Big 10 Divisions

The Big 10 announcing the new divisions broke news yesterday, ESPN has more here.

The divisions will be:  Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.

And: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana.

At first I was not happy to see Wisconsin with Ohio State AND Penn State, the top two teams in the conference.  To me it looked like the other division was much weaker but after thinking about it further I think the Badgers got a decent draw and here are my reasons.

• Michigan is weak now, but they will be back, in a big way eventually.  Too much money and tradition to fail long-term.
• Nebraska is also surging back, it would not be shocking if in five years the best two teams from the conference were Nebraska and Michigan.
• Ohio State is the best team right now, for Wisconsin to make it to the BCS title game they would only have to beat them once during the regular season, which would be home every other year.  If they were in separate divisions there would be a chance of having to play Ohio State twice in a year.  I will take my chances with once a year, in Madison.
• I feel the trio of Illinois, Purdue and Indiana are much weaker than the bottom of the other division with Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.

I think the Badgers got a manageable draw.  Yes they have to play what are currently the best two teams every year but they will possibly get those games at home every other year.  I feel the Big 10 actually did a very fair split and the conference should not be as lopsided as some of the other conference splits.  The Big 12 South is always dominate and should have been split years ago.  The SEC East dominated that conference up until this year.

 College Football Predictions

Here are some predictions for the College Football season, which gets underway tonight:

• The Big 10 is too good this season to have an entrant in the BCS title game.  The conference has too much depth to allow a team, like Ohio State, to run through undefeated.
• Alabama will not repeat.  They may not even win the SEC West with LSU, Arkansas and Auburn coming on strong.
• Florida will not win the SEC East, Georgia is my darkhorse for the division, conference and possible entrant into the BCS title game.
• NotreDame will start the bounce back this season with 8 or more wins.  Brian Kelly was a great hire.  He has had head coaching success at several levels, he has a system that scores a ton and is proven.  Charlie Weis was not proven, Ty Willingham had success in the Pac 10 before USC re-emerged from the abyss.  Kelly will win BIG in time, he won at Cincinnati!
• Boise State nor TCU will or should get to a BCS title game.  Last year Boise had the 114th toughest schedule, TCU had the 84th.  Give me a break, this year Boise is projected to have the 89th, TCU 75th.  I can live with 75th but once again Boise’s conference brings it down too far.  Instead of BYU maybe Boise should think about being an independent. 
• Oklahoma will win the Big 12 and be in the BCS Title game.
• Ohio State will win the Big 10.
• Georgia will win the SEC.
• USC will win the Pac 10, but not get to bowl.
• Miami will win the ACC
• The Big East is no better than the Mountain West, that is the only mention that conference deserves. 
• Oklahoma will beat Georgia for the BCS National Title

Week 1 Picks

Utah -2.5 vs Pittsburgh – Pitt is over-rated and Utah is a tough trip.

USC -21 at Hawaii – I think USC pours it on every chance they get.

Notre Dame -11 vs Purdue – The Irish will spread it out and run it up.  I really like Brian Kelly.

Connecticut +3 at Michigan – If Michigan loses this game Rich Rod will have a tough time getting through the season.

Oregon State +13 at TCU – I like the Rodgers brothers to lose but cover.

Virginia Tech +2.5 vs Boise State – The last time Boise opened the season east of the Mississippi against a BCS team Georgia throttled them.  I do not see a blowout here but when the big boys are healthy AND care, Boise does not hold up.

This feels like an odd year.  Alabama is the defending National Champion, with a returning Heisman trophy winner, but I have to admit I am not “feeling Bama”.  Be it the quarterback or the significant losses on defense, or just the natural letdown after being the national champion.  I do not see Alabama getting to the title game. 

One team that is not under the radar, or will not be in a week or two is Oklahoma.  I think this year’s title game will be Oklahoma-Georgia.  Oklahoma makes sense and may even become a chic pick by the time the season is a week or two old. 

Georgia is not, but before I defend the Georgia pick I will list some reasons why no other team feels right.

