Olympic Discus Thrower Making Switch To NFL

[aulaza]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000156153/article/lawrence-okoye-hopes-to-move-from-olympics-to-nfl

British Olympian Lawrence Okoye has decided to make the switch to American Football. He is 6 foot 6, 284 pounds and before competing in the Olympics was a 'promising' young rugby player. He is just 21 years old and has a place waiting for him to study law at Oxford University.

OK, so being English I have an interest in Okoye, but he is clearly a multi-talented guy with incredible physical attributes. Apparently he has been talking with 5 NFL teams and plans to sign after the draft. He has never played before, but with NFL coaching could this guy become a high quality player? Should Denver be one of the teams taking a look at him?

[chazoe60]

I hope it works out for him. He's obviously a smart guy but football requires a special type of instinct that can take years to hone. Never have played the game before his chances of success are low. Even if he does succeed he most likely will be a non-factor for at least two years while he learns the game.

It'd be a cool story if it happens though.



Didn't ths Broncos have a guy who was a Rhodes scholar before?

[CoachChaz]

My twins a very good football players, but one of them is also an impressive discus thrower. At 14 he is hitting about 140-150 feet.

[FanInAZ]

I was sure this was an April fools prank, until I clicked on the link & found it was posted yesterday afternoon.

[olathebroncofan]

Can he play safety?

I think he would end up similar to Brock Lesnar(sp). Maybe his size and work ethic gets him a year or two to prove his worth. He would have a greater chance if we still had NFL Europe.


I'd root for him though...

[Ziggy]

Sounds like a young Margus Hunt, without the college experience.

[aulaza]

2590

He played on the wing in Rugby, so must have some speed and quick feet. His father played college football for Nebraska.

2591

[Ravage!!!]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000156153/article/lawrence-okoye-hopes-to-move-from-olympics-to-nfl

British Olympian Lawrence Okoye has decided to make the switch to American Football. He is 6 foot 6, 284 pounds and before competing in the Olympics was a 'promising' young rugby player. He is just 21 years old and has a place waiting for him to study law at Oxford University.

OK, so being English I have an interest in Okoye, but he is clearly a multi-talented guy with incredible physical attributes. Apparently he has been talking with 5 NFL teams and plans to sign after the draft. He has never played before, but with NFL coaching could this guy become a high quality player? Should Denver be one of the teams taking a look at him?

No. He's never played, and will won't make it in the NFL. We've seen "multi talented" guys try in the NFL before.

[CoachChaz]

Another Ben Johnson

[Ravage!!!]

Another Ben Johnson

yeah.. and wasn't there a WWF dude just a few years back? People were saying "he's one of the most athletic guys in the world, he'll be just fine".... never heard his name again.

This guy has at least some experience in rugby....but don't see the transition being an easy one. Never has before.

[aulaza]

Just an update:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000158087/article/lawrence-okoye-impresses-at-super-regional-combine

Brandt was obviously impressed. The obvious danger is that often 'combine beasts' don't pan out, but in Okoye's case, if he didn't, you're not really losing anything.

[Joel]

My main concern would be that blocking isn't legal in rugby, which could make the transition to DE difficult. On the other hand, 6'6" 304 with a 4.8 40 is pretty scary. On the THIRD hand, Bullet Bob Hayes broke the 100m world record at the '64 Olympics, and is the reason zone defense exists, but had hands like bricks, so Staubach usually threw to Pearson. And, um, let's just not talk about which AFL team drafted Hayes the same year Dallas did.... :innocent:

Right now I'm more worried about this guy, because if he makes the roster of any NFL team that comes to Denver, a 70 yd FG is a real possibility: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253264/Havard-Rugland-NFL-Norwegian-kicker-gets-tryout-New-York-Jets-video-spectacular-trick-shots-went-viral.html

[Nomad]

I hope it works out for him. He's obviously a smart guy but football requires a special type of instinct that can take years to hone. Never have played the game before his chances of success are low. Even if he does succeed he most likely will be a non-factor for at least two years while he learns the game.

It'd be a cool story if it happens though.



Didn't ths Broncos have a guy who was a Rhodes scholar before?

Let the dude try and if it works out for him and a team then good, and if not, there is no loss.

