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This is a Graffiti Wall - Quick Hit - Handicapping Tip - Session 7

This was originally in Episode # 5 and has been edited, isolating some of my strategies of how to bet the 2nd half in the NFL and College Football.

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2007 NFL preseason week-by-week schedule

All times are US/Eastern

HALL OF FAME GAME Sunday, Aug. 5 GAME TIME New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh (Canton, Ohio) 8:00pm (NFLN)

WEEK 1 Thursday, Aug. 9 Indianapolis at Dallas 8:00pm (FOX) Cincinnati at Detroit 7:30pm

Friday, Aug. 10 Buffalo at New Orleans 8:00pm (CBS) Atlanta at N.Y. Jets 7:00pm New England at Tampa Bay 7:30pm St. Louis at Minnesota 8:00pm

Saturday, Aug. 11 Washington at Tennessee 8:00pm (NFLN) Green Bay at Pittsburgh 7:30pm Jacksonville at Miami 7:30pm Kansas City at Cleveland 7:30pm Carolina at N.Y. Giants 8:00pm Chicago at Houston 8:00pm Arizona at Oakland 10:00pm

Sunday, Aug. 12 Seattle at San Diego 8:00pm (NBC)

Monday, Aug. 13 Denver at San Francisco 8:00pm (ESPN) Philadelphia at Baltimore 7:00pm

WEEK 2 Thursday, Aug. 16 Miami at Kansas City 8:00pm (ESPN)

Friday, Aug. 17 Minnesota at N.Y. Jets 8:00pm (FOX) Atlanta at Buffalo 7:00pm Carolina at Philadelphia 7:00pm Tennessee at New England 8:00pm

Saturday, Aug. 18 San Diego at St. Louis 8:00pm (CBS) Houston at Arizona 4:00pm Detroit at Cleveland 7:00pm New Orleans at Cincinnati 7:30pm Tampa Bay at Jacksonville 7:30pm Denver at Dallas 8:00pm Pittsburgh at Washington 8:00pm Seattle at Green Bay 8:00pm Oakland at San Francisco 10:00pm

Sunday, Aug. 19 N.Y. Giants at Baltimore 8:00pm (NBC)

Monday, Aug. 20 Chicago at Indianapolis 8:00pm (ESPN)

WEEK 3 Thursday, Aug. 23 Jacksonville at Green Bay 8:00pm (FOX) New Orleans at Kansas City 8:30pm

Friday, Aug. 24 New England at Carolina 8:00pm (CBS) Tennessee at Buffalo 7:00pm St. Louis at Oakland 10:00pm

Saturday, Aug. 25 Detroit at Indianapolis 7:00pm Tampa Bay at Miami 7:30pm Baltimore at Washington 8:00pm Dallas at Houston 8:00pm N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants 8:00pm San Francisco at Chicago 8:00pm Minnesota at Seattle 9:00pm Cleveland at Denver 9:00pm San Diego at Arizona 10:00pm

Sunday, Aug. 26 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 8:00pm (NBC)

Monday, Aug. 27 Cincinnati at Atlanta 8:00pm (ESPN)

WEEK 4 Thursday, Aug. 30 Buffalo at Detroit 7:00pm N.Y. Giants at New England 7:30pm N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia 7:30pm Washington at Jacksonville 7:30pm Cleveland at Chicago 8:00pm Dallas at Minnesota 8:00pm Green Bay at Tennessee 8:00pm Houston at Tampa Bay 8:00pm Kansas City at St. Louis 8:00pm Miami at New Orleans 8:00pm Pittsburgh at Carolina 8:00pm Arizona at Denver 9:00pm Oakland at Seattle 10:00pm San Francisco at San Diego 10:00pm

Friday, Aug. 31 Baltimore at Atlanta 7:30pm Indianapolis at Cincinnati 7:30pm

2007 national preseason schedule

NEW YORK — It kicks off in Canton, Ohio…showcases every 2006 playoff team…and includes a rematch of Super Bowl XLI.

Those are among the highlights of a 15-game national television preseason schedule that was announced today by the NFL, along with the complete list of 2007 preseason matchups.

