Patriots Trade Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Don Heupel, File

The New England Patriots traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs. Everyone knew the Patriots would eventually be trading Matt Cassel but the trade of Mike Vrabel was a bit of a shock. Personally I am rather disappointed that the Patriots didn’t get me more than a 2^nd round draft pick from the Chiefs. In fact, I am right down flummoxed by it. It seems like Cassel would be worth much more than a 2^nd round pick when you still have teams out there desperate for a quarterback in a free agent market that is extremely thin. But at least we got something after using the franchise tag on Cassel.

Based on reports from Adam Schefter on NFL.com it sounds like there was quite a bit of interest and some possible three way trades in the works with moves putting Cassel in Denver and Cutler in either Tampa Bay or Detroit, both in desperate need of quarterbacks. What was a surprise to me was the Minnesota Vikings didn’t take a serious run at Matt Cassel. He doesn’t fit in as well with their offensive scheme as he does in Kansas City, but he has a far better shot of being successful in Minnesota than a Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson.

The move for Matt Cassel and the Kansas City Chiefs make perfect sense and Kansas City is a great landing spot for Matt Cassel for several reasons.

First, he performs better in the shotgun. New head coach and former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley has an offensive scheme that fits Cassel’s abilities extremely well. He relies much more heavily on the shotgun and the passing game, and I can see Cassel having a very good chance to be successful in Kansas City.

Secondly, he has an excellent young receiver in Dwayne Bowe to throw to. Bowe is one of the best receivers in the NFL but has been overshadowed by the poor record of the Kansas City Chiefs the pat few years. He also has the Hall of Fame bound tight end Tony Gonzalez to throw to. While Gonzalez wanted to be traded last year, it looks like he will stay in Kansas City. The signing of Matt Cassel should make him happier. And while I think Larry Johnson will likely be cut or traded, if the Chiefs can put together some serviceable running backs to keep defenses honest, the offense has a chance to make significant improvements next year.

The trade of Mike Vrabel was a shock to me. Vrabel has been a team leader and a mainstay on a defense that won three Super Bowls. It always hurts to see players you admire that have been with the team for so long get traded or cut. But that is the NFL in the era of free agency. I will miss Vrabel and root for him to do well, unless he plays the Patriots.

The trade of Vrabel signals that the Patriots are finally going in the direction of getting younger and faster on defense. The past few years Patriots fans have worried a great deal about the aging of the defense, especially at the linebacker position. It will be interesting to see what other off-season moves the Patriots make.

Currently the most high profile signings for the Patriots are Fred Taylor from Jacksonville and Chris Baker from the Jets. It will be interesting to see what else they will do this offseason.

Minnesota Vikings Ensure Mediocrity, Sign Sage Rosenfels

AP Photo/Jim Mone, File

I think the Minnesota Vikings are a good quarterback away from being serious contenders for a Super Bowl Championship. That is why it baffles me that they signed quarterback Sage Rosenfels.

Rosenfels has never been a starter in his eight years in the NFL other than filling in because of injury. Probably there is a reason for that. Last year Rosenfels, subbing for an injured Matt Schaub in Houston, was a comedy of errors. He was a quarterback that consistently snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory with some rather amazingly stupid plays. He was so bad one blogger dubbed him the Douchetard of the Week on several occasions, and eventually named the award after him.

I am shocked that the Vikings didn’t go after Matt Cassel. While Matt Cassel might not be the perfect fit for their offense, he at least showed he was potentially a solid starter in the NFL.

The Vikings will now have to depend on their defense and Adrian Peterson putting on his Superman cape once again to get them to the playoffs. But with a Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson competing for the starting quarterback job, I don’t expect much from this team.

Washington Redskins Sign Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall to Big Deals

AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez

I am not at all a fan of Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins.  I have always found it funny how when he first bought the team, he also tried to buy a team.  It never quite worked out. 

Now Danny boy has shelled out a $100 million contract to the best defense tackle in football in Albert Haynesworth, and another $54 million to cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Was this a smart move?  I’m not sure.  Without a doubt these signings make the Redskins a very formidable defensive team next year.  The question will be, now that Haynesworth is fat and happy, in more ways than one, will he continue to put up the kind of effort that made him one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL last year?  This guy has a lot of emotional baggage so I am not so sure.  If he does, he will make Jason Taylor relevant again.  Taylor looked to be on his last leg, literally, last year.  Even before he was injured he was not creating the kind of pressure on the quarterback that the Redskins were hoping for.  By taking up multiple blockers on the line of scrimmage, Haynesworth could have a big impact on not just Taylor’s performance but the entire defense.

