We've gotten a lot of mail and comments in the last few days...here's some highlights:
Stan from Nashville says:
I'm a native of Nashville. My parents and siblings are all Titan season ticket holders. I became a Titan fan when the Oilers moved (after rooting for the NY Giants ever since 1963 when I was 7).In 2003, the Colts and Titans became division rivals. I had been convinced for several years that Steve McNair was the Titans' weak link. That season turned me into a Peyton Manning fan (and thus one who roots for the Colts).In 2003, the Titans were better at defensive line, at LB and in the secondary. They were far superior at special teams (Jeff is always good atST). They had the best pass protecting offensive line that I have ever seen. They had quality TEs (better than the Colts -- Pollard was soover-rated) and a WR corps almost as good as the Colts (Mason and 88 werethe only pro bowlers, TN had a very good group of young WRs, and the passpro was so awesome, McNair had open receivers every play).
The only clear cut advantage the Colts had was at QB. They were basically equal on the whole at the other skill positions and significantly worse than the Titans at every other position. Because of the new division rivalry, I really paid attention to the Colts for the first time that year.Watching Manning outplay McNair week after week was as eye-opening as anything I could ever remember. Listening to people who voted for McNair for MVP justify their votes was perhaps even more amazing -- could people really be that stupid? Don't they pay attention to the quality of pass protection? Apparently not.
By November of 2003, I was convinced that Manning was the greatest QB I had ever seen and I was rooting for the Colts. Over the last four seasons, hehas played better and done more for his team than any QB in NFL history --and no one else is even close. And it has nothing to do with his stats.For example, he does more to create a running game from nothing than any QB ever. There is a reason he gets wider and quicker to the mesh point on the outside zone stretch than any other QB (a play that Jeff Fisher says theTitans simply cannot replicate in practice -- major deal since it is the Colts bread and butter running play). And of course, he gets no credit for it, at all, in the national media."
Wow, Stan, that's awesome stuff. My bet is that you aren't the only one in Nashville rooting for the blue and white due to the presence of #18.
Danny Cash says:
"Hilarious - that Star Wars page is awesome. I’m a huge Bears fan, so thanks for giving us at least a little respect"
Danny, we are not Bears haters. We are Jags and Pats haters. May you succeed in all you do, as long as your interests don't conflict with our interests (i.e. XLII).
Lee Beinkowski complained about VY:
"Since it looks as though Michael Vick is going to be out of the league for awhile, I think Vince Young will succeed to his title as the most over-rated player in the NFL. Every time I hear some talking head enthuse over Young I think back to the Jags' game versus the Titans in December last year. Young through for a very impressive 85 yards and the Titans rushed for 41 yards.The only reason the Titans won was because Garrard had THREE picks run back for TDs. The Titans offense failed to score a point. Yet after the game, I heard some twerp say that the "Vince Young legend continues"."
DING DING DING. That's exactly the problem. We aren't Vince Young haters; we just don't think he was responsible for the team going 8-8.
Buried in the comments sections of previous posts were a couple of thoughts that deserved to see the light of day. One Pats fan said the Pats were more like the cartoon Grievous and not the movie Grievous. Hmmm, so they are cowardly and run off in the face of danger, are pawns of Palpatine, and get their chest crushed by Mace Windu....maybe you're right!
Another fan blamed the Colts special teams play on coaching, saying that talent matters little on special teams. I wildly disagree. Speed, size and raw physical gifts matter on ST more than at any other point of the game. All you have to do is run and hit. The better you run and hit the better your ST unit is. The Colts perennially suck at ST because they have to use their best athletes on D (see Mathis, Robert). Their salary structure means that they aren't deep and don't have the talent to expend.
Thanks for your comments and email; you can always reach us at 18to88@gmail.com. Remember to check out the podcast!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Blogging Preseason Game #3, Detroit at Indy
Random thoughts about the game:
1. Take back what I have said in this space in the past: The Colts need to think about bringing back Terrence Wilkins
2. A great early catch by Reggie Wayne on third down– laying out like a cartoon.
3. Anthony Gonzalez gets involved with his first preseason catch from Peyton and immediately fumbles. A Colts player whiffed on his attempt to recover the fumble. Turnovers are football death.
4. Brock beats his man easily. Mathis and Freeney get to the QB at the same time as Brock. This sack is all too easy. J.T. O’Sullivan is no match for the Colts’ first team D.
5. Addai looks like a freaking genius. Actually, the blocking made his nice 12 yard run elementary. Draft him fantasy people, draft him while you can!
6. A reverse to Dallas Clark? Would have worked for a nice gain, but two guys blocked the same man. If I know Dungy then we’ll see this play again when we least expect it.
7. You knew Peyton would go to Marvin on the very next play after so many looks at Wayne. His first incompletion of the night was a bit forced (I’m not going to complain though, because you have to keep #88 happy).
8. TOUCHDOWN MARVIN HARRISON. Peyton is 12 for 13 on the night and once again this is proof positive that the third preseason game is worth the full price of admission. The blinding speed of this offense is giving me chills and it’s only the preseason.
9. Bob “The Brain Eating Zombie” Sanders breaks up a pass. Now I really have chills.
10. Freddy Keiaho comes up with a nice run stopping tackle on first down. That is a play that Cato June makes only in his deepest REM sleep.
11. Holy Crap! Freddy Keiaho is everywhere.
12. The D has shown flashes of competence tonight. Detroit clearly has offensive talent and a scheme they seem to grasp well. The Colts do well to hold them to a long field goal.
13. This could be a big development. Kenton Keith has a heady runback on the kickoff return. If there isn’t a clear winner in the back up RB competition, special teams performance just might serve as the tiebreaker.
14. De De Dorsey has imploded in the preseason. They haven’t blocked well for him, but he hasn’t made anyone miss either. Two plays later, Dorsey’s first good run of the year is negated by a holding penalty on Jeff Saturday.
15. This just in: Peyton is 16 for 17.
16. Kenton Keith has two strong runs in a row. Dorsey is breaking out in hives at this point.
17. Dallas Clark and Peyton Manning should be on the Globetrotters. Manning lofts an alley oop, but Clark stumbles, managing to adjust his body while falling over and makes a playground grab for the touchdown.
18. Robert Mathis provides the pressure and Matt Giordano provides the highlight with a nice pick and suddenly it’s the Colts turn to take a shot at the one minute drill.
19. Peyton hits Gonzo down to the goal line. A quick bullet to Reggie Wayne and its 21-3. The Colts run the one-minute drill better than any professional team I’ve ever seen.
20. Peyton Manning finishes the game 23 for 27 for 233 yds with 3 TDs and no picks. Somehow this adds up to a rating of only 139. You read that correctly. Not a perfect passer rating.
Deshawn Zombie's Comments: Peyton was perfect. Ugoh struggled some. I'm worried about the run game to be honest. There was really no way to judge the D with O'Sullivan playing. Keiaho really was everywhere. Dallas Clark made several sick catches, and the Lions clearly have no one who can cover Reggie Wayne. It was definitely nice to see a lot more of AG, though I could have done w/o the fumble. I have some picks and witty comments, but I'm struggling to set up bluetooth on my new phone, so those will have to wait. It was a satisfying game to be at for a half. Have I mentioned how much I hate preseason?
I'm not Lion...
Preseason game number 3 is tonight. There was a good stat in the Star today that the Colts are 4-1 under Dungy in the key 3rd preseason game, despite losing virtually every other preseason contest. Still, even if they lose tonight, I'm not going to sweat it. Nor am I particularly worried because Brady and Young played last night. Extrapolating the preseason is a fool's game that I'm not really willing to play right now. We only did the 18 Plays podcast on a preseason game for practice, not because we really think it matters. I'll post some thoughts after the game tonight or tomorrow, but I'm not going to get too carried away either way.
In other 18to88.com news, the fantasy league IS FULL. The draft is next Saturday, and we'll be posting the standings weekly on 18to88.com. Good luck to the 18 (oooooh magic number) that will be taking on Demond and me this season.
It's been nice to see the comments and enthusiasm generated by our NFL Predicted Standings. Let me answer a couple of things I've seen around:
1. We've been asked for a Super Bowl pick- I think that was covered in our comment on the Colts/Luke. Look, we are a Colts fan blog. We think the Colts are going to win. Honestly, the AFC is a bit of a crapshoot because there are so many good teams. Whoever wins is going to need a lot of luck...but in my experience, there's no such thing as luck...so at the end of the day hokey religions (Steelers) and ancient weapons (Randy Moss) are no match for a good blaster...never mind, my geek quotient is multiplying exponentially for every word I type, so let's just kill that metaphor there.
2. No regular Han, Chewie, or Bobba Fett? Nope. Those guys are too easy. If you aren't trotting out Crix Madine (1 cameo in RoTJ and the subject of a great level of Dark Forces), then you aren't a real Star Wars fan. We debated whether to make the Colts Luke or Han, but let's face it, Peyton's geekiness is way more Mark Hamill than Harrison Ford. I would also have liked to use General Reiken for something. As a kid, I always thought his ensignia made it look like he worked for Purina.
3. Best idea floated to us was too good not to mention...The Jags should have been Gamorean Guards. Big, ax wielding fiends that were basically useless as Jabba's bodyguards. Nice job guys, make it so, Mr. Sulu. (somewhere somebody's head just exploded because I dared mix Star Wars and Star Trek). Thanks to Blacknblue on the Indystar Colts message board for that awesome idea. I'm literally furious with myself for not thinking of it first.
Jack Del Rio...punters beware. Keep choppin' wood guys. Keep choppin' wood.
In other 18to88.com news, the fantasy league IS FULL. The draft is next Saturday, and we'll be posting the standings weekly on 18to88.com. Good luck to the 18 (oooooh magic number) that will be taking on Demond and me this season.
It's been nice to see the comments and enthusiasm generated by our NFL Predicted Standings. Let me answer a couple of things I've seen around:
1. We've been asked for a Super Bowl pick- I think that was covered in our comment on the Colts/Luke. Look, we are a Colts fan blog. We think the Colts are going to win. Honestly, the AFC is a bit of a crapshoot because there are so many good teams. Whoever wins is going to need a lot of luck...but in my experience, there's no such thing as luck...so at the end of the day hokey religions (Steelers) and ancient weapons (Randy Moss) are no match for a good blaster...never mind, my geek quotient is multiplying exponentially for every word I type, so let's just kill that metaphor there.
2. No regular Han, Chewie, or Bobba Fett? Nope. Those guys are too easy. If you aren't trotting out Crix Madine (1 cameo in RoTJ and the subject of a great level of Dark Forces), then you aren't a real Star Wars fan. We debated whether to make the Colts Luke or Han, but let's face it, Peyton's geekiness is way more Mark Hamill than Harrison Ford. I would also have liked to use General Reiken for something. As a kid, I always thought his ensignia made it look like he worked for Purina.
3. Best idea floated to us was too good not to mention...The Jags should have been Gamorean Guards. Big, ax wielding fiends that were basically useless as Jabba's bodyguards. Nice job guys, make it so, Mr. Sulu. (somewhere somebody's head just exploded because I dared mix Star Wars and Star Trek). Thanks to Blacknblue on the Indystar Colts message board for that awesome idea. I'm literally furious with myself for not thinking of it first.
Jack Del Rio...punters beware. Keep choppin' wood guys. Keep choppin' wood.
Friday, August 24, 2007
My childhood is safe
From that fateful day in 1987 when the Pacers broke my heart and passed on Steve Alford, to take a skinny shooter from UCLA and Ed Sorenson of WRTV assured everyone that this kid was a serious player, I've been a Reggie Miller guy. Today, he made sure that I wouldn't have to avoid a whole season of NBA highlights just so I wouldn't have to look at one of my heroes wearing green.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/SPORTS0403/708240442/1088/SPORTS04
Sigh of relief.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/SPORTS0403/708240442/1088/SPORTS04
Sigh of relief.
