My Take On Michael Vick
Michael Vick is out of jail and ready to play football again, and play it in the NFL. Should he be allowed to play? In my opinion 100% absolutely yes. There is no condoning what he did, it was terrible, but he spent over 18 months behind bars. He lost everything he had, the houses, the endorsement deals, over $30 million in salary. His debt to society has been paid…and then some. Donte Stallworth drives drunk and kills a man with his car and he spent less than 30 days in jail.
I’m sure that the NFL, namely Roger Goodell still wants to punish him in some way. As I said before, I think he’s already paid his debt. But, I understand that Goodell wants to run a tight ship and punish the players whose conduct is detrimental to the league. If he suspends Vick, it should be no longer than 2 games. 4 would be too long and 6 would be totally excessive. So what teams should consider signing Vick…?
My simple answer is every team has to consider signing him. He’s going to get the league minimum salary and he’s not going to cost your team a draft pick. Use him as a backup QB and slash type of WR. He could play 5-10 snaps in the “wildcat” formation. He could play a handful of snaps under center. He can play 5-10 snaps at WR. Think about your favorite team. Is there a 3rd QB or 3rd WR you wouldn’t want to replace with Vick? Think of your team’s punt returner and now replace him with Vick, doesn’t that look better? He can make a difference for a team playing 15-20 plays per game.
Now I have to go against everything I’ve said, the Redskins should not consider signing Vick. The Skins are set with their backup QB’s in Collins and Brennan and don’t need the Campbell/Vick controversy. I believe that Devin Thomas is going to have a breakout year and catch at least 50 balls…I’ll take him over Vick as a 3rd WR. There’s no room for Vick here in DC, but in New England or San Francisco…plenty of room.
Whoever signs Vick will have to deal with the backlash and repercussions. There will be organizations like PETA who will come out to the stadiums and stage rallies. The team that signs him may lose a handful of season ticket holders that revolt because they can’t give the man a second chance. I believe in second chances and think the man deserves one, I hope he makes the most of it.
Cheers and Hail
July 25: Happy Birthdays
On a daily basis, Fatpickled recognizes the birthdays of the men who have played, and currently play for, my favorite teams. The Redskins, Orioles, Wizards, and Terps.
Happy birthday Tracy Murray. Tracy played 4 seasons for the Bullets/Wizards from 1996-2000. He was a solid 6th man for them and enjoyed the best years of his career in DC. He appeared in 280 games and averaged 11.1 PPG. On a glorious night in Feb of 98’, Tracy dropped 50 points on the Warriors. Also, during the 1997 season and just a couple of months after the Stephen Davis/Michael Westbrook fight, Rod Strickland and Murray got into a fight. The same thing triggered both fights; in this case Tracy called Rod the derogatory slang name for a gay man. The results of the fight left Tracy with 7 stitches and a horrible black eye and Strickland with a bruised hand originally thought to be broken. Tracy retired after 12 seasons in the NBA and now works as an analyst for UCLA Bruins basketball games. He also has a website where you can see more photos and highlights of his career. Happy 38th birthday Mr. Murray.
Happy birthday Doug Drabek. Doug finished spent one season with the Orioles in 1998; it was his last MLB season. Like the Orioles 98’ season, 98’ was a huge disappointment for Doug. He went 6-11 with a 7.29 ERA, ouch. The Orioles stumbled to a 79-83 season under Ray Miller after leading wirer to wirer and going to the ALCS in 1997. Overall, Doug had a decent career going 155-134 with a 3.73ERA over 13 seasons. He won the CY Young award in 1990 while playing for the Pirates. Doug’s son Kyle was a 1st round pick of the Phillies 2006 and is currently rumored to be traded in a possible deal for Roy Halladay. Happy 47th Mr. Drabek.
Happy birthday Jose Bautista. Jose was a pitcher for the Orioles for 4 season from 1988-1991. Over 75 games Jose went 10-20 with a 4.79ERA, including an awful 6-15 season in 88’, the year the O’s started the season 0-21. He did however rock the jheri curl and let his soul glo! He bounced around the majors 9 seasons before retiring and getting into coaching. He is currently the manager of the Single A Great Falls Voyagers in the White Sox organization. Happy 45th Mr. Bautista.
