It's been a fun first year.

Can you believe it was a year ago we began this unexpected writing adventure not knowing how long it would last and where it was would exactly take us.

But 365 days and 370+ posts later we’re still here and inexplicably so are all of you.  I hope you’ve had as much fun as we have.

We started during the NFL lockout (Boo!) and then we watched Josh McDaniels pick a TE in the second round of the 2011 draft (What???).  We were fortunate enough to have a front row seat during the lockout hearing proceedings in St. Louis (Score!) and jumped for joy as players and coaches finally got back to work in July (Woohoo!).  Then a shortened training camp commenced at Rams Park where I got to meet fellow Rams nuts (Yay!).  Then the 2011 season.  Well, you know how that ended… 2-14 with the second overall pick in the 2012 draft (Sad trombone).  Which brings us to the present in anticipation for the 2012 draft (Are we there yet?).

Through it all, we’ve experienced the highs and lows of being a NFL/Rams fan.  And we probably wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.  Okay, the Rams could have had more wins but you get the general idea.

We’ve come a long way, my friends.  So here’s to another great year and thanks again for joining us on this ride.

» Continue reading “Happy Birthday Pigskin Arch!”

CBA Ratification Process Complete

NFL Network’s Albert Breer is reporting the CBA ratification is finally complete.  To the hundreds of free agents who’ve been caught in limbo this means they have the two thumbs up to join their new teammates on the field.  The 2011-2012 league year can begin.

From #RamsCamp @danep12

Get your pads and helmets, gentlemen!  NOW we’re ready for some real football.

If you’re old enough you’ll remember the days when Campbell’s alphabet soup was all the rage.  Tomato broth with little chunks of vegetables and those cute little pasta letters.  I’d try to spell out my name or make up funny looking words because, well, you just could never find the letter that you really needed.

Who knew those countless cans of soup would come in handy.

Today marks an important day in the NFL.  This morning the NFL (league) and the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) are still putting the finishing touches to the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement).  Steelers players were told the vote will be happening at noon Central Time.

Assuming the players are able to get 51% affirmative votes the league year will officially begin at 3pm CT. That’s when all classes of free agents will be able to officially join their teams for the first time since training camps opened last week.

According to Howard Balzer here is where the Rams stand as of Tuesday.  (Wednesday was a mandatory day off from camp).

So far, the Rams added the follow UFA:

• S Quintin Mikell
• CB Al Harris
• G Harvey Dahl
• LB Zac Diles
• DT Justin Bannan
• DT Daniel Muir
• WR Mike Sims-Walker
• LB Brady Poppinga

Wednesday, Rams waived the following players: Safety Travon Bellamy (NFI), Tackle Karri Kuutila, and LB Maurice Simpkins to go along with DT Arthur Thomas.

As of today the roster is at 88 and with the signings of RB’s Jerious Norwood and Cadillac Williams it will bring the Rams up to 90 by the end of today.

Injury Update as of Tuesday:

• DE Robert Quinn – knee (NFI)
• CB Ron Bartell – mild ankle sprain
• CB Mikail Baker – knee
• LB Jabara Williams – knee
• CB Marquis Johnson – knee (PUP)
• FB Brit Miller – knee (PUP)

In other Rams news, WR Laurent Robinson announced via Twitter that he will be going to the Chargers.

Rams have moved today’s training camp to coincide with the start of the league year at 3:00pm CT.

I’m planning on being at Rams Park to catch a glimpse of the entire team and will send update via Twitter @ThePigskinArch.

The Rams have today off as a part of the new CBA.  Probably a good thing, too, because it’s been an insanely week of excessive heat warnings.  Fans at training camp were melting away just from standing there watching players so imagine how the players must have gone through going full force.

Let’s take this day off to catch up on the headlines.

1) The big news this morning from the headlines is former Rams QB Marc Bulger has decided to retire after 11 years in the league.

Guess he decided he didn’t want to be a back up to Flacco and the other offers were not worth being away from his family.  I still thought he has a few good years of football left in him but with two young kids at home he may have decided it was time.

2) Brandon Gibson is starting to pull away from the WR herd.

3) Rams QB Sam Bradford is impressed with rookie TE Lance Kendricks.

4) Mike Sando takes a look at the new ESPN QBR system and the NFC West.

5) @ramsherd has his rebuttalto the aforementioned QBR rating tiers and how Sam Bradford landed in the “Below Average” category.

6) Just when you thought we could ignore the letters C.B.A…. We’re still not officially out of the woods yet.

