Matt Barley just has a decision to make over the next few months. Go into the NFL and be a #1 pick or stay for senior season at USC. Usually I can’t see why these guys would not want to go to the NFL, especially if they are going to be in the top 10 or so of the draft and it’s looking more and more like he will go very high. I was critical of Luck, Leinart, Bradford, etc., and it made perfect sense to me when Mark Sanchez came out early.

However, I think the decision is a bit different for Barkley. He has never had the chance to really play for a National Championship. He was thrown to the wolves his first year and by the second year the sanctions started. He clearly loves playing for USC, he has two star receivers coming back and the team looks to be in a great position to make a BCS run. Next year he has a good chance of winning the Heisman and being the #1 draft pick. These are legacy possibilities that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Is there a risk of getting hurt? Perhaps, but it’s fairly remote and rarely happens. Bradford did get hurt his first game of the Senior year, but it had no effect on his draft status. Barkey doesn’t strike me as one a kid waiting to get rich and buy a new car, house, etc. He has an amazing life at USC and it will only get better next year as he truly will receive national attention, magazine covers and ESPN interviews.

For this one player in this unique situation, it really might make sense to stay one more year. I would say it’s 50/50 or maybe even 60/40 for him staying, but I would not be surprised at all if he does go to the pros.

If, as it seems, the NFL lockout ends within the next week, it appears that the only game in the 2011 season that could potentially be in jeopardy would be the Hall of Fame Game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams. However, it appears as though preseason and the regular season are to proceed as expected. Given the long nature of the lockout, there are sure to be ramifications – both positive and negative – for teams, and individual players for the 2011 season. I personally see this as being a season ripe for the breakout of individual players.

But who do I see these breakout players being? I’m not referring to the obvious Cam Newton’s or Blaine Gabbert’s. My money is on veteran players, and other relatively unknown players who have been in the league for a number of years, having the potential to have a very successful year. The reason I see it being a veteran, backup, or even third stringer with a few years of NFL experience is due to a few factors. First off is the NFL experience they have had. Players who have been in the league for a number of years know the “scheme” of the team they play for, they have on the field experience – or at the very least, NFL style and intensity practices under their belts, and they have had a chance to adjust to the increased speed, aggressiveness, and intensity of the NFL.

Some are likely wondering how the lockout might have this effect. During the lockout players were forced to take control of their own personal and multi-player training efforts. This means that guys were on their own, finding their own trainers, as well as their own facilities to practice in. For those who evaluate their performance during previous seasons are able to identify the areas where they have the greatest number of weakness. When working with a personal trainer, using a regimen that is very much individual-oriented, one can focus on those areas of weakness. Whereas, in team oriented practice sessions, this may be a lesser focus.

Many players, since they had to take their own training upon themselves, have also contacted players from their own, as well as other teams. This gives them a wider variety of skills to enhance since most teams run slightly different offensive and defensive schemes. Players are exposed more directly to those differences. Cores that have gotten together to have self-directed practices are also likely to be at an advantage as they have stayed in shape, have worked with the playbook, and have also likely stayed in better rhythm as a unit than those cores who have not been focused on team-oriented practice sessions.

As much as who has been working out, with who, how much, and on what, are also those players who have slacked off during the lockout – and there are those who have done this. These players are likely to come back out of shape and out of sync. Could this lead to a slew of early season injuries due to lack of conditioning? It seems that this could certainly play out as such, which would allow backups a chance to show off their skills, perhaps breaking out as a great player who makes a big impact on the team in the 2011 season. One thing is for certain, if things go off without a hitch and we have football as we expect to, this is going to be an interesting season for sure.

