During the heat of competition, the passion that courses through combatants can sometimes take a turn into uglier territory.

The brawl between Cincinnati and Xavier back on December 10 demonstrated an example of athletes allowing their pride and passion to overcome common sense and respect for the game, their organizations, their teammates and obviously, their opponents.

Photo by: Frank Victores | Presswire

Nine days later, Arizona State and Southern Miss had a skirmish between players on court – including a punch thrown – as a result of a battle for a rebound.

Sometimes, however, athletes and sports figures fight for the same reasons that anyone else fights – someone pissed them off or they don’t like someone.  Plenty of bad blood exists between players, coaches, commissioners and even officials, and while it doesn’t always end in fisticuffs, it can be very entertaining when it does.

Although it’s not very “Tebow” of me, I will admit that I treat fights – especially those between wealthy, famous people – like a car crash; I just can’t look away.

Here are some sports feuds that deserve to have a resolution, and I think that the most fascinating way for that resolution to come about is a pay-per-view style mixed martial arts event featuring all of the sports figures who despise each other.  In my dream fight scenario there would be a referee so that things would remain safe (for example, we wouldn’t want an enraged James Harrison to actually tear Roger Goodell’s head off were they to wage war in the octagon) and standard UFC non-title fight rules would apply (three 5-minute rounds).

Here are some battles I would definitely pay to see:

Yancy Gates vs. Kenny Frease (the rematch)

• Height: Gates – 6-9 / Frease – 7-0
• Weight: Gates – 260 / Frease – 275
• Age: Gates – 22 / Frease – 22 (Gates is 3 days older)

Since Gates landed sort of a sucker punch the first time, I’d like to see him face off against Frease again.

Both of these guys are huge, but Frease is truly a behemoth.  Gates obviously has knockout power, however, as we saw during the infamous brawl on December 10.  It would be interesting to see if he can go all LeGarrette Blount on Frease without the distraction of a benches-clearing brawl interfering.

Rex Ryan vs. Brandon Jacobs

• Height: Ryan – 6-3 / Jacobs – 6-4
• Weight: Ryan – A LOT / Jacobs – 264
• Age: Ryan – 49 / Jacobs – 29

Following the Giants’ 29-14 thrashing of Ryan’s Jets on Christmas Eve, Brandon Jacobs had some words for Ryan.

Of course Ryan is no stranger to trash talking, whether it be about football or fighting.  He famously taunted former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder in the media, and he is known for his boastful declarations about the Jets’ on-field prospects.

Jacobs may be much younger, but I have a feeling that Rex’s mouth has gotten him into plenty of brawls before, and he seems like a pretty confident fella.

 Nyjer Morgan vs. Chris Carpenter

• Height: Morgan – 6-0 / Carpenter – 6-6
• Weight: Morgan – 175 / Carpenter – 230
• Age: Morgan – 31 / Carpenter – 36

T-Plush and Carpenter had a dust-up back in September as the NL Central race was heating up.  Plenty of trash talking from Morgan and Carpenter ensued, and since-departed Cardinals Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa even got involved.

Morgan and his flamboyant alter-ego Tony Plush did little to squelch the flames of the rivalry, taunting the Cardinals by bragging over the Brewers’ standing atop the division, but the Cards ended up with the last laugh by improbably winning the World Series a few weeks later.

Baseball feuds can run for years, so it will be interesting to see if 2012 delivers another chapter in this feud.  For now I can only wish for a score-settling face off between the smaller, quicker Morgan, and the towering Carpenter.

Kyle Busch vs. Kevin Harvick

• Height: Busch – 6-1 / Harvick – 5-10
• Weight: Busch – 160 / Harvick – 175
• Age: Busch – 26 / Harvick – 36

When NASCAR VP of competition Robin Pemberton issued the statement “Boys, have at it” in 2010, fans of old-school contact racing and the fisticuffs that sometimes follow were elated.

