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The Good: Team USA

Well, well, well. Turns out American players may actually grasp the game of basketball. After watching the NBA I seriously doubted it as the best team is also one of the most international.

However, it seems that Team USA has been dominating competition in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas. The United States is forced to qualify for the Olympics in Beijing next near (something that should embarrass ever sports loving American) and appear to be well on their way to doing so. The only legitimate competition appears to be coming from Argentina who is currently also undefeated.

The Argentine squad is not all it could be. When looking over their roster, only two names pop out (because only two of them play in the NBA): Carlos Delfino and Luis Scola. And to say that Luis Scola has “played” in the NBA is a misnomer. He was drafted but spent time in Spain because of his commitments there, he’ll be playing this season for Houston but, to the best of my knowledge, that will be his NBA debut.

The US should still roll this team. While they’ll be tougher than the likes of Puerto Rico and even Brazil (not exactly pushovers) they will be nothing like their final makeup. Manu Ginobili and Adres Nocioni highlight those missing from this Argentine roster but there’s also someone like Fabricio Oberto to consider. In probably the greatest sign of how far we have fallen, Argentina has no need to include their top talent because they’ve already qualified for the Olympics and we have not.

While some people look at the additions that will come in the Olympics and laugh but that’s the exact attitude that has landed us in this situation. Role players like Oberto are terribly underrated in the NBA and American basketball. David Stern’s offense happy policy is a big reason for it and yet ever year the team with the best role players wins the big one. That’s a lesson we’ve got to learn if we’re going to win in the real dance.

We have the talent, obviously. There aren’t players any where in the world as good as ours. That’s why I’m glad our All-Stars are playing this tournament. To compete in the real tournament they need to learn to play like a team and learn to be role players. They seem to be learning that lesson and our chances of reclaiming our honor are very good.

The Bad: Patriot Way

For a long time we’ve been talking about the so-called “Patriot Way.” From sportscasters to fans everyone’s been talking about how the Pat’s do thing the “right way” and how “different” they are from all the other teams in the league. Of course, it was garbage then and is garbage now.

Asante Samuel has ended his holdout and will return to the Patriots. Samuel has skipped both the offseason workouts and training camp but will no doubt be placed in the starting lineup for this week’s preseason finale.

But the Patriots don’t operate like that right? I mean, they traded Terry Glenn because of his off-the-field issues. Then they cut Lawyer Milloy after he demanded more money and did the same with Ty Law. Finally, when Deion Branch demanded a new, more lucrative contract the Patriots refused to talk to him. Then they dared him to negotiate terms with other teams and grudgingly traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick (after demanding two first-rounders).

The Patriots demanded loyalty to the point of sacrifice. Personal finances were a small matter when considering what they owed the team. Only classy, selfless players were welcomed onto the roster and the genius Bill Belichick could turn any player into a great one. With Tom Brady on the offense and a mix of talented players on the D the Patriots didn’t need any big-headed “superstars.”

All that has been proven wrong recently. The Patriots did well without any big name receivers but even Tom Brady voiced his displeasure with the situation. The Patriots tried to correct that by signing Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and trading for Randy Moss. They also sought to beef up their defense by signing the biggest name on the market in linebacker Adalius Thomas.

This represents a huge departure from the “Patriot Way.” While Wes Welker’s quiet but effective style fits in perfectly with the way the Patriots supposedly do things, Donte Stallworth and Randy Moss certainly do not. Both have had their share of issues off-the-field and both have cried boo on their team more than once. Randy Moss, especially, is an interesting case.

Moss is notorious for being all about Randy Moss and quiting on his team when it suited him. He has stated that he only plays when he wants to and that doesn’t seem like an attitude that fits on the business-like Patriots. Finally, he’s skipped most of training camp and the preseason but no doubt will start the first game of the season, throwing out that whole “if you don’t practice you don’t play” none sense I’ve been hearing from the New England talk shows.

While these same sportscasters and fans will try to rewrite history and say the Patriots have to get talent I have listened to them for years talking about how different the Patriots are. Now, all that’s been thrown out the window as the Patriots are showing they are just like every other team in the NFL. They do business but when the chips are down, they’ll cave to players they need.

The Patriot Way is a myth that should be buried once and for all. The Pats are like any other team, if not more selfish. Use a player until they’re no longer useful then cut them loose. There’s an uproar when a player demands more money as he nears or hit his peak and reports of him being “selfish” and “un-Patriotic” for demanding more money. However, once a player has played for the Pats for 7 or more years and starts slumping there is no anger when the Belichick bunch shove him out the door.

