• To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

MMQB: Interview with David Baker - President of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/28/d...-of-fame-president-enshrinement-class-of-2017

Talking Football with David Baker, Who Delivers the Hardest Knock in the NFL
The president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame talks about last year’s canceled game and what it's like to deliver the good news to finalists who’ve made the cut
KALYN KAHLER

image

David Baker has served as president of the Hall of Fame since 2012.
MARK ALBERTI/ ICON SPORTSWIRE

David Baker is the NFL’s closest thing to a fairy godmother. As president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it’s his job on the eve of the Super Bowl to knock on the hotel room doors of the finalists who made the cut. If Baker pays you a visit, you’re in. If he doesn’t, well, better luck next year.

The most common response to the sight of Baker at the door? Tears of joy. In advance of next week’s enshrinement ceremony, Baker spoke to The MMQB about what’s it’s like to deliver the good news, how the Hall of Fame has moved on since last year’s field conditions caused them to cancel the game, and whether he’s ever found himself talking to all the busts when he leaves his office at night.

KAHLER: What is it like to deliver the good news?

BAKER: When I knocked on the door for Brett Favre . . . he opened the door, and I made a joke, like, Provided that you don’t come out of retirement again, because then you’ll have a five-year waiting period. And he laughed, and I said, You’re going to go to Canton as one of the best players, coaches and contributors of all time. And you could tell by his body language. He put his hands in his pockets, and he kind of hung his head like a little kid in humility. And this is Brett Favre.

We then take him over to the NFL Honors show, and we introduce the Hall of Fame class to the nation right in the middle of it. Our guys go up on stage and shake hands and we do this press conference afterwards. I stood next to Brett at the press conference and said, “How are you doing?” And he says, “Are you kidding? I just shook the hand of Roger Staubach!”

You would have thought they would have known each other from somewhere, but he says, “You don’t understand. All my life I dreamed of being Roger Staubach.” And he paused for a second and said, “Now I guess I’m on his team.” The reverence for it has been enormous.

KAHLER: What were the reactions from this year’s class when you knocked on their door?

BAKER: Terrell Davis was crying, Jerry Jones was crying, Morton Anderson cried, I don’t think Kurt Warner cried, but they were screaming and yelling. The knock on the door is very emotional. There is another emotional moment the day after the Super Bowl when we do our orientation.

After about an hour and a half of talking about what the best four days in football are going to look like at the most inspiring place on earth, we then ask them to share something about their life that you wouldn’t know from their statistics or their bio.

And of all my favorite things I get to do, from giving the rings in the fall at their stadium, giving the gold jackets at the dinner, to knocking on the door, that is the coolest day because invariably, guys share things that are incredibly profound. I think in this class every one of them cried on that Monday.

Sometimes it is about somebody who helped them make it when they thought they couldn’t go on. I think of last year’s six speeches (we had two posthumous) the word love was used 148 times. There are some deep emotions in this. Each guy has a unique story.

You’ve got Morton Andersen’s story. Morton Andersen gets cut at 38 years old and he was close to the record for scoring. So he tells his wife, I’m going to stay in shape and I am going to get that record. He goes down to the park every day and kicks in his cleats and helmets and shoulder pads. Pretty soon, Pop Warner kids are playing, so he is kicking around with those kids.

Two years go by and he is still kicking down there and he’s the old 40-year-old guy dreaming of playing between Pop Warner games. And all of a sudden the Falcons call him and he tries out against three young kids and he makes it and plays for another five years and obliterates the record.

When he tells his story on that enshrinement stage, there are going to be all kinds of people, guys waiting for a job, sitting on a couch waiting for their call, that will be encouraged by that.

KAHLER: Were you surprised by any of the selections in the Hall of Fame class of 2017?

BAKER: What I’ve learned in my four years of doing it, is the process is hard. It’s hard, and I’m genuinely surprised every year. I don’t think there was any one year where I knew who was going to be selected. I get the envelope, I’m the first one to get it and it’s always amazing. There are so many differences and different things.

And really it is up to each voter—there are 48 selectors and then you have to get 80% of those guys. But each one of those selectors has to take into their account, what was important? I think what I have learned is that the process works really well and what I really respect is how it is revered, not only by the guys who make the selections, but also by those who are selected.

KAHLER: Do you have a favorite enshrinement speech from the four years you have been in this job?

BAKER: I am always thinking about television and timing and all that stuff, so any 12-minute speech is my favorite one. I would say, for me, here’s another thing, when I come out of my office, my office is right next to the bust room. Last year, despite the things we do to keep the line moving, the line to go through the bust room a year ago was three-and-half hours long.

People stand in line to do that, which is incredible! Right behind that we have a large screen that just constantly plays enshrinement speeches. Many times I have gone by there and it will be 11 o’clock at night and it will be just those busts and me.

Did you ever hear John Madden’s story that he is convinced that when the last man has left and the janitor has swept the floor and he turns out the light, that those busts talk to each other? And Derrick Brooks line was, I hope not, because I’m looking at Warren Sapp for the next fifty years.

