Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh -- AGAIN. THREE TIME LOSER this season.. This one was NOT for a hit, though. $7,875 for a throat-slash. That's almost $140,000 for Suh this year. (The fine even drew a sigh from the nfl.com article.)
Pittsburgh Steelers: William Gay: $15,750 for a hit to the facemask.
Houston Texans: Antonio Smith: Back in the blotter after his preseason suspension: $15,750 for nailing Chad Henne in the head or neck. TWO-TIME LOSER.
Miami Dolphins: Cameron Wake: $15,750 for similar to Cam Newton.
Chicago Bears: Two $7,875 fines for an altercation vs. St. Louis. Kyle Long got one.
Chicago Bears: And Tony Fiammetta got the other $7,875 fine.
New Orleans Saints: Cameron Jordan, $10,000 for roughing the passer.
NOT FINED THIS WEEK, per the NFL.com article: Aldon Smith, apparently kicking RGIII in the nuts is not fineable. (OR he didn't kick him "down there"...) And Chris Long of the Rams left the bench during the altercation in which the two Bears were fined. Apparently, he didn't involve himself in said altercation.
I didn't think of this -- my anonymous friend who is a long-time baseball historian (and, hence, is following this story even closer than I am) posed me a very serious question tonight:
Has Deadspin, by their purchase of a Hall of Fame ballot, intentionally or otherwise destroyed the entire voting process for the Baseball Writers' Association of America with respect to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY?
Consider these two scenarios:
We now have a "going rate" (undisclosed, but a "going rate" nonetheless) for the purchase of a Hall of Fame vote.
Anyone who's been paying attention the last fifteen years knows that ESPN has been masturbating over getting all the steroid cheats their "proper place" in history. You've got to think that all the "dormant ballots" could be bought in the same manner that Deadspin has just bought theirs.
How about A-Roid? He's definitely unscrupulous enough to buy his way in.
To the shock of almost nobody paying attention (read: everyone except Declan Hill, probably Brian Tuohy and myself), the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit the Football Association (the main soccer governing body in England) was reported today by The Guardian.
Six men, including at least three players and a former player-turned-agent who played in the EPL, have been arrested by a brand-new body in England, the National Crime Agency (basically, England's FBI).
Some notes:
Secretly recorded conversations put a good price at fixing a lower-league match at about 50,000 pounds. (To me, that sounds high for lower-level leagues. That sounds to me about the price of compromising a low-level EPL player.)
It is not believed (or, at the least, not admitted) that any EPL matches or sides are involved. (*cough* If there's a match-fixing scandal, I want a look at Joey Barton when he was with Queens Park Rangers... Just sayin'.)
From the article: "In recent years fears have been growing that gangs were targeting matches in
the UK. This newspaper was approached by an undercover investigator with
links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match
fixers offering to operate in Britain." Declan Hill, is that you? I mean, this whole thing reeks of Dan Tan the Man, as it were.
"During a series of undercover meetings in Manchester this month, which were
covertly recorded, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that
potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the
inside information on Asian-based betting websites. The fixer, from Singapore, also alleged that he controlled teams in other
European countries and could buy foreign referees to secure results." Yep, appears to be tied to Dan Tan.
You could even grease the skids for an extra 5,000 pounds for a player (compromised) to get an early yellow card as a "tell" that the match was rigged.
Often, the fixer would have action on the match's total -- the number of goals scored in a match. This is why, in Las Vegas, you will basically never see a soccer match total as an over-under proposition. Any action at all is one side, the other, or a draw.
Apparently, the man involved as the head of this operation was rumored to be a "Wilson Raj Perumal". Long invested in the seedy riggings of Asian matches, but living in London, he's been tied to match fixings in Finland (for which he did time), Hungary (for which he is effectively being held), and matches in Asia involving Zimbabwean teams, among others.
It will be interesting to see where this leads. Keep an eye on Declan Hill on this one.
Another week for games going Under, as we reach about the season-low. 44.29 per game for the week.
12 week total, with all teams now having played 11 games: 46.44 (about a third of a point over last year's record).
