Not So Peerless

The Falcons have cut WR Peerless Price. He was acquired through a trade with the Bills in 2003. You can read the news story about this trade here. Sean Salisbury said of the trade at the time:

This is a huge move for Atlanta. The Falcons needed a big-time wide receiver who can break open a game, and they got him in Peerless Price. Atlanta will be a dangerous team in 2003. This deal is a win for Atlanta because Price is a proven commodity. He's emerging as one of the NFL's great stars(emphasis mine).

That was a bit optimistic. Salisbury also said: "Price could catch a 100 balls this season." Well, he did manage to catch 109 balls, it just took 2 seasons. Price received a $37 million dollar contract, which means he ended up being paid $9,026 per yard and $2.1 million per touchdown. Pricey.

Price was traded for the #23 pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. The Bills selected Willis McGahee with this pick. If the Falcons had held on to this pick, they could have drafted WRs like Anquan Boldin, Bethel Johnson, Tyrone Calico, or Kevin Curtis. Only one is a well-known WR, but none are as big a disappointment as Price.

I think a quote from Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore best sums up the situation: "The price is wrong..."

Speaking of disappointments, Chad Hutchinson has been cut by the Bears. You may remember Hutchinson from the post below. In five days he went from starter to unemployed. That's what you call responding to pressure. He's being replaced by rookie Kyle Orton, who also has a history of wilting under pressure. Good luck, Kyle.

In and Out

Two players had wildly differing fortunes in the NFL today. Kyle Orton has been named the starting QB of the Chicago Bears. This is, of course, after Rex Grossman sustained an injury that will have him out for most of the season and Chad Hutchinson managed a 0.0 passer rating in Friday night's game (I could manage a 0.0 passer rating). He's now fourth on the Bears QB depth chart.

Maurice Clarett has been cut from the Denver Broncos. He didn't play in 3 preseason games and missed much of practice due to injury. It was noted that he had a bad attitude (Gasp!). Also, he had decided to load his contract with incentives and forego a signing bonus. Oops. Probably could have used that $410,000 right about now. It looks like the Broncos don't even want him on their practive sqad.

Scoring Options

I've put together a sample game from a week to illustrate the effects of different scoring options. Here it is:


The stat lines are:
Bulger- 225 yds, 1 TD, 7 rush yds
Holmes- 75 rush yds, 4 rec for 47 yds, 1 TD
Martin- 134 rush yds, 2 TD
Boldin- 4 rec for 48 yds
Smith- 6 rec for 60 yds
Jacson- 10 rec for 135 yds, 1 TD
Gates- 7 rec for 49 yds, 1 TD
Akers- 33yd FG, 2 XP
Peppers- 3 solo, 2 ast, 1 sack, 1 PD
Thomas- 9 solo, 9 ast
Brooking- 8 solo, 1 INT for 27 yds, 1 PD
Rossum- 109 return yds, 4 solo
Barber- 9 solo, 7 ast, 1 FF
Winfield- 3 solo

Green- 224 yds, 3 TD
James- 69 rush yds, 1 TD, 1 rec for 23 yds
Johnson- 130 rush yds, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble
Mason- 4 rec for 65 yds
Coles- 7 rec for 53 yds
Bennett- 13 rec for 160, 2 TD
Gonzalez- 7 rec for 76 yds
Kaeding- 33, 42yd FG, 1 XP
Freeney- 2 solo, 1 ast, 2 sack
Brooks- 10 solo, 4 ast, 1 PD
Morgan- 7 solo, 2 ast
Reed- 3 solo, 1 ast
McGee- 94 return yds, 2 solo, 1 ast, 1 FR
Darius- 6 solo, 5 ast, 1 PD

Let me know what you think.

Heraldry

Perhaps you've heard of heraldry and coats of arms. Basically, they were personal logos used by people in the Middle Ages and on as identification. They are grouped by family, though apparently individuals have unique variants. Andy found some and I thought I would share. Keep in mind that for any family name there are probably a number of different versions. Here are a few:





Hopefully that was enlightening.

Coincidence?

These two headlines appeared on my Yahoo homepage under AP Science news: U. of Wis. Records Show High Monkey Deaths and Scientists Track Alien Seaweed in Hawaii. Could this be the beginning of a plague of alien-controlled zombie monkeys? The actual news stories are not near as interesting as they would appear to be, but it still makes one wonder. Could there be something else going on here?

Weapon of Choice

There's no day that can't be made a little better with a little Christopher Walken dancing. Enjoy.

Pics From Camp

Here are some pictures from the Spartans preseason football camp. First is QB Drew "Banzai" Stanton checking the defense:


And this is OL coach Jeff Stoutland watching his guys. I worked with Coach Stoutland at a youth football camp. He's a big guy and you definitely wouldn't want to get on his bad side.


