What's Irritating Me Today

For the third straight day, I just wanted to remind everyone we have an open spot in the BotB Fantasy Football League. We put another vote up on the site for those that are already in the league. The vote is to make it a PPR (Point per reception) league, which I am admittedly not all that familiar with, but just vote if you want it to be a PPR league. The concern is that because of the depth of the league there would not be enough quality RB's available to put in the flex spots. I haven't had this problem in the past but I can see where the problem may arise. Just vote accordingly.

It's a busy week for me this week at work. Sorry for the shorter (really, they are not that short) posts this week but I guarantee it is only going to be a week long thing...hopefully. Just think of it as a break from reading my mammoth posts.

I try not to talk about my favorite teams on here a whole lot. It's obvious to a lot of people my favorite teams in a lot of sports but I don't want this to become a fan club cheerleading site. I am making an exception today (no cheerleading) and using the information I know about my favorite pro football team to comment on something that happened on SportsCenter last night.

On SportsCenter Michael Smith started covering the question of what team Mike Vick was going to play for in the NFL this year. They put a list of the teams that have not publicly said they are not going to pursue Mike Vick. I don't know when each team had an obligation to come out and say they were not pursuing a football player, but the media did the same thing with T.O. so I am used to it by now. The Carolina Panthers were on the screen as one of the teams and I ignored it until I started seeing pictures of actual Carolina Panthers players on the screen and Michael Smith saying the Panthers were the team that would sign Vick. This shocked me because I don't know what Michael Smith was doing talking about the Panthers, I thought he was the official beat writer for ESPN on the New England Patriots (kidding...sort of).

I complain that guys like Peter King don't pay attention to the entire league and then there are times I am glad the entire league is not paid attention to. Michael Smith went on and on about the reasons why the Panthers would sign Mike Vick. It's clear Michael Smith has no inside knowledge or any knowledge of what he is talking about in this situation. The Panthers will not sign Mike Vick. I would bet my life on it. If the Carolina Panthers sign Mike Vick, I will razor-in the words "I am a dumbass" on one side of my head and "Fucking idiot" on the other side of my head, take a picture and post it on this site and any other site people would want me to post it. It's not happening. Vick is not playing for the Panthers this year.

If Michael Smith and ESPN attempted to have any knowledge of the Panthers, their ownership, and the makeup of the team they would quit spouting shit on air about Mike Vick joining the team. Someone who covers the NFL for a living should know better after doing 5 minutes of research he won't end up in Carolina. They are not above signing a player like Vick but there is no way they do it and here are the reasons:

1. They have absolutely no room on their roster for him. None. The Panthers keep 2 kickers on the 53 man roster and activate them both on Sundays. They had 2 QB's on the active roster a couple years ago and only had 4 active WR's last year. There are going to be some tough cuts this year. If Mike Vick joined the team that would mean they would have 5 QB's in camp and would end up getting rid of two of them. Fox likes to have a solid backup and that is Josh McCown and he likes Matt Moore, so he won't get rid of him. The Panthers are also enamored with the potential of Hunter Cantwell and are going to try and squeeze him in on the practice squad. There is no room at RB, QB, or WR for Vick.

2. They have no salary cap room. Thanks Julius Peppers. Appreciate it.

3. If they did have salary cap room, they have MUCH larger needs. The Panthers will never choose to spend what little money they have on Vick but will instead wait to see if a veteran OL/DT gets cut so they can pick him up. They are painfully thin along the offensive line and at the defensive tackle position...especially since they lost their best DT. There is no way they spend that money on Vick when they could use the money to fortify the DT/OL position with a veteran after cuts are made.

4. They don't need Vick for the Wildcat. DeAngelo Williams already runs the Wildcat and runs it effectively. They don't need Vick to run the Wildcat because they like having Williams run it and they are also planning on incorporating Mike Goodson (a 4th round pick this year) into the Wildcat, even with him being a rookie, they don't need Vick for the Wildcat because they see Goodson as the game breaker they were looking for out of the slot and in the Wildcat.

5. The passing game. There is no way the Panthers take Vick as a backup to Jake Delhomme. The Panthers have enough problems with the passing game to take a guy who can't throw it for a 55% completion percentage. The Panthers don't have a good tight end for Vick to check down to and Steve Smith would literally murder him on the field in cold blood after the third bounced/overthrown pass to him.

