this is getting ugly.
how could they even keep linehan at this point?
we are way past the point of no return.

Oh, but he did. He’s the first person to publicly say that Bulger will no longer play for Linehan. Apparently, there are other players who feel the same way, but won’t speak up due to fear of getting benched or released. Jackson is as safe as a player on this team could be (and is outspoken), so he was the one who had to say something.

Btw, you have no idea how good it makes me feel to constantly read Bryan Burwell’s columns and hear my thoughts on the situation coming right back at me. He’s 100% right. Why are these guys allowed to make roster decisions at this point. Granted a benching here and there doesn’t hurt much, but when they start releasing guys, I have a real big problem with that.

This is a palace coup in the making. And it’s interesting the role that Brian Burwell is playing. Since day one of Steven Jackson’s arrival, Burwell has sidled up to him and developed a strong rapport, giving Jackson a speakerbox to air his side of things through the area’s primary media outlet, or to use his forum to promote Jackson’s interests.

Unfortunately, the P-D keeps lousy online archives, but I remember late in Jackson’s rookie season, when Faulk was the aging lion on the roster, Burwell publicly lobbied for Jackson to take over the heavy load. Virtually no one in the media was willing to go against Faulk in such a way, at that time.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Burwell keeps tabs with Jackson on how well he’s being heard, or how many people appear to be sympathetic. Though SJ has been plenty vocal many times in the past, he’s pretty media savvy for a young guy. He doesn’t get caught mouthing off when he doesn’t have something targeted to say. Being mentored by Burwell might have something to do with this. (This maturity isn’t coming from his agents, whom Jackson has rotated between nearly annually.)

Burwell’s recent columns have been some of his strongest since coming to St. Louis, lobbying for a complete housecleaning in Rams park. He’s essentially carpet-bombed the Rams’ management, chipping away at their hold on the team.

So for Jackson to speak out so strongly this week, and air laundry that usually never makes it outside of the locker room, driving a huge wedge between coach and team… it looks like a coordinated attack. If the coach’s standing wasn’t so incredibly weak, this quote would put SJ in the same sentence with Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson – “locker room cancers.” It’s a huge risk for a player to take, even after signing the big contract.

The only way the risk pays off is if Rosenbloom is listening.