AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLearning an offense while losing players
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today, after practice, coach Bobby Petrino disclosed that tight end Alge Crumpler got an outside medical opinion on his knee last Friday and that he was told to stay away from football activity for a week.
Crumpler had been experiencing discomfort in his right knee that he had scoped in the spring and, according to Petrino, began to feel pain again after a few days of practice. Mind you, Crumpler had missed several practices and only taken part in a few others.
Whether this is going to be a problem this season remains to be seen, but knowing Crumpler, even if he’s not feeling 100 percent, he’s going to try to play.
The interesting thing is with Crumpler gone, albeit temporarily, the Falcons are trying to learn a new system without their three most productive players over the past few years: Crumpler, Warrick Dunn (back surgery) and Mike Vick (NFL-ordered exile).
As for Dunn, he’s done a lot of running outside on a satellite practice field and he looks pretty good. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t be back by the start of the season, as he claims — unless the physical pounding is too much for him to immediately bear.
When it comes to Vick, football-wise, players and coaches have moved on. There’s rarely a mention of his name. Instead, people with the team talk about what they expect from the players that are here.
Looking at some other developments, rookie cornerback Chris Houston returned to practice after missing a few sessions with a sore knee. Free safety Chris Crocker also returned and worked with the starting unit, ahead of Jimmy Williams.
In terms of how players look, it’s impossible to miss strong safety Lawyer Milloy and how he gets players motivated emotionally and how well he’s performed in training camp. The guy is the ultimate pro.
Coaches can’t stop talking about how impressive rookie guard Justin Blalock is as both a run and pass blocker. It will be interesting to see how he performs Friday at New York (Jets). Defensive end John Abraham has looked great, maybe even faster than last season.
Oh, I need to clear something up too since there was some confusion about what took place with rookie center Doug Datish, who had surgery today to repair a broken bone in his wrist.
Datish was placed on injured reserve, which means he is done for the season and the Falcons hold his rights. However, before placing him on IR, the Falcons, for procedural reasons, waived him (injured). It’s one of those quirky paperwork-type deals that are required by the league.
In the end, Datish is on IR and he’s still with the Falcons.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Boots
August 6, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this
Somehow, I had the notion that football players usually played “sore.”
By Andy
August 6, 2007 4:51 PM | Link to this
You think Vick will be cut in October?
How does the defense look as a unit?
By Boots
August 6, 2007 5:09 PM | Link to this
Andy, messing with Vick is like cutting your leg off an inch at the time. It would appear to me that Mr. Blank is fed up with Vick’s inappropriate behaviors and may just bite the bullet —- do the major surgery and get rid of this cancer.
By Robert
August 6, 2007 5:22 PM | Link to this
Get on with it. If you don’t like the effects, then don’t produce the cause. We all learned right from wrong, at about the age of 2. I’ve learned that you can live and never have any contact with the court system at all. Play ball.
By Chris
August 6, 2007 6:11 PM | Link to this
Wow, great article there, newkid.*
By the way, Juanita Abernathy’s husband, Ralph, helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. That same SCLC is honoring Michael Vick.
Tell me what “Christian” or “Leadership” traits have been exhibited by Mr. Vick…
When you speak of racial issues in Atlanta, those are very different than from places up in the North Georgia mountains or in South Georgia bordering Florida.
Atlantans are, by and large, not interested in race at all. If they were, you wouldn’t see white Atlantans wearing Vick, Crumpler and Dunn jerseys. But they do.
How many black guys do you see wearing a Brooking or Kerney jersey on Sundays?
Racism, indeed.
By Chris
August 6, 2007 6:17 PM | Link to this
Free Mike Vick! Free Pernell Peace! Free Quannis Philips! Free Tony Tay…oh, wait. Nevermind. He’s guilty.
But free the other 3!
By Falcon4Life
August 6, 2007 6:24 PM | Link to this
Good read, newkid.
It would be beneficial for both sides of the Vick issue to read that article including Mr. Wyche.
However, asking some of these posters to read is asking for the impossible.
By Dr. I.Q.
August 6, 2007 6:25 PM | Link to this
Newkid I grew up in Atlanta and was a contemporary of Ralph David Abernather, MLK et al. I know there were injustices, discrimination and racial bias. However, Atlanta was special in that black leadership emerged and had a positive impact on Atlanta both politically and economically. Atlanta was and is special in that regard.
Regarding due process for Michael Vick. Don’t worry, Vick will have the best defense that money can buy —- and he can afford it because of his success in the athletic arena —- and very likely, like others before him, will walk out of court. Not innocent, but not guilty because the jury, if it includes any blacks, will either be hung or find him not guilty.
Your concern is misplaced if you’re concerned about Vick. Be concerned for those who go to court and don’t have the bucks to mount a stellar defense.
Finally, I just wish folks would focus on the progress and opportunities afforded all who are willing to stay in school, take advantange of scholarships and grants to gain additional education, work hard and succeed like the burgeoning middle classes that are drawn to Atlanta from all over the country.
By Chris
August 6, 2007 6:29 PM | Link to this
We know Crumpler will be fine, and at least Blakely is getting some reps, but having him out messing up the timing between Harrington and Crump.
