MichiganCardinal

Alternate title: fringe offensive lineman gets hurt and subsequently cut after being drafted over and not appearing for voluntary workouts; doesn’t like it. If it were to come out that other NFL teams would pay him, in a similar position, that would be one thing. But it won’t, because this is standard business in the NFL. His gripe should really be with the NFLPA if he doesn’t think he’s being suitably compensated for what he put in.

I like this theory. No offense to your other theories.

Putting outside the NFL’s hypocrisy for a moment…. I’m interested to see if the Browns get the QB they think they’re getting. He last played in an NFL game on 1/3/21. His next game will be on 10/23/22 at soonest, and he’s largely been away from all NFL activity through that time… Has he stayed in shape? Has he thrown a football? He’s getting paid no matter what, there’s not much incentive there if he hasn’t been staying active. On top of that it’s worth mention that for being talked about and paid like the best QB in the NFL, he’s 28-25 as a starter.

I was thinking today about what the “end” to all this expansion looks like and this post came to my mind. I don’t think there is necessarily going to be a real end. I don’t see a reason why any given number (be it 16, 20, 24, or whatever) is going to magically cause decades of stability at the college ranks like we see in the professional sports. Even if there is an identified “sweet spot” number of teams, where the B1G and SEC like their chances to maximize revenue while minimizing the number of slices to the pie. Even if they publicly state that they’re officially done expanding. Even if the B1G and SEC change focus altogether, to leaving the NCAA for football and creating their own playoff…… I don’t think we will see much loyalty at all between these piecemeal conferences, which could lead to something of a promotion/relegation system. To engage in a hypothetical… say that Notre Dame joins the B1G tomorrow, and the B1G subsequently invites Stanford, Cal, and Oregon, all of whom quickly accept. The B1G announces they’re done expanding as the PAC 12 folds and its remaining teams join the Big 12. The SEC responds by adding Clemson, Miami, Florida State, and Oklahoma State to get to 20 and also says they’re done. The earthquake seems to be over with two strong conferences and two sub-conferences. Fast forward five years from now, the B1G is making insane amounts of money… so have one or two select ACC and Big 12 teams. Let’s say Virginia, for instance, has maintained their success in basketball, has combined that with some sustained success in football, and have created a pretty successful money-making brand. Meanwhile, Maryland still sucks and is effectively losing the B1G money… And the B1G leaders have the realization that “we are making a lot of money…. But we could be making more!” I don’t think the money making decision makers at USC, UCLA, and Notre Dame would feel an ounce of sympathy or loyalty towards Maryland. I don’t think the money making decision makers at Michigan, Michigan State, or Ohio State care nearly enough about Maryland to stick up for them. We could see a Maryland (or Rutgers or even Nebraska) get the boot for Virginia, if the B1G thinks Virginia can make them more money over the long-term. Now to be clear, I don’t see the B1G OGs allowing the new guys in the room to cut Illinois, Purdue, or Indiana loose anytime soon, no matter how many consecutive 2-10 seasons they put together… And I don’t see Central Michigan, Akron, or even Cincinnati being added to the conference, even if they can put together 13-0 seasons… at the same time, I don’t see an end to expansion/realignment, so long as monetary dynamics continue to develop. Which could lead itself to something of a promotion and relegation system.

This is the last week without football until mid February. HOF Game on Thursday.

The PAC 12 and Big 12 can bitch at each other until they’re both blue in the face. Who survives will depend on what their parents in the Big 10 and SEC decide (plus that 3rd wheel Notre Dame).

I'm trying my best to be cynical about the Lions' prospects, if only to temper my expectations, but I really do see a lot to be excited about. The only question mark on the offensive side of the ball is Goff, and he has shown before that with the right weapons around him, he can perform at a very high level. On the defensive side of the ball, our linebackers are clearly the biggest weakness on the team, and I think it's fair to expect that teams that can run the ball may wear down our linemen and start stuffing it down our throats before dumping quick slants, just picking on Anzalone and Barnes. We have enough depth at the lineman position now that it may take 2-3 quarters to accomplish, but I can envision some really frustrating 90-yard 4th quarter drives where the Eagles, Cowboys, and Bills just kill us by 1000 paper cuts. That said though, our secondary should also be improved with another year of Glenn and Pleasant at the helm. I don't think teams are going to be scorching us like the Bengals and Eagles did last year. On top of it though, and what cannot be ignored, is the 4th place NFC North schedule ahead of us. Picking wins before the games are played is recipe for disaster, but between the Vikings, Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Giants, and Seahawks, there should be a lot of winnable games at face value.