7) I love that Cowboys HC Jason Garrett is channeling his inner Tom Landry.  Old school…

Tonight “Marshall Faulk: Rush to Canton” is on NFL Network starting at 7:00pm CT.

Tomorrow is August 4 and all players will be reporting to training camp.  Our first look at the entire squad.  I’m planning on being there to give you live updates from @ThePigskinArch.

Have a good one today and stay cool!

Woke up at 5am or so.  For no good reason.  And I as I usually do, I reached over for my phone so I could check… you guessed it, Twitter.  I love that I don’t even have to get out of bed to check the daily news.  Sign of the times – technology gets more portable and people are getting more lazy.  I’m definitely attached to my phone.  Can’t imagine my life without it.

Jay Glazer broke the story of the both sides finally coming to an agreement at 3:52am this morning.  Check my previous Jump post for the actual tweet.  Since then a flurry of follow up articles have surfaced.  I’ll just point out the best stuff here.

1) To get the most comprehensive breakdown of the agreed upon CBA go no further than Albert Breer’s column just posted.

2) And of course, you can’t have Monday without MMQB.  Welcome back, Mr. King.  Hope you have a nice vacation.

3) Here’s a more Rams specific post by Aaron Hooks on what needs to get done now that it looks like the league year will finally begin.

The next two weeks will be an absolute madhouse.  Looking forward to it, aren’t you?

Jay Glazer

Now, the formalities of this and that
Is that Kris Kross ain’t comin’ off wack
And for all y’all suckas that don’t know
Check it out

Jump, jump
The Mac Dad will make you, jump, jump
Daddy Mac will make you, jump, jump
Kris Kross will make you jump, jump

It’s finally time to jump, NFL fans.  Jay Glazer reports at 3:52am both sides agreed to terms of the CBA.

A few hurdles still remain but it’s considered mere formality now.

The 10-man executive committee and the 10 Brady suit plaintiffs will get together at 9am ET to get the process started.  Once the plaintiffs have signed off the executive committee will take a vote to recommend that the player reps approve the newly anointed CBA.  Then the player reps will pass on the terms to all the league players.

SI’s Peter King is reporting we could be seeing the proud parents of Baby CBA, Commissioner Roger Goodell and De Smith, holding a birth announcement (news conference) as early as this afternoon.

Here’s a little teaser regarding the start of league year.  Details are still to come.

Jay Glazer

We’re one step closer to the finish line.  As NFLPA George Atallah said yesterday:

George Atallah 7/18/11 tweet

When I first saw this tweet I disagree with him.  I haven’t attempted a marathon yet – I’m training for my first one right now – but I’ve completed a half marathon back in April.  As I approached the 12th mile I could see hundreds of spectators cheering the runners on.  They had no clue who I was but they yelled and roared me through that last mile.  Their words energized me to push through the last few strides and it helped me cross the finish line.  *And the crowd goes wild…

But in the case of the NFL lockout getting to mile 25 is not enough – just as George Atallah stated.  In this case I will not cheer and woot until that CBA is signed, sealed, and electronically sent off to wherever electronically sent files go.

1) I just got win of this late last night.  STL PD’s Jim Thomas breaks down the Rams could look like.  Hmm, second place in the NFC West yet doesn’t say who the division winner will be.  What’s up with that?  With the offense taking shape now is the time to bolster the defense with free agency.  Thomas brings up the sore sticking point of Atogwe’s departure from the team.  (At least it’s a sticking point for me.)

Year 3 of Spag’s tenure needs to shape a different identity for the defense (I know I sound like a broken record…)  It can’t be Spag’s D anymore.  Someone needs to really stand out as the defensive leader.  Any takers?

2) Here’s a great breakdown and hopefully the final one from Mike Silver.  These small yet important topics will be discussed today in the meetings.  Hopefully, the CBA momentum won’t get tripped up by any of the seven hurdles.

3) Former Mizzou standouts host a youth football camp in Kirkwood, MO.  Jeremy Maclin and his former college teammates Danario Alexander and Sean Weatherspoon braved the heat and coached kids ages ranging from 6 to 16 in basic football drills.  Check out what they had to say about the lockout and getting back to their own fields.

We’re at mile 25.  Will you be cheering or jeering?

Harry Potter glasses

Bittersweet…  At 12:01 am Friday, I took my son to watch what was the finale in the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows Part 2.  Ups and downs, epic battles between heroes and villains, and sacrifices made for the greater good.  Sound familiar?

