NFL 2009

[GhostMachine]

ESPN (aka the channel where all the Sportscenter and NFL Live hosts have their lips glued to Tom Brady's dick) is saying that the Vikings will probably trade Tavaris Jackson.

Can't think of many teams that would be stupid enough to take that risk. But if the Texans were willing to sign Rex Grossman to ride the pine, I guess anything can happen.

[mystikz]

really I mean who would want Jackson? I'd sadly rather have Rex....

[JStarr]

I like this move for the Vikings.

Favre gives them a legitimate passing threat, if he's in early last season form as opposed to late last season form.

But now teams won't be able to simply stack 8-9 guys in the box and sell out to stop the run.

Sure they will. Favre was terrible on anything beyond 20 yards last season, and Bernard Berrian's not exactly a seven-yard slant guy. Neither is Harvin. Shiancoe might look like Antonio Gates this year, but the downfield impact of Favre is kind of overrated here.

If the running game ever happens to struggle, though, it wouldn't surprise me to see Brett spend the last half of the season chucking it 40 times and Peterson having to make do with 12 carries.

The worst part is that none of the Vikings players can ever trust what Brad Childress is trying to tell them ever again. "We're closing the book and moving on, Sage and Tarvaris are our guys, and...whoops, sorry guys, have to go pick up a GOOD quarterback at the airport."

Vikings go 8-8 and Childress gets fired. That's going in the prediction book. In ink.

[Powerhart]

My prediction is Childress gets fired after Favre fails to continue the good rythym he started the season with right after week 5, final record: 6-10

[Evil Chase K]

I like this move for the Vikings.

Favre gives them a legitimate passing threat, if he's in early last season form as opposed to late last season form.

But now teams won't be able to simply stack 8-9 guys in the box and sell out to stop the run.

Sure they will. Favre was terrible on anything beyond 20 yards last season, and Bernard Berrian's not exactly a seven-yard slant guy. Neither is Harvin. Shiancoe might look like Antonio Gates this year, but the downfield impact of Favre is kind of overrated here.

If the running game ever happens to struggle, though, it wouldn't surprise me to see Brett spend the last half of the season chucking it 40 times and Peterson having to make do with 12 carries.

The worst part is that none of the Vikings players can ever trust what Brad Childress is trying to tell them ever again. "We're closing the book and moving on, Sage and Tarvaris are our guys, and...whoops, sorry guys, have to go pick up a GOOD quarterback at the airport."

Vikings go 8-8 and Childress gets fired. That's going in the prediction book. In ink.

You don't need to be have a deep threat to keep 8 guys out of the box.

Favre allows you to spread the defense, use four wides, and he's a much better passer than Tarvaris Jackson so the threat of the pass is something you must at least respect.

And do you honestly think this wasn't planned out from the beginning? I can't believe people don't see right through this. I'd be shocked if Childress, Favre, and the Vikings didn't have this planned out entirely. I mean when did they start negotiating again? Clearly they had a deal in place already. Favre probably told Childress he wouldn't sign until after camp broke.

Now sure maybe Childress lied to his team, but they apparent knew this was coming anyway.

[JStarr]

Oh, I know good and well it was planned out from day one. But it's not real likely that two players in particular knew what was happening, and any other player needs to look really closely and go, "Man, that could be me."

A coach lying to his team is going to have a hard time getting them to put in any extra effort when it counts, and that's gonna bite Childress in the ass at season's end.

[ACCBiggz]

I hope not, I think the Bears could benefit from seven pick 6's per game aganst the Vikes.

Yeah, because the Vikings have a better, more competent Qb sitting behind him that wouldn't give us turnovers.

Especially considering Sage was going to be the starter and he literally gave the game to Indy last season by diving with the ball in one of the stupidest plays I can recall.

[TheArsenal]

I watched Favre's press conference on NFL.com and it's pretty clear that he feels he can bring something to the Vikings - and he probably can. A lot of people are saying they are only a franchise QB away from a SuperBowl appearance and Farve knows the AFC North better than anyone, will be playing in a similar system to the one he knew in Green Bay and should have a much better year this year than he did with the Jets last time around.