[CoachChaz]

He would be a complete project. There are questions that surround guys like Ansah, Werner and Hunt due to their limited experience in American football. That would just be completely magnified with this guy. Just think for a second about all that he has to learn

[Chef Zambini]

I would make him a fullback!
later I would move him to safety.
I wish him luck.

right now, he is probably as good a QB as TEBOW !
definatly more accurate a passer and smarter !

[TXBRONC]

My main concern would be that blocking isn't legal in rugby, which could make the transition to DE difficult. On the other hand, 6'6" 304 with a 4.8 40 is pretty scary. On the THIRD hand, Bullet Bob Hayes broke the 100m world record at the '64 Olympics, and is the reason zone defense exists, but had hands like bricks, so Staubach usually threw to Pearson. And, um, let's just not talk about which AFL team drafted Hayes the same year Dallas did.... :innocent:

Right now I'm more worried about this guy, because if he makes the roster of any NFL team that comes to Denver, a 70 yd FG is a real possibility: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253264/Havard-Rugland-NFL-Norwegian-kicker-gets-tryout-New-York-Jets-video-spectacular-trick-shots-went-viral.html

Really? How did Pearson do that when he didn't join the Cowboys until 1973? :confused:
973
From 1965 to 1972 Hayes had three quarterbacks who threw ball to him. Meredith, Morton, and Staubach. In 1973 Hayes was nearing the end of his career and according to the stats looked at he and Pearson had exactly the same number of receptions (22). 1974 was Hayes' last year with Cowboys and he go on to play one more year after that with the 49ers. Facts are always important Joel. ;)

[Joel]

Yeah, ya got me there, man; my bad. Hayes WAS notorious for dropping passes though, to be expected of a track star converted to receiver (he did play on a state championship HS football team, but as a backup HB.) "Great athlete" doesn't always mean "great football player."

[OrangeHoof]

It all depends on what position he is asked to play. His size/weight/speed says DE or TE. The problem in both of those cases is that you not only have to be athletic but you also have somebody equally large and athletic pounding on you. Football demands another level of toughness that a great physical specimens just don't have.

IMHO, if he has a Rhodes Scholarship sitting there, he should take it and forget about football. It would be such a waste to ruin his brain.

[BroncoWave]

No. He's never played, and will won't make it in the NFL. We've seen "multi talented" guys try in the NFL before.

Like Antonio Gates?

[TXBRONC]

Like Antonio Gates?


Good grief you know that Rav means its very rare. Besides that Gates had some experience playing football. Also for every Antonio Gates there's a Renaldo Nehemiah or Ron Brown neither one of them were good football players.

[Joel]

It all depends on what position he is asked to play. His size/weight/speed says DE or TE. The problem in both of those cases is that you not only have to be athletic but you also have somebody equally large and athletic pounding on you. Football demands another level of toughness that a great physical specimens just don't have.

IMHO, if he has a Rhodes Scholarship sitting there, he should take it and forget about football. It would be such a waste to ruin his brain.
If he can handle rugby he can handle the pounding, and probably has more stamina than most defensive linemen since he doesn't get to rest when his team has the ball. I just wonder how well he can defeat blocks. I'm not sure a 4.8 40 will really cut it for a pro TE, but if he's got the hands I pity any safety trying to tackle a guy half again their size.

[BroncoWave]

Good grief you know that Rav means its very rare. Besides that Gates had some experience playing football. Also for every Antonio Gates there's a Renaldo Nehemiah or Ron Brown neither one of them were good football players.

Rav is simply dismissing it like there is no chance of it happening. Just showing that it does in fact happen sometimes. I don't get why he's being so negative about this guy simply trying out to play football. Maybe it won't work out, but that doesn't mean he doesn't at least deserve a tryout somewhere.

[aulaza]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/0ap1000000158634/article/lawrence-okoye-cody-davis-shine-at-super-regional-combine

Wow, he's the top story on NFL.com. Didn't expect that!? Also judging by the awful pun of a headline you guys had Britain's Got Talent on TV over there? If so I feel for you.

Back to Okoye, seems according to Brandt, Brooks, he may be a late pick, or at least will be signed as an UDFA. Seems like he'll be on somebody's practice squad.