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009
Categories: Fatpickled, Orioles, Wizards
Tags: doug drabek, happy bday, jose bautista, tracy murray
Roy Williams Interview
It’s not often we let a Cowboy into Redskins territory, but when said ex-Cowboy is a 5 time Pro Bowler, all around nice guy and a Counting Crows fan…exceptions must be made. Roy Williams is entering his 8th NFL season and his first as a Cincinnati Bengal. Reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, expect another Pro Bowl season from Roy. He won a national title with Oklahoma and was the defensive player of the year in 2001. Watch his highlights on YouTube, he is a total bad ass on the football field. You’ll also be able to watch him on this years edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks, where he has promised to lay the wood to Ocho Cinco. Finally, you can follow him on Twitter, @Datboyie.
Thank you Roy for the interview.
FP: After 7 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys you are now a Cincinnati Bengal. How are things going so far in Cincy and what are your expectations for this season?
RW: I enjoyed my years while playing with the Cowboys, now I’m in a new phase in my life that is starting with the Bengals and I’m very excited about the chance to link back up with coach Zimmer. My expectations is to add to this Defense they did an awesome job last year, and I want to add to what they did, get our defense in the top 6 this year.
FP: What’s your favorite moment on a football field?
RW: My favorite football moment, my first pick as a rookie against Peyton.
FP: What player or coach has had the biggest impact on your career?
RW: Coach Zimmer has had the biggest impact on my NFL career, he knows how to use me in this 4-3 defense.
FP: You played some QB in high school. Were you running the option or a drop back passer? How good were you?
RW: LOL yea I played QB in high school, I threw some but ran more LOLOLOL. Naw, I was ok. I took my team to state championship and I also played RB and WR.
FP: Did you play any other sports in High School? If so, were you good?
RW: Yea I played other sports, basketball my first year was to aggressive, didn’t work out. I ran track all my years there, and I played soccer, just for fun but the coach wouldn’t put me in cause they didn’t want me to get hurt. And I couldn’t get in until we were winning by 3 goals. I know it sucks so I road the pine!! LOL
FP: The “horse collar” rule is sometimes called the “Roy Williams” rule. Is that fair? Is it legal in your book…what’s your take?
RW: The horse collar is a rule and I have to play within the rules. Is it fair? I’ll just say this… I’m an old school player when it comes to football. I watch Jack Tatum, Ronnie Lott, Steve Atwater. And you’re always taught to bring him down by any means necessary.
FP: You’ve laid down some serious hits in your career, is there one that stands out the most? Maybe one that hurt you more than the other guy?
RW: Um the hardest hit that I felt…there was a hit in the Philly game some years back when I hit Brian Westbrook. After the hit I thought I was ok, but I started to walk to the sideline and I fell face first… LOL
FP: OK, a couple questions for the Redskin fan in me. What players on the Skins did you enjoy playing against/admire the most? Did you get a chance to befriend Sean Taylor before his death?
RW: Redskins…yes I had a chance to meet and talk with Sean at the Pro Bowl, we’ve seen the bad boy image, on the football field, but he was actually a good guy, family man. I liked Sean a lot, sad to see him go. I actually had a sticker with his number on my shoulder pads…I think it’s still on my shoulder pads.
FP: Week 2 of the 2005 season, the Cowboys are beating the Skins 13-0 with less than 4 minutes to go. Mark Brunell teams up with Santana Moss for 2 long bombs to win the game. What are your thoughts and comments looking back?
RW: As far as the Santana it’s so in the past, and I would say this, it wasn’t my man. I was playing the defense, how it was supposed to be played. And I caught the heat for it cause I was the safety, and people think it was my play to make and it wasn’t. And that’s the play people hold on to still to this day, saying I can’t cover…not cool, but its life.