As we have passed beyond the 100 day mark in the NFL lockout, there are many who are starting to wonder if we will, in fact, have a 2011 NFL season or not. With rumors swirling that cover both extremes, and not much official coming from either the NFL Players Association or the owners, speculation seems to be all we have to fall back on. There are rumors that a deal is close to being made, and that the NFL season will proceed on a regular schedule; then there are also rumors that players and owners are preparing for the possibility of an 8-game 2011 NFL season. As with most things that come out of a rumor mill, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

But there has been progress this week in an official capacity. The two sides have been ordered to once again and sit down and try to work out a negotiation. Though it still appears that neither side is budging, and negotiations have been minimal, all should see this as a step towards progress. Does this mean that they are close to coming to an agreement? More than likely, it doesn’t really mean much at this point, but it could. These are court-ordered mediation/negotiation sessions and the players and owners have no choice in participating in said sessions. We will have to see “what comes out of the wash”, as they say, once this latest rounds of talks come to a close.

There is speculation that things are going well, but there is starting to be a sense of real urgency. Not only are players going to start going without paychecks – as they have already been unable to access facilities, trainers, physical therapists, and team doctors – but time is also running short for teams to actually plan and execute a full scale training camp. Many say that if a deal is not garnered before July 4th, that the ability for many NFL teams to have the proper training scenario is going to be impossible.

So what are the players doing? Surprisingly, most of them are getting down to business, even if it is on their own dime. Some players, including recently drafted rookies, were able to get their hands on playbooks and other materials during the brief injunction and lifting of the lockout. Many are studying those playbooks daily, and have made copies for all members of the team. Rookies are getting together and practicing to keep in shape at high school gyms, public fields, and so on.

Seasoned veterans and young players alike are, on their own dime, putting together small unofficial training camps so that players can get comfortable with each other, keep in shape, get the moves down, and get the new players up to speed. Basically, most of the players are doing all they can to be prepared to start doing their job – playing football – as soon as the higher ups give them the word. In the end, to fans and players, it is about playing the game, so hopefully the players and the owners can come to some sort of agreement so we can all have what we want: football, plain and simple.

Now that Plaxico Burress has been released from prison after serving time for a gun charge, he is looking to get back into society and get his career back on track – his career just happens to be pretty high profile, as he is an NFL wide receiver. With the media talk surrounding others like Vick’s arrest and re-entry into the NFL, and now with Burress out of jail and looking to get back to work, the question is again raised “does allowing this send the wrong message?” I would argue that it does not, at all, send the wrong message, that in fact, it sends exactly the right message to our society at large.

Many said that when Vick got out of jail and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, that this sent the wrong message to youth. This has, again, become a topic of conversation with the similar situation that Burress now finds himself in. But when you look at it from an “outsider looking in” perspective, it actually demonstrates a very important part of our democracy to our kids, and should be something that, in my humble opinion, we should all encourage and champion, beyond the shining lights of the NFL.

The basic agreed upon point of our judicial system is that those who break agreed upon laws should be held accountable for their crimes. It does not, however, say that we should continue to persecute these individuals beyond their state sanctioned sentence. We can simplify our judicial system as such: “You do something wrong, you will serve your time. Then you have been “punished” enough for your crimes.” However, for convicted felons, there is a huge stigma attached to them upon release, and many do not have the ability to really truly reintegrate into our society. This is truly a shame because our society helps keep them on the fringes with stigmas and making living a basic life for a convicted felon pretty darn difficult.

Vick served his time – he has, as our society asks, paid for the consequences of his actions. Once he has finished serving his time, and continues to maintain good behavior, why should we continue to treat him as if he is still a criminal when he has been punished and paid for the consequences of his actions? We wouldn’t continually make a child caught stealing pay for their crime, why should adults be any different? I commend the Eagles for allowing Vick back onto the team and the NFL for allowing him to be eligible in the first place.

Jail time can actually help people in ways that are hard to explain or quantify. Vick had problems with his play on the field before he went to jail. However, when he got out, he worked hard, matured, and really developed into a high quality, top-caliber quarterback. That has to be an incredible accomplishment for him and should be an inspiration for all who have been on the wrong side of the law. Before going to jail, Burress was continually called out for lacking skill, or the work ethic required to perfect those skills. Jail has a way of making one a lot more patient, and if he works hard, and can prove that he can be a valuable asset to any NFL team, I think we should see that as a good – no great – thing. It is an example of someone for whom the “system” actually worked. Like Vick, Burress could be living proof that redemption and change truly are possible.

