Gregg Williams is Bad... But is Sean "The Rat" Pamphilon Worse?

When Tony Soprano was tipped off that his "business associate" and long time friend, Big Pussy Bonpensiero, was doing the simulcast, Puss found himself out on a boat standing in front of three loaded guns being carried by Tony, Paulie Walnuts and Silvio. 


After several awkward and frantic shots of Jose Cuervo, the three men fired a dozen bullets through Puss' purple jogging suit and dumped him into the ocean, where he still remains today (although, if you ask Tony, he'll swear that he went into the witness protection program). 


But mob justice doesn't apply to the NFL, and for that, Sean Pamphilon is grateful. 


As many already know, Pamphilon is the man who released the latest and possibly the most damning evidence against Gregg Williams—an audio clip that captured Williams addressing his players in the locker room before the NFC Divisional playoff game between the Saints and the 49ers last January. 

In the audio clip, we heard Williams partake in typical coach speak. For the most part, I'd be shocked if I walked into an NFL locker room and didn't hear the type of things Williams said on the audio. 


However, there's no question he crossed the line when he encouraged his men to test Kyle Williams' concussion and aim for the ACL's, but overall the speech would have only been slightly concerning had it been released before Bounty Gate became public knowledge. 


But since we now have that knowledge, and know about Williams' participation in the incentive program, the latest evidence is understandably troubling.


WIlliams was in the wrong. He knows it. Everyone knows it. There are few (if any) people willing to challenge that. On the contrary, the argument and the debate has always concerned how wrong it was, as well as the extent of the punishment.  


It is the opinion of this writer that Roger Goodell exceeded what could be considered a rational and fitting punishment, but that's open for debate.  

The injury lawsuits against the NFL, as well as Goodell's safety crusade, is the reason for the thorough and severe punishment against Williams (indefinite suspension). Is there any doubt that the sentences would've been significantly less severe had this exact situation occurred ten years ago? 


The sentencing was formulated by someone with a clear and obvious personal agenda. Even if the punishment fits the crime, it's still absurd to put the outcome in the hands of someone who's top priority has more to do with maintaining a consistent public image rather than justice. 


But regardless, Williams openly admitted that he was in wrong and has accepted his punishment with no resistance whatsoever. 


That's more than we can say about Pamphilon, who will never be forced to admit that he was in the wrong and will likely never see anything even resembling punishment for his actions. 


The documentary that Pamphilon was filming at the time, the piece that allowed him to capture Williams' rant, was meant for his documentary on Steve Gleason. 


Gleason is a former member of the Saints who tragically suffers from ALS. He allowed Pamphilon to document his struggles, but claims that all the material that was filmed or recorded belongs to him and his family as part of an agreement. 

"The Saints trusted me and gave us unlimited access in filming, and I, in turn, trusted Sean Pamphilon," Gleason said to the media. 


In other words, Pamphilon had no right releasing the audio without Gleason's permission. As a journalist, he took advantage of his subject in return for personal gain, and for that he should be disgusted and ashamed of himself. 


Of course, Pamphilon is still clinging to the idea that he released the audio because it was the right thing to do, but it's pretty clear that his motives had more to do with making a name for himself. 


Why was it the right thing to do a week ago and not a month ago? Or better yet, why was it not the right thing to do before Bounty Gate was even public knowledge? 


Pamphilon didn't know that he had possession of a major gem until the news outlets broke the story. And even then, rather than contributing the audio in an anonymous and concerned manor, he purposely waited until the story died down so that he wouldn't have to share the spotlight. 


Williams and Pamphilon were both in the wrong. You don't have to pick sides, they both deserve criticism. 


However, while Williams was immediately willing to admit the error in his way, Pamphilon will likely never step up and admit that he took advantage of a man's trust in order to increase his number of followers on Twitter. 

Promoting dirty play is arguably more serious than misleading someone for personal gain, but lets put it this way... 


Knowing that the Saints never inflicted an unusual number of injuries on their opponents, regardless of the bounties, would you rather play quarterback against that defense (assuming you have NFL talent), or let the vegan-looking Pamphilon film your life knowing perfectly well that he's willing to sell out for ten minutes of attention? 


It's a tough call, but I'd vote for shutting off the camera and lining up under center. 


With that in mind, I feel that Pamphilon owes Gleason and the Saints organization a sincere apology.


But since there's no mob justice in the NFL and no one to hold Pamphilon accountable, that will likely never happen. 

Bradford Ranks High In Efficiency

Is anyone else surprised by how low Sam Bradford's interception total was in 2011? 