The preseason begins on Sunday night, Aug. 5 with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio when the New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers on NFL Network at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Saints marched to a division title and advanced to the NFC Championship Game last season, led by AP Coach of the Year Sean Payton and Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees. The Steelers enter the 2007 season under the guidance of Mike Tomlin, who will make his head-coaching debut in Canton.

On Monday night, Aug. 20, the Chicago Bears visit the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of Super Bowl XLI on ESPN (8:00 p.m. ET). It will mark the first home game for the Super Bowl champion Colts since defeating the Bears on Feb. 4 in South Florida.

2007 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE (All times Eastern)

Date Game Network (Time)

Sun, Aug. 5 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (Canton, Ohio) New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh NFLN (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 1 (August 9-13)

Thu., Aug. 9 Indianapolis at Dallas FOX (8 p.m.) Fri., Aug. 10 Buffalo at New Orleans CBS (8 p.m.) Sat, Aug. 11 Washington at Tennessee NFLN (8 p.m.) Sun, Aug. 12 Seattle at San Diego NBC (8 p.m.) Mon, Aug. 13 Denver at San Francisco ESPN (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 2 (August 16-20)

Thu., Aug. 16 Miami at Kansas City ESPN (8 p.m.) Fri., Aug. 17 Minnesota at N.Y. Jets FOX (8 p.m.) Sat, Aug. 18 San Diego at St. Louis CBS (8 p.m.) Sun, Aug. 19 N.Y. Giants at Baltimore NBC (8 p.m.) Mon, Aug. 20 Chicago at Indianapolis ESPN (8 p.m.)

Preseason Week 3 (August 23-27)

Thu., Aug. 23 Jacksonville at Green Bay FOX (8 p.m.) Fri., Aug. 24 New England at Carolina CBS (8 p.m.) Sun, Aug. 26 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh NBC (8 p.m.) Mon, Aug. 27 Cincinnati at Atlanta ESPN (8 p.m.)

The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers kick off the NFL preseason schedule with the annual Hall of Fame Game this Sunday.

Bet33.com has the Steelers as 2-point favorites and the game total at 34.5.

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The Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, takes place the day after Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Roger Wehrli are inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

The remainder of the NFL preseason gets going the following Thursday, Aug. 9, with two tilts: the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Detroit Lions and the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts taking on the Cowboys in Dallas. The Lions are 1.5-point favorites over the Bengals, with the game total at 35.5, while the Cowboys are 4.5-point favorites over the Colts, with the game total at 35.5.

The Hall of Fame game will be first time in more than 10 years that the Steelers won’t be led by longtime coach Bill Cowher, as new HC Mike Tomlin takes over for the 2007 season after the Steelers’ disappointing 8-8 campaign last year.

The Saints made few changes after winning the NFC South last season with a 10-6 record. They went on to lose 39-14 to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship.

One player who may be more pumped to get the preseason started is Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who had a rough time last year after entering the season still suffering the effects of an offseason motorcycle accident.

The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 16-10 in the 2006 Hall of Fame game.

This year’s game will be televised for the first time on the NFL Network.

Other notable games in the first week of the NFL preseason include the New York Jets hosting the Michael Vick-less Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battling the Super Bowl-favorite New England Patriots, both on Aug. 10, and the Chicago Bears visiting the Houston Texas on Aug. 11.

Check out Bet33.com’s for NFL lines.

By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

Below we take our stab at predicting how the 53-man roster of the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles will take shape:

QB (3): Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb

RB (4): Brian Westbrook, Tony Hunt, Correll Buckhalter, Thomas Tapeh (FB)

WR (6): Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, Jeremy Bloom (RS)

TE (3): L.J. Smith, Matt Schobel, Brent Celek

OL (9): William Thomas (LT), Todd Herremans (LG), Jamaal Jackson (C), Shawn Andrews (RG), Jon Runyan (RT), Scott Young (G), Nick Cole (C), Max Jean-Gilles (G), Winston Justice (T)

