Are the NFL Players ‘Whimping Out’?

July 25, 2011 Leave a comment

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So I was talking with a friend of mine online today about the NFL owners and the NFLPA gearing up for a week of final touches on the negotiations for the new CBA to be finalized. During our conversation the topic of the players requesting only 1 a day practices and the limit of 14 ‘full pad’ practices a season.

His opinion was that the players are trying to get out of practice during the pre season and active season. He felt the players were going to be risking themselves to injury because they were not going to be putting in the intensity it takes to be ready for a full season of NFL football.

I had the opposite feelings about the players negotiated requests. I feel that the physics of the game do not lie. A human body can only take so much abuse and contact during a players career.

The aspect of negotiating less full contact hits and reducing the amount of time you can be injured out of a game time situation is brilliant in my opinion. Over the ten years of this new CBA the average career of an NFL player and the quality of life after a players career  has to improve due to the reduction of abuse the player will take over an NFL season.

With less physical time in the practices it will give the NFL teams time to practice the mental aspects of the game. Giving the players more time to work on the schemes and game plans the coaches are implementing every week. The technical quality of football will improve over the next ten years of football. Sure the game is played with natural talent and physicality. But the more the players know the schematics of the game plan the more instinctual they become.

Just ask players like Peyton Manning who is notorious for watching game film and being a student of the game. When you watch Peyton play on Sunday’s he knows where his players are supposed to be at all times and he even knows where the defensive player is supposed to be in the formation they are playing in. There is a reason he is one of the best quarterbacks in the game today.

With the time the lineman, running backs, linebackers, wide receivers, and defensive backs reduced in hitting each other on the field and the classroom time increased the knowledge and technical execution of the game of football has to get better.

These players are not professional athletes because they need to learn how to block someone or need to develop their tackling skills. They are phenomenal athletic specimens who can run faster, hit harder, jump higher than the average football player across America playing the game today.

What makes the great football player stand out over the good football player is his knowledge of the game.

WE SPEAK OUR MINDS!

 

Filed under #fansopinion, NFL, NFL Lockout Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Interview with Austin Pettis: 78th Overall Pick 2011 NFL Draft: St Louis Rams

June 29, 2011 1 Comment

Interview

by

Griffen Raustis

Griffen: What is your biggest weakness on the field?

Austin: Haven’t established myself as a down-field threat yet.

Griffen: What NFL WR inspires you?

Austin: Larry Fitz.

Griffen: I think you will be the next Larry Fitzgarald. In your opinion what is your biggest threat on the field?

Austin: I hope so and speed of the game is big

Griffen: What NFL QB, RB, and WR would you want to join the rams?

Austin: I don’t know which team would take him probably one who missed out in the draft on a QB. I’m happy with all the players that are on the team now.

Griffen: I agree. Do you think Sam Bradford has the talent to be starting QB for years to come?

Austin: Yes of course, I think he proved that already.

Griffen: Yes he did. Do you think you will ever be wildcat QB?

Austin: No I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that.

Griffen: Who is your favorite QB in the NFL right now?

Austin: Sam Bradford

Griffen: Who do you think has the most talent to be starting QB for the Denver Broncos? Orton or Tebow?

Austin: I don’t know enough about either one of them. I can’t say

Griffen: What was your favorite college football memory?

Austin: The success with my teammates over the 4 years.

Publishers Notes:

Griffen Raustis is a young man who guest write’s and interviews athletes for our sports blog. He is very driven and active on twitter. We appreciate all the work Griffen gives us here at The Fans Opinion. School is out so we will be hearing more from Griffen.

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Interview with John Busing : Safety : Hartford Colonials

June 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Interview

By

Brian Dant

 

TFO: What sports did you play as a young man growing up?

John: I played just about every sport known to man growing up, but my main focus was on basketball, baseball, and football.

TFO: Who was your inspiration growing up playing sports?

John: Growing up I was fortunate enough to play sports with friends who have excelled and gone on to play on a major college and pro level. So really the competition between us was my inspiration for getting better and improving myself.

TFO:  You played football at Miami. You were recruited as a wide receiver out of high school and switched to linebacker. Can you explain how that switch was for you?

John: The switch for me was really from playing safety to linebacker. I knew they wanted me on the defensive side of the ball once I got up there, and they felt outside linebacker was the best fit. Being a physical player along with a great position coach really helped my transition and made it an easier one. I got thrown in the mix right away, so it was a baptism by fire situation and I was able to be successful.

TFO: You have been on several NFL teams. Can you tell your fans what your ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment was?