It seems like a true "garbage" quarterback would have thrown far more interceptions than touchdowns if placed in a situation similar to Bradford's, and by "situation" I mean his lack of pass protection and the absence of a true receiving threat for the majority of the year. 


Surprisingly, Bradford finished with six touchdowns and only six interceptions in 357 pass attempts, meaning he only throws an interception once every 59.5 pass attempts. 


How would that rank against the other 31 quarterbacks in the NFL? 


As it turns out, Bradfords' interception to pass attempt ratio is the third-best in the entire NFL. 


Check it out...


NOTE: Numbers indicates how many pass attempts it takes before each quarterback throws an interception, so the higher the number the better. 



Alex Smith (49ers)- 89.0
Aaron Rodgers (Packers)- 83.6
Sam Bradford (Rams)- 59.5
Tony Romo (Cowboys)- 52.5
Tom Brady (Patriots)- 50.9
Matt Schaub (Texans)- 48.6
Matt Ryan (Falcons)- 47.1
Drew Brees (Saints)- 46.9
Joe Flacco (Ravens)- 46.1
Tim Tebow (Broncos)- 45.1
Jay Cutler (Bears)- 44.8
Colt McCoy (Browns)- 42.0
Matthew Stafford (Lions)- 41.4
Andy Dalton (Bengals)- 39.6
Blaine Gabbert (Jaguars)- 37.5
Matt Hasselbeck (Titans)- 37.0
Eli Manning (Giants)- 36.8
Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)- 36.6
Tarvaris Jackson (Seahawks)- 34.6
Kevin Kolb (Cardinals)- 31.6
Cam Newton (Panthers) 30.4
Michael Vick (Eagles) 30.2
Mark Sanchez (Jets)- 30.1
Matt Cassel (Chiefs)- 29.8
Philip Rivers (Chargers)- 29.1
Curtis Painter (Colts)- 26.0
Josh Freeman (Buccaneers)- 25.0
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills)- 24.7
Rex Grossman (Redskins)- 22.9
Christian Ponder (Vikings)- 22.3
Carson Palmer (Raiders)- 20.5




Other than a few obvious exceptions, such as Philip Rivers and Cam Newton being rated in the bottom half, as well as Alex Smith being rated No. 1, it doesn't look too far off from an actual power ranking of NFL quarterbacks. 


Obviously, this isn't indisputable proof that Bradford is a great quarterback. But still, you would think he would've ranked much lower if he is actually as bad as a few non-believers claim he is. 

NFL London: God Save the Rams?

The Beatles. Winston Churchill. The Sex Pistols. Elizabeth Hurley. Big Ben. Jack the Ripper. Parliament. Fish and chips. The St. Louis Rams?


England has had their taste of American football from the games that have been hosted in London since 2007 and also the failed NFL Europe experiment, as well as the nine games played in England from the late 80s to the 90s.


But no matter how clear it is that Europeans generally hate American football, it doesn't stop commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL from trying to shove it down their throats.


As most Rams fans know by now, the Rams are set to play in the NFL's annual London game not only next season, but for the next three seasons.


This, of course, comes at the cost of screwing season-ticket holders out of one of their games every year, which makes this whole ordeal a very bold public relations move considering the franchise has won only 15 games over the last five years.


If it weren't for the hiring of head coach Jeff Fisher, it would almost seem as though the Rams organization is going to great lengths to raise a middle-finger towards a St. Louis fanbase that has provided a reasonable amount of support despite a consistently poor product.


The Rams are frequently mentioned as a possible candidate to move to Los Angeles, but rather than shutting down the rumors, the Rams' billionaire owner Stan Kroenke would rather use the rumors as a tool to leverage a recession-stricken city into meeting his demands.

The Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC), the group that manages the Edward Jones Dome, is currently doing battle with Kroenke in an attempt to hammer out a new agreement that will keep the Rams in St. Louis before the lease expires after the 2014 season.


After 2014, if no agreement is made, then the Rams' lease will be on a year-to-year basis and the team will be free to leave St. Louis at anytime. (More on the stadium issues can be found here)


Perhaps, Kroenke is using London as a tool in order to show the committee that the Rams can survive outside of St. Louis and that they indeed have other options.


Or maybe, just maybe, the city of St. Louis is overly paranoid after losing the football Cardinals and they are panicked over something that could actually benefit the franchise in the long-run.


