The Uncivil Race War: The NFL tries a different tack to end the #NFLBoycott

I think it a basic certainty that the #NFLBoycott by the White Right is having significant impact on the current state of the game and the companies which sponsor it.

But the NFL is trying not to bend to the "SHOOT ALL THE ---------- WHO DISRESPECT OUR TROOPS!" motif (which is what they're really asking for in Trump-murka.  Instead, the NFL has proposed a seven-year, nearly $100,000,000 coalition with a player's group for social justice reforms in the United States -- which is what Colin Kaepernick and others were protesting in the first goddamned place!

And one player has already said that's sufficient -- Malcolm Jenkins of Philadelphia will end his protests.  We'll see where this goes.

You can take your own case study into how the NFL rigs games...

ESPN today has posted a rules quiz by Kevin Seifert into the obscure NFL rules in the NFL rulebook.

Given the "Calvin Johnson Rule" and the like, you can take this as a primer into some of the non-intuitive stuff that the NFL uses to determine outcomes and predicate storylines.

The first question is actually a fair lay-up to anyone who has watched enough NFL football to chuckle when the rule in question leads to a ridiculous scoring attempt.  (I'm trying to keep the actual answers out of this as much as possible, unless something egregious occurs.)

The second one is an extension of an infamous NFL play that caused an immediate rule change about 40 or so years ago.

The third one is the most obscure score in American football -- and probably the first time it's ever been noted that it IS, in fact, the same rule in the NFL now as it has been in college!

The fourth one is actually a changed rule from when a Green Bay Packer actually abused the old rule on it to gain significant advantage for his team.  (And I got it wrong -- the abuse STILL EXISTS.  I thought the Packer -- Randall Cobb -- actually had caused the rule to be changed!)

The fifth one is a rare penalty, but a correctly identified one if it's identified.

The sixth one I also got wrong, because it is a weird situation that you wouldn't THINK would take place -- but could lead to abject chaos in the wrong hands.  It would appear that the play would be the right thing for the relevant team to do, but it does raise the chance of something else happening that could change everything.

Try the quiz yourself at the link (except for the one I pretty much gave you -- #4), and you'll get an idea as to some of the ways the officials can maneuver for certain outcomes.

2017 Week 12 Score and Ratings Report

The numbers from Thanksgiving Week 2017:

• 43.375 points per game this week, a tick over 42 last year.
• Season average now down to 44.307.  Was 45.033 last year.
• Home teams 10-6, including the last five.  9-7 last year.
• Home total for the season:  90-81.  100-71-1 last year.
• Over was 7-9 for 87-85-4.  Last year, 8-8 and a little more over .500, but not much (six over .500)
• Big week for favorites, as Vegas takes another on the chin.  12-4 against the number, 14-2 straight up.  8-8 ATS last year, 13-3 straight up.
• 90-81-5 against the number and 122-54 straight up this year.  Spread was exactly .500 through 12 weeks last year, 105-61-1 straight up.
• Vegas favorites have been on a tear since Week 7.  Indicative of what Brian Tuohy talks about on his page as the haves (NE, PIT, PHI, MIN, NO, CAR, LA Rams) and the have-nots (everybody else).
• Team with more penalties was 9-6 this week with one same, 6-4 last year.
• Team with more penalties for the season is 68-94.  Last year:  63-85.
• 3 non-competitive games this week out of the 16 -- last year had 4.
• Another indicative of the wide gulf in the NFL this year.  Last year, there were 44 NFL games non-competitive in 12 weeks.  With one fewer game played this year, there are FIFTY-EIGHT such games through 12 weeks.
• Two Cliffhangers, both 50+-yard field goals at the gun or at 1 second.  Last year had 4 Cliffhangers in Week 12.
• 32 Cliffhangers this year.  Last year had 37.
• Three Last Chance misses this week, last year's Week 12 had five.
• Nine games finished within one score this week, meaning 85 total -- under half of the games, more indicative of the year before I started tracking (about 48%).

The update from my totals bets from August:

• Nothing unexpected.  Detroit (over 7.5, 6-5) had Minnesota and Seattle (under 10.5, 7-4) had another bye week with the 49ers, so that was one against me on both ends.  New England won for 9-2 (over 12.5) and Green Bay lost (that one is now a cash), so 2-2 on the week for that.

The weekly ratings report from Sports Media Watch:

• Sunday night:  Up marginally, 3% over last year.
• Sunday national (CBS):  Down 12%, lowest Week 12 national window since the National Religion Era began, at least.
• Sunday regional (CBS):  Down 8%
• Sunday single (FOX):  Down 9%
• Those are overnights, and Thanksgiving got no prettier for the finalities:  Lions down 21%, worst Thanksgiving Lions since 2008.  Dallas also down 21%.  Third game down 10%.

Current standings, starting with the NFC:

1. Philadelphia (10-1, magic number for NFC East is 1 with both Washington and Dallas -- a win or losses by both teams wins the division with a month to go).
2. Minnesota (9-2, three up on Detroit in the NFC North, with the tiebreakers, two up for the #2 seed)
3. Los Angeles (8-3, one up on Seattle in the NFC West, the win this week over the Saints gives them the 3) 
4. New Orleans (8-3, the Week 3 win over the Panthers gives them the lead in the NFC South, but they play again this week)
5. Carolina (8-3, see New Orleans)
6. Atlanta (7-4, they're in and Seattle is out due to Atlanta's victory over the Seahawks)

AFC:

1. Pittsburgh (9-2, three clear of Baltimore for the AFC North.  Will play New England in three weeks to render this moot, but, for the purposes of present convention, it's common games that has Pittsburgh ahead of New England)
2. New England (9-2, three clear of Buffalo in the AFC East)
3. Tennessee (7-4, Week 2 win over Jacksonville is current tiebreaker for AFC South, they rematch in Week 17)
4. Kansas City (6-5, one up on the Chargers and Raiders in the AFC West)
5. Jacksonville (7-4)
6. Baltimore (6-5, conference record tiebreak puts them in and Buffalo out -- they do not play)

2017 Week 12 Supplemental Discipline Blotter: The NFL gets some of it right! (UPDATED: Quite a bit less right now.)

• Denver Broncos:  Aqib Talib
• and Oakland Raiders:  Michael Crabtree

TWO GAME SUSPENSIONS.  Both appealed down to one game, as of Wednesday.


Definitely not enough now with the appeals, at the least for Crabtree, especially with the actions on the previous play, but I do believe the initial multiple-game suspensions not only sends the message to these two players, but I do believe a league and a sport increasingly on edge as this season begins to get to the latter portions here.

I do believe there was enough for Crabtree to possibly suspend him the final five games of the season, for not only the initial cheap-shot from the play before, but that his actions against Talib in the genesis of the fight endangered the safety of at least one NFL employee on the sideline, as well as the protracted nature of the incident itself, on top of the fact that Talib and Crabtree had prior history with each other.

Talib and Crabtree both appealed and got the suspensions halved, but, through, now 12 weeks of the season, they become the fifth and sixth NFL players suspended for ON-FIELD, DURING GAME conduct.

This is the second time the league has had to suspend Talib, the first being for an eye poke in 2015.

2016 had no such suspensions.
2015 had four.
2014 had three.
2013 had four, and a fifth overturned.

The lost salaries mean both the Broncos and Raiders are responsible for a $50,000 penalty against their Club Remittance totals.  (Both are in the $550,000-$600,000 range, so even the one game gets the max-out here.)

The Raiders, who now have had their second on-field conduct suspension of the year, are fined an additional $50,000 for reaching the first threshold, and almost certainly will be fined over $100,000 by the time this is fully investigated, as they will probably shoot straight through the final threshold to dollar-for-dollar territory.

(Speaking for myself, I think it is becoming far past time for the NFL to take a look at this situation in Oakland and re-evaluate whether it might be wise for Oakland to stay in Oakland for the second lame-duck season, or whether it might be better to explore options like Sam Boyd Stadium for one season -- the UNLV campus stadium.)

Denver was one of the lower-level fined teams, though this incident may cost them the first $50,000 threshold once it's all said and done.

And the Thanksgiving Weekend violence extends to a large fight in the NFL as well!

Someone is going to have to admit openly that the current timbre of what we are becoming as a country and culture is creating a boiling cauldron that is spilling over.

Just ask the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, in which, only four minutes into the match, the continuing war between Denver's Aqib Talib and Oakland's Michael Crabtree will almost certainly see both suspended, and possibly more.

Talib and Crabtree have history, with Talib grabbing Crabtree's chain off before -- and he did so again today, and Michael Crabtree had none of it.

But should Crabtree not have been ejected the play before for THIS?

If you’re wondering what started the fight in today’s #Broncos vs #Raiders game, it was Crabtree’s cheap shot punch to @ChrisHarrisJr the play before the melee. #DENvsOAK pic.twitter.com/RAh44UOcKq

— Broncos Report (@Broncos_Report) November 27, 2017

Kinda sounds to me like he should've.

He wasn't, and this was the result (click through to YouTube, the NFL will let you see it there -- we'll still be here when you get back), with three ejections and should've been more!



Talib and Crabtree were tossed for starting it. Another player was tossed for contact with an official -- I could count two more players (one for each team):  #70 for the Raiders for a punch, and someone on the Broncos for throwing a helmet.

Methinks there will be suspensions tomorrow -- this was NOT the garden-variety NFL fight.

The Show Must Go On: And It's Damn Well Time For It To Stop

Look, I get it.  Sports are a big business and a lot of money is invested in the games.

But (as seemed very evident this Thanksgiving weekend in my real life, just saying to our local authorities!!!) this Saturday showed at least four incidents in which the better result would've been to, as applicable, forfeit the game or stop the contest (or at least some very serious discussion of it).

• We begin in Michigan, and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is beside himself and wants an investigation.  Just before the massive rivalry game with Michigan, a cameraman of some sort injured Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett.  Apparently, in the mass of people on the sidelines before the game, a camera nailed Barrett in the leg, and no one knows who or why.  Word is he's ready to go for this week's Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.
• Then, to Auburn, where the Southeastern Conference has fined Auburn University $250,000 for the fans rushing the field after yesterday's win/apparent CFP elimination over Alabama.
• And then speaking of Alabama, a college basketball incident.  After a mass incident got the entire Alabama bench ejected, the Crimson Tide had to play over 10 minutes of their game with Minnesota with just three players.  Yes, this is allowed -- you can even finish the game with one player under NCAA rules.
• And then an incident in the TCU-Baylor game.  After a marginal hit on the sidelines, players began jawing, several cheap shots were had, and the players milled about in what could've been a costly error for TCU, who plays Oklahoma this week for the Big XII Championship.  At the end, the referees threw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on EVERY PLAYER ON BOTH TEAMS -- this was not entirely symbolic, as a second conduct penalty for any player would result in their ejection from the contest.

Look.

It's out of fucking control.

You're not going to fine or eject or whatever your way out of this one.

Someone's going to have to start forfeiting, reversing results, stopping games, what have you, or we're going to see this continue to escalate.

If it's $250,000 worth of a problem for that crowd rush to have happened, the SEC should award the game and the division title to Alabama.

The TCU-Baylor football game and Minnesota-Alabama basketball contest should've been terminated.

And as for that thing in Michigan, all I can hope is that it wasn't something nefarious.

But Good God people, lay off each other!

And, once again, with some interesting factoids:

Through 11 weeks, the five most-fined teams:

• Pittsburgh, at about $204,000 responsible:  Current #1 seed in the AFC.
• Minnesota, at about $202,000 responsible:  Current #2 in the NFC.
• New York Jets, about $176,000 responsible:  Only one of the five teams not close in the playoffs right now.
• Seattle, at about $143,000 responsible:  Out only on the basis of the loss to Atlanta, the current #6
• New Orleans, at about $130,000 responsible.  Current #3 in the NFC.

