I remember the days when Running Backs were the highest paid on the field (or very close). Now I think punters earn more than they do.....times change

I like rugby and don't see why this guy can't make the transition. I think Dallas' McBriar is an Aussi Football kicker. Athleticism transcends many shortcomings. IF the guy can play the coaches will figure out how to use him. I think it's the Saits TE who played BasketBall until his Jr yr in College, he's a beast now. Dallas drafted some world class sprinter a few years back, turned him into a WR named Bob Hayes......he turned out allright.

Oh wait, so if the film was released illegally then it really didn't happen? "nothing to see here....please move along...."

Fun loving gregarious guy on NFL pre-game show.....but evidently financial phoque-up par excellance!!

As someone else stated early on, most of us toil daily for YEARS at a fraction of what fools like this make, pay our taxes, avoid credit debt and then wonder how someone "can't" live on +$500K a year!!?? WTF.

Can't argue with any of these points. I read the dreds make fitting a helmet VERY difficult as well. I don't know what the Afros/Naturals that the players were sporting in the '70's did to helmet fit. I know that the helmet could wreck a 'Fro in about 20 seconds. Did make for some cool patterns though.

I think it's ironic that the ChiSox GM is threatening violence against Williams who was looking to garner violence and is now in trouble for it.

I think Williams should be punished and no doubt will be. I'm just not shocked or outraged by all this. Go to youtube and see highlights of Butkus, Bednarick (the hit on F Gifford), Lambert and you'll see guys from that era purposefully going after players to remove them from the playing field. It was done every week, every play. There were just less cameras to catch it, see it. QB's were literally assaulted when the ball left their hands.

I still feel that Williams stood in front of his guys and blah blah blah'd for 10 minutes and most of it went in one ear and out the other. ALL players want to hit hard and make the tackle but IMHO if you try and spear, aim, target a specific spot with the intent to harm then you increase the chance of the missed tackle and end up looking a fool. Better to "break down" and make your best textbook tackle. All that "pep talk" is just that. As some one mentioned earlier "go knock his jock off" is a bunch of BS. I've been watching this game a while and have never seen a jock-strap on the field. In fact with HDTV and HD cameras it would appear that few are wearing cups or jocks these days (not saying I'm a meat-gazer here, just calling 'me like I see 'em)!

Bottomline if players were in fact going out with the intent to harm and maim it would be a bloodbath and the carts and stretchers would be out there every 2-3 plays. I think the players have more class and the knowledge of self preservation than Williams understands.

There was a period that Heinz Ward was on a "most wanted" list for some of his de-cleating blocks (blind side some might call them) and yet no one went after him flagrantly with the intent to injure (any one know for sure) only to hit him back hard.

I need to come around here more often! Loosing my spot at the bar.

Gotta get back to doing some work, good afternoon to all and enjoy your ballgame.

Cheers

These numbers are skewed. Many rookies who are "on the fence" on ability to stay in the league get to "hang around" a year or two on special teams. As they age out (and fail to improve) and then need to be paid "veterans" pay scale they are bounced out of the league and replaced by new low-cost rookies. Add injuries to the list and that obviously will drag the average further down.

IF Ed Reed had 3-4 years left in him that would be great. He is an EPIC player and I love seeing him play his position.

SOME cowboys fan!? What is this? It is customary to stand up when engaged with me in verbal jousting. This fall I change my name to +45yr Cowboy Fan

Looka,
I agree that your analogy on the banks applies to Williams. I am still of the mind that the players did not fully participate to the level that the audio would lead us to believe. Again I would need to see the acutal numbers and data of players injured playing against Williams' defenses to know that his "bounties" had an effect on the number of injuries. I'm in no way asking anyone to provide me that data; that is up to the NFL and it's army of employees to go crunch all that data.
You are correct that the intent should be punished, and that is what GoDdell is doing--he is VERY much sending a message. I suspect after this there will NO sanctioned bouties/incentives whatever you want to call it from any coaches or staff. I will bet that DBs, LBs, DLineman will still throw money into a pool(s) for fumble recoveries, INTs, "de-cleaters" but all very quietly. I'm OK with them having a pool for big plays as long as the intent is not to injure and play within the rules.

