Upon Further Review: You expected NORTHWESTERN to be given a fair shake over the B1G's new darling, Indiana?

From the new X account tied to this blog directly (which will almost certainly be banned within four weeks once some transphobic ass like Nancy Mace starts in):

The Big Ten was supposed to be allow viewers to listen in to the replay review but the audio only worked from the Referee, not the Replay Center.

Would have been helpful to see how the Replay Center didn’t have this out of bounds at the 11. But alas 🤷🏻‍♂️ https://t.co/1bDGAUnvmV

— OfficiatingObserver17 (@RefObserver17) September 26, 2026

2026 NFL Fine Blotter, Part Three: Whatever happens, New York MUST get involved...

Another charge of persistent unsportsmanlike conduct:

• Detroit:  Amon Ra-St. Brown:  Over $56,000 -- we'll get the precise number tomorrow -- for four different incidents of Ra-St. Brown mock-smoking during play.

OK, NFL.  It's time for New York to get involved.

You have to have league officials watching each game.  They have to be able to buzz the officials to throw flags on this crap.

If the fines stand, then all three players involved should've been suspended for Week Three.  Because all three players should've been ejected from their games for the Unsportsmanlike Conduct Rule.

There needs to be a league directive, and I'm afraid the time has come:  ANYTHING other than Hand The Ball To The Ref, Shut The Fuck Up, And Go To Your Huddle Or Sideline, is 15 yards and a strike to ejection.

EDIT TO ADD 1:50 PM PDT 9/25/26:  Now that Super Fraud has it's own X account -- for now...  (I don't see that lasting four weeks with my political stands), ANOTHER taunting/illegal celebration fine:

• Dallas:  Jake Ferguson was fined, presumably the about 14 grand, we'll find out tomorrow.  Another "drinking of beer" celebration.

This one probably should stand.  There's an important distinction.  The use of a ball as a prop has been a penalty and a fine for a number of years.  THAT should allow this one to stand where Juszczyk's has to be an issue.

2026 NFL Fine Blotter, Week Two Part Two: The People's Fines?

And this is the biggest fine of the year, if the MSN report of that is true.  We'll find out Saturday.

But the Cincinnati Bengals' two star players, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, have been fined over $80,000, per the report, for The People's Elbow.

Six Times!

I'm actually surprised the league didn't buzz the officials for a "non-football act" penalty for that.

Six times???  And no flags???

Look, I might have some issues with the FOOBAW MAN, but you better have a DAMN GOOD REASON for that one...

Pat McAfee got one right between the eyes on Monday.

And I'm not surprised I can't find audio or video to back it up.

On Monday, Pat got a Tweet from someone who wanted to see him "Kirk'd on air live."

And he asked what that meant...

The show basically stopped when they all realized it was a call for assassination.

I'm sure McAfee is a right-wing prick -- given his time in WWE and now on ESPN.

But that is quite the stretch...  Unless you're willing to try to pull it off.

Take it from someone who knows.

Barring probably a major off the field incident in the next 72-96 hours, we have our DUD OF THE WEEK for Week 3...

I don't know how much can be worse than this, so I'm awarding the gold medal right damn now for Week 3.

The Green Bay Packers.

Are we seriously now trying to tank Arch Manning to the [correction, see below] ...?  I could actually see a rigging angle which has that as the outcome at this point.

17 yards is all you got on the ground -- at least a team record if not an NFL record going back to 1933.

35-14 to a team who lost 34-3 last week -- and it wasn't even THAT CLOSE.

If Matt LaFleur is still the coach as of the close of business tomorrow...

Correction:  Dallas traded the better of their first round picks to the Jets as part of the package to get Quinton Williams in November.  So the Jets are now looking to be the Tank Bowl team.

2026 NFL Week Two Fine Blotter, Part One: Ummmmm, No, NFL....

Where's my Picard "Why Me?" Facepalm when I need it?

I think I might've seen the most ridiculous fine.

It will be announced on Saturday and I probably will put it on the list, but I found out about it today and, well...  this one's anal.

• San Francisco:  Kyle Juszczyk becomes the first known TWO-TIME LOSER.  He got just over $20,000 last week for a helmet foul.  This week, he's fined $14,926 under the "illegal celebration" rule.