Ratings from Thursday:

• No word yet on Vikings-Lions according to Sports Media Watch
• Chargers-Cowboys down 21% from last year's Cowboys Thanksgiving game.  Lowest Cowboys Thanksgiving game since 2008.
• Giants-Washington down 10% from last year's third game, and the lowest Thanksgiving game on broadcast television in at least almost 20 years.

2017 Week 11 Fine/Suspension Blotter

So, on to the NFL Turkeys of the Week:

• Baltimore Ravens:  Ryan Mallet:  $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct -- verbal abuse of the official.
• Arizona Cardinals:  Larry Fitzgerald:  $24,309 for a crackback block.
• After spending the first eight weeks of the season on the Clean Slate Club, the Cardinals have had fines in each of the last three games.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Earl Thomas:  $24,309 for a helmet shot -- shoulder to helmet.
• That is now five weeks with fines in a row for the Seahawks, and they also become the fifth NFL team to reach the first fine threshold -- that will cost them another $50,000.
• Kansas City Chiefs:  Terrence Smith:  $24,309 for a defenseless player helmet to helmet.
• Philadelphia Eagles:  Carson Wentz:  $9,115 for a low block.  Wentz is the MVP candidate quarterback!
• After fines in the preseason and the first four weeks, that's the first fine for the Eagles since.
• Washington Redskins:  Preston Smith
• Miami Dolphins:  Kiko Alonso
• Detroit Lions:  Jeremiah Valoaga
• and Green Bay Packers:  Dean Lowry:  Each $18,231 for roughing the passer.
• Valoaga (Week 8) and Alonso (Week 8) are now both TWO-TIME LOSERS.
• Oakland Raiders:  Johnny Holton:  $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Chicago Bears:  Kyle Long:  $9,115 for unnecessary roughness
• New Orleans Saints:  P.J. Williams:  $9,115 for unnecessary roughness
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Marcus Gilbert:  $9,115 for a facemask, which the team is also fined for because of it's excessive final threshold fine record.  Pittsburgh is now also over $200,000 in team fines, and now barely has the fine "lead" over Minnesota.
• And on the suspension end:  Gilbert has been SUSPENDED four games for a drug violation!  PED's, costs him $1.3 million!
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  T.J. Ward:  $9,115 for taunting.
• New York Giants:  Janoris Jenkins:  $6,016 for throwing a ball into the stands.

Thank you to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for the article that collated most of those together.

2017 Week 11 Score Report

Now all teams have finally played ten games.

• 45.93 points per game Week 11 -- last year was 41.93
• Season total for 11 weeks is 44.4 PPG now -- last year 45.33
• Home teams were 6-7 this week.  Last year:  8-5.
• Last year, home teams were 91-64-1 through 11 weeks.  (.583)  This year, only 80-75.  (.516)
• Over was 7-7 for Week 11 this year -- 3-11 last year
• Season Over is 80-76-4 -- 83-77 last year.
• Favorites 9-4-1 against the number last week, 11-3 straight up.  (Last year:  9-4 and 11-2)
• Season:  78-77 against the number with 5 pushes.  108-52 straight up.  (Last year:  72-72-7 ATS, and 92-58-1 straight up.)
• Team with more penalties was 3-11 this year after 4-7 last year.
• 59-86 for the team with more penalties this year, 57-81 last year.
• The team with more penalties has only won twelve games in the last FOUR WEEKS.
• Four Cliffhangers this week, including a Double and a Triple!  Last year had one.
• 30 Cliffhangers so far this season, but last year had 33.
• Two Last Chance Misses, including the Monday nighter.  Last year had three this week.
• Total for Last Chance Misses for 11 weeks:  29 this year, 50 last year.
• Four non-competitive games this week, including the first Lambeau shutout loss for the Packers in over a decade.  Only 1 last year.
• Total non-competitive for 11 weeks:  38 last year, 55 this year!
• 123 competitive games last year, only 105 this year.
•  5 games finished within one score this week, 9 last year.
• Total for 11 weeks within one score at the end:  76 this year, 92 last year.
• Meaning:  Under half the games this year are finishing within one score.

With everyone now on even ground:

AFC:

1. Pittsburgh (8-2, conference tiebreak)
2. New England (8-2, the two teams play in about a month)
3. Jacksonville (7-3)
4. Kansas City (6-4)
5. Tennessee (6-4)
6. Baltimore (5-5, conference tiebreak)
7. Buffalo (5-5, these two teams do not play each other) 

NFC:

1. Philadelphia (9-1)
2. Minnesota (8-2, wins over New Orleans and the Rams)
3. New Orleans (8-2)
4. LA Rams (7-3)
5. Carolina (7-3)
6. Atlanta (6-4, and with tonight's win, a sweep over both the other 6-4 teams for the #6)
7. Detroit (6-4, conference tiebreaker to be #7 over...)
8. Seattle (6-4, will not play Detroit) 

Personal Vegas log:

• Patriots won, 8-2, need to go over 12.5  Lots of work to do.
• Seahawks lost, 6-4 now, need to go under 10.5.  A 4-2 finish would still win it, and they have Philly and Jacksonville at the least.
• Packers lost, 5-5, need to go under 10.5, cashes with one more loss.
• Lions won, now 6-4 and need to go over 7.5, so I only need two more.
• So not only do I have $45 cash on another ticket in another sport from Sunday, I also went 4-0 on my win totals bets for the week.

Ratings:

• Cowboys won another one in the ratings war.  Up 13% over last year for the Sunday nighter.  Especially with Elliot now suspended and their season over, one DOES now have to wonder if Jerry Jones being the main anti-protest owner IS resonating among fans.
• Week 11 National (CBS):  Creamed.  Down  18%.
• Week 11 Regional (CBS):  DOWN THIRTY-SIX PERCENT -- lowest broadcast rating of the year for any NFL window.
• Week 11 Single (FOX):  Up 8%.

