I am a little late on this news, roughly five-weeks, but then again nobody really reads my blog…so here goes: Colt Brennan is a pro quarterback again. According to the 2.28.12 edition of the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Brennan signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Courtesy of the Honolulu Star Advertiser:

 After a stellar career at UH, where he led the Warriors to the Sugar Bowl after the 2007 season and was a Heisman Trophy finalist, Brennan was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He started strong, completing 36 of 53 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns.

But he was placed on injured reserve because of hamstring and hip injuries. In 2010, the Redskins traded for quarterback John Beck and later released Brennan in August. Brennan was picked up by Oakland, which also cut him.

In June 2011, Brennan signed with the Hartford Colonials in the United Football League for the 2011 season. But the league suspended operations of the Colonials a few months later and Brennan was not selected by any of the four remaining UFL teams in a dispersal draft.

While at UH, Brennan broke numerous records, including the NCAA Division I record for most touchdown passes in a single season with 58 and an NCAA record for highest pass completion percentage (70.4 percent).

Brennan is yet another example of why I should never be allowed to judge NFL talent or be the GM of an NFL franchise, unless it’s Madden. I thought Brennan would be a solid NFL QB, not spectacular, that hammered out a pretty good career. At Hawaii he was most accurate passer I had ever seen. Of course he played in the WAC and had contests against the University of Idaho, San Jose State, New Mexico State University and Utah State University. The four aforementioned teams are usually listed in ESPN’s Bottom 10.

Brennan wasn’t my first failure as a judge of football talent. Here is a partial list:

• Jeff George
• Matt Jones
• Drew Carter
• Andre Woodson
• Darnell Hackney
• Byron Leftwich
• Andre Ware
• David Klingler
• David Terrell (former Chicago Bears wideout, not the MMA fighter from my hometown of Santa Rosa, CA)
• Reggie Bush
• Matt Leinart
• Charles Rogers
• Mike Williams
• Robert Gallery

 Despite less than stellar careers in the NFL those guys became core players in Madden Franchise Mode for me and hold a special place my heart. In the digital realm JaMarcus Russell isn’t a bust. He is a top flight QB with a cannon arm. Obviously this is fan fiction because we know how Russell turned out.

The Arizona Cardinals face some tough decision on which of their own free agents they want to retain. From stars to role players the franchise will have to make some tough choices and in a way make admissions that some of their prior draft choices did not live up to the potential.

 Free Agents The Cardinals Will Likely Re-sign:

Calais Campbell (DE): The Defensive End had a breakout season with eight-sacks and two-forced fumbles.

Early Doucet (WR):  He had the best season of his four-year career. He finished with54-receptions for 689-yards and five-touchdowns.

Jay Feely (K):  After 11-seasons in the NFL he is still an accurate kicker and connected 19 of 24 field goal attempts.

Richard Bartel (QB): Saw limited action as the third-string quarterback

 A.J. Jefferson (CB): Started seven-games and reeled in one interception.

 Rashad Johnson (FS) The third-year pro has improved each season.

 Brandon Keith (OT): Was on IR for part of the 2011 season. Adds depth to the offensive line.

 Mike Leach (LS): A good long snapper is hard to find and this veteran is an asset to the Cardinals.

Deuce Letui (G): A solid offensive lineman, despite failing a physical that would have landed him a new home last offseason.

Richard Marshall (CB) Started nine-games in 2011 and recorded three-interceptions and two-sacks.

LaRod Stephens-Howling (RB/KR) A solid kick returner during his three-seasons in Arizona.

 Free Agents The Cardinals Will Likely Not Re-sign:

 Hamza Abdullah (CB):  The seven-year veteran will likely be replaced with a younger, less expensive option.

D’Anthony Batiste (T): Saw limited action in 2011, appearing in three-games off the bench.

Marshay Green (CB): Appeared in one-game for the Cardinals.

 Clark Haggans (OLB): Despite a solid season with three-sacks and 46-tackles the 34-year old could be released due to his age.

Max Hall (QB): The odd man out due to the Cardinals having three-quarterbacks.

 Alfonso Smith (RB) With the Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and the return of Ryan Williams, Smith will be the odd man out.

