Did I Do And Just Say That ….?

Did I Do And Just Say That ….?

By tophatal ………

Well with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having now filled their vacant coach’s position with their hiring of Greg Schiano it now remains to be seen whether or not the existing assistant coaching staff will be retained by the newly installed head coach. This rather long drawn morass came to a positive end when a formal acceptance was made by the Rutgers’ head coach accepted the organization’s offer. For GM Mark Dominik this long drawn out process has a successful resolution . My own thoughts on the matter, was that this was a long time coming and perhaps the best thing that could have for the Buccaneers. I found it so idiotic that the prevailing thought by Dominik and the owners was to dredge up a bunch of coaching retreads as a possible successor to Raheem Morris ! Unless I’m mistaken I wasn’t aware that Pep Boys was a chosen destination for an NFL franchise seeking to find a head football coach in this league ! But then again we are talking about the moribund Tampa Bay Buccaneers , whose fans are simply in large part devoid of intelligence and their mainstay in life is to simply to regale you with their proudest moment when the franchise won their lone Superbowl in 2003 (SBXXXVII [SB37]). That 48-26 victory by the Buccaneers over the Oakland Raiders became the symbol of the franchise’s success .

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Slide show for your perusal .

Since then , it has been a whirlwind of highs and lows for this franchise. It makes you wonder what might be next around the corner the organization.

Indianapolis Colts’ .. owner …. Jim Irsay is now denouncing the team’s quarterback Peyton Manning by suggesting that the player should keeps his comments and thoughts to himself rather than making it public . Irsay and GM Keith Grigson’s handling of the most recent situations has the public and in particular Colts’ fans wondering what the hell must be going on within this organization. Jim Caldwell’s abrupt firing in light of the 2-14 season had by this team when in reality much of the failure seen was beyond the coach’s will to change it. Poor play and cotillerie of quarterbacks in Kerry Collins , Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky , who on their best days wouldn’t be good enough to sniff Manning’s jockstrap much less assist him in putting on his cleats but yet they were being asked to guide this organization through their regular season schedule. The levity of this whole situation could become a great deal graver when a decision has to be made as to whether or not Peyton Manning will be retained by the franchise as the player is due a $28 million roster bonus by the 8th March .

Courtesy of Yahoo Sports & Associated Press

Colts owner wishes Manning kept comments in-house

By Michael Marot , AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The NFL’s most watched offseason drama has turned stunningly ugly.

Two days after Peyton Manning complained about the dour atmosphere around the Colts’ complex, team owner Jim Irsay called his four-time league MVP a “politician” and said he didn’t appreciate Manning’s public campaign.

The comments upstaged the introduction of Irsay’s new coach, Chuck Pagano, and came six weeks before Irsay must decide whether to pay the still-recovering Manning a $28 million bonus. Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having his third neck surgery in September.

“I don’t think it’s in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don’t,” Irsay told reporters following Pagano’s introduction. “The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he’s always known, because he’s been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you’ve got a problem you talk to each other, it’s not about campaigning or anything like that.”

Just a few hours after Irsay responded to questions from reporters, Manning tried to dial things back by telling The Indianapolis Star that he didn’t intend to create a public spat. Instead, Manning said he was speaking from the heart after watching so many of his friends lose their jobs.

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Jim Irsay has stated that the quarterback will be retained solely based on his health . In reality because of the financial implications of that possible payout and the belief that the Colts will make Andrew Luck the number one overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft . Rookie salary scale or not should the Stanford quarterback be taken his agent will expect his client to be well compensated by way of a generous contract that is comparable to to the quarterbacks taken in the most recent draft over the past two to three years . Certainly the expectations will be that Andrew Luck would expect to a contract that puts him on par with last year’s top pick Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers . Granted , based upon potential alone no one can really say whether not Luck will have a stupendous first season in comparison to Newton’s , where the Panthers’ quarterback set NFL rookie records in a number of areas . So much so that many of those statistics would rival some of the best produced not only in the NFC by many of his peers but also in the NFL as a whole . And those would be very tall orders indeed if Andrew Luck were able to match those feats .

