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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

Here is the list of Top 20 selling NFL jerseys, courtesy of Darren Rovell’s SportsBiz, via Shutdown Corner:

1. Brett Favre, Vikings
2. Jay Cutler, Bears
3. Troy Polamalu, Steelers
4. Michael Vick, Eagles
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys
7. Mark Sanchez, Jets
8. Tom Brady, Patriots
9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
10. Eli Manning, Giants
11. Terrell Owens, Bills
12. Peyton Manning, Colts
13. Hines Ward, Steelers
14. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
15. Jason Witten, Cowboys
16. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens
18. Matt Ryan, Falcons
19. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
20. Michael Crabtree, 49ers

The most startling fact is this, as explained by MJD: Vick has only been with the Eagles for 14 days, yet he is 4th in jersey sales over the past five months. Amazing.

And really, I suppose that we can’t be too surprised about Favre topping the list. Many of his old Green Bay fans will buy a jersey wherever he plays, and the entire Minnesota fan base is salivating at finally having a QB with some positive winning experience as a starter. Forget that he’s 40 and over the hill and probably won’t make it through the season healthy.

(In fact, he might not make it out of the preseason. Just caught on ESPN that Favre apparently thinks he may have another ready-made excuse if he stinks this year a cracked rib. Uh oh…)

Honestly though, consider the implications of the following statement four or five years ago: “In the year 2009, Brett Favre Vikings jerseys will be the highest selling jersey in the NFL.” It would have sounded totally non-sensical and the kind of thing that a Packers fan would describe as a certain sign of the dawning of the apocalypse.

And here is a contemporary sign of the impending end of the world: Michael Crabtree, who is a turd has yet to sign with the 49ers and is threatening to skip the entire season, is ranked #20 in jersey sales…out of all players in the NFL! 

At least his holdout appears to be hurting his sales though.  Darren Rovell mentions that Crabtree was 8th on the list a short time ago.  As MJD points out, for those 49ers who were excited that Crabtree fell to #10 and then gobbled up his jersey, it “could turn out to be the worst jersey investment of all-time.”

Or, like I said, just a precursor to the apocalypse. 

And now some other great links to carry you through the afternoon and evening.  See you all tomorrow morning.

Sports:

• NBA All Under-25 League — (Barkley’s Mouth)
• Jay Cutler: By the numbers — (Jay Cutler Superstar)
• 2009 NFC West Preview — (MoonDog)
• Broncos-Bears preseason game was like a playoff game — (Peter King’s MMQB)
• NFC North predictions from ESPN — (i94 Sports)
• Rich Rodriguez defends himself against allegations — (FanHouse)
• Great perspective on Tim Tebow — (Tim TeBlog by Dan Shanoff)
• Where’s the love for Miggy? — (MLive)
• College football pick ‘em — (Sparty and Friends)
• Denver fan debuts “Cuntler” #6 jersey — (Busted Coverage)

Non-Sports:

• 4 reasons winning the Mega Millions would suck — (Illuminati)
• Guide to being a man: How to slay a vampire — (Straight Pinkie)
• Macaulay Culkin is the father of Michael Jackson’s youngest kid? — (The Sun)
• 12 inventions that had to have been created by stoners — (Hail Mary Jane)

——————–

What Michael Vick brings to the table for the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles is excitement, big plays, and lots of flash.  As football fans, we crave this like a bad drug habit.  This excitement and big play potential is why we watch the game, similar to how many NASCAR fans watch races for the crashes.  

Michael Vick will make the Eagles interesting, not just due to being a decoy and running the wildcat formation.  He will also make the Eagles interesting because we want to see how he is changed on and off the field. Plus, as we found out after last night’s, Vick’s presence in Philadelphia has created the potential for controversy between he, Donovan McNabb, and the Eagles fans as the season progresses.  

During his interview with James Brown on 60 minutes, Vick acknowledged that he was the last one on the field and the first one off it during his time in Atlanta.  He could get away with this to a certain extent because, as we all know, Vick is as nimble as a cheetah on the field and has a cannon for an arm. There is no denying his skills as an athlete no matter how much we may dislike the things he has done.  