J.K. Rowling has cast her magic for over a decade and with this final installment she closes this chapter of Harry’s story.  Maybe we can close out our own saga called the lockout this week as well.

“Bloody hell, it’s about time!”  That’s what Ron Weasley would say if he were a fan of the NFL.

1) I think it’s fitting the NFL lockout will finally meet it’s doom this week.  This wizard’s chess match will see its conclusion and we can get back to what we all love most – quiddich football.  I predict the timeline for the next week: Agreement in principle will be made Tuesday, July 19, with the owners vote in Atlanta on July 21, and free agency starting the following about a week from that.

2) I think even though we whined like Moaning Myrtle over how long it actually took both sides to come to an agreement it’s better to get a CBA drawn up in proper order than to rush for the sake of not losing money.  Get it right the first time around, gentlemen.  We don’t want to revisit this ugliness again anytime soon.  I’m hearing this new CBA should be good for the next 10 years or so depending on the opt out clauses.

3) I think I owe DeMaurice Smith an apology owl.  In what can only be called a stunning turn of events De Smith conjured up secret spell only a few outside of the Players’ executive committee knew about – Secureus lockoutis insuransum.  Maybe he possess the gift of Divination like Professor Trelawny and saw this impasse coming.  He saved the spell for a moment like this.  His flick of the wrist could have been the turning point in these negotiations.  *tips Fedora hat.

4) I think I may also owe Steven Jackson an apology.  I got on his case earlier in the summer when he didn’t show up (despite being in town) for player organized workouts.  He explains his absence in an interview with Bryan Burwell:

One: Just because a particular person doesn’t show up for the workouts doesn’t mean he’s bucking the system or he’s not a team player. Two: I’m a father of two now, and we have no insurance to cover us in case of an injury in those organized workouts. So I put myself in a difficult situation if I do that. And finally, I think I have earned the trust of my teammates who know I’m going to do my job.

I understand where he’s coming from, I do.  And I don’t blame him – especially about not having the insurance.  But there’s still a part of me wishes he could have been there to help the younger players.  Guess that’s just the Molly Weasley nuturer in me.

5) I think it’s unfortunate the new Rams regime went and fired equipment manager Todd Hewitt.  I’m not sure we’ll ever really find out the real reason.  Or maybe we will since Hewitt filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the Rams.  Will Spags’ micromanaging personality, a la Dolores Umbridge, come back to bite him in the bum this time?  As long as the team wins these sort of things will be overlooked and reluctantly swept under the rug.  Calling Mr. Filch!

6) I think to be fair the league shouldn’t force players serve time in the NFL detention chamber. Specifically free agents, who have had off-the-field issues with the law.  Technically, if they are not under contract with a team how can the league expect them to abide by team and league rules?  Unless there’s some general “I am a player of the NFL” contract that I’m not aware of they should be exempt.  That’s good news for you, Cedric Benson.  Ahem.

7) I think the news about the Rams new season tickets sales doubling despite the lockout is not surprising.  They are riding the Bradford Express gravy train as far as Sam’s arm and intellect will take them.  We’re all hoping that the last stop will be right to the Super Bowl and the Lombardi Trophy.  Although the TriWizard Cup is pretty bad ass, too.

.8) I think James Harrison should do the Steelers and himself a favor by installing some sort of thought filter.  I agree with his football comments about the safety, discipline, and fines.  And people should lend an ear.  But the rest of the smack could have saved for a howler.  There’s a fine line between an individual’s right to free speech and talking like an donkey rear.  He (we) all need to remember he’s representing not only himself but his family and the Steelers organization – lockout or otherwise.  Like it or not it’s a full time job.

9) Is anyone else wondering what’s in the beer in Northern Ireland?  Within a 14 month span three who call N. Ireland their home have won a major PGA tournament.  Graeme McDowell (2010 US Open), Rory McIlroy (2011 US Open), and yesterday Darren Clarke at the 2011 British Open.  Do they have a supply of Felix Felicis somewhere???

10) And last but not least a shout out to the US Women’s National Soccer Team.  It was one helluva ride.  Who said drama was limited to men’s sports?  Thank you ladies and hope you qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

Football is near.  I can almost smell it, can’t you?

It’s always been and always will be about the money.  Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking it’s anything else.

I didn’t understand it.  It is a very complicated issue and I didn’t believe we should be rushing to vote in 45 minutes. I’m not a dropout … or maybe I am. I didn’t understand it.

