Master Index of Archived Threads


National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot Sep 08 2014 02:44 PM

So the Full video of Ray Rice & fiancee/wife in the casino has surfaced which immediately leads to both an "indefinite" suspension from the NFL (up from 2 games) as well as a just-as-quick release from his team. So are we to believe that neither the league nor the Ravens had seen this part of the film up until now despite their investigation of the incident? And, if not, were they under the impression that, absent other evidence, the girl must have become unconscious in the elevator via a non-violent smack, or is this just a case where they knew all along what had happened and are suddenly getting tough simply because the film is just now going public?

Ceetar Sep 08 2014 02:47 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

well Peter King apparently insinuated weeks ago that they'd seen the video.

d'Kong76 Sep 08 2014 03:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I still can't believe she married the guy.

Edgy MD Sep 08 2014 03:19 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I can. Happens all the time.

d'Kong76 Sep 08 2014 03:36 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I suppose you're unfortunately right.

Edgy MD Sep 08 2014 03:45 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: And, if not, were they under the impression that, absent other evidence, the girl must have become unconscious in the elevator via a non-violent smack, or is this just a case where they knew all along what had happened and are suddenly getting tough simply because the film is just now going public? I think the twin notions they were operating under (and possibly desperately wanted to believe themselves) were (1) That she did more to precipitate and provoke the knockout punch than is suggested anywhere in this video. She might even have testified as much. (2) That she went cold not from a straight punch, but from hitting her head on the wall/rail of the elevator after a lesser blow --- pushing and shoving. You could almost believe it --- again if you really wanted to. The blow comes so fast, I never see it land. What I do see, though, is that she goes down like a ton of bricks before she ever hits that wall/handrail.

metirish Sep 08 2014 04:29 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Just saw some Rutgers tool(coach, suit, dean?) saying "Ray will always be part of the Rutgers family", this piece of shit should not be welcome anywhere.

Ashie62 Sep 08 2014 04:53 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

RU will likely sever all ties with Rice shortly.

themetfairy Sep 08 2014 05:36 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

As a Rutgers alum, I'm heartsick and mortified. Nothing justifies this in any way, shape or form. It's disgraceful.

Ashie62 Sep 08 2014 05:52 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The Revel closed 9/2 and the security department was terminated en masse. I believe strongly that is the source of the video.

themetfairy Sep 08 2014 06:02 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ashie62 wrote: The Revel closed 9/2 and the security department was terminated en masse. I believe strongly that is the source of the video. That actually makes a lot of sense.

Frayed Knot Sep 08 2014 06:37 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

(1) That she did more to precipitate and provoke the knockout punch than is suggested anywhere in this the video. She might even have testified as much.. Which is why you don't do precisely what the NFL did: interview her with him present. He, who has hurt her in the past (maybe more than just this once) and is therefore a menace to do so again (especially if she testifies against him), and upon whom she is on the verge of depending on for money, status, etc.

Ashie62 Sep 08 2014 07:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

themetfairy wrote: Ashie62 wrote: The Revel closed 9/2 and the security department was terminated en masse. I believe strongly that is the source of the video. That actually makes a lot of sense. I live 6 months of the year on Pacific Ave in a big building whose great Ocean view got blocked by the building of the Revel. I also have a family member with the Superior Court of Atlantic County. It will come out. Its like a more twisted version of American Hustle.

Gwreck Sep 08 2014 08:18 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The NFL cares about money. Above all. If this upsets you (and I hope it does): take your money elsewhere.

Edgy MD Sep 08 2014 09:00 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm agreed with that, most assuredly.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 08 2014 10:15 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I don't keep up to date on NFL thuggery, but I swore that I hear about a video of this some time ago? Or was that another NFL thug abusing another woman in another elevator?

d'Kong76 Sep 09 2014 04:40 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It's additional video related to the same incident.

Edgy MD Sep 09 2014 07:08 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Two women in front of me getting off the elevator lamenting the victimization of Ray Rice.

cooby Sep 09 2014 07:21 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

They must not have seen the video. I'm a NFL fan, but a thug is a thug.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 09 2014 07:59 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: It's additional video related to the same incident. I guess that's somewhat consoling that there aren't multiple women being punched out in elevators.

Centerfield Sep 09 2014 10:27 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: were they under the impression that, absent other evidence, the girl must have become unconscious in the elevator via a non-violent smack This. All over the news yesterday were quotes from people saying "Well now that I've seen the video, wow, I can't support him anymore." So I had to click. Was there something particularly grotesque about this? No. It was a knockout punch. It was just as violent and disturbing as I expected it to be. That's what knocking out a woman looks like. Shame on those that needed to see it on video before understanding the gravity of it.

Frayed Knot Sep 09 2014 06:23 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

And does anyone think that if this newly released portion of the tape had either exonerated or partially diminished the actions of Ray Rice that the NFL would have had trouble laying their hands on it?

Nymr83 Sep 09 2014 08:53 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Rutgers alum I know, and until now respected, was defending on Rice, saying it wasnt so bad and the two of them were just two drunks fighting and no punishment was deserved

metirish Sep 09 2014 09:18 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Wow, I guess it wasn't that bad as she lived to defend and blame the media today, sad but all too common that the victim defends the abuser. I do feel awful for her.

MFS62 Sep 09 2014 09:19 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The Ravens have wasted little time in distancing themselves from him. I heard (ESPN Radio?) that they have set up facilities at their stadium for fans to exchange team jerseys with his name on the back. No word yet on what they can exchange them for. Later

Frayed Knot Sep 09 2014 09:31 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

MFS62 wrote: The Ravens have wasted little time in distancing themselves from him. I heard (ESPN Radio?) that they have set up facilities at their stadium for fans to exchange team jerseys with his name on the back. No word yet on what they can exchange them for. Later Yes, but keep in mind this was all after two months of defending him*, a time span which roughly corresponded to their unveiling of a Ray Lewis** statue outside their stadium - so forgive me if I don't rush to heap praise upon the Ravens franchise. * including a statement on the official Ravens Twitter account (since deleted) which stated that Janay Rice "apologized for her role in the incident" ** pled guilty to obstruction of justice in a double murder investigation

Nymr83 Sep 10 2014 08:03 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

There is, I think, a little too much heat on the NFL here. Yeah they goofed but they admitted to it and Goodell even made changes for the future before this video came out saying he didn't come down hard enough and regretted it. More heat needs to be directed at the DA... how does a crime like this (and they either had the tape or should have had the tape before they made decisions) qualify for "pretrial diversion"?? I guess if I ever want to beat the shit out of someone I should lure them to Atlantic City first?

MFS62 Sep 10 2014 08:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: MFS62 wrote: The Ravens have wasted little time in distancing themselves from him. I heard (ESPN Radio?) that they have set up facilities at their stadium for fans to exchange team jerseys with his name on the back. No word yet on what they can exchange them for. Later Yes, but keep in mind this was all after two months of defending him*, a time span which roughly corresponded to their unveiling of a Ray Lewis** statue outside their stadium - so forgive me if I don't rush to heap praise upon the Ravens franchise. * including a statement on the official Ravens Twitter account (since deleted) which stated that Janay Rice "apologized for her role in the incident" ** pled guilty to obstruction of justice in a double murder investigation Hey, look at the bright side. At least they didn't cut the sleeves off the jerseys and sell them as wife-beaters. Later

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 10 2014 08:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The problems with the NFL go so far beyond this one incident. The entire institution of pro football (and kollege fb) is seriously effed up and ought to be burned to the ground.

Edgy MD Sep 10 2014 08:39 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: And, if not, were they under the impression that, absent other evidence, the girl must have become unconscious in the elevator via a non-violent smack, or is this just a case where they knew all along what had happened and are suddenly getting tough simply because the film is just now going public? I think the twin notions they were operating under (and possibly desperately wanted to believe themselves) were (1) That she did more to precipitate and provoke the knockout punch than is suggested anywhere in this the video. She might even have testified as much. (2) That she went cold not from a straight punch, but from hitting her head on the wall/rail of the elevator after a lesser blow --- pushing and shoving. You could almost believe it --- again if you really wanted to. The blow comes so fast, I never see it land. What I do see, though, is that she goes down like a ton of bricks before she ever hits that wall/handrail. You know, I'm shelving my saw-what-they wanted-to-see thesis for now and going with the notion that they saw what most people are seeing but they crazily got the idea that the video was never gonna go public.

Trachsel My Tears Sep 10 2014 09:50 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: the idea that the video was never gonna go public. Otherwise known as the "I'm gonna extend my career by an extra week" strategy.

d'Kong76 Sep 10 2014 10:09 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- Mount Vernon's Janay Rice defended her husband after a video surfaced of her husband, former Baltimore Raven Ray Rice, punching her and knocking her unconscious, according to Newsday.com. Palmer took to social media to call Ray Rice "the man she loves" and said that her family's situation is "a nightmare," after her husband was terminated from the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL, Newsday.com said. Palmer went on to say, "If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels," Newsday.com reported. Rice, meanwhile, making his first public comments since the video surfaced, told ESPN, "I have to be strong for my wife. She is so strong. ... We are in good spirits. We have a lot of people praying for us and we 'll continue to support each other." -- Joe Jenkins

Ceetar Sep 10 2014 10:13 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

yes, sure. she "took to social media" all on her own without PR or husband coaching.

Nymr83 Sep 10 2014 11:41 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Trachsel My Tears wrote: Edgy MD wrote: the idea that the video was never gonna go public. Otherwise known as the "I'm gonna extend my career by an extra week" strategy. The Onion agrees.

Centerfield Sep 11 2014 02:49 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ray Rice says it happened because he got drunk, and that he is a different person when he is drunk. So he is going to swear off hard liquor FOREVER. But he will still drink wine. So, he's not actually going to stop getting drunk, he is just going to take longer to get there, which I am guessing is intended to give Janay a head start when he starts looking for her. Great guy!

Ashie62 Sep 11 2014 06:02 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Alcoholics do some unimaginable shit Janay.

Frayed Knot Sep 11 2014 06:41 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: There is, I think, a little too much heat on the NFL here. Yeah they goofed but they admitted to it and Goodell even made changes for the future before this video came out saying he didn't come down hard enough and regretted it. More heat needs to be directed at the DA... how does a crime like this (and they either had the tape or should have had the tape before they made decisions) qualify for "pretrial diversion"?? I guess if I ever want to beat the shit out of someone I should lure them to Atlantic City first? Yes, the DA's office doesn't look good on this one either. But this isn’t just about the NFL getting something wrong and then (belatedly and under pressure) changing it as public perception changed—from two games to a minimum of six for future cases, and now to possibly permanently in this case right after they discovered that it was an actual punch that knocked Mrs Rice out cold and not some tickle fight gone awry. It’s more about the arrogance of power that the NFL projects and their seeming notion that their ability to print money also means that the truth is whatever they say it is. Whether it’s about spending years denying that there was any connection whatsoever between hard hits and concussions to now acting as if they all but discovered the link; or the spy-gate scandal where they assured us there was nothing else to it and they’d prove it if only the tapes hadn’t all somehow been destroyed (I think Rosemary Woods may have been in on that one); or even going back to the late ‘90s when they threw themselves their own 75th anniversary bash which touched upon all aspects of their history except for any mention of the 1940s when they, just like baseball, blacks were barred from playing, kind of an: if we don’t mention it then it really didn’t happen, moment. In short they seem to exist in a world where they get to write their own story and then back it up with their own facts. After all, they couldn’t possibly be insensitive to women, just look at the demographics for their TV ratings and the fact that they wear pink not just for a game but for an entire month. And, btw, official Ravens jerseys cut specifically for women with Ray Rice’s name & number on it are still available via the NFL’s website. And only $100.00 each, stock up while supplies last. In this case they’ve lied about whether they had the tape, about both their ability and even their attempts to get the tape, and may still be lying for all we know. I mean, geez, Goodel said that Rice's actions "were ambiguous". And now their answer for this is an investigation by a league-connected law firm supervised by two NFL owners which is not an “Independent Investigation” (even though that’s what they’re calling it) but much closer to an internal audit and you wonder how hard that's going to work to turn up things. Again: own truths driven by own facts. Somewhat separately but still connected, what also contributes to this is what has always seemed to me to be a passivity among those who cover the NFL. Oh sure, there’s a crew who’ll knock each other over in an attempt to claim the first scoop as to whether Smith is going to picked ahead of Jones in the draft or whether it’s to be Jones first and then Smith. But on actual important matters that don’t directly feed into and pump up the league’s 24/7 news cycle, there seems to be a willingness to accept whatever the league tells them and to otherwise not rock the boat perhaps out of fear that the Park Avenue suits will cut them out of the inner loop and no longer invite them to all the good SB-week parties or whatever. So when the supposedly adversarial press spends most of their energy doing your bidding for you, maybe it's not surprising that 'The Shield' acts like it can get away with just about anything.

Frayed Knot Sep 11 2014 06:45 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

And from the 'You can't make this up' department: in the wake of the controversies this week, the NFL actually took steps to tone down the media circus that generally surrounds their prime-time games. But much of the hoopla was canceled including a pre-game performance from ... Rihanna. That would be noted domestic violence victim Rhianna.

Ashie62 Sep 12 2014 04:35 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Adrian Peterson indicted for child abuse. The photos are horrid.

Frayed Knot Sep 17 2014 03:45 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So this tax-exempt status that applies the the NFL (not the individual teams but to the league as a whole) and that some politicians are suddenly threatening to look into discontinuing, is this something that applies to ALL sports leagues or is this something unique to the NFL? Pretty disturbing in either case, but it seems particularly criminal if the latter.

