The Money-Loving NFL's Latest Bad Idea

Over the years, the powers that be in the National Football League have had a lot of good ideas. Revenue sharing. Salary caps. Television contracts.

Sadly, the latest thing tossed around by NFL owners isn't one of those.

It's a terrible idea, and needs to die a quick death. No further discussion needed. Just a quick  are you friggin' kiddin' me? followed a loud and emphatic loud NO!!

That idea? As if the NFL isn't making quite enough money as it is, the owners got to mulling over this one: How about we play the AFC and NFC title games at a neutral site?

That came about because, this year, the Buffalo-Cincinnati game was scratched after Damar Hamlin's injury, thus impacting which team would have the home field advantage. With no clear-cut winner (Buffalo would have had it with a win against Cincinnati) the NFL opted to play the AFC title game in Atlanta should Buffalo win in the playoffs. No home field advantage, no perk for having the best record in the conference. With neutral sites, all the NFL teams would share revenue, etc. And the league would probably figure out a way to make it a three-day money-making venture with lots of corporate cash flowing in.

That went out the window Sunday when Cincinnati's Bengals went into snowy Buffalo and stomped on the Bills. Now the Bengals will play in Kansas City and the neutral site fiasco falls by the wayside (for now).

Teams having something to play for, like that feeling teams get from their home field crowd? Screw it. The fans don't really count anyway. Or so it seems.

Well, here's one NFL owner -- okay, shareholder -- of a team that says NO WAY to the neutral site proposal. There's just something magical about the home crowd, the elements and weather impact for a game in Green Bay or Buffalo or Cleveland or any northern, non-dome city.

Totally understand the need for warm weather or dome sites for the Super Bowl (although even that doesn't preclude poor weather. I think back to the monsoon game in Florida won by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. But that would seem to be an outlier.

TALKED ABOUT THE Name/Likeness/Image deals for college athletes a while ago. I think my fears have been proven with the news that a highly recruited football player de-committed from Florida because his $13 million NIL deal fell through.

Florida, of course, is part of the SEC, a football conference ruled by the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, among others. Seems like the big money in the SEC talks loud and often.

It does with certain Big Ten schools as well, mind you. But not to the extent in the football-mad world of the South.

DON'T WATCH A LOT of NBA games, but this is a trend that bugs me -- superstar players sitting out road games to "rest". Am of the opinion that, if Team A only makes one trip to Team B during the course of the season, then Team A's superstars oughta play. After all, you can bet a lot of tickets sold by Team B were to fans who wanted to see Team A's stars.

Seems like a bit of false advertising to promote a game to see, say, LaBron James in action with the Los Angeles Lakers on their only trip to Milwaukee, then have LaBron sit out.

Agree or disagree?

Packer Fans Wait While Rodgers Fiddles Around

Admit it, Green Bay Packer fans: We're a spoiled lot.

Back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks will do that. In the 31 years of Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have posted a 314-182-2 record (winning 63.05% of those 498 games). There's been 23 playoff wins, three Super Bowl appearances and a pair Lombardi Trophies put in the display case at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

There are NFL franchises that would sell their own mothers for just half of that success. Hell, the Chicago Bears have gone through 37 quarterbacks in. the same stretch.

So here we stand on the brink of another off-season filled with uncertainty.

Rodgers seems to be playing the will he/won't he game with his (and our) future. The four-time MVP noted on "The Pat McAfee Show" (his usual soapbox) that  "Do I still think I can play? Of course. Can I play at a high level? Yeah. The Highest. I think I can win MVP again in the right situation." (Italics here are mine.)

So, what does that mean for Packer Nation? Just what is the right situation? Is the MVP award more important than winning another Super Bowl? Has Rodgers gone down the me path, forgetting that there is no "i" in t-e-a-m? Yes, if the QB plays well, odds are the team is winning. I get that...

WTH, Aaron? Either you want to be back in the Green & Gold -- and the powers that be, head coach Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst, have made it crystal clear they do want Number 12 back -- or you don't. He's promised not to hold the team hostage like Favre did, but to make his decision soon.

Will believe that when I see it.