 Chester Taylor (RB) Like Alfonso Smith, Taylor is a casualty of too running back options on the roster.

 Greg Toler (CB) Did not play in 2011.

 Stephen Williams (WR) In two-seasons with the Cardinals he has caught nine-passes. None is 2011.

 Floyd Womack (G) Did not play in 2011 and will be entering his 12^thseason in 2012.

 Extra- Levi Brown (OT ): Brown is not a free agent but is owed $8.3 million in 2012 and the money is not guaranteed. The fifth overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft has underperformed and is a constant reminder that the Cardinals could have drafted Adrian Peterson instead.

The recent news of Jay Cutler’s injury, which will likely sideline him for the rest of the regular season, has hella bummed me out. I do my best not to take athletics too seriously because in the grand scheme of things the winner or loser of a game isn’t that big of a deal when one considers the other maladies of society. But alas Cutler’s injury, and the diminishing hopes of the Bears’ playoff chances got me down.

Cutler has pulled off the possible during his brief tenure in Chicago: he has made the Bears a legit passing threat for the first time since Sid Luckman was taking snaps during the Franklin Roosevelt administration.

I am a Jay Cutler fan. As a matter of fact I was wearing his jersey today while I was traveling from Arizona to Santa Rosa, CA. I didn’t get a lot of compliments for the jersey but the guy that served me my lunch at Wendy’s offered his condolences for the Bears loss of their starting quarterback.

Cutler is polarizing, not as much as Tim Tebow, for somewhat vague reasons. I assume that the disdain towards Cutler is that he comes across as aloof and many folks think that he is the new millennium’s Jeff George.

…in ESPN The Magazine’s 2009 NFL preview mentioned the uncanny comparisons between Cutler and George: two can’t-miss, Hoosier-born QBs with golden arms and rotten ‘tudes. Then, in December, former Ravens coach Brian Billick mentioned that Cutler, who led the league in picks, was starting to feel a little “Jeff George-ish.” Pretty soon everyone was wondering if Jay Cutler was indeed the reincarnation of Jeff George, the No. 1 pick overall in 1990 whose attitude and leadership led him to three winning seasons in 12 years with five different teams. – David Fleming of ESPN.com, 10/28/2010

DavidPatrickCastro.net is a Pro-Jeff George website.  As of 11/23/2011 I have nine Jeff George based postings on this blog. To put that in perspective my favorite band is Oasis, I have been a fan since 1995 and I own approximately 30 of their CD’s, and the lads from Manchester only have five postings dedicated to their former glory.

I am a devoted fan of Jeff George and even though he is in his 40′s I still hold onto hope that he will resurrect his NFL career. Last season I wanted the AZ Cardinals to take a chance on Jeff George because their QB carousel had less talent the former first pick of the 1990 NFL Draft.  This season the Bears unfortunately find themselves in a similar quagmire as the aforementioned Cardinals during  their 2010 campaign: Both teams are QB challenged and George could be the savior of a floundering offense.

Yes, I realize that Jeff George will be 44 next month but he is a savvy veteran with something to prove and a recent workout film shows that he can still make all the throws.

But maybe I am delusional and my admiration is too strong because I have based my being a fan of the former University Illinois QB on his domination in Madden. In Madden franchise mode my offense is loosely based on the Oakland Raiders’ Vertical Stretch and with the vertical game you need a strong armed QB and Jeff George fulfilled that requirement. That and he was always cheap and great for the salary cap. So like Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl my view of Jeff George is somewhat askew because he dominated a video game.

But having Jeff George replace the injured Cutler would of course be quite ironic. Like I mentioned before, with the aid of David Fleming, Cutler has been compared to George on numerous occasions and these comparisons are in a negative manner.  I believe that both signal callers are extremely talented and blessed with skills that most of their peers lack. Unfortunately both QB’s are have stigmas that have tainted their respective careers and give them the persona that they are gifted malcontents that will never fulfill their prodigious wares.