Within a score:
9 of the 14 games finished 8 points or within.
Cliffhanger Index:
Pats-Broncos, obviously
Vikings-Packers counts, even though there was no winner
Carolina beat Miami on a Cam Newton TD pass with 43 seconds left. Carolina is now 8-3.
San Diego beat Kansas City with a Philip Rivers TD pass -- 24 seconds left -- in Arrowhead!
Tennessee beat Oakland with a Ryan Fitzpatrick TD pass -- 10 seconds left
Are we FINALLY going to get to the point that these suspensions, now, are weekly occurrences, as they should've been after it became clear the fines really don't matter?
As of the beginning of this season, only one player had been suspended only for accumulated Player Safety infractions. A second player probably had that taken into account after an incident had him suspended for two games.
In just the last two weeks, now, we have a third player suspended for a Player Safety infraction:
Tennessee Titans: Michael Griffin, SUSPENDED one game for repeated violations of actions against defenseless players in the head and neck. A second-quarter violation of this regard against Oakland was his second such violation this year and his fourth defenseless-player violation since 2011.
The suspension will cost Griffin approximately $206,000 of his $3,500,000 guaranteed salary for this year, so, under the Remittance Policy, that's another $50,000 against the number for Tennessee. With Tennessee, now, about $80,000 over the Level 3 number, that's another $50,000 against the Titans team, putting their fine total (at least to my current knowledge) at $390,000.
And, yet another drug suspension, and, yes, yet another Pete Carroll Special...
Seattle Seahags: Walter Thurmond, SUSPENDED four games for drugs. Thurmond, according to reports, now becomes the seventh Seahawk under Pete Carroll to be suspended for drugs.
ON EDIT: League sources are saying the Seahawks' Brandon Browner is about to get a year for another violation.
I was wondering why the "Redemption for Bounty-Gate" situation was beginning to come up with a bit more fervor. We may be getting our answer.
As much as Roger Goodell might love The 12th Man in Seattle swearing lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to The Shield of the NFL, he's also a PR guy to an absolute fault. Any real examination of the Pete Carroll Seahags needs to start with an investigation on Carroll's practices in the NFL, and an accusation that Carroll may be attempting to run a rogue NFL team.
Three minutes from a second tie of the week (and this would be the first time in 40 years that happened), Wes Welker lets a ball go off him for a muff and the Patriots win.
Denver now 9-2 and going to Kansas City... Patriots 8-3...
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...
Red Sox win World Series
Bruins make the Stanley Cup Finals
Now the Patriots?
Roy Ellison, suspended for one game for a verbal confrontation with Washington's Trent Williams. It's understood this probably isn't the first profane statement Ellison has made toward a player, but the league was able to corroborate Williams' story from earlier in the week, hence the suspension.
According to reports:
"Williams said Ellison cussed him out during a Redskins drive late in the
first half, an accusation teammates backed. Williams said Ellison
walked by him after a play and called him a "garbage-ass, disrespectful
m-----f-----.""
It gets uglier. Racial epithets and further exchanges are alleged, with Williams charged with using a racial slur against Ellison, an 11-year NFL official. The NFL Referee's Association has filed a grievance.
I'm sorry. If there's any belief that any player uses that degree of a racial slur (the N-word), it's 15 and a toss and you let the league deal with it. Sorry, have to agree with this suspension.
Now, on to the rest of the miscreants of the week:
New England Patriots: Marcus Cannon, $15,750 for a leg whip.
In an effective admission that the league fucked up (*cough*and the game was rigged for the Panthers*cough*), Tom Brady was not fined for his profanity to a referee, a standard $20,000 offense.
Chicago Bears: Zack Bowman: $15,750 for a horse-collar tackle.
Washington Redskins: E.J. Biggers: $21,000 for a helmet-to-helmet foul.
Plus another $21,000 for the Level 3 Redskins.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, $15,750 for roughing the passer. TWO-TIME LOSER, two in three weeks...
And his second fine doubled by the league to the team for being Level 3. The Buccaneers now go over the $400,000 mark for the year.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Blackmon: $21,000 for an illegal blindside block.