Mid Majors

I am not feeling Boise State.  Until the day comes that I seriously feel like Utah, Boise or TCU could beat a team like Alabama, than follow it up the next week with a win over a team like Florida, I cannot take their title chances serious.  Sorry, those are the types of things teams from the SEC, Big 12, and Big 10 have to deal with every year.  Boise beats one solid team a year and expects to get into the title game, silliness.

Florida and USC and Big 10

USC is not eligible so it is easy to eliminate them.  Similar to how I am not feeling Alabama, I do not feel “Florida”.  Florida lost such a huge leader in Tebow that I think it will take a year or two to fill in that leadership, especially if you add in the explosive weapons and defensive studs that the Gators have lost in the last two years. 

The Big 10 is actually too good this year to get a team into the title game.  Unless another two loss team is allowed entry into the BCS title game I doubt a Big 10 team will get in.  Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin are all too good to allow one of the other teams to make it though conference play undefeated.  A one loss SEC team will make it in before a one loss Big 10 team.

Georgia

Here are some of the main reasons I feel Georgia is a team with a chance

• Serious pressure on the coach and team due to a couple down years. I love desperate teams.
• Defense switching to a 3-4, the only defense capable of slowing down the spread.
• Talent, Talent, Talent.  Only a handful of teams out-recruit Georgia and they might have the best player in the country in AJ Green.
• Great Offense.  10 returning starters and according to Phil Steele a top five RB group, a top three WR group, and the top offensive line in the country.
• Great Linebackers.  A big reason why they are moving to the 3-4, they are putting more playmakers on the field by going with the 3-4.
• Schedule, let me repeat SCHEDULE.  They avoid LSU and Alabama from the SEC West.  They get Georgia Tech at home and the toughest road non-conference game is at Colorado, a team they should be able to overwhelm.  Tennessee, Kentucky and Vandy should not be that difficult.  Toughest games are Florida on a neutral field, @Auburn, and @South Carolina.  For an SEC team that is very manageable.

The only negatives are quarterback and secondary.  Quarterback is a big one but at leat this year they are going with a highly touted high school recruit Aaron Murray, who was the 6th best QB prospect coming out two years ago.  Last year Georgia plugged in Joe Cox, who was not an SEC level quarterback and it showed early and often.

The secodary is also a concern but has been bolstered with a top Junior College prospect, Jakar Hamilton and some incomig freshman expected to make an impact.

I think an SEC will make it again to the BCS title game and this year I think that team is the Georgia Bulldogs.

This article will focus on some early week NBA news.  By the end of the week, and the next couple of weeks, most of the content will be geared toward College Football and the NFL.

Jennings working on everything

A little odd to see some non-news regarding Brandon Jennings.  Maybe this is a sign of how much buzz the Bucks have created on a national level.  Below is the note from ESPN regarding Jennings on the ESPN NBA Rumors, it is always fun to read positive things about your team:

Brandon Jennings had a terrific rookie season for the Bucks and is working hard during the summer to improve his game.

“Right now, Brandon is working on everything,” Bucks general manager John Hammond tells Sporting News.

“Obviously, as a young player, you can’t come in and think you have nothing to get better at,” added Hammond. “Every year, you have to come back a better player. Brandon is working on cleaning up his shooting form, making his technique more consistent. He is working on his right hand (Jennings is a lefty). He is working on his defense. He played well last year, but I don’t think he is completely satisfied.”

More Carmelo Trade Talk

This storyline should really pick up steam as the season approaches.  What will Denver try to get back for Carmelo, or do they wait until free agency and get nothing.  I still really hope against him becoming a Chicago Bull as I think a trio of Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer would make the Bulls a serious threat to even the Lakers and Heat.  Chicago, New York and Orlando are among the favorites.  I hope he stays in the West.

The longer Carmelo Anthony goes without getting traded despite signs he will, the more his potential list of suitors continues to grow.

On Saturday, Sam Amico of NBA.com reported that in addition to previously mentioned New Jersey, the Wolves and Kings are in play for Anthony.

“Early word around NBA is Nuggets will try to trade Carmelo to one of three teams: Wolves, Kings or Nets,” he tweeted. “In other words, careful what you wish for.”

While Anthony may have a preferred list of teams he’d like to play for — the Knicks and Rockets are said to be chief among them — the Nuggets don’t have to lock themselves into just those teams in trying to find an agreeable trade partner.

The team can instead find the best deal available — it’s believed they are looking for young players and picks — instead of only dealing with Melo’s list.

Charlie Villanueva and Yi

Two former Bucks, that I certainly do not miss, made the ESPN rumor page.  Chuck hopes to start and Yi is tearing it up against crappy teams.  I will always feel neither will ever be a major contributor on a playoff team but whatever.

Charlie Villanueva’s inaugural campaign in Detroit last season was a bit of disappointment.

He battled through a host of injuries — though he only missed three games — and saw the least amount of minutes per game of his career.

But with a solid summer under his belt, he’s looking to start at power forward next season.

“That’s my mentality — to be a starter,” Villanueva told Pistons.com on Monday. “But at the same time, I don’t want it to be given to me. I want to earn it. I believe I can be a starter in this league. I’ve done it before.”

Yi tearing it up, against crap:

It was only two games over the weekend, but new Wizard Yi Jianlian has played well in the World Championships for China. He had 26 points and 14 rebounds vs. Greece on Saturday and 26 points and nine rebounds vs. Ivory Coast on Sunday.

“His production will likely drop against superior foes — remember, Greece was without two of its best big men and Ivory Coast has none of merit,” wrote Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “But so far, so good for Yi.”

Rashad Mobley of Truth About Ithad similar cautious praise: “Overall, it’s awfully hard to make sweeping generalizations about Yi after just two games. But if you’re looking for some indication of how Yi will perform this fall, there are some encouraging trends.”

Yi is showing more aggression in and around the hoop in the World Championships, something that hasn’t been a strong part of his repertoire during his short NBA career.

If Yi continues such aggressive play into the season with John Wall running the show and Andray Blatche and JaVale McGeeattracting attention from opposing defenses, it may prove to help Yi live up to his potential, potential he’s yet to fully unveil as a No. 6 draft pick of the Bucks in 2007.

USA Edges Brazil

The USA Mens Basketball team topped Brazil 70-68 today.

It is football season, so I will be having some football posts until basketball picks back up.

Unless you have been in a coma, you are aware of the Darrelle Revis holdout from the New York Jets.  Don Banks from SI thinks that Revis will eventually win the standoff.  My question centers around whether or not the Jets “should” cave in to his demands from the team’s perspective, player’s perspective and fan’s perspective.

Team

This could be a dangerous precedent set if they do cave in since Revis has multiple years left on his rookie contract.  At the same time the Jets are hell-bent on getting to and winning the Super Bowl and they are not shy about that.  Can they make it to the Super Bowl without their best player?   The team is going to lose the staring contest.  If the Jets are going to hold their ground up until this point, they better be ready for the long haul because I do not think Revis will cave.

Players

Revis’s teammates want him there.  And if Revis gets money it will be easier for them to renegotiate in the future because of this.  Players always want their best teammates playing, no matter what gets done financially.  It reminds of when Emmitt Smith held out from the Cowboys after their first Super Bowl win in the early 90s.  Emmitt held out, the Cowboys lost two, Emmitt got his money, the players were happy and won the Super Bowl.

Fans

If I were a Jets fan I would absolutely want to have Revis in no matter the cost.  As a fan I do not care about future cap, (if there is a cap), implications, I want to freaking win now.  Fans are gouged by the teams enough as it is, now the team is going to complain about its best player costing too much?  Fans do not want to hear it, get the damn star signed.

My View

Is a corner worth as much as Revis is asking?  The only defensive position that should be paid what Revis is asking for is a  pass rusher.  Jared Allen, and then nobody off the top of my head, should be paid as much as Revis is asking for on the defensive side since a pass rusher can wreak havoc in multiple ways.

