'Old and tired' NFL storylines we're ready to retire (1 Viewer)

[Faust]

'Old and tired' NFL storylines we're ready to retire

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Credit the San Diego Chargers with turning Manti Te'o's fake-girlfriend scandal into a non-issue this offseason. In an upset of epic proportions, the omnipresent football media has concentrated on Te'o's on-field progress while ignoring the temptation to turn the "Catfish" storyline into a sideshow.

If Te'o's veteran teammates have engaged in any form of hazing, they wisely kept it behind closed doors. Quarterback Philip Rivers has questioned why the scandal is worthy of the media's attention.

"I don't know what y'all keep asking about, I really don't," Rivers said via The Orange County Register. "The story is so old and tired that I would figure y'all would be moved on to something else by now."

Old and tired. I think Rivers is onto something here. In his honor, I am retiring the following old and tired NFL storylines:

» Mark Sanchez's opinion on where he stands in the New York Jets' quarterback competition. His opinion is immaterial. Also related: Rex Ryan's latest bloviating proclamations and any reference to "Jets West." This team is 14-18 over the past two years. What is this magical spell the Jets have over us?

» Tim Tebow's religion, speaking engagements, chicken franchises or other non-football minutiae.

» If a beat writer turns to the triumvirate of retired quarterbacks (Joe Theismann, Joe Namath and Fran Tarkenton) for a quick quote, it's safe to ignore the ensuing balderdash.

» The politics of Chris Kluwe and Matt Birk.

» The crossover appeal of the latest wide receiver on "Dancing with the Stars."

» Terrell Owens' fruitless quest to convince NFL teams that he deserves another opportunity.

» Anything related to RGIII's wedding, up to and including the registry.

» Richard Sherman's manufactured rivalry with Darrelle Revis.

» Chip Kelly's music selection.

» The sad saga of Titus Young's latest arrest or Shawne Merriman's latest alleged overdose.

» The Minnesota Vikings' love-boat scandal.

» Any story insisting that a player is in the best shape of his life.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

 

[Faust]

Are there any other ones that come to mind?

 

[cmv5]

I hate to say it but Pat Tillman. Whatever your opinion is, the story has been told from every angle.

 

[Steed]

Nice to see Wess cleaning some ish up over there.

 

[JHuber77]

Terrell Owens/Chad whatever he wants to call himself making a comeback and will play for whoever

 

[Azhais]

They should have just ended Tim Tebow's entry with "Tim Tebow". I was tired of his non-football minutiae before it even started, now I'm tired of his football minutiae too.

 

[Cookiemonster]

At least we're finally past Brett Favre's riding lawnmower.

 

[ShaHBucks]

Mr. Irrelevant.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

The Oakland Raiders

 

[Rookie_Whisperer]

Deion Sanders takes player X under his wing as a mentor and this will somehow make a big difference.

The Cowboys are primed for a run at a championship.

Rex Ryan.

Tebow, fans of Tebow, jerseys of Tebow, when he will play, packages specific for Tebow, anything that starts with the word Tim or ends with bow.

 

[petenice15]

I hate to say it but Pat Tillman. Whatever your opinion is, the story has been told from every angle.

I'm not looking to start an argument, but the guy is a hero in my eyes and I don't think the story is told nearly enough. If more Americans were as selfless as Tillman, we'd be a much better country.

 

[msommer]

Hard Knocks

 

[Rookie_Whisperer]

the Pro Bowl

the champaign being popped by the '72 Dolphins (Mercury Morris especially).

Lunchpail players

Donovan McNabb

 

[dickey moe]

The Oakland Raiders

LOL

 

[CentralPA]

Backpacks and Purses

 

[biju]

Anything labeled "-gate", but particularly Spygate. Time to let it go.

Also: anything Jerry Jones.

 

[Adam Harstad]

Has the Love Boat story not already been retired? I haven't seen references to that in the national press in years.

 

[Faust]

Has the Love Boat story not already been retired? I haven't seen references to that in the national press in years.

Adam,

It is still popping up from time to time, as NFL.com featured a story on it recently:

Vikings 'Love Boat' makes debut on Iowa Great Lakes

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The Rooney Rule

 

[The_Man]

Is (Fill in name) an elite QB?

 

[ghostguy123]

Is (Fill in name) an elite QB?

Exactly. If you have to ask, the answer is NO.

Also love the "best shape of my life", although I have gotten good trade offers for players after they SAY something about how they will perform, Haha. People still listen to players, amazing. Wha do you think the guy is gonna say, that he sucks and the team should cut him??

Tired and old......skip bayless.

I like Tebow, but I hate the media for basically making everyone hate him with enormous over exposure.

Every damn knee injury being compared to Petersons recovery.

 

[LarryAllen'sJockstrap]

the Pro Bowl

the champaign being popped by the '72 Dolphins (Mercury Morris especially).

Lunchpail players

Donovan McNabb

Good one.

