commentary...

NFL.com has ranked Aaron Rodgers fourth among quarterbacks,in their "100 best players of 2011"(he was ranked at number eleven),behind Drew Brees,Tom Brady,and Peyton Manning... i will not argue about Brady,or Manning(both future Hall of Famers),but behind Brees? what a real joke!!!!!!!! it was voted on by the players... it is a joke because many players(wide receivers),are ahead of Greg Jennings(number 74)... my opinion is that i would rank Jennings higher,and would take him over many of top wide receivers,in NFL... the Packers had seven players on list;most of any team(three of them in the ranking between eleven,and twenty)... a stupid list put up by NFL.com,for programming,but the players are really clueless,in ranking their peers... how can you rank Drew Brees,ahead of Aaron Rodgers(at least last year),when Brees,and the Saints got upset,by Seattle,and the Packers,and Rodgers,won Super Bowl XLV... you tell me?

lockout update...

Negotiations(the fifth round)resume Thursday...

coaches' story...

Green Bay Packers' quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is very well known in collegiate circles,for one thing,in particular... he was starting quarterback,at Notre Dame,and the Irish beat Bear Bryant,and the Alabama Crimson Tide,24-23,for the national championship,on New Year's Day,1973,spent 12 seasons,in the Canadian Football League,winning two Grey Cups,and is in the CFL Hall of Fame...

love you,(tapping glass,with love)Mom...

taking day off,of this blog,because of silent birthday party,in memory of dear mother....

correction...

the ACL surgery that Terrell Owens went through,was done within the last month,but was reported today...

funny ways to keep in shape...

Cleveland Browns' Peyton Hillis is from Conway,Arkansas,and has been known to be harnessed by his chest,to a half-ton truck,a small car,or an ATV,and he drags it around town... he also does yoga,mixed martial arts,and gives money,and other items,if people can knock football out of his hands,at unexpected times,as he carries football around his hometown...

NFL news...

Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Terrell Owens has had ACL(knee) surgery today...

football news...

according to ESPN,Ben Roethlisberger,of the Pittsburgh Steelers,had a broken foot,and played in the Super Bowl,against the Packers... truly,what guts!!!!!!!!!!

what a real nut...

Cincinnati Bengals' WR Chad Ochocinco has had an interesting offseason... first,he tried to play pro soccer,with Major League Soccer team FC Kansas City,then tried to last eight seconds,on a bull,in a PBR event(he lasted only a second,and a half),now,after training with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats,he says that he wants to wrestle an alligator... by the way he believes that Bengals' QB Carson Palmer,out of USC,who wants to be traded,and says that he will retire,if he is not traded,is very serious about the threat of retirement...

Packers' trivia...

Mason Crosby has made 188,of 189 extra points,in his NFL career(99.47%)

funny news...

Green Bay Packers' LB A.J. Hawk and his right wrist surgery rehab is going better than expected... he is playing in a 54 hole goft tournament,that he plans to attend,in July,saying that the wrist "feels pretty good"...

Packers' national/regional schedule...

Packers have three Sunday Night games(Thursday Night Football,opening week),on NBC...
New Orleans,September 8th...
Atlanta,in Atlanta,October 9th...
Chicago,Christmas Night(carving up those Bears,for dessert)(laughing)...
one Monday Night Football game on ESPN...
Minnesota,November 14th...
and a national broadcast on Fox,on Thanksgiving Day,November 24th...
Detroit,in Detroit(note:memorable game Packers win,29-27,on last play of game when Green Bay batted away two-point conversion pass,after almost blowing a 29-6,lead in third quarter,so anything is possible,that day)
two regional broadcasts on CBS...
Denver,October 2nd....
Oakland,December 14th...
and a pre-season game,against Peyton Manning,and the Indianapolis Colts,in Indianapolis,also,on CBS,August 26th...
cross your fingers...

CFL,and NFL news...

two Canadian Football League games will be televised per week,on NFL Network,this season,with options,for the CFL playoffs,and the Grey Cup... a mutual broadcast,between TSN(The Sports Network),and the NFL Network,except in Canada,will be on NFL Network... the Montreal Alouettes beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders,21-18,for the 2010 Grey Cup...

rumors of deal...

take this for a grain of salt,but according to ESPN,players will get 48%,of the revenue,a rookie,and a players' salary cap is being tweaked,and a sixteen game Thursday schedule,for 2012... the much-vaunted 18 game schedule is an item to be up for negotiation,with the players,but will not be shoved down their throats,this year...

NFL news...

NFL,and players' union resume lockout negotiations,tomorrow...

my all-time worst stadiums to play,as visitor...