MFS62 Sep 17 2014 09:18 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: So this tax-exempt status that applies the the NFL (not the individual teams but to the league as a whole) and that some politicians are suddenly threatening to look into discontinuing, is this something that applies to ALL sports leagues or is this something unique to the NFL? Pretty disturbing in either case, but it seems particularly criminal if the latter. Major League baseball has fought long and hard over the years to protect its anti-trust exemption, but I'm not sure if it includes any tax exemptions as a group. The only tax related thing I remember is that an owner can't count losses against his other business assets/ revenues for more than seven years in a row or he he will incur severe tax penalties. After that, the team is declared a "hobby" and he can not use the losses in the team to offset his other business profits. It is the tax ruling that led to the Wrigley family being forced to sell the Cubs. But as a group, IDK. Later

Nymr83 Sep 17 2014 11:04 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Greg Hardy of Carolina placed on some exempt list where he still gets paid but cant play... 65 days after a conviction.. not just an accusation.. of assaulting his girlfriend. all these NFL felons must be so pissed at Rice doing what he did infront of a camera because there seems to be a retroactive crackdown. what took the Panthers so long?

Frayed Knot Sep 18 2014 07:33 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So this tax-exempt status that applies the the NFL (not the individual teams but to the league as a whole) and that some politicians are suddenly threatening to look into discontinuing, is this something that applies to ALL sports leagues or is this something unique to the NFL? Pretty disturbing in either case, but it seems particularly criminal if the latter. Major League baseball has fought long and hard over the years to protect its anti-trust exemption, but I'm not sure if it includes any tax exemptions as a group. The only tax related thing I remember is that an owner can't count losses against his other business assets/ revenues for more than seven years in a row or he he will incur severe tax penalties. After that, the team is declared a "hobby" and he can not use the losses in the team to offset his other business profits. It is the tax ruling that led to the Wrigley family being forced to sell the Cubs. But as a group, IDK. The anti-trust thing is a whole separate story. Baseball has a blanket one stemming from the original 1920s-era Supreme Court decision--and then reaffirmed in the 1970s--although it's largely viewed today as an anomaly of law and has been whittled down over the years to the point where it covers a fraction of what it originally did. The NFL has no such blanket protection (though lord how Pete Rozelle tried) so they've needed to get their exemptions piecemeal, most notably the ones that allowed them, starting in the 1960s, to negotiate their TV deals as a single entity, then later when the NFL was permitted to swallow up the AFL (they can call it a "merger" all they want, but it wasn't). This definition by the IRS of the NFL as some sort of non-profit and therefore tax exempt org apparently stems from that same time frame as those 1960s exemptions as a way to give the then smaller league a leg-up towards survival, IOW: as a favor granted from the gov't to connected owners so as to help out their "struggling" businesses. The articles I've read recently imply that this break is unique in sports to the NFL but don't say so specifically. If this same tax break is standard among other similar orbs (like MLB, NBA, etc) I would write it off as merely one of about a half-million or so things that needs to be changed in the U.S. tax code but, seeing as how Gov't action usually moves at the speed of plate tectonics, I won't be holding my breath. But if this exemption still exists five decades or so after it was remotely needed (assuming one could argue that it ever was) simply because the league and the owners have enough politicians in their pocket then this drumbeat to get it overturned needs to gain traction starting yesterday.

Ceetar Sep 18 2014 08:00 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

As I understand it, the NFL just takes any 'profit' and puts it into a 'pool' to cover future expenses which seems wrong to me.

d'Kong76 Sep 18 2014 09:46 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It's rain felons! In the latest blemish against the NFL and its players, 25-year-old Jonathan Dwyer has been charged with aggravated assault following separate incidents of domestic violence. Police said Dwyer hit his wife Kayla in one incident, causing a fracture.

Nymr83 Sep 18 2014 09:34 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Falcons took a 56-0 lead tonight, its now 56-14 as the second stringers play out this preseason-like game

Mets – Willets Point Sep 19 2014 08:36 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: Falcons took a 56-0 lead tonight, its now 56-14 as the second stringers play out this preseason-like game I think this is the first mention of sport, rather than crime, in this thread.

Ceetar Sep 19 2014 09:40 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Mets – Willets Point wrote: Nymr83 wrote: Falcons took a 56-0 lead tonight, its now 56-14 as the second stringers play out this preseason-like game I think this is the first mention of sport, rather than crime, in this thread. My office is in a huge $100 buy-in pick-em pool. It's amazing how much more interesting the NFL gets this way.

Edgy MD Sep 19 2014 10:01 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

There's a school of thought that, without pools and fantasy leagues, the NFL would have peaked yeerz ago.

Frayed Knot Sep 19 2014 10:44 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

You mean there's a school of thought that thinks otherwise?

Edgy MD Sep 19 2014 10:47 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Yes. It's a dumb school, but with a large student body.

Ceetar Sep 19 2014 11:20 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

ATLANTA (-6.5) over Tampa Bay Minnesota (+9.5) over NEW ORLEANS Green Bay (+1.5) over DETROIT Washington (+6.5) over PHILADELPHIA Dallas (-1.5) over ST. LOUIS Houston (-2.5) over NY GIANTS Indianapolis (-6.5) over JACKSONVILLE CINCINNATI (-6.5) over Tennessee CLEVELAND (+1.5) over Baltimore BUFFALO (-2.5) over San Diego Oakland (+14.5) over NEW ENGLAND San Francisco (-2.5) over ARIZONA MIAMI (-4.5) over Kansas City Denver (+4.5) over SEATTLE CAROLINA (-3.5) over Pittsburgh Chicago (+2.5) over NY JETS Tiebreaker Total: 41.0

TransMonk Sep 19 2014 01:15 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Oops...wrong football.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 19 2014 01:28 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Snopes clarifies the NFL tax exemption: http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/nflexempt.asp

Nymr83 Sep 19 2014 10:22 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Mets – Willets Point wrote: Snopes clarifies the NFL tax exemption: http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/nflexempt.asp the NFL claims they've lost the copy of the application they filed with the IRS in 1942, and the IRS has likewise said they're unable to find a copy of the NFL's original application Sounds just like the IRS to me! The Hope Solo thing is hypocrisy at its finest, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, except start athletes. the upside for Solo is that nobody gives a shit about womens' soccer so she doesnt actually qualify as a STAR athlete

Frayed Knot Sep 20 2014 07:06 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Yes, that it's the NFL and that the Rice & Peterson cases in particular involve two of their bigger 'Name' players in a league where the majority of players are interchangeable, faceless cogs to most fans, goes a long way to explaining why this has become such a big story and certainly bigger than that of Hope Solo. Also don't ignore the power of the video. But the bigger story here--and why it's become not just a sports story but one on the nightly news, the morning news and everywhere in between--is how the NFL is handling (or not handling) the cases. The best you can say about it is that they look Clouseau-like bunglers. The worst is that they only acted after (and because) the story(s) got out and, according to a report from ESPN (although, to no one's surprise, NOT from any of their 'NFL Insiders') weren't ignorant of the facts at all but were in fact working to cover them up to the point of pressuring NJ las enforcement for a lenient disposition of his case, something they later cited as factor in the initial two-game suspension.

Nymr83 Sep 21 2014 08:13 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Thought we were done? nope! The idiots at ESPN let a guy who makes Ray Rice look like a saint in front of a camera to discuss the case, ladies and gentlemen I give you... Ray Lewis! "Yeah, this is one of those situations that ... It's family. I spent 17 years of my career at this one place. I've known Ozzie Newsome now over 19 years of my career, of my life. That's half my life. I've known Steve Bisciotti over 15 years of my life. Each one of those men, bottom line, has never lied to me once. They've given me an opportunity at life to change not only my life but my family's life as well as my kids' lives. "They helped cover up my crime, and I'm grateful for that" "If this incident, what we're dealing with, if they could do this all over again, they would. If the NFL could do this all over again, they would. Whether they saw the tape or not, who really knows outside of the people who was actually there to know what went on? But sometimes I think we get lost in trying to figure out who's head to go after, who to attack now about what they didn't do. "If they could do a better coverup, they would, but its too late now to cover it up better so they're doing the best they can, yeah they saw the tape, but they didnt know YOU would get to see the tape!" "Sometimes we forget why we're here. We're here for one reason and one reason only. We're here for domestic violence. We're here because we saw a friend of mine brutally hit his wife in an elevator. There's some things you can cover up and then there's some things you can't. Right now is a sad day for me because the reputation that I left in this organization, this isn't it. This isn't it. What was built that many of years took hard work to get that. Took a hell of a reputation to put on the line. Men's families. Men's lives. How to actually get acclimated as a pro. "we're here to protect criminals like the Ravens organization and the league protected me. the reputation I left with the Ravens - as an organization that covers things up - this isnt it, they shouldn't have cut Ray Rice, they should have defended the crime like they did for me" "So yeah, am I little bit offended when you talk about a guy by the name of Ozzie Newsome? Absolutely, because he's one of the five star generals in this world as a man. I don't want us to lose fact. I don't want us to lose what's really going on here. Ray Rice put a lot of people in jeopardy with his actions. A lot of people in jeopardy. Not just himself. He needs to understand that because none of this happens if what happened that night in that elevator don't happen... If I ask for anything in this whole thing, I ask let there be light." "I'm offended that you are criticizing the guy who protected me from punishment and put up a statue of me"

MFS62 Sep 21 2014 08:19 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Yeah, but to paraphrase one of the most memorable posts ever on the CPF*, when Lewis and the Raven team were in the Super Bowl, "Lewis didn't kill the lights. He was only there when it happened". Later * = sorry, I don't remember who posted it, but kudos again.

Frayed Knot Sep 23 2014 09:31 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So it seems that GRANTLAND editor in chief (or whatever his title is) blogger/pod-caster Bill Simmons went on a pod-casting rant, calling commish Goodell "a liar" and saying that his press conference last week was (among other things) "fucking bullshit". OK, that's one man's opinion, and he's certainly not the first to say so (although maybe he is in such colorful language). But the part I find interesting is his rant at the end where he challenges his bosses (Grantland is owned by ESPN) to dare discipline him, saying -- "I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell, because if one person says that to me, I'm going public," Simmons said. "You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast." So he apparently believes that ESPN's initial reaction here will be to squelch criticism of the NFL, acting as if their primary mission here is not to cover the league but rather to protect it. I also wonder what "I'm going public" means.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 23 2014 09:40 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Didn't ESPN's Outside the Lines recently publish a report exposing Goodell and the Ravens as colluding to bury the gory details in the Ray Rice case in order to justify Rice's initial lenient penalty?

Frayed Knot Sep 23 2014 09:42 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Didn't ESPN's Outside the Lines recently publish a report exposing Goodell and the Ravens as colluding to bury the gory details in the Ray Rice case, so that Rice's lenient penalty would appear justifiable? Follow the link on my Saturday morning (9/20) post above.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 23 2014 09:45 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So what am I missing? I didn't listen to the Podcast, but doesn't it appear that ESPN is engaging in honest investigative reporting here?

Frayed Knot Sep 23 2014 10:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I didn't listen to the podcast either (just read a report about it). But basically it's like there are two ESPNs. They do have a handful of actual journalists who'll do investigative pieces on serious topics (like the Dan van Natta pice linked above) plus their daily 'Outside the Lines' show (1/2 sometime during the day) which concentrates on off-field and legal topics. But then there's the entertainment portion of their empire which takes up the other 99% of what they do and apparently Simmons believes that their first instinct will be to try to silence him for not getting prior permission to criticize the NFL or something. Or maybe he's just being overly dramatic, I don't know, but I do find it interesting that he's under the impression his bosses will consider protecting the image of a league they supposedly cover a higher priority than Simmons' right to knock it if he sees fit.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 23 2014 10:26 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Well, I suppose that Simmons must have a better sense of what goes on over there than we do.

Elster88 Sep 24 2014 07:56 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

For a day and a half or so the podcast was displayed on ESPN and Grantland's front pages with the description that says "Bill Simmons calls out Roger Goodell". It's been taken down. Here is that part of the podcast, it's about 3 minutes long [youtube:4azc1mj0]3Lhl-ui1oU4[/youtube:4azc1mj0]

Frayed Knot Sep 24 2014 08:16 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

ESPN suspends Simmons for three weeks "Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN’s journalistic standards," ESPN said in a statement Wednesday. "We have worked hard to ensure that our recent NFL coverage has met that criteria. Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks.”

Frayed Knot Sep 25 2014 08:58 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So that copy of the elevator video, the one that the law enforcement official said he sent to the NFL and even provided a short voice-mail message from an NFL phone number acknowledging receipt? You know, the one no one at NFL offices claims to have seen? Well said law enforcement agent now reveals who specifically he sent the tape to -- the league's head of security.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 25 2014 11:10 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

[fimg=433:3f1gmmz0]http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014_09_291.jpg[/fimg:3f1gmmz0]

Ceetar Sep 29 2014 08:58 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

34-7 Chiefs over Patriots with 11:52 to go... ..and I win $40 if the Patriots win.

Edgy MD Sep 30 2014 06:27 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Penalizing a guy for dropping into an Muslim prayer posture? Hi, we're the NFL. How did we ever do anything right?

Nymr83 Sep 30 2014 07:07 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Penalizing a guy for dropping into an Muslim prayer posture? Hi, we're the NFL. How did we ever do anything right? According to the rule the refs have no discretion there so its not on them, but its a dumb rule

d'Kong76 Sep 30 2014 07:23 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

What rule? The sliding rule?

Ashie62 Sep 30 2014 07:56 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

He slid to get the penalty. People are assuming it was for the prayer. No story here.

d'Kong76 Sep 30 2014 07:59 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It's ridiculous, it's an international story. "Abdullah said he thought he was flagged for the sliding portion rather than the prayer"

Frayed Knot Sep 30 2014 09:20 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The FCC has ended their long-time support of the NFL's 'Blackout Rule' saying, among other things, that: “It is not the place of the federal government to intervene in the private marketplace and help sports leagues enforce their blackout policies. It is the commission’s job to serve the public interest, not the private interests of team owners. ... For 40 years these teams have hidden behind a rule of the F.C.C., No more. Everyone needs to be aware who allows blackouts to exist, and it is not the Federal Communications Commission."