[Joel]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/0ap1000000158634/article/lawrence-okoye-cody-davis-shine-at-super-regional-combine

Wow, he's the top story on NFL.com. Didn't expect that!? Also judging by the awful pun of a headline you guys had Britain's Got Talent on TV over there? If so I feel for you.

Back to Okoye, seems according to Brandt, Brooks, he may be a late pick, or at least will be signed as an UDFA. Seems like he'll be on somebody's practice squad.
We had it FIRST (yea?) Maybe.... According to Wikipedia, Simon Cowell had a tiff with the host of the pilot, leaving it in limbo over there while he took to to the States for a year before it returned to the UK a year later. Wikipedia further notes Cowell has suggested merging the various national incarnations of the franchise into a global version with a Eurovision format. I may have to destroy my TV in self defense.

It probably just depends how coachable he is. If he's too slow to play TE and can't develop a good enough swim or dip/rip to get past blocker I'm not sure how useful he'd be. He'd have to beat blocks at pretty much any defensive position, or make them at any realistic offensive one. If he can do either those meaurables give him a bright NFL future, but if not, not.

[BroncoWave]

Some of the commentary on this subject (notably from Ravage) reminds me of a great quote Mark Cuban made the other day in response to getting bashed about giving Brittany Griner an NBA tryout.

"Nothing harms an organization or company more than a closed mind."

That's the kind of person I would want running my sports team or company, and hopefully for this Okoye guy it's the kind of person who runs at least 1 NFL team.

[Simple Jaded]

I can't believe he's not trying out for a Euro team, apparently that's where all the talent is. :D

[aulaza]

Wikipedia further notes Cowell has suggested merging the various national incarnations of the franchise into a global version with a Eurovision format. I may have to destroy my TV in self defense.

My God No!! He really is trying to take over the world!! I'm not sure anyone is more universally disliked than him. (Apart from maybe Margaret Thatcher judging by the reaction in the last day!)

[Joel]

I can't believe he's not trying out for a Euro team, apparently that's where all the talent is. :D
Don't be ridiculous; you can't scrape together four pro-caliber teams from a mere half billion people. Why, it took the US HALF that many just to field EIGHT TIMES as many teams.


My God No!! He really is trying to take over the world!! I'm not sure anyone is more universally disliked than him. (Apart from maybe Margaret Thatcher judging by the reaction in the last day!)
You misspelled "destroy." I try not to think of relocation in terms of "trading four NFL games/Sunday for Eurovision." Try really HARD.

[Simple Jaded]

Don't be ridiculous; you can't scrape together four pro-caliber teams from a mere half billion people. Why, it took the US HALF that many just to field EIGHT TIMES as many teams

How many of those half billion know a first down from a touchdown? Or are you just gonna assume they know how to play?

[Joel]

How many of those half billion know a first down from a touchdown? Or are you just gonna assume they know how to play?
The ones interested in playing do, despite WLaugh and the whole, "pay to watch our pro rejects play; YOU aren't welcome to play in NFL 'Europe'" thing. Again, since the mid-eighties they've had their own league teaching every interested kid >13: http://www.eurobowl.info/text.php3?Inhalt=top20&MenueID=131

[TXBRONC]

Rav is simply dismissing it like there is no chance of it happening. Just showing that it does in fact happen sometimes. I don't get why he's being so negative about this guy simply trying out to play football. Maybe it won't work out, but that doesn't mean he doesn't at least deserve a tryout somewhere.

I don't think so. All he's done is point out that it's highly unlikely that he'll make it.

[Simple Jaded]

The ones interested in playing do, despite WLaugh and the whole, "pay to watch our pro rejects play; YOU aren't welcome to play in NFL 'Europe'" thing. Again, since the mid-eighties they've had their own league teaching every interested kid >13: http://www.eurobowl.info/text.php3?Inhalt=top20&MenueID=131

I wonder if NFL teams are aware of this. This is shocking, I can't believe NFLE chose to blackball all that talent. Heads are gonna roll.

[BroncoWave]

I don't think so. All he's done is point out that it's highly unlikely that he'll make it.

Read post #8. He didn't say it's highly unlikely. He said he "won't" make it.

[Poet]

yeah.. and wasn't there a WWF dude just a few years back? People were saying "he's one of the most athletic guys in the world, he'll be just fine".... never heard his name again.