18 Plays podcast is now available
Introducing the newest way to enjoy 18to88.com: The 18 Plays Podcast.
Each week, Demond and I will break down the most important 18 plays from each Colts game, and at the end of the year, we'll pick the 88 most important moments of the seasons. This week, we covered the first quarter plus of the Bears game on Monday night. We will NOT be doing this for the next two preseason games, but will begin fresh with the season opener. Normally, this podcast will debut each Tuesday with a fresh look at Sunday's game. We had a lot of fun doing the cast this week, but really want feedback from all of you. Please feel free to comment here or to email us at 18to88@gmail.com We want to know if: 1. You were entertained, 2. informed, 3. in rabid disagreement, 4. bored or 5. how we can improve. It's fun for us to do, but if no one is going to listen but us, we'll probably not go to the effort. So please let us know what you think. So without further ado, here's the link:
18to88.com/podcasts/18plays1bears.mp3
Save it to your desktop and have a listen as you jog, mow, or generally blow off working for a while. Remember, it's just our first attempt, and we are open to feedback. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.
Each week, Demond and I will break down the most important 18 plays from each Colts game, and at the end of the year, we'll pick the 88 most important moments of the seasons. This week, we covered the first quarter plus of the Bears game on Monday night. We will NOT be doing this for the next two preseason games, but will begin fresh with the season opener. Normally, this podcast will debut each Tuesday with a fresh look at Sunday's game. We had a lot of fun doing the cast this week, but really want feedback from all of you. Please feel free to comment here or to email us at 18to88@gmail.com We want to know if: 1. You were entertained, 2. informed, 3. in rabid disagreement, 4. bored or 5. how we can improve. It's fun for us to do, but if no one is going to listen but us, we'll probably not go to the effort. So please let us know what you think. So without further ado, here's the link:
18to88.com/podcasts/18plays1bears.mp3
Save it to your desktop and have a listen as you jog, mow, or generally blow off working for a while. Remember, it's just our first attempt, and we are open to feedback. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Army or not, you must realize. . . you are doomed.
A couple of Hoosier-born Patriot fans took the time to send us their opinion on who from the Star Wars universe should have truly represented Brady-Nation:
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-2) GENERAL GRIEVOUS
We got 4 new weapons..
(Moss, Stallworth, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas)
We got 4 new weapons..
(Moss, Stallworth, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas)
Well, thanks for the e-mail boys. We are always more than happy to provide an outlet for the fans of "The Yankees of the NFL." Before we get too excited, let's all remember what happened to our favorite alien-droid-cyborg-warrior:
As you can see, his organ sac has burst into flames.
Deshawn Zombie's comments: One reader objected to us not using Bobba Fett for the Patriots. Actually, we almost used Jango Fett's headless body for the Falcons, because they also lost their head to law enforcement after a scrape with a dangerous animal. Finally, we just decided that Han in carbonite said it all. I think Grevious would have been a solid choice for the Pats becuase he kept getting arms sliced off, and it looks like Moss is already having trouble staying on the field.
Our 2007 Predicted NFL Standings
What does this video of Deshawn Zombie goofing around have to do with anything? Read our 2007 Predicted NFL Standings and find out!
FO projections don't like the Colts
We mentioned this before. There are a lot of statistical warning signs about the Colts. There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic if you are a Jags fan. Fortunately, we have Manning and Dungy and they have Del Rio and Leftwhich/Gerrard/Couch/Vic from Ask Vic. Stats do matter, but they don't tell the whole story....I hope
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/08/22/ramblings/scramble/5381/
The comments section of the article pointed out that the comments on the Colts schedule vs the Jags schedule don't make a lot of sense considering that they play 12 games in common and 2 against each other.
In other news, I went to a Reds game tonight with my dad. I love baseball. The good guys won, and Hambone hit a homerun. I felt like I was 8, I was so happy. I just have one question though...with a runner at 3rd and none out and Chipper Jones pulled around toward short, would it freaking kill Dunn or Hatterberg to lay down a bunt? It would be a sure run. Instead, a whiff and a double play and the inning was over. Geeze guys. If they are going to play the shift, TAKE THE RBI. And yes, I used to make these observations when I was 8 too.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/08/22/ramblings/scramble/5381/
The comments section of the article pointed out that the comments on the Colts schedule vs the Jags schedule don't make a lot of sense considering that they play 12 games in common and 2 against each other.
In other news, I went to a Reds game tonight with my dad. I love baseball. The good guys won, and Hambone hit a homerun. I felt like I was 8, I was so happy. I just have one question though...with a runner at 3rd and none out and Chipper Jones pulled around toward short, would it freaking kill Dunn or Hatterberg to lay down a bunt? It would be a sure run. Instead, a whiff and a double play and the inning was over. Geeze guys. If they are going to play the shift, TAKE THE RBI. And yes, I used to make these observations when I was 8 too.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Update: I did wake up Joseph Addai
To update my non-story from two weeks ago: I got confirmation that I did, in fact, meet Joseph Addai. At work today I did a quote for his next door neighbor and she confirmed that Kid Joe lives there. She said they don't advertise it or anything because some street toughs came around asking for him one time. And to this I replied tearily, "Why would anyone ever want to hurt lil' Joe?"
Maybe they just wanted him to buy some Avon.
Maybe they just wanted him to buy some Avon.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Stuff people are talking about
It was interesting to see the surprising lack of Anthony Gonzalez last night given that I had heard that Manning was feeding him the ball a lot in practice. In light of that, check out this nice piece off of ESPN about AG:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=2984221&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
I'm starting to adjust my expectation for him downward. Maybe it's the lack of Tarik Glenn, necessitating more 2 TE sets, or just the desire to hide what the O will really be, but I sort of expected to see more of him.
Scouts Inc. blogger Marwan Maalouf also commented about weak play from the Indy special teams. Now, we'll address this more in our podcast this week, but honestly, are you really that surprised? The special teams were horrible (Smith and Vinatieri excluded) most of last year anyway, so I'm not jumping off of any bridges over this one.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2984535&name=nfl_afc&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=2984221&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
I'm starting to adjust my expectation for him downward. Maybe it's the lack of Tarik Glenn, necessitating more 2 TE sets, or just the desire to hide what the O will really be, but I sort of expected to see more of him.
Scouts Inc. blogger Marwan Maalouf also commented about weak play from the Indy special teams. Now, we'll address this more in our podcast this week, but honestly, are you really that surprised? The special teams were horrible (Smith and Vinatieri excluded) most of last year anyway, so I'm not jumping off of any bridges over this one.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2984535&name=nfl_afc&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
Monday, August 20, 2007
Watching the 4th quarter
after going to the game tonight. Yeah, we left at halftime. We'll be posting our first "18 Plays" podcast later this week where we break down the 18 most important plays. We have a lot of impressions from what was a VERY encouraging first quarter + of football from the 'real' Colts.
Did anyone catch the 4th quarter conversation about Dungy's HoF credentials? If Tony, Jaws, and Mike had only read 18to88.com, they wouldn't have made some easily correctable mistakes. They talked about Tony's '.640' win percentage as if it was low. They don't realize that it's the highest of any coach in the recent era. They mentioned Cowher and Jimmy Johnson as if they merited inclusion before Tony, when the numbers just don't support it.
Also, I heard Wil Wolford say this in the third quarter on the way home...
"it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog".
HA! Not the most sensitive thing to say on this day, Wil. Anyway, that phrase doesn't have to refer to 'man made' fights, but as it stood, it was high comedy.
Demond Sanders' Comments: At first I was happy after seeing how well the team was playing. Later, I was sad when Peyton Manning was sacked, and the special teams played badly. About halftime I was hungry. I ate two hotdogs which cost nine dollars, and I wasn't hungry anymore but I was angry. Later on I felt kind of sick.
Did anyone catch the 4th quarter conversation about Dungy's HoF credentials? If Tony, Jaws, and Mike had only read 18to88.com, they wouldn't have made some easily correctable mistakes. They talked about Tony's '.640' win percentage as if it was low. They don't realize that it's the highest of any coach in the recent era. They mentioned Cowher and Jimmy Johnson as if they merited inclusion before Tony, when the numbers just don't support it.
Also, I heard Wil Wolford say this in the third quarter on the way home...
"it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog".
HA! Not the most sensitive thing to say on this day, Wil. Anyway, that phrase doesn't have to refer to 'man made' fights, but as it stood, it was high comedy.
Demond Sanders' Comments: At first I was happy after seeing how well the team was playing. Later, I was sad when Peyton Manning was sacked, and the special teams played badly. About halftime I was hungry. I ate two hotdogs which cost nine dollars, and I wasn't hungry anymore but I was angry. Later on I felt kind of sick.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
New articles posted
Just wanted to let everyone know that we have new stuff up on the main page. First off is a list of five common misconceptions that certain haters like to trot out about the Colts. We've tried to list pretty definitive answers against such nonsense like: Tony Dungy is a defensive coach who rode the shirttails of Manning, Dwight Freeney is a liability against the run, and Peyton Manning choked every year before 2006. Check it out and wow your friends!
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/5%20myths.html
I'm really pumped about the second article. The next in our on going "18 Q's series" is with Star beat writer and blogger Phil B. Wilson. He did it up right and gave tremendous answers to our questions. Personally, I've raved about his work many times here, and found his stuff to be really interesting.
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/18q%20with%20Phil%20B.html
Stop reading, click the link, and then come back. I want to interact with several things Phil mentioned, but it helps if you read the interview first...
Ok, back? Great...
Questions 3 and 17-Phil is dead on. The print model of 'wait until tomorrow morning to read what happened' isn't going to fly. Oddly enough, most papers already have the best asset they could hope for to win the digital war. They have dedicated, experienced, reporters who know the teams they cover. 50 years ago, what happened during the game was an issue, now, everyone knows what happened. 'What does it mean?' is the question that has to be answered. By letting reporters blog and opinionate on things, papers can draw readers to their websites. These are the guys that know the team best, so their opinions are interesting and insightful. I read ESPN and SI just like everyone else...I just makes sure I read the Indystar.com/colts first. The Star and it's reporters are better plugged in to THIS team than even greats like John Clayton.
Question 10-Buy groceries and get Jags tickets...siiiiigh. It's almost too easy to mock them...
Covering an NFL team is a hard core full time job. I hope you all enjoy his thoughts as much as we did.
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/5%20myths.html
I'm really pumped about the second article. The next in our on going "18 Q's series" is with Star beat writer and blogger Phil B. Wilson. He did it up right and gave tremendous answers to our questions. Personally, I've raved about his work many times here, and found his stuff to be really interesting.
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/18q%20with%20Phil%20B.html
Stop reading, click the link, and then come back. I want to interact with several things Phil mentioned, but it helps if you read the interview first...
Ok, back? Great...
Questions 3 and 17-Phil is dead on. The print model of 'wait until tomorrow morning to read what happened' isn't going to fly. Oddly enough, most papers already have the best asset they could hope for to win the digital war. They have dedicated, experienced, reporters who know the teams they cover. 50 years ago, what happened during the game was an issue, now, everyone knows what happened. 'What does it mean?' is the question that has to be answered. By letting reporters blog and opinionate on things, papers can draw readers to their websites. These are the guys that know the team best, so their opinions are interesting and insightful. I read ESPN and SI just like everyone else...I just makes sure I read the Indystar.com/colts first. The Star and it's reporters are better plugged in to THIS team than even greats like John Clayton.