Edgy MD Oct 01 2014 06:14 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ashie62 wrote: He slid to get the penalty. People are assuming it was for the prayer. No story here. Of COURSE there's a story.

Ceetar Oct 01 2014 07:42 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Ashie62 wrote: He slid to get the penalty. People are assuming it was for the prayer. No story here. Of COURSE there's a story. It's the NFL. there is a week between the bulk of games. I'm sure someone somewhere is debating what the threshhold is for length of slide that will get you penalized. Loudly, on TV with someone else taking the dissenting opinion.

Edgy MD Oct 01 2014 10:38 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

There's that, yeah. But there's also the reality that hay has been made of this around the globe. Pretending that all is well isn't really working out for Roger Goodell.

TransMonk Oct 01 2014 11:04 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Looks like the FCC has voted to drop the blackout rule from televised sports. It seems as if it will apply to all leagues, but ESPN is framing the story as effecting the NFL the most.

Ceetar Oct 01 2014 11:17 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

TransMonk wrote: Looks like the FCC has voted to drop the blackout rule from televised sports. It seems as if it will apply to all leagues, but ESPN is framing the story as effecting the NFL the most. I see very little mentioning baseball anywhere, but I saw a couple of people tweet that nothing would change. which is expected, since it's MLB doing the blacking out as I understand it, since it's their MLB At Bat app where this most occurs, or agreements with Fox (didn't that one end?)

d'Kong76 Oct 01 2014 11:28 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I thought the blackout rule to which this refers is the not showing of a game in Buffalo area (for example) if the stadium doesn't sell out.

Frayed Knot Oct 01 2014 11:48 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It's a general purpose rule but it was essentially invented for and applies to only the NFL. Essentially the FCC ran interference for the NFL by making it illegal for any provider to televise an out of market game even if there was no local broadcast that they'd be infringing upon, and since the league's rights are all done centrally it both endorsed the system and shielded it from any sort of legal challenge. Not that this will in any way end the league's monopolistic control over broadcast rights, it merely tells cartels like sports leagues that the FCC is no longer going to do the enforcing for them.

themetfairy Oct 05 2014 01:49 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

NFL Red Zone, where the NFL Network switches back and forth between all of the games in progress. Is this ADHD Heaven or the ADHD Nightmare? Discuss amongst yourselves....

Ashie62 Oct 07 2014 02:05 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Mug Shot of Dolphins lineman arrested for multiple counts of stupidity. Tased three times. [url]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24740530/dolphins-derrick-shelby-touched-women-at-club-tased-3-times

MFS62 Nov 06 2014 03:40 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I suspect that when the NFL put the Cleveland Browns on tonight's Thursday Night Football schedule they thought that by this point in the season Johnny Manzeil would be at Quarterback for Cleveland. Later

d'Kong76 Nov 10 2014 07:31 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

We interrupt the felons thread for a little short on wildlife in the NFL... love at the end when he pets him/her... [youtube:5nc5xlq9]V2r3Ygi1tJU[/youtube:5nc5xlq9]

d'Kong76 Nov 16 2014 04:04 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Eli threw his hands up after today's latest loss. They were intercepted.

MFS62 Nov 17 2014 07:31 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Eli threw his hands up after today's latest loss. They were intercepted. After the season, Eli will be working for the New Jersey State Lottery. He'll be advertising the Pick 5. Later

Fman99 Nov 17 2014 10:09 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

themetfairy wrote: NFL Red Zone, where the NFL Network switches back and forth between all of the games in progress. Is this ADHD Heaven or the ADHD Nightmare? Discuss amongst yourselves.... I love it. No commercials, no down time. Just football, hours and hours of non stop action. It's hard for me to watch just one game now with all of the commercials and bullshitting that the announcers do.

TransMonk Nov 17 2014 10:36 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I, too, dig the Red Zone Channel.

d'Kong76 Nov 24 2014 06:59 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm sure everyone's seen this by now but it's worth posting... [youtube:3vdzxca3]4Hn7ur1f30g[/youtube:3vdzxca3]

Edgy MD Nov 24 2014 08:09 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

What's with fining players for refusing to speak with the media?

Ceetar Nov 24 2014 08:35 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: What's with fining players for refusing to speak with the media? That's the NFL for you.

Mets – Willets Point Nov 24 2014 08:55 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I would think that this would be at least the second "Greatest Catch in NFL History" for Giants fan after that one where the Giant receiver caught a ball on top of his head while being tackled in the Super Bowl.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 24 2014 10:49 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Leave it to ESPN to ruin a good thing. I'm already sick of that catch. Because I was watching Sportscenter last night and I swear, ESPN must've worked that catch into about seven or eight different pieces, all within an hour or so.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 24 2014 11:06 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Mets – Willets Point wrote: I would think that this would be at least the second "Greatest Catch in NFL History" for Giants fan after that one where the Giant receiver caught a ball on top of his head while being tackled in the Super Bowl. Helmet catch > > Beckham catch

Frayed Knot Nov 24 2014 02:37 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 24 2014 08:29 PM

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Mets – Willets Point wrote: I would think that this would be at least the second "Greatest Catch in NFL History" for Giants fan after that one where the Giant receiver caught a ball on top of his head while being tackled in the Super Bowl. Helmet catch > > Beckham catch For the importance of the moment, sure (and for it being his last ever NFL catch?). But for pure athleticism and difficulty, I'll go with last night's grab.

Nymr83 Nov 24 2014 08:18 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Last night's catch was, i think, a greater display of talent. Tyree's catch was a greater display of luck, it was still a great play, but i feel he was trying to control the ball and got lucky that his helmet was in the way.

Frayed Knot Nov 25 2014 09:17 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I hope MLB is paying attention to the NFC South division where each team currently sits at 3 or more games under .500 [4-7, 4-7, 3-7-1, 2-9] and where it seems almost certain that, for the second time in the last four (five?) seasons, a team will go into the playoffs with a losing record. I'm sure this will get written off as a fluke by some but the NFL set-up of 8 divisions with just 4 teams each makes this condition much more likely as it necessarily reduces the percentage of intra-division games and it's not a good model for MLB to copy.

Nymr83 Nov 25 2014 09:30 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Agreed, i hate seeing an under 500 team mak8ng the playoffs, especially in this division where a 6-10 team could go!

Ceetar Nov 25 2014 09:32 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: I hope MLB is paying attention to the NFC South division where each team currently sits at 3 or more games under .500 [4-7, 4-7, 3-7-1, 2-9] and where it seems almost certain that, for the second time in the last four (five?) seasons, a team will go into the playoffs with a losing record. I'm sure this will get written off as a fluke by some but the NFL set-up of 8 divisions with just 4 teams each makes this condition much more likely as it necessarily reduces the percentage of intra-division games and it's not a good model for MLB to copy. I haven't really seen any indication that MLB is looking to copy it? I guess if they were thinking about adding 2 teams They'd be better off going more NHL and 2 division of 8. Same format. top 5, division winners play, play-in game for bottom two wild cards to then play the top wild card.

Mets – Willets Point Nov 25 2014 09:32 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It's theoretically possible that a 3-13 team could go to the playoffs if the teams split games in division and lose all the games out of division.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 25 2014 09:45 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15 Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Nov 25 2014 10:01 AM

Nymr83 wrote: Agreed, i hate seeing an under 500 team mak8ng the playoffs, especially in this division where a 6-10 team could go! Then what would be the point of even having divisions? But so long as there are divisions, then perhaps all playoff teams should be seeded according to record, so that a sub .500 division winner shouldn't get to host a playoff game against a visitor with a superior record.

Edgy MD Nov 25 2014 09:52 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Whatever the point of having divisions might be, NFL football is the one major US sport that those reasons wouldn't really apply to, with a week off between games and plenty of time to arrange travel that'll have ask minimal compromise from your team's fitness. Teams play "home" games in London followed by road games in Phoenix. Why, apart from tradition, must the Jets always compete directly against the Patriots? Dallas spent decades in the "Eastern" division --- developing the equivalent of regional rivalries with teams 1000 miles away ---- and it never hurt them none.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 25 2014 10:00 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm no longer sure what we're discussing here? How MLB should organize its teams should it expand again? Whether a sub .500 division winning NFL team should get to qualify for the playoffs, or host a playoff game if it does qualify? Whether NFL divisions are superfluous? Whether NFL divisions should be eliminated? What?

Frayed Knot Nov 25 2014 10:06 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: I haven't really seen any indication that MLB is looking to copy it? I guess if they were thinking about adding 2 teams Officially I haven't either, but one of the more common "fixes" I hear from fans and/or media is to have MLB by add two teams and rearrange into a 4x8 set up. The logic for how this is better seems to flow almost entirely from an obsession for even numbers or because folks think eliminating WC teams and having only "winners" move on is, by definition, a better way of keeping less deserving teams out. But unless you're going to have that with ridiculously lopsided intra-league play -- like 30 games each vs division opponents while only a handful against others -- the odds increase of having a sub-.500 team qualify.

Edgy MD Nov 25 2014 10:08 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm no longer sure what we're discussing here? How MLB should organize its teams should it expand again? Whether a sub .500 division winning NFL team should get to qualify for the playoffs, or host a playoff game if it does qualify? Whether NFL divisions are superfluous? Whether NFL divisions should be eliminated? What? I was just responding to your question as to the point of divisions.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 25 2014 10:12 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm no longer sure what we're discussing here? How MLB should organize its teams should it expand again? Whether a sub .500 division winning NFL team should get to qualify for the playoffs, or host a playoff game if it does qualify? Whether NFL divisions are superfluous? Whether NFL divisions should be eliminated? What? I was just agreeing with you. Well, I totally missed that. I wasn't advocating for the elimination of NFL divisions. Instead, I opined that so long as there are divisions, the divisions winners ought to qualify for the playoffs no matter what their record. Otherwise, divisions are pointless.

Edgy MD Nov 25 2014 10:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Really mean to be agreeable.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 25 2014 10:20 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Really mean to be agreeable. I know. Thank you kindly. I sensed your agreeable-ness, but I didn't get what point you were agreeing with is all. If we melded our viewpoints, the NFL would have two big division-less conferences. The top 6 teams in each conference (seeded by W-L records and tiebreakers if necessary) would qualify for the playoffs. And this division-less setup wouldn't prevent the league from maintaining traditional team rivalries.

Frayed Knot Nov 25 2014 11:22 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm no longer sure what we're discussing here? How MLB should organize its teams should it expand again? Whether a sub .500 division winning NFL team should get to qualify for the playoffs, or host a playoff game if it does qualify? Whether NFL divisions are superfluous? Whether NFL divisions should be eliminated? What? On my part (since I'm the one who brought up the subject) I was merely arguing against the idea that MLB should adopt the set-up currently used by the NFL specifically because of the increased possibility (I'd call it the probability) of having sub-.500 teams in the playoff. Again, I don't know that MLB is even thinking about it although I do hear this sort of thing suggested by fans and media now and then as an improvement. I obviously disagree.

Nymr83 Nov 25 2014 11:58 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

If MLB went to 32 teams i would want to see them eliminate both central divisions and go with 4 divisions of 8 instead of 8 divisions of 4.

Mets – Willets Point Nov 25 2014 12:01 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: If MLB went to 32 teams i would want to see them eliminate both central divisions and go with 4 divisions of 8 instead of 8 divisions of 4. I'd take it one step further and have 4 leagues of 8 teams each, no inter-league play, 154-game season.

d'Kong76 Nov 30 2014 02:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Giants continue their quest to have the worst record in New York (Jersey) football this season. Would be funny.

MFS62 Nov 30 2014 02:35 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

No. Then they'd be in position to possibly get a very good player in the draft. I'd prefer they win a few and get a mediocre draft pick. Later

d'Kong76 Dec 14 2014 08:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It occurs to me watching some of ESPN's NFL Countdown that this is by far the least interested I've been in a football season in my entire life.

Ashie62 Dec 14 2014 12:13 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

But the Jets are on at 4!!

d'Kong76 Dec 14 2014 12:36 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I had to look to see who they were playing. Let's Go TITANS!

d'Kong76 Dec 14 2014 12:39 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I think next year I'll have to join a fantasy league that a friend of mine is in. Heightened awareness, and all that jazz.

Frayed Knot Dec 14 2014 02:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: It occurs to me watching some of ESPN's NFL Countdown that this is by far the least interested I've been in a football season in my entire life. I was never a plant myself on the couch for 12 hours on Sunday kinda guy anyway (and I'd spend time driving large nails into my feet before sitting in front of any one of the pre-game shows), but this year I've yet to watch an entire game or even half of one, just bits and pieces here and there. That said, I caught the 3rd quarter of the Giants/Redskins game today ... and that Beckham guy catches anything he can get his hands on.

d'Kong76 Dec 14 2014 02:28 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

They're gonna ban his gloves in 2015, it's like he has leather magnets on dem paws!

Edgy MD Dec 17 2014 07:19 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot Dec 29 2014 07:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So as this regular season comes to a close and - New England romps to their 10th AFC East Division championship in 13 years (and tied two of the other three but technically finished 2nd due to tie-breaking rules) - and Indy secured their 9th AFN division in the last 13 - and Green Bay their 8th NFN in the last 13 - and Seattle their 7th NFW in the last 12 - and Denver their 4th straight in the ALW I wonder how much longer we're going to continue to be told about how the salary cap promotes parity?

Mets – Willets Point Dec 29 2014 08:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Hey, but four-team divisions and an extremely unbalanced schedules allow losing teams into the playoffs.

d'Kong76 Jan 10 2015 06:04 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Listening to The Foxboro Faithful sing I Don't Want to Lose Your Love Tonight may make me re-think just how annoying Sweet Caroline can be watching sporting events.