Clearly there now seems to be some unresolved issues and tension between Peyton Manning and the Colts’ owner Jim Irsay and much of this may well have come down to the owner’s decision not only in the firing of head coach Jim Caldwell but also former front office executives Bill Polian and his son , Chris Polian , who between them jointly had over two decades of service within the Indianapolis Colts’ organization and architects of the organization’s prominence within the NFL over the past decade plus . It was the prudent decision by the Bill Polian , that saw Manning being drafted number one overall in the 1997 NFL Draft when many had question whether not Ryan Leaf would have been a far more prudent choice at the time. As we now know , Leaf would go on to be one of the ” biggest monumental busts ” in NFL history , while the Colts’ quarterback would go on to set many of the franchise’s records and be placed amongst some of the NFL’s most heralded feats for a quarterback in passing yardage and touchdowns thrown .

What may well lay ahead in terms of a decision to be made by Jim Irsay will set the tone and future for the Indianapolis Colts as an organization. Given , the team’s payroll and the complexities of possibly having to make that $28 million outlay as well as the resigning of free agents leaves Keith Grigson and Irsay a lot to deal with, apart from bringing on-board a highly sought after talent in Andrew Luck . With that all now comes what appears to be the growing tension between the Colts’ quarterback and the team owner. The thought of Peyton Manning either being cut or suiting up in another franchise uniform may well have seemed unthinkable prior to the start of this past season but it now looks as if it become a stark reality and most certainly one of the most stunning events to have taken place in the NFL since Joe Montana departed from the San Francisco 49ers to become a member of the Kansas City Chiefs .

Whatever comes out of the final decision made by the Indianapolis Colts will have reverberations around the NFL , most certainly amongst the teams quite possibly in need of a seasoned and experienced quarterback . None would meet the credentials than that of Peyton Manning , a bona-fide superstar in the NFL who has not only become the face of the Indianapolis Colts’ franchise but also one of the most recognized and most respected players in this league . Now there are doubters out there who say that Manning should retire , while others believe that he has at best , another two or three good years left in him. My thoughts on the matter ………. dependent upon his health , I see no reason why he cannot play for at least another two year or more but certainly no more than four at the most ! What are your feelings if any on the player’s immediate future ?

I have leveled a great deal of criticism at Roger Goodell over the years and will continue to do so , even in the advent of him succeeding Paul Tagliabue . It seems remarkably surprising that he would seek a contract extension and be granted that for a further two years , even after the dissent not only amongst the team owners , leading members of the league’s hierarchy in his handling of this past season’s labor dispute with the NFLPA (union) . . But here is my point to this latest disclosure why all the secrecy to this after what can be best described as one the biggest blunders and cases of misjudgment made by a leading member of the league . Goodell , obviously felt that he and the owners had the upper hand in these labor negotiations and went with guns a-blazing with demands from the union asking for concessions that clearly DeMaurice Smith and the union’s executive committee were unwilling to acquiesce to but somehow Goodell is now rewarded with a seven year contract extension for a job that is thought to have been well done by the league’s hierarchy . We’re told that this new collective bargaining agreement guarantees the NFL a decade long continued peace and just about as much accord as anyone could expect between two sides who battled to get their way .

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times & Associated Press

NFL REPORT

NFL commissioner receives contract extension

Roger Goodell, who helped steer the league through one of its most contentious periods, is rewarded with a seven-year extension.

Now that the NFL has labor peace for the next decade, Commissioner Roger Goodell has job security through the 2018 season.

Not only did Goodell get through one of the league’s most contentious and troubling periods — a 4 1/2 -month lockout of the players — but he oversaw a highly successful season once a 10-year collective bargaining agreement was reached. On Wednesday, he reaped some rewards himself with a contract extension through March 2019.

