Kaspers Korner

Former Denver Broncos offensive tackle Matt Lepsis admitted that he was high during the first six games of the 2007 regular season.  The stunning development shows a gaping hole in the National Football League’s substance abuse program.

Players not in the substance abuse program only get tested annually.  Of course drug addicts have learned techniques that mask, and hide drugs.

That is the whole reason for the current fight between several NFL players, and the league. 

Pat and Kevin Williams, Charles Grant, Will Smith, and Duece McAllister were all suspended by the league for taking a diueretic known as starcaps, which was unknown to everyone that it was spiked with bumetanide.

Bumetanide is used as a masking agent by steroid users to hide their steroid use.  So, when it was found in testing the players were suspended for it.

Disgraced track star Marion Jones was never discovered by the olympic committee when she was using steroids thanks to advanced masking agents.  It was only discovered after BALCO was brought down, and her name was found in documents.

Simply, the NFL is not doing enough to ensure that players like Lepsis do not fall through the cracks.  There is too much money at stake for a game, or even a championship, to be ruined for a team, because one player has become addictted to using drugs.

Barring a complete collapase the Denver Broncos should win the AFC West division.  The question will be can they get past their first game.

The Broncos have a record of 7-5, which makes them one of the division champions that will play in the first round.  So, who will they face is the next question.

This is an important question to the Broncos.  As of right now it looks like the two Wild Card teams will be Indianapolis Colts, and the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Broncos matchup well against the Colts.  Both have solid offenses, and both defenses are not that great.

The Ravens would be the problem team.  The Ravens are one of the best in the league on defense,  and offensively they are about a middle of the pact team.

However, by the time the playoffs come around the offense could be better.  The reason is the development of quarterback Joe Flacco. 

Flacco in his past two games has thrown for 463 yards, with four touchdowns, and no interceptions.  Also, the the passing defenses he did it against are decent pass defending teams in the Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals.

So, if the Broncs are going to have any chance getting past the first round they need to play any team besides the Ravens.

It will be two years ago this New Years that Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was gunned down.  Finally, both the Broncos, and the Williams family, will have some closure as a man has been indicted on Wednesday.

According to CBS 11 TV in Denver, “Willie D. Clark, 25,  faces 39 counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault, crimes of violence and a weapons violation, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said.”

Unless you have personally gone through the same thing nobody can imagine what they are going through.  It was a tragic senseless act that did not need to happen.

If there is any positive that can come from this is that when National Football League players go into bars they need to be very carefull.  For now they are targets.

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was diagnosed with diabities this past offseason.  However, that has not slowed him down as Cutler turned in another great performance against their rivals the San Diego Chargers.

There has been only one other quarterback in the National Football League to play with diabities.  That was former quarterback Wade Wilson, who was a career backup. 

Cutler Sunday completed 36 of 50 passes for 350 yards passing, with four touchdowns.  The last touchdown coming with :24 seconds left in the game, and then with a completed two point conversion pass the Broncos beat the Chargers a score of 39-38.

Many people might have thought that his great performance against the Oakland Raiders might be a fluke, but cannot deny that after today.

To do what he has done, with his disease, is simply amazing, and inspiring to say the least.  If not managed right before, and during the game, Cutler could cost his team an important win.

You can only hope fot the best as Cutler embarkes on his journey that no other person has travled.

So, lets just enjoy an incedible feat by a brave person, and hopefully his critics will be quite for now.

Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shannahan took full control of the team earlier this year.  Now, his actions could force a key starter into retirement.

Safety John Lynch has been absent from training camp lately, as the team is citing personal reasons.  The issue is that Lynch is unhappy that he is not getting more practice time.

Lynch wants to be a starter this year.  However, Shannahan has only stated that Lynch has no guarantees to play.

Lynch was going to retire, but Bronco owner Pat Bowlen urged him to come back.  Lynch did, and even took a pay cut.

The real problem here is the difference of opinions between head coach and owner.  The head coach thinks Lynch could be washed up.  On the other hand the owner thinks that the Broncos need Lynch.

This is a move that can definately come to bite Shannahan in the rear. 

Simply, the Broncos have no immediate replacement for Lynch.  When that player is a future hall of famer, then it is even more harder to replace him.

In the end Lynch should of been with the first team offense.  Then if he practices poor he will be replaced for sure.

It looked like that news in regards to the Denver Broncos was dying down, after the wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s slip.  That has changed again thanks in part to Marshall getting arrested on March 6, 2008.

Marshall was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery of his longtime girlfreind Rasheedah Watley.  This is the third time he has been arrested, since March 2007.

Why is this just being reported just now?  That is unclear, since little information has been released.  Speculation is that Marshall withhled the news for some reason.  The National Football League, and the Broncos, are aware of the arrest, but the question is when did he tell both of them.

If Marshall withheld the arrest for any period of time he will be suspended.  Adam “Pacman” Jones was suspened for the entire 2007 season for not informing them of an an arrest.

Whatever punishment the league sees fit it will be deservedly so.

The Denver Broncos earlier this offseason had to deal with the injury to wide receiver Brandon Marshall.  Now, they can add another player to the list.

Tight end Tony Scheffler, according to the Denver Post, is having problems again with a foot he injured last year in passing camp.  Sheffler is the stating small tight end, or in other words the receiving tight end.

