Languish.org

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 19, 2011, 08:19:09 PM
Bungals at Browns. In September. Fucking NFL.

The game should be in December. In the snow.

Quote from: sbr on April 19, 2011, 08:20:16 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 19, 2011, 08:19:09 PM
Bungals at Browns. In September. Fucking NFL.

The game should be in December. In the snow.

Maybe they could meet in the playoffs.



:lmfao:

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 19, 2011, 08:19:09 PM
Bungals at Browns. In September. Fucking NFL.

The game should be in December. In the snow.

QuoteRavens play on Thanksgiving for first time in history

Assuming the NFL lockout ends, the Ravens are scheduled for five prime-time games for the 2011 season, including a Thanksgiving night home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

This not only marks the first Thanksgiving game for the Ravens but it's the first time in NFL history that brothers (the Ravens' John Harbaugh and the 49ers' Jim Harbaugh) will face each other as head coaches. The last time a Baltimore NFL team played on Thanksgiving was 46 years ago, when the Colts played at Detroit.

"Thanksgiving, family, football, sharing a meal and watching a football game together. What can be better than that?," John Harbaugh said on the NFL Network. "I'm excited about it. It's going to be historic. We're still trying to talk our parents into coming. My dad and mom said they're not going to be within three time zones of the game. We'll get them there somehow."


Jim Harbaugh said traveling across the country on a short week won't allow him to celebrate the holiday with his brother.

"One thing I can tell you is we're not going to have time to socialize the day of the game," Jim Harbaugh said.

John Harbaugh has other plans. "We're going to try to do is get Jim over to the house, get some turkey, get that tryptophan working so he'll get tired later in the day."

Besides playing the 49ers, the Ravens' other four prime-time games are: against the New York Jets (Oct. 2), at Jacksonville (Oct. 24), at Pittsburgh (Nov. 6) and at San Diego (Dec. 18).

The Ravens open the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 11 at M&T Bank Stadium, which is the third time in four years that they start the season at home.

"Our home schedule is very attractive, including the first two games at M&T Bank Stadium against the Steelers and the Sunday night against the Jets," team president Dick Cass said. "Overall, the schedule reflects the confidence the league has in us after we've made the playoffs the last three seasons and in four of the last five."

Quote from: Valmy on April 19, 2011, 08:24:28 PM
I don't understand.  How can they play on Thanksgiving against somebody other than the Lions and cowgirls?  :huh:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 19, 2011, 08:26:42 PM
It's the NFL Network primetime game at 8pm;  there's been 3 T'giving games for a few years now, you know.

Pfft, U of T  :rolleyes:

Quote from: Valmy on April 19, 2011, 08:29:07 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 19, 2011, 08:26:42 PM
It's the NFL Network primetime game at 8pm;  there's been 3 T'giving games for a few years now, you know.

Pfft, U of T  :rolleyes:

I don't get NFL Network :(

Quote from: Alcibiades on April 20, 2011, 08:07:35 AM
Madden '12 cover released:

Quote from: Valmy on April 20, 2011, 08:11:00 AM

Quote from: Alcibiades on April 20, 2011, 08:07:35 AM
Madden '12 cover released:

:lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 19, 2011, 08:30:51 PM
You fail at cable like Vince fails at football.

QuoteHall of Famer, former 49ers great Joe Perry dies
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer

A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Perry still stands as San Francisco's all-time leader in yards rushing (7,344) and touchdowns rushing (50). He led the 49ers in rushing on eight occasions, including seven consecutive seasons from 1949-1955.

"I was deeply saddened to hear of Joe Perry's passing earlier today," 49ers owner John York said. "He was a dear friend to my family and me and to the entire 49ers organization. He was also an intricate part of our rich history. A truly remarkable man both on and off the field, Joe had a lasting impact on the game of football and was an inspirational man to the generations of players that followed him. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife, Donna, and his entire family. He will be sadly missed by all of us."

Perry finished with 9,723 yards rushing on 1,929 carries with 71 touchdowns in 181 career games. He also had 2,021 yards receiving on 260 catches for 12 touchdowns. He broke the NFL record for most career yards rushing, a total that was later topped by Jim Brown.

Perry, who also spent a stint in the Navy and served during World War II, became the first player with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 1953 and '54.

The 49ers retired Perry's No. 34 jersey in 1971.

Perry was a member of "The Million Dollar Backfield" featuring four future Hall of Famers in Perry, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson and Y.A. Tittle. For three seasons from 1954-56, they formed a fearsome foursome. The group remains the only full-house backfield to have all four of its members voted into the Hall of Fame.

Perry regularly attended enshrinement ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, supporting 49ers ownership and former players.


Perry was later discovered by 49ers tackle John Woudenberg while playing running back for the Alameda Naval Air Station Hell Cats. Woudenberg promptly told 49ers owner Tony Morabito and head coach Buck Shaw about Perry, the team said. Perry's first season with San Francisco was in 1948. He played for Baltimore from 1961-62, then wound up back with the Niners in his final season of 1963.

Perry was born Jan. 22, 1927, in Stephens, Ark. Memorial service arrangements were pending.

QuoteJudge ends lockout; owners to appeal

MINNEAPOLIS -- Seven weeks into the NFL lockout, players have an early triumph over the owners in court.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered an immediate end to the lockout Monday, siding with the players in their fight with the owners over how to divide the $9 billion business.

The NFL immediately said it would ask Nelson to put her order on hold so the league can pursue an expedited appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

Nelson granted a request for a preliminary injunction to lift the lockout, saying she was swayed by the players' argument that the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 is hurting their careers.

The plaintiffs "have made a strong showing that allowing the League to continue their 'lockout' is presently inflicting, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon them, particularly when weighed against the lack of any real injury that would be imposed on the NFL by issuing the preliminary injunction," Nelson wrote.

If the injunction is upheld, the NFL must resume business, although under what guidelines is uncertain.

It could invoke the 2010 rules for free agency, meaning players would need six seasons of service before becoming unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire; previously, it was four years. The requirement for unrestricted free agents would be four years rather than the three years before 2010. There also was no salary cap in 2010, meaning teams could spend as much -- or as little -- as they wanted.

Also, the NFL would need to determine what or if offseason workouts can be held while the appeal is being heard.

Clearly, it's complicated.

Jim Quinn, an attorney for the players said time is of the essence.

"They better act quickly, because as of right now there's no stay and, presumably, players could sign with teams," he said. "There are no guidelines as of right now, so they have to put something in place quickly."

Owners imposed the lockout after talks broke down March 11 and the players disbanded their union. A group of players filed the injunction request along with a class-action antitrust lawsuit against the league.

Nelson's ruling simply lifts the lockout and does not address any of the antitrust issues. That will come another day.

"We believe that federal law bars injunctions in labor disputes," the league said. "We are confident that the Eighth Circuit will agree. But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans. We can reach a fair agreement only if we continue negotiations toward that goal."

The NFL is going forward with the draft, which begins Thursday night.

Dolphins alternate player representative John Denney said he didn't think the ruling was the end of the dispute.

"Right now we got what we wanted, but it may be temporary," he said. "We'll have to let the judicial process play out."

At the hearing before Nelson on April 6, the crux of the argument from NFL lawyer David Boies was that the court shouldn't have control of a conflict that grew out of a labor dispute. Boies even tried to lighten the mood by telling her, "No lawyer ever wants to stand in front of a judge and say, 'You don't have jurisdiction."

The owners, in support of their argument, pointed to their pending unfair labor charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board that the players didn't negotiate in good faith.

Nelson disagreed -- and threw cold water on that hope, too.

"Although the NFL has filed a charge here, the NLRB has yet to issue any complaint and, in this court's considered judgment, it is likely that the Board will dismiss the charge," she wrote in her ruling.

Nelson rejected the league's prediction that the NLRB would see the union's breakup as temporary, thus supporting the assertion that the dissolution was purely a tactical move.

"There is no legal support for any requirement that a disclaimer be permanent," Nelson wrote. "Employees have the right not only to organize as a union but also to refrain from such representation and, as relevant here, to 'de-unionize."

Nelson also stated that the so-called decertification was legitimate because of "serious consequences" for the players.

Nelson heard arguments on the injunction at a hearing on April 6 and ordered the two sides to resume mediation while she was considering her decision. The owners and players, who failed to reach consensus after 16 days of mediated talks earlier this year, met over four days with a federal magistrate but did not announce any progress on solving the impasse.

They are not scheduled to meet again until May 16, four days after another judge holds a hearing on whether players should get damages in their related fight with owners over some $4 billion in broadcast revenue.

And now comes Nelson's decision to lift the injunction.

"(T)he public ramifications of this dispute exceed the abstract principles of the antitrust laws, as professional football involves many layers of tangible economic impact, ranging from broadcast revenues down to concessions sales," she wrote. "And, of course, the public interest represented by the fans of professional football -- who have a strong investment in the 2011 season -- is an intangible interest that weighs against the lockout. In short, this particular employment dispute is far from a purely private argument over compensation."

With appeals expected, the fight seems likely to drag on through the spring and, possibly, into the summer. The closer it gets to August, when training camps and the preseason get into full swing, the more likely it becomes that regular season games will be lost.

Osi Umenyiora, the New York Giants defensive end and one of the plaintiffs, called the ruling a "win for the players and for the fans" in a statement.

"The lockout is bad for everyone, and players will continue to fight it," Umenyiora said. "We hope that this will bring us one step closer to playing the game we love."

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 25, 2011, 07:16:13 PM
These kids wouldn't understand about Joe Perry, katmai.

Quote from: Liep on April 25, 2011, 07:28:16 PM
Browns gets a good schedule, playoff secured.

Quote from: JacobL on April 25, 2011, 07:33:43 PM

Quote from: Liep on April 25, 2011, 07:28:16 PM
Browns gets a good schedule, playoff secured.

I must have missed the article where this year they changed the rules to allow 30 teams into the playoffs. :hmm:

Quote from: Grey Fox on April 26, 2011, 10:20:00 AM
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?

Quote from: jimmy olsen on April 26, 2011, 08:06:08 PM
The Haynesworth signing just gets better and better.

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

Quote from: Valmy on April 26, 2011, 08:20:03 PMSnyder 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.

QuoteWhy 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.

Quote
      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.

QuoteThe 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.

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
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.

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM
You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
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.

You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
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.

You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

Quote from: Valmy on June 17, 2011, 10:27:13 AM

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM
You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

:lol:

I knew you were going to pop in with a CFL plug when I saw Neil's post.

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:33:51 AM

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
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.

You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

I watched last night.  It just wasn't the same.  Watching NFL scrubs is one thing, but watching CFL scrubs...  Well, you might as well be watching college football.  :x

Maybe I'll try watching the game tonight.  Watching the Roughriders beat the hated Eskimos always feels nice.

Quote106. Minnesota Vikings
107. Buffalo Bills
108. Seattle Mariners
109. New York Knicks
110. Washington Wizards
111. Florida Panthers
112. Chicago Cubs
113. Detroit Pistons
114. New York Islanders
115. Atlanta Thrashers...er Winnitoba Jet Bears
116. Toronto Raptors
117. New York Mets
118. Minnesota Timberwolves
119. Sacramento Kings
120. Toronto Maple Leafs
121. Washington Redskins
122. Cincinnati Bengals

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 11:36:16 AM
Ah, I see - they rank extremely highly for "bang for the buck" and "affordability".  Which is because they barely charge you anything for tickets, and they run such a massive deficit ($35 mil in losses last year alone) that their few wins get counted so highly compared to the minimal revenue they bring in.

Quote from: HVC on June 17, 2011, 11:42:10 AM
So sucking so bad you have to practically give away tickets means you don't actually suck? that's an odd metric.

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:35:30 AM

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:33:51 AM

Quote from: Barrister on June 17, 2011, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 10:05:02 AM
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.

You're in luck.

They're playing pre-season football as we speak.   :)

I watched last night.  It just wasn't the same.  Watching NFL scrubs is one thing, but watching CFL scrubs...  Well, you might as well be watching college football.  :x

Maybe I'll try watching the game tonight.  Watching the Roughriders beat the hated Eskimos always feels nice.

Well you're the one pining for pre-season football.  I didn't even try to watch.

But once the regular season rolls around...

Quote from: Valmy on June 17, 2011, 11:43:25 AM

Quote from: HVC on June 17, 2011, 11:42:10 AM
So sucking so bad you have to practically give away tickets means you don't actually suck? that's an odd metric.

If you are going to charge alot you better win.  That is one of the big reasons the Redskins and the Leafs rank so low.

Quote from: Neil on June 17, 2011, 11:47:51 AM
I was shocked to see that they didn't rank Snyder as the worst owner out there.  I mean, I guess he's not trying to move the franchise, but he's devoted to ruining it.

QuoteNFL proposal reportedly features 16-game Thursday night schedule

A 16-game Thursday night TV packaging beginning in 2012 reportedly is among the parameters of a new collective bargaining agreement being discussed by NFL owners during their meeting Tuesday in Rosemont.

Team representatives took a lunch break and returned to the meeting, some with suitcases in hand, a sign the meeting may not last much longer.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that a key element of the proposed agreement is the understanding that players will accept approximately 48 percent of all revenue, minus a $1 billion credit off the top.  In the previous CBA, players received 60 percent of revenue, but the figure did not include the $1 billion credit.

The figure apparently is acceptable to the players because projections say NFL revenue should double to $18 billion a year by 2016.  Teams also may be required to spend more than they have in the past.

Also expected to be part of the new deal are a rookie wage scale, free agency after four years and better health care and pension benefits for retirees.

The proposed 18-game regular-season schedule reportedly would be designated as negotiatible, but wouldn't be mandated.

Negotiations between the league and the players are expected to resume Wednesday.

Quote from: Valmy on June 21, 2011, 06:32:10 PM
Rookie salary cap plus keeping the 16 game schedule please.

