Prime Drama

I'll be back a little later to make the first round of my Week 6 picks, but until then I've got a little something for you. First though we have an article from ProFootballTalk.com on fines that have been dished out following week 5. I understand that the league takes the money from the players and redistributes it to a number of good causes, but it's starting to get out of hand. $5,000 for a Horse Collar tackle? As I understand it, aren't the players already punished with a 15-yard penalty? Aren't their indiscretions accounted for on game day? And now we're taking chunks out of players pockets for them as well? C'mon. This is stupid. I understand that it's fashionable to bash players for being over paid etc, and there would be little argument from me about that, but levying big fines for these fouls seems unnecessary for me. At what point do we reach where players -- most likely those on the short end of the salary scale -- end up pulling up in critical moments because of the fear of a big fine? Something has to be done about this. Now, talking of prima donna players, it's time for the head line act. Or should I say the Prime Time act. Deion Sanders. I've always had mixed feelings about Deion. The guy can be incredibly funny at times, as your about to see. But I've also seen that anytime he gets involved with a player as a "mentor" the poor player usually ends up getting caught in a whirlwind of Prime Time drama. I can also only stomach his self aggrandizement to a certain degree before I just start shaking my head. This is a prime (excuse the pun) example. Deion blowing his lid because a group of NFL Network analysts (the mysterious sounding "Blue ribbon panel") voted him as number 34 in a list of the top 100 players of all time. So where does Sanders think he should be? Number 30? Number 25? No, he wants to be in the top ten. Even more than that. He wants to be in top 5. Not that Deion rates himself that highly of course. I also love the way that he rates himself above Woodson, despite Woodsons superior numbers. I mean some of the things he was saying were funny as hell, but this was also a perfect example of just how bad Sanders can be at his worst. My only hope is that this attitude doesn't rub off on guys like Devon Hester and Michael Crabtree. Have a great day everyone.

Boldin knows best

Another week of football passes and more controversy arises. Well, partial controversy. Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin returned from his pre-game warm up against the Bears only to discover that his kit had been removed and he was listed as inactive for the game. Understandably, he wasn't too happy. Now I know a lot of people dislike Boldin and his attitude, but I'm not one of them. I think he's an awesome player. Very physical, very intelligent, very determined. The guy just wanted to play. He, like many others in the league, is extremely competitive. He just wants to go out each week and play ball. That's it. He was unhappy because he was denied the chance to compete. And no-one had the balls to go tell him, man to man, "you're not playing today". I sympathise with the guy. Look for him to get out of Arizona in the offseason. Whoever gets him gets one hell of an asset. Looking into the much nearer future, former Chiefs RB Larry Johnson has now been released onto waivers and apparently there is some interest in him. Really? I wouldn't touch the guy with a barge pole. He's old & he's struggling to make 3 yards a carry average. And he's obviously not a tight fit in the locker room, as his homosexual slurs against Chiefs coach Todd Haley have shown. This is one guy I wouldn't want to bring to my franchise. It just seems like bad news all the way. Apparently the Houston Texans don't feel that way. Personally, I think they're undervaluing Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats.... And I've noticed that the vultures of NFL commentary/analysis are circling over 49'ers QB Alex Smith, who apparently has developed a 'tendency' to turn the ball over this season. Has he? I'm pretty damn sure one of those picks he threw against the Texans was just a jump ball at the end of the game. They needed a play and no one made one. It's harsh to put that on the QB. As for last week against the Titans? I seem to remember two of the three picks being due to butter fingered receivers not making the catch. Don't write Smith off yet. And while we're on the subject of Smiths pick woes against the Titans, I noticed that on NFL Gameday's highlights the blame for one of the picks (where Crabtree failed to catch the ball and instead tipped it up for the INT) was instantly laid on Smith by.... Deion Sanders. Who happened to have a hand in Crabtrees negotiations. Now don't get me wrong, I like Deion. I think he's funny and adds entertainment value to the program. But I do get annoyed when he stubbornly defends his 'babies' by laying the blame that should be theirs at other peoples feet. And it's starting to drive me nuts hearing him shout 'pay the man!!' as if the only reason anyone in football ever tries hard is because of money and contract issues. Mind you, in some cases he's not far off.... And I'd also like to apologise to Jay Ratliff, NT for the Dallas Cowboys. Yesterday I missed him off of my list for Extra Credit, when he clearly deserved it (I was tired). He chalked up 5 tackles and 2 sacks, and will be a key to the Cowboys D this season. He gets pressure up the middle which helps to put QB's out of rhythm, and he draws attention and blocking away from DeMarcus Ware. Expect Ware's stats to spike up a little bit in the coming weeks until some team figures out the best way to stop both guys.