Tennessee Titans: Akeem Ayers now a TWO-TIME LOSER. $7,875 for unnecessary roughness vs. Andrew Luck.
And, again, double that fine to the team. (Sensing a pattern yet?)
San Diego Chargers: Corey Liuget: $7,875 for roughing the passer.
Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox: $7,875
Cincinnati Bengals: Domata Peko: $7,875
That last one was a lot more expensive than that:
Cincinnati Bengals: Become at least the sixth team in the NFL to be fined for excessive Player Safety fines. Team docked $50,000 for entering Level 2.
Updates:
Indianapolis Colts: The suspension on Erik Walden for this week stands. He lost his appeal.
Green Bay Packers: A lot of people are going to think I'm playing favorites here, but according to a USA Today article, Clay Matthews' Week 1 fine for the altercation with Colin Kapernick was halved to $7,875 and his $15,750 fine from Week 10? Abolished, as is his repeat offender for the season status.
So, in the interest of fairness, other successful appeals I've been able to search-engine up:
New York Jets: Earlier in the season, two Jets were fined for illegal hits against Jake Locker. Muhammad Wilkerson got his reversed earlier in the year, and now Quinton Coples, this week, has had the same. FWIW, Locker didn't think either hit was illegal.
And that's all I can find so far. Any readers with further information can put it in the comments so I can see them.
With those updates, the currently-known total for the year stands at: $3,293,050
San Francisco 49ers: Aaron Brooks' hit on Drew Brees apparently got the supplemental treatment. Fined $15,750 per league sources to ESPN for the pseudo-clothesline. Brooks is now a TWO-TIME LOSER, both for Roughing the Passer (Week 2)-- fine should've been doubled under league rules.
By my spreadsheet, that leaves the 49ers $375 under the $105,000 for Level 2.
He's got the fans salivating over controversial finishes in two major national games this week.
Sunday afternoon:
Saints/49ers -- a game ostensibly for the 2 seed in the NFC if Seattle continues their run.
These are stills of the hit in question. San Francisco is leading the game 20-17, about three minutes to go.
Brooks' hit here forces a fumble that the 49ers recover. It's overturned by a Roughing the Passer call that is deemed controversial.
BULL
SHIT.
That is damn near, if not, a clothesline. Brooks can expect a fairly hefty fine for that (and it would be his second Roughing the Passer fine -- and that should DOUBLE the fine) for contacting the QB in the neck.
Think $31,500 - $42,000 -- and another $50,000 for the Niners, because that will push them over the number for Level 2 against the Remittance Policy.
You do not go high for a tackle. That's rugby? That's 10 in the bin.
Easy, and correct, call.
Now, Monday Night:
Last Play of the Game. Patriots down 24-20, with the ball, on the 18 of Carolina.
Here's what happened:
Brady back to pass, into the end zone. Intercepted.
But, after the pick, a flag comes flying in.
Now you might think this is "Screw The Patriots Opponent, Part MCCCLXXXIX".
Well... "No Foul, Game Is Over"
Clip doesn't show anything.
Here's the play again, from the end zone view, so you can see what the gripe might have been more clearly:
About :20 in.
Brady goes back to pass... Throws...
#59 of Carolina clearly holds/grabs the Patriot receiver so his fellow teammate can do the interception.
Not even close.
And they pick up the flag, no explanation.
Here's a hint, Patriot Nation:
As the current apparent storyline goes in the NFL:
NFC Championship: Seattle vs. New Orleans (Cult of the 12th Man vs. Bountygate Redemption)
AFC Championship: Kansas City vs. Denver (Andy Reid Killing His Son For Football vs. Peyton Manning)
Well, the NFL finally may be hearing a little of the heat...
As of Sunday, we basically figured that Erik Walden of the Colts would be only stiffly fined for his headbutt of Tennessee's Delanie Walker.
Well, Monday, the NFL shocked us:
Indianapolis Colts: Erik Walden, SUSPENDED ONE GAME for the headbutt. The rationale, after the Monday war-room meeting, was that Walden should've been ejected from the contest (DUH!!!), and they will carry that over into a one-game suspension.