I have always liked DeAngelo Hall, even though he too is a bit of a head case.  During his years in Atlanta I considered him one of the top cornerbacks in the league, even though he didn’t always get the recognition he deserved.  In Oakland he was often criticized for being undisciplined and out of position.  As a nickel and dime defense back for the Redskins last year I thought he was a real difference maker.  Hall has the potential to be a very solid starter for the Redskins next year.  And he has always had a nose for the ball and turnovers.  With Haynesworth on the line helping get pressure on the quarterback will just make Hall and the rest of the defensive backs even better.

If Haynesworth plays like he did last year, the Redskins should have one of the best defenses in the league next year.

But what about the offense?  With that kind of money doled out to the defensive side of the ball that does not leave a lot of room for signing impact offensive players. And offense is where the Redskins need the most help.

First it’s clear that Jason Campbell is the man at quarterback.  But I am starting to believe that Campbell is just not going to progress a lot further than he is now.  He is, at best, an average quarterback.  Yes, I know the offensive line did not play well and his receivers let him down.  But that gets to my next point.

If Campbell is going to succeed at quarterback he needs two things, better protection at the line of scrimmage and better receivers.  As much as I love Santana Moss, the last two years he’s only showed flashes of being the big play receiver he once was and has constantly battled hamstring injuries.  I am starting to wonder if his better days are behind him.  I have never considered Antwan Randle-el more than a number three receiver.  And the Redskins draft picks at receiver and tight end last year, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis were all but useless last year.  Thomas has potential but seems lazy and doesn’t get it.  Kelly I think will be a bust.  And Davis could be a solid contributor, but again, all these guys seem to be real slackers.

Then you have the aging Chris Samuels who is not nearly as good as he was a few years ago and should retire soon.  Jon Jansen is always hurt and I suspect will be cut.  Stephon Heyer, the young left tackle out of Maryland, was benched and the struggled in the last half of the season.  The offensive line needs some help.

And finally, while Clinton Portis is an excellent running back and the best offensive player on the team he always ends up dinged up and less effective at the end of the year.  The Redskins need to find a back that can reduce the workload for Portis to keep him fresh throughout the season.

So what do I expect from the Redskins next year?  An excellent defense that keeps them in games and a streaky offense that just might let them get into the playoffs.  But I don’t expect big things from the team as a whole because I just don’t see the offense being good enough or consistent enough to carry them much beyond one playoff game.

But if the Redskins’ history under Snyder continues, Haynesworth will tank it while enjoying his new found riches and the Redskins will be sitting at home in the postseason, as usual.

Tales from the New York Giants Sideline

Tales from the New York Giants Sideline by Paul Schwartz
Review by C. Douglas Baker

Tales from the New York Giants Sideline provides the professional football and Giants fan very little. It is poorly organized, provides absolutely no insight into the team, its history, and its championship seasons. Even more disappointing, given that the book is based on interviews with many past and present players and coaches, it gives little insight into the personalities that have given this franchise a unique and deep history. In short, it is a total failure.

The book is divided into six chapters: Training Camp, The Season, The Founder, The Coaches, The Teammates, and The Championships. None of the chapters provide great insight on the given topic. Further, the organization of the book provides no chronological continuity as it jumps all over the place in time and era. Essentially what this book consists of are very short vignettes, in fact vignettes isn’t even the right word, short snippets, that give a little nugget of information about the team and players. It’s basically a little collection of quotes and comments about the chapter topics.

The players, coaches, and owners that get the most air time, so to speak, are Wellington Mara, Sam Huff, Y.A. Tittle, Frank Gifford, Phil Simms, and Bill Parcels. Of course other players and events are touched upon, but not in any meaningful way. Yes, Lawrence Taylor is in here, but mostly only in embarrassing situations.

Very unfortunately is that there is a little bit, but not nearly enough, about some of the most important events in Giants history. Want to know a little bit about one of the seminal games in NFL History, the 1958 NFL Championship between the Giants and Baltimore Colts (the first overtime game in NFL history)? You won’t get much here. Want to know about the Giants’ Super Bowl years? You won’t get a lot here except a few quotes and comments. In short, you don’t get much at all with this book.

Thus, I would not recommend this book to a football fan or Giants fan. There is just not enough information or good storytelling here to make this book worthwhile. It is a quick and easy read, but even casual Giants’ fans are not likely to learn anything particularly new or worthwhile.

The author of this book has covered the New York Giants for the New York Post since 1994. The Giants have had mostly mediocre results during this time frame, this book is less than mediocre.

Tales From the New York Giants Sideline

The Bucs Cut Out Their Heart Today

My team lost its heart today. Photo from TBO.com.