This guy has at least some experience in rugby....but don't see the transition being an easy one. Never has before.

Brock Lesnar. He then went on to be a stud in the UFC for awhile. I think he played some football in college but it's not the same thing. Not with that kind of a layoff.

[weazel]

I hope it works out for him. He's obviously a smart guy but football requires a special type of instinct that can take years to hone. Never have played the game before his chances of success are low. Even if he does succeed he most likely will be a non-factor for at least two years while he learns the game.

It'd be a cool story if it happens though.



Didn't ths Broncos have a guy who was a Rhodes scholar before?

while I kind of agree with you, there are plenty of guys that they just throw on the line and the guy does well... You dont really have to be a rocket scientist to play on the line.

[Ravage!!!]

Read post #8. He didn't say it's highly unlikely. He said he "won't" make it.

See...this is what is so funny about you. :lol: You try SOOOOOO hard to pick fights basing your finger pointing on nothing but the minute details and minutia. You want to believe you have a point by circling your argument on ridiculous details that make absolutely NO difference to the discussion or statement. But by golly, it makes you feel RIGHT!!!!! :lol:

I'm TRULY sorry I didn't go into MORE detail for your, BTB. After all, you are entitled to it. :coffee:

[BroncoWave]

See...this is what is so funny about you. :lol: You try SOOOOOO hard to pick fights basing your finger pointing on nothing but the minute details and minutia. You want to believe you have a point by circling your argument on ridiculous details that make absolutely NO difference to the discussion or statement. But by golly, it makes you feel RIGHT!!!!! :lol:

I'm TRULY sorry I didn't go into MORE detail for your, BTB. After all, you are entitled to it. :coffee:

:lol: What a predictable response. Do you feel better about yourself now?

[Ravage!!!]

Bingo.

[Joel]

I wonder if NFL teams are aware of this. This is shocking, I can't believe NFLE chose to blackball all that talent. Heads are gonna roll.
Who does the chopping? US NFL fans who couldn't care less about Europe, or European football fans who couldn't care less about the NFLs farm league since they have a REAL league of their own?

None of those guys play Division IA ball, so to the NFL they clearly suck. Since WLaugh was just a farm league for "almost NFL" players the NFL didn't bother seeing if ONE guy out of half a BILLION threw better than Jake Delhomme, even though the spiral was invented by a Norwegian immigrant named Rokne. This is the league that said Doug Flutie was too short and Warren Moon was too Not-SEC-Big-10-nor-Notre-Dame.

The rich old men who own the NFL are torn between their insatiable greed and conservative terror of change. They want that $16 trillion GDP market, but don't want European football: They want NFL Europe. Yet they're going VERY slowly because there's no guarantee they can export things like the draft, revenue sharing, salary cap blackouts and merchandising along with "the rest of" football (i.e. the NFL.)

European expansion teams are the best thing for the NFL, but the best thing for football is probably the EFL following the AFLs model: Aggressively creatively promoting the sport until they reach a level the NFL can't simply overwhelm but must instead merge with them. They need an Al Davis (the Mark Cuban of his day) who doesn't need or want the NFL to bring his teams to the big time. Granted, that carries its own risks; had Tex Schramm not sold all the other AFL owners on the merger before approaching League Commissioner Davis, he might not have aggreed.

Find a few billionaires, like Lamar Hunt did, willing to take a loss for a few years until they can start selling the games, and draft European AND US players right alongside the NFL, offering contracts the NFL salary cap don't allow. That's how the AFL did it; the NFL didn't like the AFL giving players the upper hand for a change, forcing teams to bid against each other for players as in the days before the draft, thereby COSTING THE OWNERS MONEY! (:eek:) The NFL hated that enough to suggest a merger, and the AFL owners realized it would save them money, too, so here we are. It worked then; it would work now.

[Ravage!!!]

Doug Flutie was too short.

[Joel]

while I kind of agree with you, there are plenty of guys that they just throw on the line and the guy does well... You dont really have to be a rocket scientist to play on the line.
Maybe not, but few idiots do it WELL. Many fine NFL head coaches have come from the offensive line; before passing began trumping running in the '70s and '80s MOST did. But playing either side of the line requires a good understanding of blocking, not just pulling and lead blocking, but how to use hands, leverage, balance, momentum. You know all that, of course, but Okoye's probably never been exposed to any of it, because ANY kind of blocking is equivalent to offensive holding in rugby. I still think that'll be his real obstacle to playing either side of the line; he might be better off as huge receiving TE.

