It's Happened, Part Two: They Finally Did It!

(Required:  All "deep research" statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.)

NFL history was made yesterday, and it is about the least surprising bit of history one can think of when you think of the NFL of the last....  about 15 years.

The Raiders were so bad in one respect that, had they not been so bad, David Carr would actually have broken the long-standing major NFL record for passing yards in a single game.  He had 514 yards against Tampa Bay yesterday, but another 71 was called back due to this statistic.  The NFL record, Norm van Brocklin with 554.

But the Raiders still broke another record, and it's the one that most NFL fans would think the Raiders had broken about four times by now:

They committed 23 penalties in the win over Tampa, for 200 yards.

The 23 penalties is an NFL record, eclipsing the old mark of 22, set three times -- twice in 1944, once in 1998.

The 200 yards is not a record, though.  It is third on the NFL list.  Tennessee had 212 yards vs. Baltimore on October 10, 1999.  Cleveland had 209 yards vs. Chicago on November 25, 1951.

Here's the oddest statistic of that lot:  As of today, teams that have had 200 or more yards of accepted penalties assessed against them are 3-0!!!

On the tying drive for Tampa Bay, the Raiders had 12 men on the field -- twice!

On an extra point, they had nine at some point.

At least one player should've been ejected for a punch.

I think it's clear that Fine Friday is going to be an active day around Oakland.

It's Happened, Part One: Hell Has Frozen Over

The NFL's ratings woes just took another hit.

Sunday night was Game 5 of the World Series.  It was also one of the marquee matchups in the NFL:  Dallas vs. Philadelphia -- with America's Team continuing it's march to Houston, it appears...

(Gee, Week 8 and there appear to be THREE relevant teams.)

Anyway:

• World Series:  15.3
• NFL:  11.6

The NFL just got beat by THIRTY PERCENT in the overnight ratings.

It is the third time since the NFL Sunday package debuted that the World Series won (they also won in 2011 and 2013, but by far lesser margins, according to Sports Media Watch).

This is one reason the New York Daily News now believes FOX wants the Cubs to lose, knowing they will dominate the National League for some time and can come back next year.

I don't think so for two reasons:  They so obviously slanted the NLCS that no other team was basically playing.

And do you really want to risk televising a mass Cub-fan suicide?  (And I don't entirely mean that in a humorous manner!)

And here we go with another week of big hits and little fines for them...

Starting with one so bad that Sports Illustrated's Greg Bedard was left scratching his head as to why he wasn't suspended...

From FOX Sports and former NFL head of officiating Mike Periera, on a crackback block defenseless hit with the shot to the head:

... who spends the entire video saying that, since it was a "football act", no ejection, no suspension.

Not to mention it would be an ejection in every other professional sport and college and high school football...

So...

• Miami Dolphins:  Jarvis Landry:  $24,309 for that hit.

Small price to pay to put somebody in the hospital, right Jarvis?  Hell, he might have ended Aaron Williams' career with that hit!

Also last week:

• Green Bay Packers:  Clay Matthews:  $18,231 for breaking Brian Hoyer's arm.
• New York Giants:  Owa Odighizuwa:  $12,154 for an illegal pick-six touchdown celebration.  He "took a picture" of his teammates.

That's it.  We know where this is going!  Next year, it WILL BE 15 to do anything but hand the ball to the ref and go back to the sideline.

• Buffalo Bills:  He's BACK!!!  Richie Incognito:  $9,115 for his role in a scuffle and throwing a helmet -- and proud of every penny he spent of it.
• Miami Dolphins:  Andre Branch:  $12,154 for putting Incognito on his ass just beforehand.
• Detroit Lions:  Anquan Boldin:  $6,076 for providing an illegal souvenir.  (Football into stands)
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Malik Jackson:  $24,309 for being ejected under the unsportsmanlike conduct rule.  Jackson, last year with the Broncos, was one of a number of players fined for a Super Bowl scuffle that led to the first-ever Super Bowl ejection.

That's all I can find for the moment.  The Giants, however, pass the first threshold for accumulated fines, and if the system is the same as it has been, can send another $50,000 across town to the league offices any time now.

Week 7 Score Report, or: Waiting While The NFL Figures Out What The Fuck It's Doing...

First off, one of the few relevant stats of the year so far:

Nevada sportsbooks won $41.0 million in September, including $36.9 million on football.

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) October 27, 2016

Oh gee, what a shock.

And you wonder why?  Weeks like this one:

• Last year, Start of Week 8:  Five undefeated teams.  This year:  ZERO!
• Week 7 average:  42.267 PPG.  (Last year:  46.43  Two years ago:  43.67)
• 7 week per game average:  45.36  (Last year:  46.60  Two years ago:  46.273)

Would stand about to reason with the new emphases on defense and the cracking down on personality on the offensive players.  Makes the Seattle kicker shank in overtime even more shocking/laughable.

• Home teams were 9-4-1 this week.  (8-5 last year, 12-3 the year before)
• Home teams are now 61-42-1 for the year.  (.591)  (Last year:  .592  Two years ago:  .624)
• How'd we get this equalization?  Easy!  Home teams are 21-7-1 the last two weeks.

I do get quite the sense of "retrenching" in the NFL right now (and am beginning to wonder, if the Legion of Boom does not get another run, whether we are headed for (Be Good Wittle) Patriots vs. (America's Team) Cowboys).

• Over was 6-9 for the week.  (Last year:  7-7  Two years ago:  6-8)
• Over for the season:   56-50, or about an even proposition once you take off the juice.  (Last year about the same, two years ago was quite a losing proposition for the over.)

Slightly surprising given the downtick in scoring, but maybe Vegas saw this coming.

• Favorites:  6-8-1 against the spread, 7-7-1 straight up.  (Last year:  6-7-1 ATS.)
• For the year, favorites:   44-51-5 ATS, 56-43-1 straight up.  (Last year:  44-53-8 ATS.)

And here's where Vegas is raking it in.  If you bet one unit on every favorite against the number so far this year, you'd be -11 units for the year, almost a unit and a half to the bad every week.