Question 10-Buy groceries and get Jags tickets...siiiiigh. It's almost too easy to mock them...
Covering an NFL team is a hard core full time job. I hope you all enjoy his thoughts as much as we did.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
We told you so months ago...
Back in April we had this post:
http://18to88.blogspot.com/2007/04/why-titans-didnt-draft-wr.html
In it, we explained that Vince Young is a terrible passer and the Titans know it. Last night, after an fugly 5 for 17 performance, SI's Don Banks wrote about VY:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/08/18/snap.judgments/
"Young's passing accuracy was another Achilles that we might be talking plenty about this year. It's hard to be precise when you're under so much pressure, but 5 of 17 won't cut it no matter what league you're playing in. And you can't claim that it was an aberration. He completed only 51.5 percent as a rookie, and a source within the league told me recently that one reason the Titans don't really need great receivers on their roster is because Young can't be counted on to put the ball in their hands anyway.
"He won't throw it where it's supposed to be,'' said the league observer. "He'll throw it late. Eric Moulds is their best receiver because he catches the ball. But with Vince Young, you need guys who can come back to the ball and be improvisational, because that's how he plays.''
Again, this is what we've been saying all offseasons. Jeff Fischer is a GREAT coach. He's smart enough to know that to be the king in your division, you have to beat the best. If you want to beat the Colts with a QB who can't throw, build your whole team around the run. DON'T waste money on pricey WRs or worse draft picks on young WR who won't contribute for at least 2-3 seasons. Let VY throw all preseason to fool people, and then RUN IT. RUN IT ALL SEASON LONG. VY is a fraud throwing the ball and a revelation running it. Any idiot could tell what the Titans should do. The national media is just now waking up to what we've been saying for months.
I also wanted to call your attention to the the BS Report for this week. Bill Simmons' highly entertaining podcast took on Aaron Schatz of the footballoutsiders.com. In it, Simmons tries to take Schatz to task for defending Peyton Manning for so long. Schatz kicks his ass.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index
It's a great listen. It's also motivated me to write a new article for the main site about the 5 great myths surrounding the Indy Colts. I'll respond directly to some of Simmon's claims in it. Many of these we've dealt with in one way or another in this blog, but I think it'll be nice to have a reference point with all of them debunked in one place. Look for this to up early next week along with our newest 18 Questions interview (it's really strong). We'll also be debuting our 18 Key Plays podcast after the MNF game with the Bears. After every game, we'll break down the 18 plays that most affected the outcome. At the end of the year, we'll pick the 88 key plays of 2007.
18to88.com. Hard at work for you. We're not sure why exactly since we don't make any money. Let's just say, it's because we love you, loyal Colts fan. But calm down, we're totally not going to make out or anything. It's more of a friend kind of love. Or the way one loves a puppy.
http://18to88.blogspot.com/2007/04/why-titans-didnt-draft-wr.html
In it, we explained that Vince Young is a terrible passer and the Titans know it. Last night, after an fugly 5 for 17 performance, SI's Don Banks wrote about VY:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/08/18/snap.judgments/
"Young's passing accuracy was another Achilles that we might be talking plenty about this year. It's hard to be precise when you're under so much pressure, but 5 of 17 won't cut it no matter what league you're playing in. And you can't claim that it was an aberration. He completed only 51.5 percent as a rookie, and a source within the league told me recently that one reason the Titans don't really need great receivers on their roster is because Young can't be counted on to put the ball in their hands anyway.
"He won't throw it where it's supposed to be,'' said the league observer. "He'll throw it late. Eric Moulds is their best receiver because he catches the ball. But with Vince Young, you need guys who can come back to the ball and be improvisational, because that's how he plays.''
Again, this is what we've been saying all offseasons. Jeff Fischer is a GREAT coach. He's smart enough to know that to be the king in your division, you have to beat the best. If you want to beat the Colts with a QB who can't throw, build your whole team around the run. DON'T waste money on pricey WRs or worse draft picks on young WR who won't contribute for at least 2-3 seasons. Let VY throw all preseason to fool people, and then RUN IT. RUN IT ALL SEASON LONG. VY is a fraud throwing the ball and a revelation running it. Any idiot could tell what the Titans should do. The national media is just now waking up to what we've been saying for months.
I also wanted to call your attention to the the BS Report for this week. Bill Simmons' highly entertaining podcast took on Aaron Schatz of the footballoutsiders.com. In it, Simmons tries to take Schatz to task for defending Peyton Manning for so long. Schatz kicks his ass.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index
It's a great listen. It's also motivated me to write a new article for the main site about the 5 great myths surrounding the Indy Colts. I'll respond directly to some of Simmon's claims in it. Many of these we've dealt with in one way or another in this blog, but I think it'll be nice to have a reference point with all of them debunked in one place. Look for this to up early next week along with our newest 18 Questions interview (it's really strong). We'll also be debuting our 18 Key Plays podcast after the MNF game with the Bears. After every game, we'll break down the 18 plays that most affected the outcome. At the end of the year, we'll pick the 88 key plays of 2007.
18to88.com. Hard at work for you. We're not sure why exactly since we don't make any money. Let's just say, it's because we love you, loyal Colts fan. But calm down, we're totally not going to make out or anything. It's more of a friend kind of love. Or the way one loves a puppy.
Friday, August 17, 2007
10 teams you won't meet in the playoffs
http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10295079
Someone named Eric Kay from sportsline.com says the Colts won't make the playoffs. I've never heard of this guy, but he also thinks Mario Williams will have four sacks in a game. Na-ga-da.
I have to say that I am kind of close to predicting that the Colts will win a mere 10 regular season games, so I guess I'm not that far off from this guy, but 7 losses or more is a ton for a team led by Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy. The performance of the defense is almost irrelevant at this point. They have proven that they can do almost anything and the Colts will still rack up 12 wins. "Hey guys, listen up! We're going to run away from the ball carrier on this next play. Okay? Break."
The Colts have absolutely no fear of anyone. Would it really surprise you if they rolled into Jacksonville in October and hung 40 on them? No? And that's why Eric Kay is an idiot.
Someone named Eric Kay from sportsline.com says the Colts won't make the playoffs. I've never heard of this guy, but he also thinks Mario Williams will have four sacks in a game. Na-ga-da.
I have to say that I am kind of close to predicting that the Colts will win a mere 10 regular season games, so I guess I'm not that far off from this guy, but 7 losses or more is a ton for a team led by Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy. The performance of the defense is almost irrelevant at this point. They have proven that they can do almost anything and the Colts will still rack up 12 wins. "Hey guys, listen up! We're going to run away from the ball carrier on this next play. Okay? Break."
The Colts have absolutely no fear of anyone. Would it really surprise you if they rolled into Jacksonville in October and hung 40 on them? No? And that's why Eric Kay is an idiot.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
All I can muster to say about the NBA
I hope Reggie doesn't come back. I heard him on Dan Patrick today, and it sounds like he wants to, but is testing his body to see if he can. I dunno, I really just hope it doesn't happen. That's totally selfish of me, I realize. Reggie is free to do whatever he wants, but somehow, the thought of him playing in Conseco in another uniform makes me sick. I won't hold it against him obviously, if he does come back and play, but I'm not sure I'll be rooting for the Celts just because he's there. Stay in my memory, Reg. You're safe there.
There have been lots of little stories around the web and radio about the Colts in recent days. I'm finding it hard to muster the will to care. Colin Cowherd acted like a fool this morning and started claiming that only yellers can win in the NFL. He then sited Tom Coughlin as an example of a good coach who yells. He also said Tony Dungy doesn't count, because he got fired from Tampa. Whatever. He's such a moron and a poser that it barely merits comment. Most everything he said about Tony can be refuted by the article on Dungy's HoF credentials on the main page. Everyone who listens to Cowherd knows his show has jumped the shark. He's run out of stuff to talk about, so he gets off on being crass and argumentative. Blech.
There have been lots of little stories around the web and radio about the Colts in recent days. I'm finding it hard to muster the will to care. Colin Cowherd acted like a fool this morning and started claiming that only yellers can win in the NFL. He then sited Tom Coughlin as an example of a good coach who yells. He also said Tony Dungy doesn't count, because he got fired from Tampa. Whatever. He's such a moron and a poser that it barely merits comment. Most everything he said about Tony can be refuted by the article on Dungy's HoF credentials on the main page. Everyone who listens to Cowherd knows his show has jumped the shark. He's run out of stuff to talk about, so he gets off on being crass and argumentative. Blech.
Peter King's NFL Dream Team (All Time, Current, Future)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/dreamteams/08/13/alltime/index.html
At first I wasn't too angry when I read Peter King's list. I'm not going to argue against Otto Graham, Johnny U, or Joe Montana. That said, in five years time Peyton will be the starter on this team.
Peter King flat blew it on his All-Time receivers. Once again, it is tough to argue against Don Hutson and Jerry Rice. Hutson played 62 years ago in a very, very different NFL against a completely different level of competition. I'd put Marvin as a starter. King doesn't even have him on his bench. Instead he has Lance Alworth, Elroy Hirsch, and Raymond Berry. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Let me put it to you this way: Marvin Harrison has an outside chance of finishing his NFL career with more receptions than those three Hall of Fame players combined. Live ball or dead ball - I don't care. I know I sound like a crazed fan. And I understand that eras are difficult to compare. But folks, we all know Marvin is the real deal. But just to be sure let's ask Raymond Berry:
"Well, I've been following Marvin's career and I think any ex-player takes pride in their achievements, which of course I did too. The game changes and players come on the scene who always seem to take it to another level in the next generation. And, if there's anyone in pro football that you'd be proud of to break your record, it would be Marvin Harrison. He is such a credit to the game."
But that's not even the whole reason I'm upset. King goes on to tell us that Terrell Owens nearly missed being a reserve. You are dead to me, Peter King.
If you, like me, are furious right now then don't read King's All-Current or All-Future Teams. Wow. Torry Holt is a poor man's Marvin Harrison. Compare their numbers the last two seasons and get back to me. Marvin has 5 more touchdowns, a better ypc, and a ring. Holt and Steve Smith are great players, but if I were Marvin I would take this as a diss.
At first I wasn't too angry when I read Peter King's list. I'm not going to argue against Otto Graham, Johnny U, or Joe Montana. That said, in five years time Peyton will be the starter on this team.
Peter King flat blew it on his All-Time receivers. Once again, it is tough to argue against Don Hutson and Jerry Rice. Hutson played 62 years ago in a very, very different NFL against a completely different level of competition. I'd put Marvin as a starter. King doesn't even have him on his bench. Instead he has Lance Alworth, Elroy Hirsch, and Raymond Berry. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Let me put it to you this way: Marvin Harrison has an outside chance of finishing his NFL career with more receptions than those three Hall of Fame players combined. Live ball or dead ball - I don't care. I know I sound like a crazed fan. And I understand that eras are difficult to compare. But folks, we all know Marvin is the real deal. But just to be sure let's ask Raymond Berry:
"Well, I've been following Marvin's career and I think any ex-player takes pride in their achievements, which of course I did too. The game changes and players come on the scene who always seem to take it to another level in the next generation. And, if there's anyone in pro football that you'd be proud of to break your record, it would be Marvin Harrison. He is such a credit to the game."But that's not even the whole reason I'm upset. King goes on to tell us that Terrell Owens nearly missed being a reserve. You are dead to me, Peter King.
If you, like me, are furious right now then don't read King's All-Current or All-Future Teams. Wow. Torry Holt is a poor man's Marvin Harrison. Compare their numbers the last two seasons and get back to me. Marvin has 5 more touchdowns, a better ypc, and a ring. Holt and Steve Smith are great players, but if I were Marvin I would take this as a diss.
