My Latest Fan Letter

The letter:

I just watched part of the interview you did on Comcast SportsNet Philly about your new book concerning Roger Clemens. I could care less about about Clemens, but I do remember you from your book about the Cowboys!

Seems to me you are a bit of a leach or a maggot! You latch on to bullshit…yes bullshit and dog people with a bunch of crappy stories to help in your own financial gain. That’s why you wrote about Clemens and the Cowboys…because if you wrote about Jeff Weaver or the Seattle Seahawks nobody would care!!! What I found amusing was Oscar the Grouch look alike Barkann commenting on Emmitt never reading your trash and if Clemens has as well…WHY IN THE HELL WOULD THEY READ THAT SHIT????!!!!! You are just another bald unathletic pussy who seems to make his pecker hard dogging people! You are no better than that fag Skip Bayless! Jealous bitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The response:

Thank you very much for the letter, RE: my hard pecker. Although I obviously don’t agree with the points, I appreciate you taking the time to write in and express your opinion. No harm in that.

Best,

Jeff Pearlman

PS: RE: your point on Jeff Weaver or the Seattle Seahawks. You’re 100% right. Why would I write books nobody wants to read?

Why Daunte Culpepper Deserves to Be The Lions Starting Quarterback

Much has been made of the Lions current Quarterback situation. Draft Stafford, Draft Sanchez, things of that nature.

 

If the Lions would go the unfortunate route in drafting Matthew Stafford, then where does that leave Daunte Culpepper?

 

A possible competition for the job during training camp? Maybe, have Stafford prove his worth by making him earn the job.

 

Daunte Culpepper has earned this job; yes, he went 0-4 in the games he started last season, didn’t light up the stat sheets, made some bad decisions, but in games against Carolina and Minnesota, he put Detroit in a position to win.

 

One thing Culpepper haters and Stafford/Sanchez lovers (outside of Detroit) fail to realize is that, he was brought in during the middle of the season, in an already tough season where he had to immediately earn the respect and trust of the locker room and coaches.

 

He was signed on Nov. 3 which was a Monday, and then the Lions coaches gave him five days and a few morning hours to learn the playbook and then had him go start a game vs. Jacksonville.

 

I would love to see Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez try and do any better than Culpepper could with a crap offensive line and one great receiver.

 

Now I’m not knocking Stafford or Sanchez; I give them their credit where due. They are both great Quarterbacks who have potential to have good NFL careers.

 

You don’t just go and draft a quarterback No. 1, pay him $30 million or whatever the stupid salaries for rookies are these days, and then have him start for your team without proving anything.

 

Sure, Stafford and Sanchez might have had great college careers, but you got to prove something in the NFL first, it’s a little different than playing against Washington and Vanderbilt’s defenses.  

 

Daunte has proven that he can be successful in the NFL, most notably from 1999-2005 in Minnesota having numerous TD passes to Randy Moss, also the Lions have hired Scott Linehan to run the offense Culpepper has had a lot of success with him.

 

The Lions also happen to have another Randy Moss most likely in the works, he is known as Calvin Johnson look him up on YouTube.

 

Matthew Stafford has proven that he won four SEC titles…oh wait. Mark Sanchez was a three-year start….one-year starter.

 

And Sanchez thinks after starting one year against sub-par Pac10 defenses, and having only one noticeably highlight worthy game against Penn State in the Rose Bowl, he thinks he has what it takes to be successful in the NFL? We’ll see.

 

“Defense wins championships” that is a commonly know phrase or quote throughout the NFL and other sports.

 

Past NFL Super Bowl champions have had notably great defenses, Pittsburgh last year and in 2006, New England with their 3 Super Bowl championships within this decade, The 85′ Bears, Tampa Bay in 2003, and of course Baltimore in 2000.

 

Only New England with Tom Brady has a “Superstar Quarterback”, and possibly Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger as an up and coming Quarterback in the NFL.

 

Trent Dilfer was Baltimore’s Quarterback during their Super Bowl run, he didn’t have the most star power or marketability like a Brady or Roethlisberger, but he was a veteran of the game and knew how to get the job done when he had to as did Brad Johnson.

 

Yes, all those Quarterbacks won championships, but Daunte Culpepper has been in the NFC title game, he led the Vikes that far who knows what he could do with more talent around him in Detroit.

 

I’m a 100 percent believer in the defense wins championships motto, “Offense brings the crowds defense wins the games” another good quote.