Well, Kevin Demoff (Vice President of Football Operations) certainly seems to think so. Here are some quotes from Demoff from his live chat with fans on Friday from NFL.com:

I realize people think I'm being disingenuous when I say this is a good thing for St. Louis, but here is why I think that: 1. The league is placing its faith in the St. Louis Rams and now has a vested interest in our success. That means potentially a better schedule, a possible primetime game, things like that. 2. This is a unique opportunity to showcase St. Louis globally and especially in the UK. For multinational businesses like AB, Monsanto, Enterprise, Emerson, Purina, etc, this provides a platform that combines their local roots with international reach. 3. The bigger we can make our brand nationally and globally, the bigger it makes our "effective market size". If you look at Buffalo playing yearly in Toronto, they are applying the same concept to grow their fan base while still being a regional and local team.

So the games will help the Rams gain good graces in the eyes of the NFL and could possibly increase their fanbase, but what good does it do specifically for the city of St. Louis and the fans? Here is another quote that brushes up on that:

Growing our fan base globally allows for revenue streams beyond St. Louis that reduce the pressure on St. Louis to deliver those revenue streams. Additionally, the larger the global brand, the more the TV networks and advertisers see our Club as one they want to work with and the better that is for our visibility.

So, the paranoid claim that this a possible sign of the Rams moving to England, when in reality these games can potentially support St. Louis' ultimate goal—to keep their football team from moving.




In Conclusion


While this is surely hard for season-ticket holders to swallow at first, there is some truth in Demoff's words when discussing the positives of the situation.


For a while now, the bad news Rams have lived under the shadow of their overachieving brother at Busch Stadium. The Rams franchise has struggled to increase it's overall status to an elite level.


There are two ways to achieve the national recognition that the St. Louis Cardinals have:


One way is to win hundreds of games and multiple championships over a period of several decades. However, the Rams are really bad at winning games and it's doubtful that the average fan has the patience to wait 20 years before the team gains national respect.


The alternative, however, is to build the team's image through smart marketing techniques, such as introducing the brand on an international stage, or by shoving the team into the faces of America by occupying high-profile games, such as the annual game in London.


The Detroit Lions have played the Thanksgiving game since the beginning of time. Once a year, people are talking about the Detroit Lions all across the nation. They may be talking about how they don't deserve the Thanksgiving game, but the team is being discussed nonetheless.


So why should you, as a St. Louis Rams fan, care whether or not the team has national recognition?


Well, because elite franchises are closely tied to their cities, which makes it highly unlikely that the team will relocate. Ever.

Rams vs. Cardinals Pre-game Preview

     September 10th,2010 By:Steven G. of STLsport

The Cardinals' dangerous air-attack retired with Kurt Warner.

In a way, it is hard to believe football is back already, and in other ways, the wait was excruciating. But nonetheless, the NFL season will kick-off tonight (Thursday Sept. 9th) with the Vikings, and the Saints. The rest of the NFL will follow, Sunday Sept. 12th.

The Rams will start off the season against a division rival, a team they have not defeated since 2006, the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams will look to get off to a good start, and climb out of the cellar of the NFL. While the Cardinals will look to defend their 2009 NFC West title, and prove they can play without Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, and Karlos Dansby.

The Vegas betting line favors Arizona by four. But Ram fans have been optimistic about this game, as a direct result of rookie QB Sam Bradford's phenomenal preseason performance.

Here is a comparison of the two teams...

OFFENSE   

Quarterback: As mentioned, Bradford has been great so far for the Rams. It has been clear for a while that he would ultimately get the opening-day start against Arizona. But even though he played well in the preseason, the regular season is a different story. The intensity rises to a whole different level, and Bradford must be prepared for that. However, unlike the preseason, Bradford will have the luxury of Steven Jackson in the backfield for the entire game, as oppose to just one drive. The Rams will run the ball, and try to take pressure off of Bradford. If the Rams can get Arizona to respect their run game, then Bradford just might have some success through the air. But either way, it will certainly be a difficult test for Bradford, given it's his first start, and he will be facing one of the better defensive-backfields in the league.

The Cardinals will no longer have a Hall-of-Fame caliber QB under center. Warner's protégé, Matt Leinart, was released by the Cardinals, and now the team will have to rely on Derek Anderson to run the offense. Anderson's best season (by far) came in 2007, when he made the pro-bowl (as an alternate) after throwing 29 TD vs. 19 INT, with 3787 yards. Anderson has never obtained a decent completion percentage, even in 2007 his completion percentage was only 56.5%... a career high. Last season, for the Browns, Anderson (in seven starts) had 3 TD passes, 10 INT, and only 888 yards. He will have some weapons in Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and Tim Hightower) that he didn't have in Cleveland, but it is clear that Arizona will likely run the ball more than anything.