In May 2011 at Darlington, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick’s growing feud came to a head, with Harvick throwing a punch at Busch after what he deemed over-zealous driving by Kyle.  Later, Harvick’s car owner, Richard Childress, reportedly tried to physically fight Busch as well.

Harvick is known as an instigator, and over the past few years he has been involved in incidents and trash-talking with Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Busch and others.  But given how close Harvick and Busch always seem to run, the potential for an explosive fight is always present.

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant

• Height: Shaq – 7-1 / Kobe – 6-6
• Weight: Shaq – 325 / Kobe – 205
• Age: Shaq – 39 / Kobe – 33

What can I say about this feud that hasn’t already been said?

Shaq and Kobe feuded publicly for years, and even though they have played nice on camera in recent years, there is no doubt that some lingering animosity is shared by both.  Their sparring was so prevalent that there is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the feud.

I would imagine Shaq would be a difficult guy to beat up no matter who you are, but if anyone has the tenacity and killer instinct to do so, it is Kobe.  To see Shaq come into the octagon joking and playing around, maybe rapping “Kobe tell me how my ass tastes,” only to see Kobe enter with that scowl of his would be magical.

Would’s O’Neal’s “Shaq-Fu” be enough to take down the “Black Mamba?”  We’ll probably never know, but I would pay a decent chunk of money to know for sure.

Roger Goodell vs. James Harrison

• Height: Goodell – 6-0 (est.) / Harrison – 6-0
• Weight: Goodell – unknown / Harrison – 242
• Age: Goodell – 52 / Harrison – 33

I hinted at it in the opening, but this fight would definitely need to be governed by strict UFC-style rules.

The size differential isn’t alarming, but one would have to figure that Harrison is the stronger man.  Still, l can’t help wishing that the NFL head honcho, who also performs duties of judge, jury, and executioner in all things disciplinary for the league, would agree to physically brawl with his most troublesome employee.

And who knows?  Maybe Goodell is some sort of secret martial artist, and his whole reign of tyranny over the NFL is unimpeded because most players, coaches, and executives are terrified of him.  If that is the case (and I certainly hope it is), then I would love to see him go at it with this guy:

Mike Piazza vs. Roger Clemens

• Height: Piazza – 6-3 / Clemens – 6-4
• Weight: Piazza – 200 / Clemens – 205
• Age: Piazza – 43 / Clemens – 49

No catcher ever hit for power like Mike Piazza, and few pitchers during the era spanning the 1980s-2000s instilled as much fear in opposing hitters as Roger Clemens.

The two became enemies when Clemens drilled Piazza in the head with a pitch in an interleague game in 2000.  Later that year, in the 2000 “Subway” World Series, Piazza broke his bat while hitting a grounder off of Clemens, and in a bizarre sequence, Clemens picked up the splintered bat and threw it back in the direction of Piazza, who had begun running the bases.

Four years later, Piazza caught for Clemens during the first inning on the All-Star game, and Clemens allowed six runs.  It was alleged that Piazza was tipping Clemens’ pitches to American League batters as a way of retaliating for the previous incidents.

I would like to see these two settle their old score, and just in case, I’ll allow PEDs for these two fighters only.  You know, just for old times’ sake.

Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz

• Height: Harbaugh – 6-3 / Schwartz – 6-0 (est.)
• Weight: Harbaugh – 215 / Schwartz – unknown
• Age: Harbaugh – 48 / Schwartz – 45

Back in October, head coaches and Jims Harbaugh (49ers) and Schwartz (Lions) got into a bit of a scuffle following the 49ers win in Detroit.

Harbaugh’s exuberance in the aftermath led to some (probably) over-enthusiastic celebrating and a pretty firm handshake with Schwartz.  Schwartz, obviously upset about losing the game, became enraged by the handshake, and chased Harbaugh down, yelling at him all the way.  Schwartz had to be restrained by players and team personnel.

