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06 Jul 2009

MMQB -- Matt Birk, Guest Writer

As Peter King continues his vacation, former Vikings and current Ravens center Matt Birk takes the reins. Birk discusses his NFL forefathers, Steve McNair, B***t F***e, and how Minnesota and Wisconsin can finally come together.

Posted by: Doug Farrar on 06 Jul 2009

31 comments, Last at 10 Jul 2009, 2:53pm by Well-hung pot head

Comments

1
by Sophandros :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 9:08am

Great point on the OTAs; I'm sick of seeing ignorant fans making a big deal out of a guy missing one day of a several day long OPTIONAL workout.

Totally agree with him on Vick. The man did his time and should be allowed to play again.

I think that points five and six go hand in hand, and I have long felt that cheerleaders are useless. I like good looking women as much as the next guy, but I am also opposed to distracting from the game and the objectification of women. But that's just me.

Regarding the flag football thing: he has a couple of decent points, but I don't necessarily agree with eliminating youth tackle football. I do, however, think that high school football coaches should encourage their football players, particularly guys low on the depth chart, to play rugby in the spring. But that's another issue...

NFL Network can show more NFL Films footage if they would stop showing the same episode of Total Access five times a day...

-------------
Sports talk radio and sports message boards are the killing fields of intellectual discourse.

2
by Kalyan :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 9:28am

A truce will be reached in this epic border battle after it is discovered at a tailgate party that Johnsonville Brats (Wisconsin) and Grain Belt Beer (Minnesota) are perfect complements for each other.

On a serious note, I think Birk hit some real highs:

* Identifying the problem was that retired get only 2% of revenues
* NFL being a all-weather sport and the need for open stadium
* comment on daughters & cheerleaders!
* Flag football

3
by AB (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 9:46am

Far better than Trent.

9
by Marko :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 1:40pm

Far better than Peter, too.

4
by AnonymousA (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 9:55am

"A quick word on Steve McNair: [...] A professional gets his body ready for every game, regardless of what injuries he needs to overcome."

Low blow. Still, I can see a few teams (Denver? Minnesota?) signing Zombie McNair. "No brain? Slowly ambles forward, regardless of circumstance? #2 on the depth chart, then."

11
by BigCheese :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 4:53pm

WTF?????

How about we look at the entire quote?

"A quick word on Steve McNair: He was the definition of a gamer. His toughness and grit are legendary. Not only was he out on the field every Sunday, but he also played at a high level. That is what great players do. A lot of guys can play well when they feel good, but the season is a grind. A professional gets his body ready for every game, regardless of what injuries he needs to overcome."

If that is a low blow, I hope I'm subjected to low blows every single day.

Now, if you purposefully edited it to make it seem like he was making a crack at his lethal injury, just so you could make that zombie joke... well, now THAT is pretty low.

- Alvaro

5
by Pete (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 11:52am

I'm pretty sure that Michael Vick was given many, many chances to be honest with his coaches, owner, and commissioner. I'm pretty sure that he blew many of those chances.

I think the incomes of the highest paid professionals (especially those for the early draft picks) are a bit high. If some of this money was removed then the retired players could have a little better coverage (especially when they have suffered debilitating injuries).

6
by MJK :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 11:57am

Agree on the turf/weather point. Folks that want to move football to all dome, all turf, all perfect conditions so they see a lot of flashy scoring can just watch Arena football. I love how weather and field conditions can change a game. It all plays into "Any Given Sunday" and gives the game more diversity and interest.

I have no problems with cheerleaders, but perhaps the whole "let's raid Maxim's photo-shoot wardrobe for their uniforms" thing is taking things too far. There's nothing wrong with having a team of attractive professional dancers put on interesting choreographed routines to fill in the inevitable dead space brought about through natural game breaks and forced commercial game breaks. However, I could see being unhappy with the direction some cheerleader squads are going.

The retired players thing is a big issue, and I think Birk really hits it. The problem is that everyone things somebody else should solve the problem. "Well, all the other groups have plenty of money, so let them do something about it". The owners already figure they're paying the players, and they see themselves as having gotten the team through their own business acumen. The players obviously want as much as they can get now. Both need to remember what the past guys did for the game.

14
by Rich Conley (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 10:07pm

"he problem is that everyone things somebody else should solve the problem. "

I don't see that there is a problem. If the players of yesteryear were willing to take a pay cut to ensure that they had big pensions, they'd have plenty of money right now, but instead they (unwisely) wanted to maximize their immediate earnings. They made an unwise decision.