Quote from: Valmy on June 17, 2011, 11:17:33 AM
ESPN ranks the Bengals and Redskins the two worst franchises in the the four major sports leagues:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings

Quote106. Minnesota Vikings
107. Buffalo Bills
108. Seattle Mariners
109. New York Knicks
110. Washington Wizards
111. Florida Panthers
112. Chicago Cubs
113. Detroit Pistons
114. New York Islanders
115. Atlanta Thrashers...er Winnitoba Jet Bears
116. Toronto Raptors
117. New York Mets
118. Minnesota Timberwolves
119. Sacramento Kings
120. Toronto Maple Leafs
121. Washington Redskins
122. Cincinnati Bengals

QuoteLegendary Colts tight end John Mackey dies at 69
By Mike Klingaman, The Baltimore Sun

3:05 PM EDT, July 7, 2011

As one of football's great tight ends, the Baltimore Colts' John Mackey used to bull his way past the goal line, dragging tacklers on his back. As the first president of the National Football League Players Association, he carried his brethren into the modern era of free agency and big-money contracts.

Mackey, whose off-the-field exploits were as important as his accomplishments on it, died Wednesday of frontotemporal dementia, a disease he had battled for 10 years, at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore. He was 69.

Bull-necked and indominable, Mackey forged a reputation with the Colts as an explosive receiver able to turn a short look-in pass into an 80-yard touchdown. The club's No. 2 draft pick in 1963, he redefined the role of the lumbering blocking end.

He revolutionized that position, said Don Shula, the Colts' coach from 1963 to 1969.

"Previous to John, tight ends were big strong guys like [Mike] Ditka and [Ron] Kramer who would block and catch short passes over the middle," Shula said. "Mackey gave us a tight end who weighed 230, ran a 4.6 and could catch the bomb. It was a weapon other teams didn't have. "

In his nine years with the Colts, the club won a Super Bowl and three conference championships. Of Mackey's 38 touchdown receptions, 13 were for 50 yards or more, including an 89-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams in 1966. That score, on the game's first offensive play, was the longest of the 290 scoring passes in John Unitas' career.

"[Mackey] didn't have the best of hands," Unitas once said. "But his running ability was second to none. "

His most famous catch came in the 1971 Super Bowl, when he grabbed a twice-tipped pass from Unitas and raced 75 yards for a touchdown in Baltimore's 16-13 victory over Dallas.

"That play turned the game around for us," said Glenn Ressler, then the Colts' starting guard. "If you needed a clutch catch or a block, you'd get it from John. He embodied what the Colts were all about."

Elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mackey refused to accept his ceremonial ring in Indianapolis, where the Colts had moved in 1984.

"I will do it in Baltimore," he told Hall officials. "That is where I played. "

Mackey won out. He received the ring in Memorial Stadium, at halftime of an exhibition game between Miami and New Orleans.

"John was a fighter, a man with great integrity, one who wouldn't roll over for anybody," said Bob Vogel, an All-Pro tackle who played beside Mackey. "Nothing he did was from the perimeter. Whatever he took on, he was totally involved."

The son of a Baptist minister, Mackey grew up in Roosevelt, N.Y. He turned down an appointment to the Naval Academy to attend Syracuse University. There he studied economics, made All-American and roomed with a running back named Ernie Davis -- the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Mackey would model himself after Davis, who died of leukemia at 23.

"Ernie was big and fast, like a hurricane," Mackey said. "He could run past you or knock you down. But he was never arrogant.

"He motivated me."

The 19th player chosen in the 1963 NFL draft, Mackey impressed his Colts teammates even before he signed a contract.

"The first time I saw John was when he walked through the locker room, after practice, to meet Shula," said Ordell Braase, defensive end. "John was wearing a suit, and right behind him were his lawyer, physician and a couple of others in suits, too.

"I thought, 'What's going on here?' Back then, most players negotiated their own deals, but Mackey had a task force with him. I said, 'By God, this guy is not going to get taken.'

"He was focused on what he wanted, and I admired him for that."

"He was a tough physical specimen, an unbelievable ballplayer and a good, good man," said Lenny Moore, the Colts' Hall of Fame running back and one of Mackey's closest friends. "People will never fully understand the impact he had on negotiations between players and owners, and the stuff we were after. John unlocked those gates -- no, he knocked the doors down."

As a first-year starter, Mackey caught 35 passes for more yardage (726) and touchdowns (seven) than either of the Colts' veteran wide receivers, Raymond Berry or Jimmy Orr.

"I'm not surprised [at the numbers]," Orr said. "John was faster than both Raymond and I."

Nearly 50 years later, Hall of Famer Berry marvels at Mackey's feats of yore.

"Getting blocked by John was like being hit by [boxer] Sugar Ray Robinson. He exploded into you, like lightning," Berry said. "He was fireplug-solid, not so much tall as broad. It was difficult to find a piece of him to get your arms around."

Among Berry's keepsakes is an NFL highlights film that features the 6-foot-2 Mackey at his best. In a 1966 game against Detroit, No. 88 caught a 6-yard pass and proceeded to ricochet off opponents.

"Gathering a short pass from [quarterback Gary] Cuozzo, Mackey broke one tackle, somehow escaped from the clutches of three more defenders who appeared to have him at bay, bulled his way past two more tacklers and outran the rest of the Lions for a 64-yard touchdown gallop," The Evening Sun wrote the next day.

Said Detroit coach Harry Gilmer: "He [Mackey] was knocking everybody down as he went, and I thought he was going to come over and knock me down, too."

The play was vintage Mackey, teammates said.

"Defensive backs fell off of him like gnats," said Jerry Hill, a fullback. "John didn't have a fluid gait -- he looked like a plowhorse -- but you didn't want to touch him for fear of getting caught up in the wheels."

Mackey thrived on contact, said Vogel:

"Some times you had a sense that, given the option, John would rather run over you than outrun you."

No team respected Mackey more than Green Bay, the Colts' archrival in the 1960s.

"He was the criteria by which you measured tight ends," said Dave Robinson, the Packers' All-Pro linebacker who regularly squared off against him. "If you played well against John Mackey, you could play against anyone."

The Packers' strategy against Mackey was direct, said Robinson:

"[Coach] Vince Lombardi said, 'If Mackey catches a short pass, I want everyone to rally around him. Don't let the safety try take him down.'"

At the same time, Mackey's crushing blocks roiled Green Bay's linemen.

"Willie Davis [the Hall of Fame defensive end] would holler, 'Just keep that Mackey off of me,'" Robinson said. "I tried. But I never left Baltimore without dragging the next morning."

A three-time All-NFL selection, Mackey also played in five Pro Bowls. In a 10-year career (the last with the San Diego Chargers), he caught 331 passes for 5,236 yards.

In 1969, while still playing, he made the NFL's 50th anniversary team as pro football's all-time tight end.

"To be on the field with John was eerie," said center Bill Curry, his roommate with the Colts. "It was like being in the presence of Superman."

Mackey's kryptonite? Bugs.

"He hated them," Curry said. "Once, before practice in Westminster, running back Tom Matte dropped a live cicada down John's pants. He didn't know it until we were in the huddle and everyone heard this whirring noise.

"John looked up, all serious, and said, 'What's that? Is one of them in here with us?' Then he felt the thing in his pants.

"He ripped those pants off, in the middle of the field, with 300 people watching."

At the same time, said Curry, "John had the presence of mind to yell, 'Surround me! Surround me!' to the rest of us.

"Of course, we all scattered."

Once, at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium, groundskeepers removed the pre-game tarp, revealing thousands of writhing red earthworms.

"John took one look at those things and said, 'They're not going to get on me,'" Curry said.

He caught a half-dozen passes that day but never hit the ground. The 49ers couldn't bring him down. At game's end, his was the only white jersey on the field.

Despite the accolades, Mackey was no shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Most believe his involvement with the NFLPA kept him out of Canton until his 15th and final year of eligibility.

As the union's first president after the 1970 merger of the NFL and American Football League, Mackey quickly raised the owners' ire. That July, he organized a three-day strike that won the players $11 million in pensions and benefits. In 1972, he filed and eventually won a landmark antitrust suit that brought them free agency. (The union bargained it away in 1977.)

"He was the right man at the right time," said Braase, who preceded Mackey as head of the player's association. "We were a fractured group until John began putting permanence in [the union's] day-to-day operations. He hired administrators and a general counsel.

"He had a vision for that job, which was more than just putting in time and keeping the natives calm. You don't get anything unless you really rattle the cage."

Mackey's legacy can be found in those million-dollar contracts the NFL's players enjoy, said Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens general manager.

"All of the benefits of today's players come from the foundation laid by John Mackey," said Newsome, himself a Hall of Fame tight end. "He took risks. He stepped out. He was willing to be different."

As the current lockout drags on, even leaders from the league acknowledged Mackey's positive impact.

"John Mackey was one of the great leaders in NFL history, on and off the field," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "He was a Hall of Fame player who redefined the tight end position. He was a courageous advocate for his fellow NFL players as head of the NFL Players Association. He worked closely with our office on many issues through the years, including serving as the first president of the NFL Youth Football Fund. He never stopped fighting the good fight."

His death came at an apropos time, as the union continues to resist making significant concessions originally put forth by owners.

"John Mackey is still our leader," said DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFLPA, said in a statement. "As the President of the NFL Players Association, he led the fight for fairness with a brilliance and ferocious drive. His passion continues to define our organization and inspire our players. His unwavering loyalty to our mission and his exemplary courage will never be forgotten."

Off the field, Mackey leaned highbrow. He drove a Bentley. He emceed a concert by the Baltimore Symphony at the Lyric Theatre. He did a weekly sports report on WJZ-TV and served as sports director of WEBB radio. He starred in a CBS quiz show, Alumni Fun, as a member of the Syracuse University team. He published his autobiography, Blazing Trails.

"John was an elegant guy, from his vocabulary to the way he conducted himself in public," Vogel said. "He enhanced the image of athletes. He raised the bar."

Mackey is survived by his wife, Sylvia, of Baltimore, to whom he was married for 47 years; a son, John Kevin Mackey, of Atlanta; two daughters, Lisa Mackey Hazel of Bowie, and Laura Mackey Nattans of Baltimore; and six grandchildren.

Plans for a memorial service are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association For Frontal Temporal Degeneration, Radnor Station Building 2, Suite 320, 290 King Of Prussia Rd, Radnor, Pa. 19087, or to the Sports Legacy Institute, P.O. Box 181225, Boston, Mass. 02118.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 07, 2011, 06:14:40 PM
It also isn't helping that BTN is in overdrive with the Big Ten past games.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 07, 2011, 07:35:58 AM

Quote from: Valmy on June 17, 2011, 11:17:33 AM
ESPN ranks the Bengals and Redskins the two worst franchises in the the four major sports leagues:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings

Quote106. Minnesota Vikings
107. Buffalo Bills
108. Seattle Mariners
109. New York Knicks
110. Washington Wizards
111. Florida Panthers
112. Chicago Cubs
113. Detroit Pistons
114. New York Islanders
115. Atlanta Thrashers...er Winnitoba Jet Bears
116. Toronto Raptors
117. New York Mets
118. Minnesota Timberwolves
119. Sacramento Kings
120. Toronto Maple Leafs
121. Washington Redskins
122. Cincinnati Bengals

Go Winnipeg Jet Bears! :w00t:

Seriously though, that list is fucked up. Memphis Grizzlies are #9 and the Boston Celtics are #40! The San Jose Sharks are #13 and the New England Patriots are #38! The Colorado Rockies are #8 and the Red Sox are #79! The Texas Rangers are #12 and the Bruins are #72! :blink:

Quote from: Ed Anger on June 17, 2011, 03:24:14 PM
Mike Brown is the anti-christ.

QuoteATLANTA -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward  had glassy, bloodshot eyes and failed field sobriety tests during a traffic stop in Atlanta that landed him a drunken driving charge, according to a police report released Monday.

A transit police officer pulled Ward over just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday after he left his lane and at one point hit a curb in his gray Aston Martin, the report says. The transit police officer called a DeKalb County police officer, who wrote in the report that the former Super Bowl MVP and reigning "Dancing With the Stars" champ smelled strongly of alcohol.

Ward told the officer he had had two bottles of Corona beer three hours earlier at an establishment in the city's Buckhead neighborhood.

The officer asked him to get out of the car and administered a series of field sobriety tests, including a hand-held breath test that registered positive for alcohol, the report said. Ward later refused to give a breath sample on a state-administered machine at the DeKalb County jail, police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said. That test is used to determine a person's level of intoxication and can be used as evidence in court.

Ward swayed back and forth and became agitated during the sobriety tests, the report says. He also could not keep his balance and mixed up and omitted letters in the alphabet, the report says.

Atlanta lawyer Andrew Ree on Saturday released a statement saying the 35-year-old Ward was not impaired by alcohol while driving and cooperated fully with police. Ree said in an email Monday that he stands by the earlier statement and had no further comment.

After failing several field sobriety tests, Ward was arrested and booked into the DeKalb County jail and was later released on bond. He asked that his car be released to his passenger, Cory Allen, the report says.

Video from inside the DeKalb officer's vehicle captured the traffic stop, but police declined Monday to release the video because the case is still active.

Ward is set to appear Oct. 6 in DeKalb County State Court. He faces a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

QuoteBengals' Pacman Jones arrested...again

News outlets in Cincinnati are reporting that Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has been arrested after an incident early this morning at a downtown Cincinnati bar.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jones was arrested at 2:35 a.m. and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Police responded to the bar after a report of a fight, the newspaper said. The Enquirer report said that inside the bar Jones was disorderly and shouting profanities. He was escorted outside and asked to calm down but continued being disruptive, police said.

In his jail mug shot that was released by the Hamilton County (Ohio) Sheriff's Department, Jones is wearing a neck brace. That's reportedly because of a football injury.

The NFL has suspended Jones previously, including the entire 2007 season, for numerous off-the-field incidents. He signed with the Bengals last season and played in five games before injuring his neck.

