Final 2018 NFL Score Report -- will do comparatives at a later date...

Well, the NFL did it -- by FIVE POINTS.

It took a rushing touchdown with two minutes and 20 seconds to go in the final NFL contest of the year to do it, but with the final game totaling 50 and they needing 45, the NFL broke the all-time scoring record with 46.727 points per game -- a total of 11,962 points, breaking the record of 11,957 (46.707 PPG) scored in 2013.

• Home teams were 8-8 this week for a final tally of 150-99-2 (.602)
• The over also went 8-8 for the week, final tally 117-133-6 (an average of one loss against the over per week).
• The 8-8 home record was the third-worst week for home teams.  The 8-8 for the over was it's best since Week 11.
• 8-8 is a popular trend this week.  Not only was it the home team record and the record of the Over, it was also the record of favorites against the spread!    Season total:  112-135-4.
• Another 12-4 for favorites straight up -- that puts the season at 165-88.
• Best week for the favorites ATS since Week 12 (9-5).  Only four times this season did the favorite do at least .500 against the number, and only twice would you have made money by betting the rack of favorites at one unit per -- the other two were .500 weeks.
• Team with more penalties was 6-7 this week, 100-119 for the year.
• Only 184 penalties (11.5 per game) for the week.  3434 accepted penalties this year, average of 13.4 per game.
• Biggest anomaly of the week, with everything on the line in many games, only FIVE finished within eight points at all -- four were Cliffhangers, the fifth was the one Last Chance Miss of the week.
• Total of 56 Cliffhangers for the year (21.875%)
• Total of 134 games decided eight points or within.  (Only 52.34%)
• Eight non-competitive games, including the first FIVE to finish.  Total of 83 games which never were eight points or within in the fourth quarter (32.42%)
• Total of 63 Last Chance Misses.  (Just short of 1/4)

Side note: An NFL race you don't know about that no one wants to win...

Kinda got snookered, earlier in the day, on this one, and decided to look into the summer edition of Hard Knocks...

Remember, there are three criteria by which you become exempt...

1) Playoffs, last two years...

That eliminates 18 teams, with a 19th possible.

2) Have appeared last 10 years on the show

That eliminates Cleveland, the Jets, Miami, and Cleveland

3) First-year coaches

That will take care of Green Bay and Tampa Bay definitely, and it appears Denver as well.

That would leave the following list (EDIT:  As of Sunday):

• Indianapolis, if and only if they do not win tonight
• Detroit
• Washington
• New York Giants
• Arizona
• San Francisco
• the Raiders
• and Denver

My guess?  Between the Raiders and Giants, for maximum chaos.

EDIT FOR BLACK MONDAY:

Ouch.

Remove Indy because they "won".

And add to Green Bay and Tampa Bay, according to Deadspin:

Miami, Denver, Arizona, Cincinnati and the Jets

That means the apparent final list is now down to:

• Detroit
• Washington
• New York Giants
• San Francisco
• and the Raiders

And the end of the day of one of the ugliest Week 17's in history...

• WTAQ's Mark Daniels through WNFL's Twitter:  

Mercifully, the 2018 season is over for the Green Bay Packers.

Mark Daniels says, "The Packers may have been the first NFL team ever to quit on not just on one, but two head coaches."

See the game story at:... https://t.co/zqZziNzFMS

— 1440 & 101.9 WNFL (@WNFL) December 30, 2018

• Looks like the Vikings, even with destiny in their own hands, did the same with the Bears.  Philly's going to the playoffs as the AFC #6.
• KC is the #1 in the AFC, the Chargers are the #5.
• Of the 8 late games, only 3 are going to finish within a score -- meaning only 5 of the first 15 did.
• Four of the five were Cliffhangers, the fifth is below (a Last Chance Miss).
• Big catch call coming up as Cleveland driving -- appears to have the hand under the ball for Cleveland near FG range to win it, and this is in or out of the playoffs for Baltimore (if they win) and Pittsburgh (if Cleveland pulls it out)!!!  Called a catch, and correctly, IMODO!  Hand between ball and ground.
• Three jailbreak blitzes lead to a 56 yard field goal attempt (probably would've been better to try that!) -- and there's still about 1:05 left!
• Pick wins it for Baltimore, Pittsburgh eliminated!
• Aw crap, I forgot!! If Tennessee and Indy go to a tie (below will presume they won't), then Pittsburgh eliminates them both and goes to Houston!
• With just the Sunday nighter to go, the NFL's scoring average for the year is 46.7137.  
• The record for scoring in an NFL season was 2013, when the games averaged 46.707, for 11,957 points.
• Entering the Winner Take All for the #6 in the AFC, we're at 11,912.  So we need 45.  And that, pretty much, is the exact average of the first 15.

So here are the final playoff seedings (with one exception, but we know where that is and it is a direct in-out):

AFC:

1.  Kansas City

2.  New England

3.  Houston

4.  Baltimore

5.  LA Chargers

6.  Tennessee-Indianapolis winner

Next week:

TEN-IND at HOU

LA Chargers at BAL

NFC:

1.  New Orleans

2.  LA Rams

3.  Chicago

4.  Dallas

5.  Seattle

6.  Philadelphia

Next week:

PHI at CHI

SEA at DAL

Week 17 mid-day report...

Christ alive...  Just cancel these irrelevant games or the games in which some teams don't want to show up...

• The Packers literally laid down to the Lions in the third-worst shutout defeat in home history -- 31-0.  (Pro Football Reference with the info -- the Lions had the worst defeat at 40 in 1976, New England at 35 in 2006 was #2).
• The first five games to complete were all non-competitive, average margin over 25!
• At least the Giants had some pride, and Atlanta and Tampa Bay put on a good show for two Cliffhangers.
• New England has the one first-round bye by dispatching the Jets.  Houston is the AFC #3 with the win over Jacksonville.  The Sunday Night winner is the #6 and plays in Houston next week.
• New England now wins the #1 if both Kansas City and the Chargers lose.

Well, here we go to the relevant!

College football is going to die unless some major changes are made...

Oy.

We have about two major days of bowls left, plus the inevitable Only Meaningful Game of the Year:  Alabama-Clemson IV...

But this has been the most disappointing bowl season ever, and, frankly, between the purported semifinals and that Washington State-Iowa State mess the night before...

• In less than a half of the WSU-ISU game, I saw four unsportsmanlike conduct fouls on Washington State (a sack dance, the reversed-TD pick-six, and after both of Washington State's first two touchdowns), and at least four players (three from Iowa State -- two were!) who should've been ejected for targeting or spearing.
• Anyone who watched the second half of Notre Dame-Clemson knows the referees (and eventually Clemson themselves!) had to rig the game to keep it from going 30-3 to somewhere 51-3 or north of there!
• And then Alabama...  28-0 to start, and they clearly had to take the foot off the gas to prevent...  I don't know where that ends up...  Sixty?  SEVENTY????

No wonder the semifinals were the lowest-rated since 2015.  There was zero competition, zero doubt, and, on the other side of the ball, very little talent.

One has to start wondering if we have reached the point that there is so little real football talent (which would explain the NFL too!!) that college(-pro, thank you Keith Olbermann) is no longer going to make it...

2018 NFL Week 16 Fine Blotter: SHIT... Why is Edelman not suspended???

• New England Patriots:  Julian Edelman

Wow.  First off, I think the refs should be fined for this one.  

I've heard a lot of talk about fining the refs for "bad calls", and wanting to tell these Twitter trolls the concept of how bad the NFL rigs games.

This is something different.

First question is why Julian Edelman was not ejected from this contest.

Second question is why Julian Edelman is going to play in Week 17 or the Patriots' first playoff game...

Reason?

He got fined for blocking after calling a fair catch.  That got him $10,026, and he's a repeat offender from September for that.

He also got fined for two additional crack-back blocks for $26,739 each.

So, and every dollar on the Patriots number, Edelman was fined $63,504.

And the Patriots get fined $50,000, as that big number puts them well over the Level 1 threshold.

But why the fuck is Edelman not suspended one game, or even TWO?

FOUR-TIME LOSER, double repeat-offender.  Should've been fined well over $100,000...  The $63K was probably because of what he makes, because the true fine he should've gotten from the NFL fine schedule is north of $130,000!!!

$53,478 twice over, and $26,739 -- that, by my match, is over $133,000, which would've meant $126,000 on the Pats number, $75,000 in fines for the team, and an additional about $3,000 in dollar for dollar.

But you could be the New York Jets here.  And this should've gotten the coach suspended for the finale at minimum...

• New York Jets:  Head Coach Todd Bowles:  $25,000 for criticism of officials
• Bowles will be fired after Sunday's game.
• New York Jets:  Leonard Williams:  TWO-TIME LOSER same game:  $43,449 for an unnecessary roughness and an unsportsmanlike conduct.
• New York Jets:  Trent Cannon:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness
• New York Jets:  Darryl Roberts:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness as well.

That's ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN DOLLARS.

Every penny of which counts against the Jets number.

That shoots them not only into Level 2 ($25,000), but an additional $91,137 past the Level 2 -- so that's dollar-for dollar.

Meaning, when we are all done, the Jets alone have been fined, individually and as a team, just for the game against the Packers:

TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT THOUSAND AND SIXTY-FOUR DOLLARS.

And no one is suspended.

Your system doesn't work, shithead Goodell.  I just outlined about $350,000 in fines just this week and just to four players, a coach, and their teams...

And that's not all!!

• Cleveland Browns:  Baker Mayfield:  $10,026 for the crotch chop to his offensive coordinator.

He's lucky he's playing this week!

Another repeat offender fine, and the person involved is no surprise:

• Houston Texans:  Jadaevon Clowney:  $40,110 for repeat offender horse-collar (ruled as roughing the passer) on Philly QB Nick Foles.  Back to back weeks for roughing the passer fines.  THREE-TIME LOSER

Houston has four fines, by current count.  Clowney has three of them.

And a brawl in the 49er-Bear game...

• Chicago Bears:  Josh Bellamy (a TWO-TIME LOSER as a wide receiver!!)
• Chicago Bears:  Anthony Miller
• Chicago Bears:  Marcell Harris
• San Francisco 49ers:  and Richard Sherman, all $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

Bellamy, Miller, and Sherman were all tossed for the fight.  Harris was fined for the hit that started it, another ejection-level cheapie free shot on the quarterback.

And the Sherman fine puts the 49ers over the number (for now with the Exum appeal):  $50,000 fine for that accumulation.

A name we (thankfully) haven't heard from in a while...

• Dallas Cowboys:  Randy Gregory:  $20,054 for roughing the passer.

And that's another team over the Level 1 threshold.  $50,000 fine for the 'Boys.

Another multiple-time loser:

• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Telvin Smith:  $10.026 for taunting. 

And that fine is also a team fine, as Jacksonville is over the limit.

And, rounding out the NFL.com list -- a couple names we've been hearing a LOT about over the years:

• Washington Redskins:  Josh Norman, versus
• Tennessee Titans:  Taylor Lewan:  $10,026 each for a verbal spat.  That's TWO-TIME LOSER for Lewan.

And one more for now...

• New Orleans Saints:  Josh Hill:  $20,054 for a horse collar.

So that's:

Base fines:  $345,857
Patriots L1:  $50,000
Jets L2:       $116,137 -- meaning the Jets were fined nearly a quarter-million this week
Cowboys L1:  $50,000
SF L1:            $50,000

And there may be more, but that's a total of SIX HUNDRED ELEVEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR DOLLARS.

Your system doesn't work, Goodell.  Ejections, suspensions, docking wins, NOW!

And if you want more evidence this Jones "fight" is bullshit...

Latest from the William Hill...

Number of tickets on the fight is 8-1 for the now +240 underdog Gustafson.

Jones has the money bet edge by a factor of almost 5-1.

Oh wait...  One more thing I forgot:  I tagged both of these with the Worldwide Leader tag because December 31st is the start of ESPN's relationship with the UFC.

Fine Blotter Catch-Up: Maybe it's time to suspend this guy if it stands...

Was looking for early Week 16 fines, and found this repeat offender I missed:

• San Francisco 49ers:  Antone Exum:  Repeat offender unnecessary roughness, $53,482.

Which would mean he was fined his entire game check plus additional from another one.  He has appealed and it will almost certainly be reduced.

But at what point does it get to the point that the league should just take an entire game check and remove the guy from the field for a week?

Yep. There's effectively zero chance Jon Jones is clean. And Daniel Cormier knows it!

Two major pieces of news surrounding this shit-fest surrounding Jon Junkie Jones and his light-heavyweight title shot at UFC 232 against Alexander Gustafson.

• The first is a tweet from noted drug expert and "Game of Shadows" Federal agent Jeff Novitzky, through Shaheen el-Shatti, the senior editor of MMAFighting.com...

Jeff Novitzky tells Joe Rogan that USADA first noticed adverse findings for a longterm oral turinabol metabolite in Jon Jones' drug tests back in August.

Aug. 9: Negative
Aug. 29: 8 pecograms
Sept. 18: 19 pecograms
Sept. 21, Oct. 2, Oct. 11, Nov. 14: All negative

— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) December 27, 2018

Which would, on surface, explain the decision by the California State Athletic Commission to license this fight...

EXCEPT...

It blows up the entire story behind the fight happening at all!!  It would appear, to at least this untrained eye, that this would indicate that Jones WAS, in fact, juicing at some point after the August 9 test and before the October 2 test.

Why, at that point, would the long-term metabolite increase almost 150% from the August 29 to the September 18 test?

And then doubly why, sans a coverup to save UFC 232 in all respects, did he then test clean 72 hours later?

This STINKS, and has to leave one to believe that Jon Junkie Jones is dirty and, once this coverup ends, will fail a THIRD major UFC drug test in the last 33 UFC cards.

EDIT TO ADD:  And now word Novitsky has reported that no one told the California State Athletic Commission of these two positives before they licensed Jones...

And something else happened today, and I do believe it's as a result:

• The fight is scheduled to be for UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier's UFC Light Heavyweight title.  Before today, he was champion of both weight classes, but would be formally stripped of the title for not fighting at the 205 pound limit in the division.
• Cormier walked away from that belt himself today in a statement to ESPN.

Jones is about a 5-2 favorite in Saturday night's main event.

Cormier is quitting the LH title not to have to fight Jones a third time -- and probably get another failed drug test (unless the coverup to get this fight done unravels).

The level of utter fucking delusion it takes to be a sports fan in today's day and age.

Got a gem checking for comments as I was just taking care of stuff on the blog.

In perusing my comments for moderation, I saw this gem by Blake Kretz on my post regarding the New England rig-job with respect to the Jesse James call in last year's Pittsburgh-New England game...

"it wasn't a catch retard"

No grammar, no capitalization, such a deck-able face in his thumbnail too...

The point of bringing this up, though, is that this kind of utter fucking dullard is what you have to be to be a sports fan in today's realities.

The costs of being in the Group of Five...

If you want to know how little value is seen in the Group of Five in college football, a story today will bring that home.

The First Responder Bowl was slated to be played today in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, TX between #25 Boise State of the Mountain West and Boston College, who finished 4-4 in the ACC and five teams finished ahead of them (and two more 4-4's with them).

Severe weather lightning caused a delay and they didn't think they'd be able to play the game -- and, judging by the radar indicating flooding-level thunderstorms all day, they may have been correct for today.

So why not move it?

Because the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of, now, FOURTEEN FBS bowl games owned and operated by ESPN.

You heard me right -- ESPN now owns 14 of the 37 FBS bowls.

About two or three of the pre-Christmas bowls are all that is left which ESPN has not taken.  And I think only about one or two non-Go5 slots are left off of that.

ESPN only O&O's one Power 5 Bowl, the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl.  And there are only maybe a handful of Go5 slots outside of ESPN O&O's.

It is really setting up for ESPN just taking the Group of 5 and making it it's own division, under what is now called "ESPN Events" -- where all the bowls and any playoff for the Go5 would be owned and operated by the Worldwide Leader in Snorts.

I guess the holiday week will permit me: Final Week 2018 Regular Season NFL Political Rankings

This is, again, my honest opinion of how things are probably going to be booked in the NFL...

AFC:

1.  LA Chargers, but increasingly tenuous.

I still think the long-range plan is "Chargers over Saints this year, Rams run over everybody next year" -- gets the Chargers the first set of bandwagoners, then the Rams can come in and create Football Showtime at Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park.

That said, it would be such a complete exposition of the failure of the first two years of the Los Angeles experiment, doubled with the fact that the league is clearly whoring out to LA, it could start the next step of a big ratings decline.  And who's going to want an NFL playoff game in 2018 in a 27,500-seat soccer stadium?

2. Houston

Call me crazy, but between the toxic nature of a number of other options (KC, NE), I do have to start thinking of Houston-Chicago as the backup plan.

Not really much other rhyme or reason for any of it.

3.  Baltimore

Yes, Baltmore, more for "we don't want New England, we definitely don't want Kansas City".

4.  Indianapolis/Tennessee winner

5.  New England

6.  Kansas City

NFC:

1.  New Orleans

2.  Chicago

3.  LA Rams

4.  Dallas

Could see Dallas overtaking the Rams on this list too.

5.  Seattle

6.  Philadelphia

Couple of updates...

• The advantage of sucking is you get first waiver shot...  DJ Swearinger, now you're an Arizona Cardinal.  Have fun.
• And I was wrong about something in a previous post.  Houston CAN get the #1 seed, according to NFL.com...  It would take a supercomputer to figure it out (the final part of strength of victory....)

An intimation as to how much of this year has been Super Fraud

Christmas Day, killing time, watching SportsCenter's Plays of the Year...

And it takes less than 10 minutes of the show for me to come up with this post:

• Alabama, the created Superteam of College Football, and the coming out party for Tua Tavagliola, was first.
• Then the Minneapolis "Miracle" -- never mind that one Saints defender deliberately took out another.
• And then the "Philly Special", with no one within a mile of the quarterback in a game, at minimum, that Bill Belichick threw.

Then things calmed down a bit for the February through early April part (nice double-buzzer-beater for the national title for Notre Dame)...

Some commercial thoughts:

• Can we stop with the "Man Up" testosterone PED shit over the television any century now?
• And, ESPN:  Two "Can't Miss", "Can't Look Away" semifinals?  With the two big favorites with a total of six who may well be suspended by Saturday?  (Three for Bama will be for team violations -- three players for Clemson awaiting B-sample drug retests...)

Back to it:

• The whole lead-in to Warriors-Cavs IV...
• #VegasStrong and Alex Ovechkin finally getting his?

And then not Top 10...

• Brady intentionally drops one in the Super Bowl.
• The Mexican baseball umpires drop one.  Full swing through for a strike, the home plate ump calls it no swing, so does the appeal at first!  (Both umpires were banned afterward.)
• Titus O'Neil drops himself in Saudi Arabia..
• And, of course, #1 Not Top Ten, JR Smith taking a dive in the NBA Finals to send LeBron to LA.

Back to the supposed good end of the stick...

• OK, I gotta play fair a second.  Some of the individual ESPN talent gave their Play of the Year -- one picked Sully, George HW Bush's service dog -- doing his job, even while his master lie in state.
• The realities of the explosion of legal sports gambling (with ESPN laughing up the spoils)...
• 4:15 to go, Bowling Green vs. Miami OH 41 points (Miami 31-10).  O/U 55, and Miami OH decides to score for 55 after a Bowling Green TD (38-17), tipped Hail Mary after a PI puts the game over, though neither of the final two scores mattered and they almost never happen in the first place in that manner.
• Tiger Woods.  TOUR Championship.  Let's go on.  (Blatant whoring by ESPN.)  And if you need to know why, watch the little sports-consumer rats scurry to the 72nd green.  UGH!
• The entire ...  what, now...  FOURTH screwjob of the Dodgers and the emergence of the MAGA League Baseball Elite (Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Braves, maybe Cardinals and Astros)...
• And Chiefs-Rams -- The Game of the Year in the NFL...  Yeah.  Right...
• And the Miami "Miracle" to get us to the list...  Another "miracle" to get an arranged result.

