FB: American Rivers Conference

[Purple Heys]

BTW, the Shawn Merriman should be shutting it down.

The Chargers, my team, are really pissing me off about this.

Clearly they don't value his services past the term of his present contact.  A.J. Smith is a prick for letting this come to this.  A very shrewd prick, but a prick nonetheless.

Sure, it's Merrimen's "decision"... and his teammates praise his toughness, but I wonder if any Bolt veterans have thoughts about how management could give a crap less about one of their best player's long-term health and ability to earn a living playing football at a high level.

Clearly the Chargers have assessed their risk.  Merriman is a free agent after '09 and if he continues to perform at levels similar to his 1st 3 years, then he will command a very high price for his services...a price that it appears the Chargers would be unwilling to pay.

Given that Smith fancies himself a good judge of talent (his track record entitles him to some self-applied back patting), it is clear that he believes that Merriman's replacement is already in the 3-deep.

On the other hand, if Merriman has a subpar year due to decreased mobility, the pedestrian stats will cost him bargaining leverage.  If he gets hurt further then misses '09 to rehab, his bargaining position is shot.

If Merriman were to to pass on this year, fix the PCL and LCL, rehab in '08...while there are no guarantees...the chances are very good that his '09 would be worthy of a top 1 or 2 LB and blow the Chargers salary cap, making him unsignable.

I honestly think that A.J. Smith sees it as beneficial to the Chargers for Merriman to forego surgery now not because it helps the defense but because in the long run saves the Chargers money in resigning Merriman as damaged goods.

Anybody that doesn't think pro football is about the money is naive.

I have to make a counter point to some of this Heys.....

I am a HUGE NFL guy.  I love the game and I follow it year-round.  The biggest problem i have with this while situation is that Merriman took it to the press himself, publicizing every move he was making, every doctor he was seeing and every comment that was made back to him.  He is making sure that every single person that follows the Chargers or the NFL knows that he has a serious knee injury.  Now, he is going to 'man-up' and 'play through the pain' as long as he can to try and 'do anything to help this team win.' 

No initially I have no problem with any of those cliches, however, this one has left me with a sour taste in my mouth over a player that I enjoy watching (sans the 'accidental' PED incident).  If he is really that hurt, it is up to HIM, not the Chargers to shut himself down if that is truely what he wants.  I get the feeling like he is looking to be a hero figure in all of this.  Hoping to erase all lingering doubt about his character and past disgressions. 

I am a HUGE fan of what the Chargers are going to put on the field this season, and AJ Smith deserves most/all(?) the credit for that.  But, I am in his and the team's corner on this one.  If Merriman blows his knee apart and can never play again, the Chargers will save themselves some money in the long run and be able to distance themselves from the distraction.   I have a feeling it will be 'Lights out!' for Shawn Merriman this season, and maybe for good.

btw - Walter Court here on the porn name front......I actually like it.

Good points on the way Merriman has self-promoted this...very Favre-like

A.J. Smith is as good as there is at evaluating and acquiring talent.  This looks like it is going to played just like the Drew Brees situation.  Smith has already ID'd personnel for the position 2 years from now (seems to be J. Tucker).  Merriman may be more trouble than he's worth for Smith,  with Merriman's L.A. reporting gig this season that has him flying to L.A. and back every Thursday to be on TV, among the things sticking in Smith's craw regarding Merriman.

My comment on the situation is purely from an employee/management point of view.  Smith clearly looks at his players like numbers and assets.  This todays' NFL...

The days of the Rooney's, the Mara's and the DeBartolo's that actually cared about the players and put the player's best interest first, whether that player was a jackass or not, are now fond a memory.

[doolittledog]

ICCC Pres resinged today getting a $400,000 sevrence package

Nice.

The small company my dad worked for was started by a friend of his and it got bigger and bigger.  His friend sold the company and took an early retirement.  This now big company kept hiring CEOs that would spend a year doing nothing.  Then would get fired and take a million+ severance package.  Only to be replaced by a guy that would do the same thing.  My dad was not sad to retire and get out of that place.  It sounds like that is almost a normal practice at companies anymore. 

I don't think I could convince my wife to let me get photographed with 19 year olds on a boat full of alcohol in the hopes I could get fired and therefore make a bunch of money!!!  Then again, I'm my own boss so I would just be firing myself!!!

[DBQ1965]

Who would want to watch someone name Lee Eliot in a porn movie?

So have you taken in any live football action already this week???  Before the big trip across the pond!!!

I saw last night's rematch of last year's Div. 3 Michigan State Championship Game and it wasn't close ... 49-14.

We'll see about tonight and tomorrow afternoon.

GO SPARTANS!

[DutchFan2004]

ICCC Pres resinged today getting a $400,000 sevrence package

Nice.

The small company my dad worked for was started by a friend of his and it got bigger and bigger.  His friend sold the company and took an early retirement.  This now big company kept hiring CEOs that would spend a year doing nothing.  Then would get fired and take a million+ severance package.  Only to be replaced by a guy that would do the same thing.  My dad was not sad to retire and get out of that place.  It sounds like that is almost a normal practice at companies anymore. 

I don't think I could convince my wife to let me get photographed with 19 year olds on a boat full of alcohol in the hopes I could get fired and therefore make a bunch of money!!!  Then again, I'm my own boss so I would just be firing myself!!!

That might be ok for the private sector Doolittle, but this is public money, taxpayer money and I think that is just a travesty that a guy gets $400.000 for behaving like a freshman frat boy when he is supposed to be running the school. 


The question then is in regards to firing yourself.  Can you afford the $400,000 to fire yourself.   