QuoteDeacon Turner shot, killed by police

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A California deputy shot and killed a former running back for the Cincinnati Bengals in front of a convenience store after he allegedly hit an officer with a bag holding two cans of beer.

David Lee "Deacon" Turner, 56, played with the Bengals from 1978 to 1980 and had a long arrest history after his playing career was finished.

Deputies who were investigating reports of teenagers asking adults to buy alcohol and cigarettes approached Turner on Sunday as he left the convenience store with his 19-year-old son and a 16-year-old juvenile.

The deputies detained Turner while they investigated. The sheriff's office said Turner initially complied but then decided to leave, and the scuffle occurred when deputies tried to stop the former NFL player. Deputy Aaron Nadal was hit on the back of the head with a bag holding two, 24-ounce cans of beer before Deputy Wesley Kraft drew his handgun and fired twice at Turner, authorities said.

Friends and family told the The Bakersfield Californian they have trouble believing authorities' account of the story. Nephew Kevin Turner called his uncle "the backbone of our family."

"He was a marvelous kid," Bakersfield College coach Gerry Collins told the newspaper.

Turner excelled at shredding defenses at Shafter High School, Bakersfield College and San Diego State University before getting drafted by the Bengals in the second round in 1978.

Turner was used primarily as a kick returner in his three years in the league, amassing 1,149 return yards in 1979 for the last-place Bengals. He had 549 career rushing yards.

Court records show an arrest history stretching back to 1986. The most recent, on June 17, was for driving while his license was revoked because of a conviction for driving under the influence.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood said department investigators were getting tapes from video cameras at the store to see if the incident Sunday was recorded. He said he has purposely not researched Turner's criminal background.

"I want to look at it with an open and objective mind," Youngblood said. "Having a record is a tiny piece of the puzzle, but not a significant piece."

He declined to comment about the investigation directly. The department issued a release saying Nadal was treated and released at a hospital. Officials have not described the nature of his injury.

Kraft is on administrative leave while sheriff's detectives investigate the shooting.

Quote from: sbr on July 07, 2011, 06:45:06 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 07, 2011, 07:35:58 AM

Quote from: Valmy on June 17, 2011, 11:17:33 AM
ESPN ranks the Bengals and Redskins the two worst franchises in the the four major sports leagues:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings

Quote106. Minnesota Vikings
107. Buffalo Bills
108. Seattle Mariners
109. New York Knicks
110. Washington Wizards
111. Florida Panthers
112. Chicago Cubs
113. Detroit Pistons
114. New York Islanders
115. Atlanta Thrashers...er Winnitoba Jet Bears
116. Toronto Raptors
117. New York Mets
118. Minnesota Timberwolves
119. Sacramento Kings
120. Toronto Maple Leafs
121. Washington Redskins
122. Cincinnati Bengals

Go Winnipeg Jet Bears! :w00t:

Seriously though, that list is fucked up. Memphis Grizzlies are #9 and the Boston Celtics are #40! The San Jose Sharks are #13 and the New England Patriots are #38! The Colorado Rockies are #8 and the Red Sox are #79! The Texas Rangers are #12 and the Bruins are #72! :blink:

Go back and read what the rankings really are.  They're not a list of the bestest franchises, it is a list of the franchises who treat their fans the best, and the fans that get the most "band for the buck."  I'll bet each of the non-Boston teams gave their fans more wins per dollar spent than the Boston teams did.

Quote from: katmai on July 17, 2011, 03:48:52 AM
Sorry MbM, i misread your question, what i get for responding to Languish after drinking :P

I believe the footballs are pretty similar, with small varations between the leagues and NCAA

Quote from: SytTournament's MVP is Nate Kmic. :mellow:

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 17, 2011, 03:00:01 AM
Edit:  How big is the CFL football? NCAA or NFL size or somewhere in between?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 17, 2011, 03:00:01 AM
Was just watching the highlights from what I assume is the most recent Grey Cup for some reason: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0bdjqBQcJg

Looks like college football with goal posts in the way.  QB13 (white) has a helluva windup.

Edit:  How big is the CFL football? NCAA or NFL size or somewhere in between?

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 17, 2011, 03:00:01 AM
Was just watching the highlights from what I assume is the most recent Grey Cup for some reason: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0bdjqBQcJg

Looks like college football with goal posts in the way.  QB13 (white) has a helluva windup.

Edit:  How big is the CFL football? NCAA or NFL size or somewhere in between?

Quote from: Grey FoxQB13 is Anthony Cavillo. Last friday he broke the record for the most TD passes in the CFL, 395.

Quote from: Barrister on July 17, 2011, 12:53:28 PM
It wasn't that long ago that the NFL moved its goalposts back.  The CFL just kept them in place since our endzones are so much larger

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:36:55 PM
Fucking CFL shit oozes EVERYWHERE.

It is like head lice.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:36:55 PM
Fucking CFL shit oozes EVERYWHERE.

It is like head lice.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 17, 2011, 05:43:15 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:36:55 PM
Fucking CFL shit oozes EVERYWHERE.

It is like head lice.

Meh.  Their season has started, so it's the only pro football with anything going on right now.  45 days until NCAA kickoff.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 17, 2011, 05:44:20 PM
This is the NFL thread.  Collaborator.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 17, 2011, 05:43:52 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:36:55 PM
Fucking CFL shit oozes EVERYWHERE.

It is like head lice.

No kidding, it's like communism.  And not even good communism, but like, angry-college-student-backpacks-across-Europe-and-comes-back-stupid communism.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 17, 2011, 05:45:54 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 17, 2011, 05:44:20 PM
This is the NFL thread.  Collaborator.

:cool: 

Speaking of the NFL, owners and players are going to be meeting face to face again this week.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:48:07 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 17, 2011, 05:43:52 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 17, 2011, 05:36:55 PM
Fucking CFL shit oozes EVERYWHERE.

It is like head lice.

No kidding, it's like communism.  And not even good communism, but like, angry-college-student-backpacks-across-Europe-and-comes-back-stupid communism.

They are almost as bad as those Euro 'Football is played with the feet' fags.

Quote from: Neil on July 17, 2011, 11:05:54 PM
I'm just killing time until Ravens time.  But the CFL is far more entertaining than the cesspool that is NCAA football.  Maybe it's because I never went to a US college, but I can't bring myself to give a fuck about any of their games.

Quote from: Barrister on July 17, 2011, 11:10:11 PM

Quote from: Neil on July 17, 2011, 11:05:54 PM
I'm just killing time until Ravens time.  But the CFL is far more entertaining than the cesspool that is NCAA football.  Maybe it's because I never went to a US college, but I can't bring myself to give a fuck about any of their games.

:huh:

I like the CFL a lot, but NCAA is perfectly entertaining in its own right.

Perhaps it's all the fraternity roadtrips I took.

Quote from: dps on July 18, 2011, 11:54:09 AM
I think it's mostly a scheduling thing.  In the past 10 years, my work schedule has generally made it easier for me to watch college games on Saturday afternoon than pro games on Sunday.  A few years of that, and my interest in the NFL just naturally went down.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 18, 2011, 06:33:42 PM

Quote from: dps on July 18, 2011, 11:54:09 AM
I think it's mostly a scheduling thing.  In the past 10 years, my work schedule has generally made it easier for me to watch college games on Saturday afternoon than pro games on Sunday.  A few years of that, and my interest in the NFL just naturally went down.

Meh, there are also competitive and dramatic angles as well.  The NCAA is simply more fun football.

Quote from: Neil on July 18, 2011, 06:49:08 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 18, 2011, 06:33:42 PM

Quote from: dps on July 18, 2011, 11:54:09 AM
I think it's mostly a scheduling thing.  In the past 10 years, my work schedule has generally made it easier for me to watch college games on Saturday afternoon than pro games on Sunday.  A few years of that, and my interest in the NFL just naturally went down.

Meh, there are also competitive and dramatic angles as well.  The NCAA is simply more fun football.

Only if you care about it to begin with.  And competitive angles?  When all of the teams try as hard as they can to schedule the least competitive opponents possible?

Quote from: dps on July 18, 2011, 11:54:09 AM
I think it's mostly a scheduling thing.  In the past 10 years, my work schedule has generally made it easier for me to watch college games on Saturday afternoon than pro games on Sunday.  A few years of that, and my interest in the NFL just naturally went down.

Quote from: Alcibiades on July 19, 2011, 03:02:16 AM

Quote from: dps on July 18, 2011, 11:54:09 AM
I think it's mostly a scheduling thing.  In the past 10 years, my work schedule has generally made it easier for me to watch college games on Saturday afternoon than pro games on Sunday.  A few years of that, and my interest in the NFL just naturally went down.

That, and your team sucks.   :P

Quote from: dps on July 19, 2011, 03:15:47 AM
??  Have I even ever expressed which NFL team is "my team" here?

Quote from: Valmy on July 19, 2011, 07:46:56 AM

Quote from: dps on July 19, 2011, 03:15:47 AM
??  Have I even ever expressed which NFL team is "my team" here?

I just assumed it was the Detroit Lions.

Quote from: Valmy on July 19, 2011, 07:46:56 AM

Quote from: dps on July 19, 2011, 03:15:47 AM
??  Have I even ever expressed which NFL team is "my team" here?

I just assumed it was the Detroit Lions.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 19, 2011, 10:14:34 AM

Quote from: Valmy on July 19, 2011, 07:46:56 AM

Quote from: dps on July 19, 2011, 03:15:47 AM
??  Have I even ever expressed which NFL team is "my team" here?

I just assumed it was the Detroit Lions.

They'd be better than 'my' team.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 18, 2011, 11:35:05 PM
It makes it even better when the Appalachian states of the world knock of the Michigans.

Quote from: grumbler on July 19, 2011, 05:42:27 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 18, 2011, 11:35:05 PM
It makes it even better when the Appalachian states of the world knock of the Michigans.

:yes: And then "the team that lost to Appalachian State" routs Notre Dame two weeks later.

QuoteRavens open as 3-point favorite over Steelers

The Ravens are a three-point favorite for their Sept. 11 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Las Vegas Hilton.

The Ravens have won six of their past eight home games against the Steelers. But Ravens coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco are 0-6 against Ben Roethlisberger.

The pointspread isn't surprising. No team has been favored by more than three points in the past four meetings. Last year, the favorite in this AFC North rivalry won only once (in the divisional playoff game).

Quote from: Alcibiades on July 19, 2011, 09:40:35 PM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3pHPB.gif&hash=be97e79fb1333fc67962098008c6fb042bdafd68)

:XD:

Quote from: derspiess on July 19, 2011, 10:39:02 PM
Just three?  :yawn:

Quote from: Neil on July 22, 2011, 06:33:06 AM
There's hate?

Quote from: dps on July 22, 2011, 02:15:37 PM
Uh, the prior agreement expired.

Quote from: Grey Fox on July 22, 2011, 03:47:31 PM

Quote from: dps on July 22, 2011, 02:15:37 PM
Uh, the prior agreement expired.

Because the owners opted out of it in 2008, 2 years into a 10 year agreement. Go owners.  :rolleyes:

QuoteChris Kluwe Responds: Can I Kick It? (Yes, I Can)

Chris Kluwe — Dear Nate Jackson,

It was with some dismay that I read your piece in Deadspin and immediately tried to wrap my head around why a player with a reasonable grasp of the English language who made no measurable impact upon the game (i.e. you) would stoop so low as to berate a National Football League player who has actually completed a full 16-game season (multiple times!), has broken every team record at his position, and above all has contributed to his team winning games (and occasionally losing them [i.e. myself (I love parenthetical asides)]).

Raise your hand if you got lost at the end of that last sentence.

Let's be honest here. Yes, I am a punter. Yes, I don't run routes, or zone block, or cover receivers. Apparently, though, neither did you, which is the only explanation for your total lack of statistics. You, more than anyone else, should know what goes on during special teams, and yet your description of a special teams practice, while venomously hilarious, is quite inaccurate (or maybe you guys had a really crappy punter and you're spot on, in which case, my condolences).

You talk about me like I'm some kind of disease, like punters are some kind of infection that should be excised for the good of the game and how dare we raise our voices when our betters are talking. According to you, punters should be happy to sit in the corner and be treated like shit because we do something different, something that the other 54 members of the team can't do.

Wait, let's parse that last clause for just a second — "something that the other 54 members of the team can't do." Huh. Would you look at that. Tell me, Nate, how well can you punt a football? What's that you say? You CAN'T punt a football?

Then why in fuck would you think that, just because I can punt, my opinion is somehow less valid?

I freely admit I'm not a receiver, or a lineman, or a DB, or a quarterback, but why should it matter what position I play? Have I not spent 16 years of my life honing my craft (just like you)? Have I not spent countless hours running sprints, lifting weights, trying to stay awake during boring-ass special teams meetings (just like you)? Have I not suited up for a game, gotten my clock cleaned by a blindside block on a punt return, tried and failed to tackle Devin Hester (just like a lot of people)? Tell me, when it comes to breaking down who gets to talk, what's the order? Should linebackers not be able to talk before safeties, or are they allowed to talk after the centers? When does the longsnapper get to chime in? Does the X go before the Z or after?

Please, enlighten me with your wisdom, because the next time I have something to say I'd like to make sure it's OK with you that I say it and that I say it at the proper time.

Oh, wait a minute.

I don't really care what you or anyone else thinks about what I say or when I say it. If I see something greedy, hypocritical, or just plain stupid, I'm going to call out whoever the offending party happens to be. I've done it to the owners; I've done it to the NFL front office; and I'll certainly do it if I see it happen with the players. And make no mistake: trying to hold up the settlement of a CBA affecting almost 1,900 players just so four can get special treatment is pretty much the definition of greed. Whether it was instigated by their attorneys, agents, or whoever, it's still a douchebag move to make.