The Patriots are just another NFL team. They are good, no doubt, but this illusion that they do things so differently for everyone else needs to be forgotten. They do business just like everyone else, signing players they think will help them and cutting players they think won’t. They want to win a Super Bowl and they’ll put up with the likes of Moss to do so…just like everybody else.

The Ugly: Lance Briggs

Unlike virtually everybody else, I supported Lance Briggs‘ attempts to fight the Franchise Tag. Lance Briggs was viewed as arguably the top linebacker available. He was slapped with the Franchise Tag, which would give him about $7 million for one year. Meanwhile, Adalius Thomas signed a deal with the Pats for about $70 million for several years. Briggs wanted job security and more money and felt he was robbed of that by the Tag.

He felt he wasn’t being allowed to capitalize on a great season and that if he slumped this season (or even worse suffered a career ending injury) he would be left out in the cold. So, he held out, threatening to do so until the tenth game of the season, and the war with the Bears began.

Ultimately, he signed that one-year deal after he realized he couldn’t beat the man and will be on the field for the Bears this year (assuming that career ending injury doesn’t happen). Then the other night he wreaked his car, which could have resulted in that career ending injury (if not life ending).

It didn’t and Lance Briggs walked away ok. While I think this is a good demonstration of why he was so mad about getting the tag most would see this as making him more appreciative. Had Briggs been seriously hurt he would’ve received all $7 million of his deal. That’s nothing to the roughly $20 million he could’ve gotten on the market but I digress.

The real issue is why did he lie about it? After wreaking the car Briggs says he called a tow truck then called the cops. What he told the cops is what’s confusing, he reported his car stolen. While he quickly rescinded that claim it still begs the question of why? He had committed no crime by simply wreaking his car. Maybe he was driving too fast but the cops couldn’t prove it and give him a ticket. His insurance premiums would go up and there would be some questions but most people were just happy he was ok.

So why tell they cops your car was stolen? Nerves? If I got into a wreak I would probably call my family first, then a tow truck, and maybe an ambulance depending on how bad the wreak was. I would probably be shaken up but that wouldn’t cause me to lie to the 911 operator, I would just admit to the wreak.

Briggs didn’t hit anyone and was luck to get away unharmed so why lie? That’s where this gets interesting. Now he has committed a crime and raised some eyebrows. In the wake of the Vick and Pacman Jones’ cases Briggs will be scrutinized. One can only assume Goodell has launched his sent his crack team of investigators to the scene and the cops are probably taking a closer look at things.

If it turns out Briggs was drunk or had drugs in the car or something else this situation could blow up fast. Briggs explanation was very confusing and it seemed like he was simply rambling his way through it and simply raises more questions.

Had this happened any other year it wouldn’t be as big a story. This year, however, with every NFL player being under the microscope things could go south fast. The NFL is, no doubt, already looking at this closely and I assume the cops are too. For Briggs’ and the Bears and, quite frankly, us I hope nothing sinister is going on. Briggs’ actions, however, make me su####ious and have me preparing for yet another scandal.

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Introduction

Probably the two most talked about disgruntled players in the NFL lately are Daunte Culpepper and Lance Briggs. Both players feel like the teams they are with have treated them unfairly. One suffered a career threatening injury and was looking forward to a new start on South Beach. The other vastly outperformed his rookie contract and was hoping to get a long term contract as a reward.

Instead Daunte Culpepper was rushed back onto the field and struggled through the four games he played and had many doubting if he'd ever be back to his old self. He got into arguments with the head coach as was forced to watch as former competitor Joey Harrington lead his team.

Meanwhile, Lance Briggs came within sixty minutes of a championship. After the Bears lost Briggs was ready to sign his deal and move along with the Bears. They were within striking distance of a title and Briggs wanted to help lead them to it. When he was slapped with the franchise tag most football fans felt he was getting what he deserved, the title of the "Franchise" and a salary of $7.2 million. He only got the contract for one year, however, and Briggs felt his value was far greater.

Daunte Culpepper

There once was a time when the name Daunte Culpepper stirred up anger and respect in the hearts of Chicago Bears fans. Shortly after the turn of the century, Culpepper displayed the type of play that merited a first round selection. He combined his rocket arm with a dynamic rushing ability. In that first season (as a starter) he threw for almost 4,000 yards, passed for 33 touchdowns, rushed for 4 more, and only threw 16 interceptions.

Culpepper's career has ebbed and flowed since then. He struggled the next two seasons and had an epic season in 2004. Culpepper threw for 4,717 yards, 39 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. He also set a new NFL record of combined yards rushing and passing at 5,123 yards. Then the bottom fell out.