Running-Back:  The Rams are thin at running-back, but their primary back is one of the best in the game. Jackson proved in the preseason that he is fully recovered from his April back surgery, and he is ready to carry the load. Jackson led the NFC in rushing yards in 2009, and he will be the Rams most dangerous weapon on offense. If Arizona stacks eight men in the box to stop Jackson, then they will have trouble stopping Bradford's arm; and if Arizona loads up on DB's to stop Bradford, then Jackson will run all over them. Jackson staying on the field, for the entire season, will be key to the Rams' offensive success in 2010.

Rams' RB Steven Jackson will finally get to play 4 quarters in 2010, vs. Arizona

Arizona has a solid duo at running-back in Beanie Wells, and Tim Hightower. Wells is looking for a break-out year, after a solid rookie campaign (793 yards, 7 TDs, 4.5 yd/carry). Wells has been banged up this week, and has not practiced (bruised knee); his status for Sunday is not 100% certain. Typically with Arizona, when they have a player listed as "questionable", 9 times out of 10 that player doesn't play. That is just Arizona's style when it comes to injury reports. But with or without Wells, the Cardinals will have Tim Hightower, who is their ideal back for passing, and goal-line situations. If the Cardinals want success on offense, it will have to be on the ground. But luckily for the Rams, their run-defense has been very solid throughout the preseason.

Wide-Receiver:  The Rams traded for Mark Clayton from the Baltimore Ravens. Clayton should be a pretty solid receiver, and is an ideal replacement for Donnie Avery (who is out for the season with a torn ACL). Reports indicate that Clayton is catching onto the Rams offense quickly, but it is uncertain if he will be ready for Sunday (though he seems to think so). If Clayton is limited, then the primary target for Bradford will be Danny Amendola, who has emerged as a dangerous slot receiver; and Laurent Robinson, who had a quiet preseason, but has been a productive receiver in the past. Brandon Gibson will also see some action on the outside (due to his size and physicality); and Mardy Gilyard, as well as Dominique Curry, may also be worked into the mix. Curry will likely see time on special-teams.

It is also worth mentioning that Bradford has favored his tight-ends throughout the preseason. Particularly, Mike Hoomanawanui, who caught Bradford's first two TD passes during the preseason. But Daniel Fells, and blocking TE Billy Bajema, will likely be the starters.

Arizona lost their pro-bowl WR Anquan Boldin to Baltimore. The presence of Boldin made it difficult to double-cover all-pro WR Larry Fitzgerald, who is possibly the best receiver in the NFL. But the luxury of Boldin is now gone. The team still has Steve Breaston, who posted a 1000+ yard season in 2008, and Fitzgerald is at the top of his game, but having Anderson deliver the ball will hurt the Cardinals.

Offensive Line: The Rams' offensive-line had a rusty start against Minnesota in the preseason; but since then, the line has gelled, and has been playing much better. Rookie Roger Saffold has been a pleasant surprise; he has been one of the better linemen on the team, and has already earned the starting LT job over (2009 #2 overall pick) Jason Smith. Smith will be the starting RT, and is a solid run-blocker, but needs some polishing when it comes to pass protection. LG Jacob Bell has been a disappointment ever since he signed as a free-agent in 2007, but was finally able to play at an acceptable level at times during 2009 season. Part of Bell's improvements are due to C Jason Brown, who was made the highest paid center in the league last season, after signing a free-agent contract with the Rams. Brown has been a solid foundation, and is one of the better centers in the league. Utility-lineman Adam Goldberg will start at RG; Goldberg is a solid back-up, and he will start Sunday. OG John Greco might steal the job from Goldberg whenever he fully recovers from his injury; he is back on the field, but needs to get up-to-speed before starting.

The Cardinals will still have LT Levi Brown, C Lyle Sendlein, and RG Deuce Lutui, as returning starters for their line. Each of those players have started on the Cardinal's line (for all 16 games) the past two seasons, and will be the starters again, for a third season straight. On top of that, the addition of pro-bowl LG Alan Faneca (from the New York Jets), will provide a solid upgrade for their line. RT Brandon Keith will be a starter for the first time in his career, and for the most part, he is an unknown.  