And you know why it's a douchebag move to make? Because it makes ALL OF US look bad. It makes ALL OF US look like grasping, blackmailing, money-grubbing jerks whose only care is how much blood we can squeeze from the rock that is the fans — you know, the people who ultimately pay all of our wages. And I'm not a fan of that. (Owners, make sure you pay attention, too. Charging outrageous sums for drinks, seats, and seat licenses, while a great moneymaker now, is definitely counterproductive in the long run, especially with the advent of high-def TVs). You know how you grow the football pie? It's definitely not by shitting on the people who spend money on you. Maybe this is a small thing, but small things add up over time.

I'll grant you that Mankins and Jackson got screwed by the CBA situation last year. They're entering the prime of their career and were counting on entering free agency. But at the same time, the franchise tag and restricted free agent tag aren't exactly the kiss of death. One year under the RFA offer would be as much money as a doctor earns in his/her ENTIRE LIFE. What. The. Fuck. You're telling me that having to go one year making "only" as much money as most people will earn their entire lives is such a hardship that you need an extra $10 million payout for putting your name on a lawsuit? I honestly don't know how to respond to that.

Oh wait, yes I do. It's a douchebag move.

Speaking of which, my favorite part of your entire rant is the following: "If it is his goal to slide into a post-punter career as a presumptuous and accusatory football analyst, then he has set himself up quite nicely. ..." Let's replace "punter" with "tight end" and see how that reads. Ooooh, it reads quite nicely. I like it. At least I had the grace to do it in 140 characters or less, not this meandering shitstorm that you felt compelled to vomit out at someone you've never met, don't know the first thing about, and likely might enjoy talking to if we ever met at a bar (someone who has written a meandering shitstorm of his own in rebuttal).

So, Nate Jackson, while I respect your right to free speech (as apparently you don't respect mine), I also respect my right to tell you to go jam a tackling dummy up your ass sideways for being a snake-tongued, shit-talking Internet tough guy asshole who is so far out of touch with reality that you have no idea just how privileged we are to play this game for ridiculous amounts of money.

You're not the only one who can craft a sentence, my friend.

Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe
Punter

P.S. I respect all four of the people I called douchebags (Manning, Brees, Mankins, and Jackson). That's why I used the word "douchebag" instead of "asshole" or "fuckwit." Someone acting like a douchebag can still be redeemed; generally it's a momentary lapse of judgment. There's no hope for asshole fuckwits.

P.P.S. tl;dr — U mad bro?

QuoteThe NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps voted unanimously Monday to approve the terms of a deal with owners to the end the 41/2-month lockout.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 26, 2011, 08:12:04 AM
Too bad about Heap. Then again, he was being held together with duct tape these past few seasons.

QuoteFollowing their pending release, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly want receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap back at a lower price.

Quote from: Neil on July 26, 2011, 08:08:41 AM
Mason, Heap, Gregg and McGahee all to be released.  :(

Quote from: Grey Fox on July 26, 2011, 11:30:00 AM
Banta-Cain is going to get released Thursday. That's crazy.

QuoteBubba Bartlett (TE/FB, Carroll College)
Jeff Maehl (WR, Oregon)
Zac Pauga (FB, Colorado State)
Pete Hendrickson (OT, Tulane)
Darian Hagan (CB, Cal)
Lestar Jean (WR, Florida Atlantic)
Terrance Tolliver (WR, LSU)
Bryan Braman (LB, West Texas A&M)
Adrian Taylor (DL, Oklahoma)
Jason Teague (CB, TCU)
Steven Friday (LB, Virginia Tech)
John Graves (DE, Virginia Tech)
Maurice Rolle (S, Louisiana-Lafayette)
Brett Hartmann (P, Central Michigan)

QuoteHoward Bargieri (G, Rutgers)
Darius Morris (OT, Temple)
Mister Alexander (LB, Florida State)
Zane Parr (DE, Virginia)

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 28, 2011, 03:27:11 PM
Mike Brown is a retard.

QuoteSource: Chad Ochocinco to Patriots

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 29, 2011, 02:32:35 AM
Bruce Almighty to the Bungles.  I'll miss him. :cry:  I almost think the Raiders will make some crazy ass play for Nnamdi just because they're never listed as in the running.  It just reeks of a Crazy Al move.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 29, 2011, 07:00:00 PM
  Secret Bengals fan now

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 29, 2011, 07:04:10 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 29, 2011, 07:00:00 PM
  Secret Bengals fan now

WHAT THE FUCK. Welcome to the Mike Brown zone. Destination: Football Hell.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 29, 2011, 07:00:00 PM
Nnamdi to the Eagles. :cry:  I'm thinking 6-10 tops for Oakland this year.  Ugh.  Secret Bengals fan now since Holmgren is ruining Cleveland and my boy Bruce Almighty is there?  That is unless Orton ends up somewhere good.  We shall see...

Quote from: Barrister on July 30, 2011, 12:59:27 PM
Ah - three days ago.  I was heading up to Mayo.

Quote from: Ed Anger on July 30, 2011, 01:13:42 PM

Quote from: Barrister on July 30, 2011, 12:59:27 PM
Ah - three days ago.  I was heading up to Mayo.

That, and you have your head jammed so far up the Winnipeg Thrashers' ass, so you couldn't see.

Quote
Brett Favre's waiting game

Brett Favre and I are standing in his long dirt driveway in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The sun is roasting my forehead like a rotisserie chicken.

"Yep, they'll be comin' purdy soon," Favre says.

The hot winds whip up the grit. It paints the back of my throat.

"How much longer, do you think?" I ask.

"Soon," Favre says, his neck craning down the long empty rural road that runs in front of his house. "They always come and get me 'bout this time of the year."

A tumbleweed stumbles by. Birds are so exhausted by the heat that they're walking.

"You think maybe they thought you meant it this time?" I say. "I mean -- about retiring?"

"Aw, hell, no," he says, spitting tobacco. "I say somethin' like that every year. I been sayin' that crap since '03. Nobody ever really believes it. Hell, one year I even held a press conference. Cried and everythin'. But my boys know the truth. My boys'll be along. They need me."

A single drop of sweat falls off my nose. I try to catch it on my tongue.

"Who, exactly, are we talking about?"

"My boys! My Viking teammates! Jared and Hutch and Longs! They'll probably do somethin' hilarious. Like come in a Hooters bus or somethin'. They'll beg me to come back and I'll finally laugh and give in. Then we'll chug a few brewskis on the way to the jet. It just waits there for us. Zygi don't mind. He wants me back."

I look back at the house. His dog is under the porch. His wife, Deanna, stands at the upstairs window. I look at her. She just shrugs.

"Um, Brett? Zygi just traded for Donovan McNabb."

"Sure, as my backup."

"Well, uh, actually, I don't think so, Brett. It's just that you're 41 now. I mean, you're a legend, for sure, but last season you looked a little slow. And you had eight more picks than touchdowns."

Favre looks at me for the first time since sunrise.

"Hey, I got every dang quarterbackin' record in NFL history. Most touchdowns, most completions, most straight starts--"

"Most interceptions, most sacks, most fumbles..." I add under my breath.

"--most yards, most wins. Nah, they'll be along."

Another hour goes by. The last helpless cloud gives up and vaporizes.

Finally, in the distance. We see something. It's a purple-and-gold van. After another couple of minutes, we can see that it's flying huge Vikings flags.

"I'll be damned," I say.

Brett grabs his bags and walks toward the road, but the van just honks as it speeds by, while the passengers flip us off. One hollers, "Thanks for nothin', Favre!" They leave us in a brown cloud.

I wipe my mouth and eyes on my sleeve. Brett is undaunted.

"It's gonna be great to see the boys," he says, spitting dirt.

Two more hours. A cow falls over sideways.

"Brett, I don't wanna be a buzzkill here, but the Vikings don't need a quarterback."

Favre takes his red bandanna out of the back pocket of his Wrangler jeans and dabs at his brow. "Then it'll be my boys from Green Bay. They'd send the damn Marines to get me back!"

"Well, actually, the Packers have Aaron Rodgers now. They just won the Super Bowl with him. And you may not be quite as popular in Green Bay as you once were."

Pause.

"Jets, then."

"Brett, you can't go anywhere near the Jets. Remember Jenn Sterger?"

"OK -- Philly."

"Philly's got Michael Vick!"

Favre gives me a hard stare."Somebody's comin'. It just takes 'em awhile to figure out that even though I say I don't wanna come back, I really just want people to want me back. I don't wanna have to ask, you know?"

We wait another hour. I look back at the upstairs window. The curtains are closed. The dog is gone. I pray for sunstroke. The first crease of doubt crosses Brett's face.

"I don't get this," Favre says. "I did everything like I do every year. I announced my retirement. I worked out with the local high school team. I told Ed Werder I was done. How many signs do I gotta give?"

Just then, in the distance, we see the wavy images of a car approaching. As it gets closer, we can see it's black. Finally, we see that it's a long black limo.

It pulls into the driveway. Brett grabs his bags. The driver hops out and gets the back door. Tiki Barber steps out.

"Mind if I wait around with you guys?" Barber asks.

He stands next to Favre and cranes his neck up that long road.

"When's L.A. gettin' a team again?" Favre asks.

"Two years, tops," Barber says.

I look at my watch.

The minute hand clicks backward.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 31, 2011, 02:20:14 PM
Vonta Leach to the Ravens, so Ray Rice should be pretty happy with that. 3 years, $11 million for the human battering ram.

QuoteLeach, 29, is different from Le'Ron McClain, the Ravens' fullback for the past four seasons.

McClain campaigned to run the ball after leading the team in rushing in 2008. Leach has carried the ball three times in seven seasons, none since 2008.

"Hitting is part of what I do," he said. "It's the mentality of a fullback. You're going to go in there [and] hit somebody every single time, every single play. It's going to be like a car crash."

The deal with Leach would appear to eliminate the chances of McClain's returning. The Ravens could use him to fill the big-back void left by Willis McGahee, but that would be a secondary role.

McClain didn't return phone calls Sunday.

The Ravens' focus in free agency has been to fix the running game, a message that was essentially delivered from the top. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti pointed to the running game as the biggest disappointment after the season. "If I was an objective observer, I would say the run game let us down," he said.

The Ravens' first free-agent signing was keeping guard Marshal Yanda. Leach was another priority.

"We looked at him since early this offseason, and he was definitely on our 'wish list,'" coach John Harbaugh said. "Vonta fits the style of offense we are building, and his type of physical play is an addition that fits."

Ravens running back Ray Rice welcomed the addition. Upon hearing that Leach was a Raven, Rice wrote on Twitter, "Let the fun begin."

QuoteI also understand Kindle has been cleared to play, so that's awesome.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 01, 2011, 05:16:32 AM
Now to worry about the safeties.

Quote from: Neil on August 01, 2011, 08:14:25 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 01, 2011, 05:16:32 AM
Now to worry about the safeties.

Next man up.  Zbikowski or Nakamura will have to make plays.  I think that either one of them could step up for Landry, although I would have rather had Jim Leonhard there.

QuoteI'm more worried about the OL, which was an area that needed work last year.  Is Yanda going back inside as a guard to replace Chester?  I heard that Oher is going to the right side, so then who starts at left tackle?

QuoteWe'll see about the RBs.  Ideally, Le'Ron would lose ten pounds or so and he'd pick up some hard-charging yards for the Ravens, sort of like a Jerome Bettis, but I think he's definitely going to be playing starting fullback for another team next year.  The Ravens will need to look hard at some of the other RB talent out there, especially some older guys that still have something in the tank, like Ricky Williams or something.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 01, 2011, 11:32:58 AM
Pfft, more Leonard love.  Whatever, cracker.  Nakumura and Zeebo are also UFAs, so they're shopping as well.  But I think Zeebo should be the starter.  There'll be a LOT of FA safeties out on the market, so their starting SS may be out there.

QuoteOher will be the starting LT as Gaither is going bye-bye.  They've had enough of him, and he insists on being an LT.
Yanda wants to play guard, but with the money they just gave him, he's going to play RT whether he likes it or not.
Oniel Cousins will probably be the starting RG.  I think a lot of their depth chart we won't know until the season starts.

QuoteMcClain has crowed about being a full-time ball carrier, not to the press, but to teammates and coaching for the last two seasons.  He's not the kind of back they want, and he doesn't want to play FB.
Personally, I think they should bring back McGahee.

Quote from: Alcibiades on August 01, 2011, 01:40:38 PM
Randy Moss retires.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d821266b6/article/moss-retiring-after-13-seasons-with-vikes-raiders-pats-titans?module=HP11_headline_stack

Quote
Moss not as great as he could have been
Numbers are great, but moodiness and petulance often overshadowed his talent


Randy Moss's retirement is surprising only because it took NFL teams this long to tire of his act.

Moss is a 34-year-old receiver whose best days are now behind him. He's a toxic malcontent who can drive coaches and teammates batty. For years, Moss was able to find suitors because his electric talent was impossible to ignore.

Today, he's just another unrealistic veteran with an oversized ego and an inability to understand why nobody wants to fall in love with him.

The reason Moss doesn't like the options available to him after 13 NFL seasons -- which was the explanation his agent, Joel Segal, gave for Moss leaving the game -- is that the demand for his services wasn't that great from the start. There were far too many big-name receivers on the free-agent market and the trading block for Moss to be a hot item.

The ones who signed quickly (such as the New York Jets' Santonio Holmes and the Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice) were younger than Moss. The older veterans who found homes more recently (such as the Jets' Plaxico Burress and the New England Patriots' Chad Ochocinco) seem far more willing to follow the company lines laid out for them by their new teams.

In fact, Burress' signing with the Jets proves how far Moss has fallen. New York was more willing to commit a one-year, $3 million deal to a player who's never made the Pro Bowl and spent the past two seasons in prison. What the Jets seemed to be saying was it didn't matter that Burress might be rusty and out of shape. More important to them was the reality that he had been a winner at some point in his career.

