1) If anyone doesn't believe that, at the very least, the 28-point comeback wasn't about the Newtown shootings, I've got some swampland to sell you in central Libya right about now.
2) When your quarterback sucks so badly that the game is effectively being openly rigged for him, and he can't make an intelligent pass or hold on to the ball in a key situation, one has to wonder if Mark Sanchez should be arrested for impersonating a professional athlete...
3) And for the one offensive highlight of the night in that Jets-Titans debacle: Chris Johnson ran for the longest touchdown in the history of the Titans, even going back to the Houston Oiler days. His shoes had written on them all the names of the victims in Newtown.
Yeah, as I said to Brian Tuohy tonight, I'm THAT cynical!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Week 14 Fine Blotter
- Baltimore's Haloti Ngata was not fined for the hit that took out Robert Griffin III.
- Dallas Cowboys: Ernie Sims: $15,750 for another of those "defenseless" hits in the head and neck on Cincinnati's Marvin Jones.
- New York Giants: Prince Amukamara: $15,750 for horse-collaring New Orleans' Pierre Thomas.
- New York Jets: Quinton Coples: $15,000 for face-masking Chad Henne of the Jaguars.
- Detroit Lions: Gosder Cherilus: $10,000 for a chop block versus the Packers.
- St. Louis Rams: Cortland Finnegan: $10,000 for a face mask on Buffalo's CJ Spiller.
- Chicago Bears: Charles Tillman: $7,875 for a late hit on Toby Gerhart of the Vikings.
All of them.
At least what NFL.com posted this week.
Only six fines and $74,375.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Week 14 Score Update
Week 14 2012 average: 46.5, adding to the average for the season.
Highest per-game Week 14 average since 2002.
14 week composite per-game average: 45.774 points per game.
About 1 3/4 points, now, more than last year's.
--
And, for the Cliffhanger Report:
Ravens-Redskins went OT.
Rams-Bills was won by the Rams in the last minute.
Cowboys-Bengals was won at the gun.
Eagles defeated the Buccaneers at the gun.
So that's another 4 games this week that were decided in the last 2 minutes (in fact, in this case, the last minute) or in overtime.
That's 47 out of 208 games decided in that matter, with 1 such game going the full 75 minutes to a draw.
Highest per-game Week 14 average since 2002.
14 week composite per-game average: 45.774 points per game.
About 1 3/4 points, now, more than last year's.
--
And, for the Cliffhanger Report:
Ravens-Redskins went OT.
Rams-Bills was won by the Rams in the last minute.
Cowboys-Bengals was won at the gun.
Eagles defeated the Buccaneers at the gun.
So that's another 4 games this week that were decided in the last 2 minutes (in fact, in this case, the last minute) or in overtime.
That's 47 out of 208 games decided in that matter, with 1 such game going the full 75 minutes to a draw.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
An unconscionable decision, but hardly a surprising one...
Tagliabue vacated the Bountygate suspensions today.
The joke is (basically) complete. The NFL now has no power over players who either choose to or follow orders to cripple other players in a systematic (and, hence, a non-systematic) manner.
And, on surface, everyone is going to cheer. Vilma is going to get millions in his lawsuit, Goodell basically has carte blanche over the other players (current and former) who have the audacity to now understand how much they can be crippled on any play, and the fans want their Roman Colosseum.
This is a disgusting ruling to anyone with a brain. Of course, to how many people that applies, vis-a-vis the NFL anymore, is a matter of great dispute.
The only thing that probably is going to remain in question is two-fold:
1) Is Roger Goodell going to be allowed to remain commissioner?
If he is, it's the final joke in all of this, and the joke is on us who have rational thought.
Because it will be the final confirmation that this whole Kabuki Theatre was a matter of that he wanted to pass the buck to someone who was "outside the league" enough that enough of the little animal sheeple who prostrate themselves to the NFL shield would be fooled.
I'll get to them in a second.
2) What power does he have to deal with players, on or off the field?
None, and that's what all other parties want.
Let's get two things straight right now:
The NFL players, by and large, have taken too many blows to the head over the course of lower-level, high-school, college, and NFL football to retain much human rationality, compassion, or, really, anything else. The game drives these "men" to become animals, and many can't shut it off.
And, on top of this, I truly believe many NFL fans would like to see people get killed on the field, and not just that euphemistic "Kill The Bum!!!" we've all yelled out of the stands against an opposing player.