DL (9): Jevon Kearse (DE), Darren Howard (DE), Trent Cole (DE), Victor Abiamiri (DE), Juqua Thomas (DE), Mike Patterson (DT), Brodrick Bunkley (DT), Ian Scott (DT), Montae Reagor (DT)

LB (7): Jeremiah Trotter (MLB), Takeo Spikes (WLB), Chris Gocong (SLB), Stewart Bradley (SLB), Omar Gaither (LB), Matt McCoy (LB), Tank Daniels (LB)

DB (9): Lito Sheppard (CB), Sheldon Brown (CB), William James (CB), Brian Dawkins (FS), Sean Considine (SS), Joselio Hanson (CB), Quintin Mikell (S), C.J. Gaddis (DB)

SP (3): David Akers (K), Dirk Johnson (P), Jon Dorenbos (LS)

Outside Looking In: Kelly Holcomb (QB), Nate Ilaoa (FB), Ryan Moats (RB), Jerome McDougle (DE), LaJuan Ramsey (DT), Dedrick Roper (LB), Rashad Barksdale (DB)

By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

Second-round draft picks don’t often garner banner headlines, but this one did.

When the Philadelphia Eagles, following a trade that allowed the hated Dallas Cowboys to move into their spot in the first round, selected Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb with the 36th overall pick in the April event, a statement had been made.

Just what was that statement? Folks around the land of cheesesteaks are still trying to figure that out. You can count Donovan McNabb among those folks.

McNabb missed the team’s run to the 2006 playoffs after sustaining a knee injury just before Thanksgiving, watching as Cinderella story Jeff Garcia marched the Eagles to the division title. But when Garcia defected to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March, a move that came just a week after Philadelphia had handed backup A.J. Feeley a long-term contract, the quarterback controversy was perceived to be finished before it had really started.

Then the team picked Kolb, and a new kind of controversy began. Maybe the Eagles were covering their collective tail, coming up with a plan B in light of the large blocs of time McNabb had missed due to injury in the past few seasons. Maybe Andy Reid and the organization thought that the 31-year-old McNabb was in decline, and that it was time to identify his successor before McNabb played his way off the field. Maybe both.

Either way, the perception in Philadelphia is that the McNabb era is going to end sooner rather than later, and that the team’s quest for its first Super Bowl title is going to be more easily fought in the near future rather than the distant.

The window appears to be closing, and if he is serious about wanting a ring, McNabb had better navigate his team through it pretty darn soon.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the Philadelphia Eagles, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2006 RECORD: 10-6 (1st, NFC East)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2006, lost to New Orleans, 27-24, in NFC Divisional Playoff

COACH (RECORD): Andy Reid (80-48 in eight seasons with Eagles, 80-48 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Marty Mornhinweg

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jim Johnson

OFFENSIVE STAR: Donovan McNabb, QB (2647 passing yards, 18 TD, 6 INT, 212 rushing yards, 3 TD)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Brian Dawkins, FS (93 tackles, 4 INT, 1 sack)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 11th rushing, 3rd passing, 6th scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 26th rushing, 9th passing, t15th scoring

FIVE KEY GAMES: at Green Bay (9/9), at N.Y. Giants (9/30), Chicago (10/21), at Dallas (12/16), at New Orleans (12/23)

KEY ADDITIONS: QB Kelly Holcomb (from Bills), QB Kevin Kolb (2nd Round, Houston), RB Tony Hunt (3rd Round, Penn State), WR Kevin Curtis (from Rams), DT Ian Scott (from Bears), DT Monte Reagor (from Colts), DE Victor Abiamiri (2nd Round, Notre Dame), LB Takeo Spikes (from Bills), OLB Stewart Bradley, (3rd Round, Nebraska)

KEY DEPARTURES: QB Jeff Garcia (to Buccaneers), WR Donté Stallworth (to Patriots), DT Darwin Walker (to Bears), DT Sam Rayburn (to 49ers), LB Dhani Jones (to Saints), OLB Shawn Barber (to Texans), S Michael Lewis (to 49ers), CB Roderick Hood (to Cardinals), RS Reno Mahe (not tendered)

QB: The big question throughout Eagles training camp will be the health of McNabb, whose torn ACL last Nov. 19th was his second season-ending injury in as many years. McNabb is expected to be ready, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be looking over his shoulder. Philadelphia shocked the football world by drafting Kolb early in the second round, and if the rookie looks good in the preseason, look for a quarterback controversy to begin simmering. If Kolb looks like the rookie he is, however, the backup will be A.J. Feeley (342 passing yards, 3 TD), who hasn’t played meaningful football since 2004 but was handed a three-year contract extension in February. Barring injury to any of the above, ex-Bills and Browns starter Kelly Holcomb, who was obtained in the Takeo Spikes trade, will be dealt or released.