 

Last year’s Pittsburgh team didn’t have a high-powered offense, they were 20th in total offense and had just about 21 points per game. But their offense got their points when they needed them, and the defense made sure they got that football back for them.

 

Pittsburgh was first in total defense last year allowing only 13.9 points per game. The 2007 Super Bowl Champion Giants weren’t high in the stat column for defense, but they absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage putting Mr. Brady on his back about 5-6 times.

 

The point is you don’t need to have a bunch of superstars and 1st round draft picks on your offense to be successful, you have to have proven guys in the NFL who are gonna get the job done.      

 

Yes, Culpepper may be 32 years old while Stafford and Sanchez are 21 and 22 years old respectively. When you play football you develop and uncanny love for the game, one dictionary definition says “being beyond what is normal or expected.”

 

I heard a speech one about leadership and the speaker had a PowerPoint slide, about the six characteristics of a great leader and one of them was enthusiasm.

 

Ever since the day Daunte Culpepper has played football, he has displayed great enthusiasm, he’s wanted to win his whole life, he’ll do anything to try and to be successful even when the odds are against him, like trying to learn a playbook in five days and then go out and play a game. I have yet to see any enthusiasm from Mr. Stafford.

 

Daunte’s teammates believe in him and according to local reports Culpepper has been working his tail off in the off-season.

 

Give him a full off-season, minicamp, and hopefully an intense training camp, he should have the playbook down pat. He hasn’t done much talking during the offseason, he let his work and dedication to the team do the talking like the true professional he is.

 

“A true leader visualizes success, pushes himself and others toward the goal and makes it happen.”

2009 NFL Draft: Why the Lions Should Not Take a QB With No. 1 Pick

The Detroit Lions have many positions to address in the NFL Draft.

The team just went 0-16. They do not want a repeat of that—no, not at all.

Some may think the Lions should use that first overall pick on a quarterback, specifically Matt Stafford.

I, however, don’t think they should draft Stafford.

I know the quarterback position is the most important job out on the field, but that Lions have many problems they need to deal with, not just at the signal calling position. And even though they went 0-16 last year, they still have some talented players to work with, like Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith, and Ernie Sims.

While some may believe conventional wisdom states that drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick can solve all your problems, that school of thought is flawed in the case of the Lions.

First off, one must wonder who’s going to protect said quarterback. The Lions offensive lineman didn’t help Kitna, Orvlosky, or Culpepper, did they?

Is your defense going to get you important stops during the games? The Lions defense was atrocious last season, and they certainly have some issues to address there.

Stafford would get thrown around like a rag doll. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Don’t get me wrong, Stafford has amazing talent, and I think he would make a great QB some day, but he’s not a great all-around quarterback who would be worthy, for certain, of the No. 1 pick.

Instead, I think the Lions should draft an offensive lineman. A Jason Smith, or Eugene Monroe, for that matter, would compliment this team much more than Stafford could. Meanwhile, they can address the quarterback situation later in the rounds.

That’s my view on it.

Dear John Madden, Thank You for the Memories

John Madden, a revolutionary sports broadcaster who has been on the air for over 30 years, has finally unplugged the microphone.

John Madden has probably been involved in all of our lives. Whether it is from listening to him and Pat Summerall or Al Michaels during football broadcasts, being a fan of the Oakland Raiders during the 1970’s, or playing his video game series, he has touched us all.

As a high school standout in football, Madden chose to attend junior college at the College of San Mateo before transferring to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

After college, Madden was selected 244th overall in the 1958 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. But, a knee injury in training camp, a year later, ended his professional football career.

As a young assistant at San Diego State University, Al Davis hired Madden as the linebackers coach of the Oakland Raiders, helping the Raiders reach Super Bowl II, in his first season.

After head coach John Raunch resigned to coach the Buffalo Bills, Davis hired Madden as head coach in 1969, becoming the youngest head coach in NFL History, at that time, at the age of 32.

Madden led the Raiders to six AFC Championship games, a Super Bowl Championship in 1977 against the Minnesota Vikings, a 112-39-7 career record, and a 76.3 winning percentage, the best in NFL History.

Madden never had a losing season as head coach.

After coaching, Madden became a NFL broadcaster for CBS in 1979. After two years of lower-profile contests, he joined Pat Summerall in the booth during the prime time telecasts in 1981. Madden and Summerall called games together until 1994, when CBS lost the rights to broadcast NFL games.