Revis is a shutdown corner, but can easily be taken out of the game.  The impact a corner can make can be completely negated.  Whoever Revis is covering, hot route the receiver to a fly to take Revis out of the play.  There, Revis will spend the entire game 50 yards from the action.

I am glad the Packers do not have this problem.  The best player for the Packers is Aaron Rodgers, if Rodgers wanted more money he would get it in an instant, because he is a quarterback and worth the money.

Madden TD Freak

For all of the Madden vidiots, like me, there is a new product that should help your control, the Madden TD Freak.  I have tried it for a week and it does provide better control.

I could not believe my ears yesterday, Colin Cowherd from ESPN not only had good things to say about the Big 10, he named Wisconsin as his most under-rated team, IN THE COUNTRY!!  Colin even went as far as saying the Badgers could go 12-0.

I cannot lie, there is a lot of excitement for the Badgers this year and a lot of that is due to the 20-14 win over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl last year.  A game that was not as close as the final score due to some red zone turn-overs and a late score by Miami.  For 58 minutes Wisconsin dominated the Canes.

Returning Starters

The Badgers have 10 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense.  Scott Tolzien will be an experienced quarterback, John Clay is a dark-horse Heisman candidate, and the offensive line should be one of the better lines in the country.

The defense will need to find a pass rush.  Obrien Schofield will be sorely missed.  Hopefully somebody will step up between JJ Watt or Louis Nzegwu to help bolster the rush.  Otherwise, the linebackers and secondary should be a strength.

Schedule

The Badgers Schedule is not that bad this year.  In non-conference they play @UNLV, San Jose St, Arizona St, and Austin Peay.  It is nice to see a BCS conference team with Arizona St, if only they could exchange Austin Peay for at least a team from the MAC or Conference USA.  Baby Steps.

The Conference schedule is nicely balanced, they do play Ohio State and @Iowa back to back, but avoid Penn State and get their bye after the Iowa game.  The Badgers have a very good schedule compared with years past where they had three or four very tough games in a row.  This schedule will not be a hindrance to a BCS birth.

Phil Steele

Phil Steele publishes the ultimate pre-season college football magazine.  He has Wisconsin taking fourth in the Big Ten behind Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State.  He also states that it is very likely the Badgers will win double digits this year.

In his individual unit rankings the Badgers are 6th at Running Back, 2nd at Offensive Line, 18th at Wide Receiver(which includes Tight Ends), but not one defensive unit is ranked.  Hopefully the defense is also under-rated.

In his pre-season power poll the Badgers are ranked 20th, behind Ohio State, Iowa and Penn State.

Let me lead off by saying I do not think the Bucks are anywhere near as talented as the Miami Heat.  The Heat will be one of the most interesting and entertaining teams in the NBA since Jordan was with the Bulls.  Whether you like how it happened, the Heat will be one team that every fan in the NBA will at least pay attention to outside of their own team/division for the entire season.  They will be a traveling circus.

But…  Will they be tough enough to endure in the playoffs?

This idea came to me a week ago.  Chris Bosh was on the Dan Patrick show and was asked the question, “Have you ever been in a fight?”  This was on the heels of the Reds-Cardinals brawl.  Bosh’s answer was no, which is not a bad thing as violence should not be celebrated but the answer did conjure up a crazy idea in my head.

Chris Bosh and especially Lebron James were probably the best players at every level they have played at.  Playgrounds, grade school, middle school, AAU, and all the way up to the NBA.  Even though Dwayne Wade was late-bloomer I am going to assume he also benefited from being the best of his piers throughout childhood.  One thing happens when you are at that level of greatness, others fight for you. 

In basketball, stars get protected at all levels.  They do not do the dirty work.  On the playground or AAU, if they do get fouled hard, one of their teammates will handle the retaliation whether it be another foul, shoving or more.  You see this all the time, it is one of many reasons why so few stars ever foul out.

