Sports

[gardenman]

The Cowboys are in a bad spot. Dak has all of the leverage in the contract negotiations and can ask for pretty much anything, and all JJ can do is ask him what kind of giftwrap he prefers. No franchise tag option. No trade option. It's give Dak whatever he wants, or lose him in free agency and get a compensatory third round pick.

And all three of their QBs are free agents in 2025, so they have no fallback position. Pay Dak or else. The whispers I'm hearing is a three-year $180 million deal with around $100 million guaranteed. A three-year deal would give Dak at least one more chance to hold a gun to JJ's head.

The best case for JJ is to wait and hope Dak gets dinged late  in 2024 with a bad Achilles or ACL that will lower his value as a free agent. Then sign him to a more team friendly, long term deal. Keep Dak and make the Super Bowl, then have Dak get injured late in the game after the Cowboys were well ahead.

[Spurt]

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@grandma r wrote:

@Spurt   We Eagles fans have lived thru the ups and downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly!!!  And, we know football!!

If players opt to wear our jerseys,  and get paid big money, then learn to deal with warranted criticism.   Slay prefers to be called "big play Slay"; he needs to earn it.

We support our organization and stand with them.  That said, we expect the players to earn their millions.

We are very thankful for the Eagles Autism Foundation and all that goes into it.  Mr Lurie has made some wonderful upgrades.  In addition to players, coaches, and staff, a special thankful to Jason Kelce for all that he dies to support the Autism community.

@ spurt the team in Washington will always be the Redskins to me.  It's not offensive; native Americans were here long before the rest of us.  Besides, that is the name given when the team began.

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@grandma r @gardenman 

I agree with you.....some of the players have their own agenda and don't really care about the team at all....its more "just a job", and about filling their wallet and getting self recognition ......For these players, they don't think much about how it's actually the fans that pay their salary....without fans there would be no NFL!!!!  I remember when Snyder forced the team to sign FA Bruce Smith......Bruce admitted he wasn't really there to help the team win, BUT add to his stats so he could make the Hall Of Fame!!!.. he made the Hall but I and many other fans lost respect for him ......I love the players that make the special effort to show appreciation and interact with fans, sign autographs and take photos.......those are the ones I love and support.....

Thank you for your support.....Washington was actually the Boston Braves when they originated in 1932 and changed to the Redskins in 1937....The Beothuk were said to paint their bodies with red ochre, leading white settlers to refer to them as "red men." According to Smithsonian historian Ives Goddard, early historical records indicate that "Redskin" was used as a self-identifier by Native Americans to differentiate between the two races.... The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) has filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL franchise and new owner Josh Harris of defamation, civil conspiracy and civil rights violations for their role in suppressing Native American history, in a complaint filed in the United States District Court of North Dakota....."The name 'Redskins' carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture," the NAGA complaint states.

The Harris Group has acknowledged that fans want the team name changed but said that has a low priority right now....when the time comes we will have to wait and see what happens.....I doubt it would go back to Redskins because of the controversy....BUT any name would be better than Commanders, even the interim name, "The Washington Football Team".....a lot of fans want Redwolves, after an animal native to the area....and Duran Duran's song "Hungry Like The Wolf" as the unofficial fight song......

[Spurt]

RIP Chris Mortensen....he was a good reporter, and he fought hard and battled his cancer for a long time...

[gardenman]

Jason Kelce has retired. As a player anyway. His retirement speech touched on what Philadelphia fans expect of our players. No word on future plans, but broadcasting, coaching, scouting, etc are all possibilities. We'll miss him on the field.

[Love to Run]

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@Spurt wrote:

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@grandma r wrote:

@Spurt   We Eagles fans have lived thru the ups and downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly!!!  And, we know football!!

If players opt to wear our jerseys,  and get paid big money, then learn to deal with warranted criticism.   Slay prefers to be called "big play Slay"; he needs to earn it.

We support our organization and stand with them.  That said, we expect the players to earn their millions.

We are very thankful for the Eagles Autism Foundation and all that goes into it.  Mr Lurie has made some wonderful upgrades.  In addition to players, coaches, and staff, a special thankful to Jason Kelce for all that he dies to support the Autism community.

@ spurt the team in Washington will always be the Redskins to me.  It's not offensive; native Americans were here long before the rest of us.  Besides, that is the name given when the team began.

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@grandma r @gardenman 

I agree with you.....some of the players have their own agenda and don't really care about the team at all....its more "just a job", and about filling their wallet and getting self recognition ......For these players, they don't think much about how it's actually the fans that pay their salary....without fans there would be no NFL!!!!  I remember when Snyder forced the team to sign FA Bruce Smith......Bruce admitted he wasn't really there to help the team win, BUT add to his stats so he could make the Hall Of Fame!!!.. he made the Hall but I and many other fans lost respect for him ......I love the players that make the special effort to show appreciation and interact with fans, sign autographs and take photos.......those are the ones I love and support.....

Thank you for your support.....Washington was actually the Boston Braves when they originated in 1932 and changed to the Redskins in 1937....The Beothuk were said to paint their bodies with red ochre, leading white settlers to refer to them as "red men." According to Smithsonian historian Ives Goddard, early historical records indicate that "Redskin" was used as a self-identifier by Native Americans to differentiate between the two races.... The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) has filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL franchise and new owner Josh Harris of defamation, civil conspiracy and civil rights violations for their role in suppressing Native American history, in a complaint filed in the United States District Court of North Dakota....."The name 'Redskins' carries deep cultural, historical, and emotional significance, honoring the bravery, resilience, and warrior spirit associated with Native American culture," the NAGA complaint states.