Madden and Summerall joined the Fox Network in 1994, with him and Summerall calling the play-by-plays until 2002, when Madden left for Monday Night Football on ABC with Al Michaels.

Madden and Michaels called on Mondays until 2005, when they moved to NBC to call play-by-play for Sunday Night Football. Madden paired with Michaels on Sundays until the end of the season in 2008.

In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in recognition of his coaching career. Madden credits Don Coryell, who he coached under at San Diego State, as being an influence on his coaching career.

On April 16th, 2009, Madden announced his retirement from broadcasting, Madden said he wanted to remain closer to his family.

Madden’s broadcasting legacy includes eight Super Bowl telecasts and 476 weekend streak of consecutive broadcast appearances.

As I said before, John Madden has impacted our lives one way or another. From his “Boom” to his “Tough Actin’ Tinactin,” we have seen Madden everywhere.

John Madden has inspired me, probably some of you, and I will even go as far as to say that John Madden is one of the most influential people of all time.

Would Anquan Boldin Be a Good Fit With the Ravens?

Would Anquan Boldin be a good fit for the Ravens?  In a word, yes.

Not just because of his talent, size, and speed, but because the pieces around him will make him better. Anquan Boldin would be a perfect fit with the Baltimore Ravens because unlike teams like the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, there is no great pressure on one component of the offense.

Think about it. Philly would need Boldin to come in and be Terrell Owens without the back-talk. They have a nice complement in DeSean Jackson, but still rely heavily on the passing of Donovan McNabb, which we’ve seen in the past, makes them good in the regular season but not good enough to elevate to the Super Bowl. And that’s what it’s all about in Philly; a Super Bowl trip.

Which bring us to the Eagles’ divisional rival, the Washington Redskins. They haven’t been floated lately as somebody chasing after his services, but with the Giants (who really need him), the Eagles and the regional rival Ravens pursuing him, you can be sure that they will get in the mix quickly.

They could use him much in the way the Ravens would utilize him, sending their smallish receivers for short catch-big gain routes, while Boldin draws attention down field.

Point is, the Ravens are best suited for his services. They have an established running game, an offensive philosophy that plays to strengths rather than hoping for fitting pieces, and a defense that gives the best kind of support any team could ask for.

And when you consider that the Cardinals would love to get him out of the AFC then hand him over to an NFC opponent, the question becomes if the Ravens are willing to give up the picks for the prize?

Share and Enjoy:

Post Draft Analysis: A Fun Waste of Time

Looking back, 2006 is one of the best recent years to revisit post-Draft analysis. Articles ridiculing the Texans, praising the Cardinals, and believing there must be some genuine divinity behind the Saints that allowed them to grab the consensus best player in the draft.

How many people still want to say they would rather have Reggie Bush over Mario Williams. Williams has 30.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles (plus he returned one for a touchdown) and just started in his first Pro Bowl.

Bush, on the other hand, has been injury plagued. And when he is on the field, he has been far from the “game changer” that the “Consensus Number One Pick” should be. Twenty touchdowns and over 3,000 total yards (not counting returns) over three years is nothing to sneeze at for most players. But it’s nothing to be proud of for the “closest thing to a sure thing.”

For fun, go read Gene Wojciechowski’s post draft analysis of how the Texan’s “gagged.” Unless you are a Saints fan, you’ll laugh.

Sure, sometimes they get it right on (see the freakishly prescient Michael Smith’s pre-draft analysis), but more often than not, it’s a educated guessing game where experts are paid way too much to offer as much insight as you can find here.

I’m not saying I will not read it, but that’s just because it’s football, and I’ll read and critique anything written about the 49ers.

A Pre-Draft Look Of The Philadelphia Eagles

Here we are, roughly a week away from the draft, and what do we know about the Philadelphia Eagles?

Well…nothing.

This seems to be standard procedure in Philadelphia, as Andy Reid, Tom Heckert and company love the idea of confusing the league (and their fan base) towards the point of madness.

This year, the Eagles have provided the most mystery in their slew of draft prospects which they have brought in for a work out; Some of the more notable names are Darrius Hayward-Bey and Jason Smith.

Smith, who’s visiting with the Eagles today, is the biggest eyebrow raiser of the group considering he’s projected to go within the top three of the draft.