5)Oakland Coliseum-Oakland(Black Hole)...
4)Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City(Loudest outdoor stadium)
3)Memorial Stadium-Baltimore(best winning percentage,from 1956-1971,in NFL)(toilet in middle,of visiting locker room)
2)Lambeau Field-Green Bay(Ice Bowl-enough said)
1(Veteran's Stadium-Philadelphia(fans booed Santa Claus,and Michael Irvin,when he got injured,for Dallas,and pre-season game,against Baltimore Ravens,was cancelled,when coach refused to play on field)

trivia answer...

Bart Starr,196 games,16 seasons,1956-1971... consecutive starts:Forrest Gregg,187 games,1956,1958-1970,both behind Brett Favre's 255 consecutive Green Bay Packers' starts,and Brett Favre holds NFL record for consecutive starts,at 297 starts,for Packers,New York Jets,and Minnesota Vikings(stopped because of concussion)...

trivia...

who is second on games played list,for Packers?

fun facts...

Green Bay Packers were ranked number 1,by ESPN Magazine,and their rankings of 122 franchises,in their "Ultimate Standings",in their most recent issue,out Friday...

sad story...

former NFL quarterback Danny Wuerffel has contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome,which is a disease,that whose victims' immune system,attacks their nervous system,that can lead to paralysis... he won Heisman Trophy,in 1996,while at Florida... he played with New Orleans,Green Bay,Chicago,Washington,and NFL Europe... hope he has a great life,and good wishes...

Packers' news...

Green Bay Packers' players receive Super Bowl XLV rings,in a private ceremony,at Lambeau Field,tonight...

comment...

one more Super Bowl fact:you tend to forget who was the favorite going into the game? the sixth-seeded Green Bay Packers over the second-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers... that was how strong,and well,the Packers played last year,and still lost two starters,before halftime,and still won Super Bowl XLV,31-25...

lockout update...

there are reports that NFL owners,and players' union are still talking,and have scheduled talks,for next week... players and NFL clubs are seeming to be happy with talks so far...

Hall of Fame biography...

Jerry Rice(Hall of Fame,class of 2010) caught 1,549 passes,for 22,895 yards,ran 87 times,for 645 yards,threw 10 passes completed 3,for 71 yards,for 23,611 yards for 208 touchdowns(197 touchdown catches,10 rushing touchdowns,and 1 touchdown pass,along with 1 interception)...

NFL news...

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said that some fans,and some 49ers' players have maligned unsigned free agent quarterback Alex Smith,who with the 49ers,since drafted by them,out of University of Utah,in 2005,by basically "throwing him under the bus"...

funny story...

Charles Clay,a sixth round draft pick,in 2011,of the Miami Dolphins,is doing odd jobs,including cutting lawns,at oil wells,for a company called LPD,in South Florida...

commentary...

my opinion of Seattle Seahawks' coach Pete Carroll is basically one of a coach getting out of town,before the hammer fell,was confirmed when he called the decision to strip USC,of their 2004 BCS National Championship,as "unfortunate..." i can not mention the amount of loathing that i have for this man,because you will never tell me anything,but the fact that he knew sanctions were coming down,on USC,when he left to take Seahawks' vacant coaching gig,and tried to feign surprise on what happened... my opinion of Reggie Bush,as the instigator of all of this trouble,is lower,and that i have a better opinion,of an amoeba,on a glass slide under a microscope...

comment...

Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie thinks it is so stupid to give the NFL $4 million dollars/year,for having the NFL Pro Bowl,in Honolulu,for 2010,and 2011...

commentary...

a few months ago,Ndamukong Suh said the Detroit Lions could go 16-0,and he has not backed off that claim... stunned looks abounded,when he said that... he thinks that the Lions could be a playoff team,and i believe that he wanted to inspire the Lions,into a better team,than last season,in which they were 6-10,including four wins in a row,to end the season,and a defensive-minded,and admired,7-3 win,over the Packers... to tell you truth,if the Lions play that well on defense through most of next season,they will be a very tough team to play,and in my opinion,they should have beaten the Bears twice,if not for two questionable,and very bad calls,by the referees,one in each game...

NFL news...

the brains of Joe "the Jet" Perry,and John Henry Johnson(the Million Dollar Backfield)have been donated to Boston College,and their research into head trauma...

tough places to play for a visitor...

toughest places to play for visitors:
1)Lambeau Field(Packers)
2)Heinz Field(Steelers)
3)Qwest Field(Seahawks)
4)Arrowhead Stadium(Chiefs)
5)Soldier Field(Bears)
6)Superdome(Saints)
7)Gillette Stadium(Patriots)
8)Metrodome(Vikings)
9)Franklin Financial Field(Eagles)
10)Oakland Coliseum(Raiders)
courtesy:ESPN Power Rankings

funny story...

when Don Shula was coach of the Colts,he sent Johnny Unitas a play in from the sideline,and Unitas called time out,walked over to sideline,and asked Shula,if he wanted to play quarterback... that literally stopped Shula from sending plays to Unitas... a well-known football story,and very true one,to boot,because Johnny Unitas called his own plays,as quarterback...