• Team with more penalties was 4-8 this week (with three games with equal penalties).  38-56 now for the year.

Sending a message, NFL?

• Got the triple Cliffhanger with the stupidity in Arizona Sunday night, and a double Last Chance Miss to boot! 
• Double Cliffhanger in San Diego -- tying field goal near the gun, San Diego wins it with one in OT.
• Four Cliffhangers this week.  (Last year's Week 7 had one.)
• For the season:  22/106 are Cliffhangers.  (20.75%)  (Last year:  23/105 (21.9%)  Two years ago:  20/105 (18.87%))

I didn't realize until just now that I didn't do the Week 6 this time around.  I've been sick for a while, so it's not surprising.  That said, the normalization probably has come with the fact that we've had four Cliffhangers each of the last two weeks!)

• With the combination in Arizona, 4 Last Chance Misses last week, 33 for the year.  

That means, rough back of napkin, about half the games this year in the NFL have either featured a lead change in the final two minutes or overtime or a reasoned chance that that happens.

• Only one other game finished within one score for eight total.  67 for the year (63.2% -- almost 2/3 of all the games this year are finishing with a margin <= 8 points.)   (Last year:  55 for 52.38%.  Two years ago:  44 for 41.9%)
• 5 non-competitive games this week (almost 6).  79/106 for the year within one score at some point in the fourth quarter (74.52%) (Last year had 72 such games, two years ago had 68.)

And the continuing ratings slump, from Sports Media Watch:

• Monday night down 14% ratings, 8% viewers (all percentages vs. 2015).  Represents the fifth of the eight MNF games to fail to reach a 7.0 rating, more than the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons put together (which had a total of four).
• FOX has fallen victim to the slump after an uncharacteristic strong start.  Double-digit percent down (13% ratings, 12% viewers) this week for their single game.  Fifth of the last six slots after a good start.
• CBS had the doubleheader, and it wasn't good.  Regional first half was down 11% ratings, 9% viewers.  National second half was down 13% and 11% respectively.
• Thursday night is a mess.  Packers-Bears didn't draw well at all.  Down 17% in ratings, and 19th out of the 22 NFL Network/CBS Thursday night simulcasts.
• The wacko game Sunday night was the one outlier, at least in raw numbers.  Though down 16% ratings and 14% viewers year over year, it did become the first SNF game in three weeks to break a 10 rating.

And it sounds like the narrative is now working for the Cubs...

• I did say that when Eric Karros said on FS1 that the Cubs were good for ratings, it was untrue.  Then, it was.
• Every game since has been gangbusters for FOX.  Games 1 and 2 of the World Series have been bonanzas for the main network because of all the Cub-fan masturbation:  Best World Series ratings since 2009.  Game 1 up 26% ratings, 30% viewers year over year.  Game 2 overnights are up 22% in ratings.
• Same was true for Game 5 and 6 of the NLCS. 
• Prepare to puke, and prepare for Wrigley to burn.

Murka and Fucked-Up Heads, Fuck Yeah!!!

A poll released today just confirmed some of the worst fears for some of us who actually still believe in this archaic philosophy of what is called "Rights".

Colin Kaepernick and his ilk are about to be literally drummed out of this league.  It now appears that there is confirmation that his national anthem/Black Lives Matter protests are at least SOME of the reason that the league is suffering anywhere from a 10 to 25 percent reduction in ratings this season...

Seton Hall Sports, one of the few university-based sports polling franchises out there, has been following the Colin Kaepernick story for some time.  On September 28, 2016, though a 2-1 majority (largely skewing older) disapprove of his protests, a 4-1 majority do believe he has the right to do so.

Well, given the reality of what the courts have ruled with respect to rights and employability by private organizations, I would assume today's released results will put a kibosh on these protests good and proper:

• 56% believe the ratings drop has at least some basis in the Kaepernick protests.
• This was the highest of five such proposed reasons.  The election was a 50-50 split on that regard.
• 44% actually believe there are too many games spread over too many nights now.
• 39%, surprisingly, put the blame on postseason baseball.  I'd like to know what they are smoking.
• Fully one-third actually believe some of the ratings decline may be due to a decline in the level of play plus head injuries.

The poll was taken this week from 841 people.

So, How Long Before Goodell Gets Univision to Shut Down Deadspin?

Brett Favre's Vikings Had a "Bounty" Program Too

Evidence from Brett Favre's book indicates the Vikings, like the Saints in their infamous Super Bowl season, had a bounty program to eliminate opposing players too.

The article then goes into how Favre was effectively eliminated from the league for good by the New Orleans Saints in one of the largest-scale cheapshot-fests in NFL history.

If you ever want evidence as to why the league does not care for the health of the players, watch this video -- repeatedly, if need be.

So, the NFL is safe as ever, eh???

Then please explain Arian Foster's sudden retirement, yet another in a growing list of people recognizing their bodies cannot take this game and are leaving it...

A Thought on Day 1 of the 2016 World Series That Might Make Good People Sick

When the Chicago Cubs get their championship rings, I hope they get a few more for the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Fox, and almost every other conceivable media outlet out there.

What I witnessed from my California perspective over the last two weeks is one of the most blatant and disgusting media hack-jobs in history.

I should've taken initial notice when Brian Tuohy made mention of Sergio Romo's reaction (laughing) at the series-clinching double for the Cubs in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Giants.

I should've understood just how much the media was preparing to snowball this thing completely out of control.

But nothing could've prepared me for something straight out of the David $tern, National Bulls Association playbook.

If I didn't know better, I'd say Rob Manfred is going to try to rebuild baseball on the backs of these Cubs and a shit-ton of championships, like the Bullshitters in the NBA, the Patriots of post-9/11 NFL, etc.

It's been a long, long time since I've seen such a media narrative go for one team, pretty much from Day One this season – that this IS “Next Year” and that the Cubs will lift the Commissioner's Trophy.

