Virginia Tech Tragedy Touches Redskin

Washington Redskins defensive back Pierson Prioleau is a graduate of Virginia Tech University. He describes Monday's event on campus as a horrifying incident. "My heart goes out to all of the victims' families and friends, and to everybody affiliated with Virginia Tech."

Prioleau played for the Hokies from 1996 to 1999.

In one small note, redskins.com described Prioleau as a safety, rather than the generic "defensive back." Before his injury, Prioleau was used as a nickel back and as a safety. Adam Archuleta supposedly lost the starting safety slot to Prioleau in the pre-season. Then, Prioleau was lost for the year in a freak accident in the first game. With Shawn Springs also out, secondary spiraled down from there.

Photo: www.maroonhelmet.com

Photo: Pierson Prioleau, www.nflplayers.com

Washington Redskins draft options

Washington's major dailies are weighing in on the Redskins options in the run-up to the draft on April 28.

Ryan O'Halloran at the Times compiles the number of picks that potential trade-down partners have in the first three rounds of the draft. The Atlanta Falcons, a frequently mentioned trade partner, have three of the first 44 picks. They could be enticed to exchange their #8 and #39 picks in exchange for the Redskins #6. This scenario is plausible because the Washington Redskins have a need for defensive linemen and have been impressed by Louisville's Amobi Okoye, who coincidentally was coached by Atlanta's Bobby Petrino, Louisville's coach last season. The Falcons, supposedly would use the #6 pick on Okoye or safety LaRon Landry.

The money quote in O'Halloran's story:

This draft simply isn't full of top-end talents that have teams drooling and desperate to move into the top 10.

Could it be that everyone wants to trade down because the first rounders aren't worth the money they will demand?

The gee whiz factor in O'Halloran's story is that the San Francisco 49ers have eight of the first 135 picks. With picks galore, a willingness to acquire players, and a beast for a running back, it's just a matter of time before San Francisco returns to glory, and cap hell. Saints-49ers in the 2008 conference championship game? You heard it here first.

Of course, a willingness to acquire hasn't helped the Redskins. Three years from now, lets compare San Francisco's and Washington's won-loss record and draw yet another inference on building through the draft versus building through "proven commodities."

I once worked for the world's largest technology company. There's an old joke about sales reps from that company that goes

How can you tell when the [world's largest technology company] rep is lying?

His lips are moving.

(Just for the record, I never lied. But then, my lips are moving.)

Jason LaCanfora, just back from paternity leave (thank you Hogs Haven for pointing that out), penned The Lying Game on his Redskins Insider blog at the Post. LaCanfora points out the hazards of believing everything - or anything - you hear in the run-up to the draft. Teams are posturing to gain some advantage. Call it the kick-off to the game between the seasons.

Detroit "loves Gaines Adams," according to rumblings picked up by LaCanfora. That confounds mock drafkateers who penciled in JaMarcus Russell or Calvin Johnson, who ever of the two Oakland doesn't take, as the Lions first pick. If that happens, Russell or Johnson could be available by the sixth pick. If it's Russell, the Skins chances to trade down go way up. If it's Johnson, the Redskins should keep him and go to sleep until the second day of the draft. Yes, I recall that the Redskins selected Taylor Jacobs under similar circumstances. Johnson didn't go to Florida and Steve Spurrier didn't hang around. So, there.

This scenario only plays out if Detroit truly prefers Gaines Adams. But then, Detroit's lips are moving.


Photo: Coach Mike Nolan, Chronicle/Mike Maloney http://www.sfgate.com/
Photo: LSU's Calvin Johnson, http://www.nationalchamps.net/

Joe Gibbs to agitated fans: cool it!

The coach-in-chief sought to calm fans by assuring that the Redskins are just doing their homework by inviting top draft prospects to interviews at Redskin Park in Ashburn, VA. Visits by Calvin Johnson, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn and other first day draft prospects led fans and bloggers to wonder what that could mean for players on the roster.

Gibbs called the activity "due diligence." "We have brought in every player that we felt like would be a first-round player," Gibbs said. "We brought in a top running back. Does anyone here think that we are going to entertain drafting a running back? I don't think so."

The Redskins have floated so may scenarios for the draft that no one outside of Redskins Park really knows what to expect. All the vibes suggest that the Skins would like to move their sixth pick of the first round in exchange for a player. Asante Samuel is a rumored target -- if the Redskins can sign him for a number closer to Dre' Bly's than Nate Clements'. Completing a trade with Chicago for Lance Briggs is not out of the question, although I hope that one fades away.

