Bottom of the Bird Cage 4/9

This is Day No. 99 of the year and we reach the end of former Chiefs players we can honor, since they’ve never handed out a three digit number – although there have been a few lineman big enough to wear it. We salute all the 99s, worn first by Ernie Ladd and then everyone from Wilbur Young to Mike Bell, Vaughn Booker, Duane Clemons and Vonnie Holliday.

It was on April 9, 1965 that General Robert E. Lee surrended the forces of the Army of Northern Virginia to General U.S. Grant of the Union Army at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War.

Born on April 9, 1898 were a couple of names that made their mark on football history: Curley Lambeau and Paul Robeson. Lambeau played and coached and today Lambeau Field is named after him in Green Bay. Robeson would become known for more than his football playing, but in 1917 and 1918 he was an All-America end at Rutgers University. He was called the greatest player of his era by Walter Camp, the father of American football.

And on April 9, 1932 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Albert Robert Gretz Jr. arrived in the world, the first son of Albert Sr. and Mary.

Happy 77th Pops!

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Brad Childress said he doesn’t mind if Adrian Peterson gains weight, but the Vikings coach said it’s probably unrealistic to think the Pro Bowl running back will reach his stated goal of 230 pounds. “Well, you know what, 230 is awful big,” Childress said Wednesday. “They are not required to weigh in right now, but I can tell you that he doesn’t look any different, maybe even a little bit thinner right now.”

Listed last season at 6-1 and 217 pounds, Peterson said he hopes to gain 7 to 12 pounds with a goal of beginning next season weighing between 225 and 230 pounds. He hopes the extra weight will enable him to better withstand the punishment he takes.

“I’d encourage him to play at whatever weight he can and have great stamina and be able to finish and be able to still have the successes he’s had,” Childress said on the third day of the team’s offseason program

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Childress should stand by the above quote “I’d encourage him to play at whatever weight he can …” and otherwise leave his running back alone. There are two groups of players that tend to aggravate coaches the most. I don’t include kickers because they aggravate everybody. Those groups are cornerbacks and running backs. The corners are always a little high strung and because they play a position that leaves them exposed on every play, they tend to be high maintenance guys with fragile egos. Running backs are born, they are not taught. They can be coached up to be better all around players, but a great running back shows up that way in the NFL. Peterson is on the cusp of being a great NFL running back. If I were Childress, I’d keep my eye on him and my trap shut. If he wants to be heavier, let him try for himself.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
As his Super Bowl exploits attest, John Stallworth has a knack for rising to the occasion. Therefore, it is not surprising that Dan and Art Rooney II approached Stallworth as they were trying to keep the Steelers in the only family that has ever owned the franchise.

Their meeting with Stallworth last November led to the Pro Football Hall of Famer becoming the most high-profile member of the investment group the Rooneys are putting together, as they restructure ownership to comply with NFL rules. The two sides are working out details, but Stallworth told the Tribune-Review he officially expects to become a limited Steelers partner within the next two months.

“I could not be more excited about the opportunity,” said Stallworth, who became a successful businessman after playing for the Steelers from 1974-87. “Didn’t see it coming. I thought about it, I prayed about it and talked to my wife, and we thought it would be a good opportunity.”

Stallworth first talked about the opportunity with the Rooneys when he returned to Pittsburgh for the Steelers’ Nov. 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts. When Dan and Art Rooney II announced the addition of Stallworth to their ownership group near the end of March, it did not come as a surprise to his former teammates.

“Trust me, Dan doesn’t just ask anybody to be an owner,” said former Steelers safety Donnie Shell, who is close friends with Stallworth. “He knows we came in and loved that organization.”

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This is an amazing story that hopefully will get more attention in the coming months as the details are finalized. There are hundreds of players who have thought and sought opportunities to become owners in the NFL. Some have put together money people to help them. Since his retirement with the New York Jets, RB Curtis Martin has been working very hard and quietly behind the scenes trying to get a piece of an NFL team. Stallworth didn’t do anything. He was asked to join up, which is the ultimate compliment to him. Not every player would be a good fit for an ownership role – no matter how small. I can tell you from personal experience, Stallworth is just right. He will not meddle in the daily moves of NFL business, but he will make his feelings known on big picture items.

From the Indianapolis Star:
Marvin Harrison’s first venture into the NFL’s free-agent market has entered its seventh week, and there are no indications the former Indianapolis Colts standout receiver is close to a deal. “I’m not surprised,” said Charley Casserly, a former general manager with the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins who is an analyst with NFL Network. “When I watch him as a player and look at the package, he’s not going to get any better at this point in his career. He’s been injury-prone the last two years. He’s missed time. That has to be a consideration when you’re going to sign a guy.”

If teams have any interest in Harrison, they are keeping it to themselves. In a media environment rife with speculation and rumor, there has been nary a whisper regarding Harrison visiting any other teams. Harrison, 36, spent 13 seasons with the Colts.

Repeated attempts to contact Tom Condon, Harrison’s agent, have been unsuccessful.

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The fact that Condon won’t return a call is a pretty good indication of the lack of interest in Harrison. I don’t believe anyone should be in the business of telling any player when it’s time to quit; a guy needs to make that decision on his own, because he’s the one who has to live with the results. Sometimes that produces crazy situations like that with Brett Favre, but so be it; the player has to live with the ramifications of his decision either way. I believe Harrison could have stayed with the Colts had he been willing to take a haircut on his salary. He decided to roll the dice that somebody would pay him more on the open market. That time has come and gone. Harrison has never really allowed the public to get to know him, so it’s hard to decipher just what he may be looking for right now. There’s no denying he was a very good NFL receiver, but the end is near.