2011 NFL Combine; NFL Draft Breaking News

NFLPA E.D. DeMaurice Smith

Union officials and player agents are meeting to discuss the withholding of players from NFL Combine and NFL Draft activities. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has been and will continue meeting with agents to discuss boycott options. 


In the end, while both sides claim to have the fans' interests at heart, both continue serving themselves. 

Illinois; Indiana "Great Blizzard of 2011" Pictures

A side entrance to my building. 

While we here at PCR report specifically on football news, I could not resist this opportunity to share with my readers campus pictures of the Blizzard of 2011, so that you can see what one PCR writer is dealing with today. PCR's other writer, Eric Quackenbush, is dealing with his own winter weather from the same system, and has his own pictures of Penn State under snow/ice today.

Carolina's Not Done: Eric Washington Named Defensive Line Coach

After the earlier news today of Fred Graves' hiring at the wide receiver coach slot, the Carolina Panthers have struck again, hiring Eric Washington to be defensive line coach. Washington comes from the same position with the Chicago Bears, where he helped lead Israel Idonije, Julius Peppers, and the Bears' defense to a top-ten ranking this past season.

Tennessee Titans WR Coach Fred Graves Has Carolina Panthers, Steve Smith, On His Mind

After four years with the Tennessee Titans, Fred Graves is leaving Tennessee after the departure of head coach Jeff Fisher. Graves is going to the Carolina Panthers for a similar position, reuniting with dynamic wide-out Steve Smith, whom he worked with at Utah.

Considering the success of relative unknowns like Kenny Britt, Graves may be able to work wonders with young receivers Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, and Armanti Edwards in Carolina.

Life Without The NFL Is No Life At All

Monte Pool of the Oakland Tribune, in an eloquent syndicated article this morning, again made the point that so many have made and so few of those in power seem to understand.

Fans, quite frankly, don't care about [NFL Commissioner Roger] Goodell and [NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice] Smith.

Fans care about having an NFL team nearby or seeing one from their living rooms. They care about tailgating or sitting before bigscreen TVs. They care about the price of season tickets, the price of NFL Sunday Ticket, the price of NFL Network.

They care less about the chiefs in the labor beef than they do about the price of the jersey they'll torch in a moment of outrage.