This is going to be a major problem for the Broncos.  The injuy happened last year, and still has not fully healed.  Eventhough, the team thinks hat he wll be fine in two weeks the reality of it is tht Sheffler is going to hav t shut it down at some point in time this season he will shut it down o ahve surgery to ahve a metal plate insertd in it.

Also, the team has to deal with defensve tackle Dewayne Robertson.  Robertson is being shut down until June, because of wrist surgery that was done this offseason, and secondly his chronic knee problems.

The philosiphy behid this is to keep Robertson fresh into the season.

The real answer is tell the fat ass lose some weight.  His knees will not have as much presure on them with the weight loss.  Also, his stamina will have increased with the getting into shape.

What the moves show is that there is a lack oommon sense in the organization.  After all we are talking about a team that totally missed on qarterback Jay Cutler having diabeties.

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler revealed this past week that he is a diabetic.  Eventhough, it is a manageable disease his future is in doubt.

The only other National Football League player that was a diabetic was quarterback Wade Wilson.  Wilson was a career backup, and only started one year in 1993 for the New Orleans Saints.  So, there is no set precedent on diabetics starting in the NFL.

There are many other superstars in other sports that are diabetic, according to ESPN,  tennis stars Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., NHL star Bobby Clarke, baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb and boxing greats Joe Frazier and Sugar Ray Robinson.

There is one major difference between those sports, and football.  Athletes for those sports go three to four minutes at a time.  In hockey players play for a one minute shift, and then sit for two to three more.  Boxing rounds are only three minutes.  Swimming goes usually for only a couple of minutes depending on the length of the race.  Finally tennis players do play for seveal minutes at a time, but can ask for a timeout whenever they want.

Football is a totally different animal, and is very demanding.  First, an NFL athlete can be on the field for over ten minutes at a time.  Secondly, there are only a limited number of timeouts that a team can have, so if it is in the two minutes of each half, and Cutler needs help off the field then the Broncos will be charged a time out.  If they do not have on then there is a ten second runoff, and that could cost them the game.

Also, there is one huge factor that plays into this.  Cutler is the Broncos starting quarterback.  After each series the offensive coordinator goes over what the defense just did, and necessary adjustments.  Cutler will have to check his blood sugar after every drive, and even with the current technology, every second that you lose that could be used to make adjustments is a victory for your opponent.

Finally, the Broncos will have to keep a competent backup, just in case Cutler goes into a diabetic shock, or starts feeling the effects of his disease.  Then if Cutler is struggling, and the backup comes in and wins a couple of games then the Broncos will have a problem on their hands.

Two words: quarterback controversy

So, is it really worth it in the end?  That is something for you to decide. 

In the end with MIke Shanahan on the hot seat now you can expect Cutler to have a quick hook on him if he struggles.

Denver Bronco quarterback Jay Cutler ripped into a fellow teammate wide receiver Brandon Marshall in regards to his off field incidents.  While many will regard this as relieving, that a prominant National Football League player spoke up, what it actually is is a clear sign of immaturity. 

There is one plain rule in regards to commenting on fellow teammates in the media.  That is you do not rip them publiclly at all.  Cutler violated that rule in his first offseason interview.

“Yeah, he’s not my favorite person right now,” Cutler said. “I mean, I support him, but it’s always something with him right now,” according to the USA Today.

The fact of the matter is that Cutler should not have mentioned his feelings at all.  What his comments did is create resentment between himself and Marshall. and possibly other teammates that do not agree with what he did. In addition to that if Cutler struggles this season teammates will be quick to turn their backs to him, and throw him under the bus.

In addition to creating resentment between players what it did is show that he is immature, easily can be fustrated, and how poor of a decision maker he is. 

“I’ve talked to him many times. I think a lot of people have. … He knows he’s running out of chances,” Cutler said.

In the end if both players do not straighten their acts up then both of them will be with different teams.

Several days ago Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall cut his arm in an accident at home.  Now, some details have come out as to how severe the injury was, and it is not good.

Marshall severed an artery, a vein, a tendon to five muscles, and a nerve.  The early time table of recovery is three months, and is expected to be ready for training camp in July.  However, in the wake of the Kevin Everett injury that is hard to believe.

Nerves just do not come back overnite, and to have a nerve completely severed makes me doubt he will even play in 2008.  Fortunately, he injured a peripheral nerve, which is all the other nerves besided the brain and spinal column, and those nerves regenerate, unlike the central nervous system.

According to Robert B. Grahams lecture, which I found surfing the net, “In a few, unusual circumstances, motor control suffers greatly. Usually when a motor neuron regenerates through a randomly selected sheath, little harm is done since all the motor axons in most peripheral nerves go to the same muscle, but if the nerve that is regenerating carries axons for several different muscles, then the results can be catastrophic.”  In other words if the surgeon did not do a good job on reconnecting the nerves, and putting them back to almost where they were then there will be problems.

So, in other words only time will tell to how severe the injury to Marshall really is.  Afterall, catching a ball with one hand is already hard on its own, and add in the pressure and speed of the National Football League, and you have “Mission Impossible.” If you like to read Mr. Graham’s lecture then here is the link.

http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/grahamr/DW_3311Site/LectureF/Lect1.5.html