So Long, Stefan Logan/NFL Lockout-Day 8

Stefan Logan was one of the more exciting players for the Lions last year. He was one of the best kick returners in Lions' history. I hope you enjoyed his one season.

Logan was signed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers in September, and played at a Pro Bowl level. He was named as an alternate, but could have easily been a starter. He also tied a team record with a 105 yard TD return....



So was he traded for a linebacker? A draft pick? Was he a salary-cap casualty? No, no. He's still a Lion. He will just not be able to have the same impact as he did in 2010. The NFL basically took kick returners like Logan, Josh Cribbs, and Devin Hester out of the equation.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for reducing the risk of injury for the players. I hate to see anyone be carted off on a stretcher. But man, the game is slowly evolving into glorified two hand touch. What's next? No hitting a QB above the waist? No more on-side kicks because it hurts the ground?

So in honor of the lockout, I will make this Day-8 and present you with some great kick returns...

Lockout-Days 6 and 7

I took a "mental" day yesterday after Michigan's improbable run in the NCAA Tournament. On a bright note, in the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA tournament, I correctly predicted every Michigan game. Who would have thought that picking them to lose to Duke and Ohio State would work out for me? If you missed any of the previews, head over to Michigan Sports Guy. So I will bring the awesomeness to cover yesterday and today as we try to cope with this work stoppage.

As blasphemous as it may be, I don't consider Barry Sanders the greatest NFL running back evarrrrrrr. He is in my top 5 for sure. The order is fluid, but Gayle Sayers, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry, and Earl Campbell are in it.  But for pure excitement, Barry is my guy. Granted, I didn't get to see much/any of the other guys, but I grew up with Barry. So here are a few of my favorite BS runs...

And my personal favorite....




Luckily for us, there is a Barry Sanders Jr. on the way...

Lockout-Day 5

The Super Bowl Shuffle. The reason it's so cool is that it could never happen in today's NFL. There would be product-placement disputes. The star players would charge appearance fees. Ben Roethlisberger would rape someone on the production staff. It would be a headache. So let's all enjoy it for what it is. A bad song with horrible dancing featuring a coked-up quarterback. Maybe it could happen in today's NFL...

Lockout-Day 4

Man, who didn't love the fridge? He was the epitome of "space eating DT" that people like to bestow on any player over 300 pounds. Perry literally ate space. Then went off in search of other galaxies for dessert. He weighted as much as 382 pounds at his heaviest. Maybe in his right leg. He weighed well over 400 pounds.

He was a great D-lineman, but he gained fame due to his offensive prowess. His career totals of 5 yards rushing and 2 TDs rank 43,937 on the all-time NFL list. (That is completely made up) But they were memorable. So memorable that there are no youtube videos of his runs. Here's a picture.

There aren't any two-way players in the NFL anymore. The occasional Randy Moss INT on a Hail Mary aside, Devin Hester is the last example I can think of. It's safe to say there will never be another player like "The Fridge" but that doesn't mean we can't watch him promote McDonalds' new Mc D.L.T.

Lockout-Day 3

I think the hope of everyone is that this lockout teaches the players how fickle their careers can be. You can be making $8,000,000 one day, and $0,000,000.00 the next. (Ok, they make $65,000 a year while on lockout) So they need to ensure their financial stability should their playing days come to an abrupt end. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe is in a band, for example. That's why they should look to Mike Bob Golic.

Bob Golic played in the NFL from 1979-1992. He was a three-time Pro Bowler. But he knew it wouldn't last forever, so he grew out the mullet. He learned which shades of denim went well together, and took some acting classes. He "starred" in Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Not looking to be typecast, he later appeared in Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.

Golic is an inspiration for many reasons. He was the second best Golic brother. He acted in the second best SBTB series. He is best known as Ogre, from Revenge of the Nerds, which isn't even him. He....um....

So the moral of the story, young NFL players, is diversify. Sure you are 6'5'' 300 lbs, and you run a 4.7 40. Can you dance? Do you have your own Starting Lineup figure? Do they even make those any more?

If you don't believe me, listen to the Wu-Tang clan...

Chappelles Show
Wu-Tang Financial
www.comedycentral.com
Buy Chappelle's Show DVDs Black Comedy True Hollywood Story

Lockout-Day 2

Zubaz pants were amazing. They are neck and neck with Starter jackets as the quintessential sports clothing article of the early '90's. They looked like an equal blend of Tiger and Awesome. 

Lockout-Day 1

As the NFL lockout didn't become official until late Friday, I am considering this day 1. Each day, I will highlight something good about the NFL from years past. It could be anything, as you will see....




There were no lockouts on Nintendo.