Kravitz recants
Well, I'll give him this, he knows when he's wrong. Bob Kravitz wrote a funny piece this morning about his odd review of Dungy's book. I just went back to reread the original yesterday, and noted with a grin that he said it wasn't best seller list material. I'll give him credit for having the guts to revisit the subject. I figure that anything that pokes fun at Bob, even if Bob wrote, is ok by me.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/COLUMNISTS01/708150494/1004/SPORTS
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/COLUMNISTS01/708150494/1004/SPORTS
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Introducing 18 Questions
Today we unveil our newest (hopefully) recurring article, 18 Questions. Each week or so, we hope to do an interview with a member of the local sports scene. Our first volunteer (re: victim) is local radio host Greg Rakestraw of ESPN 950. He hosts the Sports Desk show with great aplomb, and was kind enough to donate a few minutes of his time. Check out his thoughts on our gauntlet of questions:
http://18to88.com/Articles/rakestrawqanda.htm
We are currently 'efforting' future guests for 18 Questions as well as trying to come up with more great regular features for the main page.
Demond Sanders' Comments: You might be thinking "why should I bother to read this interview?" and if so, then you're a jerk, but let me tell you the answer anyway: Rakestraw is the co-host of the REGGIE WAYNE SHOW. That's right. He gets to spend an hour a week with the affable #87, Reggie Wayne.
http://18to88.com/Articles/rakestrawqanda.htm
We are currently 'efforting' future guests for 18 Questions as well as trying to come up with more great regular features for the main page.
Demond Sanders' Comments: You might be thinking "why should I bother to read this interview?" and if so, then you're a jerk, but let me tell you the answer anyway: Rakestraw is the co-host of the REGGIE WAYNE SHOW. That's right. He gets to spend an hour a week with the affable #87, Reggie Wayne.
TMQ's AFC preview
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrookpreview/070814&sportCat=nfl&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1
Gregg Easterbrook's TMQ, which now resides on ESPN.com's Page 2 is a favorite of ours. Not so much for his analysis, which is hit and miss, but more for his off-beat take on the NFL circus.
His four paragraph preview of the Indianapolis Colts shows both his insight as well as the limitations of trying to cover all 32 NFL teams from a national level. Easterbrook is very much correct in his praise of Bill Polian, as we all can attest. On the other hand he suggests, in the manner of Ask Vic, that the Colts are headed straight for Cap Hell. Easterbrook provides little evidence of the impending doom, save the fact that the Colts led the league in payroll last year. He wonders aloud if the Colts gave away next year's first rounder (which of course was used on Tony Ugoh) because Polian knows time is running short. Any fan or analyst who was actually paying attention knows that the Colts made this prescient move to prepare for the eventual loss of Tarik Glenn (which came much sooner than anyone could have known).
Of course we have been hearing this fire and brimstone talk for several years now and for several years now the Colts have let a surprising number of 'important' players walk. In case it isn't completely obvious, the Colts spend big on a hand-full of guys, and get their other 48 players on the cheap. This has meant that the Colts can't afford to involve themselves in the free agent market because they simply don't have the cash to attract quality players. Polian's strategy should continue to be sound so long as the salary cap continues to go up and their core group of superstars stay healthy, productive and active (not retired).
The Colts have tried to employ a difficult balancing act by making a prolonged championship run (nearly a decade) and in a sense facing the ills of cap hell at the same time (i.e. letting many good players walk). This is life in the cap era and the Colts thrive at it. Sorry to reiterate what we all already know, but I'm sick of people throwing out the possibility of cap hell without any supporting evidence. The annoying thing is Easterbrook bothers to take a much more fact-based look at the implications of the New England's off-season wizardry.
Gregg Easterbrook's TMQ, which now resides on ESPN.com's Page 2 is a favorite of ours. Not so much for his analysis, which is hit and miss, but more for his off-beat take on the NFL circus.
His four paragraph preview of the Indianapolis Colts shows both his insight as well as the limitations of trying to cover all 32 NFL teams from a national level. Easterbrook is very much correct in his praise of Bill Polian, as we all can attest. On the other hand he suggests, in the manner of Ask Vic, that the Colts are headed straight for Cap Hell. Easterbrook provides little evidence of the impending doom, save the fact that the Colts led the league in payroll last year. He wonders aloud if the Colts gave away next year's first rounder (which of course was used on Tony Ugoh) because Polian knows time is running short. Any fan or analyst who was actually paying attention knows that the Colts made this prescient move to prepare for the eventual loss of Tarik Glenn (which came much sooner than anyone could have known).
Of course we have been hearing this fire and brimstone talk for several years now and for several years now the Colts have let a surprising number of 'important' players walk. In case it isn't completely obvious, the Colts spend big on a hand-full of guys, and get their other 48 players on the cheap. This has meant that the Colts can't afford to involve themselves in the free agent market because they simply don't have the cash to attract quality players. Polian's strategy should continue to be sound so long as the salary cap continues to go up and their core group of superstars stay healthy, productive and active (not retired).
The Colts have tried to employ a difficult balancing act by making a prolonged championship run (nearly a decade) and in a sense facing the ills of cap hell at the same time (i.e. letting many good players walk). This is life in the cap era and the Colts thrive at it. Sorry to reiterate what we all already know, but I'm sick of people throwing out the possibility of cap hell without any supporting evidence. The annoying thing is Easterbrook bothers to take a much more fact-based look at the implications of the New England's off-season wizardry.
Speaking Loudly
I just finished Quiet Strength. I realize that I'm a tad slow, but since I just got back to the States less than a week ago, I think I downed it pretty quick given everything else happening in my life. I must say that I am shocked by how much I enjoyed and how much it touched me. I'm something of a cynic when it comes to 'spiritual books'. I was prepared for Coach Dungy's book to be primarily about the weightier issues of life, and I must say that from the first chapter I felt strengthened and encouraged. As Tony shared about his dejection leaving Tampa, I empathized due to painful work related times in my own life. I was encouraged to think that there might be glory waiting behind the shroud of tragedy. 
I knew Dungy's story well, and had been following the winding road he took to become a head coach. I was sickened by the terrible way the Glazer's treated him, and wondered if Michael Silver really had lost his mind when he ranked them as among the best NFL owners. I was surprised and impressed with Jim Irsay's vision of a Colts team that would resonate with the values and hopes of Hoosiers. It was beautiful to realize that the post SB tour and the belief in doing things 'the right way' wasn't just a slogan, but had been the plan of Jimmy from the start.
I cried through Tony's description of the days surrounding James's death. For the record, we criticized Bob Kravitz for saying that Tony had "glossed" over his son's death. Now that I've read the book, I'm aghast at what he said. Tony dealt with the issue with great detail, and frankly, I think Bob is a little sick for wanting more details than he got. I've had to deal with suicide up close, and know enough to know that we don't always get the reasons and explanations we would want.
There were countless things that impacted me in this book, but the one that hit me the hardest, was Tony's questioning of his own credibility as a father of a son who killed himself. I also work in a field where family problems could annihilate my credibility, and identified with his fears. Seeing the way his pain and 'failure' (as if that was even close to the right word to describe what happened) was used to bring hope and healing to many was so healing to me personally. It must have been how Joseph's brothers felt after throwing themselves at his feet in Egypt. We can't know when our tragedy, our failures, are being woven into the the minor chords that add resonance, weight and majesty to the symphony of our lives.
In all, this is a wonderful book. If you haven't bothered to read it yet, do so. I think it will encourage and inspire you.
Demond Sanders' Comments: Can't wait to read this book. On a similar note it was just announced that Tony is being appointed to President Bush's Council of Service and Civic Participation.
I knew Dungy's story well, and had been following the winding road he took to become a head coach. I was sickened by the terrible way the Glazer's treated him, and wondered if Michael Silver really had lost his mind when he ranked them as among the best NFL owners. I was surprised and impressed with Jim Irsay's vision of a Colts team that would resonate with the values and hopes of Hoosiers. It was beautiful to realize that the post SB tour and the belief in doing things 'the right way' wasn't just a slogan, but had been the plan of Jimmy from the start.
I cried through Tony's description of the days surrounding James's death. For the record, we criticized Bob Kravitz for saying that Tony had "glossed" over his son's death. Now that I've read the book, I'm aghast at what he said. Tony dealt with the issue with great detail, and frankly, I think Bob is a little sick for wanting more details than he got. I've had to deal with suicide up close, and know enough to know that we don't always get the reasons and explanations we would want.
There were countless things that impacted me in this book, but the one that hit me the hardest, was Tony's questioning of his own credibility as a father of a son who killed himself. I also work in a field where family problems could annihilate my credibility, and identified with his fears. Seeing the way his pain and 'failure' (as if that was even close to the right word to describe what happened) was used to bring hope and healing to many was so healing to me personally. It must have been how Joseph's brothers felt after throwing themselves at his feet in Egypt. We can't know when our tragedy, our failures, are being woven into the the minor chords that add resonance, weight and majesty to the symphony of our lives.
In all, this is a wonderful book. If you haven't bothered to read it yet, do so. I think it will encourage and inspire you.
Demond Sanders' Comments: Can't wait to read this book. On a similar note it was just announced that Tony is being appointed to President Bush's Council of Service and Civic Participation.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Wait 'til Next Year
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10286653
Two things to take away from this otherwise pedestrian effort from Vic Carucci:
1) LT has never won a playoff game in his spectacular six season career? Geez, he must be a huge choker. He's just not clutch. . . Or maybe it is just really, really hard to win in the NFL playoffs. See Mr. Manning's first five seasons.
2) Carucci has the Jags lumped with the nobodies such as Oakland, Cleveland and Atlanta. Actually, he has the rest of the AFC South down there too. Ha.
Two things to take away from this otherwise pedestrian effort from Vic Carucci:
1) LT has never won a playoff game in his spectacular six season career? Geez, he must be a huge choker. He's just not clutch. . . Or maybe it is just really, really hard to win in the NFL playoffs. See Mr. Manning's first five seasons.
2) Carucci has the Jags lumped with the nobodies such as Oakland, Cleveland and Atlanta. Actually, he has the rest of the AFC South down there too. Ha.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
As he walked up the 18th fairway,
I thought, "Damn! Tiger Woods is so NOW!"
Demond Sanders' Comments: ZZZZZZZZ. Oh, sorry. I saw the words Tiger Woods and I fell asleep. Rooting for Tiger is like rooting for the Yankees. What's next Deshawn? Are you going to start rooting for the Patriots too?
Demond Sanders' Comments: ZZZZZZZZ. Oh, sorry. I saw the words Tiger Woods and I fell asleep. Rooting for Tiger is like rooting for the Yankees. What's next Deshawn? Are you going to start rooting for the Patriots too?
Polian to the Hall?
Check out our new article on the main site at http://www.18to88.com/Articles/polianHOF.htm for an in depth look at Bill Polian's chances for enshrinement in Canton. I think you can safely add Polian to the list of Colts whose chances would be helped greatly by a second Super Bowl title (Tony Dungy, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Jeff Saturday to name a few).
Also don't forget to sign up for our Free Fantasy Football Contest for a chance to win huge prizes including tickets to the final game in the RCA Dome on December 30th, 2007. E-mail 18to88@gmail.com and we will send you the sign-up information.
Also don't forget to sign up for our Free Fantasy Football Contest for a chance to win huge prizes including tickets to the final game in the RCA Dome on December 30th, 2007. E-mail 18to88@gmail.com and we will send you the sign-up information.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
We wish him well but...
The Colts couldn't keep him with these injuries. A recent article has Montae Reagor feeling upbeat about his chances to play this year, but when you read the article, it doesn't sound promising. Montae was undersized to begin with and still is about 12 lbs short of his playing weight.
http://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/all-eagles.5890937jun09,0,1652327.story
I still say that cutting a guy hurt this bad IS NOT a gamble.