Looka,
I'm not attempting to trivialize it at all. I'm asking to see the numerical evidence of a greater number of injuries on opposing teams playing against William's defenses. I'm not convinced it exists. There is no shortage of players who have come out and stated that this type of "incentives" have been around for years. Payment for hits, ints, fumbles, BIG PLAYS. What is a bigger play an INT or a QB taken out due to concussion?

I'm not convinced his "cultivation" actually reaped any real dividends.

I am also against this kind of play, the game has rules and should be played fair. What he did was wrong, I agree with you, I'm just not sure ALL his players bought into his crazy tactics and rants. I'm not defending him, I just think the results are not really evident. I think the players were smart enough NOT to go after one another. They blew him off but would be happy to collect the $$ if while separating a receiver from the ball he was out of the game.

Regarding Williams:
People say a lot of things and the more outrageous they sound the less likely they actually come to pass. Folks will say "if he comes over here again I'm gonna kill that SOB!!" but truth be told no one gets killed. Does the previous quote mean he's going to "beat him up" rather than really kill him? Is it literal or figurative comment? I think Williams looks like a mannish version of someone's grandmother. I think he talks alot.....if you went back through the years and assumed EVERYONE got the same hyped up pre-game speach and then did a FACTUAL data analysis of injuries of his teams vs the NFL league norm it would be about the same. It's just a bunch of lip service and posturing. I'm betting half the eyes glazed over during these speeches.
Will this banish him to Wal-Mart as a greeter? Maybe. Was talking about it worse than Suh doing it? Haynesworth stomping Gurode? Who knows?

Well if this proved to be such an advantage why did the teams finish 8-8 and 4-12? Seems if I were going to cheat or "game" the system I'd as a minimum like to see winning results......scrubs.

50? so let's say 10 game season on average in that era. So one a game? Oh wait there's practice too...and did he start every week of every year? He's so full of crap. It's gross statements like that that make him seem a total fool.

As an older guy I try and ensure (love that drink) that when I tell stories of the "old days" I try to be accurate and err on the conservative side. You look a total tool in front of others when you exaggerate and make up BS. Destroys your credibility.

Owners are tired of being burned by the likes of the Haynesworth, Holmes, C2K (debatable but after pay day he became very average last year) so DeSean is another multi-million $$ liability that owners will watch as the price plummets and then swoop in for a short term bargain with incentives (that he can't meet).

Yep, this sums it up from where I sit. Who wants to pay on a guy who plays only some of the time!?

Chico,
what would we possibly have to crow about? We got our butts handed to us again last week by the Eagles (thank goodness it was a "meaningless" game so J Jones could exercise his coaching skills). If we get a miracle and the Cowboys win then that drags out the painful torture ONE more week before the next loss. Jones will look at the playoff appearance as a sort of "sign" of a successful season when in truth it was another defensive debacle--like last year. There is little to crow about.

Lets say we lose, that's two losses to the Giants, the team the Skins beat twice, and Dallas beat you twice....what the hell can we draw from those results? Nothing! Wierd.

Agreed, he's currently 6th on the list. That counts, not debatable, it is a fact. The guy always carried himself with class, didn't gripe and moan, took care of his teammates. Classy player. You can joke all day about DWTS; is Rice (GOAT), E Smith (NFL's Leading Rusher ALL time), H Ward all a bunch of scrubs? A bit of maturity and grey in your beard permits a better perspective on this player and his accomplishment(s). My opinion.

Well if you have to ask the question......? Then there is probably something to it. Best to go out in a blaze of glory if possible so this off season it might be time for a very introspective look by Ray. Ravens have a great GM (Ozzie Newsome) who should sit down with Ray.

Because the Jets looked so good against the Eagles yesterday? The NFC East will be decided in the last game of the year....

I could see Belichick putting Welker to the curb, he's that kind of coach....it's a business.