And here we go again with Rapeis Winston...

In what has to be the LEAST SURPRISING news in human history (or at least in the realms of Football Man being Football Man...):

Jameis Winston is under investigation by the NFL for allegations he groped a female Uber driver in 2016.

I'd almost wager money we are at a point in life that, had I experienced it 30 years ago, I'd have been the monster most of my first two college cities thought I would be.

Seeing what kind of animals most men in power are being exposed to be these days is becoming a frightening thing for me, and I am really getting to the point where I am understanding that my intentions as a young man were completely impossible.

I get that there are false accusations which happen from time to time, and I also get the concept that, should they happen, now would be a very good time for those to happen.

But the fact is that there is very little to essentially no chance that Jameis Winston hasn't groped, fondled, and raped his way through the NFL like he did at Florida State University.

Why?  Because he's Football Man, because he can, and because he's the only reason a lot of things exist in "football towns".

We live in a culture where, if you have no value, you have no rights nor privileges.  You are expected to "bend over and take it" in the name of the powerful -- the only reasons you are allowed to exist.

Sexual Harassment is only for little people.  Consent is only a matter of keeping what is, increasingly, an American caste system in line -- be that consent for sex, power, employment, or whatever else have you.

And, as for me and wanting to treat women in what I mistakenly saw as "The Right Way", it's the line from the old move "War Games":

"An interesting game.  The only winning move...  is not to play."

To those whom I wasted their time and damn near took so much from them in my early college years, I am so sorry I ever touched your lives.

I'm not Jameis Winston.  I had no value in your communities.

2017 Week 10 Fine Blotter

First, a catch-up from last week:

• Carolina Panthers: Kurt Coleman: $24,309 for a helmet-to-helmet vs. Atlanta.

And now to this week's fun and merriment...

• Vontaze Burfict was NOT fined for contact with an official. (At that point, suspend the official involved!)
• Seattle Seahawks: Sheldon Richardson: $18,231 for roughing the passer – he's appealing what he calls “extortion”.
• Minnesota Vikings: Stefon Diggs: $12,154 for using the goalpost as a prop – illegal celebration. This makes Diggs a TWO-TIME LOSER in two consecutive weeks. Fined last week for throwing a football into the stands.
• Minnesota Vikings: Linval Joseph: $18,231 for roughing the passer. That makes Joseph a TWO-TIME LOSER.
• It also makes the Minnesota Vikings over $200,000 in team fines, meaning they have well passed the second threshold, fined $50,000, an additional $19,414 for the first part of the dollar-for-dollar phase, and all fines until the end of the season are now doubled as team fines as well, dollar for dollar.
• New York Jets: Another TWO-TIME LOSER, and this fine is doubled: Buster Skrine $48,620 for hitting a defenseless receiver. Skrine is the most-penalized defensive player in the league and is second overall.
• Carolina Panthers: Daryl Worley: $9,115 for unnecessary roughness.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: Marquise Lee: $9,115 for taunting.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: Ben Koyack: $9,115 for a crackback block.
• New York Giants: Darian Thompson: $9,115 for a late hit – on the very first play of the game.
• Arizona Cardinals: Karlos Dansby: $18,231 for roughing the passer – a hit which has led to a discussion as to whether Seattle followed league protocols on evaluating Russell Wilson.
• Cleveland Browns: Duke Johnson: $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

North Dallas Thugboys: Battle is over, and so is their season. Goodell has won.

Can formally put this in the Blotter now:

• Dallas Cowboys:  Ezekiel Elliot:  Drops all remaining appeals, suspended and will serve six games.  Has already served one.

They already lost the first game at Atlanta.

Three-game homestand:  Philly, the Chargers for Thanksgiving, and Washington.  One probable, one maybe, one no.

Then at the Giants and Oakland.  8-6 and pray?

And, perusing the White Right Fan Club of Twitter...

I can see we're going to find something else for the snowflakes to bitch about:

The 2017 GQ Citizen of the Year?

Colin Kaepernick.

2017 Week Ten Score Report

• 46.857 points per game this week -- a lot of it in the latter portions.  45.14 Week 10 last year, 41.64 two years ago.
• For the 146 games in 2017, the average is now 44.253.   Last year:  45.65.  Two years ago:  46.45
• Home teams were 8-6 last week.  Last year, 7-7.  Two years ago:  3-11!
• For the season, home teams:  74-68 this year (.521)  Last year:  .584  Two years ago:  .621
• The over was 8-6 this year.  7-7 last year.
• For the year, the over:  73-69-4. Last year:  80-66.
• Favorites were 8-5-1 against the spread and 12-2 straight up this week.  Last year:  4-9 and 5-8.
• For the year:  69-73-4 against the number, 97-49 straight up.  Last year:  63-68-7 against the number, 81-56-1 straight up.
• Team with more penalties last week was 4-7-3.  7-4-3 last year.
• For the year, team with more penalties:  56-75 with 15 tied.
• 3 Cliffhangers for the week, 26 total for the year (5 for 32 total last year)
• 4 Last Chance Misses for 27 total for this year.  (3 last year)
• 7 games finished within one score for 71 for the year (48,63%)  (Last year:  56.46%)
• 4 were within a score at some point in the fourth quarter for 24.  There were 27 of those last year.
• Only 3 non-competitive games last week, for 51 total.  Last year, through ten weeks, only 37 (with 3 in Week 10)

Ratings (with a reminder drops probably will be more pronounced the rest of the year if the boycott is actual, since the NFL's ratings took a significant increase after the election last year):

• National Window FOX:  Down 18%, and this had the Cowboys.  Lowest Week 10 FOX National window in 15 years.  Lowest Cowboys-featured FOX window in 10 years.
• Sunday Night:  Down 20%.
• CBS single:  Down only 2%.
• FOX Regional:  Down 23%.
• First NBC Thursday Night game:  Down 2% from the first Thursday Night of regular schedule.
• Last Monday night was not good:  Yeah, it was effectively flat, but at very low numbers.

War About To Be Declared: The NFL vs. Jerry Jones (and some free advice if the Nuclear Option is invoked)

One of the intriguing and lingering backstories while this season is going on is the continuing discussions regarding the extension of the contract of Commissioner Roger Goodell.

It is clear to most anyone that, for one reason or another, Jerry Jones has been opposing Roger Goodell and his present disciplinary powers.

Well, today, two developments which indicate the league might be about to have had enough of the Dallas Cowboys under the ownership of Mr. Jerry Jones:

First, this statement from the NFL's Compensation Committee, from Deadspin's report on the subject:

"The committee is continuing its work towards finalizing a contract extension with the commissioner. The negotiations are progressing and we will keep ownership apprised of the negotiations as they move forward. We do not intend to publicly comment on our discussions."

The NFL had a unanimous agreement that this six-owner committee (owners of KC, NE, ATL, PIT, HOU, and the Giants) would make the decision as to how much Goodell would make on his new contract, etc.  The committee sent a letter indicating fines, draft picks, and suspending Jones could happen.

(*chortle*  Fines.  Asshole's paid a half-million dollar fine each of the last two seasons and another fine the season before those (it is not clear as to whether the three suspensions to trigger the team fine have to all be concurrent!), see below!)

These owners want Goodell's pay to be more commensurate with performance (Roger's not happy with this), and Jerry may want Roger out entirely!

The owners are trying to get Jerry to shut up -- and the second development is that CBS Sports is reporting the owners are actually discussing "conduct detrimental to the league" charges against Jerry Jones.

The discussions, by no means, have gotten to any "likely" scenario yet.  That said, they should.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has even proposed an option that they could force Jones to sell the Cowboys by throwing Jones out of the league.

To that end, I make the following charge of why Jerry Jones has been guilty of "conduct detrimental to the National Football League" more so, at least in this way, than any other owner currently in the league:

Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season:

• August 29, 2014:  Jakar Hamilton, 4 games for the drug policy.
• September 2, 2014:  Josh Brent, 10 games for a manslaughter conviction.
• April 22, 2015:  Greg Hardy, 4 games (appealed from 10), domestic violence.
• July 2, 2015:  Orlando McClain, 4 games, drug policy.
• August 28, 2015:  RJ McDill, 4 games, drug policy -- triggering a team fine.
• February 19, 2016:  Randy Gregory, 4 games, drug policy.
• June 30, 2016:  DeMarcus Lawrence, 4 games, drug policy
• June 30, 2016:  Rolando McClain Strike 2, 10 games -- triggering a second team fine, this one of $500,000!
• September 29, 2016:  Randy Gregory Strike 2, 10 games
• November 20, 2016:  Rolando McClain Strike 3, one year.
• December 2, 2016:  Rolando McClain thrown out of the league for a FOURTH drug offense.
• January 5, 2017:  Randy Gregory Strike 3, one year.
• April 21, 2017:  Shaquelle Evans, 4 games, drugs
• June 28, 2017:  David Irving, 4 games, drugs
• July 28, 2017:  Damontre Moore, 2 games, drugs
• August 11, 2017 (first game finally served Week 10):  Ezekiel Elliot, 6 games, domestic violence. -- another $500,000 fine.

By the rules of the Club Remittance Policy, that is the record Jerry Jones has had the last three full seasons and this one -- SIXTEEN SUSPENSIONS, eleven players, 102 games and a life ban.

If the NFL owners need any evidence of Jerry Jones committing conduct detrimental to the league far more than any other owner in the league, here you go.

Some Continuing Thoughts As We Wrap Up Week Ten

• The Elliot suspension officially started on Sunday, and the Cowboys were routed by the Falcons.
• Vontaze Burfict will either be fined or suspended again -- tossed (for the first time in his career!), contact with a ref.
• Apparent attempt to get people not to show up at the games appears to have failed -- attendance mostly up, according to Yahoo!, who was tracking a proposed Veteran's Day walkout by NFL fans.
• Current storyline watch, with Carolina and Miami to play Monday night:

AFC:

• 1. Pittsburgh
• 2. New England (conference record both at 7-2 (5-1 vs. 4-1 for PIT to win the current tiebreak), the two teams play Dec. 17 in Pittsburgh)
• 3. Kansas City
• 4. Tennessee
• 5. Jacksonville (all 6-3, break the TEN-JAC tie first, Titans won in Week 2, will rematch in Tennessee Dec. 31/Week 17.  KC wins the tiebreak with Tennessee on conference record (4-2 vs. 5-3)  (KC plays neither AFC South team, they played Houston instead.)
• 6. Buffalo at 5-4 -- even if Miami wins tonight, the breaker, at the moment, would still be conference record (3-2 vs. 3-3, both teams 1-1 in the division).  The two teams play twice in the final three weeks, however.

NFC:

• 1. Philadelphia at 8-1.
• 2. Minnesota at 7-2.
• 3. New Orleans at 7-2.
• 4. Los Angeles at 7-2.

This one's complicated.

First, address the NFC South.  Carolina has not had their bye yet, so they would be 7-3 with a win and behind anyway.  Regardless, even if they were tied, New Orleans beat Carolina in Week 3 for the current tiebreaker.  They play again Dec. 3.

LA gets the 4 on the basis of both their losses being in conference, while both the other teams only have 1 NFC loss.  Conference record:  MIN and NO:  5-1, LA:  4-2

Minnesota beat New Orleans in Week 1.  They play the Rams next week.  The Rams then play New Orleans in two weeks.  This means that a similar three-way tie can be broken through a head-to-head sweep.

• The two current wildcards are Seattle and Carolina.  Their order, at least as of the end of the week, depends on the result tonight.  If Carolina wins, they go in front at 7-3, but their bye is next week.  Seattle is 6-3.  If Miami wins, Seattle goes in front.  But they are, regardless, the current wildcards.  The two teams do not play.

And something else I haven't mentioned:  My NFL totals bets on my final day of my Vegas trip in August.  Current status:

• Patriots over 12.5 -- not the most secure of bets.  They have two losses, can only take one more, play at Pittsburgh (see above).  But it does begin to look as if New England is at least being explored.  But, sans a similar NFC opponent with the suspension taking hold...  Mexico City with Oakland next week, Home to Miami, then a three-game road trip BUF, MIA, and PIT, then  home with Buffalo and the Jets.  Get to the Pittsburgh game 11-2, and I think that one's a cash.
• Seahawks under 10.5 -- not looking good now.  NFC running out of options, Seahawks 6-3.  Home to Atlanta next Monday night (and after the Falcons routed the Cowboys this week, could this be an ordering game?), then a bye week at San Francisco, home to Philly, at Jacksonville, home to the Rams, at Dallas, home to Arizona.  Chances are, I probably need the three losses in the next four meaningful games (ATL, PHI, JAC, LAR).
• Packers under 10.5 -- that one's a basic cash with Rodgers out.
• Lions over 7.5 -- 5-4, so I need three more.  At Chicago, home to Minnesota, at Baltimore and Tampa, home to Chicago, at Cincy, home to the Packers.  That SHOULD cash.
• And my Super Bowl ticket is the Patriots at 3-1.  We'll know a lot more about that in Pittsburgh, and not much, barring a key injury, before then.

Patrice Evra BANNED for the rest of the season for fan attack

UEFA has banned Patrice Evra from all European competition until June 30, 2018, for Evra kicking a supporter of his team before a November 2 match in Portugal.

The team (Marseille) has already been fined 25000 Euros and been ordered to pay all damages to the Portugese ground.

The story appears quite ugly, from this statement ESPNFC has obtained when Evra was thrown off Marseille after the ban:

"This incident also highlighted the unacceptable attitude of a small number of people who uttered insults and verbal threats of a rare violence towards the player and his family, and then invaded the pitch in contempt."

How UEFA simply didn't throw Marseille out of the tournament for both the fans' behavior and Evra's shows the complete limp-wristed "The Show Much Go On" (AT ALL COST!) attitude big-money sports have.

And as for Evra, that should be at least a worldwide ban until similar date.  That means no club competition (the French, themselves, will determine whether another team can sign Evra anywhere before that date), and no World Cup.

And where are the goddamn police to deal with this kind of shit, on both sides?

2017 Week Nine Fine/Suspension Blotter

Starting early this week because of incidents all over the league last week.

Just announced in the ongoing legal fracas:

• Dallas Cowboys:  Ezekiel Elliot's suspension is back on.  Second Circuit Court wants no part of it.  Probably going to the Supremes, probably as early as tomorrow to get the injunction back up.

For the fracas in New Orleans:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Jameis Winston was only fined $12,154 for unnecessary entering a fight area with active involvement.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  The blind-side cheap shot from Mike Evans gets a ONE-GAME SUSPENSION, with the team having to add the $40,588 he loses to their Club Remittance responsibilities.  It is the fifth NFL suspension in just four weeks.
• Probably will be other fines as well for the involvement that resulted.

Winston should get a one-game suspension upon return from his injury as well, but he won't.

For the fracas in Jacksonville:

• Cincinnati Bengals:  AJ Green:  $42,541 for his involvement in the fight, including taking Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey around the neck and throwing him to the ground.  (Probably $30,387 for the fight and $12,154 for more involvement.)
• Ramsey was NOT fined, nor was anyone else for the involvement.

For the fracas in San Francisco:

• San Francisco 49ers:  Carlos Hyde, $9,115 for being in the fight in a manner deemed unsportsmanlike conduct. 
• San Francisco 49ers:  Same for Antoine Bethea
• Arizona Cardinals:  Same for Haason Reddick
• Arizona Cardinals:  Same for Frostee Rucker
• Those are the first two fines in the 2017 season for the Arizona Cardinals.

In other incidents:

• Washington Redskins:  Josh Norman at it again, repeat offender $36,464 for a horse-collar tackle.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Jarran Reid:  $18,231 for roughing the passer. 
• Seattle Seahawks:  Tedric Thompson:  $24,309 for an illegal blindside block.  That's about $79K from that game.
• Green Bay Packers:  Mike Daniels:  $9,115 for a headbutt.
• Dallas Cowboys:  Byron Jones:  $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Dallas Cowboys:  Xavier Woods:  $24,309, another illegal blindside block.
• Buffalo Bills:  Shaq Lawson:  $18,231 for roughing the passer.
• That is the Bills' first fine of the season -- three other players could've been fined for personal fouls, but the league decided not to.
• Indianapolis Colts:  Jeremiah George:  $18,231 for a horse-collar tackle.
• Oakland Raiders:  Karl Joseph:  $18,231 for unnecessary roughness
• Los Angeles Rams:  Roger Saffold:  $9,115 for a chop block.
• That's the Rams' first fine of the season.
• This now means ALL 32 TEAMS have had at least one dirty-hit fine by the end of Week Nine.  The Clean Slate Blotter now is empty for the rest of the season.

(Pending any further later in the weekend.)

Over $338,000 so far this week.

Thirteen teams, including none of the top four fined teams, but all three of the last three teams to be fined this year, as well as five of the current bottom eight.

Clean Slate:  Done for the year.  No teams left.

No teams added to Level 1 or Level 2.

Are we going to get the Ball family under control before or only after one of them is either killed or kills somebody?

Because, now, the SECOND Ball son has gotten in the news for the wrong reasons.

The UCLA basketball team is on a trip to China, and LiAngelo Ball, the second spawn of Curse to Basketball and Human Decency LaVar Ball, is one of three players who was arrested for shoplifting in Hangzhou -- where UCLA will face Georgia Tech in the season opener.

LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill were caught trying to steal from Louis Vuitton next to their hotel, detained for hours, and separated from the team.

That may be the last you see of LiAngelo Ball.  They DO NOT FUCK AROUND in China -- shoplifting is 3-10 years in the can over there, and the Death Penalty is anyone was injured in the incident!

If there's any way we can extradite that inhuman piece of shit father of his over, basketball would be better for it.

2017 Week Nine Score Report

• 45 points a game this week -- it needed a couple of biggies to get it to that number (Philly and the Rams, two of the big guns in the NFC).  Last year Week 9:  50.08
• 9 week per-game average is now 43.977.  Last year:  45.61
• Home teams, after the 1 Eastern starts, were 1-4.  7-6 for the week, 66-62 for the year. (Only .516).  Last year was also 7-6 for the week, but home teams were winning at a .593 clip!
• The over was 6-7, and that was only because the Monday nighter went over because of a Green Bay touchdown at the gun that had them only lose by 30-17.  65-63-4 for the year.  Last year:  8-5, 73-59.
• Favorites were 7-5-1 against the number this week, 9-4 straight up.
• For the year:  61-68-3 against the spread, 85-47 straight up.  Last year:  59-59-7 ATS and 76-48-1 SU.
• Last year the team with more penalties was only 3-9.  This year, even more pronounced:  Only the Los Angeles Rams won their game this week by committing more penalties (and that was 6-4).  1-11-1 for the week in that regard, 52-68-12 for the year now.  Only three weeks ago, it was basically a wash.
• SIX non-competitive games this week.  Now 46 out of the 132 NFL contests (about 36%) have been blowouts, in which the losing team never got within eight points at any point in the fourth quarter.  There were only 34 last year, with 2 in Week 9.
• Two more games were within eight at some point in the fourth quarter, but didn't finish there.  22 of those for the year.  Last year:  26 of those.
• Only 5 of the 13 games finished within one score.  64 for the year (about 48.5%).  Last year had nine this week and about 55% of all games finishing within one score.
• Only one Cliffhanger (and it was a double, Washington's upset of Seattle).  23, now, for the year (about 17.5%).   Last year Week 9 also had one, and the yearly rate was a tick over 20%.
• 4 Last Chance misses, also making 23 for the year.  

The ratings numbers, as of this morning:

• The Cowboys, once again, won the week.  The CBS national window was up 11% with their win over the Chiefs.  Best ratings of the year for CBS, at just over a 14.
• CBS regional window also won big, up 18%.
• Thursday Night was a complete wash, even from the year before.
• FOX took a drubbing:  Their single window down 23%.
• And so did Sunday Night:  down 18%.
• No word on Monday, but I can't think that did well either.

Some other odd numbers from the standings:

• Fourteen teams within one game of .500 -- last year had 15.
• If season ended now:  AFC:  Pittsburgh 1 New England 2 (Conference record) KC 3 (Conference record -- all are 6-2 -- by the end of the year, HTH is possible, but only if Pittsburgh beats New England) Tennessee 4 (HTH over Jacksonville at 5-3) Jacksonville 5 (Conference record over Buffalo at 5-3)  Buffalo 6 (There is no further tiebreaker, you need 5-3 to get in right now.)
• NFC:  Philadelphia 1 (8-1) New Orleans 2 (Conference record) Minnesota 3 (Conference Record) LA Rams 4 (Conference record, all are 6-2 -- by the end of the year, HTH is possible, all three teams play both the others) Carolina 5 (at 6-3) Dallas 6 (Conference record over Seattle at 5-3 00 -- they do play later in the season)

The Fans Want Blood, and the NFL Appears Ready To Provide It

At the halfway point of the season, with only the Rodgers-less Packers and the Lions left to play in Week 9, I believe we are down to just two scenarios on this year's Super Bowl.

The first is the MAGA Bowl:  Patriots-Cowboys.

The second is an offshoot of the current state of the NFL -- brawls, fights, penalties, fines, suspensions, etc.

This was just Week 9 so far:

• Huge brawl in Jacksonville starts the day.  Late second quarter, innocuous run play is marred by a shove by Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey on Cincy's AJ Green.  Green responds to this by rear-naked-choking Ramsey and throwing him to the ground by his neck, throwing a number of punches in the exchange as players from both teams join the melee.  Both Green and Ramsey were ejected.
• Rapeis Winston was at it in New Orleans this week.  He was shoving and jabbing a Saint player where he had no business, and when Marshawn Lattimore had enough, in comes Mike Evans with a complete cheap-shot from behind.  Melee ensues, no ejections.  (And the New Orleans coach wasn't happy with that fact!)
• Then, late in the San Francisco-Arizona game, another one of those perceived late-slide late hits on the quarterback.  Antoine Bethea drills CJ Beathard in his slide, gets 15.  Scuffle erupts, THREE players ejected (Bethea NOT one of them!!)!
• 23 penalties in Seattle-Washington, 16 of them on the Seahawks!!  (They had 15 two weeks ago against the Giants.)  (The 23 ties for the season high for a game, the 16 sets a new mark for most penalties in a game by one team this season.)
• 14 penalties on Denver against Philly.
• 21 penalties each in both the Thursday nighter (Buffalo 11-10 Jets) and the Sunday nighter (Miami 11-10 Oakland).

Anyone still want to get around the idea that there's a good chance that all Hell is intentionally breaking loose in the NFL??

