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In case you didn't know, Dwight Freeney reads this blog (or, at the very least, the person that maintains Dwight's official website reads this blog). Links to our articles have appeared on Dwight's page more than once, and we can only assume that a healthy diet of reading Stampede Blue has motivated Dwight to take a few shot at Stampede Blue whipping boy, Peter King.
We have a long history of poking fun at the SI scribe. We also got the chance to sit down and have a few beers with him this past February. For the record, he's a super nice and thoughtful guy.
Maybe a little sit-down-beer-lovin-time is in order between Dwight and Peter, because Mr. Freeney is certainly not happy with Mr. King's writing of late. PFT explains:
Freeney has started out fast this year with three sacks. He appeared unblockable against the Giants. At 30, Freeney still appears to have peak years left. That's why he can't understand why SI.com's Peter King didn't include Freeney on his "top-five most fearsome pass rushers for 2010 and beyond."
"Who is this?" Freeney asked to Philip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star, pointing to Brian Orakpo's name. "When you put Brian Orakpo -- and nothing against the guy, he is 24 -- but mention him over me, that hurts your credibility as an analyst. I know who Peter King is. But to mention [Orakpo] over me? For him not to mention me in the top five, that is an insult."
Freeney wants to ask defenders: "Would you rather see [Orakpo] or would you rather see me?"
Well, I guess when Bill Polian says that his team doesn't pay attention to the 'prognawsticators and the pundits,' he is pretty clearly excluding Dwight Freeney. Dwight very much cares who is writing articles about him, and what those articles are saying.
As PFT points out, King's article was focused on 'guys he'd take for the next five years.' With that caveat, I can see why Freeney's name could be left off the list.
However, that caveat goes out the window when you see that Julius Peppers' name is on King's list. Like Dwight Freeney, Peppers was drafted in 2002.
Unlike Dwight Freeney, Peppers is most certainly NOT a preimire pass rusher anymore. Peppers can't hold Freeney's jock, and Peter King simply doesn't know what he's writing about.
If King truly thinks Peppers will be a good pass rusher five years from now, then I have to side with Dwight. That's poor analysis. Peppers hasn't been a good pass rusher since... what? 2007? He also quit on his Carolina Panthers teammates last year, which is why they shipped his sorry butt to Chicago.
"Tell (King) to do more research and ask around before he publishes that," Freeney said. "He should be better than that."
OK Dwight. When we have a beer again with Peter, we'll be sure to let him know.