The 2005 season was a disaster for Culpepper. Before sustaining a season ending knee injury in the fourth game of the season Culpepper had thrown 6 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 5 fumbles. Some believed he could rebound from his struggles and this included the Miami Dolphins.

Having a solid defense they believed they were only a Quarterback away from a title run. When they picked up Culpepper some experts stated they would be the first team to play a home Super Bowl. Of course, things didn't work out that way. He struggled, rushing back from his injury, and was yanked from the starting lineup. Then, after the season concluded, the Dolphins traded for Trent Green to be their new starting Quarterback.

Lance Briggs

Lance Briggs has become one of the best Linebackers in the league. Though most people would be over shadowed by the prolific Brian Urlacher he has thrived. Besides leading the team in tackles in his first season, he has helped the Bears come within sight of their ultimate goal.

He also served as an emotional leader for the Bears. Next to Brian Urlacher he was one of the leaders of the defense and the team. Only a few years into his career and many believe he is among the elite in the league. His friend Brian Urlacher agreed and made it clear he would take a pay cut to keep Briggs on the team.

The Bears appeared poised to lock up Briggs and keep their dynamic Linebacker duo together for years to come. Then, they slapped him with the franchise tag. Rather than negotiate based on his season, which would've resulted in a huge contract for several years, the Bears bet that his up coming season wouldn't be as fruitful. The Bears wanted to tag him and wait until negotiating conditions were better for them.

That's allowed but what recourse do the players have? Amid cries of outrage from Americans who would love to get paid that money for a year Briggs has announced he will sit out 10 games if necessary. Apparently, the blood between the two sides is so bad that the situation is unsalvagable. In that case the Bears own the rights to an outstanding player who will walk away next year.

Killing Two Birds with One Stone

My solution for these two teams is to swap their malcontents. The Chicago Bears still have huge questions about Rex Grossman. Given his performance in the Super Bowl and much of last season I wouldn't bet the franchise on him. The Bears still have Kyle Orton (who showed some promise) and Brian Griese (who is a proven backup) so adding Culpepper doesn't bet the franchise on him either.

If they got Culpepper they start Rex and see how he performed during the beginning of the season. This would give Culpepper additional time to rehab his various injuries while keeping him engaged in the normal activities of the team. Then if Grossman struggles, insert Culpepper and see if he can resurrect his 2004 self. Plus, it will give them negotiating leverage against Grossman when his contract expires after this season.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins would unload a headache and gain a great team player and a stellar Linebacker. They run a 4-3, like most teams, and could have a starting lineup of Lance Briggs, Zach Thomas, and Joey Porter. Combined with the rest of their existing defense Briggs would be near unstoppable. Plus, he could assume control of this team once Thomas and Jason Taylor pack it up.

To sweeten the deal the Dolphins could throw in promising young line backer Channing Crowder (who they selected with a draft pick they, ironically, got from the Bears).

Conclusion

I believe these moves would improve both teams and eliminate their current issues. Culpepper will never play for the Dolphins again as he feels used and then tossed aside. Briggs has said he will never play for the Bears again and the relationship appears irreparable.

The Dolphins would get a veteran Linebacker with a huge chip on his shoulder; the Bears would get a real contingency to Grossman. I personally feel that Grossman is notan elite Quarterback while Culpepper has the potential to be. If Culpepper returns to form imagine what the Bears could be.

I think the relevant GM's should be considering this move. It would certainly help them both sleep better at night and might calm down the ever stressed fans of their respective franchises. If this went through I feel it would help make a possible match-up between the Bears and Dolphins in the Super Bowl.

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Lance Briggs Is Absolutely Right
The Franchise Tag is a horrible thing. It basically allows teams a year pass on players. No risk. If something happens to that player, the cap hit is only for that year. The teams should be prepared to absorb their missing presence the following season or else they would've just worked out a long term deal.

The Franchise Tag guarantees players their contract for a season and states that they receive 120% of their previous salary or the average of the 5 highest paid players at that position, whichever is greater. That sounds nice, but I wouldn't be happy being forced to take 120% when I could get 2,065% of my previous salary in one year. And that's only in one year, over the life of the contract that figure grows significantly.

That's the situation facing Lance Briggs. He has been tagged to make $7.2 million (guaranteed) in one year. Meanwhile, Adalius Thomas signed a five-year, $35 million contract (and between now and the end of 2008 he'll have made about $20 million of that, guaranteed). And many feel Thomas settled in order to compete. San Francisco would have doled out much more. They probably won't now. That's one thing the Bears have already done: sabotaged Briggs' shot at contracts of this size.

