American Football (NFL, College, etc.)

Well, it wasn't entirely Garcia's fault.

When they brought Garcia on, Brown's coach Butch Davis promised that they were going to install a West Coast Offense and also bring in Bill Walsh to teach the offensive coaching staff and players how to run it. That never happened.

Many football people will also tell you that Cleveland had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. They had a below average running game and Garcia's best receiver, rookie Kellen Winslow II (son of former San Diego Charger Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow), was lost at the beginning of the season.

So Garia essentially didn't get the offensive he was promised when he signed the contract, didn't have a n OL to protect him, no running game to share the load, and no one talented to throw the ball to. He was screwed. No QB could have succeeded in that setup.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Garcia apologist. But I do believe in fair play and getting the facts straight.
-PCM

That's true, but Garcia was never able to adjust his game given the circumstances around him. I don't know if, given half of those things, he would have been able to succeed there. Give him talent and he has shown that he can perform. Granted it was an uphill battle and his "somewhat high" contract didn't help his situation.

dochira wrote:That's true, but Garcia was never able to adjust his game given the circumstances around him. I don't know if, given half of those things, he would have been able to succeed there. Give him talent and he has shown that he can perform. Granted it was an uphill battle and his "somewhat high" contract didn't help his situation.

Yeah, given the high $$$ contract and the kind of offense that Carthon is going to install, Garcia was certainly expendable. But I expect Cleveland will be no better than 4W - 12L next year too with a rookie or cast-off QB as their new QB. Takes 2 to 3 years for a team to get a handle on a new offensive system.
-PCM

I've got two favorite web pages. JDorama, and the San Francisco 49er home page.

It's fun when the two meet.

This is a quick Q&A with Hawaii grad, and Niner stand out, Jeff Ulbrich, from the Niner home page.

[image]


San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich has really blossomed in his four-plus years in the National Football League. After having to cut his rookie season short due to injury in 2000, the Morgan Hill, CA native has started almost every game since and posted his second 100-tackle season last year.


How did you end up at the University of Hawaii?
I kind of embrace the idea of being so far from home. I wanted to experience something new and for me Hawaii was about as new as you could get. The distance, the culture, the fact that it is almost like a foreign country. I really enjoyed the staff there. They were honest with me, whereas some staffs are going to promise playing time and what not. They were honest and they told me that they were going to give me an honest look and that is all that I wanted to hear.


What are some of the memories that you take from your time in Hawaii?
Well first of all, I met my wife down there, so obviously that is a very memorable thing in my life to meet her out there and for us to get engaged and then to get married while I was in college. So that would be a huge memory. And just the friends that I met, the fellow players that I played with.


If you werenft playing what do you think you would be doing?
I think that I would be coaching. The fact that I have played in the NFL, it has opened some doors as far as coaching goes. If I hadnft gotten my chance in the NFL, then I had originally planned to be a social worker because I wanted to work with kids.


Is coaching something that you will look into following your career?
Absolutely. Hopefully this job will set me up financially so that I can be fairly picky for the staff that I choose, and I donft want to work at the professional level because the guys at this level put in crazy hours and the NFL season is long. If I am financially secure enough, I would pick a staff at the collegiate level that hopefully doesnft burn the candle at both ends, so to speak.


Did you grow up hoping to play for the 49ers?
I never really envisioned playing professional football. It was one of those things that kind of happened naturally after playing in high school. I went to San Jose State and then went to Junior College then I went to Hawaii. Even in Hawaii during my junior year I didnft envision playing in the pros. I had a good senior year and got an opportunity and things just seemed to work out.


Was there a point that you had to stop and realize that you had arrived in the NFL?
I think that it came my rookie year and it was my first preseason game. The game that I put the 49ers uniform on, it was a Monday night game, the Hall of Fame game. I had a chance to start and I played the whole game and I remember coming out one series and looking to my right and seeing Jerry Rice and all these guys that I was playing with and across the ball with the Patriots I saw a bunch of guys that I grew up watching, I think that it struck me at that moment that I had arrived and was playing in the NFL.


If you were the commissioner of the NFL what would you change?
I think that they should take out the rule as far as hitting defenseless receivers. Itfs ridiculous that no offensive players are getting fines for cracking us, or cutting us or doing all the stuff that they do to us, that would be the big one. I know that there is a lot of controversy about the way that players are cut and released, but it would be tough to take that rule out.


What will you be doing when you are 50 years old and retied from playing in the NFL?
In an ideal world when I am 50? Hopefully I will be coaching at a Division I fairly prominent program with some history and maybe as a defensive coordinator or a linebackers coach.