I bet "due diligence" calls are burning up phone lines between lots of teams. You shouldn't expect announcements of big deals until draft day (April 28) when we see how Messrs. Russell, Quinn, Johnson and Adams go in the first four picks.

Photo: www.flickr.com from here.

The draft is money

If George Preston Marshall kept the Boston Braves in Boston rather than moving them to Old D.C., perhaps Robert Kraft would own the Washington Patriots. I admire Kraft's approach to building a championship roster. It couldn't be more different than Daniel Snyder's. Where Snyder uses draft picks as currency to make trades happen, Kraft hoards them like gold. Snyder's cheap currency approach has never worked. It's the gold bug that's getting results.

There are rumors that Snyder is nosing around Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel to boost the Redskins' secondary. Thanks to promiscuously trading away draft picks, the Redskins are thin at currency to grease the deal. You might call them (wait for it . . . wait for it) thin Skinned.

It would make no any difference, anyway. The Patriots have a treasure chest of picks in their draft vault. One more pick, even the Skins high draft pick, isn't needed, not when you already have ten in the 2007 draft. To wit:

Round 1 24th pick (from Seattle)

Round 1 28th pick

Round 3 91st pick (Round 2 pick traded to Miami)

Round 4 127th pick

Round 5 171st compensatory pick (Round 5 165th pick traded to Oakland)

Round 6 180th pick (from Arizona)

Round 6 202nd pick

Round 6 208th compensatory pick

Round 6 209th compensatory pick

Round 7 247th compensatory pick (Round 7 238th pick traded to Miami)

Source: about.com found here.

The Patriots are notorious for managing their salary structure. Are they really going to sign two first round draft choices? And the biggie, do they even want to grapple with the salary demands of a number six first rounder? The Patriots, with draft bullion galore, are far more interested in re-signing Mr. Samuel. Unless the Redskins throw in players of value and 2008 picks.

Be afraid, Redskins fans. Be very afraid.

Draft Trivia #1: If the Bears accepted the Redskins trade offer for Lance Briggs, they not only would have the Redskins' first round #6 pick, but would also have the Skins' second round 37th pick, acquired through the New York Jets. I think the Bears made a mistake (for themselves) by not taking Snyder's offer and running out the door. I'm grateful to them, though.

Draft Trivia #2: If the Redskins hadn't frivolously traded away their third round pick for TJ Duckett, they would be better positioned to counter Chicago's counter-offer for Lance Briggs. Not that I think it's a good idea, but trading a first and third round pick for a sure starter makes more sense than a third round pick for an "insurance policy."

Photo: Robert Kraft, www.columbia.edu

Fletchers Stairway to Success

The Washington Post tells London Fletcher-Baker's inspirational story in today's issue. If you haven't read it yet, follow the link and take a look (Registration required. It's free)

Fletcher's Stairway to Success.

This is a story I'm happy to point to, and better than the Don Imus story I just posted (I feel so dirty).

The NFL will announce the 2007 regular season schedule at 1:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 10.

The NFL has suspended Titans defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones for the 2007 season, and Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry for eight games. The full story is on NFL News.

I've been bashing the Redskins for their roster selections recently. Allow me to show them some love now. In the 2004 draft, the Redskins chose safety Sean Taylor instead of tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. Taylor has been good-to-great and the Skins had excellent tight end production from Chris Cooley in 2004 & 05 when Winslow was out. Kellen Jr. did scarf 89 receptions in '06, more than any other tight end.

I wanted to write that the Skins were smart not to take Adam Jones in the 2005 Draft. It turns out that Pacman was selected by the Titans with the sixth pick. The Redskins, with the ninth pick, selected Carlos Rogers. I'm sure the Skins would have picked Rogers even if they had the sixth pick. Or, so I'd like to think.

Daniel Snyder, lose the "win now" attitude.

It's ruining the team. "Win now" didn’t work for the 2000 "$100 million team," and it isn’t working now. Instead, it encourages your management team to take short cuts at high cost. They buy other team’s stars, expecting instant results. Stars emerge from systems. If you aren't running the same system as that other team, the star you bring in may not be as effective for you. (See Archuleta, Adam) Even if that trade or free agent is successful, it's going to take a season for them to jell. The team will be more successful growing its own talent. Merge them with your scheme and keep them on your roster.