If it's not about the money (Rodgers has indicated he could comfortably walk away from the nearly $60 million payday in 2023) then cut the team some slack and re-do the deal to free up money for other players to help the team win.

Especially if Rodgers is adamant that he get several of "his glue guys" back. That list includes cronies like Randall Cobb, Mercedes Lewis, Mason Crosby and David Bakhtiari as well as  Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan.  Note those are all guys on the offensive side of the ball.

So, how much glue do the Packers need to invest in to keep Rodgers happy? If they can wrangle contracts and push money to the future -- and Green Bay has been doing this A LOT lately -- then am all for bringing back some of them. Contracts go both ways. If players want to be in town with Rodgers, they'll do a team-friendly deal to stick around.

Packer Nation has split into two camps, it seems. On the one side, the let-him-walk-or-trade-him camp makes a good argument. Is a 39-year-old quarterback who sees himself as a GM as well worth the hassle? Perhaps it's time to see what former first-round pick Jordan Love brings to the table. After all, all of the teams left in the playoffs are being led by guys in their mid-20s. The last greybeard, 45-year-old Tom Brady of Tampa Bay looked his age as Dallas romped past him and the Bucs in the wild card round.

Then there's the feeling that Rodgers brings Green Bay it's best chance at playoff success, that his past season, mediocre by his standards, was an not the norm. That injuries (broken thump on his throwing hand, etc.), injuries along the offensive line and a young group of receivers all contributed.

Can see the sense from both sides. And in my opinion, if Aaron is ALL IN on being with the Packers, making the off-season treks to Green Bay for the OTAs, etc., then am all for bringing him back and riding No. 12 as far as he takes us.

THE NFL SEASON was so odd. Ties, lots of overtime contests among the 271 games. Have a group of five friends that, for the past 31 years, we've been picking the outcome of the games (straight up, no point spreads) for bragging rights and the coveted Pick 'Em Trophy. This year four of us finished tied for the top spot at 173-96-2, and the fifth was just a game behind.

Can't get much closer than that!

College Bowl Games = ATM Machines

 Waited patiently for someone to bring up the topic of money during the college football bowl season.

Still waiting...

Have seen this information come out in the past. The payouts that 42 college bowls put out are, well, pretty amazing. While I never really saw any totals put out there per school, have gotta admit there's curiosity about what the Wisconsin Badgers and the Ten Schools added to their coffers.

So I took it upon myself to do a little digging, and some math. Eight Big Ten schools, out of 14, played in bowl games. That includes a pair in the College Football Championship games, Michigan and Ohio State.

Taking the total of six bowl games, dividing that by two as the money is split between schools; Adding in what the NCAA allots each conference for 1) travel, 2) per team combined  and 3) per conference for the national playoff.

All of that and the math leads to the Big Ten raking in just over $96 million, giving each school nearly $6.87 million for income.

Remember, this is ONLY money that football teams bring into the school. The other big chunks of cash come from the March Madness basketball tournament, as well as television contracts (both with conference affiliations, like the Big Ten Network) and national contracts.

Is your head spinning yet? Mine is.

SPEAKING OF MONEY, it's time the NCAA, which is pretty toothless most of the time, did something to regulate the NIL (name/image/likeness) train. Am totally in favor of ALL college athletes being able to make a buck on their own NIL, but something has to be done about this Wild West atmosphere. Too often the big school haves seem to be using NIL opportunities as a recruiting tool.

Any suggestions? Well, maybe a cap limit -- mostly so that, when, say, football players leave the likes of an Alabama, they don't take a pay cut to turn pro in the NFL.

CHOOSE LOVE is across the back of many player helmets in the NFL. Pretty clear on most televised games. That just seems to be pushing for teams to trade for the Packers' Jordan Love. (Am being facetious here, folks!)

THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS, with the reporting day for pitchers and catchers about a month away, settled arbitration with a number of players. Among them pitcher Brandon Woodruff ($10.8 million) and infielders Willy Adames ($8.7 million), Rowdy Tellez ($4.95 million) and Luis Urias ($4.7 million).

