How can supposedly professional or intelligent men be THIS STUPID?

• The Cowboys on Thursday
• The Egg Bowl fiasco.
• Needing the win for bowl eligibility, TCU's Ross Blacklock spears the West Virginia quarterback on a key play to seal his team's seventh loss.
• Cincinnati's Myjai Sanders needlessly extends Memphis' drive and seals his team's loss to ensure a rematch for the American Athletic Conference title.

Here is the best view the TV broadcast offered of the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Myjai Sanders, after what would have been a third-down stop by UC. Memphis would have had 4th&10 from their own 38 yard line with 4:52 remaining. Tigers were up 27-24 at the time. #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/ghasLu87Zz

— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) November 30, 2019

• And now Alabama is eliminated from the College Football Playoff with it's second loss -- losing the Iron Bowl to Auburn on a 12-men on the field substitution foul down 48-45 with a minute to go in the fourth quarter.

And these are supposed to be intelligent or professional men...

Or is it something else...

2019 NFL Week 12 Fine Blotter

• Cleveland Browns (and team):  Mack Wilson:  $28,075 for defenseless player.  That is THREE TIME LOSER for him.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Calais Campbell:  $10,257 for unnecessary roughness.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Yannick Ngakoue:  TWO-TIME LOSER on the week.  $10.527 for unnecessary roughness -- both hits on Taylor Lewan of the Titans.  Another $14,037 for the Finger du Middle.
• Miami Dolphins:  Steve Parker:  $28,075 for defenseless player.
• Carolina Panthers:  Tre Boston:  $56,156 for defenseless player -- repeat offender.  Boston was fined for the same offense in Week 8.
• And that triggers the $50,000 fine for the first level of excessive fines against the Panthers.  The Panthers are the seventh NFL team to reach this level at about $147,000 in fines for the season.
• New Orleans Saints:  Cam Jordan:  Another TWO-TIME LOSER this week.  $10,527 for unnecessary roughness, another $28,075 for defenseless player on a different play.
• Green Bay Packers:  Davante Adams:  $10,527 for taunting.
• Denver Broncos:  Dalton Risner:  $10,527 for unnecessary roughness.

EDIT TO ADD TUESDAY from Spotrac's research:

• New Orleans Saints:  Eli Apple:  $14,037 for fighting.
• Making the Saints the eighth team to reach the first $50,000 threshold.
• Pittsburgh Steelers (and team):  Trey Edmunds:  $28,075 for a blindside block.
• Pittsburgh Steelers (and team):  Olasunkanmi Adeniyi:  $56,156 for repeat offender helmet rule.
• This is fucking getting serious now, Pittsburgh.  That's three-quarters of a million in two weeks.

If you still want to believe any of these games are legit, here's another voice saying otherwise...

This is a mandatory read for anybody who wants to understand the evolution -and vulnerability- of the NFL.

Once sat across from Dick Butkus on a NY-LA flight as he read it. He grunted for hours. Finally he asked me “you read this? It’s about everybody I know and it’s all true!” https://t.co/HP1pOsL4ZJ

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) November 30, 2019

And this is THREE THOUSAND...

On October 7, 2010 (NINE YEARS I've done this blog???), I started Super Fraud.

• 2500 was August 30, 2018.  Meaning the last 500 took 456 days.
• 2000 was February 8, 2017
• Etc.  I covered this before.

Wow.  Just...  wow.

NFL Suspension Blotter: And another interesting development...

• Arizona Cardinals:  The league has thrown Josh Shaw out of the NFL for betting on games within the league.  The ban is all of this season and all of next, at minimum.

Yeah, yeah, an investigation indicated no compromised games.

The suspension will cost the Cardinals some money.  It triggers a max $150,000 fine because of the Patrick Peterson suspension additionally.

That means, for one purpose or another, every team in the league has now been fined in some capacity.

Someone needs to go to Ole Miss' Dean of Students on Monday...

This is not only a 15 yard penalty that cost Ole Miss their rivalry game with Mississippi State because the PAT was missed to lose 21-20.

This is a violation of the Ole Miss University Creed and needs to be punished by not only taking his scholarship and tossing him off the team, but maybe even out of Ole Miss University entirely!



Throw that kid out of the school. And, while you're at it, investigate him for throwing the game, because you just can't be THAT stupid.

Dallas is throwing this second game of the Tryptophan Tripleheader to get Jason Garrett fired NOW.

After Jerry Jones' comments on the coaching last week against New England, it's now apparent the Cowboys want a new coach for the playoff push at 6-6...

Field goal kicker has missed two, and this was the approximation of effort Dak Prescott put in a fourth-down pass near the goal line down 23-6:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A THROW #BUFvsDAL pic.twitter.com/WmOCOlaJY7

— Jordan Fixsen (@jfixswim) November 28, 2019

This game is being THROWN.

Could it be because ESPN has reported that, regardless of anything else this season, Jason Garrett will finish the year???

And could it be any coincidence that's the lead side story right now on ESPN's website?

The Vic Mignogna case is over. The sanctions announced today.

Courtesy of Reddit's

Funimation wins:

• $50,000 in attorney fees.
• $7,504 in additional cost
• $5,000 in sanctions (Funimation sought over $175,000 here.)

Defendants Monica Rial and James Toye win:

• $50,000 each in attorney fees
• $15,927 in additional cost
• $5,000 in sanctions (between attorney fees and sanctions, Rial and Toye were looking for a half a million dollars)

Jamie Marchi wins:

• $48,137 in attorney fees
• $1,874 in costs
• $5,000 in sanctions (unlike the other defendants, Marchi pretty much got what she wanted)

That's a hefty penalty, but it could've been far worse:  $238,442.

He has appealed.  If he loses, the penalty goes up:

• If he appeals and loses, it's $50,000 more to Funimation and Marchi, $55,000 jointly to Rial and Toye, and $37,500 for Marchi
• If a third party appeals and it loses, they all get half that, more or less.
• There is additional sanction if it makes the Texas Supreme Court with no change, and if it makes oral arguments there.

Week 12 NFL 2019 Political Rankings: It's coming together now...

The List of Super Bowl contenders is pretty much down to five right now:

Baltimore and New England in the AFC; Seattle, San Francisco, and New Orleans in the NFC.

That's pretty much it.  The Rams and Packers got fucking exposed by two of the five teams on this list.  A third needed serious Refball for it's win...  (Again.)

So here's where I think it all stands right now:

AFC:

1.  Baltimore
2.  New England

Though if the league is promising that this is Brady's last season, then it's all over but the screaming.

Major play coming in on Lamar Jackson, especially with several dominating wins over increasingly relevant teams.

Buffalo is about the only other AFC team with fewer than four losses.

Playoff seeding:

1. New England
2. Baltimore
3. Houston, with a win over
4. Kansas City
5. Buffalo
6. Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Tennessee, and Oakland are all 6-5.

Break the Indy/Tennessee tie first.  Indy beat Tennessee Week 2, plays them again this week.

So Pittsburgh, Indy, Oakland

Indy has lost to both teams.  Pittsburgh and Oakland do not play, but Indy is eliminated at this step.

So then, it's conference record.  Pittsburgh wins, 5-3 to 4-3.

So Pittsburgh is the 6.

NFC:

1. Seattle

Mainly because I have no shoot or work angle on how the fuck San Fran is 10-1.  And they're probably LEGIT that good, but we all know what happens in the National Religion NFL!

2. San Francisco
3. New Orleans
4. Minnesota
5. Green Bay
6. Dallas

And here are the seedings right now:

1. San Francisco
2. New Orleans
3. Green Bay
4. Dallas (6-5)
5. Seattle (9-2)
6. Minnesota (8-3)

Three very interesting things Brian Tuohy has found just today!

First, the NFL tells Dallas to fuck off, from David Moore of the Dallas Morning News:

Oops. https://t.co/VdBJ9nDqdF

— Brian Tuohy (@TheFixIsInTuohy) November 26, 2019

Awful Announcing announces the Super Bowl adspace for this year is almost sold out:

Probably means the league promised FOX (who promised their potential advertisers) "something special" for this year's Super Bowl. https://t.co/ePcVoIHX3x

— Brian Tuohy (@TheFixIsInTuohy) November 25, 2019

Now wait a minute, the only promise I could think would be given would be Brady retiring.

But perhaps the biggest of the three is this: Vontaze Burfict claiming the NFL rigs it's games. The last semi-active player who made anywhere near THAT claim was Warren Sapp, right at the end of his career...

Love seeing a player claim the league fixes its own games. And I know the NFL's protectors will say, "Well, but it's Vontaze Burfict." Doesn't matter. He's an NFL player and knows the game better than most. https://t.co/tjWnUPR5WD via @CBSSports

— Brian Tuohy (@TheFixIsInTuohy) November 25, 2019

2019 Week 12 NFL Score Report

This finishes up all the byes. 176 total games, 11 apiece.