[aulaza]

Maybe not, but few idiots do it WELL.

Well, judging by his offer to study law at Oxford Okoye is fairly intelligent!! Obviously his football IQ will currently be very low, but given his natural intelligence you would like to think he should be able to learn. I guess we will find out either way.

[Chef Zambini]

fullback.

[Simple Jaded]

Who does the chopping? US NFL fans who couldn't care less about Europe, or European football fans who couldn't care less about the NFLs farm league since they have a REAL league of their own?

None of those guys play Division IA ball, so to the NFL they clearly suck. Since WLaugh was just a farm league for "almost NFL" players the NFL didn't bother seeing if ONE guy out of half a BILLION threw better than Jake Delhomme, even though the spiral was invented by a Norwegian immigrant named Rokne. This is the league that said Doug Flutie was too short and Warren Moon was too Not-SEC-Big-10-nor-Notre-Dame.

The rich old men who own the NFL are torn between their insatiable greed and conservative terror of change. They want that $16 trillion GDP market, but don't want European football: They want NFL Europe. Yet they're going VERY slowly because there's no guarantee they can export things like the draft, revenue sharing, salary cap blackouts and merchandising along with "the rest of" football (i.e. the NFL.)

European expansion teams are the best thing for the NFL, but the best thing for football is probably the EFL following the AFLs model: Aggressively creatively promoting the sport until they reach a level the NFL can't simply overwhelm but must instead merge with them. They need an Al Davis (the Mark Cuban of his day) who doesn't need or want the NFL to bring his teams to the big time. Granted, that carries its own risks; had Tex Schramm not sold all the other AFL owners on the merger before approaching League Commissioner Davis, he might not have aggreed.

Find a few billionaires, like Lamar Hunt did, willing to take a loss for a few years until they can start selling the games, and draft European AND US players right alongside the NFL, offering contracts the NFL salary cap don't allow. That's how the AFL did it; the NFL didn't like the AFL giving players the upper hand for a change, forcing teams to bid against each other for players as in the days before the draft, thereby COSTING THE OWNERS MONEY! (:eek:) The NFL hated that enough to suggest a merger, and the AFL owners realized it would save them money, too, so here we are. It worked then; it would work now.

The Government should step in, this is a clear case of discrimination and monopolization. We can't stand for this, it's so Un-American. Makes ya wonder about the NBA too.

[Joel]

Well, judging by his offer to study law at Oxford Okoye is fairly intelligent!! Obviously his football IQ will currently be very low, but given his natural intelligence you would like to think he should be able to learn. I guess we will find out either way.
Yeah, I don't question his smarts, though I do wonder whether he can block/beat a block. I was mainly questioning the implication any moron can play on the line; MAYBE at DT or RG, but a C who can't remember the snap count is an ugly thing.


fullback.
Thought of that, but if he can block well enough to play FB he'd almost certainly be a bigger asset at G or T; if not, he'd be better as a receiving TE. Teams looking at him as a DE suggests his blocking ability is suspect; I don't think any idiot can do it, but DT and DE probably have the least steep learning curve.


The Government should step in, this is a clear case of discrimination and monopolization. We can't stand for this, it's so Un-American. Makes ya wonder about the NBA too.
The US government has no authority overseas, which may be much of the problem: Congress exempted the NFL from anti-trust laws during the merger, to preserve the draft; bribing LAs two senators to vote for that is the only reason the Saints exist. The League doesn't have the leverage for that kind of favoritism overseas, and knows it. The NFL has never been a big fan of level playing fields or competition: Just ask the USFL.

[Simple Jaded]

Oh well, maybe Europe can bring all that great talent to American TV screens via underground revolution. Where's De Guille when you need him? Viva la resistance!