With the media circus that surrounds Vick this year, will he be the first one on the field and the last one off it? What if Vick spends more time watching film and, in turn, is able to break down defenses not only with his legs but with his arm?  He will have six weeks to prepare for the grind that is the NFL before being able to play in the regular seson, and he will be fresh when defenses (and even his own teammates) are banged up.  

This is where things will become interesting.  

Eagles fans have this love-hate relationship with Donovan McNabb.  Things will very likely be rosy for the first seven games of the season for Philadelphia, as they can easily go 6-1 with their schedule.  Once Vick is back, however, the schedule becomes disastrous.  They will play consecutively starting November 1st: the Giants, Cowboys, at San Diego, at the Bears, Redskins, at Atlanta (to say that Falcon fans will not be happy to welcome Vick back is the understatement of the year) and at the New York Giants.  

Not that the Eagles will lose all of these games, but they will be in a “dog fight” for each one of them.  

If Donovan McNabb struggles and Vick shows signs of brilliance, what will happen then?  Do Eagle fans start to chant we want Vick?  [Editor's Note: They already have!]

What I do know is Vick was perfect with 4-4 passing in the first half of tonight’s preseason game while McNabb had a touchdown but also a fumble and a pick returned for a touchdown.  

Was last night a sign of things to come?  Only time will tell. 

**********

Keep your eye out for Rich’s next column here at MSF, and you can also follow his blog at http://www.nflandcollegefootball.com/.

* – Michael Vick photo credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum via ESPN.com

Vick cleared for preseason participation — (ESPN.com via the AP)

Michael Vick was reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday and could play in regular-season games as early as October.

Vick can immediately participate in preseason practices, workouts and meetings and can play in the final two preseason games — if he can find a team that will sign him. A number of teams have already said they would not.

“Needless to say, your margin for error is extremely limited,” Goodell said in a letter to Vick. “I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you and to dedicate yourself to rebuilding your life and your career. If you do this, the NFL will support you.”

Here are some Vick-related links, then a bunch of others to carry you through the afternoon. Hopefully I’ll be back in full action with my usual quota of daily posts starting again tomorrow.

Michael Vick

• Michael Vick to the Cleveland Browns and Dawg Bound in 2009? — (MSF archives, but still relevant)
• “Phones are ringing” for Vick — (PFT via John Clayton reports)
• Vick could miss four games, or as few as no games — (PFT)

Other Links

• Bud Selig mulling pardon for Pete Rose — (NY Daily News)
• Revisiting the funniest Rickey Henderson stories — (Detroit4Lyfe)
• Auditions for Cavs dance team an excuse to post pics of hot women — (Epic Carnival)
• NBA offseason told as quotes from “Almost Famous” Part 1 — (The Sports Guy…who else?)
• Rumor: Leon Powe to Cleveland? — (Celtics Blog)
• Ron Artest rapping in China — (Sharapova’s Thigh)
• Sox downed by Double Leylands — (Not Qualified to Comment)
• Top 10 Best Sports Movies — (Dallas Sports Fans)
• How to be a hostage negotiator — (Straight Pinkie)
• Baseball playing robots don’t need steroids — (MoonDog)
• Happy birthday Kate Beckinsale — (MoonDog)
• 10 disturbingly entertaining Jerry Springer fights — (Hail Mary Jane)
• Phillies fans kill one of their own…yes, kill — (Busted Coverage)
• Ken Rosenthal’s head might explode reading this — (uncoached)

First, the well documented case of Donte Stallworth. If any of you were in a third world country in the last four months, I will recap for you. Donte Stallworth was driving drunk and killed a pedestrian in Miami on March 14th of this year.

His Sentence – 30 Days in jail, 2 years on house arrest, which will allow him to play football, and he settled with the 59 year old victim’s family for an undisclosed dollar amount.

Onto Michael Vick. Vick was charged with felonies and later reached a plea agreement in December of 2007 for funding the operations of a dog fighting ring for a period of many years.

His Sentence – 23 months in Federal Prison, followed by a period of house arrest. During this time, Vick lost 16 million dollars in assets in his bankruptcy case.

Now the debate begins.