The thing is, to give the fans what they want, the "New Sheriff" needs to be deposed. Not as a function that Goodell is not an open co-participant in the allowance of on and off the field violence, mind you. But as a final statement as to what these bloodlust-y animals in the stands really want (and, many would say, that they NEED), Goodell is probably going to have to be tossed as Commissioner to satisfy the fans who aren't smart enough to know he's part of the problem, not that firing him is part of the solution.
The fans openly blame Goodell for the "Pussification of Football", and the Vilma lawsuit (in which he now should get, at minimum, his 2012 salary trebled plus damages) would be a perfect avenue to get it done.
The worst part of all this is that this gives the final piece of the puzzle to all of the thousands of former players who should literally get, between them, billions (and trebled) from this league. Every claim that the NFL has no regard for their safety is true. Every claim that they've made that the risks are mis-represented (if not ignored) has merit and value.
They should get every dollar, and trebled.
They won't.
Two reasons.
First is what might as well be a formal legal concept of precedent: Courts will never rule, even when all the evidence makes it the only rational ruling, in favor of something which will cause massive social disruption.
There is no larger social entity in this country than the National Football League. To fundamentally change the game to make it safer would be such a massive social disruption that riots would probably result. So to actually care about player safety may almost be equivalent to cutting off welfare benefits, frankly.
The second reason is the dehumanization, on a very real level, of the players. The players basically, by the time they get to the pros, are probably mangled in a number of ways to begin with. That they made it "this far" makes them believe they are truly indestructible.
In this vein, what right do they have to later come back and talk of the risks when the entire culture of football relies that they aren't even really to be considered human in the first place?
That's what is so disgusting about this. The Player Safety and Player Conduct Initiatives are now not only jokes, even to Goodell, but, on surface, illegal. The entire concept that the players of this league are to be held to human standards of conduct is a farcical view, since the players are nothing more than inhuman pieces of meat to basically die in the "New Roman Collosseum".
Because that's all what the NFL (and much of football) is -- a "New Roman Collosseum". Makes you wonder when the weapons are going to come out.
The joke is (basically) complete. The NFL now has no power over players who either choose to or follow orders to cripple other players in a systematic (and, hence, a non-systematic) manner.
And, on surface, everyone is going to cheer. Vilma is going to get millions in his lawsuit, Goodell basically has carte blanche over the other players (current and former) who have the audacity to now understand how much they can be crippled on any play, and the fans want their Roman Colosseum.
This is a disgusting ruling to anyone with a brain. Of course, to how many people that applies, vis-a-vis the NFL anymore, is a matter of great dispute.
The only thing that probably is going to remain in question is two-fold:
1) Is Roger Goodell going to be allowed to remain commissioner?
If he is, it's the final joke in all of this, and the joke is on us who have rational thought.
Because it will be the final confirmation that this whole Kabuki Theatre was a matter of that he wanted to pass the buck to someone who was "outside the league" enough that enough of the little animal sheeple who prostrate themselves to the NFL shield would be fooled.
I'll get to them in a second.
2) What power does he have to deal with players, on or off the field?
None, and that's what all other parties want.
Let's get two things straight right now:
The NFL players, by and large, have taken too many blows to the head over the course of lower-level, high-school, college, and NFL football to retain much human rationality, compassion, or, really, anything else. The game drives these "men" to become animals, and many can't shut it off.
And, on top of this, I truly believe many NFL fans would like to see people get killed on the field, and not just that euphemistic "Kill The Bum!!!" we've all yelled out of the stands against an opposing player.
The thing is, to give the fans what they want, the "New Sheriff" needs to be deposed. Not as a function that Goodell is not an open co-participant in the allowance of on and off the field violence, mind you. But as a final statement as to what these bloodlust-y animals in the stands really want (and, many would say, that they NEED), Goodell is probably going to have to be tossed as Commissioner to satisfy the fans who aren't smart enough to know he's part of the problem, not that firing him is part of the solution.
The fans openly blame Goodell for the "Pussification of Football", and the Vilma lawsuit (in which he now should get, at minimum, his 2012 salary trebled plus damages) would be a perfect avenue to get it done.
The worst part of all this is that this gives the final piece of the puzzle to all of the thousands of former players who should literally get, between them, billions (and trebled) from this league. Every claim that the NFL has no regard for their safety is true. Every claim that they've made that the risks are mis-represented (if not ignored) has merit and value.
They should get every dollar, and trebled.
They won't.
Two reasons.
First is what might as well be a formal legal concept of precedent: Courts will never rule, even when all the evidence makes it the only rational ruling, in favor of something which will cause massive social disruption.