• Only 41.71 points per game for the week.
• Season average now down to 44.80.
• The recent trend continues.  Home teams were 10-4 for the week for 91-79-1 for the year.
• Over went only 5-9 for 81-91-4.
• Favorites were 6-7-1 against the number, but 12-2 straight up.
• Season:  75-94-6 ATS, 114-60-1 SU.
• Interesting stat of the week:  The team with more penalties was actually 8-3 for the week!  Season:  78-81-1.
• 196 penalties for the week, making 2,512 for the year.
• Only 2 Cliffhangers this week:  Washington's double-cliffhanger on two field goals to beat Detroit, and New Orleans beating Carolina at the gun.  23 for the year.
• Half the games this week (7) finished within one score.  91 for the year.
• The other half were non-competitive, including both the Sunday and Monday nighters.  59 of those.
• 2 Last Chance Misses for 51 total.

Ratings from Sports Media Watch:

• NFL National (100% Patriots-Cowboys):  19.5, the highest rated NFL national window in TWELVE YEARS.  Highest rated 2019 television program of ANY KIND since the Oscars.
• NFL Regional:  10.4, up 16%, best Week 11 in eight years.
• Sunday Night:  11.8, up 2%

And this is why anyone not named Baltimore or New England in the AFC can just give up now.

They called this tripping.

This is a HORRENDOUS call.

What may be worse is they kicked it to Mike Pereira in the booth who AGREED with it.pic.twitter.com/ReeuIUttCA

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 25, 2019

NFL Fine/Suspension Blotter Week 11 2019 (Part Six): The Normal Programming

• Los Angeles Chargers:  Michael Davis, two game suspension for substances of abuse.

First suspension for the Chargers this year.

And here we go with the announcements from the Browns-Steelers fiasco.

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Mason Rudolph played for free last week.  Fined $50,000 for his role in the incident, an aggravated fine.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Which triggers a $50,000 team fine under the fine portion of the Club Remittance Policy
• A number of other players have also been fined due to the incident, and will be listed once announced.
• Wait, did I say "a number"?  TRY THIRTY-THREE!!!!

Let's start with the $3,507 fines.  These are all for entering a fracas, non-involvement version:

• Pittsburgh first:  Tyson Alallu
• Mark Barron
• Tony Brooks-James
• Bud Dupree (TWO TIME LOSER)
• Terrell Edmunds
• Trey Edmunds
• Matt Feiler
• Minkah Fitzpatrick (TWO-TIME LOSER)
• Mike Hilton
• Johnny Holton
• Tevin Jones
• Kameron Kelly
• Ramon Foster
• Jaylen Samuels
• Robert Spillane
• Cameron Sutton
• James Washington
• TJ Watt
• Vince Williams

That's another $63,126 against the Steelers number.

Now Cleveland, with the reminder EVERY ONE OF THESE $3,507 fines has to be matched by the team.

• Justin Burris
• TJ Carrie
• Jarvis Landry (TWO-TIME LOSER)
• Devaroe Lawrence (THREE-TIME LOSER)
• Sheldrick Redwine
• Chris Smith
• Chad Thomas
• Denzel Ward
• Greedy Williams
• Mack Wilson (TWO-TIME LOSER)

So that's another additional (and, again, just all for the fight -- basically anyone, especially those who left the bench, who even got near the fight got the fine) $35,070 for that, and ANOTHER $35,070 the Browns must match!

And there was still more from that game!

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Olasunkanmi Adeniyi:  $28,075 for the helmet rule. 
• And that fine WILL put them over the top.  Another $25,000, plus another $27,754 dollar-for-dollar.
• Cleveland Browns (and team):  Greedy Williams $28,075 for helmet to helmet
• Cleveland Browns (and team):  Damarius Randall:  $28,075 for helmet to helmet
• Cleveland Browns (and team):  Chad Thomas:  $21,056 for roughing the passer
• Thomas and Williams are both TWO TIME-LOSERS IN THE SAME WEEK

I think that's finally all of it.

So let's add it all up.

Let's start with Pittsburgh:

• $250,000 Commissioner imposed
• Rudolph fined $50,000
• Pouncey fined $35,096
• Adeniyi fined $28,075
• NINETEEN $3,507 fines for $66,633
• With all that, the Steelers number took on $194,708 JUST THIS WEEK.  As a result, their fine number for the season shoots to $252,347
• So, under the accumulated fines:  $50,000 for Level 1
• $25,000 for Level 2
• And matching fines of $30,231

The Steelers team was fined $355,231

The players were fined $179,804.

Grand total for Pittsburgh:  $535,035

Cleveland:

• $250,000 Commissioner imposed
• Garrett fined $45,623
• Randall fined $28,075
• Williams fined $28.075 for the helmet hit
• Thomas fined $21,056 for roughing the passer
• TEN $3,507 fines for $35,070
• So, with Garrett augmented to $50,000 with his suspension, the team had to match ALL FINES, plus that $50,000.  
• And $48,247 for Ogunjobi.  That's $245,993 in fines off the fine policy alone.
• PLUS, with Ogunjubo's suspension upheld, $398,019 for the suspension clause of the situation.

Get ready for this whopper:  For incidents in this game:  The Cleveland Browns team was fined, from various parts of the Club Remittance Policy, $893,612.

Players fines:  $157,899

That's a million bucks, guys.  $1,051,511 for just the Browns.

And a total fine for the incidents of ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FORTY SIX DOLLARS.

$1,586,546

I want Goodell to see that number and see it well.  YOUR POLICY DOESN'T FUCKING WORK!

The Browns' fine number JUST THIS WEEK was almost sufficient for dollar-for-dollar if it were an entire season!  $210,523.  The final threshold if $221,116.

The Browns now have been fined $1,563,051 (counting the $500K for the suspensions and the $250K team fine).

And then other games' fines as well, as they come in.

• Detroit Lions:  Will Harris:  $28,075 for defenseless player
• More to come probably...

Whee! Another Thursday, Another NFL Scripted Production

Indy out of time outs, down 3, Houston has the ball and can close to run the clock out.

2nd down, though, the replay shows DeShaun Watson fumbles and an Indianapolis player appears to get it, secure possession, and be touched down.

No review, and the clock runs without the play clock running to ensure Houston wins and Indy never gets the ball back.

So that should do it for the AFC South.

The last replay should do the trick.

And, according to Football Zebras, it actually DOES sound like the television networks are partnering with the league to determine who wins and loses...  (Hat-tip to Brian Tuohy for finding the Tweet...)

The replay official has access to 6 key angles without relying on what is broadcast. The TV director (Fox's A crew) likely communicated to replay booth that there wasn't anything substantive available https://t.co/AeukccUGOC

— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs 🌿 (@footballzebras) November 22, 2019

Week 11 Suspension Blotter Part Five: Garrett's Life Ban Stands, Pouncey Reduced, as I thought it would be.

• Cleveland Browns:  Myles Garrett has had his life ban upheld by the appeals process.  He cannot be part of the NFL again without the approval of Commissioner Roger Goodell, and not until next year.
• Cleveland Browns:  Garrett's $45,623 fine stands as well for fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct.  The Browns are fined a minimum of $50,000 anyway for having to match all fines and a $50,000 penalty falling under the Club Remittance Policy for the on-field suspension.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Maurkice Pouncey has been reduced to a 2-game suspension.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  And, to no one's surprise, the $35,096 fine for fighting stands.

Pretty much exactly how I saw it going down.

So the toteboard for Thursday, finally finishing now on the suspensions and associated fines for the suspended parties only is:

• Steelers Team Commissioner Fine:  $250,000
• Steelers Pouncey Fine:  $35,096

Steelers Total:  $285,096

• Browns Team Commissioner Fine:  $250,000
• Browns Four-Suspension Fine (to augment to $500,000 maximum):  $398,019
• Browns Garrett Fine:  $45,623
• Browns Team Penalty Under Excessive-Fine Clause of the Club Remittance Policy (capped at $50,000 per player per incident):  $98,247 ($48,247 for lost salary to Ogunjobi, $50,000 for Garrett)

Browns Total:  $791,889

So the total so far:  $1,076,975

And the Browns must match any fines they receive further

And the Steelers WILL breach the Level 1 Fine penalty for an additional $50,000 once Rudolph and other people entering the fight area is added in.

We're probably looking about $1.3 million for this single incident.

And one more thing before people think that I'm crazy to say the league is probably going to have to investigate the Browns...  As of right now:

• With Garrett's fine, the Browns now stand at direct player fines of $341,872
• The Commissioner fined the team another $250,000
• The Club Remittance Policy on Suspensions is another $500,000 (and that's the maximum)
• And the Club Remittance Policy on Fines, against a now fine number of 396,249, has now seen the Browns fined $250,132

That's ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED FORTY-TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR DOLLARS the Browns and their players have been fined for misconduct.