One problem I see with the Heat is they will have three star players on the floor at one time, most of the time.  That does not leave many guys to handle the hard picks, taking a charge,  grabbing and banging underneath that can help win a series.  Yes, the Heat will be extremely talented, may even win over 70 games.  But when a playoff series gets chippy, and physical, will any of the Heat stars be able to mix it up?  They have played their entire basketball lives without having to get involved with the extracurricular activities that take place on a basketball court.  For the Heat to make it past the Celtics, Magic, Bulls and even Bucks I think one, maybe two, of the three will have to take on a new and unfamiliar identity.

Bucks Have Toughness

The one thing the Bucks do possess is toughness.  It is ingrained in them from their coach Scott Skiles.  The Bucks have plenty of role players that can use up their fouls, get dirty underneath the basket, take a charge, give a hard foul while running the risk of a flagrant being called.  Basketball can become a game that is determined by doing the little things and the Bucks were one of the better teams in the league at doing those things.  Can this toughness be enough to have a chance against a  team as talented as the Heat? 

It could become the one advantage teams like Milwaukee and Boston have over Heat.

There is a rumor posted on ESPN that the Chicago Bulls could be in the mix for Carmelo Anthony.  That would be bad for the Bucks.  Among the likely players to be sent to Denver would be Luol Deng.

From ESPN

UPDATE: Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald has the same idea as Blog-A-Bull (see below).

McGraw writes: “They could start by offering Luol Deng, who plays the same position, along with maybe Taj Gibson and a first-round draft pick or two. As long as the Bulls are willing to offer a maximum deal next summer, they would have a good chance of keeping Anthony long-term. On paper, they should have a better chance of competing in the East than the Knicks.”

—-

Now that there’s chatter about Denver perhaps trading Carmelo Anthony, a few trade proposals are being tossed around.

One that could have some legs?

Melo to the Bulls.

As Blog-A-Bull proposed via ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine, Anthony for Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and James Johnson works salary-wise.

In Deng, there is some injury risk, and his contract — four years and $51 million remain — is sometimes viewed as a burden.

If Denver is looking for some financial flexibility going forward, Deng might not be someone they want to bring on board.

But if the Nuggets are looking for a talented player who can play defense and replace a fair amount of what Melo does out of the small forward position, this is a reasonable deal.

Further, Gibson could give them some help in the froutcourt. With veterans Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersencoming off injuries heading into next season, they’ve been seeking more help in the frountcourt, some of which they’ve shored up with the addition of Al Harrington this summer via free agency.

Remember: Gibson was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection this past season, and started a fair amount as well.

At this juncture, the above is all speculative, and there’s no word quite yet if the Bulls will get in the game.

After a solid free-agency period this summer, they may decide to stand pat, and the Nuggets could be after Joakim Noah, too, who has been reported as untouchable.

But Deng’s contract has been dangled by the Bulls previously, so don’t rule this one out quite yet.

Carmelo Bad For Bucks

We can argue as to what level of superstar Carmelo Anthony is, but he falls somewhere in the top ten of NBA players.  With the addition of a legit post player in Carlos Boozer to go with a great young point guard in Derrick Rose, the addition of Carmelo would force me to agree with the Bulls getting a great off-season grade.

I really like Deng, always have, he has always played well against the Bucks, mostly because the Bucks have lacked a rugged power forward to keep him off the glass.  But with the addition of Boozer you have to wonder how well Deng will fit in since he is not a great perimeter small forward.  Carmelo Anthony is. 

Anthony is a pure scorer, not only one of the best in the league, but one of the best pure scorers in some time.  He is not a, “drive to the basket, hope for a bailout foul call” scorer like Lebron and Wade.  Anthony has a rich arsenal of shots at his disposal.  With his scoring ability from inside and outside added to Rose’s penetration, Korver’s shooting, and Boozer’s inside game, I think the Bulls could present the biggest challenge to the Miami Heat in the East.

