Monday Means Peter

More importantly, Monday also means Peter King will say at least ridiculous thing in his article on SI.com.

The other day, in Los Angeles with my breakfast java, Cleveland general manager Phil Savage said into my telephonic earpiece: "Hey, if you see any centers out there hanging around Starbucks, we're interested. Very interested.''

Only if they are Christian, though, right Phil? Hahahaha, just kidding. The center situation right now is much too dire to worry about players' religious philosophies.

1. I think I'm going to vote for Paul Tagliabue for the Hall of Fame this year, if I have the chance. Not only is he deserving -- and I'm not very big on voting non-players into the Hall -- because of the TV contracts and the labor peace and the forward thinking of his regime, but he also did one thing his two predecessors did not do. Bert Bell did not groom a replacement before he died in 1959. Pete Rozelle did not groom a replacement before he resigned in 1989. Tagliabue groomed Roger Goodell, who very nearly was bred to do this job, to be his heir. Time will tell if Goodell has the business and legal acumen of Tagliabue, but I think he's a very good match for the job.

If every NFL commissioner is going to end up in the Hall of Fame, maybe the honor isn't so special after all and part of your reasoning for voting for him is pretty stupid. Like you yourself said, Peter, time will tell how good of a commissioner Goodell turns out to be, but if he turns out to be a terrible one, you are not going to change your vote retroactively because of it. Either vote for Tagliabue for what he actually did for the NFL or don't vote for him at all. Roger Goodell should not even enter the equation.

2. I think these are my quick-hit thoughts of the preseason weekend:

a. Two games for sixth-round Texans running back Wali Lundy, who started Saturday against St. Louis: 16 carries, 99 yards.

b. Two games for rich free agent Edgerrin James: four carries, three yards.

Over the course of two games, Wali Lundy has also had four carries that only went for three yards so I am not quite sure what your point was there, Peter.

9. I think the Jets got a good back in Kevan Barlow, but I would worry that a building team like the 49ers was so eager to jettison him.

I think you are wrong what the Jets really got in Kevan Barlow is a running back in decline. Over the past three years, his rushing Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average has decreased (6.8% to -16.4% to -26.0%) along with his Defense-Adjusted Points Above Replacement (18.1 to -2.5 to -7.6), yards per rush (5.1 to 3.4 to 3.3), success rate (50% to 37% to 27%), and his catching abilities have suffered similar declines.

As for being worried, do not be. The emergence of Frank Gore last year was going to lead to Gore being the starting running back this year anyway so the 49ers have not lost anything, but have gained a draft pick.