This one had better get appealed and reversed.  Juszczyk's nickname is "Juice", so, when he scored a third quarter touchdown, he mimicked opening juice and chugging it --as he apparently has for a long time.

The NFL fined him because they saw the action as a chugging of beer, and declared that offensive and outside the sportsmanship parameters of the league...

....

....

A league which has been married to beer and other alcoholic beverages since TIME FUCKING IMMEMORIAL!!!

Now, if you HAVE changed the rules to "Basically anything other than handing the ball to the ref is 15", fine.  Blame the culture of the game for having had to, but there are indications that it is getting there.  One of the taunting fouls in either a college or pro game earlier in the season was for the player declaration he had achieved a first down -- USUALLY that's not covered unless it's in the face of another player.

Juszczyk claims he doesn't even DRINK beer!!  So the only thing I can think of -- and it would be long overdue if it actually were the case, is the "Basically anything other than handing the ball to the ref is 15" Principle.

The league has tried this before -- back in the days of the sack dances and all of that.  So it's POSSIBLE.  Not likely, but possible.  This one, however, has gotta come back unless there's more to this than has been reported.

And the most unsurprising living CTE case in the history of football continues...

Antonio Brown is going to plead out to his attempted murder case -- two weeks after the victim basically said they didn't wanna be part of it anymore.

As I believed when this started, is anyone at all surprised that the biggest CTE case in the history of the NFL got tied up in an attempted murder rap?

Seriously??

Not by my hand, but Antonio Brown is a dead man walking.  The only question is who he finally pisses off enough to get offed.

After Further Review, Jake's Slop Plays, Week 2

There I go.  After four tries, got X account #12 banned for telling Nancy Mace the truth about transgenderism and why I'm still on the outside.  Fuck Elon, I'll be back.  Only question is when.

And it's time to see what Jake the Awake has for his slop-play video for Week 2.

10)  Chargers-Raiders.  No score, first quarter, 3rd and 5 at the Charger 22.

Justin (S)Herbert beats two Raider defenders and puts the ball right into his receiver's hands...

Right into the receiver's hands...

A receiver who then intentionally juggles the ball, pops it into the air, and you get the interception.

9)  Dolphins-49ers.  14-6 49ers, first drive of the third quarter.  SF on the Miami 12.

And we get to see yet another example of a team TRYING to go 0-17.

George Kittle (after some defensive holding), is just tapped on the shoulder and let go by the Miami defender.  Kittle catches a touchdown with NO ONE WITHIN TEN YARDS!!!

San Francisco wins 35-13.

In this day and age, that one is so obvious that there should be an investigation.

8) Jaguars-Broncos.  13-6 Jacksonville, late third quarter, Jacksonville has the lead and the ball near midfield.

I won't QUITE agree with the thought of throwing it over the middle, but where Trevor Lawrence actually threw it was where the only person who could've caught it was one of the Denver Broncos.

Denver wins 20-13.

7) Chicago-Minnesota.  A field goal, and it's NOT "Return of the Doink".  6-3 Minnesota, 6 minutes to go, chip shot 23 yard field goal for the Bears.

#87 for the Bears needs an investigation, because he completely "misses" the snap count, gets passed right by, BLOCKED!!!

Then Jake turns his attention to Doinks -- he isn't quite ready to break out the music yet, but he explains his rationale for the segment in an aside.  He starts with the third Minnesota field goal, which doinks IN from about the same distance as the blocked Chicago one -- and, unlike some of the manipulations he charges, this one looked like it was a called shot off the upright!

Then he shows New England-Pittsburgh and claims possible manipulation of the late third-quarter field goal which gives New England a 13-3 lead.  This one looks a bit more natural, even though he could (and almost certainly does) make the claim that the kick was nowhere close before the manipulation sent it through.

And he correctly notes that doinks used to be exceptionally rare -- until, what was it, the Double Doink of that Bears kicker in the playoffs and the NFL and its fans got a hard-on for Doinks?

#6:  NOW he breaks out the music:  "Return of the Doink" time.

He shows the Minnesota made Doink FG again.