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2015 06:22 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'll give the NFL credit for one thing this week (a week in which their "independent" report essentially said that the league was either uninterested or incompetent during the Ray Rice investigation but they weren't lying) in that they didn't go their usual route of setting game times according to best TV ratings but instead actually placed the games where they make the most sense time-zone and weather wise. The late Sunday slot is always the ratings monster yet they resisted temptation to put the Cowboys/Packers there and make the fans sit through what essentially is a night game in northern Wisconsin in January. And they even put the New England Bradys in the traditionally worst time slot (early Saturday) so as to not have those fans sitting out at midnight. Not sure what led to this sudden change in their usual policy of TV trumps everything but this year it's east coast games early/west coast games late, and the colder weather games in the daytime (or at least closer to it).

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2015 06:45 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Rex to take the HC job in Beefalo.

d'Kong76 Jan 11 2015 08:10 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Good for him, he upgraded ... http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... /21590405/

HahnSolo Jan 11 2015 02:40 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: I'll give the NFL credit for one thing this week (a week in which their "independent" report essentially said that the league was either uninterested or incompetent during the Ray Rice investigation but they weren't lying) in that they didn't go their usual route of setting game times according to best TV ratings but instead actually placed the games where they make the most sense time-zone and weather wise. The late Sunday slot is always the ratings monster yet they resisted temptation to put the Cowboys/Packers there and make the fans sit through what essentially is a night game in northern Wisconsin in January. And they even put the New England Bradys in the traditionally worst time slot (early Saturday) so as to not have those fans sitting out at midnight. Not sure what led to this sudden change in their usual policy of TV trumps everything but this year it's east coast games early/west coast games late, and the colder weather games in the daytime (or at least closer to it). I could be wrong, but I think CBS was locked in to the late Sunday game. That meant FOX would have to fill the 1 ET slot on Sunday; the two NFC hosts were Seattle and Green Bay, and they couldn't start the Seattle game at 10 am Local time. Believe me if FOX could have, they would have put Dallas-GB in the late Sunday time period.

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2015 06:38 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

You're probably right as the odds of the NFL doing something right accidentally is much more likely than them doing so for the convenience of their paying fans - although with four different networks now having a piece of these playoffs it's not as easy to figure out as it used to be. And just to add ammo to your point, next week it'll be the west coast game early and the east coast game late!!! So, yes, for a game that for decades was routinely at 1:00 EST, next week will be at night ... in eastern Mass ... in mid-January.

Nymr83 Jan 11 2015 08:14 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I cant believe Bryant's catch was overturned.

Frayed Knot Jan 12 2015 07:04 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I cant believe Bryant's catch was overturned. I can simply because I've seen similar ones flipped a number of times before. I think it's a stupid rule -- essentially one that they've tweaked to the point where it's so overly-wordy and lawyerly that it would probably be possible to go back and overturn half the receptions ever made in NFL history on technicalities -- but was used correctly based on how they've drawn it up and how they've applied it in recent years. If nothing else it should put to rest the charges (given renewed life after the reversed PI call a week ago) that the league was actively rigging the playoffs in order to favor the Cowboys. And while we're on that subject, a word of advice if I may to those fans who spend most of their Mondays complaining that the NFL instructs their refs to favor this team or screw that one so as to obtain a pre-determined outcome: STOP WATCHING THE FUCKING GAMES!!!!. Look, I will (and have) criticized the NFL for any number of things and, while schedules and starting times are certainly manipulated so as to provide maximum TV ratings (one thing about hanging your hat on monster TV ratings is that you start to become a slave to them), I'll at least give 'The Shield' the benefit of the doubt that the game themselves are above board. It's totally incomprehensible to me that someone who whines each week that they're not would put so much passion into (much less bet on) a sport he/she believes to be fixed.

smg58 Jan 13 2015 09:33 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The Cowboys/Lions game featured a number of questionable calls and non-calls, along with a significant amount of confusion, between a team of refs working together for the first time. Yeah, the pass interference flag should never have been picked up (and I say that as a Cowboys fan), but anybody who suggests that there was anything more than confusion at work didn't watch the rest of the game. Plus, the Lions coach could have just gone for it on fourth and half a yard, kept the drive going, and rendered the point moot. The Packers/Cowboys game was very well called, by contrast. The overturn was the correct application of a lousy rule. But even if you hate the rule, you have to know it and play by it. Bryant caught the ball with both hands by his chest, and did the one thing that could take the catch away.

Nymr83 Jan 13 2015 01:59 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The only thing worse than the ProBowl featuring offensive linemen who have never played together is a playoff game featuring Refs who have never worked together. NFL please learn a lesson here and keep crews together, this isnt baseball where the parts are pretty interchangeable.

Frayed Knot Jan 13 2015 02:48 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The part about rewarding the best refs by giving them playoff games - and therefore creating new teams of "All-Star" refs rather than use a pre-existing team -- is part of the contract with the refs' union and therefore not something that the National Football League* can just do away with on their own. * Did you ever notice that football announcers and other talking heads almost always refer to the NFL as 'THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE' ? It's as if they feel contractually obligated to get the complete brand name out there as often as possible; like they're in one of those TV ads where the one housewife says to the other: ... 'Then I add two tablespoons of 'CRISCO ALL NATURAL PURE CANOLA OIL' Anyway, only 3 more games left in the NFL season - otherwise known as about 3,000 hours of predictions and speculation about those 3 games.

Frayed Knot Jan 18 2015 05:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I found myself pulling for the Packers in the game today (not sure why, I just was) but they earned that loss with ultra-conservative play that bordered on stupidity in some cases. From twice settling for FGs on 4th-and-goal from the 1 yd line; to a couple of stupid penalties; to and then mostly, what the freak was that guy doing on the final interception sliding down with no intention of advancing the ball like there was 30 seconds left in the game instead of more like 4:30?!!?! Even if you fail on the subsequent drive (which they did) with even a modest runback you'd fail deeper in Seahawks territory forcing them to march further down the field in order to tie it up. Seahawks, meanwhile, stole the game back by employing fake punts and other trickery, 2-pt conversions, onside kicks, 2-pt PATs, and just general 'go-for-it' type plays on several 3rd-and-longs. It was an exciting game (first one I've watched start to finish all year I think) but it was still more like Seattle lost the 1st half via all those interceptions, and then GB lost the 2nd half. And then of course it came down to the coin flip and the always-uneven OT rules.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 18 2015 06:46 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

That last five minutes... maron.

Frayed Knot Jan 18 2015 07:07 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: That last five minutes... maron. Oh sure. But, even though that muffed onside kick was obviously the biggest culprit in the whole deal, it was the game-long the mindset of the GBPs that was largely responsible for the 'Hawks being in position to make the final five minute comeback. And when teams get burned on account of their overly conservative play I kind of like it.

Ashie62 Jan 18 2015 07:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

This has to do with felons in what way?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 18 2015 07:54 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Well at least I've got someone to root against this SB.

d'Kong76 Jan 19 2015 08:24 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

In the end, I suppose what I really root for is the score to match my numbers at the end of each quarter. The Patriots losing would be some added gravy for me.

Ceetar Jan 19 2015 09:28 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: In the end, I suppose what I really root for is the score to match my numbers at the end of each quarter. The Patriots losing would be some added gravy for me. clearly the first. I think I prefer the Patriots to the repeating Ospreys though.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2015 12:28 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: That last five minutes... maron. And when teams get burned on account of their overly conservative play I kind of like it. Me too. And as soon as the Packers went up 6-0, I said to myself that they're gonna lose the game, and it'll be because they were inside the five yard line twice and came away with only six points. I've been watching that script for the last three or four years, rooting for Harbaugh's 49ers (annual Super-Bowl caliber defense, worst red-zone offense in the NFL).

Frayed Knot Jan 19 2015 08:46 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So this 'Deflate-Gate' thing. Apparently each team supplies a certain number of balls to the game and, at precisely 2 h 15 m prior to kick-off, the refs inspect all those balls to make sure they conform to the right weight, pressure, etc. There are also a half-dozen other balls specifically for just for the kicking parts of the game, something I assume exists solely as to artificially inflate (no pun intended) scoring, which "belong" to neither team. But the part I don't get is why a league which monitors radio frequencies inside stadiums so as to make sure no one is jamming or stealing signals and other communication, and that employs spotters whose sole purpose is to levy fines on players whose socks don't conform to the right height, somehow loses track of the balls they've gone to the trouble of inspecting and then how a team gets to use their own (and, if the stories are true, doctored) balls when they're on offense but not when the other team is. Look do I believe Belichek/Patriots pulled a trick with the balls this week? Sure, why not. It's not like they haven't been caught doing worse stuff in the past. But the league seems like at least as big a culprit here for allowing this to happen. Could you imagine a MLB team being allowed to hold onto a certain number of baseballs prior to the game and trot them out only when their pitcher goes out on the mound? The whole thing just sounds so incompetent to me.

Ceetar Jan 20 2015 06:10 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: So this 'Deflate-Gate' thing. Apparently each team supplies a certain number of balls to the game and, at precisely 2 h 15 m prior to kick-off, the refs inspect all those balls to make sure they conform to the right weight, pressure, etc. There are also a half-dozen other balls specifically for just for the kicking parts of the game, something I assume exists solely as to artificially inflate (no pun intended) scoring, which "belong" to neither team. But the part I don't get is why a league which monitors radio frequencies inside stadiums so as to make sure no one is jamming or stealing signals and other communication, and that employs spotters whose sole purpose is to levy fines on players whose socks don't conform to the right height, somehow loses track of the balls they've gone to the trouble of inspecting and then how a team gets to use their own (and, if the stories are true, doctored) balls when they're on offense but not when the other team is. Look do I believe Belichek/Patriots pulled a trick with the balls this week? Sure, why not. It's not like they haven't been caught doing worse stuff in the past. But the league seems like at least as big a culprit here for allowing this to happen. Could you imagine a MLB team being allowed to hold onto a certain number of baseballs prior to the game and trot them out only when their pitcher goes out on the mound? The whole thing just sounds so incompetent to me. Oh, there is so much crap that could happen in MLB too. But the ump handles all the balls before they go into play, generally at least. I guess there are probably ways to sneak them out. The ref handles the ball in football too and you feel like if they were really different enough they'd notice? But think about how easy it would be to hide a microphone in the visiting dugout? If you had a dedicated employee listening in and posting notes in the clubhouse to check between innings? or hell, texting the managers tablet which is supposed to be disconnected by might not be that hard to hack or replace?

Frayed Knot Jan 20 2015 07:02 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Oh, there is so much crap that could happen in MLB too. But the ump handles all the balls before they go into play, generally at least. The umps don't generally handle the balls, they ALWAYS do. The home team supplies all the balls (that's just merely practical so as to mot make the road team carry 10 days worth of baseballs with them) but the balls are prepared (rubbed-up) en-masse before the game (used to be by the umps, now I think it's a clubhouse guy) and, here's the important part, they're not designated as half being for top of innings and half for bottom. So there's no way for one team to reserve a certain type or doctored ball just for themselves and of course a pitcher or ump is free to reject any ball they don't like. Besides, in this age of balls getting removed from play every time there's a speck of dirt on them it's said that the average in-game lifespan of a ball these days is about 3 pitches. Foul ball: New one. Pitch in the dirt: New one. Hard single to left: New one. Dug out of the dirt at 1st: New one. etc ... I guess there are probably ways to sneak them out. The ref handles the ball in football too and you feel like if they were really different enough they'd notice? The refs apparently did notice in this case (or were alerted to it by someone on Indy) which is how this story leaked out in the first place. By my question was the same the first question that everyone asked after hearing about the softer supposedly easier to throw/catch balls: 'well even if true wouldn't it be the same for both teams?' Turns out the answer is 'No', that each half the balls 'belong' to one team and half to the other (has the team's mark or logo on them) and that it's apparently routine for 'your' balls to be exclusively used whenever your side is on offense. Add that to the scenario where these balls apparently remain in possession of the team for 2+ hours after they're inspected but prior to being used and you're not just able to imagine a scenario where things can get doctored, you're practically guaranteeing it! I have no idea why there aren't just a number of balls set aside that will be used in a game (they need far fewer of them than does baseball) which are then controlled by the league and/or officials from start to finish. Like I said, the league that monitors sock height and shoe color should have no trouble tracking 2 dozen footballs. I've long thought that the idea of using a different type of ball for kicking vs for passing/running was a bit silly. But this 'our ball' vs 'your ball' stuff is just plain stupid and is asking for abuse.

Ceetar Jan 20 2015 07:38 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

yeah, that's definitely asking for abuse. You'd probably have to get the ballboy that runs to balls to the umpire involved to really get into the different balls in baseball thing. I'd have to expect the umpire to notice though if you did something drastic like put the balls in a humidor for the opposing team's batters or got specially crafted balls that aren't wound as tight and don't travel as far.

d'Kong76 Jan 20 2015 10:08 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Go ahead, WEIGH MY BALLS!

Frayed Knot Jan 20 2015 10:12 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: yeah, that's definitely asking for abuse. And it just seems so stupid for a league that monitors sock height and which headphones* the players wear from the bus to the clubhouse can't take control of a small number of game balls. * they have a contract with BOSE and so prevent the players from using BEATS (or maybe it's the other way around) while they're on company time

Edgy MD Jan 20 2015 10:19 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Can't we just keep all these posts about the handling of balls in secret sub-forum that we made for that sort of thing?

Mets – Willets Point Jan 20 2015 11:50 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Can't we just keep all these posts about the handling of balls in secret sub-forum that we made for that sort of thing? You can't escape it Edge, it's like in the mainstream media and everything.

Ceetar Jan 20 2015 12:09 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: yeah, that's definitely asking for abuse. And it just seems so stupid for a league that monitors sock height and which headphones* the players wear from the bus to the clubhouse can't take control of a small number of game balls. * they have a contract with BOSE and so prevent the players from using BEATS (or maybe it's the other way around) while they're on company time but maybe not for a league that places the ball on the line based on what the ref sees and then measures _precisely_ 10 yards from there.

Nymr83 Feb 13 2015 08:30 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Twitter wrote: Riley Cooper Is the Featured Athlete for Black History Month in Eagles Calendar that makes me laugh. of course, black history month is really known as "February" and I dont think people who are making a team calendar really stop to think that a player once used a racist word at a concert in the offseason so they shouldnt put him as the photo for that month. still really funny though.

