First, thanks to all who tuned in to the first NFP Webinar on Wednesday. I hope I was helpful educating participants about how we got to where we are in the NFL and where we’re heading. We’ve had dozens of inquiries from people who were unable to take part, so we’ll make the recording available for purchase on the site soon.
Now that we’re entering one of the most important offseasons in the history of the NFL, it’s time to take a cue from David Letterman and list the top 10 stories to watch in what could be a turbulent 2010 offseason. Let’s start with the bottom five:
10. Franchise free agency
The Rams – or at least 60 percent of them -- are reportedly being sold to an Illinois businessman who’s intent on keeping the team in St. Louis. The purchase price supposedly would be significantly less than the value of the team calculated by Forbes magazine a few months ago.
If true, the NFL will use the price as proof to refute the NFL Players Association argument that all is healthy in the economic world of these teams and that their asset values are in decline due to the economy -- supporting their complaint about financial difficulty and request for collective sacrifice.
Farther north, the Vikings have been rebuffed again by the state of Minnesota, as the budget was just presented without any public funding for them. As the Vikings have watched public financing for the University of Minnesota and the Twins, their frustration level is boiling in their revenue-deprived bandbox of a facility, casting one eye toward L.A.
9. American Needle
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in January on this case involving an apparel company pushed to the curb when the NFL did a collective deal with Reebok in 2002. Although none of the questioning concerned labor, there is at least the potential for a sweeping antitrust exemption for the NFL that would insulate it for the NFLPA strategy of decertification employed successfully by Gene Upshaw in the early 1990s.
The more likely result is the preservation of limited antitrust exempt status – for broadcast contracts, apparel and other licensing – while not addressing the bigger issue of player rights, although the NFL thought it was worth a shot to take a free play and present it to the highest court in the land.
With a decision not expected until May or June, the case has the potential of slowing the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations even further.
8. The 2010 NFL Draft class
Although some ideas have been floated in bargaining sessions, it appears that the draft compensation system will remain unchanged. The interesting issue regarding these top draft pick contracts comes in March 2011. The way the contracts are structured – due to the operation of the tight rookie pool that will continue without a cap – the vast majority of bonus money comes in the second year of the contract rather than the first, a potential amount of $250-300 million. That should get management’s attention as it structures these deals.
7. Who will pick a Peppers?
The most attractive unrestricted free agent (UFA) on the market is Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. He’s been vocal in the media about not wanting to return to Carolina, and it may well oblige him. The Final Four teams – Saints, Colts, Vikings, Jets – are also ruled out, as are the Packers; their defensive line coach is Mike Trgovac, who clashed with Peppers in Carolina.
The interesting issue for Peppers, however, may not be who the team is, but how much he gets. As a player who has made north of $15M for each of the past two seasons, it’s a question whether he’ll equal that average as a UFA.
6. Being Brett
No offseason list is complete without Brett. My belief this year is the same I’ve had every year since I’ve known him (and since the speculation started): He will play.
Brett is under contract with the Vikings for $13M, so there is no contract to negotiate nor retirement list to skirt (see Jets, 2009). Brett played with a calm and poise this year that spoke well of his ongoing relationship with Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, someone Brett has come to trust after a rocky start in Green Bay years ago. I’ll be shocked if he truly retires.
I’ll have the top five stories Monday.
Follow me on Twitter: adbrandt
He looked like he had plenty left in the tank, he's still the best QB the Vikes have, and Bears fans always enjoy the opportunity to be the team that finally knocks him off his streak.
Brett Favre,
As a Packers fan, I beg you, PLEASE come back. I want to make sure the end of your career loses as much of its luster as possible. See: Joe Montana in Kansas City - year 2. You stuck it to the fiercely loyal Packer faithful that would have done anything for you, now you deserve the same. If you truly loved football, you would still be in New York, as anyone with a half of a brain knows. With the Saints blueprint for how to attack an aging, brittle Brett Favre firmly in place, this should be a very entertaining demolition derby...I mean season...to watch.
Sincerely,
-Captain Karma
BearMarket:
May we beat you to ending his streak. This should be a fun race; who can injure Brett first?
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Also: Let the record show:
1.) Brett left New York after losing the division and a playoff berth to Chad Pennington, the QB he was responsible for having the Jets cast aside.
2.) The Jets were left high and dry without Favre.
3.) They were forced to draft a QB 5th overall.