[Thunderbolt]

 Doolittle firing himself for not being productive would be--- well, counter productive. Even if he could arrange a 400,000 dollar buy out, I have a sense that it wouldn"t be enough when Mrs. Doolittle was through with him.

[youcantseemestill]

Heys, I completely am with you on the way that management treats players in today's professional sports.  However, I ask you this question.........

Was it the owners, or the players, that first turned on the other in the loyalty/team interest/and fan aspect of the game?

chicken before the egg?  but I am interested in your thoughts here.

[ShowMe]

The Cornell preview is up:

http://www.cornellcollege.edu/athletics/mens-sports/football/news/8-28-08.shtml

Go Rams!

[ShowMe]

8 days before ShowMe-time

Let's go Rams! Lets go Rams Lets go Rams!

[TrainsEqualCrowdNoise]

ICCC Pres resinged today getting a $400,000 sevrence package

Nice.

The small company my dad worked for was started by a friend of his and it got bigger and bigger.  His friend sold the company and took an early retirement.  This now big company kept hiring CEOs that would spend a year doing nothing.  Then would get fired and take a million+ severance package.  Only to be replaced by a guy that would do the same thing.  My dad was not sad to retire and get out of that place.  It sounds like that is almost a normal practice at companies anymore. 

I don't think I could convince my wife to let me get photographed with 19 year olds on a boat full of alcohol in the hopes I could get fired and therefore make a bunch of money!!!  Then again, I'm my own boss so I would just be firing myself!!!

That might be ok for the private sector Doolittle, but this is public money, taxpayer money and I think that is just a travesty that a guy gets $400.000 for behaving like a freshman frat boy when he is supposed to be running the school. 


The question then is in regards to firing yourself.  Can you afford the $400,000 to fire yourself.   

Unfortunately I think all this severance stuff is due to the sue happy country we live in, and people will continue to exploit this process until there is some sort of reform in the justice system and torts.

The real question in firing yourself would be who would become the new boss, and if you could work it so you could be rehired to your original position, seems to me like that would be some sort of loophole to avoid some taxes or something. 

[TrainsEqualCrowdNoise]

Heys, I completely am with you on the way that management treats players in today's professional sports.  However, I ask you this question.........

Was it the owners, or the players, that first turned on the other in the loyalty/team interest/and fan aspect of the game?

chicken before the egg?  but I am interested in your thoughts here.

I'll say that they both are in it together and both gradually advanced to the point we are at today.  There are still some players and owners that still care about the game, fans, and each other but in the end because of the amount of money there is to be made it is only natural for the progression of the attitudes of the owners and players.  I know that a lot of people are upset by this and think that it should all be for the love of the game, but if you were talented enough to play in the NFL and could affect your own contract, you too would do whatever it took to get the most out of your ability regardless of the "love of the game" aspect.  That is why I tend to watch college football more than pro ball, as most of the guys playing will never make a dime and this to a certain extent makes the game more "pure" to me.

[ShowMe]

The Cornell preview is up:

http://www.cornellcollege.edu/athletics/mens-sports/football/news/8-28-08.shtml

Go Rams!

Please take it easy on us, allow the Ram fans to enjoy our optimisms, hopes and dreams until time tells us otherwise. We have 8 days to enjoy until time does the talking.

[youcantseemestill]

Heys, I completely am with you on the way that management treats players in today's professional sports.  However, I ask you this question.........

Was it the owners, or the players, that first turned on the other in the loyalty/team interest/and fan aspect of the game?

chicken before the egg?  but I am interested in your thoughts here.

I'll say that they both are in it together and both gradually advanced to the point we are at today.  There are still some players and owners that still care about the game, fans, and each other but in the end because of the amount of money there is to be made it is only natural for the progression of the attitudes of the owners and players.  I know that a lot of people are upset by this and think that it should all be for the love of the game, but if you were talented enough to play in the NFL and could affect your own contract, you too would do whatever it took to get the most out of your ability regardless of the "love of the game" aspect.  That is why I tend to watch college football more than pro ball, as most of the guys playing will never make a dime and this to a certain extent makes the game more "pure" to me.

I actually think that the constant need for the NFL players to make and maximize on their next contract makes the game better.  Every single player, regardless of age/ability/position on the team/or contract, can be cut at any time with very minimal compensation.  This is the big reason that you hardly ever see a game where the players are not going at each other will all of the venom and vigor that we, as fans, want to see. 

I feel like there is a difference in the college game where games that mean little at the end of the season sometimes get mailed in.  Now don't get my wrong, I love college football.  But I feel that the NFL is where you get the most out of what you are watching.

[Walston Hoover]

Got my first live football game of '08 in last night as the Dowling Sophs defeated East 41-0. Not even 2 minutes in, we had run 1 offensive play and were ahead 14-0.

[youcantseemestill]

Got my first live football game of '08 in last night as the Dowling Sophs defeated East 41-0. Not even 2 minutes in, we had run 1 offensive play and were ahead 14-0.

I have heard that the lower levels (frosh and sophs) are REALLY talented at Dowling right now!  Especially in baseball.  Confirm or deny Walston?

[Walston Hoover]

Last year, the freshmen and sophs were both undefeated in football. The freshmen this year actually got the best of the sophs in a scrimmage a couple weeks back.
Baseball-wise, quite a few sophs played varsity and even a couple freshmen IIRC. Didn't have a very good season, but should bode well for the future.

Got my first live football game of '08 in last night as the Dowling Sophs defeated East 41-0. Not even 2 minutes in, we had run 1 offensive play and were ahead 14-0.

I have heard that the lower levels (frosh and sophs) are REALLY talented at Dowling right now!  Especially in baseball.  Confirm or deny Walston?