He then shows (again, he did so during his rationale segment too) a Chargers-Raiders FG attempt from 59...  And the magnet pull probably pulled it back to the upright, but it was missed.

Two more this week, I think that makes four now, if not five.

#5:  Back to Chargers-Raiders again, for the third time in this video.  24-14 Raiders, 3 minutes to go, 3rd and 11 deep in Chargers territory for the Chargers.

It's Herbert's second interception.  And THIS ONE is Herbert's fault, or so alleged.

Clean pocket, no real pressure, underthrown into triple coverage where the only person who could've caught it was a Las Vegas Raider.

#4:  Philly-Tennessee, and this was the play he used as a "hook" at the top of the video.  (Did a better job with the separation this week.)

And this was the Cliffhanger Game Winner (so if there's three more than this on his list...).  20-17, less than 15 seconds to go, Philly on the Titans 3.

One receiver falls down, both defenders bite, and the receiver that splits them is wide open in the end zone for the game-winner.

The 28-minute video is barely half over, and we are on #3:  Cleveland-Tampa.  1:23 to go in the third, 1st and 10 for Cleveland at their 45 after a face mask.

16-9 Tampa, and DeRapist Rapist completes a pass to Denzel Boston for about 15 in the air.  The other 40 on the ground came after three defenders all missed their tackles and a fourth couldn't catch him.

Cleveland won 23-19.  This is prototypical of the types of plays Jake looks for.  Complete slop on the part of the defense that makes it look like the offensive player made a play, but...

16:32 of the video, and it's #2:  Baltimore-New Orleans.

The worst of the scripted interceptions, according to Jake, and it's Lamar Jackson.  And it's a game-decider, being the final drive, 20 seconds left, Baltimore down by 7 at the New Orleans 37.

This one was so bad, my peer facilitator in my hometown I had a meeting with alerted me to this one unprompted!    Overthrown by SEVEN YARDS after a blown coverage, only guy who could catch it was the safety for New Orleans.  Ballgame.

So you have two game-deciders on this list (three if you count one of the Returns of the Doink/the blocked field goal coming before it...).

So he has nine minutes or so for #1, and we return to Chicago-Minnesota.  Chicago has the ball inside the Minnesota 10, 1st and goal.

Caleb Williams rolls out, directs traffic...  Vikings defender falls down...

I can't buy this one, especially because of #2 and #4.  Yes, he has a blocker in front of him, but he also has another Viking defender bearing down on him BEHIND the blocker.  So he surrenders the play.

And, apparently, his hamstring.

Jake's position is many of these injuries are scripted.  I don't agree.  He could've caught a cleat in the turf because he had to avoid the first tackler, and there goes the hamstring there and then.

And, many think, the very real possibility the Bears season may have gone with it.

Jake spends the rest of the time talking about the doctor on call for FOX to analyze the injuries (that, again, Jake finds fake)...

Let me put it this way:  When Jaxson Dart got injured on Monday Night, that was the end of that game.  Rapeis Winston couldn't move the team if he had a forklift to do so.  So that injury to Dart basically took all the wind out of that game.  Why would you want to fake that?  Serious question.

2026 Week Two Political Stock Up And Down

Again, too early to tell -- though I think we're getting an impression from that ring you showed off Sunday night, Mrs. Kelce!

Stock up, no particular order:

AFC:

Buffalo:  Yeah, rigged as fuck, but that was a solid win over Detroit.

Cincinnati:  Don't look now, Cincy is 2-0.  Can't say either of the teams they beat look THAT good, but they're doing the work.

Kansas City:  Duh.

NFC:

Minnesota:  Gotta give em credit for the win over Chicago, even if the no-TD game is WTF...

Seattle

The NFC West:  Six wins between the four teams.

Holding off:

San Francisco:  Still not sure where the Rams are going to be this year yet with the whole Puka Nacua thing (incident AND injury), so don't know how their 2-0 looks yet.

Las Vegas:  Yeah, yeah, they're 2-0 and have New Orleans this week.  Reality hits NEXT WEEK when Kansas City comes to town.

Stock Down:

AFC:

Pittsburgh:  What the Hell was that?  The High End Talent made sure the Bullshit was NOT real, and that got messy fast!