2017 Week Eight Fine Friday

• Carolina Panthers:  Thomas Davis, repeat offender (from last year): $48,620 for a hit he claims is legal and is appealing.
• Miami Dolphins:  The hit that concussed Joe Flacco, a clean headshot by Kiko Alonso?  $9,115!
• Ndamokung Suh received no fines for his two penalties, including one where he grabbed Flacco's backup by the throat!
• New York Jets:  Darryl Roberts:  $24,309 for helmet to helmet.
• With that fine, the Jets become the fourth team to reach the $120,000ish Level 1 threshold and are fined $50,000 as a result.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Ahtyba Rubin, $18,231 for roughing the passer.
• Denver Broncos:  Justin Simmons, $24,309 for unnecessary roughness
• Kansas City Chiefs:  Marcus Peters:  $12,154 for dunking the ball over the goal post.  That makes him a TWO-TIME LOSER.  Peters did that after returning a fumble for a touchdown.
• Detroit Lions:  An odd amount here, and it's for three players leaving the bench for a scuffle.  DJ Hayden
• Detroit Lions:  Cornelius Washington
• Detroit Lions:  and Jeremiah Valoaga, each fined $3,037 for leaving the bench to join a scuffle.  They are the first fines for the Detroit Lions this season.
• A'Shawn Robinson, who started the scuffle and apparently threw punches?  No fine.
• Detroit Lions:  Quandre Diggs:  $24,309 for helmet to helmet.
• Cleveland Browns:  Jamie Collins
• Dallas Cowboys:  Damien Wilson
• and Houston Texans:  Zack Cunningham, each $18,231 for roughing the passer.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Bobby Wagner:  $18,231 for a horse-collar tackle
• Minnesota Vikings:  Eric Wilson:  $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Minnesota Vikings:  Shamar Stephen:  $9,115 for a face mask
• Carolina Panthers:  Andrew Gachkar:  $9,115 for unnecessary roughness
• New England Patriots:  Joe Thuney:  $9,115 for a flagrant clip.
• Los Angeles Chargers:  Hayes Pullard:  $9,115 for a face mask
• Seattle Seahawks:  Thomas Rawls:  $9,115 for a chop block
• Baltimore Ravens:  Matthew Judon:  $18,231 for a horse collar tackle.

And another late one with significant ramifications:

• The Pittsburgh Steelers have now reached the point where every fine is doubled with a team fine, dollar-for-dollar.  They have reached Level 2 status with Sean Davis' $24,309 fine for a helmet-to-helmet shot.  That also means another $50,000 fine, and the dollar-for-dollar kicks in for another $13,343.  This now means the Steelers have been fined over $300,000 alone/

ESPN actually had a pretty large fine blotter for this week posted to their site, and that's where I got the information.

So far, 21 players from 15 teams, $297,777, plus another $113,343 (Steelers Level 2, Jets Level 1) in team fines.

The year total, including 4 teams who have reached Level 1 Threshold, is around $2 million now.

More may be forthcoming.

Clean Slate Club now only numbers three:  Buffalo, Arizona, and the LA Rams.

Both Minnesota and Pittsburgh are basically one fine away from the second threshold and all fines from there being doubled, with the team paying dollar for dollar.

Top-fined teams:

1. Pittsburgh:  6-2, leading AFC North, #1 seed in the AFC by conference record over New England and Kansas City
2. Minnesota:  6-2, leading NFC North, #2 seed in the NFC outright, but still has their bye coming with 5-2 Seattle and New Orleans.
3. New York Jets:  4-5, the only one of the top five fined teams with a losing record
4. New Orleans:  5-2, leading NFC South, #3 seed in the NFC by conference record over Seattle, who has the NFC West lead by head to head over LA
5. Philadelphia:  7-1, leading NFC East, best record in the NFL

The Uncivil Race War: Sports' White Right Sponsor Has Had Enough of the Black NFL

There's a reason those of us who believe in rights call him Papa Jerk.

Papa John, of the moated garage with a shitton of cars and a love for some Peyton Manning, is back in the news.

He has officially pulled out of the NFL.  Papa John has said he's lost $80 million personally because of the National Anthem protests, and wants nothing more to do with it.

This is a White Right motherfucker who wants the Black players put in their place, or dragged out of the sport in handcuffs...

One of my last Twitter exchanges was over an overeager pussy-to-be-grabbed (meaning White Female Trump voter -- see "self-hating" in the dictionary) stating that 55-60% of all NFL players were Black felons.

We're going down a very dark chasm here.  The NFL, for one reason or another, has now lost two major sponsors this season -- Papa Jerk being one, the uncomfortable erectile dysfunction ads the other.

2017 Week 8 NFL Score Report

A quickie this week, as we exhale for Game 7...

• 44 points a game this week
• 43.866 points per game for the 8 weeks (119 games) so far.
• Home teams were 7-5 for 59-56.  (The four London games are now complete.)
• The Over was 8-5 59-56-4.  
• Good week for favorites:  8-5 against the number, 12-1 straight up.  For the year:  54-63-2 against the spread, 75-44 straight up.
• Team with more penalties was 4-6, with three games even on penalties.  51-57 for the year.
• One Cliffhanger (Seattle over Houston with a touchdown at 0:22).  22 for the year.
• Six games finished eight or within, for 59 for the year.  Just under half the games this year are within a margin of 8 at the end.
• Four others were within eight at some point in the fourth quarter, for 20 of those.
• Three non-competitive games, for 40 total.
• Two Last Chance Misses for 19.

Ratings:

• Monday Night:  Even from a weak matchup last year, about 16-20% down from two years ago.
• Sunday Night:  Got creamed by the World Series mega-scoring debacle, and 21% ratings and 23% viewers over last year.
• SNF (Pittsburgh-Detroit) got a rating of 8.0 with 13.9 million viewers.  The World Series of Juiced Balls and Bad Umpiring?  10.5 rating, 18.9 million viewers.  Beaten by a clean over 20%.
• FOX was doing everything in their power to hype up the Cowboys and Redskins...  Down 3% viewers and ratings from last year's national slot. The Cowboys still have four of the five highest-watched games of the year, even though the last two have fallen short year-over-year, unlike the 'Boys' first five.
• FOX Regional window was down 5% ratings, 3% viewers.
• CBS Single was down 6% in both measures.
• Thursday's game was down about 20% from a comparable game last year.