How in the hell can you kill a person, a grandfather, a father, a husband, a brother, an uncle, a freaking person, and only serve 30 days in jail. But for fighting dogs, which some still consider a sport, be jailed for 2 years? Does this make any sense at all?

I know, I know, I can hear all of the dog lovers of the world yelling, “My dog is a member of my family.” Great, so is mine. But I will not trade my wife’s, children’s, or parents’ life to save my dog, would you? These crimes do not compare on any level, and yes, Stallworth I am sure paid a ton of money; but Vick lost everything as well as serving a prison term 23 times longer than Stallworth’s.

Vick’s actions were more common than you think, and most likely experienced by him in childhood which continued into his young adult life. I am not making excuses for Vick, but clearly an example was made out of Vick for his actions.

Look at the losses in these cases. Yes, a dog lost their life, but Vick did not steal your dog and kill it. Stallworth took a life from a family which will never come back. Every time I dwell on this topic, it sickens me and disgusts me to know that if a high profile athlete drives while intoxicated and kills my family member, the criminal justice system will not hold them accountable at all.

My sympathies go out to the family and friends of the victim.

**********

Kurt Fraschetti

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* – Donte Stallworth photo credit: ROBERT E. KLEIN/FOR THE GLOBE

(Update 12/2: Derek Anderson has a torn MCL.  He will not need surgery, but will need 4-6 recover, so his season is officially done as expected.)

I don’t think I’m going to post a recap of the Browns 10-6 loss to the Colts. Here is all you need to know: the defense played great, held Peyton Manning and the Colts offense to 3 points, and a fumble return for a touchdown by Robert Mathis was the difference in the game.

It was the same old story for the Browns: one side of the ball played well, while the other unit failed and cost the Browns at win at home.

Oh, and another one of our quarterbacks is out. (And, for the record, if that picture to the left doesn’t sum up the Browns’ 2008 season, I don’t know what does.)

ESPN is reporting that Derek Anderson suffered what is bring called an MCL sprain late in the 4th quarter. Ken Dorsey came in for Anderson and threw three straight incompletions on the final drive of the game.

In his post-game press conference, Romeo Crennel said that Anderson did not look good coming off the field and that he is not encouraged. Something tells me that Anderson’s injury is not the only thing that has Crennel discouraged this evening.

The injury to Derek Anderson comes on the heels of Brady Quinn being declared out of the year with a injury to his index finger. Earlier this week, we posted a Top 10 list of candidates to replace Brady Quinn at QB for the Browns. Derek Anderson was #1 on the list, but can now be crossed off.

The Browns really have no choice but to turn to Ken Dorsey at QB for the final four games. Joshua Cribbs has experience as a college quarterback, and the Browns signed Cowboys cast-off RIchard Bartell last week to be the emergency QB.

Unfortunately, the injury to Derek Anderson just adds to injury to insult that had already been added to injury and more insult. It has just been one of those seasons for the Browns in which everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.

With another QB injury, the thoughts of Michael Vick playing QB for the Browns don’t seem so bad or ridiculous anymore, now do they?

I’m going to cry. 4-8. How in the hell did his happen?

Why not?

Michael Vick entered a guilty plea on November 25th to the state charges of dogfighting against him in Virginia. This plea clears the way for a probable early release from prison for Vick and opens up the possibility of him playing in 2009. Of course, he is still suspended by the NFL, so that would have to be lifted first. But if Pacman Jones and Chris Henry can be given seventh and eighth and ninth chances, then why shouldn’t Vick be given a second?

The fact of the matter is that no matter how much blustering or deliberation occurs before it is official, Michael Vick will be reinstated by the NFL; and most likely for 2009 if he is out of prison. I am sure that Roger Goodell is still pissed that Vick initially lied to him about his involvement in the dogfighting, but Mike Brown of the Bengals continues to lie to everyone that he is committed to winning and he still owns his team. If there is a place in the NFL for Mike Brown, shouldn’t there be a place in the NFL for Mike Vick?