It will be more interesting to see how his bicep and rotator cuff reacts to the season, because if they deteriorate during his first year, he may not play much in the second. But even if Favre ends up being past it, the Vikings just have to pick up a promising young QB via next years draft or a trade and let them learn under Brett for a year before they get major exposure.

Whether it's as a standout franchise QB, or a locker-room leader who can mentor a younger QB, Favre is an asset worth having.

** Saw on NFL.com as well tht within hours of signing Favre, NFLshop.com had sold over 1500 Vikings "Favre" shirts, Vikings had announced a further 2000 season ticket sales, and 6000 individual games tickets.

[gunnar hendershow]

I love Brett Favre. Only because in my fantasy league for money we drafted on Sunday and I picked him in the 16th round, with my last pick. Some guy picked both Sage and Tarvaris figuring one of them would start. I now have Tony Romo, Brady Quinn, and Brett Favre to fill 2 starting spots. Needless to say, half the league is already bitching that I shouldn't be allowed to have him on my team.

[Lint]

Why are they bitching about it? You knew he'd come back and you drafted him fair and square

[kale]

Brett Favre needs to go away and never be heard from again imo. Enough with the false retirement bullshit. He's just an attention whore who is just mad that the Packers didn't continue to beg him to come back. He's going to sabotage the Vikings just like he did the Jets.

[Maxx]

Oh yes because last year's Jets team was Super Bowl bound before Favre got there.

[kale]

Oh yes because last year's Jets team was Super Bowl bound before Favre got there.

I'm not saying they were but you can't deny he cost them games by himself. He had more games in 2008 where he threw more ints then TDs then he had games where he threw more TDs then ints. Not to mention coming to camp late, not really bothering to learn the play book, keeping himself seperated from teammates etc

[Toe]

If I am the Vikings, I still give Peterson the ball at least 25 times a game. Play action passes are going to be a huge part of the Vikings offence this year.

[TheArsenal]

And Plax is heading to jail.....

Burress pleads guilty in weapons case, accepts two-year prison term

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a weapons charge and agreed to a two-year prison term for accidentally shooting himself at a Manhattan nightclub.

Burress pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a lesser charge than he initially faced. Under a plea agreement, he agreed to a two-year prison sentence and two years of supervised release.

"Mr. Burress has elected to accept responsibility for his conduct now and not engage in any further legal proceedings that would only dlay a resolution to his case, and expose him to a much more sever penalty than the two-year ple he has agreed to," Burress' attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement. "By electing to plead guilty and begin his sentence as soon as possible, Mr. Burress hopes to resume his professional football career after he completes the 20 months that his two-year sentence will require him to serve.

"We will ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to allow any suspension he imposes to begin now, or otherwise begin to run concurrently with a protion of the sentence, so that Plaxico is given an opportunity to play in the NFL again as soon as he is released an eligible."

Burress was indicted earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years if convicted at a trial.

The guilty plea ends months of haggling between Burress' attorney and the Manhattan district attorney's office. The case went to a grand jury earlier this month after negotiations broke down, apparently because District Attorney Robert Morgenthau was insisting that Burress serve at least two years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Dwyer said it is standard policy to request a two-year sentence as part of a plea bargain on such serious charges. Sentencing was set for Sept. 22.

In a Manhattan state Supreme Court room on Thursday, the soft-spoken Burress, wearing a dark blue suit, first entered a not-guilty plea to the initial charges against him. After attorneys on both sides conferred, Burress said, "Guilty" to the new attempted weapons possession charge.

His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in court that the 31-year-old Burress was thinking of his family in taking the plea, although he questioned the recommended prison sentence.

"This was not an intentional criminal act," Brafman said. "In my judgment, a two-year prison sentence is a very severe punishment."

With time off for good behavior the sentence could be reduced to 20 months.

The football star and former teammate Antonio Pierce were at the Latin Quarter nightclub in late November when a gun tucked into Burress' waistband slipped down his leg and fired, shooting him in the right thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said, lodged in the floor and was recovered by a bartender.