But like I mentioned ad nauseum I am fan of both QBs and I believe that Jeff George is a viable replacement in the interim  for the Bears as they wait for Cutler’s triumphant return. Of course George resurrecting his career in Chicago is a pipe dream and I know that the Bears are calling in Caleb Hanie to fill in while Cutler heals.  Sadly George has a bad reputation to many pundits and coaches alike but one has to admire a guy who put together a video to showcase his talents, despite his age and lack of prior interest in NFL circles. Simply put I would like to see a team, preferably Chicago, take a chance on George. Yes, I realize that he was once thought of as a malcontent and that he was quoted as saying, “That leadership stuff is overrated.” But I think he has matured as a player and we need to put that sideline argument in 1996, with head coach June Jones, behind us. It’s been over a decade and unfortunately that is how George is perceived. As a fan of George I hope he gets one more shot, whether it’s with Chicago or even with a UFL franchise. It’s time to forgive George for past mistakes and realize that he wants to play. Now he just needs an opportunity from a squad that needs a QB, like my beloved Chicago Bears.

That leadership stuff is overrated. – Jeff George

Last night I went to the Montreal Canadiens vs. Phoenix Coyotes game and in the process I knocked off another task on my bucket list.  Also I recently listened to Noel Gallagher’s solo endeavor, which was another facet of my Bucket List, so I need to revise my original list.

• Seeing my namesake graduate from The U or USC. Essentially any school besides my beloved Nevada.  Like any father, I want a better life for my child. Specifically I want him to go to a college with a better football team. Except Penn State, which is coached by pederasts.
• The Super Bowl. Regardless of teams involved, except the 49ers.
• MLB Playoffs. The Cubs picked up Theo Epstein recently, so in theory I may get the opportunity to see them in the playoffs. I am doing my best to be optimistic.
• NBA Slam Dunk Competition
• Tiger Woods playing in a Major. Tiger has not been Tiger since his marital fiasco but he may be the most dominate athlete of my lifetime. Yes, I consider golfers athletes, except Craig Stadler.
• Daytona 500 and the August race at Bristol.
• Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. I have seen them three times. At San Francisco (Jerry Rice Day, which was the low point of my life) Arizona (The Devin Hester Game, which was the greatest sporting event I have seen in person) and at Oakland.
• The Nevada Wolf Pack in a Men’s NCAA Tournament basketball game. The Pack is rebuilding so it could be a few years until they qualify for The Dance.
• The Wolf Pack in a bowl game. Hopefully without Coach Ault at the helm.
• Revisit London, Amsterdam and Dublin from my study abroad odyssey. Due to excesses of every kind I have a vague recollection of being in Europe and studying Art History and English Literature.
• Visit Graceland. It always time to TCB in Memphis, TN.
• See the NFL Draft.
• Marion Motley getting the statue and recognition he deserves at the University of Nevada.
• MLB retiring Roberto Clemente’s number 21.
• A bowling league championship. I didn’t spend three-semesters in bowling class at Nevada for no reason.
• See New York City. Convenient since my main man Our Kid resides there.
• Visit all the locations that Dazed and Confused was filmed at in Austin, Texas.
• Visit the Astrodome and Olympic Stadium. This will be difficult because the Astrodome has been open to visitors since Hurricane Katrina.
• See a Montreal Canadiens game in Montreal. Last night’s game was cool and the realization of a long held dream but there were very few Habs fans in attendance. I’d like the opportunity to be amongst my peers. I use the term peers loosely since I am not Canadian but I feel there is a cosmic connection among fans of the same team.

Randy Moss announced his retirement after 13-seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans. I honestly believe that Moss could of helped my beloved Chicago Bears but it wasn’t meant to be as The Monsters of The Midway signed Roy Williams over the weekend to bolster their receiving corp.

“In a lot of ways, he was the Michael Jordan of offenses in our league,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. “He was a special player for a long, long time.”

I am  Randy Moss fan and to certain degree a Randy Moss apologist. My excessive posts about the idea of him signing with the Bears is proof of that.  But my love of Moss the player and not the malcontent person is because he was the best wide receiver I have seen and I still maintain that if he played with a top quarterback throughout his career Jerry Rice’s numbers would have been in jeopardy.

