Bleacher Report - Articles by Brian Miller

NFL: Tank Johnson Speaks Out For Pacman Jones?

Brian Miller — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:25:37 -0400

In a clip from ESPN, Tank Johnson openly campaigned for Pacman Jones' reinstatement. Does anybody else see something wrong with this? Does Pacman Jones see something wrong with this?

Tank Johnson, the former Bears and current Cowboys DT has had issues with the law in his past. He was arrested in 2005 for having a concealed gun in his car outside a Chicago nightclub. Okay, that's a minor infraction because the only states that is a crime in is Illinois and Wisconsin. However, a couple months later, he was arrested again on charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

Things hit rock bottom for Tank when his house was raided by police officers, who discovered he possessed enough firearms and assault rifles to start a war. Then a few weeks later, Tank's personal bodyguard was shot and killed outside a club because of an incident allegedly involving Tank.

These and a couple more incidents led to Tank being suspended from the league and released by the Chicago Bears. He was suspended for the first eight games of last year and then reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Now since he is an expert in getting suspended, possesing narcotics, carrying illegal firearms, being involved in shootings, and being arrested, he feels he is the perfect spokesman for Pacman Jones' reinstatement.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention he is not only speaking out for Jones as a fellow player but as a current teammate. Jerry Jones feels the best way to get talent is to take chances on criminals. Yes, they are incredible athletes and can help you win games, but they are a cancer to your team.

Jerry Jones has gone so far to prevent these two from hanging out and keeping Pacman away from the strip clubs that he has hired around the clock personal security for the defensive back.

In conclusion, if I were in Pacman Jones' shoes, the last person in the world I would want speaking on my behalf is Tank Johnson. This is like Bill Clinton attesting to former Governor Eliot Spitzer's character.

Roger Goodell should see the effect these two will have on each other and the fact that the only way Pacman can stay out of trouble is if Jerry Jones buys his protection.

Keep Brett Favre's Locker? No, Remove the Distraction

Brian Miller — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:51:08 -0400

I support the Packers. I enjoy watching them, and that includes Brett Favre, because he is one of the greatest players in this team's rich history. If you read my past and future articles, you will see that my knowledge for the Packers matches my love for the team. However, I do not support keeping his locker intact in the team's locker room.

Brett Favre has done a lot for the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay used to be known as the place you went when your career was over, or on the way to being over. He came to town, became an instant fan favorite, and played with his heart, which resulted in a lot of wins, including a Super Bowl.

When Brett Favre decided to retire, he made the right decision. He was on the top of his game and was still very healthy. He can spend his time with his daughter in their last few years together and catch up on hunting.

Since his retirement, Brett has continued to express his love for the game, and sometimes even hint at coming out of retirement. Brett is only doing Aaron and the Packers a disservice.

In a recent interview, Aaron has even mentioned that he hasn't spoken to Brett once this offseason. This is why the Green Bay Packers' management has chosen the first game of the year to retire his number; they want the past to be the past.

Now, just recently, the story has gotten even deeper. Jason Wilde of Onmilwaukee.com recently had a conversation with Coach McCarthy on why Brett's locker is still intact.

Coach McCarthy said, "I think it's more than a locker, and there's some plans for the locker that will be addressed in the future. But there's nothing else to it. I wouldn't want his locker, especially after his hygiene, my goodness. It's a locker of a very special player in the history of our organization, and there are some plans for the future, and we'll address that when it comes. I'll just leave it at that."

Two things immediately come to mind when you hear of this step taken by the Packers. One, this will not help Aaron Rodgers out at all. He will come into the locker room everyday and think to himself that this is still Brett Favre's team. Two, they are saving the locker for Brett because they think Aaron will fail and they want to keep their MVP happy.

Coach McCarthy mentioned he wouldn't want to dress in that locker. I wouldn't want that locker either, so remove it and put it in the Packer Hall Of Fame. Build a new locker, and put our new long snapper there. This memorial in the locker room will only cause a distraction for the rest of the team. I guarantee that on game days, the first thing the Packers' rookies will be thinking of is Favre, not the day's gameplan.

The only lockers that are ever kept in locker rooms after a player is no longer on a team are for those who have passed away. I think that is great tribute to a fallen teammate and friend. Most recently the Washington Redskins sealed the locker of Sean Taylor to pay tribute to the safety. Brett is still alive and well. He will probably be a play-by-play commentator if the media reports are correct. I respect the decision when a player has passed away.

As mentioned, no other player in the history of sports has his locker still intact after he had retired. Yes, Michael Jordan has a statue, but a locker in the Bulls locker room does not say Michael Jordan. Joe Montana, no locker in San Francisco. For all he knows, Ricky Schmitt, the first year punter, could be sitting in Joe's locker.