The addition of Anthony would make it extremely difficult for the Bucks to win the division, which would make it tougher to advance into the second round and possibly beyond in the playoffs.

As Bucks fans we WANT Carmelo to become a Knick or stay a Nugget.

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Britt Robson from SI.com is compiling off-season grades for each division in the NBA.  A few days ago he published his grades for the Central Division.

Chicago Bulls – A

Cleveland Cavaliers – F

Detroit Pistons – D+

Indiana Pacers – D

Milwaukee Bucks – C+

A C+ for the Bucks???  That downright pissed me off when I first saw it, I know I shouldn’t give a crap about off-season grades but we are almost three months away from any games yet.  Even when reading his reasoning for the Bulls getting an A and the Bucks a C+ I don’t like it.

Chicago Bulls A

He likes the addition of Carlos Boozer, which is a solid addition but when you consider the moves they have made in the last year to clear up space for two of the big three, Boozer is a crappy consolation prize.  The Bulls were hoping for Lebron James AND Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer does not provide the same game-changing ability as even Bosh let alone James or both. 

The Bulls  get praised for strengthening their back-court, which they purposely weakened to go after James, Bosh, and/or Dwayne Wade.  The Bulls traded away John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich, and replaced them with Kyle Korverand C.J. Watson.  They were better off with Salmons and Hinrich.

The Bulls also get praised for bringing in Tom Thibodeau to coach.  Nothing against Thibodeau, but hot assistants who have went on to fail as head coaches have been a dime a dozen in this league.  I do not think your off-season grade should be boosted for bringing in an assistant.  We need to see how he deals with being “The Man” before we praise him.

The only mention of anything negative was that the Bulls did not get any of the big three.  That is not enough, the Bulls weakened their team to go after those players and the result is Carlos Boozer and a weaker back court with a rookie head coach.  This feels like a situation where somebody wants to like the Bulls so the writer ignores some negatives and accentuates the positives.  I cannot fathom a grade above B+.  There was also no mention of the Bulls trading away John Salmons to the rival Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks C+

The new excitement around the Bucks is mentioned but it is also mentioned early that this writer is not excited about the Bucks moves.

In the offseason, the front office seized on this momentum to make a series of roster moves that have fans buzzing. (Many of them were detrimental or overrated, but more on that later.) 

The resiging of John Salmons is mentioned, but no positives for the Bucks or negatives for the Bulls are mentioned.  It basically reads, “The Bucks signed Salmons, a player they got from the Bulls, moving on.”  It does not mention that Salmons drove the bus to the playoffs for the Bucks,  just that he helped boost the Bucks to the playoffs.

John Salmons (pictured) came over in a late-season trade with the Bulls and helped boost the Bucks into the playoffs, just as he had done the previous year for Chicago after being acquired from Sacramento. The Bucks are counting on Salmons to continue the shrewd shot selection (which included more penetration in Milwaukee than in Chicago) as the mid-range option between Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut.

The moves to the bottom of the rotation received the most praise of anything, adding Jon Brochman, Larry Sanders, and Keyon Dooling.

GM John Hammond did his best work filling out the roster depth. Forward Jon Brockman, obtained from Sacramento for Darnell Jackson, is a competent banger; rookie forward Larry Sanders, the 15th pick in the draft, is an athletic leaper whom Scott Skiles will develop; and Keyon Dooling is a cheaper (though less-valuable) backup point guard than Luke Ridnour.

The big negatives were Corey Maggette and Drew Gooden.  The writer feels Maggette is too much of a chemistry gamble and Gooden cost too much.  The Bucks need a guy who can get to the line, that is why they gambled on Maggette, if he acts up he will not see the floor.  The Bucks have been desperate for a power forward for years, decades even.  I do not think they overpaid for Gooden, he will be a nice compliment to Bogut.

The losses of Luke Ridnour and Kurt Thomas are also mentioned as negatives.  This is where I could really feel the bias towards the Bulls.  The writer essentially states that Kurt Thomas moving from Milwaukee to Chicago is more of an imact than John Salmons going from Chicago to Milwaukee.  Bullshit!

