Scott Pioli Injury Shakes Up Fantasy Front Office Football Draft

Gary Knight — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:14:17 -0400

Scott Pioli, Vice President of Player Personnel for the New England Patriots, has a sprained right index finger and may miss the entire 2008 season, meaning the projected No. 1 fantasy front office football executive will not be eligible for this weekend’s draft. Bill Parcels will most likely move up as the consensus first pick.

Pioli was injured during a fishing trip this weekend in Falmouth, Massachusetts and taken to a nearby hospital where he also received three stitches for a cut to the same hand.

Pioli could not be reached for comment.

“I’m just bummed,” said Kip Harwell, 19, of Bangor, Maine upon hearing the news at an L.L. Bean outlet store. “I had the first pick in the draft this year and I was finally going to have him. I guess I’ll just get ‘The Tuna’ instead.”

Don Majkowski Set to Un-Retire

Gary Knight — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:41:17 -0400

Ex-Packer Says Pressure from Management Led to "Premature" Decision

Former Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski says he's "still got it," and wants one last shot at leading the Packers to a Super Bowl before retiring for good.

"Back in '82, I used to be able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile," says Majkowski, who nowadays lives in an RV and looks over his nephews in rural Texas.

The "Majik Man" started the entire 1989 season for the Packers, and was named to the Pro Bowl that year, but after suffering a torn ligament in his ankle during a game in 1992, was replaced by Brett Favre, who then went on to start a record 253 straight regular season games for the team. Majowski would finish up his career in Detroit in 1996 after back-up stints with both the Lions and Colts, but his dismissal in Green Bay still haunts him.

"Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind," he said.

Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy refused to go into any detail about Majkowski's decision. "I haven't heard anything about this," said McCarthy.

Just when Packers brass thought they had avoided a media circus after Favre was traded to the Jets last week, it appears they have another situation on their hands. Incumbent Aaron Rodgers will now have to deal with yet another ex-NFL great looming over his shoulder.

"When I was a kid, I had a poster of Brett Favre, which I used to cover up my poster of Don Majkowski," said Rodgers after Tuesday morning drills. "Now I'm competing against [that guy]."

"Unbelievable," he added.

Majkowski knows his chances of securing the number one job will be slim, but he's not letting that stop him.

"How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?" he said.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Gary Knight

Scott Pioli Injury Shakes Up Fantasy Front Office Football Draft

Don Majkowski Set to Un-Retire