The Cincinnati Bengals announced today they had signed wide receiver Chris Henry just months after they had released him due to numerous off-field issues. Basically Henry went to jail so many times over the last year that even the convict infested Bengals said it was time to cut their ties. It was only a month ago that the media brought the topic up with Marvin Lewis of bringing back Henry and he ruled the possibility out immediately calling it inappropriate. What changed in one month? Why do you want this scumbag back on the team when you have been trying to clean up your image? If I was a Bungle fan I would be very very upset about this acquisition.
Ocho Cinco Could Become Reality
I’m sure you remember when Chad Johnson wore the jesey two years ago with ‘Ocho Cinco’ written across the back of it and was quickly fined by the NFL after the game which ended Johnson’s fun in the interim. Well, Johnson has continuously stated he really wants that on the back of his jersey and has decided to take another route to make this happen. Chad has taken steps to legally change his last name to Ocho Cinco so it can be written out above his #85 jersey with the Cincinnati Bengals. If this does happen it will put the NFL in a pickle to allow him to display the new name on his jersey, but if it is allowed he is set to make a wad of cash from the move. Johnson’s jersey would immediately become one of the most popular purchases with fans and NFL players get a cut of the transaction form these sales. In the end I don’t see this happening for many reasons, but Chad continues to show off his self-promotion skills.
Brett’s a Jet
I know the saga of Brett Favre has been riveting, but I have to admit I’m glad we finally have an ending. We will no longer have to see the ‘Favre’ item located on the ESPN sports ticker every few minutes. I’m sure the Packers suits feel they won the duel because Favre didn’t land anywhere in the NFC and furthermore he ends up with the Jets who in all reality don’t have much of a chance of making the playoffs. You have to think New England, Indy, San Diego and Jacksonville are all locks for the playoffs which only leaves room for two other AFC teams. Those teams would include Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincy, Tennessee, Buffalo, Baltimore and the Jets. Jets fans are thrilled today to have Brett on their team, but don’t let the hype fool you because in the end Favre is only worth two extra wins which isn’t getting you very far this year.
The Packers Season Is Over Before It Even Begins
We are over a month into the Brett Favre fiasco and it still hasn’t been resolved. There has been tons of finger pointing and name calling and in the end no one will ever know who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. The one sure thing is Favre won’t be in a Green Bay uniform this year and that is what Green Bay management wanted from the beginning. The Packers brass are trying to work out a deal now with either Tampa Bay, the New York Jets or the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League 😉 to send Favre packing. They have decided Aaron Rodgers is their starting quarterback and I think that is why their season is officially done. I would argue the pressure on Rodgers is more than any other quarterback has ever faced in the NFL due to how popular Favre has been and still is in Green Bay. It will take one or two interceptions in the first game of the year and the fans will be calling for Rodger’s head. Let’s not forget that earlier this week there were tons of fans at practice yelling for Favre to come back and booing his replacement. Finally, there has to be a lot of players on the team who remember just last year Favre finishing second in the MVP race and missed making the Super Bowl by mere seconds. You take the pressure on Rodgers along with fans ready for mutiny and mix in a separated locker room and you have what I think is a recipe for disaster. The Packers will not make the playoffs and better yet will not finish better than .500
And the #1 Pick of the 2008 NFL Draft is…..
We won’t have to wait until this coming Saturday to hear the announcement because Miami has already signed Jake Long as their number one pick. Long an offensive linemen out of Michigan received a 5-year $57.5 million deal with $30 million of guaranteed cizassh. I like the move by the Dolphins for the pure fact that they weren’t going to sign McFadden or Ryan so it came down to going with the best offensive linemen in the draft or one of the top defensive linemen like Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston. Ultimately it appears Miami felt it was top priority to go the offensive line route and Jake Long should be able to immediately step in and help protect Miami’s quarterback and open holes for Ronnie Brown.
Ocho Cinco Loco
Chad Johnson announced today that he wants to be traded from the Bengals as soon as possible and will not attend any Bengals functions whatsoever. The rumors have swirled for months and Johnson has alluded before he wants to be traded, but today’s statements were quite damning. “I want to make this very clear,” Johnson stated. “I don’t know where he got that. I made no assertion to Carson that I would do that. Nothing has changed from what I’ve been saying for three months that I don’t want to play for the Bengals.” “I want to be traded before the draft, and if that doesn’t happen, I want to be traded as soon as possible,” Johnson said. “I don’t intend on reporting to anything.”
Well well. This is going to be a very interesting offseason for the Bengals.
Mascot Mishap
Word out of Pittsburgh is that Steely McBeam the lead mascot for the Pittsburgh Steelers was arrested back in January due to a DUI. Kenneth C. Mahey who is one of the two people who portray the mascot blew a .1766 which is twice the legal limit. Let’s face it…if your job is to wear a ridiculous costume for a living…wouldn’t you be drinking like a fish too?
Brett Favre Retiring
Brett Favre told his coach Mike McCarthy that he is done with professional football. I truly thought Favre had at least two years left in him, but today comes news telling us otherwise. Could it be that once Moss signed with the New England Patriots it allowed Favre to make his decision? Today is the end of an era in the NFL and for the Green Bay Packers!
StonecoldJZ’s Sound Off
* Big Ben just hit the mother load with an eight year deal worth $102 million. Roethlisberger joins Peytong Manning, Brett Favre, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb and the suspended Vick in the $100 million club for signal callers. Many people are questioning whether the Steelers should extend the wealthiest contract in franchise history, but I personally think Ben deserves every dime. Lets just hope there was a provision in the contract for staying away from motorcycles. 😉
* The Houston Rockets won their 15th game in a row matching a franchise record. That is all well and good, but now that Yao is out of the season the Rockets will be lucky to make it to the playoffs. Remember this statement!
* Michael “The Burner” Turner has signed a lucrative deal with the Atlanta Falcons and should be the starting running back in ’08 for Hotlanta. Turner has been mired behind Tomlinson for years in San Diego and I fully expect a huge season this coming year. Nice work by the Falcons especially after so many dumb moves in recent months. On a side note Warrick Dunn immediately asked for a release due to this acquisition.
* Kobe dropped 52 yesterday in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers only lost TWO games in all of February and are a legitimate threat to win it all this year.
* Ernie Els won the Honda Classic yesterday ending a four-year winless drought. Whoopty do! Els is no longer a top player in the game and is not competition for Tiger Woods.