John: The second preseason game of my rookie year we were playing the Green Bay Packers. At halftime the coaches inform me that I’ll be starting the second half. So our defense takes the field after halftime and I’m trying to get lined up and I look in to see the snap. Well as I’m looking inside I notice who’s standing back there…it’s the old quarterback for the Packers that use to wear #4. It was an unreal moment for me playing against him on the field. I can remember as a little kid in the backyard pretending to be him, and now here we were lined up on opposing sides.

TFO: You are currently on the Hartford Colonials roster in the UFL. Can you tell us what your personal goals are for this season?

John: I’m really just looking forward to playing with a new staff and teammates and improving on my game each and every day. 

TFO: For the fans that are not yet aware of the UFL can you describe the quality of football being played in the UFL?

John: All you have to do is take a look on the rosters of the UFL teams to realize the quality and quantity of talent there is in this league. From the coaching staffs all the way down through the rosters are recognizable names with a wealth of experience and success at the college and NFL level.

TFO:  If there was one thing you would want your fans to know about you that has not been asked in an interview what would it be?

John: That I am an avid bowhunter and would gladly accept an invitation to hunt whitetails on someones property. It’s tough to get out there during the season, but any chance to do so and I’ll be in the stand.

Interviewers Notes:

I want to thank David Canter from DEC Management INC for making this interview possible. Without agents like David making their clients available to media outlets like ours these positive interviews would not be possible. Our mission here at The Fans Opinion is to change the negative media about athletes one interview at a time. I want to thank John Busing for taking the time out of his busy training schedule to make this interview possible. I can’t wait to see you hitting people this year. Thank you John!

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For the future success of the NFL : Roger Goodell Must Go!

June 22, 2011 2 Comments

I will beat my drum till I am blue in the face shouting my message that Roger Goodell needs removed from his position as the commissioner of the NFL for the future success of the National Football League. It is no secret that this has been my opinion during this lockout process. But since the lockout seems close to ending in the near future I will sound the alarm again and again until the fans hear my message.

Under the watch of Roger Goodell the NFL was dragged into a stalemate that did not have to happen. Yes both sides were far apart at the end of the 2010 season when it came down to crunch time. But the NFL league office and the owners had two years to put proposals on the table for the players to consider. It was the owners who opted to end the old CBA agreement not the NFL Players Association. The owners knew what was going to happen and even got caught trying to stash away 4 billion in revenues without telling the NFLPA while preparing for the lockout.

When the negotiations started to take place in March of 2011 the NFL waited till the last hour on the last day of the deadline to put forth a silly offer they knew the players would not accept. It seemed like the NFL was not taking the NFLPA seriously and were calling their bluff. As far as income goes for this year the NFL owners have the upper hand. They are due to get paid via the TV contracts in place regardless if a season is played in 2011 or not. By continuing the lockout it is the same old tactic used against unions in the past trying to force a deal favored by the owners of the business negotiating the contracts. The thought process is if we can make them lose their salaries and go broke they will be in a dire situation and accept a contract not in their best interest and favoring the business owner.

What the NFL did not expect or they did not care about was the fans reaction to their obvious disillusion to the common football fan. The owners are so rich and out of touch with the average football fans, they have an arrogant presence of entitlement that radiates off their faces when they talk to the media. It’s like they believe the fans are going to swallow the garbage excuses they are spitting out at the microphone. Well I have news for you Mr. Goodell someone has to pay for this mess and the poop rolls up hill on this one.

You Mr Goodell have to take responsibility for the mess you allowed your league office and the owners that make up the NFL to make. The NFL commissioner has to be a visionary not a reactor. You need to be proactive not reactive to problems and crisis that affect the NFL and its fans. You had two full seasons to come up with a plan that would work for the league and its players. What did you do during those two years besides collect a pay check and fine players for illegal hit and problems off the field?

Sir with all due respect its time for you to go! Mr Goodell I am calling for you to resign as the commissioner of the NFL. It does not matter at this point whether you are a hero and orchestrate a deal with the NFLPA and its players. You have already showed you really do not care about the future of this league and its fans by sitting on your hands for two years plus. A true leader does not care what his colleagues or peer’s think about his directions. A true leader is only concerned about what is best for the people and families he or she represents. I would argue Mr Goodell you have tried to only protect your personal and crony owners best interests. You have not given one iota of respect to the fans that create your revenue and the future revenue of the league. By dragging this out for over two years you have set the NFL back at least a decade. No matter what conclusion you and the NFLPA come to the NFL as we have known it in the past will never be the same. And for that Mr Goodell YOU MUST GO!

WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

 

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The Prophet Ray Lewis: CRIME Will Increase If Lockout Ends Season

May 23, 2011 Leave a comment

“Do this research if we don’t have a season — watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game,” Ray Lewis told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio in an interview on the ESPN website. Ray went on further to say ”There’s too many people that live through us, people live through us,” he said. “Yeah, walk in the streets, the way I walk the streets, and I’m not talking about the people you see all the time.” When asked why he thought the crime would increase if the NFL did not play this season.  ”There’s nothing else to do Sal.” Lewis answered.

Now if the words of the prophet Ray Lewis were true all football fans would be people who bumbled up and down the streets committing crimes if the NFL does not play football. Prophet Ray is broadcasting that the American football sports fan will resort to criminal activity because of boredom on Sunday’s. Apparently we live our life through the NFL football players and don’t have lives of our own. Prophet Ray walks the streets no other man walks! If we were to walk the streets like Prophet Ray maybe we would understand.

Now I believe the sports fans will be upset if the season is not played. I believe it will set the NFL back a decade in potential revenue earnings if the 2011 season is canceled. Its going to take a long time for the football fans to trust the NFL again. The NFL needs to do something to include the fans in this process of negotiations. The NFL needs to open up and become more accessible like the UFL is doing in its absence.

American sports fans just want to watch football. We don’t care about how billions of dollars are split. We do care however  that our star athletes are taken care of now and in the future! NFL and NFLPA stop arguing about the money and work on the important issues about the health benefits of the players in the league and the players that retired. It is time both sides agree on an issue and show solidarity to the sports fans. If we see publicly that you can solve problems and show progress then maybe we will cut you some slack.

In his interview Prophet Ray did get one thing right! When asked why he thought the lockout has gone on so long his reason was pride. ”It’s simple, we really got to remove pride. Seriously,” he said. ”There’s no other reason the issue is going on. That’s why I don’t get into words and all that other stuff, because it takes away from life … itself. There’s people who are really struggling for real. There’s real struggles out there.”

Both sides need to swallow their ego’s! Check the pride at the coat check on the way into the hotel. Wear shorts and some flip-flops and get real comfortable. No more jostling to see who can wear the most expensive suit for the cameras. Make a no suit rule! Roll up the sleeves and get down to serious business. There is no need for a mediator if both sides really want a deal done. I am not convinced yet that the NFL owners are felling the pinch yet. I think they are still disconnected from the sports fans and don’t get it yet. The owners will still make 4.5 million dollars regardless of games or not.

There will be no riots in the streets if the 2011 NFL season is canceled. There will be however a boycott of football merchandise and tickets for years to come. As Larry the Cable Guy would say “Git R Done!”

WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

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NFL Players Arrested Since Lockout Began!

May 22, 2011 Leave a comment

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The NFL has had 12 players arrested since the owners have locked out the players. This is not a reflection of the league as a whole. This is just a situation where every corporation or league has a few bad apples.

I interview professional athletes for this website and for The Fans Opinion Radio Show on a regular basis and try to emphisize the positive characters and attributes of each athlete. I write this article to pass on the information of the events and circumstances of each athlete and arrest on an individual basis.

For the number of athlethes in the NFL 12 athletes arrested since the lockout is not an abnormaly large number compared to the amount of athletes in the league.

Packers DT Johnny Jolly : Johnny was arrested on March 25th for allegedly possessing 600 grams of codeine syrup in his Cadillac Escalade.

Cowboys CB Bryan McCann : Was taken to a Dallas detox and cited for public intoxication.

Raiders OL Mario Henderson : Was reportedly pulled over in his vehicle for having his music to loud. He was arrested for having a gun in his vehicle and not having a concealed weapons permit.

Eagles OT Jason Peters : Was charged with violating the city’s loud music policy and resisting arrest.

Free agent RB Laurence Maroney : Was charged with misdemeanor possession of Marijuana.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib : Surrendered to Texas police on a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon.

Raiders WR Louis Murphy : Allegedly resisted arrest after being pulled over and found to have unlabeled Viagra pills.

Kansas City Chiefs LB Mike Vrabel : Arrested for felony theft at a casino.

Tennessee Titans WR Kenny Britt : After a police chase Britt was arrested on three charges. Britt was charged with eluding an officer, lying to an officer/hindering apprehension and obstructing governmental function.

San Diego Chargers LB Antwan Applewhite : Was arrested in San Diego, CA on suspicion of DUI.