What made the post by the ESPN idiot so stupid is that Montae was cut back in March. Even if he makes an amazing recovery, it's not like they cut him last week. They had to cut him months ago, when it looked like he would miss at least half the season. It was an obvious move, not a 'gamble'.
http://www.mcall.com/sports/football/eagles/all-eagles.5890937jun09,0,1652327.story
I still say that cutting a guy hurt this bad IS NOT a gamble.
What made the post by the ESPN idiot so stupid is that Montae was cut back in March. Even if he makes an amazing recovery, it's not like they cut him last week. They had to cut him months ago, when it looked like he would miss at least half the season. It was an obvious move, not a 'gamble'.
Friday, August 10, 2007
The top 100
A fellow blogger has devised a fascinating QB measuring system and has produced a list of the 100 best signal callers of all time. #1? Johnny U. Our boy #18 comes in at 15, which considering his scoring method is crazy high for the few number of years old boy has played. Never fear though, Colts fans, Tommy boy rides along at #54 (just ahead of Papa Manning). Captain Comeback slides in at 62, one spot below The Warren Central Wonder, Jeff George.
http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=The_100_Greatest_Quarterbacks_of_the_Modern_Era
His list is based on the statistical data he piled up and some clever calculator work, so obviously, its value is debatable. Still though, fun stuff.
http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=The_100_Greatest_Quarterbacks_of_the_Modern_Era
His list is based on the statistical data he piled up and some clever calculator work, so obviously, its value is debatable. Still though, fun stuff.
I woke up Joseph Addai
Crazy moment today at work. I rang the door at a customer's house to leave a quote and Joseph Addai opened the door. At least I think it was Joseph Addai. He didn't have a shirt on and he had just woken up. He was about 5' 11" and ripped. Most importantly he looked exactly like Joseph Addai.
It was a fairly expensive house in a nice neighborhood near the Colts complex. The same neighborhood Edge used to live during his first few years in Indy. I didn't stop to ask him if he was Joseph Addai because he clearly had no clue who I was or why I was there. I'm guessing the work was for his mom or girlfriend, but the last name on the sheet was not Addai. If we end up doing the work for them I'll let you know for sure whether or not it was in fact Super Bowl hero, Joe Addai.
It was a fairly expensive house in a nice neighborhood near the Colts complex. The same neighborhood Edge used to live during his first few years in Indy. I didn't stop to ask him if he was Joseph Addai because he clearly had no clue who I was or why I was there. I'm guessing the work was for his mom or girlfriend, but the last name on the sheet was not Addai. If we end up doing the work for them I'll let you know for sure whether or not it was in fact Super Bowl hero, Joe Addai.
ESPN Blogger may be dumbest man alive
Not that this is a news flash or anything. ESPN scout/blogger Doug Kretz claimed today that the Colts had really gambled when cutting two D-linemen earlier this year.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2966360&name=kretz_doug
WHAT? They gambled on cutting Montae Reagor and Corey Simon? NEITHER ONE WAS HEALTHY! If you want to claim that the news that Booger is out for the year is bad, ok. But don't act like the Colts rolled the dice on the the guys they cut. Those guys wouldn't be able to help this team a lick if they were on the roster.
He further shows his ignorance when he says the Colts could consider RESIGNING SIMON if he can get healthy. I don't know about you all, but I would bet my meager life savings that the Colts wouldn't resign Corey Simon if he were the last man on earth. This is incredibly lazy work by a man who has no idea what he is talking about.
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2966360&name=kretz_doug
WHAT? They gambled on cutting Montae Reagor and Corey Simon? NEITHER ONE WAS HEALTHY! If you want to claim that the news that Booger is out for the year is bad, ok. But don't act like the Colts rolled the dice on the the guys they cut. Those guys wouldn't be able to help this team a lick if they were on the roster.
He further shows his ignorance when he says the Colts could consider RESIGNING SIMON if he can get healthy. I don't know about you all, but I would bet my meager life savings that the Colts wouldn't resign Corey Simon if he were the last man on earth. This is incredibly lazy work by a man who has no idea what he is talking about.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Pre-season Game #1 at Dallas
Rambling, off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts during the game:
1) The D looked bad on the first drive, that is to say they looked exactly like last year's team. In fairness though they were playing without several important cogs. About halfway through the first drive, Deshawn Zombie said, like it just occurred to him, "Bob Sanders isn't playing. Of course they look bad."
2) The offense looked as good as ever. I didn't notice Anthony Gonzalez do anything, but I may have missed something because we were kind of in the middle of a huge family reunion (I was meeting my 11 month old nephew for the first time).
3) The D looked much better on the second drive, but they just couldn't get off the field on third downs. Mostly second and third stringers, but they very much held their own. They are hitting, too.
4) Special teams look much improved, especially in coverage. TJ Rushing had a great kickoff return as well. We won't miss Terrence Wilkins (although I think he had an amazing Super Bowl which almost went unnoticed).
5) Dallas is using Marion Barber like there is no tomorrow. Or like he's Larry Johnson.
6) I'm not sure we have seen enough to say anything about DeDe Dorsey.
7) To tell you the truth I forgot to observe how Tony Ugoh was doing. No one died or was maimed as a result of his play so I give him an A+ at this point.
8) Gonzo starts the second half with a nice catch and run. Damn he's quick.
9) Very lame touchdown by the Dallas defense on a Sorgi ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones look absurdly thrilled given it's the second half of a pre-season game. Weird moment.
10) GUUUUZMAN. I don't know who you are, but you just jacked somebody up. The solid kick coverage continues.
11) 10 minutes to play in the third quarter and it is officially Scrub Time. I'm thinking we have learned as much as we are going to about any Colts players we were analyzing tonight.
12) Sorgi has not been in sync with his recievers in the second half. Overthrows abound. The Dallas offensive scrubs, on the other hand, seem to be having no trouble completing pass after pass. In other words, the Dallas guys who are going to get cut next week are better than the Colts guys who are going to get cut next week.
13) I got a laugh out of the shot of a Cowboys fan with the sign reading Tony is my Homie. That sign is great and all, but doesn't it invite some crude individual to create a rival sign reading Romo is a Homo?
14) Indy gets on the board again very late with a nice touchdown drive led by the very mobile Josh Betts.
15) I would say the back-up running back spot is still up for grabs at this point. I would expect Joe Addai to be shelved for most of the remainder of the pre-season in favor of figuring out which of the other backs can perform against a first-string defense.
16) Interesting comment by Tony Dungy. He said that Edgerrin James had the highest football IQ of any player he's ever been around. . . and somewhere tonight Peyton Manning is weeping softly.
17) The Cowboys earned this victory. Really special stuff. I think tonight totally made up for that botched snap last January.
Deshawn Zombie's Comments: Thanks for the welcome back. I'll admit that my ability to focus on the game was compromised by all the joy of seeing friends and family and dealing with kids who just traveled for about 20 hours. That being said, from what I saw, Demond has it right. I thought Josh Betts looked great, although the INT he threw was awful. I can see why they cut Navarre. I think this kid might be worth keeping around as the third stringer. I think he's a better long term backup than Sorgi, although I wouldn't want to make that switch this year.
1) The D looked bad on the first drive, that is to say they looked exactly like last year's team. In fairness though they were playing without several important cogs. About halfway through the first drive, Deshawn Zombie said, like it just occurred to him, "Bob Sanders isn't playing. Of course they look bad."
2) The offense looked as good as ever. I didn't notice Anthony Gonzalez do anything, but I may have missed something because we were kind of in the middle of a huge family reunion (I was meeting my 11 month old nephew for the first time).
3) The D looked much better on the second drive, but they just couldn't get off the field on third downs. Mostly second and third stringers, but they very much held their own. They are hitting, too.
4) Special teams look much improved, especially in coverage. TJ Rushing had a great kickoff return as well. We won't miss Terrence Wilkins (although I think he had an amazing Super Bowl which almost went unnoticed).
5) Dallas is using Marion Barber like there is no tomorrow. Or like he's Larry Johnson.
6) I'm not sure we have seen enough to say anything about DeDe Dorsey.
7) To tell you the truth I forgot to observe how Tony Ugoh was doing. No one died or was maimed as a result of his play so I give him an A+ at this point.
8) Gonzo starts the second half with a nice catch and run. Damn he's quick.
9) Very lame touchdown by the Dallas defense on a Sorgi ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones look absurdly thrilled given it's the second half of a pre-season game. Weird moment.
10) GUUUUZMAN. I don't know who you are, but you just jacked somebody up. The solid kick coverage continues.
11) 10 minutes to play in the third quarter and it is officially Scrub Time. I'm thinking we have learned as much as we are going to about any Colts players we were analyzing tonight.
12) Sorgi has not been in sync with his recievers in the second half. Overthrows abound. The Dallas offensive scrubs, on the other hand, seem to be having no trouble completing pass after pass. In other words, the Dallas guys who are going to get cut next week are better than the Colts guys who are going to get cut next week.
13) I got a laugh out of the shot of a Cowboys fan with the sign reading Tony is my Homie. That sign is great and all, but doesn't it invite some crude individual to create a rival sign reading Romo is a Homo?
14) Indy gets on the board again very late with a nice touchdown drive led by the very mobile Josh Betts.
15) I would say the back-up running back spot is still up for grabs at this point. I would expect Joe Addai to be shelved for most of the remainder of the pre-season in favor of figuring out which of the other backs can perform against a first-string defense.
16) Interesting comment by Tony Dungy. He said that Edgerrin James had the highest football IQ of any player he's ever been around. . . and somewhere tonight Peyton Manning is weeping softly.
17) The Cowboys earned this victory. Really special stuff. I think tonight totally made up for that botched snap last January.
Deshawn Zombie's Comments: Thanks for the welcome back. I'll admit that my ability to focus on the game was compromised by all the joy of seeing friends and family and dealing with kids who just traveled for about 20 hours. That being said, from what I saw, Demond has it right. I thought Josh Betts looked great, although the INT he threw was awful. I can see why they cut Navarre. I think this kid might be worth keeping around as the third stringer. I think he's a better long term backup than Sorgi, although I wouldn't want to make that switch this year.
Welcome Back Deshawn Zombie!!!!!!!
Just in time to watch your Colts play their first game as defending WORLD CHAMPIONS. Nice timing. Yes, you heard right: Zombie and family flew in from Argentina today at 1 pm after spending several years working abroad.
And as a refresher, here's a brief history of Indianapolis, your hometown:
And as a refresher, here's a brief history of Indianapolis, your hometown:
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
You know you're desperate when. . .
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/SPORTS03/708070390/1247/SPORTS
Warren Sapp and Tank Johnson (who will miss the first 8 games of the season with a suspension) are being thrown around as possible stop-gap solutions to the DT position. What will the Colts actually do? Probably nothing exciting. Probably fill in Quinn Pitcock and let him sink or swim. But then again. . .
The Colts have shown a willingness to take desperate measures each of the last two seasons to bolster the DT position. Corey Simon was a legendary bust. Booger McFarland played a huge role in winning a championship before going down recently with a potentially season-ending knee injury. Mixed Results at best, but without Booger I have serious doubts about whether that playoff run ever happens. If Pitcock doesn't wow the staff this pre-season look for the Colts to take a stab at a miracle signing for the third year in a row.
Warren Sapp and Tank Johnson (who will miss the first 8 games of the season with a suspension) are being thrown around as possible stop-gap solutions to the DT position. What will the Colts actually do? Probably nothing exciting. Probably fill in Quinn Pitcock and let him sink or swim. But then again. . .
