I recently moved, so this was the first weekend of this NFL season that I got to sit down and watch some games. Some random thoughts about what I saw:
1. Bears QB Jay Cutler is awesome. He may not be Mr. Charisma, but the guy knows how to run an offense. You can watch him reading the defense, looking off receivers, and then gunning the ball where it needs to be. Cutler has the brains and the natural ability to be a great NFL quarterback for years to come. The Bears are lucky to have him.
2. The Oakland Raiders have HUGE problems. Their defense might be good enough for them to win some games, IF they had an offense. They have no passing game to speak of, which leaves their running game at the mercy of opposing defenses. It is going to be an ugly year for Raider fans.
3. The Jets defense is one of the best I have seen since the Ravens in 2000. If their offense was even mediocre, they would be dominant. Unfortunately, QB Mark Sanchez is a work in progress.
4. The Saints running game will end any Super Bowl hopes they have eventually, although the quality of the NFC might allow the Saints to slip into the Super Bowl, where they will get dispatched.
Showing posts with label Oakland Raiders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oakland Raiders. Show all posts
Monday, October 05, 2009
Friday, August 22, 2008
R.I.P. Gene Upshaw
The death of Gene Upshaw, a former offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders and current head of the NFL Players Association, comes as a sad shock to me.
For all my fond memories of Upshaw's work on the Raiders offensive line, his greatest legacy will be his work as head of the NFL Players Association, the players union. The collective bargaining agreement(CBA) which Upshaw negotiated with Paul Tagliabue (former NFL Commissioner) stands as arguably the finest union-negotiated agreement of any industry ever, for the simple reason best said by Tagliabue in his statement about Upshaw's death: "[Upshaw] never lost sight of the interests of the game and the big picture."
Unlike other unions, the NFLPA under Upshaw knew that if they killed the league, they get nothing. So the union negotiated for a percentage of income, as opposed to the specific salary demands many unions get. In effect, as the NFL prospered, the players prospered. This can be seen in the NFL's salary cap, which has increased every year of the current CBA, as the NFL's income has increased every year.
If all union leaders were as smart as Upshaw, I would happily support unions in more industries. Unfortunately, I doubt the success of the NFLPA will be remembered by other unions. I just hope the NFLPA remembers it's own success under Upshaw.
For all my fond memories of Upshaw's work on the Raiders offensive line, his greatest legacy will be his work as head of the NFL Players Association, the players union. The collective bargaining agreement(CBA) which Upshaw negotiated with Paul Tagliabue (former NFL Commissioner) stands as arguably the finest union-negotiated agreement of any industry ever, for the simple reason best said by Tagliabue in his statement about Upshaw's death: "[Upshaw] never lost sight of the interests of the game and the big picture."
Unlike other unions, the NFLPA under Upshaw knew that if they killed the league, they get nothing. So the union negotiated for a percentage of income, as opposed to the specific salary demands many unions get. In effect, as the NFL prospered, the players prospered. This can be seen in the NFL's salary cap, which has increased every year of the current CBA, as the NFL's income has increased every year.
If all union leaders were as smart as Upshaw, I would happily support unions in more industries. Unfortunately, I doubt the success of the NFLPA will be remembered by other unions. I just hope the NFLPA remembers it's own success under Upshaw.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Raiders take a Knapp
From the Associated Press via FoxSports.com:
Raider fans, the problem with Atlanta's offense was NOT Greg Knapp. He tried to do some innovative things there to take advantage of Mike Vick's skills. Unfortunately, he couldn't install a brain in his star quarterback.
In Knapp's previous stint as an offensive coordinator with the 49ers (2001-2003), he cannot be blamed for the salary cap issues that team was suffering through at the time.
So how good is Knapp? The truth is no one knows because both of his previous stints have come with asterisks. On the positive side, he has shown he can be innovative. For the time being, he gets the benefit of the doubt from me.
"The Raiders hired former Atlanta offensive coordinator Greg Knapp to fill the same job in Oakland, giving first-year coach Lane Kiffin an experienced coordinator to ease his transition from college to the NFL.
Knapp spent the previous three seasons with the Falcons before being let go when coach Jim Mora was fired after the season and replaced by Bobby Petrino. Knapp ran a West Coast offense in Atlanta that struggled at times to work with quarterback Michael Vick."
Raider fans, the problem with Atlanta's offense was NOT Greg Knapp. He tried to do some innovative things there to take advantage of Mike Vick's skills. Unfortunately, he couldn't install a brain in his star quarterback.
In Knapp's previous stint as an offensive coordinator with the 49ers (2001-2003), he cannot be blamed for the salary cap issues that team was suffering through at the time.
So how good is Knapp? The truth is no one knows because both of his previous stints have come with asterisks. On the positive side, he has shown he can be innovative. For the time being, he gets the benefit of the doubt from me.
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