The Mullet, Part Deux

One of our earliest, most popular posts was The Mullet.  Well, some additional mullets have been brought to our attention that must not be ignored.  Please see below!

The Gastineau - Mark Gastineau played for the New York Jets from 1979 to 1988 and made 5 Pro Bowls as a sack-crazed defensive end. He was able to attain 100.5 sacks in only his first 100 starts, making him one of the most impressive pass rushers of the 1980's.  To go along with such impressive play, one has to have an impressive hairdo...and Gastineau did not let the public down with his thick and mullet-like hair.  Behold:

 Image courtesy of http://i.ytimg.comImage courtesy of http://farm6.static.flickr.com

Long Locks - Howie Long was a defensive lineman for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1981 to 1993.  He was named to 8 Pro Bowls, was a 3 time All Pro selection, and he had a nice junior mullet to go along with those accolades. 

 Image courtesy of www.wn.com

Image courtesy of www.amazon.com

Knee And Thigh Pads Making A Comeback!

According to Sports Now - Sports News From Los Angeles And Beyond, the NFL will require that all of its players wear knee and thigh pads by 2013. Most players stopped wearing knee and thigh pads years ago.  Here is a tribute to those and other fashionable pads NFL players used to wear!

 Franco Harris sporting knee, thigh and hip pads. Pic courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Earl Campbell wearing thigh and knee pads. Photo courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Randall Cunningham with his thigh and knee pads. Photo courtesy of http://www.realclearsports.com

Stump Mitchell's knee, thigh and forearm pads. Photo courtesy of http://www.mainlineautographs.com

Speaking of the USFL...

Speaking of the USFL, apparently former USFLer Herschel Walker, who is almost 50, runs a 4.39 in the 40 yard dash.  HELLO! Walker says he could play in the NFL today.  It would be great, even if gimmicky, if an NFL team would sign him and see if he could make a go of it!

Image courtesy of http://www.thundertreats.com

USFL Back!

Image courtesy of http://stevejonesshow.comAccording to NBC Sports, the USFL is coming back. The USFL plans to kick off next March in eight cities and play a 14-game season. ProFootballTalk.com states that 52-year-old Jamie Cuadra has acquired the brand, and he plans to launch a cost-conscious league with teams in cities that have neither pro football nor major league baseball. Good luck to the new USFL!

New York Giants - First Round Picks - Running Backs

With the 32nd overrall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected running back David Wilson out of Virginia Tech. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network had the following analysis of Wilson: "Mayock's take: "People talk about how quick and fast Wilson is, but he's so explosive north and south. He doesn't just try to make you miss laterally. This is a football player. And if you go to New York to play for Tom Coughlin, you better be nothing less. Great pick by the Giants."

As far the Giants are concerned, they had better hope that Wilson's performance in the NFL matches Mayock's analysis.  However, if history is any indication, Wilson might be in for a difficult time with the Giants.  Since the 1980's, the following running backs were all first round draft picks of the New Giants. 

1. 1982 - Butch Woolfolk, Michigan.  Woolfolk's career started off with a "bang".  In 1982 Woolfolk was named NFC Offensive Player of the year, rushing for 439 yards in 9 games.  Them, in 1983, Woolfolk led the Giants with 1,225 yards from scrimmage.  However, Woolfolk became the backup to Joe Morris in 1984 and was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1985.  Woolfolk played for the Oilers and the Lions, and retired in 1988. 

2. 1991 - Jarrod Bunch, Michigan.  Bunch made little impact as a rookie, rushing for 0 yards and receiving only 2 passes for 8 yards. Bunch seemed to have turned a corner in his second year, when he was named New York Giants' Offensive Player of the Year.  However, Bunch would rush for only 128 yards in his 3rd year with the Giants. He also suffered a serious knee injury and retired after his 4th season in the NFL.

Image courtesy of http://i2.cdn.turner.com3. 1995 - Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan.  Wheatley, another Michigan product, spent his first four seasons with the Giants and never rushed for more than 583 yards in any of those seasons.  He was later traded to the Dolphins for a 7th round draft pick, cut by the Dolphins and then played 6 seasons with the Oakland Raiders (wherein he rushed for over 1,000 yards once). Wheatley retired from the NFL after a hamstring injury in 2004.

4. 2000 - Ron Dayne, Wisconsin. Dayne begain his career with two strong seasons, rushing for 770 and 690 yards, respectively.  However, in his 3rd and 4th seasons with the Giants, Dayne rushed for only 428 and 179 yards, respectively. Dayne would go on to play for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, and while Dayne rushed for a respectable 612 and 773 yards in his two seasons with the Texans, he remained unsigned after 2007 and has not played in the NFL since that time. 

Image courtesy of http://cdn0.sbnation.com