tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

NHL Is Back & What’s Up With Kelly

I was going to write a post on the Yankees situation but obviously with the news overnight I will put that off for sometime this week. Let's start out with the news that the NHL & NHLPA have come to a tentative agreement which would ensure a 48 game season for this year. There is no bigger hockey fan than me. I love the game. It may be my favorite sport. However, while I'm happy they are going to play, for some reason my enthusiasm is dampened.

In my opinion, Commissioner Gary Bettman is an absolute failure. There is no doubt in my mind that he and the owners believed that they would break the union. Unfortunately, they ran into someone who is just as forceful (or stubborn) as they are and that person is Donald Fehr. Fehr is an expert in professional sports labor negotiations. He had plenty of experience representing the Major League Baseball Players Association. In the end, Bettman realized that he had to compromise to keep his job because another lost season would mean the end of his 20 year reign. In my opinion, this whole debacle should be cause for his dismissal but I'm sure it won't.
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It seems that Friday reports of Chip Kelly being the Cleveland Browns next head coach were grossly overstated. It seems that Kelly is mulling over an offer from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, who supposedly were focusing their attention elsewhere, met with Kelly for nine hours yesterday while the Browns and their attorneys sat and waited.

I'm beginning to wonder if Kelly and his agent haven't used the Browns to get a better deal from the Eagles or get something more from the University of Oregon. Quite frankly, if the Eagles keep Michael Vick then Kelly has his Quack Attack QB. Even if they don't have Vick, I would rather have Nick Foles than Brandon Weeden or Colt McCoy. Not to mention Jeremy Macklin, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek. It has been reported by Chris Mortensen that Kelly knows that he will need another QB if he goes to Cleveland.

That leaves the Browns holding the bag. It will be interesting to see what the Dynamic Duo of Haslam & Banner will do if Kelly signs with Philadelphia. If they want to make a big splash they need to go to Jon Gruden and back up the same Brinks Truck they had for Kelly and give him what he wants. Otherwise, hire Ken Whisenhunt and lets move on. The next 24 hours will be interesting