You know, I really shouldn’t be surprised. It happens every single year in the NFL. Some veteran player, some face of the team, gets whacked going into free agency. Fans are left wringing their hands and wondering why and teams are stonefaced and “it’s business” about it. They don’t call it the Not For Long League for nothing. Jerry Rice went to the Raiders. Joe Montana was a Chief. Legends go on, usually don’t live up to our memories, and fade into the sunset. I’ve seen it happen. I really didn’t think I’d see it happen with Derrick Brooks.

It’s not like the Bucs haven’t done this before. They let Sapp & Lynch go with nary a qualm. And at the time I wasn’t that bothered. I understood the business of it, the money being a big part of it, their ages being another. Lynch got the last word by having a few more productive years in Denver. Sapp didn’t really kill in Oakland, but now he’s on TV where he’s always belonged, so all is well there. They were part of the Big Three in Tampa; Sapp was mouth, Lynch was the brain and Brooks was the heart. I could live without the mouth. The brain was good but could be replaced. The heart though? I just can’t imagine this team without him.

In their press conference today, new coach Raheem Morris and GM Dominik emphasized over and over that this move was not about age or money. Um. Okay. Well it damn well better not be about money, since we were already $55 million under the cap. Now we’re $65 million under it, and that money damn well better get spent and spent wisely. I’m not going to support a team that’s just about cutting cost. I’d root for the Marlins if I were about that. I want a team that goes that extra mile and tries to win. I don’t know if releasing these players is about winning. It doesn’t much feel like it now.

Derrick Brooks played for the Bucs for 14 years. He went to the Pro Bowl 11 times. He was defensive player of the year in 2002. His skills may have diminished in recent years, I can’t deny that. But his smarts didn’t. His heart didn’t. A big part of Derrick’s excellence wasn’t his speed, it was his intelligence. He could read plays with the best of them. He anticipated where that ball was going to go and he got there. I watched him chase down players like Michael Vick, who should have blown by him. That intelligence is still there, he still reads that field as well as anybody.

The way they spoke, it sounds as if the Bucs are changing their style of defense. Maybe Derrick wouldn’t fit in anymore. Maybe it’s better for him that he’s on the way out and can find somewhere else where he’ll fit in. In a day or two I may feel that way. Today I don’t though. Today I feel like my team let my favorite player down. He’s given them everything, he stood by them through several shitty moves and this time he’s on the other end of it. It’s hard to digest that.

I was not overly thrilled with the regime change last month. It wasn’t that I disagreed that maybe a change was needed, but I had a bad feeling about the veteran players on the team. Sure enough, that feeling was dead on. I wish I had been wrong. I don’t usually like to be wrong but this time out I would have taken it gladly.

Regardless of how I feel, there’s nothing I can do about it. The Bucs have made their choice and we all have to stand back and see what comes next. They avoided using the “rebuilding” word but that’s what they’re doing. Maybe in a couple of years that’ll pay off. Right now it sucks. I don’t see why Derrick couldn’t have finished his career with the Bucs. He could have been more coach than player at this point. Maybe that wouldn’t have made him happy. Wherever he ends up, I will continue to support him. He was the player that brought me to the Bucs (along with Dunn, another casualty of today’s blood letting) and I will follow him wherever he goes.

According to the Bucs, today wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about age. It would have been nice if it could have been about heart. But it’s business. It’s always business. Sometimes it just shouldn’t be.

Just Call Me The Commish

Watch out Finchem, I'm gunning for your job!

While watching my daily dose of PTI (Pardon The Interruption for the non-ESPN watchers) last week I was astounded when Wilbon & Kornheiser welcomed their guest for 5 good minutes.  He was introduced as Timothy Finchem, the commissioner of the PGA.  Did you know that the PGA had a commissioner?  Have you ever heard that name before?  I honestly had no clue there was a Commissioner of Golf, or why they’d even need one.  I guess to manage the money but seems an accountant could do that well enough.  It fascinated me and I got to thinking, could there be any better job than PGA Commissioner?  I’m sure the guy makes great bank and has few headaches, right?  That got me to comparing the various sports commissioners and weighing which job was better.  Hence this blog.  I’m not going to include the BCS Commissioner because being the commissioner of a league that lets computers decide its champion is a thing of shame, not to be glorified in a blog by me.

So, from worst to first:

MLB Commissioner:  Do you think Bud Selig is having any fun these days?  His biggest star admits to doing steroids, Congress continues to cast a baleful glare in his direction, two of his former biggest stars are getting ready to go on trial for steroids and lying to Congress, the All Star game decides home field advantage in the World Series…that’s a whole laundry list of problems.  And the fact that Selig turned a blind eye to the problems in baseball coupled with his kowtowing to the player’s union for years and years makes this job rather unappealing to me.   Not to mention just waiting for the hammer to drop and other names to come out.  I get an ulcer just thinking about it.  Nope, I wouldn’t want to be Bud.