Why should the current players be demonized because the former players made a gamble and lost?

15
by tuluse :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 10:29pm

Because people didn't understand the long term health problems of playing in the NFL. Especially the brain damage that can occur.

16
by Rich Conley (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 10:45pm

There are long term health issues in a wide array of careers, that in most cases were unknown in the past. Your local miner or factory worker or whatever struggles on with his health problems and gets no help.

Former NFL players weren't willing to forgo earnings to protect their own future, and help those before them. Why should the kids of today be expected to be more benevolent?

Its clear from the fact that nothing has really happened, that a large part of the players union feels the same way.

18
by tuluse :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 2:32am

No, those workers get social security, or often a class action lawsuit against their former employer.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a lawsuit over concussions filed against the NFL in the next 5-10 years.

7
by RMH (not verified) :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 12:27pm

"6. I think there is too much stimulation at football games today. We don't need all the lights and noise and T-shirts being shot into the crowd. The game on the field is enough."

Yes, Matt, the game on the field is enough. Unfortunately, the game on TV requires numerous timeouts to bring a word from your national/regional/local sponsor, and that lull at the stadium needs to be filled by something. I wouldn't want to hear music during gameplay as you do in the NBA, but I don't see anything wrong with minor diversions during the extended breaks in on-field action.

8
by jebmak :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 1:19pm

I really liked that. Nicely Done Birk.

10
by Kibbles :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 4:42pm

This does a lot to solidify my opinion of Birk as one of the smartest and most articulate players in football, as well as a genuinely good guy. I really hope that there's a career in broadcasting awaiting him once his impressive football career comes to a close. I would prefer one Matt Birk to a thousand Michael Irvins, Shannon Sharpes, and Deion Sanderses.

21
by BucNasty :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 2:00pm

I would prefer one Matt Birk to a thousand Michael Irvins, Shannon Sharpes, and Deion Sanderses.

I take it you don't watch NFL Gameday?

22
by Tundrapaddy (not verified) :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 3:29pm

I've had that opinion of him for years.

Now, if only he still played for my Vikes...I think you'll see some serious offensive woes this season (beyond the standard level of T-Jack ineptitude), due largely to his absence.

12
by BigCheese :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 4:57pm

Birk going from a divisional rival to what I perceive to be the most despicable franchise in the league makes it REALLY hard to say the following, but it's true:

This column, with it's thoughtfulness, as well as it's touching of important issues, and the demeanor that comes through, has made me a big Matt Birk fan.

- Alvaro

13
by Raiderjoe :: Mon, 07/06/2009 - 6:41pm

M Brik good player, good writer. Will read article later.

17
by masoch (not verified) :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 1:03am

You want the absolute, end all, easiest solution to the retired players compensation dilemma? It's simple:

Add $1 to all ticket sales. Add 0.25 to all concession sales. This becomes the Retired Player's Pool. The public's not going to notice such a small increase on the already exorbitant charges. But through the power of numbers, millions (billions?) of dollars will be raised.

24
by dbostedo :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 6:44pm

Making some quick guess-timates at the numbers, the ticket increase amounts to about $18 million. Figure that the concessions (if the team has that kind of control over concessions) would be another few million. That's a good chunk of change.

The issue is that this is likely no different than asking the owners to pony up the money directly (at ~$750,000 per team). Because if they could raise prices without backlash, they would. So the assumption is that prices are already maxed. So they only way this works is if the positive PR from saying the increase will go to retired players upsets an negative effect on sales. Would it? Would people really not complain? I don't know...

19
by Peace, bro! (not verified) :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 7:53am

some nit wit goes to a football factory for 4 years, comes out and signs for big bucks, gauranteed...
and I'm supposed to worry about his retirement? I can't even handle my own retiremnent! He didn't have to play football, he chose to -- and he was paid a perverse amount of $$ to do it.. and I'm sure he knew damage to his body and brain was very likely.
If the knucklehead can't plan accordingly, then I tell him the same thing my co tells me when they dropped 401K contribution. Screw 'em. You think my co is going to ask another quarter for everything it sells to help me out during my golden years? Get $%#@$! real

-peace

20
by Bowl Game Anomaly :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 10:43am

While I am sympathetic to your point of view, the issue is not about modern players with their huge paychecks. The issue is about the old players who got payed squat and had to take jobs in the offseason to make a living. Those guys are now suffering with health problems and they don't have the money to pay for treatment.

23
by Tundrapaddy (not verified) :: Tue, 07/07/2009 - 3:34pm

Your moniker and rhetoric are in disagreement.