The Colts have shown a willingness to take desperate measures each of the last two seasons to bolster the DT position. Corey Simon was a legendary bust. Booger McFarland played a huge role in winning a championship before going down recently with a potentially season-ending knee injury. Mixed Results at best, but without Booger I have serious doubts about whether that playoff run ever happens. If Pitcock doesn't wow the staff this pre-season look for the Colts to take a stab at a miracle signing for the third year in a row.
FO takes on coaching staffs
We can all be pleased with the Colts #3 ranking, and pretty much everyone agrees that Indy has a tremendous group of coaches.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7071478
What's really great in this piece is the list of worst coaching staffs in the NFL.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7072378
A couple of notes on the bottom three teams:
30. San Diego Chargers-and there you have it. This is why I'm not worried about them this year. Schottenheimer was a proven winner (at least in the regular season). Norv Turner is a proven loser in all seasons. I'm not buying the hype on this team. Talented teams with bad coaches tend to implode.
31. Jville Jholes-I LOVE IT! Mad Jack and his motley crew come in 31st in the NFL! Jack Del Rio is a horrible coach. He really is. If you watch much Jags football, and God help me, I do, you know that he just has no idea what is going on out there. The Jags had a much higher Pythagorean win total (expected wins derived from PF and PA) than real wins. That means they underperformed (0-2 agains Houston for example). Last year the Jags were 2-7 in games decided by a TD or less. They were 6-1 in blowouts. That means that when the Jags showed up, their talent was overpowering. If you got them in a dog fight, however, Del Rio's team would fold. Coaching matters most in tight games. Del Rio's teams can't win them.
32. NY Giants-Everyone loves to kill Eli (two playoff appearances in 3 years is pretty freaking good from a young QB), but has anyone noticed that the coaching in New York is horrible?
Also checkout this article from a fellow blogger that did a comparison of expected wins before the season vs. actual wins.
http://www.bbnflstats.com/2007/06/next-years-wins.html
Good news: The Colts are among the most consistent teams in the league
Bad news: We mentioned a few weeks ago that the Colts expected wins this year is around 10.
Good news: This same guy came up with a ranking of coaches to see who generates the most 'extra wins' above expectations. #1 on the list...Tony Dungy, who generates about 1.73 extra wins. This means that with any luck, the Colts should be back around 11 or 12 wins again. I think we would all take that right now, given the injuries and the schedule.
http://www.bbnflstats.com/2007/06/rating-gameday-head-coaches.html
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7071478
What's really great in this piece is the list of worst coaching staffs in the NFL.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7072378
A couple of notes on the bottom three teams:
30. San Diego Chargers-and there you have it. This is why I'm not worried about them this year. Schottenheimer was a proven winner (at least in the regular season). Norv Turner is a proven loser in all seasons. I'm not buying the hype on this team. Talented teams with bad coaches tend to implode.
31. Jville Jholes-I LOVE IT! Mad Jack and his motley crew come in 31st in the NFL! Jack Del Rio is a horrible coach. He really is. If you watch much Jags football, and God help me, I do, you know that he just has no idea what is going on out there. The Jags had a much higher Pythagorean win total (expected wins derived from PF and PA) than real wins. That means they underperformed (0-2 agains Houston for example). Last year the Jags were 2-7 in games decided by a TD or less. They were 6-1 in blowouts. That means that when the Jags showed up, their talent was overpowering. If you got them in a dog fight, however, Del Rio's team would fold. Coaching matters most in tight games. Del Rio's teams can't win them.
32. NY Giants-Everyone loves to kill Eli (two playoff appearances in 3 years is pretty freaking good from a young QB), but has anyone noticed that the coaching in New York is horrible?
Also checkout this article from a fellow blogger that did a comparison of expected wins before the season vs. actual wins.
http://www.bbnflstats.com/2007/06/next-years-wins.html
Good news: The Colts are among the most consistent teams in the league
Bad news: We mentioned a few weeks ago that the Colts expected wins this year is around 10.
Good news: This same guy came up with a ranking of coaches to see who generates the most 'extra wins' above expectations. #1 on the list...Tony Dungy, who generates about 1.73 extra wins. This means that with any luck, the Colts should be back around 11 or 12 wins again. I think we would all take that right now, given the injuries and the schedule.
http://www.bbnflstats.com/2007/06/rating-gameday-head-coaches.html
Monday, August 6, 2007
Peter Kings the Colts
MMQB was a fun read today for Colts fans. King threw out several Colts related anecdotes. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/08/05/camp.impressions/index.html
Some of the best stuff is when he fawns all over #18. The Cam "The coach so nice they named him twice" Cameron story was interesting. I'm glad Cammy is a cool cat, but frankly I doubt he'll do much better in Miami than he did at IU.
Some of the best stuff is when he fawns all over #18. The Cam "The coach so nice they named him twice" Cameron story was interesting. I'm glad Cammy is a cool cat, but frankly I doubt he'll do much better in Miami than he did at IU.
Hand me a Danish
Nothing like waking up to the best of the Bard. I must admit, I got a chuckle out of Demond's despondency. I'm not going to cry any tears over a guy who had 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks last year. I hope he's ok, but let's save the poisoned foil for another day.
In other news, Kravitz wrote a short fluff column on Colts going to the Hall of Fame.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/COLUMNISTS01/708060373/1247/SPORTS
He thinks Polian deserves to go, and I agree, but confess I've never looked up what it takes to get as a front office guy...sounds like an article.
In other news, I'm heading back to Nap Town with my family this week after 3 years in Argentina. I'm looking forward to watching the Dallas game with Demond, although I'm not sure what I'll do since we can't sit and IM during the game.
In other news, Kravitz wrote a short fluff column on Colts going to the Hall of Fame.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/COLUMNISTS01/708060373/1247/SPORTS
He thinks Polian deserves to go, and I agree, but confess I've never looked up what it takes to get as a front office guy...sounds like an article.
In other news, I'm heading back to Nap Town with my family this week after 3 years in Argentina. I'm looking forward to watching the Dallas game with Demond, although I'm not sure what I'll do since we can't sit and IM during the game.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Dallas Clark had a serious knee injury too...
Here's another great reason to check out Phil Wilson's blog. He tells you what's up.
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/2007/08/uhoh_here_we_go_again.html#comments
Apparently, possibly, Booger McFarland hurt his knee pretty bad. Maybe he's out awhile; maybe he's not. Maybe it cripples the defense, maybe it doesn't. Again, let's all take a deep breath and remember: 1. it's not confirmed 2. Clark looked like he was done forever, and came back in a month, so you never know, 3. The real problem with the run D last year was the linebackers, not the D line. Colts interior D linemen are expected to take up space and not much else, it's the LBs who have to make plays. Hopefully though, this isn't true.
Demond Sanders' Comments: Here's another article from the Star further explaining the injury. Doesn't sound good folks. First Tarik Glenn and now Booger. If you had told Tony Ugoh and Quinn Pitcock on draft day that they would be starting for the defending world champions on national television on September 6th they would have laughed in your face. Deshawn Zombie, true to form, is telling me it is all going to be okay, but I'm feeling a bit like Kenny Branagh right now:
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/2007/08/uhoh_here_we_go_again.html#comments
Apparently, possibly, Booger McFarland hurt his knee pretty bad. Maybe he's out awhile; maybe he's not. Maybe it cripples the defense, maybe it doesn't. Again, let's all take a deep breath and remember: 1. it's not confirmed 2. Clark looked like he was done forever, and came back in a month, so you never know, 3. The real problem with the run D last year was the linebackers, not the D line. Colts interior D linemen are expected to take up space and not much else, it's the LBs who have to make plays. Hopefully though, this isn't true.
Demond Sanders' Comments: Here's another article from the Star further explaining the injury. Doesn't sound good folks. First Tarik Glenn and now Booger. If you had told Tony Ugoh and Quinn Pitcock on draft day that they would be starting for the defending world champions on national television on September 6th they would have laughed in your face. Deshawn Zombie, true to form, is telling me it is all going to be okay, but I'm feeling a bit like Kenny Branagh right now:
Doing the math
Let's play, "Guess the salary cap ramifications for Corey Simon's release!".
As of yet, no one has released these numbers, in large part because if there was a secret settlement between Simon and the club, it might affect things. By most accounts, Simon signed a 5 year 30 million dollar contract 2 seasons ago. He has been paid 14 million of that with another 1.9 million being withheld by the club for missing last season. It has also been reported that he was slated to make about 4 million this season, and 5 each of the next two: So, does that math work?
14 Million (paid)+ 1.9 (withheld)+3.95+5+5=roughly 30 million. So that breakdown seems to work.
Now remember, the 14 million the Colts paid him HAS to be absorbed by the salary cap over a total of four seasons. What? you say. Four seasons? Yes and here's why...
Year One (2005) obviously counts as Simon played. That year, the Colts were responsible for his base salary of about 545,000 plus 600K (one fifth of his original signing bonus, 3 Million). So that year the Colts would have taken a salary cap number of about 1.1 million. That jives with what USA today reported http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?player=2078
Year two (2006) obviously counts as well. The Colts had a roster-converted-to-a-signing bonus of 10 million given to Simon. This number get prorated over 4 years (what was left on the original 5 year deal). They also paid him about 600K of a base salary of 2.5 million. That gives us about 14 million paid and 1.9 million withheld. Those are the numbers that you've been reading about in the paper. Simon's cap number for 2006 should have been:
600K (the paid portion of the base)+ 2.5 million (10 million roster bonus divided by 4 remaining years), +600 K (the portion of the original year one bonus) =roughly 3.7 Million which works again with the USA Today number
Now, here's where it gets tricky. In the NFL, when you cut someone after June 1st, you can divide the rest of the salary cap hit you take for cutting them (remember, the hit is only the guaranteed money you've already paid them), over two years instead of one (assuming they have at least 2 years left on their contract). Soooooo, by our rough numbers the Colts have paid out 14 million to Simon, 13 million of that was guaranteed money that has been divided up. Of that 13 million, the Colts have taken care of about 3.7 million of it, with 9.3 million left to split over 2 years. That leaves a cap hit of around 4.65 million dollars this year AND next year. This is the so called 'dead money'. It's already paid, and it's on the books. So what, if anything do the Colts save this year?
Well if they HADN'T cut Simon, his cap number this year would have been:
3.95 million (base) + 2.5 million (portion of the 10 million roster bonus) + 600K (the year 3 chunk of the original signing bonus)=7.05 Million. Simon will cost the Colts about 4.65 million dollars this year, so that's a cap savings of about 2.4 million. I have no idea of how losing a grievance over the 1.9 million withheld would affect things. I have a feeling the Colts would lose that money right away, which would mean a cap savings of only about 500K for this year.
I'm doing the best I can without exact numbers, but I think this is right. Someone help me if they know something I don't. Bear in mind, that the issues surrounding the withheld money and possible settlements with Simon might change these numbers some. I'm working with possibly faulty data, but I'm pretty sure I have the system correct. I'm not sure if the Colts can accelerate the cap hit on Simon by taking more of the hit this year; I sort of doubt it, but it would be a wise move if possible. I'd rather see them free up more money for next year, since this year is already taken care of.