There is no larger social entity in this country than the National Football League. To fundamentally change the game to make it safer would be such a massive social disruption that riots would probably result. So to actually care about player safety may almost be equivalent to cutting off welfare benefits, frankly.
The second reason is the dehumanization, on a very real level, of the players. The players basically, by the time they get to the pros, are probably mangled in a number of ways to begin with. That they made it "this far" makes them believe they are truly indestructible.
In this vein, what right do they have to later come back and talk of the risks when the entire culture of football relies that they aren't even really to be considered human in the first place?
That's what is so disgusting about this. The Player Safety and Player Conduct Initiatives are now not only jokes, even to Goodell, but, on surface, illegal. The entire concept that the players of this league are to be held to human standards of conduct is a farcical view, since the players are nothing more than inhuman pieces of meat to basically die in the "New Roman Collosseum".
Because that's all what the NFL (and much of football) is -- a "New Roman Collosseum". Makes you wonder when the weapons are going to come out.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Week 13 Fine Blotter
- Chicago Bears: Brian Urlacher is a TWO-TIME LOSER, consecutive weeks, same offense: $21,000 (which is a downgrade from the usual fine, after further review) for a horse-collar on Seahag Leon Washington. That might be Urlacher's last game of the year, though -- he got injured later in the game.
- New York Giants: Linval Joseph: $7,875 for a fracas in which he pulled the leg of...
- Washington Redskins: Will Montgomery, who got a $10,000 fine for kicking Joseph in the balls as a result. NFL.com: "The financial disparity shows us that, while it's not prudent to yank on a man's legs, it's outright villainous to assault the space between. Glad that's settled."
- Detroit Lions: Nick Fairley adds to the Andrew Luck parade: $15,750 for a horse-collar on Luck. That's over $113,000 in fines on players on actions against Luck.
- San Francisco 49ers got two: Navorro Bowman: $10,000 for unnecessary roughness against the Rams.
- San Francisco: Dashon Goldson: $7,875 for roughing the passer on Sam Bradford, making him a TWO-TIME LOSER.
- Green Bay Packers: Tramon Williams: $21,000 for striking Toby Gerhart of the Vikings in the head or neck.
- Minnesota Vikings: Everson Griffen: $15,750 for roughing the passer on Aaron Rodgers. The on-field penalty wiped out a Minnesota interception, and also makes him a TWO-TIME LOSER.
- Minnesota Vikings: Jasper Brinkley: $7,875 for a face-mask. With that fine, Brinkley becomes the first THREE-TIME LOSER in the NFL this year.
- Denver Broncos: Von Miller: $25,000 for roughing the passer below the knee on Josh Freeman of the Buccaneers. This makes Von the second THREE-TIME LOSER in the league this year.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Jason Babin: $21,000 for more head/neck contact. This makes Babin a unique THREE-TIME LOSER. After being cut by the Eagles, the Jaguars picked him up, and that's his third offense of the year.
- Baltimore Ravens: Paul Kruger: $5,250 for a uniform violation -- you could see the bottom of his shoulder pads.
12 fines this week, 6 of them multiple offenders, including 3 three-timers.
Early Monday edit: And this doesn't even count a $200,000 fine on Darrell Dockett of the Cardinals for insubordination and the like. That was a team fine, and is being challenged by the player to the NFLPA.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Week 13 Scoring Update -- WAY DOWN
3rd lowest scoring week of the year in Week 13: 41.69 points per game.
Only 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2008 were lower for that time frame.
13 Week per-game average: 45.713
Still the most, but now by only about 1 point a game over 2008.
Scoring up nearly 2 points a game over last year.
--
Two games went overtime -- the rematch of the tie between St. Louis and San Francisco, and Seattle's upset win over Chicago.
Indianapolis defeated Detroit at the gun.
Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore at the gun.
So four of the 16 games were decided either at the gun or in overtime.
That makes 43 out of 192 games either decided in the last two minutes or in overtime -- with one tie.
Only 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2008 were lower for that time frame.
13 Week per-game average: 45.713
Still the most, but now by only about 1 point a game over 2008.
Scoring up nearly 2 points a game over last year.
--
Two games went overtime -- the rematch of the tie between St. Louis and San Francisco, and Seattle's upset win over Chicago.
Indianapolis defeated Detroit at the gun.
Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore at the gun.
So four of the 16 games were decided either at the gun or in overtime.
That makes 43 out of 192 games either decided in the last two minutes or in overtime -- with one tie.
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