Fans struggle when players join rivals
Must-read:
Must-see:
Top headlines:
Worth a thousand words:
But there's still one type of move that's tough for sports fans to accept. "Business" or not, when a beloved player signs with a division rival or a hated enemy, there's pain and confusion. Ask a Red Sox fan about that first glimpse of Johnny Damon, clean shaven, smiling in pinstripes at his introductory Yankees press conference. Talk to Devils season ticket holders about the sight of Scotty Gomez suiting up for the Rangers in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. And most recently, get a hold of a St. Louis Cardinals fan coming to grips with the fact Jim Edmonds now calls Wrigley home. As former Deadspin.com editor and noted Cardinals follower Will Leitch put it to me on Tuesday, "Ah, screw Edmonds." Yep, screw the 2006 World Series hero.
Of course, since the boom of free agency in the early 90's, the NFL's been a hot bed for such unthinkable offseason activity.
Longtime Cowboy Ken Norton, Jr., fresh off two straight NFC Championship Game victories over the 49ers, jumped ship in the winter of '94, opting to man the linebacker spot for hated San Francisco the following season. Wearing Niners' metallic gold and cardinal red, Norton won a third straight NFC Championship Game -- this time over the Cowboys -- and helped lead San Francisco to the franchise's fifth Super Bowl ring two weeks later.
If Norton "started" the trend, several players soon followed. Adam Vinatieri and Dan Klecko won Super Bowl rings with the Colts after back-to-back championships with the rival Patriots, Ryan Longwell, a nine-year member of the Green Bay Packers, now boots kicks for the hated Vikings. Both LaVar Arrington and Antonio Pierce made the jump from Washington to New York, while Carl Banks and Jessie Armstead did the reverse. Rich Gannon went from Kansas City to Oakland, Marcus Allen went from Oakland to Kansas City, and Bobby Hebert hopped from New Orleans to Atlanta. The list is endless.
Yet, no matter how common or how often these types of moves happen, they still sting the die-hard fan with a certain venom. It's not enough that you're dumping me, but you're dumping me for that guy. There were 31 other dudes to choose from -- and you had to pick him?
There were five notable intra-division signings this offseason. Let's dive into each:
Fantasy Football
Features include:
- Draft Guide | Live Draft Application
- Real-Time Scoring | Expert Analysis
- League Stories, Polls, Boards & More
1. The Reverend
Quick trivia question: Name the player with the third-most receiving yards in NFL history. Stumped? OK, I'll give you another hint. He used to play football for a team in Los Angeles. Thoroughly confused? Believe it or not, longtime Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams great Isaac Bruce is not only the NFL's sixth all-time leading receiver, but he also has amassed more than 14,000 yards through the air -- third on the NFL's all-time receiving yardage list.
Bruce has spent his entire 14-year career in Rams colors, picking up All-Pro honors three times and winning a Super Bowl ring along the way. Yet, when the 2007 season came to a close, it seemed as though the locker room he'd called home for so many seasons no longer needed his services. In a move that many Rams found somewhat surprising, St. Louis released the man known as "The Reverend" after he refused to take a pay cut.
Less than 24 hours later, Bruce joined former head coach and longtime offensive coordinator Mike Martz, signing a two-year, $6 million contract with . . . the hated 49ers. Think he's got nothing left in the tank? Think again. Bruce, who was hampered by a hand injury for parts of last season, is apparently healthy and ready to prove he's still got it. He's the expected starter at flanker in San Fran. Even with the nagging hand injury last season, the 36-year-old Bruce had more receptions (55) than any 49ers player.
As for his jersey number, Bruce won't be wearing No. 80. No, though Jerry Rice gave him clearance to do so (some sort of "pay it forward" for that Steve Largent debacle in Seattle?), Bruce opted to don No. 88 this season.
"The Reverend" and his 49ers teammates travel to St. Louis on Dec. 21, and No 88 would love nothing more than to celebrate in that end zone one more time.
2. The deep threat
There were two knocks on the Minnesota Vikings offense last season: No quarterback and no receivers. Well, there are definitely still questions about the former situation, but the latter looks to be at least somewhat solved. How? Well, with an old fashioned NFC North foe, that's how. Bernard Berrian, the up-and-coming deep threat for the hated Bears, signed a six-year, $42 million deal with the Vikes. One of the premier speed receivers in the entire league, Berrian will join second-year man Sidney Rice to form a rather formidable 1-2 receiver duo in Minnesota .
