David Terrell was recently rated as one of the Bears' all time draft mistakes by the publication Redeye Chicago.

Upon seeing this news, Terrell issued a statement in his defense to Redeye. A bold statement.

"My first year, we was one game from the Super Bowl, and I think I was a big, big piece in a lot of those wins. I think I may have won four, five games for my team. I mean, hey, maybe I didn’t win ‘em all by myself, but I sure played a big part."

Use of the term "big" is subjective here. Terrell caught 34 passes for 415 yards and 4 TD in his first year. The 2001 Bears overachieved at 13-3 but lost in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles. So they were actually one game away from being one game from the Super Bowl. 

Those are just minor details, I suppose, for Terrell.

There's more:

"Then the last year, I led the league for like the first four games with Rex Grossman at quarterback. Until Rex Grossman breaks his foot against Minnesota. Did you forget that? I think you musta’ forgot about that. Man, I led the league in like every category basically until Rex broke his foot."

Terrell's last year in Chicago, 2004, he finished with 42 receptions for 699 yards and 1 TD. None of those 1 TD's came during the first four games. However, Terrell did tally 16 catches for 267 yards during that span. 

When your argument hinges on the availability of Rex Grossman, you are stretching. You're stretching even more when you're willing to chop off your man parts for the chance to catch passes from Jay Cutler. 

"I would have cut off both my balls. I’d give those up, no problem. You could have neutered me. I woulda been neutered with a smile."

Terrell presumably caught a pass or two from Cutler during his failed attempts at making the Broncos roster in 2006 and 2007. Thankfully, he didn't feel like getting neutered then.

This begs the question: what is David Terrell willing to do to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady?

My money is on animal sacrifices with lots of flames in a ritualistic ceremony that sees his quarterback of choice brand him with the quarterback's name and number.

Tweet @patrickimig

For real. Check it out.

That's good stuff from the Commissioner. Maybe he can write another letter telling Congress to pipe down and work on something constructive, like preserving the present and future of the country.

Previously: Congress Wants Redskins to change name - I want Congress to Change its Name

Two pop-culture Supermen collided this week when famous tough guy and semi-noted football analyst Chuck Norris recently blew a big huge man-kiss to his proselytizing brother of pigskin, Tim Tebow, in a column on Newsbusters.

Norris calls Tebow "an ultimate clutch player" and "athletic warrior."

He also writes that Tebow's 2011 season with the Denver Broncos "was one of the most remarkable in football history."

And who are you to doubt the man whose beard alone can kick your ass? Especially when he's writing about the guy who gets flagged for roughing the tackler. 

The Cold, Hard Football Facts have been famously fond of the misunderstood Tebow. After all, his production is far greater than anyone gives him credit for, at least if you have the right tools to measure it, such as Real Quarterback Rating.

In fact, as we noted earlier this year, every single team that fired a coach or general manager this off-season would have been better with Tebow at quarterback.

But Norris takes it well beyond the Cold, Hard Football Facts and turns it into an all-out Tebow bromance.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/chuck-norris/2013/05/21/chuck-norris-column-why-tim-tebow-ultimate-clutch-player#ixzz2Uskq6lo5

In response to the AP news story that 10 members of Congress have sent letters to Roger Goodell, FedEx, Dan Snyder and 31 other owners to have the Redskins change their name, I have received a letter to Congress from an American. 

Take a look.

Tweet @patrickimig.

One man was driving a Prius while the other man was driving a Ferrari. From TMZ:

Sources tell us ... Keyshawn -- a former NFL superstar -- had just left a party Monday night inside of his exclusive gated community in Calabasas (with his child in the car), when Bieber zoomed by in his Ferrari at breakneck speeds.

We're told Keyshawn was furious -- feeling Justin could've killed someone -- so he brought his kid home, then chased after the singer in his Prius (yes, a Prius chasing a Ferrari).