And, as Gomez would say in The Addams Family Pinball, "And that's not all!"
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dashon Goldson, AGAIN. THREE-TIME LOSER, his second trip to Supplemental, and the second attempt at SUSPENDED ONE GAME for a helmet-to-helmet on Atlanta's Roddy White.
Under the Remittance Policy, each of these actions costs $50,000 against the team number. Since the Buccaneers are well into Level 3, they are fined that $50,000. As of right now, the Buccaneers (thanks to Goldson almost single-handedly putting them into Level 3: $30,000 in Week 1, $50,000 counted against the number when he was fined $100,000 in Week 2, and another $50,000 against the number here for that part of his $264,705 he will lose) are the highest number on the board at $257,500 against the number, a full one hundred thousand dollars over the limit -- six weeks to go.
...unless he appeals again and wins. Of course, if he were to, he'd probably be damn near playing for free anyway.
I want to give you an idea of how much a fucking joke these fines are. You realize that Goldson, through 12 weeks (because he will sit Week 12 vs. Detroit -- Good God, the two dirtiest teams in the league getting it on), will have lost $394,705, been at least threatened with suspension twice...
The suspension will cost Walden over $175,000 himself.
I would not be surprised at all if Indianapolis almost goes Level 2 on this game single-handedly -- that one sequence in the second quarter culminating in the headbutt.
And, once again, some more catchup:
Week 10:
Philadelphia Eagles: Najee Goode, $10,000 for Roughing the Passer
Another for Cincinnati: Chris Crocker: $7,875 for a Face Mask
There are now four teams effectively (at least to my research) one fine away from Level 2.
Week 11 Score Update:
49 2/3 points/game last week.
Season per game average is 46.91, almost a full point past last year's number.
(Starting it now. Will be updated as info comes in.)
But, another drug suspension to start the week:
Jacksonville Jaguars: LaRoy Reynolds, 4 games for the drug policy. According to Spotrac, costs him about $95,000. Basically a rookie making the league minimum. Probably had to try the drugs just to stay in the NFL.
From the weekly NFL.com Ian Rapoport report:
Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey: $7,875 for a punch.
Miami #2: Philip Wheeler: $21,000 for roughing the passer in the head/neck.
Tennessee Titans: Bernard Pollard now becomes a FOUR-TIME LOSER. Another $15,750 for him (and $15,750 for the Titans) for unnecessary roughness. So, Mr. Goodell: He's back-to-back weeks, he's now been fined four times in nine games, and you can't suspend the son of a bitch? Nice policy you have there. $10K for a late hit week 2 of the preseason, an aggravated $42,000 for defenseless player in week 2, another $10K for another late hit week 9 (and I thought that was supposed to be doubled anyway for second offense), and another $15,750 this week. $77,750 for himself, plus you can tack on another $25,750 to the team for Level 3 (plus about a third of the $75,000 fined for getting there), and you don't have the decency to suspend him. The Titans become the third team this season to be fined over $300,000 for Player Safety fouls.
Cincinnati Bengals: Carlos Dunlap: $15,750 for a horse-collar tackle.
Atlanta Falcons: William Moore -- an unusual amount here for defenseless player in the head/neck: $22,050. This makes Moore a THREE-TIME LOSER FOUR-TIME LOSER (according to a Philadelphia article), two in three weeks. (The one I didn't have in my records was a $15,750 fine in Week 1 -- leading with the crown of the helmet.)
Seattle Seahawks: Michael Bennett: $15,750 for a knee shot on the quarterback.
Detroit Lions: Two more (and two more fines for the Lions team at Level 3) Nick Fairley (AGAIN): $15,750 for slamming an opponent to the ground.
Detroit Lions: Willie Young: $15,750 for roughing the passer. Both were fined for that Week 3 pre-season melee. Fairley is now a THREE-TIME LOSER this season, Young a TWO-TIME LOSER.
So add another $31,500 to the Lions total for the year. That is FIFTEEN FINES in NINE GAMES (plus the preseason) for the Lions. The Lions are now well over $425,000 themselves for the year. HYPOCRISY, HYPOCRISY, HYPOCRISY.