I also understand that no one has ever played the game like Brett Favre, has had the numbers like Brett Favre, or meant so much to a community like Brett Favre, so that's why I am all for removing the most historic locker in all of Wisconsin and putting it in the nearby Hall of Fame.

I will continue to state over and over that I am a huge Packers' fan, and will be the rest of my life. However, I am a Packers fan, not just a Brett Favre fan, and I feel this move will hurt the team. I am not okay with that.

Top 5 Issues of the Green Bay Packers: State of Packers' Receiving Corps

Brian Miller — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:09:10 -0400

I will start a series of articles on what to watch out for in the upcoming football season. The intention of the articles will be to provide you with some insight for 2008, and to get you excited for a new chapter in Green Bay Packers history.

These are the top-five things to watch out for from our top-five receivers known as the “Big Five”. It is noted that Koren Robinson was an original member of the “Big Five”, but was released during the offseason. His spot will be taken by our second-round pick Jordy Nelson, from Kansas State.

1) Is Donald Driver fading, or will he return to his numbers of ’06?

Driver has lead the team in receiving the past three years, but his numbers have fallen since ’06. That year he caught 92 catches for 1,295 yards and eight touchdowns. This past year he caught 82 balls and only had 1,048 yards receiving. The biggest stat was the amount of touchdowns he caught, with two.

There are many good reasons for this, including the emergence of Greg Jennings as a star receiver, Wynn and Grant being strong on the goal line, and the solid play of Donald Lee at the TE position. However, there is no excuse for only two touchdowns when you play in all but one game. The breakaway speed was just not shown this year, minus the touchdown catch against the Giants in the NFC Championship game.

Yes, he does still have the ability to gain those extra yards through his hard work, but he needs to keep working the middle of the field and making one or two defenders miss. Driver is known for yards after the catch, so take that away from him, and he is not a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver on any team.

2) Will McCarthy continue with the five-wide formations even without Favre?

Last year, on Nov. 11, Coach McCarthy used a formation known as the five-wide with his top-five receivers on the depth chart. This included, from left to right on the field in different formations, Driver, Jennings, Jones, Martin, and Robinson. This would leave the QB in a shotgun formation, with no running back for protection.

The routes would consist of one player running a fly pattern, another two running slants, and the other two either running an up-and-out or a comeback. The formation would cause the defense to go into man coverage, and drop more men than usual. The intent of the offense is to find a weak defensive back who usually plays special teams, but is forced into the position because of the threat of a deep pass.

This offense required a quick-thinking quarterback and precise route-running by the receivers. It also requires the offensive line to have perfect pass-protection, because if one man gets beat, he is leaving his quarterback out to dry.

With the addition of Jordy Nelson to a solid group of receivers, it looks like McCarthy is keeping that page in the playbook. Rodgers is a smart quarterback, but can also buy extra time with his feet. Look for the Packers to use this formation to surprise opponents, and even get Jennings on a mismatch for a quick score.

3) Will James Jones continue to improve?

Jones was considered one of the best WR taken in the 2007 draft. We used our third-round pick on him, and he emerged as our No. 3 receiver on the depth chart.

When Green Bay fans see him play, all they can think of is Sterling Sharp. He has a solid build, but his hands are what remind fans of greatness. He uses his hands, not his body, to make plays, and he was very consistent throughout the season.

The only knock on him happened the night of our Sunday night game against the Bears. On back-to-back possessions he fumbled on catches that would have lead to scoring drives. For such a talented receiver, I don’t believe we should let one night ruin an impressive rookie season.

One stat that worries me is the decline of his numbers as the season went on. In his first five games he came out and impressed everyone with 24 catches. The last five games he had only seven. This may be due to his growing up in warm weather and playing in California.

When I attended the Packers-Raiders game this past December, I met a couple of his college teammates in the stadium. They were camped out in the men’s bathroom not leaving because they did not want to brave the cold. This was in the middle of the third quarter during an exiting high scoring game. Maybe it is no surprise he had zero catches that game, and spent more time near the heater on the sideline than running routes.

Jones needs to work hard this summer and come out strong at the beginning of the season. He will be given a lot of opportunity this year in Green Bay, and should be able to beat out Jordy Nelson for the third spot. If he can continue to run tight routes and improve his hands, he will emerge as the best No. 3 receiver in the league.

4) Is Greg Jennings the No. 1 receiver since Brett is gone and Driver was his favorite target?

If we are ranking the No. 1 position on our depth chart by present athletic abilities and numbers, then Jennings may be No. 1 on the depth chart. If we are ranking it by clutch plays, leadership, and heart, it is clear the position still belongs to number Driver.

Jennings had a big year in ’07, with 12 touchdown receptions and just under 1,000 yards receiving. This is after missing the first two games to injury and the last one because it was a meaningless game. He had the habit for game-winning plays, including the memorable game winner on the first play of overtime against Denver.