RB: Though he was snubbed in the quest for a second career Pro Bowl bid, Brian Westbrook (1217 rushing yards, 77 receptions, 11 TD) comes off a career season in which he crossed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first time. Westbrook will continue to be a focal point in both the ground and pass- catching games, though the team drafted Penn State workhorse Tony Hunt in an effort to preserve the injury-prone running back. The third running back on the roster is likely to be Correll Buckhalter (345 rushing yards, 24 receptions, 3 TD), who managed to stay healthy for just the third time in six NFL seasons last year and did a credible job. The less-than-versatile Ryan Moats (69 rushing yards) will have to beat out Buckhalter to make the team, which isn’t likely. At fullback, Thomas Tapeh (16 receptions, 1 TD) should be able to hold off rookie Nate Ilaoa (Hawaii) to win a roster spot, though there has been some discussion of letting Hunt play that role.

WR/TE: Reid took a gamble in letting Donte’ Stallworth walk away, as Stallworth was the Eagles’ most explosive and productive wideout during the second half of last season. The hope is that third-year-pro Reggie Brown (46 receptions, 9 TD) and offseason acquisition Kevin Curtis (40 receptions, 4 TD with the Rams) can pick up the slack, with holdovers such as Hank Baskett (22 receptions, 2 TD), Greg Lewis (24 receptions, 2 TD), and Jason Avant (7 receptions, 1 TD) set to play support roles. Tight end L.J. Smith (50 receptions, 5 TD) has never developed into the star that some expected him to become, but he is still above-average in the passing game. Matt Schobel (14 receptions, 2 TD) will remain as the No. 2 tight end unless major draft-day reach Brent Celek (Cincinnati) can unseat him.

OL: The Eagles have the luxury of welcoming back up five players who were 16- game starters across the offensive line last season. From left to right - tackle William Thomas, guard Todd Herremans, center Jamaal Jackson, guard Shawn Andrews and tackle Jon Runyan. None of the five should be in a serious battle for his starting job during training camp, though the team would like to get 2006 draft picks Winston Justice (T) and Max Jean-Gilles (G) on the field at some point. Until that time, guard Scott Young and center Nick Cole will remain the trench unit’s top backups.

DL: Philly lacked a big-time pass-rushing threat after Jevon Kearse (3.5 sacks) went down with a knee injury in Week 2 of last season, though players like Darren Howard (35 tackles, 5 sacks), Trent Cole (62 tackles, 8 sacks), and Juqua Thomas (25 receptions, 6 sacks), had their moments. Kearse is back, and the team is hoping he can shed his injury-prone reputation and last an entire season. Threatening for time in the rotation will be second-round draft pick Victor Abiamiri (Notre Dame), who was solid but unspectacular in college and will be primarily used against the run. Thomas and Jerome McDougle (13 tackles, 1 sack) are probably fighting for the last job at end. The team added free agents Montae Reagor (10 tackles, 1 sack with the Colts) and Ian Scott (22 tackles with the Bears) to assist a disappointing group of defensive tackles, though too much has been invested in former first-round picks Mike Patterson (52 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Brodrick Bunkley (9 tackles) to let either sit. If all four of the above DTs remain healthy throughout training camp, holdover LaJuan Ramsey (5 tackles) could be up against it in trying to make the roster.

