uPtoWnNY said:

Big Ben's suspension cut to four games, but Leftwich is out 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain.

Dixon can handle it.

SUPRMAN said:

Cerebus said:

What? .... Who? .... are you talking about that team that was good back in the 80's? 1985 I think.

GO NINERS!

RAIDERS!

They made some good moves. Jamarcus Russell was garbage and Jason Campbell should be an upgrade. DHB needs to learn to catch passes though.

uPtoWnNY said:

Big Ben's suspension cut to four games, but Leftwich is out 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain.

Hopeful: Charlie Batch starter with Dixon coming in a few

series to give defenses a different look. Also Chris Kemeoteau fat slow lazy

ass needs to be replaced at guard.

phunkdaddy said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I've been debating this with Giant fans at other sites. So far, the majority don't want Leinart. Man, this cat fell fast, didn't he?

Speaking of backups, I wasn't impressed with Leftwich or Dixon in that Denver game. Y'all better hope Goodell reduces Big Ben's sentence.

Most definitely. I like Charlie Batch better than Leftwich and Dixon. He is more accurate and

gets rid of the ball quicker than both but Charlie has been snakebitten by injuries. Dixon is

athletic but has Kordellitis locking on to one receiver. Leftwich has a strong arm but that

slow ass wind up will get him killed until the o-line develops.

I like Batch better too but I got a bad feeling that if my Steelers make the playoffs it'll be by the skin of their teeth.

At least they aint the Bears though,

babynoz said:

phunkdaddy said:

Most definitely. I like Charlie Batch better than Leftwich and Dixon. He is more accurate and

gets rid of the ball quicker than both but Charlie has been snakebitten by injuries. Dixon is

athletic but has Kordellitis locking on to one receiver. Leftwich has a strong arm but that

slow ass wind up will get him killed until the o-line develops.

I like Batch better too but I got a bad feeling that if my Steelers make the playoffs it'll be by the skin of their teeth.

At least they aint the Bears though,

It's possible they may be in for quite a dogfight in the AFC North.

I know Baltimore is always tough. They have issues in the secondary.

I still say Cincy has to prove more than just being paper champs.

If the steelers o-line can pass protect, i think they will be okay.

It may take some time to ge.

phunkdaddy said:

babynoz said:

I like Batch better too but I got a bad feeling that if my Steelers make the playoffs it'll be by the skin of their teeth.

At least they aint the Bears though,

It's possible they may be in for quite a dogfight in the AFC North.

I know Baltimore is always tough. They have issues in the secondary.

I still say Cincy has to prove more than just being paper champs.

If the steelers o-line can pass protect, i think they will be okay.

It may take some time to ge.

I think the line will hold up pretty well but I am concerned about the WR position. Despite all the hype about the younglings, I think it's still iffy.

Santonio is gone, Randle El is good but he blows hot and cold...Heinz Ward ain't no spring chicken either.

I'm trying to figure out who's most likely to step up, and I think Cincy is gonna be a problem this year.

I might be worrying too much.

babynoz said:

phunkdaddy said:

It's possible they may be in for quite a dogfight in the AFC North.

I know Baltimore is always tough. They have issues in the secondary.

I still say Cincy has to prove more than just being paper champs.

If the steelers o-line can pass protect, i think they will be okay.

It may take some time to ge.

I think the line will hold up pretty well but I am concerned about the WR position. Despite all the hype about the younglings, I think it's still iffy.

Santonio is gone, Randle El is good but he blows hot and cold...Heinz Ward ain't no spring chicken either.

I'm trying to figure out who's most likely to step up, and I think Cincy is gonna be a problem this year.

I might be worrying too much.

As far as WR, Mike Wallace is gonna be the go to guy.

I think Cincy's defense is for real finally. Let's see if

Chad can produce more on the field than he does with his mouth.

The Bears are 0-0, I can't afford to get upset until the regular season, then I'll bust a gut.

Hell, I'm still dealing with the sorry ass CUBS.

Graycap23 said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Cardinals Shopping Matt Leinart

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=nfp-20100901_cardinals_reportedly_shopping_matt_leinart

I'm amazed anyone would want this scrub.

The Cardinals released Matt Leinart today. Seattle also released T.J. Houshmanzadeh while Minnesota traded Sage Rosenfels to the N.Y. Giants for draft picks.

728huey said:

Graycap23 said:

I'm amazed anyone would want this scrub.

The Cardinals released Matt Leinart today. Seattle also released T.J. Houshmanzadeh while Minnesota traded Sage Rosenfels to the N.Y. Giants for draft picks.

