The 2011 NFL thread

[El Barto]

I guess we've been waiting for an announcement that there will be a season, but it's certainly looking like the lockout is going to end soon enough.  And if it doesn't, this is where we'll all bitch and moan about it.

So is there a bigger douchebag in the NFL than James Harrison?

[zxlkho]

So is there a bigger douchebag in the NFL than James Harrison?

There has never been, and there never will be.


Also, the Ravens will win the super bowl this year (or at least beat Pittsburgh once...)

[ReaPsTA]

So is there a bigger douchebag in the NFL than James Harrison?

I'm all for making fun of Goodell, he's done more than enough to earn it.  But the thing where he took a crap on Roethlisberger and Mendenhall crossed a line.  I don't personally care too much, but the Steelers organization had to be flipping out.

My favorite plot of the upcoming free agent frenzy - where will Kolb go?  And what will the Eagles get out of him?

[tjanuranus]

so what did Goodell say?

[El Barto]

My favorite plot of the upcoming free agent frenzy - where will Kolb go?  And what will the Eagles get out of him?

Haven't been following the situation,  but unless they did something stupid and singed him to a huge contract that they can't justify on a backup,  I'd keep him.  Michael Vick might very well play better than he did last year,  which was nothing short of extraordinary,  but he's a pretty flaky guy to bet your franchise on.  I'd sleep a whole lot better knowing there's a decent fallback option on the table. 

Anybody remember the plight of Dan Reeves?

[zxlkho]

so what did Goodell say?

Nothing yet. He isn't going to until the lockout is over.

[kingshmegland]

I do but the talk out of Philly is that the team is hell bent on getting something for him so I think it will be a done deal that Kolb is traded.

[KevShmev]

Harrison has always been a d-bag of the highest order, and this latest thing just confirms it even further.

Once the lockout ends, the free agent free-for-all is gonna be insane.  And exciting.

[El Barto]

I do but the talk out of Philly is that the team is hell bent on getting something for him so I think it will be a done deal that Kolb is traded.

The talk I've seen is that they're hell bent to get a lot for him.  The guy is essentially untested.  And as I recall,  he didn't really look that great in the few games he did start, so there's no telling how that'll work out.  There's always Al Davis, I suppose. 

It's actually a pretty interesting situation, now that I look into it.  His current salary is a bargain,  so the business move is to keep him as Vick's backup,  but that'd be a pretty shitty thing to do to a guy that was told he was the franchise QB, only to have the gig yanked.  From what I can tell, he just wants to start somewhere, and making him wait another year wouldn't be real cool. 

[Dublagent66]

I'm not up to date on Harrison cause I haven't been paying much attention lately, but I've always hated him.  What kind of fucked up shit did he do this time?

[El Barto]

I'm not up to date on Harrison cause I haven't been paying much attention lately, but I've always hated him.  What kind of fucked up shit did he do this time?

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6765621/nfl-james-harrison-reckless-words-dull-point

Harrison also called Goodell "stupid," a "puppet" and a "dictator," and said that, "If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it. I hate him and will never respect him."

Harrison can hate Goodell all he wants. He can think Goodell is out to get him, is unfair and is unjust, but he needs to show Goodell respect, just as he needs to show his head coach, Mike Tomlin, respect and his position coach respect and the person who makes his lunch in the Steelers' cafeteria respect.

Playing football under a six-year, $51.175 million contract does not mean Harrison isn't still an employee. He is. There are rules, and there are consequences for breaking those rules.

Harrison said that if the Steelers had defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, he was going to whisper in Goodell's ear during the trophy presentation: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?" Now that would have been classy, but Harrison did not get that opportunity. The Steelers did not win. Harrison did not take responsibility for losing the game, even though he had only one tackle the entire game, a sack of Aaron Rodgers where Rodgers essentially ran into him. He did not apologize for getting dominated most of the game by Packers tackle Chad Clifton.

Instead, Harrison ripped his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, who did take responsibility for the loss after throwing two interceptions in the game.

"Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again," Harrison said of Roethlisberger. "Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does."

Harrison also called Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall a "fumble machine."

[zxlkho]

I hope he's suspended. Partly because he's a douche, but mostly because they play the Ravens week 1.

[KevShmev]

The funniest part is Harrison had one tackle in the Super Bowl, yet he dogged his teammates for their performances. 

Also, Peyton Manning, the QB who James Harrison said Big Ben is trying to emulate, threw 12 INTs in his own territory last year; Ben Roethlisberger threw three.

[kingshmegland]

I do but the talk out of Philly is that the team is hell bent on getting something for him so I think it will be a done deal that Kolb is traded.

The talk I've seen is that they're hell bent to get a lot for him.  The guy is essentially untested.  And as I recall,  he didn't really look that great in the few games he did start, so there's no telling how that'll work out.  There's always Al Davis, I suppose. 