The NFL is a big stage and so many different spectrum’s of our society watch it – there is no race or class divide when it comes to football fans – and I personally feel like sports media is a far healthier and democratic form of media when compared to traditional news. Sports media will “touch” those “hot topics”, fans and reporters alike are critical, and I believe that a change in the viewpoint of something as small as thinking that allowing a reformed criminal to have a chance to do their job again is a great step in the right direction. And if Burress has improved, it could make football even greater than it already is.

As the NFL Players Association and the league and owners failed to hash out a deal before the expiration of the NFL collective bargaining agreement, the law has gotten involved, and emotions are running high. Much controversy has surrounded a recent comment made by Viking‘s star running back, Adrian Peterson. In an interview with Yahoo!, Peterson likened the current situation between players and owners to “modern day slavery”. This language, of course, ruffled a good many feathers, and has had the talking heads foaming at the mouth ever since, but is there something to Peterson’s comments?

Of course, nobody would consider an NFL player, earning millions of dollars a year, a slave, but if we take the semantics out of the equation and take a look at what I think Peterson actually meant, you see a much different story. Perhaps a better term for the situation would be “well paid indentured servitude”. The situation that NFL players currently find themselves in is not a new one – struggles between unions and employers have been part of America’s history for a long time – but it is a unique situation.

As a player in the NFL, you are well paid, and for many, it is the realization of a dream. However, this benefit does not come without cost. A contract is a contract – a legally binding document that, when signed, renders both parties bound by law to follow through on the agreed upon terms of the contract. What makes an NFL players contract a bit different from one that you would, say, create with a contractor, is that not just their services are under contract, but they are under contract as well.

What this means is that, while being at the whim of a union, where a majority decision trumps that of individual members, there are personal restrictions placed on players who are a part of the league. There are certain activities one might participate in during their free time, that have nothing to do with the game of football, and are perfectly legal, but are expressly restricted in the terms of the contract. That means that an NFL player may have terms in their contract that define a whole list of personal activities that they are no allowed to participate in.

Of course, the player has the choice to sign, or not sign, that dotted line and become part of the NFL and all that goes with it. But that does not, however, mean that Peterson was entirely wrong in his comment. Being a part of the NFL Players Association does make you part of a high earning, and elite club, but you are held to different standards than you would be in any other job – union or otherwise.

Personal conduct is regulated, and thus one’s “freedom” as a football player is a bit relative. Is the price they pay worth it? I would say that is a personal decision that each player has to make, but given the popularity of the sport, and the love of the game displayed by the players, I would think that there are plenty of people willing to sign that dotted line, regardless of what it entails.

Leave it to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to end a thrilling NFL regular season on a sour, ugly note. As football fans, sports radio devotees, and chat-room obsessives gathered Monday to discuss the playoff seedings, Goodell issued an ill-timed letter laying out the state of negotiations with the NFL Players Association. Both sides are striving to secure a new collective bargaining agreement and avoid labor Armageddon, but based on Goodell’s letter, that’s where the similarities end.

In the letter, Goodell seems to be following a tried and true strategy: blame the union and sow resentment between the fans and the players they pay to watch. But in taking a closer look at his musty missive, Goodell also establishes himself as a stalking horse for a broader, systemic strategy being used by governors and captains of industry across the country. It’s a strategy that for all the focus-tested language has one end-goal: getting workers to work harder for less.