4.) This rookie, Mark Sanchez, a one-year starter for USC, was able to do what Favre was unable to: Take the New York Jets to the playoffs in his first year with the team.
You Packer fans are idoits. Grow up. Favre played great last year and it was very enjoyable. He is a very good QB. Plus the Packers have a very good QB also, so why do you act so childish?
Give him credit for playing well. Plus his waffling had as much to do with the Packers management not sure if they wanted him, as it did in making up his own mind.
Last night's (2/18/09) NFL Live show, with Mark Schereth said it all. He talked about how John Elway won the team over through never bowing out of any workout the entire team had to do, even though it was known Elway did not need to complete said tests to make the team.
Football is a team game.
Favre wants to be a part of that team when the cameras are on, he just doesn't feel strongly enough about his teammates to go through the team-building and morale-developing grind that is training camp. The guy is overrated, over-excused, and beyond all of that, a traitor...forever.
You Packer fans are idoits. Grow up. Favre played great last year and it was very enjoyable. He is a very good QB. Plus the Packers have a very good QB also, so why do you act so childish?
Give him credit for playing well. Plus his waffling had as much to do with the Packers management not sure if they wanted him, as it did in making up his own mind.
This comment may already have been removed, due to its attacking language, but I have to point out, even if it is only to the site-moderator:
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"You Packer fans are idoits."
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Webster's defines Irony as:
Main Entry: iro·ny
Pronunciation: ??-r?-n? also ??(-?)r-n?
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural iro·nies
Etymology: Latin ironia, from Greek eir?nia, from eir?n dissembler
Date: 1502
1 : a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning —called also Socratic irony
2 a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c : an ironic expression or utterance
3 a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity b : incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play —called also dramatic irony, tragic irony
synonyms see 'wit'.
Randal:
I see you hit 'refresh', as evidenced by your re-post. Don't worry, your comments weren't flagged, as 'idoits' isn't in this site's, or any sites', for that matter, cache of words not allowed. You're all good.
Now let's get down to brass tacks. I WOULD like fries with that.
Favre did play great this year and I hope he does come back so the Packers get to play him again. I also hope he waffles and vacillates and causes all manner of hand wringing in Minnesota.
I honestly don't see the Vikings having another great season like they did this year and I want to see it.
Bobby - even if I mispelled a word. 4 sure you knew what I meant. You have had 6 posts on here and the story is not even about your favorite team. It is about someone who haunts you 4-sure. I'm just have fun - just like #4 he sure loves to play the game. He just has so much fun out there.
GB fans sound scared.
-Vikings most loaded and still couldn't get it done...- Then why did every expert say the cowboys would batter them in the divisional and the saints WR's would kill their DB's in the championship game.... Neither of which happened by the way but uou can't be lorded as loaded whilst every 'knowledgable' pundit says teams will take you apart.
-The ridiculous Sanchez comparison.... Ask any Jets fan and they'll tell you Sanchez was awful last season, costing them numerous games. Infact the phrase I heard frequently was "we were winning in spite of Sanchez". Their D was incredible and their running game was easily the best in league (largely down to the mega Oline.)
- Favre lost them the champ game.... I think the 6 fumbles (2 or 3) in the redzone cost them the championship game.
- Favre missing training camp will cause problems... lets revisit last year's 'schism'... HAHA..12-4 without a training camp and a huge schism in the locker room, receivers didn't know the guy and he still had the best stats of any QB in the league.. yeah missing training camp is really going to cause problems this year. Keep reaching fellas... you don't sound desperate.
-"I honestly don't see the Vikings having another great season like they did this year and I want to see it."... Based on what?
Wait let me try that... I honestly don't see the Packers having another great season ever again and I want to see it. Nope, doesn't matter how many times I read it, it still doesn't mean anything. Just like yours. Useless.
As far as the guy that seems obsessed with the word 'idoits'. It's a typo, get a life.
Wells said Dan. You pretty much touched on everything that I was thinking. Was this a Favre only article??? I can't believe there are still so many haters out there after the year he had. He was a top 5 QB this year even at his ripe old age. When (if) he comes back, I highly doubt he will fall off the cliff and become a low end QB. Schereth will say anything to put down Favre. I think is pretty safe to say that he already has earned the respect of his teammates. Ray Edwards was pretty vocal early on about Favre being there as he was a T Jax backer. It sure doesn't seem like he would have those thoughts now after his commnets about if he realized that the saints were pounding Favre that he would have delivered pay back. Outside of the fumbles in the NFC championship game, the only people to blame that loss would be the coaches. 12 man is just embarrasing and the D - coaches should have informed the players to get a little more dirty and deliver some payback. You have to fight fire with fire.