Green Bay Packers: Clay Matthews is now a TWO-TIME LOSER. $15,750 for roughing the passer.
Dallas Cowboys: Bruce Carter: $15,750 for a horse-collar tackle.
St. Louis Rams: Trumaine Johnson: $7,875 for a throat-slash gesture.
Chicago Bears: Charles Tillman: $7,875 for a face mask. A TWO-TIME LOSER.
San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kapernick: $7,875 for a face mask.
Add another doubled fine for the Redskins from Week 9: Chris Baker and the Level 3 Redskins fined $7,875 each for Baker's late hit vs. Minnesota.
Word is already out that Indianapolis' Erik Walden will get a "hefty fine" for his antics last night. That probably will get the supplemental treatment -- we probably get that Tuesday or Wednesday.
In looking for any teams not fined yet this year, I found out something shocking: FIFTEEN players (not just the five I have in my records) were fined in Week One of the PRESEASON...
Here are what I can find of the rest:
Tennessee Titans: Nigel Nicholas: $15,750 for Roughing the Passer. (Down the line, that fine is doubled.)
Pittsburgh Steelers: Jason Woriolds: $15,750 for Roughing the Passer. (The fines in pre-season are only collected if the player makes a roster -- but they still count against the number.)
St. Louis Rams: Ray-Ray Armstrong: $7,875 for a face mask.
Washington Redskins: Bacarri Rambo: $7,875 for a late hit. Double that one too down the line.
Seattle Seahawks: Antoine Winfield: $7,875 for a late hit.
Miami Dolphins: Jimmy Wilson: $7,875 for a late hit.
The Kansas City Chiefs are NOT clean for the season: Jalil Brown, $7,875 for a late hit.
Neither are the Oakland Raiders: Branidan Ross, $7,875 for a late hit.
Dallas Cowboys: Eric Frampton, another $7,875, another late hit.
Indianapolis Colts: Shawn Losieau, one final late hit for $7,875.
Nearly $160,000 total for WEEK ONE OF THE PRESEASON.
According to this article, a suspension under the Player Safety Initiative DOES COUNT vs. the number on the fine, up to $50,000.
Hence:
Put $50,000 against Houston's number (and put them in Level 2 and Level 3, so the league gets $75,000 from the team) for Antonio Smith's suspension for Week 1 -- cost him over $300,000, according to Spotrac.
Merriweather's suspension for the Redskins cost the team $50,000, not $16,725.
I didn't have a Fine Blotter for the last week of the pre-season. USA Today says I should've:
St. Louis Rams: Eric Stevens: $15,000 for unnecessary roughness.
Detroit Lions: Dominic Raiola: $7,875 for a face mask.
Miami Dolphins: Marvin McNutt: $7,875 for a face mask.
Houston Texans (then): Dennis Johnson: $7,875 for a face mask. (Johnson later went to the Browns.) (Tack on about another $1,875 for Level 3.)
New York Giants: Zak DeOssie: $7,875 for, you guessed it, a face mask.
Philadelphia Eagles: Bennie Logan: $7,875 for one more face mask.
This would leave ONLY the Minnesota Vikings left as unfined for the year. I'm looking for more.
I present to you the results of a play from tonight's Thursday night contest between Indianapolis and Tennessee...
So this apparently is the THIRD CONSECUTIVE PLAY the Colts have been at it with the Titans per a personal foul.
5:32 left in the second quarter, 14-3 Tennessee. 3rd and 2 for Tennessee on their 41.
Indy commits two penalties on the play. Not only do they commit defensive pass interference on an incomplete short pass, but also Roughing the Passer on Robert Mathis.
Next play. 1st and 10, Indy 44, Cassius Vaughn gets Unnecessary Roughness. That's another 15.
The play above is play 3. 1st and 10, Indy 29, and Erik Walden of the Colts gets ANOTHER 15 for ripping off the helmet of Delanie Walker and then headbutting him.
Walden IS NOT TOSSED -- again, even though this is the THIRD CONSECUTIVE PLAY that the Colts have been flagged for at least one major foul.