That description is one that should never be applied to Moss. For all of his impressive career numbers -- 954 receptions, 14,858 yards and 153 touchdowns -- he was a player who always competed on his own terms. At his best, he was the most dangerous receiver in the league, as he was during his first seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and his 2007 campaign with New England (when he set a league record with 23 touchdown receptions).

At his worst, he was the kind of diva who could demoralize teammates and coaches with his laziness and disinterest in doing his job.

Moss' 2010 season was emblematic of how big a jerk he could become. The Patriots traded him just four games into the regular season. The Vikings then dumped him after he spent four games with them. Then Moss wound up in a situation that once seemed unfathomable.

After the Tennessee Titans claimed him off waivers, they didn't even make an attempt at utilizing his talents. The only noise Moss made in Nashville -- where he caught just six passes in eight games -- came during the brief, testy media conference he held upon his arrival.

The message everybody was sending Moss last fall was that times had changed. He needed to become the kind of player who was more concerned about helping a team win than landing a fat contract. He needed to become the kind of player who was willing to block tirelessly and run routes hard when the ball wasn't thrown his way. The NFL can be a forgiving place for talents who still have something to offer. It eventually became all too clear that Moss found such compromises to be beneath him.

The irony here is that Moss always has been this way. It's just that his numbers and his highlights always helped obscure that fact. When fellow Patriots were raving about how great a teammate Moss was upon his arrival there in 2007, you just knew they might eat those words someday. Anybody who had seen Moss underachieve with the Oakland Raiders the previous two seasons had to know he might eventually return to his old, familiar habits.

As it turned out, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was one of the first to notice his decline last summer. A league source said Brady was so concerned about Moss' lagging work ethic that he discussed it with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in training camp. When Belichick decided that Moss would be fine, Brady became even more agitated after Moss dogged it on a couple routes during an early-season win over Miami.

According to the source, Brady told Belichick during that contest that the team could keep Moss but the receiver wasn't going to be seeing any passes again. Moss was working in Minnesota within days of that conversation.

What that anecdote also reveals is how his blatant disrespect for the game can wear on people's nerves. Moss has quit on teammates and he's given up on plays in the middle of games. He's actually quit so often in his career that it's fair to wonder how that habit will impact his Hall of Fame chances.

For those who trumpet him as a first-ballot lock, just consider the way other elite receivers have been treated by the voting process. Michael Irvin wasn't a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, and he had three Super Bowl rings. Cris Carter and Tim Brown have caught more passes than Moss and they can't get anybody to give them a yellow jacket and a trip to Canton.

All Moss has going for him are the kind of numbers that make him seem like more than what he was. Once you get beyond that, you see a picture that is far more disturbing. That would be a player who could've been far greater than he ever was. That also would be a star who too often let moodiness and petulance undermine his dazzling ability.

But the most damning thing that can be said about Moss is something that will become more apparent as this season goes on, assuming he stays retired:

Now that he's decided to leave the game, it's doubtful anybody will actually miss him.

QuoteHow to identify NFL's best quarterbacks
By Mike Sando

The late Don Smith never claimed his passer-rating formula was perfect.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Some people call it a quarterback rating system, but that really is not what it is," Smith told me during a 2002 interview. "It's simply a passing statistic."

I've actually defended Smith's rating system because the quarterbacks with the highest ratings -- Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers led the way last season -- usually are the best quarterbacks. But there's so much more to quarterbacking than passing stats for touchdowns, interceptions, attempts, completions and yardage.

Game situations should count for something, and now they do.

With input from football people, including ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer, our statistical analysts have developed a 100-point ratings scale for quarterbacks taking into account advanced stats, game situations and relevant non-passing stats, including fumbles and sacks, to evaluate quarterbacks far more thoroughly. The methodology is complex -- one of the formula's key algorithms spans some 10,000 lines -- but the resulting "Total Quarterback Rating" (QBR for short) beats the old passer rating in every conceivable fashion. The ratings scale will debut this season.

I've been bugging the Stats & Information team for a sneak peak ever since learning former NBA statistical analyst Dean Oliver had joined our production analytics unit and was playing a prominent role in QBR development. Oliver, a Caltech grad with a Ph.D. in statistical applications, revolutionized how NBA teams use advanced statistics. Menlo College professor Ben Alamar, who has consulted with the San Francisco 49ers, is also part of the team.

Our stats team has been using game video to track stats relating to pressure, personnel, formation, game situation and more since 2008. The QBR stat represents a significant leap in harnessing those statistics for something more.

The old formula Smith created treated stats the same regardless of circumstance. A touchdown pass thrown against a prevent defense during a blowout defeat equals one thrown against pressure to win the game. A 5-yard completion on third-and-4 counts the same as a 5-yarder on third-and-15. A critical quarterback scramble, sack or fumble doesn't even factor.

"There is no way to statistically say how effective a guy is under fire," Smith lamented during our 2002 conversation. "None of that can be put into something like this."

Now it can, along with a whole lot more.

The QBR formula takes into account down, distance, field position, time remaining, rushing, passing sacks, fumbles, interceptions, how far each pass travels in the air, from where on the field the ball was thrown, yards after the catch, dropped balls, defensed balls, whether the quarterback was hit, whether he threw away the ball to avoid a sack, whether the pass was thrown accurately, etc. Each play carries "clutch weight" based on its importance to game outcome, as determined by analyzing those 60,000 plays since 2008. The stats adjust for quarterbacks facing an unusually high number of these situations.

Year of the Quarterback

ESPN has dedicated 2011 to examining one of the most crucial positions in all of sports -- the quarterback.

"If it is a running clock late in the game, maybe you only get a few yards here or there, that is the right football play to make," Jeff Bennett, senior director of ESPN's production analytics team, said Sunday. "We spent a month learning about ratings to make sure quarterbacks couldn't game the system, so they're not afraid to throw that deep pass at the end of the first half and risk an interception."

I've seen an outline for the rating system breaking down 2010 quarterbacks into six general categories, from top tier to poor. Precise rating numbers were not yet available. The quarterbacks under consideration broke down as follows:

    * Top tier: Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick, Rodgers and Drew Brees.
    * Well above average: Josh Freeman, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.
    * Above average: Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, David Garrard and Kerry Collins.
    * Around average: Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Jon Kitna.
    * Below average: Shaun Hill, Jason Campbell, Jay Cutler, Matt Hasselbeck, Chad Henne, Donovan McNabb, Sam Bradford and Alex Smith.
    * Poor: Derek Anderson, Brett Favre and Jimmy Clausen.


ESPN plans to enlist several quarterbacks when introducing the stat during an hour-long "SportsCenter" special Friday at 8 p.m. ET. We'll be referencing the stat on the blogs and elsewhere. Bennett said he's allocating enough manpower to produce ratings on game days, a huge help for those of us analyzing player performances shortly after games.

"We want to reward a good football play," Bennett said.

QuoteTHREE HOT ISSUES

1. How will the Steelers get under the cap?

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Steelers have until Thursday to get under the $120 million salary cap. Despite a flurry of roster moves last week, Pittsburgh remains about $7 million to $10 million over, which is where the team started this summer.
The Steelers made several key salary cuts, including veteran receiver Antwaan Randle El and offensive tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams. But the re-signings of in-house free agents such as cornerback Ike Taylor have basically nullified those moves.
Expect more tough decisions to be made this week.
"We have to find ways to get under [the cap] and in compliance," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. "We're going to look at every and all possibilities."
There is some good news for the Steelers.
The new CBA allows teams to use three $1 million exceptions in 2011, and Colbert says he will use them all. Teams have this onetime flexibility to add an extra $3 million to the cap, which essentially brings the Steelers' number up to $123 million. This could allow Pittsburgh to retain some veterans it otherwise would lose.

2. Has Pittsburgh fixed its pass defense?

The last memory Steelers fans have of their defense is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers carving up the secondary for 304 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV. Since then, Pittsburgh hasn't made any significant additions to the secondary, leaving many to wonder whether this problem is fixed.
Because Pittsburgh is fielding the same players in the secondary, it's difficult to imagine the pass defense being better than it was last season. The Steelers re-signed veteran corners Taylor and William Gay and drafted rookies Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen.
"You can't worry about what people think outside the locker room, because we've been so successful on the field," Taylor said of the criticism. "So it really doesn't matter. Everybody has their own opinion. It comes with the territory."
Expect many teams to spread the Steelers out this season by using three- and four-receiver sets. That will force backups such as Gay or some of the young corners to play important roles on the defense.

3. How thin is Pittsburgh's offensive line?

Pittsburgh's offensive line could be the thinnest group in the league.
Outside of second-year center Maurkice Pouncey, who is a stud, the rest of the line is littered with questions. Jonathan Scott plays the important role of left tackle and was inconsistent last year. Guards Ramon Foster and Chris Kemoeatu are decent run-blockers but struggle in pass protection. And right tackle Willie Colon is coming off an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the entire 2010 season.
Cutting Starks and Adams severely hurt the talent and depth of this group. Those were two of the most experienced linemen Pittsburgh had. Cap issues make it unlikely the team will sign another starting offensive lineman in free agency.
"You can't go into it and expect to have veteran depth at every position," Colbert admitted. "It just doesn't work out financially. You have to trust some of your young guys."

Quotethe Bills couldn't use their own players as models for the uni unveiling. So instead they used United States military personnel, including one soldier who was an inspired choice. That's Army Specialist Nick Stone in the center of that photo. Nice move by the Bills to include him in the unveiling.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 02, 2011, 05:59:58 AM
Shitting around on ESPN this morning, found this interesting article on The Patriots Logo That Almost Was (http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/6810815/uni-watch-traces-lineage-patriots-flying-elvis-logo)

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa.espncdn.com%2Fphoto%2F2011%2F0728%2Fpg2_patriots_uniwatch_576.jpg&hash=10acf9c8efc3413c0e9803f7c61b73012c2db5d0)

QuoteAll we need now is Joe Cribbs!

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 02, 2011, 05:42:46 AM
Let's see what's happening over at NFL Properties, LLC:

QuoteTHREE HOT ISSUES

1. How will the Steelers get under the cap?

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Steelers have until Thursday to get under the $120 million salary cap. Despite a flurry of roster moves last week, Pittsburgh remains about $7 million to $10 million over, which is where the team started this summer.
The Steelers made several key salary cuts, including veteran receiver Antwaan Randle El and offensive tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams. But the re-signings of in-house free agents such as cornerback Ike Taylor have basically nullified those moves.
Expect more tough decisions to be made this week.
"We have to find ways to get under [the cap] and in compliance," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. "We're going to look at every and all possibilities."
There is some good news for the Steelers.
The new CBA allows teams to use three $1 million exceptions in 2011, and Colbert says he will use them all. Teams have this onetime flexibility to add an extra $3 million to the cap, which essentially brings the Steelers' number up to $123 million. This could allow Pittsburgh to retain some veterans it otherwise would lose.

2. Has Pittsburgh fixed its pass defense?

The last memory Steelers fans have of their defense is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers carving up the secondary for 304 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV. Since then, Pittsburgh hasn't made any significant additions to the secondary, leaving many to wonder whether this problem is fixed.
Because Pittsburgh is fielding the same players in the secondary, it's difficult to imagine the pass defense being better than it was last season. The Steelers re-signed veteran corners Taylor and William Gay and drafted rookies Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen.
"You can't worry about what people think outside the locker room, because we've been so successful on the field," Taylor said of the criticism. "So it really doesn't matter. Everybody has their own opinion. It comes with the territory."
Expect many teams to spread the Steelers out this season by using three- and four-receiver sets. That will force backups such as Gay or some of the young corners to play important roles on the defense.

3. How thin is Pittsburgh's offensive line?

Pittsburgh's offensive line could be the thinnest group in the league.
Outside of second-year center Maurkice Pouncey, who is a stud, the rest of the line is littered with questions. Jonathan Scott plays the important role of left tackle and was inconsistent last year. Guards Ramon Foster and Chris Kemoeatu are decent run-blockers but struggle in pass protection. And right tackle Willie Colon is coming off an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the entire 2010 season.
Cutting Starks and Adams severely hurt the talent and depth of this group. Those were two of the most experienced linemen Pittsburgh had. Cap issues make it unlikely the team will sign another starting offensive lineman in free agency.
"You can't go into it and expect to have veteran depth at every position," Colbert admitted. "It just doesn't work out financially. You have to trust some of your young guys."

Quote from: Neil on August 02, 2011, 09:57:18 AM
Stone's going to get a fine from the league for that missing sock.