So the next question becomes, where would Michael Vick sign? The conventional wisdom suggests teams with horrid QB situations like Detroit and San Francisco would be first in line. The Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys can’t be ruled out because Al Davis and Jerry Jones have a history of signing outlaws. And I have heard the Patriots bandied about as a possibility, if Vick is willing to play a position other than QB. Can you imagine a Wildcat-style formation with Vick as a change of pace with Tom Brady if Vick becomes a QB to RB/WR convert?

But what about the Cleveland Browns? I have not ever really seen them listed as a possibility, mainly because everyone was sure the Browns had one of the most solid QB situations in the league coming into 2008: a 2007 Pro Bowler and a 1st round pick both on the roster.

Well, Derek Anderson’s Pro Bowl season looks more like a mirage with every game that he finishes with a sub-50% completion rate, and there is no telling how good Brady Quinn is, or if Quinn will suffer any recurring trouble from his finger injury. It all sounds pretty routine; but anytime surgery and a Browns player are mentioned in the same sentence, we have to hold our breath until the player returns home from the hospital without getting the-infection-that-shall-not-be-named.

For shits and giggles, let’s analyze how well the Browns and Michael Vick would fit together.

Potential Fit #1: Both Michael Vick and the Cleveland Browns have a history of making dogs suffer.

The Browns, of course, have made their loyal Dawg Pound supporters suffer for years. There were the blown chances against the Broncos in the 80s, the team’s move to Baltimore in the 90s, the ineptitude of the early 2000s, and then the high hopes that developed in 2007 only to come crashing down in 2008.

And Michael Vick, well, there is really no need for further expatiation of how he has made dogs suffer.

Our good friends at Flash Sports Tonight actually discussed the connection in one of their Flash Reports last year during the Vick trial:

Plus, imagine the plethora of ironic and diabolically humorous T-shirts, signs, and assorted memorabilia that would be launched with the association of Michael Vick and the Dawg Pound.

Would they be in poor taste? Absolutely. Is this a PR nightmare that the NFL would most likely want to avoid like the plague? I would imagine so. For this very reason, I would think that Roger Goodell might step in if Vick-to-the-Browns ever became a realistic possibility. I’m not kidding.

But, on the flip side, it could also offer many opportunities for Michael Vick to both literally and figuratively express remorse and reverse his reputation as a dog hater and abuser. Some legitimate ideas:

–The Michael Vick Dawg Pound Patrol could scour the streets of Cleveland for stray dogs, put them in shelters, and then try to find them homes as quickly as possible. Season ticket holders could be given discounts if they sign up for shifts.

–The Michael Vick Dawg Pound Foundation could be set up so that Vick could give a certain amount of money to local animal shelters or other charities every time he contributes to a touchdown by passing, running, or receiving. And instead of any outlandish celebrations that draw attention to himself, he could simply jump into the Dawg Pound, give the ball to fans, etc, as an act of goodwill towards the Dawg Pound and, metaphorically, to dogs in general.

–The Michael Vick Don’t Dawg It Award could be given each week to the Browns player who plays the hardest and never quits in the previous week’s game. Vick himself could present the award each week at the first practice. With all of the talk this season about how Browns players purportedly quit during games, this could help to incentivize players to play hard and make sure that effort is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

And think about it: if the players that were the subject of the “they quit” comments by Jamal Lewis and Josh Cribbs had been dogs in Vick’s dogfighting operation, Vick would have beaten or killed them. (Luckily for these unnamed players, Romeo Crennel is much more mild-mannered.) This 180 degree flip for Michael Vick, celebrating effort as opposed to physical punishment for failure, could be a powerful and cathartic move for him.

(Editor’s Note: Thanks to the Sports Hernia for the Dawg Pound pic above. Hopefully they don’t mind me using it.)

Potential Fit #2: Michael Vick the receiver, if he switched positions, would likely have trouble catching passes and staying healthy after a two year layoff.

Yet another reason why Mike Vick would fit in with the Browns!

Cleveland is blessed with the immensely athletic and talented Braylon Edwards. However, as Braylon has proven this year, he likes catching balls about as much as Barack Obama likes the BCS and the Cubs. In addition, the Browns employ speedy Donte Stallworth on the other side of Edwards. Stallworth is talented, but it is quite possible that his bones are made of pretzel and his joints, muscles, and tendons are actually baked rubber bands.

An Edwards-Vick-Stallworth receiving duo would look amazing in pregame warmups – until the game started and Stallworth was deactivated, Edwards dropped every other pass, and Vick emerged as a less reliable target than Syndric Steptoe.

Perfect fit, right!?

Potential Fit #3: What if Michael Vick became more of a QB-RB-WR hybrid who was able to move all over the field, lead a zone-read Wildcat-type package, and take reverses and handoffs?

Well, he’d probably add a ridiculous level of dynamic play-making ability to the Browns offense. And with the whole three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-Lewis-or-five-step-drop offense that the Browns have utilized this season being woefully undynamic, Vick’s addition could be a welcome sight.

And, undoubtedly, the Browns coaches would be smart enough to get the Vick the ball, right?

Hmm…therein lies a problem. We have two guys, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison, who have been pretty successful this season when they are creatively utilized by the Browns. Unfortunately, the Browns coaches have seemed allergic to getting them the ball consistently.

How much could Vick really help out in this area if he were to, say, rush for 40 yards on 4 carries and then never get the ball again? But that would never happen with the Browns, right? Right!?!

I feel your pain Jerome Harrison. Damnit this season has been frustrating.

Potential Fit #4: What about Michael Vick as a possible QB? Could he actually be an improvement?

The Browns signed Derek Anderson to an extension before the 2008 season and have Brady Quinn locked in for a few more years. Could Michael Vick really start over these two guys?

The biggest knock on Michael Vick throughout his NFL career has been his accuracy as a passer. For his career Michael Vick is a 53.8% passer. By comparison, Derek Anderson’s completion percentage this season is 49.0%. Brady Quinn’s is 50.6%. So, essentially, the only negative about Vick the QB would actually lead to an improvement over what the Browns have now.

Interesting.

I know what you are thinking: take out the drops of Braylon Edwards and both DA and Brady would have completion percentages over 75%. You’re right, but still; the numbers are what they are. And Michael Vick would have the ability to tuck it and run instead of firing it downfield to Braylon, thus eliminating many of the drops and wasted plays.

And can you imagine how defenses would try to defend a loaded backfield formation of Vick, Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison, and either Josh Cribbs or Jason Wright? I mean, if we’re only going to complete 50% of our passes anyway, why not just start running the ball 50 times a game, throw in some option/zone-read, and just let Vick take 4 or 5 chances downfield a game. He may not be accurate, but he can still fling it 60-70 yards pretty effortlessly. Braylon Edwards catches one out of every five passes thrown his way, so that would be good for one big play in the passing game per week. It’s about what we are getting now.

Plus, we would be able to control the clock longer with a more sustained commitment to a ground attack. This would allow our defense to be fresher, and we all know how the Browns defense has worn down at the end of games.

Wow, just typing this is already getting me excited for the Michael Vick era of Browns football – for which there isn’t even a legitimate rumor.

Whatever ends up happening with Michael Vick when he is released from jail, it will be fascinating to see unfold. My personal opinion is that Michael Vick committed despicable acts and lied about them, and he got exactly what he deserved. However, he has now paid his debt to society and, I think, to the NFL.

Thus, when Mike Vick is released from jail, I think the market forces of the NFL should dictate whether he plays or not. If someone wants to sign him, let him play. He does not deserve further punishment, and from a fan’s perspective it would be great to have one of the most exciting players back in the league. (And someone else in every fantasy league would reach for Vick three or four rounds too early in drafts, thus marginally my chances of winning!)

Would it be a good move for the Browns to sign Michael Vick? That is obviously debatable. I went into the post thinking it would just be an attempt at irony and humor; but now that I’ve written it, I’m not so sure the Browns shouldn’t kick the tires on Vick once he’s cleared to play.

With the right plan in place for how to use him, Michael Vick could be a very valuable addition to a team that has some talent, but could always use another game-changing playmaker.

It is waaaaay to early to start seriously thinking about the possibility of Michael Vick in a Browns uniform, but don’t you at least have to admit that the possibility is intriguing?

[tags]michael vick, cleveland browns, nfl[/tags]