. He helped force the merger. The man was a driving force in terms of getting black coaches into the NFL. The man has done MORE for the NFL than most other owners, and knows more about football than probably ANY of the other owners.

It just shows that you know little about the history of the NFL if you think Al Davis should just shut up and sign the paychecks. Al Davis is a football man, not just a corporate suit who bought the team. He's not what he used to be, but it pisses me off to see people disrespect him. He's done as much for the game as anyone.

[Evil Chase K]

Just to prove my point, there have been a LOT of shitty deals made this offseason, but the one that most people seem to love that I didn't think was necessary was Big Ben getting more guaranteed money than Peyton Manning and a TON more than what Brady's making (6 yrs/$60 mill and "only" a $14.5 millions signing bonus). If we're going on market value being the basis, or thinking a deal sucked because the team paid a guy more than he should have received, then the Steelers giving up $102 million for a guy who almost killed himself and had a bad year because of injuries he sustained doing something retarded is a risky thing. I mean if he was fucking up when he didn't have "Mike Vick" money, what's to say he won't revert back to his idiot days now that he's all but set for life? We all know Ben isn't better than Peyton or Tom, but the Steelers NEED him so if they had to give him some extra cash to make it work then that's what they had to do. It's a good move even though they could have probably shaved $10-12 million off of the total package and $6 million (or ~17%) off the guaranteed money.

[DMN in the House]

I really don't have a problem with the Big Ben deal. He's the face of the franchise, and its not like he's going anywhere, bar injury. He's arguably the third best QB in the league now. On talent alone, I'd put him fourth, behind Peyton, Brady, and a healthy Palmer, and overall, talent plus accomplishments, I'd probably put him third behind Peyton and Brady. With the rising salary cap, and the looming possibility of NO salary cap (please, no, that'd ruin football), its not a horrible deal.

[Evil Chase K]

Carson "Can't Come Up Big In A Clutch Situation" Palmer is the #3 QB in the league? Hardly.

But I'm just a Steelers homer so clearly no one will take me seriously on this issue.

[DMN in the House]

I said 'on talent alone'.

[Evil Chase K]

Well talent hardly matters when your completion percentage and overall stats drop dramatically on 3rd down and in the 4th quarter.

[Meacon Keaton]

My ass. Al Davis is probably one of the greatest football minds of the past century. Without Al Davis, there is no NFL as it is today. He helped force the merger. The man was a driving force in terms of getting black coaches into the NFL. The man has done MORE for the NFL than most other owners, and knows more about football than probably ANY of the other owners.

It just shows that you know little about the history of the NFL if you think Al Davis should just shut up and sign the paychecks. Al Davis is a football man, not just a corporate suit who bought the team. He's not what he used to be, but it pisses me off to see people disrespect him. He's done as much for the game as anyone.

As much as I dislike the Raiders franchise (yeah, DMN I'm a Bronco fan, wanna rival?), I've got to completely agree with you. Al Davis gets pissed on an awful lot nowadays, and I think a lot of that has to do with his age. He's old, he must be senile! I'm a Denver fan, always have been and I respect the Hell out of the guy. Like DMN said, the guy knows football, nobody can really argue that.

[DMN in the House]

Fuckin' Donkeys.

[Pepsi]

I think I'd put Ben in front of Palmer based on last year's performance alone but before that then Palmer would be a lock for third.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

He quit halfway through because playing for Detroit is a loss fucking cause.

[Vendetta]

The main gripe I have about Davis is the shit he tried to pull on Lane Kiffin this year.

Did you not forget, DMN, that he basically tried to force Kiffin to resign? He drew up the resignation himself.

[DMN in the House]

And? I don't want Kiffin gone, but its Al Davis' team, and Al Davis lead the team to 5 Superbowls and 3 Lombardi's. The team is one of the most important in the NFL, even in the state its in, and thats because of Al Davis. You have to know that going in if you're a Raider fan.

Besides, it wasn't like what happened didn't make sense from Al Davis' side. Kiffin tried to fire Rob Ryan, and the owner said 'no'. Thats what happens when you try and cross the boss, to steal a phrase.

[Trey]

I'm in the group that wishes that Al Davis would just go behind the curtains and stay there. I know he did a lot for the NFL, but now he comes off as just a senile old man who is worse then Jerry Jones when it comes to coaching the team from the owner's box.

Also, I think that 95% of these deals that have been signed are insane in terms of how much money is being thrown around. I hate to sound like a "homer", but I think the Bears have quietly had a decent off-season simply because they didn't lock up all of their cap room trying to improve by picking up players not nearly worth the paychecks they'll be cashing.

[Vendetta]

And? I don't want Kiffin gone, but its Al Davis' team, and Al Davis lead the team to 5 Superbowls and 3 Lombardi's. The team is one of the most important in the NFL, even in the state its in, and thats because of Al Davis. You have to know that going in if you're a Raider fan.

Besides, it wasn't like what happened didn't make sense from Al Davis' side. Kiffin tried to fire Rob Ryan, and the owner said 'no'. Thats what happens when you try and cross the boss, to steal a phrase.

[NobBe Nobbs]

No, I agree with Davis' decision. It is Davis' team and he should do what's necessary to protect it - in this case, he stepped in to prevent Kiffin from making a horribly bad decision (seriously. The Raiders defense was pretty poor last year, but it wasn't a fluke that it was so good the year before) that would seriously stymie the team's performance and, potentially, the development and improvement of some of the Raiders' defensive stars (guys like Morrison, Huff and Asomugha). You can have a front office interfere with the head coach's decision because the head coach is accountable; he's being employed by the front office and by the owners to coach the team. Kiffin might think his authority's being undermined, but he only has as much authority as Davis lets him have, and considering that he wasn't anything special this year, I can't see a reason for Davis to give him more authority.

[sahyder1]

Brett Favre press conference on ESPN in 10 minutes for those of you that care.

[Trey]

Be, you do realize why Kiffin was getting rid of the DC there, right? His father, Monte Kiffin, regarded as the best DC in the world, was going to come over and take over the position. There is no chance that Monte wouldn't get everything and more out of that defense that Ryan was going to get and he certainly would've brought a big respect card for future free agents (so much so that they might not have to overpay so much).

[DMN in the House]

Proof.

[Trey]

I'll see what I can dig up, but this is what I found with a google search.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/01/02/...sive-coordinat/

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_7856024?source=most_emailed

http://sports.propeller.com/story/2008/01/...or-monte-kiffin

The first and third have the same source, and while there would've been a lot of kinks to work out, we've seen a lot of stranger things happen. I agree that the fit might not have worked and that it would've been a risky move, but that's what the plan was and I think that with the Raiders defense, it wouldn't have hurt to get Monte in the organization.

And before you say that those links all just have guesses, rumors, and speculation, that's all there could be, as a DC couldn't interview for another DC job, only a job that would move him up at the time of the Ryan incident. I suppose I was to "this is what was going to happen, no matter what" in my above post, but when everything was happening, the speculation, rumors, the "inside sources who ask to remain nameless" were all over this as the reason that Ryan, someone who had previous success the year before, was only on his way out because father and son had made an agreement.