But alas he played two-seasons with Tom Brady and produced 2,757 yards receiving, 36 touchdowns (including an NFL record 23 TD receptions in 2007) and 181-receptions for an average of 15.2 yards per reception. I am stuck in perpetual conjecture at what Moss could have been a stable environment.

Despite a revolving door of QB’s throughout his career he is Canton bound because of his many accomplishments and accolades:

• NFL’s 2000 All Decade Teams
• Comeback Player of the Year (2007)
• 7x Pro Bowl selection
• 5x All Pro selection
• AP NFL Rookie of the Year (1998)
• Rated #65 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com as of 2009 season

According to Randy Moss’ agent the 34-year old wide receiver is in “freakish shape”.

“He is determined, motivated and quite frankly has a huge chip on his shoulder. Whatever team ends up getting Randy, they’re going to know they’re getting the old Randy Moss,” Moss’ agent Joel Segal told NFL.com. “He’s not just coming in to be on the team, he’s going to be Randy Moss — a difference maker.”

It has been noted a few times on this website that I want the Chicago Bears to make a run at the soon to be unemployed wide receiver. The Bears need some height to augment their vertically challenged receiving corps. If Moss comes to training camp in shape and motivated for one final contract, he’s 34, then the Bears get an outstanding wide receiver.

One must remember that a motivated Moss stretched the field for the two greatest offenses in the history of the NFL in the Super Bowl era. In 2007 the New England Patriots set an NFL record when they averaged 36.81 points per game and the 1998 Minnesota Vikings were second all-time when they average 34.75 ppg.

I am not saying that the Bears would be getting the younger Moss that was a defensive coordinator’s nightmare. What I am saying is that they have the opportunity to enhance their depth chart with a known commodity that is motivated. In reality he won’t be the Randy Moss of old, despite the best intentions of his agent, but he can help the Bears in a very competitive NFC North

I saw a recent headline that indicated that the Chicago Bears were interested in Moss. It turns out the article was referring to Washington wide receiver Santana Moss and not Randy Moss.

 Needless to say I was quite bummed by this development because, like I have mentioned on a few occasions, I want the Bears to pursue Randy Moss. It seems unlikely that they will go after him but a guy can dream. I also need to realize that running an NFL team is not the same as Madden Franchise mode.

In a prior post I wanted the Chicago Bears to make a run at wide receiver Randy Moss to bolster their vertically challenged receiving roster. The Bears current depth chart at wide receiver has four wide receivers listed and they top off at 6’0”.

• Johnny Knox 6’0”
• Earl Bennett 6’0”
• Devin Hester 5’11”
• Rashied Davis 5’9”

Because of the recent labor issue free agency and the rest of the NFL is shut down but there will be a few veteran receivers over the Bears current six feet reach once the league starts up again. Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and the recently released Plaxico Burress should be available to the highest bidder.

• Randy Moss 6’4” age 34
• Terrell Owens 6’3” age 37
• Plaxico Burress 6’5” age 33

Beyond lacking height the Bears lacked a legit big play threat. Both Knox and Hester are speed burners that can stretch the field but they are not legitimite number one receivers. Either of the three tall wideouts could bolster the Bears young depth chart.

Of course each of the aforementioned wide receivers carries baggage to one degree or another. Moss burned multiple bridges and ended up playing with three-teams last season. Burress just got out of prison after serving nearly two-years on a weapons related charge. Owens has been diva throughout his career and at 37 he may not be the same receiver he used to be.

If the Bears did roll the dice on any of the three they would be there to augment the depth chart and to give Jay Cutler taller options in the red zone. The Bears ended up one game short of the Super Bowl so there isn’t much that needs to be fixed, besides the offensive line.
David Patrick Castro

Dear DPC2;
I have been a sports fan since I can remember and my Dad, your Grandfather, likes to point out that I saw Nolan Ryan pitch for the Houston Astros, against the Chicago Cubs, at Wrigley Field when I was three years old. I have no recollection of this game but according to history I was there.

I remember developing a taste for sports in 1987, when I was 9, my first loves were football and baseball. I grew up in Santa Rosa, CA which is a little over an hour from Oakland Coliseum (home of the Oakland A’s) and Candlestick Park (the dungeon home of the Giants) so your Grandfather took me and your Uncle Bryan to quite a few games. These were great times and they will always remain cherished memories from my youth. I consider myself lucky that my Dad took us to games. Not every kid gets that opportunity and when the time comes I hope you will go to football and baseball games with me and your Grandfather.