And so let's see the Top 10 to find out how many of these are Super Fraud:

10.  GT Nicklaus hole-in-one at the Par 3.

9.    The Philly Special previously referenced.

8.    LeBron poster dunk somewhere in March.

7.    Sidney Crosby with an insane winner in October.

6.    Zlatan with his 500th with a flying backheel in LA.

5.    Miami "Miracle"

4.    321 foot strike for a double play in Oakland.

3.    Tua OT TD to win the title.

2.    Arike double-buzzer-beater.  (Don't ask me to spell her last name.)

1.    Minnesota "Miracle"

2018 Week 16 NFL Score Report

Well, another riggy to keep Oakland fans from rioting on what probably is the final game in Oakland...

Starting with an undowned punt that the Raiders promptly take back end-to-end for the 7-0.

Anyway:

• 45.3125 PPG for the week.
• The 240 games of the season now average 46.817 points a game.
• To reach the 12,083 points necessary for the league to break the all-time points-per-game record of 47.2, Week 17 would need 847 points, an average of about 53 points a game.
• To break the all-time total scoring record (average 46.707), the league needs to beat 11,957.  It would need 721 points to tie it, and that would take a week right about equal to this week -- total of 725.
• Home teams 9-7 for the week, 142-91-2 for the year.  (.609)
• Over was 6-9-1 for the week, 109-125-6 for the year.
• Another brutal week for the spread:  5-10-1 against the number, and that's now 104-127-4 for the year.  Last four weeks, favorites are 25-37-2 against the spread.
• Straight up:  12-4 for 153-84.
• Team with more penalties was 6-8 for the week for 94-112 for the year.
• 235 penalties for the week (14.75), 3250 for the year (13.54)
• The Packers and Jets have tied the most penalties in a game this season with 26.  Last time there was a game with more was the day the Raiders broke the all-time one-team record with 27 (vs. Tampa, October 20, 2016).
• Since 2000, there have been 25 NFL games with 26 or more penalties called.
• 4 Cliffhangers for 51 for the year.
• Half the games were decided within 8 points, for 129 total for the year.
• 4 games were non-competitive for 75 total
• And 4 Last Chance Miss games for 62 total.

With one week to go, here's the actual current storyline (Political Rankings to come as holiday week allows):

NFC

1.  New Orleans 13-2 AND LOCKED
2.  LA Rams 12-3 DIVISION CLINCHED
3.  Chicago 11-4 DIVISION CLINCHED
4.  Dallas 9-6 AND LOCKED

The Rams clinch the bye with at least a tie.

Chicago needs a win and a Rams loss to get the bye on the basis of head-to-head result.  (Week 14)

Wildcards:

Current 5.  Seattle 9-6 WILDCARD CLINCHED

This is because they will have a better conference record than Washington should they tie at 9-7.

Current 6.  Minnesota 8-6-1
Currently out but still a chance:  Philadelphia 8-7 and that's all.

Seattle clinches the #5 with a tie (or win).  Tie scenario on head-to-head with Minnesota.  (Week 14)

Minnesota clinches a playoff spot with a tie, due to head-to-head win over Philly.  (Week 5)

Minnesota needs a win and a Seattle loss to make the #5.

AFC

1.  Kansas City 11-4 and a divisional tiebreaker over the Chargers the Chargers cannot surmount without breaking the 11-4 tie.  PLAYOFFS CLINCHED
2.  New England 10-5 and the win over Houston  DIVISION CLINCHED
3.  Houston 10-5 PLAYOFFS CLINCHED

Current 4.  Baltimore 9-6 -- has clinched nothing.

5.  LA Chargers 11-4 and losing same divisional tiebreaker to Kansas City.  PLAYOFFS CLINCHED

If Kansas City wins over the Raiders in Arrowhead, the Chiefs are the #1 seed.  If they do not, the Chargers are the #1 seed if they defeat Denver.

If both lose, Kansas City wins the AFC West.  But New England can then win the #1 seed if they beat the Jets, because of a Week 6 win over the Chiefs (regardless of what Houston does -- if they enter the three-way tie, then the aforementioned Houston win gets New England the HTH sweep).

In short, the AFC #1 seed is:

• Kansas City with a win over the Raiders or a tie and the Chargers doing no better.
• OR Kansas City with a win by the Jets and one by Denver.
• The LA Chargers with a win over the Broncos and a Raider win or tie.
• New England with wins by both Denver and Oakland and a win of their own.
• CORRECTION:  Houston:  See below.

Houston CANNOT be the #1 seed because they lose any tiebreaker to Kansas City on the common games tiebreaker.  Houston cannot be at least the #2 seed without a superior result to New England.

(Correction, at least according to NFL.com:  Houston CAN get the #1, but it needs a win, losses by New England, Kansas City, and the Chargers, AND it has to at least tie the strength of victory tiebreaker with Kansas City.  Common games apparently never triggered.)

LA Chargers cannot surmount the divisional tiebreaker with Kansas City sans winning the division outright.  So in a case where NE, KC, and the Chargers all lose and Houston wins, the Chargers are dropped first, then Houston dropped because of the above.

Current 6.  Indianapolis at 9-6
In it:  Tennessee at 9-6

And that's the Sunday nighter.  Winner is in, loser is out.  If they tie, Indy wins the tiebreaker because they beat Tennessee in the first meeting and that tiebreaker must go first. Houston then wins the division in the event of a Sunday night draw.

If that game goes to a winner and Houston loses, Houston split with both teams, but the winner of the Sunday nighter would be 4-2 in the division, Houston 3-3.

In it:  Pittsburgh at 8-6-1.

Now must win and Baltimore must lose.

UNLESS the Sunday nighter goes to a tie and Pittsburgh wins -- Indy would win the divisional, but lose the #6 on the basis of the common games tiebreak.

So:

KC is the #1 or #5.  KC #1 with a win or a superior result to the Chargers.  #5 if the Chargers gain a superior result.

Chargers, same thing, reverse the process.

New England can be the #2 (win or superior result to Houston), #3 (Houston superior result), or the #4 (they lose, Baltimore wins).

Houston can be the #2 (superior result to New England), #3 (as long as they don't lose OR the Sunday nighter ends in a tie), or the #6 (if they lose and the Sunday nighter goes to a winner) or the #1 if a whole bunch of things break right for them.

If the Sunday nighter goes to a winner, the loser is OUT.  The winner is the #6 if Houston wins or the #3 or #4 otherwise.

If the Sunday nighter goes to a draw, Houston wins the AFC South regardless.  Tennessee is OUT.

Baltimore can be the #2, (win, NE loss, Sunday nighter goes to a result) #3 (win, NE loss, Sunday nighter is a draw -- they lose the tiebreak to Houston), #4 (win, NE at least ties -- OR a Pittsburgh loss), the #6 (a convulted scenario involving both ties in their game and in the Sunday nighter) or OUT.

Pittsburgh is OUT unless they win and Baltimore loses, or they win and the Sunday nighter goes to a draw (#6).

A major thread of the NFL season: Getting out of bad situations...

Quickie this Christmas Eve.

One of the main threads of this NFL season has been, at least IMODO, the thread of coaches, players, even entire cities getting out of bad situations.

Two examples today:

First, DJ Swearinger has been fired from the Washington Redskins for comments made against his defensive coordinator.

C'mon world:  You know Swearinger wanted out of Washington and into a better situation.

And then, something I fear: Tonight is the Raiders' probable final home game in Oakland.  I could easily see the sports story becoming a news story, if you know what I'm saying...

Almost forgot the rest of the Week 15 Fine Blotter...

• Seattle Seahawks:  Bobby Wagner:  $20,054 for a facemask.  Repeat offender, TWO-TIME LOSER, facemask fines in back to back weeks!
• Seattle Seahawks:  Justin Coleman:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.
• And Seattle, with those two fines, becomes the eighth team to add a team $50,000 fine for Level 1 of the Club Remittance accumulation policy.
• Houston Texans:  Jadaevon Clowney:  Another TWO-TIME LOSER:  $20,054 for roughing the passer this time.   Houston has three fines this year - Clowney's got two of them.
• Arizona Cardinals:  Chandler Jones:  $20,054 for roughing the passer.
• Cleveland Browns:  Jamie Collins:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.
• New Orleans Saints:  Marcus Davenport:  $20,054 for roughing the passer.
• Making New Orleans team #9 -- $50,000 for reaching Level 1.
• Baltimore Ravens:  Jimmy Smith
• Baltimore Ravens:  Kenneth Dixon
• Denver Broncos:  Jamar Taylor
• Cleveland Browns:  Antonio Callaway
• Los Angeles Rams:  Marcus Peters (making him a TWO-TIME LOSER)
• and Carolina Panthers:  Andrus Peat:  Each $10,026 for unnecessary roughness
• Cleveland Browns:  Breshad Perriman:  $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• And those three fines make Cleveland team #10 for the $50,000 Level 1 fine.

And no real surprises from the NFL Sunday night...

• Seahawks win, so the two AFC West games are still relevant.  Oakland still has to beat KC at Arrowhead to give the Chargers a chance, but, at least the two more games are relevant.
• And yes, even with some confusion in the Twitterverse (first, the announcement circulated on Twitter was LAST YEAR'S vacancy of the Week 17 flexed game -- and second, no game is in that slot until one is flexed in!), Indianapolis at Tennessee will be the final game of the 2018 NFL season.
• Only two relevant playoff-level games kick at 10 Pacific:  Houston vs. Jacksonville, New England vs. Buffalo.

I've got no interest in ever seeing Jon Jones allowed to fight again...

And the fact that the Nevada State Athletic Commission chose THIS, and not Mayweather or a larger look at MMA and UFC/Dana White in general to die on is, well...

Word came today that the scheduled holiday PPV for the UFC has had to be moved to Los Angeles because Nevada won't license Jon Jones for his latest blood testing.

Now, that said, if you look deeper, you can see why California would probably allow this:

Jones tested positive for the same elevated stuff that got him suspended 18 months...  It's a long-term metabolite which is not allowed above a certain level, or it's believed that it is metabolizing from the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

He's served the suspension, and been in the USADA drug test pool.  The testing which made Nevada say no was for that same elevated situation, but USADA reports that the level he is at now is actually normal for someone who has not used any relevant performance-enhancing drug which would force that test positive in the relevant time frame -- nor does it provide enhancement now.

So it is a positive, but the fact that it is a long-term metabolite and within parameters of what would still be in his system (and indicating no further drug was taken) means the test is not failed, per USADA.

So the card will be moved to Los Angeles.

I'm not crazy the guy isn't banned for life for his two major hits (the UFC 200 one that brought Brock Lesnar back for HIS failed tests!!!, and the one in 2017).

But it's part of the process, just like the different medical waivers you've heard of through the Russian hacking people of American athletes who are not deemed declared positives.

A game of inches just blew up Week 17...

New Orleans is the 1 seed in the NFC, winning the late marquee matchup 31-28 with Pittsburgh.

Three major calls precipitated this.  1:25 to go was the first one, when the refs ruled the New Orleans receiver down at the 1 on a pass.  Replay clearly showed the catch in the end zone, and then the full control down -- touchdown on the reversal for 31-28 New Orleans.

Then, 4th and 15 for Pittsburgh and Antonio Brown took quite a bit of Superdome turf with him on the sideline to get a catch (correctly called) to keep the drive going.

Then, just as Pittsburgh was getting in the zone to get a tying field goal, their receiver rolls over a New Orleans defender, loses the ball -- and the game, and the #1 seed in the NFC to New Orleans.

So, how bad does that make Week 17?

New Orleans at 13-2 is the #1 seed.

Well, we have at least two relevant games in the NFC seeding.  If Chicago beats Minnesota and the Rams lose to the 49ers, Chicago gets the #2 based on their victory over the Rams.  (And my thoughts on a Bears-Texans Super Bowl hit overdrive!)

Dallas is the #4.

Seattle, Minnesota, and Philadelphia are going for the two wild-card spots.  Regardless of the result tonight, all three of their games (SEA-ARI, the aforementioned MIN-CHI, and PHI-WAS, are relevant).

Even if Seattle wins tonight, if they lose next week and Minnesota and Philly both win, Seattle is out.

So there are only FOUR relevant NFC games next week.  Chicago-Minnesota probably being the biggest.

• LAR-SF:  Rams win the #2 with a win.
• CHI-MIN:  Chicago wins the #2 with a win and a Rams loss.  Minnesota needs a win to get the wildcard.  They get the #5 if Seattle loses one of their two, the #6 if Seattle wins both.
• SEA-ARI:  Seattle must win or have both Minnesota and Philadelphia lose.
• PHI-WAS:  Philly needs a win and help.

AFC:

A good number of the games are relevant for one purpose or another here.

Kansas City is about to kick off at Seattle.  A win for Kansas City clinches the #1 and renders both them and the Chargers games next week irrelevant.  Otherwise, both games are relevant, as a Charger win and a KC loss gets LA the #1 and the league a huge headache.

Both games in the AFC South are relevant.  Tennessee and Indianapolis probably get flexed to Sunday night -- they appear the best candidate.  Houston must win and have New England lose to get the #2, so both those games are relevant.

And both games in the AFC North are now relevant.  Pittsburgh now needs a win over Cincinnati and a Baltimore loss to Cleveland to win the division, and, with the tie and Tennessee and Indy playing, is probably that or out!

So, as of right now, the only game we KNOW is not relevant in the AFC next week is Miami-Buffalo.  Two more become irrelevant (KC #1, LAC #5) if KC wins tonight.

So 9-11 relevant games next week, TBD by the one that just kicked off.

• KC-OAK and
• LAC-DEN:  Only relevant if KC loses tonight to SEA.  
• PIT-CIN and
• BAL-CLE:  Baltimore is in and Pittsburgh eliminated with a win.  Pittsburgh must win and Baltimore must lose for Pittsburgh to get in, and that would eliminate Baltimore.
• NE-NYJ:  New England gets the #2 with a win or
• HOU-JAC: A Houston loss.  Houston must win and have New England lose.
• TEN-IND:  No formal announcement yet, but it's got all the markings of the requirements for a Week 17 Sunday Nighter:  Win and you're in, lose and you're out.  Winner is AFC South champion and the #4 (on division record) if Houston loses.  (HOU would be #6.)  Winner is the #6 if Houston wins.

Right now, the game which would appear to be the most likely to get screwed up before that Sunday Nighter would be Jacksonville beating Houston.  It'd probably blow up my thought of a Houston-Chicago Super Bowl, but there you go.

Couple of Saturday notes

• Could be an interesting AFC Political Ranking this week -- Chargers lost, but how much more than "We can't afford to hold a playoff game at the StubHub Center." is it?  The listed attendance, per ESPN's GameCenter, of tonight's game was 25,571 -- and the capacity is 27,500.  Do you HONESTLY believe the NFL could afford to hold a playoff game THERE???
• Could be looking at Houston, could be looking at Pittsburgh, could be looking at leaving #1 blank, because there are no real desirable options...
• The last six NFL games to complete:  0-6 against the number, 2-4 straight up -- that's the two late games Sunday, the Sunday nighter, the Monday nighter, and the two games today.
• If you're in Vegas this Sunday and want to bet the NFL, see if the NFL pops who (and if there) will be the Sunday Nighter for Week 17 at some point during play Sunday afternoon.  Bet accordingly.

2018 NFL Week 16 -- So how useless can we make Week 17?

The normal pre-Christmas Saturday games have started (and no word on additional fines for Week 15 yet).

So let's see how useless we can make Week 17:

NFC first:

New Orleans, the Rams, and Chicago have clinched divisions.

New Orleans clinches everything through the NFC title game with a win over Pittsburgh (or various LA loss scenarios)

The Rams must win (@ Arizona) and have Chicago lose to get a bye.

Dallas clinches their division with a win over Tampa.

If Seattle beats KC, they're in the playoffs if either Minnesota or Washington lose.

If Minnesota beats Detroit, then a Washington loss and a Philadelphia loss puts them in.

So, if:

• New Orleans wins
• The Rams win
• Dallas wins
• Seattle wins
• Minnesota wins
• Philadelphia loses to Houston
• and Washington loses (they're playing the first of the two Saturday games as I write this)

Then:

• New Orleans is the 1 seed
• Dallas wins the NFC East, meaning all four divisions are clinched
• The two wild-cards are clinched (Minnesota and Seattle), so all six teams are clinched and slotted 1-4 and 5-6.

AFC:

Only the Chiefs and Chargers have clinched, and that's only playoffs.

Chiefs win the 1 seed with a win and an LA loss and a HOU loss.  (However, the Houston scenario cannot happen if the Minnesota-clinching scenario occurs.  So either the second NFC wild-card is in play or the #1 in the AFC is in play with somebody.)

Houston wins, they win the division -- if New England also loses, they're at least the #2.

Pittsburgh wins the North with a win over New Orleans and a Baltimore loss.  (So either the AFC North is in play or the #1 seed in the NFC is in play.)

So there are a FEW things which can make Week 17.  We'll see where we are in about 32 hours.  (Monday night is Denver and Oakland, two eliminated teams.)

2018 NFL Week 15 Fine Blotter: And speaking of Eric Reid...

OK, NFL, cut it out.

If he's that much of a problem to you legally, throw him out legally or shut the fuck up.

• Carolina Panthers:  Eric Reid:  $20,054 for this...

Adding it to the file...
1) Legal play (even if it wasn’t, there’s minimal contact)
2) Was not flagged by officials
3) $20,054 fine from the league office #DulyNoted pic.twitter.com/H30AFcGdDs

— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 21, 2018

Normally, I make a note of how many times a loser and all that shit.

It's a clear late hit if it's a hit at all.  And it should've been flagged, if it was a hit at all.

But I've seen far worse not get fined, and that's his FOURTH since Week 7.  It would be his fifth within a calendar year, and his sixth over his career.

Look, shitheads, if any of this is above-board, he's to the point he needs to be suspended -- as that's his fourth offense against the league (again, if above-board) in the last nine weeks.  So shit or get off the pot on all of this.

More to come.

Eric, all I can say is I hope you don't get a judge in your lawsuit who believes "The Show Must Go On"...

Eric Reid is finding out what happens when you piss off the NFL...

Reid, the second major player to sue the league for Colin Kaepernick-style collusion, has found a team to play for this season, the Carolina Panthers.

That's the GOOD NEWS.

The BAD NEWS is...  Well, look for yourself:

Number 7... ”Random” pic.twitter.com/6HkxXCZhQP

— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 18, 2018

Yep. Reid's SEVENTH random drug test of the year.

And, in fact, it's his third since Thanksgiving, according to reports.  And he has only been on the Panthers part of this season (since Week 4).

Meaning, in 11 league weeks, he's been subject to SEVEN drug tests.

According to a Yahoo! article on the subject, the league selects ten players at random from the pool of all eligible players (roster, practice squad, probably IR and other injury-related as well) each week for the tests.

According to the same article, the Panthers have 72 such players in their employ.  Meaning that, on an average week, the odds of being tested one time would be 10/72.

The article used what is called a "Cumulative Binomial Probability Indicator" to determine the chance Reid would have of being tested this often.  It's a complicated mathematical formula, based on roughly the chance of seven out of eleven situations turning out "successful" when the probability for "success" is 10/72.

The probability that calculation returns for at least 7 tests (what is called "P(x>=7)") is 0.00019630.

Or about .01963%.

About one chance in FIVE THOUSAND.

Now, what the league COULD DO if this does get added to the list of legal complaints Reid has is say that the probability would infer that this kind of ridiculousness would actually then happen about once every three years (72 players X 32 teams to start with).

Stay tuned.  There is still at least one more drug test he could get.

Stupidest part of this:  He's (obviously!!!!) passed the first six!

Suspension Blotter: And that's another one who should never have been reinstated...

Just days after Martavis Bryant ended his NFL career by violating the terms of his suspension:

• New England Patriots:  Josh Gordon is finished too by violating his.

This one will cost the Patriots.  It is also the sixth suspension of Gordon's career, five for drugs.

He loses $92,941.

Julian Edelman forfeited $987,744.

So the Patriots, for the two suspensions, are fined the maximum at that level, $150,000.

Two Weeks To Go: Here's my Week 15 2018 NFL Political Rankings

As I said after the Rams lost, I now believe I can make my Super Bowl call.

I do believe it will be Drew Brees vs. Philip Rivers in this year's Super Bowl.

The Saints and Chargers are ancillary, except for the concept that the LA Chargers so badly need a shot in the arm (and leg, and any other artery or vein you can find!!!) that the NFL is probably going to do not only the unthinkable, but that which makes no sense:

It makes no sense because there's no realistic benefit to the NFL actually putting a playoff game at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA, a 30,000 seat soccer stadium in which the bulk of people attending Chargers games actually root for the other team!!

And it's unthinkable because, as a result, the NFL is so invested in Los Angeles, they may well give the Chargers a Super Bowl Championship ANYWAY, and then build the entire LA Charger fanbase on BANDWAGONERS.

And if they do that, then next year is probably the Rams, because the stadium is now slated for a 2020 open!  The Chargers have actually opened a waiting list for season tickets for the StubHub Center for 2019!

So then why in the Hell, Michael, would they go ahead with this?

Well, let's look at the other teams on the list, and play "Consider Your Options":

AFC:

1.  LA Chargers

Discussed above.

2.  Houston

Houston's always been a sexy "dark horse" pick.  But damn if this isn't the quietest 10-4 in the history of the goddamn league!  Now, if the league continues to toss away the "POINTS!" mantra, then you might have a draw in a Houston-Chicago Super Bowl with the two biggest defensive studs in the league.  But that's about all you have with Houston.

3.  Pittsburgh

I watched the last two minutes of the Jesse James Rematch, almost swearing to High Heaven that it was too easy and that Brady was going to get the tying TD for overtime.

Nope.

But their position is only really because they are the fallback option at this point (think Green Bay before the lockout the year they won the damn thing!).  Because...

4.  New England

Five losses is the most New England has had in damn near a decade.  And each one brings the idea closer that the league believes that Brady and Gronkowski are on illegal drugs through TB12.  Not enough evidence to nail them under the policies, but one does have to really start asking why they are nowhere near Ring Number Six.

5.  Kansas City

Of course, you could be Kansas City right now and staring straight down the barrelhead of a playoff screwjob.  That said, Patrick Mahomes can have another year (or probably two!) to build toward a major Super Bowl run -- as long as he and the Chiefs keep their noses clean.

6.  Indianapolis

I'm still going Indy here because of Andrew Luck.  That said, they do need Baltimore to lose at some point to consummate the deal, or Baltimore is in and they are not!

NFC:

1.  New Orleans

Pretty much sealed the deal this week, I think.  Something has definitely happened to the Rams in the last three weeks to indicate that they might have to wait the extra year (probably to help prop up the Chargers, and then the Rams run everybody over next year to put the 2020 opener in the new stadium).

So the question is:  Why not New Orleans to win it all?  Right now, the need to prop up the Chargers is so urgent, I believe the league is considering the unthinkable (see above).    This is Philip Rivers' 15th year in the NFL; he's 37.   He would be three months short of 39 when the new stadium opens.  Can his body hold out that almost two further years?  Brees already has a ring.

2. Chicago

See Houston.  The MVP is often conflated with the BEST player in the league.  But the statement is clear:  Even with points running amok most of the year, the true most valuable player in the NFL is Khalil Mack.  Chicago is the Houston of the NFC, and, if they throw away "POINTS!!!", Chicago-Houston is not a completely inconceivable Super Bowl.

3.  LA Rams

And only because the Cowboys got shut out this week and the division is clinched over Seattle.  Probably going to have to wait til next year, at least as of this week.

4.  Seattle

Could make a further statement by beating the Chiefs at home this week (but am not sure they're going to -- that would mean at least one, and probably two, home games for the Chargers at the StubHub Center for the playoffs).

5.  Dallas

Thinking about that shutout this week, I am thinking the league is telling Dallas to get Zeke under control -- or else!!  (Think the Giants and OBJ.)

6.  Philadelphia

Putting them over Minnesota, even with Minnesota's position, because of the win over the Rams.

--

Said I was going to make a point of something from the score report.

Ever since the Kareem Hunt video, the league has basically rewritten the season.

Not only is scoring down to quite low levels even for PAST years, but penalties have shot up nearly 2.5 penalties a game.  And the Fine Blotters have exploded to match!

One has to wonder if the play is getting dirtier now that the D's are no longer just rolling and giving up.

2018 Week 15 Score Report

Yep, we have our rewrite.

• 38.625 PPG for the week.  That's the lowest this year by four full points.
• Lowest per-week since Week 16 last year (37.75).
• The last three weeks in total, 48 games, have had only 1,999 points.
• Through 12 weeks, the average points per game for the season was 48.364.
• The last three weeks have averaged just 41.667.
• Total average for the year now:  46.924 -- the first time all year the all-time per-game average of 47.2 now holds.  And the 46.707 modern-era record now has only a slim 37 points now on it.

I'll talk more about that in the post you'll see above -- the one I make next.

• Home teams went 9-7 this week for 133-84-2 for the year.  (.607)
• The Over was 5-9-2 for the week (both the Sunday nighter and Cincinnati-Raiders pushed) for 103-116-5 for the year.  If you bet $100 on every NFL game to go over this year, you'd be $2,236.36 in the hole.
• Of course, you could be worse.  You could've done the same with Vegas favorites, who went 6-9-1 against the spread and 10-6 SU.
• That's 99-117-3 against the number.  Same $100 on every Vegas favorite?  You're now down $2,700.
• Straight up for the season:   141-80.
• Team with more penalties was 4-12 this week.  Now 88-104 for the year.
• For the same three weeks the scoring has cratered, the team with more penalties is 8-7, 4-8, and 4-12 -- 16-27 overall.
• As of the end of Week 12, 2282 penalties had been called in 176 games.  (12.966 per)
• The last three weeks, in 48 games, 733 penalties had been called.  (15.271)
• Season average is now 13.46 penalties per game.
• Three Cliffhangers, totaling 47 for the year.
• Eleven games finished within one score, total of 121.  (54%)
• Three non-competitive games for 71 total.  (31.7%, meaning 68.3% of all games are within 8 points at some point in the fourth quarter.)
• Three Last Chance Misses for 58 total.

And now, the playoff storylines in math (the post above will be Political Rankings theorycrafting):

AFC:

Houston vaults to the #2 with New England's fifth loss of the year.

1. Kansas City still is with 11-3 and only one loss in the AFC West.  A win over the Seahawks next Sunday night seals the deal, because the Raiders are the Week 17 opponent.
2. Houston 10-4 outright
3. New England 9-5 outright
4. Pittsburgh 8-5-1 outright
5. LA Chargers 11-3, two losses in the AFC West.  Probably need two wins and a KC loss for the #1, but only the Chargers and Chiefs are guaranteed playoff spots.
6. Again complicated, but it's still Baltimore at 8-6.

Three 8-6s.  First break the tie with Indianapolis and Tennessee (they play Week 17, though), so Tennessee falls to the #8 and Indy #7.  Baltimore has the breaker on Indy on one fewer conference loss.

NFC:

1. New Orleans 12-2, magic number for the #1 is one.
2. LA Rams 11-3 outright
3. Chicago 10-4 outright
4. Dallas 8-6 outright
5. Seattle 8-6 outright
6. Minnesota 7-6-1 outright

No changes, but solidifications.  The top three teams have all won their divisions, but clinched nothing else.

Two 7-7s and a 6-8.

I'm the Monday Nighter away from making my Super Bowl call...

Really beginning, now, to look like Brees vs. Rivers (note:  I am NOT saying Saints/Chargers -- I am saying specifically Brees/Rivers) and that the Kareem Hunt video HAS forced a major rewrite, and not just with KC.

The Chargers present an interesting problem, however:  There's NO WAY you can have a playoff home game in a 30,000 seat soccer stadium in which most of the fans are those of the visiting team.

But one thing is clear:  The league appears to be ready to make an effectively-fanless team possible Super Bowl champions for the express purpose of CREATING a fanbase in LA.

EDIT TO ADD BEFORE BED:  Some interesting stats on today's lines at the William Hill from Ben Fawkes at ESPN, through Brian Tuohy:

• 87% of the money bet as of this morning on Pats-Steelers was on New England.  LOST OUTRIGHT
• 82% of the money bet on Bills-Lions was on the Bills.  DIDN'T COVER.
• 77% of the money bet on Raiders-Cincinnati was on the Raiders???  HA!!  NOT CLOSE.
• Hey, at least Minnesota covered for the 75% of the money bet on that game.
• 71% on the Sunday nighter -- on the Rams.  LOST OUTRIGHT.

5 games in which at least 70% of the money was on a team that didn't make the spread.

2018 Week 14 Fine/Suspension Blotter

• Dallas Cowboys:  Ezekiel Elliot:  $26,739 for the helmet rule -- lowering helmet to initiate contact.  It's being reported he's the first offensive player to be fined for this, but I don't think so.  What I do think is that he's the first offensive player to be a TWO-TIME LOSER -- and in the last three weeks!
• What people stating this also forget is that offensive players have been (selectively) fined for this foul for some time.
• Referee Roy Ellison was fined a game check, but reinstated for the Jerry Hughes incident.  By the information I see, he's working the Titans-Giants game this week.

Saturday updates:

• Dallas Cowboys:  Ezekiel Elliot:  Make that THREE-TIME LOSER in three weeks.  In addition to the $26,739 previously mentioned, add another $10,026 for a low block.  Elliot has now been fined over $50,000 in three games (illegal celebration, RB helmet rule, low block)
• And the Cowboys, in that same span, now over $100,000.
• Philadelphia Eagles:  Kamu Grugier-Hill:  $20,054 for a leg whip which has eliminated Odell Beckham Jr. from play ever since.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Bobby Wagner:  $10,026 for a facemask.  Neither that nor a key illegal field-goal block against the Vikings were flagged.  (I wonder why...  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....)
• New York Jets:  Henry Anderson:  $10,026 (and should've been a lot more) for a blindside cheapshot on Steven Hauschka, the Buffalo kicker.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Deion Jones:  $33,425 for fighting.
• Green Bay Packers:  Corey Linsey:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  Both were as a result of a scrum on a perceived cheapshot to Aaron Rodgers.  (It wasn't -- the player was not fined for the hit.  Rodgers was ruled not to have begun his slide.)
• And the fine on Jones makes Atlanta the second team to reach Level 2 and dollar-for-dollar status.  So add $25,000 for the level, plus an additional team fine of $6,664 for the amount over the line -- and every fine from this point out for the Falcons also is dollar-for-dollar.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Damontae Kazee (and the team):  $26,739 (each) for the helmet rule.  TWO-TIME LOSER -- and I believe both with the helmet, IIRC.
• Chicago Bears:  Josh Bellamy:  $10,026 for a chop block.
• Philadelphia Eagles:  Malcolm Jenkins:  $12,500 for blasting the replay official on a first-period fumble call.  It counts against the Club Remittance number as unsportsmanlike conduct.  THREE-TIME LOSER, and the fine should've been at least doubled.
• Indianapolis Colts:  Matthew Adams:  TWO-TIME LOSER in two weeks:  $26,739 for helmet to helmet.  This fine should also have been doubled, as last week's fine was also a helmet situation.
• Indianapolis Colts:  Malik Hooker:  $26,739 for defenseless receiver.
• And those two biggies make Indianapolis the seventh team to reach Level 1.  Add $50,000 team fine to their total.
• Baltimore Ravens:  Matthew Judon:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness. And that's THREE-TIME LOSER for Judon, all three for one form or another of unnecessary roughness.
• Cleveland Browns:  Jermaine Whitehead:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  And that's THREE-TIME LOSER for Whitehead too!
• Buffalo Bills:  Dion Dawkins:  $20,054 for a chop block.  That's TWO-TIME LOSER for him.
• New York Jets:  Buster Skrine:  $20,054 for roughing the passer.  And TWO-TIME LOSER for him as well!
• So as of the update I made Saturday afternoon, that's eight repeat offenders for the year this week, FOUR of them three times over. 
• There are three teams right now (Buffalo, the Chargers, and Green Bay) who are all basically within "rounding error" of Level 1 status, and are the next three teams to go over.

And a suspension we all saw coming...

• Oakland Raiders:  Martavis Bryant thrown out of the league for more drug problems.

The Raiders' fine for three suspensions in a league year is now $159,380.

25% of Vadal Alexander's $152,755 (at the time he was suspended -- he was cut during training camp), Daryl Worley's $148,236, and Bryant's $336,529.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Chiefs have just been Kareem Hunt-ed.

Told you.

Told a lot of Chiefs fans on their Reddit when the video became public and Kareem Hunt was fired.

RIP season.

Watch the "winning touchdown" for the Chargers and tell me this wasn't a bobble which would've put Mike Williams out of bounds when he actually gets possession...

.@CHARGERS TOUCHDOWN with 4 seconds left!!!@darealmike_dub's third TD of the night. #LACvsKC

📺: @nflnetwork + @NFLonFOX
📱+💻: https://t.co/DJUityQHC9 pic.twitter.com/AO085F34JO

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2018

And I don't know what's worse... That, or THIS WIDE OPEN for the winning two-point conversion!!!

TWO-POINT CONVERSION FOR THE WIN! #FightForEachOther#LACvsKC pic.twitter.com/dW9E4zEqQc

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2018

Congratulations...  One step closer to the Chargers, and the first step in the Kareem Hunt Screwjob.

(Oh, and there were still four seconds left in the game when that conversion was made.)

End of the Raiders: Oakland finally files the lawsuit.

We knew it was coming -- and I believe it's one of the reasons that Oakland has completely sabotaged their season.

But, today, the city of Oakland filed the lawsuit which, if the owner follows through with his threat, will mean they play...  somewhere else... in 2019.  (San Diego, the UNLV college stadium, and even the University of Nevada at RENO are considered options...)

If it wins (seeking many millions in lost revenue and punitive damages), the team Las Vegas gets won't be the Raiders.

Here we go....

My view of the current 2018 NFL Political Rankings

In short, I think the league IS at least playing at a rewrite of the season.

In any good story (and I should know this, having recently completed my Nanowrimo for 2018), the author or authors of the story have to create a certain degree of doubt.

Well, with New England, Pittsburgh, the Rams, and Houston all losing this week, and with this week being the second-lowest scoring week of the year per game (and last week being the lowest), several things are becoming clear:

• After Week 12, the average NFL game was over 48 1/3 points a game.
• The last two weeks, that average has plummeted to 43.2 for the two weeks.
• In the first 12 weeks, there were only nine NFL games which did not reach a 30-point total -- and no more than two in any given week.
• Last two weeks:  Five, including both the Sunday and Monday nighters this week.
• Another number of note:  First 12 weeks of the year, there was 2282 accepted penalties in the NFL over the 176 games played to that point, an average of 12.97.
• The last two weeks, 16 games each:  260 (the highest average of the year:  16.25) in Week 13, 244 (15.25 a game) last week.

This would merit further investigation, but one does have to wonder if that means players are going to start roughing offenses up to turn these 42-39 shootouts into 15-6 defensive fests.

But this does have to start asking real questions as to where in the tea leaves the NFL is going right now...

So, here's my GUESS....

AFC

7.  Miami

I've been suspicious for some time as to whether the NFL is willing to push New England aside because of TB12 and Alex Guerrero and all that stuff.  I'm not willing to go quite that far, but the "Miami Miracle" (and real questions about why the Hell you'd put Gronkowski in the defensive backfield for it unless it was the designed result!) is at least a building block toward that end.  View them, for now, as an alternative if something big comes out.

6.  Indianapolis

I know Baltimore is in the position, but Indianapolis has the marketable name at the key position that the NFL might choose to exploit.  After starting the season 1-5, they've won six of seven and are one of the NFL's hottest teams.  I do expect them to get in the wildcard spot sooner than later.

5.  Pittsburgh

How in the bloody Hell do you expect to be taken seriously as anything (even a division champion) when you lose to a Raider team that the only question is not if they could lose to a college team, but how many?  The only way these Steelers win the AFC North is if there's no real alternative, and I expect the Chargers to run roughshod over them in the Wildcard round unless the Kansas City Screwjob starts in the regular season (read: this week) and the Chargers win the AFC West.

4.  Kansas City

Don't sleep on the possibility that the league will let the Chiefs win the division, then pull the rug out from under them afterward -- a la the Cowboys of the last couple of years.

They needed everything they could get their hands on to beat the Raiders, and then had their second-lowest scoring output of the year to squeak past the Ravens since the Kareem Hunt firing.

3.  Houston

Let's not forget:  Houston started 0-3 and has won nine of ten!!

But it's been a quiet 9-4, because they probably don't have any kind of "guns" the league can market outside of TJ Watt.  It's so quiet that you don't realize all four of those losses have been within one score.  Four more scores, the Houston Texans are 13-0 and nobody knows how!

If this were a more legit league, this could finally have been Houston's year.

2.  New England

See my Miami commentary.  I really don't think the NFL wants to push Brady all the way unless it is absolutely sure nothing will come of TB12 and Alex Guerrero.  Otherwise....

1.  LA Chargers

And this isn't just them -- and they need to beat Kansas City at Arrowhead this week to hold the position.  Part of the reason that I put them #1 in the AFC for the moment is the Rams' loss and the belief the league will ram at least one of the LA teams to win the Super Bowl to open the new stadium in September of next year.

Two HUGE games this week:  New England goes to Pittsburgh in the Jesse James Rematch.  The Chargers go to Arrowhead Thursday night...

Wait...  Thursday night actually gets a relevant game??????

NFC

The top five teams in the NFC have only 12 conference losses, and how many of those are to each other??

The four divisions and the byes are pretty much settled, and the only real mystery in the conference is whether New Orleans holds the #1 over the Rams and who ends up getting the consolation prize at #6...

5.  Chicago

If the MVP award were truly the Most Valuable Player, Khalil Mack wins it hands down.  The problem is, the league has four better options in the conference.

4.  Seattle

... and it's far closer from 1 to 4 than people might've thought a week or two ago.  It's too late for the division -- the Rams have clinched -- but the fact that Seattle has won four in a row and is probably staring 10-6 right in the face (barring a Chiefs rig-job that would give them 11-5!!) cannot be underestimated.  Roger Goodell likes a cult following.

3.  Dallas

Five in a row and a key game for both conferences with Indianapolis this week -- then two winnable games could get them 11-5 and then who knows...  This is the first year one can say without question that Dallas is out of the doghouse.  The only question from here is whether the league will exert one of the two better options.

2.  LA Rams

And this is paper-thin, but one cannot dispute the belief that, should the eventual game be held in New Orleans, the first thought is like the other game in New Orleans between the clubs.  (45-35 NO)

That said, gun to head, I still would pick Rams-Chargers as my Super Bowl, but that loss to the Bears, and especially how it was presented, is a question.

1.  New Orleans

So if they don't push Brady, is it time for Drew Brees to get one last ride?  I can't see New Orleans WINNING the Super Bowl unless the whole LA narrative gets tossed (but another Rams loss and the Chiefs beating the Chargers on Thursday would merit it's consideration!), but one cannot dispute that the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC DOES go through New Orleans -- and, unlike the AFC, that's far more important (given outside factors -- yes, Arrowhead's a bitch, but Kareem Hunt's video looms large over this league!).