Walker punches Walden, in front of the officials. HE'S NOT TOSSED EITHER.
And will someone please explain to me why the officials do not have the ability to award points for Persistent Infringement of this nature. Again, THREE CONSECUTIVE ROUGHNESS FOULS. To me, that's automatic six points to the other team. Penalty Touchdown.
If you aren't willing to fine these criminal motherfuckers enough or suspend them to get the point across, YOU WILL HAVE INCIDENTS LIKE THIS, Mr. Goodell.
So, let's see:
$15,750 for Roughing the Passer on Mathis.
$7,875 (or more) for Vaughn
And then for Walden...
Walden damned well should be suspended for the headbutt. Jon Bostic got $21,000 for a headbutt in the preseason. Tack on the likes of $7,875 for ripping another player's helmet off (Paul Kruger, Week 2)...
I could easily see an aggravator making that about $50,000 or so.
And then $15K for the retaliation punch.
Yeah, Mr. Goodell. Player Safety... Riiiiiiiiiiiiight...
Tonight, breaking news from Florida that Jameis Winston is being investigated for a role in a December, 2002 sexual assault.
The question I've been asking numerous people on all sides is: WHY NOW? Why did this case just go to the state attorneys this week, and then become public and picked up by most of the media (sport and otherwise)...
I don't think it's any secret that Jameis Winston, the stud freshman QB for Florida State, has been the single most recognizable player in college football this year (yes, above even Manziel).
If this gets enough legs, could we see a weird call in the ACC title game? The computers go a shade wacky? The human pollsters wanting another team?
Well, Thursday and Sunday went 8-for-12 -- fully two-thirds of the games this week so far were within one score.
That's now 75 out of 144 in that way.
Cliffhanger Index?
Not on Lions-Bears, but not for lack of trying. The winning score was with 2:22 left for the Lions, and the Bears had a two-point conversion to tie with 40 seconds left.
Jacksonville got it's first win -- and the last score which made the difference? A defensive touchdown with about 2:30 to go, which was answered by Tennessee.
Baltimore beat Cincinnati in overtime for one.
Carolina scored the last 10 to beat San Francisco, but the 53-yarder that won it was with just over 10 minutes to play.
So only ONE on the Cliffhanger Index, making 31 total.
And the names just keep on coming as far as CTE damage due to football.
Mark Duper and Tony Dorsett have both tested positive for signs of CTE, as have Leonard Marshall and Joe DeLamielleure.
These are biggies, so how many more are living out life with scrambled brains for our entertainment -- and that they no longer wear the uniform, we don't care anymore...
If anyone believes that this doesn't shine a light on some very dark corners of our sport culture in this country, you had better get a fucking wake-up call and you had better get one quick.
What is going on in Miami right now is the exposition of something that basically exposes the culture of the sport of football as rape-friendly, violence-friendly, bully-friendly, and hostile to anything human.
I look at this Richie Incognito thing, and I recall the incident on Long Island of a bunch of kids going to a football camp and being sodomized in the back of the bus by the older players with broomsticks.
It's as if they are trying to literally rape the humanity right out of the players so that they turn into Richie Incognitos or something that the coaches can basically turn into animals.
I look at the cheerleaders on the sidelines and think "Rape Harem".
I look at the halftime shows -- doubly so.
(And all this "Blame the Victim" stuff is double-speak. After seeing legal cases where cheerleaders attempt to get their legal rights against athletes, and the results thereof, it is clear that, at certain people and by certain people, all forms of reprehensible violence have become acceptable.)
And then to hear the stories of what is being said about Jonathan Martin, one has to wonder when we're going to literally start seeing players get attacked by angry mobs of fans because of the fealty to football.
A rigged, mafioso "sport" that is designed to rape, pillage, and plunder until there is literally nothing left.
Wake the fuck up or get fucked up, America. I know of more than a few people who are willing to start the latter.
The Miami Dolphins are about to completely die as a going concern as a competitive football franchise.
And, given the state of the other two teams in Florida (combined 0-16 through nine weeks), that's not good.