FP: You are a man of great faith and seem to have an enormous amount of happiness, positive thinking and forgiveness in your heart. How do you strap on those pads and knock the s%*t out of people?
RW: Yes I’m a believer and I play football, God’s blessed me with the skill/talent to play ball. And I’m going to use my skills the best that I can to show out for God.
FP: Tell my readers about your charity.
RW: My foundation caters to help low-income single mothers. You can read up on it at www.roywilliamssafetynet.org
FP: Your very good friends with Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows, tell me about how that came to be.
RW: Adam and I met through a mutual friend that works at Cal Berkeley, like 6 or 7 years ago and we’ve been cool every since. Adam is a great guy.
FP: We are friends on Twitter, a place where lots of athletes and celebrities are interacting with fans. What attracted you to Twitter, what’s your favorite thing about Twitter?
RW: Yea I’m on Twitter. It’s cool to be able to talk to other people, friends and whatever the case, it’s a fast way to talk rather than pick up the phone, and others can chime in on what’s being said. I like Twitter. Sometimes people say some things that make me want to go off, but people have the right to say what they want even if it’s not something that someone wants to hear.
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Categories: Fatpickled, Interviews, NFL
Tags: cowboys, interview, roy williams, twitter
JT: Trembley’s plan: Pursue Craig T. Nelson’s Gold’s Mother
“So are you an Orioles fan?”
“Yeah, I sure am. Its not easy, but I’m a fan. What gave that away, the shirt or the hat?”
…”I’ve got a funny story for you. Take your shirt off and hop up on the table.”
“OK”
“…deep breath….now let it out…good. Anyway; so, my mother is a big Orioles fan too, right? Well I mean she’s a big fan. Watches every game, calls me many times a week to discuss those games. I mean she’ll remember every pitching change and have something to say about it.”
“That’s a pretty dedicated fan.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Ok hop off the table. So she knows some people over at the O’s organization, right? So somehow she gets hold of Dave Trembley’s email address and sends him some email. It wasn’t fan mail exactly, she sent him what she thought of various decisions he’s been making, the losing, etc.”
“That’s awesome!”
“That’s not all. Alright follow my finger with your eyes…Good. I’m going to check your ears. So she emails Trembley a few times and he responds and there is some back and forth and then Trembley invites her to lunch! So here is my mother, a little old lady, meeting with the manager of a major sports franchise for lunch. Hahaha, and she let him know what she thought in person at that lunch..hahaha.”
“That’s amazing! Say doc, I’ve got this rash on my back is there anything you can do for that?”
“Yeah, I’ll give you the name of a good dermatologist, no problem. So they have lunch once and it goes well and she walks him back to the stadium afterwards, telling him how to run the team the whole way back from the restaurant. Apparently he values her opinion and likes her company because he’s taken her out a few more times since then and has really taken an interest into what she thinks. Pretty cool.”
“That is pretty cool. I would love to give him some of my ideas sometimes…”
“Yeah, my mom is a pretty neat lady. Alright drop trow…” *SNAP* “OK, turn your head an cough.”
“Ah-hem…alright we done?”
“Yeah, we’re done. Go ahead and get dressed and meet me in my office.”
“Alright, thanks Dr. Craig T. Nelson’s Gold”
That was a paraphrased transcript of a recent trip of mine to the doctor’s office. Aside from my rash there was a pretty interesting story in there…Trembley listens to the elderly!!! If I thought the elderly knew how to use computers I would never write this article but I know they can’t read Internet so I will write my concerns and criticism of Trembley for this blunder in managerial tactics.
It’s not that I’m anti-elderly, it’s just that the elderly don’t understand the steroid laden and loosing mentality of the Orioles baseball culture. They’ll give Trembley “good” advice that “works” in game situations without giving any regard to ‘roid rage, egomaniac behaviorism’s, or how to speak to Greg Zahn in grunts and moans (I wouldn’t say that about Zahn if he wasn’t a senior citizen…but because he is I know he doesn’t know how to use the Internets).