2018 NFL Week 14 Score Report: One more week like this, and I will call a rewrite...

Another odd, low-scoring week, with a number of the big teams losing.

I think we have a new direction, and I don't think it's just the weather.  I'll show you in another post...

• 43.5625 PPG this week -- second-lowest of the year.
• Average for the year is down to 47.5625.
• Meaning the all-time average is now just within sight to 74 points.
• The all-time average for the modern schedule is now about 165 points away -- that number coming down the last two weeks.
• Home teams feasted this week -- 11-5.  125-77-2 for the year.
• The Over, not so much:  7-9, and now that makes 98-107-3 for that bet.
• 7-9 was also the against the spread number, and the favorites were only 9-7 straight up!
• The year:  93-108-2 ATS, 131-74 SU.
• Team with more penalties was 4-8 this week.
• 15.25 penalties a game this week, and it really sounds like the penalties (and fines) started picking up the last couple of weeks.
• 5 Cliffhangers for 44 total.
• 110 total games finished within eight points after 9 this week.
• 4 non-competitive games for 68 total.
• 3 Last Chance Misses for 55 total.

And the current storyline.  I don't think this is the Power Rankings (that's the "another post" I'll get on, because I think, especially in the NFC, it's about to all blow up):

NFC:

The Rams getting beaten (and maybe exposed) means New Orleans is back on top with the tiebreaker.  The Monday Night win by Seattle over Minnesota flips the wildcard slots.

1. New Orleans 11-2 and the win over the Rams  SOUTH CLINCHED
2. LA Rams 11-2  WEST CLINCHED
3. Chicago 9-4 ONE MORE TO WIN THE CENTRAL
4. Dallas 8-5 ONE MORE TO WIN THE EAST

So the divisions, three weeks out, are pretty much done (as are almost the byes), and that might have something to do with some of the screwing around the last couple weeks -- are they trying to instill doubt?

The 5 is Seattle, and they're a game and a half and the tiebreak on the 6, Minnesota -- and those are the only six teams above .500 after 13 games!

AFC:

Houston loses, New England loses, KC has another narrow escape (I think the league is biding time on those guys), Pittsburgh loses to Oakland....

Wait...

HUH???

1. Kansas City 11-2 MAGIC NUMBER FOR 1 SEED IS TWO
2. New England 9-4 (defeated Houston)
3. Houston 9-4
4. Pittsburgh 7-5-1
5. LA Chargers 10-3

And don't sleep on the Chargers being the rewrite.  For example, Brian Tuohy made the call for the Super Bowl preseason that the CHARGERS would be the LA stadium team to open the new stadium on the Thursday night...

But this 6 seed is complicated.  There are four 7-6 teams.  Baltimore, Indianapolis, Miami, and Tennessee.

So the first tiebreaker you invoke is to eliminate one of Indy and Tennessee.  Indy won the first meeting 38-10 Week 11 -- they'll meet again Week 17.  So Tennessee is out and you have Baltimore, Indy, and Miami.

Indy is then eliminated in the three-way tiebreak due to a 6-5 conference record vs. 6-4 of the other two.

The #6, right now, is Baltimore, on the common games tiebreaker.

Titans:  Both teams won.

Raiders:  Both teams won.

Bills:  Both teams won.

Bengals:  Indy lost the one game, Baltimore split.

So Baltimore is 4-1, Indy 3-1 -- the minimum is four, so it counts.

Are they going to have to disqualify part of the USA Tokyo Olympic Team for the coaching misconduct?

Even if not, the international sanctioning body for gymnastics is going to have a problem.

USA Gymnastics is about to cease to exist.

They filed for Chapter 11 (reorganization), with the lawsuit money being the problem, last week -- and that puts a damper on the ladies trying to get money because of Dr. Larry Nassar and the brass at USA Gymnastics who covered him up.

The question is going to have to be settled in the next 18 months, especially as it probably appears USA Gymnastics will eventually disappear entirely:  Is this going to mean the IOC or individual sport bodies are going to have to toss the United States, Russia-style?

Let's hope so.  Because, and let's face it:  How many "Mary Lou"'s got denied their chance, in any of these sports, because they refused the sexual advances of the relevant coaches, etc.?

Is baseball already back in the steroid era??

Almost missed this in a chaotic December week, but Deadspin caught it.

Sourcing the New York Times (so you may have a soft paywall to deal with if you go to the article itself -- as well as the fact that they are clearly carrying water for MAGA League Baseball), Deadspin reported, through a Michael Schmidt article, that the Office of the Commissioner and the MLBPA are at odds over two major agents...

... and the fact that Sam and Seth Levinson may be covering up for at least one roided-up player through a doctor who went to prison in the Biogenesis situation.

And anyone who wants to tell you that this is any more than a power play by Rob "MAGA" Manfred is not paying attention.  He just wants more power over the players while giving the illusion, and just that, of being above the previous steroid era.

Apparently, this doctor, Juan Carlos Nunez, is supposed to be interviewed by the MLBPA, and they're refusing...

According to Forbes Magazine, the Levinsons have 70 baseball players in their employ, including (and stressing that the list does not imply they are the player involved -- but one of the larger list of 70 is!) :  Danny Duffy, Charlie Blackmon, Dustin Pedroia, David Wright, and Jon Lester.

The Ultras Won -- again!!!

They finally played the second half of the Copa Libertadores final in Madrid today -- this after Boca Juniors RIGHTLY demanded the Council for the Arbitration of Sport give them the trophy (they inexplicably declined)...

And, as usually happens...  1-1 after 90.  3-3 for the tie.  No away goals rule, so 30 extra minutes.

Boca player gets sent off 2 minutes in -- River Plate and their ultras are Copa Libertadores champions, 5-3 in aggregate.

You just started a goddamn motherfucking war in Argentina.  You best hope it simmers before the next match between these teams.

2018 Week 13 Fine/Suspension Blotter

• Dallas Cowboys:  Jaylon Smith:  $26,739 for helmet to helmet -- and the penalty, to aid in the Cowboys defeating the Saints last Thursday, was not called.
• Tennessee Titans:  Taylor Lewan:  $26,739 (and it should've been investigated for suspension of either Lewan or the official involved) for confronting and threatening at least two of the officials last week.  This is NOT the "bitch" incident.  He had strong words for several of the officials on the field post-game.
• And he's going to get fined again this week -- in the Thursday Night Football game last night, an injured Lewan flipped off the sky-camera.
• And speaking of the "bitch" incident in the tunnel:  The NFL has placed on administrative leave the official involved, referee Roy Ellison.
• The Buffalo Bills player involved, Jerry Hughes, will not be suspended (that almost ensures the blame is on Ellison -- that is a prima facie suspension to go up the tunnel after a ref.  Watch this space: 
• Buffalo Bills:  But he is fined $53,482 for the incident -- double the applicable fine.  Buffalo is charged $50,000 against their number.  (Updated Saturday)
• Indianapolis Colts:  Matthew Adams:  $26,739 for his hit on Cody Kessler (roughing the passer, probably with amplification for the helmet).

Saturday updates, other than the Hughes fine:

• New Orleans Saints:  Marshawn Lattimore can add $13,369 to his $23 donation to the Salvation Army Kettle in Dallas.
• Cincinnati Bengals:  *sigh*  Vontaze Burfict...  AGAIN!!!:  Another $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.  He's given over $125,000 to Cincinnati's number.  THREE TIME LOSER this season, and that's after his third-season starting suspension!
• And, largely as a result of the $125,000 he's put on the number, the Bengals have been fined $50,000 for reaching Level 1 status.
• Los Angeles Rams:  Speaking of AGAIN and MULTIPLE TIME LOSERS:  Ndamokung Suh:  $20,054 for a horse collar.  That's TWO TIME LOSER for this season.
• Carolina Panthers:  And another MULTIPLE TIME LOSER:  Eric Reid:  $26,739 for defenseless receiver -- and that wasn't called!
• San Francisco 49er Coach Fine:  Kyle Shanahan:  $25,000 for in-game unsportsmanlike conduct, so that DOES count against the number.
• San Francisco 49ers:  Malcolm Smith:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Jarran Reid:  $20,054 for Roughing the Passer.
• Los Angeles Chargers:  Jatavis Brown:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.
• Meaning the next fine gets them Level 1 -- They're $18 short.
• Baltimore Ravens:  Za'Darius Smith:  $20,054 for Roughing the Passer
• Chicago Bears:  Chase Daniel:  $20,054 for a horse collar.  He's the current Bears quarterback -- the tackle was on an interception return.
• Kansas City Chiefs:  Eric Murray (TWO-TIME LOSER in back-to-back games!)
• Oakland Raiders:  Jared Cook
• Atlanta Falcons:  And Vic Beasley Jr., all $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  C.J. Reavis:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Ronnie Harrison:  $10,026 for taunting.
• And a first for the season.  Jacksonville becomes the first team in the NFL to reach Final Level 2 Status -- meaning, first, they are fined $25,000.  Second, for the amount above the Level 2 marker, they are fined dollar-for-dollar (another $9,865).  Third, they will be fined dollar-for-dollar for all fines going forward to the end of the season.  With those penalties, the Jaguars are over $300,000 in fines.

Hoo boy, and I may not have gotten them all.

But:

Jaguars team:  $34,865
Cincinnati team:  $50,000
Sixteen teams had fines so far this week, totalling:  $375,947

For a total (SO FAR!) this week of FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWELVE DOLLARS.

YOUR POLICY DOES NOT FUCKING WORK!!!  GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, GOODELL!!!

Suspension with a team fine on it:

• New York Jets:  Darron Lee, four games, substances of abuse.

And that's an even bigger fine for the Jets now.  The Jets now hit maximum percentage with their fourth suspension of the year -- the first team to reach that number.  That means all lost salaries are now fined at one-third (33%) of the total, up to $500.000.

They already had three suspensions for lost salaries of a total of $317,801.

Lee loses base and bonuses, according to Spotrac, of $655,935.