6. The Panthers ownership. They have gotten rid of every player who has had trouble off the field (all of Smith's is on the field) since John Fox came into town. Chris Terry, Jeremy Bridges...among others. There is no way the Panthers take a team that has a great core, great leaders and a chance to win the division title and try to shake up the locker room by adding a distraction like Vick. None.

Sorry to digress like this, but I was very annoyed by this. It took me literally 5 minutes to think of these reasons why Vick would not be playing off I-85 again and if Michael Smith and ESPN didn't have their head up their ass they would spend less time making up speculation and actually looking into stories. Just because a team doesn't publicly say they won't pursue a player doesn't mean they are pursuing the player or are in the running.

-Let's check in with Peter King's MMQB Tuesday mailbag.

As one of the 44 selectors, I'm into the Hall process year-round, asking veteran club people on my training-camp tour about various candidates, and those thoughts, plus my memories of who was close in 2009, lead me to this prospective list.

What's missing from this list? Peter asks other people about candidates and then remembers the candidates to see if he remembers whether they should make the Hall of Fame or not...hey, how about looking at the player's statistics and seeing if he measures up to the other Hall of Fame members and if he does, whether he is worthy of making the Hall of Fame! I am sure Peter does this a little bit, but it would make me feel better if he listed it as something he does.

The football HoF generally does a pretty good job of choosing candidates but please excuse me if Peter's basing his prospective HoF list on his memory and other people around football's memory doesn't exactly assure me of it's accuracy.

Dick LeBeau, cornerback, coach, defensive coordinator.

The man's not going to be hotter than he is now, and it's time.

Dick LeBeau should be in the HoF. I have seen his playing numbers and if you combine that with his contributions to the NFL as an assistant then he does make it in my mind.

Of course Peter has to keep writing after he has convinced me.

As for the matter of LeBeau's poor record with the Bengals (12-36) in his only three years as a head coach, should three seasons tarnish the other 48? And could anyone have won in Cincinnati in the Klingler Era? Marv Levy, Hall of Famer, was 31-42 in five playoff-less years coaching Kansas City. Paul Brown: 55-56-1, with zero playoff wins, coaching the expansion Bengals ... Hank Stram: 7-21 in two years with the Saints.

The problem is those three coaches were all successful head coaches with another team, while LeBeau was not successful anywhere else. It's not like those are the total career records for Levy, Brown, and Stram. If the other HoF committee members don't want to vote an assistant coach in, then they would use this statistic to show why assistant coaches don't deserve to make it in the HoF...because they are not among the best football coaches in the league since they are only successful as coordinators. It is harder for niche players and coaches to make it generally. I am not saying I think this, but if Peter brings this up in the discussion to get LeBeau in the Hall of Fame, he is probably going to end up hurting LeBeau's candidacy.

Cris Carter, wide receiver.

With 1,101 catches and 130 touchdowns, he should probably make it on his numbers alone, but this isn't baseball.

Ouch. In your face baseball.

My argument on Carter has been he's the best boundary receiver (sidelines, end zone) I've seen, and that, combined with his production, is enough to propel him.

I think Carter should be in as well but using the argument he is the best boundary receiver Peter has ever seen doesn't do a whole hell of a lot to convince me. First, there is no way of measuring whether he was the best boundary receiver ever so that is pure hyperbole, and second off, Peter remembers Brett Favre as an incredibly great quarterback and a good person, so his memory is a little bit flawed. Ask any police officer, most people have really shitty memories...or they imagine things the way they thought they saw them and not how they really are.

Russ Grimm, offensive line, line coach.

It's an interesting choice to choose a player who didn't seem to be all that overpowering and dominating at his position when he played football. Why oh why Peter?

We need a Hog in the Hall.

Gosh, that makes sense. According to Section 12(a) of the Hall of Fame rules and regulations it does say, "there should be at least one Hog in the Hall of Fame."

