This is the NFL Preseason Thread

[Darthtiki 0]

And the Lions go into Oakland and play classic Detroit football losing 21-3

[the pinjockey 0]

I hope the game last night puts an end to all of the "Bring back Duce" whining that has been going on around Philly last week. Look at how Buckhalter ran the ball, then look at Duce. One actually hit holes, the other just kind of lumbered and then fell into them.

 

I will admit though, even I got a little tired of Theisman's run as the Buckhalter fan club's president.

[tominator89 0]

The first wave of Eagles cuts took place with 11 being let go. The only one of note is Ed Jasper, but they're strong at DT so it's not a problem. They probably let him go now so he could have time to catch on with another team needing a backup.

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/homeNews...il.jsp?id=54117

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Aaron Brooks threw the ball really well last night. Looks like he's getting use to the offense.

[Guest Paul]

Looks like the Giants beat the Jets...I think it airs tonight on the NFL Network at 8pm EST.

[Precious Roy 0]

The Patriots last offer to Branch was a 5 year deal that could be worth up to 8 mil a season with performance incentives, with over 6 mil per guaranteed. He and his agent are just being ridiculous now. I don't blame him for trying to get his, with the way the NFL salarys are set up you have to look out for yourself, but come on, that's a fair F'n offer. And I like Branch a lot, but honestly, he's not a prototype #1, and I don't think he can do what he's done without Brady or another upper echelon QB.

 

And the deal with the trade is that even if Branch finds a team willing to pay him what he wants the Patriots aren't obligated to trade him. They're going to ask for a ton in return, basically if another team wants Branch the Pats will take them to the woodshed. And the real rub is unless Branch plays a certain # of games this season he can't become an unrestricted FA. So the Pats really hold all the cards at this point.

[tominator89 0]

Big surprise, Vikings release Koren Robinson.

[Lightning Flik 0]

So he can't become a unrestricted FA? Wow... That would certainly piss Branch off if the Patriots do that. Although, get the feeling they might do that then if they can.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

So he can't become a unrestricted FA? Wow... That would certainly piss Branch off if the Patriots do that. Although, get the feeling they might do that then if they can.

 

If my memory is correct, I believe Branch has to be playing after Week 10 in order to become an UFA next year.

[Cartman 0]

And even then they would just Franchise him anyways.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

And even then they would just Franchise him anyways.

 

They could. I'm not so sure that they would.

[KingPK 0]

Football doesn't have an arbitration system like baseball has, do they? That would probably go a long way in settling these kinds of disputes, though I'm sure the owners wouldn't go for it.

[KingPK 0]

The Redskins have flat out sucked tonight. They haven't even cracked 100 yards of offense yet and we're in the 4th quarter.

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/060825

 

Midwest fans should enjoy this (I laughed aloud several times)

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, T.O.. Here we go again:

Report: Cowboys fine T.O. $9,500 for absences, tardiness

August 27, 2006

 

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Terrell Owens has finally pushed the Dallas Cowboys too far, drawing a $9,500 fine for missing a team meeting and a rehabilitation session and being late to an offensive meeting, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.

 

"That's our club business. That's going to be accounted for," team owner Jerry Jones told the newspaper.

 

The incidents occurred Friday, the team's final day preparing for a preseason game against San Francisco. The Cowboys beat the 49ers 17-7, making them 3-0 this preseason without Owens playing any of the games because of a hamstring injury that's also kept him out of 19 of 31 practices since the start of training camp.

 

Neither team officials nor Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, immediately returned calls to The Associated Press seeking comment Sunday.

 

During a postgame television interview, Jones did not mention the fine but answered several other questions about Owens. Jones said his only concern with the receiver is "injury, not all this other stuff you hear about."

 

Owens' past is filled with run-ins with quarterbacks, coaches and others in his own organization. San Francisco and Philadelphia got rid of him, but the Cowboys welcomed him with open arms and a lucrative contract in March, four days after the Eagles released him.

 

Owens vowed to be a better man and a better teammate in Dallas. While the fine is the most drastic, he already has done plenty to stand out.

 

He missed much of the offseason training program -- with permission -- and turned his hamstring injury into an attention-getter by flying in specialists to help him rehabilitate and wearing a cycling team outfit one day while pedaling a stationary bicycle.