And this is largely about the older players who had no CBA to work under, for pay, benefits, and free agency.

25
by AB (not verified) :: Wed, 07/08/2009 - 8:24am

The retired players could certainly boost their case by producing some stats on this. It would be interesting to know what (for example) a journeyman linebacker who had a 6-year career in the mid-80s would have earned.

I'm guessing not very much - but I really don't know. I think a lot the younger generation of NFL fans (I'm 26 so there are plenty younger than me) are entirely in the dark about this - and I fear many make the assumptions that these guys made fortunes and chucked them away.

28
by tuluse :: Wed, 07/08/2009 - 11:56pm

I believe Walter Payton was made the highest paid player in the early 80s. He was making 2 something million a year.

26
by Peace, bro! (not verified) :: Wed, 07/08/2009 - 10:51am

The old timers didn't make a fortune --by today's standards.
However, I imagine that they made out pretty well for the times ..I would venture to guess that they may not have been compensated handsomely, but I'm sure they were compensated adequately, and they signed on -and agreed to play a game, on a field, with a ball ... for pay.

And I'm sure that most of them realized that it could be risky.
I don't think it's any different than any one else that accepted a dangerous job, with little or no health insurance, no retirement package etc.. this would categorize them with millions of other people. This is why it's so important to save your $$ ... take care of your body ... and pay attention to all of the other cliches, because after all folks, they are cliches for a reason.

No one is up in arms over my lack of retirment benefits, or other peoples' lack of health care, and I'm sure that if we looked into the number of people hurt doing dangerous jobs, people with shaky health coverage and with little or no retirement benefits -- I'm sure a few of you would probably be very enlightened.

Laveranues Coles already had about 8 (that we know of) concussions. If he wants to continue to play --that is on him. I am not going to contribute to his post - career medical bills -- if he wants to continue to "dance" -- some day he is going to have to pay the piper. If he chooses to sell out, and trade his health for a few more million bucks -- well that is up to him.

(I only wish I could meet him and persuade him to retire, so he doesn't wind up like wayne chrebet an so many others). I love these guys, but that's just the way it is.

-peace

27
by Kibbles :: Wed, 07/08/2009 - 8:17pm

Again, the problem isn't Lavernues Coles, or Trent Green, or Steve Young, or Troy Aikman- guys who were pro bowl players in the NFL's golden years, salary-wise. This is about guys like 3rd string LBs in the 60s. The kind of guys who got paid so little to play football that they had to take a second job just so they could support their passion.

29
by Peace, bro! (not verified) :: Thu, 07/09/2009 - 9:51am

Again, this categorizes them with about 25 million other people.

The old timers didn't make a fortune --by today's standards.
However, I imagine that they made out pretty well for the times ..I would venture to guess that they may not have been compensated handsomely, but I'm sure they were compensated adequately, and they signed on -and agreed to play a game, on a field, with a ball ... for pay.

And I'm sure that most of them realized that it could be risky.

When you gamble -- sometimes it works / sometimes it doesn't. We can't even take care of our retired military veterans who also suffer from many an injury -- so what are we to do with these guys that chose to run around on a field witha ball and crash into each other at high speeds -often times head first? A grown man -- dressed in a costume - running around chasing a ball ...

I think it's time we grow up and take responsibility for our actions and for the decisions that we make.

If I chose to smash my head on my desk every day for 35 years -- will everyne pool their money together to halp me pay for my medical bills during my retirement?

What a country.
George Carlin would of had a field day with this stuff.

30
by AB (not verified) :: Thu, 07/09/2009 - 11:04am

If you smash your head on the desk for 35 years in such a way that you contribute to the development of a vast new industry, in which the players and owners 35 years from now make untold riches for doing much the same thing, partly as a result of your initial head-banging, and if you do that in circumstances where you are not properly informed as to the health risks, then many people might think that there was some moral duty on those future millionaires/billionaires to see that you have a bearable standard of living in your old age.

And there are schemes to take care of military veterans. Certainly they are not told "you volunteered, you idiots, you should 'take responsibility for your actions'".

31
by Well-hung pot head (not verified) :: Fri, 07/10/2009 - 2:53pm

you mean if I hit my head with a hammer --or smash it down on a desk.. "I have to be properly informed of the health risks"... !
Are you kidding me ! I have a bridge to sell you ...!

and ppl might think someone has a "duty" to see that I have a "bearable standard of living" .. after smashing myself in the head for over 30 years.

gentlemen -- we have met the enemy and they are us.

Good grief. No one wants totake responsibility for their decisions ad their actions anymore..

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