NHL Commissioner:  I had a hard time placing this one.  On the one hand, hardly anybody watches hockey so you kind of get to exist in a vacuum.  Nobody really knows if you suck, because nobody really cares.  But that has to affect profitability, right?  The fact is they have been unable to find a star with drawing power.  Wayne Gretzky left and I don’t think the sport has been the same.  I’ve heard some not so pleasant things about Gary Bettman’s reign as commish, but I also heard that he improved the game somewhat with that OT shoot-out business.  The simple fact is, I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup, but at least I know his name.  He lands at #4 simply because his sport is pretty irrelevant.  Oh, and it’s too long for my taste, they crown a champ and it feels like they’re back to playing a month later.  Minus points for that.

NFL Commissioner:  Ahh Roger Goodell time!  The NFL is the #1 sport in America, so the job would appear to be the best of all of them when it comes to that factor.  Profits rise every year (unless you’re Detroit) and the league enjoys a lack of public scrutiny when it comes to things like steroids and drug testing.  This is because they have had stringent tests for years, although one suspects that the players are smarter than the tests.  Nobody cares like they do in baseball though, we just wanna win!  The reason this job is not the most appealing is because of the outside elements you have to deal with as commish.  The Pacman Jones’ of the world, if you will.  With each team having 53 players, it only takes one per team to create a lot of strife.  Dealing with the Mike Vicks and Plaxico Burress’ of the league would not be fun.  Nearly weekly someone is getting in trouble for something, be it drugs or DUI or shooting yourself in the thigh.  Points deducted for the troublemakers and the sheer number of people you’re dealing with and NFL Commish falls to the 3 spot.

NBA Commissioner:  I don’t watch the NBA, but I know who David Stern is and I could pick him out of a lineup.  I could pick him out because he scares me.  I would finger some other guy for the crime and hope that Stern would reward me in some way.  Basketball players are apt to fall into the same kind of trouble as football players are, pot smoking seeming to be the chief no-no they get nailed with.  But there are far fewer players to deal with here, so there’s less to worry about.  Hell, the #1 or #2 star in the league was charged with rape years ago and that affected nothing.  Points are deducted here because the NBA remains only the #3 sport of the big 4, with no signs of ever moving up the list.  Despite having some stars with name power, Lebron and Kobe, they’re still not MJ or Magic or Bird.  Your random person doesn’t care.  So Stern only gets #2.  I hope he refrains from hurting me!

PGA Commissioner:  Yep, that’s right, the guy I’ve never heard of, Tim Finchem, gets the top spot.  Think about it, who’s the league troublemaker?  John Daly right?  And everyone STILL loves the guy.  Nobody wants him punished, they want to sit down and have a beer with him.  Sure, you have Sergio take the occasional spit into a cup, but if that’s your biggest problem then you’re sitting on gold.  Your biggest concern is to make sure Tiger Woods is happy, right?  He was on PTI to celebrate Tiger’s return and what it means to the PGA.  Your #1 superstar is never going to get arrested for beating a woman or doing drugs.  He’s the ultimate family man and world ambassador.  Stern and Goodell would laugh at Finchem if he ever called them to complain about any of Daly’s silly acts.  Timmy gets to sit back and count his coins and maybe play a round or two of golf.  Tough life.

So there you have it.  There’s no better commissioner’s job than that of the Tim Finchem’s.  I’m aware that I have no idea what kind of administrative coordination these guys do, I’m sure it’s involved and whatnot but I still figure the PGA dude has it the best.  So, I’d like to throw my hat in the ring.  I’m running for PGA Commish.  Watch out Finchem!

Why Matt Cassel Can Be Good Starting Quarterback in the NFL

There has been a lot of speculation about whether Matt Cassel can be solid staring quarterback in the NFL for a team other than the Patriots. Some think he can, but others think he will be the next Scott Mitchell, who had an excellent season replacing Dan Marino after he tore his Achilles tendon, but then was a complete flop in Detroit.

There are several reasons why I think Matt Cassel will be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL.

The clearest indication that Matt Cassel has a lot of potential as a starter is the way he improved over the course of last season. In a lot of ways he was a real mess at the beginning of the season. He had what I call the “Rob Johnson” disease. He held the ball too long instead of throwing it away or making a quick decision on a throw. As a result he took big hits, took too many sacks, turned the ball over, or lost yards. Only bad things happen when a quarterback holds the ball too long. He also tended to run the ball too soon instead of waiting for a play to develop. And while he was accurate on longer throws, he was terrible with his accuracy in the red zone.