[weazel]

I can see him signing with the Broncos and then someone will want him to restructure and move to safety

[Joel]

Oh well, maybe Europe can bring all that great talent to American TV screens via underground revolution. Where's De Guille when you need him? Viva la resistance!
No, Europe needs to bring that talent to Europes screens as football players rather than soccer and rugby players, and maybe pilfer a dozen or two top NCAA players with massive contracts the NFLs rookie cap prevents. It's actually not a bad idea; the media market's just as open for exploitation as the talent pool, and the NFL has NEVER deigned to treat another league as equals until/unless it proved itself a competitive threat for players as well as ratings. Again, Europe needs to adopt the AFLs model rather than FIFAs, but unfamiliarity with the former may preclude that.

[Simple Jaded]

I wonder if rookies would be lining up to play in Europe with teams they've never heard of, it'd be like Elway threatening to play baseball instead.

[Joel]

Money talks, and there's no cap in Europe. The trick would be convincing enough European billionaires there's a big enough eventual payoff to justify the initial loss when they could just try to buy a FIFA team.

[Jsteve01]

I wonder if rookies would be lining up to play in Europe with teams they've never heard of, it'd be like Elway threatening to play baseball instead. You mean like Beckham playing in the states?

[Simple Jaded]

You mean like Beckham playing in the states?

Not really, Joel is talking about coveted draft picks not washed up has-beens.

[Joel]

Not really, Joel is talking about coveted draft picks not washed up has-beens.
Fair point, but he's right in principle. It's not like no one over here would've paid an aging star eye-popping money; teams do that all the time. He went where he got the most, and considering how often injuries can end an NFL career, I bet many top college players would do the same. Say you're Johnny Football and have the following options:

1) Finish your college eligiblity and IF you stay healthy and IF you keep playing well enter the draft as a top five pick, or play another two years and enter "early" hoping to go by the third round. Either way your max payday is probably about the $23 million contract Cam Newton and Andrew Luck got, maybe half of it guaranteed if you blow out your knee in camp.

2) Leave NOW so Silvio Berlusconi pays you the $80 million Sam Bradford got two years ago (or more) to be blasted all over every TV in Europe as what Red Grange was to his personal league. Prorated bonus? Screw that: $20 million/year for as long as you can play, maybe another 20 years since you start at age 20. Hell, there's no draft; maybe Richard Branson starts a bidding war and you end up with A-Rod money.

I know: No Super Bowl. Tell me a college kid would turn down an extra $50 million and two years of career to maybe, eventually, start in a Super Bowl if he doesn't get hurt, benched or cut.

[aulaza]

Apparently your inbox is too full to receive a message, here is the reply I wrote:

I think this explains it pretty well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Football_League

I guess you could equate it to FIFA's champions league, in that its the best teams from the various countries. We have a UK competition (the final is the Britbowl!) which is more in line with the NFL season. I believe the other European nations have their tournaments in winter as well. I'm not an expert on it though!

[TXBRONC]

Read post #8. He didn't say it's highly unlikely. He said he "won't" make it.

Did he in the post I quoted?

[Joel]

Apparently your inbox is too full to receive a message, here is the reply I wrote:

I think this explains it pretty well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Football_League

I guess you could equate it to FIFA's champions league, in that its the best teams from the various countries. We have a UK competition (the final is the Britbowl!) which is more in line with the NFL season. I believe the other European nations have their tournaments in winter as well. I'm not an expert on it though!
Thanks; I didn't realize it was full, but archived a few to make room.

This line confuses me: "EFAF determine the relative strength of each of its 17 affiliate leagues and allocates teams to the 4 divisions accordingly, thus not all nations take part." That seems a bit arbitrary, kind of like the NCAA unofficially deciding only Notre Dame, the SEC, Big 10 and a couple Pac 10 and Big 12 teams can be elected "national" "champion." Beyond that I'm REALLY lost because I have no idea how FIFA works.

I do think limiting teams to 3 North American and/or Japanese players is a lot better than just requiring a single European player. Again, the whole problem with WLaugh was that it was almost entirely foreign rejects who bolted for the NFL at the first chance, giving European fans NO reason to follow bad, foreign temporary teams.

[aulaza]

Basically it just means that because there is a big difference in the quality of leagues, the fourth best team from one league is probably equal to the best in another. Its like the champions league, where you have 4 teams qualifying from the English Premier League, but less teams from lesser leagues.

As for the timing, the tournament has to be around now, so that the national tournaments of each nation are complete, and the best teams can the compete in the EFL.