Edgy MD Feb 13 2015 08:53 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Twitter wrote that?

Nymr83 Feb 13 2015 11:36 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Twitter wrote that? it was trending on twitter and i didnt care to check where i saw it

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 13 2015 11:39 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Twitter wrote that? it was trending on twitter and i didnt care to check where i saw it You cared enough to cut and paste, but not enough to source, even "that guy said this"-minimally?

d'Kong76 Apr 15 2015 11:33 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Hernandez gets his mandatory life behind bars... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ebook_news

Nymr83 Apr 15 2015 12:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

good.

MFS62 Apr 16 2015 06:46 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Hernandez gets his mandatory life behind bars... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ebook_news The slimeball should get the chair. Later

Frayed Knot Apr 16 2015 10:30 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Hernandez was convicted on a whole lot less physical evidence compared to what was available when another ex-NFL-er accused of multiple murders was acquitted.

d'Kong76 Apr 16 2015 10:40 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

MFS62 Apr 30 2015 08:23 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The NFL Draft starts tonight. In keeping with the title of this thread, many of the potential draft picks have reportedly fallen because of off the field/ character issues. Teams that eventually pick those players will downplay those actions to make their selections seem more palatable to their fans. Some of the "NFL Experts" were talking about the draft yesterday on ESPN Radio (interrupting their NBA coverage) and one of them joked (Or maybe he was serious), "If Hannibal Lechter ran a 4.2 40 yard dash), they would say he just has an eating disorder". Serious or not, I found it funny. And true. Later

Nymr83 May 06 2015 11:21 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

CHEATERS!! FROM THE WELLS REPORT ON DEFLATEGATE: "Based on the evidence developed in connection with the investigation and summarized in this Report, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the NFL Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate attempt to circumvent those rules."

Ashie62 May 06 2015 11:32 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Hard to prove.

Frayed Knot May 06 2015 12:02 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

CHEATERS!! FROM THE WELLS REPORT ON DEFLATEGATE: "Based on the evidence developed in connection with the investigation and summarized in this Report, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the NFL Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate attempt to circumvent those rules." 1) **I** could have told you more or less this 10 weeks ago. 2) It took ten weeks for a panel to come up with "more probable than not" but as yet no details as to which "New England personnel"? 3) Columbus sailed to the New World in less time than this "investigation" took - and, oh by the way, he was using technology from 523 years ago.

Nymr83 May 06 2015 02:11 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

the report blames 2 low-level employees while saying Brady was more likely than not to have known about what they were doing. it completely exonerates Beli-cheat and Kraft. 430+ pages of lawyers and experts billing the NFL! :)

Ceetar May 06 2015 02:15 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: 430+ pages of lawyers and experts billing the NFL! :) join the club.

Mets – Willets Point May 09 2015 03:21 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Scandals the NFL should be concerned with: 1. Concussions and brain damage to players 2. Domestic violence 3. Other off-field violence 4. Other on-field violence (bounties, et al) 5. Using colleges as a minor league where players don't get paid 6. Bilking cities for stadium construction/improvement ......... 454,955. Deflategate

Frayed Knot May 09 2015 06:40 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

All correct of course and, yes, if this wasn't Brady and the Patriots then it wouldn't be getting blown up into this huge soap opera like it is. That said, this still deserves some degree of discipline even though I maintain that it's the NFL who comes off looking the worst in this whole deal by having a policy that allows each team to use and keep their own balls during a game (and especially for the SB game). I was stunned when I found out that was the case. Can you imagine the shenanigans that would go on if there were top of the inning baseballs and bottom of the inning baseballs that were never allowed to mix and each set remained in the custody of one team for the entire game?

Nymr83 May 11 2015 08:05 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Scandals the NFL should be concerned with: 1. Concussions and brain damage to players 2. Domestic violence 3. Other off-field violence 4. Other on-field violence (bounties, et al) 5. Using colleges as a minor league where players don't get paid 6. Bilking cities for stadium construction/improvement ......... 454,955. Deflategate #1 should be the thing that has your dotted line below it, that far and away the biggest concern the league has right now. But deflategate, and any other form of cheating, is pretty meaningful, more so than criminal incidents that occur off the field and outside the control of the organization - let the courts worry about those. The entire "crisis" that has been generated by the Ray Rice incident is pretty laughable in how misdirected it has been. the NFL & the Baltimore Ravens did something wrong? bullshit. why not focus on the failing system that gives no jail time to someone when they have a video tape that shows beyond a reasonable doubt what they did. "pretrial diversion" for an offense like this is the real crime here. if Rice had spent the time in JAIL that he deserved we wouldnt need to worry about his employer doing the system's job for them. What does the NFL have to do with #5? the NCAA is just as big a business as the NFL, I don't think the NFL is in a position to bully the NCAA around and tell them what to do and it isnt really their business. F the NCAA, but wrong thread.

d'Kong76 May 11 2015 09:02 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

They probably cheated, they are cheaters. I really wish they'd nail them on something so bad that will have real consequences one day. Until then...

Frayed Knot May 11 2015 10:52 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: What does the NFL have to do with #5? the NCAA is just as big a business as the NFL, I don't think the NFL is in a position to bully the NCAA around and tell them what to do and it isnt really their business. F the NCAA, but wrong thread. It's the NFL (with consent of the player's union) who sets the three years after HS mandate to be eligible for the draft which, in effect, makes college football into a de facto minor league system it is today - minus the paychecks. Not that the NCAA is adverse to this set-up, I'm sure they love it just fine. But, for all its warts and corruptions, in this case they have no power to force guys into play for free and aren't the ones driving the arrangement.

Nymr83 May 11 2015 04:04 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Wow, the punishment was harsher than i thought it would be. Brady suspended 4 games, Patriots lose 1st round pick in 2016, 4th rouder in 2017, $1 million fine.

TransMonk May 11 2015 04:24 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

That first round pick will have the biggest sting. It's my opinion that the lost picks should go to the Colts. The $1M is walking around money to Bob Kraft and the suspension was on the level of getting caught smoking grass (but harsher than what you get for beating women). If Goodell had rocks, he would have given Brady a year. At least this will give the heads something to talk about for the next several weeks.

Frayed Knot May 11 2015 04:47 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I was thinking 2 games plus a draft pick but am not totally shocked by the 4 - whereas those calling for half-season or season-long penalties and/or forfeiture of the AFC win were just nuts (IMO) There'll be an appeal I'm sure but -- as other players less exalted than Brady have found out -- you're appealing your sentence to the guy who just pronounced your sentence so good luck with that. I suspect there's some element here trying to make up for woefully under-punishing the Pats for (the MUCH more egregious) Spy-Gate caper a bunch of years back, but of course no one in charge will ever admit that in public.

Ashie62 May 11 2015 06:33 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The Pats machine got about what I expected. 4 games? whoop de doo.

d'Kong76 May 12 2015 06:17 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Well it's kind of a big whoop considering there's no real evidence. [list:tppngzkz]Brady got four games (one divisional game) Team fined a million bucks (Kraft can dig that out from his car seat) Lose 2016 1st round draft pick Lose 2017 4th round draft pick [/list:u:tppngzkz]

Nymr83 May 12 2015 06:59 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Bradys refusal to cooperate with a league investigation is reason enough for the suspension. There is precident for that.

Ceetar May 12 2015 07:35 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: Bradys refusal to cooperate with a league investigation is reason enough for the suspension. There is precident for that. the league could suspend him if the bj wasn't good enough for that matter. Too harsh imo, but it's gonna be funny when the Jets still can't win the division.

d'Kong76 May 12 2015 07:42 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Brady responds: https://www.facebook.com/HuffingtonPost ... 811401130/

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 12 2015 12:21 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The loss of picks is pretty huge. Moreso than a straight-up fine, a cap penalty would have been a nice cap in the knees.

Edgy MD May 12 2015 01:04 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Except that the existence of the draft and the existence of the cap are abominations to begin with. The idea that they should be used as vehicles for justice makes me want to weep.

Ashie62 May 12 2015 03:35 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: Bradys refusal to cooperate with a league investigation is reason enough for the suspension. There is precident for that. Mike Brady never fessed up for playing ball in the house, there is that.

Ceetar May 18 2015 10:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Coincidentally I found a reason to root my phone. (haven't done it yet) take to screenshots of stuff like YouTube and HBOGo that's DRM blocked.

MFS62 Jul 16 2015 07:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

OK, we're waiting for the results of the Brady appeal, training camps won't open for a few weeks and the free agent signings are apparently over, what else is there to talk about? Only the biggest question facing our society. When will Russell Wilson get laid? http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-new ... nd-2015157 Sometimes, there's just too much information. Later

Nymr83 Jul 29 2015 08:57 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Brady intentionally destroyed evidence (his cellphone) sought by the NFL in the investigation of deflategate. 4 games is not enough.

dgwphotography Jul 29 2015 09:19 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Oh please, he would have gotten fewer games if he was guilty of spousal abuse. I'm hardly a Brady fan, but I'm at the point where I'm rooting for him to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat.

d'Kong76 Jul 29 2015 09:42 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

This whole thing is beyond stupid. If they want his texts, I'm sure they can get them from his service provider.

Ceetar Jul 29 2015 10:08 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: This whole thing is beyond stupid. If they want his texts, I'm sure they can get them from his service provider. And Verizon or whoever is just gonna roll over because the NFL said so? Destroying it seems a bit much. Should've just deleted them I would think.

d'Kong76 Jul 29 2015 10:30 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: And Verizon or whoever is just gonna roll over because the NFL said so? I didn't say that. Given the amount of money that is legally wagered on The Super Bowl, conspiring to change the outcome of a game is kinda criminal. I'm sure the NFL can find a Brady/Pats-hating tech at Verizon to help them out if the wanted to.

Ashie62 Jul 29 2015 03:59 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: Oh please, he would have gotten fewer games if he was guilty of spousal abuse. I'm hardly a Brady fan, but I'm at the point where I'm rooting for him to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat. Said shitburger will be fired up in federal court soon and and finished in five years or so.

Nymr83 Jul 29 2015 09:13 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: Oh please, he would have gotten fewer games if he was guilty of spousal abuse. I'm hardly a Brady fan, but I'm at the point where I'm rooting for him to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat. maybe the FUCKING COURT SYSTEM ought to start punishing these people instead of asking the NFL to do it, because every time the NFL tries to punish someone we need to go to court and hear from the union how suspending the guy who beat the shit out of his wife was "excessive". Sorry, the NFL is not the real "bad guy" here. when some judge in Jersey lets Ray Rice walk away without a day behind bars, THAT is who you need to look at.

Frayed Knot Jul 29 2015 09:20 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The NFL may not be the "bad guy" in a lot of these cases from a legal point of view, but they can't seem to help stepping on their dicks about once a week lately. They've stretched this deflate-gate thing out longer, it seems, than Watergate ever was and seven months later they seem further from closing it out than they were right after it first happened. And their process, where the commissioner tries the case and then if the player thinks he was wronged by the ruling he can appeal to the very same commissioner for redress of the situation is a conflict at best and a joke at worst.

Nymr83 Jul 29 2015 09:30 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Commish did not try the case, troy Vincent did. And This was a collectively bargained process that the union keeps trying to reneg on in court.

Frayed Knot Jul 29 2015 09:44 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Vincent was hired by the commish's office to conduct the investigation and then the appeal of those results does right back to the same source. It's an illusion of independence without anything resembling actual independence. And, yes, I agree that it's the CBA that the players, with their weakest union in all of pro sports, agreed to that allows the commish to act as judge, jury, and executioner so it's tough to blame anyone other than themselves for the situation they're in. In general their top priority over the years has been getting better health and safety benefits to the point where issues like freedom of movement and outside arbitration wind up so far down their list of priorities that they find themselves in situations such as this where they run out of places to turn except for federal courts. I personally don't give a shit about how this all works out except that the soap opera quality of this is so juicy that it's almost addictive. At the moment this seems like a Brady vs Goodell thing but the bigger story is probably going to be the Goodell vs owners saga or the other owners vs Kraft aspect.

Nymr83 Jul 30 2015 03:26 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

it really looks more like owners v kraft, jerry jones has made some strong pro-goodell statements recently. Kraft is the lord of the cheaters and cant stand having gotten caught, it sounds like everyone else is against him

Ceetar Jul 30 2015 03:33 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: it really looks more like owners v kraft, jerry jones has made some strong pro-goodell statements recently. Kraft is the lord of the cheaters and cant stand having gotten caught, it sounds like everyone else is against him of course they're against him, it's strategically in six teams' favor to do so.

Edgy MD Aug 23 2015 04:02 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Amazing stuff here. http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/08/23/cris-c ... s-fall-guy Just say no, man.

Nymr83 Aug 24 2015 12:03 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

wow, can't make that shit up.