When KJ got to Bieber's pad -- he blocked Justin's Ferrari in the driveway and got out of his car to confront Justin face-to-face ... but Justin ran inside of his house and refused to come out.

This begs several questions, the first of which is, what the hell is Keyshawn Johnson doing driving a Prius? 

The second question: how bad is Bieber's driving? So bad that Eric Dickerson is tired of it. Dickerson Tweeted that Bieber needs to "slow his ass down". 

Slow you ass down, Bieber. Ya dork.

And Keyshawn, get a new car.

By Ken Crippen
Executive director Pro Football Researchers' Association

As we spend Memorial Day weekend having picnics and barbeques, as we watch the parades, let’s not forget those who have served this country and have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Twenty-five NFL players, coaches or executives were killed in service to their country, 20 of them in World War II alone. More than 1,000 NFLers served in the military, almost all of them in World War II according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including notables known to most current fans: Tom Landry, Marv Levy, Pete Rozelle, among many others.

Regardless of your opinions on wars fought on foreign lands, NFL players have given their lives for our country. Below, we pay tribute to these fallen heroes on Memorial Day.
 
 
WORLD WAR II (Player)

 
Bob Mackert appears on a few lists of player deaths. Those lists seem to confuse Bob Mackert with Roy Mackert. Roy played for the 1925 Rochester Jeffersons and served in the Army until 1918. Roy died February 12, 1942. Bob Mackert went missing in July 1944 and was later declared dead. Bob Mackert never played in the NFL.
 
Frank Maher appears on some lists as being killed during World War II. Frank died April 11, 1992 in Toledo, OH.
 
 
WORLD WAR II (Non-Combat)

 
 
WORLD WAR II (Non-Player)

 
 
KOREA

None
 

VIETNAM

 
 
AFGHANISTAN

 
 
Ken Crippen is the executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving football history. You can follow him on Twitter: @KenCrippen.

The following 2013 NFL season over-under win totals come from the gang at Bovada. The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers top the list, each with an over-under win total of 11½.

Most fans expect a dog fight in the NFC West this year, and so too does Vegas. San Francisco's NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks come in with the second-highest over-under line at 10½, along with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans.

A few surprises on the list, including the doormat Kansas City Chiefs, who went 2-14 last year and had the No. 1 pick in the draft, at 7. The struggling Jacksonville Jaguars, who also went 2-14 in 2013, came with the lowest expected win total at 5.

Arizona Cardinals      
Over                              5½ (+120)
Under                            5½  (-150)

Atlanta Falcons
Over                              10 (+105)
Under                            10  (-135)

Baltimore Ravens    
Over                              8½ (-115)
Under                            8½ (-115)

Buffalo Bills    
Over                              6½ (+110)
Under                            6½  (-140)

Carolina Panthers    
Over                              7 (-130)
Under                            7 (EVEN)

Chicago Bears
Over                              8½ (-130)
Under                            8½ (EVEN)

Cincinnati Bengals   
Over                              8½ (-130)
Under                            8½ (EVEN)

Cleveland Browns   
Over                              6 (-115)
Under                            6 (-115)

Dallas Cowboys          
Over                              8½ (-115)
Under                            8½ (-115)

Denver Broncos
Over                              11½ (EVEN)
Under                            11½ (-130)

Detroit Lions
Over                              7½ (-130)
Under                            7½ (EVEN)

Green Bay Packers 
Over                              10½ (-130)
Under                            10½ (EVEN)

Houston Texans        
Over                              10½ (-115)
Under                            10½ (-115)

Indianapolis Colts      
Over                              8½ (EVEN)
Under                            8½ (-130)

Jacksonville Jaguars 
Over                              5 (-115)
Under                            5 (-115)

Kansas City Chiefs     
Over                              7 (-130)
Under                            7 (EVEN)

Miami Dolphins
Over                              7½  (-135)
Under                            7½ (+105)