New York Jets:  How did you let THAT ONE get away?

NFC:

Chicago:  Proving the whole Week One track meet was fraudulent.

DUD OF THE WEEK AWARD:

Nominees:

The Miami Division II Football Team.  I do wonder if the Hurricanes could beat you fuckers right now.  Those first two weeks have been DISGRACEFUL.  And Week Three doesn't get any easier:  Here comes Kansas City.

Atlanta.  What.  The Fuck.  Was THAT?  You better hope you don't slam your Penix in the car door Thursday night in Lambeau.

The LA Chargers.  We thought you were supposed to be at least outside players for the playoffs -- and you lose to the Cardinals AND the Raiders, by identical 26-14 scores?

Tampa Bay.  How do you lose to DeRapist Rapist and CLEVELAND?  I guess the only thing which could be worse is if Shedeur was the quarterback.

Quarterback injuries.  At least three major ones this week took a lot of the steam out of games, including the Monday nighter.

Bronze medal:  The AFC South.  Jacksonville's win over Cleveland is the only win the entire division has through two weeks.

Silver medal:  NBC in general, Cris Collingsworth in particular.  So you start with a Chiefs rim-job piece before the game, Collingsworth can't get off Mahomes' dick, and you just HAD TO have Taylor showing off the ring after her husband's touchdown.  Yeah, this is going to be a legitimate game.

(And yes, that one call in the overtime aside, because the league was going, instead, for the LAST...  POSSIBLE...  SECOND... angle with Mahomes and the Chiefs.)

Gold medal:  Keenan Allen, the other probable catalyst for Sunday night.  So you get charged for your DUI formally during the season, and you expect the league not to take immediate action -- at barest minimum, to ensure a result against your team...

2026 Week Two Score Report

Well, this week looked a bit more sane than Week 1 -- at least after Thursday night...

• 647 points this week, not even 40.5 this week after basically a 50 per last week!
• 1,438 points for the two weeks, then.  Average:  44.94
• Home teams were 7-9, 17-14 for the season.
• 6 Cliffhangers in 3 games this week -- GB snags an overtime FG to Escape From New York, a double in Tennessee with a go-ahead FG for TEN at 1:56, only to get the winning TD pass for Philly at 9 seconds, and Sunday night's shenanigans.
  5 Last Chance Misses, including Chicago getting four shots from the 20 and inside the last four plays...
• Also including a 4-bagger in Kansas City for the rig-job Sunday night.  Long pass play at the gun almost gets there for Mahomes, and three overtime field goals for the triple-cliffhanger on top.
• 7 non-competitive games -- which means, of the first 32 games, fully 13 never were within eight points at any point in the fourth quarter.  There's going to be a LOT of shit football this year.
• Only one other game finished within eight points, and one other was within 8 at some point in the fourth quarter but didn't finish there.
• 9 Cliffhangers in five games, 11 Last Chance Misses, 4 other games finished within 8, and 3 were within 8 at some point in the fourth quarter but didn't finish there.

It's official, the NFL wanted to kill somebody yesterday...

And we haven't broken the planet...

The Titans field in Tennessee was so hot yesterday..

(HOW HOT WAS IT???)

The field temperature was measured at 157 degrees Fahrenheit.

So hot some of the cleats for some of the players yesterday actually MELTED.

Yeah, they wanted someone to die yesterday.

Week Two, After Further Review, Week Two: Not a doubt in my mind... But the NFL wanted to make sure for both itself and Vegas...

After the DUI earlier in the week, there was no chance Indy was going to win.

So why, Chiefs lovers ask, was THIS PLAY allowed to be reversed?

Referees overturned what was initially called a game-ending fumble after a 48-yard catch by Laquon Treadwell pic.twitter.com/ppwyOw6eWD

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 21, 2026

Why?

For the last...  possible...  second...  field goal for the Chiefs, including Mr. Taylor Swift with the Mrs. showing off the ring after he scores the first touchdown of the night.

EDIT TO ADD Monday Morning 7:45 AM PDT:  AND Colts coach Shane Steichen says the 4th and 8 that they took the FG, went for the tie, and gave the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the winning drive, they'd have gone for it...  if the coverage was right?