I remember John Elway talking about his dad and his sister. Cris Carter talking about his mom and his grandmother, I certainly think a guy like Tony Dungy, talking about being the first African American coach, a guy like Fritz Pollard, an African American head coach in 1922, that’s 26 years before Jackie Robinson stepped on the field for the Dodgers. There is just so much history and everyone gets to be a part of the story.

KAHLER: What did you guys learn from last year’s canceled game to make sure that something like that won’t happen again?

BAKER: First of all, I don’t paint the field, but it is my responsibility to make sure it is painted right. So we take full responsibility for that. Second of all, we went to great lengths to make sure that we could take care of those fans that were at that ballgame. With a few exceptions, we think we’ve done that. Thirdly, to make sure that it never happens again, everything that is on that field this year is sewn in—it’s not painted.

Our mission is to honor the heroes of the game. Preserve its history, promote its values and celebrate excellence everywhere. When we say honor the heroes of the game, that’s a preseason game. Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers aren’t going to play in that game.

My son, Sam, who played for the Atlanta Falcons for seven-and-a-half years, was a first-round draft choice in 2008 and ended his career during a preseason game at NRG Stadium against Jadeveon Clowney. Whether you are the 90th guy or the first guy, if the Hall of Fame doesn’t protect that player, Good Lord, who would? That was a very difficult night.

KAHLER: What did your son think of your decision to cancel the game for player safety?

BAKER: I don’t think I’ve said this publicly yet. My son Sam had been at the enshrinement, but he left at like 4 o’clock that day before the game. When I got home it was about 2 a.m. and I put my phone down on the nightstand and I sat down on my bed and loosened my tie, and I’m ripped.

I get this text from him and he said, Hey dad, just landed. Heard what happened. My phone is blowing up with NFL players who respect the heck out of what happened. And that meant a lot to me. We went into the locker rooms, and I know it was disappointing to parents who wanted to see their kids play, or those guys 45-90, who are trying to make that squad.

But in both locker rooms, guys clapped, so we take it real seriously. We have a beautiful new stadium. It is no longer a high school stadium in which an NFL game is played, it is now a small venue NFL stadium.

MMQB: 49ers Preview - 10 Things You Need To Know

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/28/san-francisco-49ers-2017-training-camp-season-preview

San Francisco 49ers Preview: 10 Things You Need To Know
ANDY BENOIT

image


The MMQB’s Andy Benoit ranks every NFL team based on roster talent and gives 10 thoughts on each club throughout training camp. The No. 30 San Francisco 49ers managed to fill the least desirable coaching job with the best candidate this offseason, but Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have the same type of offensive weapons he had in Atlanta. He’ll need quarterback Brian Hoyer to manufacture offense through play designs

1. It was smart of Niners owner Jed York to give new head coach Kyle Shanahan and new GM John Lynch unprecedented six-year deals. Given San Fran’s front office turmoil and three head-coaching changes over the last three years (each questionable in its own way), these were the least attractive GM and coaching jobs this year.

Most new head coaches get three- or four-year contracts. By committing to six years, York managed to fill the least desirable job with the market’s top candidate, Kyle Shanahan.

2. Shanahan was brilliant as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta. Obviously, it helped that he had a veteran star QB, arguably the game’s best wide receiver, two dynamic running backs and a stable O-line. Shanahan masterfully diversified his formations to create favorable mismatches, and by intertwining his receivers’ routes on each side of the field to create answers against multiple coverages.

You don’t need a Julio Jones or a Devonta Freeman to do this. As long as Shanahan’s QB knows where the ball goes—and usually, journeyman placeholder Brian Hoyer does—the Niners can manufacture offense through play designs. It won’t be as pretty or lucrative as it was for Shanahan in Atlanta, but it will be more consistent than the Chip Kelly, Colin Kaepernick-led offense of a year ago.

3. The receiving abilities of tailbacks Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman made Shanahan’s play designs so potent in Atlanta. They allowed the Falcons to line up in one formation and shift to another. The defense would have to tip its hand in response, and usually there wasn’t a linebacker who could cover either back.

Incumbent Niners running back Carlos Hyde is a solid inside runner who can occasionally turn the corner, but he’s not a Freeman- or Coleman-like chameleon in the passing game. He had 163 yards receiving last year. If fourth-round rookie tailback Joe Williams can become a receiving threat, he’ll secure a big role.

4. There are two plus-sized offensive linemen on the right side who move well: third-year tackle Trent Brown and last year’s first-round guard Josh Garnett (a tremendous pull-blocker). Mobile right side O-line tandems are rare.

5. Pierre Garçon joined the select club of players who have earned a lucrative third contract in their NFL careers. The soon-to-be 31-year-old signed for $47.5 million over five years as a free agent. He’s worth it. Garçon is still one of the strongest in-breaking route runners in football. And his willingness as a blocker helps this outside zone running game.