It's just the entire series of BB played at 50x speed.

That's the ring his friend Marco gave him before he died. When he was Slippin' Jimmy.

Really encouraging.

Not to diminish Seattle, but they don't bring what the LA teams just did (granted no one else will). Seattle is the #12 market on the list I briefly referenced, wedged between Phoenix and Tampa, just above Minneapolis. The markets above them that aren't yet B1G territory include Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, and Phoenix. As you add more schools and more money to the pot, that adds more slices to the proverbial pie. I can understand why absent other mitigating factors (ND's alumni base and history, Stanford's academics), it's not worth creating more slices. I can't imagine Stanford's presence doing anything to Notre Dame's radar that USC and UCLA didn't. We are historical rivals, but so were Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, so were UCLA and Cal. Money just matters more... Other than their intolerable ego though, ND's issue in the era of super-conferences is going to become scheduling teams. Adding Stanford/Cal might push them over the edge just in concern of having enough good teams to schedule. With ten or more conference games, none of the B1G or SEC teams will have any real incentive to schedule a more difficult non-conference foe, and ND may find a 11-2 or 10-3 B1G team being selected over them at 11-1 or 10-2 if they can only schedule the Big 12, ACC, and PAC 12 leftovers. I think Stanford would have a desire to bring Cal, but again... money matters more. I don't think there is a school outside the SEC right now that would not accept a B1G invite virtually unconditionally. I largely agree with you regarding their rough list, but I think I would it more along the lines of 1) Notre Dame, 2) Stanford, 3) Oregon, 4a) UNC, 4b) Duke, 5a) Washington, 5b) Cal, 6+) Virginia/VA Tech, Georgia Tech, TCU/Baylor, Utah/Colorado, Arizona/Arizona State, Florida State/Miami, Boston College.... I think it's likely very fluid as well.

Nothing between 7-10 and 10-7 would surprise me. 11-6 would shock me. 6-10 or worse while the team largely remains healthy would disappoint me. Maybe that is expecting too much, but I really like our offense and I really like our defensive coaching staff's ability to make what we have good enough to win games.

I added extra sugar to this batch. In my defense, I did it without an end in sight... 9-8 doesn't seem totally unrealistic, I couldn't give the friggin Cowboys a tiebreaker over us, and I'm contractually obligated against ever predicting something good happening to the Packers.

It doesn't surprise me. I think Oregon bringing Phil Knight and Nike shouldn't be underrated, but I agree that Washington doesn't have much to offer. It's why Stanford (despite their recent ineptitude on the football field and their lackluster fanbase) is likely higher on the B1G list, because they can bring the SF market and fit like a glove in the conference academically.

In fairness, I'll start.... but all are subject to change before Week One's Opening Kickoff. AFC East Buffalo Bills (13-4)*1 New England Patriots (9-8) Miami Dolphins (7-10) New York Jets (6-11) AFC North Cincinnati Bengals (11-6)*3 Baltimore Ravens (10-7)*7 Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9) Cleveland Browns (7-10) AFC South Indianapolis Colts (10-7)*4 Tennessee Titans (9-8) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-12) Houston Texans (4-13) AFC West Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)*2 Denver Broncos (12-5)*5 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)*6 Las Vegas Raiders (9-8) NFC East Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)*1 Dallas Cowboys (9-8) Washington Commanders (7-10) New York Giants (5-12) NFC North Green Bay Packers (11-6)*2 Detroit Lions (9-8)*7 Minnesota Vikings (7-10) Chicago Bears (1-16) NFC South Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-6)*3 Carolina Panthers (10-7)*6 New Orleans Saints (8-9) Atlanta Falcons (4-13) NFC West Los Angeles Rams (11-6)*4 San Francisco 49ers (10-7)*5 Arizona Cardinals (8-9) Seattle Seahawks (6-11) AFC WILDCARD Bye: (1) Bills (2) Chiefs over (7) Ravens (6) Chargers over (3) Bengals (5) Broncos over (4) Colts NFC WILDCARD Bye: (1) Eagles (7) Lions over (2) Packers (3) Buccaneers over (6) Panthers (5) 49ers over (4) Rams AFC DIVISIONAL (6) Chargers over (1) Bills (5) Broncos over (2) Chiefs NFC DIVISIONAL (1) Eagles over (7) Lions (3) Buccaneers over (5) 49ers AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (6) Chargers over (5) Broncos NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (3) Buccaneers over (1) Eagles SUPER BOWL LVII (3N) Buccaneers over (6A) Chargers