Here's a chart to help things make sense:
UPDATE: Let me first say once again, that Mike Chappell and Phil Wilson of the Star are great assets to any Colts fan. I wrote both of them for the opinions on this breakdown. Phil thought my numbers were close, but admitted he's not a capologist (not that I am either). Mike had a slightly different set of numbers:
"it is tricky and i'm only so-so confident i've got it right. or close to right. whatever i've got doesn't take into account the $1.9 million the colts withheld from simon. anyway, simon signed a 5-year, $30 million contract prior to '05. it included a $5 million signing bonus and an $8 million option bonus in '06. he got both. he has three years left on the deal in terms of accounting for signing/option bonus. that's 3/5ths of $5 million -- $3 million. and 3/4ths of $8 million -- $6 million. that's a total of $9 million that has yet to be applied to the cap. the team can absorb all of that at once, which the colts won't do, or split it up -- $3 million this year in dead money and $6 million in '08 as dead money. looks like they'll save about $4 million against this year's cap after cutting Simon -- he was due to count $7.055 million. again, i think that's pretty close" --Mike Chappell, Indy Star beat writer. Mike has a great Q and A column that you can access here:
http://blogs.indystar.com/coltsinsider/
Mike's numbers differ from the USA today numbers slightly. USA Today had a 3 Million bonus, followed by a 10 million bonus. Mike has that at 5 and 8. Mike's numbers help the Colts slightly more, because they would have written slightly more. He has the Colts at 9 million dead $s, and my numbers are at 9.3 Million. So we are pretty close. What's interesting is that he says the Colts can chose how to allocate the dead money; he's saying 3 now, 6 later. I just split the two in half. So assuming he's correct, and I most certainly do, it's a little better for this year, and a little worse for next. Remember, though, no one has any idea what to do with the missing 1.9 million the club may or may not owe Simon for last year's base. I hope this is as clear as mud.
Once again, read the Indy Star.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS03
The Colts coverage is always solid, and the reporters are real stand up guys.
UPDATE 2: Chappell says he's never gotten complaints on the numbers from an agent or anything, and he's been using them for some time. So I have no doubt that he's correct. I'd always trust the local guy over the national one anyway. He also says that he thinks the Colts have 2 choices when it comes to Simon's cap hit. 1. They can absorb the whole 9 million now, or 2. They can take this year's hit as normal (which would be 3 million by his numbers or 3.15 by mine), and then eat the rest next year (the other 6 or so). That would be the rule for splitting up the hit. Again, much thanks to Mike Chappell for his expertise.
As of yet, no one has released these numbers, in large part because if there was a secret settlement between Simon and the club, it might affect things. By most accounts, Simon signed a 5 year 30 million dollar contract 2 seasons ago. He has been paid 14 million of that with another 1.9 million being withheld by the club for missing last season. It has also been reported that he was slated to make about 4 million this season, and 5 each of the next two: So, does that math work?
14 Million (paid)+ 1.9 (withheld)+3.95+5+5=roughly 30 million. So that breakdown seems to work.
Now remember, the 14 million the Colts paid him HAS to be absorbed by the salary cap over a total of four seasons. What? you say. Four seasons? Yes and here's why...
Year One (2005) obviously counts as Simon played. That year, the Colts were responsible for his base salary of about 545,000 plus 600K (one fifth of his original signing bonus, 3 Million). So that year the Colts would have taken a salary cap number of about 1.1 million. That jives with what USA today reported http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?player=2078
Year two (2006) obviously counts as well. The Colts had a roster-converted-to-a-signing bonus of 10 million given to Simon. This number get prorated over 4 years (what was left on the original 5 year deal). They also paid him about 600K of a base salary of 2.5 million. That gives us about 14 million paid and 1.9 million withheld. Those are the numbers that you've been reading about in the paper. Simon's cap number for 2006 should have been:
600K (the paid portion of the base)+ 2.5 million (10 million roster bonus divided by 4 remaining years), +600 K (the portion of the original year one bonus) =roughly 3.7 Million which works again with the USA Today number
Now, here's where it gets tricky. In the NFL, when you cut someone after June 1st, you can divide the rest of the salary cap hit you take for cutting them (remember, the hit is only the guaranteed money you've already paid them), over two years instead of one (assuming they have at least 2 years left on their contract). Soooooo, by our rough numbers the Colts have paid out 14 million to Simon, 13 million of that was guaranteed money that has been divided up. Of that 13 million, the Colts have taken care of about 3.7 million of it, with 9.3 million left to split over 2 years. That leaves a cap hit of around 4.65 million dollars this year AND next year. This is the so called 'dead money'. It's already paid, and it's on the books. So what, if anything do the Colts save this year?
Well if they HADN'T cut Simon, his cap number this year would have been:
3.95 million (base) + 2.5 million (portion of the 10 million roster bonus) + 600K (the year 3 chunk of the original signing bonus)=7.05 Million. Simon will cost the Colts about 4.65 million dollars this year, so that's a cap savings of about 2.4 million. I have no idea of how losing a grievance over the 1.9 million withheld would affect things. I have a feeling the Colts would lose that money right away, which would mean a cap savings of only about 500K for this year.
I'm doing the best I can without exact numbers, but I think this is right. Someone help me if they know something I don't. Bear in mind, that the issues surrounding the withheld money and possible settlements with Simon might change these numbers some. I'm working with possibly faulty data, but I'm pretty sure I have the system correct. I'm not sure if the Colts can accelerate the cap hit on Simon by taking more of the hit this year; I sort of doubt it, but it would be a wise move if possible. I'd rather see them free up more money for next year, since this year is already taken care of.
Here's a chart to help things make sense:
UPDATE: Let me first say once again, that Mike Chappell and Phil Wilson of the Star are great assets to any Colts fan. I wrote both of them for the opinions on this breakdown. Phil thought my numbers were close, but admitted he's not a capologist (not that I am either). Mike had a slightly different set of numbers:
"it is tricky and i'm only so-so confident i've got it right. or close to right. whatever i've got doesn't take into account the $1.9 million the colts withheld from simon. anyway, simon signed a 5-year, $30 million contract prior to '05. it included a $5 million signing bonus and an $8 million option bonus in '06. he got both. he has three years left on the deal in terms of accounting for signing/option bonus. that's 3/5ths of $5 million -- $3 million. and 3/4ths of $8 million -- $6 million. that's a total of $9 million that has yet to be applied to the cap. the team can absorb all of that at once, which the colts won't do, or split it up -- $3 million this year in dead money and $6 million in '08 as dead money. looks like they'll save about $4 million against this year's cap after cutting Simon -- he was due to count $7.055 million. again, i think that's pretty close" --Mike Chappell, Indy Star beat writer. Mike has a great Q and A column that you can access here:
http://blogs.indystar.com/coltsinsider/
Mike's numbers differ from the USA today numbers slightly. USA Today had a 3 Million bonus, followed by a 10 million bonus. Mike has that at 5 and 8. Mike's numbers help the Colts slightly more, because they would have written slightly more. He has the Colts at 9 million dead $s, and my numbers are at 9.3 Million. So we are pretty close. What's interesting is that he says the Colts can chose how to allocate the dead money; he's saying 3 now, 6 later. I just split the two in half. So assuming he's correct, and I most certainly do, it's a little better for this year, and a little worse for next. Remember, though, no one has any idea what to do with the missing 1.9 million the club may or may not owe Simon for last year's base. I hope this is as clear as mud.
Once again, read the Indy Star.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS03
The Colts coverage is always solid, and the reporters are real stand up guys.
UPDATE 2: Chappell says he's never gotten complaints on the numbers from an agent or anything, and he's been using them for some time. So I have no doubt that he's correct. I'd always trust the local guy over the national one anyway. He also says that he thinks the Colts have 2 choices when it comes to Simon's cap hit. 1. They can absorb the whole 9 million now, or 2. They can take this year's hit as normal (which would be 3 million by his numbers or 3.15 by mine), and then eat the rest next year (the other 6 or so). That would be the rule for splitting up the hit. Again, much thanks to Mike Chappell for his expertise.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Fred Taylor talking trash about Kid Joe
http://www.jaguars.com/multimedia/video.aspx?id=2375
Funny stuff from a recent press conference. Taylor is miffed because the fantasy prognosticators have Addai ranked ahead of Taylor. Let's ignore the fact that Addai will have far more carries this season than Taylor. Let's look at the stats: Taylor racked up 1146 yards on 231 carries for an average of 5.0 yards per carry in 2006. Addai, in his rookie season, totaled 1081 yards on 226 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Addai had 7 rushing touchdowns to Taylor's 5 scores. Addai had 325 yards receiving to Taylor's 242.
Taylor also had the added benefit of playing twice against the Colts' run defense. Amazingly similar numbers for a kid about whom Taylor claims "there's no way in hell he's better than me." Oh, and did I mention Addai had 143 total yards en route to winning the Super Bowl?
Funny stuff from a recent press conference. Taylor is miffed because the fantasy prognosticators have Addai ranked ahead of Taylor. Let's ignore the fact that Addai will have far more carries this season than Taylor. Let's look at the stats: Taylor racked up 1146 yards on 231 carries for an average of 5.0 yards per carry in 2006. Addai, in his rookie season, totaled 1081 yards on 226 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Addai had 7 rushing touchdowns to Taylor's 5 scores. Addai had 325 yards receiving to Taylor's 242.
Taylor also had the added benefit of playing twice against the Colts' run defense. Amazingly similar numbers for a kid about whom Taylor claims "there's no way in hell he's better than me." Oh, and did I mention Addai had 143 total yards en route to winning the Super Bowl?
'Round and round
I hope you all listen to ESPN 950 reguarly anyway, but if you did yesterday, you would have caught some props to 18to88.com for our article on Tony Dungy's Hall of Fame Credentials.
I really wish I had waited a couple of days before posting on Vince Young. Punching a teammate with his throwing hand? Geeze, no wonder he flunked his damn IQ test.
Lots of stuff out there on the web today. Starting with honoring a great player who had a brief but quite effective stint with the Colts, Richard Dent:
http://coldhardfootballfacts.com/Article.php?Page=1526
Clark Judge weighs in with a couple of articles on Colts camp that are worth reading
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10279004
In this first article, he basically addresses the same issues that we discussed earlier this week. Again, from all reports, things are going as well as can be expected. I'm sure people will panic after we go 0-4 in the preseason, but remember, those games don't matter for a reason. The Colts never play well in the preseason. Why show what you've got in games that don't count?
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10278933
In his second article, he talks about Tony Ugoh's adjustment to life as the most important insurance agent in the NFL (ie Left Tackle for the #18's blindside). Again everything is rolling
The best part of both articles is the stats on wins for the Colts in the Dungy and Polian eras. Since Polian took over, the Colts are 6 games better than any other franchise in the same stretch. "Since Dungy took over in 2002, the Colts are 60-20, with four straight AFC South titles, two AFC Championship Game appearances and one Super Bowl". Yikes.
By the way, don't bother with either video (ESPECIALLY the fan one. Those guys are big fans I'm sure, but Judge clowned them. I couldn't even finish it, it was so painful).
Finally, I said it before and I'll say it again, there is NO better source for good training camp stuff than Phil Wilson's blog on the Star page. Listen, I love John Clayton (congrats on a much deserved HoF spot!), and I read Peter King and Judge reguarly, but don't get blinded by just reading those guys becuase they are 'national'. Read Wilson. He has the good on what's going down.
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/
I really wish I had waited a couple of days before posting on Vince Young. Punching a teammate with his throwing hand? Geeze, no wonder he flunked his damn IQ test.
Lots of stuff out there on the web today. Starting with honoring a great player who had a brief but quite effective stint with the Colts, Richard Dent:
http://coldhardfootballfacts.com/Article.php?Page=1526
Clark Judge weighs in with a couple of articles on Colts camp that are worth reading
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10279004
In this first article, he basically addresses the same issues that we discussed earlier this week. Again, from all reports, things are going as well as can be expected. I'm sure people will panic after we go 0-4 in the preseason, but remember, those games don't matter for a reason. The Colts never play well in the preseason. Why show what you've got in games that don't count?