Yes it looks like the Cards are going with Derek Anderson and Max Hall from BYU.

Graycap23 said:

The Bears will win 5 or 6 games this year, Lovie will say that they are "close" and the Bears will retain him and Angelo 4 one more season of losing. They will then hire the cheapest coach they can find.................and we start this nonsense all over again.

Time 4 new ownership in Chicago.

[Edited 8/30/10 10:23am]

Oops, I never made my season prediction for the Bears. But if the Bears played the way they did in the preseason, they will be lucky to win five games. Not only do the Packers and Vikings rate ahead of them, but they play both the AFC and NFC East divisions this year. They may get lucky and beat Detroit twice, Buffalo, and Seattle, but the rest are not givens. They'll most likely lose both games to the Packers, probably lose both games to the Vikings, lose to Dallas, New England, the New York Jets, and Miami. They will have some chances against the New York Giants, Philly, Washington, and Carolina, but I am not positive about the outcomes.

728huey said:

Graycap23 said:

The Bears will win 5 or 6 games this year, Lovie will say that they are "close" and the Bears will retain him and Angelo 4 one more season of losing. They will then hire the cheapest coach they can find.................and we start this nonsense all over again.

Time 4 new ownership in Chicago.

[Edited 8/30/10 10:23am]

Oops, I never made my season prediction for the Bears. But if the Bears played the way they did in the preseason, they will be lucky to win five games. Not only do the Packers and Vikings rate ahead of them, but they play both the AFC and NFC East divisions this year. They may get lucky and beat Detroit twice, Buffalo, and Seattle, but the rest are not givens. They'll most likely lose both games to the Packers, probably lose both games to the Vikings, lose to Dallas, New England, the New York Jets, and Miami. They will have some chances against the New York Giants, Philly, Washington, and Carolina, but I am not positive about the outcomes.

I wouldn't be so quick to sell the Bears short. Pre season football is what it is. Most teams

don't even game plan every week for these games as the starters see very little work

until the 2nd or 3rd game. I don't expect the Bears to win 10 games but these i wouldn't be

shocked if they went 9-7. They beat Minnesota last year late in the season on Monday night and

usually play Green Bay tough at home. Detroit could go either way but Detroit is assessing

better young talent. If they have a losing record this season Lovie will be good as gone

unless he gets the Mike Brown syndrome. Luckily it worked for the Bengals last season.

SUPRMAN said:

Cerebus said:

What? .... Who? .... are you talking about that team that was good back in the 80's? 1985 I think.

GO NINERS!

THE OAKLAND FAKERS SUCK SO BAD! GO NINERS!

Uh yes, you're right, they do! Dude. I am an EXTREME Raider hater. I will straight talk smack until a Raiders fan wants to fight. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. I live a stones throw from the Coliseum, too. Maaan do I hate 'em.

I don't really know which team I think he should go to, but I don't think Leinart is done. I also think dude deserves a real chance. There are teams out there who are going to loose a lot of games and don't have a QB any better than him, so why not get him in there and actually give him a chance to play for an entire season. He's young and hasn't played much - he COULD still turn into something good. I'd go so far as to say the Niners should grab him, but I actually think we're going to win some games this year AND that we're already doing the same thing with two QB's. Don't really need a third project QB.

Houshmanzadeh got PAID for this year, too (like, seven million). So he'll definitely be somewhere helpin' somebody who is expected to make the playoffs. They won't have to pay him much, or play him much. It's a win/win. Dude definitely still has some game left in him.

Cerebus said:

I don't really know which team I think he should go to, but I don't think Leinart is done. I also think dude deserves a real chance. There are teams out there who are going to loose a lot of games and don't have a QB any better than him, so why not get him in there and actually give him a chance to play for an entire season. He's young and hasn't played much - he COULD still turn into something good. I'd go so far as to say the Niners should grab him, but I actually think we're going to win some games this year AND that we're already doing the same thing with two QB's. Don't really need a third project QB.

Houshmanzadeh got PAID for this year, too (like, seven million). So he'll definitely be somewhere helpin' somebody who is expected to make the playoffs. They won't have to pay him much, or play him much. It's a win/win. Dude definitely still has some game left in him.

Actually, Matt Leinhart's problems really began when Dennis Green was fired as head coach and replaced with Ken Whisenhunt. Dennis Green started Leinhart as a rookie and was known as a good teaching coach for offenses. But after Whisenhunt took over, he wanted to get the offense running full speed and didn't have the patience for Leinhart to grow into the role, so he went with Kurt Warner right away. I think that got to Leinhart's psyche and made him lose his confidence.

