Sponsor




Home  >  Columns   >  Blackbird Singing  >  BILLICK & COWHER DUKE IT OUT

Columns

Blackbird Singing - BILLICK & COWHER DUKE IT OUT?

A potential surprise at fullback for Ravens...
Posted On: 3/29/07
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi
BILLICK & COWHER DUKE IT OUT? BILLICK & COWHER DUKE IT OUT?
I AM HE AS YOU ARE HE AS YOU ARE ME AND WE ARE ALL TOGETHER? ~ The Chicago Bears may have lost Super Bowl XLI to the Colts but unlike one of their fans, they at least kept their identity.
 
Prior to Super Bowl XLI, Bears’ fan Scott Wiese pledged in front of a full bar of patrons that he would change his name to Peyton Manning if the Colts beat his favorite team.  The Bears lost and so Wiese tried to legally change his name.  No go said Macon County Judge Katherine McCarthy who ruled that Wiese can't legally change his name to Peyton Manning because it might create confusion and disrupt the life of the real Peyton Manning.  And that’s suits Wiese just fine.
 
"I had told the judge that I was not doing this because I wanted to change my name, but I was doing it because I was honoring a bet," Wiese told the Decatur Herald & Review after Monday's ruling. "I think she understood that."
 
Upon learning this news, the Ravens ceased their efforts to try and get Kyle Boller to change his name to Tom Brady and then dangle him as trade bait.  For a great rendition of this song, click on the "guitar player" to your right.
 
SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALLRIGHT FOR FIGHTING…GET A LITTLE ACTION IN ~ If you missed the Peyton Manning United Way skit on Saturday Night Live, you are in luck.  Click here to watch the skit on You Tube.
 
In Dan Shanoff’s blog, one of his readers described the Manning dress rehearsal for the show.  Manning’s opening monologue was changed to edit out a zinger directed at Tom Brady.  During the rehearsal Amy Poeler was dressed in a Patriots jersey and heckled Peyton, saying "What does Tom Brady and the circus have in common? (strategic pause) They both have two more rings than you."
 
Manning terse reply:  "That's not the ONLY thing he'll have two more of."
 
LET’S GO YOU COLTS ~ During his weekly chat on ESPN The Insider, Mel Kiper was asked, “Who is the best player you've ever scouted, and knew it?”  Kiper replied, “John Elway, without question. This is back in 1983. I remember watching throws he was making and his escapability. He wasn't surrounded by great talent. Elway made some throws that were just unheard of. I always said that the two best arms I ever saw were Bert Jones and Elway. I know JaMarcus Russell has a big arm, and you could argue has a similar type of arm. Elway should've been a Baltimore Colt and history would have been rewritten if that trade never happened, because the Colts may have never moved and therefore, Indianapolis may not have a title, and Denver wouldn't have (at least not with Elway), either. When tying in franchise moving, Super Bowl titles and such, all affected by the John Elway trade.
 
“People talk about the Jimmy Johnson chart...all the Colts got was Chris Hinton, a future first-round pick which wound up being Ron Solt (OL) and Mark Herrmann, who was a backup QB, for Elway. That's the ultimate grand larceny trade. And how that affected the history of the NFL is unfathomable.
 
When that trade was made - the Colts GM at the time, Ernie Accorsi, didn't even know the trade was made.
 
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT ~ During the owners’ meetings in Arizona, Brian Billick discussed the Ravens heated rivalry with the Steelers describing it as a challenge and as something that will not change despite Bill Cowher’s departure.  Billick even acknowledged the personal challenge to compete against Cowher – a competition that included respect yet certainly little lost love.
 
"Thank God, Bill and I never went toe-to-toe on the 50-yard line in front of anybody because he'd probably kick my butt," Billick said. "But it's the players, it's still going to be Pittsburgh-Baltimore; I can't imagine that changing dramatically."
 
WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN ~ On Tuesday April 3 two former Mountaineers from West Virginia will be called into Principal Goodell’s office to learn the extent of their detentions.  As part of a plan to guide the league with a more tightly clenched fist when it comes to the league’s thugs like Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, Roger Goodell will meet with the troubled former teammates from West Virginia and the bet here is that he’ll move swiftly towards a conclusion.  Can you say sacrificial lambs?
 
GOOD OLE ROCKY TOP, ROCKY TOP TENNESSEE ~ While watching the NFL Network’s coverage of the owners’ meetings in Arizona, I had to laugh when my son pointed out the irony of Jeff Fisher’s support of a new NFL rule that will penalize players for spiking the ball anywhere on the field outside of the end zone.  Fisher successfully campaigned for a 5 yard penalty for such spikes meanwhile he has a player who has stomped his spikes on another’s head and he has a promising corner whose rap sheet is as lengthy as a Cheesecake Factory menu. And speaking of the Cheesecake Factory, Titans’ RB LenDale White is apparently wearing out his welcome there.  Word is White reported to the Titans offseason conditioning program at 260 pounds.
 
DOWN ON THE CORNER, OUT IN THE STREETS ~ Well cornerback Dre Bly is hardly out in the streets as he ended his resistance of a trade to Denver.  Why?  Try 16 million guaranteed reasons.  Bly will now be part of a very formidable corner tandem in Denver.  Now if they can just steer clear of former Browns, maybe they’ll have a chance to show up at the season’s quarter pole.  Denver’s defense faded badly down the stretch.
 
I WANNA GET BACK TO MY CITY BY THE BAY…OOH, OOH, OOOOOOOOOH ~ Former Miami Hurricane and current 49er Frank Gore sort of likes it in San Francisco and after scoring a contract extension that includes 14 million guaranteed dollars, Gore will stick around for another four years.
 
IN MY MIND I’M GOIN’ TO CAROLINA ~ Word is that David Carr will pay a visit to Seattle to meet with Mike Holmgren and discuss the possibility of Carr heading to the Pacific Northwest.  Is that a sign that Holmgren’s confidence in Matt Hasselbeck is wavering?  It could be.  No one asked me but the Panthers could be a good fit for Carr.  A Charlotte Observer reporter once speculated that the Panthers might be interested in Kyle Boller.  If that’s true, one would think that Carr must be somewhere on the Panthers’ radar screen.
 
GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE TO BE ~ The Ravens have given very little consideration to the position of fullback this offseason despite the loss of Ovie Mughelli. Mughelli’s 2006 season changed his career dramatically as he ascended from a questionable No. 1 on the depth chart (starting only 7 of 16 games) to the NFL’s highest paid fullback in league history.  In 2007 it appears that the Ravens will give Justin Green the opportunity to pull a Mughelli.  However, the acquisition of Willis McGahee will likely de-emphasize the team’s focus on the position and they could turn to Mike Anderson for spot duty at fullback as pointed out yesterday In The Hood by Eric Buckner.  With six day 2 picks in the draft this year, the Ravens might also fill the apparently not so pressing need through the draft.
 
EVERYBODY’S GREEN…CAUSE I’M THE ONE WHO WON YOUR LOVE ~ We’ll soon find out who wins Trent Green’s love.  Word is the Browns are now entering the mix of teams interested in Green.  Once again, no one asked me but I think Green is done.  In his head are fears about the lingering affects of another concussion and the concerns of his family and in the NFL, there is no place for a QB playing with doubts and demons that manifest themselves on the field of play.  With that said, he’s probably tailor made for Cleveland.
 
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME ~ ESPN conducted a poll recently to gather feedback on what major sports franchises (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL) provide the best values to their respective communities.  The criteria included:
 
BNG (Bang for the Buck): Revenues directly from fans divided by wins in the past three years

FRL (Fan Relations): Ease of access to players, coaches & management

OWN (Ownership): Honesty; loyalty to players and city

AFF (Affordability): Price of tickets, parking and concessions

STD (Stadium Experience): Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions

PLA (Players): Effort on the field; likability off it

CCH (Coach/Manager): Strong on-field leadership

TTR (Title Track): Titles already won or expected – soon
 
The number 1 franchise according to ESPN is the Buffalo Sabres.  The highest ranked NFL team is the Baltimore…er the Indianapolis Colts (4) followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers (9), Seattle Seahawks (13), Green Bay Packers (23), Denver Broncos (24), New England Patriots (31) and Ravens (32).  Other notables include: New York Yankees (48), Cincinnati Bengals (102), Orioles (105), Washington Redskins (108) and the Cleveland Browns (116).
 
122 teams in total were ranked.
 
I’m sure somewhere there are Cleveland fans complaining.  Click here for the entire list.
 
JOLTIN’ JOE HAS LEFT AND GONE AWAY…HEY, HEY, HEY ~ Joe Theismann isn’t part of MNF anymore but he still has a bunch on his mind.  When asked to name the best organizations in the NFL, here’s what was in the Cup of Joe:
 
1. New England Patriots: “The Patriots are an outstanding organization and that's because everything starts at the top.” TL: Agreed, they set the standard and figured out how to master the salary cap era faster than everyone else.
 
2. Denver Broncos: “Another strong, smart owner and again the result is a strong franchise.” TL: OVERRATED!
 
3. Dallas Cowboys: “Even though he has taken some chances that I might not take as an owner, Jerry Jones does a great job.”  TL: Let’s see how things go with Dawn of The Living Dead Head Coach Wade Phillips.
 
4. Indianapolis Colts: “This isn't just about winning this past Super Bowl. This is about sticking with a great coach when a lot of other organizations would have gone in a different direction.” TL: Dungy is a class act and Manning is no less than the second best QB in the league.  But Irsay blood still flows through the Colts veins and that alone should keep them off this list.
 
5. Baltimore Ravens: “Brian Billick has been here for a while and has a lot of control over his team's decisions, and his partnership with general manager Ozzie Newsome has produced a pretty consistent playoff contender.” TL: Let’s not forget owner Steve Bisciotti and the underrated Eric DeCosta and George Kokinis.

Post your comment

Your Name:
Your Email:
Your Comment:
There are no comments. be the first to post a comment.


«Go back to the previous page.
Posted On: 3/29/07
Written By:  
Tony Lombardi

Polls

From the following list who will have the most sacks in 2012?


Twitter

Check us out on Twitter
  • 5/18/12: Why Foster, McCoy and Rice are equals and should be paid accordingly: http://t.co/Q1R93XNe

View all tweets & follow us!

Got Poker Face?

E-News

Sign up for Email Alerts and get the best deals and news in your inbox.



Copyright © 2012 24x7 Network, LLC, All Rights Reserved
Website Design by D3Corp Ocean City Maryland