$1.5 million is probably a good over-under after the rest of this is applied on Friday or Saturday.

Week 11 Suspension Blotter, Part Four: The Browns fine for Club Remittance Section One will be $500,000

The Larry Ogunjobi suspension has been upheld.

As this, with the Garrett suspension, will be the Browns' fourth, the Browns will, in fact, be fined the maximum penalty under the Club Remittance Policy for multiple suspensions, $500,000.

There is a small bit of correction I need to do in my chart.

It was listed that Ogunjobi was additionally fined for his actions.  It has been revealed that fine has been wiped out -- and it was only a standard $10,527 fine.  This means the Browns are still responsible for (and, due to the second section of the Club Remittance Policy, must pay) Ogunjobi's lost salary for one game since it does not exceed $50,000.  (It's $48,247, according to Spotrac.)

I also need a second correction for some of the other parts of this incident.

Gregg Williams is now the D Coordinator for the New York Jets.  Still, he was interim head coach when the fines started piling up for the Browns late last season, so he still could be investigated.

November 20, 2019 Updates

At least as of the early afternoon:

• Jim Cornette was fired today by the NWA.  They gave him the decency to resign, but the fact is he was fired.
• Myles Garrett's hearing was apparently today, and his appeal is based on a 2013 precedent regarding a league suspension of Antonio Smith for a similar incident with Richie Incognito.

That might be a bit better argument, except for one major problem you've already seen in the incident:

The NFL is The League of the Quarterback.  All else is expendable.

Else, why is Mason Rudolph not banned at least two games himself?

• And something I have neglected, in the chaos that has been the last week or so, to report on...

Colin Kaepernick DID, in fact, hold a workout for some NFL organizations last weekend.

It was NOT the NFL-set up event that was scheduled, and the reasons appear to vary, depending on your take on the affair.

One report has that the NFL wanted Kaepernick to sign away his rights to sue a second time for collusion, should this fail.

Kaepernick did the right thing and not only did not fall for the trap, but held his own workout anyway for some teams who could find their way to the event.

And reports indicate that the Kaepernick defenders are right:  He can play, the arm is ready, and the collusion is real.  Stay tuned.

Another tough one for a fandom close to me...

Before I begin:

I will mention what was said -- not as an endorsement, even though I've been a fan of this guy 30-35 years.  I apologize for any offense to any African-American or LGBT reader of this blog post.  However, I do believe this is a major story in the world of professional wrestling which has doomed the 2019-20 prospects for a very promising project by Billy Corgan, David Lagana, and the National Wrestling Alliance.

--

And the sickest part is, you had to know it was coming, given the man involved -- and given how little he really gives a fuck.  (About much of ANYTHING!)

This is NOT the first controversy Jim Cornette has been in THIS YEAR.  Cornette was actually condemned, and the NWA called on the carpet for hiring him, after he called Total Nonstop Action wrestler Jordynne Grace a "butterface".

(For those who do not know, that's a woman with a great body...  but her face...)

This apparently also is on the heels of a Cornette rant calling AEW wrestler Sonny Kiss (an openly-gay man with a wildly effeminine character) a man who "apparently got off his day job at the drag-show at the fucking Tropicana".  He went on to call Kiss an "exotico" in Mexican terms -- probably correct!  Cornette was condemned by Kiss' partner.

And now, this week...  He's probably completely shit the bed on one of professional wrestling's newest projects.

In what now is his third fireable offense this year, in the seventh show of Lagana and Corgan's pilot project "NWA Power", Cornette (for at least the third or fourth time in his career!) has referred to a wrestler (in this case, Trevor Murdoch, not related to "Texas Redneck" Dick Murdoch) as so tough that he could strap a bucket of fried chicken to his back and successfully navigate through Ethiopia.

Let that process if you don't understand how that is massively racist on at least two levels.

The NWA has issued a retraction, took down the initial cut of the episode, and wiped out the offending comments.

Now, we go even worse, on at least three further grounds...

These tapings for "NWA Power", a National Wrestling Alliance national throwback show to the annals of studio wrestling of the 1970's and 1980's "Georgia Championship Wrestling" and Jim Crockett's "World Championship Wrestling" (so much so, the series premieres on YouTube each week at the same time Crockett's show was on on Saturdays, 6:05 PM Eastern (on Tuesdays)) took place on September 30 and October 1 of this year.

This means these comments were in the ether for almost two months, and no one from the National Wrestling Alliance batted an eyelash or did proper due diligence on these comments until someone was able to call out the comments tonight.

Second problem:  This project is actually not a full television deal.  First and foremost, the show is a definite "work in progress" feel, certainly to a fault.  Second, Lagana and Corgan are using this YouTube series (and an upcoming pay-per-view and a second set of tapings following in mid-December) to attempt to sell this show to a television network and to potential sponsors.

Good luck doing that with the Louisville Lip on the mic, especially after this!!

And a third problem has surfaced, up the line in the NWA.

David Lagana has been revealed as retweeting and supporting a comment from known White Supremacist Gad Saad (Facebook link to picture of the comment).

A question I had for fans of NWA Power seems to indicate that African-American wrestlers are not well supported in the present National Wrestling Alliance -- seeming to number but two, and two wrestlers slated to lose two tag team matches, one in the first week and one in the sixth.

Could this also be a throwback to where "people like you don't deserve to be World Champion", as HHH once said in a feud with Booker T?  It took Southern rasslin' until 1992 to crown professional wrestling's first Black World Champion, Ron Simmons.

(Of course, it took Vince until 2019 with Kofi Kingston!  (The Rock is only half-Black.))

Stay tuned, but I think any real hope for "NWA Power" or anything else of an expansion of the Corgan/Lagana NWA project probably just completely shit the bed.

Tomorrow is going to be a very important day for the Cleveland Browns...

• If Ogunjubo's suspension is reduced to a fine, the team fine for the Browns will be reduced from a current $750,000 (ish) to $500,000 (ish).  This is because of the first clause of the Club Remittance Policy capping a team with three suspensions to $250,000 in fines rather than $500,000 for four if Ogunjubo's suspension stands.
• Garrett's only real course for action does appear to be that he and his are claiming the CBA cannot allow the Commissioner or any party within the NFL to ban for life any player on the basis of an on the field act.  Even Burfict was technically only suspended to the end of the season, and I need to double-check to see if he's even in need of a Commissioner reinstatement!
• The hearings were held Monday and Tuesday.  An announcement should come early Wednesday, so the Browns know if they have Ogunjubo this week.
• The team and head coach Kitchens have said they stand behind Myles Garrett.  (How much more of this before people figure out that a culture was created in Cleveland where hurting people was tantamount to winning -- especially because this Browns team SUCKS??)

Predictions:

• Garrett's ban will stand and will force the NFLPA to determine whether it wants to die on this hill on the "life ban for on-field acts" situation.
• Ogunjubo, I can't make a call on.  The act, in and of itself, is a dirty shot -- but it's not suspendable on direct face.  HOWEVER, not only does the team record of fines for the year indicate a pattern of dirty and injurious play, it is a blatant cheap shot as a function of a fight of someone who probably should have reasonably been thought to have a concussion from Garrett's actions.  At best, I'm 60-40 it goes to an additional fine.
• Pouncey?  Said it then, believe it now.  He will be suspended, but it will reduce from 3 games down to 2.  I don't think they want to afford Pouncey on the field for the rematch (and one of the reasons they should've suspended Mason Rudolph -- they have all but guaranteed an incident December 1!), but there is significant mitigation in the actions of Pouncey, as disgusting as they otherwise would be.

And remember, we still have not even dealt with from this game:

• A roughing the passer call
• The other ejection
• Possibly (I have not seen the hit) Juju Schuster-Smith's injury
• Mason Rudolph himself
• And about ten players who will probably be fined for their actions.
• Remember that the Browns must match all fines their players get (which could easily head for another $75000-$100000 with the above)
• And that the Steelers, as of the announcement of the Pouncey suspension, will probably breach Level 1 with the Rudolph fine (which almost-certainly will be AT LEAST the $35,096 for fighting) to add another $50,000 to that number.
• As such, by the time we're done, even if Ogunjubo is reinstated for this week, we're probably talking $575-$600K for the Browns and probably $350K or so for the Steelers.
• All this with a rematch now just a week and a half away.

2019 Week 11 NFL Political Rankings

Things racking up a bit in RL.  May not have much time tonight, so I cut the comparatives off from last year of the score post.  Will get back to that if I get around to it...  Damn fuckers around here...

AFC

1. New England
2. Baltimore

From there, who cares?

Especially given a BLATANT PI no-call that actually survived the review process even though the Houston receiver was GODDAMN MUGGED, I think it's pretty clear at this point that it's New England or Baltimore in the AFC, and it really doesn't otherwise matter.