Cleveland: If you get two games off these sorry-assed motherfuckers, I will be shocked.

There are numerous situations regarding this series (“The Cubs' Road To The World Series” in SI, the “Cubs Confidence Meter” on ESPN, the completely-slanted NLDS crew for FOX Sports 1 – including an Eric Karros (yep, the former Cub!!) quip stating the Cubs are great for ratings... even though Sports Media Watch has indicated only Game 5 has really gone THAT well in this series!) to indicate that there was no interest in any other thing than the Cubs.

Disgusting, when you had a team that, until three weeks ago, appeared to have a pulse and so much to play for, until it became clear the umpires (between the strike zones and that pivotal replay upholding in Game 4 that was the end of the series) had every interest in ensuring the media narrative.

Are we literally at the point where everything has to be like public office? You don't get in without media coronation???

Were the Giants and Dodgers (and Mets and Nationals) truly just interlopers, wastes of time, media?

And before we get into this “lovable loser” bullshit, two more for the entire situation to snack on here:

1. Hillary Clinton seemed overjoyed at the concept of a Cubs World Series. She might well NOT have been overjoyed at the Benghazi-laced hit-ad done against her on FS1 during Game Six – an ad paid for by a Super-PAC that, if Deadspin is correct, was largely funded by the owners of the Cubs!!!  (Could this lead to a concept that the preferential media treatment be bought and paid for?  One has to wonder...)
2. And speaking of that Game 6, the lovable losers of the Cubs' fandom promptly celebrated by all -but-pissing on the wives of Dodgers' players. Brett Anderson, pitcher for the Dodgers, had some words for the Cubs fans, and he's been pissed on ever since. 

Gee, you think Packers fans are not bitter over the Seahawks?

Tonight's game was probably one of the greatest examples of why the NFL is probably wanting everyone to finish 8-8 except New England and one of Minnesota, Seattle, and Philadelphia.

3-0 at the end of 3 quarters.  All of these are courtesy of Pro Football Reference:

• There had been only 10 games since 1940 in which three or fewer points had been scored.  (Two in the 1940's actually ended 0-0, the other 8 were 3-0, the last was in 2007 (MIA 3 - PIT 0).
• Seattle scores a field goal after a blocked punt to get to 3-3.  The game goes to overtime.  It is the first NFL game since 1940 to end 3-3 at regulation. 
• Only 25 games have ended with six or fewer points.
• Each team gets a field goal on their first possession, 6-6 now.
• Arizona has 3rd and goal on the 1, takes a delay penalty, then the kicker screws up a 24 yard field goal, Seattle gets the ball.
• They have 2nd and goal at the 10, and it looks like we can crown the new apparent narrative and prepare for a rematch of two years ago...  Right??
• 24 yard field goal wide left, and the game ends the first 6-6 tie in NFL since 1972, hence the first ever regular-season overtime 6-6 tie.  (The regular-season overtime rule started in 1974!)

So why the title of the post?

Chris Roth, the sports director of WBAY in Green Bay, recording a morning sports spot for probably the 7:25 AM newsbreak, when he sees the missed field goal...

Chris's reaction to the missed field goal ... when recording morning sports 😂 @rothchris @WBAY #SEAvsAZ #TVbloopers pic.twitter.com/WmlJ3qlQdB

— Matt Hietpas (@MattyHip) October 24, 2016

(From Matt Hietpas of WBAY.)

And here we go with the farce of the Week 6 fine list...

• Carolina Panthers:  Dawann Short:  $18,231...  for punching Drew Brees in the mouth.
• Washington Redskins:  Vernon Davis:  $12,154:  Touchdown celebration.
• New York Giants:  You knew this one was coming:  Odell Beckham Jr., for last week's elaborate touchdown ceremony:   $24,309  Technically, for removing his helmet thereto, but...
• New England Patriots:  Julian Edelman:  $9,115 for a facemask.
• New England Patriots:  Rob Gronkowski:  $9,115 for taunting.
• New England Patriots:  LaGarette Blount:  $9,115 for unnecessary roughness.
• Detroit Lions:  Glover Quin:  $24,309 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

That's $180K+ already, and there's more coming, you can be sure.  Found all but the Quin one on Twitter, the Quin one was in a story with Beckham's on NFL.com

Josh Brown ousted in obvious PR move.

Josh Brown will be off the Giants for good once he is placed on the Commissioner's Reserve List for domestic violence, due to new admissions...

Of course, if this league actually gave a damn about domestic violence, Brown wouldn't have even been with this team in the first damned place this year, but let's not let this nasty thing called FACTS get in the way of a good narrative.

Brian pulls one out of the fire again:

From Brian Tuohy's Twitter tonight...

Finally an owner speaks the truth! https://t.co/dEOpkq6lZr

— Brian Tuohy (@TheFixIsInTuohy) October 20, 2016

This is from the New York Post.  We now probably have our first major player to be cut over the National Anthem protests.

Antonio Cromartie was cut from the Indianapolis Colts on October 4.  The Post reports that his wife now believes that he was cut after two actions of protesting the National Anthem.

But then his wife posts this to her Instagram...

Jim Irsay with a note warning Cromartie after the first protest:

"I think it's the wrong venue.  It hasn't been a positive thing.  What we all have to be aware of as players, owners, PR people, equipment managers is that when the lights go on we are entertainment. We are being paid to put on a show.  There are other places to express yourself."

(Emphases mine.)

This effectively continues to prove the games rigged, and is setting the table for a very real, if not a very violent, end to these protests...  SOON.

2016 Fine Blotter: More of Week 5, First of Week 6

• Washington Redskins:  DeSean Jackson:  $6,076 for uniform violation.
• Miami Dolphins:  Jason Jones:  $18,231 for Roughing the Passer
• Tennessee Titans:  Ben Jones:  $9,115 for Taunting.
• Houston Texans:  Jadaevon Clowney:  $9,115 for a Face Mask.
• Buffalo Bills:  Corbin Bryant:  $9,115 for a Face Mask
• Buffalo Bills:  Adolphus Washington:  $18,231 for Roughing the Passer

That was the rest of Week 5.

As for the first of Week 6, only took the shithead three games from his suspension....

• Cincinnati Bengals:  Vontaze Burfict is back!!  $75,000 fine, but NO SUSPENSION, for two dirty hits in last week's game.

What's the matter?  Afraid you might actually have to throw somebody out of the league for dirty hits?

This means that, at the end of Week 5, at least from what I've seen reported, the New Orleans Saints are the only team in the NFL this season not to be fined.

Updates: Kyrigos banned eight weeks, and NFL ratings continue to tank

• This morning, the ATP officially banned Nick Kyrigos eight weeks for match-fixing his Shanghai Masters exit last week.  He can have it reduced to three by taking a psych evaluation with an ATP-approved psychologist, but I am guessing any real psychologist might have Kyrigos out more than eight weeks, because there is a serious problem there.  What it is, I don't know.  But this is the second major suspension he's gotten from the ATP, and I can't think the next one might have him looking for a new career.
• Speaking of new careers, the fixers running the NFL right now may need to find a new propaganda crew.  Ratings are still shit.
• Sports Media Watch Week 5 (didn't put this one on the score report):  The Thursday night game between the Cardinals and 49ers was the lowest-rated primetime football contest in eight years.
• CBS' national window for last week was down about 20% (Cowboys/Bengals), but Tom Brady's return actually caused almost a 10% gain in the regional window.
• Giants/Packers was down 21% from last year -- even with the second "debate", that's still not good for the NFL.
• FOX had one game last week, and that was down 14% year over year.
• And Monday Night Football for last week was down 27% year over year to a 5.6, only eclipsed by one game (Christmas Eve 2007) before the first debate this year.
• Early numbers for this week aren't much better.  The Thursday Night Football game for CBS and NFL Network was down about 6%.
• No word yet on the national slots, but Sunday Night Football didn't seem to fare that well...

Holy moly. primetime NFL malaise carries on, that’s down a massive 38% from the week 6 2015 Pats-Colts 14.6 https://t.co/PsoFb6gQYs

— Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) October 17, 2016

Colin Kaepernick is Right, and, for this, he's also soon to be dead.

Colin Kaepernick was named the starter for the woeful 49ers this week in Buffalo.

Boos, jeers, "USA!" chants...

And a shirt which basically has him in crosshairs, sold outside the stadium for $10 a pop.

Colin Kaepernick is going to die for this, and probably within the next four weeks, at the rate the rhetoric is being ramped up.

Week 5 2016 Fine Blotter so far...

• San Francisco 49ers:  Carlos Hyde:  $9,115 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
• Philadelphia Eagles:  Fletcher Cox:  $9,115 for ripping the helmet off of a sacked quarterback.

There might've been a cleat one from earlier in the week.  I'll check for more.

Week 5 Score Report: NFL Breaks a Record

• Week 5 average:  2014:  47.07  2015:  46.29  This year:  44.64
• 5 Week total average:  2014:  46.37  2015:  46.26  This year:  45.38
• Home teams this week:  2014:  11-4  2015 and this year:  7-7
• Home teams total for five weeks:  2014:  49-26  2015:  42-34  This year:  41-35
• Over:  2014:  7-8  2015 and this year:  7-7
• Over for five weeks:  2014:  39-37 ish  2015:  37-39 ish  2016:  41-35
• Favorites:  2015:  5-6-3  2016:  7-6-1 ATS 8-6 straight up (Packers pushed at -7)
• Favorites for the season:  2015: 33-37-7  This year:  34-35-1 against the number, 40-30 straight up.
• Only 175 penalties in the 14 games.  Team with more penalties was 5-7, 30-38 for the season.
• Two Cliffhangers, including the Monday nighter.  Other was the Detroit win.  14 for the year.  Last year, Week 5 had six, 19 total.
• Four Last Chance Misses.  24 for the year, 2 of them overlapping with Cliffhangers.  Meaning out of the first 77 NFL games, 36 of them were either Cliffhangers or Last Chance Misses.
• Only one other game (the Packer-Giant game Sunday night) was decided within one score.  51 for the year.
• A new NFL record was set when you include games within one score at some point in the 4th quarter, from Mike Signora, the CP of Football Communications of the NFL (through Brian Tuohy):

58 games within one score in 4th quarter is most through Week 5 in @NFL history

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) October 11, 2016

Last year had 52, two years ago:  48.

Nick Kyrigos, you might finally went and done it this time....

Tennis has a new bad boy, but, after the last 24 hours, it may be past tense.

Nick Kyrigos has run afoul of tennis officials several times for his mouth, but his attitude at a recent Shanghai Masters loss has people (correctly!) yelling fix!

Mischa Zverev "won" 6-3, 6-1, in a match that almost certainly will get Kyrigos investigated again, this time for match-fixing.

On top of that, he says the fans are owed nothing by the players as far as giving an effort is concerned?  The match umpire all but called a major breach of ATP conduct as far as "not giving best effort" is concerned.

Fox Sports Australia reports the ATP is already looking at the match.

Hypocrisy of the NFL, Part Whatever: For the Children?

The NFL came out with a statement today regarding the uptick in unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting penalties.

The New York Daily News reports today that the teams were sent a video and "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHILLRUNS..."

Are you FUCKING kidding me, Goodell?

Really???

You're actually going to play that card in this concussion-filled league, that you are basically down to spiking the ball, bowing, and saluting.  Dean Blandino actually went as far as to say that the concept of simply handing the ball to the official is an option, but one he feels the players may feel is below them!

And Antonio Brown has been asked to change his cleats.  This week, Muhammad Ali cleats, and Brown was ordered to change or be ejected from the contest.  We'll see what happens come Fine Friday.

Oh, and two tidbits for Roger Goodell from my anonymous bullshit detector...

Were you thinking of the children when your sport caused Dave Duerson, Junior Seau, and others to stick a shotgun to their chest and commit suicide in the name of your CTE-laced existence?