Tampa Bay defensive end Alex Magee : According to police report he was arrested for possession of Marijuana and driving a motor vehicle on expired tags.

Free agent running back Garrett Wolfe : was arrested in Miami and charged with retail theft, disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest according to police reports.

This list will be updated as the lockout continues on. Please stay tuned for further updates! 









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If it look’s like a Duck, walks like a Duck, and talks like a Duck. ITS A DUCK!

May 22, 2011 Leave a comment

As an extreme fan of american football both at the college and professional levels I do not understand why draft picks are not vented more. If I was a billionaire and was going to make a 100 million dollar investment it would not be on a convicted felon.

With the story on Aquib Talib of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his mother it makes you wonder how much the colleges and the NFL teams really look at these athletes past.

The NFL combine tests these athletes body to every degree medically possible. Maybe they should put as much significance on the mind. Doing a background check is not enough for these athletes. Most of their crimes are committed while they are in high school. Their juvenile record is extremely important since the investment is made when they are only 19-22 yes old. There are states where you can get a juvenile record on athletes (not all 50 states allow it).

News comes out today that as a junior in college Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboy’s allegedly was given loans amounting to 850,000. They were secured by his handler David Wells, the players adviser and co-defendant. Now who in their right mind would recommend or allow a 20 yr old college athlete secure 850,000 in loans on jewelry and sports tickets? It just shows you that the athlete is playing the sport for looks and acclaim, not because they love the sport.

Now lets get into the story of Pacman Jones for a minute. It was well know in college that he was trouble while he attended WVU. He was even suspended while he was there, and arrested on a criminal charge as well. Why any NFL team drafted him, or why the NFL gave him a second chance? I have no idea!

I can go on with many examples of the same general thing. Here is my opinion.

I think the NFL teams should put the players that have a “checkered” past on a “Red Shirt” year on the team. Let the players take part in training camp, practice with the team, and spend the “Red Shirt” year on the practice squad. This would give the teams a little longer to vent the player’s and give the players every opportunity to prove themselves as good members in the community.

Why should athletes be held to a lower standard than normal working community members. As a common worker most employees have to take a drug test and pass a background investigation and they work for 10-20 dollars an hour. As millionaires they better be properly investigated.

WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

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MEDIA UPS THE PRESSURE! FIRES “C” WORD!

May 11, 2011 Leave a comment

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During today’s normal research for our blog and radio show I came across a link on Fox Sports titled “Think of the kids: Charities will suffer if the lockout continues.”

Now the “C’ word (Charity) was used to pull on the heart strings of the average American football fan. It is intended to put pressure on the NFL and its players to come to an agreement soon because the “kids will suffer”.

What they don’t tell you is that the NFL is still to make 4.5 Billion in revenues this year despite the lockout in place.  The TV revenue contracts are still to pay the NFL this year even if no games are played. The money is there to contribute to any NFL sponsored charity this year as in years past.
What they fail to bring up is the suffering of the NFL players families and the stress the NFL players families of those who are free or restricted agents.
There are kids who don’t know where they are going to school next year. What about the families who don’t know if Daddy has a job? What about the hurt and suffering players who don’t have health insurance now? What about the players not able to workout in team facilities to support their livelihood? The players that are working out at non-NFL facilities are risking a chance of being injured and not being covered by their NFL insurance.
Now I understand the need for contributions to charity and the good that those donations bring to the kids all around the USA. But don’t pull on our heart strings if you are not going to lay the whole truth on the table.

What is preventing the billionaire owners from still contributing to the charities? What is holding the players back from still giving to the foundations or charities of their choice?

I would say to you that this is just a media ploy.

The sports networks are just starting to get nervous that a deal is not going to get done before September. They are now starting to pull out all the stops. They are worried that they will have to pay out the 4.5 billion dollars with out the fans watching the commercials and buying the products on Sundays.

So what is the best way to make the average football fan mad at the “billionaire owners” and “millionaire players”? Tell us that kids are suffering and hungry with no place to go because they are arguing over how to split billions of dollars.

The average fan does not realize these athletes are fighting for their future and the future of NFL players to come. They are arguing over the retirement health insurance benefits for the players who have given their bodies on Sundays for years and are now broken down and suffering in pain. They are arguing over the revenue shares because the average career of an NFL player is 3.4 years.