As for the Bears, Berrian's former employer, they're not exactly left with a bounty of talent at wideout for the upcoming season. With the departure of Berrian and former teammate Muhsin Muhammad (to Carolina) this offseason, Chicago is left with a likely depth chart (scrap heap?) that looks something like this:
- Brandon Lloyd
- Marty Booker
- Mark Bradley
- Rashied Davis
- Earl Bennett
- Devin Hester
In other words . . . Yuck.
Berrian and the Vikings visit Chicago on Oct. 19.
3. The glue guy
When casual NFL fans hear the name Jake Scott, they likely do not think of the gruff 26-year-old pulling guard with unlimited potential. They think of the five-time All-Pro from the Dolphins and Redskins from the 1970s.
Yet, the Scott who was signed by the Titans to a four-year, $20 million deal, may very well be on his way to an NFL resume comparable to the former free safety who shares his name. In just four NFL seasons, Jake Scott (the current one) has won four division championships, played in three AFC Championship Games, and won one Super Bowl ring. As a guard with the reigning five-time division champion Indianapolis Colts, Scott started 57 games, including the last 55 straight. Next season, he'll be protecting Vince Young, not Peyton Manning.
For the third straight year, Tennessee went with the "If you can't beat 'em, take 'em" mentality, signing Scott to a free-agent deal. In '06, it was Colts starting linebacker David Thorton who made the move south. In '07, it was Colts starting cornerback Nick Harper. And now, Scott will be expected to bring his championship experience to the Titans locker room.
The Titans travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 17.
4. The homecoming
 |
| Warrick Dunn waved goodbye to Atlanta and hello again to Tampa Bay. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images) |
Warrick Dunn spent the first five seasons of his NFL career in Tampa Bay. While there, he ran for more than 1,000 yards twice, played in one of the better NFC Championship Games of the past 20 years and became an all-time fan favorite.
After six productive seasons with the division-rival Falcons, Dunn is returning to Tampa, where he figures to play a leading role in the Bucs' quest to become the first repeat champion of the NFC South. Dunn, the oldest starting tailback in the league last season, signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Bucs. Released by Atlanta with the signing of Michael Turner, the 11-year vet will be looked upon as not only a senior presence and locker room leader, but as a producer on the field, too. Earnest Graham is the likely starter, but Cadillac Williams is still recovering from an injury.
Insert Dunn. The possibilities are endless.
He'll make his return to the Georgia Dome carpet Dec. 14.
5. The assassin
In five years with the Seattle Seahawks, Josh Brown was known by fans around the league for two things: that almost signature shaved head and absolutely slaying the St. Louis Rams. Like clockwork, Brown would bang through game-winning field goals over St. Louis. In 2006, it was downright ridiculous. St. Louis, vying for a playoff spot in the crowded NFC wildcard picture, lost twice on last-minute field goals by Brown -- a heroic 54-yarder in Week 6 and a clutch 38-yarder four weeks later at Qwest Field. St. Louis finished the season 8-8. Those two losses most cost them a playoff spot.
In '07, a year in which the Seahawks went through three long snappers, Brown nailed 28 of 34 kicks, and five of those successful kicks came in the two games vs. St. Louis .
So what did the Rams do about it? They made Brown the richest place-kicker in NFL history. The contract, signed on the last day of February, was a five-year deal worth $14.2 million, including a $4 million signing bonus. Kickers are not supposed to make that money. But St. Louis did what it had to do to make sure Brown never kept them out of the playoffs again.
As for Seahawks fans reactions, WithLeather.com editor and noted Seahawks die hard Matt Ufford explains, "Josh Brown will always be one of our all-time favorite Seahawks. His four game-winning kicks in 2006 sent an otherwise undeserving team to the playoffs, and last year he blew up Devin Hester on a kickoff return -- on the Bears' 28-yard-line. So we wish him all the luck with the Rams. Unless he beats the 'Hawks with a last-second kick. Then he'll be dead to us."
After all, there were 31 other teams to choose from -- and Brown chose them.
advertisement