This Richie Incognito thing is spiraling quickly.
His dad is a co-participant, it appears.
They were actually trying to get this player to kill himself or subjugate himself to Incognito.
This pigfucker Incognito was actually a captain of the Dolphins and part of their Leadership Council.
Goodell has to ban Incognito.
Then, he has to basically force the Dolphins ownership to clean house. Coach? Gone. GM? Gone. Probably most of the rest of the Leadership of the team -- gone too.
But how many more things are we going to find out over the course of the next few days and weeks?
Well, how do you like that? Both prime-time weekend games get within a touchdown, with the Sunday nighter with a tying field goal at the gun!!
NINE of the 13 games played this week did that. That's a total of 67 out of 132 - more than half of all the games (and this is with two teams headed for 0-16, one may well heading to 16-0, and Seattle and Denver) within one score.
Nothing further on the Cliffhanger Index (though I should count reasoned attempts at the gun which fail), so 4 for a total of 30. A little less than usual on that end.
As for the score itself...
Average total for the week: FIFTY-ONE POINT THREE. (51.31)
Highest scoring ANY WEEK since Week 7 2010.
9 Week total average per game: 46.84 (almost a point and a quarter OVER last year).
I've talked to some people about it, and it's two factors:
1) The Rule Changes
2) Pieces of Shit on the Field Who Don't Know How To Play Football
According to Pro Football Reference, no quarterback had thrown for seven touchdowns since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 until Peyton Manning did it in Week 1. Well, now make that two in nine weeks: Nick Foles got 7 TD's against the Raiders this week. This is all coninkydink, right?
Comebacks by league-preferred teams in Seattle (0-21 to 27-24) and Indianapolis (3-21 to ... 27-24!!)... All legit, right?
In the last 24 hours, we've had two NFL head coaches head to the hospital either dizzy or collapsing. John Fox and Gary Kubiak.
Brandon Meriweather has made good on his promises. He's now trying to take out people's legs and knees, according to SI.com's Audibles section.
Speaking of fucking thugs who have no place the National Football League, the continuing story of (at least for now) former Miami offensive lineman Jonathan Martin has gained significant traction on this NFL Sunday.
Today, Martin officially has alleged misconduct in the form of bullying by other players on the Miami Dolphins, which resulted in his departure from the team last week.
This appears to be part of a much larger culture of veterans bullying younger players, with reports that at least one rookie went completely broke by being forced to pay for veterans. The team was aware that Martin was having problems with his teammates as early as this Spring.
And the first axe has fallen: The Miami Dolphins, tonight, have suspended indefinitely...
Richie Incognito.
Dear Lord, him again!!!
And apparently Incognito, believed to be one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, doesn't take that dirtiness just to his opponents...
Matt Miller @nfldraftscout 1m
Garafolo: "Multiple sources told me Martin's camp informed Dolphins and
NFLPA that Incognito sent threatening and racially charged texts"
(From footballsfuture.com and it's NFL News forum)
This motherfucker better hope it's not true. He's probably in prison if it is.
As of the end of Week 7, the last time I did this:
106 NFL games had been played.
Precisely half of them ended at or inside a margin of 8 points.
25 of them had the game-winning score in the last two minutes or in overtime.
Week 8:
The Lions and Cowboys combine for 41 fourth-quarter points. The Lions win 31-30, on a game that was 13-7 Dallas entering the period, with just 12 seconds to go.
Chiefs over the Browns 23-17, but the Chiefs had 23 through three quarters.
The Giants defeated the Eagles 15-7.
The Raiders beat the Steelers 21-18, but the Steelers scored 15 in the last quarter to make it close.
And that Monday Night Debacle: Seahags 14 - Rams 9.
Cliffhanger Index of only 1 last week.
So, out of 119 games, 58 were within one score, and 26 decided in the last two minutes.
Sounds like they made up for it this week. As of 12:23 PM this afternoon, every game on the schedule being played or had been played for this week was within one score. That's a decent degree into the 4th quarter of the 10 AM PST starts.
