I think it a basic certainty that the #NFLBoycott by the White Right is having significant impact on the current state of the game and the companies which sponsor it.
But the NFL is trying not to bend to the "SHOOT ALL THE ---------- WHO DISRESPECT OUR TROOPS!" motif (which is what they're really asking for in Trump-murka. Instead, the NFL has proposed a seven-year, nearly $100,000,000 coalition with a player's group for social justice reforms in the United States -- which is what Colin Kaepernick and others were protesting in the first goddamned place!
And one player has already said that's sufficient -- Malcolm Jenkins of Philadelphia will end his protests. We'll see where this goes.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
You can take your own case study into how the NFL rigs games...
ESPN today has posted a rules quiz by Kevin Seifert into the obscure NFL rules in the NFL rulebook.
Given the "Calvin Johnson Rule" and the like, you can take this as a primer into some of the non-intuitive stuff that the NFL uses to determine outcomes and predicate storylines.
The first question is actually a fair lay-up to anyone who has watched enough NFL football to chuckle when the rule in question leads to a ridiculous scoring attempt. (I'm trying to keep the actual answers out of this as much as possible, unless something egregious occurs.)
The second one is an extension of an infamous NFL play that caused an immediate rule change about 40 or so years ago.
The third one is the most obscure score in American football -- and probably the first time it's ever been noted that it IS, in fact, the same rule in the NFL now as it has been in college!
The fourth one is actually a changed rule from when a Green Bay Packer actually abused the old rule on it to gain significant advantage for his team. (And I got it wrong -- the abuse STILL EXISTS. I thought the Packer -- Randall Cobb -- actually had caused the rule to be changed!)
The fifth one is a rare penalty, but a correctly identified one if it's identified.
The sixth one I also got wrong, because it is a weird situation that you wouldn't THINK would take place -- but could lead to abject chaos in the wrong hands. It would appear that the play would be the right thing for the relevant team to do, but it does raise the chance of something else happening that could change everything.
Try the quiz yourself at the link (except for the one I pretty much gave you -- #4), and you'll get an idea as to some of the ways the officials can maneuver for certain outcomes.
Given the "Calvin Johnson Rule" and the like, you can take this as a primer into some of the non-intuitive stuff that the NFL uses to determine outcomes and predicate storylines.
The first question is actually a fair lay-up to anyone who has watched enough NFL football to chuckle when the rule in question leads to a ridiculous scoring attempt. (I'm trying to keep the actual answers out of this as much as possible, unless something egregious occurs.)
The second one is an extension of an infamous NFL play that caused an immediate rule change about 40 or so years ago.
The third one is the most obscure score in American football -- and probably the first time it's ever been noted that it IS, in fact, the same rule in the NFL now as it has been in college!
The fourth one is actually a changed rule from when a Green Bay Packer actually abused the old rule on it to gain significant advantage for his team. (And I got it wrong -- the abuse STILL EXISTS. I thought the Packer -- Randall Cobb -- actually had caused the rule to be changed!)
The fifth one is a rare penalty, but a correctly identified one if it's identified.
The sixth one I also got wrong, because it is a weird situation that you wouldn't THINK would take place -- but could lead to abject chaos in the wrong hands. It would appear that the play would be the right thing for the relevant team to do, but it does raise the chance of something else happening that could change everything.
Try the quiz yourself at the link (except for the one I pretty much gave you -- #4), and you'll get an idea as to some of the ways the officials can maneuver for certain outcomes.
Monday, November 27, 2017
2017 Week 12 Score and Ratings Report
The numbers from Thanksgiving Week 2017:
- 43.375 points per game this week, a tick over 42 last year.
- Season average now down to 44.307. Was 45.033 last year.
- Home teams 10-6, including the last five. 9-7 last year.
- Home total for the season: 90-81. 100-71-1 last year.
- Over was 7-9 for 87-85-4. Last year, 8-8 and a little more over .500, but not much (six over .500)
- Big week for favorites, as Vegas takes another on the chin. 12-4 against the number, 14-2 straight up. 8-8 ATS last year, 13-3 straight up.
- 90-81-5 against the number and 122-54 straight up this year. Spread was exactly .500 through 12 weeks last year, 105-61-1 straight up.
- Vegas favorites have been on a tear since Week 7. Indicative of what Brian Tuohy talks about on his page as the haves (NE, PIT, PHI, MIN, NO, CAR, LA Rams) and the have-nots (everybody else).
- Team with more penalties was 9-6 this week with one same, 6-4 last year.
- Team with more penalties for the season is 68-94. Last year: 63-85.
- 3 non-competitive games this week out of the 16 -- last year had 4.
- Another indicative of the wide gulf in the NFL this year. Last year, there were 44 NFL games non-competitive in 12 weeks. With one fewer game played this year, there are FIFTY-EIGHT such games through 12 weeks.
- Two Cliffhangers, both 50+-yard field goals at the gun or at 1 second. Last year had 4 Cliffhangers in Week 12.