First, blame the economy:  Goodell writes: “Economic conditions… have changed dramatically inside and outside the NFL since 2006 when we negotiated the last CBA. A 10 percent unemployment rate hurts us all. Fans have limited budgets and rightly want the most for their money. I get it.” Does he get it? There is nothing about lowering prices for tickets, concessions, or parking. Instead he goes on to blame the greedy unions for making decent wages and benefits as the reason why there may be no football in 2011. As Goodell writes, “Yes, NFL players deserve to be paid well. Unfortunately, economic realities are forcing everyone to make tough choices and the NFL is no different.” This is the sporting version of something far broader and more pernicious as public sector workers are becoming the Willie Hortons of our economy.  They have become the 2011 scapegoat of choice as politicians impose the coming austerity. AFSCME has even started a campaign called “No More Lies” to counter the myths of the greedy unionists destroying state budgets.

Goodell goes on to lay out his vision for a brighter future. This brighter future includes players not only playing for less but also working more. As Goodell writes, “An enhanced season of 18 regular season and two preseason games would not add a single game for the players collectively, but would give fans more meaningful, high-quality football.” Then without irony and with no transition, Goodell leaps right into his deep care and concern for players’ health, writing, “Our emphasis on player health and safety is absolutely essential to the future of our game.” Yes, play longer but nothing is more essential than the health of the players. As Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said in comments aimed at Goodell, “If you were so concerned about the safety, why are you adding two more games? They don’t care about the safety of the game…. They’re hypocrites.”
Then Goodell goes after the salaries of rookies, calling for a “rookie pay scale.” He writes, “All we’re asking for is a return to common sense in paying our rookies. Other leagues have done this and we can too.” This is also ridiculous if not immoral. Any sport where each play can be your last, should reject any notion of a pay scale. Players in this most violent of games should be able to make as much as the market will bear and not a penny less.
Goodell finally ends with some blather about wanting to achieve this kind of “forward looking CBA” and “protecting the integrity of the game.” But there is no integrity in Goodell’s vision: only the same blueprint for workers we are seeing across the country: work more, take less. I am sure that there are many who would read this with little sympathy for NFL players as workers. But please consider: a typical NFL career is three and a half years and as NFL player Scott Fujita said to me, “We’re the only business with a 100% injury rate.” The ratings for the NFL this season have never been higher and no one ever paid hundreds of dollars to see Jerry Jones stalk the sidelines.

But it’s even bigger than all of that. Goodell finishes this ill-timed screed by writing, “This is about more than a labor agreement. It’s about the future of the NFL.” It’s also about the future of this country. We are living in a time of severe economic crisis. Whether the bosses or workers are made to pay for this crisis will be decided in battles large and small taking place around the country. But for all of these conflicts, there will be no greater stage or more amplified battleground than that between NFL owners and players. The vast majority of fans have a side in this fight. And it’s not with Roger Goodell.

[Dave Zirin is the author of “Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games we Love” (Scribner) and just made the new documentary “Not Just a Game.” Receive his column every week by emailing dave@edgeofsports.com. Contact him at edgeofsports@gmail.com.]

This is a brilliant stunt. Reebok teamed up with Modell’s and had NewEngland Patriots diminutive sensation Danny Woodhead go hang out in Modell’s for an hour or so.

They dressed him up like a regular employee with a nametag that said “Dan.” Because, that’s his name. His mission? To sell Danny Woodhead jerseys. It’s actually pretty funny, as well as a brilliant PR stunt (PFTand Deadspin were two places that picked it up. Probably a ton of other major media outlets too. Hell, OTRis running it!)

We wished mooah hadcah New Englandahs came in and statted to rant about the Pats. Some things we didn’t heyah while Woodhead was in tha stah, but wished we would have:

-”I’ll buy a Wes Welkah jehsey cause he’s white and fast. But wouldn’t go neyah that traitah Richud Seymah’s shet!”

-”I hed Derrick Behgess is back playin’ with tha Eagles now. You heyah that? He’s wethless!”

-”I got a really bonah ovah this Woodhead kid right now. He’s wicked smat and wicked white! I’ll take fah of his shets and make shah yah wrap ‘em fah me too! My only payah of scissahs in the apatment don’t wek. Can’t have enough jehsey’s of non colleds, ya know?!”

-”I just sawra license plate in the packin’ lawt that said “Owah Cah.”

So anyway, check this out.