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: The Rams have struggled to establish a consistent pass-rush during the preseason. The Rams lack a beastly pass-rusher, but they are hoping Chris Long emerges as somewhat of a pass-rush threat, and has a break out year in the process. George Selvie has been outstanding, at least for a 7th round pick (2010); he has missed some time lately due to injury, but he should see some playing time in pass-rush situations. During run situations, veteran James Hall should get the majority of the snaps at DE, opposite Long.

Fred Robbins has been a solid defensive-tackle so far for the Rams. Robbins did not get a ton of playing time during the preseason, but in his limited time, he has been able to get some push up the middle. The other starting DT will be Gary Gibson, who stole the starting job from Cliftom Ryan during camp. Ryan, and DT Darrel Scott, will rotate in-and-out with Robbins and Gibson.

The Rams' d-line has been very solid against the run, which will be very beneficial this Sunday, because Arizona's offense will strongly depend on the run. But if the Rams really want to get ahead in the game, the line must also provide a pass-rush.

Arizona has a solid DE in Darnell Dockett; whichever Rams' OT faces Dockett will have their work cut out for them. Calais Campbell had a solid year for Arizona in 2009, but it was his first year as a starter. It is not clear yet if Campbell will continue his success in his second year; but if he's at the top of his game, he could possibly cause some problems. NT Bryan Robinson is just average; with Jason Brown at center for the Rams, their o-line should be able to focus on Dockett and Campbell effectively.

Linebacker: James Laurinaitis will lead the way for the Rams' linebacking core, as he looks to build on his promising rookie campaign, which led to him getting a vote for 'defensive rookie of the year'. Larry Grant has been a beast in the preseason, and has rightfully earned a starting role at OLB. Veteran Na'il Diggs will start at the other OLB spot. They have been solid against the run, but it would be nice to see the linebackers help out in the pass rush. The linebackers will be busy all day, as Arizona will likely run the ball for the majority of their offensive plays.

Joey Porter is a sack machine, and even though he has a knee injury, he will be expected to play Sunday. Hopefully Porter's injury slows him down a bit, or else he might be dangerous against the Rams' inexperienced tackles. The Cardinals are pretty weak at MLB, Paris Lenon is one of their inside-linebackers, and as most Rams fans know, he is nothing to worry about (Lenon was a starting linebacker for the Rams in 2009). The other inside-linebacker is rookie Daryl Washington (2nd round pick 2010), who shouldn't be a major factor, due to inexperience. Clark Haggans will start at OLB opposite Porter. Haggans is experienced, and a solid starter, but he is not an elite player.


Defensive-Backs: The Rams have struggled against the pass so far, at least in the preseason. It has probably been due to the lack of a pass-rush, and the fact that their starters have been limited. OJ Atogwe will be starting at FS, and he has been absent from the line-up for most of the preseason. The sure-tackler, SS Craig Dahl, will be the other starter. Ron Bartell will the the primary CB; Bartell has been a solid starter for the Rams, but had a down year in 2009 due to injury. Opposite Bartell, the impressive second-year player Bradley Fletcher will be the other starting CB. Fletcher showed a lot of promise during his rookie campaign, but was placed on the IR early on, due to a season ending knee injury. Fletcher looks to be fully recovered from his injury. Overall, the Rams' secondary should be much improved from the preseason, with all of their starters playing full-time.

The Cardinals have a very strong secondary, and it is clearly the strong point of their defense. Adrian Wilson is one of the best strong-safeties in the game, and is a very solid tackler. Newcomer Kerry Rhodes started 14 games for the New York Jets in 2009, when the Jets finished with the best defense in the NFL. Rhodes is a solid replacement for Antrel Rolle, who left the Cardinals this past off-season as a free-agent. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie made the pro-bowl last year, which was only his second year in the league. Roger-Cromartie, and Wilson, are the two players that make this possibly an elite unit for the Cardinals.

OVERALL: The Cardinals' offense is not as dangerous as it has been the past two seasons. Their new QB, Anderson, is prone to making mistakes. If the Rams' defense remains solid against the run, then the Rams should be able to effectively contain the Cardinals' offense.

Arizona's defense has surrendered 45 points in each of their last two (real) games. If their defense plays that way against the Rams, then it will likely be an upset. If the Rams run the ball well, allowing them to open up the passing game, then that could also result in an upset.

If the Cardinals win, it will be because their run game is too much, or their pass game is miraculously better than expected, or because their defense stiffened up from last season. But, it could also be a little of all three of those things. Either way, I don't expect either team to "blow out" the other team, but the Rams certainly have a good shot at starting off their season on the right foot; by beating Arizona for the first time since 2006.