Quote from: sbr on August 02, 2011, 06:42:29 PM
I heard the Rapistburger was going to restructure his contract to help get them under the cap, that was on the radio though and I don't feel like looking for a source.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 02, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
:bleeding:  Fucking Raiders.  Letting Zach Miller go to the Seahawks?  Seriously?!  What.  The.  Fuck.  Let Nnamdi go.  Miller.  Keep Campbell over Gradkowski.  Not resign Bush yet.  Think everything will magically work with McFadden carrying the load.  Why not just give DHB a raise, bring back JaMarcus, rehire Art Shell and be done with it.  You fucking retard Al.  I really, really, really want to see you dead. :ultra:

Quote from: Neil on August 02, 2011, 07:45:58 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 02, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
:bleeding:  Fucking Raiders.  Letting Zach Miller go to the Seahawks?  Seriously?!  What.  The.  Fuck.  Let Nnamdi go.  Miller.  Keep Campbell over Gradkowski.  Not resign Bush yet.  Think everything will magically work with McFadden carrying the load.  Why not just give DHB a raise, bring back JaMarcus, rehire Art Shell and be done with it.  You fucking retard Al.  I really, really, really want to see you dead. :ultra:

Watch out.  Somebody might prosecute you for uttering threats.  Unless you live in a country that has real freedom of speech, then you're probably alright.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 02, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
:bleeding:  Fucking Raiders.  Letting Zach Miller go to the Seahawks?  Seriously?!  What.  The.  Fuck.  Let Nnamdi go.  Miller.  Keep Campbell over Gradkowski.  Not resign Bush yet.  Think everything will magically work with McFadden carrying the load.  Why not just give DHB a raise, bring back JaMarcus, rehire Art Shell and be done with it.  You fucking retard Al.  I really, really, really want to see you dead. :ultra:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 02, 2011, 07:55:19 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 02, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
:bleeding:  Fucking Raiders.  Letting Zach Miller go to the Seahawks?  Seriously?!  What.  The.  Fuck.  Let Nnamdi go.  Miller.  Keep Campbell over Gradkowski.  Not resign Bush yet.  Think everything will magically work with McFadden carrying the load.  Why not just give DHB a raise, bring back JaMarcus, rehire Art Shell and be done with it.  You fucking retard Al.  I really, really, really want to see you dead. :ultra:

Think of it this way: you don't have nearly as long to wait as Redskins fans.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 02, 2011, 07:55:19 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 02, 2011, 07:42:17 PM
:bleeding:  Fucking Raiders.  Letting Zach Miller go to the Seahawks?  Seriously?!  What.  The.  Fuck.  Let Nnamdi go.  Miller.  Keep Campbell over Gradkowski.  Not resign Bush yet.  Think everything will magically work with McFadden carrying the load.  Why not just give DHB a raise, bring back JaMarcus, rehire Art Shell and be done with it.  You fucking retard Al.  I really, really, really want to see you dead. :ultra:

Think of it this way: you don't have nearly as long to wait as Redskins fans.

QuoteThe Ravens signed center Casey Rabach to a two-year contract Tuesday, gaining insurance in case Matt Birk's balky left knee leaves them short at the position.

According to an ESPN report, Birk, 35, needs arthroscopic surgery on the knee. Birk played through the pain a year ago, when he needed to have fluid drained almost every week but didn't miss a start.

Rabach, a third-round draft pick by the Ravens in 2001 out of Wisconsin, returns to the team after spending the past six years with the Washington Redskins. A 10-year veteran, Rabach turns 34 in three weeks and is coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs was happy to learn Rabach was coming back.

"When I first got here, he was here and he kind of toughened me up, slapped me around a little bit," Suggs said. "So now that he's in the later stages of his career, I look forward to doing it to him a little bit."

Quote from: katmai on August 03, 2011, 04:01:56 PM
LFFL 11 has been created.

QuoteSteelers coach sells Mercedes to team cafeteria worker for $20
By Chris Chase

A cook at the Pittsburgh Steelers team complex is driving around in a red Mercedes convertible thanks to an unexpected and generous deal from the franchise's former secondary coach.
On his final day in Pittsburgh before taking over as defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, Ray Horton gave his 1999 Mercedes SL500 to cafeteria worker Maurice Matthews.
The cook had always kidded around with Horton, telling him he was coaching his position and asking when he'd be allowed to drive his sports car. Horton would jokingly reply, "you can't afford the gas in it."

But on his final day in Pittsburgh, Horton approached Matthews to say goodbye and asked if he could borrow whatever money he had in his pocket. When Matthews handed over a twenty, Horton said "sold for $20!" and handed him the keys to his car.
"Ray said, 'Hey, you always liked the car, you're a good dude, I know you'll take care of it," Matthews told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's yours."
The next day he drove Horton to the airport and received all the paperwork to take ownership of the car. With 64,000 miles on it, Matthews ended up paying $20 for a vehicle that carries a Kelly Blue Book value of $17,735.

"It's just taking care of guys who took care of you," Horton told the Arizona Cardinals team blog.
The Cardinals got a good man. And cafeteria workers in Tempe just found their new favorite customer.

QuoteLegendary NFL defender Bubba Smith passes away at age 66
By Doug Farrar

Former NFL defensive end and longtime television and movie actor Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Wednesday. Coroner's reports have not yet been released, but according to the Los Angeles Times, it is believed that Smith died of natural causes.
Smith attended Michigan State, where he was one of the most dominant collegiate defensive linemen of all time. He won All-America honors in 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Selected first overall in the 1967 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts, Smith soon became, along with Deacon Jones, one of the first truly modern-style pass-rushers and sack artists. He played long before sacks were first tabulated as an official NFL statistic in 1982, but he was known from the start of his professional career to be nearly impossible to block.
He played for three teams — the Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers, appeared in two Pro Bowls and was named First-Team All-Pro in 1971. Smith played in two Super Bowls — Super Bowl III, which the Colts lost to the New York Jets in an enormous upset, and Super Bowl V, which the Colts won with a last-second field goal against the Dallas Cowboys. Smith retired after the 1976 season, having played in 111 regular-season games.

After his football career ended, Smith became perhaps even more well-known as an actor. He struck gold in the "Police Academy" series of movies, playing the hyper-strong Moses Hightower and providing a series of riotous slapstick scenes.

QuoteThe Ravens continue to be considered the leaders for free-agent wide receiver Malcom Floyd.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Ravens made Floyd an offer late Monday night that hits $3 million per year, which represents the Chargers' limit.

Other teams interested in Floyd are: Minnesota, Arizona, San Francisco and Carolina.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 03, 2011, 05:59:25 AM
The Ravens signed center Casey Rabach to a two-year contract Tuesday, gaining insurance in case Matt Birk's balky left knee leaves them short at the position.

QuoteThe Ravens are still in search of a center to replace Matt Birk, who will be out for two weeks because of minor knee surgery.

A league source confirmed that former Redskins center Casey Rabach, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Ravens on Tuesday, failed the Ravens team physical. According to the source, Rabach failed the physical because of a shoulder he injured near the end of last season.

Rabach had surgery on the shoulder during the off season. The source confirmed that the Ravens told Rabach he needed another two to three weeks to heal. The Ravens have begun a search for another center.

QuoteThe Ravens have reached an agreement with safety Bernard Pollard, according to Sports Radio 610 in Houston.

Pollard, 26, would provide experienced depth to the Ravens' secondary that lost Dawan Landry to Jacksonville and has Tom Zbikowski (skin condition) on the non-football illness list.

A four-year starter in the NFL, Pollard recorded over 100 tackles in his past two seasons with the Houston Texans. He is considered a strong hitter and blitzer, but he struggles in pass coverage.

Last season, Pollard had as many forced fumbles (four) as passes broken up (five). He was part of a Texans pass defense that ranked last in the NFL.

Pollard made an impression on the Ravens last December when he came unblocked from the blind side and sacked Joe Flacco.

Pollard is best known for hitting Tom Brady below the knee, which ended the Patriots quarterback's 2008 season. That hit is now illegal in the NFL.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 05:50:46 AM
The raiding of Houston continues!!!

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 04, 2011, 06:02:25 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 05:50:46 AM
The raiding of Houston continues!!!

"Struggles in pass coverage" is a massive understatement.   

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:07:08 AM
True, but the Ravens have a pass coverage safety, he wears #20.  Their scheme relies on a strong safety that can support the run and create snot bubbles across the middle.  Pollard fits that bill.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 04, 2011, 06:10:51 AM
Do the Ravens play New England this year?  If so, Pollard should start.  I'm just saying.  Call whoever you need to call.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:20:19 AM
Alas, no. You'll just have to settle for him whaling on Dirty Sanchez Sunday night in Week 4.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 04, 2011, 06:31:45 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:20:19 AM
Alas, no. You'll just have to settle for him whaling on Dirty Sanchez Sunday night in Week 4.

Who's their backup QB? 

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:58:22 AM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 04, 2011, 06:31:45 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:20:19 AM
Alas, no. You'll just have to settle for him whaling on Dirty Sanchez Sunday night in Week 4.

Who's their backup QB? 

lol, Mark Brunell, who's dead in dog years.  Kellen Clemens.  'Nuff said.

Quote from: Neil on August 04, 2011, 07:04:13 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:58:22 AM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 04, 2011, 06:31:45 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 06:20:19 AM
Alas, no. You'll just have to settle for him whaling on Dirty Sanchez Sunday night in Week 4.

Who's their backup QB? 

lol, Mark Brunell, who's dead in dog years.  Kellen Clemens.  'Nuff said.

Didn't Clemens go to the Redskins, or am I thinking of someone else?

Quote from: sbr on August 04, 2011, 07:39:05 AM
CdM should be ashamed of himself, a Canuck knows more about the NFL than him.

Quote from: Neil on August 04, 2011, 07:55:19 AM
I only know because I happened to be watching the NFL Network last week and was laughing at their discussion of the Redskins QB situation.  Clemens, Grossman and Beck.  L.  O.  L.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 04, 2011, 05:54:42 AM
Hey Kat, hook me up with the fantasy league, mang.

Quote from: katmai on August 04, 2011, 07:26:25 PM
Braylon Edwards is a Niner  :mellow:

Quote from: katmai on August 04, 2011, 07:26:25 PM
Braylon Edwards is a Niner  :mellow:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 05, 2011, 05:36:03 AM
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ORTON TAKING ALL THE FIRST TEAM SNAPS IN DENVER? 

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 05, 2011, 05:21:12 AM
The Ravens are $3.5 million under that cap as of this morning, and are expected to offer quite a bit of it to Chargers WR Malcom Floyd, which would be a very good thing.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 05, 2011, 05:48:31 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 05, 2011, 05:36:03 AM
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ORTON TAKING ALL THE FIRST TEAM SNAPS IN DENVER? 

Well it's mostly because Tebow seems to suck as an NFL QB.  I can go have a smoke and be back before he completes that windup of his.  Leftwich doesn't have shit on that guy.

Edit: I read somewhere that Brady Fucking Quinn was looking better than Tebow in camp right now, with Orton being light years ahead of both.

Quote from: Neil on August 05, 2011, 08:04:49 AM
Tebow is simply the second coming of Jamarcus Russell and Vince Young.

Quote from: katmai on August 03, 2011, 04:01:56 PM
LFFL 11 has been created.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 05, 2011, 05:36:03 AM
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ORTON TAKING ALL THE FIRST TEAM SNAPS IN DENVER?  FORGIVE THEM TEBOW FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 05, 2011, 05:36:03 AM
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ORTON TAKING ALL THE FIRST TEAM SNAPS IN DENVER?  FORGIVE THEM TEBOW FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

Quote from: Barrister on August 05, 2011, 01:38:30 PM
BA, CdM, take Orton and Tebow's cocks out of your respective mouths please.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 05, 2011, 02:12:53 PM

Quote from: Barrister on August 05, 2011, 01:38:30 PM
BA, CdM, take Orton and Tebow's cocks out of your respective mouths please.

Right after you take the collective Winnipeg Jets one out of yours! :lol:  We all have our irrational sports obsessions.

Quote from: katmai on August 05, 2011, 07:37:24 PM
By my count we have 1-3 spots left open in LFFL, if anybody wants them let me know by sunday morning.

Quote from: Barrister on August 05, 2011, 10:58:25 PM
Oh you better fuckin believe I'm in.

I'm stalling trying to think of a new team name.  I can't really be the Frozen Yukoners anymore. :weep:

Quote from: sbr on August 05, 2011, 11:39:12 PM
Winnipeg Jets?   :w00t:   :yeah:

Quote from: Barrister on August 06, 2011, 12:42:07 AM

Quote from: sbr on August 05, 2011, 11:39:12 PM
Winnipeg Jets?   :w00t:   :yeah:

That's a hockey team silly. :rolleyes:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 07, 2011, 02:12:20 AM
Can't keep 'em all.

Quote from: katmai on August 07, 2011, 01:07:35 AM
That was the sentiment of one writer i saw, just in the amount of personnel they lost.

Quote from: Neil on August 07, 2011, 10:06:43 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 07, 2011, 02:12:20 AM
Can't keep 'em all.

Or much of anyone, it seems.  WR seems pretty thin now, given that the only two guys back from last year are Boldin and Reed.

Quote from: katmai on August 07, 2011, 04:06:25 PM
I'd choose San Diego over Baltimore too.

Quote from: Neil on August 07, 2011, 04:54:07 PM

Quote from: katmai on August 07, 2011, 04:06:25 PM
I'd choose San Diego over Baltimore too.

To live in?  Absolutely.  To play football in?  Who wants to get Norved?

Quote from: sbr on August 07, 2011, 04:57:34 PM

Quote from: Neil on August 07, 2011, 04:54:07 PM

Quote from: katmai on August 07, 2011, 04:06:25 PM
I'd choose San Diego over Baltimore too.

To live in?  Absolutely.  To play football in?  Who wants to get Norved?

Phillips is a better QB than Flacco.  Phillips is an arrogant jackass and Flacco is improving every year, but if I was a WR I would stay in San Diego too.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 08, 2011, 12:15:44 AM
Hey Neil, some training camp updates for you--

DE Paul Kruger, crazy white boy, is now officially OLB Paul Kruger, crazy white boy.
Billy Cundiffe's leg has only gotten stronger, been booting 60 yard field goals in practice all weekend.
Sergio Kindle may have Alzheimer's and dementia in 30 years, but right now he's been blitzing the shit out of the redshirts on O.

QuoteStat of the week:
Orioles attendance on Saturday night at Camden Yards: 18,770
Ravens attendance on Saturday's open workout at M&T Stadium: 24,078

Quote from: Neil on August 08, 2011, 07:57:31 AM
You know, with kickers like Cundiff, they're going to eventually have to make some rule changes or something, because the kickoff is a lot less exciting when you get a touchback almost every time.

Quote"We have no answer, but player safety will always trump any other consideration."

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 08, 2011, 12:15:44 AM
Stat of the week:
Orioles attendance on Saturday night at Camden Yards: 18,770
Ravens attendance on Saturday's open workout at M&T Stadium: 24,078

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 08, 2011, 05:14:03 PM
Everybody in the stadium is going to get a contact high.

Quote from: Neil on August 08, 2011, 05:20:36 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 08, 2011, 05:14:03 PM
Everybody in the stadium is going to get a contact high.