This comment arises from the stories of how the Lance Briggs trade offer came about. Briggs is a fine player. He can improve any defense. By himself, he cannot help the Skins D enough to fill all the holes. The suddeness of the offer, the investment of precious cap dollars to an area of strength, the left field nature of the whole thing are the earmarks of the worst characterist of the Redskins under your ownership -- ill-considered personnel moves that add players who don't really fit. Scouting by name recognition is what I do in fantasy football. It's not what you should do in reality football. Unless you grew up in a football family like someone named Halas, or Rooney, you will always be taken advantage of by a football professional when you drive the personnel moves.

Take a page from former General Electric chairman Jack Welch. Sure, he wanted to make the most profit in American business in every quarter. That was his result, but never his goal. He wanted results. Welch famously demanded that GE divisions hold a top three market share position, or he sold them off. Your equivilent is to demand the Redskins make the playoffs every year. That leads to a more patient approach, one that has longer lasting impact than the quick hits (and short duration) the Skins have become famous for in your tenure.

Coaches requisition needs. Scouts find talent. General managers have the vision and expertise to build a roster that can win within budget and over the long term. Mr. Snyder, you have the vision, but lack the expertise to pull this off. Your role is to hold your people accountable.


Demand to know why your homegrown talent is now the middle linebacker for the Giants. Demand to know why a cornerback on the 2005 roster is had a pro-bowl season — for San Francisco. Demand to know if the people, including you, who managed your roster last year should have as much influence this year.


These things are not as much fun as hobnobbing with famous players or closing big deals, but demanding accountability is the second most important thing good owners do. (The most important is to hire a competent general manager. That's more important than hiring a competent coach.) You are the only one who can hold people accountable. We need you to be good at it. Do that, and you are on the first step toward building a winning organization that can sustain success over the long term. If it's you that's overlooking homegrown, rising stars in favor of famous names from somewhere else, then you should take a look at your results and step aside for the professionals.


Put your team on a strict financial budget, and by budget, I mean both cash dollars and salary cap dollars. We fans admire your willingness to open the checkbook to bring in talent for unlimited dollars, but it’s a double-edged sword. When there are limits, you get a lot smarter spending your money. You learn that it’s OK if free agents walk away when they price themselves out of the market. You get smarter about the next player alternative. And you take a good look at talent already on your roster. You find people who can move up and you groom them to start. They stay longer at a reasonable cost.


It may surprise you to know that we fans invest in players who grow before our eyes. We love it when a LaVar and Champ and Fred and Jon mature with the team. Believe me, we are as invested in Chris Cooley as in Santana Moss. We have high hopes for Jason and Rocky and Carlos and Derrick and Kedric and Khari. Ladell is a success. We want to win with them. We'll miss them more than the stars you bring in to replace them.


You and your management are failing to spend your money wisely. Because you have so much to spend, you buy everyone at any price. That doesn't work. We are not building fantasy teams here. Not saying you should be cheap, but the sky is not the limit, either.


Here's what to do when you get excited by that trade prospect, take his 2006 stats and discount by a third. Cut every free agent’s prior performance by a third. Then, compare that to the performance of the players now on the roster. If the current player's performance is the same as that outsider's discounted stats, let the new guy walk, or, at least offer less to sign him. Save your cap dollars.


Free agents need time to fit in. For a single season, the guy already in your system will give you more than that free agent in his first season here. I assure you, Andre Carter will be better this year just because he's been in your system for a year. A lot of those decisions are left to the coaches and general managers (if you had one). Only you can impose financial discipline.


Restore the draft as a source of talent. The Redskins overvalue free agency as a source of talent. Think about this. Stalwarts Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels, Champ Bailey, Fred Smoot, LaVar Arrington, Sean Taylor and Jason Campbell (maybe) came to the Skins by the draft. In your ownership, Santana Moss is the only traded player better than the man he replaced. Shawn Springs is good, but he’s no Champ Bailey. Clinton Portis was traded for Bailey. He's one of the top five at his position, but Bailey is simply the best.

All of these issues come from your desire to win now. Change the goal to winning over the long term. The team that is built patiently, can contend for the playoff consistently. Consistent playoff contenders are much better postioned to go all the way and are a lot more fun to watch.

Don’t be so quick to give up those multiple draft choices for trades. Maybe when you see what Mike Shanahan, a consistent contender, does with that third round draft he got from you through Atlanta, you will start to get it.