Its the right of fans to rip, defend, praise your team and your opponents, however you cant just rip Favre because he is Favre. You have to respect what Favre has done and give him some props for having a MVP type year at this age, even if he was wearing the colors of Pack's most hated rival.
To switch subjects, since there were other stories touched on in the article. What are people's thoughts on where Peppers will land? Obviously the Pats have been named as a suitor many times and its quite obvious they could really use him, but the obvious doesn't always happen in the NFL. Thoughts people??? Bears?
Randal
For calling Packer fans (I'll spell it for you) i-d-i-o-t-s, you are a clown.
It doesn't matter how well Favre played (he did play well) in 2009.
He threw his team of 15 seasons under the bus because the GM wouldn't kow-tow to
his requests for certain players.Lets face it, other than the 2003 and 2007 seasons, the
Packers were just pretty much just above average with Favre at the controls. He had several
golden opportunities to advance his team through the playoffs and could not do it. On his two
best trys, the result was the same as this past season - getting impatient and making an ill advised throw to snuff out his teams chances.
The guy has had million dollar football talent but his judgement the last couple of years isn't worth a dollar. In Green Bay, the Packers are bigger than anyone player or coach. The true Packer greats understood that. Now I'm not saying that Favre is not a Packer great as he most certainly is. However, it is difficult to envision in a similar situation that Starr or Hornung or Nitzchke or Willie Davis would take the route that Favre took to try and deflect any personal responsibility for his actions to get ultimately to the Vikings.
Unfortunately for Favre, he burned bridges when he left and then last year he said that "true Packer fans would understand". All that did was lose him more respect. I could care less what any other fans in the NFL think about Favre and his reasons. I'm a Packer fan and only care about the effect on the team. The Packers both team, coaches and front office handled it with dignity and more class than Favre shows.
As for the Viking fans, why does this stadium story keep coming up? Every other franchise has been able to get something done. Even the Bears who don't get along with anyone. The Vikings need a better stadium or at least a radically improved concession deal. As the Vikings rank at almost the bottom of revenues in the league. Keep rejecting it and the Vikings will be the LA Vikings. Don't think it can't or won't happen.
Of course school funding is more important and so is health care but the Viking games create a lot of revenue for reataurants, hotels and small businesses in and around the twin cities. If Ziggy gets tired of all the stonewalling and gets approval to move, you will have nobody to blame but yourselves. Tell your state and municiple officials to get a clue
As soon as I saw Brett Favre's name in this article, I KNEW that every comment would be about him. Apparently, he should be the #1 offseason story since he's all any football fans want to talk about.... sad.
i'm not a packer fan and I cant stand favre. i love the jets, the guy is a joke. sanchez is better than he was. we added BRAYLON edwards from last year, and look where teh jets are, we were glad to get rid of favre.
Dan:
"Ask any Jets fan and they'll tell you Sanchez was awful last season, costing them numerous games. Infact the phrase I heard frequently was "we were winning in spite of Sanchez". "
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colrlas:
"i'm not a packer fan and I cant stand favre. i love the jets, the guy is a joke. sanchez is better than he was. we added BRAYLON edwards from last year, and look where teh jets are, we were glad to get rid of favre."
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I believe he qualifies as 'any jets fan'. Nice work, Danny.
Mack:
Well said concerning the Vikings need for a stadium. Like you, I too would like to see the Vikings remain in Minnesota; the potential loss of a NFL franchise to the midwest would be felt by all surrounding states for years. The fact that Minneapolis has an NFL team is a huge draw for thousands of companies and greatly increases tourism dollars both in-season and in the off-season.
If need be, the Green Bay Packer faithful are at your service, much like George Halas and the Bears once came to the aid of those in need at what is now 1265 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay, WI.
P.S. do not take this as some sort of peace-making attempt. Brett Favre, the Vikings and even your Smurf-hating coach, Gargumel...er Brad Childress all make me sick. You can have each other...I just don't want Minnesota to lose its NFL team, and that's the honest truth.