The Eagles, who have picks at No.21 and No.28 thanks to a deal last year with Carolina, would have to move up substantially in order to even get a whiff of Smith. 

With 12 picks at their disposal, and teams such as the Chiefs (third overall) and Seahawks (fourth overall) looking to move back, a move up isn’t out of the realm of posibility.

In a recent press conference GM Tom Heckert said of moving up, “I would assume it wouldn’t [take both first-round picks].”

If this is the case, then the Eagles are possibly in the greatest position to make a big impact on draft day.

Amidst the rumors of moving up, they are also currently involved in trade talks involving Pro-Bowl players Jason Peters of Buffalo, Anquan Boldin of Arizona, Chad Johnson of Cincy, Tony Gonzalez of KC and Braylon Edwards of Cleveland.

Each player, excluding Gonzalez, would likely involve an offer in the ballpark of a first and third rounder.

The Eagles, however, are not known for overpaying for players. In fact, they are more notorious for their “low-balling” of veterans.

So, with Edwards and Peters seeking lucrative deals, the Eagles may lean in another direction.

From the Eagles perspective, none of these players are essential for success.

LT has been referred to as a weak point with the departure of Tra “Then William and then Tra again because no one called me William” Thomas.

Todd Herremans, however, was a left tackle in college, and Reid has expressed confidence in either Todd or Shawn Andrews filling in for McNabb’s blind-side.

WR is also not as much of a need as people believe, considering the style in which the Eagles play.

The typical arguement, which has constantly been thrown around, to say the Eagles NEED a WR is that T.O. was on the team when they reached the Super Bowl.

This belief isn’t exactly right.

T.O. didn’t play in all of the playoffs. The Eagles made it to the big game without him, and even though he was there for the Super Bowl, they lost the game.

Theory of elite WR debunked.

The recent struggles for the Eagles can be more closely linked to inefficiency from the offensive line and the running game.

With the addition of Leonard Weaver from Seattle, and the return of one of the best guards in the game in Shawn Andrews, the Eagles seem on their way to recovery. 

Many mock drafts have Philadelphia taking a combination of Knowshon Moreno, Michael Oher, William Beatty, Donald Brown and Brandon Pettigrew.

All would aid the Eagles by providing a boost to run-blocking, or a much needed compliment for the oft-injured Brian Westbrook.

Overall, the Eagles are everywhere in pre-draft news. With the highest number of picks in the draft, they are capable of making a big impact on draft day by adding top-tier vets, moving up into the top five, or picking up two quality prospects late in the first.

While Philadelphia hasn’t made their intentions clear, the mystery and possibilities in front of them make them the team to watch next weekend.

Should The Browns Draft a RB?

As I watch the talking heads on all the other sports shows on national television, they act as if the Browns have no prayer to make any kind of splash this year.

Me? I am a believer in my Browns.

Yes they are making trades and others moves that might look on paper as not the smartest decisions, but we do have to give Mangini, and the rest of his staff that he put in place enough time to turn our misfortunes in Cleveland into a winning city again.

Our schedule this year is really not as bad as it looks. Yes there are some games on our list that every fan is saying “oh boy,” this is going to be train wreck.

We have a team that needs to get a running back in this draft.

We can not expect Jerome Harrison to spell Jamal to give the game that type of change of pace that we are so lacking in our offensive scheme right now.

My personal pick would come during the second round, with my choice being LeSean McCoy out of the University of Pittsburgh.

LeSean has the ability to come out of the backfield with some elusiveness and vision to make some big plays in the open field.  Everyone who is a Cleveland Browns fan knows that we need this type of back in our backfield.

With the recent rumblings of Braylon Edwards being traded to the Giants, what other offensive threats do we really have?

And with the Browns being in the AFC North, our conference is a smashmouth, run the ball down your throat division. If we are not going to have any receivers to throw to, why not at least have our backs carry the load for a season?

And that is why I feel we need to get a back in the draft.

Go Browns!

20 Ways You Know You Are a Minnesota Vikings Fan

Here is a list of 20 ways you know you’re a Minnesota Vikings Fan.