The Chiefs are 7-4 into their bye week, but have the Patriots two weeks after that.  Would not be 100% surprised to see the Raiders actually win the division on the way out just to fuck with everybody!

As for the AFC South, double who fucking cares??

NFC

As someone said yesterday to me in the comments section of this blog, I think we pretty much have five of the six teams who will represent the NFC.  The question is, who's the sixth and in what order will the other five go?

1. Seattle
2. Green Bay
3. San Francisco
4. Minnesota
5. New Orleans
6. Dallas

2019 NFL Week Eleven Score Report

• 43.26 PPG this week.
• Season average down to 45.07 PPG.
• Home teams 7-6 this week for 81-75-1 for the year.
• Over was 6-7-1 for 76-82-4.
• Against the number:  9-4-1 for 69-87-5
• Straight up:  12-2 for 102-58-1.
• Team with more penalties was 5-8 for 70-78-1 for the season.
• 190 penalties for the 14 game week (13.72 per game)
• 2316 penalties for the year (14.30 per game)
• 1 Cliffhanger, San Francisco's win - and a fumble recovery score at the gun made it outside one score on top of it.  21 for the year
• Only 5 of the 14 games finished within 8 points.  84 for the year.
• 6, including most of the 1 Eastern starts, were non-competitive.  Season total is 52.
• 3 Last Chance Misses for 49 total.

Ratings from Sports Media Watch:

• NFL National:  16.2 (basically all Pats-Eagles) up 29%
• NFL Regional:  8.0, down 12%.
• NFL Single:  10.4, up 12%

Well, wouldn't you know who won the pony???

Well, it's getting down to that part of the NFL season where the table has to be set.

So when 3-6 Denver went up 20-0 and 23-7 at 7-2 Minnesota, one would have to wonder.

Seven minutes of the fourth quarter later, Minnesota leads 27-23 and doesn't look back.

Gee, wouldn't you know who won the pony...

--

And now Arizona is 16-0 up at San Francisco this week...

--

By the way, a little exposition on the title...

Jim Cornette actually told this story on one of his sixteen podcasts.

In the 1950's, often to bring fans to the wrestling events, the promoters of professional wrestling would hold raffles.  One time, not sure year or location, they raffled off a pony.

The problem?  The promoter's son won the pony, and, when it was announced?

"Wouldn't you know who won the pony???"

The Fallout from Thursday Night Continues

• Garrett's appeal will be on the basis that the CBA cannot allow for an indefinite on-field suspension.

There's an easy answer to this, but the league won't do it.

You invoke it as an Unfair Act, which gives the Commissioner basically unlimited power to enforce it.

NFL Rule 17 Section 2 covers this...

Article 1 The Commissioner has the sole authority to investigate and take appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective measures if any club action, non-participant interference, or calamity occurs in an NFL game which he deems so extraordinarily unfair or outside the accepted tactics encountered in professional football that such action has a major effect on the result of the game.

Which is why the Commissioner should've forfeited this game from the Browns -- as their entire course of conduct this season constitutes actions outside the "accepted tactics encountered in professional football".

• According to an ESPN report today, "about ten" players will be fined for "involvement" in coming off the bench.

The standard first-offense fine for "involvement" is $3507 if there is no active addition to the incident and double that if there is.  And double either of those numbers if this is a repeat-offender situation.

I do wonder, though, if coming off the bench adds to that.

And remember that all fines for the Browns, the team has to match because they are well above the final fine number for the year.

To give you an idea -- and this is if they don't have to match the entire fine that Garrett and Ogunjobi got in addition to their suspensions, but it is capped at $50,000, the maximum per-incident assignment to the Club Remittance number:

• Before Thursday night's game, and counting at least one Browns fine that came from Week 10, the Browns have been fined in every regular season game except one.
• The total of those reported fines is $296,249 -- that is $75,132 above the final fine level.  The Browns must match that amount, and a $75,000 team fine for excessive fines.
• So, just leading into Week 11 (and assuming no other Browns fines for Week 10), the Browns, just under the Club Remittance Policy for accumulated fines, were team-fined $150,132 entering Thursday's game.
• In addition, before the suspensions announced Friday, the Browns already had two players suspended while under their control (the 10-game suspension of Antonio Callaway doesn't count, and it wouldn't be relevant now anyway):  Kareem Hunt ($503,529) and and Antonio Callaway's first ($176,344) means they are fined 15% of that sum already, or $101,981.
• Meaning that, before Thursday night, the Browns TEAM has been fined $252,113 for a total fine total for the Browns of $548,362.

Now you add Thursday night:

• The Commissioner imposed a direct $250,000 fine.
• Suspensions:  Both Garrett and Ogunjobi were suspended.  That means the threshold now goes to the maximum for four or more suspensions of 33% of all lost salary, capped at $500,000.  Garrett ($1,139,911) and Ogunjobi (doesn't matter, because the sum is already past the necessary $1.5 million) mean the Browns were fined an additional $398,019 under suspension clauses.
• The maximum assignment against a team's fine number is $50,000 per incident, so that's another $100,000.
• So, as of right now, that's $748,019 that the team is fined for Thursday.
• That doesn't count:  Roughing the Passer (9:14 2nd), the other ejection (8:11 3rd), the hit that eliminated Juju Smith-Schuster from the game (if applicable -- wasn't called, same play as the 2Q RTP), anything the refs missed that the league gets otherwise, and everything else associated with the fight.

And the thing is:  They are very fortunate there wasn't an 80-man Miami-Florida International job that night.

More to come on this story, including Mason Rudolph's fine.  It, for the moment, appears that it might stay within the Fine Schedule, and be $35,096.

If you want any idea as to the sole importance of the quarterback in the NFL -- and not just by the media, but by the league!! -- here you go.

The league also needs to really start pushing the Club Remittance Policy on it's media, because a lot of people are saying "The Browns were only fined $250,000 -- not clearly enough!"

Look, that they're gonna play another game before December 8 is "not clearly enough"!

But if you look at league policies, they've already been fined $750,000 -- and must match all other fines their players receive from other incidents.

They're going well over $800,000 -- and that's just the team fines.

It is clear the league has to resort to invoking Unfair Acts and forfeiting games from the Browns.  Coach Bountygate has not learned his lesson (which see when a lot of this started -- under HIS watch as interim head coach late last season!), HC Kitchens has NO CONTROL over the fucking team.

GET THEM OFF THE GODDAMN FIELD!

2019 Week Ten NFL Fine Blotter: And now back to your scheduled programming...

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Minkah Fitzpatrick:  $10,527 for taunting.
• Several roughing the passer calls did not get fined, including one on Cleveland's Larry Ogunjobi.  
• Another was a controversial one in Carolina's loss to Green Bay by Carolina's Gerald McCoy, a belief the Packers got more preferential treatment in another big win.
• Cleveland Browns (and matched by the team):  Jarvis Landry:  $10,527 for taunting.
• San Francisco 49ers:  Richard Sherman:  $28,075 for the helmet rule.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Mychal Kendricks:  $21,056 for a horse collar tackle.
• Oakland Raiders (And the team has to match):  Karl Joseph:  $28,075 for the helmet rule.
• New Orleans Saints:  JT Gray:  $10,527 for a late hit
• New Orleans Saints:  Michael Thomas:  $10,527 for a face mask
• Maybe more to come.  Sounds like they're covering up more of the fines again.

Week Eleven Team Fine Blotter Part Three: Historic Team Fines For the NFL Push Last Night To One Million Dollars Already

Make that a $750,000 check (so far!!!) that the Browns have to cut the NFL.

• Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers:  $250,000 fine from the league.
• All suspended players have been additionally fined.  However, under the Club Remittance Policy, only $50,000 (be it fine or suspension-related) can be applied from this situation.
• (It appears these fines are the standard fines for their actions under the Fine Schedule, as reported on the fine being rescinded for Ogunjobi.)
• It appears Mason Rudolph will only be standard-ly fined for his involvement.

Steelers, Browns organizations each fined $250,000.

Browns' Garrett, Ogunjobi & Steelers' Pouncey suspended. pic.twitter.com/HJ4Qnc4xsY

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) November 15, 2019

Week Eleven Suspension Blotter Part Two: Glad they at least aren't wasting time on it...

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Maurkice Pouncey:  In a move which will not make many people happy, three games for punches and kicks to Garrett.
• Cleveland Browns:  Larry Ogunjobi:  One game for his involvement in shoving down Mason Rudolph.

Since that's suspension #4, you can add another $300,000 to the check the Haslams have to cut -- that's now over $498,000 just from last night, and I still think you have four other incidents AT MINIMUM last night.

NFL Week _Eleven_ Suspension Blotter Part One: The easy part first...

• Cleveland Browns:  Myles Garrett has been thrown out of the National Football League for his felonious attack last night.  The situation with Garrett will be re-evaluated after Super Bowl LIV.

As a result, the Browns are also fined another $198,004 -- $50,000 for the maximum number which can be applied against the Club Remittance fine number for an on-field act, and the rest for the augmentation to a third suspension against the Browns this league year.

That's one.  Let's see how many more...

Tonight is a night why I will never be Commissioner of the NFL...

Because here are the beginnings of my penalties for this:

• Cleveland Head Coach Freddie Kitchens is banned from the NFL for the rest of the season for the creation of a culture of anti-player-safety actions in the Browns.
• The Browns forfeit this game and the next two.
• Any further incidents of this level will end their season.
• Myles Garrett is thrown out of the NFL completely.  He can apply for reinstatement March 1, 2021.
• Larry Ogunjobi is suspended two additional games for his involvement.
• Damarious Randall is suspended one game for his helmet hit that got him tossed.
• Maurkice Pouncey is suspended two games for his involvement, including kicking Garrett in the head.
• Mason Rudolph is suspended two games for his actions in aiding in instigating the fight.
• In addition to all other fines and penalties under the Club Remittance Policy, the Browns are fined one million dollars and lose a high-level 2020 draft pick, to be later determined.
• (Edit to add later:  No, that'd have to be at least a first-rounder.)

Week ELEVEN Fine/Suspension Blotter, Part Well Negative: The Browns might break all records for fines and the like...

The shit has just hit the fan in Cleveland.

I can almost bet this is going to be a 9 AM Eastern Friday job (it would be 9 AM Eastern Monday, but they might get this out of the way now before the other Week 11 games are played).

Don't know how long this is going to stay up, but:


Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph tried to rip the helmet off of Cleveland's Myles Garrett on the ground.

Garrett responded by ripping Rudolph's helmet off and swinging at it his head and HITTING HIM IN THE HEAD WITH IT.

Pittsburgh's Maurkice Pouncey was also ejected for throwing several punches and a kick at Garrett.

Also, according to CBS NFL columnist Pete Prisco:

Ogunjobi threw down Rudolph after the helmet strike

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) November 15, 2019

That's Larry Ogunjobi, and he's already one fine in arrears this year.  Garrett would be his third league action of the year.

But here's the big stuff:  If Garrett is suspended, each game would cost him at least $520,000.  Since it would be the third suspension for the Browns this season, the increment bumps to 25%.  And if Ogunjobi goes with him, that's 33%.

Basically, the Browns face the following:

• $150,000 for any suspension from this incident.
• A $50,000 matched fine since it was also on the field.
• Any other fines accumulated by any other parties in the incident must also be matched.
• And if another player is suspended as well as Garrett, the fine alone for the suspensions will probably be almost $400,000.

The Browns are already $285,722 in on-field fines.  That surpasses all thresholds, so that's $75,000 more for the team, plus another $74,505 they've ALREADY matched, PLUS another $101,996. 

They're already paying the league over half a million dollars.  They've only had one game this regular season in which they were not fined.

Stay tuned.  This is probably one of the worst incidents on the field in a very long time.  There WILL be repercussions.

And, as Mr. Adams says, THAT'S NOT ALL!!!  Early in the second quarter, this...


The NFL must not only void this win, but consider forfeiture of either next week's Browns game, or the rematch in two weeks in Pittsburgh.

Suspension/Firing Blotter: Is being appealed, but the Browns are taking no chances...

• Free agent, fired by the Cleveland Browns today:  Antonio Callaway is appealing a 10-game suspension for taking CBD through a tainted supplement.

Since the Browns cut him, he no longer counts against any potential multiple-suspension fine.  (Since the suspension has not been announced, the Club Remittance Policy on such matters has not triggered.  This is EXACTLY what the Club Remittance Policy is designed to do.)

Because of the amount of lost salary, the Browns would've been fined up to the maximum $250,000 for three suspensions on their record.  (That would be about $150,000 for the third one.)

--

Couple of Week 9 Fine Blotter updates:

• Philadelphia Eagles:  Andrew Sendejo:  $10,527 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Baltimore Ravens:  Marion Humphrey:  $28,075 for a helmet to helmet hit.  TWO-TIME LOSER

I've always believed Commissioner Fuck The Dodgers Fixed the 2017 World Series for HoustonStrong...

Now, an article today which has prompted an MLB investigation may just provide more proof to that effect...

The Athletic, a fully subscription-based sports-journalism site, has a bombshell investigation into the Houston Astros which indicates that the Astros were stealing signs in the 2017 World Championship season, using a camera in center field, focused on the catcher, to steal signs so that the Astros hitters knew what pitches were coming.

Especially given the nature of several of the World Series games at Minute Maid Park that year, it would appear this to be very important regarding their #HoustonStrong World Championship.

At least four sources within the team, according to the Washington Post (because The Athletic is completely paywalled), including one of the pitchers on the team, Mike Fiers, have reported the use of advanced technology outside the rules of Major League Baseball to steal signs.

At least one pitcher during that season picked up on some of the signals, when dugout staff would bang on a trash can to indicate breaking pitches or curve balls.

The Astros have also been accused of stealing signs in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, including their ALCS win over the Yankees.

And you know what's going to get done about it?  No and thing.

2019 NFL Storyline Political Rankings, Week Ten

Now that we are ten weeks through the year, things have, by no means, clearly coalesced.

But I do think there are at least SOME things we can try to discern.  Here's my view, right now, on the NFL and where it might be going:

AFC:

1)  New England
1A) Baltimore

I'm not quite prepared to write off Brady and the Pats yet, though the loss to Baltimore takes away one of the biggest storylines the NFL could have throughout all this season, not just the AFC.  There has also been a significant amount of talk that, at minimum, this is Brady's last NE year, which might force the issue if that becomes public before the Super Bowl in Miami.

That said, the NFL is now clearly saying the best team in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens.  They would make a far more interesting choice regarding the Super Bowl than New England, at least in my opinion, but booger if I could find a reason why.  (A common thread.)

Of course, all bets are off if we do find out (without a catastrophic injury to Brady) that Brady will retire in February.  It just won't be as obvious as some of us thought for the first half of the season.

3)  Las Vegas (Raiders)

Don't look now, but they're 5-4 and KC is 6-4, and it appears as if the sophomore slump has taken the bloom off of the Patrick Mahomes rose which appeared to be in absolute full effect with a lot of NFL advertising at the start of this season.

4)  Pittsburgh

Don't tell Urinating Tree, but that Yinzer may have at least some false hope here.  After a bad start, it's four in a row for Pittsburgh, and the next three look promising too.

5)  Houston
6)  Indianapolis
7)  Buffalo

Basically three peas in a pod here.  All basically placeholders with no real shot (nor do the Raiders, nor probably Pittsburgh -- it really is shaping a two-horse race in the AFC at this point!)...

NFC:

1) Seattle

Tonight's win pulls them to the top spot.

And for the same reason I always talk about with the 12th Man Cult:  This is a fanbase the Goodell "Give EVERYTHING To Football!" mentality wants.  And people have been talking about Russell Wilson for the MVP most of the season -- and who makes the key running play as everybody vacates the middle late in the OT?

2) Green Bay

I'm reluctant to put them here, but I do for their opponent in a hypothetical NFC title game, rather than that I think they're choice #2 in the NFC, basically because of a lot of what else happened this weekend.  (Really, New Orleans?  Doubly so, Dallas???  What the fuck, San Francisco????)

3) San Francisco

Could well be a nice legacy game for somebody in the NFL's 100th season in the playoffs, but things took a big hit tonight.  Might well again in 2 weeks when they face Green Bay.

4) Minnesota

Did you know they were 7-3?  I didn't til I looked.  A nice dark-horse candidate, not that anyone is really noticing!

5) New Orleans

And I thought last week's Green Bay loss to the Chargers was a question mark!  Atlanta and Miami became only the third pair of teams Pro Football Reference can find who won games in the same week in which both were at least 11-point underdogs.  I'm not sold at all, unlike Brian on the Super Bowl XXXVII apology angle, that New Orleans is the choice.

6) Dallas

Still pulls in the ratings, still in the league doghouse.

Yes, oscillations can be wild, and overreactions are to be expected.

2019 NFL Week Ten Score Report

Well, that was a Goodell week, and I think it sets up something very nicely coming forward...