You can't make up this comedy!!!

And, not only that, but they get the Vegas bettors on the Chiefs -6.

The house wins, three different ways.  NBC gets a last-second overtime winner, the Chiefs win, and the Chiefs do not cover.

Week Two, After Further Review, Part One: I think I've seen an NFL anomaly...

I don't usually pull out stuff during the week, but this one needs a mention.

When I'm not banned from searching, I will search #Rigged on various platforms.

I found this play from Baltimore-New Orleans today.  It was called a touchdown.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have found a play that can be declared for BOTH TEAMS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Not only is that not a touchdown, but there's a nice little facemask in the play too!

ABSOLUTELY...ROBBED! #rigged https://t.co/agDEUIsxu6

— Downfield Read (@DownfieldRead) September 20, 2026

EDIT TO ADD 5:25 PM PDT:

And that took one week.  Given the call last week, how is this not at least an incomplete pass?

NFL Officiating, along with its product overall, has declined significantly in my opinion over the past several years.

Game altering decisions. This is an incomplete pass. 10 people sitting at a bar could all agree on it. Nope! Not the NFL! https://t.co/k0kWplFLUU

— OfficiatingObserver17 (@RefObserver17) September 20, 2026

Some thoughts on Week Two

• Last week the Bears scored 59 points.  This week:  3.  Minnesota is 2-0 in two of the ugliest wins this league has produced in some time.
• And, while we're on the subject: Last week, the Panthers gave up 59 points and lost 59-37. Well, they got one thing consistent this week: They scored 34 -- but only gave up 3!!!
• The 49ers will go 2-0, and the march toward a very probable 0-16 for the Dolphins continues apace.  As I start this bullet-point post, it's 35-6 San Francisco over Miami in the 3rd.
• Somebody's getting fined this week...

“The players have no idea”

New Orleans Saints player Julian Blackmon says on Instagram “bad day for the sportsbooks” as he hauls in a telegraphed on purpose Lamar Jackson interception. Of course which made it a great day for the books. They will all burn pic.twitter.com/WLvrBLoU3l

— Behold A Pale Horse (@BeholdPaleH0rse) September 20, 2026

Hmmm...  Methinks the players are often co-participants.

• Oh great...  DeRapist Rapist actually won one.  In a lightning storm where most sane NFL fans would ask if it could take both teams out, the Browns actually won one -- 23-20 over the Buccaneers in Tampa.
• Early in the day, several taunting calls got even a friend of Tom Grossi angry enough to rant over X, and got that trending.  And most of Football Nation America wants mouths to be allowed to be shot off.  You do realize, it's punches next...   

2026 Week One Fine Blotter, The Saturday Report

Here's the page.  They're doing it a bit differently this year.  Instead of a week-to-week dropdown menu, they're listing them all on one page.  They usually do the full report around 4 Eastern.

And the new policy and the Points of Emphasis and the one-time amnesties at the end of the season are now in effect.

20 more fines this week, 22 total, three of them under the Points of Emphasis, three more are helmet fouls I think should fall under the PoE.

Conduct:

• Chicago:  Jahdae Walker, $5,620, Taunting
• Dallas:  Javontae Williams, $11,941, Taunting
• Seattle:  DeVon Witherspoon, $11,941, Taunting
• Washington:  Stefon Diggs, $14,926, other illegal celebration or vulgar act.  Jumped, straddled the goalpost support.

Late Hit:

• Dallas:  DeMarvion Overshown, $9,527
• Denver:  Alex Singleton, $11,941

Roughing the Passer:

• Carolina:  Derrick Brown, $17,911, a late hit.
• Green Bay:  Lukas Van Ness, $17,911, blow to the head
• Houston:  Mario Edwards, $8,263, blow to the knee or lower body
• LA Rams:  Tyler Davis, $6,225, blow to the head

Other non-Points of Emphasis:

• Dallas:  Donovan Ezelraku, $11,941, face mask
• Kansas City:  Trey Smith, $6,750, chop block
• San Francisco:  Jake Tonges, $9,266, leg whip (And a good reason for the rule -- Tonges injured himself with the leg whip -- OUT FOR THE SEASON.)
• Tennessee:  Calvin Ridley, $12,537, Striking, etc.