6. The most fascinating question with the 49ers: Who will line up along the defensive line, and where? Most of the players, including recent Oregon first-round picks DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, were drafted for a 3-4. But first-time defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is installing a Seahawks Cover 3-style scheme, which features a 4-3 front.

But don’t overthink this part of it. The contrast of a 3-4 versus a 4-3 gets overblown. In today’s NFL, both schemes feature similar one-gap principles. More than that, about 65% of snaps involve a nickel defense, which usually means straight 4-3 principles. This is why rookie No. 3 overall pick Solomon Thomas should play the defensive tackle role that he played 85% of the time at Stanford.

Yes, at 273 pounds, Thomas would be the lightest defensive tackle in the NFL. But he can kick over to defensive end on running downs. As for those other two: Buckner, who played with better leverage in the second half of his rookie season, has the power to be an excellent nickel defensive tackle. That would leave Armstead playing wide 9, a less-than-ideal role for him but one that he at times played last season.

7. Saleh’s Seahawks-style Cover 3 is a single-high safety zone coverage where defenders drop to landmarks on the field. But here’s the thing: the rest of the league’s Seahawks-style Cover 3 defenses—Atlanta, Jacksonville and, of course, Seattle—all increased their snaps of man coverage down the stretch last year. You wonder if offenses have concocted too many ways to attack that Cover 3.

8. The Niners may not have good enough corners to play regular snaps of man-to-man. Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser, lanky Rashard Robinson and rookie Ahkello Witherspoon are all recent mid-round picks. Typically, mid-rounders don’t suffice at the most athletically demanding position in football. Last year the Niners, who struggled often in pass defense, played a lot of two-deep coverages because the coaches didn’t trust these corners one-on-one.

9. San Francisco’s best corner, Jimmie Ward, has moved to free safety. He’ll now play centerfield. That means San Francisco’s most gifted and versatile defender, Eric Reid, will be the high-hole safety, playing a few yards behind the linebackers down in the box. Both players have toggled between multiple positions over the past two years. It will be interesting to see how they perform now at static positions.

10. I’d bet last year’s defensive coordinator, Jim O’Neil, snickered ruefully when the Niners got Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster near the end of the first round. Injuries, and the resulting deficiencies, at linebacker are what hurt this defense most in 2016.

Data dislike Goff and, thus, the Rams' 2017 prospects

The team was 0-7 with Goff at the helm, and he wasn't great. But they could have had two wins had the defense managed to hold leads. I think he will do better. Sean Mannion had one good game against the Dallas "3's" in pre-season last year. While I hope he has a spectacular career with us, he doesn't inspire great confidence.

I think the urge to start Mannion is akin to the "give me what's under box number 3" mentality. If you don't like the starter, well then that big good looking other QB must be better. I can recall the furor to start Keith Null a few years ago when things were going bad. It ended with predictable results.

Once Goff gets a win under his belt, he will be fine. Pray for the OL to stay healthy.

Rams select Texas OT Connor Williams 4th overall in Matt Miller's 2018 NFL mock draft

Agree Rams will be far out of the range for OLT Connor Williams.

I'm all in for looking to improve our OL at all times....but it takes so much time for OL's to reach average NFL grade level play. Meanwhile Big cap funds sitting on the bemch in neutral for yrs with no positive dividends in return. Not smart in my very small brain....Or worse risk playing poorly & causing havoc to our QB & offense.

Just about the time these OL'ers learn how to play in an NFL offense & get broke in running smoothly & efficiently ...poof their off to UFA drama world with high contract $$$$ demands. I would go a different direction here in 2018. I would hope that this Ram team leans to a more instant reward Boundary Corner or deep threat WR instead with this first pick. These positions normally yield very early returns on the playing field on Sundays.

Then regroup on the second day where good value & bargains $$$ are usually found for NFL teams let Kromer secure our replacement of LT Andrew Whitworth & OC John Sullivan from that point on.

Downtown Rams Podcast featuring Tyler Dunne of Bleacher Report

Football is officially back! The Rams rookies reported on Wednesday and the veterans will report Friday with training camp officially beginning on Saturday. Jake and Blaine break it all down all the latest. Bleacher Report's Tyler Dunne who wrote a feature piece on Tre Mason this week also joins the show to discuss his time with Mason. Dunne also gives his thoughts on this Rams team.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/downtownrams/bleacher-report-tyler-dunne
  • Like
Reactions: Prime Time

What this 52year old Ram fan likes about McVay

I honestly do not think I have missed a second of a sound byte from Mcvay. This guy certainly has it!

Every interview I see with this guy I walk away going, really!? Can you imagine being an employer with an interviewee answering questions with such confidence and demeanor.

What really surprised me is Mcvay left Washington and they have basically had a complete overhaul of the offense. Won't extend Kirt. Let the receivers go. Let some staff go. etc. What does that say about Mcvay? Jay Gruden?
  • Like
Reactions: leoram