Jennings is still a young player, which is a good thing, we have many more years ahead of us, and a bad thing, he is not very experienced and sometimes makes rookie mistakes. Jennings also benefited from forming a relationship with Favre that made their slant pass one of the most dangerous routes in football.

In the end, I don’t think Jennings would be as good without Driver, which makes him the No. 1 receiver on this football team. In the next couple years, Jennings will assume the role of the Packers best receiver, and he should be invited to the Pro Bowl this year as one of the league’s best.

5) Will Ruvell Martin become the receiver he’s destined to be, or will Jordy Nelson become the star his first year in the league?

I honestly believe I am the biggest Ruvell Martin fan in the US. Well, maybe next to his mom and close friends. I have always been a supporter of this kid, and I think he can be great in the game of football.

Martin is a strong 6’4", and the media guide lists him at 215 pounds, but I think that is off after seeing him in person a few times. He is solid. He has a lot of athleticism, and when given the opportunity, makes plays. When you look at Martin, he looks like the perfect mold of a WR, which always frustrates me to see him only catch a ball or two a game.

He has had a tough path to the NFL, bouncing from team to team and playing overseas as well. In his two years as a Packer, he has had 37 catches and five TDs. Of those five, four were last year, which gives me hope he is getting comfortable with the offense. When you watch him, you notice he can play any position, and he is not afraid to go across the middle. He is coming into camp as the No. 4 receiver, but the rookie from Kansas St. will not let him have that without a fight.

I believe Jordy Nelson will be our slot receiver for the next decade. He is also blessed to be put in a position where he does not have to come out on day one and catch 10 passes and a TD. He will be able to learn the offense, and pick Donald Driver’s brain for the next couple months and mold into an ideal receiver.

Ruvell will continue to improve, but his learning curve is bigger than Nelson's who will probably end up taking his job half way through the season. If you haven’t seen Nelson play, look his name up on YouTube and watch in amazement.

I will continue to post my top things to watch out for in the upcoming season as the weeks go on. Let me know your thoughts on these five, and some of your other thoughts on our new “Big Five”

Here’s to leading the league in yards after catch.

Aaron Rodgers Is Clearly Green Bay Packers' Top Quarterback

Brian Miller — Sun, 25 May 2008 09:55:14 -0400

With practices already begun and the preseason only weeks away, it is time to settle the question that is on every Packer fans mind: who should be our starting quarterback?

I am going on the assumption that Brett Favre will only be on the Packers' sideline once this year, to have his jersey retired the first week of the season. I love this move by the Green Bay management. They retire him as fast as possible, because they know what kind of effect he could have on the team and at the QB position especially.

I am not saying they hate him or they wanted him to retire. I am just saying Favre going back and forth, telling different people different things is really hurting the team.

Now to the quarterback battle. It is pretty clear it will be between Rodgers and Brohm. Matt Flynn is a good ballplayer and a winner, but for the NFL, it is clear he is not ready and is a little undersized. I am happy to have him in camp and ecstatic to have him as the third-string back.

It is pretty obvious who will be under center the first snap of the year and for the last game of the year. Let's talk about Aaron Rodgers and why he has earned this spot. He started his college career in Chico, Calif. at a small school named Butte College. He was a pure leader there, leading them to a 10-1 record and a No. 2 national ranking.

Realizing the pros would not be calling him at a school named Butte, he transferred to play with the big boys at Cal. He played sparingly in the first four games, but took over the starting position his fifth game of his sophomore season and never gave it back. Overall, he had great numbers and won some big games, including a couple bowl games.

Going into the draft, he had marks and a lot of people thought he would be taken in the Top Five. Rodgers was hit by bad luck and slid all the way to No. 24. Having carried Favre's notebook since 2005, Rodgers has learned a lot. He has never started and has really only played in two regular season games.

The first was against New England in the 2006 season after Favre got hurt and New England was giving the Pack a beatdown. The second was against Dallas last year. He came in for Favre, who again got hurt and was struggling, and he had an impressive game. He threw for 201 yards and a TD and got us back in the game.

Aaron has decent size at 6-foot-2, and he is solid at 223 pounds. He has improved greatly on his arm strength and can move well around the pocket. Also, when the pocket collapses, he can run for a first down.

The biggest plus is his teammates have confidence in him. Driver and Jennings support this kid with everything in them. Players have been quoted as saying Rodgers knew defenses better this year then anyone. He could predict what they were going to do and be right a lot.

Rodgers has also been around Green Bay most of the summer and was a participant in McCarthy's QB school. He fits perfect in the West Coast offense and if he can keep himself healthy he is easily the best QB in the NFC North.