One last thing:
To all those that said this thread has become all about Favre:
Favre is one of Andrew Brandt's proclaimed, 'best friends' and his picture is the lead-in for this story. That's like chumming the water with dead fish and blood, and complaining that 'tons of sharks come here to investigate the bait fish'. It's denying the obvious:
The Green Bay Packers and its fans have been wronged on many occasions by one:
Brett Lorenzo Favre, traitor for life. Print it.
I know you Vikings fans can't get enough of the guy right now, but trust me, the honeymoon will wear off...just "ask any jets fan". No need to ask Packer fans - I've seen interviews with 90-year-old women in tears over how upset Favre has left them. You don't wanna know the half of it.
This person jackson must be a Jet fan or a cheating Orleans fan. I am sick of hearing about New orleans and katrina...it's over move on....and clean up the mess
Oh Danny, you are awfully defensive.
In short - things really came together for the Vikings in 2009 and chances are that won't happen again in 2010. The schedule happened to work in their favor (only 1 outdoor game in the cold), they didn't have serious injuries on the offensive side of the ball and a 40 year old quarterback played well above expectations.
It was merely an opinion I expressed, don't let it ruin your weekend. Go get a 12 pack of Pig's Eye.
how bout dem giants!!!!
There are reasons the Rams went cheap, and they had nothing to do with the economy:
1) They're currently the worst team in the league, with a LOT of rebuilding to do.
2) They've been on the market for close to two years now.
3) The Rosenbloom kids (RIP, Carroll, hope you're not spinning in your grave) were desperate to sell.
All the NFLPA has to do is show the value of the Redskins or Cowboys to refute an NFL 'hardship' argument.
(Notice that the Rams have been on the market since before the economy took its downturn.)
Yojimbo:
Do you think the Rams will be moved?
Randal:
"Bobby - even if I mispelled a word. 4 sure you knew what I meant."
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Randal...I don't even know if this level of irony has ever been achieved...you MISSPELLED MISSPELL.
Quit (or for Randal-speak, KWITT) while you're behind, sir.
I now see why you use numbers wherever possible, sure beats looking things up.
Wow. What team do you root for, just as a reference?
Also: Let the record show that I believe Randal started young - I'm 99% sure that Randal is a MISSPELLING of the common, "Randall." He was never given a fair shake like the rest of us...excuse me...UHSS.
Bret has a determination to WIN, He knows that HE can do the job, but He is only one man. Bret should go on until HE is ready to retire, not the media nor anyone else should tell Bret he is done. Bret proved he still has what it takes. Yes, everyone has off days, but Bret had more ON than off days. The past season was not a lucky season for Bret, Bret had a team behind him that played as a team. Everyone on the Vikings team looked great. I still Beleive that the Vikings, with Bret at the Helm, can still do it. I see Super Bowl in the eyes of Bret and the intire team. Just watch and see.
Bob: Based on Shahid Khan's statements (assuming he gets approved by the NFL), I don't see how he could move them without a massive PR disaster.
If he's disapproved, I think it's a definite possibility. The Rosenblooms might use that as an excuse.
As for the overall effect of the economy, according to Forbes' valuation, 18 of the 32 teams gained in value over the previous year, 6 stayed roughly the same, and 8 lost value. Only two lost money, the Seahawks ($2.4 million) and the Raiders ($5.7 million). In those cases, that amounts to about 0.3% and 0.7% of their value, respectively. The average operating income over the entire league was about $32.3 million. The avergae operating income for the year before was about $24.7 million. So operating incomes INCREASED by around 24% in the last year!
Tell me again how the economy hurt football.
Salary Cap last year was about $123,000 000 per team. I feel that given that fact, the chances of the average operating INCOME (ie Turnover) of $32,300,000 per team is unlikely.
How Bout Dem Cowboys!!!!
How Bout Dem Cowboys!!!!
Then, google "The Economics of NFL Team Ownership" (including the quotes). Go to the first link listed and read how my estimate was entirely on the low side.
This is a report done by two independent economists at the behest of the NFLPA, in response to the owners' claim of how they're undergoing economic 'hardship.'
Please no more talk about Brett Favre. As far as I'm concerned, he'll still be in the league ten years from now just like the Superbowl commercial. I repeat: the only way that he will retire is if someone breaks his leg like LT did to Joe Theismann.
Just when are the Williamses going to serve that 4 game suspension? It should be like the IRS one additional game for each season not served making it 6. BTW is the MInn. Judge Gary Larson who coddled them the same Gary Larson who once was a Viking D line man?
If the Packers get Peppers they can always release oe reassign the coach.