NFL news...

NFL,and the players met somewhere in New York,in negotiations,yesterday,building off last week's court-suggested mediation session...

football news...

According to the Sports Business Journal,and Yahoo Sports,NFL are planning for an eight game season,and other options,including eliminating the bye week,and putting off Super Bowl a week,and putting the early games(games one to three,or four),to back of schedule...

lockout update...

the case before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals,is named:Brady vs. National Football League... the oral arguments just state that the players can not last a long time,with limited income,but also the NFL has a problem,and that is they lose money,and any anti-trust decision,against the league,is tripled,in damages,so there are really no winners... the players claim that they have no union,and the lockout is illegal,since there is no union,and the owners want the majority of the nine billion dollar pie,that is the NFL... the fans are the ones who get screwed,in this suicidal mission,that the NFL,and players are on,right now,because the fans are truly fed up with this stuff,that both the NFL,and the players are dishing up,for the fans,and they are,and will be,paying a price in the pocket book(lost revenue-games),and popularity of players,when they do settle this case,and get back to playing football... if they do not play a season this year,like the NHL,who did not play a season,in 2005,to become the only pro league,to scrap a season,and no matter what NFL says,they really do not want to go down that road,because the fans will be mad as heck,when they do start to play football,and Roger Goodell,and the owners will be the ultimate losers,in the eyes of the fans,and they(the fans)are already mad...

Packers' news...

Packers' coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that NFL lockout has not gotten to the point that he has not reduced the size of the Packers' playbook,yet...

comment...

Pittsburgh Steelers' owner,and US ambassador to Ireland,Art Rooney does not like the new rule change,that fines teams for flagrant fouls,by their players... it is called,by pundits,as the "Steelers' rule...

comments...

NFL.com has an article on how the players are "slumming",paying for their own workouts,and everything that you need to work out... the article was given to give players sympathy,in fans' eyes,but a fan's comment basically said it all:i do not give a darn-had to replace a word for the blog,but you get the idea...

RIP John Henry Johnson...

Hall of Fame member John Henry Johnson has died,at age 81... he played for the San Francisco 49ers,Detroit Lions,Pittsburgh Steelers,and Houston Oilers,during his career

commentary...

i try very hard to be accurate on my blogs,and give you information,trivia,and fun facts,in a way that is accurate,but is not word for word,on any website,unless needed(like Johny Unitas threw a touchdown,in forty-seven straight games,or Gordie Howe had only one Gordie Howe,hat trick(a fight,an assist,and a goal,in a game),in his NHL career,and i try to use facts in a way that are my words,when describing something,and i use facts that are in public domain,and try to use my wit and wisdom to help you enjoy the blogs...

NFL history,and unique trivia...

question:did the City of Akron ever have an APFA/NFL Championship team? before you say,"no way",think again:yes,they did... in 1920,Decatur Staleys(now,Chicago Bears),and the Buffalo All-Americans had more wins and tied the Pros,but the Akron Pros were the first team,in the NFL,to be recognized to be a perfect team,in a season... they had three ties(8-0-3),and were awarded League Champions,on winning percentage... amazingly,prior to 1972,the NFL did not count ties,in teams' winning percentage... amazingly Akron still holds the "unofficial" NFL record,of allowing only seven points,in their eleven game season... NFL does not recognize statistics,as records,before 1932... they had three ties,against the Cleveland Tigers,a 7-7 tie(in the eighth game of the season),and two scoreless ties with the All-Americans,and the Staleys,back to back at end of the 1920 season,with a rainout/cancellation,against the Detroit Heralds,in week six(for them),of season... Bonus:the only points,against Akron,that season,came on a fifty yard touchdown pass,by Mark Devlin,to Tuffy Conn,with an extra point,by Al Pierotti,in third period... Hall of Fame member Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard played on that team,and was the first black head coach,in NFL history... his son,Frederick Douglass Pollard,Junior won the bronze medal,in the 110 meter hurdles,in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics...

NFL news...

it seems that NFL owners and players' union have been talking in not so secret talks,for last three days,ahead of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals hearing on June 6th...

fun trivia...

what team won every championship,in the All-American Football Conference,from 1946-1949? Answer:Cleveland Browns,with "Automatic" Otto Graham,who then beat the reigning World Champion Philadelphia Eagles,in opening game of 1950 season,in Philadelphia,in a lopsided game,in front of NFL Commissioner Bert Bell(who owned the Eagles,and he was the one who made up the schedule),who wanted to embarrass the Browns,and got his hat handed to him... by the way,the Cleveland Browns won the 1950 NFL Championship,to boot... Graham took the Browns to ten championship games,in his AAFC/NFL career...

AFL fun facts...

name the two coaches to coach in AFL,as the only coaches of their teams:Hank Stram,Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs,and Sid Gillman,Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers