Getting back to some other stories of manipulations for television's sake and somesuch:
- La Liga in Spain is going to start punishing soccer teams if, in the interest of television, fans are not redistributed such that the "hard camera" shows that there appears to be more fans in the stadium than there actually are. Doesn't help that, even with the good teams in Madrid, the average La Liga game is about 65% filled, according to figures obtained for a Wikipedia page on sports attendance through worldfootball.net.
Source on this story:
- The account published this report two days ago that Brian Tuohy also picked up on and retweeted.
- The NFL is tightening the screws on both the networks and their talent. As part of the new Thursday package which now splits the season between the NFL Network, NBC, and CBS. For NBC, they must use their Sunday crew for the Thursday games, the NFL claiming that NBC actually stated Al Michaels and Cris Collingsworth would do double-duty -- something which some feel is news to the 71 year-old Michaels, and spurns NBC's signing of Mike Tirico. (Deadspin)
- Love the first comment on that article, at least when I pulled it up. When someone posted a Twitter of how bad Phil Simms sucked, the first response was basically saying that if the NFL pulled Simms for being bad, it would be admitting CTE is real.
- Something to keep in mind with UFC here, people: Many experts felt that, for the future of UFC and having stars build the brand, that Conor McGregor had to win the rematch with Nate Diaz (which he won by a majority decision, meaning one judge had the fight a draw). Some people have even told McGregor that he is effectively worth the $4 billion price tag the UFC was sold for. So... Hmmmmmmm.... (ABC News)
- McGregor is banned from MMA for six months. No, not drugs. Often, sanctioning bodies, after fighters get beat up, will ban fighters from fights (and even practice contact) for certain periods of time. McGregor's foot and ankle were injured in the fight. Diaz was banned 30 days. Dana White says there will be no trilogy fight, but both fighters and the world think otherwise. (Sports Illustrated)
- Brock Lesnar has been suspended for drugs, though by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for pissing hot at UFC 200.
- That lawyer who was thinking of suing the NFL for the Hall of Fame Game (more specifically, that the game had been cancelled long before the fans were on-site, and that the NFL bilked them for pre-game parties and the like) did try to sue, but Deadspin reports the lawsuit was "voluntarily dismissed". It sounds like it will be re-filed in Los Angeles, according to sports law attorney Daniel Wallach.
- EDIT TO ADD ~12 noon 8/24: And the reason it will be refiled is that the person who relayed the game had actually been cancelled long beforehand is... The Colts' punter!! Enjoy your last few moments in the NFL, Pat McAfee. Oh, and take a drug test after that 67 yard punt you just did too -- one of three 60+ yard punts he had in the week one preseason game with Buffalo. (CBS Sports)
- McAfee actually said he'd have been offended had the NFL not sent him a note to be drug-tested after that game.
- Deadspin also has videos of fan brawls in both of Los Angeles' home preseason games. Only the first involved Rams fans. The second involved Chiefs fans fighting among themselves.
- You know, since the NFL actually wanted teams in LA so badly, they might well have wanted to tell the referees about it once it happened. Two players were ejected in last week's Rams-Chiefs game (dammit, I almost did this too!), and the referee did not get the memo...
- Two stories about how much Important Man can get away with. First, the judge who sentenced swimmer Brock Turner to only six months in jail for rape has been forced to recuse himself from another sex crimes case -- and there are now several recall petitions up and running against him. (Jezebel)
- And this corker out of Massachusetts: David Becker was charged with sexually assaulting two classmates while unconscious. The judge made no finding in the case, and gave Becker probation. Becker would've been banned from college otherwise, and his lawyer played all the cards as one might expect when the court finds sexual assaults by athletes a perfectly acceptable result. (Deadspin)
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