Cerebus said:

I don't really know which team I think he should go to, but I don't think Leinart is done. I also think dude deserves a real chance. There are teams out there who are going to loose a lot of games and don't have a QB any better than him, so why not get him in there and actually give him a chance to play for an entire season. He's young and hasn't played much - he COULD still turn into something good. I'd go so far as to say the Niners should grab him, but I actually think we're going to win some games this year AND that we're already doing the same thing with two QB's. Don't really need a third project QB.

Houshmanzadeh got PAID for this year, too (like, seven million). So he'll definitely be somewhere helpin' somebody who is expected to make the playoffs. They won't have to pay him much, or play him much. It's a win/win. Dude definitely still has some game left in him.

U honestly think he did not get a real chance?

SUPRMAN said:

Cerebus said:

What? .... Who? .... are you talking about that team that was good back in the 80's? 1985 I think.

GO NINERS!

RAIDERS!

HELL TO THE RAIDER YEAH!

Cerebus said:

SUPRMAN said:

THE OAKLAND FAKERS SUCK SO BAD! GO NINERS!

Uh yes, you're right, they do! Dude. I am an EXTREME Raider hater. I will straight talk smack until a Raiders fan wants to fight. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. I live a stones throw from the Coliseum, too. Maaan do I hate 'em.

would u fight a girl?

Graycap23 said:

Cerebus said:

I don't really know which team I think he should go to, but I don't think Leinart is done. I also think dude deserves a real chance. There are teams out there who are going to loose a lot of games and don't have a QB any better than him, so why not get him in there and actually give him a chance to play for an entire season. He's young and hasn't played much - he COULD still turn into something good. I'd go so far as to say the Niners should grab him, but I actually think we're going to win some games this year AND that we're already doing the same thing with two QB's. Don't really need a third project QB.

Houshmanzadeh got PAID for this year, too (like, seven million). So he'll definitely be somewhere helpin' somebody who is expected to make the playoffs. They won't have to pay him much, or play him much. It's a win/win. Dude definitely still has some game left in him.

U honestly think he did not get a real chance?

Did he ever play a full season without the threat of another QB taking over at the first sign he wasn't playing the position above average? I don't think he got that. There are a lot of QB who get two or three full seasons knowing they'll be the only one to succeed or fail unless they get hurt. He didn't get that. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe he's lived up to the hype. But that's exactly the problem. Nobody really know his potential as a pro QB because he's only been judged against hype and expectations. There used to be a time in the NFL when it was EXPECTED to take 2 to 3 full seasons of on field play for a QB to fully understand their position. Again, I really don't think Leinart was given that opportunity the way someone like Stafford or Sanchez has.

shyeeeeoooo - don't know what the hell happened there edit...

[Edited 9/5/10 10:16am]

phunkdaddy said:

Graycap23 said:

This guy just can't play at the NFL level.

Brady Quinn, Rex Grossman.......and a few others can be added 2 this list.

Yeah i have a Redskin fan talking noise to me. I told him they better keep McNabb

upright this season because Rex is garbage.

[Edited 9/5/10 10:16am]

Cerebus said:

Graycap23 said:

U honestly think he did not get a real chance?

Did he ever play a full season without the threat of another QB taking over at the first sign he wasn't playing the position above average?

shyeeeeoooo - don't know what the hell happened there edit...

[Edited 9/5/10 10:16am]

Only dumb ass coaches do that ala Lovie Smith with Rex Grossman. Either perform when u get your chance or u are NOT a NFL caliber player.

Graycap23 said:

The Bears will win 5 or 6 games this year, Lovie will say that they are "close" and the Bears will retain him and Angelo 4 one more season of losing. They will then hire the cheapest coach they can find.................and we start this nonsense all over again.

Time 4 new ownership in Chicago.

[Edited 8/30/10 10:23am]

Don't confuse owning a sports team with wanting to win. Especially in the NFL. Those owners make a lot of money, win or lose. In fact, I doubt the Cowboys make a whole lot more than the Lions.

Same in baseball. The Pirates and the Marlins are two of the most profitable franchises. The Marlins have a couple World Series championships in the last 10 years, but the Pirates have been the worst MLB team for almost 20 years. Hasn't hurt their bottom line one bit, has it?

RodeoSchro said:

Graycap23 said:

The Bears will win 5 or 6 games this year, Lovie will say that they are "close" and the Bears will retain him and Angelo 4 one more season of losing. They will then hire the cheapest coach they can find.................and we start this nonsense all over again.

