Goodell-two-shoes

Just a few things to mull over this morning with your coffee: -- Randy Moss was claimed off of waivers by the Tennessee Titans. With their main receiver Kenny Britt done for possibly the rest of the regular season, Moss is an important addition. In fact, I think everyone wins here. Titans coach Jeff Fisher is not going to mess around and has dealt with more troublesome players than Moss in the past. The Titans get a great (and respected) deep ball threat to help alleviate pressure on their run game, which I'm sure Chris Johnson is delighted about. Moss should in turn enjoy his opportunities to go deep looking to get on the receiving end of play-action passes, as well as being a little more tucked away from the media. It looks very good on paper, but we'll have to wait till after the Titans bye week to find out how it all pans out. -- The other big name on the waiver wire was Shawne Merriman, who has now landed in Buffalo. And again, it's not a bad spot. The Bills defense -- in particular that front 7 -- needs all the help it can get. Pass rush has been a problem for the Bills this year and although Merrimans numbers have wained in recent years, a lot of that has to do with injuries. He's back now, healthy, and I think he can add a little bit of extra punch to that Bills defense. When you consider how well their offense has been playing lately, it would only take a small jump from the Bills defense to make a big difference in their wins column. Like 1. -- Finally, I've been wavering back and forth over ProFootballTalk.com in the last week or so. Spotted a bad article, then a very good one, and now.... another bad one. Mike Florio brought up an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that features Steelers safety Troy Polamalu speaking out against the new penalties and harsher enforcement of rules regarding hits on defenseless receivers. Polamalu seems to share much the same sentiments on the subject as I do (told you the guy was awesome); that big hits and physical contact are major reasons why a lot of people watch football. Troy then goes on to suggest that maybe Goodell shouldn't solely wield all the power that he does, and that maybe a series of checks and balances should be introduced into the system, much the same way as the US government operates (Executive branch; President. Legislative branch; Congress. Judicial Branch; Federal courts). What angers me (and presumably a lot of the people leaving comments on the article) is the way Florio dismisses this so off hand, as if people speaking their minds was somehow a ridiculous thing. To quote Florio: "Regardless of what Polamalu or any other Steelers player thinks, the reality is that they don't get to make the rules. Thus, objecting to the new approach to protecting defenseless receivers has the same benefit as objecting to a touchdown being worth six points." He continues: "The management and coaching staff of the Steelers are doing the team and the league no favors by fomenting this rebellion. We realize that the Steelers simply want to win games and that they've built a team premised on hitting opponents hard, but the franchise for which Mike Webster played should have greater sensitivity to the league's attempt to protect today's players from a similar consequence." So basically Florio seems to think people should just shut up and take it lying down? He also seems to be suggesting that Polamalu's sole interest is in winning games, not perhaps the enjoyment of the fans, as I understood his comments. As for not doing themselves any favours, conversely I think the Steelers are doing themselves the biggest favour possible. Unlike the commissioner or Mike Florio, they've caught the current pulse of the fans. Whether that's an honest attempt or a cynical attempt, the reality is that they're far more in touch with the people who pay high sums to watch the NFL than either Roger or Mike. And using Mike Webster in the argument? Not only does that smack a little of a cheap shot, but someone should also point out to Florio that Webster played Center. The big hoo-hah lately has been surrounding defenseless receivers. There's quite a difference between how those two types of players play and get hit. It just doesn't seem to make sense. I remember that Florio used to be just as cynical and cutting of Goodell as anybody at times. But now that he's creeping onto the mainstream TV with NBC, he's suddenly gone all Goodell-two-shoes..... Right, I have to get ready for work. Joy. Hopefully later or tomorrow, or at least sometime before the weekend, I'll go through the rookie watch list and we'll have a look at how they're all getting on. Till then, Have a great day everyone.