And we move to the quotage on the networks of CBS Sports, the NFL Today on CBS and That Other Pregame Show on CBS Sports Network. By the way, I start a weekly review of NFL pregame shows on Monday on Awful Announcing and I’ll start with TOPS. Look for it.
Anyway, here’s the quotage.
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, BOOMER ESIASON, BILL COWHER, TONY GONZALEZ AND BART SCOTT AND “THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW” WITH ADAM SCHEIN, AMY TRASK, LONDON FLETCHER AND BRANDON TIERNEY FOR WEEK 2 ON SEPTEMBER 14
Basketball Hall of Famer and Turner Sports’ Charles Barkley joined THE NFL TODAY for Week 2
QUICK HITS
(On consistency in suspensions of players)
BILL COWHER: You have to take the discipline out of the club level. We need a deterrent to these types of actions. And that has to come at the League office level. To me there needs to be collaboration between the NFLPA and the league office to create some kind of uniform guidelines. And quite simply I would say this, if a player is indicted take them off the field with pay. If a player is convicted, there should be suspension without pay depending upon what the charge is. I’m just saying hold the players to a higher stature than the normal public. That’s the arena we’re in. The only way you’re going to have a deterrent is to take these players off the field.
(On players seeking help when needed)
BART SCOTT: This story is very personal to me. Of course Ray Rice was a teammate of mine. This marks the fifth teammate that I’ve played with that’s either been accused or convicted of domestic violence. This is a problem in the NFL and has been a problem in the NFL. I think this video really forces the NFL and society to take a look and itself and make sure we do something about it. This offseason, I had been retired for two years and I went and saw a mental health specialist so I can learn how to handle my rage issues and things like that. What happens is we teach everybody how to turn it on but nobody teaches us how to turn it off. So I want to tell these players out there that it’s okay to seek mental help, especially so you can learn how to come down and decompress, so to speak, so you don’t put yourself in situations where you make spontaneous judgments and actions at the same time.
(On Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson)
BOOMER ESIASON: That guy should never be on the field again. I don’t want to hear about how he grew up, what he learned. This was a whipping of a 4-year-old boy for god’s sake! All I’m telling you right now that is sickness to me. That player should never be on the football field again until he is held accountable either by a court of law or he seeks the help you speak of.
Click for link: http://cbsprt.co/1wkVx9T
Charles Barkley and Jim Rome discuss the indictment of Adrian Peterson on child abuse charges and the Ray Rice domestic violence incident, and debate if it’s ever okay to beat a child.
Click for link: http://cbsprt.co/1tS4G8b
“NFL TODAY INSIDER” JASON LA CANFORA REPORT ON RAY RICE AND HGH POLICY
JASON LA CANFORA: The Rice family has been in consultation with lawyers who have advised them they have a very strong case to get the suspension amended. Even people within the league office believe Rice will be reinstated prior to the 2015 League year based on the precedent in these matters alone. And the NFLPA, they’re prepared to file a grievance on Rice’s behalf this week arguing that a player cannot be suspended twice for the same infraction. As per HGH (human growth hormone), they’ve agreed to all the tenants of a new deal. Lawyers are drawing up the actual document as we speak. That process will take about 48 hours I’m told. So Wes Welker, he’s back for Week 3. Josh Gordon, his year-long suspension goes to 10 games.
JIM ROME ALSO VISITED AND GAVE HIS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE DALLAS AND NEW ENGLAND
JIM ROME: While I am jumping on the panic button if I’m a Dallas fan, everybody just needs to slow their roll over the alleged fall of the “Hoodian Empire.” Back in the shallow end Patriots haters. I’m not sweating Ryan Tannehill, EJ Manuel and Geno Smith and I know Tom Brady isn’t either. Just as I don’t care they’re in last place after the first week because I know they’ll be in first place after the last week. Vince Wilfork is back, Jerod Mayo is way back and Gronk is no longer broken. Bill Belichick has backhanded the Bills, Fins and Jets with rosters much worse than this. All good things may come to an end and the Pats’ run will too, just not in 2014 and not when the AFC East is still one hooded man and three also-rans. Great news for the Cowboys – this is the year they finally don’t finish at .500 because 8-8 would feel like the Super Bowl to this crew. These guys heard all summer long they were the worst defense in the NFL, and they are. But they’re not even the worst unit on their own team. Not when Tony Romo‘s chucking it around the yard like he started the 49ers defense in fantasy. I know he’s had some issues with his throat closing up at the end of the season, but starting the season by choking is something new. If Dez Bryant wants the ball in his hands today, he’ll throw on a Titans jersey and number nine will hit him right between the numbers. My advice, 6-10 is coming. You may as well enjoy the ride. I know the rest of us will.