 

After returning to practice for several days, coach Bill Parcells ruled him out of a Monday night game and Owens hasn't practiced since. He said he aggravated the injury because the club pushed him too hard. When Parcells said this week that he needs to see Owens on the field, T.O. responded that there's 10 years of tape to show what he can do.

 

Jones seemed to downplay the drama surrounding Owens' injury by noting that Carolina's Steve Smith and Pittsburgh's Hines Ward also have been slowed by hamstring injuries without drawing the same scrutiny as Owens. He also recalled Deion Sanders' ability to play well after flying in from baseball games and missing long stretches of practice.

 

"I know this -- when he's healthy, he's going to help us win these ballgames," Jones said.

 

The Cowboys play their final preseason game Thursday night at home against Minnesota. The opener is Sept. 10 at Jacksonville.

[NoCalMike 0]

Just for perspective's sake......

 

Gibbs is in his 15th season as the Redskins' coach. In the previous 14 seasons, he has led the team to the playoffs nine times.

 

His preseason record in those nine playoff seasons is 16-21. In 1982, the Redskins won the Super Bowl after a 0-4 preseason. In 1991, they won the Super Bowl after a 1-3 preseason. Last year, the Redskins advanced to the second round of the playoffs after going 1-3 in preseason.

 

In the only two losing seasons during Gibbs' tenure in Washington, the Redskins were 3-1 in 1988 and 3-2 in 2004.

[Guest Vitamin X]

So, you're saying the Patriots bitchslapping the Redskins last night means absolutely nothing? Normally, I would say that's true, and it's just an exhibition game after all, but 41-0 is pretty bad, and it doesn't forebode well for the Skins defense who gave up a ton of yards through the air last night. Or, maybe, the Patriots are ready to fire on all cylinders and win another championship.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Oh, T.O.. Here we go again:

Report: Cowboys fine T.O. $9,500 for absences, tardiness

August 27, 2006

 

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Terrell Owens has finally pushed the Dallas Cowboys too far, drawing a $9,500 fine for missing a team meeting and a rehabilitation session and being late to an offensive meeting, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.

 

"That's our club business. That's going to be accounted for," team owner Jerry Jones told the newspaper.

 

The incidents occurred Friday, the team's final day preparing for a preseason game against San Francisco. The Cowboys beat the 49ers 17-7, making them 3-0 this preseason without Owens playing any of the games because of a hamstring injury that's also kept him out of 19 of 31 practices since the start of training camp.

 

Neither team officials nor Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, immediately returned calls to The Associated Press seeking comment Sunday.

 

During a postgame television interview, Jones did not mention the fine but answered several other questions about Owens. Jones said his only concern with the receiver is "injury, not all this other stuff you hear about."

 

Owens' past is filled with run-ins with quarterbacks, coaches and others in his own organization. San Francisco and Philadelphia got rid of him, but the Cowboys welcomed him with open arms and a lucrative contract in March, four days after the Eagles released him.

 

Owens vowed to be a better man and a better teammate in Dallas. While the fine is the most drastic, he already has done plenty to stand out.

 

He missed much of the offseason training program -- with permission -- and turned his hamstring injury into an attention-getter by flying in specialists to help him rehabilitate and wearing a cycling team outfit one day while pedaling a stationary bicycle.

 

After returning to practice for several days, coach Bill Parcells ruled him out of a Monday night game and Owens hasn't practiced since. He said he aggravated the injury because the club pushed him too hard. When Parcells said this week that he needs to see Owens on the field, T.O. responded that there's 10 years of tape to show what he can do.

 

Jones seemed to downplay the drama surrounding Owens' injury by noting that Carolina's Steve Smith and Pittsburgh's Hines Ward also have been slowed by hamstring injuries without drawing the same scrutiny as Owens. He also recalled Deion Sanders' ability to play well after flying in from baseball games and missing long stretches of practice.

 

"I know this -- when he's healthy, he's going to help us win these ballgames," Jones said.

 

The Cowboys play their final preseason game Thursday night at home against Minnesota. The opener is Sept. 10 at Jacksonville.

 

Hilarious. Get your popcorn ready, Parcells will be ready to deactivate him by Week 4 I bet.

[Guest Felonies!]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/060825

 

Midwest fans should enjoy this (I laughed aloud several times)

 

Yeah, I enjoy making fun of Milwaukeeans as much as anybody, but at the end of the day it's another fucking Bill Simmons piece about drinking buddies with goofy nicknames, Larry Bird anecdotes, and inventing vaguely sports-related terms for things.