[Joel]

The timing kind of makes sense given they have a regular season, qualifying season AND a final playoff tournament, but the second strikes me as redundant.

Perhaps the root problem is I don't know anything about Premier and Champions League except that the best of the former swaps leagues with the worst of the latter. That's not an awful idea; if teams like Detroit, Cleveland and Jacksonsville were restricted to playing each other at least ONE would post a winning season each year. Likewise, it was a bit unequal in the '80s to let SF cruise into each playoff beating awful teams while the Cowboys, Giants and 'Skins SB teams had to battle each other (plus an extra team) just to win their division. Same with Indy vs. the AFCN over the last decade.

Two leagues with four groups subdivided into four 2-3 team divisions playing two seasons PLUS a playoff tourny (or a different group tourny each year; I honestly can't tell) just hopelessly confuses me though, and probably would even if I knew more about how FIFA works. I think I need to see it laid like the NFL conferences and divisions with their playoff brackets so I can follow each logical step of the way to the final.

There's something to be said for developing and maintaining interest if local teams slug it out for a national title before a second international season, but were it up to me I'd do both the same way instead of making the second season qualifying matches against one or two other teams. From the sound of things each national champion will only play two games between the end of March and the Eurobowl turny at the end of August, and that's an undesirable lull. If the national season starts up again in Fall it doesn't leave much time to rest and heal either.

Like I say though, I'm mainly guessing about how the schedules are organized; none of the stuff I've seen online provides much detail, so I should probably just email a league official who has an English name.

[Jsteve01]

The timing kind of makes sense given they have a regular season, qualifying season AND a final playoff tournament, but the second strikes me as redundant.

Perhaps the root problem is I don't know anything about Premier and Champions League except that the best of the former swaps leagues with the worst of the latter. That's not an awful idea; if teams like Detroit, Cleveland and Jacksonsville were restricted to playing each other at least ONE would post a winning season each year. Likewise, it was a bit unequal in the '80s to let SF cruise into each playoff beating awful teams while the Cowboys, Giants and 'Skins SB teams had to battle each other (plus an extra team) just to win their division. Same with Indy vs. the AFCN over the last decade.

Two leagues with four groups subdivided into four 2-3 team divisions playing two seasons PLUS a playoff tourny (or a different group tourny each year; I honestly can't tell) just hopelessly confuses me though, and probably would even if I knew more about how FIFA works. I think I need to see it laid like the NFL conferences and divisions with their playoff brackets so I can follow each logical step of the way to the final.

There's something to be said for developing and maintaining interest if local teams slug it out for a national title before a second international season, but were it up to me I'd do both the same way instead of making the second season qualifying matches against one or two other teams. From the sound of things each national champion will only play two games between the end of March and the Eurobowl turny at the end of August, and that's an undesirable lull. If the national season starts up again in Fall it doesn't leave much time to rest and heal either.

Like I say though, I'm mainly guessing about how the schedules are organized; none of the stuff I've seen online provides much detail, so I should probably just email a league official who has an English name.

try Dietrich Vanderhoover at www.vandhooover.com @hooverdiet (twitter)

[Joel]

try Dietrich Vanderhoover at www.vandhooover.com (http://www.vandhooover.com) @hooverdiet (twitter)
Chrome says that's a dead link.

[Simple Jaded]

Fair point, but he's right in principle. It's not like no one over here would've paid an aging star eye-popping money; teams do that all the time. He went where he got the most, and considering how often injuries can end an NFL career, I bet many top college players would do the same. Say you're Johnny Football and have the following options:

1) Finish your college eligiblity and IF you stay healthy and IF you keep playing well enter the draft as a top five pick, or play another two years and enter "early" hoping to go by the third round. Either way your max payday is probably about the $23 million contract Cam Newton and Andrew Luck got, maybe half of it guaranteed if you blow out your knee in camp.

2) Leave NOW so Silvio Berlusconi pays you the $80 million Sam Bradford got two years ago (or more) to be blasted all over every TV in Europe as what Red Grange was to his personal league. Prorated bonus? Screw that: $20 million/year for as long as you can play, maybe another 20 years since you start at age 20. Hell, there's no draft; maybe Richard Branson starts a bidding war and you end up with A-Rod money.

