Happy Hour 03/09: You'll Never Hear From Dominic Rhodes Again

I didn't really have a strong opinion on the matter, but I thought Dominic Rhodes should've been named Super Bowl XLI MVP instead of Peyton Manning. His 113 rushing yards helped the Colts wear down that Bears defense, as they ball-controlled their way to victory.

Apparently, the Oakland Raiders felt the same way, because they've gone out and done what they always seem to do: Sign the Super Bowl MVP to a big free agent deal and watch him wilt under the pressure of his own overratedness.

How did Larry Brown and Desmond Howard do with the Raiders? How did cashing in Super Bowl stardom with Al Davis work out for them? Brown played 12 games in two seasons, snagging only one interception. Howard also only lasted two years, catching only six passes and returning just two punts for touchdowns.

A couple of weeks ago, Rhodes looked like a candidate for Dumbest Pro Athlete of 2007 when he was arrested for drunk driving before he could parlay his sudden stardom into a fat cash contract. But to Al Davis, that apparently showed the kind of menacing pirate streak that he still thinks the Raiders are made of. So naturally, they had to give him some cash. $7.5 million of it, to be exact. I suppose the Raiders learned one important lesson from their past, however. Rhodes only got a two-year deal.

Remember that game you had in the Super Bowl, Dominic? That was awesome...