If peppers played in Green Bay he would be a linebacker, coached by Kevin Greene and not his ex-line coach from Carolina. While it may have some merit, I don't believe it has the iimpact that Mr. Brandt is saying it will. The amount of interaction between the two will probably be minimal.
If they want him and he wants them, the money will flow and all the millionaires will play nice, lol!
I welcome Brett to come back. There is no way he will ever surpass my lofty record of 5 World Championships and 2 Super Bowl titles.
I remain the greatest – and most classy – QB in Green Bay history.
Very humbly yours,
Bart
Man, this site brings the whiny Favre haters out of the woodwork. The guy is a thrill to watch and made the Vikings one of the best teams in the league last year. 33 Tds, 7 Ints. In his first year with the team, with next to no training camp. Enough said.
For you people who want him to retire, you should be cheering for him to win a Super Bowl with the Vikes. That would be the perfect ending and I think he would then call it quits.
Who cares about Favre??
Geaux Saints!
Bob
I have no dog in the fight, as I couldn't care less if Favre plays, or not. As someone impartial I must say that you are coming across as a bit of a douche bag. I am not making a personal attack, merely informing you of how you are coming across. I am sure you are a great guy, but invalidating someone's point of view because he doesn't have his spell checker turned on is a bit weak. I agree that calling Packers fans idiots is a bit Douchey as well, but that point is being drowned out by your responses. If you want to battle the guy on the merits of his arguments, great, that's what a forum is about, but take the high ground in the future. You will come off much better to others, and your arguments won't be overwhelmed by the personal attacks.
Tree2691:
"I must say that you are coming across as a bit of a douche bag. I am not making a personal attack"
"I agree that calling Packers fans idiots is a bit Douchey as well"
"take the high ground in the future"
"your arguments won't be overwhelmed by the personal attacks."
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Ahahahahaha. Thanks SO MUCH for the advice; it looks like you sure know how 'to take the high road'.
???????
And just for the record, when thast Vikings fan resorted to name-calling, I pointed out that, ironically, he had misspelled words that show him to be an idiot, namely 'MISSPELLED' and 'IDIOTS'. Don't hate me because I showed him how incredibly stupids he is, hate him for not realizing it, and calling other people 'idoits'.
Classic.
Next.
Perfect example.
I had a typo above. Now, if you want to point that out to me, as being ironic, have at it.
Most of you fellas sound like a bunch of 4th graders, fighting and name-calling at recess! Play nice!! We're all entitled to our opinions, but you don't have to get nasty about it. Personally, I think Brett has the right to play for whomever he wants (or whoever wants him) and however long as he wants (or however long he is able), as long as he plays well and has a winning record. He had the best year of his entire year, so why shouldn't he come back in 2010? He may as well, since there might not be any football as we know it in 2011, and he'll be 42 in 2012. So, folks, enjoy him while you can...every game is history in the making, whether you like him or not. Football will never be the same, once he retires for good. So, yeah, Brett, I hope you decide to play this season...but if you decide not to play, we'll certainly understand and be grateful for all the terrific years you gave us...thanks for all the great memories!
Pardon the typo above; I meant, "He had the best year of his entire career", not "of his entire year".
Hey, "Packfan4":
Brett Favre plays for the Minnesota Vikings. If you want to be a fan of theirs, don't let the door hit ya on the way out. Don't come crawling back to the Packers when he retires, though.
And save us the backstory, we know all about him.
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Brett Favre:
Most Career-Ending Interceptions.
Most Interceptions In The History Of The NFL Playoffs.
Choker Of The Big Game.
But Most Of All: The Man Who Stuck It To The Organization, And Moreso, The Fans, That Took Him In, TRADED FOR HIM, Mind You, When He Was An Addict, And A 280-Pound Lump Of Nothing In Atlanta, And Loved Him Like He Was Their Brother.
A Class Act.
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As I've said a million times before:
If he came back because he loved football, he'd still be playing in New York.
Jeremy - I believe the rules state that if a RFA player is offered a contract, the originating team must match the deal. It's sort of out of the hands of the player. From what I understand, the RFA procedure is a lot more public than with UFAs.
very nice
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Signs point to the end of an era
Feb 19, 2010
09:45 AM
please brett , just go away, you went to the most loaded team in football and STILL couldnt even make it to the superbowl. we get it, youre an egomaniac, but the vast majority of people outside minnesotta cant stand you, retire and MAYBE get some credibility back