Now Dr. Craig T. Nelson’s Gold (his name has been changed to protect me from a liable suit, or any claim to being a good reporter) didn’t divulge the nitty gritty about what advice his mother is giving Mr. Trembley, and my bid to have his mother email me to talk about this story hasn’t come to fruition. I would bet the majority of her advice involves having the players ingesting more Metamucil and Fibercon (…and maybe the occasional sacrifice play to get more players into scoring position so they can actually SCORE WHEN THEY GET ON BASE!!!). Mr. Trembley may have won a few minor league championships but he’ll never win in the big leagues unless he starts listening to a younger brand of adviser. The younger the better. With food the way it is these days us young people are infused with the very chemicals needed to fully understand the irrational behavior of major league ball players and how to inspire them to aspire to greatness. I’d feel much better thinking that Trembley takes the time to listen to some punk kid straight out of high school with a know-it-all devil-may-care attitude than someone from the “Greatest Generation”. Shame on you for listening to older and wiser people Dave Trembley, shame on you…
…Ok so most of those opinions were sarcastic. In all seriousness I think it’s truly awesome that Mr. Trembley takes some time out of the week every so often to speak with this woman. It shows he cares not only about his job, but how the fans perceive his team. It shows he’s willing to listen to any good suggestion, wherever it comes from. The O’s still have a long way to go before they’re a contender again, but they’ve got the pieces in place to make a Tampa style run at some point in the foreseeable future, and I hope a humble and caring manager-who looks like William Shatner-like Trembley sticks around to see them make that run. Kudos Mr. Shatner, I mean Trembley, kudos.
The Legacy
image via loudoun extra
In case you haven’t noticed from following my site, I’m a huge Redskins fan. I have over 30 years invested in them and I’m proud of the history of the franchise. One of the reasons I write about the players birthdays is that it gives me (and hopefully you) a chance to remember the players who have suited up in the burgandy and gold.
I received an email today from the Redskins promoting a TV show coming up this weekend called “The Legacy.” Living here in Florida I’m going to miss it, but if your in the DC metro area…it sounds like a must see. Here is a short preview of the show along with the description of it. One last thing, SOMEBODY TIVO THIS FOR ME so I can see it when I visit next month, thanks!
The Legacy Saturday, July 25th 7 p.m. NBC-4
The bronze statues enshrined in Canton represent the best of a player’s on the field accomplishments. However there is more to a Hall of Famer than simply statistics and awards. There is a story of blood, sweat and years of determination that help create a legend. That story is the story told in the newest Redskins documentary, The Legacy.
From Slingin’ Sammy Baugh to Art Monk and Darrell Green, The Legacy explores the history of the Redskins through the prism of the team’s greatest players, the Redskins Hall of Famers. With 17 Hall of Famers including Joe Gibbs, John Riggins and Sonny Jurgensen, The Legacy will highlight how these players and coaches rose to greatness and earned their enshrinement in the National Football Hall of Fame.
The Legacy, from the Emmy award-winning Redskins Broadcast Network, premieres on Saturday July 25 at 7 p.m. on NBC-4.
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Categories: Fatpickled, Redskins
Tags: washington redskins
July 23: Happy Birthday Darvin Ham
On a daily basis, Fatpickled recognizes the birthdays of the men who have played, and currently play for, my favorite teams. The Redskins, Orioles, Wizards, and Terps.
Happy birthday Darvin Ham. Darvin played 1 season with the Washington Bullets in the 1997-98 season. He didn’t do much on the court, averaging just 2.0 pts and 1.8 rebounds per game. Darvin played 8 seasons in the NBA and won a championship with Detroit. He’s also played overseas and is still plugging away in the NBA’s D League. The real reason for this post is an excuse to post the highlight of his tremendous dunk in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. While playing for Texas Tech (a surprise sweet 16 team that year) Darvin shattered the backboard with a tremendous dunk that landed him on the cover of SI. Happy 36th Mr. Ham!
Cheers and Hail
Posted by fatpickle Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Categories: Fatpickled, Happy Birthday!, Wizards
Tags: darvin ham, happy bday, Wizards, youtubes