What fans do not understand is that the contract money is not guaranteed. The only guaranteed money these players get is the “signing bonus” they receive. The rest can be pulled out from under them at any time!
As a football fan all I want is the media to report the facts as they fall. Don’t bring kids or any other heart string ploy into the situation. We see through your BS. We know your just after your money as well!
WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

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Twitter Interview with Washington Redskin LB H.B. Blades

May 7, 2011 Leave a comment

Washington Redskins LB H.B. Blades

TheFansOpinion
: @blades954 Good Afternoon HB. How are you? Welcome to The Fans Opinion.2:01pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion hey what’s going on?? Just enjoying an awesome day in charlotte2:08pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 Thank you for joining us today. Why did you choose PITT over any of the Florida colleges that wanted you?2:11pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion I just personally needed to get out of the state haha. Pitt was a place that fit my playing style and it was a great 4 years2:12pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 What was your draft day like? And who did you spend it with?2:14pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion my draft day was weird. I spent it in Johnstown, pa with friends playing basketball with some locals kids and it was a blast2:18pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 What was your “Welcome to the NFL” moment when you knew you had finally made it and earned your respect?2:20pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion there is nothing like Danny smith ripping you a new one as a rookie haha2:24pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 Good answer…lol How are you spending your free time during this terrible Lockout?2:25pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion just working out and spending time with my kids which we don’t get a lot of time to do during the season2:27pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 What was your favorite NFL team growing up as a young man?2:29pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion growing up I’ll have to say the jacksonville jags because I was a huge Fred Taylor fan2:32pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 Do you have any Charity events or anything you want your fans to know about?2:34pm, May 07 from HootSuite
blades954

blades954: @TheFansOpinion I have nothing going on at this moment but will keep everyone posted when something comes up2:36pm, May 07 from Twitter for iPhone
TheFansOpinion

TheFansOpinion: @blades954 Thank you so much for joining us today. Look forward to talking with you on MON at 1pm est.2:38pm, May 07 from HootSuite

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DOES GOODELL GET IT?

April 24, 2011 Leave a comment

So here we are deep into the deadlock of the negotiations between the NFL and the players and Roger Goodell has nothing good to say. Did his mother not teach him that if he has nothing good to say then don’t say anything at all?

Taking his position to the public is doing NOTHING but alienating the fans further from the leagues side and more are jumping on the players train that is rolling into litigation. Once again the four day’s of forced mediation has reached no improvement on either side.

Does Roger Goodell really believe that we as fans are a dumb as they make us out to be? I truly believe that if the NFL had shown good faith and tried to negotiate a deal during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons we would be a lot closer to a deal. Possibly even in mini-camps going into training camp real soon.

Goodell said “Clearly the litigation strategy that the union is pursuing is delaying some serious negotiations that really are going to lead to a collective bargaining agreement, that part of it is frustrating. I think valuable time is escaping us, that’s putting financial risk and other risk in play.”

Well Roger you are right about one thing. Time is being wasted but the players hands were forced into litigation when you tried to pull the wool over their eyes and not show the financial records of all 32 teams in the league.

When describing the lawyers for the players Goodell went on further to say “They’re challenging fundamental aspects that have made the league successful and popular with the fans. They’re going after the draft, as an example, pursuing the draft as illegal,” he told USA Today. “They’re pursuing free agency restrictions as illegal. They’re pursuing aspects of the salary cap as illegal. That’s what they’re saying. We don’t believe that. It’s been negotiated. We think they’ve been good for the players, the clubs and most importantly, the fans. It’s what’s created a successful product. So the union attorneys are attacking everything that we think has made the league successful.”

Once again Roger Goodell it is an anti-trust lawsuit now. The players were forced to decertify as a union when you locked them out. So you are no longer arguing a collection bargaining agreement. They are forced to prove in litigation how all those points are illegal to them as a trade association.

I guess you don’t think the average fan can understand the difference? Compare apples to apples! Your comparing peaches and oranges!

The bottom line is that you still can’t agree on how to split the 9 billion dollars in revenue generated by the NFL. And you can’t come to an agreement on the proposed 18 game season. The players side has compromised on the 18 game season argument. So I guess you are still sticking to your ‘greedy guns’.

Make it easy on everyone involved including the fans Roger Goodell. JUST RESIGN! Take your millions you have earned as commissioner and just disappear into the Montana woods somewhere and don’t come back out until we have football being played on Sundays again. As a fan of the NFL just seeing your face disgusts me!

As a fan base we should rise up and send a clear message to the NFL. FIRE GOODELL NOW AND SAVE YOUR LEAGUE! Even the NBA is looking at the NFL lockout and saying ” lets learn from this so we don’t end up in this mess”.

WE SPEAK OUR MIND!

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