 

"So that's when Clutch pretty much polished off the whole keg. It was like that time Larry Legend put up 56 in the old Garden against the Washington Bullets. Hey, remember Georges Muresan? What an awkward position he was in. He was really tall, and French, and white. How about that? That's like combining the most awkward characteristics of Manute Bol, Tony Parker, and Kevin McHale. Now you know how when you're at a party, there's always that one guy there who looks like he doesn't belong at all, and he knows he doesn't, and he's just really awkward at the party? The most out-of-place guy in the house? Yeah, he takes being awkward to a new level: Georges Muresan Awkward. I think we all know a Georges Muresan Awkward guy from our past. I used to, but my drinking buddy Cheesestick probably sat on him, kinda like how the New England Patriots pretty much sat on everyone they played during the 2003 season."

[bob_barron 0]

I'm a Bill Simmons fan, but that made me laugh really hard

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

How long you guys think T.O. will last in Dallas?

[Guest Felonies!]

Between Simmons and MacFarlane, I'm wondering if there's something in the water up there that causes its writers to become extremely tangential and self-aggrandizing.

[Darthtiki 0]

How long you guys think T.O. will last in Dallas?

 

I give it until week 6 where T.O. and the Tuna get into a fight on the sidelines or Tuna drops a racial blast, of course with a preface of meaning no disrespect.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

It won't last long.

 

People think Bill Parcell's attitude will make it easier to control Terrell Owens, I think it'll just make it tougher. T.O. won't listen to ANYONE. If Parcells takes the hard-nosed approach, T.O. will turn back into the spoiled child he always has been.

[snuffbox 0]

I'm very interested to see if Green Bay can play as well against Cincinatti tonight as they did against Atlanta last week. Maybe the season won't be a complete lost cause. God, you there dude?

[sfaJack 0]

As a Cowboys' fan who was and still is AGAINST bringing T.O. in, I have to say that I'm completely unsurprised.

 

I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt so far in regards to all the missed practices and games because if there is one positive thing I can say about T.O., it's that he is always ready to go and plays hard when it's game time. And for some reason (maybe it's because I have high expectations for the Cowboys this season), I still think he's going to be a relatively happy and productive player this season. I believe he actually IS hurt and if he is he shouldn't be practicing...but missing team meetings and rehab sessions is T.O. being T.O. and is exactly the reason I can't believe Parcells allowed Jerry fucking Jones to bring him in.

 

Another job well done, Jerry.

[Precious Roy 0]

They've already got a good cop/bad cop game going between Parcells and Jones, Cowboys' fans just better hope they're on the same page, because I could really see Parcells saying "I'm too old for this shit!" and either banishing TO from the team or just walking himself

[Guest Princess Leena]

It won't last long.

 

People think Bill Parcell's attitude will make it easier to control Terrell Owens, I think it'll just make it tougher. T.O. won't listen to ANYONE. If Parcells takes the hard-nosed approach, T.O. will turn back into the spoiled child he always has been.

 

Exactly. Which is why I knew this would be a disaster from the start. Clashing attention whores never works out well.

 

I think the only way you can deal with TO is to ignore him as much as you can, unless he starts affecting stuff during games, then immediately rid yourself of him.

[the pinjockey 0]

There really is nothing you can do with him. Look at his time with the Eagles. He was the star of the first training camp, was treated like a hero, had McNabb willing to play sidekick to him and slobbing his knob whenever possible, and was getting more looks on the field then he could ask for. He had all the attention he could ever want and still the first time McNabb tells him to shut the fuck up, it's over.

 

The Cowboys are good enough they should just dump him now and count their blessings they found out about him now instead of in week 8.

[razazteca 0]

How long you guys think T.O. will last in Dallas?

 

I give it until week 6 where T.O. and the Tuna get into a fight on the sidelines or Tuna drops a racial blast, of course with a preface of meaning no disrespect.

Week 5 Jerry Jones will declare himself god of Texas football by taking over everything that is Dallas Cowboys football by declaring himself President, GM, Headcoach, Offense & Defense Coorindator. Terrell Owens will be cut by the team and end up working for ESPN along with Michael Irvin doing pre-game shows and Bill Parcells will end up as the Lions GM before the end of the year.