These were the words Buffalo Bills owner, Ralph Wilson uttered when he and Cincinnati Bengals owner, Mike Brown were the two lone “no” votes against the CBA extension in 2006.

This was a bit surprising considering under that 2006 CBA proposal, the top 15 grossing teams for each year would bear the full burden of the players salary pool of $800M-$900M over time.  The top 5 teams would contribute the most, the next 5 a little less than that, and the last 5 even less.  The bottom 17 teams would go scott free and the Bengals and Bills were near the bottom of those 17 teams.

But that’s just one piece of the deal being discussed

Reports from SI Peter King today say the same thing.  Small market teams, although they will get some help from shared TV revenues and tickets sales, will not make much head way in terms of bridging the gap with the bigger market teams.

What kind of world do we live in where even billionaires can’t have their voices heard?  Sadly, a very greedy one.  My guess is Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown are probably going to get looked over again during the talks in Chicago which are scheduled for Tuesday.

It’s the same song, just a different verse.

The same debate that was going on in 2006 still rings true today in 2011.

The crux of the debate over the last few days has centered on revenue sharing and the disparity between high- and low-income teams. Low-income teams such as Buffalo, Cincinnati and Indianapolis say that high-revenue teams — Dallas, Washington and Philadelphia, for instance — should contribute proportionately to the player pool because they can earn far more in non-football income such as advertising and local radio rights.

Looks like the main problem – how to split the money – is still the biggest issue.

As we look back, there’s some hope for the present negotiations:

The (2006) deal was put together by nine teams who began on different sides of the revenue-sharing debate, including such high-revenue teams as New England and Dallas.

“We were willing to make some sacrifices to get this thing done,” said Dallas owner Jerry Jones, the most vocal opponent of revenue sharing. “The proposal from the union was a mean mother.”

This sort of compromising and taking a hit for the team will have to take place again in order for the CBA to pass this time around, too.  Owners John Mara (Giants) and Robert Kraft (Patriots) must use their influence and the respect they command to get the owners on the same page.  Otherwise, the worst of this lockout is yet to come – actual loss of regular season games.

Some things haven’t changed much:

Upshaw has insisted throughout more than a year of negotiations that the division between owners must be resolved before agreement could be reached on a contract extension.

All long I thought it would be the nearly 2,000 players who were going to be at odds with one another during the lockout.  Now we see there’s just as much division among the 32 owners.

Maybe the key to reaching and maintaining labor peace is not so much between the two broader sides, the players and the owners.  Maybe the key lies in narrowing the gap between the owners. This something that Peter King doesn’t think is going to happen.

In the meantime, tomorrow’s talks will be the most critical to date.  If you’re the praying type, you might want to direct some towards Chicago tomorrow and beyond.  Because it may just take a miracle from a higher power to get this CBA done.

I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day.  It was pretty chill at our house.  The kids made my hubby a coupon book for Father’s Day.  He promptly redeemed one coupon – the one where the kids offered to clean up a room.  Haha.  Clever kids.  Even clever dad.  Man, I wish they had made me one of those for Mother’s Day.

1) A mock owners vote on the CBA: With the NFL draft being over for 2 months I haven’t seen any “mock” anything – until this morning.  The NFL owners get together tomorrow in Chicago to listen to the latest CBA proposal.  Everyone hyped up June 3′s appeals court date as the big day tomorrow is probably the biggest day yet for the lockout.

2) Rookie wage scales in the CBA mix: Sam Bradford, with his $50M contract, is likely the last the of the big budget rookie signings.  The players and owners both want to get some sort of rookie wage scale into place for the new CBA.  Looks like the incoming recruits will not have any say in the matter.

If I had to guess I think the players will get their way with the shorter 3-4 year contracts – depending on which round they were drafted.  But will get to test the free agent market sooner.

3) Wouldn’t want to be in his shoes right now: The man with the hardest job in the world this week – Roger Goodell.  This week will end up defining his legacy for years to come.

I always thought he was the representative of the league/owners and therefore had the power to cut deals with the players.  But from what I’ve seen and read he’s been just a mouth piece.  It looks like owners John Mara (New York Giants) and Robert Kraft (New England Patriots) have been trying to talk the other owners into settling on a CBA proposal- something Goodell should have been doing.  Am I incorrect in assuming this?

Personally, my weekend was a bit strange and largely irritating.  I wont’ go into details but here’s to having a better rest of the week.  Gonna need that for sure.

Have a good Monday everyone!