Thankfully, for Patriots fans, he drastically improved over the course of the season. If you look at the first six games of the regular season, Matt Cassel was not a disaster at quarterback, but had he not improved from his aforementioned proclivities the New England Patriots would not have had an 11-5 record. Cassel had maybe his worst outing of the season in a blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 6, where he exhibited every single one of his bad habits.

After the San Diego game Cassel improved rapidly. His decision making was quicker and he was getting rid of the ball faster. He wasn’t taking as many sacks. He threw the ball away when he should have and he ran the ball when he should have. His accuracy was also more consistent, although at times he continued to struggle in the red zone, although even here he improved.

Since Matt Cassel had never started a game since high school it is not very surprising he struggled with regular season game speed and decision making at the start of the season. Any quarterback that showed the kind of poise and improvement over the course of the season that Matt Cassel did can be a top notch starter in the league.

Matt Cassel also showed a lot of leadership. He stayed positive and poised despite replacing Tom Brady, who many consider to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Just imagine the kind pressure and microscope Cassel was under. And he handled it very, very well. He also handled the criticism heaped on him during the early parts of the season for his mistakes. He didn’t get down on himself and just continued to improve.

Cassel also played well under big game pressure. Two of New England’s biggest losses, to the Colts and Jets, were not at all Cassel’s fault. In fact in the second Jets game the Patriots lost in overtime, Cassel had a brilliant second half but his teammates fumbled the ball away and dropped easy passes for first downs, preventing New England from winning the game outright in regulation. But for a coin flip going the Jets way in overtime, Matt Cassel, with is over 400 yards passing, may have brought the Patriots back from a 24-13 halftime deficit. Cassel also played an excellent game against the Oakland Raiders after losing his father. And while admittedly with a rather weak schedule, the Patriots closed out the season with four straight wins.

Finally, the coaches showed a lot of confidence in Matt Cassel. By the second half of the season the playbook had clearly opened up for Cassel and they had clearly showed confidence that he could get the job done in the passing game.

And there is no way the Patriots give Matt Cassel the franchise tag if they don’t think he will be a good starting quarterback in the league. They will undoubtedly trade Cassel, but if they thought they could not get a good deal for him at his over 14 million dollar salary, they would have simply let him become a free agent. And that speaks volumes for a team that is known for its adept handling of talent. And if reports of Brady’s recovery are not true, there is no way they tie up that kind of salary cap space for a quarterback they don’t believe can get them to the Super Bowl.

Now it certainly is possible that Matt Cassel goes to another team and flops. It is really difficult at the quarterback position to know how a player might fare under another system, with new coaches and teammates. But I don’t believe that will happen. While he might not end up being elite like a Manning or Brady, he definitely, right now, is one of the better quarterbacks in the league and could make a big difference for a playoff team in need of a good quarterback like the Minnesota Vikings, or a bad team trying to rebuild like a San Francisco 49′ers or Kansas City Chiefs.

Review of Stadium Stories: New England Patriots

Stadium Stories: New England Patriots by Jim Donaldson

Review by C. Douglas Baker

Stadium Stories: New England Patriots is a nice collection of stories culled from the history of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. It is not a comprehensive history of the franchise, nor is it intended to be, but simply a collection of interesting tales about the stadium, players, coaches, and owners of this colorful professional football team. The book is nicely organized by theme in roughly chronological order and reads at about the middle school level.

A brief chapter by chapter exploration of the contents of the book will give the reader an idea of what to expect:

No Place Like Home provides some good anecdotes about some of the crappy stadiums the Patriots have played in. It has some very comical stories in it. Look for the one about “The Big Flush.”

A Different League talks about the Patriots’ early years in the American Football League (prior to the AFL’s merger with the National Football League) featuring players like Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, Babe Parilli, and Jim Nance.

Bobby Sullivan is devoted to the Patriots founder and first owner. Not a wealthy man like many owners, the team was cash strapped through much of its early existence.

Remembering the `70s is my favorite chapter as that decade saw probably the most talented New England Patriots’ teams that never made it over the hump to championship glory. That decade also saw the bulk of the careers of two of New England’s NFL Hall of Famers, John Hannah (G) and Michael Haynes (CB).

1985-A Championship Year was a bittersweet chapter for me. That year the Patriots’ went on a remarkable playoff run as a wild card team only to be demolished in the Super Bowl by the Chicago Bears 41-10. It was nice to hear that the players, despite losing, were glad to have been able to play in the big game.