- 32 Cliffhangers this year. Last year had 37.
- Three Last Chance misses this week, last year's Week 12 had five.
- Nine games finished within one score this week, meaning 85 total -- under half of the games, more indicative of the year before I started tracking (about 48%).
- Nothing unexpected. Detroit (over 7.5, 6-5) had Minnesota and Seattle (under 10.5, 7-4) had another bye week with the 49ers, so that was one against me on both ends. New England won for 9-2 (over 12.5) and Green Bay lost (that one is now a cash), so 2-2 on the week for that.
- Sunday night: Up marginally, 3% over last year.
- Sunday national (CBS): Down 12%, lowest Week 12 national window since the National Religion Era began, at least.
- Sunday regional (CBS): Down 8%
- Sunday single (FOX): Down 9%
- Those are overnights, and Thanksgiving got no prettier for the finalities: Lions down 21%, worst Thanksgiving Lions since 2008. Dallas also down 21%. Third game down 10%.
- Philadelphia (10-1, magic number for NFC East is 1 with both Washington and Dallas -- a win or losses by both teams wins the division with a month to go).
- Minnesota (9-2, three up on Detroit in the NFC North, with the tiebreakers, two up for the #2 seed)
- Los Angeles (8-3, one up on Seattle in the NFC West, the win this week over the Saints gives them the 3)
- New Orleans (8-3, the Week 3 win over the Panthers gives them the lead in the NFC South, but they play again this week)
- Carolina (8-3, see New Orleans)
- Atlanta (7-4, they're in and Seattle is out due to Atlanta's victory over the Seahawks)
- Pittsburgh (9-2, three clear of Baltimore for the AFC North. Will play New England in three weeks to render this moot, but, for the purposes of present convention, it's common games that has Pittsburgh ahead of New England)
- New England (9-2, three clear of Buffalo in the AFC East)
- Tennessee (7-4, Week 2 win over Jacksonville is current tiebreaker for AFC South, they rematch in Week 17)
- Kansas City (6-5, one up on the Chargers and Raiders in the AFC West)
- Jacksonville (7-4)
- Baltimore (6-5, conference record tiebreak puts them in and Buffalo out -- they do not play)
2017 Week 12 Supplemental Discipline Blotter: The NFL gets some of it right! (UPDATED: Quite a bit less right now.)
- Denver Broncos: Aqib Talib
- and Oakland Raiders: Michael Crabtree
Definitely not enough now with the appeals, at the least for Crabtree, especially with the actions on the previous play, but I do believe the initial multiple-game suspensions not only sends the message to these two players, but I do believe a league and a sport increasingly on edge as this season begins to get to the latter portions here.
I do believe there was enough for Crabtree to possibly suspend him the final five games of the season, for not only the initial cheap-shot from the play before, but that his actions against Talib in the genesis of the fight endangered the safety of at least one NFL employee on the sideline, as well as the protracted nature of the incident itself, on top of the fact that Talib and Crabtree had prior history with each other.
Talib and Crabtree both appealed and got the suspensions halved, but, through, now 12 weeks of the season, they become the fifth and sixth NFL players suspended for ON-FIELD, DURING GAME conduct.
This is the second time the league has had to suspend Talib, the first being for an eye poke in 2015.
2016 had no such suspensions.
2015 had four.
2014 had three.
2013 had four, and a fifth overturned.
The lost salaries mean both the Broncos and Raiders are responsible for a $50,000 penalty against their Club Remittance totals. (Both are in the $550,000-$600,000 range, so even the one game gets the max-out here.)
The Raiders, who now have had their second on-field conduct suspension of the year, are fined an additional $50,000 for reaching the first threshold, and almost certainly will be fined over $100,000 by the time this is fully investigated, as they will probably shoot straight through the final threshold to dollar-for-dollar territory.
(Speaking for myself, I think it is becoming far past time for the NFL to take a look at this situation in Oakland and re-evaluate whether it might be wise for Oakland to stay in Oakland for the second lame-duck season, or whether it might be better to explore options like Sam Boyd Stadium for one season -- the UNLV campus stadium.)
Denver was one of the lower-level fined teams, though this incident may cost them the first $50,000 threshold once it's all said and done.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
And the Thanksgiving Weekend violence extends to a large fight in the NFL as well!
Someone is going to have to admit openly that the current timbre of what we are becoming as a country and culture is creating a boiling cauldron that is spilling over.
Just ask the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, in which, only four minutes into the match, the continuing war between Denver's Aqib Talib and Oakland's Michael Crabtree will almost certainly see both suspended, and possibly more.
Talib and Crabtree have history, with Talib grabbing Crabtree's chain off before -- and he did so again today, and Michael Crabtree had none of it.
But should Crabtree not have been ejected the play before for THIS?
He wasn't, and this was the result (click through to YouTube, the NFL will let you see it there -- we'll still be here when you get back), with three ejections and should've been more!
