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Links for this Monday morning where I woke up still cursing out the Refs from the Suns/Thunder game last night.
The best head coach in the NFC West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Ken asks via Facebook: "Hey Mike, a question has been posed in one of my NFC West forums boards, and that question is "Who is the best head coach in the NFC West?" Tough question, how would you gauge this in your opinion?"
The RFA tender offers
I know there are many wondering exactly which players were tendered restricted free agent contracts for the Cardinals, so here is that list:
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - CBA: Quicker the better for Cardinals
The NFL and players union will resume negotiations next week, a positive sign that a deal could be reached by next Friday's deadline. That's good news for everyone, but especially teams like the Cardinals, who have numerous holes to file.
ProFootballWeekly.com - Cardinals optimistic about new deal for Fitzgerald
As important a consideration as any the next few months for the NFC West cellar-dwelling Cardinals is the contract status of star WR Larry Fitzgerald, whose current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2011 season.
Buckeye Freedom Elementary School honors Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald with mural
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has a permanent place at Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye. For Black History month, Bryan Kilgore's after-school art class honored Fitzgerald by painting a 9-foot mural of him in his red and white jersey No. 11.
Jay Feely weighs in on labor negotiations - ArizonaSports.com
The NFL and NFLPA may have a seven-day extension in place but that doesn't mean a lockout has been avoided. There is still a lot of work to be done if both sides hope to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. Arizona Cardinals kicker and team union representative Jay Feely said Friday that the extension is a positive but the crisis hasn't been averted.
Phoenix Suns pull away in second half to beat Milwaukee Bucks 102-88
So that 18-0 second-half rally from the Suns bench Wednesday night in Boston was not for naught after all. It was more than a good bandage for the gash Boston cut into the Suns' pride that night. It was a tutorial. Following suit, the Suns' starters turned around Friday night's game at Milwaukee with a 19-0 second half rally in a 102-88 victory at Bradley Center.
Phoenix Coyotes rally, stun Detroit Red Wings in shootout
Comebacks always boost a team. This one could propel the Coyotes. They scored three unanswered goals in the third period and prevailed in a shootout to stun Detroit 5-4 in what could turn out to be a defining moment of the season in in front of 17,382 at Jobing.com Arena.
Phoenix Suns lose Channing Frye to injury, then fall in overtime to Oklahoma City Thunder
The Suns were hoping to turn a good trip into a great trip and were three-fourths of the way there. Now it could prove to be a painful trip. The Suns lost their fourth-quarter lead and Channing Frye to a dislocated right shoulder in a 122-118 overtime loss Sunday night to Oklahoma City at Oklahoma City Arena. The Suns were having a wonderful night in Oklahoma City again but it wound up having to be qualified too much.
Audio Player - Jay Feely Cardinals Kicker
The guys talked with Cardinals Kicker Jay Feely about the CBA extension and how optimistic he is with going forward
NFL, NFLPA agree to 7-day extension of talks - ESPN
The NFL and its players are still talking. Soon they'll need to start agreeing. While failing to reach a deal that would keep labor peace intact for the nation's most popular sports league, the NFL and the players' union agreed Friday on a seven-day extension for their collective bargaining agreement.
Criticizing Phoenix Coyotes' fan base is unfair
That's it. The gloves are off. Slap me with a misconduct if you like, but I'm done listening to those who say the Valley can't support a hockey team.
What seven-day extension means in West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few NFC West-related thoughts now that NFL owners and the players' union have bought another week to work toward a labor agreement:
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Tendering free agents
Extending tender offers to restricted free agents has never meant less than it has this year. No one knows what the free agent rules are going to be under a new CBA, but the tender offer sometimes provides a clue as to how player is viewed by an organization.
Feely: It's 'drop-dead day' for NFL, players - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Arizona Cardinals kicker and union rep Jay Feely says he senses a "newfound willingness" from team owners to negotiate in good faith after a federal judge ruled against the league in a television revenue case.
Larry Fitzgerald has no idea who Cardinals’ QB will be | ProFootballTalk
The Arizona Cardinals’ No. 1 offseason need is to find a quarterback who can get Larry Fitzgerald the ball. Fitzgerald says he has no clue who that quarterback will be.
Mailbag: Questioning Blaine Gabbert - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Joe from Fort Collins, Colo., writes: Hello, Mike, just a comment about the Arizona Cardinals' defense. The offense had so many three-and-outs, which led to the defense being on the field so long. I really think if the offense can get turned around, then the defense would really shine and build off that No. 1 red zone ranking. Also, didn't Derek Anderson remind you of Kent Graham? Strong arm but horrible accuracy.
NFL labor negotiations were minutes away from blowing up - Peter King - SI.com
Go behind the scenes to see how close negotiations were to blowing up Five takeaways after watching the Packers Super Bowl DVD by NFL Films Quotes of the Week, Tweets of the Week and 10 Things I Think I Think
NFL owners, players create optimism in labor talks with collective bargaining agreement extension - Don Banks - SI.com
It's not unfathomable to imagine players and owners striking a long-term deal The safest line to toe right now is somewhere between optimism and realism The NFL and the union hope talking over the next week staves off litigation
Former Raiders first-rounder charged with murder | ProFootballTalk
Anthony Smith, who played defensive end for the Raiders from 1991 through 1997, faces murder charges in connection with the 2008 killing of a man in Southern California.
Eric Wright got death threats from Browns fans | ProFootballTalk
Browns cornerback Eric Wright struggled through a tough 2010 season, and he frequently heard boos at Cleveland Browns Stadium. But he heard a lot worse than booing away from the field.
How did Jim McMahon last so long at BYU? - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Admit it, NFL fans. When you heard the news that Brigham Young basketball star Brandon Davies was dismissed from the team for having premarital sex with his girlfriend and violating the school's honor code, you each asked yourselves the exact same question: "If BYU's honor code is so strict, how in the world did Jim McMahon ever last there for five years (from 1977 through 1981)?"
Report: Players came within minutes of decertification, remain ready to fight | ProFootballTalk
With events changing by the hour and plenty of developments to come in the next couple of days, Peter King and Sports Illustrated wisely decided to carve out a portion of King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column for a report from Jim Trotter regarding the events of late last week.
UFL hoping to become TV option if NFL goes dark - NFL - SI.com
The financially troubled United Football League hopes it can fill the void on television this fall if all or part of the 2011 NFL season is canceled.
2011 NFL Mock Draft: Complete First Round Now Has Cam Newton As Top Pick - SBNation.com
There's a lot of buzz about the possibility of Cam Newton going No. 1 overall to Carolina. How might that change the landscape of the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft? Our latest mock draft endeavors to find out.