1. You thought Daunte Culpepper was a franchise quarterback.

2. You hate your quarterback.

3. Your team has signed big time free agents the last couple of years and still didn’t do very well.

4. You were excited when Gus Ferrotte replaced your old quarterback.

5. Your running back could be a better quarterback than your actual quarterback.

6. You look at other teams running backs and laugh.

7. Other teams look at your quarterback and laugh.

8. You give thanks every day that Brett Favre left the Packers.

9. You wonder why the hell Tavaris Jackson is still quarterbacking your team.

10. You used to think Randy Moss was a nice guy.

11. You think every other team in the league is crap.

12. Fran Tarkenton today would be an upgrade over your quarterback.

13. You constantly steal players from the Packers.

14. You don’t know whether Tavaris Jackson is a really good quarterback or a really bad quarterback.

15. Whenever you see someone wearing green you try to run them over with your car.

16. You bought a Purple Favre Jersey because you thought he was going to your team last year.

17. You’re team can hand the ball off to the running back 40 times a game and still win handily.

18. If you’re team throws the ball more than 20 times a game you know they’ll lose.

19. You go to church to purge yourself after setting foot in Wisconsin.

20. You get scared whenever you hear that your players are going out on a yacht.

New Orleans Saints 2009 Draft Evaluation

We are less than two weeks away from the NFL 2009 Draft. The New Orleans Saints are entering the draft with many needs to address but lack draft picks. The Saints only have four picks in the 2009 draft.

The draft picks the Saints have are a first, two fourth rounders , and a sixth-round draft pick.

The Saints lost picks in the this draft due to trades for players like Jonathan Vilma and Jeremy Shockey. Although I must say, Vilma has already proved to be worth  his third-round pick. Many would argue and say he was a definite steal.

Jeremy Shockey missed some of the season due to injury and needs to prove in 2009 he was worth the second and fifth-round picks we gave up to acquire him .

New Orleans has many positions that need to be addressed, mainly on the defensive side of the ball.

Here are the positions of need and I will list them in order from what I believe are the biggest needs. I will evaluate why the Saints should address all of these problems. The needs are cornerback, safety, linebacker, offensive line, defensive end  and running back —mainly a thumper back.

The Saints secondary constantly has given up the big plays. The 23rd ranked pass defense could use help at both the safety and the cornerback position.

The Saints have tried to address the need for a cornerback with the addition of Jabari Greer, but have released our most consisitent cornerback in Mike McKenzie, which could be a sign that the Saints might go after a No. 1 corner in the draft.

The Saints brought veteran safety Darren Sharper to help bring some experience to the Saints secondary. The former Minnesota Viking is currently leads the league in career interceptions.

Although Sharper is an upgrade, we might not have him playing back there for a long time due to his age.

Possible Pick- Malcolm Jenkins

In 2009 the Saints defense only recorded 28 sacks. Many would argue that our old scheme was the reason for that, and new defensive coordinator Greg Williams could possibly get that number up but there are ways we can help him. The Saints could use a pass rushing OLB could be of interest here .

Possible Pick- Brian Cushing

Also, with the possible suspensions with the overpaid and underachieving defensive ends for four games, the Saints could very well go after a young defensive end.

If the Saints were to go after a defensive end it could bring some insurance to the position if they were to start right away. Remember Charles Grant and Will Smith both only recorded six sacks combined.

Possible Pick- Everette Brown

The Saints have only given up 13 sacks. That sounds pretty impressive for a team who passes the ball so much, but if you go and watch the film you will see that it is truly Drew Brees’s smart decisions and quick releases.

The Saints are in dying need of a center or a guard. Not just to boost up the pass blocking, but an interior linemen could help the Saints run game. Picking a center with the 14th overall pick is a big reach, so trading down should be in consideration .

Possible Pick- Alex Mack

The New Orleans Saints  had troubles closing games. The truth is if the Saints were able to run the ball when we had leads, it would very well help our defense and not just the offense.

With a thumper back like Chris Wells in the backfield, the Saints could kill time and put longer drives together so Brees does not have to pass the ball in those tight zones on third and shorts.

It would give the Saints more time with the ball and it would make the play-action passes alot more effective. And you know the Saints love those play-actions passes .

Possible Pick- Chris Wells

There are other options for the Saints. Here is what I believe the New Orleans Saints should do in the 2009 draft.

The Saints should call over to the New England Patriots who hold three second-round draft picks.

Offer them our first, a fourth, and a third-round pick from next year’s draft for all three of their second-round draft picks.

Let’s be honest, all great defensive players aren’t all drafted in the first round and it has been proven that players who ride the bench their rookie season are a lot better later on in their career.

I would like to know what you guys believe the Saints should do.

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