Talib and Crabtree were tossed for starting it. Another player was tossed for contact with an official -- I could count two more players (one for each team): #70 for the Raiders for a punch, and someone on the Broncos for throwing a helmet.
Methinks there will be suspensions tomorrow -- this was NOT the garden-variety NFL fight.
Just ask the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, in which, only four minutes into the match, the continuing war between Denver's Aqib Talib and Oakland's Michael Crabtree will almost certainly see both suspended, and possibly more.
Talib and Crabtree have history, with Talib grabbing Crabtree's chain off before -- and he did so again today, and Michael Crabtree had none of it.
But should Crabtree not have been ejected the play before for THIS?
Kinda sounds to me like he should've.If you’re wondering what started the fight in today’s #Broncos vs #Raiders game, it was Crabtree’s cheap shot punch to @ChrisHarrisJr the play before the melee. #DENvsOAK pic.twitter.com/RAh44UOcKq— Broncos Report (@Broncos_Report) November 27, 2017
He wasn't, and this was the result (click through to YouTube, the NFL will let you see it there -- we'll still be here when you get back), with three ejections and should've been more!
Talib and Crabtree were tossed for starting it. Another player was tossed for contact with an official -- I could count two more players (one for each team): #70 for the Raiders for a punch, and someone on the Broncos for throwing a helmet.
Methinks there will be suspensions tomorrow -- this was NOT the garden-variety NFL fight.
The Show Must Go On: And It's Damn Well Time For It To Stop
Look, I get it. Sports are a big business and a lot of money is invested in the games.
But (as seemed very evident this Thanksgiving weekend in my real life, just saying to our local authorities!!!) this Saturday showed at least four incidents in which the better result would've been to, as applicable, forfeit the game or stop the contest (or at least some very serious discussion of it).
It's out of fucking control.
You're not going to fine or eject or whatever your way out of this one.
Someone's going to have to start forfeiting, reversing results, stopping games, what have you, or we're going to see this continue to escalate.
If it's $250,000 worth of a problem for that crowd rush to have happened, the SEC should award the game and the division title to Alabama.
The TCU-Baylor football game and Minnesota-Alabama basketball contest should've been terminated.
And as for that thing in Michigan, all I can hope is that it wasn't something nefarious.
But Good God people, lay off each other!
But (as seemed very evident this Thanksgiving weekend in my real life, just saying to our local authorities!!!) this Saturday showed at least four incidents in which the better result would've been to, as applicable, forfeit the game or stop the contest (or at least some very serious discussion of it).
- We begin in Michigan, and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is beside himself and wants an investigation. Just before the massive rivalry game with Michigan, a cameraman of some sort injured Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. Apparently, in the mass of people on the sidelines before the game, a camera nailed Barrett in the leg, and no one knows who or why. Word is he's ready to go for this week's Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.
- Then, to Auburn, where the Southeastern Conference has fined Auburn University $250,000 for the fans rushing the field after yesterday's win/apparent CFP elimination over Alabama.
- And then speaking of Alabama, a college basketball incident. After a mass incident got the entire Alabama bench ejected, the Crimson Tide had to play over 10 minutes of their game with Minnesota with just three players. Yes, this is allowed -- you can even finish the game with one player under NCAA rules.
- And then an incident in the TCU-Baylor game. After a marginal hit on the sidelines, players began jawing, several cheap shots were had, and the players milled about in what could've been a costly error for TCU, who plays Oklahoma this week for the Big XII Championship. At the end, the referees threw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on EVERY PLAYER ON BOTH TEAMS -- this was not entirely symbolic, as a second conduct penalty for any player would result in their ejection from the contest.
It's out of fucking control.
You're not going to fine or eject or whatever your way out of this one.
Someone's going to have to start forfeiting, reversing results, stopping games, what have you, or we're going to see this continue to escalate.
If it's $250,000 worth of a problem for that crowd rush to have happened, the SEC should award the game and the division title to Alabama.
The TCU-Baylor football game and Minnesota-Alabama basketball contest should've been terminated.
And as for that thing in Michigan, all I can hope is that it wasn't something nefarious.
But Good God people, lay off each other!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
And, once again, with some interesting factoids:
Through 11 weeks, the five most-fined teams:
- Pittsburgh, at about $204,000 responsible: Current #1 seed in the AFC.
- Minnesota, at about $202,000 responsible: Current #2 in the NFC.
- New York Jets, about $176,000 responsible: Only one of the five teams not close in the playoffs right now.
- Seattle, at about $143,000 responsible: Out only on the basis of the loss to Atlanta, the current #6
- New Orleans, at about $130,000 responsible. Current #3 in the NFC.
- No word yet on Vikings-Lions according to Sports Media Watch
- Chargers-Cowboys down 21% from last year's Cowboys Thanksgiving game. Lowest Cowboys Thanksgiving game since 2008.
- Giants-Washington down 10% from last year's third game, and the lowest Thanksgiving game on broadcast television in at least almost 20 years.
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