• 46.15 points per game this week.  (Last year:  48.57)
• Season average now up to 45.24.  (Last year:  48.11)
• Home teams went 8-5 for the week, 74-69-1 for the year.  (8-6 for 87-56-2 last year)
• Three weeks ago, the year total was 13 games under .500.  Since?  29-11 for the home teams.
• Over was 7-6 for 70-75-3.  (8-6 for 72-73-3 last year)
• Only three favorites covered.  3-9-1 against the number for 62-83-4 for the year.  (Last year:  5-8-1 for 67-78-3)
• Another losing week straight up for the favorites.  5-8 straight up for 90-56-1 for the year.  (Last year:  8-6 for 95-51)
• Team with more penalties was 7-5 for 65-70-1 for the year.  (7-4 for 59-67-2 for last year)
• 190 penalties for 14.62 per game.   (144 in last year's 14 games, 10.29 per game)
• Season total for penalties:  2,126 for 14.36 per game.  (1,931 last year, 13.04)
• But here's where Goodell got his wish for the week.  FIVE Cliffhangers after only 15 in the previous nine weeks for 20 total.  (One last year Week 10 for 27 total)
• Of the 13 games this week, 10 finished within one score.  79 now for the year.  (Four games finished within one score last year for 78 total)
• Only Cincinnati's blowout loss to Baltimore was non-competitive, the 46th such game this year.  (Eight of the 14 games last year Week 10 were non-competitive, making 54 for the year.)
• And there were 8 of the 13 games which had at least one Last Chance Miss, making 46 of those games as well.  (Last year had 4, for 39 total)
• Want to know how nuts that Monday nighter was?  It was a Triple Cliffhanger (SEA FG 1:49 for the 3-point lead, SF FG essentially at the gun to tie it, and the SEA FG to win it at the overtime gun.) and a double Last Chance Miss (Seattle won the toss and was driving for a winning touchdown until a pick at the SF 5 -- followed that San Francisco missed a field goal to win it themselves with about three minutes left.  Two nervous punts later, Russell Wilson gets them close enough, and the new NFC favorite is now in focus -- for now.)

Ratings from Sports Media Watch:

• NFL National:  14.7 -- up 7% (Packers-Panthers 70%)
• NFL Regional was not available.
• NFL Single:  9.6 -- up 3% (Chiefs-Titans 51%)
• But here's the biggie:  Sunday Night:  12.9 -- up 12%, and the biggest Week 10 primetime game in over 20 years.

Anyone who knew of this guy and his mouth had to know this day was coming...

Don Cherry was fired today.

THE Don Cherry.

35 years in the "Coach's Corner" of Hockey Night in Canada.  

Probably one of the most bombastic voices in support of Canadian hockey to a fault.

The cause of his firing?  This.


Gee.  I thought it was far worse than that.  I seemed to recall hearing that there was disabled-shaming somewhere in the equation unless I'm missing something.  And, if I am, I'll post it.

If that's enough to get him fired, you should've removed him a long damn time ago.

Updates: Heat better get this Dion Waiters situation under control, and the Skins won't pay ...

The Miami Heat have had to suspend Dion Waiters a second time -- this time, it's ten games for a panic-attack incident which apparently was triggered by Waiters eating something with THC.

He has not played for the Heat yet this season, he has not even sat on the bench for a game yet.  The suspension began Friday, and I do think they either need to get this situation under control or fire the guy -- if they can find a trade partner, do it, but...

Also:

The Washington Redskins will NOT pay any of the $5.1 million remaining on Trent Williams, who they placed on the Non-Football Injury list and basically told him to go fuck himself.  He's examining his options with the Players' Association.

2019 NFL Week Nine Fine Blotter

• Cleveland Browns:  Sheldon Richardson and the team has to match it:  $21,056 for Roughing the Passer
• Tennessee Titans:  Daren Bates:  Twice for the helmet rule, so it's $56,156 and the team is dinged that entire amount against their number.
• FOUR Dallas Cowboys got fined for fouls against the Giants this week:  Randall Cobb:  $28,075 for a blindside block
• Dallas Cowboys:  DeMarcus Lawrence got two:  $10,527 each for unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness.  That makes DeMarcus the season's first FOUR-TIME LOSER
• Dallas Cowboys:  Xavier Woods:  $10,527 for taunting, and that's TWO-TIME LOSER in three weeks for him.
• Dallas Cowboys:  Justin March:  $14,037 for active involvement in an altercation.
• So that's $73,692 this week.  And that obviously adds another $50,000, because that shoots Dallas' fine number past $180,000 for the year.
• Denver Broncos:  Mike Purcell, TWO-TIME LOSER in back to back weeks:  $10,527 for unnecessary roughness.
• Chicago Bears:  Eddie Jackson:  $10,527 for unsportsmanlike conduct. 
• Oakland Raiders:  Arden Key:  $21,056 for roughing the passer.  That probably means he won his Week 3 appeal, or this fine would've been doubled.  The update to the charts will assume that to be the case.
• And finally removing one of the two absolute clean-sheets from the process:  Los Angeles Chargers:  Nick Bosa:  $21,056 for roughing the passer. 
• So congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals:  Through my research (and counting multiple-suspension fines, since Indianapolis and the Giants both have them), the Cardinals are the last team not to be fined by the NFL season, or any of it's players.
• More to come probably.

Suspension and Firing Blotter

• Miami Dolphins:  Mark Walton:  4 games for three separate arrests in the offseason.
• Fox Sports:  Cris Carter was fired today.  Carter was suspended after the October 30 "First Things First" program because of his apparent displeasure with the network over acing him out of Thursday Night Football coverage.  But there is evidence to indicate a much larger conduct investigation was in place -- evidence furthered by that Carter was ordered under security when he was to clean out his desk this morning.

2019 Week Nine "What The Fuck Are You Doing Now, NFL?" Score Report

• 47.5 points per game for the 14 games this week.  For the 135 games so far this season, the average is now up to 45.15.  (Last year:  46.61 for the week, 48.05 for the season.)
• Finally, a week where the home teams utterly dominated.  11-2.  Bringing the home record for the season, for the first time since Week 1, above .500 at 66-64-1.  (.508)  (Last year:  6-7 for 79-50-2 (.611))
• Over was 10-4 for 63-69-3. (Last year:  6-7 for 64-67-3)
• 6-8 against the spread for 59-74-3 for the year.  (Last year:  6-7 for 62-70-2)
• 8-6 straight up for 85-48-1. (Last year:  6-7 for 87-45-2)
• Team with more penalties was 5-9 for the week, 58-65-1 for the year.  (Last year:  5-7 for 52-63-2)
• 186 penalties for the week (13.29 per game).  Total for the season:  1,936 (14.34 per game).  (Last year:  180 in 13 games (13.85) for the week.  For the season:  1,787 in 134 games.  (13.34))
• 2 Cliffhangers this week, only 15 so far this year.  (Last year Week 9 had none.  26 for the seaosn to that date.)
• 8 games finished within one score for 69 for the year.  (Last year:  Only 4 within a score for 70 total)
• 3 non-competitive games for 45 for the year.  (Last year:  5 for 46 total)
• 3 Last Chance Misses for 38 total.  (Last year:  3 for 35 total)

Ratings from Sports Media Watch:

• Sunday Night:  12.7, down 7% from another marquee Patriots SNF game last year Week Nine.
• NFL National:  13.0, down 14% -- Packers/Chargers in 87% of the markets.  Last year's National was a game rematched for the NFC title.
• NFL Regional:  7.6, down 17% -- Steelers/Colts in 70% of the markets.
• NFL Single:  11.4, up 13%.  Vikings/Chiefs and Bears/Eagles shared most of that load.

(WWE) THE FUCK....

After a rough day on the trading floor, World Wrestling Entertainment has just doubled down and stated that the relationship with Saudi Arabia will continue, two major shows a year, for the remaining eight years of the contract.

And the stock has rebounded.

WHAT THE UNHOLY FUCK?  Are you TRYING to get the goddamn roster killed, Vince?

NFL Week 8 2019 Fine Blotter Part Deux

More on the list, from Spotrac's listings:

• Denver Broncos:  Mike Purcell:  $21,056 for roughing the passer
• Detroit Lions:  TJ Hockenson:  $10,527 for a chop block
• Detroit Lions:  Jarrad Davis:  $10,527 for taunting, making him a TWO TIME LOSER.
• New York Jets:  An expensive week for the Jets, with this third fine of the week:  James Burgess:  $28,075 for lowering the helmet to make contact.
• Buffalo Bills:  Jon Feliciano:  $10,527 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• That's all for currently, more could come later.

Some thoughts, including the current list:

1. Most fined on the field team is Cleveland (2-6):  $264,000+ on the field, almost $102,000 for suspensions, team fines of $128,000+ for a total of $495,111.  If the Browns were not fined in Week 8, it would be the first on-field week they had this season they were not fined.
2. Most-fined team period is the Raiders (4-4):  $196,000+ on the field (but a $50,000 addition to that number for the Burfict ban), $250,000 for suspensions, a team fine of just over $100,000 puts their total at $546,136
3. Atlanta (1-7):  $147,393 on the field plus the $50,000 first-level fine
4. Green Bay (7-2):  $144,314 plus $50,000  (You think this week was a message to the players and the Cheeseheads in Green Bay as to how much the refs have been helping you to 7-2???)
5. Minnesota (6-3):  $129,000+ on the field, a bit over $44,000 in suspension fines for $174,271.

