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21 Nov 2011

MMQB: Thankful for This Slate of Games

MMQB talks Thanksgiving games worth being thankful for, has the commissioner of the NFL on his podcast this week, and goes over the Peyton Manning-Andrew Luck scenario.

Posted by: Rivers McCown on 21 Nov 2011

20 comments, Last at 23 Nov 2011, 9:29am by Anonymous(not that one)

Comments

1
by Karl with a K (not verified) :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 12:51pm

The reason to read PK is for great opening lines like this week's:
"I love Thanksgiving. Always have. It's the food mostly, and seeing family I haven't seen in a while."

I am surprised he missed the opportunity to tack on a gem like "Sunrise is a really good way to get the day started."

2
by sundown (not verified) :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 1:05pm

Peter's stuff on Manning/Luck and the Colts isn't all that insightful. So, the Colts probably wouldn't agree to pay $30 million to a guy if it's looking like he won't ever play again? Wow, good to know that.

And the talk about Luck being an incredible bargain because his rookie salary is so much less than what Manning is earning is absurd unless one is so sold on Luck they think he's a can't miss Hall of Famer and will play like it from Day 1. Granted, the Colts look so bad that from a salary perspective you can argue theyd be better sending Manning to a team with enough pieces to be a contender with him, but Peter goes beyond that and says Luck would be an incredibly value for any team.

3
by Southern Philly :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 1:15pm

Peter's stuff on anything isn't all that insightful.

5
by huston720 :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 1:45pm

Actually I found King's stuff on the cap ramifications involved with the number one pick to be pretty interesting, especially with the decisions the Colts will face about whther to simply cut Manning before the new league year, versus trying to trade him.

Also from a historical perspective the first overall pick in the upcoming draft (whether Luck or someone else) is going to be a value, compared to past years. Just look at the difference in contracts between bradford and next years number one. Plus the number is low enough that if the number one pick is an above average player they will certainly be a value, versus with the past structure the number one pick needed to be HOF type player to be a value since they ended up being paid like one of the top players at their position.

What is interesting to me is that the Colts could still hold onto both Manning and Luck without taking too big a cap hit at the position.

16
by Karl with a K (not verified) :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 6:40pm

The rookie salary cap stuff was interesting...back when the CBA was passed and it qualified as news. But if PK wanted to talk about it now, the best example would be what a bargain Cam Newton is, given he's being paid under these same rules and he's already proven to be a success. Luck might prove to be an incredible value, but he's yet to play a down in the NFL so it's all hypothetical.

18
by huston720 :: Tue, 11/22/2011 - 1:58pm

I didn't mean that the rookie salary cap stuff was interesting because it was new, but more because of the different options available to the Colts. In the past the Colts would have had to make a choice between Manning and Luck because they couldn't afford both inflated salaries at the same position. Now they can keep both without sacrificing too much elsewhere, keep Luck at a bargain and upgrade elsewhere, keep Manning and pick someone else at one, or trade for a boatload of picks.

The stuff I didn't really know about was how Mannings salary was structured and that the Colts don't have a ton of good options for what to do with Manning because of the large bonus due before the start of the league year.

4
by Temo :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 1:40pm

So which one of you limeys sent that letter to PK?

6
by Mr Shush :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 1:54pm

Not me, old bean. Too busy with the combination of risk management (days) and horror theatre (nights) to cover Colchester United too.

Honestly, I still don't think interest in the NFL is as widespread over here as that letter might suggest. My brothers and I and a few of my friends all got into it more-or-less together around ten years ago. There's a guy in my office who follows it; he used to live next door to Daunte Culpepper back in his Vikings days (my colleague, who is English but lived in the States, was in high school). Apparently he's a really nice guy. But that's about it, in terms of people I know. Brits with solid all-round sporting knowledge probably vaguely know who Brady and Peyton Manning are. And Favre. And they remember Marino. Some of them might be aware of Brees. That's probably it. I doubt 1 Brit in 1000 has heard of Aaron Rodgers.

7
by Temo :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 2:20pm

There's some who suggest that PK made up the whole thing, because it seems so implausible and the language is "too" perfect. The whole thing reads like ad copy produced by Roger Goodell. Maybe Goodell sent it to PK.

8
by Southern Philly :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 2:28pm

I don't think PK made it up. I think someone else did and sent it to him to see if he'd respond, and PK bit hard.

9
by Mr Shush :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 3:41pm

If it's a hoax by King or Goodell, it's an incredibly elaborate hoax - see here for Adam Bond's Twitter feed and here for the website that publishes his match reports (written for the primarily print Essex University student newspaper The Rabbit).

Far more likely, an aspiring sports journalist made up a story and sent it to a highly successful sports journalist who he knew to be a sucker for that sort of crap, in the hope of becoming Twit-buddies. And it worked. Clever, Mr. Bond.

10
by rfh1001 :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 4:20pm

I am less cynical than you guys.

11
by Southern Philly :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 4:20pm

I stand corrected. This Adam Bond guy is just really lame.

13
by Temo :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 4:48pm

Srsly.

17
by Mr Shush :: Tue, 11/22/2011 - 6:47am

Oh God, that profile picture!

12
by bigtencrazy (not verified) :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 4:33pm

Not to pick on King but if you mention that famous Packer/Lion game with a highlight of the defense how do you NOT mention that the Lions sacked Starr either 10 or 11 times? (different accounts list a different number)

14
by justanothersteve :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 6:06pm

I do give him credit for calling out Gruden's statement saying Greg Jennings is the NFL's most feared deep threat. I'm a Packers fan and I'm not that much a homer. I can only guess Gruden's was channeling his inner Theismann.

15
by Karl with a K (not verified) :: Mon, 11/21/2011 - 6:37pm

Better get ready, Redskin fans: This is the thinking of the guy who may soon be leading your team.

19
by RickD :: Tue, 11/22/2011 - 11:46pm

Gruden is excruciating.

20
by Anonymous(not that one) (not verified) :: Wed, 11/23/2011 - 9:29am

Does ESPN have rules against criticizing players, or are the announcers trolling us with excessive praise?

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