For as long as I can remember your Grandfather maintained a pair of ideologies that he could never be swayed from. First: Sandy Koufax was the most dominate pitcher in the history of mankind. Even though his career was cut short, by debilitating arthritis in his throwing arm, his four years of dominance for the Dodgers was awe-inspiring and worthy of his Hall of Fame induction and a lifetime of admiration from all who saw him. Second: Gale Sayers was the greatest half back ever and like Koufax his career was cut short by injury. Though his career only lasted for four full seasons his work was unmatched as a running back and kick returner. Also he was immortalized in Bryan’s Song, with Billy Dee Williams as Sayers and Jimmie Caan as the doomed Brian Piccolo.

As time goes on and if you develop a love of sports you will realize that, like my Dad, I have an abnormal amount of love for an athlete whose career was cut short. For me, that man is Bo Jackson. An All Star in baseball for the Kansas City Royal and a Pro Bowler in football for the Los Angeles Raiders. (Yes, the Raiders moved from Oakland in the 80’s and then came back north to Oakland in the mid 90’s). Jackson was the best athlete of my lifetime and I believe he would have been the best running back ever if he hadn’t injured his hip against the Bengals.

Jackson was 6’1” 227 pounds and ran the 100-meters in 10.39 seconds. He was built for power but had the speed on a sprinter. In his football career, which was part time because he played baseball full time for the Royals, he played 38-games spread over four seasons. Essentially he would play the entire baseball schedule of 162-games and then move right into playing for the Raiders. The only other modern athlete to do this was Deion Sanders.

Jackson’s career numbers don’t compare to other athletes with transcendent careers that were cut short (like Koufax and Sayers) and he won’t make the Hall of Fame for the NFL or MLB. In total he had 2782 rushing yards, while averaging 5.4 ypc and he scored 16-touchdowns but on one special Monday night he won me over forever.

On November 30, 1987 I was a nine-year old football fanatic. I was just getting into the game but I already loved it like only a kid could. This was Bo’s fifth game in the NFL and he was taking on the Seattle Seahawks who were lead on defense by Brian Bosworth.

Then, a Ruben Rodriguez punt pinned the Raiders on their own 5-yard line. On third-and-six, Jackson took the handoff and went around left end. Eugene Robinson dived at him when he got to the corner but missed. At that point, Jackson turned upfield and, before anyone knew what had happened, Bo was gone. He had beaten defenders so badly it appeared as if he let up around the Seattle 30 and put it on autopilot from then on. He didn’t stop running until he emerged from the runway beyond the end zone, and then tossed the ball up and swung at it with an imaginary bat as if to show the world of his two-sport prowess.
Then-MNF analyst Dan Dierdorf exclaimed, “He might not stop ’til Tacoma.”
The 91-yard TD, which established a new Raider record and is second-longest on MNF, broke the game open. The Raiders tacked on a couple of field goals to cap a 20-point second quarter and hold a 27-7 edge at halftime. But Jackson was not done. On the Raiders’ initial possession of the second half, he sparked a 75-yard scoring drive with a 42-yard gallop, and completed the effort with a two-yard power run when he literally carried linebacker Brian Bosworth across the goal line. – http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/classic/bojackson87.html

It’s been nearly 14-years since that game and I remember his 91-yard touchdown run like it was yesterday. As a matter of fact I re-watch it about once a week on YouTube. From that point on Bo wasn’t just another running back. He was the best running back I have ever seen, even if his career was so short. I have seen many great running backs since then. Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Adrian Peterson, Emmitt Smith (who I feel is overrated but that’s another story for another time), Chris Johnson, LaDanian Tomlinson and all the rest don’t do the same thing to me that Jackson did. It was a short career but it was magical.
If you become a sports fan you will likely have the sentiments about an athlete whose career was cut short but was transcendent in his limited performances. This notion of athletes whose careers were cut short is constant and you can look to any sport and find many examples but I hope that your favorite athlete enjoys a long career.