Standard of Living
I'm so sick of people saying "Lance Briggs doesn't get it, I would bend over backwards to make $7 million."

Ok, here's the thing. It's all about standard of living. It's all about, "What's the guy doing basically the same thing as me making?" A basic principle of economics (numbers are irrelevant).

If you're working at Burger King flipping burger's and let's say you're making something along the lines of $7 an hour. That's fine for you. But say somebody comes over from McDonalds to do the same thing as you but they're going to make $9 an hour. Simultaneously, (stay with me) you're forced to accept a raise of 50 cents and can't leave Burger King for at least eight months.

Now you're making $7.50 while the guy doing the exact same job is making $9 (then come to find out he's guaranteed a $1.25 raise in six months!). You'd be pissed.

So you complain to your buddy during lunch who cleans the floors, bathrooms, etc.

Well, he doesn't understand you at all. He would love to get a raise of any kind (Burger King's never given him one) and he would love to make $7.50 because he's only making $5.00 an hour.

Meanwhile, there's thousands of people risking death, imprisonment, enslavement and any other number of horrors to sneak into this country to make less than $5.00 an hour, have no benefits, and essentially no rights, they would love the cleaning guy's job and think he's being a prima dona if he complains about it.

It's the exact same thing with Lance Briggs (just with bigger numbers). Most people in the world would love to make that $5.00 an hour while most of us would feel we were seriously underpaid. This is due to our standard of living and the average price of other people doing a similar job. Just so happens there are very few people who can play linebacker at an NFL level. It also just happens that Lance Briggs can play it better than most others.

Loyalty
People always get on the players for not being loyal. That's understandable, if a player turns on your team you take it personally. Yet, we rarely get on organizations for cutting players outright (especially when it's for "cap purposes"). We feel an organization is fully justified in asking a player to restructure his deal and then cutting him when he refuses; yet we get upset when a player seeks to restructure his contract and cuts out the team when they refuse.

There is no loyalty. It's all a business. That's exactly why the Bears tagged Briggs. He played for the minimum through his first three seasons with nary a complaint. He easily could've caused a stink earlier. Demanded a massive new contract. He was offered one last season. A six-year deal worth $33 million but he turned it down, expecting to command more in the market this year.

And he would've been right. He didn't cause a stink cause the Bears didn't offer him enough, he played out his contract. He was basically like the guy in that lending tree commercial. He told the Bears they could compete over him. They decided they didn't want to. They knew they'd lose. So they used the Franchise Tag to keep that from happening.

Franchise Tag
If nothing else this is raising the issue of the Franchise Tag. It should be eliminated. It benefits only the team and allows them to hold players hostage. Sure, the players are making crazy guaranteed money. But why should they have to settle for that when they can make more guaranteed money in a single signing bonus?

If a team isn't willing to commit to these players then they have every right to up and leave the team. Lance Briggs isn't some guy who is in the middle of his contract and just wants more money. He served his time without a complaint and now wants to cash in. And he has every right to do so. The Bears cheated him by placing the tag on him and he should be angry.

Hopefully, the NFLPA will grow a pair and stand up to the league about the tag. If you truly want movement then you've got to let the top players move around freely. It's a basic principle of the free market. It's all about competition and Lance Briggs would've commanded a huge price on the open market. Instead he has to settle for significantly less due to the Franchise Tag.

Conclusion
I hope Lance Briggs gets out of his forced contract in Chicago. I think he should campaign against the Franchise Tag. Maybe this event will get players to rally against the Tag and make the NFL a truly open market (we demand it for groceries so why not for NFL Players?).

He probably won't get out of this contract but I hope he comes back the next season and gets a nice long-term deal with a club that will pay him market price. Lance Briggs has shown once he signs a deal he'll live it out. He gave the Bears a pass tha past few seasons and now he wants to be paid. And he has every right to.

Patriots Look to Win Fourth Superbowl
Watching NFL Free Agency is like watching the Rich get Richer and Poor get Poorer.

You have AFC teams like Denver signing Travis Henry upgrading over recently traded Tatum Bell. Did I mention they got Dre' Bly in that Bell trade; to place on the opposite side of the best (arguably) corner in the league, Champ Bailey? They also got rid of Jake Plummer and ended any thoughts of a QB controversy next year (an distraction they did not need).

They also signed Tight End Daniel Graham who has been solid in New England. He'll help a Broncos offense that now has a power runner to fit perfectly into their scheme along with Javon Walker. Jay Cutler will have plenty of weapons and lots of help form the run game, not to mention a defense that will give up precious few touchdowns, and should lead the Broncos deep into the playoffs.

