As lopsided as it grew late in its run, I was always a fan of the College All-Star game.

For you younguns it matched the defending NFL champs with college All-Stars. More often than not it was a real football game... which means it was ever decreasingly less of what the NFL wanted to see so early in Camp when its standard bearer faced a collection of its most prized new talent.

Trying to remember the stud TE whose knee was blown out in one of the last of these games. I'm thinking Russ Francis, but see nothing in his bio to confirm. Anyway this injury was but one nail in the coffin of this game series which ended in the mid-70's...

@one-post said:

Tour you're a fucking smartass. Lol!

Guilty as charged...

@miktoxic said:

I have always thought Couch should have pursued suing the Browns for malpractice......1 WR (KJ in 2nd round), NO OL, NO running game. That kid was set up for injury & failure, yet he kept on playing hard for a FO that did nothing to help him. I have a lot of respect for Tim Couch.

Mike

@mark-o said:

which was exactly my point. I wouldn't play my starters in any of these meaningless games. The games are meaningless to the starters. Guys are getting hurt in practice already...why risk it playing a game that means nothing.

I do remember one last preseason game years back when a key QB threw a pick and was pissed and tried to tackle the DB along the sidelines and screwed his shoulder up....gone for a long while.

Yes now even with the concussion proticals you have to walk that line between not enough and too much hitting. Some are starting the seasons at all levels not in true game shape.

anyone that says he sucked are the same people that say belichick sucks.

you know nothing.

@the-gipper said:

Its an old term going back to the days of Mickey McBride, original owner of the Browns.....who owned a cab company and would have players work for him driving cab in the offseason....and it is also where he stashed some players rather than letting other teams a crack at them. That is how that came about. It was the precursor of the Practice Squad. (and...it was really Paul Brown that developed the concept...that his owner went along with and gave these guys jobs) So, the Practice/Taxi Squad is another PB innovation.

When Art Modell fired him my Father and his peers (WW2 Vets) never forgave him! I grew up listening to these stories because my Dad's half brother was good friends with Paul Brown and could be seen on the sidelines back in the late 50's and my Dad passed away last September at 94 years young. But at least he stayed alive long enough to watch THE OHIO STATE Buckeyes win the first ever College a Football Playoff!

Paul Brown's assistant coaches all became head coaches too! His firing would be comparable today if Robert Kraft sold the Patriots and the new owner fired Belichex.

Muck Fodell

GO BROWNS

Z

@mark-o said:

which was exactly my point. I wouldn't play my starters in any of these meaningless games. The games are meaningless to the starters. Guys are getting hurt in practice already...why risk it playing a game that means nothing.

Yeah I think it's safe to say that your pro bowl players can sit until even the last preseason game.

Now meanwhile the BROWNS......

@syd said:

Its an old term going back to the days of Mickey McBride, original owner of the Browns.....who owned a cab company and would have players work for him driving cab in the offseason....and it is also where he stashed some players rather than letting other teams a crack at them. That is how that came about. It was the precursor of the Practice Squad. (and...it was really Paul Brown that developed the concept...that his owner went along with and gave these guys jobs) So, the Practice/Taxi Squad is another PB innovation.

@mjp28 said:

Taxi Squad havnt heard that for awhile

@mjp28 said:

which was exactly my point. I wouldn't play my starters in any of these meaningless games. The games are meaningless to the starters. Guys are getting hurt in practice already...why risk it playing a game that means nothing.

@mark-o said:

I'd barely play any of my starters in any of these meaningless games.

Some of those players don't get much on camera time.

Also remember 6 preseason games cut to 4 now talk of 3 or 2? Not enough.

Zombo said:

I'd barely play any of my starters in any of these meaningless games.

@the-gipper said:

Tonight is the HOF game!!

But I understand that the Cardinals are not going to play one single one of their "starters". That means at leas their 22 best players will ride the pine I suspect.

What do we think about this approach? I suppose it makes some sense in this regard: What are these preseason games for?:

A. To get your team in shape to begin the regular season

B. To assess players that you will keep or not keep.

With a 5th preseason game, that gives these teams a full extra opportunity to assess players. Often a lot of that assessment happens in the 4th preseason game, but with the extra game, why not put the rookies/UDFAs, other pickups and backups on the fire right away. You may even be able to make some early decisions rather than wait for that final preseason game. You make these assessments...but then you still have the other 4 preseason games to get your team ready.

While it may not be a great deal for fans either attending or watching...it may still be a great chance to the teams to acquire more data on borderline players.

Now....the situation is likely a bit different for the Cowboys: Their owner is being inducted...and they will want to showcase their team for at least a bit of the game for his benefit. So some of their top stars are likely to play at least for a series or two.

Zombo said:

I wouldn't play any starters in HOG game either. It's a bonus game and too early to risk starters, hood opportunity to play young guys against live bullets.

Z

@tour2ma said:

There was a game at 0300 CDT?

Z

But I understand that the Cardinals are not going to play one single one of their "starters". That means at leas their 22 best players will ride the pine I suspect.

What do we think about this approach? I suppose it makes some sense in this regard: What are these preseason games for?:

A. To get your team in shape to begin the regular season

B. To assess players that you will keep or not keep.

With a 5th preseason game, that gives these teams a full extra opportunity to assess players. Often a lot of that assessment happens in the 4th preseason game, but with the extra game, why not put the rookies/UDFAs, other pickups and backups on the fire right away. You may even be able to make some early decisions rather than wait for that final preseason game. You make these assessments...but then you still have the other 4 preseason games to get your team ready.

While it may not be a great deal for fans either attending or watching...it may still be a great chance to the teams to acquire more data on borderline players.

Now....the situation is likely a bit different for the Cowboys: Their owner is being inducted...and they will want to showcase their team for at least a bit of the game for his benefit. So some of their top stars are likely to play at least for a series or two.

"One said:

And watch some F**king football goddamner!

Are you ready for some football? Oh yeah.