This is one of the best offensive lines of all time, and quite possibly the best, and it should be represented in Canton. What's hurt Grimm over the years is his shelf life -- he started just 114 regular-season games (19 more in the playoffs) and played four full seasons due to injuries -- but when he played, he was a dominant force at guard and center. He was a gritty force in the best running game in football in the eighties.

It doesn't make sense to say because the entire COLLECTIVE offensive line was the best of all time possibly an INDIVIDUAL player from that line should be voted into the Hall of Fame. If they were great as a unit, that doesn't mean the individual members were Hall of Fame worthy. Nothing against Grimm but if he only played four full seasons and the fact he was gritty and played for a good team are his only qualifications for making the Hall of Fame, then I am not sure he deserves to make it.

Aaron of Appleton, Wis.: "In regards to your statement about maintaining scheduled times for presenters during the Hall of Fame Induction, I think your remarks are absolutely shameful. The Hall of Fame is not just another awards ceremony. It is the pinnacle of acknowledgment for a very select group of people who represent the greatest sport in this country. The majority of people at this event are the friends and family of the people being enshrined after a LIFETIME of professional success. To spend a few extra minutes hearing about the respect people have for them and the glory of their accomplishments should be an honor. If the 'pain' this causes you is too great, I would kindly suggest you find something else to do during that weekend each year.

I don't see how anyone can disagree with the sentiment that Aaron from Wisconsin is espousing here.

(Peter) You aren't alone, Aaron. But I don't agree, because I think so much of what is said can be said in half the time, and there's redundancy in the program.

Just because it CAN be said in the half the time doesn't mean it SHOULD be said in half the time. Please refer back to what Aaron said above when talking about what an honor this was for the inductees. Peter's MMQB could also be half the space he takes up, if he just left out his personal opinion on a lot of issues...yet somehow he think it is fine for him to take up more space when his column could be shorter, but doesn't think it is fine for HoF inductees to take up more time when being inducted.

Paul Intartaglia of Brooklyn: "No question. Just wanted to congratulate you on receiving the McCann Award. You definitely deserve it. I have been reading your columns for as long as I can remember.

Oh yes, Peter King pulls a Bill Simmons and puts an email that is complimentary to him in his mailbag. There's nothing like tooting your own horn for the entire world to see (hear?).

(Peter) And I owe Adam Schefter a special thank-you for his story on me yesterday on this Web site (and to ESPN and NFL Network for allowing him to do it).

I like how Peter linked the story Schefter wrote about him. I know he is just wanting to get people to read the column Schefter wrote, but it is also a column about him...so Peter is basically linking an article that says how great he is.

Barry Fischel of Marietta, Ga.: "Both Delta and Airtran offer Wi Fi internet connections during the flight after you pass 10,000 feet. It works well and is great, especially on longer flights."

Thanks to all for who chimed in on this.

Seriously, Peter King needs to learn how to use Google and not require his readers to provide him the answer to very simple questions such as this.

-I know I talked about this last week but I don't understand why first round picks hold out.

There is maybe a difference in $5 million between what Raji wants and the Packers are willing to give him. If he gets his fat ass on the field and plays well, he will get a new contract in a couple of years and make that $5 million plus many more million. Not being on the field gives the Packers a chance to adjust to the 3-4 defense without him, which can't be a good thing. Then Raji has to learn the defense and play himself into the rotation.

Maybe I am stupid, but if I was a player I would be itching to get on the field and would sign a reasonable contract for my slot knowing that if I play well, I will be getting another contract in a couple of years. The NFL can move on without B.J. Raji playing in it.

-Since I went to school at Appalachian State, I may be an unabashed homer, but if Armanti Edwards played in D-I then people would be talking even more about him than they already are. If only he could learn to use a lawnmower.

He is probably too short to be an NFL quarterback but if there is a place in the NFL for guys like Mike Vick and Pat White, then there should be a place for a guy like Armanti Edwards. He can throw the ball well and he is an incredible athlete...which I guess is already obvious if anyone has watched him play.

-Gregg Doyel seems to think there is a steroid problem in the NBA.

I can't say I am inclined to disagree with him, especially since the NBA only tests players for steroids from October 1 to June 30th. It could very well be a problem in the league. What do you guys think? I can't help but actually agree with some of Doyel's reasoning, especially when you look at some of these guys who are playing the game and how big they are.