The Patsies, what terrible times Patriots fans lived through in the late `80s and most of the `90s. Following the 1985 Super Bowl appearance the Patriots fell completely apart and were one of the worst teams in the league. This chapter is funny in parts and, appropriately enough, a bit tongue in check at times.

Owner and Number One Fan is about Bob Kraft, the team’s current owner, and his turning the franchise into a winning organization.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow is about just that, some of the famous snow games in New England Patriots history. It does of course cover the infamous snow plow game (if you don’t know the story, read the book!), the 2002 playoff win against Oakland in a blizzard and the “Tuck Rule,” as well as other playoff successes in cold, wintry conditions.

The Coach. What coach? There’s only one it could be about right? Bill Belichick from his bizarre resignation as “HC of the NYJ” to 3-time Super Bowl winner and proclamations from sports pundits that he’s the best coach in the NFL.

Tom Terrific. Tom who? Tom Terrific, that is, the surprising rise of Tom Brady from a 6th round draft pick from Michigan to 3-time Super Bowl champion, 2-time Super Bowl MVP, and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Dynasty, the final chapter, gives details about New England’s 3 Super Bowl wins in 2002, 2004, and 2005, being the first professional football dynasty of the new millennium.

As noted earlier this book is nicely organized and reads at about the middle school or junior high school level. The chapters are very short, and include some box stories that illuminate a topic or provide some pertinent team statistics. As a result it is very fast, quick, entertaining reading.

The key drawback of the book is there really is nothing particularly new in the book for Patriots fans. All of these stories have been told elsewhere. But it is still fun to kick back for a few hours and read about your favorite team.

Overall I would recommend this book for New England Patriot’s fans, simply for the fact it gives you a couple of hours of nostalgic reading pleasure, not for any specific insight or knowledge you’ll gain about the team or the game. I suspect it would be a rather boring, non-productive few hours of reading for non-New England Patriots fans.

Note the author of the book, Jim Donaldson, has covered the Patriots for the Providence Journal since 1979. 

Stadium Stories: New England Patriots (Stadium Stories Series)

America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation

America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation by Michael MacCabridge

Review by C. Douglas Baker

MacCambridge has written an outstanding history of modern professional football known as the National Football League. The primary theme of the book is how football has eclipsed other sports, specifically baseball, to become America’s game.

The book starts out with the Baltimore Colts defeat in overtime of the New York Giants on December 28, 1958 in the National Football League championship game. The game was televised and is called the Greatest Game Ever Played, partially because it catapulted the NFL into the national spotlight and sent the league on its way to be the dominant sport in American culture.

For the most part this is a very linear history of the Nation Football League, and a very well done one. While it is about the game itself, it’s more about the business of professional football and the importance of decisions made by those who ran it leading to a thriving game and a thriving business enterprise. Much is discussed about the first commissioner Bert Bell who held a motley collection of owners together and strived for parity in the league, and Pete Rozelle who help reap millions in television revenue, fostered the revenue sharing agreement between big market and small market teams keeping competitive balance, and maintaining relative labor peace compared to other sports.

Another very interesting and pivotal part of NFL history was its competition with the American Football League in the 1960’s and how a group of maverick owners created a rival, viable league of its own and how the eventual merger of the NFL and AFL came about. Interestingly, Lamar Hunt, late owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, was the pivotal figure in both the creation of the AFL and the eventual merger. The merger, in fact, made the NFL even stronger.

There are a few key themes in this book about why professional football became the dominant sport it is today. First, and foremost, is television. The game of football, more so than baseball, is a sport made for television. Television thrust the game into the national spotlight and keeps it there. Second is parity. While there have been some dominant teams in the league and a few dynasties, the revenue sharing, scheduling, and now salary caps which keep the teams on a somewhat even playing field has helped maintain interest in the game. Third, labor peace, relative to other sports, has also helped the game thrive. And finally, the owners and commissioners who have lead the league have been visionary. In these pages you meet the legendary coaches and owners like George Halas, Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi, Wellington Mara, Art Modell, Art Rooney, and others who made the NFL what it is today.

Overall, this is an outstanding history of the modern NFL and I highly recommend it.

 America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation

The 2008 NFL Rookie Running Back Class

Some have suggested that the 2008 rookie running back class may be the best in NFL history. Whether this is true or not only time will tell but rookie running backs certainly made a phenomenal impact on the NFL in 2008. Following is a recap of 10 rookie running backs that were highly touted at the beginning of the season, how they fared, and their prospects for the future (barring injury).

 

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (East Carolina)

Chris Johnson had a phenomenal season for the Tennessee Titans rushing for 1,228 yards and 9 touchdowns, along with 43 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown. At the NFL combine he was timed at 4.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash, the fastest electronically recorded 40 yard dash ever. He was also selected to the AFC Pro Bowl.