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived, prosecutors said. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

Prosecutors said Pierce drove Burress to a hospital, then took the gun to his own home in New Jersey where it was later delivered to Burress' home.

Pierce was not indicted. The grand jury also did not indict the nightclub security guard who carried the gun to Pierce's car or the hospital staff members who failed to notify police that Burress had been shot.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown for the Giants over the New England Patriots in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl, also could face disciplinary action by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Giants released Burress in April and he has yet to sign with another team

[GhostMachine]

And Plax is heading to jail.....

Burress pleads guilty in weapons case, accepts two-year prison term

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a weapons charge and agreed to a two-year prison term for accidentally shooting himself at a Manhattan nightclub.

Burress pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a lesser charge than he initially faced. Under a plea agreement, he agreed to a two-year prison sentence and two years of supervised release.

"Mr. Burress has elected to accept responsibility for his conduct now and not engage in any further legal proceedings that would only dlay a resolution to his case, and expose him to a much more sever penalty than the two-year ple he has agreed to," Burress' attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement. "By electing to plead guilty and begin his sentence as soon as possible, Mr. Burress hopes to resume his professional football career after he completes the 20 months that his two-year sentence will require him to serve.

"We will ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to allow any suspension he imposes to begin now, or otherwise begin to run concurrently with a protion of the sentence, so that Plaxico is given an opportunity to play in the NFL again as soon as he is released an eligible."

Burress was indicted earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years if convicted at a trial.

The guilty plea ends months of haggling between Burress' attorney and the Manhattan district attorney's office. The case went to a grand jury earlier this month after negotiations broke down, apparently because District Attorney Robert Morgenthau was insisting that Burress serve at least two years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Dwyer said it is standard policy to request a two-year sentence as part of a plea bargain on such serious charges. Sentencing was set for Sept. 22.

In a Manhattan state Supreme Court room on Thursday, the soft-spoken Burress, wearing a dark blue suit, first entered a not-guilty plea to the initial charges against him. After attorneys on both sides conferred, Burress said, "Guilty" to the new attempted weapons possession charge.

His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in court that the 31-year-old Burress was thinking of his family in taking the plea, although he questioned the recommended prison sentence.

"This was not an intentional criminal act," Brafman said. "In my judgment, a two-year prison sentence is a very severe punishment."

With time off for good behavior the sentence could be reduced to 20 months.

The football star and former teammate Antonio Pierce were at the Latin Quarter nightclub in late November when a gun tucked into Burress' waistband slipped down his leg and fired, shooting him in the right thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said, lodged in the floor and was recovered by a bartender.

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived, prosecutors said. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

Prosecutors said Pierce drove Burress to a hospital, then took the gun to his own home in New Jersey where it was later delivered to Burress' home.

Pierce was not indicted. The grand jury also did not indict the nightclub security guard who carried the gun to Pierce's car or the hospital staff members who failed to notify police that Burress had been shot.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown for the Giants over the New England Patriots in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl, also could face disciplinary action by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Giants released Burress in April and he has yet to sign with another team

No team would sign Burress knowing he's headed to prison, so why would Goodell be willing to start his suspension now or allow it to happen while he's locked up?

Burress is stupid on two legs. Carrying a gun illegally is bad enough, but you've got to be an absolute moron to carry one in your waistband like that, and he's damned lucky the security guard wasn't hit.

[TheArsenal]

He's not allowed to sign for any team while he's in jail - and Goodell has said that when the jail term is over then there'll be no further NFL suspension. SO effectively on the day of release he could sign and play for a team.

[jonnycomelately]

I catch about 45 seconds of the Pats/Bungles game on TV while at work last night and it seems that I wasn't seeing things. Chad Ochocinco kicking a PAT and the subsequent kickoff. Further proof that preseason games should constantly have the Benny Hill music playing in the background.

[Trey]

Their kicker pulled a groin apparently in the warm-ups or something.

[TheArsenal]

To be fair, that kickoff came down at the 8 yard line. That's pretty damn good.