QUOTE/STORY OF THE WEEK...
“If my father were here today, he would indeed be very pleased, for although there has been much written and said about him, few people realize how strongly my father felt about the National Football League. Few people realize how proud my father was to be a part of the tradition and the image of the National Football League, and few people realize how much my father cherished his association with the players and the coaches and the owners and the other members of the National Football League.” – Vince T. Lombardi Jr., Hall of Fame Weekend, July 31 1971
Today, we start the journey for the one trophy all 32 teams want to call their own, the Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champions.
A great piece from NFL films on Vince Lombardi
Congratulations to all of Saturday’s inductees:
Bob Hayes 1965-1975 Dallas, San Francisco
Randall McDaniel 1988-2001 Minnesota, Tampa Bay
Bruce Smith 1985-2003 Buffalo, Washington
Derrick Thomas 1989-1999 Kansas City
Ralph Wilson 1960-present Buffalo
Rod Woodson 1987-2003 Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore, Oakland
A special remembrance goes out to Hall of Famer and former Raiders great Gene Upshaw, who passed away last August.
Good luck to all 32 teams. Finally, let the games begin.
THINGS I HEARD AROUND THE NFL LAST WEEK...
1. Shaun Smith being terminated by the Browns yesterday might mean the Panthers, who lost Ma’ake Kemoeatu last week, will be giving him a call. They need to find a wide body to play inside.
APIngram is done for the year
2. What a tough break for the Eagles and rookie TE Corn Ingram, who tore the ACL in his left knee, the same injury he suffered last year at Florida. This hurts the Birds, who must find someone to complement Brent Celek. Injuries are starting to take a toll on the Eagles. That’s the second tight end sidelined for the season, as the Bengals lost Reggie Kelly earlier in camp. Now the Jets (blocker), the Bengals and the Eagles need to find tight ends.
3. In spite of the bad body language at the press conference where Packers General Manager Ted Thompson tried to dodge, but not answer, the question, some people in the front office think Michael Vick could really give the offense some flexibility. Internally, the feeling is that after the Favre circus, handling Vick would be nothing, and the media attention would not bother them. If they decide to sign Vick, it would be for a specific role.
4. Last week, the Chiefs claimed Patriots backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez and the Chiefs claimed linebacker Vince Redd, also from Patriots. Clearly, both teams, along with the Browns and Broncos, will be anxiously looking at any player the Pats release. If teams want a player from the Pats, they’re going to have to trade for them as the Chiefs have the third waiver claim until the third week of the season.
APA few teams were interested in obtaining Walter's services.
5. Jacksonville and Chicago wanted to sign former Raiders quarterback Andrew Walter before he signed with the Patriots. Jacksonville has his college coach, Dirk Koetter as the offensive coordinator.
6. Wide receiver Antonio Chatman of the Bengals is 30 years old, but everyone in Cincinnati feels like he’s going to have a good season with Carson Palmer now healthy. Chatman had 21 catches last year and no touchdowns.
7. Speed and quickness are what make Reggie Bush effective. If he keeps having knee problems, however, it will affect his speed and his quickness and reduce his effectiveness.
8. Talking to one head coach this week about former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan’s tour around different training camps, he seemed to think Mike will end up in the NFC for sure. “Washington?” I asked. He said, “Very good chance.”
APCould Shanahan land in Washington next year?
9. With no more distractions, Dallas seems to be a more focused team this year. Linebacker Anthony Spencer is having a good camp; now he needs to have a good preseason.
10. The Falcons’ brass feels its defensive line will be a huge strength his year and a major strength of the team.
11. The San Francisco 49ers' receiving corps took another hit Thursday when Brandon Jones was lost for eight weeks because of a small fracture in his right shoulder. This doesn’t mean the team will bend to the demands of first-round pick Michael Crabtree. Crabtree’s cousin made the most ridiculous statement last week, saying he might sit out the season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Next year, the draft will have some very talented players at wide receiver, and there’s no guarantee Crabtree will be the first wideout picked. Someone in the league told me the best wideout might be attending the University of Illinois but is a junior.
GET READY FOR PRESEASON GAMES…
Thursday, Aug. 13 (all times eastern)
WAS @ BAL, M&T Bank Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
NE @ PHI, Lincoln Financial Field, 7:30 p.m.
ARI @ PIT, Heinz Field, 8 p.m., ESPN
DAL @ OAK, Oakland Coliseum, 10 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 14
STL @ NYJ, Giants Stadium, 7 p.m., NFL Network
MIN @ IND, Lucas Oil Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
CIN @ NO, Superdome, 8 p.m.
DEN @ SF, Candlestick Park, 10 p.m., NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 15
ATL @ DET, Ford Field, 4 p.m., NFL Network
CHI @ BUF, Ralph Wilson Stadium, 7 p.m., NFL Network
HOU @ KC, Arrowhead Stadium, 8 p.m.
TB @ TEN, LP Field, 8 p.m.
CLE @ GB, Lambeau Field, 8 p.m.
SEA @ SD, Qualcomm Stadium, 10 p.m., NFL Network
Monday, Aug. 17
JAC @ MIA, Land Shark Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
CAR @ NYG, Giants Stadium, 8 p.m.
BOWEN’S BOAST...
APBowen is going to need a big year out of Andre Johnson
As some of you readers may know, my fellow National Football Post writer and I have a little side bet: Matt Bowen is buying into the Houston Texans hook, line and sinker, sensing a playoff run. I, on the other hand, do not buy the Texans in the playoffs. So we made a bet. If I win, Bowen sends to me to Bruce Springsteen and finally places Erin Burnett of MSNBC fame in his Friday Eight in the Box. If Bowens wins, I have to buy a ton of Bud Heavies and take him to the WWF match of his choice.
In fairness to Bowen, I thought we would carve out a little space each week in the Sunday Post to monitor the Texans.
Week one of the preseason, Bowens’ Texans are losing corners. Jacques Reeves was injured, forcing Houston to sign Deltha O’Neil for corner depth. Injuries are something this defense can ill afford. I am worried for you, Matt.
Follow Matt on Twitter: Mattbowen41
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK...
“Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you; but of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, ‘We did this ourselves.’” -- Lao Tzu
Since it’s Hall of Fame weekend, here are a few other Hall of Fame speeches worth listening to:
Bruce Springsteen introducing U2 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bono introducing Bruce Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
BOOK OF THE WEEK...
“I don’t need more time, I need a deadline.” -- Duke Ellington
“Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Work For You,” by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims
What do you get when a popular professional organizer teams up with a time management expert? More time to enjoy what's important. Nothing beats the satisfaction of coming to the end of the day and feeling it was a successful one. Well-managed time makes that possible. It reduces stress, helps you accomplish more in less time, and, most importantly, gives you greater freedom to enjoy doing what you love. This book shows you how to make it all happen. You'll learn:
1. how to focus your time on your priorities
2. when multitasking is helpful or harmful
3. secrets to overcoming procrastination
4. tips for managing distractions, interruptions, and time wasters
5. how to organize your space to maximize efficiency
This book contains a variety of easy-to-implement, effective ideas for both home and work. Whether you are a creative freewheeler or an organized perfectionist, there are solutions that will work for you.
“Solid, practical advice for anyone who wants to be more productive and less stressed.” -- Barbara Hemphill, author, “Taming the Paper Tiger at Work”
The Sunday Jolt from Ray Gustini
See this movie: “Moon”
It’s not exactly accurate to call Sam Rockwell our best actor working in movies today. Let us say instead that he is the most interesting. Like Val Kilmer and Gary Oldman before him, he generally plays characters that come from a very specific place. This summer, he’s in two movies; “G-Force” where he voices a guinea pig secret agent named Darwin, and “Moon,” about an astronaut mining Helium-3 on the moon. On the whole, “Moon” is the picture you want to see. It’s like the best episodes of “The Twilight Zone”—not quite a thriller, not quite a love story. I think it’s the best movie of the year featuring the best turn by an American actor this decade, although I can’t tell you why without ruining any of its myriad surprises. It’s a small movie that doesn’t feel like one. The credit, I think, goes to Rockwell: in bringing his star to “Moon” the picture shines brighter than anything you can imagine.
TIPPER OF THE WEEK....FANTASY STYLE...
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” -- Harry S Truman
FROM JOE “THE TIPPER” FORTENBAUGH:
Since Lombardi was nice enough to offer me some high-end real estate here in the Sunday Post, I figured I would take the opportunity to throw a fantasy sleeper your way. Check out our 2009 Draft Guide for more scouting reports and analysis.
Keep this player on your radar
Nate Washington Tennessee Titans Age: 25 Height: 6-1 Weight: 185 Bye: 7
APFantasy owners should remember the name Nate Washington
A vertical threat with very explosive deep speed, Washington signed with the Titans this past offseason and now finally gets a chance to be an every down receiver. He posted a respectable stat line with the Steelers in 2008 (40 receptions, 631 yards, three touchdowns) despite seeing limited action in an offensive system that is predicated on running the football. Washington is averaging a very impressive 16.4 yards per reception for his career, meaning he's dangerous in open space when he's got the football in his hands. The Titans’ two-headed rushing attack featuring Chris Johnson and LenDale White will force opposing defenses to respect the run, leaving the secondary vulnerable at times for Washington to exploit. Remember, despite his age, quarterback Kerry Collins still throws a very nice deep ball.
