NFL 2011 season

[dps]

You know I was wondering. Is extending the season by having more off weeks for each team without having more regular season games ever been considered?

Don't give them any more bad ideas.  They come up with them enough on their own in the post-Rozelle era.

[jimmy olsen]

The Haynesworth signing just gets better and better.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6432578

[Valmy]

The Haynesworth signing just gets better and better.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6432578

Snyder apologized for it already and said he took full responsibility...but since he has not shot himself yet he clearly is dragging his feet on taking responsibility.

[CountDeMoney]

Snyder apologized for it already and said he took full responsibility...but since he has not shot himself yet he clearly is dragging his feet on taking responsibility.

lol, he's too busy suing free weekly newspapers like the Washington City Paper.  What's next: nun orders?

Why I am suing Washington City Paper
By Dan Snyder, Published: April 25

On Tuesday I am refiling my lawsuit against Washington City Paper, a tabloid paper that published false and reckless charges about me in November 2010. The case needed to be refiled in Washington, not New York, for legal reasons; the rest of the complaint is essentially the same.

I expect to be criticized once again for pursuing this lawsuit. I originally filed it for one reason: The paper refused to issue an apology and retract false and damaging attacks on my integrity. If it had done so, there would have been no lawsuit.

For more than eight months, the same writer at this tabloid blogged or wrote about me. In producing more than 55 pieces, only three times did this particular writer bother to call my staff to check facts. The reporters of The Post and other papers know that my communications adviser, Tony Wyllie, is available 24-7 to respond to questions about me and the Washington Redskins. This writer, however, chose not to call to check the facts before he wrote an article last November that contained so many false assertions.

I am the son of a University of Missouri School of Journalism graduate whose professional pedigree includes working at United Press International and National Geographic. I am proud of that legacy from my dad and understand the journalist's perspective and challenges.

I am not thin-skinned about personal criticism. I consider myself very fortunate to own the Redskins. Criticism comes with the territory and I respect it. I have never sued people who publish critical opinions of me, nor have I previously sued any news organization.

I understand the anger people feel toward me when the Redskins have a losing season or when we sign a veteran player who does not meet expectations. I have been a Redskins fan all my life, and I get angry, too, including at myself. I am the first to admit that I've made mistakes as an owner. I hope I've learned from them. All I want is for the Redskins to win!

But I also hope that people understand why sometimes, especially in the age of the Internet, when an unretracted lie can live forever, you have to draw the line. I honor vigorous free expression in the media. But even a public figure can sue for defamation when a tabloid paper publishes a harmful assertion of a fact, not an opinion, that it knows to be false or recklessly disregards the truth.

That is exactly what this writer and City Paper did. Among many examples in the November 2010 article, the most egregious was when the article stated: This is "the same Dan Snyder who got caught forging names as a telemarketer for Snyder Communications." That is a clear factual assertion that I am guilty of forgery, a serious crime that goes directly to the heart of my reputation — as a businessman, marketer and entrepreneur. It is false.

Remarkably, several weeks after I filed the lawsuit, the publisher wrote in Washington City Paper that she was "baffled" that anyone could read the article and believe that I had been accused of personally engaging in forgery. "In fact," she wrote, "we have no reason to believe he personally did any such thing — and our story never says he did."

Well, I am baffled, too, since personally engaging in forgery is precisely what the paper explicitly said I had been "caught" doing. If the publisher has "no reason to believe" that "Dan Snyder got caught forging names," then why not retract the words that explicitly said I was a forger and simply apologize?

Let's be clear what this lawsuit is not about. It is not about money. I have already publicly committed to donate any financial damages I win to help the homeless. Nor did I or any of my representatives ask for the tabloid writer to be fired, despite published reports to the contrary.

The large for-profit corporation that owns Washington City Paper could have checked the public facts and done the right thing: required its paper to retract the false charges and apologize. Had they done so when I filed the lawsuit, I would have immediately withdrawn the case. If City Paper in the next several days retracts the false statements cited in my lawsuit and apologizes, I am still willing to withdraw the case.