Minnesota Vikings      
Over                              7½ (EVEN)
Under                            7½ (-130)

New England Patriots
Over                              11½ (EVEN)
Under                            11½ (-130)

New Orleans Saints  
Over                              9½ (-115)
Under                            9½ (-115)

New York Giants     
Over                              9 (-115)
Under                            9 (-115)

New York Jets
Over                              6½ (+110)
Under                            6½  (-140)

Oakland Raiders        
Over                              5½ (+120)
Under                            5½  (-150)

Philadelphia Eagles  
Over                              7 (-115)
Under                            7 (-115)

Pittsburgh Steelers   
Over                              9 (-115)
Under                            9 (-115)

San Diego Chargers   
Over                              7½ (EVEN)
Under                            7½ (-130)

San Francisco 49ers
Over                              11½ (EVEN)
Under                            11½ (-130)

Seattle Seahawks      
Over                              10½ (-130)
Under                            10½ (EVEN)

St. Louis Rams
Over                              7 (-115)
Under                            7 (-115)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Over                              7½ (-130)
Under                            7½ (EVEN)

Tennessee Titans        
Over                              6½ (EVEN)
Under                            6½ (-130)

Washington Redskins
Over                              8½ (+110)
Under                            8½  (-140)

Jack Edwards is the TV play-by-play announcer for the Boston Bruins. He's known for his enthusiasm and rather overly poetic and sometimes politically incorrect historic metaphors. He's a good, old-fashioned homer, in other words.

He was at his nearly violent best Monday, when the Bruins pulled off something close to a sports miracle in a 5-4 Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins were down 4-1 halfway through the third period, and still down 4-2 in the final two minutes when they pulled netminder Tuuka Rask.

The Bruins strike for two goals in the final 82 seconds to tie the game, and then won in overtime.

Captain Comeback Scott Kacsmar took a long look today at Ronde Barber's Hall of Fame qualifications.

Nestled among the many individual accomplishments is one incredible team accomplishment: Barber and the 2002 Buccaneers won the franchise's only Super Bowl largely on the backs of one of the great pass defenses in history, and certainly the greatest pass defense of the Live Ball Era (1978-present), at least by one notable measure.

Below is a look at the 25 best pass defenses of the Live Ball Era, based upon Defensive Passer Rating. The 2002 Buccaneers (48.4) come in at No. 4, ahead of legendary units like the 1985 Bears or the last two champions of the Steel Curtain Steelers.

It's the lowest DPR, the best pass defense, of the past 24 seasons, a rather significant chunk of pro football history.

More impressively, Tampa's Defensive Passer Rating that year was 30.2 points below the league average (78.6), the greatest disparity in the history of the NFL. (Not a perfect measure, as inflated modern ratings mean greater opportunity to beat the league average; but still a figure that makes the 2002 Bucs a historically significant defense.)

In other words, you could argue that Barber and the Bucs fielded the best pass defense in modern NFL history and maybe of all time.

Clearly, the game has evolved greatly, even within the Live Ball Era. The league-wide passer rating in 1978 was 62.1. In 2012, it was 83.8.

It took offenses several years to catch up with the rule changes that spawned the Live Ball Era and truly adapt to the new game. That 62.1 league-wide passer rating figure provides plenty of evidence that the passing game was still fairly primitive by today's standards at the dawn of the Live Ball Era.

But this evolution only serves to show how great that Bucs defense was in 2002.

Tampa Bay then concluded its only Super Bowl-winning season with one of the great defensive performances in history: the Bucs picked off Raiders quarterback and 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon five times, returning three of those INTs for touchdowns.

The league's top quarterback that year was held by the Bucs to a 48.9 passer rating in the Super Bowl, nearly identical to their season-long DPR.

It's one of those signature team-wide performances that often help marquee individuals like Barber make it into the Hall of Fame.

Top 25 Pass Defenses of the Live Ball Era, 1978-present (SB champs; conference champs)