When asked about Plaxico Burress Monday night Eli Manning did not pitch for his return to the New York Giants. He did not reject the idea, either. Speaking to the New York Post, the Giants' quarterback simply wished Burress well.
"Obviously he's served his time, plus some," Manning said Monday night. "I'm excited that he's getting out, and if the Giants or another team give him a shot, I'll look forward to getting him back into football."
NFLLabor.com Jeff Pash: "I think Bart Scott is right"
"I really thought he put it very well, that we’re getting to the point where we’re really putting our fans at risk," Pash said in an interview with NFL Network’s Albert Breer in Indianapolis, site of this week’s NFL Spring Meeting. "We’re getting to the point where people just can’t understand why there’s not a deal being made. And I think in many respects the best thing for all of us to do is get out of court, get out of the media, and get together, and I think Bart Scott is right.
"We’re getting to the point where we’re putting our business at risk, and it’s our shared livelihood," Pash continued. "We have a shared responsibility to get this done. We can’t do it ourselves. They can’t do it themselves. And so we really need to put the litigation aside, we need to focus on negotiations. I think there’s a deal to be made, I really do. I’ve thought that for a long time."
NFL lockout clock ticking with season opener approaching - USATODAY.com
The NFL lockout is now in its 11th week. Yet just 10 weeks from this Sunday, the 2011 season is slated to officially begin when the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears kick off the preseason with the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 7.
But how many weeks can pass until the league's current calendar of events will be seriously jeopardized?
Considering those last two items it would seem everyone is beginning to realize that the 11th hour is approaching, and it is time get a collective bargaining agreement in place. Problem is, nobody really seems to be making any moves toward getting that done.
How much will lack of offseason programs really hurt?
As recently as the 1970s, there were no offseason workouts. Teams had one minicamp an offseason. Tony Dungy even worked in a Pittsburgh bank after he signed as an undrafted free agent in 1977. And Terry Bradshaw used to talk about not picking up a ball in the offseason. And maybe the players were more refreshed after having an offseason away from the game. All these offseason workouts may just wear down their bodies.
Did the product suffer because of the lack of offseason workouts? You can argue the players are bigger, faster and stronger today and it is a more sophisticated game. But was it any better for the fans?
The above came from Peter King's 'Monday Morning Quarterback' column. Giants coach Tom Coughlin, and I am certain coaches around the league, have been worrying about the lack of organized offseason programs. Reality is, though, that they are still a relatively new phenomenon in the NFL, and the league managed just fine without them.
Sometimes I think football coaches make the game more complicated than it has to be, or should be, which is probably a function of having year-round access to players. We will just have to wait and see what the impact actually will be.