The writer’s last comment about the Bucks may very well be correct, but I think he looked at these grades with a glass half full for the Bulls, glass half empty for the Bucks.

I am at odds with the consensus that the Bucks really improved this offseason. Without a doubt they have more talent. What’s less certain is whether it will get them more than last season’s 46 wins.

It is the off-season and it is not worth getting worked up at all with articles like these.  I think the Bucks had a better than a C+ off-season and I also think the Bulls had a worse than an A off-season.  Grades will not matter when the regular season starts.

There is nothing Bucks related for me to discuss but the sports world is not dead as with NFL training camp comes daily stories.

Broncos Depleted

What is going on in Denver?  Three running backs are hurt, Elvis Dummervil, Ryan Clady and others.  Their season may be over before it starts!  A teams worst nightmare is to get into heavy injury troubles, especially this early.

Andre Johnson Gets Deal

The Texans extended him but it is heavily incentive-laden.  I think more teams should just do this.  He originally negotiated a bad deal, he’s outplayed it, he’s watched other receivers pass him.  From ESPN:

League sources told FOX 26 Sports Johnson gets a two-year extension worth $23.5 million with $13 million guaranteed.

He already had five years left on his original deal worth $35 million which was enhanced.

Johnson will now be paid $39.2 million during that stretch.

The base value of his new seven-year contract is $62.7 million.

 I understand the feeling of fans who say, “if a guy signs a contract, he should abide by that contract.”  The problem is the career for an NFL player is so short that some contracts need to be reworked, imagine all of the drama that could have been avoided if Philadelphia would have just added two years and some guaranteed money with a lot of incentives to Terrel Owens’ contract a few years ago.

Preseason Games Start… And Still Suck

I love watching football but it is tough to bear watching much of a preseason game that does not involve your team.  If the Packers are not playing I have no reason to watch anything after the starters.  In last nights game between Dallas and Cincinnati that meant only watching the game for minutes.

I am not for a 18 game schedule because I think by the end of the year all teams will be a MASH unit.  But this preseason crap is so horrible that if I had to bet my mortgage on whether or not there will be an 18 game regular season in the near future I would bet there would be.

Quiet In Green Bay

Back to just how we like it, quiet and about football. ESPNs Green Bay Camp Confidential.

Allows focus to be on the guys that are there.

Every player was signed and accounted for, making a distant memory of holdouts that have disrupted training camp in each of the past two seasons.

All that remained was the type of tranquility that allows a team to come of age. Many of us believe the Packers have the makings of a special group, one that is already off to a good start with a productive and — most importantly — quiet training camp.

“We determine our path that we’re going to take,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “Maybe we have less obstacles going into the year than we’ve had in the past for people to evaluate. If they think that and like us more this year, that’s fine. But in reality, if you don’t come here and put in the time and put in that foundation, it doesn’t matter. These are our foundation days, and I like the work our guys have been putting in.”

The defense should see some improvement in year 2.

Quiet and determined, the Packers have been busy implementing some second-year wrinkles in defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ scheme.

Will Finley continue to blossom?  I say yes, in a very big way.

Rodgers picked up the phone shortly after the Pro Bowl, where he worked with tight ends Vernon Davis and Jason Witten, and called Finley. “I firmly believe Jermichael Finley is in their class,” Rodgers said. “He is a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. And that’s what I told him. I said, ‘You’ve got a lot of work in front of you, but you’ve got the talent and ability to be recognized as a Pro Bowl tight end every year.’”

As I noted during the offseason, Rodgers threw more toward Finley than any other Packers player during the second half of last season. He changed the way opponents approached the Green Bay offense, and he spent much of the offseason working to upgrade his blocking skills to give the Packers more of a run-pass option when he is in the game. After dabbling in boxing and mixed martial arts to improve his hand quickness, Finley said: “I’m still a work in progress with my blocking and stuff. I just need to maintain and stay consistent. If I get that straight, the sky is the limit for me.”