AND

Were you also thinking of the children (much like your friends in North Carolina) when you blackballed Michael Sam, a known needed commodity in the NFL (a designed pass-rusher who was credible in the preseason) because he didn't fit your mold of a pussy-grabbing, child beating domestic-abusing Alpha Male that you want to present to America?

Sports Fandom and Utter Delusion, E-Sports Edition

(BLOGGER'S NOTE:  The moderator of The Rift Herald, Pete Volk, contacted me about his concerns.  I have removed reference to him other than to explain what he said to me and why I was warned.  However, there are many in the e-sports community willing to blindly defend the person involved, so the post stays up and the venom goes their way instead.)

It boggles my mind as to the amount of delusion and suspension of reality required to be a sports fan these days.

I'm going to go “long form” as an example here, in the form of what was (see note above and note below) an open comment to the moderators of the SB Nation blog “The Rift Herald”, the League of Legends blog.

I am about to be banned from my second SB Nation blog – the first being a professional wrestling blog because one of it's mods has a hard-on for a porn star masquerading as a WWE superstar wrestler who is dangerous and unfit to be anywhere near a wrestling ring – yeah, I'm looking at you, Eva Marie and Gene Mrosko.

I was warned on Thursday night (and made a “Last Warning” on Friday when I called the mods out on it) for using the comments section to make what the mods believe are unfounded and baseless criminal accusations against League of Legends personalities.

I was 99+% sure that they are talking about my statements about Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles. (The only other one I could think of is an investigation I'd like to see against the European champions of this year, G2, but that's on professionalism and integrity grounds -- and that's what it was.)

Yes, this goes back to the May 8 Rulings banning Mykles from everything but casting League of Legends for one year, as well as other penalties, including the first lifetime ban in the history of the sport to Chris Badawi.

I state then what I state now, and I will state it to address the moderator of the site personally:

To those who continue to believe there is no basis: To state that the accusations I have made that Christopher Mykles engaged in criminal conduct with Christopher Badawi, as stated in the May 8, 2016 Competitive Ruling, are baseless either means you have refused to read the Ruling, refused to research California law, and/or believe that Riot Games is engaging in criminal and civil misconduct of their own against Mykles and Badawi.

(BLOGGER'S NOTE:  Pete Volk, the head moderator, contacted me after I sent him this situation, and said that the warning was that I was stating that G2 was throwing matches.  I was accusing G2, the European champions, of unprofessional conduct -- though I would *NOT* rule out them throwing matches in the current e-sport reality.)

I have done so once before for this blog, but, as an example of the level of disconnect you have to be to be a sports fan these days, I will do so again.

First off, here is the relevant May 8, 2016 Competitive Ruling, handed down by Riot Games, regarding two different North American League Championship Series and Challenger Series teams, removing both from professional League of Legends, as well as one person permanently (Badawi) and three others for at least one year (Mykles and the Shim brothers).

Criminal Charge One: Grand Theft Through False Pretense (California Penal Code Section 532 (a))

From the Ruling:

“We have been provided with evidence that current Renegades owner Christopher Mykles had a deal in place with suspended former owner Chris Badawi that would grant Badawi a 50% stake in the team once his suspension had expired. Per LCS rules, any present or future right to ownership is considered a firm ownership stake regardless of the date of effect, which makes any such agreement reached with Badawi during the term of his suspension to be a direct violation of League rules. Further, Mykles failed to disclose this arrangement during the LCS team vetting process, which we consider to be an intentional and material omission apparently designed to circumvent the clear and public ban of Badawi. For the avoidance of doubt, had Mykles openly disclosed this ownership arrangement, Renegades would not have been accepted into the LCS.”

These are Riot Games' words, not mine. (Under the heading of “Team Ownership”, in case you need to find it.)

The key takeaway points:

• Christopher Mykles and Christopher Badawi engaged in an agreement to circumvent the previous banishment from League of Legends of Mr. Badawi, through the evidence presented to Riot Games that Mykles had agreed to give Badawi half-stake in Renegades once the suspension was over. This is illegal under the rules.
• Mykles then lies to Riot Games about the relationship during the team vetting process, which needs to be successfully completed, or Renegades is forced out of the LCS and to dissolve.
• Hence, Riot Games concludes that, had Mykles told the truth of his relationship with Badawi, Renegades is not in the LCS for the 2016 Spring Split.

Hence, any monies or other value provided to Renegades, by Riot or any other party, have been gained illegally and through the lie that Mykles told to Riot Games.

From the California Penal Code:

532.  (a) Every person who knowingly and designedly, by any false or
fraudulent representation or pretense, defrauds any other person of
money, labor, or property, whether real or personal, or who causes or
procures others to report falsely of his or her wealth or mercantile
character, and by thus imposing upon any person obtains credit, and
thereby fraudulently gets possession of money or property, or obtains
the labor or service of another, is punishable in the same manner
and to the same extent as for larceny of the money or property so
obtained.

Which would make it Grand Theft under the state of California, where the North American LCS is based.

Crimnal Charge Two: Stalking/Harassment and Possible Violations of the Civil Rights of a Transgender Person, Possible Conspiracy or Accessory if not Direct Actor. (California Penal Code 646.9, the Unruh Civil Rights Act of the state of California, EEOC protections of transgender individuals, California Penal Code 182 or 32, as applies)

From the Ruling:

“Throughout the past split, we have heard testimony regarding various player welfare concerns involving Renegades, primarily around Badawi’s conduct while serving in a non-ownership capacity during his suspension term. These allegations, corroborated to Riot by multiple sources who have had close contact or affiliation with the team, included confrontations between management and players, refusal to honor payment and contract provisions, and failure to maintain a safe environment for all team members. Allowing an unsafe environment to exist for players is the responsibility of the entire Renegades management, and is a failure to meet the professional standards we expect of LCS owners and team representatives.”

These are, quite seriously, the most damning allegations of criminal conduct regarding Badawi (since the Rulings indicate that the actions surround Badawi's contact with the team without being owner, it can easily be assumed Riot believes Badawi took part), but, because of the fact that Badawi is not involved in the team without Mykles lying to Riot Games regarding his involvement with Badawi (the alternative being Renegades is folded by Riot Games forcibly), Mykles is also criminally actionable. The only question is to what extent.

“Failure to maintain a safe environment for all team members” basically infers that someone on Renegades (and the Rulings appear to implicate Badawi) threatened one or more members of the team.

That is stalking under California law. California Penal Code 646.9:

646.9. (a) Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly

follows or willfully and maliciously harasses another person and who
makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in
reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety of his or her
immediate family is guilty of the crime of stalking, punishable by
imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a
fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that
fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison.

As for Mykles, the question becomes the amount of contact he had with Badawi. The answer being “none” (which, by Riot Games' belief of him being a “remote owner” in the same Ruling) does not absolve him.

He very easily could have been a direct actor in this as part of the aforementioned “management” in the Ruling above.

He could've consulted with Badawi to have Badawi commit these acts, which makes him a co-conspirator (California Penal Code Section 182 (a (1)) – simply put, it is a crime for two or more people to conspire and consent to commit one.

Failing either of these, because his place as owner of the team and of Badawi “near” the team only comes from the fact that Badawi lied to Riot Games with respect to Badawi's involvement, makes Mykles an accessory to the crime under California Penal Code Section 32.

If Mykles tells the truth, none of this happens. He has aided and abetted Badawi (as well as other unnamed “management”, should that apply), whether he is directly involved or not. That means he is criminally actionable under California law.

And note that none of this takes into account just who, on Renegades, was being harassed. It is one of the poorest-kept secrets in the League of Legends community that one of the targets was, almost certainly, Maria Creveling, the first transgender top-flight League of Legends player.

The only speculation here is whether Creveling was actually being harassed. It does not change the criminality of Mykles on the basis of the events stated in the Ruling – it only adds serious criminal and civil penalties to them!

For if Creveling were one of the players for whom a safe environment was not maintained, you now have violations of several state and Federal laws regarding the protection of a transgender person in your employ.

From the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing...

“Under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, all persons are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments, including both private and public entities. The Unruh Civil Rights Act protects all persons against arbitrary and unreasonable discrimination by a business establishment (Civil Code section 51).

This law provides protection from discrimination by all business establishments in California, including housing and public accommodations, because of: […] Sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, gender, gender identity and gender expression)”

The EEOC has similar guidelines on the Federal level.

Criminal Charge Three: The Illegal Co-Mingling of Resources Between Dragon Knights and Renegades Could Constitute Sports Bribery, if E-Sports are Seen as Sports Under the Law. (18 US Code Section 224 (a))

From the Ruling:

“We have also found that Renegades and TDK have deliberately misled League officials with respect to their corporate relationship. While handling trade requests between the two teams leading up to the Spring Promotional Tournament, League officials made repeated direct inquiries of the team owners regarding independence of the two organizations, terms of the trades, and status of players and payments. Both teams assured officials that their businesses were not linked in any fashion, and that the trade was in the mutual interest of both teams independent of any additional relationship or agreement. Subsequently, League officials received evidence that indicated that some of the players were compensated and/or housed by their former teams even after the trade was completed, including payments for the month following the trade. As part of the trade approval process, REN and TDK had submitted a document which was represented to be the summary of the trade agreement, but it included no provisions beyond simple assignment of the contracts, and did not establish cause for the former team to continue payments to the now-traded players.”

We know that, subsequent to this, actions were taken to “stack” the Renegades team to attempt to shore it up (almost-certainly after the actions in Criminal Charge Two to get rid of dead weight, in the eyes of Badawi and other “management”) and ensure it's advancement to the Summer Split after a poor start.

We also know that, eventually, Renegades and Dragon Knights eventually played a promotion-relegation contest after the Spring Split, with the winner advancing back into the North American LCS and the loser having to play another match, promotion or relegation.

Renegades won that match 3-0.

Given this information, one must then ask the question as to whether a pre-agreement had been made in this context that Renegades, if the two teams faced each other, would be arranged to be promoted back to the LCS, given the financial arrangement and trades between the two teams.

This would constitute, if e-sports were considered “sports”, Sports Bribery under US Federal Law:

(a) Whoever carries into effect, attempts to carry into effect, or conspires with any other person to carry into effect any scheme in commerce to influence, in any way, by bribery any sporting contest, with knowledge that the purpose of such scheme is to influence by bribery that contest, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

This involves Badawi, Mykles, and the Shim brothers.

–

The entire point of this exercise is to indicate that the May 8, 2016 Competitive Rulings, not my own personal speculations or belief systems, indicate that Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles and other parties engaged in a significant criminal enterprise under cover of at least one professional League of Legends team.

Your only recourse, should you continue to believe these allegations unfounded, is to find a damned good lawyer for Mykles and sue Riot Games out of the business of not only sanctioning e-sports contests, but continuing to make League of Legends entirely. You would have to sue them into bankruptcy.

–

It continues to disturb me; the level of utter delusion of how much one has to lie to themselves to be able to enjoy sports (e- and otherwise) in this day and age.

I'll give you one belief I now have regarding this year's World Championships, going on as we speak (and, as a means of comparison, Mr. Volk, this IS “unfounded speculation”, unlike what I put in the comments sections regarding MonteCristo's criminal conduct):

Given the nature of the results of the first almost-seven days of the World Championships in San Francisco, I would not be 100% shocked to find somebody has paid off some of the better teams to take a dive and make the group phases more interesting.

Here's one thing, in parting: If Riot Games were to be rigging the World Championships in this manner, it would NOT be against the law in the United States for them to do so. If you laugh at that, please refer to the case of Mayer vs. Belichick, New England Patriots, and National Football League.

Given the amount of corruption and misconduct in e-sports today, I cannot trust ANY result which comes out of these events which can come across as “unexpected” in a manner in which the sanctioning body and company can take advantage of.