Daniel Snyder Photo: William E. Amatucci Jr./WireImage from here.

Rosenhaus

Cooler heads are prevailing in the Lance Briggs trade story, or hype. Today's Post quotes Joe Gibbs calling the news "Just a bunch of rumors." Vinnie Cerrato, Daniel Snyder's mini-me, is quoted "we don't comment on rumors." Everybody take a chill pill and calm down.

Hogs Haven goes in depth on how the story came about, citing several sources, the most intriguing of which is Tandler's Redskins Blog. Rich Tandler is the dean of Redskins bloggers. He writes infrequently, but incisively, on his blog. He repeated Jay Glazer's tale of how Daniel Snyder and Briggs and his agent Drew Rosenhaus got to talking in a Phoenix bar about Briggs. That seems to have triggered Snyder's acquisitive instincts. Somewhere in the conversation, Snyder threw up, figuratively, the "proposal" of trading the Skins #1 pick for Briggs and Chicago's #1 pick to Rosenhaus who called the Bears and the "confirmed story" was off and running. Confused? go to Hogs Haven (several stories) or Tandler's for the full account.

Rosenhaus is said to be one of Snyder's favorite agents. I don't see how that serves the Redskins. The team, Snyder in particular, get mentioned in every story about every disgruntled player. I suspect agents, especially Rosenhaus, of surfacing those rumors to bid up offers for their clients.

The Lance Briggs case is instructive on several levels. Briggs is operating on his rookie contract. He was (under)paid the league minimum $750,000 in each of his past two Pro-Bowl seasons. In his place I would not only want to be paid top dollar, but would want to recover the income my past performance warranted. What's more, he wants to participate in this year's super heated free agent market.

Enter super agent Drew "the Shark" Rosenhaus with combative tactics to force new terms: the claim of unfairness; the threat to hold out; the stated refusal to play for the team; participating at the bare minimum to meet contract requirements. We've seen these tactics before. Turn on your wayback machine to Terrell Owens and his gay adventures in Philadelphia in 2005. (I haven't had so much fun blogging since.) T.O. is repped by Rosenhaus.

The Bears have a legit general manager in Jerry Angelo who can play brinkmanship as well as the next guy. He won't be bullied by the tactics, or panicked into a trade. I think he will call Briggs' and Rosenhaus' bluff to sit out ten games. Maybe $7.2 Million isn't the most Briggs could get, but it's still ten times more than he made last season. The Bears may be pushed to move if and after Briggs no-shows. Until then, I'm not so sure. No one on the Redskins plays that role, except Joe Gibbs. He's suspect, but may have done good service slowing up a Briggs trade.

The Redskins should pay close attention to the Lance Briggs case. It may fore tell their future. Chris Cooley is a premier, pass catching tight end playing on his 2004 rookie contract. He is scheduled to make $850,000 this year and will be a free agent in 2008. Alge Crumpler signed a six year, $14.325 Million contract in 2004. Jeremy Shockey is working under a contract that will pay him $850,000 this season, $2.2 Million in '08, and $3.0 Million in '09.

Cooley is performing better than his pay. Fans would like the Skins front office to find more like him: competent role players who can grow with the team and signed to affordable contracts that parallel their playing life. Briggs would like the freedom to negotiate a deal in this unusually rich free agent market. If Rosenhaus were Cooley's agent, Chris might want the same. If Rosenhaus is Cooley's agent next season, he might use the same tactics, if the Redskins name him a franchise player. Hmmm.

If that happens, at least Resenhaus won't drop Snyder's name as a potential suitor.

Trivia: Drew Rosenhaus represents: London Fletcher-Baker, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis and Sean Taylor.

Photo: Drew Rosenhaus and Terrell Owens, sportsillustrated.com from here.

Lance Briggs ???

Ten questions about a Lance Briggs trade:

1. Didn't we just dump a player who was a poor fit in Gregg Williams defense? Lance Briggs played in Chicago's Tampa-2 defense with a 3-4 alignment. Would he be the second coming of Adam in Washington?

2. Sure he can tackle. Can he stop the run?

3. Lance Briggs and how many draft choices? Initial reports said Chicago will send Briggs and its first round selection (31st overall). That's it?

4. Briggs is young, at least. His productivity might be concurrent with his contract, unlike the thirty-somethings the Redskins often bring in whose serviceability is less than the term of their deal. How will the men of Ashburn structure Briggs' contract so that they can get out if he turns out to be the second coming of Adam? How will that money affect the Skins ability to restock the team later this decade? Do fans want Briggs if he costs us Sean Taylor at the end of his contract?