I know: No Super Bowl. Tell me a college kid would turn down an extra $50 million and two years of career to maybe, eventually, start in a Super Bowl if he doesn't get hurt, benched or cut.

Can you explain why you're so against one player getting so much money and have absolutely no problem with everybody else getting massive paychecks?

You're sure free wheeling with other people's money until that money goes to Peyton Manning. I mean, we KNOW why, I'm just fishing to see if you'd finally admit it.

[elsid13]

Some of the commentary on this subject (notably from Ravage) reminds me of a great quote Mark Cuban made the other day in response to getting bashed about giving Brittany Griner an NBA tryout.

"Nothing harms an organization or company more than a closed mind."

That's the kind of person I would want running my sports team or company, and hopefully for this Okoye guy it's the kind of person who runs at least 1 NFL team.


I actually prefer "nothing gets a coach fire like potential".

[aulaza]

Another update:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000159336/article/lawrence-okoye-reportedly-visits-49ers-saints-next

Visits with 9ers and Saints.

[Joel]

Can you explain why you're so against one player getting so much money and have absolutely no problem with everybody else getting massive paychecks?

You're sure free wheeling with other people's money until that money goes to Peyton Manning. I mean, we KNOW why, I'm just fishing to see if you'd finally admit it.
You should put some clothes on that desperation before it catches cold. ;) The Broncos have a salary cap; AC Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United don't (though I hear Manchester City wishes they did.)

[aulaza]

Right now I'm more worried about this guy, because if he makes the roster of any NFL team that comes to Denver, a 70 yd FG is a real possibility: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253264/Havard-Rugland-NFL-Norwegian-kicker-gets-tryout-New-York-Jets-video-spectacular-trick-shots-went-viral.html

Looks like you're right to be worried!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000159261/article/kickalicious-havard-rugland-signs-detroit-lions-deal

Whether or not he beats out Akers will tell us a lot.

[Joel]

Looks like you're right to be worried!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000159261/article/kickalicious-havard-rugland-signs-detroit-lions-deal

Whether or not he beats out Akers will tell us a lot.
Yeah, saw that, and you're right. I got to wondering where he's from last night though (haven't been able to find out yet.) If he made those kicks here, we're close to sea level, but if he lives at Galdhøpiggen that's like kicking in Denver. He's freakishly accurate though; in the video he boots one through the goalposts from the (front) corner of the end zone. It's worth noting some of those kicks took multiple tries (the one at the end where he kicks a ball then kicks it out of the air with another reportedly took eight attempts,) but so did Tynes' '07 NFC Championship winner (and I couldn't kick a ball out of the air with EIGHTY tries.)

[BroncoWave]

Hey look, and excellent organization in the 49ers signed him. I guess it's not a lock that he won't make it like some on here would like to say.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9230887/lawrence-okoye-gets-nfl-shot-san-francisco-49ers

[Simple Jaded]

Hey look, and excellent organization in the 49ers signed him. I guess it's not a lock that he won't make it like some on here would like to say.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9230887/lawrence-okoye-gets-nfl-shot-san-francisco-49ers

You think he has a better chance on a loaded defense?

[BroncoWave]

You think he has a better chance on a loaded defense?

I think he has the chance to make the practice squad and be a developmental player. He may never see the field for SF, but he could have the chance to show other teams something in the preseason.

[aulaza]

Im happy for the guy. Hopefully it works out for him. One thing in his favour is that he'll have Jim Tomsula coaching him.

Its been a good year for us Brits, Menelik Watson getting drafted, playing on the same team as Jack Crawford and Okoye being signed as an UDFA. Its promising.

[Joel]

Im happy for the guy. Hopefully it works out for him. One thing in his favour is that he'll have Jim Tomsula coaching him.

Its been a good year for us Brits, Menelik Watson getting drafted, playing on the sale team as Jack Crawford and Okoye being signed as an UDFA. Its promising.
I'm all in for Rugland, though I did notice those guys as well (didn't even know about Crawford till I saw him mentioned in conjunction with Watson on NFL.com, but I can't root for Faders. ;))

[Simple Jaded]

...but I can't root for Faders. ;))
But you can root for China?

[Joel]

But you can root for China?
I don't recall rooting for China; have a link...?