Week 4 2016 Fine Blotter Part Four

Here's some more, from Spotrac:

• Oakland Raiders:  Michael Crabtree:  $6,076 for giving someone a free souvenir by chucking the ball into the stands.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Blake Bortles:  Same fine, same reason.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Allen Robinson:  $9,115 for taunting.
• Indianapolis Colts:  Curt Maggitt:  $9,115 for a late hit.
• Denver Broncos:  Todd Davis:  $18,231 for a horse-collar tackle.
• Dallas Cowboys:  Bryce Butler:  $9,115 for taunting.

I'll check for more later, but, as things stand right now (with the list I have):

• 13 teams
• $242,540.

Year total now is $1,026,446.

Next fine for the Broncos costs them 50-large for the number of fines they already have.  (Their total $118,504.  Threshold, if the percentages are right, is $121,504.)

• The Broncos, Giants, Steelers, and Packers have fines in every game they have played so far.
• By my look, 28 of the 32 teams have been fined.  The only four not so to this point appear to be:  Philadelphia, New Orleans, Miami and Tennessee.

Week 4 Fine Blotter Part Three: Beckham and others.

• New York Giants:  Odell Beckham Jr.'s fine for taunting, etc.?  $24,309.
• Carolina Panthers:  Cam Newton:  $9,115 for taunting. 
• Cleveland Browns:  Terrelle Pryor:  $9,115 for, you guessed it, illegal touchdown celebration.  The LeBron James chalk toss is 15 and a fine too.
• New York Jets:  Brian Winters:  $24,309:  Unnecessary Roughness
• Seattle Seahawks:  Cassius Marsh:  $18,231:  Unnecessary Roughness.  All three in that game were for blows to the head.
• Buffalo Bills:  Robert Blanton:  $21,000
• Buffalo Bills:  Nicoll Robey-Coleman:  $10,000
• Buffalo Bills:   Aaron Williams:  $10,000.  Those three fines were for the pre-game skirmish when they went after the quarterback of the Patriots.  No Patriots were fined for the response.

PS:  I do agree with Antonio Brown on one thing on all this:  Celebration fouls should not be fined as much as dirty hits.  That said, the level of "point of emphasis" on all of this is getting big.

And the marriage between the NFL and Twitter may be about to end.  Some cite lagging ratings for this, but teams will be fined from $25,000 to $100,000 for "unauthorized highlights".  Some believe this is a league ploy to get people back in front of the TV sets, with ratings down double-digit percent.

Week 4 Fine Blotter Part 2: The Crackdown Continues

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Another "sexually suggestive pose" fine for Antonio Brown, the THREE-TIME LOSER now out $24,309.

Two conduct fines and a cleats fine.  In four weeks.

One has to wonder if suspensions might be the next step here too.

This also means the Steelers have been fined for each of their first four games.

Week 4 Fine Blotter: Not Odell Beckham, but the crackdown on conduct continues...

• Washington Redskins:  Josh Norman has announced he's been fined $9,115 by the league for his 15 yard penalty for the bow and arrow gesture he gave.  Norman is now TWO-TIME LOSER in two consecutive weeks.

Let's just get down to it, NFL:  If you are that interested in cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct, then you are going to have to say anything outside the flow of the game is 15 yards:

• Spiking the ball
• Sack Dances
• The Lambeau Leap
• Any celebration which delays the start of the play clock
• etc.

You're going to have to go to the high school rule.  It's clear that the NFL is cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct.  If they really want to do that, they'll have to go far further to show that it's the No Fun League.

Norman is appealing, but, for the same reason as a throat-slash will get you 15 and a fine, I think he loses.  (Representation of weaponry.)

EDIT TO ADD 10:45 PM PDT:  Late Twitter comments have this one:

• New York Jets:  Calvin Pryor:  $24,309 for unnecessary roughness.

MNF down 10% again this week.

I don't know what it is.  It's not just the election, since it applies to the Sunday games (for the most part) as well.  My anonymous friend and I talked about this last night, and we both discounted theories of the crooked officiating (25-30 years) and the dirty hits finally coming to awareness (5-6 years).

But NFL ratings are (finally and justifiably) in the toilet!!!

My friend came up with an interesting theory:  That a lot of this is a function of the players and owners just doing this for the money.  As money gets tighter for the rest of us, so does our patience with the likes of (to use an obvious example from baseball) Zach Grienke, who traded a 4th straight division title for "getting paid" on one of the worst teams in baseball!

Whatever the reason:  Sports Media Watch reports that Monday Night Football was off about 10% year-over-year again.  8 rating and 13.2 million viewers.  Lowest-rated Week 4 in five years.

There were seven NFL "slots" last week.  All declined in rating, all but one in viewers.

26 total "Slots" for the year.  21 down in rating, 20 in viewers.

Brian talked me into it: 2016 AL Wild Card Game Fixed???

Why didn't you use Britton, Buck? Because MLB wanted that TOR v. TEX match-up for ratings and storylines? Okay, then. You're forgiven.

— Brian Tuohy (@TheFixIsInTuohy) October 5, 2016

Did not see the entire game.  Saw from the double-play to end the ninth inning to the end.

But I had to wonder why Baltimore started up the 11th with Duensing, got him one out, and then tried to match-up with Jibaldo Jimenez....

... who promptly threw five pitches before Encarcion parked the third of three hits into the seats for a 5-2 Toronto win.

Well...  Brian Tuohy has probably the best solution.  The most volatile pairing of teams in MLB for a five-game series, starting tomorrow?

Need we remind of this...

Or this...


Commissioner Blinded By The Light is trying to start something here -- in what could (with Cub Fan, Giant Fan, and Red Sox Fan) be a volatile post-season.

Fine Tabulations Through Three Weeks

I decided to reprise my fine list, at least team-by-team, based on reports submitted to Spotrac.  I will probably cross-check and update it for this week.

(NOTE:  As of 7:30 PM EDT 10/4/16, no word yet on the status of Odell Beckham Jr. for the Packer game this week, or beyond.)