Since these two teams could meet again in the postseason, we can only hope for more fireworks, but what I truly hope for is being able to watch them compete in an actual fight.

Tim Duncan vs. Joey Crawford

• Height: Duncan – 6-11 / Crawford – 5-8 (est.)
• Weight: Duncan – 255 / Crawford – unknown
• Age: Duncan – 35 / Crawford – 60

Duncan and Crawford have some history, most notably in 2007 when Crawford ejected Duncan for laughing at a call from the bench.  As ridiculous as the ejection was, things became even more strange when the typically reserved Duncan said Crawford challenged him to a fight, and different accounts reported that the two exchanged profanities.  Crawford was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs (breaking a 21-year streak of working NBA Finals games), and Duncan was also fined.

As any avid NBA fan knows, Crawford is a particularly animated referee, and he has been criticized (by me and others) for being too showy while making calls and for being contentious with players.

I would like to see this fight for a number of reasons, chief among them the hilarious spectacle that the age and size differentials would create and the fact that Crawford deserves some comeuppance for his antics over the years.

Reggie Bush vs. Miles Austin vs. Kris Humphries with Special Guest Referee Ray J.

• Height: Bush – 6-0 / Austin – 6-2 / Humphries – 6-9
• Weight: Bush – 203 / Austin -215 / Humphries – 235
• Age: Bush – 26 / Austin – 27 / Humphries – 26

As far as I know, none of these guys has any problem with the others.  But the fact is that they are all jilted exes of one Kim Kardashian.  So what would be more fun than a three-way dance in which the winner gets to reclaim Kim’s heart?

Since Ray J. is the co-star of a certain X-rated home video that broke Kim’s career, he can officiate the brawl.  Given the Kardashian clan’s penchant for cashing in on ill-advised television programs, this would seem to be right up their alley.  Of course, given the success that Bush, Austin and Humphries have experienced, they might not be too excited about this.

This one might have to wait until they are all retired.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao

• Height: Mayweather – 5-8 / Pacquiao – 5-6.5
• Weight: Mayweather – varies / Pacquiao – varies
• Age: Mayweather – 34 / Pacquiao – 33

While we’re on the subject of dream fights that will probably never happen, we might as well throw in the boxing superfight that everyone seems to want except the two guys who would be fighting.

Pac-Man v Mayweather has been speculated about for years, but as of now there are no indications that they will fight any time soon.  I would surely pay for this fight, as I’m sure millions of other sports fans would, so hopefully they find a way to make it happen before the two fighters get much older and have their substantial skills deteriorate.

What sports figures would you like to see fight each other?  List them in the comments below!

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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Image Credits: usatoday.com, blitzsportsnetwork.com, sportsgrid.com, sbnation.com, nydailynews.com, nbaloud.com, hiphophoney.com

The question is, who should new franchises be awarded to?

Before discussing the cities, it’s important to discuss whether 8 more teams would be reasonable for the NFL, economically speaking.

Many analysts would scoff at the idea of bringing in so many more teams.

They would say that the abundance of teams will have a negative effect on the bottom line because the league would be spreading itself too thin.

It depends on perception. There could be less percentage of profits available for the 32 teams, but it also depends on how success is measured.

Jacksonville has fulfilled its obligations at every level, but the league demands more. They want more gate money and a flawless reputation.

If the NFL lowered standards to a degree where exceptional profits one year and average profits another is not the end of the world, then more teams could participate.

Greed plays a huge role in any expansion talks.

The league should adapt to be more reasonable and accepting of when an organization runs smoothly, but profits are not through the roof, yet not so bad either. Ultimately, more teams spread out through the country provides opportunity for more marketing and the potential for bigger profits in both the short-term and long-term.

The other argument against such progressive expansion is the dilution of talent. This is another fallacy. The college game provides plenty. The sport is at its height for participation in the U.S. at all levels.

With more teams, there may not be as many great one-handed catches per game, but the variety of teams should bring a freshness to playcalling and improved strategies for winning over more fans to the game.