5. If Briggs is unhappy with franchise player money ($7.4 Million in 2007), how much will it take to make him happy? How will he feel when asked to restructure his contract next season? The Redskins are thought to be over the 2008 salary cap already. They need team guys willing to be flexible on their contracts for the inevitable restructure.

6. Do the men of Ashburn expect the fans to be excited by this move? Initial comments on The Warpath and ExtremeSkins message boards are highly skeptical (I'm being polite.)

7. Is Marcus Washington recovering on schedule? My negative attitude will change completely if Washington will miss significant time this season.

8. Have the coaches given up on Rocky McIntosh, because that's what this move is saying? For that matter, are the Redskins, with the league's oldest staff, any good at assessing and coaching young talent? 8a: Have the coaches given up on Lemar Marshall, too?

9. Is linebacker the area of greatest need on the defense? Wouldn't it be better (smarter) to trade our number one pick for a lineman who can bring pass rushing pressure? Then, we could apply the lower pick on an offensive guard or cornerback.

10. Whatever happened to that Dre' Bly trade idea? That made much more sense. Is it off the table? With Briggs, we seem to be solving a problem we do not have.

BONUS Question, held in reserve until a Briggs deal comes to pass: Can we fire the owner?

I have to say it (close your eye kiddies). If this deal goes through, Lance Briggs and Drew Rosenhaus are tools, and Snyder is their bitch.

Photo: http://SportsSyndicate.blogspot.com found here.

Arch speaks

. . . and he's saying plenty.

“I learned a lot about myself,” he said. “There are a lot of life lessons that I learned about last year and I think that I’m a better person and better as a football player because of it. My time there [Washington]was a negative, but as I look back I think it was a positive thing for me.”

“I definitely have a lot to prove to everybody, but one thing that I have always done is that I’m going to bet on me. I know that none of the outside stuff really matters. I know what I can do and I have a pretty good feeling what I’m going to accomplish.”

David Elfin at The Washington Times quotes Archuleta:

"I could air a whole bunch of different laundry. There's a lot more going on [at Redskin Park] than people understand."

We haven't heard the end of this saga.

More at the Bears web site.

NFL Network: Hail '82 Redskins

The NFL Network will repeat the story of the 1982 Washington Redskins Super Bowl season at 8:00 PM EDT, Thursday, March 22. The NFL Network is only available on cable.

The '82 Redskins won Washington's first division title in ten years, then went on the win Super Bowl Ex-Vee-Eye-Eye after crushing the hated Cowboys to win the conference championship. It was the first of four Super Bowl appearances by the Redskins in the Joe Gibbs I era. Joe Theismann, Russ Grimm (one of the great football names ever) and Rick "Doc" Walker are interviewed in the broadcast.

The show is part of the NFL series America's Game, that tells the story of each Super Bowl winner and the events that led to the championship game. Viewers voted the '82 Redskins the 37th favorite Super Bowl team.

Oh yeah, Washington 27 - Miami 17. This game avenged the Redskins' loss to the undefeated Dolphins ten years earlier in Super Bowl VII.

Photo: John Riggins' fourth quarter TD run, Super Bowl XVII, Ronald C. Modra, www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Redskins' signings strategic and wise

Columnist Grant Paulson coined a new term to describe the Redskins 2006 defense in his fredericksburg.com story Redskins' signings strategic and wise.

efense, because the "d" was missing

Loved it. Wished I thought of it first.

I want to give Mr. Paulson all due credit and respect here and now, because I'm sure to borrow the term again and I'll forget how I got it.

Paulson compliments the Skins' front office for their first few signings and for the general absence of excess. You can read the rest of his article here.

I'm not Lion to you

Rip Van Master4caster has awakened from what feels like a twenty year slumber. With bleary eyes, I get caught up on Redskins happenings.

Photo: Rip Van Winkle, www.porterfieldsfineart.com/




The most recent small news, not counting all the Dre' Bly stuff, widely reported elsewhere, involve the Detroit Lions. Former MSU Spartan, former Atlanta Falcon, momentary Redskin T.J. Duckett had a homecoming, of sort, by signing a one-year deal with the Lions. Duckett is a Michigander (well that's what they call themselves) who enjoyed his greatest football success at Michigan State. His pro career has been disappointing and he now finds himself at one of the worse run franchises in the league. Heck, Cincinnati turned itself around. Someday, perhaps Detroit will, too. This old Spartan wishes Duckett well. He deserves it.