(Hopefully they'll have something on Sapoaga soon.)

Garcia got dumped because he did things like turning in games that earned him a 0.0 passer rating.

He got dumped because he never stopped complaining to the media about how everything that was happening in Cleveland was somebody else's fault.

The Coach lied to me. The O-Line is no good. The system is lousy. The running game sucks. Cleveland sucks.

As he did in San Francisco, the guy just never stopped whining. Only in Cleveland, he didn't have everyone focused on a Terrell Owens.

And yeah, I am biased. I couldn't stand Garcia when he was with the Niners, and I delighted in his failure with the Browns.

Geezer wrote:He got dumped because he never stopped complaining to the media about how everything that was happening in Cleveland was somebody else's fault.

As he did in San Francisco, the guy just never stopped whining. Only in Cleveland, he didn't have everyone focused on a Terrell Owens.

I'm from the old school, in terms of keeping disagreements private.

Garcia was definitely a whiner back in SF, but because he had good years in SF and there were others guilty of far worse, like T.O., Garcia's behavior didn't really get noticed.

Most players don't seem to keep their mouths shut these days. :shakehead:
-PCM

PC

I agree. I think that sort of stuff stays in the locker room.

One of the things that drove me nuts about Garcia was the fact that just about every moronic thing Owens said to the press... Gracia said it first.

If you went back a few days before each of Owens (and boy did I hate Owens) verbal assults... you'd find Garcia saying something very similar, in a sense, giving Owens permission to say it.

But the S.F. media was focused on Owens.

Between those two jerks on the field, and York in charge... I damn near gave up being a Niner fan.

I don't know what's gonna happen now, but it can't get worse than the last five years.

Pretty interesting interview. Ulbrich's observation that Hawaii is almost like a foreign country is illustrative of the fact that there are many Americans out there who still don't know Hawaii is a state (believe me, I've run into a number of them). Or that, because much of the population has Asian, Polynesian, and hapa faces some Americans really think of the islands as foreign. Then too, maybe the spam musubi and pidgen English might have thrown some people off.
Ulbrich's wish to coach Div. I football at a place where they don't burn the candle at both ends might be wishful thinking. D-I assistant coaches are on the road much of the year and put in incredible hours. They have to because it's win now or be fired even sooner at that level.

I know what you mean Geezer, i too almost gave up on the Niners, but i still see that some of the players on that team be very promising, give them some time and let them develope and the Niners will be close too as good as the team back then, at least i hope so, just gotta wait and see

And thanks guys for explaining to me Garcia's situation and his problems :woot:

...because much of the population has Asian, Polynesian, and hapa faces some Americans really think of the islands as foreign.

Yeah, that must be it. Because a guy from Morgan Hill would surely have never seen people with Asian, Polynesian, or Hapa faces.

Some might have thought that it was because he was a part time student, part time steel worker, going from a highly industrialised, semi-arid State, to a Tropical Island that bills itself as a vacation paradise...

Nah. That couldn't have anything to do with it.

i saw a preliminary mock draft, and someone had sf drafting 'aaron rodgers' as first pick. i personally think that he's the best qb in the draft, but i'm surprised others did too. and i'm really surprised they don't think sf is going to trade down for more picks.

Geez: thanks for sharing that interview about ulbrich. he was such a great lb when he was with hawaii. he was one of the first guys to turn our defense around (from the von awful era).

i had thought there were quite a few locals and different ethnicities on the west coast, so it was a bit surprising to see ulbrich say that hawaii's a foreign country. i know he didn't mean it in a bad way, but it was surprising.

as for coaching at the div1 level, i agree w/ shin2. i don't know if he realizes that most successful div1 programs have work-a-holic coaches.

i had thought there were quite a few locals and different ethnicities on the west coast, so it was a bit surprising to see ulbrich say that hawaii's a foreign country. i know he didn't mean it in a bad way, but it was surprising.

There are many different ethnicities on the west coast.

Sticking with the Asian Faces thing...

According to the U.S. Census of 2000:

4.2% of U.S. citizens identified themselves as Asian.

12.3% of California's population identified themselves as Asian.

And in the San Francisco Bay Area 20.9% of the population identified themselves as Asian. (Ulbrich is from the Bay Area.)

What I'd like to get across is that Ulbrich talked about Hawaii seeming like another country the same way I talked about California seeming like a different country when I moved here from Brooklyn N.Y.

The same way my nephew talks about thinking he's living in a different country now that he's moved from California to Georgia.