The most likely choices for new franchises would be in Los Angeles, Portland, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Orlando, Omaha, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. Each of these cities are chosen for different reasons, some obvious, others not so obvious.

Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas seem obvious. Big metropolitan areas with the right organization shouldn’t have big problems bringing it all together. San Antonio has the Alamodome, LA is already preparing for a team, and Vegas (without any pro team) is always in the conversation.

Portland, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento all support NBA teams without MLB and are big cities with enough infrastructure to rally their cities for a team. Omaha is growing, progressive, and a good geographical fit.

Now, the fun part: the nicknames.

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*Author is Managing Editor of www.AmericanizeSoccer.com

It was probably a little disingenuous of me to say that baseball SHOULD play and the NFL should NOT be allowed to play on September 11. I apologize. I was still in the midst of NFL hate due to the lockout. Because of that, I was unable to get across my main point: it’s not that sports are bad, but they are counter-productive to the goal of September 11…THIS YEAR.

I was going to let it go…until the NFL put out this ridiculous statement.

Please understand, I believe that sports definitely fill a purpose in life. I also realize how much of a healing presence they can provide during tough times. On the original September 11, one of the best things my school did was NOT cancel the soccer game for that Tuesday night. Those were the only two hours of normalcy in my life that day, and I still remember how poorly we played against a subpar team because we were all so distracted.

But we need to understand exactly HOW sports help us heal.

Do sports really make anything better? Do sports really make the pain go away? Do sports really solve life problems? Of course they don’t.

Sports help us to forget…for a couple of hours.

September 11th, 2011 should NOT be a day to forget.

Listen, I am not begging for September 11 to be a national holiday (although I think it should be…if Pearl Harbor has a day, so should the World Trade Center). I am not asking for games to be canceled on every single September 11. I am not even necessarily asking for all the games to be cancelled on THIS September 11.

But the LAST thing Americans need to be doing this Sunday is watching eleven consecutive hours of football – forgetting about the 2,977 lives lost for the entire afternoon and evening.

This year, the NFL has shown that they only have one goal: to make money…lots of it…as much as possible…consequences be damned. During this offseason we saw billionaires argue with millionaires for four months over how to split $9 billion. We saw how little they cared about the fans – the people giving them all this money – throughout the entire process.

We know what the NFL values.

Now they are trying to convince us that they really care about remembering 2,977 real heroes. And just how is the NFL going to remember them? By having ten minute presentations before every game.

Here are some direct quotes from the NFL’s statement this week.

“The schedule of games for that day was designed to appropriately commemorate 9/11 on a national level and what it represents to Americans.

Eight games will kick off at 1 p.m. ET, including the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are based approximately 80 miles from Shanksville, PA (CBS).”

So in order to APPROPRIATELY COMMEMORATE 9/11 (we should assume this means they are doing something different from the norm), the NFL has decided to play 8 games at 1:00, just like they do every week of every year.

But hey, at least they are allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers – a team who was touched more than most by the attack since they only live 80 miles from where the plane went down in Pennsylvania – to TRAVEL to play against their arch-rival.

By the way everybody, this game is on CBS. The NFL made sure we didn’t miss that little tidbit.

This is ridiculous self-promotion in its worst form.

The NFL doesn’t care about remembering Shanksville, PA. They DO care about starting off the season with one of the most exciting, hard-hitting slug-fests of the season, one that will definitely be a huge ratings bonanza. One hour into this game, nobody will remember the lockout.

And nobody will be remember 2,977 heroes either.

But it doesn’t stop there.

“The 4:15 p.m. ET window of four games includes FOX’s telecast of the Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants.”

Awesome. Redskins vs. Giants. A yearly division rivalry game that much of the East Coast will tune into. And it’s on FOX. Thanks a lot for really going to great lengths to make the day special, NFL.

Again, we have the Giants – the team which arguably was impacted by 9-11 more than ANY OTHER TEAM – traveling to play a division rival. I remember Jason Sehorn pleading with the NFL not to play because “nobody’s thinking about football right now.” The Giants could see everything happen as it was happening on that fateful day. If anyone deserves a home game this September 11, it’s them.

“To conclude the day, the Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Jets on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.”

Alright, now we might be getting somewhere. A New York team has a home game. This MIGHT be a good way to commemorate New York City. Or it might be a good way to have two of the five most popular teams in the country – with two of the biggest markets – play on NBC’s SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. You can decide.

The NFL really planned their opening schedule around one thing: ratings.

They wanted to make absolutely sure that people would be watching their games from 1:00 to almost midnight. They did a great job.

Countless soldiers have died in the War on Terror while saying the phrase, “Never Forget 9-11.”

It seems that NFL and TV network decision-makers have gone to great lengths in order to make sure Americans “Never Stop Watching.”

It really wouldn’t have been hard to “Remember The Day.” What if you had every single game played at 1:00? The entire country could get their football fix, forget about the atrocities of the day for three hours, and then remember the day as they should – by watching the memorials that will be taking place around the country.

Or, what about having a double-header in New York? Why not play the Jets at 1:00, have a massive memorial service at 5:00, and then cap off the night with a Giants game at 7:30?

Wouldn’t BOTH of those options separate the day from every other NFL week more than the status quo?

Of course they would. But the NFL would be missing out on some valuable TV revenue. We can’t have that!

But wait, the NFL does want to give back. “It was announced on Tuesday [by] the National Football League and the NFL Players Association that it will contribute $1 million to three memorials and two charities related to the events of September 11, 2001.”

Nice gesture right? Until you read on. They aren’t giving $1 million to each memorial and charity…they are splitting that money between the five organizations.

And actually they are only contributing $750,000. We – the fans – will hopefully provide the rest.

The NFL will be holding an auction full of items used on September 11 of this year. “NFL Auction proceeds…are expected to total at least $250,000. Including the $750,000 in charitable donations to the national 9/11 memorials, total NFL-NFLPA donations will reach $1 million.

The NFL can’t even give money away without promoting their brand. It always comes with a catch – buy OUR stuff, promote our league, celebrate our players…and we will graciously give that money to charity.

Such a disappointment.

There were ways it could have been done right.

The NFL had an awesome chance to show us that they cared about other people.

Instead, they showed us – once again – what they really care about.

Before Pryor became eligible for the Supplemental Draft, Roger Goodell made it known that Pryor would be suspended for the first six weeks of the season. Yesterday, it was announced that Jim Tressel would similarly miss games during the first part of the season. This is good and a trend that needs to continue.

Pryor’s suspension includes practices as well as games. This suspension was one that he would have served if he stayed at OSU, so Goodell made a smart decision in suspending Pryor. Why should he be allowed to escape suspension by going to the NFL? He committed an infraction, and Goodell made sure that he served the penalty.

Pryor was picked up by the Raiders, who are not known for their great decisions regarding quarterbacks, in the Supplemental Draft.

Next in line for a job came Jim Tressel. He has been a visible figure at several teams’ training camps, as he was seen in Cleveland and in Indy. It was Indy who decided to give him a job, with his title being a game-day consultant on video reviews.

Tressel was just recently hired, but a suspension quickly followed. This time it came from the team itself, the Colts. The Colts suspended Tressel for the first six games of the year. He would have likely been suspended by the league anyway had the Colts not done it first.

The idea of committing major infractions in the college game and going to the NFL to escape the penalties should not be allowed by the NFL. It is an easy way out for those coaches and players who ruin the future of their respective programs.

Pete Carroll was one of these people, but he got out before the infractions were discovered. These infractions were largely brought upon by Reggie Bush, whose only punishment was to return his Heisman trophy. This is a tough penalty, but it has not had any effect on his NFL career.