Time 4 new ownership in Chicago.

[Edited 8/30/10 10:23am]

Don't confuse owning a sports team with wanting to win.

Lol........in Chicago? No chance of that EVER happening. They ONLY care about $ in that sports town.

(Bulls, Bears, Cubs)

Graycap23 said:

RodeoSchro said:

Don't confuse owning a sports team with wanting to win.

Lol........in Chicago? No chance of that EVER happening. They ONLY care about $ in that sports town.

(Bulls, Bears, Cubs)

Yeah, which is why even of the Bears are sold, that doesn't mean they're going to change the current philosophy. If a new owner decides that the investment in winning isn't worth the potential return, and that the odds of winning are low anyway, he's not going to change anything.

Unless Mark Cuban buys them. THAT would be good.

Cerebus said:

SUPRMAN said:

THE WHINERS SUCK SO BAD! GO RAIDERS!

Uh yes, you're right, they do! Dude. I am an EXTREME Raider hater. I will straight talk smack until a Raiders fan wants to fight. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. I live a stones throw from the Coliseum, too. Maaan do I hate 'em.

I live in Oakland and have always been a Raider fan.

At least there is a point when you will shut up.

I guess you stay indoors on game days.

Cerebus said:

Graycap23 said:

U honestly think he did not get a real chance?

Did he ever play a full season without the threat of another QB taking over at the first sign he wasn't playing the position above average? I don't think he got that. There are a lot of QB who get two or three full seasons knowing they'll be the only one to succeed or fail unless they get hurt. He didn't get that. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe he's lived up to the hype. But that's exactly the problem. Nobody really know his potential as a pro QB because he's only been judged against hype and expectations. There used to be a time in the NFL when it was EXPECTED to take 2 to 3 full seasons of on field play for a QB to fully understand their position. Again, I really don't think Leinart was given that opportunity the way someone like Stafford or Sanchez has.

shyeeeeoooo - don't know what the hell happened there edit...

[Edited 9/5/10 10:16am]

Sanchez and Stafford were forced to start as rookies. Leinart was not.

No QB position is safe for two or three years, even with proven performers.

McNabb was traded because he wasn't any good last season?!!!

Leinart has had three years to show something and he hasn't.

I don't fee sorry for him at all. How much opportunity does he need?

And of course we've seen his potential as an NFL QB and there is no potential.

RodeoSchro said:

Graycap23 said:

The Bears will win 5 or 6 games this year, Lovie will say that they are "close" and the Bears will retain him and Angelo 4 one more season of losing. They will then hire the cheapest coach they can find.................and we start this nonsense all over again.

Time 4 new ownership in Chicago.

[Edited 8/30/10 10:23am]

Don't confuse owning a sports team with wanting to win. Especially in the NFL. Those owners make a lot of money, win or lose. In fact, I doubt the Cowboys make a whole lot more than the Lions.

Same in baseball. The Pirates and the Marlins are two of the most profitable franchises. The Marlins have a couple World Series championships in the last 10 years, but the Pirates have been the worst MLB team for almost 20 years. Hasn't hurt their bottom line one bit, has it?

I don't believe that . . . . .

[EDITED]

Before the current uncapped season, the CBA required teams to pay players no more than 60% and not less than 56% of league revenue, net of deductions for capital expenditures and a portion of local revenue.

The league has been showcasing the Green Bay Packers as the poster child as to why this formula is no longer sustainable (the Packers are owned by local shareholders and therefore the only NFL team that releases financial statements). Indeed the Pack’s player costs rose from $139 million in 2008 to $161 million last season, while operating profits declined from $20 million to $10 million during the same time.

Yet most other teams increased player costs modestly. Total player costs for the NFL increased only 4% last year to $4.5 billion. Half the increase was in the form of salaries and the other half was for benefits, which were $25.8 million per team last year. As a result, operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) during the 2009 season rose to a record average of $33 million per team, $1 million more than the previous year.

The real problem is that the National Football League is evolving into a tiered league, with the upper one-third defined by entrepreneurial owners whose teams typically play in big markets and stadiums that generate insane amounts of cash. Most of the remaining teams are run by cautious owners who play in small markets with low-revenue stadiums.

The most valuable NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys: Its value increased a league high 9%, to $1.8 billion. The team, worth more than any other sports franchise in the world, save soccer club Manchester United ($1.84 billion), moved into its new $1.25 billion stadium last season and sold out every regular season game with the league’s highest average ticket price, $160.