LB: After several years of inconsistent play at the outside linebacker positions, the Eagles went out and worked a deal to place former Bills Pro Bowler Takeo Spikes (70 tackles, 1 sack) on the weak side. Spikes is 30 and has experienced some recent injury problems, but the team believes he still has some elite-level football left him in. Ten-year vet Jeremiah Trotter (112 tackles, 1 INT) may have lost a step in the middle, but is still among the league’s best run-stopping linebackers. On the strong side, the answer will either be 2006 third-round pick Chris Gocong, who missed 2006 with a neck injury, or 2007 third-round draft choice Stewart Bradley (Nebraska). The loser of that battle will join the blossoming Omar Gaither (62 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), disappointing Matt McCoy (66 tackles, 2 sacks), and possibly ‘06 special-teamer Tank Daniels (5 tackles) on the backup brigade.

DB: Many felt that the Birds would use the draft to address a secondary that was depleted following the loss of strong safety Michael Lewis and key backup corner Roderick Hood, but for the most part, that area of the roster went begging. Lito Sheppard (30 tackles, 6 INT) and Sheldon Brown (52 tackles, 1 INT) will once again man the corners, with the ever-present Brian Dawkins at free safety and the shaky Sean Considine (85 tackles, 1.5 sacks) on the strong side. Considine will have to be much stronger against the run, or backup and special teams ace Quintin Mikell (41 tackles) could be in for a more prominent role. Also likely to be active on gamedays are William James (7 tackles), who will play the nickel if healthy, and jack-of-all-trades C.J. Gaddis (Clemson), the only defensive back the Eagles took in the ‘07 draft. Joselio Hanson (35 tackles) appeared in all 16 games for Philadelphia last season, and is pegged for special teams duty.

SPECIAL TEAMS: After allowing Reno Mahe to walk away and cutting Bethel Johnson in June due to injury, Reid is more or less conceding the job of punt and kickoff returner to Jeremy Bloom. Bloom, the former Olympic skier, hasn’t played in a meaningful football game since 2003, while at Colorado. David Akers (18-23 FG) and Dirk Johnson (42.6 avg.) remain reliable in the kicking game, and Jon Dorenbos will be the unquestioned long snapper following the retirement of Mike Bartrum.

PROGNOSIS: With the Giants and Redskins both in general disarray, and the Cowboys in the midst of a coaching transition, Philadelphia is the natural choice to win the NFC East in 2007. The thinking is that if Andy Reid could manage to win 10 games with a quarterback fresh from the scrap heap and a defense with more than a couple of bolts that needed tightening, he should fare even better with a healthy McNabb and Kearse along with some solid new run-stoppers like Spikes and Reagor. That’s solid logic, though all bets are off if the injury-prone McNabb or Westbrook miss large chunks of the season. With some luck on the injury front, and a rejuvenated starting quarterback, there’s no reason why Philadelphia shouldn’t win the division and threaten for a Super Bowl berth.

Ashburn, VA - Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis remained sidelined for the second straight day Wednesday, held out of practice due to tendinitis in his right knee

His status is listed as day-to-day.

Portis is coming off an injury hampered 2006 campaign in which he missed eight games with injuries to his shoulder and hand. Portis, who turns 26 next month, suffered a shoulder injury early in the season that caused him to miss one game, but he returned to the field and played through the injury, while corrective surgery was scheduled for the offseason.

The five-year veteran broke a bone in his right hand during Washington’s 27-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 12, and, facing a month-long recovery from that injury, the team placed him on injured reserve and he underwent the shoulder surgery to get a head-start on rehab.

Portis had seven touchdowns on 127 carries for 523 yards and caught 17 passes for 170 yards in 2006, a subpar season for a back whose previous low for rushing yards in a season was 1,315.

Hempstead, NY - Running back Tony Fisher, who was signed by the New York Jets last Friday, was released by the team on Tuesday.

Fisher was originally signed by Green Bay as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2002. He played four seasons with the Packers and then signed with St. Louis in 2006. Fisher has rushed for 889 yards with four touchdowns, and has 139 receptions for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns.

The Jets also inked free agent running back Tony Hollings on Tuesday. He has totaled 149 yards on 49 carries, 71 yards on seven receptions and 211 yards on 11 kickoff returns in three NFL seasons, all with Houston.