So while Carroll and Bush both have their jobs in the NFL, USC is currently under a postseason ban that is in its second year. This is not fair for the program, but it is too late for the NFL to punish either of the two.

Hopefully the suspensions of Pryor and Tressel with set a precedent for any other players or coaches who are in the same situation. Punishments in college should not be escaped by heading to the NFL, and the sometimes unpopular commissioner Roger Goodell understands this.

We have discussed Tebow here at MSF. He was the subject of this very pro-Tebow podcast and I and other MSF writers have discussed him extensively on Twitter, always in a positive light. And when I read this article by Gregg Doyel that included Tebow’s situation within the larger context of NFL teams that try to change uniquely skilled QBs, it further emboldened my belief that Tebow will someday be a winning quarterback in the NFL…just not in Denver.

And somehow, all of this led me to sit down and create my first photo story in a while, which deals with this very subject.

In case the photo story is not displaying below, click to view in a new window.

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Note that this is actually Tebow’s second appearance in a photo story. He had a guest appearance in this Kyle Orton-focused photo story from last season.

Also, I do just want to say that this photo story is supposed to be pro-Tebow, and though I use Morgan-Freeman-as-God for narrative and comedic purposes, I am not trying to mock Tebow’s beliefs. Quite the contrary, in fact. So if you had a different take, I do encourage you to comment, because something got lost in translation and I always want to know if I’m not communicating my point effectively.

Goodell crossing the line again – foxsports.com

Excerpt:

Power, privilege and exclusion are at the foundation of the NCAA and its outdated rule book. Intelligent, fair-minded sports fans should be celebrating its corruption-fueled collapse, the way women toasted the end of suffrage, blacks cheered the end of Jim Crow and Reagan welcomed the fall of communism in the Soviet Union.

That’s what is so offensive about Roger Goodell’s sudden interest in protecting the sanctity of the NCAA’s amateurism scam. His decision to uphold the NCAA’s five-game suspension levied against marginal NFL prospect Terrelle Pryor reeks of stupidity, arrogance and immorality.

In the last few days we’ve been subjected to the University of Miami investigation, Terrelle Pryor’s admittance to the NFL supplemental draft and Goodell subsequently upholding his NCAA suspension, and Michael Vick’s admission that Goodell may have steered him to the Eagles instead of the lowly Bengals or Bills.

Most notable in Whitlock’s piece is the ending.  Goodell has been able to use the NFL’s financial standing as a means to bully everyone else into submission.  Whitlock doesn’t provide many solutions, but the first step to recovery from corruption in “amateur” and professional sports is to show that there is a problem.  This article does that about as blatantly as possible.

Click play on the player below to listen:

What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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In today’s edition, Shakira stops by to say hi, Joe Posnanski gives Roger Goodell the smack down, I inform you of the coolest town in Massachusetts, and Kobe Bryant reminds us all of Kobe Bryant. And more, of course.

Best of MSF

Tomorrow is the last day that you can complete the first MLB Trivia Challenge quiz and be eligible for the first $20 gift certificate to Chili’s. So listen to our podcast with Ken Rosenthal and take the challenge.

And if you want to do some reading, Twitch provides a rather strong takedown of the “classless” Chicago Bulls.

Best of the Web

I’m just going to let you know something right now: get used to Joe Posnanski’s articles being linked in this section. Yesterday I linked to him, and I’m doing it again today.

Joe responded to Roger Goodell’s Wall Street Journal editorial with this rather scathing critique of the NFL Commissioner.

Today’s Best Beauty

I just quick look at the entertainment pages and did find any potential TB Beauty in the news. Thus, I’m going with an old MSF favorite: Shakira.

If you want to see more pictures of Shakira (and Scarlett Johannson!) click here.

Links

Sports

Yes, the Oakland Raiders’ stadium is really going to be named this.

Strange: Roy Oswalt left the Phillies for “personal reasons”.