The Thursday night game ended in an overtime SAFETY. This, really, should almost count for THREE in the Cliffhanger Index. The Bengals broke a 17-17 tie with 1:24 left on a 54 yard field goal. The game was retied with 12 seconds to go at 20-20 when the Dolphins hit a 44 yard field goal. And then the safety for the 22-20 Dolphins win.
Dallas wins 27-23 on a late-game Tony Romo drive that ended with a touchdown pass with 35 seconds to go.
Tennessee defeated the Rams 28-21 -- just outside the Cliffhanger Index, as a Chris Johnson run was the difference with just under three minutes to play.
Jets upset New Orleans 26-20.
Washington needs overtime and a two-spot on the Cliffhanger Index to beat San Diego 30-24, as San Diego tied the game with a short field goal in the last three seconds of regulation.
Seattle needed overtime (and a touchdown in the last two minutes of regulation) to beat Tampa Bay (???) 27-24 after Tampa raced to a 21-0 lead. In Seattle. (If you believe that one...)
And Cleveland beat Baltimore 24-18.
This means that no less than SEVEN of the 11 games played so far this week have been decided by 8 points or less.
4 needed the Cliffhanger Index (and 3 of those did so in manners of multiple scores within the Index).
Deadspin reports today that, because of how bad Tom Landry got fucked over by Jerry Jones on his way out the door...
Tom Landry, according to his widow, died a New York Giants fan.
So, let's see, you money-grubbing palace-building pigfucker Jerry Jones, it was basically more important for you to...
have bought the team with the express intent to fire Landry and hire Jimmy Johnson as your new coach...
the Landry family suite at the old stadium was taken away...
but Tom's son was banned from buying season tickets for the Cowboys.
So you have done so much to piss off the family of the entire damn legacy of the Cowboys before you that that legacy died a Giants fan, and his wife continues to cheer for the other three teams in the division.
Week was heading for 50 points per game, but then the Seahags had to go screw it up.
Average for Week 8: 47.38, highest Week 8 since 2004.
8 week per-game average: 46.35, now about three-quarters of a point above last year.
And now the Blotter:
We begin with someone getting the heave-ho from the league:
Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon is now suspended indefinitely -- STRIKE THREE on the Drug policy.
And now Week 8's monetary shenanigans:
Speaking of the Seahags: Golden Tate: $7,875 for waving goodbye to the St. Louis Rams while scoring a touchdown. Not only is this taunting, but the league is now considering going to the college rule -- you do that, the points come off the board! (About damn freaking time!!) That makes him a TWO-TIME LOSER this season.
Buffalo Bills: Mario Williams: $7,875 for a face mask on Drew Brees of the Saints.
Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden: $7,875 for a late hit.
New York Jets: David Nelson: $7,875 for unnecessary roughness.
ANY more fines for the Jets put them back in Level 2 status. (Jets total against the number: $101,375)
Cincinnati Bengals: Vontaze Burfict, at it again. $21,000 for spearing. He becomes the first player to become a THREE-TIME LOSER in three separate games this year. (Merriweather was suspended for offenses two and three in Week 7.)
Atlanta Falcons got two: Osi Umeniyora: $15,750 for a helmet-to-helmet job.
Atlanta Falcons: William Moore, same fine and offense. TWO-TIME LOSER -- Falcons have 4 fines, all $15,750 -- Moore has two of them.
Denver Broncos: Wesley Woodyard: Another $15,750, another helmet-to-helmet job.
Denver Broncos: Kevin Wilkerson: $7,875 for a late hit. TWO-TIME LOSER in back-to-back weeks.
Detroit Lions: Joseph Fauria: $7,875 for a late hit.
Detroit Lions: Team: $7,875 for $-$ on Level 3.
A catch-up:
Carolina Panthers: Apparently, according to this article, Mike Mitchell is a FIVE-TIME LOSER. Mitchell's fine for taunting Sam Bradford after the play which injured him was apparently his fourth $7,875 fine of the season to go along with $15,500 one time.
This puts the Panthers right at the Level 2 number: $101,250.
Appears to be all so far.
Week 8: $ 123,375
Total for 8 weeks: $2,344,875 (by my spreadsheet)