“It is the only place I have ever wanted to work,” Goodell said after the league’s compensation committee approved the extension.

The 52-year-old Goodell took over for Paul Tagliabue in 2006. His original five-year contract was extended in 2009. He earned about $10 million, including bonuses, under that contract. During the lockout, he had a $1 salary.

No terms were disclosed for the new contract.

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Somehow , I feel that within the next five years these two sides will be once again be bickering like infantile kindergartners over a play toy in the middle of a sandbox . Who wins that fight next time around will be anyone’s guess but for the commissioner to granted a contract extension in light of what I felt was a blunder of his own making and is tantamount to now witnessing these financial executives on Wall St being rewarded for their clear errors in judgment , that in many respects brought about the financial and economic strife that has beleaguered this country ! Only here could you find an executive being rewarded for their sheer stupidity even when their business template is seemingly in tatters ! But then again one only has to look at the actions of the members of both federal legislative chambers ( House & Senate ) and the GOP – candidates who are now seeking their party’s Presidential nomination to realize that it is merely business as usual ! No recourse , no oversight and clearly no prudent decision making but mere platitudes being served up for the public’s consumption , and that was clearly the case with this latest collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and union !

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Picture gallery for your perusal . (By clicking on an individual frame you can view that picture in its original formatted size )

With regard to the most recent hires within the NFL fraternity do you believe the decisions made by the Buccaneers and Colts to be sound ones ? Or do you believe that both Chuck Pagano and Greg Schiano’s tenures within the league will be short-lived ? Chime on this and any other points you believe to be pertinent with regard to this piece .

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Picture and slide show details below .

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(1) FILE – In this Nov. 25, 2006 file photo, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano leads his team onto the field before a football game against Syracuse in Piscataway, N.J. A person familiar with the negotiations says the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in talks with Schiano to become the team’s next coach. The 46-year-old Schiano has been with the Scarlet Knights for 11 seasons, taking them from college football laughingstock to a program that has had winning records in six of the last seven years. AP Photo/Mel Evans ….

(2) TAMPA, FL – FILE: Head coach Raheem Morris of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks at the scoreboard during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on December 17, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. According to reports January 2, 2012, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired head coach Raheem Morris. Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images ….

(3) (Left to right) General manager Bill Polian, team owner Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning (18) of the Indianapolis Colts look on during Super Bowl XLIV Media Day at Sun Life Stadium on February 2, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. With Polian now out as a front office executive it would appear that the last remnants from the Colts’ era of success is but another decision away, with the growing rift between the quarterback and team owner. Photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Doug Benc ……..

(4) Indianapolis Colts new head coach Chuck Pagano, left, and owner Jim Irsay greet each after Pagano was introduced during a news conference at the NFL football team’s headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. AP Photo/Michael Conroy ….

(5) In this Oct. 16, 2011, photo, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, left, speaks with inside linebacker Ray Lewis during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Baltimore. The Indianapolis Colts hired Pagano as their new head coach on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The team said Pagano will be introduced at a news conference on Thursday. AP Photo/Nick Wass ………

(6) GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 02: Andrew Luck (12) of the Stanford Cardinal walks off of the field after Stanford lost 41-38 in overtime against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 2012 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images ………

(7) Roger Goodell formally introduces himself to the press as the NFL commissioner having succeeded Paul Tagliabue (background) in June of 2005 . The commissioner having fulfilled his term has been given a new 7 year contract extension that will expire in 2019 . So much for Goodell and the league pleading league’s case as to being impoverished , with his now multi-year, multi-million dollar annual salary . AP Photo …..

(8) Roger Goodell is seen here alongside NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, during one of their numerous meeting this past off-season trying to reach an amicable accord concerning the NFL league dispute between their two parties . AP Photo / Nick Amundson ……..

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As we Brits like to say ” bottoms up but get your top down “! If this beauty were so willing at the time .