Fantasy owners and baseball fans need to get to know this name: Sergio Santos, who looks like the new closer for the White Sox.

Speaking of the White Sox, I had the same reaction as Hawk Harrelson when I saw these game-saving catches last night by Brent Lillibridge: you gotta be…bleepin’ me!

This isn’t good: there is no timetable for Joe Mauer’s return.

Wow…a top draft prospect seems to actually want to play for the Browns.

After last night’s game, Pacers forward Danny Granger echoed our very own Jon Washburn by criticizing the “dirty play” of Joakim Noah.

Non-Sports

The White House released President Obama’s official birth certificate. Good…now hopefully that tired debate will be over.

Some of these are clever: 27 hit songs as understood by 5-year olds.

So you know how China mandates how many children a family can have? Looks like that may have some not-so-good economic repercussions.

This guy’s mugshot is a classic. Guess what he was doing when he got popped.

Pics & GIFs

There is a town in Massachusetts called Sandwich. If I lived there, I definitely would have been a cop, because I think it’d be awesome to drive around in a car that looks like the one below.

I’d be an awesome Sandwich Policeman.

Image source: Photobucket via Reddit

I don’t really know what to say about this animated GIF of Tom Haverford from Parks & Recreation…but it had me staring for at least 5-6 loops. And I don’t know why.

DYK

Did you know…that the movie Evil Dead (starring certified badass Bruce Campbell) has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes?

Did you know…Hitler and the Nazis drugged the hell out of the soldiers. I’m not shocked at all.

Videos

Kobe’s drunk last night was vintage Bean. Ankle/foot looked pretty good too.

This is pretty cool.

Paper Record Player from kellianderson on Vimeo.

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As always, we end Today’s Best by paying homage to the original inspiration for this post: Hot Clicks by Jimmy Traina.

We also encourage you to follow Today’s Best on Twitter and on Facebook. Also, if you like Today’s Best but hate everything else on MSF, then subscribe to just Today’s Best here.

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Tuesday came and many players were excited to return to training. One player in particular, Josh Cribbs of the Browns, tweeted his excitement about being able to return to training.

However, the players arrived and were informed by security that they could not train.

Image source: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images via NYTimes.com

They were allowed to enter the facility, but they could not use the weight room. They could also not meet with their coaches. Basically, the lockout was lifted, but the NFL decided it could continue to operate as it had been.

I do not understand why the owners continue their plea for more money. Their business is based off of their players, and they are not allowing these players to improve their skills. That was the main argument presented by the players in court: that their careers were being negatively affected.

The money that these owners want is all directly (gate receipts) and indirectly (TV revenue) from fans of the NFL, and the owners are doing everything in their powers to anger fans. All fans want is for their teams to play. They do not want to have to worry about what is going on in court.

Rick Reilly of ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com has recently written a few articles on the lockout. In one he talked about the lavish lifestyles of the owners, while some players are doing odd jobs to generate an income during the lockout. The fact is that the owners do not need the extra money that they are demanding. Many former NFL players have physical and mental issues, and are left with no help. Instead of financing their lavish lives, the owners should focus on the people who make their money.

A lot of blame is falling on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Some are calling for him to resign, but I feel that the blame truly resides in the owners. They are the ones who want the extra money, and Goodell is obligated to be on their side. He will likely be booed at the draft on Thursday, but the fans should really be booing the owners. The problem is that the owners are busy in one of their three houses, so the fans will find a scapegoat in Goodell.

Judge Nelson’s decision will likely stand in the Court of Appeals, and the players will get their way. Still, the big problem remaining is when a CBA will be signed. Hopefully this can be done before any training camp is missed.

I think I speak for all of us when I say: we just want our football.

One of the rallying points for the Steelers was the us-against-the-commissioner mentality that developed with Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension and then the NFL’s crackdown on helmet hits, which seemed to single out James Harrison. If the Steelers win Sunday night, it will be quite entertaining watching the awkwardness when Roger Goodell has to present Tomlin and Harrison with the Lombardi Trophy.