No word at this point on the contract status of pitcher Corbin Burns, but you know that keeping him on the staff is a key to any success the Brewers have as they battle to get back to the playoffs.

Now That My Blood Pressure Has Come Down, Let's Talk Packers

 The Monday after that season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions was hard on every Green Bay Packer fan in Wisconsin...and beyond.

Rather than jump onto the "let's all rip 'em" bandwagon that quickly filled up on that Monday, I decided to chill a little bit, take some time to think about the season.

• Matt LaFleur's play-call did Green Bay NO favors. Does the pressure in big games get to him? Not sure. I do know I would not run gone for it on fourth-and-short from deep in my own territory so early in the game. And, seriously, if you do then either line up for a quarterback sneak or hand the ball to the guy built for that situation, A.J. Dillon. Running a wide receiver on a reverse? No way.
• Same can be said for getting inside first-and-goal from the 6-yard line and having to settle for a field goal. Line up, pound the ball.
• Stop beating yourselves, Green Bay! Running back Aaron Jones needs to work on ball security; that fumble inside the Detroit 20 cost the Packers points and let the Lions hang around.
• Ditto for the truly STUPID penalties that have dogged this team all season. What was Raul Douglas thinking? (Hint: he wasn't). Quay Walker, a talented rookie, has to grow up. Love his intensity, but there's a time and a place for it.
• It's cold, it's January in Lambeau Field. Is a 53-yard field goal attempt the best option, or should you punt and pin Detroit deep. Mason Crosby's effort just fell short, but you gotta trust the defense in a close game.
• Speaking of Mason, does the team bring back the veteran kicker for his 17th season (he'll turn 39 in September)?  Yes, he's lost a little leg strength. But he was three-of-four in the game, and his Lambeau Field totals, a tough place to kick late in the year, are amazing: 201 of 246 field goals, 81.7%

For his career, Crosby has hit 395 of 485 field goals (81.44%) and another 733 of 753 extra points (97.34%). He scored 112 points this season and is the Packers' career leader with 1,918

• Was this the last game in a Packer uniform for 39-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Possibly, but I doubt it. He's a proud guy and ending on that note, wrapping up a mediocre season (by his standards) means he comes back IF he's all-in for the season. That means dedicating some off-season time in Green Bay as well. He's due $49 million in 2023, says he can walk away from that. We'll see. Still think the thumb injury was more of an issue than they ever let on.
• That means breaking up the band, to an extent. There's a boat-load of players who will be unrestricted free agents, led by Aaron's cronies like Randal Cobb, Mercedes Lewis, Crosby and David Bakhtiari as well as Dean Lowery, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan and others. There's only so much salary cap room available, and either guys give Green Bay a home-town discount or play for incentive-laden contracts or they walk.
•  Lazard seems to think he's gone -- and while he probably sees himself as a Number One receiver in any offense, he's not. Love him as a blocker, but waaaay too many dropped passes (100 targets this year, 60 catches).
• Defensive coordinator Joe Barry's squad got better as the season went along. Still plays too much soft zone coverage for my tastes, but I think he saved his job (unless they want to go looking for Jimmy Leonard).

One of the best offensive linemen to every wear a Wisconsin Badger uniform, Joe Thomas, is on the NFL's Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. After an amazing career in Cleveland, Thomas is a sure luck as a first-timer. Same will be said five years from now when J.J. Watt is on the ballot.

Chicago Bears have the number one pick in the April NFL draft. And they have a Lake Michigan-sized cushion in cap space. Done right, the Bears will be an up-and-coming team in the very near future, much like the Detroit Lions, a team that plays HARD for Coach Dan Campbell.

At this point, the NFL has not set the salary cap for 2023 -- or at least hasn't made it known to teams and the public. 

NFL Needs To Step Back After Hamlin Injury

 Monday's incident involving Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin simply brings home the fact that many of us have lived with for years. Football at the professional, and college level, is a violent, violent sport.