You can see the rest of the pictures here if you're interested.

Big Ten (11) Love

ESPN gives some major love to the Big Ten today. Pat Forde talks about the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry and how the league has become much more than big 2, little eight. Iowa and Coach Ferentz especially get some praise. Also, both Ivan Maisel and Pat Forde have the Big Ten ranked as the top conference in the land. Pretty good after coming off a "down" season last year, eh? The Sportsnation voters have also picked out the Big Ten as being the best conference.

Fantasy Football 2005

August is here and it's only 20 days until the first scheduled draft. I'd like to get some thoughts on where we should play this year. The options:

1. Yahoo
League ID# 7276
Password: monkie
Pros: Familiarity. We've played at Yahoo before and know how it works. Dependable.
Cons: Least options available of any of the choices. Stats aren't live. Only basic message board. Awful draft time (Aug 23).

2. ESPN
Go here to join.
Pros: Greatest number of options. Has divisions and the most flexible scoring and rosters. Lets you use your own logo. Should save league for use next year (I think). Best message board. Pretty sure stats are live. Good draft time (Sept 6).
Cons: I've heard the live draft function is a little sketchy. Pre-rank system is awful. Don't expect analysis on-site, they want you to play for everything. Might be a little buggy, they seem to be straining to deal with the extra traffic since they weren't free last year.

3. FoxSports
League ID# 4921
Password: monkie
Pros: Live stats. Almost as customizable as ESPN. Weekly awards and a trophy room (I think that's right). Very similar to Yahoo, but beefed up a little. Lots of analysis available on-site. Good draft time (Sept 5). Good message board. A couple other interesting features. If you have a hotmail account, it should be easy to sign-up.
Cons: Unfamiliar. Not as many options as ESPN.

Also, don't forget about College Fantasy Football coming from CBS-Sportsline. Sign up, check these out, let me know what you want to do. I think we could either A) play all 3 leagues seriously, B) pick one and go with it, C) set one draft and transfer those rosters to all leagues and see which one we like best, or D) umm, other. I was leaning towards ESPN, but I'm a little wary of problems I've read other people have been having. FoxSports is seeming more appealing than it was. Anyway, do what you have to do and let me know.

Yzerman Returns

AP: "Steve Yzerman signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, meaning the captain will return for a 22nd season in Hockeytown." Good news, with all the changes that will take place before the season starts, it would have been almost too much to have the Wings without Yzerman.

More Nostalgia

I'm thinking video game nostalgia isn't enough, so I'm adding toy nostalgia. And not just any toys, but He-man! Check this out:


Snout Spout is a figure that's familiar to me anyway, Andy and I used to fill him up with water and squirt things using his action figure. The story behind this thing is kind of involved because it's not really an action figure. You see, Mattel owns the rights to He-man, but won't make toys any more, or sell those rights to someone else. But those rights only cover action figures. The thing above is actually an action figure scale statue. It's a little confusing. If you want to see more, go here or here.

Top 100

IGN has posted its list of the Top 100 video games. What, you thought this was another fantasy draft post? One of our most loved and hated favorites comes in at #24:


Too low in my opinion. The #1 video game of all time? You won't be surprised:

Lions Sign Williams

The Detroit Lions have signed first round draft pick Mike Williams. Now you can begin to salivate at the prospect of seeing him, Charles Rogers, and Roy Williams all on the field at the same time.

Another One Bites The Dust

So, T.O. showed up to Eagles training camp today. He and Rosenhaus have talked a big game, but when it comes down to it there's really nothing to be gained by staying away. The Eagles won't budge, it'll make them look bad in the league and with the fans. Plus, they've played it this way for years and if they change, there'll be hell to pay. T.O. can't realistically be traded. So, reason finally prevailed.

In other news, Sean Taylor is a moron. "I don't think anyone should have regrets, especially me," he said to reporters. You sure you don't regret that little incident with a gun that could land you in prison for 3 years, Sean? Probably not. During the draft this year, someone observed that Miami players had started to become 'too cool for school' and were nothing but trouble, despite immense physical talent. I'd say that's fairly accurate.

Koren Robinson has checked himself into rehab and hopes to be available for the regular season. You may remember the last time he was in the news; he showed up for his one-day jail sentence for DUI drunk. Not even Ted Kennedy does that. Said Robinson: "I've realized I've got a problem." Gosh, ya think?

Finally, Len Pasquarelli, at Panthers camp, praises Julius Peppers here. He's a freak, and apparently a pretty decent guy. Good to hear.