What you might not know is that Tomlin and Goodell have already talked about it. And let’s just say it wasn’t the friendliest conversation, as our newest photo story shows.

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I am on record as saying that the NFL needs to do something about making the game safer. I am also on record as saying that doing so spontaneously in midseason might not have been the most prudent way to go about it.

And if I were saying this to Roger Goodell, he would probably tell me to shut the hell up, and then he would fine or suspend me.

How do I know this? Because Goodell is so confident and audacious in wielding the power of his office that he is now taking on some of the legends of the football who might dare to disagree with him.

For instance, I recently intercepted this exchange between Goodell and Raiders owner Al Davis in which Goodell interrupted the legendary owner as he recited one of his most famous quotes.

As you can see, dear old Al was none too pleased.

Likewise, legendary coach Vince Lombardi, for whom the NFL’s championship trophy is named, tried to explain to Goodell the importance of toughness in the NFL.

Yet again, Goodell interrupted an NFL legend reciting an iconic phrase.

The great coach was also taken aback.

But perhaps no football legend was as affected by Goodell’s audacity as legendary quaterback Johnny Moxon. He may not want your life, but he he and has teammates have only 30 minutes left in their high school football careers and he most certainly does want them all be heroes.

Goodell, on the other hand, apparently just wants everyone to be nice eachother.

Looks like Roger Goodell is ruining everybody’s fun.

Damn, I mean, I can understand interrupting the senile Al Davis and the deceased Lombardi, but Johnny Moxon-played-by-James Van Der Beek? That’s bold. Very bold.

But Roger Goodell is nothing if not bold.

He also apparently talks to himself…and gets extraordinarily close to cameras.

And he won’t take any BS or helmet-to-helmet contact from anyone.

Anyone.

Fear the Goodell.

That means you Van Der Beek.

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)

I realize that this is a rant about the Dallas Cowboys on a Midwest sports blog, but if I do not get this out of my system, I might break down into tears. Can someone please tell me why Adam “Pacman” Jones is still inthe National Football League? I am at a complete loss. It is astounding how many chances this man (and I use the word extremely loosely) has been given by Roger Goodell and Jerry Jones.

A quick review of Adam “Pacman” Jones’ rap-sheet shows a laundry list of bad decisions, arrests, and more bad decisions. And while I am in no way saying Adam is responsible for it, someone stole my Ipod from my local gym last year, so…

My point in all this is to ask why Roger Goodell is not setting an example for the rest of the league. The time of second chances is over, and has been for a long time. The National Football League has to take a stand at some point. Meaningless suspensions simply are not getting the message across. The Dallas Cowboys are in my mind the epitome of greatness in sport, whose feats of might and athletic prowess are only surpassed by the likes of Hercules and Samson. However, after this debacle, I am beginning to wonder how a football genius like Jerry Jones can make such a tragic blunder.

Adam Jones has had his chances. I do not mean to sound harsh, because I truly believe in the power of second chances. Jerry Jones made the right call of bringing Tank Johnson to the Dallas Cowboys. Tank seems to have learned the error of his ways. The same goes for Terrell Owens… ok maybe he still has an ego that makes Jerry Jones look like Mother Theresa, but at least he has simmered somewhat. However Adam “Pacman” Jones has crossed the line too many times.

This is not so much a problem for Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys as it is for Roger Goodell and the entire National Football League. Eventually, players will begin to realize that Roger Goodell’s promises of punishment for infractions are hollow and are worth about as much as Confederate money. When that happens it won’t be too long before we see more Adam Jones’s.

There, I said it and now I am at peace. Of course, if Adam “Pacman” Jones were to run back a punt or two this week against the Steelers or get a game winning pick-six, I might be back next week accusing Jrod of hacking my account and writing this post, but we’ll just have to wait until Sunday to see if that is the case.

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]