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10278933
In his second article, he talks about Tony Ugoh's adjustment to life as the most important insurance agent in the NFL (ie Left Tackle for the #18's blindside). Again everything is rolling
The best part of both articles is the stats on wins for the Colts in the Dungy and Polian eras. Since Polian took over, the Colts are 6 games better than any other franchise in the same stretch. "Since Dungy took over in 2002, the Colts are 60-20, with four straight AFC South titles, two AFC Championship Game appearances and one Super Bowl". Yikes.
By the way, don't bother with either video (ESPECIALLY the fan one. Those guys are big fans I'm sure, but Judge clowned them. I couldn't even finish it, it was so painful).
Finally, I said it before and I'll say it again, there is NO better source for good training camp stuff than Phil Wilson's blog on the Star page. Listen, I love John Clayton (congrats on a much deserved HoF spot!), and I read Peter King and Judge reguarly, but don't get blinded by just reading those guys becuase they are 'national'. Read Wilson. He has the good on what's going down.
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/
Not sick, but want to be?
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10275475
AND ALSO http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10275480
Just really gross stuff from Mike Freeman of CBSSportsline. First of all, Belichick may be one of the ten or twelve best coaches of all time, but the best? Umm, no.
18to88.com is enjoying the heck out of this era and we recommend you do the same. The Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl in two years, and even better they face a mountain of expectations this coming season. This is the middle of the end for New England. Or maybe the end of the end. I'm not sure which.
AND ALSO http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10275480
Just really gross stuff from Mike Freeman of CBSSportsline. First of all, Belichick may be one of the ten or twelve best coaches of all time, but the best? Umm, no.
18to88.com is enjoying the heck out of this era and we recommend you do the same. The Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl in two years, and even better they face a mountain of expectations this coming season. This is the middle of the end for New England. Or maybe the end of the end. I'm not sure which.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Vince Files is up
We don't hate Vince Young. Really. We just feel like the media today takes a simplistic cause/effect view of quarterbacking in the NFL. If your team wins, it must be because of the quarterback. If your team loses, he's a bum. All we are trying to do is show that in this case at least, the hype over Vince Young is way out of kilter with reality. If the Titans go 2-14 this year, will it mean that Young was a worse QB than when they went 8-5 with him? No, not necessarily. It just means that the luck of 06 turned into the reality of 07. Enjoy.
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/vinceyoungfiles2.htm
http://www.18to88.com/Articles/vinceyoungfiles2.htm
Of no interest to anyone but me
Buddy Bell is retiring as manager of the Royals.
Why do I care? He was my first favorite baseball player. He was the 3rd baseman for the Reds, and one night my dad said, 'Watch this. Buddy Bell will hit a home run.' He totally did, and I was hooked on baseball. I even had his kick ass Starting Lineup figure. I would always insert him into the starting lineup on Starting Lineup Talking Baseball (which ruled). He was later replaced by new favorite player, Chris Sabo. Once Sabo retired, I was a Barry Larkin fan. I'm currently holding auditions for favorite baseball player. Jr. holds the title by default, but Josh 'Hambone' Hamilton could take it from if they trade him.
Anyway, Buddy Bell is retiring from managing. A piece of my childhood just died.
Page 2 writers smoke crack, crap on a page, publish it on internet
ESPN came up with a list of the 50 players in the game most likely to go to Canton. They apparently have no idea what they are doing. After all Vince Young (!!!) came in 39th
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=halloffame/nfl1-10&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
Remember, this isn't a list of best players; it's who is MOST LIKELY to get inducted. At the top of the list is Brett Farve. Of course he belongs there. There is almost nothing he can do at this point, short of kitten juggling in Mexico, that would keep him out. He's got almost no time left to undo what he's done. He's teflon.
This is pretty much where our agreement with this list ends. At number 2, they put Tom Brady. The logic seems sound, every QB with 3 rings was in on the first ballot. I still hold that if Brady strings together a run of mediocre years where the Pats don't make the playoffs (and this will happen after this year), then Brady's star will fade dramatically. He was carried to 3 rings early in his career and won 2 of the least deserved SB MVP awards. He is going to the Hall of Fame, but his candidacy rests only on those Super Bowls. He has no records, no stats, nothing else at all that recommends him. Therefore, I don't think he's quite the mortal lock. He could still undo his legacy on the field. And yes, I don't think he's 'the best big game quarterback'. I think he had a great defense. I put him fourth. He's very very likely to be inducted, but could still blow it. His chances actually improve if he gets hurt. If he plays for 10 more years and never wins again, it makes his early wins look like a fluke.
They had Manning at number three, which is where he should be, but Marvin Harrison should be number 2. Harrison's dominance has been astounding. He is going to finish second or first in every significant receiving stat and has 7 All Pro Teams and 8 Pro Bowls. Marvin is beyond a mortal lock and well ahead of Richard (13 sacks in the last 3 years) Seymour, Ray (murder?) Lewis.
Richard Seymour has no business in the top 20 of this list. 5 Pro Bowls and 3 All Pro teams is nice, but those numbers are not even close to being Canton worthy yet. He may be a great player, but if the standard is likelihood of induction, he's just not there.
LT is ranked way too high as well. See Davis, Terrell. LT is a great player, maybe the best player, but RBs in the NFL have a short shelf life. If he blows a knee tomorrow, will his record be more attractive than Davis's? He needs a few more years of health, which is a dicey proposition for RBs in the NFL.
Vinatieri made the top 10 as well. If the question was merit, I'd be all for it. The question is likelihood. Only 1 kicker has made the HoF. Adam SHOULD be in, but I don't think it's a lock just because of the position he plays.
Freeney came in at 16th which I think is too high. The competition at end will be tough and he'll need five more seasons like his first five before this ranking fits him.
Basically, the rest of this list is pure trash. They put AJ Hawk and Adrian Peterson on it, but left Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne off it. Obviously, any inclusion of Vince Young is laughable. We are currently formatting another edition of the Vince Young Files, designed to show why the hype on him is way off base. Actually the more I think about this list, the more I feel cheap and used for even commenting on it at all.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=halloffame/nfl1-10&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
Remember, this isn't a list of best players; it's who is MOST LIKELY to get inducted. At the top of the list is Brett Farve. Of course he belongs there. There is almost nothing he can do at this point, short of kitten juggling in Mexico, that would keep him out. He's got almost no time left to undo what he's done. He's teflon.
This is pretty much where our agreement with this list ends. At number 2, they put Tom Brady. The logic seems sound, every QB with 3 rings was in on the first ballot. I still hold that if Brady strings together a run of mediocre years where the Pats don't make the playoffs (and this will happen after this year), then Brady's star will fade dramatically. He was carried to 3 rings early in his career and won 2 of the least deserved SB MVP awards. He is going to the Hall of Fame, but his candidacy rests only on those Super Bowls. He has no records, no stats, nothing else at all that recommends him. Therefore, I don't think he's quite the mortal lock. He could still undo his legacy on the field. And yes, I don't think he's 'the best big game quarterback'. I think he had a great defense. I put him fourth. He's very very likely to be inducted, but could still blow it. His chances actually improve if he gets hurt. If he plays for 10 more years and never wins again, it makes his early wins look like a fluke.
They had Manning at number three, which is where he should be, but Marvin Harrison should be number 2. Harrison's dominance has been astounding. He is going to finish second or first in every significant receiving stat and has 7 All Pro Teams and 8 Pro Bowls. Marvin is beyond a mortal lock and well ahead of Richard (13 sacks in the last 3 years) Seymour, Ray (murder?) Lewis.
Richard Seymour has no business in the top 20 of this list. 5 Pro Bowls and 3 All Pro teams is nice, but those numbers are not even close to being Canton worthy yet. He may be a great player, but if the standard is likelihood of induction, he's just not there.
LT is ranked way too high as well. See Davis, Terrell. LT is a great player, maybe the best player, but RBs in the NFL have a short shelf life. If he blows a knee tomorrow, will his record be more attractive than Davis's? He needs a few more years of health, which is a dicey proposition for RBs in the NFL.
Vinatieri made the top 10 as well. If the question was merit, I'd be all for it. The question is likelihood. Only 1 kicker has made the HoF. Adam SHOULD be in, but I don't think it's a lock just because of the position he plays.
Freeney came in at 16th which I think is too high. The competition at end will be tough and he'll need five more seasons like his first five before this ranking fits him.
Basically, the rest of this list is pure trash. They put AJ Hawk and Adrian Peterson on it, but left Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne off it. Obviously, any inclusion of Vince Young is laughable. We are currently formatting another edition of the Vince Young Files, designed to show why the hype on him is way off base. Actually the more I think about this list, the more I feel cheap and used for even commenting on it at all.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
FO and the 06 Colts
As promised, here are some highlights from the Footballoutsiders about the World Champs:
1. An interesting recap of the Colts/Pats game only looking at the Colts O-line play:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/01/30/ramblings/every-play-counts/4903/
2. A statistical look at Manning's patience to throw deeper down field in 06:
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/footballoutsiders/2007/02/01/Peyton_Manning_learns_the_value_of_patience
3. Where CAN'T you run on the Colts? (Hint: it involves Dwight Freeney)
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/footballoutsiders/2006/12/19/FO_Mailbag_How_not_to_run_against_the_Colts
4. How the hell did we lose that game? A rational look at the Titans debacle
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/12/05/ramblings/any-given-sunday/4643/
5. Who will win the big game? A look at the Super Bowl BEFORE it happened
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/02/01/ramblings/game-previews/4913/
These are all great reads. It's a sweet site, and I hope you all visit regularly.
1. An interesting recap of the Colts/Pats game only looking at the Colts O-line play:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/01/30/ramblings/every-play-counts/4903/
2. A statistical look at Manning's patience to throw deeper down field in 06:
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/footballoutsiders/2007/02/01/Peyton_Manning_learns_the_value_of_patience
3. Where CAN'T you run on the Colts? (Hint: it involves Dwight Freeney)
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/footballoutsiders/2006/12/19/FO_Mailbag_How_not_to_run_against_the_Colts
4. How the hell did we lose that game? A rational look at the Titans debacle
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/12/05/ramblings/any-given-sunday/4643/
5. Who will win the big game? A look at the Super Bowl BEFORE it happened
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/02/01/ramblings/game-previews/4913/
These are all great reads. It's a sweet site, and I hope you all visit regularly.
An absolutely must read
The Indy Star really does have great Colts coverage. With the exception of Kravitz, the reporting by Chappell and Phillip B. Wilson is strong. Phil B. Wilson's blog from Colts camp is awesome.
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/
Seriously, if you care at all about the Colts, you MUST read this blog each day. It's really strong work.
Also today, you can check out a couple of John Clayton articles from Colts' camp:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/insider/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2955916&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2955767&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
The first is free, the second is not, but both are good reads. Right now the three biggest camp questions seem to be going well. They are in order:
1. Who will play LT?
2. How will the LBs play?
3. Who will back up Joe Addai?
Also, if you are a new reader of the Footballoutsiders, check out this recap of some of their best articles.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/07/31/ramblings/5284/
I'm still wading through it, and will recomend the best ones as I find them.
http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/
Seriously, if you care at all about the Colts, you MUST read this blog each day. It's really strong work.
Also today, you can check out a couple of John Clayton articles from Colts' camp:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/insider/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2955916&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2955767&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
The first is free, the second is not, but both are good reads. Right now the three biggest camp questions seem to be going well. They are in order:
1. Who will play LT?
2. How will the LBs play?
3. Who will back up Joe Addai?
Also, if you are a new reader of the Footballoutsiders, check out this recap of some of their best articles.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/07/31/ramblings/5284/
I'm still wading through it, and will recomend the best ones as I find them.
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