My birthday wish – Edward Spoon Hands

I love my cake but I'd like one more present today

Had a terrific birthday today, thanks to my beautiful wife, who got me an awesome new camera, some nice aftershave and the Apocalypse Now box-set.

I cant help being greedy though, as I still have one more birthday wish – free agent wide receiver Braylon Edwards becoming a Washington Redskins player.

The Redskins have been active in free agency in the past week, but none of the names have been up there with previous movement (such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Albert Haynesworth etc).

The players picked up have been solid but all unspectacular. CB Josh Wilson, NT Barry Cofield, WR Jabbar Gaffney, OG Chris Chester, P Sav Rocca, WR Donte Stallworth.

Not much Pro Bowl potential there, but mostly all upgrades on what we had take to the field last season.

Despite signing two WR and re-signing Santana the smurf Moss we still miss a gamebreaker, someone who could bust open a hitch for 80 yards or catch a 50 yard bomb.

The best FA WR was Santioni Holmes but he is now busy swigging champagne in the Big Apple. His running mate is the player we simply have to target.

Providing Braylon cuts of that tramp beard (or doesn’t grow another) he could be a big fan favourite in D.C.

Come on Dan and Mike – its not like I’m asking for much – just spend about £30m on a 5 year deal for Braylon and my birthday will be even more superb than it already is.

Thank goodness normal NFL service is resumed

Now the lockout has lifted John Clay has become a Steeler

Phew – that’s about all I can muster after 132 days without offseason football movements.

With the lockout finally over and free agency in the NFL set to explode like a realised gunpowder plot its time to get back to the serious business of fantasy football.

Already there have been some fascinating moves with teams committing to sign undrafted free agents who did not get selected back in April.

One guy that impressed me when watching college football last year was the slightly slow but extremely powerful former Wisconsin badger John Clay.

Its funny that Clay signed a contract today with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as his running style and big frame reminded me of a certain Steelers and Rams legend known simply as ‘the bus’. Jerome Bettis was unfamiliar with a six pack and a low calorie diet, but when it came to 3rd and 1 on a crucial drive you knew who you wanted behind the wheel.

Clay is a tough back who played in a committee backfield with the Badgers, so he should be relatively fresh going into the 2011 season.

True – Clay may not even make the final 54 man roster (yes 54 due to the new CBA) but he is one guy that I will be rooting for.

Come to think of it with my man crush on former Badger defensive end J.J Watt (a first round pick by the Houston Texans) and my love of former New York Jets WR Al Toon’s son Nick Toon set to have a huge season also with the Badgers, I won’t be surprised if I get drunk and wake up the next day with a big tattoo depicting a large red W.

More to come…..just glad we have guaranteed football for the next ten years.

Also well done NFL bosses for keeping the NFL game in London for 2011 – Crying Cutler at Wembley will be entertaining for sure.

Have some respect – Don’t ‘Show me the agent’ at Canton

The always shy Deion Sanders during a quiet Sunday before prayers

I am starting to lose the plot with this NFL lockout which is now 119 days old.

With no free agency activity and no OTAs (organised team activities) there is no real news.

One little item on NFL.com did get my blood boiling though.

I love the whole Hall of Fame thing, the history, the respect, the honour, the prestige and the stories that go behind what turned a mortal NFL athlete to a Hall of Fame legend.

So to read that both ‘Neon’ Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk, two extremely worthy Hall of Fame inductees, have asked their agents to conduct their induction introduction speeches is about as wise as taking Plaxico Burress and an AK-47 to a disco.

Neither player needed an agent at Pee Wee level, neither had an agent at high school, neither had and agent at College (until they graduated – yeah right).

Are you telling me that of all the people in the world neither had a relative, a former teacher, a former coach, a former colleague at any level or some other positive influence on their life to help mark their indelible impact on the NFL landscape?

If I was being inducted into a Hall of Fame for my profession (marketing/public relations/communications) I would not be considering having someone from the accounts department or from human relations, I would not bother with any of my former bosses either. I would ask my wife to induct me, after all she is the reason I get up in the morning and earn money to pay the bills, and is one of under 10 people on this planet that I know, love and respect.

I think Marshall and Deion are sticking up a big middle digit, complete with Super Bowl winners rings, to the people that really made the difference in their lives, their family and their coaches.

One word for them both – classsless.

Redskins sign Syracuse rookie WR…………..in 1980

Credit to http://blog.redskins.com/bloggers/matt-terl/ for this 1980 shot of Art Monk

As possibly the world’s number one Art Monk fan I was delighted to see the picture the official Redskins blog writer Matt Terl found.

From left to right in 1980 is Syracuse graduate Art Monk, Redskins GM Bobby Beathard (looking somewhat like Crocodile Dundee), Redskins coach Jack Pardee and his own portable comb-over, and Tommy Gunn from the awful Rocky V, oops I mean DE Mat Mendenhall (whooooooooo?????).

Even as a rookie yet to suit up in the burgundy and gold Mr Monk looks a bit bored and uncomfortable under the limelight and would much prefer to be out on the practice field catching passes from Joe Theismann.

I do love Monk’s style – a freshly ironed shirt but no tie, unlike Chewbacca on the right of the picture.

You also have to love the pennants and the fact they were blu-tacked on the chalk board behind.

Obviously there must have been a direct correlation between the mould developing in the far left ceiling tiles (check the picture again) in the training room and the Redskins lacklustre 6-10 record in 1980.

Lets hope Dan Snyder has gone for a wooden ceiling in the film room today.