Napa Valley, CA - The Oakland Raiders on Tuesday signed free agent quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a one-year contract.

Culpepper will give the Raiders a backup option for No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell, who has yet to sign a contract.

The 30-year-old Culpepper had worked out earlier on Tuesday before a private gathering of Raiders scouts and coaches.

Culpepper began the 2006 season as the Dolphins’ starter, but due to injury problems he was sacked 21 times in the first four games of the season. The team benched him and eventually placed him on injured reserve.

The Dolphins acquired Trent Green in a trade with Kansas City this past offseason and, after unsuccessfully trying to trade Culpepper, released him on July 17.

Over nine seasons in the NFL, all but one with Minnesota, he has played in 85 games (84 starts) and has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 21,091 yards with 137 touchdowns and 89 interceptions. Also, he has racked up 2,496 yards on the ground with 30 touchdowns.

I guess trading away QB Matt Schaub was premature and ill advised at best for Atlanta. It is going to haunt them all season. Some of the motivation was new head coach Bobby Petrino counting on the versatile Mike Vick to make big plays and flourish in a new scheme, and the other was salary cap issues. Vick’s numbers do not exceed now starter Joey Harrington in any glaring fashion other than the ability to break off and run it and make big play, but it is still Joey Harrington, always one TD or one interception away from a big win, and that may never change.

The endurance of Vick for an entire season has always been questionable at best, and trading Schuab is the biggest blunder that management may have made in the offseason. I doubt anyone knew the depth of the dog fighting issue back in April or May, but trouble has been brewing with Vick for quite some time in the Falcons camp. Didn’t anyone foresee that Vick was not the type of guy that Atlanta needed to be a leader and long term solution at QB for them? He is a talented player that makes big plays, but not a leader or role model by any stretch.

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Let’s see, fighting dogs is illegal, betting on ANYTHING is illegal when you are an NFL player, killing dogs and fighting them is inhumane, and lying about the entire situation is quite frankly something Atlanta’s top brass are ticked off about not to mention the NFL’s top brass, and the national media storm.

It pains me to be on the side of PETA on almost any issue, but I am a dog lover and domestic animal lover in general, so I am appalled at what has transpired with Mike Vick over the past few months.

Personally he should be officially suspended from the NFL pending the outcome of a trial, and I think it should be a 1 year mandatory sentence from the NFL, and it should happen right now, avoiding any speculation about a return after a watered down plea agreement.

If he is found guilty, a lifetime ban should be enforced. Holding him out of training camp and suspending him in the interim is not enough. The message needs to be loud and clear from the NFL. It also should come from NIKE that dropping Vick as a player representative is mandatory. Once again the message needs to be clear.

The NFL has an image issue, much like the NBA right now. Players in trouble is the norm nowadays in most pro sports. Media scrutiny is at a high level regardless whether is it a pro sport, college sport, or Lindsey Lohan on a drunken rampage.

The limelight has never been brighter for the rich and famous. Players and even celebrities must hold themselves to high moral standards, and behavior in public and in private should be considered a top priority. It comes with the territory, and as always, fame has a price, and you have to deal with it. Fame also provides great wealth and it clouds the minds of young players like Mike Vick who think they are above the law.

The recent Pacman Jones debacle is a black-eye for the NFL, or the Tank Johnson issue or the Bengal’s player roster that is filled with arrests and issues. Better judgment should be enforced on the players and suspensions from the NFL management are needed to be clear cut, no exceptions. Suspensions are needed in order to send a message to players that a “no tolerance mandate” is in effect.

As for the Falcons, they opened camp with protests outside the front gate, hardly the start new coach Petrino was hoping for. The plea agreements with Vick’s cronies testifying before grand juries, and coming out saying the “Bad Newz Kennels” in Virginia on Vick’s properties and the gambling involved in them, were 100% funded by Vick personally.

Of course these guys are trying to save their skin and avoid long jail terms, but it looks bad for the future of Mike Vick, and if the allegations are true, and the smoking gun is in his hand, you may never see him play another down in the NFL. He will be in prison long before he is on the field again, and he should be in my opinion.