Rather than dedicate an entire month of posts on some of the hotter stories in the NFL, I am going to touch on all of them today.
For two weeks, Peyton Manning travelled throughout the U.S.,
looking for his newest team. With the media hounding him with reporters and
helicopters, Manning was able to meet and work out with four different teams
before settling with the Denver Broncos. The man is entitled to his choice, as
he was looking for to play for a contender. It is shocking he didn’t choose San
Francisco. They were a solid QB and few receivers away from being a legit
contender. Despite Denver making the playoffs last year, they also had more
holes as a team. They are hoping Peyton can fix those holes. That is a lot to
ask a 36-year-old who sat out a year with major neck surgery. John Elway,
Broncos VP of football operations/QB great, is making a big gamble, but one
that can pay off big time if Manning can return to form.
Roger Goodell is in his sixth year as NFL commissioner.
While the man has been praised by most for his service thus far, there is one
issue that seems to bother a lot of people, including myself. Goodell seems to
have no problem making up impromptu punishments. In 2010 while he was crusading
on behalf of players’ safety (despite his insistence of an 18-game schedule),
Goodell fined three players in one week for controversial hits. This was done
despite these players violating no league rules and no precedent. This year,
Goddell stripped the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins of some cap space
due to their abuse of the 2010 salary cap. In 2010, the NFL did not have a
salary cap due to the impending lockout. Teams were warned not abuse this perk,
according to league sources. The Cowboys and Redskins both deny this. As much
as I hate both teams, they both have a legitimate gripe as their salary cap was
docked the day before free agency. It would be one thing to punish both teams
early, so they can appeal and plan accordingly, not during it. Both teams are
in the middle of appealing, but free agency is pretty much over, restricting
both teams of signing free agents.
As crazy as the ginger commish has been with suspending and
fining people, he got it right with Bountygate. If the punishment was just for
the bounty system the Saints implemented for three years, Goddell was out of
his mind. However, the penalties were fit as head coach Sean Payton, assistant
Gregg Williams, assistant Joe Vitt, and general manger Mickey Loomis were caught
covering up the scandal. After they all denied it initially, it was discovered
that all were aware of it and had been caught in a lie. Now that the Saints
have no one to lead their team, word on the street is Payton is going to ask
his mentor, Bill Parcells, to step in for him. At first, I thought this was
insane. Then I remembered Bill Parcells does not think like a rational man.
This guy has come out of retirement three times already to return to coaching.
Who says a fourth would be out of the question? Considering the Saints are
already a contender, this could be Parcells’ final hurrah. He can get paid
pretty well for a year, then ride off into the sunset or pull a power move and
force Payton out of a job.
With Peyton taking over in Denver, that allowed John Elway
to do something he’s wanted to do for two years: tell Tim Tebow to hit the
bricks. He traded the QB to the New York Jets. It seems NYC is ready for
Tebowmania, but is the Jets’ locker room? Rex Ryan stated Mark Sanchez is the
starter and Tebow will be the Wildcat option, but that’s a crock of shit. New
York Jets fans have probably soured on Sanchez after his third straight
inconsistent season. Throw in the fact that the team fell apart down the
stretch last year and their locker room resembled a Greek tragedy and this
situation seems volatile. Wait until the first time Sanchez goes six and out,
and Jet fans will be screaming for Tebow, despite the fact he has the same
throwing motion as Corky from “Life Goes On”. I know the Jets wanted to get a backup
to motivate Sanchez, but they could have found someone better than the rock
star that is Tim Tebow. As a Giants fan, this inevitable shit storm is like an
early Christmas present for me.
-Written by Marcus Boyd 
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