It's actually a pretty interesting situation, now that I look into it.  His current salary is a bargain,  so the business move is to keep him as Vick's backup,  but that'd be a pretty shitty thing to do to a guy that was told he was the franchise QB, only to have the gig yanked.  From what I can tell, he just wants to start somewhere, and making him wait another year wouldn't be real cool. 

True as that is, teams like Arizona who had 11 TD's thrown last year(I think that correct) would pay that kind of money.  Also if it wasn't for an injury and the way Vick played Kolb was the starter.

[Dublagent66]

  I think he went right past douche into whole new category.  I never usually wish physical harm on NFL players, but I hope that guy gets clocked this year so he can appreciate first hand what he does to other players.  Someone really needs to smash that jerk in the mouth.

[El Barto]

I do but the talk out of Philly is that the team is hell bent on getting something for him so I think it will be a done deal that Kolb is traded.

The talk I've seen is that they're hell bent to get a lot for him.  The guy is essentially untested.  And as I recall,  he didn't really look that great in the few games he did start, so there's no telling how that'll work out.  There's always Al Davis, I suppose. 

It's actually a pretty interesting situation, now that I look into it.  His current salary is a bargain,  so the business move is to keep him as Vick's backup,  but that'd be a pretty shitty thing to do to a guy that was told he was the franchise QB, only to have the gig yanked.  From what I can tell, he just wants to start somewhere, and making him wait another year wouldn't be real cool. 

Arizona is looking to deal them DRC, as I understand it,  but the Eagles want a pick as well. 

True as that is, teams like Arizona who had 11 TD's thrown last year(I think that correct) would pay that kind of money.  Also if it wasn't for an injury and the way Vick played Kolb was the starter.

[kingshmegland]

Oh, and I think in the end they will give up a pick as well.  This league is now a QB driven and look how the Cardinals did without a QB last year.  I also think that we've seen in the past that any back up QB shows anything, teams are willing to overpay or take a lopsided deal.

[Dublagent66]

Does anybody have the Harrison GIF file that shows him pinning down the Arizona Cardinal?

[yorost]

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, that pretty much tells the story right there.  Unbelievable.   Thanks Y.

[axeman90210]

can't wait for free agency, it'll be interesting to see what the Jets roster looks like afterwards

[kingshmegland]

can't wait for free agency, it'll be interesting to see what the Jets roster looks like afterwards

A mess I hope.

[El Barto]

can't wait for free agency, it'll be interesting to see what the Jets roster looks like afterwards

Yeah,  isn't free agency going to be condensed down to a whole 3 days?  Considering that the owners and players haven't been allowed to discuss anything,  it should be absolutely insane. 

[pogoowner]

Harrison is a jackass, but I really don't have a problem with his behavior on the field. He just became the NFL's scapegoat after helmet to helmet hits became an issue they felt they needed to address.

[El Barto]

Harrison is a jackass, but I really don't have a problem with his behavior on the field. He just became the NFL's scapegoat after helmet to helmet hits became an issue they felt they needed to address.

I don't think it's a matter of him being a scapegoat.  The man takes pride in knocking people out of games.  I can understand that people are confounded by the lack of clarity in the rules, and I can understand that people like Harrison might have a tough time adapting, but unlike others, he seems to have made it clear that he won't adapt, because quite frankly, clobbering people seems to be the only thing he knows how to do.  Sometimes change sucks, but if you steadfastly refuse it at all costs, you're going to get left behind, and hopefully that happens to him sooner than later. 

[Perpetual Change]

So is there a bigger douchebag in the NFL than James Harrison?

There has never been, and there never will be.

Yup

[j]

At certain points in his career, I'd say Ray Lewis could contend for the "biggest douchebag" title.  And a handful of other guys.

-J

[El Barto]

Mike Vanderjagt could be in contention,  but it's hard to take an idiot kicker that seriously.  Moss and Owens could certainly be considered, but they both had immeasurable talent, and that'll make up for a fair amount of character deficiency.  And Moss never came across as a mean-spirited asshole.

[zxlkho]

At certain points in his career, I'd say Ray Lewis could contend for the "biggest douchebag" title.  And a handful of other guys.

-J

I'd really like to hear how you think Ray Lewis is a douche. Maybe it's just bias because I'm a Ravens fan, but he doesn't seem like that AT ALL.

[DarkEternalNight]

Booooooo Ravens.

[zxlkho]

ok

[DarkEternalNight]

Yeah.

[zxlkho]

.haeY

[DarkEternalNight]

Redskins are the offseason champs. Remember that.

[ReaPsTA]

can't wait for free agency, it'll be interesting to see what the Jets roster looks like afterwards

Yeah,  isn't free agency going to be condensed down to a whole 3 days?  Considering that the owners and players haven't been allowed to discuss anything,  it should be absolutely insane. 

All the chatter I heard made it sound like it would be a couple weeks.