Then you've the New England Patriots. Every season for the past six or so years the Patriots have looked like a major threat. They've done it by cultivating mid-range players and then coaching them up to the top of their range. Last season they called Deon Branch's bluff (who in turn called theirs) and winded trading away the receiver to get a second first-round pick.

On top of that, they've been signing like crazy. First, breaking out of the gate they sign probably the top Free Agent on the market in Adalius Thomas. Their linebacking corps is getting a little long in the tooth and Thomas should give them a shot in the arm. He should help keep up that intensity and put serious pressure on opposing offenses.

Then they trade for Wes Welker who was better in Miami last season than Chris Chambers (I know, I had him on my fantasy team). Welker is a great return man and tough player. If you put the ball near him, he will catch it. He's exactly the kind of mid-range player the Patriots traditionally go after and coach up. Look for him to have a great season.

Next, they sign Donte Stallworth. Not very Patriot like but a great move none the less. I'd say Stallworth was a top-level Wide Receiver hidden in a mid-level offense (pre-Clayton New Orleans). Now, he'll be catching passes from one of the most accurate QB's in the league and be on a team that will push him to be his best.

Finally, they've just signed Kelley Washington out of Cincinnati. He's been overshadowed by some other Wide Receivers' (whose names escape me) that all could possibly be "number one's." He should be a clutch third option for Brady and give the Pats someone to surprise other teams with.

Then the Jets flat out rob the hapless Chicago Bears. They swaped picks for second-round picks and got a legit number one running back. They also open up the opportunity to trade one of their other backs for more picks or help in another area.

Their turn around last season was overshadowed only by that of the New Orleans Saints. Eric Mangini (I will not succumb to the temptation of calling him "Man-genius") even defeated his mentor Bill Belichick and received the scorn of the Patriots. He was on the cusp of doing it again but the overacheiving Jets just couldn't do it. This year with a few shrewd moves and some stability on both sides of the ball could lead to them surprising the Pats this year.

Meanwhile, in the lesser Conference...
The NFC's marquee franchise, the Chicago Bears, have faultered since faultering in the Superbowl.

They have traded Thomas Jones away for virtually nothing, banking on Cedric Benson carrying the load. They let their Defensive Coordinator go with little effort to get him back and now Lance Briggs is threatening to sit out all of the 2007 season.

On top of that: Rex Grossman is still an unknown commodity. It seems when Rex is attacked he stumbles and makes the worst decision possible. The Bears need cohesiveness in order to overcome the Superbowl Loser's Curse but it doesn't appear they'll do it.

Very little good things have happened in the NFC in Free Agency. The Redskins are doing what they do best, throw lots of money at lots of Free Agents. The Bucs are trying to get as many QB's as possible and the Niners are trying to build on last season.

Not much else has happened in the NFC. My team has signed a massive offensive lineman and been slammed for doing so. They also signed Brad Johnson to backup Tony Romo (something I think is a great move) but little else is being done. The Falcons signed Joe Horn to not catch passes from Mike Vick.

Looks like the AFC is destined to win yet another Superbowl.

Standard of Living
I'm so sick of people saying "Lance Briggs doesn't get it, I would bend over backwards to make $7 million."

Ok, here's the thing. It's all about standard of living. It's all about, "What's the guy doing basically the same thing as me making?"

If you're working at Burger King flipping burger's and let's say you're making something along the lines of $7 an hour. That's fine for you. But say somebody comes over from McDonalds to do the same thing as you but they're going to make $9 an hour. Simultaneously, (stay with me) you're forced to accept a raise of 50 cents and can't leave Burger King for at least eight months.

Now you're making $7.50 while the guy doing the exact same job is making $9 (then come to find out he's guaranteed a $1.25 raise in six months!). You'd be pissed.

So you complain to your buddy during lunch who cleans the floors, bathrooms, etc.

Well, he doesn't understand you at all. He would love to get a raise of any kind (Burger King's never given him one) and he would love to make $7.50 because he's only making $5.00 an hour.

It's the exact same thing with Lance Briggs (just with bigger numbers). Most people in the world would love to make that $5.00 an hour while most of us would feel we were seriously underpaid. This is due to our standard of living and the average price of other people doing a similar job. Just so happens there are very few people who can play linebacker at an NFL level. It also just happens that Lance Briggs can play it better than most others.

So naturally, he's pissed knowing that other guys are getting signing bonuses bigger than what he will make for a year. He's also pissed knowing he's just as good if not better than most of those guys. So the argument of "What an ####! I would love to make $7 million!" rings completely hollow.