Johnson is one of the fastest players in the NFL, if not the fastest, but he also has power and the ability to run over tacklers. One of the most impressive aspects of Johnson’s game, and many of the other rookie running backs in the league, is his vision. He sees the hole and gets to it quickly. This is rare in a rookie running back.

Chris Johnson will be a special player in this league for years to come. Just watch him run. He has a unique combination of speed, power, and shiftiness that makes him not only an elite rookie running back, but an elite running back period. He has had some phenomenal runs this season, none more special that the beautiful run he had against the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs for a touchdown.

Chris Johnson is my rookie running back of the year.

 

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (Tulane)

Impressive! Matt Forte is another young running back that I think will be an elite running in this league for a long time. This year he rushed for 1,238 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also caught 63 passes for 477 yards for 4 touchdowns.

With Forte there are many things to be impressed with because of his versatility. He is probably the best blocker of the rookie class and is usually able to pick up and pick off blitzes. And while is not as shifty as Johnson, he too has speed, power, and sees the running lanes well. Forte is a most impressive short yardage back, which also is somewhat rare in a rookie. Even in games where his statistics don’t look great, he contributes by catching passes, blocking, and in the short yardage game.

For me two games this year stand out – both in which Forte’s stat line belies his impact on the game. In Week 4 in a 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Forte could get no traction running the ball against the tough defense. But he contributed with very important catches to keep the chains moving and was quite good at blocking against the Eagles blitzes.

The second was an overtime Bears win against the Green Bay Packers 20-17 on Monday Night Football. Despite a toe injury and not much of a running attack in the first three quarters, the Bears rode the legs of Forte in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. While he was not ripping off big chunks of yards, he steadily wore down the Green Bay Packers defense to allow the Bears to come back and eek out a win. This game showed me that Forte had guts, leadership, and the ability to put a team on his back.

Forte is another back who should be an elite player in the NFL for years to come.

 

Steve Slaton, Houston Texans (West Virginia)

Steve Slaton is yet another fast, elusive rookie running back who actually ended up leading all rookies in rushing yardage with 1,282 yards on 268 carries with 9 touchdowns. He also had 50 catches for 377 yards and a touchdown.

I have not seen Steve Slaton play as much in the pros as I have some of the other rookie running backs. But I did see him frequently in college and once live against the University of Maryland. Slaton, because of injuries to the other Texans’ running backs, ended up starting and carrying a fairly heavy load. In college he ended up being a bit injury prone and late this season he was reported to be banged up, sore, and a bit weary. But he certainly continued to play well down the stretch. Slaton is extremely dangerous in the open field and I would expect the Texans to use him even more as a receiver if they have a fuller contingent of quality running backs in the future.

The game that was impressive to me this year, even though the phenomenal Andre Johnson stole the show, was Slaton’s 182 total yards in a 30-17 win over Jacksonville in Week 13. Even though he was banged up he put on a phenomenal offensive performance that showed off his skills and elusiveness in the open field.

Other than durability, Slaton is not as good at blocking and short yardage situations as Johnson and Forte. But my biggest question about Slaton’s future is his durability. He held up better than I thought he would as an every down back in the NFL. But I think Slaton, long term, would be well served if the Texans’ can get a back to carry some of the load.

 

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders (Arkansas)

It’s a little unfair to try to evaluate Darren McFadden’s rookie season. He was the fourth overall draft choice but his season was marred by a toe injury and turmoil in the coaching ranks. He wound up with 499 years rushing and 4 touchdowns on 113 attempts. Despite being hampered by his toe injury and not getting the ball that often, his 4.4 yards per carry average is solid. He tacked on 29 catches for 285 yards. The few games I saw of the Raiders this year McFadden did not look very impressive, but neither did any other player. He did have an outstanding 164 yards rushing on 21 carries in a 23-8 Week 2 win against a weak Kansas City defense.

McFadden clearly has great potential with his size, speed, and college pedigree. I think McFadden will be fine, but whether he will be elite or not we’ll have to wait and see.

 

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers (Oregon)

Jonathan Stewart is absolutely the real deal. He split time with the outstanding DeAngelo Williams, who carried most of the load at running back for the Panthers this year. But when Stewart had his chances he made the most of them. He rushed for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns on 184 attempts but only had 8 receptions for 47 yards.

He had his best game of the season in a 38-23 win against Tampa Bay when he rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. He fared less well in games where he didn’t get as many chances to run the ball, but he and Williams made a dynamic duo, especially toward the end of the season when they gashed teams consistently on the ground. Together they rushed for 299 yards against the vaunted Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.