The states aren't interchangable. We're not just one homogenous block, cut up into 48 sections on the mainland, and two extra bits just to mess with map makers.

Each State has its own history, culture, foods, customs, pace, attitudes, climates, accents and architecture.

Travel around some. Take a look. If you've lived your whole life in Hawaii, I'll bet you'll feel like you're in a foreign country if you visit Texas, or North Dakota, Manhattan or Mississippi.

As countries go... this one's pretty interesting.

jholic

Everyone loves to talk about a qb being the #1 choice. This time of year, everyone thinks that that next #1 is gonna be the next Elway or Aikman or Vick.

Unfortunatley, I don't think there is an Elway, Aikman, or Vick in this draft.

I'm a Rogers fan. I've seen every game he's played for Cal, and I've cheered for him 'til I was blue in the face.

But I don't think his play, his talent, or his potential merit being taken that high.

Most of the Niner fans I talk to do want the team to trade down.

We have so many needs...

But as of right now, no one can see who might be willing to trade with the Niners.

We need some bone head of an owner (J.J.?) with a couple of first round picks to really fall in love with one of the top two or three guys.

Failing that... well, since I don't know the new crew that's running things now, I have no idea what they'll do with the pick.

Me? I want to see them trade down. I want a new offensive line, a new running back, and if they could throw Shaun Colby DT from USC in... I"d take that.

[/b]

Geez, so very true. rodgers looks very good, accurate, etc, but i think sf needs more than just a qb to solve their woes. i would love the 'boys to draft rodgers, but i doubt if we will.

Geezer wrote:We need some bone head of an owner (J.J.?) with a couple of first round picks to really fall in love with one of the top two or three guys.

ha, i can't really disagree w/ jj being capable of doing something retarded like that.

it'll probably be to sf's benefit to showcase someone as a top pick (like rodgers). otherwise, who would trade with them? if there's no bona fide #1 or #2 pick, then why would you do a 'ricky williams trade' and give up all your picks for one guy? i think sf has their agents right now touting rodgers as the next steve young. i just hope jj isn't the fish that bites! :doh:

too bad for us, we can't draft a new owner!

jholic

I'll probably go to hell for saying this... and if you tell any Niner fan I said it, I'll deny it, but...

Based on the last few years, I'd be more than willing to trade owners with you.

I'm always stunned at the way professionals can get fooled.

You had the Niners from '01 to '03 thinking that they were going down the right road. Thinking that they had the people in place, and that they just needed a little more time. (Dumb.)

And then Dallas, turning in that nice record in '03 thinking that they were back. Thinking that they didn't have to do anything extreme in Free Agency, just because fate, luck, the odd bounce of a few balls, and some kind scheduling gave them a winning record. (Dumb.)

Geezer wrote:jholic

I'll probably go to hell for saying this... and if you tell any Niner fan I said it, I'll deny it, but...

Based on the last few years, I'd be more than willing to trade owners with you.

I don't like Jerry Jones, because he's the owner of a rival team, hence it's dislike in the sense of a sporting rivalry. Not hatred.

You can say some bad things about JJ, but he is without doubt passionate about football, committed to his team 100%, and committed to keeping the Cowboys a winner.

No one can say that of York the Dork.
-PCM

Agent: Vikings agree to deal Moss to Raiders

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer
February 23, 2005

AP - Feb 23, 5:11 pm EST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Randy Moss is heading to Oakland, the receiver's agent said Wednesday.

Dante DiTrapano, Moss' agent, told The Associated Press that the Minnesota Vikings and the Raiders had ``come to an agreement on Randy playing for Oakland next year.''

Neither the Vikings nor the Raiders would confirm the deal, which was first reported by The St. Paul Pioneer Press on its Web site.

``We have had discussions with the Oakland Raiders, but there's nothing to announce,'' Rob Brzezinski, Minnesota's vice president of football operations, told The Associated Press.

Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor declined comment on the trade reports.

DiTrapano said he didn't know the terms of the deal, but the Pioneer Press reported the Vikings would get linebacker Napoleon Harris, along with the seventh overall pick and a late-round pick in the upcoming draft.

The deal cannot become official until March 2, the start of the NFL's fiscal year.

Well, you knew that was coming.

I am gonna miss Uncle Al when he dies.

The Raiders aren't my team, but you just have to love the way he does business.

WOW WOW WOW!!!! RANDY MOSS IN SILVER AND BLACK! EXCELLENT!

I'm so psyched right now. Especially since the Raiders didn't have to give up Woodson or Porter to get Moss! Damn, Moss and Porter at the wideouts and then Curry in the slot. Very nice! :victory: