A Football Life

Don Wassall

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I was just going to post about this as I discovered it about 15 minutes in. It's worth a watch, lots of compliments of Wes along with the usual too small and too slow stuff as convenient excuses to ignore the obvious racial angle behind the way he was treated the way he was in college and the NFL until the Patriots signed him.
 

Dehbashi

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I knew that Bill loved him during his years in Miami to trade for him. I had no idea he played Kicker during their game against the Patriots. That explains why Belicheck wanted him since Bill loves versatility.
 
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The Wes Welker episode repeats at 8:30 pm ET on Monday night, October 9. The early part has a lot of film of Weler's high school career. A photo shows him receiving the 1999 Oklahoma high school player of the year award from Barry Switzer. It then details the total lack of college offers.

If Welker's high school coach hadn't known someone at Texas Tech, he would have never played at a major college and likely never made the NFL. He's called "too slow," which is belied by the films of Welker in action.
 

CrazyFinn

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This is a must watch for everyone at CF. It was a very well done episode. At the beginning, as they are talking about why the 1999 OK State HS Offensive POY doesn't have a single D1 offer, Welker himself remarks (paraphrasing):

"I couldn't understand it. What do you mean I can do all these things but it won't translate to college? It's all on film, right there."

We know the answer, don't we? Luckily for Welker, circumstances worked out in his favor, hard work, talent, and determination did the rest. Many more deserving white players never get the chance.
 

icsept

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I enjoyed the Welker documentary. He has a beautiful family and seems like a respectable guy.

Welker is responsible for the White receiver renaissance. As good as Jordy has been, you just don’t find many 6’3” athletes with track speed and amazing hands; so there aren’t many “Jordy clones.” Welker’s production on the field was finally rewarded despite not passing the “eye test.” Unfortunately, Welker’s career numbers probably fall just short of Hall of Fame credentials. But, he had a great career.
 

Bruce

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I enjoyed the Welker documentary. He has a beautiful family and seems like a respectable guy.

Welker is responsible for the White receiver renaissance. As good as Jordy has been, you just don’t find many 6’3” athletes with track speed and amazing hands; so there aren’t many “Jordy clones.” Welker’s production on the field was finally rewarded despite not passing the “eye test.” Unfortunately, Welker’s career numbers probably fall just short of Hall of Fame credentials. But, he had a great career.
The only reason his numbers fall short of the HOF is because Belichick needed to flex his muscle on an easy target(any white player). BB refused to give Welker 2/12 million! Are you kidding me? He had just come off a season where he had 118 receptions and 1350 yards receiving. He was 31 and could have put up similar stats for at least a few more years in that offense. Wes Welker deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of Caste heroes. It's such a shame the way his career had to end.


btw look at the absurd contracts given to black wide receivers nowhere near as productive as Welker. But BB chose to ship him out because of 12 million over 2 years. Sad!
Player Team Total
Value
Avg./Year Total
Guaranteed
Avg.
Guar./Year
% Guar. Free
Agency

Antonio Brown Steelers $68,000,000 $17,000,000 $19,000,000 $4,750,000 27.9% 2022 UFA
DeAndre Hopkins Texans $81,000,000 $16,200,000 $36,500,000 $7,300,000 45.1% 2023 UFA
A.J. Green Bengals $60,000,000 $15,000,000 $26,750,000 $6,687,500 44.6% 2020 UFA
Julio Jones Falcons $71,250,000 $14,250,000 $35,500,000 $7,100,000 49.8% 2021 UFA
Demaryius Thomas Broncos $70,000,000 $14,000,000 $35,000,000 $7,000,000 50.0% 2020 UFA
Dez Bryant Cowboys $70,000,000 $14,000,000 $32,000,000 $6,400,000 45.7% 2020 UFA
TY Hilton Colts $65,000,000 $13,000,000 $11,000,000 $2,200,000 16.9% 2021 UFA
Doug Baldwin Seahawks $46,000,000 $11,500,000 $12,000,000 $3,000,000 26.1% 2021 UFA
Keenan Allen Chargers $45,000,000 $11,250,000 $20,656,000 $5,164,000 45.9% 2021 UFA
DeSean Jackson Buccaneers $33,500,000 $11,166,667 $20,000,000 $6,666,667 59.7% 2020 UFA
Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals $11,000,000 $11,000,000 $0 $0 0.0% 2018 UFA
Emmanuel Sanders Broncos $33,000,000 $11,000,000 $20,000,000 $6,666,667 60.6% 2020 UFA
Tavon Austin Rams $42,222,004 $10,555,501 $17,000,000 $4,250,000 40.3% 2022 UFA
Allen Hurns Jaguars $40,050,000 $10,012,500 $16,000,000 $4,000,000 40.0% 2021 UFA
Randall Cobb Packers $40,000,000 $10,000,000 $13,000,000 $3,250,000 32.5% 2019 UFA
Jordy Nelson Packers $39,050,000 $9,762,500 $11,500,000 $2,875,000 29.4% 2019 UFA
Alshon Jeffery Eagles $9,500,000 $9,500,000 $8,750,000 $8,750,000 92.1% 2018 UFA
Pierre Garcon 49ers $47,500,000 $9,500,000 $17,000,000 $3,400,000 35.8% 2022 UFA
Michael Crabtree Raiders $34,000,000 $8,500,000 $5,500,000 $1,375,000 16.2% 2020 UFA
Kenny Britt Browns $32,500,000 $8,125,000 $10,500,000 $2,625,000 32.3% 2021 UFA
Marvin Jones Lions $40,000,000 $8,000,000 $13,000,000 $2,600,000 32.5% 2021 UFA
Kenny Stills Dolphins $32,000,000 $8,000,000 $16,950,000 $4,237,500 53.0% 2021 UFA
Robert Woods Rams $34,000,000 $6,800,000 $10,000,000 $2,000,000 29.4% 2022 UFA
Mohamed Sanu Falcons $32,500,000 $6,500,000 $14,000,000 $2,800,000 43.1% 2021 UFA
Corey Davis Titans $25,394,750 $6,348,688 $25,394,750 $6,348,668 100.0% 2021 UFA
Golden Tate Lions $31,000,000 $6,200,000 $10,500,000 $3,000,000 33.9% 2019 UFA
Travis Benjamin Chargers $24,000,000 $6,000,000 $13,000,000 $3,250,000 54.2% 2020 UFA
 

NEP01

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The only reason his numbers fall short of the HOF is because Belichick needed to flex his muscle on an easy target(any white player). BB refused to give Welker 2/12 million! Are you kidding me? He had just come off a season where he had 118 receptions and 1350 yards receiving. He was 31 and could have put up similar stats for at least a few more years in that offense. Wes Welker deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of Caste heroes. It's such a shame the way his career had to end.

Belichick has flexed his muscle many times over the years, mostly with black players. The Welker/Belichick relationship soured after Welker joked about Rex Ryan's foot fetish in the 2010 playoffs. Welker's critical dropped pass in the final minutes of Super Bowl 46 the next season likely worsened matters.

It is sad how Welker's career ended. Brady is amazing at protecting receivers, while Manning nearly got Welker killed with his high floaters over the middle. In hindsight, Welker would have been smart to sacrifice 2 million and stay with the Pats, but it was understandable that Welker wanted to get away from Belichick at the time. What happened to Welker is why White players frequently take below market contracts to stay with the Pats.

Welker had a fascinating career. It was a near miracle that he caught 900 balls and made around 40 million. His football career probably should have anonymously ended at some unknown college, but he was saved by two highly intelligent iconoclast coaches, in Mike Leach and Bill Belichick.
 

Don Wassall

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NFL Network has been running last year's Football Life about Pat Tillman again recently, since it's close to Veterans Day. If you haven't seen it, or are too young or are mostly unaware of Pat Tillman, it's definitely worth a watch. Pat Tillman is one of the most admirable American men of the past generation.

A stat mentioned during the show is that Tillman had 224 tackles one year with Arizona! 224 tackles is beyond phenomenal, especially by a safety. The show of course doesn't mention that Tillman was under-appreciated as an NFL safety and was constantly falsely derided for a supposed lack of athleticism, and that he achieved respect only after he turned down a multi-million dollar contract from the NFL and joined the military, before tragically being killed by "friendly fire" by his own men. (I'm sure George Carlin must have pointed out the absurdity of the term "friendly fire" at some point during his career.)
 
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NFL Network has been running last year's Football Life about Pat Tillman again recently, since it's close to Veterans Day. If you haven't seen it, or are too young or are mostly unaware of Pat Tillman, it's definitely worth a watch. Pat Tillman is one of the most admirable American men of the past generation.

A stat mentioned during the show is that Tillman had 224 tackles one year with Arizona! 224 tackles is beyond phenomenal, especially by a safety. The show of course doesn't mention that Tillman was under-appreciated as an NFL safety and was constantly falsely derided for a supposed lack of athleticism, and that he achieved respect only after he turned down a multi-million dollar contract from the NFL and joined the military, before tragically being killed by "friendly fire" by his own men. (I'm sure George Carlin must have pointed out the absurdity of the term "friendly fire" at some point during his career.)

From Jon Krakauer's book on Pat Tillman and other accounts, Jake Plummer was the only teammate Tillman was close to. Krakauer never explored how Tillman related to the rest of the Cardinals, or didn't relate.
 

white is right

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Bill Cowher was the topic on today's documentary. No word on if his budding bromance with Snuffy, err Kordell Stewart was much of the documentary. Judging from the bitterness of Stewart towards his career it probably wasn't consummated....
 
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Cris Collinsworth, everybody's favorite analyst, was this week's subject. Actually, Collinsworth is criticized from all sides, for being "critical." Philadelphia's DWFs went into a tirade over Collinsworth's supposed anti-Eagle stance before and during the last Super Bowl.

In giving Cris Collinsworth's life story, we learn his father Abe, a member of Adolph Rupp's all-white 1958 Kentucky NCAA basketball champions, was the principal of the local high school "during the beginning of integration." There were "fights all the time" and "My dad had 200 kids arrested."

And just who causes "fights all the time?" The subject was dropped.

The discussion of his football career goes into the "Everybody thought Cris was slow because he was a white guy." And "even though he was a high school sprint champion he was considered slow." Several film clips show Collinsworth blowing by DBs for long touchdown plays.

Something I forgot, Collinsworth didn't retire after the Bengals lost Super Bowl XXIII. He was cut from the team toward the end of training camp the following year.

His wife (a gorgeous woman) and children are shown. One of his sons is working for ESPN and looks and talks just like his old man. He met his wife when she was a law student and decided to go to law school himself, and intended to practice law when his football career ended.

But he took a TV job and never looked back. It didn't hurt this line of work is very lucrative. Collinsworth is pushing 60 but has no intention of leaving.

Guess how the show ends? Collinsworth supports the "kneeling players." Collinsworth declares "These young men are smart and want what's best for America. The president should apologize for calling them SOBs."

Next week's show features Tony Romo.
 
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Don Wassall

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I meant to watch it last night but forgot. Good report.
 

Riggins44

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Cris Collinsworth, everybody's favorite analyst, was this week's subject. Actually, Collinsworth is criticized from all sides, for being "critical." Philadelphia's DWFs went into a tirade over Collinsworth's supposed anti-Eagle stance before and during the last Super Bowl.

In giving Cris Collinsworth's life story, we learn his father Abe, a member of Adolph Rupp's all-white 1958 Kentucky NCAA basketball champions, was the principal of the local high school "during the beginning of integration." There were "fights all the time" and "My dad had 200 kids arrested."

And just who causes "fights all the time?" The subject was dropped.

The discussion of his football career goes into the "Everybody thought Cris was slow because he was a white guy." And "even though he was a high school sprint champion he was considered slow." Several film clips show Collinsworth blowing by DBs for long touchdown plays.

Something I forgot, Collinsworth didn't retire after the Bengals lost Super Bowl XXIII. He was cut from the team toward the end of training camp the following year.

His wife (a gorgeous woman) and children are shown. One of his sons is working for ESPN and looks and talks just like his old man. He met his wife when she was a law student and decided to go to law school himself, and intended to practice law when his football career ended.

But he took a TV job and never looked back. It didn't hurt this line of work is very lucrative. Collinsworth is pushing 60 but has no intention of leaving.

Guess how the show ends? Collinsworth supports the "kneeling players." Collinsworth declares "These young men are smart and want what's best for America. The president should apologize for calling them SOBs."

Next week's show features Tony Romo.

Yes, according to the (((media))) what's "best for America" is to disrespect the flag as a sign of your disrespect for the country and the society. A society where you are paid millions of dollars to play a child's game. Like Kyrie Irving, a millionaire many times over, saying "Fu#k Thanksgiving". Evidently he and the kneelers don't think they have anything to be thankful for. These cretins don't realize what's good about America, what America has done for them, or what's good for America. And neither does Collinsworth.
 

Westside

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Crissie was always a player I supported during his playing years. But like clockwork, once you get these former white players in the booth, they become caste clowns and apologists. "These young men are 'smart' and want what's best for America. Trump should apologize for calling them SOBs." Please, Cris put the purple drink down!
 
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Bucky

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Nice to see a Football Life airing some episodes about our guys. I'm behind and have yet to see The Weller,Tillman, or Collinsworth episodes but it's on the agenda.
 

Don Wassall

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Don,

The NFL Network repeats the Cris Collinsworth episode at 10 pm ET tonight (Saturday) and again on Monday night, November 26, at 8:15 pm ET.

Yes, that's why it didn't bother me to miss it last night. In fact, all the episodes repeat periodically, along with the network's "top ten" shows.
 
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Tomorrow, Sunday, February 24, the NFL Network runs Season 8 Marathon of the A Football Life series. A few months ago, a dim-witted poster called Carson Palmer a "negro-worshipping wigger who backstabbed fellow white athletes without a second thought." The Carson Palmer episode runs at 5 pm ET. Watch it and see how stupid this remark is.

The Collinsworth episode is at 1 pm ET.
 
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Don Wassall

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Cris Collinsworth, everybody's favorite analyst, was this week's subject. Actually, Collinsworth is criticized from all sides, for being "critical." Philadelphia's DWFs went into a tirade over Collinsworth's supposed anti-Eagle stance before and during the last Super Bowl.

In giving Cris Collinsworth's life story, we learn his father Abe, a member of Adolph Rupp's all-white 1958 Kentucky NCAA basketball champions, was the principal of the local high school "during the beginning of integration." There were "fights all the time" and "My dad had 200 kids arrested."

And just who causes "fights all the time?" The subject was dropped.

The discussion of his football career goes into the "Everybody thought Cris was slow because he was a white guy." And "even though he was a high school sprint champion he was considered slow." Several film clips show Collinsworth blowing by DBs for long touchdown plays.

Something I forgot, Collinsworth didn't retire after the Bengals lost Super Bowl XXIII. He was cut from the team toward the end of training camp the following year.

His wife (a gorgeous woman) and children are shown. One of his sons is working for ESPN and looks and talks just like his old man. He met his wife when she was a law student and decided to go to law school himself, and intended to practice law when his football career ended.

But he took a TV job and never looked back. It didn't hurt this line of work is very lucrative. Collinsworth is pushing 60 but has no intention of leaving.

Guess how the show ends? Collinsworth supports the "kneeling players." Collinsworth declares "These young men are smart and want what's best for America. The president should apologize for calling them SOBs."

Next week's show features Tony Romo.

I just watched the entire Collinsworth episode for the first time. There's a lot more footage from his playing days than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

I also learned that Collinsworth is the majority owner of Pro Football Focus, which is subscribed to by all or nearly every NFL team now and reverently regarded by the media. PFF's subjective analyses and grading systems often seem to reflect the same anti-White bias that the media and NFL share.
 

Shadowlight

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I watched it too and it was eerie how much one of his sons talked just like CC.

When I watch these Football Life shows it amazes me how shaky my memory is when it comes to the 1980's in certain sports areas. Not the NBA. I followed Bird and Celtics like a hawk.

I looked up Collinsworth's NFL stats and was amazed he had so many big seasons. Four (nearly five) seasons of 1000 plus yards and he was a big play threat averaging over 16 yards per catch throughout his career. But after six seasons he fell off and was out of the league two years later. I remember when he started to slide and all the complaining about him. But also recall best his first season where he had a 67-1009 stat line and was the star of their Super Bowl team the most.

I remember rooting hard for CC in that Super Bowl and was a very big fan. I also remember the Florida teams he played on were awful.

Looking up 1981 stats other big time receivers during that period were Dwight Clark who was on the winning 49er's side, Steve Largent and Pat Tilley. I barely remember him only vaguely recognizing the name. Also there was Steve Watson of Denver a kind of Adam Thielen type who was my favorite back then.

Collinsworth was gangly and had no definition so it was humorous to see his draft day ordeal. But refreshing to see an athlete not loaded up on steroids. In my estimation accelerated steroid use coincided with the rise of the caste system. This is a subject that needs more discussion.

But he could really run plus jump and it is really grating that the white split end/flanker has almost gone the way of endangered animals. With Jordy gone it is difficult to find suitable replacements.

Scrolling down the 1981 stat list I noticed Roger Carr was still playing. He was the ultimate deep threat. The absence in general of the white deep threat to me is the most difficult thing to swallow in these modern NFL times.

But Collinsworth as a player fit that role well.

He still acts like a schoolgirl in the booth but I have noticed an improvement over the past several years where I don't cringe listening to a broadcast. He can be really funny too like the call where the Bears kick "doinked" off the crossbar at the end of their playoff game.

Just another relic before the full boar caste system took hold.
 

Don Wassall

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I just watched most of the "A Football Life" about Steve Largent, which was first aired in 2015. Very much worth watching for anyone too young to remember just how good Largent was, namely the NFL's all-time leading receiver when he retired.

Although it's a flattering show, Largent is mentioned as "slow" many times during the hour. (He's also referred to as "short" several times even though he's 5' 11".) Largent ran a 4.6 40 and the narrator intones that this disqualified him from playing in the NFL despite a great college career, though the Houston Oilers eventually drafted him in the fourth round. And this was back in 1976, while black receivers like Laquon Treadwell (4.64 40 at the Combine) are still selected in the first round. Largent only got a chance because of Jerry Rhome, one of his college coaches at Tulsa who praised him as much as possible and later became the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks and was instrumental in bringing Largent to Seattle after he was cut by the Oilers.

So the anti-White template was well in place 45 years ago. And despite Largent's all-time great career, no other "slow, short" White receivers were drafted in the early rounds after him. The tall and speedy Cris Collinsworth was the only White receiver drafted early for many years and of course until the late '90s White receivers were all but extinct post-Largent before a very brief one-year mini-renaissance in the memorable '99 season. We all know the truth here, but how many potential all-star White receivers, running backs, and defensive players have never gotten any opportunity at all? Hundreds and hundreds of them.
 
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Heretic

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Although it's a flattering show, Largent is mentioned as "slow" many times during the hour. (He's also referred to as "short" several times even though he's 5' 11".) Largent ran a 4.6 40 and the narrator intones that this disqualified him from playing in the NFL despite a great college career, though the Houston Oilers eventually drafted him in the fourth round. And this was back in 1976, while black receivers like Laquon Treadwell (4.64 40 at the Combine) are still selected in the first round. Largent only got a chance because of Jerry Rhome, one of his college coaches at Tulsa who praised him as much as possible and later became the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks and was instrumental in bringing Largent to Seattle after he was cut by the Oilers.

So the anti-White template was well in place 45 years ago. And despite Largent's all-time great career, no other "slow, short" White receivers were drafted in the early rounds after him. The tall and speedy Cris Collinsworth was the only White receiver drafted early for many years and of course until the late '90s White receivers were all but extinct post-Largent before a very brief one-year mini-renaissance in the memorable '99 season. We all know the truth here, but how many potential all-star White receivers, running backs, and defensive players have never gotten any opportunity at all? Hundreds and hundreds of them.
I started watching the NFL in the mid-70's, @1974, and it's still my favorite era of it, but even at that young age I could see that by 1979 almost all of the skill positions on offense became caste. The saving grace for me was that the QBs were almost all, if not all, White, along with the OL and that there were still a lot of Whites represented on defense with no completely forbidden positions yet, like CB.
 

Carolina Speed

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I just watched most of the "A Football Life" about Steve Largent, which was first aired in 2015. Very much worth watching for anyone too young to remember just how good Largent was, namely the NFL's all-time leading receiver when he retired.

Although it's a flattering show, Largent is mentioned as "slow" many times during the hour. (He's also referred to as "short" several times even though he's 5' 11".) Largent ran a 4.6 40 and the narrator intones that this disqualified him from playing in the NFL despite a great college career, though the Houston Oilers eventually drafted him in the fourth round. And this was back in 1976, while black receivers like Laquon Treadwell (4.64 40 at the Combine) are still selected in the first round. Largent only got a chance because of Jerry Rhome, one of his college coaches at Tulsa who praised him as much as possible and later became the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks and was instrumental in bringing Largent to Seattle after he was cut by the Oilers.

So the anti-White template was well in place 45 years ago. And despite Largent's all-time great career, no other "slow, short" White receivers were drafted in the early rounds after him. The tall and speedy Cris Collinsworth was the only White receiver drafted early for many years and of course until the late '90s White receivers were all but extinct post-Largent before a very brief one-year mini-renaissance in the memorable '99 season. We all know the truth here, but how many potential all-star White receivers, running backs, and defensive players have never gotten any opportunity at all? Hundreds and hundreds of them.[/QUOT

Thanks for mentioning Largent Don. I watched it this morning on youtube. Interesting that there was commentary from Jerry Rice who famously ran a 4.71 40. Also, there were at least 3 may 4 WR at the combine this year that ran in the high 4.5/4.6 range and one WR ran a 4.74. with one of the announcers saying that's a great time for him.
 
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