Owner Jerry Jones remains the game’s best promoter, (he even landed a star turn on the hit HBO series Entourage this summer). His stadium netted an additional $12 million last year over what it makes on the Cowboys, thanks to events like the NBA All-Star game, boxing and concerts. The team’s overall operating income hit $143 million, a record for a U.S. sports franchise.

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder proved once again to be one of the league’s biggest–and best–risk takers. When the then 34-year old Snyder used mostly borrowed money to buy the team and its stadium in 1999 for $750 million, the pressure to increase revenue was enormous. But Snyder saw opportunity where others did not and has been able to more than double nonbroadcasting revenue to $202 million since taking the helm by selling the stadium’s naming rights to FedEx ( FDX – news - people ), increasing the building’s capacity and maximizing premium seating opportunities. The Redskins are now worth $1.55 billion, second only to the Cowboys, with operating income of $104 million last season.

The New England Patriots, worth $1.37 billion, are third. They have developed the real estate near Gillette Stadium, and led the NFL in mastering social media to get feedback from fans, keeping them involved with every twist and turn of the franchise’s story, year-round. The Patriots also own an MLS team, the Revolution, to help keep a steady inventory of events at the stadium.

At the other end of the scale, the NFL’s low-revenue teams are struggling to keep pace with their big-market competition. The NFL’s 10 least valuable teams all declined in value over the past year, led by the Jacksonville Jaguars, which fell 16% to $725 million. The Jags lost 17,000 season ticket holders following a disappointing 5-win, 11-loss season in 2008. The poor support forced the Jaguars to have all but one of its games blacked out locally on TV. The Jags boosted their season ticket base for the upcoming season, but did it with heavily discounted tickets.

The Detroit Lions (owned by auto scion William Clay Ford) are one of only two teams to lose money ($2.9 million) last season on an operating basis (the Miami Dolphins lost $7.7 million). This marks the third time in four years the Lions have posted an operating loss.

The team is burdened with a hefty debt load of $350 million thanks to the Lions’ contribution to the $440 million Ford Field, which opened in 2002. The Lions have struggled to sell tickets since becoming the first NFL team to ever finish winless in a 16-game season in 2008. The Lions had half of its eight home games blacked out last year as it failed to sell out 72 hours before kickoff. The team cut ticket prices on 19,000 seats for this season in hopes of boosting attendance.

So while the renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement with players will dominate headlines for the next year, the bifurcation of team values in the NFL is an even more serious long-term issue for a league built on parity of performance. Fans tune in because, on any given Sunday, any team can supposedly beat any other. As the team economics of pro football diverge, the owners need to figure out how to keep it that way.

SUPRMAN said:

Cerebus said:

Uh yes, you're right, they do! Dude. I am an EXTREME Raider hater. I will straight talk smack until a Raiders fan wants to fight. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate 'em. I live a stones throw from the Coliseum, too. Maaan do I hate 'em.

I live in Oakland and have always been a Raider fan.

At least there is a point when you will shut up.

I guess you stay indoors on game days.

Excuse me and wtf?, first of all. Second of all, nah, there really isn't. Just like there is never a point when the Raiders will stop sucking.

SUPRMAN said:

Cerebus said:

Did he ever play a full season without the threat of another QB taking over at the first sign he wasn't playing the position above average? I don't think he got that. There are a lot of QB who get two or three full seasons knowing they'll be the only one to succeed or fail unless they get hurt. He didn't get that. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe he's lived up to the hype. But that's exactly the problem. Nobody really know his potential as a pro QB because he's only been judged against hype and expectations. There used to be a time in the NFL when it was EXPECTED to take 2 to 3 full seasons of on field play for a QB to fully understand their position. Again, I really don't think Leinart was given that opportunity the way someone like Stafford or Sanchez has.

shyeeeeoooo - don't know what the hell happened there edit...

[Edited 9/5/10 10:16am]

Sanchez and Stafford were forced to start as rookies. Leinart was not.

No QB position is safe for two or three years, even with proven performers.

McNabb was traded because he wasn't any good last season?!!!

Leinart has had three years to show something and he hasn't.

I don't fee sorry for him at all. How much opportunity does he need?

And of course we've seen his potential as an NFL QB and there is no potential.

I completely disagree with your totally broken logic in this response. You basically proved my point. So thank you.

McNabb wasn't traded because he wasn't any good, either. Don't believe I've seen anybody inside the Eagles organization quoted as saying such. Sometimes teams just make a change after a QB has been around that long and starts to age. Hell, Joe Montana played for the Chiefs.

Fuck TJ Douchmanadeh signed with the Ratbirds(Ravens).