I think, with it now clear the league is cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct, it's time to take a look at the fines in general.

Now, before I do, I never found the Club Remittance Policy for this year.

So, until I do or am corrected, I am going to assume the teams are under the following rules for fines for in-game and subsidiary conduct:

• When a team reaches $121,540 in total fines -- and this includes preseason, regular season, and postseason -- the team is fined $50,000.
• Once a team reaches $182,310, they're fined another $50,000 -- and for the rest of the season, the team has to cut a check for every dollar fined to any player on that team, dollar for dollar, above the total of $182,310.
• I'm not sure if the annual 5% increases apply to this number, but any player fined above $50,000 by the league in any one game only applies said $50,000 to the number.

First, the weekly totals:

• Preseason:  $149,523
• Week 1:  $291,623
• Week 2:  $181,846
• Week 3:  $161,044
• Making a total through Week 3 of $ 784,106.

Denver is #1, without surprise after their headhunting of Cam Newton.  They are already at $100,273.  Second is the New York Giants, at $72,462 (meaning it likely they will have to cut a $50,000 check this week).  Houston is third with $58,368 -- over $43,000 of that in the preseason.

Twenty-four of the 32 teams have been fined for in-game misconduct this season through Week 3.

Denver, the Giants, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay are three-for-three.

We won't know about Green Bay until next week:  They just had their bye week.

The Giants WILL make it four-for-four.

Mike

NFL Week 4 2016 Score Report

• Per-game average for the week:  45.07 (Last year:  43.53.  Two years ago:  Over 52 PPG)
• 4 week per-game average:  45.54.  (Last year:  46.25.  Two years ago:  46.2)
• Another London game in Week 4, like last year.  Home teams were 7-7 on the week, 34-28 (.548) for the year.  Last year:  9-5 and .565.  Two years ago:  8-4 and .633.
• Over was 8-7 for the week, 34-28 for the year.  (Last year, 5-9 and about .500, two years ago, 12-3 but about 7-10 games below .500)
• Favorites were 7-6 this week, both against the number and straight up.  Last year:  5-9.  
• Favorites are now 27-29 against the number and 32-24 straight up.  Last year against the number:  28-31.
• 242 penalties this week, a full penalty a game more than any other week this season.  Teams with more penalties were 8-5 this week, 25-31 for the year (two games had ties in that number).
• Only one Cliffhanger this week, New Orleans' win at San Diego.  Oakland came within 12 seconds.  (7 last year.)
• 12 Cliffhangers so far this year (19%).  (Last year had 13 through four weeks, 9 two years ago.)
• SIX Last Chance Misses, in the big mechanic of the week.  Thirty of the first 63 games have either been Cliffhangers and/or Last Chance Misses.
• No other game finished within one score,   Four others, including the Monday nighter, were within one score at some point in the fourth quarter.
• Four non-competitive games this week, making 16 for the year.  Of those 16, 14 came after the early games finished in Week 2.

And the bad ratings news continues, from Sports Media Watch:

• Sunday night's Pittsburgh beat-down of Kansas City resulted in the lowest overnight ratings for the NBC Sunday Night Football game in nine years.  The game drew an 11.0 overnight rating.  That's down a full 1/4 from last year.  Four of the five Sunday Night games (counting the opener on September 8) have hit massive lows for the network.  
• FOX finally got double-digit declines in both halves of their doubleheader coverage.
• The London game also fell about 1/4 of the ratings, but the CBS single game coverage which followed posted a small 2% increase.

Odell Beckham Jr. to be suspended tomorrow?

Well, now we get to find out about the NFL's warning to the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.

He got flagged for a second-quarter taunting penalty in the loss to Minnesota, which will almost certainly be the third fine for Odell Beckham Jr. in four weeks.  Beckham was fined in Week 2 $36,462 for a crack-back block, and $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 1.

Meaning this one is probably at least $24,309.  It would also represent the seventh NFL fine in a little over two years.

And, according to Rant Sports' Dov Kielman, he could also be fined for making contact with an official.  And then, WHY WAS BECKHAM, on one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, not tossed on the spot?

#Giants WR Odell Beckham bumps into an official, lucky he isn't ejected on the spot, nothing but drama with him https://t.co/BkN7NOtexd

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 4, 2016

One thing is for certain: We can expect a 9 AM Eastern meeting at the NFL offices to get a good long look. It sounds to me Beckham is going to be suspended -- AGAIN!  I'm predicting this one is 3-4 games.

Remember, he was suspended for Week 15 last year.  He's had six games since, and has had league incidents in three of them.

I would not rule out an indefinite suspension, where he is banned and must directly meet with Goodell and league officials before the suspension is determined definite.

The Giants have their bye week in Week 8, so a 3-game suspension would mean he doesn't play again for a solid month.  Probably just what the Giants need to determine if they actually need this guy anymore.

NFL Week 3 2016 Fine Blotter

From Spotrac.com:

• Washington Redskins:  Add Josh Norman to the Final Warning List:  He was fined $48,620 for repeat offender unnecessary roughness, almost-certainly meaning the next such foul puts him on the shelf.  Norman has been fined nearly $75,000 for the last two games he's played against the New York Giants.
• Speaking of the New York Giants:  Weston Richburg made NFL history to be fined $12,154.  He became the first NFL player to be kicked out of a game for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties automatically.
• Baltimore Ravens:  Steve Smith:  $9,115 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Green Bay Packers:  Nick Perry:  $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct.  A throat-slash gesture.
• Houston Texans:  Jaelen Strong:  $9,115 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Lawrence Timmons:  $9,115 for a late hit.
• San Francisco 49ers:  Eli Harold:  $18,231 for a horse-collar tackle.
• Chicago Bears:  Willie Young:  $18,231 for roughing the passer.
• Denver Broncos:  Will Parks:  $24,309 for a defenseless player hit.

And you can pretty much tack on a fine for Cam Newton this week, flagged for taunting in the face of an Atlanta Falcon this morning.  (Deadspin)