There are STILL four teams who have not been fined on the field this season.  Indianapolis and the Giants have suspension fines for off-season drug suspensions.  And the Chargers and Cardinals have had no fines at all, as of present research.

(WWE) Potential criminal angle from the Saudi mess...

It's been mentioned a couple of times during all the speculation and the like -- and the latest is that Spanish-language announcer Hugo Savinovich has increased the pressure on WWE, stating directly that the Saudi authorities had factually ordered the kidnapping of the bulk of the WWE roster.

And people who have dealt with the Saudis note that is usually the first step toward eliminating possible "problems" the likes of MBS have with them.

But that's not what I'm meaning when I make this headline today.  This is a far more concrete situation.

It's clear that the WWE knew well in advance that it was having problems with the Saudis with respect to receiving agreed-upon monies.  It has been referred to at least twice in recent investor communications.

On July 22nd, according to required SEC filings, almost $23 million of stock was sold by WWE executives (Vince, HHH, Stephanie, Kevin Dunn, etc.) at about $70 a share.  I'm not counting a much larger sale in April of about $270 million by Vince, simply because of the fact that sale is pretty much known to be related to the XFL launch for next winter.  (Wrestling Inc)

Another report indicates the totals are probably much higher.  One report has the total for July and August for WWE at at least $57 million of stock.

Why is the situation so significant?  Because part of the reason for the "dick-waving contest" was an apparent non-payment for the June Super Showdown blood-money card.

It would appear that WWE executives had to know that, once this all went public and the like, the stock price was going to tank.

The Saudi controversy has knocked another almost two dollars off the price of the WWE stock, taking it down to just $54 a share.  Meaning that those who even bought from the executives in July have now lost over 20% of the stock's value in just about three months.

There's two words for this, in very real possibility:  INSIDER TRADING.

It is illegal for executives to sell stock on information not publicly known.  And I would say much of this Saudi mess has not been publicly known.

Stay tuned.

Twitter storm costs Cleveland Brown his job, and probably his freedom...

And the continuing saga of the complete meltdown of the Cleveland Browns continues.

First, on the field, both Odell Beckham Jr. and Jermaine Whitehead were threatened at halftime to be thrown out of the game if they did not change to legal cleats.  Both will almost certainly be fined, fines the Browns will have to match because of the amount of fines already received this season.

Now 2-6, the Browns have Brown-ed their way to complete stupidity, but that's peanuts compared to word out of Cleveland this morning.

Jermaine Whitehead had started all eight games for the team.

After the game, he became the third Browns player to get into controversy, and was FIRED this morning from the team...

... for racist death threats on his Twitter.

He became the target of fan frustration after poor play during the loss to Denver, and that included a former NFL player who does post-game work for the Browns.

To which, according to ESPN, Whitehead said the following while he was in the locker room:

In response to Fox's criticism, Whitehead wrote, "Come get it in blood b---- made ass lil boy. I'm out there with a broke hand .. don't get smoked ... " 
Whitehead also wrote, "Imma kill you b----.. that's on blood" to another Twitter user.

Twitter suspended his account before he even left the stadium.

(WWE Update Monday Morning) Oh boy...

To say this is a "shit hitting the fan" situation is probably a SEVERE understatement.

In about 17 hours, the final Monday Night RAW before a European tour is about to start, but neither that nor a build to a tri-branded Survivor Series in three weeks time is probably going to be on the minds of many wrestling fans.

It's going to be:  "What, if anything, is the talent going to do about the situation where they were left to be pawns in a situation in Saudi Arabia which, if Vince continued what was seen as a 'dick-waving contest' with a despot trillionaire who wouldn't have a problem executing his entire roster?"

Vince's attitude would probably be "Nothing, and like it."  But after the last 72 or so hours, it is clear there is not only significant discord among the roster, but also roster toward Vince and the fans toward Vince as well.

Various facets include:

• The 20 people allowed to leave on the one plane to try to get them to Smackdown on Friday -- and failing to do so, against the rest of the roster stuck as pawns in Vince's petty shit?
• AJ Styles being the first to try to toe the company line in video -- as he went on Mixer tonight and tried to give a story consistent to the "plane trouble" situation, though he went off and probably invalidated the attempt by claiming the initial delay was a guy taking a fuel truck to the plane to fuel the plane for the Transatlantic flight, blocking the plane, and calling it his work day.
• The fans against Vince...  Oh, the chants could be interesting tonight...
• The talent against Vince...  Of course, there's a serious problem other than the obvious:  How do you piss off Vince without compromising the experience for the fans?
• The fact that Vince McMahon MAJORLY fucked up.  This isn't one of his normal business propositions like when he spit in his father's word to the other promoters of the early-80's that Vince Jr. wouldn't drive them out of business.  This is a propaganda situation for a despotic government who doesn't have a problem beheading political opponents.  If Vince pulls out his dick and throws that side-bicep pose of his, MBS will be more than happy to execute the entirety of his performing roster if it's his whim to do so!  This is what a lot of people were worried about (though I was believing that could be for another possibility!).

This is bad.  Very bad.  Stay tuned.  This could be a bumpy ride.

Updates: The NFLPA is pissed, and it appears we have an international incident!!

• The NFLPA, today, slammed the NFL Network for their coverage on the Trent Williams situation, feeling the Network took the side of the team which all but literally told Trent Williams to fuck off and die from a rare form of cancer.
• And the situation with the WWE and Saudi Arabia is...  out of hand.

The public face is something WWE is trying to put on to save Saudi Arabia's face because there are still eight years and sixteen scheduled shows the WWE would like to put on with the Kingdom.

However, it is now clear that an international incident all but certainly occurred at and after Thursday's card.

The WWE has been trying to gather video of it's Superstars stating it was, in fact, mechanical error and problems which left them in the country for more than 24 hours after their scheduled departure, which led to a complete rewrite of Friday night's show in Buffalo, NY.

A cursory view of the matter appears to indicate the following:

Vince was not paid an eight- or nine-figure amount for the last Saudi program, including television-rights fees in the Kingdom.

As a publicly-traded company, the WWE is required to file periodic financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Wrestlenomics Radio (and I'm certain other wrestling "sheets") was able to find this information from the latest quarterly 10-Q filing of WWE, Inc. with the SEC:

p. 45 of WWE’s latest 10-Qhttps://t.co/a3RGNoL6L7 pic.twitter.com/xr82mqg97c

— Wrestlenomics Radio (@wrestlenomics) November 3, 2019

The circled portion appears to indicate that a nine-figure decrease in "cash generated from operating activities" was largely due to problems collecting money from "Super Showdown" in 2Q 2019 -- the THIRD Saudi blood-money event, held June 7 in Jeddah.

What appears to be the story the "sheets", especially Meltzer, is presenting as at least strong rumor is the following:

• Vince is owed a significant amount of money (figures vary from $75M to a figure of WWE Spanish-language announcer Hugo Savinovich states could be over $500M) from the House of Saud for the first three shows the WWE has put on for Saudi Arabia's propaganda mega-event, "Agenda 2030".
• There was word on an investor call that WWE received $60M of the money in October, but the amount owed appears to be significantly higher.
• Vince ordered, through his television production, the agreed-upon television programming of the event in Saudi Arabia terminated.
• This angered the Saudis, and it is unclear whether, if this is what actually happened, whether any of the event was actually aired.  Some reports state that the card was eventually aired, but on a delay -- the claim was 40 minutes, some heard it was two hours.
• Vince and the Saudi exchanged further "pleasantries", and Vince stormed off just after the card and flew out of the country.  (Given what would happen later, this has much of the stranded/detained talent PISSED!!)
• Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and all but certainly outside talent Tyson Fury were already out of the country before the card ended.  (At least Lesnar and Heyman were confirmed, as they were in Buffalo for a segment to open Smackdown the next night.  Cain Velasquez, however, apparently was stranded.)
• Under the gun for time, a chartered aircraft had been commissioned for about 70 WWE wrestlers and 100 other WWE parties to directly go from Riyadh to Buffalo, NY.
• It now appears that the House of Saud ordered that plane grounded in retaliation for Vince's demands -- all but a hostage/kidnapping situation!
• The big fear on their part was they all knew that the women's match previously mentioned stepped on a few hardliner toes, and the fact that no one was being given a straight answer only increased fears that a hardline cleric with ties to the law in Saudi Arabia had ordered the lot arrested, with who knows what happening to Natalya (Neidhart) and Lacey Evans, the two women who performed the match.  There is at least one report that Saudi military police were near the plane on at least one occasion.
• The WWE presents this as the talent doing it themselves, but it appears that there were at least negotiations to get necessary talent to Smackdown for the next night.  A plane took off early Friday with a skeleton group of 12 necessary talents (including Roman Reigns, Baron Corbin, the New Day, the Revival, and Cesaro).  They didn't make it in time due to weather conditions, etc.  A number of the stranded talents didn't take too kindly to this -- since there were a total of 20 people on that first plane, the hashtag #NotTop20 has surfaced on Twitter and Instagram.
• All indications appear that the talent held in Saudi Arabia were taken care of -- they were taken to a hotel, told they were not allowed to leave the hotel, but told to order and have whatever they wanted to try to keep them as comfortable as possible.
• The talent was finally allowed to depart early Saturday, Saudi time, and got back to New York City about 10 in the morning Eastern time on Saturday.