So that totals $973,736 -- meaning the Jets suspension Club Remittance fine now becomes $324,589.

And more:

• San Francisco 49ers:  Kyle Nelson, 10 games, PEDs.  He's their long-snapper and their third longest-tenured player.  Strike two.  That means 4 games this year and the first six of next year, if he still has an NFL career after this.  (Which I don't think he will.)

And that's a fine for the 49ers, their second suspension of the league year after Reuben Foster got 2 games in July.  (This was before the domestic violence allegations which got him cut by the 49ers last month.)

Nelson loses $229,411 (his last four games of his contract with SF).  Foster lost $241,586 for his offseason suspension.

The total of $470,997 means the 49ers are fined 15% of that:  $70,640.

And another:

• Cleveland Browns:  Practice-squad member Daniel Ekuale, 4 games for PEDs.  Team's first suspension of the league year.
• Free Agent, cut by the Raiders in March:  Sean Smith, thrown out of the league for an off-field assault incident.  Attempted murder, did prison for it this year.  Can try for reinstatement after the Super Bowl.  Second off-field suspension offense -- was banned three games for a DUI three years back with the Chiefs.

Fine Blotter Cleanup, and a LOT OF IT

Didn't realize I had missed a lot of fines and the like over the last several weeks, but that's what the people at Spotrac are for to clean it up.

Think I got em all.  Will update my table for what that determines before I update the table for this week.

Cleveland Browns:  TJ Carrie:  $26,739 for helmet to helmet. (Week 12)

Green Bay Packers:  Davante Adams:  $10,026 for a crackback block.  (Week 10)

Los Angeles Chargers:  Adrian Phillips:  $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct.  (Week 10)

Green Bay Packers (at the time, so it counts):  Jermaine Whitehead:  $10,026 for an unsportsmanlike conduct ejection for a head slap -- Whitehead was cut after the Week 9 game with the Patriots as a result.

Baltimore Ravens:  Eric Weddle:  $26,739 for helmet-to-helmet.  (Week 9)

New Orleans Saints:  David Onyemata:  $6,683 for a uniform violation.  (Week 9)

Los Angeles Chargers:  Derwin James:  $26,739 for unsportsmanlike conduct, an altercation with Tyrann Mathieu.  (Week 9)

Houston Texans:  Mathieu:  $26,739 for helmet-to-helmet in the same game.  (Week 9)

Miami Dolphins:  Andre Branch:  $20,054 for a face mask -- against the QB, so it's called Roughing the Passer for fine purposes (Week 9).

Los Angeles Chargers:  Dariun Philon:  A second $20,054 for Roughing the Passer.  No word on why it was not doubled.  (Week 9)

Los Angeles Rams:  Roger Saffold:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 9)

New York Jets:  Brandon Shell:  Also $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 9)

Jacksonville Jaguars:  Dede Westbrook:  $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct (Week 8)

Kansas City Chiefs (before he was fired):  Kareem Hunt:  $10,026 for a chop block.  (Week 8)

Denver Broncos:  Derek Wolfe:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness (Week 8)

I was wrong on the Cardinals having a clean sheet!  Arizona Cardinals:  Haason Reddick:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 8)

As I was about the Redskins as well!!  Washington Redskins:  Josh Harvey-Clemons:  $10,026 for a chop block (Week 8).

Dallas Cowboys:  Antuan Woods:  $6,683 for a uniform violation.  (Week 6)

Seattle Seahawks:  Quinton Jefferson:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 6)

Baltimore Ravens:  Matt Judon:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 6)

Indianapolis Colts:  Kemoko Turay: $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.  (Week 6)

New York Giants:  Alec Ogletree:  Helmet to helmet appealed to low-level unnecessary roughness, $10,026.  (Week 6)

Cleveland Browns:  Damarious Randall and

Cleveland Browns:  Emmanuel Ogbah, each $10,026, both for face masks.  (Both Week 6)

Also will clean up a few other things:

• This means we had no clean sheets left, and I think that was as of Week 8!
• Two-time losers:  Ogletree (NYG, as of Week 10), Judon (BAL, as of Week 6)
• Three-time losers:  Hunt (KC, as of Week 8 - yes, this means three fines from the league and getting fired for lying about a domestic violence incident.  FUCK THIS SHITHEAD -- END HIS CAREER!), Onyemata (NO, as of Week 10)
• There are no teams at this point at dollar-for-dollar, as of the end of Week 12 for all the reported fines I could verify.
• We now have five teams at Level 1 status:

1. Jacksonville at $200,400.
2. Minnesota at $177,006
3. Atlanta at $170,457
4. Denver at $153,610
5. And the one addition to the list:  The New York Jets:  Already fined the better part of $300-400K for the suspensions, they just got fined $50,000 on a total Club Remittance On-Field fine number of $149,717

Next up on the hit parade:  CIN, GB, KC, NO, Chargers, Rams

Interesting difference than in some past years:  This year, as of the end of Week 12, only ONE of the top 5 fined teams is in playoff contention (MIN, and they're only the NFC #5!).

And the Week 13 score report...

Really began to look like a massive rewrite was in the works after most of the early games.

Except for the overtime game between the Bears and Giants, there was no game even in the 50's for the early games, and one game was 6-0.

So that led to...

• Lowest PPG for the year by about a field goal:  42.75
• That drops the season PPG to 47.896
• For 192 games, the modern record average of 46.707 is still being led by 224 points.
• The all time points per game record of 47.2 is still being led by 134 points.
• Home teams were 10-6 for 115-72-2 (.614)
• The over, after losing the first 9, went 5-2 the rest of the games for 5-11 for the week and 91-98-3 for the year.
• Favorites had another losing week on the number and almost did straight up:  7-9 ATS and 9-7 straight up.  For the year, 86-99-3 against the number, 122-67 straight up.
• Team with more penalties was 8-7 this week, 87-84 for the year.
• Most flags of the year:  260.   16 1/4 a game.
• Four cliffhangers for 39 total.
• Three non-competitive games for 64 total.
• Five Last Chance misses for 52 total.
• Nine finished within one score for 101 total.

Storyline update:

NFC:

The Saints loss puts the Rams clear #1 in the NFC.  Washington laying an egg and Seattle continuing to move puts Seattle into the 5 spot and moves Minnesota to #6.

The Rams clinched their division this week.

1. LA Rams 11-1
2. New Orleans 10-2 
3. Chicago 8-4
4. Dallas 7-5
5. Seattle 7-5
6. Minnesota 6-5-1

No NFC tiebreakers.

AFC:

No changes from last week.

1. Kansas City 10-2
2. New England 9-3 (HTH over Houston)
3. Houston 9-3
4. Pittsburgh 7-4-1
5. LA Chargers 9-3
6. Baltimore 7-5

2018 NFL Week Twelve Fine Blotter

• Buffalo Bills:  Shaq Lawson:  $33,425 for fighting, the same fight that got the suspension.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Carlos Hyde:  $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct, same incident
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Barry Church:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness, separate incident.
• Dallas Cowboys:  He DOES get fined this time!!!  Ezekiel Elliot:  $13,369 for this year's Salvation Army donation.
• Dallas Cowboys:  Xavier Woods:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.
• New England Patriots:  Deatrich Wise, Jr.:  $20,054 for roughing the passer.
• New England Patriots:  Cordarrele Patterson:  $13,369 for a punch to the nuts.
• Green Bay Packers:  Kentrell Brice:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.  That makes him a TWO-TIME LOSER.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Takkarist McKinley (him of the "fine me for that" at the draft):  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness.  That also makes him a TWO-TIME LOSER.
• Cleveland Browns:  Gerard Avery:  $20,054 for unnecessary roughness
• Detroit Lions:  Glover Quin:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness

Side notes:

• No additional teams over Level 1.
• Jacksonville now supplants Minnesota as the most-fined team this year.
• Washington and Arizona retain clean sheets.

A lot of people are saying the Hunt situation could derail the NFL's dream "POINTS!!!" season...

I get where they are coming from, but I believe they are wrong.

The problem with this argument is the very essence and nature of the Alpha Male Athlete in Alpha Male America.

Seriously...

Let's go back and understand something about this situation.  The only reason Kareem Hunt played the first eleven games of this season was that he flat-out lied to the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL, and probably the police local to the situation -- and all that unraveled when the video came out yesterday.

Those two facts alone could see Hunt suspended all of this season and all of next (and that doesn't take into account the July incident with another man).

Those two facts alone SHOULD see Hunt banned from all sport and arrested immediately.

I still believe as I did last night -- that this will depush the Chiefs, but probably not this week (again, how do you put Oakland over any professional team at this point without making it obvious (which see their two wins -- over the Browns and Cardinals)?).

I believe this will be true for three reasons:

• How much of that 9-2 start is the league going to attribute to Hunt?
• How could the league continue to push the Chiefs without somehow glorifying him?
• And the ugliest question of all, which goes back to the Ray Rice fiasco...

I think one of the most prescient questions ever asked about the sport of football -- and it comes up every time I read of junior-high players being sodomized or high school girls being systemically raped and assaulted by football players -- was asked by ESPN and former partner Grantland and Louisa Thomas, who eviscerated the truth of professional football and it's reliance on domestic and other forms of violence in the article "Together, We Make Football".

Her last question:  "If we take the violence out of football, what's left?"

The fact is, Kareem Hunt was employing his station as an Alpha Male and an NFL player when he beat the shit out of that 19 year-old girl.  That is why I cannot agree with the idea it will derail the season.

Might well cast a pall over this week, sure. 

Might even already be getting taken into account, given Thursday's result.

But I end up asking the question, more and more, to fans who believe this all is legit and people like me are full of shit?

The first thing I begin to think of with game-altering calls is how many women of husbands or boyfriends of losing fans are going to get beaten up by those men, because of the ties football has to violence?

Remember, Ray Lewis all but threatened, if the lockout had cost games, that a horde of angry (probably implied Black) men would increase crime because of their bloodlust.

Keep that in mind when you express your disgust.  As reprehensible as it is, the entire sport and it's athletes are reprehensible -- by design.