This is not the NFL of the 1950s and 1960s. Players then were smaller overall and didn't spend the entire off-season training, but worked off-season jobs to augment a much MUCH smaller pro paycheck. Players have gotten bigger-faster-stronger since, .and collisions have gotten much more violent. It's said a tackle in today's football is akin to getting hit by a truck 

Hamlin made what looked like a routine, though solid, tackle on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. He got up, seemed to adjust his facemask, then just fell over. Hamlin's heart had stopped. Fortunately, immediate medical attention led to life-saving CPR. Though still hospitalized in critical condition, here's hoping that the 24-year-old Hamlin recovers.

Having been part of a heart-stopping event myself (and have a pacemaker/defibrillator to show for it), I can attest to how frightening the whole situation can be.

Seemed like it took the higher ups in the National Football League forever to decide on a course of action following a delay in the game that was stopped with just under six minutes left in the first quarter. First it was suspended, then later postponed.

That's the right course of action. This isn't about a football game. It's about a person's life. When you see players on the field, grown men, openly crying....well, football is the farthest thing from their minds.

Ours, too.

As to what the NFL should do going forward? Though this was a game that could affect the top seed in the AFC playoffs (Buffalo was 12-3, Cincinnati 11-4), there's little time left to go back and finish this contest.

Either call it a tie or label it a no-contest and move to the final week of the season. Just have one less game factor into the standings.

And pray that Damar Hamlin comes out of this okay.

Out With The Old, In With The New

 Well, 2022 is in our rear view mirror. From a sports standpoint, let's home in on a couple of things from the year and keep them in the past.

For example, let's hope that Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich regains at least some of his magic at the plate. Brewer fans would settle for a .280 or .285 season with 30 homers to start with.

Or how about Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers putting a tough 2022 start behind him and heating up in the rest of the regular season -- leading the Pack into the playoffs and finding success there. Certainly got things off to a rousing start by kicking the crap out of the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, Rodgers didn't have an over-the-top game to spark the win -- that was honor goes to the defense (and to Viking qb Kirk Cousins, who wilts away under the big game spotlight), and in some respects the special teams.

After starting the year 4-8, did even the most optimistic of Packer fans think that, going into a home finale with Detroit's Lions, that Green Bay would still have a shot at the post-season? Win and in, that's what it will take.

Expect Rodgers to come back to quarterback the Packers in the fall of 2023. He's too proud to walk away from Green Bay after this season.

Speaking of the Green Bay Packers, this may have flown under the radar for many. Kicker Mason Crosby quietly took over the spot of playing in the most consecutive games in a Green & Gold uniform. He passed Brett Favre for that honor, and it now stands at 257 and counting. Granted, Favre had to deal with getting smacked around by nasty linebackers and 300-pound defensive linemen. But it still is an amazing record for Crosby.

Even more so, I learned recently, as Crosby hasn't missed kicking in a game since his sophomore year of high school (2000). So tack on another 50 games in college, a couple more high school seasons and his Packer stint and Crosby has a string of well over 300 consecutive games.

By the way, that 56-yard field goal the 38-year-old Crosby hit at the end of the first half Sunday against Minnesota? The one that hit the crossbar and kicked over like the Vince Lombardi was giving it a hand? That was the longest by a Packer kicker in Lambeau Field history.

New Head Coach Luke Fickell might have gotten the credit for the Wisconsin Badgers' bowl win against Oklahoma State officially, but I count it for Jimmy Leonard. The walk-on who rose to stardom in college and the NFL took over the Badger football program as interim head coach and directed the team to a 21st straight bowl game. He was 4-3 in the regular season (could well have been 6-1 with a break here or there). Tack on that bowl win and he's 5-3 while Wisconsin finishes 7-6.

He has three young sons, so I think Leonard may take his time deciding on his next challenge. Still think he may end up in Green Bay as the defensive coordinator -- even though Joe Barry might have saved his job with Sunday's performance against Minnesota. Still, if the team has further defensive melt-downs, I think the leash is pretty short for Barry.

Lots of people have overlooked the Wisconsin Badger men's basketball team, but the 10-2 Badgers have moved up to 14th in the nation on the latest top 25 poll. Think this squad is only going to continue to improve, and an invitation to the NCAA tournament is sure to follow.