Wow.

As if the situation with Vince and the Saudis could get any WORSE!!!

Stay tuned.   If this ever DOES become public, look out!

Any doubt left the games are rigged?

And if you don't believe me, watch this gem from the London game this morning...

Every week, there’s a call that’s more absurd and pathetic than last week’s most absurd, pathetic call. https://t.co/37Qqr5RzYf

— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) November 3, 2019

2019 NFL Week Eight Fine Blotter: Starts with a MONSTER...

• Washington Redskins:  Jeremy Sprinkle:  EIGHTY-FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE DOLLARS.

He's a repeat offender for a shot to the head AND another foul for unnecessary roughness.

So he's a two-time loser.  The fine will probably be reduced under the amount he is paid (this would exceed two game checks), but the Redskins are on the hook for the unnecessary roughness $28,075 and $50,000 for shot to the head repeat offender.  They only had one previous fine all season, but that $78,075 is more than half the necessary amount for a team fine.

Neither fine drew a flag in the game.  He will still probably be fined almost an entire game check.  He'd be fined $28,075 for the repeat-offender foul, and another $7,019 for the other unnecessary roughness.

He played for free last week.  His game check for that game, as a result, would be about $2,875.

And another monster here:

• Oakland Raiders:  Max Crosby is now a THREE-TIME LOSER and gets the team fined again.  

$10,527 for unnecessary roughness, $42,112 for repeat offender roughing the passer.

That puts the Raiders over the final limit, so it's another $25,000 to the team, plus the overage is another $25,010.  So those two incidents total over $100,000 -- plus the Raiders are fined dollar for dollar for anything else this season.

So the Raiders have been fined $250,000 for suspensions, plus another $100,010 for fines.  Wow.

• New York Jets:  Brian Poole:  $10,527 for taunting.
• New York Jets:  Ryan Griffin:  $7,017 for ball into the stands.
• Philadelphia Eagles:  Malcolm Jenkins:  $21,056 for roughing the passer.
• Cincinnati Bengals:  Jessie Bates III:  $28,075 for the helmet rule.
• Carolina Panthers:  Tre Boston:  $28,075 for unnecessary roughness.
• More to come.

(WWE Update Saturday afternoon) And I do wonder if this is going to end up far more blog-worthy as time goes on...

The WWE talent is back on the ground in the United States -- though they start a European tour on Tuesday.  (I would THINK that would be far different than something like this insanity.)

The plane with the bulk of the talent landed in JFK about two hours ago (12:45 PM Eastern).

But given some of the Tweets in play already, it sounds like there's more here than meets the eye:

Back home!! 🤐

— “EL IDOLO” ANDRADE (@AndradeCienWWE) November 2, 2019

Never again...

— Buddy Murphy (@WWE_Murphy) November 1, 2019

Be keeping an eye on things as conditions permit.

Washington Literally Told Trent Williams To Fuck Off and Die...

Trent Williams ended his holdout this week after losing his bid to be traded from the Go Fuck Yourselves.

He failed his physical, partially due to "helmet discomfort"...

Maybe it was the soft tissue cancer nobody on the team staff saw fit to diagnose for six years.  And then, when he finally went to get the growth removed -- no one on the team saw fit to see him.

He doesn't plan to play for them again.

To the great joy of many on the American Right, it appears Deadspin is now actually, well....

And with that, it's over. Deadspin no longer employs a single writer or editor. I am gutted but so very proud of this group of people.

Deadspin was a good website.

— Megan Greenwell (@megreenwell) November 1, 2019

Fine Blotter, but doesn't count against the on-field number: Vegas wants their information, boys...

For failing to disclose the injury to Ben Roethlesberger:

• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Team fined $75,000 -- coach Mike Tomlin $25,000.

Vegas wants their info, boys.

New Update 3 PM: WWE talent to leave Saudi Arabia as Smackdown starts...

So the Saudi nightmare may be over, but they won't be back in the US until probably tomorrow.

Latest word is that it'll be 8 Eastern (right when a rearranged Smackdown starts) before they can now leave, but it now sounds like they are getting out.

It appears as if the first plane has gotten no further than a rainy refueling stop in Ireland as of about one hour ago.  Cesaro did the honors of letting everyone on social media know -- that probably is the current status of the plane they tried to get out with the necessary parties for Smackdown.

Update on WWE: We still don't know...

It appears as if all contingency plans are about to fail, at least with respect to the talents that worked yesterday.

WWE released a statement about an hour ago which indicated that the plane rumored to carry the necessary talent announced for tonight's Smackdown isn't going to make it in time.  At least one "sheet" has claimed the small plane actually has landed in Buffalo already, but the math doesn't work and the statement the WWE has made does not coincide with this.

I would have to think WWE had a contingency in place for tonight in case this happened (in fact, there's one interesting angle revealed yesterday that, for the first time, NXT will fully take part in the Survivor Series Network special/PPV this month -- so tonight could be a good opportunity to get top-level NXT talent to Buffalo and showcase them as an invasion or something).

But, more concerning, it appears as if the talents stuck in Saudi Arabia are still going to be stuck there tonight (it's, by my math, about 10 PM Friday in Saudi Arabia as I type this).  Though the WWE statement says there were some mechanical issues, nothing has been said to assure wrestling fans that some sort of international incident has not occurred regarding the Crown Jewel event last night.

Stay tuned.

EDIT TO ADD 11:05 AM PDT:  At least one other "sheet" is claiming that the WWE is owed "seven figures" from the Saudi government for the four shows they've had, and that this might be not only part of the problem, but the reason this might be the last show they do over there until at least the money is paid.

Confirmed are at least two talents who have expressed serious concern on their WWE social media accounts.

By the time I wake up later this morning, I hope this post will not have been necessary...

It'll probably stay up even if it is not, more as a testament to the power of words of respected journalists in a given field.

But we may be on the cusp of something bad.  And it may have been from something they tried to do that was very good.

Vince McMahon held his fourth Saudi blood-money event yesterday in Riyadh.  The main events involved the likes of Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez, gypsy homophobe lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, and a Hulk Hogan-Ric Flair match (through proxy teams of five because of the advanced age of the pair).

It appears that, as of this hour, only the talent necessary to appear in Buffalo, NY, in a scant 17 hours time (and that's if the plane makes it there -- the flight is about 15 hours!!) for Smackdown on FOX tonight has been allowed to leave the country.

Original reports over the last several hours appeared to indicate plane trouble.

Respected professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer is using verbiage to appear to indicate otherwise!!

His first ominous (and rather cryptic) tweet on the subject appeared about three hours ago:

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 1, 2019

The next two reports, however, make it appear that this isn't basically being bit by a mechanical problem on a very tight schedule to get the talent back to the United States in time for house shows, Smackdown, and the like...

Some notes since nobody can say anything. WWE had a problem in Saudi Arabia. Talent was not allowed to leave on their flight and most are still there. 20 people, 12 of which were talent, have left but the rest are still there.

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 1, 2019

It's a 14 hour flight, Smackdown starts in 17 hours. The last we heard the rest of the talent wasn't going to be able to leave for a lot longer than three hours.

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 1, 2019

Why would this be so concerning?

Because of the third to the last match on the card.

Much of the criticism surrounding the Saudi events has been due to the Islamic beliefs on the place and status of women in Islamic law.

So much so that, even after WWE held a match with two female wrestlers in Power Ranger bodysuits almost two years ago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, no one could've believed at the time that would ever have been allowed in Saudi Arabia under any circumstance.

One day before Thursday's card, WWE and the Saudi officials announced that they had come to an agreement on the first women's wrestling match in the Islamic kingdom -- a carefully-constructed so as not to offend match between Lacey Evans and Natalya Neidhart.

The match did take place.  Both women wore neck to feet black bodysuits with baggy T-shirts to ensure nothing was shown which would be offensive.  Both women were beyond honored, wrestled a basic house-show level match, honored each other's involvement in the history, thanked relevant parties, and it appeared that everything was fine.  The crowd was extremely entertained at the event.

It now appears, and it may be just the verbiage, that Dave Meltzer is implying otherwise -- and, if that's the case, I don't think I have to say it's major trouble.

There are over 50 wrestlers stuck on a plane in Saudi Arabia, unable to leave -- if not disallowed and detained under a situation with the Islamic Saud Kingdom.

As I say in the title:  I hope that, in a few hours, when I wake up, this post will have been largely unnecessary and will only be left as a testament to the verbiage of a respected journalist in his field like Meltzer...