Harrington needs his weapons in practice, or else they will have no chemistry when the season comes around. I guess you’d rather have injuries in camp than during the season, but it’s hard to not have all your guys out there.
By destin
August 6, 2007 7:09 PM | Link to this
Quarterback — Some people believe that it is actually better to treat this season as a developmental or “practice” year, concede a bad record, and pick a QB high in next year’s draft. Hell, I might be dead next year! We have to at least get rid of Redman and get a vet with game experience. Sadly, Aaron Brooks may be our best bet right now.
Crumpler’s knee worries me. If he goes, I may have to join the ‘tank the season faction’. Hopefully he will be fine in a couple of weeks - a scope rehab shouldn’t be long term. Meantime, we probably couldn’t upgrade over our remaining TE’s - so might as well focus on their development right now.
Dunn is a smart veteran who knows his body, and if he says he will be good to go when the season starts — I believe him. Norwood needs the work (with the 1st unit) more anyway. I haven’t heard much talk on how Snelling and the FB are doing in short yardage situations.
By Chris
August 6, 2007 7:51 PM | Link to this
Heard Ovie Mughelli on the radio today (think it was 680…not sure). He said he’s been catching some balls out of the backfield. Apparently Petrino likes getting the FB involved in the passing game, cause even if he stays in the backfield, opponents will have to keep a guy in the box to guard against him.
He also said he has plans for a celebration on his first TD (dude has 2 career TDs, both receiving). Sounds like he’ll be getting the ball in a lot of short-yardage situations as well as being a weapon in the passing game. I think we’re gonna look back on Mughelli as the biggest pickup for the Falcons this offseason, possibly more so than our draftees.
By MALONE
August 6, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this
I’d rather have Redman than Aaron Brooks. SHEESH…
This year is win-win for the Falcons: if we have a great year with Harrington, we can move on past the Vick ugliness. If we stink, then we pick up Brohm in the draft and move on past the Vick ugliness.
By Mike
August 6, 2007 8:37 PM | Link to this
Great article, it was both enlightening and informative. It opened my eyes to the cloak of racism that I experience more than I wish to admit to. I just hope that we as a people are making strides generation, by generation in the right direction. I have myself started a personal boycott of all the companies that broke under the pressure of the modern day lynch mob, and its funny, I need some new running shoes like yesterday. I can promise you it won’t be Nike or Rebook. The article inspired a genuine response, and I wish you could find a way to expose reality it to a larger reading audience. The AJC wouldn’t publish it, and I’m totally surprised ESPN didn’t censor it. In closing, there was a situation last week where authorities were digging in a woman’s back yard for Human Babies. Where is the national spotlight? We’re talking about babies man. We are truly living in a sad time, and surely the last days.
Again, thank you for such a wonderful read.
By Ken Strickland
August 6, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this
CHRIS, you asked a question about Vicks lack of christian traits and leadership. If you observe history, you’ll find christians and christianity have a history of violence and ungodly behavior. It was christianity and christians that orchestrated over 400yrs of kidnapping, enslaving, raping, murdering, and depriving Black Africans of their humanity. They also lied on God by inventing a false curse, the curse of Ham, to justify that uncivilized endeavor. I’ll just mention the brutal impact christianity and christians had on Native Americans and Jews.
So when you talk about possessing christian values, you should be more specific. You see, they seem to run the gammit of negative and ungodly behavior.
There is another issue that is critical among Blacks on this issue. Blacks read the comments and attitudes of Whites, and the media, about OJ and Vick being guilty in spite of the law and common sense. Blacks see Whites making a tremendously emotional issue of something that hadn’t been an issue before the involvement of a Black person, like Vick or OJ. Blacks realize a large number of these same Whites are sitting on juries, in judgement of Blacks, embracing this same disregard for due process of law. That feeling of injustice is magnified when considering almost every individual being released from prison, for being falsely convicted of a crime, is Black.
You can’t forget or overlook your past or you will be doomed to repeat it. Jews make an issue of their past so it won’t be repeated. Even Whites reflect of their centuries of entitlement and preferrential treatment, which lasted from the creation of the 13 colonies until the signing of the 1964 civil rights bill. That’s why, approximately 43yrs after the civil rights bill, there is so much emphasis on what is perceived as reverse discrimination. The mentality seems to be, it’s alright for us to discrimintate against others, but don’t even think about discriminating(reversing)against us.
DON’T EVEN THINK THAT RACISM AND PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT AREN’T ISSUES IN EVERYONES EVERYDAY LIFE. THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON RACISM AND PREFERENTIAL ENTITLEMENT. IT ONLY BECOMES AN ISSUE WHEN A CERTAIN GROUP IS, OR ISN’T, RECEIVING THE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OR IS THE VICTIM OF RACISM.
By taxisten
August 10, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this
We don’t want the QB from Louisville, we want the QB from Kentucky!!
By Kylix
August 10, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this
Will someone answer this for me because I have not followed the Falcons for the past couple of seasons. I moved out of Ga. Is Harrington the really good quarterback the Falcons had for a backup to Vick a couple years ago that supposedly could have started for any other NFL team? If not what did the Falcoms do with that guy?