.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "Deacon Jones: A Game-Changing Legend Passes")
Rounding up the Herd: Friday Edition
Firstly, a bit of a technical note. FanBall has been working on a server migration, and apparently we're having trouble approving comments from first-time commenters. This includes a nice little note from David over at FrozenNotes.com, and an inspiring comment from "a Rams fan from afar." Hopefully this will be sorted out quickly, we love having more folks join the conversation....
One conversation that's just getting started stems from this intriguing note from commenter Sean:
dougefresh1914 #romanticgestures don't b affraid to show affection in public, example: grab her ass sometimes, it will get her slightly aroused lol
This feed cracks me up daily, and I can only imagine his ability to keep a locker room loose. But if this type of tweets isn't your thing, the "Unfollow" button is just a click away.
Leading all of Twitter in "unfollows" today? LeBron James, after last night's culmination of a week-long media/ego engorgement surrounding his free agency intentions. I don't think any athlete has gone from "face" to "heel" status so quickly since Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
The difference is that savvy WWF/WWE fans knew that Hogan's bad turn was just an act. Sure, fans reveled in booing his evil hijinks, but when he came back to the good side there was a hearty welcome back for him. Not to be for LeBron, who will have a much harder time earning back the league-wide goodwill that he held just a month ago.
Lebron's self-aggrandizing antics earned a hearty "F-U" (Caution, kiddies: Rated R) from the godfather of my blogging career, StLouisGametime's Gallagher. He got me started down this path, recruiting me to write Redbirds for the short-lived baseball edition of SLGT. But football has long been my true love, so it was only natural I would end up here....
From "F-U" to "FO", Football Outsiders announced today that their 2010 Football Annual is now for sale. Rams fans will remember last year's edition all too well, with its prediction that the 2009 Rams had a 48% chance of getting 9 wins, and a strong chance of making the playoffs. Just remembering that high-minded cause for optimism makes my head hurt....
But not as much as Cam Cleeland's head hurts. Former Ram Cleeland is the subject of the latest powerful indictment of the NFL's treatment (or non-treatment) of concussions. Cleeland and former Ram Kyle Turley are now both prominent examples of this sickening syndrome, and a reminder that we are often too late to recognize that there are real humans inside these fantasy football objects.
i have been in st.louis the last 2 months. i love the city, but there sure isnt a lot of love for this team here. if even have the card fans were into the rams like that i could see the team wanting to improve. ive been a ram fan since gabriel was tossing td's to snow, and its a damn shame how poorly they are supported here.
-- Sean, commenting on "Fixing the Rams Ultimate Franchise Ranking (Part 2)"
I offered my response, but if you're local or just want to chime in, feel free. There's no doubt that the Rams have a long way to go to regain their swagger in this town...
Which brings me to my official summer jam by Cali Swag District. I haven't been able to get it out of my head, despite getting pretty limited radio play.
[youtube HY9uZWCh4go]
"The Dougie" is a response/reference to Lil' Wil's "My Dougie", which keeps the name Doug E. Fresh ringing out....
Which just happens to be the Twitter pseudonym of the Rams' funniest and most unabashed tweeter, Dominic Douglas.
dougefresh1914 #romanticgestures don't b affraid to show affection in public, example: grab her ass sometimes, it will get her slightly aroused lol
The difference is that savvy WWF/WWE fans knew that Hogan's bad turn was just an act. Sure, fans reveled in booing his evil hijinks, but when he came back to the good side there was a hearty welcome back for him. Not to be for LeBron, who will have a much harder time earning back the league-wide goodwill that he held just a month ago.
Lebron's self-aggrandizing antics earned a hearty "F-U" (Caution, kiddies: Rated R) from the godfather of my blogging career, StLouisGametime's Gallagher. He got me started down this path, recruiting me to write Redbirds for the short-lived baseball edition of SLGT. But football has long been my true love, so it was only natural I would end up here....
From "F-U" to "FO", Football Outsiders announced today that their 2010 Football Annual is now for sale. Rams fans will remember last year's edition all too well, with its prediction that the 2009 Rams had a 48% chance of getting 9 wins, and a strong chance of making the playoffs. Just remembering that high-minded cause for optimism makes my head hurt....
But not as much as Cam Cleeland's head hurts. Former Ram Cleeland is the subject of the latest powerful indictment of the NFL's treatment (or non-treatment) of concussions. Cleeland and former Ram Kyle Turley are now both prominent examples of this sickening syndrome, and a reminder that we are often too late to recognize that there are real humans inside these fantasy football objects.
“I tell people, ‘Grab your bike helmet, line up about 20 yards away and run into a concrete wall as hard as you can about 40 times,’” Cleeland says while sitting on the couch of his modest lakefront home an hour north of Seattle. “That is one game. Do that 16 times over a season – and then throw in 20 or 30 times a day during practice – and you’re going to see what you do to your body and head. Then let me know if you can do that and not screw yourself up.
-- Alex Marvez, FoxSports: "Cleeland's post-NFL battle with concussions"
The Rams talent evaluators have to be hitting their heads against the wall daily, after letting Brian Leonard go last offseason for so little return -- DT Orion Harris, who lasted on the roster for maybe four weeks in August. Now with next week's Supplemental Draft looming, VamRam at Turf Show Times takes a look at a possible Leonard replacement in BYU's Harvey Unga. (Hat tip to @nfldraftscout for first drawing the comparison between Unga and Leonard.) Before we get too excited, Van also explains the cost:
Remember, teams may draft use a pick from their stable of 2011 draft picks to select a player in the supplemental draft, so if a team uses a fifth round pick for Unga, they'll be without their fifth round pick next April.
-- TST: "Will the Rams make a move in the supplemental draft?"
... And bringing this post back around full circle, let me thank FanBall's and FrozenNotes' David Rogers for setting up that cool little Twitter feed badge in the site's sidebar. And I'm sure we'll get that commenting business sorted out soon. Many thanks, and to all, enjoy your weekend!