Brohm was brought to Green Bay to compete for a starting job. He is a solid quarterback and may get his chance in the next couple years, or he may sit the bench get better while learning under Rodgers. Then, he could go on to another team and become their franchise quarterback for a former coach. That's weird; I think that’s happened before.

Here's to a good training camp battle and no injuries.

Another Death on an Escalator at a Ballpark? First Mets now Braves

Brian Miller — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:23:41 -0400

I will first start this story by expressing my deepest sympathy for the families of two men who lost their lives recently in escalator deaths. My prayers go out to you and your friends and family.

Last night in Atlanta, another fan fell to his death when horseplaying on an escalator. This is the second accident this season that happened in a Major League Baseball stadium. Tuesday, April 15th, a Brooklyn man fell to his death after watching his beloved Mets win 6-0.

Witnesses said they saw the man attempting to slide down the side of an escalator in an attempt to have a little "fun." The man was attending the game with his relatives and two daughters. This was the first time someone died at Shea Stadium since 1985, when a 21-year-old male fell to his death in a similar situation.

Now let's fast forward to last night.

The Atlanta Braves were hosting the Mets in a four-game series. After the third win in a row, the unspeakable happened again—a 25-year-old man died after an incident involving falling off an escalator.

An Atlanta Police spokesman addressed the situation and said the male may have been sliding down the rail and alcohol may have been involved. They will do an autopsy to confirm the alcohol accusation.

Two deaths in two months?

Something has to be put in place around Major League Baseball Stadiums—stat. I live in the NYC borough of Queens and attend MLB games quite frequently. You don't want to know the number of times I have seen intoxicated fans sliding down rails after wins in celebration or after losses when they have consoled themselves with Brooklyn Lager.

Most recently, I attended the Mets-Nationals game Tuesday, May 13. The Mets played a good game and won 6-3.

I was sitting with a friend who has season tickets and we stayed until the end. We were walking out with the crowds and, as I was descending down the final two escalators, I saw three fans in their mid-twenties, who smelled of beer, attempting to slide down the railing of the escalator.

Remember, this is the same stadium where the fan fell to his death a couple weeks earlier and was all over the news and the papers. I attempted to let the morons know what I thought, but they laughed it off and even shot back at me.

What do pro stadiums need to do to prevent these kind of situations from happening again? When you mix alcohol, friends, and sports rivalries, stuff like this is bound to happen.

Again, my sympathy goes out to the families of these two men and to the adults and kids who observed the falls.

Here's to safety at pro sports events...

General Mike McCarthy Leads Green Bay Packers' OTA

Brian Miller — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:49:44 -0400

Wednesday, May 21, provided me my first excited moment towards for the beginning of a new Green Bay Packers season. The men from Green Bay gathered in the Don Hutson Center outside of Lambeau Field. The center named after our great WR and DB. Check out this guy's stats, and you will know why they named a field for him. He played from '35-'45 and had 99 career TD receptions and 30 interceptions.

When Coach McCarthy's whistle blew, 84 out of the 88 player on our current roster were in Don Hutson Center ready to learn. The only players not available were two of our college kids from Portland State who are still in school taking finals (Condrew Allen and Andrew Carvahlo), and our star DBs Mr. Woodson and Mr. Harris. I guess Al is still looking for a barber due to the new rules on hair length, and Woodson is just too good to train in Green Bay and must stay home.

Also, Ryan Grant will not be apart of these organized practices until he gets a new contract. I know this is a business, but can't the organization get a contract done for this star for years to come? We have the most money available in the league, and this kid continues to stay around town working with Coach Bennett and keeping in shape to ensure him a spot next year in Hawaii.

This will not be a big deal in the long run, and he will have a contract by the time training camp hits. But it is still an issue that would make any Packer fan concerned.

The practice provided a lot of exiting plays and hard work, from both the defense and our offense. According to a couple reports, Rodgers and Brohm both looked good, and it is very apparent that Rodgers's arm strength continues to grow and grow. Also, our first pick in this year's draft made a highlight catch when Brian Brohm threw him a deep ball that was under thrown. Jordy adjusted, and made a nice catch against our rookie DB Patrick Lee.

However, an NFL mini-camp will always have its downsides. Justin "I'm prone to injury" Harrell was injured once again. He had surgery in April on his back because of an injury caused by lifting weights. At least it wasn't from wrestling with family and slipping on a McDonald's bag. He says he will be ready for training camp, so let's keep our fingers crossed. I do have faith in this kid, and I know if he stays healthy he will anchor the tackle spot for years to come, but I just don't know if he can shake the injury bug.

Overall, the reports from camp have brought a smile to my face, and have provided me a chance to thank my lucky stars that we don't have the drama of selfish holdouts, or football players who would rather dance. We are in good hands with Coach McCarthy, who will get these men prepared for another great season.

Here's to staying healthy...