Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 346 of 1503)

Blame lies at Snyder’s feet for Albert Haynesworth fiasco

Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins NFL team, smiles on the field before their pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens in Landover, Maryland, August 21, 2010. REUTERS/Jason Reed  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

If Daniel Snyder were looking for someone to blame for the way things have unraveled in Washington with the Albert Haynesworth situation, then all he has to do is plant himself in front of a mirror.

I get that this may be an oversimplified way of looking at the situation, but considering this could have all been avoided had Snyder not fallen victim to the same losing methods that he has embraced over the years, the situation is rather simple to grasp.

Haynesworth is who he is and the same goes for Mike Shanahan. As Shanahan has alluded to, Haynesworth is used to getting his way but that’s not going to fly with his new head coach, who has proven in his short stint with the Redskins that his players will fall in line. If you play for him, you’re going to do things his way, which includes practicing if you want to suit up on Sundays.

If Snyder wanted to avoid this situation, all he had to do was pass on cutting (figuratively, of course) Haynesworth a $100 million check last offseason. But because he had to have Haynesworth’s talent, it didn’t matter what the defensive tackle’s track record looked like.

And let’s look at that track record for a moment.

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Sidney Rice out until midseason – are the Vikings in store for a fall?

NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 24: Sidney Rice #18 of the Minnesota Vikings makes a reception against Randall Gay #20 of the New Orleans Saints during the NFC Championship Game at the Louisiana Superdome on January 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won 31-28 in overtime. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

It’s only one player – a receiver, mind you. And even though this particular receiver caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns last season, he’s still only a receiver.

The Vikings can get by without Sidney Rice, who has elected to undergo hip surgery and is expected to miss half of the regular season. They still have Adrian Peterson, a solid offensive line, an excellent defense and an above average linebacker corps. And even though Rice was a huge part of their offense last season, Brett Favre has a habit of turning previously no-named receivers into Pro Bowlers.

Just look at Rice himself.

But even though the Vikings made it to the NFC Championship Game last season with practically the same roster, does anyone else get the sense that this team is in store for a freefall this year?

Favre is another year older and is coming off ankle surgery. Rice is out until midseason. Percy Harvin’s migraines are already holding him back. Peterson presumably still has fumbling issues. Versatile backup Chester Taylor is in Chicago. The secondary still has question marks. Etc.

Oh yeah, and Brad Childress is still in charge.

Even before Rice was hurt, I liked the Packers’ chances more than I did the Vikings. Assuming their offensive line holds up, they seem to be a more complete football team right now than the Vikings, whom everyone will be gunning for this season after they ripped apart the competition last year. That’s not to say that Minnesota isn’t a playoff contender because it is. I just don’t get the sense that this team is built to hold up for an entire 16-game season.

Again, Rice is only one player and I’m certainly not suggesting that because he’s out that the Vikings will crumble. But does anyone have more confidence in them right now than the Saints, Cowboys or Packers? I could see the Vikes racing out to a decent start but fading down the stretch. And I have zero faith in Childress to keep everything together.

Tiger Woods, wife Elin Nordegren officially divorce

Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball game in Orlando, in Florida in this June 11, 2009 file photo. The world's No. 1 golfer Woods and his Swedish wife Nordegren have divorced following the sex scandal that embroiled Woods late last year, a statement from their lawyers said on August 23, 2010.  REUTERS/Hans Deryk/Files  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT GOLF PROFILE)

The inevitable has come to fruition: Tiger Woods and his wife Elin have legally parted ways.

From ESPN.com:

The divorce was granted in Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla., about 375 miles away from their Isleworth home outside Orlando. The couple married in October 2004 in Barbados and have a 3-year-old daughter, Sam, and a 19-month-old son, Charlie.

The marriage was described in court documents as “irretrievably broken” with no point in trying to reconcile. Terms of the divorce were not disclosed, except that they will “share parenting” of their two children.

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, declined comment when asked if the couple had a prenuptial agreement or terms of the settlement. “We’re not commenting beyond what was in the release,” he said.

The sordid sex scandal cost Woods three major corporate sponsors — Accenture, AT&T and Gatorade — worth millions of dollars, and he lost his image as the gold standard in sports endorsements. A month after the scandal became public, Woods spent two months in therapy at a Mississippi clinic with hopes of saving his marriage.

The terms of the divorce may not have been disclosed, but there’s no doubt that Elin got p.a.i.d. And why shouldn’t she have been? She underwent major public embarrassment over the last 10 months and had to endure all the nasty details of how her husband banged anything with two legs and a pulse over the last X amount of years. I think that’s deserving of a little coin.

While this may be a relief for Tiger now that the divorce has been finalized, his wallet won’t be the only thing affected by this scandal. One day, when his kids are older, they’re going to ask him why he and Elin aren’t together anymore. And unless the internet gets swallowed up by a black hole sometime in the near future, he’s going to have to disclose a lot about his past.

He has only begun to take a beating for his actions.

Do the Giants have an underlying issue at middle linebacker?

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 13:  Jonathan Goff #54 of the New York Giants celebrates after an interception in the third quarter with teammates Danny Clark #55, Michael Boley #52 and  Aaron Rouse #26 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Giants Stadium on December 13, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Merry training camp season, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the Giants and their potential issue at middle linebacker.

Despite the signing of former Titan Keith Bulluck in July, the Giants’ biggest hole remains at the middle linebacker position.

While highly productive for many years in Tennessee, Bulluck is 33-years-old and is seven months removed from ACL surgery. The Giants are bringing him along slowly in practice and while he’s the favorite to start at some point this season, it may not be by Week 1.

Even if Bulluck claims the starting job by the start of the regular season, the question still remains whether or not he’s a good fit for the position. Remember, he has played on the weak side his entire career and new offensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s scheme requires the middle linebacker to be active in coverage. Even if Bulluck’s knee feels as good as he says it does, can he really hang with LeSean McCoy, Felix Jones and Jason Witten in coverage? That’s one of the reasons why the Giants parted ways with Antonio Pierce – because he was too slow.

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Darrelle Revis’ $162 million asking price is absurd

New York Jets Darrelle Revis runs back an interception 67 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers in week 12 of the NFL season at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on November 29, 2009. UPI /John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

Darrelle Revis is a damn fine corner – the best in the league maybe. He’s also vital to the Jets’ success this season and he’s arguably the most important piece of Rex Ryan’s defense.

He has also only played one season (that being one, as in – only one) of elite ball, which is why the $162 million over 10 years that he’s asking the Jets to give him is absolutely ridiculous on many levels. (The $162 million figure comes from Newsday’s Bob Glauber.)

The Jets can’t fiscally give into Revis’ contract demands without sacrificing other areas of their team. They have an entire roster to consider – not just one player, a cornerback no less. Not to undermine the importance of the cornerback position, but quarterback is the only spot where a team should break the bank in order to sign or re-sign a player.

Last time I checked, Revis doesn’t throw the football.

Granted, the $162 million figure that Glauber is reporting may be off. After all, the $162 million asking price hasn’t come out of Revis’ mouth; we’re just going off of what Glauber is reporting.

Then again, Revis isn’t in camp and we’re only two and a half weeks away from the start of the regular season. The Jets have reportedly already offered $122 million (in a down economy, mind you) over 10 seasons and Revis has yet to sign. If he’s insane enough to turn down $122 million, then chances are he’s insane enough to ask for $162 million.

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