Now that the NFL regular season is winding down, it may be time to see just what we had for the season. It’s very simple: a full-fledged mess. If you look at all of the issues with this league, on and off the field, you would have to wonder how they can stay in business. I am not sure what was more disappointing and embarrassing, the play on the field or the antics within the league offices.
Have you ever seen so many bad teams play week in week out? There will be at least six teams that will not win four games. You have a division where the winner will be under .500. The play on both sides of the ball has been atrocious most Sundays. Poor tackling, poor route running and just the inability to block as a unit have become so glaring that the forefathers of this league must be turning over in their graves.
It’s amazing how everyone wants to pass and the league has made it a near felony if you touch a receiver. Yet you cannot find many teams that can grind out a running game when the going gets tough and the elements take over. Quarterback play has become comical as most quarterbacks are poorly programmed robots. Few quarterbacks could call their own game, and yet teams continue to pay big money for questionable mediocrity at best.
You can count three to four coaches who will get the pink slip for sure. Only the National Hockey League has worse luck with coaches surviving than the NFL.
Speaking of surviving, how is it with the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson fiascos that no one has been replaced? It appears that the top would be a good place to start, as Commissioner Roger Goodell has lost the confidence of the players and fans – but not the owners and media, who continue to prop up a person who can no longer be trusted when it comes to the best interest of the league.
Peterson was suspended by the league during his child abuse hearing, in which legal wrangling saw him get off without any jail time. Peterson appealed the suspension. It was really nice of the commissioner to recuse himself this time, given how he bungled the Ray Rice suspension. Goodell dusted off Harold Henderson, a longtime NFL labor employee, to hear Peterson’s appeal. Of course it was denied, and Peterson will not be reinstated until April of 2015.
Peterson, not happy, indicated that he may retire and pursue a track career, and then some sense came to him. He had a recorded phone conversation with an NFL Vice President, former player Troy Vincent, who told him he would only get a two-game suspension. Oops! Now the NFL and Vincent deny that a deal was struck beforehand. Peterson has since filed suit against the league in federal court.
The NFL cannot keep making up rules as they go along and expect anyone to take them seriously. Yet they have enough media lackeys who will just worry about the game on the field and let someone else figure out what to do. Sad, but true.
As for the owners, they could care less as long as the money machine keeps printing it at an alarming rate and those who just want to see games stick their heads back in the sand just before kickoff. Goodell still has the confidence of the owners, and that is all that counts.
I said at the beginning of the year that I was going step away from this mess that is called the NFL. I found the college game has its issues, but at least they know it and continue to eventually eliminate the NCAA’s power to the point that the NCAA will have a different look soon. The college play and emotion – not to mention the coaching – are much better than the NFL product on Sundays. I will say now that the National Championship game will be more entertaining than the Super Bowl. Remember where you heard it first.
Selfie stupidity
Yes, it never fails when someone just cannot help it. As services were held for the departed Bryan Burwell, one person just could not help it. Many came out to pay their respects – including the likes of Charlie Steiner, William Rhoden of The New York Times, Steve Wyche of the NFL Network, TNT’s David Aldridge and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Not to mention our local media heavyweights and well wishers that included Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher and General Manager Les Snead, who – on a game day – thought enough of Bryan Burwell to come out and pay their respects. And then there was one individual who thought it was a good idea to get up during the services to attempt to get a selfie with his favorite media guys. He was told by them that this was not the time, nor place, for such stupidity to upstage the reason we were all there. Just when you think you had seen it all.
Long, long season ahead
In case you have not noticed, both Missouri and Saint Louis University are having a tough time winning games these days. Mizzou has a combination of young players who have no real role, as the former coach saw and got of Dodge before he got fired. He did not do new Head Coach Kim Anderson any favors, as the cupboard is bare. It will take a while for Missouri to get on track.
As for Saint Louis University, the loss of a senior-loaded team from last year is now showing up for Coach Jim Crews as he is working with a whole new cast for the first time. It will take some time to get it straightened out.
Now is the time for these two teams to schedule some games against each other two years from now. Each is not ready for the other as we speak, but in two years both will be better because they have good coaches who will help them grow and get better. Saint Louis University and Missouri need each other, as neither sells out the house when they play some of the losers on their non-conference schedules. Let’s hope Mike Alden and Chris May can figure it out soon.