Actually, I stand corrected:  Rereading the policy, not all helmet fouls are actually strikes against the policy -- which I think is bullshit, they're the biggest fines many weeks (including the only two fines over 20 grand this week), and has been a Point of Emphasis in this league several years.  So while we straighten this out, here are the helmet fouls:

• LA Rams:  Nate Landman, $11,111, helmet foul
• San Francisco:  Kyle Juszczyk, $20,033, helmet foul
• Detroit:  Jahmyr Gibbs got the biggest fine of the week, $23,207 for a helmet foul

Which leaves these as the Points of Emphasis fouls, all of which constitute STRIKE ONE against the offenders for possible suspension and can only be half-amnestied if not repeated.  A second such fine in the season will result in a league meeting.  A third is a one-game suspension.  (Pending appeals)

• Buffalo:  Sam Frankin, $9,425, blindside block
• Green Bay:  Evan Williams, $7,027, defenseless player foul
• Miami:  Chris Johnson, $17,911, hip drop tackle

Officials Accountability:

• Of the 20 fines, only 11 were flagged.
• Of the 3 Player Safety Points of Emphasis fouls, only TWO were flagged.
• NONE of the three helmet fouls were flagged.
• The four of the six I think are within the policy which were not flagged:
• Gibbs' should stand. It was use of the helmet in the end zone after he scored. That should've been 15 for a late hit.
• No video on the Landman helmet foul.
• How the Hell did the refs miss the Kyle Juszczyk foul, sans rigging?  Clear leading with the helmet to block at the point of attack!
• No video, apparently, on the Johnson hip drop tackle either, and that was the one which was not flagged.

Early 2026 Week One Fine Blotter Part One: Two uniform violations...

We haven't had the normal Gameday Accountability situation yet -- that's tomorrow at about 1 Pacific.

But two eyeblack violations have hit the Internet.

• Arizona:  Kei'Trel Clark, $6,651 for a "Glory Be To God" message, which has enraged the MAGA crowd.  I again remind them to look up the rule.  ANYTHING not approved by the league is fined.
• Houston:  Azeez Al-Shaair, $11,492 for the name of "Hind Rajab", a Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces.  Kyrie Irving of the NBA has offered to pay the fine.

Wow, that was a scripted production...

There was no doubt that the Bills were going to win the first game in their new stadium tonight.

The Lions more than made sure of that with a number of indisciplined penalties, effectively zero defense, and basically a full surrender job after a turnover at 34-24 in the fourth.

But they still scored another touchdown to make it 41-31, and make the Buffalo Bills the first team in NFL history to go 2-0, giving up over 30 points in both games.

Let me give you an idea of how thrown this was on the part of the Lions -- AND how much the NFL had to struggle not to completely lose it's Amazon audience.

• The Buffalo Bills got almost 300 yards of offense in their first four drives in the first half, all resultant in touchdowns.
• It's 27-7, third down, Buffalo's driving again about their 40 yard line.  Josh Allen scrambles and appears to have the first down if he keeps running.
• So he shovels the ball off to a receiver, who drops it because he didn't expect, fourth down, the game's first Buffalo punt.
• With 6 seconds left, Detroit decides to run the ball to confuse the Buffalo defense, and Buffalo gets called for tripping the ball carrier.  (Only thing that would've mattered was the distance -- there WAS one second left and Detroit had a time out.)  Bugger if we could see it on the replay.
• Field goal -- 27-10 at halftime.
• At that point, I call it during the halftime...

So let's see.

A "bad decision" for the first Buffalo stop, a phantom tripping call, and it's 27-10 at half.

27-17 incoming, and perhaps more?? #TNF #Rigged ???

— Michael Falkner (@MichaelFalpxmr) September 18, 2026

• Wouldn't you know it?  27-17 after about a six-minute drive.
• But then the Bills dogwalk the Detroit "defense" on an EIGHT-MINUTE drive for 34-17.
• Then Detroit decides people still need to be watching the game in the fourth quarter -- five-minute drive, 34-24.
• They get the stop...
• And then 3 and out, and that's the surrender.
• Touchdowns are traded for 41-31, the final.