Frayed Knot Aug 25 2015 07:34 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So here's (part of) the explanation from the writer [Robert Klemko with 'Monday Morning QuarterBack'] who covered that rookie symposium on why he didn't report Carter's comments at the time (they only came to light via a recent profile on a player) Two years ago I attended the NFL symposium as the first writer to gain near-unfettered access to the rookie orientation event. I agreed to the NFL’s condition that I would not enter the small group sessions, and there would be one or two things the league could look back on and say, ‘that was off the record.’ When the public relations or marketing arm representing an org or a player facilitates access such as this, there is often a verbal agreement that certain details observed in the course of reporting may be negotiated for omission. Personally, I only agree to these omissions when the subject matter is immaterial to what I gather is the larger point of the story, which, in the case of the symposium, I believed Carter’s comment was. ... The sources of actual constructive advice, I judged, far outweighed Carter’s comment. When Carter said the words, “have a fall guy” in what was a light-hearted and animated session that at times made league employees in attendance cringe, the NFL’s Kim Fields looked my way and said, “that can’t go in the story.” I was torn. I take pride in reporting every detail, even at the risk of damaging relationships. Earlier in my career I profiled a player who had a string of unreported violence in his life. Knowing these were not details the player or the agent wanted public, I published them anyway, because I judged those facts material to the arc of that player’s journey (the agent hasn’t spoken to me since). FK: Now I know all about the idea that reporting can't fully exist with off the record comments and conditions and I'll let folks more well-versed in journalism than I critique the idea of this sort of "ex-post facto" off the record decisions. But the above explanation plays into the idea I've had all along that those who cover the NFL are, to some degree, intimidated by it and would rather compromise themselves than risk getting on 'The Shield's' shit list and possibly get un-invited to anything NFL-related for the remainder of eternity. This guy talks about -- almost brags about really -- publishing information damaging to a player's career and his relationship with an agent but won't do something here that might slightly ding the league's image because he reasons that remarks made to rookies about how to skate through trouble is somehow not relevant to what goes on at a symposium which exists for giving advice to rookies on how to conduct themselves.

d'Kong76 Aug 25 2015 08:13 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: Amazing stuff here. I kinda tuned this story out for some reason, maybe because I don't particularly care for Carter's Sunday morning tv persona, but jeez what an asshole. Can't believe he didn't get canned... he works for Walt Disney!

Edgy MD Aug 25 2015 08:47 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: This guy talks about -- almost brags about really -- publishing information damaging to a player's career and his relationship with an agent but won't do something here that might slightly ding the league's image because he reasons that remarks made to rookies about how to skate through trouble is somehow not relevant to what goes on at a symposium which exists for giving advice to rookies on how to conduct themselves. Yeah, seriously. I get that you were compromised. But don't try and sell me on how bold and independent you are because you ratted on a guy who can't threaten your career, while covering up a zillion-dollar organization that can. Well, at least he took the time to retroactively throw Kim Fields under the bus — not the one who played Tootie, I gather. But how poetically perfect. Now the ownership of rich white guys has a black female to serve as... fall guy! Just take back your Sundays, man. The NFL is awful.

Frayed Knot Aug 25 2015 09:23 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Amazing stuff here. I kinda tuned this story out for some reason, maybe because I don't particularly care for Carter's Sunday morning tv persona, but jeez what an asshole. Can't believe he didn't get canned... he works for Walt Disney! I have no particular opinion of Carter - mainly because I never watch those endless pre/post-game shows or listen much to 'Mike & Mike' where he seems to be a several hour per week presence -- but I think the fact that he's not only a celebrated NFL alum (HoF I think) but also an insider through his work with [totallyinbedwiththeNFL] ESPN probably added to the reporter agreeing to go along with the "request" from the SHIELD that he/they not be made to look bad. Poor guy would have both the NFL & ESPN on his case and may have been permanently relegated to working the school PTA meetings beat in Peoria after that.

d'Kong76 Aug 25 2015 09:41 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm not glued to Sunday Morning Countdown but often have it on, it's the least objectionable to me of the several shows. Yes, Cris was a superstar and I'm sure a first ballot HOFr.

Nymr83 Aug 25 2015 10:52 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

this reporter clown makes himself look even worse than Carter! why not just shut up and not write anything about it now?

dgwphotography Aug 25 2015 03:53 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So ESPN suspends Curt Schilling for a tweet comparing Muslims to Nazis, yet doesn't suspend Carter for this?

MFS62 Aug 25 2015 09:36 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: So ESPN suspends Curt Schilling for a tweet comparing Muslims to Nazis, yet doesn't suspend Carter for this? ESPN doesn't have a lucrative contract with the Nazis. (that we know of) Later

Nymr83 Aug 26 2015 08:29 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I really like Curt Schilling and the tweet he retweeted wasnt so bad, absurd that it got him punished. Only 5-10% of Muslims are extremists. In 1940, only 7% of Germans were Nazis. How'd that go?

Edgy MD Aug 26 2015 09:20 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

It was stupid and embarrassing. Adults shouldn't repost that sort of propaganda. If you've got a political point to make, use your own grown-up words and stop re-posting graphics with anonymous zingers on them with data that you haven't sourced.

Nymr83 Aug 26 2015 09:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Edgy MD wrote: It was stupid and embarrassing. Adults shouldn't repost that sort of propaganda. If you've got a political point to make, use your own grown-up words and stop re-posting graphics with anonymous zingers on them with data that you haven't sourced. you have not addressed my point - the punishment by ESPN, really any punishment, was absurd.

Edgy MD Aug 26 2015 09:48 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I hadn't realized I was obligated. People embarrass their organization, and they get taken out of public roles all the time. All the time. Happens in my organization, certainly, and we get all sorts of instructions and policies on social media use. Our employers have an image to protect and don't want to be associated with our online stupidity. Go back to March and Schilling of all people should know the consequences of being a buffoon online.

Edgy MD Sep 02 2015 06:20 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Amazing/not amazing that the film Concussion was made after carefully soliciting input from the NFL to assure that the message was massaged so as not to be seen as directly attacking the league. Good morning, New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/sport ... -show.html

Nymr83 Sep 02 2015 08:06 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Amazing/not amazing that the film Concussion was made after carefully soliciting input from the NFL to assure that the message was massaged so as not to be seen as directly attacking the league. Good morning, New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/sport ... -show.html the excellent ESPN Original Series "Playmakers" was pulled from the air because the NFL didn't like how the league was portrayed and commanded ESPN to cancel it.

d'Kong76 Sep 03 2015 08:25 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Brady wins appeal, ban nullified, judge rules - ESPN

dgwphotography Sep 03 2015 08:40 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Brady wins appeal, ban nullified, judge rules - ESPN Good.

Nymr83 Sep 03 2015 10:11 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: Brady wins appeal, ban nullified, judge rules - ESPN Good. Good that Goodell was taken down a notch, easily my least favorite commissioner of any sport i follow. but bad that a player an cheat and get away with it, and even worse that he can willfully destroy evidence sought by the league investigation and get away with that which is the bigger issue. i hope the Jets do to his career in New England what they did to Bledsoe's, who was a much nicer guy and didn't deserve it.

Frayed Knot Sep 03 2015 10:48 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I really just followed this whole episode from afar and more for the entertainment value of it all rather than with any 'rooting' interest as far as how it all eventually shook out. But looking at it now I guess I prefer this outcome to an upholding of the full suspension. 1/4 season for the gridiron equivalent of scuffing the balls or watering the basepaths was way over the top and seemed more motivated by numerous other factors only tangentially connected to the case, notably Goodell's desire to look like the law and order commish, the idea that letting the 'Golden Boy' (aka: White boy) skate while black players get suspended would be a pr black eye for the league, that the Pats were under-punished for 'SpyGate' and for their general arrogance, etc.

Ceetar Sep 03 2015 11:07 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I just laugh at the ridiculousness of the NFL and the coverage of things like that, and how obvious it was that they were trying to Scapegoat Brady. Sure, Tom could've just deleted his messages, but I like the general fuck you he's given to it all since the beginning, from appealing to destroyed the phone.

Diamond Dad Sep 03 2015 06:50 PM Re: National Felons League - Brady Decision Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 03 2015 07:49 PM

From the perspective of the legal precedent concerning the review of arbitrator awards, this is an interesting decision. In some ways the judge got it wrong and was overly focused on the facts (which he said he would not do), but in other ways it is a nice example of the federal courts both limiting their review of arbitral awards to very narrow grounds, and also being willing to vacate an award upon a good showing of abuse by the arbitrator. First, the court is limited to determining whether the underlying decision was permitted by the contract and within the power of the arbitrator and was free from fatal defects. If it is, then it is "enforced" and the decision stands. If not, then the award is "vacated" and the underlying award is nullified and void. The federal judge has no other power or options. The judge cannot tell the league to appoint a different arbitrator to hear the case, he can't reduce the suspension to a fine, and he can't order that evidence should or should not be admitted during any future hearing. In this case, the decision was vacated. That doesn't mean that Brady is innocent, and it doesn't mean that the league was wrong -- it only means that there were flaws in the arbitration process that rendered the decision invalid. It now goes back to square one -- as if the original arbitration hearing never happened. The suspension remains in place, but is stayed pending the appeal by the players' association. There are two legitimate grounds for the decision, which I think would be affirmed on appeal if the league continues its appeal. First, Goodell (as the arbitrator) refused the union's request to receive copies of documents created during the investigation, including witness statements. This was a very reasonable request by the union, and necessary for the union to present a proper case. To the extent that the league relied on the contents of investigation report as the basis for the original discipline, the union has the right to test the validity of the investigation report's conclusions by comparing the underlying facts as shown in the notes and witness statements against the ultimate conclusions of the report. The arbitrator (Goodell) without good reason, denied the union that opportunity. Further, the league's attorneys had access to those documents in the preparation of the league's case, and in the preparation of its questions for Brady and his witnesses, but denied the union access to the same information. As such the fairnes of the hearing was compromised. Since the Arbitrator arbitrarily denied the union the access, the hearing process was compromised. Second, the union demanded that the league produce Jeff Pash (exec. VP) as a witness, since Pash was the co-author of the investigation report, and reviewed the report and revised it before it was finalized. This was also a reasonable demand, but the commissioner denied the request and refused to make Pash available, on the grounds that his testimony would not have been relevant. No arbitrator would make this ruling. You can't pre-judge whether a seeminly relevant witness's testimony would be relevant or not. By denying the union the opportunity to examine an arguably key witness, the arbitrator again compromised the fairness and process of the hearing. On both of these grounds, the court found that the arbitrator's actions fell within the narrow grounds on which an arbitration award can be vacated. In the early part of the decision, the arbitrator also finds that Brady lacked proper notice that his actions were in violation of league rules, and lacked notice that a game suspension could be imposed as a penalty for violation. Here the judge is skirting the line between reviewing whether the arbitrator's award was permitted by the CBA (draws its essence from the contract), and substituting his own judgement for that of the arbitrator as to the facts. The judge holds that under the terms of the NFL's published rules for players, Brady was not sufficiently on notice that tampering with game balls could result in a suspension. The analysis here is specific and tortured and ultimately subject to question by a higher court. While it's undoubtedly true that Goodell stretched the bounds of prior precedent here, a reviewing judge should not be disagreeing with the arbitrator about the interpretation of precedent, or the scope of the remedies that the commissioner may impose based on a finding of violation. You can agree or disagree with the analysis, but I think here the judge is on shaky ground. But, it won't matter because the other grounds on which he vacated the decision will hold up. There were other grounds on which the union challenged the award, including the claim that the arbitrator was inherently biased by the fact that he had made public statements supporting the investigation report's accuracy before the hearing -- so how could he objectively arbitrate the case about whether the report's conclusions were justified? The federal judge didn't even get to those additional arguments because he had already found grounds to vacate the decision. So, the players' association wins, and the league loses. Goodell is shown to be a power-hungry buffoon who made arrogant rulings clearly biased in favor of the league, thinking that he could get away with anything because the CBA allowed him to appoint himself as the arbitrator, and because of the deferrence that courts generally give to an arbitrator's award. His hubris resulted in this debacle. If he's smart, he will appoint an experienced labor arbitrator to re-hear the case right away and abandon any appeals of the judge's decision. If a real arbitrator upholds the penalty after a fair hearing, then he's a hero. But, if an arbitrator finds that the penalty imposed was improper, he or she could have the power to modify the penalty or otherwise get to a final resolution. It's not over yet, folks.

MFS62 Sep 03 2015 07:03 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The legal expert on ESPN Radio (yeah, I know) said the support of the findings would have set a dangerous precedent. The ability of a court to reverse something that had been approved under a duly signed (union) collective bargaining agreement would have put put every arbitration decision in the future in jeopardy. Later

Diamond Dad Sep 05 2015 08:10 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

yes, well this is what happens when you let an ESPN reporter comment on labor law. In this case, the judge was careful (for the most part) to limit his review to the very narrow and very well established grounds on which a federal court can review the award of an arbitrator. This decision will not represent a precedent that changes the law or subjects other arbitration awards to any new level of review. Under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), an arbitrator's award can be reviewed only if there is a showing that the arbitrator was manifestly biased or had an undisclosed conflict of interest, if the arbitrator denied due process to one of the parties by improperly refusing to admit evidence or improperly disallowing a party to introduce potentially relevent evidence, or if the arbitrator's award exceeded his authority under the applicable CBA and/or issued an award that fails to "draw its essence from the underlying contract." Even if affirmed (likely), this award will not break any new ground.

Edgy MD Sep 08 2015 11:22 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Speaking of Spy-Gate, ESPN just published a comprehensive investigative story on it, and has buried the Patriots and Goodell so deeply, they'll be speaking Chinese before it's all over.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 10 2015 01:29 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

This is so on the money: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-f ... -patriots/

Ceetar Sep 10 2015 01:33 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Mets – Willets Point wrote: This is so on the money: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-f ... -patriots/ pretty much, except I'm probably NOT going to watch, because football is boring.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 10 2015 01:34 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: This is so on the money: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-f ... -patriots/ pretty much, except I'm probably NOT going to watch, because football is boring. Yeah, that's where I'm at, but it does explain how the NFL retains it's popularity.

dgwphotography Sep 10 2015 01:37 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: This is so on the money: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-f ... -patriots/ pretty much, except I'm probably NOT going to watch, because football is boring. This. The last NFL game I went to, I felt more like being in a TV studio than being at a sporting event. Football is nice scheduling filler between baseball seasons. Hopefully, I won't have to pick it up until November...

d'Kong76 Sep 11 2015 06:46 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I enjoy having a favorite football team and enjoy the season. It's only a few hours a week, less if you dvr the game, and some time reading a few newspaper articles and/watching an SNY weekly show (always without commercials). I'm emotionally invested in the Mets 365 days a year, football eh. I don't find it boring at all and would miss it if I blew off a season completely. I've blown off the NBA far more than the NFL in my paying-attention time.

themetfairy Sep 11 2015 07:14 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Football? What's a football? That said, I'll resume my marginal following of the Jets again this year, now that Michael Vick is the Steelers' problem.