The Harris Group has acknowledged that fans want the team name changed but said that has a low priority right now....when the time comes we will have to wait and see what happens.....I doubt it would go back to Redskins because of the controversy....BUT any name would be better than Commanders, even the interim name, "The Washington Football Team".....a lot of fans want Redwolves, after an animal native to the area....and Duran Duran's song "Hungry Like The Wolf" as the unofficial fight song......

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NAGA was founded in 2017 to defend the use of slurs as a way to assuage guilt. 

"NCAI President Mark Macarro responded to the NAGA complaint explaining, “Since 1968, the National Congress of American Indians and its Tribal Nation members have taken the position that the Washington NFL team should change its dehumanizing and derogatory name. Issuing a press release applauding the team’s decision to drop a derogatory name is far from unlawful. All the complaint shows is that NCAI exercised its right to free speech on an important issue that affects Native Americans across the country.”

Race-based mascots, logos, and symbols became popular during a time in our country when racism and cultural oppression were the norm. Not only are they offensive and perpetuate negative stereotypes of Native people, they cause real, documented harm to the mental health of Native youth. The American Psychological Association found that derogatory representations like Native-based mascots create hostile learning environments for Native students. Studies show that the continued use of American Indian mascots teaches young people that stereotyping minority groups is an acceptable practice, further legitimizing discrimination against Native Americans."

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:

Jason Kelce has retired. As a player anyway. His retirement speech touched on what Philadelphia fans expect of our players. No word on future plans, but broadcasting, coaching, scouting, etc are all possibilities. We'll miss him on the field.

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@gardenman @grandma r @PARedbird 

Jason and Travis Kelce are also being honored by the NBA Tuesday night with a bobblehead giveaway when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Boston Celtics.

The collectible is a version of Jason, who recently retired from the Philadelphia Eagles, and his brother Travis. The brothers are Cleveland natives and have long supported their hometown Cavs, who are in turn paying tribute to the local football stars.  One of the Kelce Brothers is expected to attend the game.

[grandma r]

@gardenman. Your post about the Eagles fan base is totally accurate.   If a player is only interested in collecting a hefty paycheck, Philly is NOT the place for you!!!

Jason Kelce's retirement speech was so heartfelt.  The emotion was raw.  He gave 110% on the field and he raised millions of dollars for charity off the field.  I wish him and his family a lifetime of good health and happiness.

To anyone that I offended regarding the Redskins, I am truly  sorry.  I have the upmost respect for the Native Americans and all of their traditions.  And, as I am known to tell people, if you are not descended from the Native Americans,  then you are descended from immigrants.  I would say more, but, I'd get banned.

[gardenman]

Russell Wilson has been informed he'll be released. He won't be out of work for long.

[gardenman]

The Broncos are taking an $85 million dead cap hit by cutting Russell Wilson. Yikes! They'll spread that out over two years, but that's a lot of money to just throw away. 

Where will he land? There are lots of options. There's no shortage of teams that need a QB. Since he's being paid by the Broncos for the next two years, he can take a lower-paying job in a better situation.

Word is that Kirk Cousins will sign with the Falcons. "Tampering? There's no tampering in football! That's crazy talk." Yeah, sure it is. His wife is from Georgia and apparently they're looking into real estate in the area, so it's a pretty easy connection to make. Atlanta needs a QB and Cousins is out there. 

With Jason Kelce now retired and Fletcher Cox likely retiring, that leaves Brandon Graham as the lone old guy left hanging around the Eagles. Expectations are that he'll sign a new one-year deal and stay. We should learn more later this week or early next week.

The official tampering period starts on Monday, not that teams haven't jumped the gun a wee bit already. But come Monday it'll be legal to do what they've all been doing illegally up until now.

Mock drafts are figuring out the Eagles probably won't be taking a cornerback in the first round and are shifting to an edge rusher or wide receiver, with an occasional offensive lineman thrown in for good measure. Things have shifted from nearly everyone saying we'll take a corner to almost no one saying we'll take a corner. I don't see a "need" at cornerback given the veterans and kids we've got on the roster now. If one is the highest-rated guy on the board when we're drafting, then fine, but I just don't see a "need" there.

The guys insisting we'll draft an o-lineman keep talking about needing a replacement for Lane Johnson, but he's signed through 2027. Do you spend a draft pick on a kid to ride the bench for four years?

I think an edge rusher is more of a "need" and linebacker and safety are right there with an edge. A quality third receiver who could step up into a WR1 or WR2 role isn't a bad investment either. I think the Eagles think they have their corners of the future already in-house. We'll see what happens in the draft.

[teganslaw]

The Colts placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Michael Pittman. He will make 21.8 million in 2024 on the tag. He will be free to reach out to other teams if a long term deal can't be reached thiis summer. 

The team rarely issues franchise tags: the last time they did so was on Pat McAfee in 2013. 

The countdown to Jason Kelce HOF induction has started. I'm sure that he will be a candidate.