Ray Lewis will sort him out.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 08, 2011, 06:20:51 PM
Ditka was too soft with him.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 09, 2011, 04:27:55 AM
Cotchery is visiting Baltimore today.  Yahoo.

I'd have more respect for them if they signed Lee Evans or even Brian Finnernan.  Both are still at home, watching 30 Rock reruns.

Quote from: citizen k on August 11, 2011, 05:55:42 PM
I'm getting the Seattle -  San Diego game here on NBC. Where can I see the Ravens one?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 11, 2011, 07:34:50 PM
Whelp, all I have to say is I'll be going through a shitload of votive candles for the offense's health this season, because there's one hell of a drop off in depth with the second squad.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on August 12, 2011, 07:39:57 PM
Also, the Bills got fleeced on Evans.  Retards.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 13, 2011, 07:38:15 AM
Another season with the Bengals.  It must hurt, doesn't it?  Like doing time with no chance of parole, huh?

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 13, 2011, 07:44:04 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 13, 2011, 07:38:15 AM
Another season with the Bengals.  It must hurt, doesn't it?  Like doing time with no chance of parole, huh?

yep. Plus an eternity of these commercials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PWeeYtSo2Q

EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK LAST NIGHT

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 13, 2011, 07:38:15 AM
Another season with the Bengals.  It must hurt, doesn't it?  Like doing time with no chance of parole, huh?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 13, 2011, 07:21:40 AM
Here's a pic of Dennis Pitta posterizing an Eagles safety on the first play of the game:

A little early for "Todd Who?", but he had a damned good game Thursday night.

Quote
With their even-keeled leaders, the Packers could very well repeat

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- We'll get to the news of the weekend in a few hundred words, to touchbacks and Starcaps, to playing for now and playing for later, to Colt McCoy taking a big step and Matthew Stafford taking a healthy one, to the first week of the silly season and the panic it induces, to the team trying to figure how the coin toss works and the team trying to figure where to kick off from, and to the NFL player with a tattoo thing for Elizabeth Taylor. In due time. Oh, and reading between the lines, the NFL is not happy with the Bears Wildcatting their own kickoff spot. But more about that later.
When I think about what to lead the column with, I often think: What did I see or experience in the last few days that interested me the most? Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes not. This week, I thought of my conversation with Mike McCarthy on a bench next to the Packers' practice field Tuesday night in Green Bay. It was around 9:45. The players were gone, the fans were gone, and now it was just me and McCarthy, with a couple of PR people in the wings, on a chilly night that felt more like Oct. 9 than Aug. 9.
McCarthy was telling me a story about the Super Bowl championship banner the Packers had installed at the Hutson Center indoor practice facility, across from Lambeau Field, when no one was looking. The players were back at practice on an inclement day, working indoors at the Hutson Center, when McCarthy elbowed a couple and said, "Hey, look.'' And there it was.
Maybe it's not a big deal that the Packers didn't have a big ceremony to raise the banner or a ceremony when the fourth Lombardi Trophy was put in a case outside the locker room. And when the Packers play the opener Sept. 8 against New Orleans, there will be a simple "2010'' unveiled near the other 12 years the team won a championship. No flags, no banners. Just a year, with, as GM Ted Thompson told me, "sort of a tablecloth over it, and we'll pull that off, and then we'll play football. That's what we're supposed to do.''
The celebrations are Ted Thompson's responsibility. And so banners are going to be put up when no one is looking -- in this case, by stadium workers on a quiet day in June with no attention -- and there won't be any pomp, because in Thompson's world, this is the Packer Way. Act like you've been there before. This is what the Packers are supposed to do.
***
"It's funny,'' Aaron Rodgers told me. "When I was sitting in that Green Room at the draft in New York, and I was dropping, and no one would pick me, the last thing I was thinking was it was a good thing. But I'm glad I got to fall way down. I should be here. It's the place for me. The game is bigger than us. The team is more than us. It's a community team, blue-collar and understated and not at all about self-glorification. Vince Lombardi put it that way: Winning is the only thing that matters. It's about the team.''
We're in a me-first era. In most places maybe, but not in Green Bay. Not with Thompson and McCarthy and Rodgers, the leaders of this group. I have no idea if they'll repeat (a dirty word to McCarthy, who thinks every year is a new year with new players), but I do know they've created a model that every youth coach, every high school coach, every college coach and, yes, a whole lot of pro coaches would be smart to emulate. It's not just something they say in front of the minicams, and then sneak off to New York to make a commercial for Visa. It's who they are.
There's such a head-scratching lack of look-at-me in this organization. Then you see where it came from. Thompson, from the bedrock roots of Texas high school and college football. McCarthy, who learned the Pittsburgh way, who got his start in the coaching business by working at Pitt for nothing and collecting tolls at night on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to pay his rent. And Rodgers, who rose from no scholarship offers out of high school to a hardscrabble junior college to Cal to Brett Favre's caddie to the Super Bowl. I told Rodgers I remembered the Dallas Morning News story about his roots during Super Bowl week in February, and his dad, a chiropractor in California, having no shred of evidence in his office -- not a photo, trophy or framed ticket stub -- that his son was an athlete of any sort.
"We're not big public-eye people,'' Rodgers said.
When he came to Green Bay and sat for three years, he was even less of a public-eye person. Favre was The Man. And when Favre continued to waffle about whether he wanted to play or not, Rodgers said nothing. When the Packers stood behind Rodgers, he said little. When Favre came back to try to regain his job, Rodgers said nothing.
And when it was the biggest story in sports back in 2008 -- pick a side: you're for Favre or for Rodgers, and there's no middle ground -- Rodgers said precious little. Rodgers knew Thompson and McCarthy had his back, and though it was going to be tough, he could trust them to keep their word. Which they did. And in the last three years, despite the mud that landed on all of them after the Favre debacle, every one of them today looks like a genius.
Thompson for sticking to his guns, McCarthy for believing in Rodgers, and Rodgers for shutting up and just playing football. Rodgers' average season since 2008: 4,130 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 10 interceptions. And a Super Bowl win.
***
Thompson, in a conference room in the team's refurbished Lambeau Field office, sipped a Diet Coke out of one of those cute tiny bottles and considered what his regime had done. It's not something he likes to do, because any time you take time to consider the past is time you spend not working on the future.
I thought back to the time I sat with Thompson in the middle of the Favre mayhem. Same voice. I thought back to Super Bowl Sunday night in Dallas, when he could have crowed but didn't. Same voice. And now. Same voice.
"Honestly,'' Thompson said, "it takes your breath away sometimes. When you win a championship in Green Bay, you're part of a very special fraternity. You're part of the men from the teams in the '20s, '30s, '40s, '60s and '90s, the men who won a title. These players now can stand alongside the great ones. When you win in this town, you become a little bit immortal. Just like those before us. That's the beauty of this place: We didn't invent it. We're just continuing it.''
Somewhere in Green Bay, maybe in the house across from Lambeau Field with the fence painted with IN COACH McCARTHY WE TRUST, pride in this franchise is at a level not seen since Vince Lombardi coached. It's a beautiful thing, a town one-80th the size of New York on top of the football world, with a chance to stay there.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/08/15/camps/index.html#ixzz1V6vw7sfk

QuoteLast season, 16.4 percent of kickoffs weren't returned. In the first weekend of the preseason, there were 43 touchbacks in 127 kickoffs (33.9 percent).

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 16, 2011, 05:20:08 AM
Interesting stat re: moving the ball up on kick-offs--

QuoteLast season, 16.4 percent of kickoffs weren't returned. In the first weekend of the preseason, there were 43 touchbacks in 127 kickoffs (33.9 percent).

Goodbye, KO returns for TDs.

QuoteThe New York Jets are down a key backup and in serious need of depth on their offensive line.

Citing a league source, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday that backup center Rob Turner suffered a broken leg in Monday night's game and is scheduled to undergo surgery.
Turner is projected to miss eight to 10 weeks following surgery and rehabilitation, according to a source.

QuoteThe Denver Broncos' defensive line depth is about to be tested in a serious way.

Starting defensive tackle Marcus Thomas will miss the remainder of the preseason with a strained pectoral muscle. Thomas' chest muscle wasn't completely torn off the bone, as Elvis Dumervil's was when he suffered a season-ending injury early in last summer's training camp, so the Broncos hope he'll be ready for their Sept. 12 season opener against the Oakland Raiders.  The news could be worse for fellow defensive tackle Ty Warren, who suffered a torn triceps that could threaten not only his season but his career.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2011, 07:15:56 PM
Stafford is a stud.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2011, 07:24:39 PM
I need a team to run to when the Bengals start 0-5. The lion intrigue me.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 19, 2011, 07:25:54 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2011, 07:24:39 PM
I need a team to run to when the Bengals start 0-5. The lion intrigue me.

House of Spears doesn't hurt, either.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 16, 2011, 05:20:08 AM
Interesting stat re: moving the ball up on kick-offs--

QuoteLast season, 16.4 percent of kickoffs weren’t returned. In the first weekend of the preseason, there were 43 touchbacks in 127 kickoffs (33.9 percent).

Goodbye, KO returns for TDs.

Quote from: dps on August 19, 2011, 07:59:25 PM
Did you hear about the Bears kicking from the old spot during most of their first preseason game and the game officials didn't notice?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 19, 2011, 08:00:53 PM

Quote from: dps on August 19, 2011, 07:59:25 PM
Did you hear about the Bears kicking from the old spot during most of their first preseason game and the game officials didn't notice?

Yeah, but the league office did after the game.  :D  They were not amused.

QuoteThe Bad:
You're going to see Flacco doing a lot of sprints and roll-outs this season.  We call this the "Fight or Flight" instinct.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 19, 2011, 08:00:13 PM
The Good: 
On D, the Ravens D is relatively what you'd expect it to be.  Sergio Kindle is running around like a madman, Donnell Ellerbe is starting to lock down the inside starting position, and Paul Kruger is really starting to shine as an OLB.
On O, Ray Rice is Ray Rice, Lee Evans is all that plus a bag of chips, and Vonte Leach actually caught a pass in the flat and blew a KC defender the. Fuck. Up.

The Bad:
You're going to see Flacco doing a lot of sprints and roll-outs this season.  We call this the "Fight or Flight" instinct.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 19, 2011, 08:19:13 PM
FYI Neil, Ray Lewis isn't playing tonight;  his aunt is deathly ill and got the OK to skip the game.  Ray, that is.  Not his aunt.

Quote from: Alcibiades on August 19, 2011, 09:50:17 PM
I saw an ESPN special where they followed Mccoy around after he was drafted.  Kid is a fucking retard.  Didn't even know the Browns were in the AFC, as an example.

Quote from: Alcibiades on August 19, 2011, 09:50:17 PM
I saw an ESPN special where they followed Mccoy around after he was drafted.  Kid is a fucking retard.  Didn't even know the Browns were in the AFC, as an example.

Quote from: Neil on August 19, 2011, 10:36:48 PM
I don't really hold that much against McNabb.  I mean, how many ties are there in the NFL?

QuoteIt's Only The Second Week Of NFL Preseason Games, And Todd Haley Is Already Pissed Off

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-13 last night. That final score was seasoned with two Ravens touchdowns in the final two minutes.

Preseason games are a time for never rans to catch the coach's attention, and the fourth quarter of the second game is traditionally known as scrub-time. Todd Haley, though, Todd Haley doesn't see it like that. Because Todd Haley doesn't give a fuck about anything except #winning. So, Todd Haley made this perfectly clear to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to the point that Harbaugh addressed it at the onset of his post-game presser.

    "I want to apologize to the Chiefs if they feel like we were not doing the right thing at the end of the game," Harbaugh said. "That wasn't the mindset, OK? The mindset was – this is the preseason. If this had been the regular season, we would've been on a knee. The idea in that situation is to give those young guys who work hard and who are trying to make a football team – this football team or another football team – to play the whole 60 minutes and give them a chance to show what they can do. Offensive line, running backs, everybody."

However, Todd Haley didn't acknowledge being pissed off when asked about it during his post-game presser, noting that "I just control what we do." Todd Haley handles his business man-to-man, so John Harbaugh will certainly hear about going public with it.

Quote from: Neil on August 22, 2011, 08:19:55 PM
I don't think I get the 'Chicken Box' reference.  Is it an American thing?

QuoteAnother popular Baltimore food item is the "chicken box." A chicken box is an inexpensive meal consisting of 4–6 chicken wings, served in a fast food carry out box with some kind of French fries (wedged "western fries," curly fries, or regular fries). Toppings usually consist of salt, pepper, and ketchup, although hot sauce is also popular. The item is chiefly sold at independent fried chicken shops and deli/Chinese carry-outs in the city. Chicken boxes are usually enjoyed with "Half and Half," a drink combining iced tea and lemonade (referred to elsewhere in the U.S. as an "Arnold Palmer"

Quote from: Neil on August 22, 2011, 08:55:17 PM
I don't see how you could apply that to Flacco.

Quote from: Neil on August 22, 2011, 08:55:17 PM
I don't see how you could apply that to Flacco.

Quote from: dps on August 22, 2011, 09:02:00 PM
Yeah, even with Money's description of what a "chicken box" is, I don't see how it applies to Flacco.

QuoteChampionship ring stolen from Colts great returned
Art Donovan's ring was taken during trip to Hong Kong in 1977

Colts legend Art Donovan never thought he'd get his ring back.

The cherished keepsake of the 1958 NFL championship game — often called "the greatest game ever played" — was stolen from a Hong Kong hotel room in 1977. Donovan assumed it was gone forever.

But 34 years later, the ring has been returned to its rightful owner after it showed up for sale on the Internet. A Howard County police detective followed up on a tip and found the ring, engraved with the defensive tackle's name and jersey number, listed for $25,000 on Craigslist.