As training camps open across the NFL, place your predictions now for the grand prize of eternal bragging rights*! Exercise caution as you put your predictions in ink to be thrown in your face for the rest of time^. Who will win Super Bowl LVII? What team will Tank for CJ Stroud or Bryce Young and end up taking Will Anderson at 1.1? When will your favorite CTE poster child storm off the field in the middle of a game and then fake an injury? How will the Packers choke this year?!? *eternal bragging rights expire in July 2023 ^all of time expires upon transition to sports betting site.

If you gave Kevin Warren truth serum on the question of whether he thinks it was a mistake to admit Rutgers and Maryland, I’m really not sure the answer you would get. On one hand, they brought the NY and DC markets, as intended, which was the only purpose of their admission. The media markets within the B1G footprint is what then drove their media deal to be #1, above the SEC, despite the SEC possessing a far better quality of football and a far more motivated fan base. Drawing the line from the prior media deal to this one, is it possible you don’t get USC and UCLA to jump to you if your media deal isn’t already approaching a billion? On the other hand, the teams suck and their alumni/fan base are some of the worst in the nation. With media markets in terms of geographic footprints going the way of the dodo bird, in favor of streaming plans, their placement on the map doesn’t look as great as it did a decade ago. Schools like Oregon may not bring the shiny next city, but they’ll bring motivated alumni who will pay whatever you’re asking to stream their Ducks.

I think there should be consequences for people who did something wrong, I just think those consequences should be commensurate with the deed they did wrong. Some of these people end up spending $10,000 or more in fines and penalties over the course of more than a decade, and still don't have a valid license, with their only misdeed being unpaid traffic tickets. That if they could have paid from the onset, they would have. I don't think it's unfair to rule-followers such as us for a Judge to ask an indigent defendant what they can afford to pay before imposing sentence, for instance. Set them on a track for possible future success instead of on a road to be back in front of you in two years.

People watch reality TV without knowing that actual reality is so much better. I love watching hearings to pass the time, especially a good jury trial, start to finish. Regarding suspended licenses, I'm not going to make excuses for those people (mine is valid and has been my entire adult life), but I will say that the system doesn't always make it easy for them to climb that hurdle once they're suspended. It's usually getting suspended when they're young and dumb (19-22) for unpaid tickets and fines, and a lot of courts (especially in Wayne County) are really bad about even notifying them that their license is suspended. Then they get pulled over a year or two later for something minor and stupid, and - surprise! - your license is suspended. Now we are going to fine you another $450+ on top of the fees you haven't paid, and depending on your jurisdiction, maybe even throw you in jail for a few days. When they get out, now they have a truckload of fines, a truckload of late fees, an attorney's fee, and more, and are in no greater a position to pay than when they got in. If they're smarter and wiser than they were at 19-22, they'll enter into a payment plan and stick to it... But even then they have to work their low-paying job.... they have to make sure that job keeps a roof over their head and food on the table... they have to get to work... A year or two passes, they're hopefully chipping away, and... tail light is out! Most often, the cyclical nature of suspended license violations is more associated with poverty than their driving ability or lack thereof.

I was waiting for that every time he approached the rack…. One to be in bright red.

Haha, if you met me in person you would know that I have no leg to stand on in that regard LOL.

2016 Michigan/Ohio State OT play. That was Barrett at QB who was given the first down.

That’s nice and all, but he was still short.

It’s a lose-lose prospect for the Cardinals. Do you let your potential franchise QB hit the open market, where he has the potential to enrage you for close to two decades? Or do you overpay with the very real possible he’s the diva he’s shown flashes of, or continues to get hurt? I think they made the right choice. Easier to dump in two years and pay the price than un-ring a release if he turns out to be the franchise QB he’s shown flashes of being.

I think this is their plan, and it's a good one. You can put a great QB in a bad organization and flounder in mediocrity for a decade. Not that the Lions would ever do that. You can also trade the farm to draft a "franchise QB" at #11 and dismantle the team around him the following offseason to destine him to failure. Division rivals are welcomed to do this. Or, you can build up a team for success and then insert your guy and watch him soar. See Mahomes and Rodgers. I don't think Mac Jones will be better than TLaw in five years. He sure was set up better last year though, and look what happened.