Stewart, like his fellow rookie running backs, has the size, speed, and ability to hit the hole fast and rip off big plays. I see nothing but a bright future ahead for Stewart.

 

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions (Central Florida)

For playing on such a sorry, no account team, Kevin Smith wound up with a solid rookie season. He rushed for 976 yard and 8 touchdowns on 238 attempts for a respectable 4.1 yard per carry average. This stacks up quite well with the other successful rookie running backs this year. He also had 39 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns.

Thankfully I only saw Detroit play once this year and Smith had a miserable day against the tough Titans defense so I can’t give a full evaluation of Smith. But he clearly has great skills to put up numbers comparable to other rookie running backs on a team that lost all 16 of its games.

From all accounts I’ve read Smith should be the cornerstone at the running back position as the Lions try to work their way out of their mess. His performance on a bad team speaks volumes about his potential.

 

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens (Rutgers)

Ray Rice is a solid running back. He does not have the speed or skills of a Chris Johnson, the elusiveness of a Steve Slaton, or the combination of both of a Matt Forte. But he is a smart runner who can see the holes and he is a decent pass blocker for a rookie but he needs to improve in this area. He ended the season with 454 yards on 107 carries and 33 catches for 273 yards. He was mostly used as a third down back for much of the season. His best game came on a 154 yard performance on 21 carries in a win against Cleveland, 37-27, in Week 9. In Week 14 against the Washington Redskins Rice suffered a shin injury and didn’t carry or catch the ball in another game, including the postseason.

While I do not see Rice as a dominate, elite back in the NFL, I do see him as a solid starting running back that can improve and do everything well. He appears to have a good foundation for developing an all around, versatile game at running back. He admitted to having hit a rookie wall last year around the time of his injury, and sophomore seasons are sometimes even tougher for running backs. But I have a good feeling that Rice, whether a consistent starter or not, will be a contributor to the Ravens offense for the foreseeable future.

Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys (Arkansas)

Felix Jones is the OTHER running back from Arkansas and before suffering a season ending knee injury in Week 6 was having a phenomenal year on kickoff returns. He also made the most of his chances in the backfield. When he touched the ball he was scooting for yards. He ended up with 266 yards on 30 carries for an outstanding 8.9 yard per carry average. And on kickoff returns he had 434 yards on 16 returns, including a beautiful 98 yard touchdown return in a wild Dallas win against the Philadelphia Eagles, 41-37. He also had a superlative 60 yard touchdown run in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, and a 33 yard touchdown run in Week 5 against the Bengals. In fact, he won the NFL Rookie of the Week Award 3 out of the first 5 weeks of the season.

Before his knee injury Felix Jones proved to be a big play running back. It is impossible to tell how he would fare as a full time starter but he definitely has big time breakaway speed and the ability to break off big plays on the ground and in the kicking game. I hope he can fully recover from his knee injury and return to show us what he can do.

 

Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers (Illinois)

I smell a bust. Mendenhall’s pro career had a very inauspicious start. He had a terrible preseason and couldn’t hold on to the ball. The Steelers tried to use him as a short yardage back in the preseason but he was terrible at that too. I saw three of the Steelers preseason games and I was thoroughly unimpressed.

After Mendenhall was drafted by the Steelers in the 1^st round of the 2008 draft many thought he would see a lot of carries this season to take some of the load off of Willie Parker, but instead he rode the bench barely seeing the field. When Parker was injured and Mendenhall got his chance to start in Week 4, he didn’t look good and then ended up with a broken shoulder and out for the season.

Even though it is based on very little activity, my prediction is Mendenhall is not going to make it as a solid starter in this league.

 

Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals (Richmond)

I really like what I see in Tim Hightower. He started seven games and in his first start against the St. Louis Rams he rushed for 109 yards, admittedly against a bad defense. He wound up taking the staring job from Edgerrin James for seven games but then James was reinserted into the starting lineup, most likely for pass protection purposes.

Hightower sees the holes well and hits them fast and is much better at getting to the edge of the defense than James, who seems to have lost of step. But he is surprisingly good for a rookie in short yardage situations. While he has some work to do on pass blocking, as most rookies do, he is the back of the future for the Arizona Cardinals. I think he will be a solid, if not spectacular running back. But I think he has a great deal of potential and could even work his way to elite status, although that might be hard to do on a passing team like the Cardinals.

Hightower ended the season with 399 yards and 10 touchdowns on 143 carries. While his 2.8 yard per average carry might appear to be anemic, keep in mind that many of Hightower’s runs were in short yardage situations given the Cardinals are a pass first team. He also had 34 catches for 237 yards.

Statistics and Fact Checking: NFL.COM