NFL training camp. It all gets underway this week. So fix yourself a s'more and mull over some of the story lines to follow this preseason around the NFL.
Dallas
This soap opera is better than the one with J.R. and Sue Ellen back in the day. You got T.O., Tony Romo and his squeeze, Jessica Simpson, and now a new villain for the story -- Adam "Don't Call Me Pacman'' Jones. Best part is we can follow along on HBO's behind-closed-doors series Hard Knocks.
Will Raiders coach Lane Kiffin get fired?
Don't laugh. Raiders owner Al Davis is a crazy old kook. Kiffin already appears on shaky ground and if second-year QB JaMarcus Russell doesn't look as if he's developing fast enough, Davis will say, "Just get out, baby.''
Who replaces the gap-toothed guy in the Big Apple?
The defending champion Giants -- as well as the sports writers who cover the team -- are looking to replace defensive star Michael Strahan. And Strahan isn't the only loss. The Giants lost several players to free agency.
The other Big Apple team
When you have two quarterbacks who can start that means you don't have one good quarterback. That's the case with the Jets, who are trying to figure out whether to start smart but weak-armed Chad Pennington or inexperienced, strong-armed Kellen Clemens, who went 3-5 as a starter down the stretch last year. Uh, neither is exactly Tom Brady.
How's Peyton?
We probably won't find out until late in the preseason, if not the start of the regular season, whether the Colts quarterback will have his streak of 160 consecutive starts snapped. Coming off knee surgery, Manning could be out for the next six weeks.
Who will be the starting QB in Green Bay?
Brett Favre hopes it's Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are hoping it will be Aaron Rodgers. For the rest of us, we just hope we have an answer in the next two minutes. Favre coming back was interesting for the first couple of days. Now it's just annoying.
Tuna special in Miami
When new Dolphins boss Bill Parcells gets a load of the roster, he might want to quit to join Dancing With the Stars. And this is another team with a question at quarterback. Will it be Josh McCown or John Beck or Chad Henne? Yikes, that's like asking what would you rather have, food poisoning, a migraine or pneumonia?
Who could be the longest rookie holdout?
Glenn Dorsey, the defensive lineman who went No. 5 overall to Kansas City, wants to be paid. Meantime, the Chiefs have a history of playing hardball with first-round draft picks. The first four picks are signed, but that doesn't matter because Dorsey believes he should've been a No. 1 pick and it was a fluke he had slipped to five.
Beltway issues
There are new coaches in Baltimore (John Harbaugh) and Washington (Jim Zorn) and neither has a lick of NFL head-coaching experience. Harbaugh's job is tougher because he must decide who his quarterback is -- Kyle Boller, Troy Smith or Joe Flacco. Ugh. Hey, John, Vinny Testaverde is available.
Tom Jones doesn't sing "It's Not Unusual'' or shake his hips (well, unless you're willing to pay cash), but he does have plenty to say about sports. If it's funny, crazy, weird, irreverent or worth arguing, Tom has his opinions. So pull up a chair and get his two cents -- and give him your two cents, as well.
E-mail Tom Jones:
training camp is almost as boring as golf and worse than the exhibition games.
the phrase "looks good" should be banned from the english language until Sept. 7, unless it is in reference to a victoria's secret model.
three most boring subjects on sports radio each year:
1) (x-team) was screwed out of an ncaa bid: maybe you should have won a few more games, huh?
2) (x-player) was screwed out of an all-star selection: to the ire of bud selig, the games means nothing. sorry bud. and for the victimized player: hey man, you get four days off to rest and play better the second half for your team to get into the playoffs.
3) (x-player) LOOKS GOOD running those pass routes through those orange cones.
STOP IT. STOP THE MADNESS!!!
Posted by: john hillman | July 24, 2008 at 07:23 AM