Fantasy Outlook:
SLEEPER ALERT. Washington has the potential to be one of the best value picks at wide receiver in this year's draft. He's got great speed, reliable hands and an explosive burst that makes him difficult to track down in the open field. The Tennessee offense will still be relatively conservative this season, so owners shouldn't expect ridiculous numbers. However, the NFP preaches upside and Washington has it. Look for him in the middle rounds. He has the potential to crack the starting lineup and make a serious impact for a very reasonable price.
The Tipper on Twitter: JoeFortenbaugh
LEADERSHIP IMPROVEMENT IDEA...
“I never could have done what I have done with the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence with the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.” -- Charles Dickens
How to be a star at work, from Robert Kelly of Carnegie Mellon University:
1. Initiative
Stars exceed expectations. Just doing your job is not enough. Stars do their own job well and then perform well in areas that exceed the job description. Generally, star initiative includes helping people, taking risks and seeing a project through to the end – all in arenas that go beyond their job duties.
2. Networking
Stars don't think of networking as something to do once a day at 3 p.m. For stars, it's a constant. Nothing is a complete waste of time because you can always meet someone, talk to someone or help someone. That last piece is important – stars know that networking is as much giving as taking. And there is an inherent humility in this way of life; stars know they can't get what they want by acting alone.
3. Self knowledge
Knowing how to do your job is expected. You need to know how to manage your relationships, your long-term goals and your personal development. This is not a one-time goal; this is a life commitment to very regular self-assessment. And this is a commitment to soliciting and accepting outside input, because it's impossible to know for sure how you appear to others.
4. Kindness
Average workers see the world from their point of view. Stars have exceptional empathy and act on it: They are good followers because they know it's important to help leaders be the best they can be, too; stars can give the right message to the right audience; and they can get an accurate big picture by looking and listening to the people around them.
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THAT AREN’T WORTH MISSING...
APRalph Wilson
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.” -- Albert Einstein
The Czar is Born. During a period of personal turmoil in 1963, Pete Rozelle made a series of monumental moves that positioned the NFL to conquer the sports world. An excerpt from a new book
Ralph Wilson entered the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Here’s a chronology of his life.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK FROM THE POST...
"You want to study the Bengals? Very easy, just watch the coaching mismanagement by Marvin Gardens. "If he owned a funeral home no one would die.""
STORIES TO SHARE....
“I hope that in the next world I shall be able to look back at this life and say: Those were beautiful dreams.” -- Anton Cherhov
Bobby's Gift
Bobby was getting cold sitting in his backyard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway, he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job keeping out the cold.
Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, “This is useless. Even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend.”
Ever since his father had passed away three years earlier, the family of five had struggled. It wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try. There just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.
What the family lacked in money and material things, it more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sister, who ran the household in their mother's absence.
All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to.
Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark, and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime.
Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment. As he held his new found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when salesperson after salesperson told him that he could not buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his 10-cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, “You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you.”
As Bobby waited, he looked at the beautiful flowers, and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.
The sound of the door closing as the last customer left jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid.
Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long-stem red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.
“That will be 10 cents young man,” the shop owner said, reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime! Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, “I just happened to have some roses on sale for 10 cents a dozen. Would you like them?”
This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for him, he heard the shop keeper say, “Merry Christmas, son.”
As he returned inside, the shop keeper’s wife walked out. “Who were you talking to back there and where are the roses you were fixing?” Staring out the window and blinking the tears from his eyes, he replied, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime.
“When I looked at him, I saw myself many years ago. I too was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother for a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me 10 dollars.
“When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses.”
The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.
Bowen wants to go to a World Wildlife Foundation match? What's going to happen there? Does a Panda fight a Koala to determine which animal can keep "Bear" in its name. Its called the WWE now.
In all seriousness though, great article as usual Lombardi, I love reading this every Sunday morning.
I just wanted to tell you that I love your stories to share
I am sure Dallas still has their share of distractions. If not, give it a couple days.
The Jags OC did seem like a great fit for Walter, but if you want to play QB, go where teams throw!
Isn't it the 3rd TE lost for the season. I was under the impression that Humphrey would be lost for the year in GB...not that he was going to start or anything. Thanks for the Sunday articles, great start to my week.
RE : TIGHT ENDS NEEDED ( see Bengals /Eagles /Jets )
The New England Patriots just happen to have a bevy of talent at that position and might possibly part with one of theirs .
Ben Watson / Chris Baker / Alex Smith / Dave Thomas / Tyson Devrie
I wouldn't be surprised to see atrade invoving the Pats this week .
Mike, great story about Bobby. I love those stories, too, and they're the best thing about Sundays at the Post. Thanks for sharing those, and keep doing so, please.
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Aug 09, 2009
10:59 AM
Tough break for Brandon Jones. I was hoping he'd have a great season. I felt like he was ready to break out and be awesome this year and was kind of wishing the Titans had kept him. I'd take Nate Washington over a healthy Brandon Jones any day, though.
Good column, Mike, as always.