SportsNation Has Spoken

From ESPN.com: In early August, we asked SportsNation to select the greatest player for every NFL franchise. Whether it's the Bears and Packers, with nearly a century's worth of choices, or a newbie such as the Texans, every team has a player who stands above the rest. The final results are in. Not surprisingly, there were some slam-dunk choices (see Dolphins and Browns) and a few that have us scratching our heads here in Bristol. (Matt Stover for the Ravens? Were we hacked?)

The player voted by the fans as the best greatest Rams player ever? MARSHALL, MARSHALL, MARSHALL! That's right. You can read all about the final votes here, but in the meantime, here's my take on Marshall winning this award...

Brilliant! First ballot Hall of Famer, and for all of you who disagree, let me pull a Joe Friday and state "just the facts, man" (actually, his catch phrase was NOT "Just the facts' ma'am," but was "All we want are the facts, ma'am.")

* 2000 league MVP

* Shares the all-time record of at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards

* 2nd player to gain more than 1000 yds both rushing and receiving in a season

* NFL record 2,429 total yards (1,381 rushing, 1,048 receiving) from scrimmage in a season

* Set an NFL record with 4 consecutive 2,000+ yards seasons from line of scrimmage

* Tied an NFL record with Emmitt Smith to have 2 consecutive years of 20+ TDs

* Set an NFL record with three 4 TD games in a single season

* Set an NFL record with 2 consecutive years of 4 TD's in 3 or more games

* Set an NFL record with most TD's in a single season @ 26

* Holds the NFL records with SEVEN two-point convertions

* 1st all-time with combined total of 100+ rushing touchdowns and 30+ receiving touchdowns

* 4th all-time in total yards from scrimmage.

* 4th all-time in touchdowns scored.

* 6th all-time in rushing TD’s.

* 9th overall in career rushing yards.

* 16th overall all-time in receptions including Wide Receivers. 2nd overall amongst running backs

I personally voted for BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE. I would have voted for Kurt (see SB 34), but since his name wasn't even on the list, well, just believe it was Marshall and wait for the next poll in 5 years. Maybe then the REAL candidate will be on there.

Warner Sighting? More Like a BS Sighting!

Yup. Just like I said last week, the first team offense didn't score. And not only didn't they score, they looked like shit, even helping the other team to score instead, on a pick. So much for team cohesiveness. So much for forgetting last year and putting it all behind them and moving forward and all that crap. I am seriously pissed. I am pissed that Bulger wasn't even as good on Saturday as JaMarcus, LaMarcus, DaMarcus, TaMarcus Russell, whatever his name is. I am pissed that Carriker and Long looked like my gramma. And I'm pissed that they gave up 340 freakin rushing yards to no name RB's...AGAIN!!!!

But most of all, I am pissed that the greatest QB in St Louis Rams history is being insulted and degraded by Brock Berlin. I know the Rams haven't retired #13 yet, but that doesn't mean that they should let just anyone wear it. For a guy who changes numbers more than I change my underwear, why #13? He was #9 at Florida, then #7 at Florida, #7 at Miami Hurricanes, then #8 at the Dolphins, back to #7 at the Hamburg Sea Devils, then #7 back at the Dolphins, then #3 last year for the Rams. And now this year another number, KURT'S NUMBER FOREVER, #13! Nowhere in the previously stated number circus do we see a #13, so why take it now? Is there a #3 on the Rams roster this year? Yes, it's first year player for the Rams, K Josh Brown, who could have taken a different number. But no, Mr. Number Changer wanted to change again. So lets see...what number from the above circus does Berlin covet the most? #7. And is there a #7 on this year's roster? NO!!!!! It was his for the takin. Did he? I repeat - NO!!!!

It is a travesty of the worst kind that #13 is being worn by this chump who was the BACKUP to Rex Grossman at Florida, then after defecting to the Hurricanes the BACKUP to Ken Dorsey, then after Dorsey left he had to fight for his job with the great Derrick Crudup, and once in the NFL - UNDRAFTED - couldn't even keep the job as the QB for the frickin Dolphins. And how did he fare in NFL Europe? In 2006, there were 5 QB's with better ratings than him (with more than 100 pass attempts), and I'm sure you'll recognize them as future HOF'ers:

1. Gibran Hamdan, 113.4 rating

2. Drew Henson, 84.2

3. Craig Ochs, 83.6

4. Lang Campbell, 83.5

5. Kliff Kingsbury, 73.7

6. Brock Berlin, 68.4

So where in his bullshit career does he qualify to wear #13? Nowhere. Give the number back to the Rams and let it stay there. Otherwise, this is one Rams fan who will be pissed off all year long no matter how well it turns out.

Same Ol' Situation

So here it is, the season right around the corner, and whadda ya know - injuries and holdouts making training camp a joke. Will it be another preseason of no offensive td's until the last game? Will Steven Jackson realize that by holding out on a contract the HE agreed to he is mocking his ridicule of the fans who sold their tickets to the highest bidder last year? Will the new offense come to life or will it stall under Scott Linehan's lame duck status?

All these questions will be answered very shortly, and it will be very interesting to see how it all plays out. I for one am sick and tired of the injuries to these athletes who are supposed to be the greatest athletes in the world, and the holdouts by the guys who are already making more money than the GNP of some entire countries. If the guys can't stay healthy then fire the trainer and conditioning coach, and if they can't stay happy with MILLIONS of dollars a year then suspend them for the season.

I have been a Rams fan and overall football fan for 28 years but if this crap doesn't stop I may not make it through my 29th. $400 for NFL Sunday Ticket? Bunch of crap. $500 for tickets to one game for the whole family? Let's see - pay the mortgage or go to the game? Bullshit! It's a travesty that these decisions have to even be made. I sure hope it stops soon, because my life without football will be sooooo boring. But until then...

GO RAMS!

More Long

Some "experts" are still questioning this pick over Dorsey, but my take on Chris Long is that he will have an immediate impact. He's had a hall of fame dad work with him his whole life, and what kid doesn't want to outdo his own father? He has a great motor and is an advanced pass rusher, unlike most kids who come straight out college knowing nothing about how to truly rush the QB.

On the other hand, being from such a highly skilled background is going to put tremendous pressure on him to prove not only to us but to his dad that he belongs in the NFL and was worth the #2 pick. I for one think that he will respond to this pressure in a hugely positive way.

His worth will be tested right off, since he will have plenty of opportunities to not only get to the QB but also to stop the run. My guess is that we will be behind at the end of games for most of the first half of the season and we will be looking uphill at these teams as they steamroll their running game at us. There will be a pressing need for Little to return to his pass rushing form so that Long can concentrate on the rush. And with Carriker there to help out with both, hopefully the results will be much better than last year's debacle.