And I guess we, at least for Sunday, have to go on Record Watch.

The 72 points tonight means the first 17 games in this NFL season have now scored 862 points.  An average of 50.71 points per game.

That is an NFL record for 17 games.  Remember that Week 1 tied the NFL record for most points in a Week 1 with 2002.  Only one game in that Week 2 beat the 71 -- and that was a 45-39 overtime game, also with Buffalo winning, this time over Minnesota.

Time to amend my Dud of the Week List for Week 1.

Nope, we have a new winner.

And since I've already awarded the medals, this gets the DIAMOND MEDAL -- above gold.

And it deserves it too.

The winner?

The NFL itself!

For complete ignorance of the laws of this nation and the resultant abuse of the YouTube copyright system.

Why?

This.

This is what shitposter UrinatingTree had to do to get a Week 1 Sportsball commentary piece out this week, after a number of attempts yesterday ended in NFL copyright takedowns to refuse monetization of the video.

I tried everything I could to get this out tonight, but couldn't get it done. I'm sorry, guys. I think I have a solution that gets through, but I'm worried it'll be borderline unwatchable. https://t.co/dKMQO7fMfQ

— UrinatingTree (@UrinatingTree) September 17, 2026

Don't get me wrong.  I am certain UrinatingTree is getting targeted here.

After all, he's talked so much shit about the Steelers that, without even Tweeting them directly, they blocked him.

And before anyone questions it, here's the Fair Use Index from the US Copyright Office themselves.  Unless they want to declare all game content to be damaging to the monetary interests of the NFL, this qualifies under Fair Use.

The NFL does not want their games shitposted, even by someone as skilled as the Yinzer.

So what happens next?  Do the game streams of commentary from the likes of UrinatingTree and Tom Grossi get yoinked?  After all, the disclaimer on all the other sports is "pictures AND accounts"!

Assholes.

EDIT TO ADD, about a week later:  A few days later, I have to be fair here, the NFL rescinded it and the OG Cut, as Tree put it, was posted.  We'll see what happens THIS WEEK...

After Further Review, Jake The Awake, Week 1

I don't agree with a lot of his non-football stands, but Jake the Awake does a nice job of chronicling plays he believes show the "rig-aroni with a side of baloney" the NFL has.

Unlike me, Jake concentrates more on what he calls "slop plays" -- plays that show that the players are more like professional wrestlers and choreograph plays to ensure results.

(With one usual exception that I think we will see at least one of.  I'll get to that.)

So, here's Week One's Top 10 of Jake's Slop Plays.

And, already something to note:  Denver missed so many tackles Monday (28) that they gave up the most yards after missed tackles in eight years (247).  So, knowing Jake as I do, I have a feeling there will be more than one play from that game to back up the top of the video bullet point there.

This isn't even in his Top Ten, but the first part shows that two Broncos players basically pantomime tackling Patrick Mahomes on his touchdown run.

10)  Detroit-New Orleans. 14-0 Detroit, and they have the ball after a New Orleans turnover in the 3rd quarter.

Amon Ra-St. Brown appears to have a route that's going to take him through three New Orleans defenders.  First defender takes the other receiver, second one pratfalls, the safety never helps, St. Brown catches wide open for the score.  21-0.

9)  Dallas-Giants.  58 seconds to go in the half, 7-7.

Dak Prescott, per Jake, is the most-highlighted player in the history of his Slop Plays series, and it's interceptions, usually.  Scrambles backwards INTO pressure.  Throws an abject DUCK a mile into the air off his back foot, only player who can get it is the player who can pick it on the sideline for the Giants.

Stands to reason, doesn't it?  Prescott would have to be a coparticipant in a lot of this with how the league cannot feasibly afford the Cowboys to be representatives as champions.

8)  Packers-Vikings.  No, this is not the drive in which the Vikings were all but handed a score either through mass indiscipline or the refs. 25-22, 3rd and 17.

And the Vikings just jailbreak the shitty Packer O Line, which had the worst pass block rate in the league for Week 1 -- and not close!  Back-to-back sacks, back-to-back fumbles, and the Vikes get the ball to start the rout.