The Lions also signed Rams free agent cornerback Travis Fisher to a one year, $2.25 million deal. Len Pasquarelli describes Fisher as a "top second-tier player." The men of Ashburn invited Fisher to Redskins Park where he was penciled in as depth at DB. Then the team signed Fred Smoot. Perhaps a top second tier player dropped to secondary importance to the . . . , oh never mind.





Was it as recent as last year that the Men of Ashburn would not be out bid for talent? What a difference cap restrictions and an eleven-loss season can make. Whatever the team did last off-season, they are trying the opposite this year. Where there was excess, now there is restraint.





The team was one good wide receiver away last year. They went out and signed two average ones. Joe Gibbs' old school offense needed a tweak of an update. They hired the ultra-guru of modern-day firepower. Screwed the whole thing up. They needed Plan B players to hedge the potential loss of Sean Taylor and Clinton Portis. Money and draft picks were no obstacles for signing Adam Archuleta and the aforementioned T.J. Duckett.





Today, veterans can condition on their own rather than follow the teams regimented program at Redskin Park. Training camp will open sooner and will involve more hitting; you know, football. Preseason games may be taken more seriously to work out kinks in the offensive and defensive schemes. They pass on bidding wars for average talent. And our number one draft pick quarterback of the future will be genuinely coached to win. Good things can emerge from adversity.

Spending like drunken sailors did nothing but get the team lost last season. Rational navigation is the better route to go.



With the opening of free agency and the Combine, I followed Porcine Paradise and the stellar bloggers to the right for updates. One emerged from the pack. Skin Patrol established himself as the hardest working Redskinologist in blogdom. Among what must be 50 stories a week were a few gems:

• Mar 02, 2007, The Redskins understood the market. The rest of you didn't; "2007 changes the paradigm. No longer should we suffer the endless Redskins bashing; while we made decisions that didn't pan out, our contracts seem a whole lot less crazy given what's happening right now in this seller's market. The Redskins entered 2006 knowing full well that they had 17M more dollars to spend than they had the previous year; no one else got the memo. Now that other teams are apparently on board, I think it's about time we challenged the conventional wisdom that the Redskins and spending were in a league of their own."


• Mar 02, 2007, Free Agency Open Thread; "Everyone knows January is the most important month of Football."


• Mar 09, 2007, Adam Archuleta and how the Highest Safety Contract might've been a steal; I pride myself on focusing on the business of football. With this piece, Skin raised that area to a new level. He also shows the advantage of affiliations. Hogs Haven is part of SportsBlog Nation and Skin Patrol isn't shy about mining the knowledge of his compatriots. I suspect the future of blogging is in alliances and partnerships. It will become harder for standalone sites (like this one)to offer compelling & competing value over time. I've got to get busy.

We all went into a stupor as the Redskins tanked last year, Skinsaphrenia a bit longer than most. David Gaines has reanimated the site, so I'm adding it to the blogroll.

Nash, Tomlinson

I am fond of saying "football is life" because the game provides numerous allegories on life's larger principals. Sometimes, life intrudes on football in tragic ways.

The Denver Broncos suffered another loss when back-up running back Damien Nash collapsed and died after appearing at a charity event he organized in St. Louis. No reports on cause of death yet, but this appears to be of natural causes. Only two months ago, Bronco defensive back Darrent Williams was a victim of a drive-by shooting.

Tragic. My sincere condolences to Mr. Nash's family and to the Denver Broncos organization.


The Associated Press quotes LaDanien Tomlinson as being "devastated" by the death of his father." The senior Tomlinson was a passenger in a truck that flipped over in a one vehicle accident.


"My father and I had a great relationship, and I am devastated by his passing," the NFL MVP said in a short statement issued Saturday afternoon. "I will miss him."



I can relate. When my father died, it felt like the whole universe was out of balance.



Sincerest sympathies to Mr. Tomlinson and his family.

Former Steeler OC Ken Whisenhunt says that Ben Rothlisberger's near fatal motorbike accident last summer affected his play in '06. "Whisenhunt admitted that looking back to the start of the season, Roethlisberger should have sat at least one more game before coming back."

I thought as much.

All this just goes to show that you only think you run your life.

May God have mercy.