2017 Week Nine Fine/Suspension Blotter

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

Just announced in the ongoing legal fracas:

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

For the fracas in New Orleans:

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

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

For the fracas in Jacksonville:

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

For the fracas in San Francisco:

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

In other incidents:

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

(Pending any further later in the weekend.)

Over $338,000 so far this week.

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

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

No teams added to Level 1 or Level 2.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2017 Week Nine Score Report

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

The ratings numbers, as of this morning:

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

Some other odd numbers from the standings:

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

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

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

The first is the MAGA Bowl:  Patriots-Cowboys.

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

This was just Week 9 so far:

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

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

2017 Week Eight Fine Friday

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

And another late one with significant ramifications:

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

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

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

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

More may be forthcoming.

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

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

Top-fined teams:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2017 Week 8 NFL Score Report

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

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

Ratings:

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