(On Athletes as Role Models)
BARKLEY: I always said, parents they’re the role models. We really don’t know these guys. You see them on television, and in fairness we never brag about the good guys. When a jock makes a mistake we make him the poster child. Ray Rice right now, he’s the poster child for domestic violence. And he made a tragic mistake and he’s going to have to live with that. I hope the NFL gives him another chance. But parents are the true role models. Those are people you spend all your time with.
COWHER: I totally disagree with Charles. We are thrust into that platform. Whether you like it or not, kids are looking up to you. Kids are looking at you and emulating you. To me there’s a responsibility that goes with that that you’re on that platform. So it’s not raising their kids. It’s setting the right example and doing the right things and making the right action. That’s why I said you’re held to a higher standard than regular people. I think that’s the problem we have right now. They don’t understand that. If they don’t do it, we have to be harsher at this level because that’s our obligation that we have.
BARKLEY: There’s some truth to that, when guys make mistakes we do have to punish them. But Ray Rice is not the norm. Most of these guys are really, really good guys. But they’re making this thing like domestic violence is about Ray Rice. It’s not about Ray Rice. This thing has been going on for a long time. The NFL has a great opportunity here to talk about this. They fumbled the Ray Rice situation. But now they have a great opportunity to do something good.
BOOMER: I always thought I’ve got to carry myself a certain way to enhance what the parents are telling their kids about me.
SCOTT: But you set yourself up for disappointment when you put your faith in someone you don’t know. That message has to come from teachers and all authority around them. You can’t put all this pressure on the athlete. It’s up to the parents, up to the uncles to set an example and set my morals. I didn’t need Hulk Hogan to tell me to eat my vitamins and say my prayers — but I wouldn’t be disappointed when he does something off the field because I don’t believe in him like that.
TONY GONZALEZ: I think it’s important that the children out there are looking at the right role models too. That’s what the trouble comes down some of these kids are looking up to the wrong people. Look up to the guys who are doing it right. It’s not always in the spotlight which is sad sometimes. This whole Ray Rice/Adrian Peterson issue, right now the NFL, from my experience, is a league of really good guys. But it goes unnoticed and that’s the sad part about it because they don’t get the headlines so these young kids need to choose the right role models.
THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS) NOTES
London Fletcher discusses the Dolphins win over the Patriots in the season opener and why Tom Brady might have a hard time making it through the season: http://cbsprt.co/1tRM2x5
(ON JAY CUTLER):
BRANDON TIERNEY: His gifts are tantalizing. He has a rocket. But then he kind of regresses, (and throws) off his back foot. He makes a dumb read. And then he’s a little surly in the press conference and very quick to distribute the blame elsewhere… I have been a Cutler supporter. I’ve walked to the edge of the cliff with this guy. But at some point, you are who you are. You’re not going to change… The word “upside.” Would we be using that word for a 31-year-old baseball player? Think about the criticism Lebron (James) took when he was 25. Jay Cutler is in his 30’s. At what point does that word upside expire?
LONDON FLETCHER: Don’t bring unnecessary scrutiny to yourself in the postgame press conference. Just say, ‘I made some mistakes. I didn’t do what I should have done with the football. I’m going to continue to work. We’ll look at the film.’ And move on… I can’t have that type of quarterback play and the attitude afterwards. The attitude is what’s most disturbing.
CHRIS SIMMS: He’ll turn it around. I just have tremendous faith in Marc Trestman. He will reign in Jay Cutler and get him playing (better)… He’s one of the more talented quarterbacks in football. He’s one of the few guys that you can say no matter what the team is around him, he can carry a team to victories. Even in the playoffs, to a degree. Yes, the other things are concerning. I think he will make adjustments to his game, and I trust Marc Trestman more than anything. He has great talent around him. I think this is the year of Jay Cutler.
(ON RUSSELL WILSON):
FLETCHER: His mental makeup is ‘We won a Super Bowl, but I want to get better. I want to be the best quarterback to ever play the game.’ He’s not going to be complacent. He looked a lot better (in Week 1) than he did in the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson will continue to improve as the season goes on and as the years go on. He’s still a young guy – only three years in the League.
SIMMS: This guy is talented. He’s smart. He’s professional. He doesn’t take chances with the ball, which fits within the theme of their team. They are a defense-first team. But he is also one of the best down-the-field throwers that the game has to offer right now. That with their run game… I think they’re going to be very hard to defend.
And we’ll end with NBC’s Football Night in America quotage.