Simply put, this lawsuit is about the truth — and the need to correct the record, even when you are a public figure, when your character and integrity are falsely and recklessly attacked. This is the case whether you are a public figure or a private citizen. Nothing more and nothing less.

Enough is enough.

[Valmy]

At least Peter Angelos keeps his mouth shut.

[Ed Anger]

I think I'm gonna watch the draft tonight and scratch my balls for 3 straight hours.

[citizen k]

[Sophie Scholl]

Where's the redhead Ravens cheerleader?

[jimmy olsen]

Eagles thinking of signing Plaxico?

Vick to Burress = Con Air?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Eagles-and-Rams-want-Plaxico-Burress-?urn=nfl-360533

[jimmy olsen]

Sources saying that they're really close to an agreement and that it could come within days.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/14/freeman-some-believedeal-could-come-within-a-matter-of-days/related

[CountDeMoney]

Cool.  The sooner they come to an agreement, the sooner Danny Snyder can start suing his fans again.

[jimmy olsen]

What do you guys think of this development? Will NFL finally work in L.A.?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82058fe2/article/la-most-likely-will-lure-team-from-another-socal-city

      Chargers could bolt San Diego

Jason La Canfora NFL Network

      When I talk to influential people in L.A., people in the know and league sources about this, they believe the Chargers are the most likely candidate.

      The Chargers began in Los Angeles and are by far the closest logistically. The prospects of getting a new stadium in San Diego to replace their outdated facility seem less than bright right now. The price of getting out of their lease decreases greatly, to $26 million, in 2011 and declines more from there into the future (and AEG, the group seeking to build a downtown stadium, is on record as saying that sum would not be a big obstacle). The Chargers play an attractive brand of football with no shortage of offensive stars.

      In a "sexy" city like L.A., that would play well. Sources see this ultimately ending up with AEG buying an existing team, the current owners remaining as minority owners and quite possibly remaining on owners committees. Dean Spanos, for instance, in this hypothetical situation, could remain on the powerful labor committee that is working to resolve the labor crisis.

      The project in City of Industry (about 20 miles east of L.A.) is still viable as well, but most in league circles I've talked to would much prefer to be in downtown L.A. If you build it, they will come, and within 10 years I could see two teams -- one existing and one expansion -- playing in the "City of Angels" if the facility gets built.

[CountDeMoney]

We've been through this before, but people never learn: Los Angeles does not really care about pro football.

[Valmy]

Packer bling:

The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers got their championship rings last night in a ceremony at Lambeau Field. Here's a look at the behemoth finger decorations that would rip the arm out of the socket of a normal human being.

And here are some factoids about all the symbolism and what-have-you involved in the ring.

The 'G' logo in the middle of the ring includes 13 diamonds, one for each of the Packers championships (4 Super Bowls, 9 pre-merger NFL Championships).

Football-shaped diamonds dot the corner of the top of the rings, representing the 4 Super Bowl titles.

A total of 92 diamonds surround the crest, representing the 92 years that the franchise has existed.

On the inside of the ring, the scores of all the Packers playoff wins are included, as well as the logos of the opponents (congratulations, Eagles fans, you're on a Super Bowl ring!).

Also on the inside is a '1' alongside the words "Mind, Goal, Purpose and Heart", a sort of mantra that the Packers used on their way to the title.

One side features the Lombardi trophy and the player's name a number, with the number encircled as it was on the Packers throwback jerseys this year.

On the other side is a rather exquisitely crafted likeness of Lambeau Field.

As for size and gaudiness, the ring checks in with 3.35 total carats of diamonds, falling just behind the 3.61 carats the Steelers crammed onto their rings for winning Super Bowl XLIII. Comparing it to other recent champions, the Saints got 2.2 carats on their XLIV rings, and the Giants, comparatively tasteful and restrained, went with 1.5 carats after XLII.

[Neil]

They're just getting more and more ornate every year, aren't they?

I'm starting to get excited for football again, now that we're in the lull when there's no major sports playing right now.  I hope they can get an agreement worked out in time for me to get my fill of preseason games.