"I hoped the one who stole it had fun with it," Donovan, 86, said on Tuesday. "What can you do? Life goes on. People want to ask, 'Did you weep?' There's a lot more things in this world that are more serious than losing a ring."

His wife, Dottie, was more excited about the ring's return. She had put it on a charm bracelet along with the couple's class rings from college, which remain missing. But the championship ring — from the 23-17 sudden-death victory over the New York Giants — is now back home with the Hall of Famer in Towson.

"It's unbelievable," said Donovan's eldest daughter, Debbie Donovan, noting the ring's three-decade-long, 8,000-mile odyssey from Hong Kong to Curtis Bay to Elkridge.

"It's just beautiful," she said, the ring safely back in family hands. "There's not a ding, not a scratch on it."

Police were able to recover the ring when a detective posed as a buyer, offering $20,000 for the keepsake.

Police said that the person who tried to sell the ring, identified in a police report as Charles Ice II, will not be charged with a crime. Ice told detectives that the ring had been purchased years earlier by his wife's now- deceased former husband, and that Ice didn't know it had been stolen.

Ice told police he decided to sell the ring because his Harley Davidson motorcycle shop had gone under and he needed cash. He and his wife Katina sold their jewelry for scrap, but thought the ring might be worth more if sold, according to the report.

Police almost missed their opportunity to get it back. Ice told detectives that someone had offered to buy the ring for $18,000 a week before Detective Wade Zufall put in his bid, but Ice turned down the offer, holding out for more.

The ring went missing while the Donovans vacationed at a Hong Kong hotel staffed by temporary workers during a strike. The ring's whereabouts were a mystery until the late 1980s, when police said a jeweler called Donovan and wanted to "broker a deal for the return of the ring." The player refused.

Police said the ring resurfaced in 1997 or 1998 in a bar in South Baltimore's Curtis Bay. Ice told detectives that his wife's former husband, Harry Edward Wehner III, used winnings from a Las Vegas casino to buy the ring for $15,000.

The ring went to the Ices after Wehner died and was kept in in the couple's safe. It was all but forgotten until the couple hit financial trouble and decided to sell it.

Shortly after the ring appeared on Craigslist, one of Donovan's friends spotted it and called another friend, retired Howard County police officer Peter Wright. He contacted Donovan and then the police, who set up a sting.

The detective, Zufall, bid $20,000 for the ring and set up a meeting with Ice at his closed motorcycle shop in Elkridge. Zufall told Ice the ring had been stolen and was being seized.

For his part, Donovan remains a bit mystified at all the attention.

"The ring is great," he said. "But time marches on."

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 25, 2011, 06:19:21 PM
Same old Bengals, same old derspiess.

Quote from: derspiess on August 25, 2011, 06:45:32 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 25, 2011, 06:19:21 PM
Same old Bengals, same old derspiess.

Same new Bungles-- team got a lot younger this year.  I just get older :mellow:

Quote from: Neil on August 25, 2011, 07:06:58 PM
Suzie Kolber should ask Shanahan how he balances his orange skin with his maroon and yellow shirt.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 25, 2011, 07:39:15 PM
I know it is preseason, but the ratbirds look shitty so far.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on August 25, 2011, 07:40:18 PM
[Valmy] Burgundy and gold.[/Valmy]  [Valmy]:contract:[/Valmy]

Quote from: Valmy on August 25, 2011, 07:44:16 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 25, 2011, 07:39:15 PM
I know it is preseason, but the ratbirds look shitty so far.

:angry: It is the Redskins who are awesome!

Shanahan better start the Mormon over Rex.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 25, 2011, 07:45:11 PM
You know Snyder will want the sex cannon to start.

Quote from: Neil on August 25, 2011, 08:57:00 PM
It could be worse.  You could be watching Torrey Smith drop passes.  Where did he go to school, Clown College?

Quote from: Neil on August 25, 2011, 06:54:18 PM
Dalton is doomed.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 26, 2011, 05:20:42 AM
Ravens pass protection concerns me.  Granted, the Redskins were tossing blitzes and packages around like Rex Ryan in November, but that's what the season's going to look like.

QuoteGanja Williams was picking up blitzes and blocking like he was back at Texas.  Guess the NA meetings worked.

Quote from: derspiess on August 26, 2011, 09:50:46 PM
I'm watching CFL right now on ESPN3/Xbox Live. Just realized two things: Avon Cobourne (WVU grad) is playing for Hamilton, and the Wendy's Baconator is the official hamburger of the CFL.

QuoteFormer third-round pick Oniel Cousins and practice squad player Justin Harper were among nine players cut by the Ravens on Saturday.

Cousins never developed like the Ravens envisioned when they drafted him in the third round in 2008. He made four career starts, one of which he struggled mightily against LaMarr Woodley and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cousins began training camp competing against rookie Jah Reid for the starting right tackle job, but he was moved to guard after struggling in the preason opener. The Ravens moved him further down the depth chart in the preseason game when they decided to start offensive tackle Mark LeVoir at guard over Cousins.

Harper, a seventh-round pick in 2008, was a practice squad player for the past two seasons (he spent his rookie season on injured reserve) and couldn't overcome consistent drops in the previous preseasons. His chances of making the team dropped significantly when undrafted rookie wide receiver LaQuan Williams continued to impress this preseason.

Quote from: Ed Anger on August 27, 2011, 05:30:43 PM
Hay Seedy, does it look like Justin Boren is going to make the squad?

Quote from: Liep on August 28, 2011, 08:08:51 AM
Anyone got any experience with the NFL Gamepass? I need a new way of watching of watching the games this year.

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 27, 2011, 10:05:56 PM
I know it's just preseason, and that the Lions aren't the team they were in 2008, but it still makes me very happy to watch Detroit beat New England 34-10.

Quote from: derspiess on August 28, 2011, 05:05:39 PM

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 27, 2011, 10:05:56 PM
I know it's just preseason, and that the Lions aren't the team they were in 2008, but it still makes me very happy to watch Detroit beat New England 34-10.

Makes me feel a little better about the Bungles getting stomped by them.

QuotePhiladelphia, PA — The Philadelphia Eagles have secured quarterback Michael Vick to a six-year contract, one that will reportedly pay him $100 million.

The Eagles confirmed the six-year deal, and several media sources report Vick will get about $40 million in guaranteed money. The contract reportedly averages more than $16 million during the first three years.

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 28, 2011, 11:49:06 PM

Quote from: derspiess on August 28, 2011, 05:05:39 PM

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 27, 2011, 10:05:56 PM
I know it's just preseason, and that the Lions aren't the team they were in 2008, but it still makes me very happy to watch Detroit beat New England 34-10.

Makes me feel a little better about the Bungles getting stomped by them.

Makes me glad the Redskins won't play them this year :lol:
Doesn't make me feel any better about losing to them in 2010. Or 2009.

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 28, 2011, 11:49:06 PM
Makes me glad the Redskins won't play them this year :lol:

Quote from: derspiess on September 02, 2011, 12:05:21 AM
For Benedict Arnold:

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 02, 2011, 12:11:49 AM
Oh apparently the Texans played today.  Their scrubs lost to the Vikings scrubs.

Quote from: Syt on August 31, 2011, 10:28:53 AM
With the NFL 12 cover athlete being from the Browns, at least the Madden curse can't do any serious damage to a contending team this year.

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 02, 2011, 07:23:29 AM
I loathe Tedy Bruschi on ESPN. Even more than Schlereth.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on September 02, 2011, 11:50:59 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 02, 2011, 07:23:29 AM
I loathe Tedy Bruschi on ESPN. Even more than Schlereth.

Any particular reason beyond being a prominent ex-Pat?

Quote from: Valmy on September 03, 2011, 05:42:41 PM
I do not remember when this started but I just do not get why we stopped starting the NFL season on Labor Day Weekend.  Pre-Season on this most sacred of football Holidays is perverse.

Quote

The club released a list of its final cuts Saturday. Those players are: linebackers Tavares Gooden, Prescott Burgess and rookies Josh Bynes and Chavis Williams, wide receivers Marcus Smith, Brandon Jones and James Hardy, defensive tackle Lamar Divens and rookies Bryan Hall and Derek Simmons, cornerbacks Danny Gorrer and rookies Talmadge Jackson and Josh Victorian, running backs Jalen Parmele and rookie Damien Berry, centers Jason Murphy and rookie Tim Barnes, tight ends Davon Drew and rookie Johdrick Morris, and rookie safeties Mana Silva and Nate Williams.

Other players waived included: rookie guard Justin Boren, quarterback Hunter Cantwell, fullback Ryan Mahaffey, offensive tackle Andre Ramsey and long snapper Patrick Scales.

Left tackle Ramon Harewood has been placed on injured reserve.

Quote from: Valmy on September 03, 2011, 11:11:05 PM
Glad to see Sergio Kindle made it on the depth chart.

QuoteThe Ravens reached a one-year agreement Sunday with five-time Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, increasing questions about Matt Birk's availability for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His deal, which has a maximum value of $3 million, according to ESPN, is contingent on him passing a physical.

Quotehe Ravens announced Sunday afternoon the eight players who will make up their practice squad for the upcoming regular season.

They are: running back Damien Berry, guard Justin Boren, quarterback Hunter Cantwell, cornerback Danny Gorrer, defensive tackle Bryan Hall, fullback Ryan Mahaffey, safety Mana Silva and linebacker Chavis Williams.

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 05, 2011, 12:10:58 PM
Tressel suspended himself for seven games with the Colts.

This shit is getting silly.

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 05, 2011, 05:28:33 PM
Redskins starting QB: THE SEX CANNON

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 05, 2011, 06:45:54 PM
Jeff George is still available.

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 05, 2011, 05:28:33 PM
For Valmy:

Redskins starting QB: THE SEX CANNON

Quote from: Neil on September 05, 2011, 05:50:14 PM
Redskins = done yet again.

Quote from: Valmy on September 05, 2011, 07:50:33 PM

Quote from: Neil on September 05, 2011, 05:50:14 PM
Redskins = done yet again.

Oh yeah because Beck meant they had a chance.

Ah well.  I sorta knew they were screwed either way.

Quote from: Syt on September 06, 2011, 12:34:19 PM
I like Karabell's baseball podcast. He's a bit like the Timmay of ESPN.

Quote from: derspiess on September 06, 2011, 09:55:28 AM
My brother had one of his full-time guys quit on him yesterday-- turned out to be the dude I helped train to run the sideline video printer.  So Travis asked me last night if I could fill in that role part-time until he found a permanent replacement.  After years of leeching free tickets & other stuff from him I couldn't say no.

So unless he miraculously fills that position today, I'm going to have to go to Cleveland this weekend.  Who Dey :mellow: 

On the upside, if he hasn't found someone by next week, I get to go to Denver. :cheers:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2011, 08:23:01 PM
Bet you dollars to donuts the Ravens make a play for Garrard.

Quote from: Neil on September 06, 2011, 08:27:34 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2011, 08:23:01 PM
Bet you dollars to donuts the Ravens make a play for Garrard.

It seems to be exactly the sort of thing they would do.  Also, it would mean that I have not only the Ravens starter, but also the backup for LFFL.

Still, this is a bad thing, since I've lost my backup QB and had my TE neutered (because McCown is a total scrub).

Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on September 06, 2011, 10:10:10 PM

Quote from: Neil on September 06, 2011, 08:27:34 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2011, 08:23:01 PM
Bet you dollars to donuts the Ravens make a play for Garrard.

It seems to be exactly the sort of thing they would do.  Also, it would mean that I have not only the Ravens starter, but also the backup for LFFL.

Still, this is a bad thing, since I've lost my backup QB and had my TE neutered (because McCown is a total scrub).

:huh:

Gang Green has Garrand in the LFFL.

QuoteAccording to his agent, Tiki Barber supposedly is "flabbergasted" that no NFL  team was interested in giving him a shot to make their team this preseason, even though he's 36 and has been out of the NFL for four years. The fact Barber didn't see this coming in further proof that, despite his intelligence, he's one of the most tone-deaf athletes the NFL has seen.

Quote from: Baron von Schtinkenbutt on September 06, 2011, 10:10:10 PM

Quote from: Neil on September 06, 2011, 08:27:34 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2011, 08:23:01 PM
Bet you dollars to donuts the Ravens make a play for Garrard.

It seems to be exactly the sort of thing they would do.  Also, it would mean that I have not only the Ravens starter, but also the backup for LFFL.

Still, this is a bad thing, since I've lost my backup QB and had my TE neutered (because McCown is a total scrub).

:huh:

Gang Green has Garrand in the LFFL.

Quote from: Grey Fox on September 07, 2011, 01:28:14 PM
Manning is out. The Streak ends at 227.

QuoteBy IBTimes Staff Reporter | September 7, 2011 4:44 PM EDT

Indianapolis Colts superstar quarterback Peyton Manning had another neck surgery on Sunday and is out for the season, according to an Indianapolis area radio host.

Jake Query, a radio show host for 1260 WNDE, reported on Twitter that two reputable sources told him that Manning underwent a third neck procedure on either Sunday or Monday and is subsequently out for the year.

"A source I consider reliable told me he is out for the season," Query tweeted.

As of 7 p.m. EST, the report had yet to be verified by other mainstream media members.

The news comes hours after the Colts said Manning would miss at least the team's home opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 11. Recently signed backup Kerry Collins is expected to start on Sunday.

Manning, who hasn't missed a start in 227 consecutive games, was understandably upset about missing the team's highly anticipated opener.

"To say I am disappointed in not being able to play is an understatement," Manning said in a statement. "The best part about football is being out there on the field with my teammates.

"It will be tough not to be out there playing for the organization and our fans. I simply am not healthy enough to play, and I am doing everything I can to get my health back."

The team entered the preseason with high expectations to win the AFC South division, but could struggle if Manning is indeed out for the year. While Manning believes "the team will do fine without me," it is doubtful Collins -- a fine veteran in his own right -- can have quite the impact Manning has had on the offense during his illustrious 14-year career.