As a Cowboys fan, I am embarassed to say it, but I always liked McNabb. He seemed like a classy guy. He was a winner. I even thought he cames across the better man in the whole TO saga,

Then 2010 happened, He started sucking, was out of the league after 2011 and has since seemed to turn into a total attention whore. Always throwing out ridiculous opinions, wanting to reach out and mentor RGIII... He just can't seem to grasp the concept he's not an active part of the game anymore.

 

[Ridgelake]

Romo is a choker

 

[NCPanthersFan]

Maybe it is PFT influenced but I am tried of all the NYJ bashing.

 

[DoubleG]

Deion Sanders takes player X under his wing as a mentor and this will somehow make a big difference.

This one. And all of it's variations. I don't give a rip who is helping/teaching/mentoring a player...is the player any damn good is all that matters.

 

[Faust]

Bashing the Raiders on the sins from the past ownership and administration.

 

[cdwood]

I am hoping that with the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville agreeing to make $63 million in upgrades to Everbank Field, the story of the Jaguars moving to Los Angeles or London can be retired, for a few years atleast.

 

[GregR]

Maybe it is PFT influenced but I am tried of all the NYJ bashing.

I think heavy over-exposure leads naturally to bashing. People get sick of hearing about them and then react negatively not just to the over-exposure, but to the subject itself.

 

[BoltBacker]

I'm going to go ahead and assume the police have officially moved into any house owned by Hernandez.

I know it's the slow part of the year for fantasy football news but PLEASE stop telling me the police are going back to his house unless something actually changes or is discovered. I don't care if this time is different because they have dogs. Or special CSI flashlights and goggles. Or if they are bringing green eggs and ham. ENOUGH!

I haven't been this well informed by people that know nothing since ESPN had a camera on Kobe Bryants empty chair in a courtroom in Denver.

 

[Bruce Hammond]

-- anything concerning old greybeard washed up players, cut by former teams, looking for new teams. Free agent 33-35 year old RBs and 35-40 year old WRs, even if they find teams, are not particularly relevant and should not be given the disproportionate coverage in the media that they get because of past name recognition.

-- anything relating to the (maybe) 3rd string QB in New England, who is probably as likely as not to be cut before the season.

-- any story involving a player projecting his own stats for the upcoming season. Fifty sacks, 2,500 yards, etc. What a joke. Why even 'report' this crap?

-- any report telling us a player is 'ahead of schedule' in rehab, months before training camp. Irrelevant. They are always ahead of schedule. The schedule is probably set to be very conservative in the first place.

-- Rex Ryan's opinion on anything not relating specifically to the Jets' defense. Meaningless.

-- wildly speculative stories and the fantasy buzz that follows, built solely around some innocuous positive comment made by a beat writer or coach about some down-the-depth chart backup player. WR Lockette SF immediately comes to mind.

 

[msudaisy26]

Anything to do with the NFL moving to London. It is a joke that there are games there in the first place.

Needing the extra week between the title games and the Super Bowl. The pro bowl sucks and the players are already beat to hell that extra week will not make the any fresher. That is why they have an offseason

 

[Polka King]

Anything to do with the NFL moving to London. It is a joke that there are games there in the first place.

This. I hope it never happens, and as a Pats fan it drives me nuts that Kraft seems so determined to make this happen as well.

 

[Shawnky]

Romo is a choker

coming from a Cowboys fan

 

[Bri]

The Jets are definitely the red-headed stepchild to the Giants in NY. Parcells, BB started a swing and after them they were doing well and then the Gmen went to the Supe and it went back to the Jets being the meh team again.

Sick of sanchez stuff too. I don't feel like he's improved since day 1 so wysiwyg.

Their draft pick that had this rosey future is now being insulted and mocked and...

Playing a tough sport and your lead spokesman is a guy that likes to talk about wearing panty hose to keep warm...that's not going to get you a lot of love. They could promote "the sack exchange" and other things instead. Nonetheless, sick of them being the doormat.

Jets can move anywhere and be loved like most football teams are or throw many NYers minds into disarray by playing at Yankee Stadium or near MSG like they were; but no they are still the freshmen getting picked on while the Giants are the seniors.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Why do I have to hear about where Vonta Leach is possibly going every single day?

He's a fullback.

 

[Warhogs]

How about an old/tired fantasy one?

This is the year to draft Jay Cutler. The guy is a nice QB2 but a pretty weak QB1 every year.

 

[mjr]

Pretty much every tiny observation made in a spring minicamp that must be beaten to death for the rest of the summer as if it's breaking news and predicts an entire career.

 

[Shutout]

Why do I have to hear about where Vonta Leach is possibly going every single day?

He's a fullback.

Ain't that the truth?

THe other one I am sick of seeing is how "According to [insert media source here], [insert every player in the league's name here] has a [insert percentage here] chance of making the [insert team name here]'s 53-man roster."

 

[ShaHBucks]

__________ said he's going to make teams that didn't draft him pay.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Player name is not clutch/elite because they have not won a playoff game/Super Bowl.