Ceetar Sep 11 2015 07:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: I enjoy having a favorite football team and enjoy the season. It's only a few hours a week, less if you dvr the game, and some time reading a few newspaper articles and/watching an SNY weekly show (always without commercials). I'm emotionally invested in the Mets 365 days a year, football eh. I don't find it boring at all and would miss it if I blew off a season completely. I've blown off the NBA far more than the NFL in my paying-attention time. I get into it if I'm watching with people, but the pace frustrates me, particularly around the TD-commerical-token extra point kick-commercial-kickoff-commercial-crap run into a pile three times, punt-commercial bits. I can root for the Giants fine when it doesn't conflict with the Mets are something else I'm doing on Sunday, but I get no real sadness when they're eliminated for the season, which makes it hard for me to call myself a 'fanatic'. I might be convinced to start following the CFL (I mean, follow them more than create their stats database) if other people were going to talk about it too. It feels like a more interesting game.

Frayed Knot Sep 11 2015 07:17 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I increasingly identify with the a passage from the 'BILLY LYNN'S LONG WALK HOME' book that I know several people here also read. It's talking about the honored soldiers taking a couple minutes before the game to toss a football around while making up plays on the spot (for which they got nasty looks from the grounds crew) and the author says: ... if this [the guys improvising plays on their own] was all it was then football would be excellent sport rather than the bloated, sanctified, self-important beast that it’s become. … the hundreds of rules with more every year, the meat-brain coaches with their sadistic drills and team prayers and dyslexia-inducing diagrams, the control-freak refs, the time-outs, the deadening pauses for incompletes, the pontifical ceremony of instant-replay reviews, the huddles, playbooks, pads, and audibles ... And even that is just a paraphrased version of a longer piece and it still doesn't even get into the media driven hype of it all that seems to spend every minute telling you -- no wait, screaming at you -- what an important, world-class, crucial, breathtaking, critical, compelling, momentous, essential spectacle you're having the good fortune to be watching as they pre-analyze, then analyze, then re-analyze each piece of each play to within an inch of its life. I'd be more likely to spend some time following the game if someone would just let the fucking thing breath every once in a while. I feel like watching football has become an assault on the senses.

d'Kong76 Sep 11 2015 07:33 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: I get into it if I'm watching with people That's how I am with the Rangers. I have a bunch of friends close by who are real puckheads and watching with them is fun. I will rarely watch a hockey game or even part of one sitting at home.

themetfairy Sep 11 2015 07:35 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: I get into it if I'm watching with people That's how I am with the Rangers. I have a bunch of friends close by who are real puckheads and watching with them is fun. I will rarely watch a hockey game or even part of one sitting at home. One nice thing about following the Islanders is being able to hear Howie Rose year round.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 11 2015 10:25 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

If it really was only a couple of hours a week, I'd probably like it better. The cafeteria at where I work has a large-screen tv set set to ESPN which *always* has NFL coverage on, year round. I just can't imagine what's worth talking about for that long despite the fact that I'm a guy who wastes a lot of time talking about baseball here all the time.

d'Kong76 Sep 11 2015 11:25 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

ESPN serves some good purposes but mostly bad. All of the news, commentary, opinion, fluff, bright lights, loud music is all really just a commercial for what's coming up next on ESPN.

Ceetar Sep 11 2015 11:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

4 NFL posts on Deadspin today. 0 football ones. The closest is about the Steeler's QB talking about the Patriots Defense and rules.

TransMonk Sep 11 2015 03:06 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I dig football GAMES and watch A LOT of them (six or seven games a week if I have the time). But I make it a point to focus on the games and ignore the chatter. I don't watch ESPN or other sports networks for anything other than actual games. No pre-game, no-post game, no highlights. I can understand how all of the off the field stuff is annoying to most, but I only pay attention to the GAMES.

Ashie62 Sep 11 2015 04:06 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I love college football on a brisk fall Saturday. Yummy.

Nymr83 Sep 18 2015 02:28 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I miss Rex already CBS Sports wrote: Shoppers walking through the main entrance of the official team store Friday morning couldn't miss a display of air pumps and footballs directly across from the front doors in the shadow of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Fans can stock up on their football inflation needs at the Bills team store. "Just in case anybody needs to inflate their footballs, we have equipment to do that," retail manager Jason Klein told WIVB-TV in Buffalo. "If you're out in the parking lot and you're throwing the football around, we'll go ahead and take care of it for you."

Edgy MD Sep 18 2015 06:13 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

DeflateGate has been a gift to the NFL. A stupid scandal to take miles of column inches from the great scandal.

Frayed Knot Sep 27 2015 01:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Somewhere around page 7 or 8 this thing should have been started as a 2015-16 NFL thread. Anyway, the game in StL today was delayed nearly 1/2 hour when the team-introductory pyrotechnics started a fire on the turf.

Mets – Willets Point Sep 27 2015 06:18 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Did Great White perform?

Fman99 Sep 28 2015 08:39 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I enjoy football but live too close to Buffalo, so I'm considered a "local" market and get very few of my beloved Jets games, aside from their prime time appearances and two games per year against the Bills. Which sucks a big fat mackerel. Having said that, I still prefer a post lunch nap to a 1 PM kickoff. I do get up at 2:30 and watch the 2nd half, if they happen to be on.

Elster88 Sep 28 2015 09:55 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The NFL package is available online now in some places. [url]https://nflst.directv.com/?CMP=KNC-NFLST.tv

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2015 08:48 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Not that I was paying attention to Monday Night football last night, but I love the fact that a team (Pittsburgh) actually went for a win at the end of a game rather than settle for the easy tie (all despite some decidedly odd machinations involving the game clock ... Home team cooking?). One of the things that often bothers me about the NFL is the overly-conservative, risk-averse (read: second guess averse) strategy which seems near universal in that league. Sorry NYG fans, but I love the fact that they got burned in their two early games this year on account of doing things like telling their receivers NOT to score TDs and playing with their eyes on the clock instead of the score.

Ceetar Oct 13 2015 09:32 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: Sorry NYG fans, but I love the fact that they got burned in their two early games this year on account of doing things like telling their receivers NOT to score TDs and playing with their eyes on the clock instead of the score. Yeah, that they lost that way is what hurts* the most. *As far as I can be hurt by my third sports team, that's actually in first place now, and the other two teams each made the playoffs this/last season

TransMonk Oct 13 2015 10:15 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Frayed Knot wrote: One of the things that often bothers me about the NFL is the overly-conservative, risk-averse (read: second guess averse) strategy which seems near universal in that league. Agreed. I've decided that if I were a coach, I would nearly always go for it on 4th down between the 40s (certainly between the 50 and the opponent's 40) and that more often than not, I would go for two after a touchdown no matter what the "chart" says. You understand that you are not always going to make it and accept that. But if you are successful in either scenario 51% of the time, it seems worth it to me.

Frayed Knot Oct 13 2015 11:10 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I knew this conversation sounded familiar, so I checked back to page 7 of this thread and found myself saying similar things about the SEA/GBP playoff game last January. ... the Packers earned that loss [today] with ultra-conservative play that bordered on stupidity in some cases. From twice settling for FGs on 4th-and-goal from the 1 yd line; to a couple of stupid penalties; and then mostly, what the freak was that guy doing on the final interception sliding down with no intention of advancing the ball like there was 30 seconds left in the game instead of more like 4:30?!!?! Even if you fail on the subsequent drive (which they did) with even a modest runback you'd fail deeper in Seahawks territory forcing them to march further down the field in order to tie it up. Seahawks, meanwhile, stole the game back by employing fake punts and other trickery, 2-pt conversions, onside kicks, 2-pt PATs, and just general 'go-for-it' type plays on several 3rd-and-longs. It was an exciting game (first one I've watched start to finish all year I think) but it was still more like Seattle lost the 1st half via all those interceptions, and then GB lost the 2nd half. And then of course it came down to the coin flip and the always-uneven OT rules. Trans Monk wrote: Agreed. I've decided that if I were a coach, I would nearly always go for it on 4th down between the 40s (certainly between the 50 and the opponent's 40) and that more often than not, I would go for two after a touchdown no matter what the "chart" says. You understand that you are not always going to make it and accept that. But if you are successful in either scenario 51% of the time, it seems worth it to me. There's a school of thought out there that a Sabermetrics type of revolution is FAR overdue in football, that things like going for it on 4th downs, two-points conversions (particularly now w/the longer PAT distance), onside kicks, and other "daring" maneuvers are being grossly under-utilized. Problem is that no one wants to stick their necks out and take the criticism when and if such stuff backfires even if it can be proven that it backfires less often than not. It's the same mindset that kept the 2-pt conversion out of the NFL for so long (it was mainly coaches who objected). So except for some crazy HS coach down south somewhere who never punts and always onside kicks and wins most of the time while doing it, it sounds like nothing's changing soon. That coach and received a lot of attention with his actions -- along with some criticism that he's not playing "the right way" -- but as yet seems to have no followers.

dgwphotography Nov 09 2015 07:57 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I rooted for the team who employed Roger Staubach. How am I supposed to root for the team who now employs Greg Hardy?

MFS62 Nov 09 2015 08:13 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

themetfairy wrote: One nice thing about following the Islanders is being able to hear Howie Rose year round. Howie is great, no matter which sport he announces. Its always a joy listening to him. But, the post-game hockey shows on radio are quite a different matter, no matter who is the announcer. They last longer than a Seder, for no good reason. How many times can you replay a goal? Air pollution. By comparison they make football post game shows positively exciting. (See how that got us back to football?) Later

Ceetar Nov 09 2015 08:36 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm 72-59 against the spread in the NFL, having watched like one game, in case you thought there was some sort of science or ability to the process.

Vic Sage Nov 10 2015 11:07 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

TransMonk wrote: One of the things that often bothers me about the NFL is the overly-conservative, risk-averse (read: second guess averse) strategy which seems near universal in that league. Agreed. I've decided that if I were a coach, I would nearly always go for it on 4th down between the 40s (certainly between the 50 and the opponent's 40) and that more often than not, I would go for two after a touchdown no matter what the "chart" says. You understand that you are not always going to make it and accept that. But if you are successful in either scenario 51% of the time, it seems worth it to me. I saw a piece on Gumbel's HBO Sports magazine show about a HS football coach (in Texas, i think) who always goes for it on 4th and almost always goes for an onsides kick. He never punts. And it works [with HS kids... it wouldn't work in the pros, but its a cool idea].

d'Kong76 Nov 15 2015 06:03 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Freakin' Patriots.

Ceetar Nov 15 2015 06:11 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Freakin' Patriots. Giants covered though.

d'Kong76 Nov 15 2015 06:23 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Not in any pools this year.

dgwphotography Nov 16 2015 07:30 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Freakin' Patriots. The crap over deflate-gate has changed the Patriots from a team who I couldn't a crap about to a team I actually root for, in order to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat.

Nymr83 Nov 16 2015 07:48 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: Freakin' Patriots. The crap over deflate-gate has changed the Patriots from a team who I couldn't a crap about to a team I actually root for, in order to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat. You are rooting for the Yankees if the Yankees had the '51 Giants camera in centerfield, the Rockies humidor only for the balls the other team had to hit, and the biggest asshole manager of all time. you should reconsider and find other ways to spite the league.

Ceetar Nov 16 2015 07:54 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: dgwphotography wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: Freakin' Patriots. The crap over deflate-gate has changed the Patriots from a team who I couldn't a crap about to a team I actually root for, in order to give the NFL a great big shitburger to eat. You are rooting for the Yankees if the Yankees had the '51 Giants camera in centerfield, the Rockies humidor only for the balls the other team had to hit, and the biggest asshole manager of all time. you should reconsider and find other ways to spite the league. I like to think it's more like Barry Bonds. Some of the best of the best who may or may not have been doing things that everyone else was also maybe doing that may or may not have had the effect people prescribe to it.

d'Kong76 Nov 16 2015 11:00 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

dgwphotography wrote: The crap over deflate-gate has changed the Patriots from a team who I couldn't a crap about to a team I actually root for Where's that un-friend button? haha

Nymr83 Nov 18 2015 06:49 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Doug Flutie's parents BOTH passed away today, both had heart attacks. wow

MFS62 Nov 19 2015 07:18 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: Doug Flutie's parents BOTH passed away today, both had heart attacks. wow There have been stories of longtime married couples where one spouse passes away, and the other one dies shortly thereafter. (Grief, loneliness and stress are the most common explanations) But the same day. Terrible. Later