7) Packers-Vikings, next drive.   4 minutes to go, 32-22, and Jordan Love needs to make a comeback...

And he throws a pick that almost gets returned all the way -- three plays later, it's the Vikings' third touchdown of the quarter for the final score.  Even though he had three open receivers on the play, including one cutting at the other side of the field with NO ONE CLOSE.

6) And here we go with the exception, when Jake breaks out his singing voice.  "Return of the Mack" -- I mean, "Return of the Doink", a chronicle of all the videos of doinks, which Jake almost certainly correctly notes are magnet-assisted.

SF-Rams in Australia (if the ref is going to use the goal signal for a field goal from Aussie Rules, doesn't that mean this one is only worth one point if it had been made?), Arizona-Chargers (particularly flagrant one, looks like the kick is straight to the left and curves out to doink out the RIGHT SIDE), and I thought I heard at least one in the Monday nighter as well which was MADE...

5) Chicago-Carolina -- you almost could've seen this one coming for at least one play.  24-24 near halftime.

Caleb Williams escapes pressure and finds a seam in the pocket to start running.  No problems here.  And he's got one guy to beat...  Except the guy literally runs out the back of the end zone to take himself out of the play for the free touchdown, Williams' second on the ground in the first half.

4) Eagles-Commanders.  17-16, six minutes to go in the game.

Three guys give Dallas Goedert a cushion, and all of them can't be arsed to make the play.  42 yards later, Goedert gets his second TD of the game, and that basically IS the game for Philadelphia.

3) New England-Seattle, and it's the suspicious interception.

Off the back foot again, and the only guy who can get it is wearing Seahawks colors.  Game over, champs win, thanks for coming.

2) Chiefs-Broncos. 7-7. late second quarter.

Rashee Rice gets the ball and one player completely misses him, even though he is otherwise squared up on him.  He doesn't even remotely attempt to wrap up on him.

1) Chiefs-Broncos, no score...

Until at least two players don't even try to tackle Mahomes for the Chiefs first touchdown.

2026 NFL Week One Political Report

It's far too early, obviously, to speak in terms of an order of teams in each conference.

That, however, said:  We CAN at least go Stock Up and Stock Down, in no particular order.

AFC:

STOCK UP:

Kansas City.  Boy, did that game look familiar.  Seven times in the first three quarters, ESPN showed Mrs. Travis Kelce.  Patrick Mahomes was healthy.  The referees appeared to be in full effect.  And the Broncos had no material chance whatsofreakingever.

Baltimore.  In what many believe might be Lamar's last real shot in Baltimore, they got off to a good start.  But if Mahomes stays healthy, could it also be familiar to see Lamar hit a granite ceiling?

Buffalo.  Another "same ol' song and dance" motif.

STOCK DOWN:

New England.  That looked awfully suspicious in the opener.  The real question is going to be what happens, especially to Drake Maye, going forward.

LA Chargers.  One of the most listless performances of the entire weekend.

Denver.  Got run over by the Patrick Mahomes buzzsaw, and it really makes you wonder what shot they really have to accomplish anything.

NFC:

STOCK UP:

Chicago.  The problem being that people are really believing that defense in Chicago is completely non-existent.  One pundit even joked that the Bears might need to break the scoring record for a team for a season to have any real shot at a successful year.

Detroit.  Got a lot of help to beat New Orleans, and if that plays out more later in the year, the NFC North is open to them.

San Francisco.  Especially with the LA Superteam flaking apart, that win might be FAR LARGER than any will admit.

Seattle's more a "we'll see".

STOCK DOWN:

Dallas.  Especially if you're going to continue to be given the media front-and-center of the league's most-valuable franchise, you gotta do better than that!

Green Bay.  Gee, did that look familiar -- with the shoe on the other foot, Mr. Jacobs???

BTW, Green Bay opened a 6.5 point favorite at the Jets.  It's been bet to -4.5 already, and I'll be surprised if they're giving more than a field goal.

Carolina.  Oh dear God no.  The defensive coordinator should've been fired today for THAT performance.

LA Rams.  You not only get blown out by the 49ers in Australia, you've now lost Garrett for at least a month.