Under the tutelage of none other FOX NFL Sunday analyst and MMA enthusiast/fighter Jay Glazer:

An increasing number of NFL players have turned over the past few years to the field of Mixed Martial Arts to prepare for the grind of the football season.

One of the latest guys to adopt the training regimen is Eagles defensive end Trent Cole.  He recently told PhiladelphiaEagles.com that he will be working with FOX’s Jay Glazer.

Glazer has been tutoring various NFL players over the past few years, including Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

via Trent Cole takes up MMA training | ProFootballTalk.com.

Glazer obviously gets two bonuses from this:

• Access to players. Access that increases his utility as an NFL insider (Pam Oliver, Adam Schefter or John Clayton is not going to be teaching Julius Peppers how to use their hands to better stun a 300 plus pound offensive lineman out of a three point stance anytime soon).
• A budding side business. NFL players are always looking for regimens to make their bodies more resilient and their play more violent. A few more sacks, 10 more tackles and a player becomes a pro bowler, collects bigger signing bonuses on the next contract and riser bonus are triggered in their current contract.

That being said, its a great idea. Martial arts pugilism, wrestling leverage, boxing footwork and core strengthening is great for what a defensive end needs to do to fend off an offensive lineman and disrupt the quarterback.

Peter King watched New York Jets corner back Darelle Revis as Revis’ team upset the San Diego Chargers Sunday evening.

A cornerback can’t play much better than Darrelle Revis did Sunday.

“We’ve got a ton of respect for Revis,” Philip Rivers told me Friday at the Chargers’ training facility, “but we’re not going to avoid him. We’ll take some shots at him.”

Oh really? Rivers went back to pass 45 times (40 passes, two sacks, three runs after being chased from the pocket), and I charted Revis’ coverage pattern on every one of Rivers’ pass-drops. By my count, Rivers threw four passes into the zone where Revis had primary coverage, or to the man Revis was playing man-to-man. One was complete, to LaDainian Tomlinson, for a loss of four yards. One, to Legadu Naanee, was batted down by a diving Revis on a cross route. One, to Vincent Jackson, a deep pass up the left seam, was overthrown, with Revis and Jackson running stride for stride. And the fourth, to Jackson, was up for grabs between the two, with Revis coming down with a juggled ball for an interception in a spectacular play.

[...]

I don’t care if you’re Deion Sanders or Night Train Lane. Revis put on a clinic, a masterful display of clinging coverage and bump-and-run when the situation called for it.

via Darrelle Revis’ perfect game; ageless Brett Favre; NFL playoffs – Peter King – SI.com.

Charles Woodson got the award on name recognition. Revis removes whoever he is covering from that play, that reciever, whomever it may be, is surrounded by a black hole. Along with coach Rex Ryan’s pressure schemes aka Buddy Ball Jr. and yes Marty ball Jr., its the reason why the Jets are in the playoffs this far. I can’t see them being the Colts, but I thought (and dreaded) that it would be the hated Cowboys vs. Chargers in the Super Bowl.

I couldn’t bear to see another NFC East rival with a shot at the championship. So I made my deal with the devil and cheered Saint Favre the Great against the Cowboys. I don’t have a dog in the race anymore, but I think Jets/Saints would be fun, and Vikings v Colts would be unbearable.

Coates links to Michael Irvin cross hosting w/Philly guy Mike Missanelli on ESPN Radio

The Michael Irvin Show: 1/12

HOF QB Troy Aikman joins the show to talk about Dallas ending the post season drought. Mike, Nate and Kevin simulcast with 97.9 (In Philadelphia) The Fanatic in Philadelphia to rub g…
via The Michael Irvin Show as heard on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM.

Great Soundbite (and I hate to give Michael Irvin props but this was “The U” quality smack right here):

• Michael Irvin to Eagles fan in Dallas named Tyrone: “Tyrone, what they need…is a fan like you! We gonna send you home by yo’ crib, Pack up and GET OUT!, that’s what you do! You pack up and get out and go to Philly wit those losers!”

What kills me is the brazen ignorance of my fellow Philly fan, Tyrone. Tyrone said we need a “Reggie White type of lineman”. They need the reincarnation of the best interior lineman ever to win the championship? WTF. Hold your breath and wait for that clone to be football ready Tyrone. I would rather have the guys we have now be healthier toward the end of the season (namely 3/5 of our offensive line). Because the Eagles o-line couldn’t block, the offense couldn’t run plays, and by extension sustain drives, and our defense played the bulk of the game against one of the best offenses in the league.

Another off season and another long wait for training camp and new hope. Another winter and spring filled with “dump McNabb”. The truth of the matter: McNabb probably stays. Without an extension, heading into an uncapped year, it doesn’t make sense to trade McNabb. He pretty much has all the leverage right now. There are many teams who would take him as he is when he becomes a free agent. He is still a much better than average QB. I think the Eagles front office will try and move Vick, keep Kolb and McNabb as the starter.

Either way, here’s hoping the Cowboys lose.