MFS62 Dec 18 2015 08:28 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

We may have to change the title of the thread if this keeps up. From Jane McManus, ESPN -- Player arrests are down significantly this year, but the NFL has had difficulty gaining cooperation during investigations into player misconduct, an internal league report finds. A year after high-profile conduct-related cases sent the NFL reeling, a letter to team owners from the chairman of the league's new personal conduct committee, formed last Dec. 10 as part of an overhaul of the personal conduct policy, details the challenges the league faces in implementing new provisions. The NFL is leading the way on character issues, making a difference in how domestic violence and sexual assault are perceived in the culture at large, a report from committee chairman and Arizona Cardinals president Mike Bidwill says. Yet, an ongoing challenge for the conduct committee in the last year has been the NFL's own investigation into potential code of conduct violations. "The committee is cognizant that, as a private employer, the league is taking on a challenge most other employers do not assume," the letter reads. The good news for the league is that there have been fewer cases to look into. In the last year, overall crime rates for NFL players are down by 39 percent, Bidwill reports, in the wake of ongoing training on the subjects of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and drunken driving. According to the report: "Between 2007 and 2014, the league averaged approximately 70 arrest incidents annually for players, 20 for violent and 50 for non-violent conduct. Since Jan. 1, 2015, there have been 11 arrests for violent offenses and 28 for nonviolent offenses, a 44 percent decrease in total arrests from the historic average, and a 39 percent decrease in total arrests as compared to the same period in 2014." Last year the league created a unit to oversee investigations, led by former ATF director Todd Jones and former prosecutor Lisa Friel, who were hired in the wake of Ray Rice's suspension for punching his then-fiance in an elevator. The league was greatly criticized for not getting a copy of the elevator video, especially when TMZ was able to acquire it. "The league is constrained by the fact that it is not a law enforcement agency and lacks subpoena power or other authority to secure an interview or other physical evidence without cooperation," the committee tells owners. "Often alleged perpetrators and victims are not willing to be interviewed if a case is pending in the criminal justice system." The league has had difficulty gaining the cooperation of witness and alleged victims in some cases, as well as law enforcement. There have been cases closed by the NFL because of a lack of evidence, but the league retains the ability to re-open cases if new evidence is uncovered, or if a witness comes forward with additional information. "There's no question in my mind that the league gets a much fuller picture of these incidents than a year ago," Friel said. "Although we don't have subpoena power we're still able to get a lot of evidence." "I think we will have a much better idea with a few more years of data but that's a significant decrease," Friel said. "A 39 percent decrease is really significant and I think that's a result of all the education we have done and that education has been reinforced by the clubs." Bidwell notes that the committee also has been able to work with the NFL Players Association, a relationship that has been contentious in the past. "We are glad that there is a greater cooperation with the NFL on these issues, but that is only because we have been strong enough to hold them accountable to the CBA," George Atallah, NFLPA assistant executive director, said. "The better way forward is to negotiate and agree to a comprehensive new personal conduct policy that includes neutral arbitration and greater transparency on these issues. Once the majority shareholders of the clubs commit to this, we are sure it will happen." The NFLPA appealed or filed suit in the cases of Greg Hardy, Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. The players have won those appeals based on the retroactive application of penalties in the new policy, or other inconsistencies in the way the league handled cases. Going forward, there are no more cases that fit into that time period. Friel said the league had to decide to handle the cases that took place before the new policy was put into effect, and decided to investigate those as thoroughly as it could. "We've been busy, but I think the thoroughness and expertise we brought to the investigations has brought a lot of respect to the process," Friel said. The league's expectation is that the new policy can be implemented fully now, while the NFLPA contends that, as a new policy that was not collectively bargained, there is more negotiating to be done. Both the NBA and MLB negotiated their conduct policy with counterparts in the unions and, after a penalty is determined, have the right to appeal to a neutral arbiter. NFL appeals go back to the office of commissioner Roger Goodell. In terms of outreach, the league has invested time and money in taking what it has learned about anti-violence efforts to the college, high school and middle school level. The NFL's foundation put $1.5 million toward character education programs aimed at students in high school and middle school. The NFL continues a comprehensive training program for all players, coaches and staff members, and this year it was held during training camp to reach the maximum number of rostered players. The league consulted with 150 experts in their field to put the conduct policy together. From the report: "It is also important to put this report in context by noting that the vast majority of NFL employees support and meet the high standards set by the league, and have always done so. This reality can be obscured in discussions of personal conduct, particularly when they involve NFL players." Some other notable items: --Expansion of individual services for alleged perpetrators and victims --Teams are now obligated to report to the league office any possible code violations --The league is investing in sophisticated data analysis that it hopes will identify behavioral trends that will allow NFL to intervene before players engage in misconduct --The league is working to settle investigations more quickly --All NFL teams are working with local domestic violence groups --Next areas of focus will be alcohol- and weapons-related offenses But I'm not worried that we will have to change it. Boys will be boys. Later

Frayed Knot Dec 19 2015 06:14 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

"The NFL is leading the way on character issues, making a difference in how domestic violence and sexual assault are perceived in the culture at large, a report from committee chairman and Arizona Cardinals president Mike Bidwill says." IOW, we've investigated ourselves and found ourselves to be exemplary.

Ashie62 Dec 19 2015 05:23 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

We will have an MLB felons thread soon.

Frayed Knot Dec 21 2015 12:56 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

So the NFL has a bit of a conundrum on their hands over the antics of Odell Beckham yesterday. - If they DO suspend him they'd be taking one of their top stars off the field, one who is a current media darling in the country's biggest market as well as the best player on a team who need every game as they teeter on the brink of the playoffs. And it'll be for a game that was just 'flexed' into prime-time for the benefit of one of their network [crossout]bitches[/crossout] partners. - On the other hand, if they don't suspend him they'd be running up against their recently adopted mantra that the league is all about player safety and would being do so right as this 'Concussion' movie debuts.

Nymr83 Dec 21 2015 03:00 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

if they dont suspend him it will be a huge sham.

Edgy MD Dec 21 2015 04:46 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

And if they do, it will be a huge sham. Because the NFL is a huge sham.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 21 2015 04:50 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

He sham't play in one game. A farcepoonjoke!

d'Kong76 Dec 21 2015 07:49 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I saw most of the game, kinda WWFesque at times. The officials, coaches and players involved should be ashamed of themselves. Beckham Jr. needs help, he's got some serious behavioral issues.

Nymr83 Dec 21 2015 09:33 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He sham't play in one game. A farcepoonjoke! one game is appropriate for a first time offender, which i think he is.

Mets – Willets Point Dec 22 2015 10:52 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

At least he didn't do anything really horrible, like maybe use an underinflated football.

Frayed Knot Dec 22 2015 11:17 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: He sham't play in one game. A farcepoonjoke! one game is appropriate for a first time offender, which i think he is. Of course he's about a nine time offender if you count just the reckless/stupid/violent things he did in that one game the other day. He's appealing the decision (maybe he thinks he can somehow justify that helmet-to-helmet torpedo shot he administered to the dude's ear-hole after about a 20 yard run-up?) so it remains to be seen whether the league will deal with that before Sunday's game or allow him play this weekend and then ultimately have him sit out the final week's game which is likely to be meaningless for his team and not nationally televised. Getting cynical in my old age, ain't I?

Nymr83 Dec 23 2015 12:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

WHAM! the NFL hasn't been doing great in court lately, but here is one i thought was interesting today: [url]http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015-12-22/appeals-court-says-govt-cant-reject-offensive-trademarks WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government can't refuse to register trademarks that might be considered disparaging or offensive, a decision that could bolster the Washington Redskins in their legal fight over the team name. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sided with an Asian-American rock band called The Slants, which has spent years trying to register the name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had refused to give it legal protection on the ground that it disparages Asians. Writing for a nine-judge majority, Judge Kimberly Moore said the First Amendment protects "even hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities." She said a federal law barring offensive trademarks is unconstitutional

d'Kong76 Dec 24 2015 08:35 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

More Beckham Bizarro Jr.

Rockin' Doc Dec 24 2015 01:14 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

For some odd reason, the Panthers often have a member of the practice squad patrolling the field during pregame warm ups with a baseball bat. Prior to the Giants game, the person weilding the bat was Panthers practice squad safety Marcus Ball. According to Giants punter, Brad Wing, Ball yelled to Beckham and told him, "I'll be the reason you don't play today ... And other days." while wielding the bat. Panthers' coach Ron Rivera said that the defensive backs use the baseball as a motivational tool to get fired up before games. He has promised to end the pregame ritual of practice squad players patrolling the field with a baseball bat. Beckham obviously let the Panthers, Norman in particular, get in his head and throw him off his game. He clearly deserved the suspension and fines for his actions during the game. He should have been ejected from the game in my opinion. However, I think patrolling the field during pregame warmups with a baseball bat is a pretty stupid ritual that the league should disallow.

Nymr83 Dec 27 2015 08:23 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

The Colts can still make the playoffs, they just need TEN GAMES to go in their favor.

metsmarathon Dec 29 2015 11:35 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

so.. al Jazeera has a story that peyton manning's wife had received HGH shipments at their house, and the majority of the sports world is falling over themselves either trying to ignore it away, poke holes in the story, or act like it's not a big deal at all. which is exactly the opposite of what they would be doing if the name highlighting the report were an equally prominent baseballer.. I don't know if the story is true or not, but I do know that the reaction to the story is fairly peculiar.

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 11:41 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

metsmarathon wrote: so.. al Jazeera has a story that peyton manning's wife had received HGH shipments at their house, and the majority of the sports world is falling over themselves either trying to ignore it away, poke holes in the story, or act like it's not a big deal at all. which is exactly the opposite of what they would be doing if the name highlighting the report were an equally prominent baseballer.. I don't know if the story is true or not, but I do know that the reaction to the story is fairly peculiar. like say Ryan Howard or Ryan Zimmerman? I guess that's not equally prominent,but Barry Bonds is retired and A-Rod already bashed so I'm not sure such a creature currently exists.

d'Kong76 Dec 29 2015 11:43 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Are you an Alex Rodriguez sympathizer by any chance?

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 11:47 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Are you an Alex Rodriguez sympathizer by any chance? depends what you mean by sympathizer I guess, but I couldn't possibly care less about PEDs and A-Rod is probably the closest current comp to Peyton. One of the best ever but aging and still playing.

d'Kong76 Dec 29 2015 12:40 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: but I couldn't possibly care less about PEDs So you're cool with athletes taking illegal (banned) substances to gain a competitive advantage? Is that really what you're saying?

dgwphotography Dec 29 2015 12:43 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

metsmarathon wrote: so.. al Jazeera has a story that peyton manning's wife had received HGH shipments at their house, and the majority of the sports world is falling over themselves either trying to ignore it away, poke holes in the story, or act like it's not a big deal at all. which is exactly the opposite of what they would be doing if the name highlighting the report were an equally prominent baseballer.. I don't know if the story is true or not, but I do know that the reaction to the story is fairly peculiar. I think the closest comparison is to the reaction these same pundants had regarding Tom Brady and "deflate-gate".

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 12:56 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: but I couldn't possibly care less about PEDs So you're cool with athletes taking illegal (banned) substances to gain a competitive advantage? Is that really what you're saying? in a nutshell, yes.

d'Kong76 Dec 29 2015 12:58 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I'm speechless.

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 01:05 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Anyway the NFL has always treated this stuff differently, perception wise and the exposure and saturation of the league's mouthpiece 'journalists' is larger than in baseball. They get more airtime and press because football's a more national game.

Nymr83 Dec 29 2015 01:12 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: but I couldn't possibly care less about PEDs So you're cool with athletes taking illegal (banned) substances to gain a competitive advantage? Is that really what you're saying? in a nutshell, yes. i think there really needs to be a distinction between "banned" (by the league) and "illegal" (made illegal by the USA). There should really be no question about "illegal" - nobody should be put in a position where they need to consider illegal substances to 'keep up' with the cheaters who are breaking THE LAW (not just the rules of the game) to get ahead. As for "banned" substances, cheaters should still be punished for violating the rules. If you think the rules need changing to allow more substances then that is fine, but the rules need to be enforced as long as they exist. The one area i'll somewhat agree with you is that PEDs are a bit "overrated" in the scrutiny they receive, they are no worse than deflating footballs, throwing spitballs, corking bats, etc

Frayed Knot Dec 29 2015 01:13 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

metsmarathon wrote: I don't know if the story is true or not, but I do know that the reaction to the story is fairly peculiar. If by 'fairly peculiar' you mean 'totally expected' then, yes, you're right.

d'Kong76 Dec 29 2015 01:17 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: Anyway the NFL has always treated this stuff differently You can't 'anyway' it away. You condone cheating friends, teammates, teams, leagues, unions for the sake of monetary and competitive gain.

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 01:50 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: Anyway the NFL has always treated this stuff differently You can't 'anyway' it away. You condone cheating friends, teammates, teams, leagues, unions for the sake of monetary and competitive gain. I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. Yes, it's breaking the rules and cheating (at least, it is now, sort of, depending on if your using the right doctor) but I'm not convinced it's providing them any unfair advantage, that 99% of the stuff that's taken that's on the banned list is providing any tangible benefit greater than what's not on the banned list, never mind what hasn't been studied or publicly available enough to even be known about. Did the 4 guys that didn't take amphetamines over the past 60 years have a competitive disadvantage? Perhaps, but more so than the guy that worked out a little less? did less cardio? Didn't go out and party the night before? Was sober? Didn't do cocaine? Baseball gets a lot more sacrosanct about this stuff, despite other obvious inbalances to competitiveness across the ages. I have no problem with baseball/football enforcing rules against using things that are illegal, and I generally support a cleaner, drug-free game (won't ever happen) mainly for the players own protection the same way I support concussion protocols and such, but I just don't care that guys have, are, and will take more potent stuff to train/recover faster. It doesn't change how I view the sport in any way.

Nymr83 Dec 29 2015 02:00 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. The NFL has a salary cap, every dollar you earn through cheating comes directly from a non-cheating player who doesnt look as impressive by playing naturally.

Ceetar Dec 29 2015 02:08 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. The NFL has a salary cap, every dollar you earn through cheating comes directly from a non-cheating player who doesnt look as impressive by playing naturally. Maybe, maybe not. Who's to say why it looks more impressive? And why does it matter if you took something to get back on the field faster? And that doesn't even affect the cap, since they're paying you on to be doubtful that week anyway.

Ashie62 Dec 29 2015 04:05 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Nymr83 wrote: I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. The NFL has a salary cap, every dollar you earn through cheating comes directly from a non-cheating player who doesnt look as impressive by playing naturally. Classic.

d'Kong76 Dec 29 2015 05:03 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

Ceetar wrote: I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. Most importantly, I left out cheating the fans.

Ceetar Dec 30 2015 06:45 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: I don't really think they're cheating friends/teammates/teams/unions. Most importantly, I left out cheating the fans. _some_ fans and they don't really owe it to you to play the game a certain way, just to play it. I feel more cheated by say Michael Cuddyer retiring earlier than if he'd pumped his body full of something to be healthy in 2015.

d'Kong76 Dec 30 2015 06:46 AM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

We are morally and philosophically on two different planets on the subject so it's probably best to just move on...

Rockin' Doc Dec 30 2015 10:01 PM Re: National Felons League - 2014-15

I definitely find that my views more closely align with those of d'Kong regarding athletes using banned substances to gain a competitive advantage.